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ELKINS COMMUNITY NEWS

January 2022

Elkins a Busy Place in 2022

The new year has a lot of opportunities on offer for members of the Elkins community to affect change, have some fun, and generally make our community an even better place to live. 
 
Elections
There are midterm elections in 2022 but more than that, many positions on our local and county boards and councils, etc. will be up for election, with a number of those positions being modified due to the results of the 2020 Census. It is also the year that Elkins has a mayoral election. 
 
As a nonpartisan organization dedicated to informing residents of important events, we will not be endorsing any candidates or allowing political ads. We will share information about the dates and locations for filing periods, elections, etc. in our newsletter and on social media. 


Many Developments at ECN 
We are gearing up for lots of events, partnerships, and programs! 
 
In January, we plan on starting up our monthly Elkins Community Leaders Network meetings and the Elkins-Area Business Network meetings every quarter starting in February. We also plan to kick off our merchandising fundraiser where you can order some cool Elkins memorabilia. 
 
In February, ECN will be co-hosting a blood drive and voter registration drive. Throughout the year, we will be partnering with various other local groups for events including Elkfest, Book Bash, Read/Ride/Run, and Taste of Elkins. We will close out the year with the Elkins Holiday Expo and Elkins Holiday Lights Tour in December. 
 
We have many other plans in mind for community engagement, empowerment, and enhancement! Watch our newsletter and social media for more information about how to get involved. 
 
City/Schools/Community
We know of many other exciting things coming up, but don’t have the details yet. This includes the City of Elkins sewer project and trail construction, a new summer enrichment program from the Elkins Public Schools, and many more! As information develops throughout the year, we pledge to keep you as informed as possible. 
 

Thank you to this month's sponsors!

Sponsorships help make what we do possible. If you would like to sponsor a future edition, email us at info@elkinsar.org or visit elkinsar.org

We’ve revamped our Classifed Ads to focus on helping business and nonprofits connect with people needing jobs. Our job opening spots will be due at the same time each month as the display ads. They are $10 and up to 300 words. For more information, visit our media guide for sponsorships.

 

January Calendar of Events
 

S Jan. 1 - Happy New Year
First Day Hikes (local trails or state parks); arkansasstateparks.com/first-day-hikes for more info 
M Jan. 3 - Elkins Planning Commission- 7pm at Elkins City Hall
T Jan. 4 - First day back to school for students at Elkins Public Schools
Th Jan. 6 - Microgreens workshop at GSS Group - 6pm; More info in newsletter
S Jan. 8 - Worm Composting Workshop at White River Nursery - 11am; More info in newsletter
S Jan. 8 - Taxiway Talks at the Arkansas Air & Military Museum - 11am; Free talk by retired C-130 pilot Colonel Dave Bowman
M Jan. 10 - Curbside Recycling
W Jan. 12 - Tinker Squad Robotics Club for Grades 2-6; 4:30p at ElkinsPublic Library; Tinker Squad meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
Elkins Park Committee Meeting - 6:30 pm at Elkins Public Library Community Room
Th Jan. 13 - Storytime at the Elkins Public Library - 11 am; Storytime happens every Thursday at 11am
Elkins Water Committee Meeting - 7pm at Elkins City Hall
S Jan. 15 - Colors Day Dance at Elkins High School
M Jan. 17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday; No School
T Jan. 18 - ECN Community Leaders Networking Meeting -7:30 am
Elkins Public Schools Board Meeting - 6pm at the Elkins District Office
Library Board of Trustees Meeting - 6pm at the Elkins Public Library
Th Jan. 20 - Elkins City Council Meeting - 7pm at Elkins City Hall
NWA Food Bank Mobile Pantry - 9am at Elkins Community Center
M Jan. 24 - Curbside Recycling
T Jan. 25 - Friends of the Elkins Public Library Meeting - 6pm at the Elkins Public Library. This date is tentative. For more info, contact Linda Maple or the Library.
 

