Downtown Revitalization and Improvement Volunteer Effort (D.R.I.V.E.) has worked for the last eleven years as a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing downtown Newport. A number of milestones have been reached during that time, which include the location twelve new businesses in the downtown area, a sidewalk and lighting project worth nearly half a million dollars and the growth of annual events like the Delta Visual Arts Show and Depot Days, both of which bring thousands of people downtown each year. On May 13, 2015, D.R.I.V.E. working with the City of Newport and a host of local citizens, kicked off its largest initiative to date.

Plans for a downtown music park and veterans memorial were released to the public and the major fundraising effort was started to construct an entertainment venue for downtown. The park will feature a permanent music stage, outdoor seating, green space and a memorial dedicated to veterans who have served from World War I through the present day. The stage will be large enough to host the popular Depot Days Festival each year. The veterans memorial will honor the men and women who have served in each branch of service by displaying the emblems of those branches along with the inscription “For All Who Have Served – Past, Present and Future.” Individuals can then purchase bricks to be placed as pavers within the memorial to honor veterans that have been special in their lives. The memorial will be lit at night and will be the dominant feature of the park.

The park will not only be a memorial park, but also an active entertainment park. KASU Public Radio in Jonesboro announced on May 13^th that starting in 2016 they will bring back the popular Bluesday Tuesday program and hold it from April through October in the downtown park. Bluesday Tuesday will bring free blues concerts to Newport once a month featuring talented blues artists from Memphis and the MidSouth.  

RiverCountry 96.7 also made an announcement, sharing plans to hold another monthly concert in the park. During the same April through October timespan, RiverCountry 96.7 will have free concerts featuring local and regional bands. These concerts will feature some of the talented musicians in the southern rock, country and bluegrass genres from around northeast Arkansas.  

ASU-Newport followed with the announcement that they will host a “movies in the park” program for families from April through October in the park. Once a month, ASU-Newport will show a feature film in the park under the stars. Patrons can bring blankets or lawn chairs and have some wonderful family time in downtown. Like the other events, this program will also be offered free of charge.

D.R.I.V.E. also announced at the event that the music stage would be dedicated to the memory of Terry Scoggins. Scoggins, long-time owner of Frank A Rogers Company, served on D.R.I.V.E., loved music and supported Newport with all his heart. His impact on the community continues in much of the work that is done. By dedicating the stage, D.R.I.V.E. wants to honor the memory and the legacy of one of Newport’s most passionate and active citizens. 

The cost of the park is estimated to be around $600,000.00. The fundraising effort for the park kicked off on May 13^th with the announcement of several pledges toward that goal. The list of the pledges, which is included below, totals over $370,000.00. Major donors who pledge $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000 will receive special recognition in the park. The recognition will consist of a large area of pavers with the logo or names of the major donors engraved on them. They will range from a four square-foot engraving for $5,000 to a sixteen square-foot engraving for $50,000. Pledges can be paid with the entire amount up front or can be paid out over a four or five year period.

Several ways were given that would allow people to help the park become a reality. Companies or individuals can consider making a major pledge that will go toward the cost of the park as mentioned above. The purchase of bricks for veterans will also help in the park construction as 100% of the proceeds from the bricks will be used in the park. In addition to the bricks for the veterans area, there will be an additional section of the park where bricks can be purchased in honor of, memory of or recognition of others who are important in a person’s life. Finally, D.R.I.V.E. will also consider and accept in-kind donations of labor and materials that will aid the construction of the park, within the specifications necessary for completion.

The contacts with D.R.I.V.E. for more information are Jon Chadwell and Julie Allen who can be reached at (870) 523-1009 or director@newportaredc.org. D.R.I.V.E. is a non-profit organization so all contributions are tax deductible.  D.R.I.V.E. is excited about this project which will bring a bright new future for downtown Newport while helping preserve the proud cultural past of the community.