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APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

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VOLUME 42, NUMBER 31 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, 201 EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $74 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

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APRIL 7, 2016

COMMENT

Money well spent Some cynical people who are not loyal to our valued athletic traditions question our current culture’s curious emphasis on athletics — particularly in colleges. They claim there’s an imbalance between academics and athletics that is demonstrated in various ways, but none as dramatically as in money matters. Even if they were correct, there is evidence that the operating budget pendulum is swinging in favor of academia. The University of Arkansas recently hired a new chancellor for the Fayetteville campus — the CEO. In a fit of exuberance, even if fiscal irresponsibility, the Board of Trustees agreed to pay the new head of the campus almost as much as some of the assistant football coaches make. Further evidence of this momentum in favor of academia is a more equitable balance of capital expenditures. The university will issue $160 million in construction bonds. The proceeds will increase seating — in the end zone — for the football stadium. This fine facility, which was expanded in recent years, is frequently filled in the six afternoons that it is used each year. This large sports investment,

however, is balanced by the pending issuance of $30 million of bonds with proceeds divided among various academic facilities and programs. That’s about 5:1 — a reasonable ratio. So, the complainers don’t really have much to gripe about. Fair’s fair. We must keep our priorities straight. Go Hogs, go! W.W. Satterfield Little Rock

When we talk about health care There is some talk of a group of selfabsorbed and wholly self-interested people getting together this month at the Capitol under the umbrella of being a “legislature” and tinkering with the lives of Arkansas residents. One of the themes of their tinkering is encompassed in the broad and ill-defined phrase “health care.” In its current configuration, the phrase “health care” almost always means you are talking about paying somebody other than an actual health care provider to pay the people who claim to be health care providers. We call that “health care insurance” in a feeble attempt to avoid facing the real prospect that we all get sick and we all need care. The self-absorbed people get-

ting together this week will trivialize the notion of care by using sterilized terms such as “beneficiaries,” “providers” and “benefits.” That allows them to dig the denial hole deeper so no one has to face the real-life fact that all of us require actual care, health and otherwise, from the moment of birth until we die. They will bluster mightily about how we are all just self-sufficient engines driving some imaginary economy rather than being the actual poor, needy and caredependent beings we, in fact, are. Our local bastion of health care provider education, we’ll call them the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as a kindness, has told some of the aforementioned self-absorbed people that they will be overwhelmed financially by “indigent care” if they don’t get a heaping pile of dough out of this tinkering. Again, we have to be careful not to speak directly about the real “care” problem and focus on the “indigent” part. The reality they will not deal with is that we are all indigent when it comes to paying for health care. The only ones who are not indigent are the people we pay to pay the health care providers for us, that is, the insurance companies. No one will ask the insur-

ance companies to chip in a small percentage more of their gigantic haul of our money to help provide actual care of any kind. Perhaps strangest of all, this meeting of tinkerers will be seen not as an opportunity to meet some real need of Arkansas residents. Rather, it will be viewed as a contest of some useless imaginary skills imputed to the self-absorbed people doing the tinkering and whatever befalls us will be secondary to who wins or loses the contest. No one will ask: Where did we go wrong? If someone did, what would be an honest answer? David Steadman Damascus

From the web In response to Will Stephenson’s cover story last week, “The ballad of Fred and Yoko”: Devastating. Every preacher in Little Rock should have to read this and deliver a sermon on it. I wonder what they’d say? YouWho What an amazing life and lonely death. I work with others to provide outreach and assistance to people in the Little Rock and North Little Rock area who do not have homes. The people we serve are a diverse group of people with a wide variety of experiences, hopes and challenges, as is true for all of us. There are never enough resources to provide the comprehensive health, housing and supportive services needed, but some progress has been made locally in recent years, including a day resource center, veterans’ center and other expanded services and improved efforts. Fred Arnold’s story should, indeed, be read from every pulpit, at every civic group luncheon, by every provider of services to vulnerable people. We, as a society, must acknowledge our failures as well as our successes. The notes he sent show just how badly we failed Fred Arnold. May he rest in peace. sayno2pharma The churches fell down on the job, didn’t they? A prime example of why charities can’t be our only way to help others in their time of need. Well done story. rablib Great piece of journalism, Will! Heartbreaking in the end as it was, all those wonderful eccentric characters could populate several Charles Portis novels. I think there really is an afterlife somewhere where Fred and John hang

