Keeping you updated

Bella Vista Library returns to curbside pickup

Curbside pickup is once again available at the Bella Vista Library from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

These are uncertain times and as such there may be circumstances such as holidays, inclement weather, illness, quarantines, special internal projects, etc. which may necessitate an unexpected pause in curbside services. The website and social media will be updated as soon as possible in these cases.

General Information:

In order to reserve and pickup, you must be in good standing and have an active card with the library. Only books, DVDs and audiobooks may be checked out. A patron may have up to three holds at a time. All items will have a three-week loan period, including DVDs.

To request an item, use the Place a Hold function in the catalog section on the website or call 479-855-1753 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The library will notify you when items are ready. Just because you have placed a hold does not mean that materials will be immediately ready. Please wait until you have been notified by the library.

Pickup and Return Procedures:

After the library has notified you that your request is ready, you may pick up your books from the tables outside of the library's front doors. After notification, you have until 3 p.m. Thursday of that week to pick up the material. You may park near the tables for a quick stop to retrieve your bag. Only one person at a time may approach the table to retrieve a bag. Bags are labeled with the patron's name and the last four digits of the patron's library card.

You are welcome to send someone to pick up your request for you, but remember you are responsible for all materials checked out to your account.

All returns must be placed in the book drop, not on the tables.

Please note that the library is not accepting donations at this time and requests that you do not leave donations on the tables or in the book drops.

Contact the library at 479-855-1753, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m to 3 p.m., or send an email to [email protected] for further information.

Grief program via Zoom

For many, 2020 brought profound grief. Maybe this grief was caused by the loss of a loved one, the loss of health, the loss of a job, the loss of companionship. Whatever the cause, you may be suffering from a crisis of the heart. If this is you, please consider "When Mourning Dawns: Living Your Way through the Seasons of Grief" as a journey together in search of a new beginning in life, a fresh start.

Each Thursday evening from 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Feb. 4 (please note date change from last week's notice), for nine weeks, First United Methodist Church of Bella Vista offers a gathering to learn about and walk through grief together. This is not a "spill your guts" kind of gathering. Instead, you learn what grief does to us, share experiences in ways that are healing, watch videos that offer suggestions of how to heal, and lift burdens through the love and care of each other.

Gatherings will take place on Zoom each week. Register to receive the Zoom link at https://fumcbellavista.com/grief -- or call the church office at 479-855-1158. This invitation is open to everyone.

For questions or for more information, please contact the Rev. Brenda Wideman at [email protected] or 479-855-1158.

Veterans Walk of Honor

The NWA Veterans Council will be arranging different events in the coming months -- automobile shows, auctions and other fund-raising events in its quest to make reality a Veterans Walk of Honor at the site of the Veterans Wall of Honor in Bella Vista.

Details of the expansion can be accessed at http://vetwallofhonor.org/veterans-walk-of-honor-park.html. Just click on the expansion image.

The mission of the council is to honor veterans, educate the next generation and provide it with an understanding of veterans' sacrifices for freedom.

If you have any questions, email [email protected] or by telephone at 501-944-2967.

Bella Vista Historical Museum

The Bella Vista Historical Museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visitors are asked not to enter if they have flu-like covid symptoms. Masks are required and visitors will be asked to practice social distancing while in the museum and, if visiting with a group, to stay together. The number of visitors at one time will be limited to 10. If visitors happen to arrive when the museum is at maximum capacity, they will be asked to wait outside until there is room for additional visitors. These plans are subject to change, based on the latest covid-19 data from the Arkansas Department of Health. The museum is located at the corner of Highway 71 and Kingsland, next door to the American Legion building. Telephone: 479-855-2335. Website: www.bellavistamuseum.org.

Membership in the Society is available now for the 2021 calendar year at the cost of $15 per individual or $25 per family. The museum has an all-volunteer staff, which means that dues and donations go entirely toward the operating costs of the museum. In addition to helping support the preservation of Bella Vista's rich and unique history, and helping educate the public, other benefits of membership include receipt of a quarterly newsletter and an invitation to the annual membership meeting usually held each March. Checks may be mailed to the museum at 1885 Bella Vista Way, Bella Vista, AR 72714. Visitors are also welcome to pay for membership in person by check or credit/debit card during open hours.

Notice of Annual Meeting

The 2021 Annual Meeting for the Bella Vista Animal Shelter Inc. will be held at the Bella Vista Country Club, Board Meeting Room, 98 Clubhouse Drive, Bella Vista, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, for the transaction of all Bella Vista Animal Shelter Inc. business as may properly come before the meeting. The public and all members are invited to attend. Masks and social distancing will be required.

