The people have spoken. Voters approve 2223 in landslide
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
By Alana Cook, The Lovely County Citizen newspaper
The citizens of Eureka Springs voted overwhelmingly Tuesday in favor of keeping the city's anti-discrimination ordinance that protects the rights of LGBTs.
Final but unofficial results in Tuesday's special election were 579 votes (71.5 percent) for Ordinance 2223 and 231 votes (28.5 percent) against keeping the law.
"It sends a message about who Eureka is and what we stand for," said Sandy Martin, a former member of the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce board of directors. "We are proud of the way we ran the campaign and for all the support we got from the people who stood up and said 'we aren't going to take it anymore.' Eureka is on the right side of history and humanity."
This may come as a shock to some- considering this is Arkansas, but Eureka Springs is a progressive oasis in the state that sent Tom Cotton to Washington. Check out this promotional video...
The measure was aimed at a pre-empting a bill in the state Legislature that prohibits local governments from adopting anti-discrimination laws. That bill was sponsored by state Rep. Bob Ballinger (R-Hindsville), whose district includes Eureka Springs. It was approved by both houses of the state Legislature and will take effect July 22.
Although the state law will effectively nullify Eureka Springs' anti-discrimination ordinance, supporters of 2223 say it could be the basis for a legal challenge to the state law.
Passage of this ordinance came as a great relief to me, as just prior to the Republican takeover of the state, we purchased some property in the community. We were truly amazed on our first visit to Eureka Springs. The narrow streets winding up and down the mountainside lined with small, colorful shops selling unique pieces of art, historic buildings, and cafes reminded me of the vibe of Gatlinburg in the 1970's, before the mini-golf and go cart track invasion.
And, if you are interested, property is 'dirt cheap' there. We bought our lakeview lot for $4,000. Power, water, sewer, and cable are at the curb. In this photo, Mrs Woof stacking firewood (there's a lot of it).
...more photos and videos from various sources below the fold.
Part II
May Arts Festival
...and finally, me and my chainsaw.
Here's a link to a photo gallery of the annual Artrageous Parade. To say Eureka Springs is colorful is a vast understatement.
https://www.google.com/...