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Little Rock notebook

Summer program is free for youths

The city has started a new free summer recreation program for youths ages 6-15.

The recreational activities will take place Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays through July 27. They will be available at East Little Rock Community Center at 2500 E. Sixth St. on those days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for ages 6-11, and from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. for ages 12-15.

The community center is near Carver Magnet Elementary School, which is a summer feeding site through the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Free breakfast will be served there each morning from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and lunch will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Activities at the community center include board games, basketball, kickball and outdoor games.

The pilot program, which began Monday, is being paid for by money from a fundraiser held by the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Commission.

More information is available by calling the center at (501) 374-2881.

Zoo: Bring cereal, earn $2 off ticket

The Little Rock Zoo is accepting cereal donations for discounted entrance through June 23.

The promotion is part of the Summer Cereal Drive, a partnership with THV11, the Arkansas Foodbank and area businesses, groups and schools.

Over the past 15 years, the cereal drive has provided more than 2.1 million boxes to Arkansas children and families. In 2014, a record was set with 286,000 boxes donated.

Donations can include dry cereal in boxes or bags of 8 ounces or more, oatmeal, cream of wheat, or cereal or breakfast bars. People donating these items to the zoo will receive $2 off admission. One discount per box, per person will be given.

Donations can also be dropped off at Arkansas Foodbank at 4301 W. 65th St., Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. More information is available by calling Emily Gassman at (501) 569-4349.

THV11 will also film live This Morning shows during the cereal drive. Cereal can be dropped off at these locations between 5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. during the show: Tuesday at Brookshire's of Arkadelphia, Thursday at Brookshire's of Pine Bluff; and June 21 at the Kroger at Markham Street and Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock.

A cereal drive also will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 21 at the Kroger on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Little Rock, and there will be a "summer cereal night" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Arkansas Travelers game at Dickey-Stephens Park.

Library screening Silicon Cowboys

The Central Arkansas Library System is hosting a screening of Silicon Cowboys on Tuesday followed by a question-and-answer session with the founder of the company the movie is based on.

Silicon Cowboys tells the story of Compaq Computer Corp., "an unlikely upstart that altered the future of computing and helped shape the world as we know it today," according to a news release.

The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave. Rod Canion, co-founder of Compaq, will answer questions afterward and sign copies of his book.

Compaq was launched by Canion and two friends in a Houston diner in 1982. It set out to build a portable PC to take on IBM, the world's most powerful tech company.

During Canion's tenure as chief executive officer, Compaq set records for the largest first-year sales in the history of American business and reached the Fortune 500 and $1 billion revenue mark faster than any other company in history.

Canion left the company in 1991. He helped found the Houston Technology Center in 1999 and the Grand Order of Successful Entrepreneurs Society of Texas in 2005. He's currently the director of Invesco Ltd. and the Houston Methodist Research Institute.

Templars to host Juneteenth bash

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will host its annual Juneteenth celebration this weekend.

The center will host a free street festival Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with vendors, food trucks, live music and a kids zone.

Performing will be Algebra and Anthony David, who are Billboard-chart-topping, Grammy and NAACP Image Award-nominated artists known for their collaboration album 4Evermore. Jules Bartholomew and Judacamp, Billboard Top 20 gospel national recording artists, also will perform.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday, which is celebrated June 19, originated in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 as a celebration of emancipation. Now it commemorates black freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.

As part of this year's celebration, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will host a closing reception of the African American Treasures from the Kinsey Collection exhibit Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

On Friday, Bernard Kinsey of the Kinsey Collection will speak at a free lunch event at 11:30 a.m.

Later that evening there will be a panel discussion on the influence of hip-hop music on the social consciousness of the black community from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Panelists will include hip-hop artists, DJs and activists. There will be a DJ competition afterward with a $250 grand prize.

Those who wish to register or RSVP for either of the Friday events can call Brian Rodgers at (501) 683-3636 or email him at brian.rodgers@arkansasheritage.org.

Mount Holly plans series talk on bees

The Mount Holly Garden Series will host a session called "All About Bees" on Saturday at the historic Bell House.

The Bell House is in the center of the Mount Holly Cemetery at 1200 S. Broadway.

Emily Bemis from Bemis Tree Farm will present the talk at 9 a.m.

The event is sponsored by the Downtown Dames, which meets at 9 a.m. every third Saturday from April to October.

The event is free, but donations will be accepted to benefit projects within the historic cemetery.

Metro on 06/12/2016

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