Applications for board member positions are available at the Bella Vista Animal Shelter Inc. Application deadline is Jan. 20. For more information, contact Deidre Knight-Matney, executive director, at 479-278-2510 or at [email protected].

BV City Facilities Closed through January

Bella Vista city facilities will remain closed to non-emergency public traffic through January 2021 in an attempt to limit the spread of covid-19. The closure will be again assessed by Mayor Peter Christie at the end of January.

Christie cited the number of total covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths that continue to rise as the reason to continue limiting public traffic, and that the work-from-home situation has worked remarkably well for city employees who continue to conduct city business primarily online and via phone and email.

This closure applies to the city's administration offices at City Hall, Bella Vista Public Library, Bella Vista District Court, Community Development Services and the city's street department. The lobbies of the police and fire departments will be open to emergency traffic only, with the exception of delivery of supplies.

The Bella Vista Public Library book drop and digital access will remain available during the closure, and library staff is available via email at [email protected] or by phone at 479-855-1753. Cardholders may update their accounts if they have expired and new accounts will be available with appropriate documentation.

If you have business with a specific employee, please contact that employee via email. A staff directory can be found online. For building permits and inspection services, email [email protected]. For general city assistance, email [email protected].

For police and fire assistance, call dispatch at 479-855-3771. As always, in an emergency, call 911.

If you do not have access to email, you are also able to call or text the city's main number at 479-876-1255.

The city appreciates your patience during this time, as the health and safety of the public and employees remain of utmost importance.

Property Owners Association POA

Highway 340 Water Main Relocation Project

In conjunction with the Highway 340 Little Sugar Creek Bridge replacement project being coordinated by ARDOT, Bella Vista POA water utility is relocating approximately 4,500 feet of 10-inch water main along Lancashire Blvd. from Chelsea Road to Highway 71. Work began on Jan. 18, and the project is expected to last 90 days.

Surrounding Area

North Forest Lights is back for a second season in Crystal Bridges' North Forest. Enjoy an enchanted nighttime walk through the woods featuring dynamic, nature-inspired lighting elements, and immersive soundscapes. Five distinct installations will bring the soul of the forest to life with light, sound, and sensory effects in a captivating, family-friendly experience. North Forest Lights will be open in the evening hours after sunset through April 4.

New Safety Measures:

To comply with the state of Arkansas mandate, staff and visitors ages 10 and older are required to wear face coverings except when eating or drinking. Masks are available upon entry for those who do not have one.

North Forest Lights will be operating at a limited capacity to ensure social distancing can be maintained. Sanitation stations, touchless ticket scanning for purchases, and new paths and queuing systems will further support social distancing.

Face coverings must be worn when speaking into The Whispering Tree microphone.

New ticket booth location allows for more spacing when entering North Forest Lights, and visitors are encouraged to stay in their cars prior to start time and avoid gathering.

Crystal Bridges partnered with Montreal-based multimedia and entertainment studio Moment Factory to bring this concept to life. In 2020, Moment Factory won the mondo*dr "Americas Award" in the Parks & Attractions category for their work on North Forest Lights.

Walking through the Ozark woods, each encounter translates nature's secret music and hidden communication into a symphony of light and sound. North Forest Lights invites people to reconnect with nature and art while making everyone feel part of it.

The five distinct installations that will come to life with light, sound, and special effects are:

Crystal Grove – See the glowing language of young saplings, as they seem to communicate through shimmering crystal lights; Forest Frequencies – Channel the natural and human past as light and music connect you with the wavelengths of the Arkansas woods; The Hearth – Gather around a bonfire-like sculpture to immerse yourself in the warm glow and beating heart of nature; Whispering Tree – Communicate with a magnificent tree to learn about the color of your own voice; Memory of Water – Surround yourself in light and sound, as a simulated stream brings water back to this dry creek bed.

The forest is a natural setting with changing elevations, please watch your step.

Advanced tickets are highly recommended* -- adults $22; adult members $15; youth 7 to 18 $10; youth members 7 to 18 $7; kids 6 and under FREE.

*Tickets sell out frequently. Walk-up tickets are available as capacity allows and are an additional $5 for each ticket category.

Tickets can be purchased at CrystalBridges.org, through the call center at 479.657.2335, or at the outdoor Guest Services station when you arrive at North Forest Lights.