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

out together, playing and writing music, counting down the days until Yoko will join them. I imagine that all this came as a delightful surprise to John after he died. He wasn’t really expecting it, of course. No doubt, George comes around every now and then, but he stays mainly over in the Hindu territories of East Heaven, practicing his sitar. And you, Will. Looking forward to reading more of your stuff. You’re a good man. I can tell it from your writing. Olphart In Arkansas, only in the Arkansas Times would we find such an interesting and human story. It makes one wonder how many others among the homeless people that we pass by without giving much attention have equally fascinating back stories. Despite all the efforts of his friends to help, he could not be helped. Plainjim As a longtime/long ago Charleston friend/Beatles fan/record store customer of Billy’s (i.e. Fred Arnold), I was very moved by your beautifully written story, Will. I had completely lost touch with the man by the late ’70s and was dismayed to read how badly south his life had gone since, no matter how much he may have contributed to it himself. Appalling to see how little assistance he received from most of the Little Rock community, particularly those who espouse their Christian values — Christian when convenient, apparently. A salute to Pastor Marty Mote, however, for being there for Billy when he could. Billy was quite the character in ’70s Charleston society, and became a colorful counterpoint to a lot of what conservative Charleston was then all about. Thanks again for the story, Will. I look forward to reading more of your work down the line. Steven Prazak How fascinating! It was such a sweet surprise to hear about his relationship with Yoko and how kind she was to him. I wonder if his collection ended up in a dumpster or if someone is still holding onto it. Great story with a local connection. Joni Davis McGaha One of the most brilliant pieces of journalism I have encountered in years. Bravo, Will! Kelley Bass In response to Gene Lyons’ column last week, “Obama’s success”:

Seems nice that unemployment is down, except when you realize how many people are not employed, are under-employed and how job creation has taken a step backwards. Bonds suck, since confidence in the government is tanked, so stocks are higher, which could lead to more sudden volatility and less stability. Obama had no choice about Syria, since he squandered a coalition that turned its back on him when he finally did decide to try something. Obama wasn’t active, he was hapless to those events. Hardly leadership. Don’t forget, too, that Obama was the one that ignored ISIL when it could have been dealt with, and instead went ahead with his policy of removing the one thing that could have stopped ISIL while it was still the “JV” team. Few females of the species are as disgusting and hateful as Michelle, so it is hard to see how anyone could see her on the same level of Jackie O or Ladybird or anyone else who can refrain from showing contempt for the country that elected her hubby into the White House, twice. We also have Obama to thank for making race relations what they are, with his inability to keep his mouth shut until the facts are out, so as to create as much hate as possible so no amount of facts will allay the hysteria created by a president who will attend the funeral of a thug shot trying to murder someone but not the funeral of a Supreme Court justice. Steven E Steven, you are playing the “blame the victim” game here. It isn’t promoting racial division to publicly point out the latent and overt white elitism that permeates every aspect of our country. Every time the president invites any black celebrities to the White House he gets called racist. Yet white presidents could invite white celebrities without getting tagged as showing favoritism to their own race. Yes, he used some high-profile mass shootings to bring attention to insane racial hatred. I would hope that a white president would have done the same thing. But we have far too many mass shootings in this country for him to attend the funeral of all of the victims. The funeral — get over it. He was following long established presidential protocol for that and for Nancy Reagan’s funeral. I travel frequently outside this country, and in every country people tell me they respect and admire our president. You just hate that, don’t you! Another brick in the wall www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

WEEK THAT WAS

EYE ON ARKANSAS

Like taking candy from a baby

Quote of the Week:

— LRSD Superintendent Baker Kurrus to the state Board of Education last week, summing up arguments against the ambitious expansions of two Little Rock charter schools, eStem and LISA Academy, at a special public hearing that ran late into the night. As expected, the state board (which also controls the LRSD itself) didn’t listen to the man it hired to run the traditional public schools. Despite some dissenting votes, the state board approved both expansions, which together will add around 3,000 new seats to the charter schools in the coming years.

BRIAN CHILSON

“I will tell you this. I don’t see a bright future for the Little Rock School District if it continues to increase as far as its level of poverty. … Every time [the charter schools] build their enrollment, they will drive up our percentage of poor students, they will drive up our percentage of kids with special needs.”

