Barrow Residents Not Giving Up

Residents in the John Barrow neighborhood of Little Rock are trying to knit themselves a closer community by building a community center. But some say they may have to do it without the city`s help, since the center isn`t included in Tuesday`s bond election. In 1996, the John Barrow Neighborhood Association completed a plan for future neighborhood development--it suggested a recreational place for children. But recently, that assocation asked the city Board of Directors to remove the community center from the bond proposal because there weren`t enough funds. But members of Acorn and other residents say it`s something they need more than anything. "I see young kids walking around the neighborhod after school, when I get off work. There`s not a whole lot for them to do," said Marsha Bernard, a John Barrow neighborhood resident. So without help from the city, they say they`ll just have to keep trying. "We are looking at other options. We`re seeing if we can get federal money. We`re looking everywhere we can look, we`re still looking to the state," said Hattie Daniels, an ACORN officer and Barrow resident. The neighborhood association says they also support the community center, just not now, when the city has trouble funding existing programs. They also say the bond program includes completely renovating six neighborhood streets.