View the complete calendar and submit your events at elkinsar.org or email us at info@elkinsar.org or call (479)274-0016.

Republican Senate runoff election Jan. 11

The run-off election for the Republican ticket in the Senate District 7 Primary (which includes Elkins) will be January 11. The voting location for Elkins will return to the Elkins Community Center. The special election for Senate District 7 is February 8. For more information about voting, including checking your registration status, visit the Washington County Election Commission website. 
 

Ways to Serve: Run for elected office




Interested in having a voice in how our state, county, and city government or our local school district are operated? There are a large number of opportunities to run for elected office in 2022. The primary and school board elections are in May with the main election for government offices in November. 
 
The first step in filing for any race is to get the required number of signatures from people in the voter district you would serve. For more information, get the 2022 Running for Office Handbook here https://www.arkansas.gov/sbec/forms-checklists/candidate-information/ or contact the Washington County Election Commission. 
 
Each month we try to feature a different way for community members to get involved in the Elkins community through some kind of service. If you have an idea or need volunteers, please email us at info@elkinsar.org

Community Blood Drive Feb. 18



Did you know that the donor blood supply is dangerously low? We are hosting a community blood drive in partnership with the Red Cross. The drive is 1pm to 5pm, Friday, February 18, at the Elkins Community Center. We are telling you now so that you can sign up for a time slot at redcross.org (search for local drives and use the code Elkins or our area code, 72727). If you need help, contact us at info@elkinsar.org or (479)274-0016. 

Voter Registration Drive Feb. 25-26

We are partnering with the Elkins Public Library to sponsor a voter registration drive Friday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 26, during regular library business hours. You can check your voter registration status and register to vote during the drive. As we’ve stated, there are many important elections coming up in 2022 and the best way you can have a voice in your community is to vote. 

Please take this broadband survey

The organization AR BroadbandNow is working to determine the state’s current needs regarding broadband. As a rural community, Elkins has what we would consider a mixed situation in regards to broadband where some areas have quality coverage and others have little to no coverage. Please consider taking this survey from AR BroadbandNow about your broadband experience. We hope to have more information soon about this organization’s efforts. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/arbroadband

Submit your Elkfest Ideas

We are excited to partner with the Elkins Police Department and other local organizations to host Elkfest again this summer! Why are we talking about this in January? Well, we are doing things a bit different this year to make it an even bigger community-wide event. Do you have a fundraiser or event you want to make part of the festivities? We want to know about it! We will lead the marketing and organizing efforts for the event at large. If your fundraiser or activity is accepted, you will be responsible for planning and hosting it. Ideas could include a chili (or some other food) cook-off, dog show, poker run, etc. Contact us at info@elkinsar.org

City Services by the Numbers 

We have started including an overview of the city services numbers each month in our newsletter with more detailed information on our blog. This information is provided during the monthly City Council meetings. 
 
November 2021 numbers (most recent available)Elkins Police Department (only calls that went through dispatch): 307 calls
Elkins Fire Department: 50 incidents
Elkins Public Library (figure is cumulative since reopening): 13,657 visitors 
 

Learn How to Compost Jan. 8 

Join White River Nursery to learn how you can get started with your own composting setup. Their event is 10am to noon, Saturday, January 8. The 10am portion is geared toward City of Fayetteville residents. 

At 11am, they will be offering Worm Composting: Joanne Olsweski, vermicomposting expert and author of Worms Eat My Garbage, will be demonstrating how to set up and maintain a worm composting bin at home. Signed copies of her book and boxes of her locally grown worms will be available for purchase at the presentation.
 