RAINY LEGISLATING: An Arkansas legislator walks between the State Capitol and the Big MAC legislative building during judicial campaign finance hearings.

a transparency bill proposed by Rep. Clarke Tucker (D-Little Rock) that would require disclosure of donors to shady independent groups whose political ads currently escape state regulation through legal loopholes. Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Benton) pointed out that when outside groups secretly spend big money to buy judicial races, litigants have no idea when a judge might have a conflict of interest. “Unless there is this type of disclosure, that citizen will never have a chance to ask a judge to recuse,” he said. Very true; now the legislature needs to act.

Voters in the dark A month after the conclusion of a state Supreme Court election season marked by unprecedented spending by out-of-state “dark money” groups, a legislative committee met last week to discuss potential reforms. A proposal to appoint judges (rather than elect them) seems to be going nowhere. But encouragingly, there may be some bipartisan interest in 6

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

The U.S. attorney’s office in Little Rock last week announced a seventh guilty plea in its investigation of fraud in a state program to feed children from poor families during the summer months (when free school lunches are not available). The program, which is run by the Department of Human Services, has been marred by bribery and graft committed both by DHS employees and local contractors; prosecutors say the total fraud uncovered by the investigation now totals around $10.5 million.

Armed and dangerous in Pine Bluff A member of the Jefferson County Election Commission pulled a derringer out of his pocket after the adjourn-

ment of a contentious meeting last week. Republican Stu Soffer said he was acting in self-defense when Ted Davis, a Democrat and former member of the commission, approached him in a hostile manner. When police showed up to take an incident report, Soffer defended himself by saying he never actually pointed the gun at anyone. “I’m 74 years old and I was in fear of my life,” he later claimed.

Captive market Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has intervened on the wrong side of yet another lawsuit, this one challenging an order by the Federal Communications Commission to cap the rates charged by companies that operate phone systems in prisons. Such companies often impose absurdly high charges on prisoners’ families — up to $14 per minute — that allow correctional facilities to rake in hefty “commissions” on the backs of frequently cash-strapped relatives of inmates. The FCC last fall said prison phone companies can’t charge more than 11 cents per minute. In joining a federal suit challenging the FCC cap, the AG explained that Arkansas jails and prisons can’t afford the “increased financial strain” of losing such a sweet revenue stream.

Class-action warfare In a setback for Walmart, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal of a lower court decision on a major labor case that eventually could be worth some $224 million (including interest) in payments to Walmart and Sam’s Club workers who weren’t paid for work during their lunch breaks. Walmart fought to prevent the workers’ claims from being combined into a class-action suit, and said each of the approximately 186,000 workers in question should have had to individually testify. The Supreme Court declined to take up the case, meaning a Pennsylvania state court’s ruling on the issue stands.

OPINION

Forward Arkansas

ov. Hutchinson wants to create a state full of people with computer coding skills so we can harvest fruits of the information economy. One step forward, but so many steps backward. A legislative session this week on preserving health care for lower-income working people has cratered. The insurgency has been led by legislators with economic self-interest — family health businesses. Hutchinson’s plan also was damaged by the revelation that he relied heavily on a particular health management company for advice — a company that employs a former Republican legislator as a lobbyist. But health legislation is only about the quality of life (and death) of poor people. What about the young techies? He sends many signals unlikely to resonate with them. Hutchinson got a lesson late last week at a forum for under-40 business people sponsored by Arkansas Business. Two people who were there told me about an exchange between Hutchinson and

a man from Northwest Arkansas. He told the governor that the 2015 legislation to protect those who disMAX criminate against BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com LGBT people had hurt the state. He said job prospects had cited it as a reason not to come to Arkansas. But wait, the governor said. Ellen DeGeneres praised him in a Twitter post for the “compromise” of the putative religion-protection bill that he helped pass. She was misinformed thanks to news coverage that emphasized the “compromise” over substance. The legislation was marginally better than an original bill, but it preserved legal discrimination against gay people in employment, housing and public accommodation. The ACLU and many others said so at the time. The message got lost in self-backslapping. Hutchinson said he hoped those who believed the law was damaging would step up and participate in debates in 2017.

