Wastewater utility adds anti-bias rule
Little Rock Wastewater followed the city’s lead last week by adopting an official resolution pledging nondiscrimination against employees and vendors.
Like the city ordinance, the wastewater utility’s resolution promises not to discriminate against its employees or selection of vendors based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or genetic information.
The utility added one protected class that the city didn’t include — military status.
The resolution also requires companies under contract with the utility to adopt the same nondiscrimination clause in relation to their own employees.
Several cities, a county and other public agencies have adopted similar guidelines after Little Rock took the lead earlier this year.
Soda-makers push to reduce calories
Little Rock joined Los Angeles on Monday as one of the first two cities taking part in an initiative started by several beverage companies to reduce the amount of calories consumers take in from soft drinks.
Eventually, 10 cities will be involved in the pilot program started by the American Beverage Association, its members and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Four parts of Little Rock have been targeted — downtown (72202 ZIP code), south Little Rock (72206), southwest Little Rock (72209) and midtown (72204).
Coca-Cola Co., Dr Pepper Snapple Group and PepsiCo Inc. have put together some marketplace strategies to encourage consumption of lower-calorie drinks. In addition to making more low-calorie and smaller-portion drinks available in stores in those ZIP codes, the companies will also provide incentives for shoppers to try those options.
Calorie-awareness messages will be placed in stores, and the strategies will be tested to develop best practices in implementing the incentives elsewhere.
The end goal of the beverage companies and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation — founded by the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association — is to reduce calorie intake from beverages by 20 percent per person by 2025.
While it will become a nationwide campaign eventually, communities in Little Rock and Los Angeles were chosen to start the effort because of less consumer interest and less access to lower-calorie and smaller-portion drink choices in those communities, according to a news release.
The companies might offer taste tests and sampling programs, coupons or other incentives to promote the initiative.
2nd CALS Con set
for Main Library
This year’s CALS Con will include characters from Frozen, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, the Harry Potter series and several comics and video games.
It’s the second year that the Central Arkansas Library System has put on a Comic Contype event. It is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Main Library downtown at 100 Rock St. in the River Market District.
The one-day festival starts with a superhero-themed summer reading club, Every Hero Has a Story. People are encouraged to attend dressed as their favorite character.
Also on the schedule are panel discussions on movies and television series, a social media scavenger hunt, table-top gaming, a LEGO display, a drop-in gaming area and a meet-up area. The first 700 people to register will get a free CALS Con “swag bag.”
Cosplay contests will take place across the alleyway at the Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave. A Twitter hashtag has been set up to allow attendees to follow others’ comments by posting with #CALScon2015.
Wildflowers group to play downtown
Three former solo artists who have joined to form the Wildflowers will put on a folk, country and blues-influenced performance Friday at the Ron Robinson Theater downtown.
The event is part of Arkansas Sounds’ monthly concert series. It will start at 7 p.m. at the theater, 100 River Market Ave.
Each artist will perform a short solo set, followed by the trio performance with a backing band.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.arkansas sounds.org or in person at the Butler Center Galleries, 401 President Clinton Ave. Tickets will also be available an hour before the show in the theater lobby if the event is not sold out before then.
Arkansas Sounds is a project of the Butler Center, a department of the Central Arkansas Library System.