CAYSI parts ways With Carencro Park after failing to meet city requirements
CARENCRO, La. — After decades of calling Carencro Park home, the Carencro Area Youth Sports Inc. has decided to part ways. City officials say this comes after citing administrative issues that have gone unresolved for years. Back in March, a city council meeting confirmed this when concerns were raised about the organization’s compliance with basic […]
CARENCRO, La. — After decades of calling Carencro Park home, the Carencro Area Youth Sports Inc. has decided to part ways.
City officials say this comes after citing administrative issues that have gone unresolved for years.
Back in March, a city council meeting confirmed this when concerns were raised about the organization’s compliance with basic requirements to continue operating at the park.
City Council members said CAYSI failed to provide necessary documentation.
“We don’t have the certificate of insurance requirements, don’t have the list of the current board members, and don’t have the IRS documents,” said officials.
Carencro City Councilman Jordan Arceneaux said the city has worked with CAYSI in hopes of resolving these paperwork issues.
“We’ve worked with them for over four years to try and make this work, and we never have,” Arceneaux said.
City officials also attempted to verify CAYSI’s nonprofit status through the IRS database for 501(c)(3) organizations but were unable to find a matching record.
A 501(c)(3) is a type of nonprofit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States. This recognition is granted under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and allows the organization to be exempt from federal income tax.
At the March meeting, it was noted that the city has the legal right to terminate the existing Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, a binding contract outlining responsibilities between the city and the organization at any time without penalty.
Arceneaux explained the city offered two alternatives. CAYSI could continue using the park free of charge, including access to concession stands to raise money for the program. He also said the city has usually budgeted around $10,000 a year for the program to buy equipment. Cited by the Louisiana Auditor, CAYSI needs to have a cooperative endeavor agreement and without a signed agreement, that arrangement is no longer legally viable.
“They did not—or would not—sign the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement and abide by it,” Arceneaux said. “They’re still welcome to use the park, like anybody else, but they will need to pay like everyone else does. It’s a resource of the city that they will need to pay for. I’m certain we could have come up with a very reasonable rate that they could have rented the park for, but they chose not to go that route.”
He added that while some documents were submitted, they did not meet requirements set by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, preventing the city from continuing its formal partnership with the organization.
“It’s unfortunate,” Arceneaux said. “CAYSI is an amazing organization that’s been around for decades. It’s provided a sense of community and kept kids safe. The value of that can’t be overstated, which is why we worked so hard to keep them in Carencro.”
In a statement, Mayor Charlotte Clavier says:
“The City of Carencro will establish its own parks youth program for the upcoming fall. We are looking forward to providing recreational activities for those interested. Anyone who would like to volunteer or coach can contact City Hall for more information.”
CAYSI announced recently via social media that the organization will continue.
“We are still fully operational and will continue to serve the community and grow athletes with the same commitment as always. We are opening a new chapter and plan to collaborate with Lafayette PARC, Brown Park, CSA, SATS, and SWA. Giving our kids places to express their talents.”
KATC reached out to CAYSI multiple times for an interview, but they were unresponsive.
Car-Mart’s newest goal: Helping youth soccer grow in Arkansas
America’s Car-Mart is now involved with a different kind of pitch; not one associated with shareholders nor vehicle buyers. The buy-here, pay-here dealership chain announced on Thursday that it’s one of the inaugural Youth Academy founding partners of Ozark United FC, joining Unilever and Arkansas Children’s. As part of the club’s youth development program and […]
America’s Car-Mart is now involved with a different kind of pitch; not one associated with shareholders nor vehicle buyers.
The buy-here, pay-here dealership chain announced on Thursday that it’s one of the inaugural Youth Academy founding partners of Ozark United FC, joining Unilever and Arkansas Children’s.
As part of the club’s youth development program and pathway, these organizations will support efforts to expand access to soccer, elevate player development, and strengthen community engagement across Northwest Arkansas.
Earlier this year, Ozark United FC and Sporting Arkansas announced a joint effort to launch six boys’ academy teams competing in MLS NEXT’s new competition tier. The teams, ranging from under 13 to under 19, will play under the Ozark United FC banner in the Pioneer Conference, attend USL Academy showcase events such as USL Pathway Classic, and other elite competitions.
Officials said players will receive high-level training, access to national showcase events, and opportunities for exposure to college and professional scouts. A girls’ program is also in development, with more details to be announced in the coming months.