Clean Line politics

epublicans and business groups in our neighborly states of Oklahoma and Tennessee seem wildly excited about the benefits coming their way from the Clean Line transmission network that will send clean, renewable power from the windy Panhandle to hundreds of thousands of homes in Arkansas and across the Mississippi. In Arkansas, however, their counterparts — every member of the congressional delegation and Republican state lawmakers — are terribly vexed about the project because they say it is another power grab by President Obama and an environmental threat to landowners on the route. But it is hard not to see the lamentations as crocodile tears. Remember when all six members of the Washington delegation demanded that the president authorize Canada’s giant Keystone XL pipeline, although it posed dangers to people in the Great Plains and offered little benefit to Arkansas? The state already is crisscrossed by pipelines and by transmission lines that distribute power from hydroelectric and gas-, coal- and oilburning plants. That, see, is the difference. Clean

Line will send wind power from turbines on the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles to markets ERNEST in Arkansas, TenDUMAS nessee and beyond. The carbon industry, from the Koch brothers to natural gas companies, are stressed by competition from wind and solar power, now that it is national policy to reduce carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases and mercury poisoning from power plants, for the health benefits and to slow climate change. No politician can say he’s doing the bidding of the oil, gas and coal industries, which supply generation fuel for much of the electricity in Arkansas and the Southeast. Instead, they’re trying to halt more piracy of states’ rights by the dictator Obama’s Energy Department and protect landowners on the route. If it is Arkansas investment and jobs you want, the Clean Line project will yield them, at least according to the Walton business school at the University of Arkansas, which projected that it would create 855 jobs in Arkansas and that the

He didn’t volunteer to step up with them. More likely is continued gubernatorial acquiescence to efforts to make our law as punitive as that in North Carolina. (There, PayPal just canceled a 400-job expansion on account of the discrimination law.) Would Asa emulate the Republican Baptist governor of Georgia who said his religious conscience required him to veto a bill that allows discrimination? Hutchinson answered that last year — not in the affirmative. Hutchinson was also asked at the forum about the state’s failure to expand early childhood education. Many of the brainiacs flocking to San Francisco nowadays would unlikely change course to Arkansas if fully informed of the ideological bent of our governor and legislature. Hutchinson not only stood silently as the legislature discriminated against sexual minorities, he supported stripping medical rights from women with punishing anti-abortion legislation. The legislature practiced medicine on abortion pills used in the first weeks of pregnancy and Hutchinson personally worked to shut down Planned Parenthood, one of the best sources of reliable contraception. He also declined to get in the way of efforts to strip home

rule from cities and counties that would like to be oases of nondiscrimination. Then, this week came reporting in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on the glacial Internet speeds available in most of Arkansas. The legislature hasn’t helped. It passed a law keeping cities out of the broadband business, unless they happen to be one of the few cities that already have a power company. Chattanooga offers a nearby example of the benefits of competition. Between vast private philanthropic investments, private venture capital and a city Internet grid capable of delivering a gigabit per second, it’s become a hot city for the young tech heads the governor covets. In Little Rock, we think using poor folks’ sales taxes to buy some old buildings (at a nifty profit to the wealthy people who sold them) is the way to create a new-age city At least after we train new computer coders, they won’t have to drive farther than Tennessee to look for work — IF we can continue to afford to train them. The legislature might refuse to continue the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. That would blow a nine-digit hole in the state budget. Then, Toto, we truly are in Sam Brownback’s Kansas.

Clean Line people, electric utilities or the regional transmission authority would spend $660 million in Arkansas building the line and a station to convert the wind turbines’ direct current to alternating current and making conductors and insulators. But here is the big selling point for the project — unless you believe, like the Koch brothers, the coal industry and Exxon Mobil, that climate change is phony and that greenhouse gases are tolerable threats to public health: Arkansas would get 500 megawatts of wind power, which would go a long way toward putting it into early compliance with national greenhouse gas rules, which require a 44 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, and the regional haze rule, which forces Entergy Arkansas to do something about its dirty Independence Station at Newark. All the prevailing powers in Arkansas — the congressional delegation, the governor, the attorney general, the state Chamber of Commerce — have condemned both rules. Entergy has already moved to comply with the rules. It will close the White Bluff plant, which emits 10.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases a year, by buying a unit of the big gas-fired generating station at El Dorado and buying solar power from a Stuttgart plant. If

Entergy and its transmission authority could land 500 megawatts of wind power, it would go a long way toward retiring the Newark plant, which also is one of America’s dirtiest. But who worries about those toxins? Prevailing winds fan them across the Mississippi. Global warming? That’s China’s, India’s, the maritime islands’ and our grandchildren’s issue. Clean Line looks like a reality. Investors first asked for permits from Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee to build the line and use utilities’ eminent domain power. It quickly got them from the other two state utility commissions, but the Arkansas Public Service Commission said it could not issue a permit because Clean Line was not a utility under Arkansas law. It seemed to invite Clean Line to apply again, but the legislature stepped in last year to prevent it. Gov. Hutchinson signed a bill by Republican legislators that bars a permit for a non-utility electric transmission entity unless it is directed by a regional transmission organization to build it. So Clean Line hooked up with the Energy Department, which agreed to partner with it under the terms of the Bush administration’s Energy Policy Act of 2005. The delegation should take it up with Bush and Cheney. www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