Learn About Microgreens Jan. 6

Grow.Supply.Sustain Group is hosting a free workshop 6pm-7pm, Thursday, Jan. 6 in Fayetteville. It is an introduction and guide to growing and properly using your own microgreens. Registration is required. For more information, contact growsupplysustain@gmail.com

Join Friends of the Elkins Public Library

The Friends of the Elkins Public Library have a meeting tentatively scheduled for 6pm, Tuesday, January 25, at the Library. Sign up now to get any updates on the meeting. Friends is a 501c3 that supports the library's programs through at least two fundraisers each year. They are looking for new ideas and energy to grow this organization and its reach!
 
Applications are available at the library. There is a $10 fee for joining. Questions? Contact Linda Maple or the library. 
 

Community Insight:

The Community Insight Column will be a recurring feature highlighting ideas and insights from local community members.
 

What is Leadership?

By Billy Gregory CWO/USMC (ret) Scoutmaster Troop 460 Owner Semper Fi Farms and Multi-Int Solutions

Defining leadership can be complicated. In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart attempted to describe pornography with the infamous “I know it when I see it.” Many would define leadership in the same manner. They know it when they see it. Webster’s defines leadership as “the power or ability to lead other people”.

 Personally, I would change “ability to lead” to “ability to influence.” The goal of a leader is to influence others to do what the leader or the organization needs them to do. Leadership is entrusted to the few, by the multitude. It is the leader’s responsibility to earn that trust every day. Therefore, leadership is not a role or position. It is a responsibility and a privilege.

Much has been written about whether leaders are born or made. I believe the correct answer is, both. The U.S. Marine Corps believes leaders must exhibit 14 leadership traits: Justice, Judgement, Decisiveness, Integrity, Dependability, Tact, Initiative, Enthusiasm, Bearing, Unselfishness, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty, and Endurance. While some leaders are born with a few traits, knowledge and judgment among others are learned.

The Marines also have 11 leadership principles. Know yourself and seek self-improvement and lead by example are the two I’ll list here. Do as I say and not as I do does not work. Leaders must constantly strive to better themselves and lead by example. If you expect your people to be on time, you had better be early.

I believe Servant leadership, coined by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970’s, is the most effective way to lead. Greenleaf said a true leader must first be a servant. Jesus taught His disciples this leadership method over 2,000 years ago. John Chapter 13 and Galatians Chapter 5 exemplify how we are to lead. If that isn’t enough, research has proven happy workers are more productive and they are less likely to quit their jobs. I often explain Servant leadership this way. If you take care of your people, they will take care of the mission. In its most simple form, Leaders Eat Last!

I first learned servant leadership in the Boy Scouts. Scouting taught me to learn from my successes and my failures. Perhaps, most importantly it taught me to care for the people I led. Servant leadership has served me well. A few years ago, I was honored to take over as the Scoutmaster of Troop 460, from Mr. Mike Tillery. Scouting still teaches servant leadership. History has proven these young men will be leaders in our community. My Assistant Scoutmasters and I do everything in our power to ensure they become the best leaders they can be. 

ECN Sponsorship Rates

We fund our ongoing programs through sponsorships in three forms. See details for each at elkinsar.org
Job Listings                            $10
Advertise your job openings directly to our community. Text only. Appears in both forms of the newsletter and on the website.

Display                                  $25/50
Available in Business Card or Double Business card size. Will appear in both print and email newsletters and on our website.

Blog Article on Website        $60
Informative and educational article with insights into your industry. Article featured as a blog on our website.
Check local calendars for changes to events

We try to be as accurate as possible with our calendar information, but sometimes schedules change. For the most up-to-date information, check our events calendar on our website at elkinsar.org/. City of Elkins events can be found on the city website at elkins.arkansas.gov. Elkins School Events can be found on the district calendar at elkinsdistrict.org. The Senior Center also publishes a monthly newsletter with its menu and activities that can be found at aaanwar.org/locations/detail/1426
 

Do you have a business, local organization, church, or youth activity that people need to know about? We have a directory for that! Please submit your organization to one of our directories or email us at info@elkinsar.org or call (479) 274-0016 so that we can spread the word about everything going on in Elkins.

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