Hot Springs National Park Rotary

09/14/2026

Chief Chrsi Chapmond mentioned during his presentation to our club last week that the Hot Springs Police Department would like to have our input as they put together their next strategic plan. Please take a couple minutes to complete the survey by clicking the link provided.

09/11/2026

We are off to a quick start with our student Guest program.

Justin Hickman has hosted Gabbie Vasquez over the past 2 weeks as she visited the club and learned more about Rotary and all that we do in our community. Justin is the chair of this year's student guest committee and had the honor of introducing our first Student Guest Speaker of this Rotary year.

Gabbie is a senior at Fountain Lake, where she is the FCA president, a member of the student council, a Beta Club member, and has been a cheerleader since her freshman year. She is also a member of Leadership Hot Springs. After graduation, she plans to attend college and major in biology with a minor in business administration. She hopes to become an ultrasound tech in the OBGYN field and believes it is her calling. She is the daughter of our fellow Rotary member, Pattie Vacirca.

09/11/2026

The Sentinel-Record featured a story worth reading about our fellow Rotarian Romeo Arroyo Lopez. I encourage you to give it a read.

I obtained permission from Romeo to share it here. His hopes are that it helps people dealing with similar issues. Romeo told me this is one of the few times he has shared his 9/11 story and I am glad his family encouraged him to do so. We are blessed to have Romeo as a member of Hot Springs National Park Rotary.

Thank to James Leigh for a great job putting it together.

Twenty-five years ago today, Romeo Lopez was a normal 19-year-old living in Queens and working at the Strand Bookstore Annex, 95 Fulton St., in Manhattan.

09/11/2026

Our guest speaker this week was our fellow Rotarian. Police Chief Chris Chapmond. Hot Springs City Manager Bill Burrough did a great job of introducing our Police Chief, Chris Chapmond, and sharing the journey of his career in and out of Hot Springs.

Chris Chapmond was reappointed in May 2026 as Chief. He previously was appointed by Governor Sarah Sanders as state director of the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training. There is no doubt that his time away from home gave him incredible experience and a depth that is a true benefit to the citizens of Hot Springs. Chief Chapmond shared that he is glad to be home.

He began his presentation with a reflection on 9/11, sharing where he was at the moment that there was no doubt that this was an attack on our nation. He shared that we should never let the memory die, and it is our duty to share the story with younger generations that were not even born yet or who were too young to remember that day and its impact.

The Hot Springs Police department is faced with a unique operational landscape with a fluid population, conventions and tourists, and our National Park that requires flexible and proactive policing. When it comes to the mission of our police department, the bottom line is the job every single day is to build trust and legitimacy within our community. The department has a great set of core values that include honor, integrity, professionalism, excellence, and respect. This is their compass.

The department is currently working on a new strategic plan. The last one helped achieve 5 years of a declining crime rate and there is reason to believe that will continue with a new plan in place. Your help is needed by completing a community survey that will be available beginning on Monday and will be open for 2 weeks. We will have copies at next week's meeting, so we hope that you will take the time to complete the survey.

09/10/2026

🇺🇸 Never Forget • 9/11/2001

This Patriot Day, we pause to remember the 2,977 innocent lives lost and honor the unmatched courage of our first responders, service members, and everyday heroes who ran toward danger to save others.

Through heartbreak, our nation found resilience. Through trial, we found unity and strength.

May we continue to carry their memory forward—always standing strong, always united, and forever grateful.

🕊️ Forged in resilience. Bound in unity. Strengthened by memory.

09/09/2026

What does Rotary do? Well at Hot Springs National Park Rotary we build community. Our Community Enhancement Committee has partnered with Elevate Hot Springs for Operation Bright Future. Print out or screen shot the attached image and bring your items to our meeting the next two weeks. If you are not a member and would like to donate, drop us a message and we can arrange to pick up your items from you. Community partnerships makin a real difference!

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

Please join us in giving a huge Hot Springs National Park Rotary welcome to our newest member, Michael Millard.

We love growing our club and getting folks plugged into our community and creating a lasting impact. Thank you Libby Harrington for sponsoring our newest Rotarian.

09/03/2026

Hot Springs National Park Rotary member Gina Howes Boshears had the honor of introducing our speaker, Dr. Dan Dixon. Dr. Dixon is a Professor and Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement for the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. He and his team have been conducting a series of cancer education meetings around the state on two topics; cancer prevention & screening, and cancer clinical trials. One in seven Arkansans will be diagnosed with lung or breast cancer, one in eight prostate cancer, and one in twelve colon cancer. Screening for these cancers can lower your cancer risk.

Yearly screening for lung cancer has been proven to reduce lung cancer deaths by 20%. Women should have annual mammograms beginning at age 40. Men should begin prostate cancer screening at age 50 and men and women should begin screening for colon cancer by having a colonoscopy at age 45.

Keeping up with recommended cancer screenings, and talking with your doctor about family history can lower your risk of developing cancer. Cancer screening and prevention are more impactful than treatments in saving lives from cancer. Cancer screening is a repeatable test checking for cancer in people who do not show symptoms.

Several screening tests have been shown to detect cancer early and to reduce the chance of dying from that cancer. Other ways to help prevent cancer include a healthy diet, not smoking, avoiding alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, and being physically active in your daily life.

For more information, Call: 1-855-569-3691, Email: [email protected], Website: Cancer.uams.edu

Pictured left to right, President Justin Nicklas, Dr. Dan Dixon, and Gina Boshears

09/03/2026

Join our Rotary Means Business - Arkansas Central and see how we network differently. TONIGHT (9/3) at 5:30 at Courtyard by Marriott-Hot Springs. FREE event.