“We’re proud to partner with organizations that share our belief in the power of sport to change lives,” America’s Car-Mart president and CEO Doug Campbell said in a news release. “This partnership is about more than soccer; it’s about creating opportunity, building confidence, and fostering a community for young people who deserve every chance to succeed.
“By investing in youth development, especially in underserved areas, we’re laying the groundwork for a stronger, more inclusive future on and off the field,” Campbell continued.
According to the news release, each founding partner will support both Academy operations and community-focused initiatives designed to break down barriers and increase youth participation in soccer. This collective commitment represents a shared investment in the health, growth, and opportunity of the next generation across Northwest Arkansas.
Highlights of each partner’s involvement include:
—Unilever will feature its Degree brand on the front of the boys’ home and away kits, while Dove will appear on the girls’ kits, as part of Dove’s self-esteem project initiative to help keep girls confident and playing the sports they love.
—Arkansas Children’s will appear on the sleeve of all home and away match kits, reflecting their commitment to youth sports as a powerful way communities help kids thrive physically and mentally.
—America’s Car-Mart will support grassroots youth clinics and community engagement initiatives, with a focus on underserved youth.
All three partners will also participate in hosting regional ID camps and clinics aimed at identifying and developing local talent.
“We’re fortunate to be building this club in a region where community-minded, high-impact organizations thrive,” Ozark United FC co-founder Chris Martinovic said. “These partnerships reflect our shared commitment to using soccer as a vehicle for good — on the field and in the community.”
Ozark United FC co-founder Warren Smith added, “We are grateful to Unilever, Arkansas Children’s and America’s Car-Mart. The corporate community’s response to our efforts has been unmeasured, and we are excited to have our first partnerships in growing the beautiful game and helping the community effort.”
Cobalt Partners plans $50 million youth sports destination in Brown Deer
Milwaukee-based developer Cobalt Partners on Thursday announced plans to acquire a 16-acre site in the Village of Brown Deer, along North Arbon Drive just south of Brown Deer Road, to build a $50 million youth sports-anchored development. The proposed development centers around a sports and events complex that includes two hockey rinks; courts for basketball, […]
Milwaukee-based developer Cobalt Partners on Thursday announced plans to acquire a 16-acre site in the Village of Brown Deer, along North Arbon Drive just south of Brown Deer Road, to build a $50 million youth sports-anchored development.
The proposed development centers around a sports and events complex that includes two hockey rinks; courts for basketball, volleyball, and futsal; a turf field; wellness-focused medical services; food and beverage offerings; and additional sports and fitness uses. The goal is to create a walkable district combining sports, recreation, hospitality, retail, and community gathering spaces, according to a Thursday press release.
“This project is about more than sports—we see it as a reliable catalyst to bring the community together around health, activity and entertainment, while also attracting regional tourism and supporting local business,” said Scott Yauck, president and CEO of Cobalt.
Cobalt has enlisted The Sports Facilities Companies to lead the complex’s programming, design, and financial modeling. The Florida-based firm specializes in high-performing sports and recreation venues.
The Brown Deer Village Board is scheduled to consider a letter of intent for the project at its July 21 meeting.
Under the letter of intent, Cobalt would handle the acquisition, planning, and development, while the Village of Brown Deer would support the project through a tax increment financing (TIF) district. The village also plans to conduct a market study, assist with infrastructure and zoning, and may consider using hotel room tax revenues to help make the project financially viable.
Yauck acknowledged the financial challenges typical of similar developments but expressed optimism about this site.
“Over the last several years, we’ve been approached to lead similar efforts, but have often struggled to bridge the financial gap,” he said. “This opportunity feels different. We have strong demand, a highly supportive and forward-thinking municipality, an easily accessible location central to the North Shore, a clear void in the market—and a growing list of stakeholders and prospective sponsors aligned with our vision.”
Village President Wanda Montgomery said the project could position Brown Deer as a leader in experience-based development.
“As communities across the country harness the power of youth sports and experience-driven design, Brown Deer is poised to become a regional leader in this next wave of dynamic placemaking,” Montgomery said. “Cobalt brings a strong track record of executing transformative public-private developments across Wisconsin and we look forward to working together on this exciting effort.”
Cobalt, known for its large-scale, mixed-use projects, is behind the 84South and Loomis Crossing developments in Greenfield, OneNorth in Bayside and Whitestone Station in Menomonee Falls. The firm also recently purchased a water park in Mequon to redevelop and is partnering with other local firms on apartment projects in Greenfield and Wauwatosa.
