Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District became a member of the Arkansas Parks & Recreation Association this month. District Manager Lawrence Blood said at Monday’s HISID meeting he is excited about this and they will be learning more about what this means for the district, including the means for receiving grant funds for the community.
“We have a recreation center, we cater to senior citizens, we have a growing population of children in the area, and we need to start adjusting our recreational programs to start addressing that,” Blood said.
One area of development that HISID is focusing on is hiking trails. Holiday Island has the Leatherwood Trail that is handicapped accessible, and also the Starlight and Bobcat Trails. Dan Kees is the primary advocate for the Holiday Island Hikers and encourages use of the trails. He can be reached at D.Kees@HISID.info for more information on trails maps or group hikes.
The last word
At the end of the meeting, Blood talked about the high level of integrity and transparency the board has offered the community. He said he takes the public process very seriously and believes commissioners exhibit the same dedication to the community. In addition to posting public meetings, Blood pointed to several tables filled with updates on projects, grants, maps and trails that he continuously invites residents to read and appreciate. Blood said he has an open-door policy and welcomes any resident to discuss their concerns without an appointment.
The meeting lasted till after 10 p.m. due to commissioners allowing any resident to speak for as long as they liked. In frustration, Kees said, “I’m leaving at 10 o’clock whether you are done or not.”
The next meeting is scheduled for June 17.