In the press release, Cobalt said this development will further the momentum of nearby developments in Brown Deer’s commercial corridors, which include the redevelopment of an abandoned office building, a new mixed-use project anchored by Target and multiple apartment complexes.
Eagle Mountain says funds from proposed RAP tax won’t fund a recreation center | News, Sports, Jobs
Ahead of a vote by the Eagle Mountain City Council in August that could place a Recreation, Arts, and Parks (RAP) tax proposal on the November 2025 ballot, the city is clearing up a misconception regarding what funds from the tax cannot fund. As the Daily Herald reported last month, Eagle Mountain leaders said they […]
Ahead of a vote by the Eagle Mountain City Council in August that could place a Recreation, Arts, and Parks (RAP) tax proposal on the November 2025 ballot, the city is clearing up a misconception regarding what funds from the tax cannot fund.
As the Daily Herald reported last month, Eagle Mountain leaders said they are considering the measure and, if approved by voters, would implement a dedicated funding source for community-enhancing projects like trails, parks, splash pads, arts programming, youth sports, and local cultural events.
However, city officials are making it clear that the tax will not fund a recreation center.
“A rec center may be something the public and council consider in the future, but it’s not something we’re pursuing now,” Eagle Mountain City Manager Benjamin Reeves said in a city-issued media release Tuesday. “We don’t want to lose the RAP Tax over a misunderstanding. It would be a significant loss for our community.”
The recreation, arts and parks tax, or RAP, is a 0.1% local sales tax that cities can use to fund various items and projects, which is roughly one cent for every $10 spent, or 10 cents for every $100 spent, on qualifying purchases within the respective city limits.
Eagle Mountain leaders project that the tax could generate around $600,000 each year annually. If approved by voters in November, a RAP tax advisory board would be established to work with the City Council to review, approve and award funding to eligible municipal and public entities for cultural and recreation opportunities.
“These funds would be legally restricted and cannot be used for general city operations, nor will they provide sufficient funding for large-scale construction projects like a recreation center,” the release states.
Eagle Mountain city leaders say that a recreation center would require significant upfront costs, likely through bonds associated with property taxes, and long-term operational budgets that typically rely on user fees.
The idea of building a recreation center in Eagle Mountain has been a frequent topic for more than a decade.
Residents in Eagle Mountain have longed for the city to fund its own rec center. The city attempted to work towards that goal by proposing a $7 million aquatic center in 2010, but residents voted against it.
Eagle Mountain tried another approach in 2018.
The Daily Herald reported at the time that the city was considering a plan to build an $5.2 million aquatic center, which would be the first in a multiphase project, and would eventually progress to include a fitness and exercise space, a gymnasium, and a competition pool.
That plan also has yet to come to fruition.
In a November 2019 podcast, Mayor Tom Westmoreland, along with then city administrator Ifo Pili, discussed the implications of finding creative ways to build a recreation center that can support a growing community without being a burden on tax payers.
The city had considered crowdfunding to cover some of the costs at one point after a majority of residents who responded to a February 2018 city survey said they’d be willing to contribute up to $250 towards needed funds for the effort.
Currently, neither Eagle Mountain nor neighboring Saratoga Springs have their own recreation center.
The closest is the Legacy Center in Lehi, which charges roughly an additional 8% in fees to non-residents who use the facility.
Tyler Maffitt, communications manager for Eagle Mountain, said that while a recreation center remains a popular request amongst residents, the city is eyeing other needs at this time.
“The City is prioritizing the enhancement of roads and regional transportation improvements, continued development of water and sewer infrastructure, and working to meet the community’s demand for energy solutions,” he told the Daily Herald, in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
Maffitt reiterated that Eagle Mountain could revisit the opportunity to build a rec center sometime in the future, but it won’t be through the RAP tax funding mechanism.
Despite the presence of a recreation center in Eagle Mountain, Reeves said the RAP Tax still provides a greater opportunity to invest in the city’s quality of life without compromising essential services or raising property taxes.
“When council members have to choose between adding three police officers or putting that same $600,000 into parks, they’re almost always going to choose public safety,” he said. “That means parks, trails, and arts programming often fall to the bottom of the budget. The RAP Tax solves that by creating an alternative revenue source with dedicated funds that can’t be diverted to other city priorities.”
The Eagle Mountain City Council is expected to make a final vote to place the measure on the November ballot next month.
Letter: Youth continue to find themselves in Scouting
I was not a model Boy Scout. From a merit badge perspective, I did just about the bare minimum required to achieve Eagle. I never participated in the high-adventure outdoor hiking and canoeing experiences offered through my troop. I grudgingly attended summer camp, where the smell and summer warmth of those WWII-era canvas tents will […]
I was not a model Boy Scout. From a merit badge perspective, I did just about the bare minimum required to achieve Eagle. I never participated in the high-adventure outdoor hiking and canoeing experiences offered through my troop. I grudgingly attended summer camp, where the smell and summer warmth of those WWII-era canvas tents will never quite leave my senses. But despite these hurdles, Scouts had, and continues to have, a significant impact on my life.
And that’s the promise of Scouting. It’s a promise of dividends that far exceeded my personal investment of time and energy. The skills and leadership-building opportunities that Scouting provided affected me profoundly; I can never repay that.
Instead, I’ve focused on ways to make this same experience available to youth in northeast Mississippi. It started with my son, finding a Cub Scout home in Starkville in kindergarten just before the COVID pandemic. Like me several decades ago, he’s this generation’s typical video game playing, TV watching, Rec League soccer kid who is searching for himself among all the distractions and stimuli today; distractions that are much louder than when I was his age.
But he’s found friends in Scouts. He’s found role models in Scouts. He’s found fun and adventure in scouts. And he’s starting to find himself in Scouts. This is the promise of scouting.
It’s a promise that isn’t offered in travel ball, or a PlayStation, or nearly any other activity provided for kids today. The promise of Scouting – that you’ll get more from it than you put into it – has been a defining characteristic of the organization for over a hundred years. This is also the beginning of the Natchez Trace Council’s centennial year, recognizing the longevity of our predecessor councils’ impact in northeast Mississippi. So many of us in the Golden Triangle have been impacted by scouting; rest assured that our council staff and volunteers spend every day working to create that same impact in kids like my son and his Scout brothers.
As an Eagle, I am so proud of what I was able to achieve in Scouts. As a parent, I’m excited at the possibilities that will be presented to my son as he embarks on the second chapter of his scouting experience. And as an adult volunteer, I am so, so grateful at the support our community provides to Scouts across northeast Mississippi.
Your gifts of time and money are difference makers in the lives of our youth. I encourage you to get involved in your local Scouting units or through the Natchez Trace Council. For information on ways you can help, visit us at NatchezTraceCouncil.org.
David Garraway
Starkville
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Parks and Rec concessions takeover off to sluggish start
It’s been a rocky start for the Manhattan Parks and Rec Department after taking control of concessions earlier this year at its facilities. At Monday’s Parks and Rec advisory board meeting, Director Aaron Stewart noted the challenges the 41 staff members have faced as they navigate shifting sales and attendance trends at various events and […]
It’s been a rocky start for the Manhattan Parks and Rec Department after taking control of concessions earlier this year at its facilities.
At Monday’s Parks and Rec advisory board meeting, Director Aaron Stewart noted the challenges the 41 staff members have faced as they navigate shifting sales and attendance trends at various events and activities.
“This is all brand new to us, and so I will give Janelle (Fritzson) And Rachel (Simar) lots of credit,” he said. “They’re learning as they go, and this is going to be a process over two three years to really refine that out.”
Arsenal working on deal for Salford City forward Will Wright
Arsenal are working on a deal to sign 17-year-old Salford City forward Will Wright. The pursuit of Wright is part of academy manager Per Mertesacker’s drive to recruit elite talent. Arsenal are backing Mertesacker with dedicated budget in order to strengthen the academy sides. Wright’s potential has attracted interest from a number of teams, including […]
Arsenal are working on a deal to sign 17-year-old Salford City forward Will Wright.
The pursuit of Wright is part of academy manager Per Mertesacker’s drive to recruit elite talent. Arsenal are backing Mertesacker with dedicated budget in order to strengthen the academy sides.
Wright’s potential has attracted interest from a number of teams, including Liverpool, but with Arsenal’s pursuit intensifying, the Premier League champions have ended their interest in the teenager.
Until now, Wright’s football education has largely taken place outside of the academy system. It’s felt that a move to an elite environment is now the right next step in his development.
Having been a prolific goalscorer at youth level and in Salford’s B team, Wright made his debut for the first team in January against Manchester City. He went on to make two appearances in League Two before the end of last season.
If Wright signs, he would be expected to split his football between Arsenal’s U-18s and U-21s next season. He would also be eligible to play in the UEFA Youth League, in which teams field U-19 teams.