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earless prediction: no legalistic deus ex machina will descend to save the nation from the dread specter of President Hillary Rodham Clinton. No Kenneth Starr-style “independent” prosecutor, no criminal indictment over her “damn emails,” no how, no way. Those impassioned Trump supporters holding “Hillary for Prison” signs are sure to be disappointed. Again. Played for suckers by a scandal-mongering news media that declared open season on Clinton 25 years ago, and haven’t laid a glove on her yet. Which doesn’t exactly make her Mother Theresa. But it does lend credence to former New York Times editor Jill Abramson’s somewhat surprising column in The Guardian to the effect that when push comes to shove, “Hillary Clinton is fundamentally honest and trustworthy.” After spending years probing Clinton’s “business dealings, her fundraising, her foundation and her marriage,” Abramson’s been forced to conclude that said investigations all came to naught. And whose fault it that? Why Hillary’s, of course. “Some of it she brings on herself,” Abramson thinks, “by insisting on a perimeter or ‘zone of privacy’ that she protects too fiercely. It’s a natural impulse, given the level of scrutiny she’s attracted, more than any male politician I can think of.” Being wrongfully labeled a “congenital liar” in the Times 20 years ago certainly might teach a girl to play her cards close. Abramson is also right to say that Hillary “was colossally stupid to take those hefty speaking fees, but not corrupt. There are no instances I know of where Clinton was doing the bidding of a donor or benefactor.” Even as somebody aware that Bill and Hillary Clinton have donated roughly $18 million in speaking fees to charity, I find the sums Goldman Sachs paid her preposterous. But payola? As the late Molly Ivins put it: “As they say around the Texas Legislature, if you can’t drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against ’em anyway, you don’t belong in office.” But back to Hillary’s emails. From the onset of the Clinton Wars, it’s been my experience that when the corrections and retractions reach critical mass and the “investigative” articles start to read like Henry James novels — i.e., diffuse

and impenetrable — the end of a given “scandal” episode is near. Last July, the New York Times GENE got things started LYONS with an anonymously sourced exclusive claiming that federal investigators had initiated a “criminal” probe into whether Clinton had sent classified documents on her personal email server. Almost everything important about the story was false. It wasn’t a criminal investigation, nor was Clinton a target. Rather, it was a bureaucratic exercise to settle an inter-agency dispute about which messages to release — as Clinton herself had requested. The Times was so laggard about making corrections that Public Editor Margaret Sullivan thought readers “deserve a thorough, immediate explanation from the top.” They never got it. Now comes the Washington Post with an interminable 5,000-word narrative anchored by an “eye-popping” claim that according to “a lawmaker briefed by FBI Director James B. Comey,” a small army of 147 FBI agents was at work deciding if a crime had been committed. That one fell apart overnight. Last time I checked, NBC’s sources said maybe a dozen agents are involved — an order of magnitude fewer than the Post claimed. Meanwhile, the American Prospect turned to former Homeland Security classification expert Richard Lempert. Currently a Michigan law professor, Lempert pointed out that there are two big problems with the idea of charging Hillary. First, we don’t have ex post facto laws. You can’t classify something tomorrow and charge somebody with leaking it yesterday. If you could, working for the State Department would be like inhabiting a cubicle in Orwell’s Ministry of Truth. Nobody would ever be safe. Second, the job of secretary of state entails considerable powers: “Not only was Secretary Clinton the ultimate authority within the State Department to determine whether … information should be classified, but she was also the ultimate authority in determining whether classified information should be declassified.” Another ballyhooed scandal goes up in smoke.

Playing to win

surprising number of low-income Americans — 38 percent — see the lottery as their best shot at achieving significant wealth, according to a 2006 survey by the Consumer Federation of America. It’s easy to respond with derision to such attitudes. But when people think the lottery is their only way out of poverty, it says more about the desperate lack of financial security-building options in the United States than it does about the players’ lack of judgment. Arkansas’s newest poverty-fighting tool, which looks like a combination between a Powerball ticket and a savings account, could change that. This new “prize-linked savings” option is open to anyone. If you save a little cash (and don’t withdraw it), you are entered to win a prize. If you don’t win, you still get to keep all of your money. Some call it a “no-lose lottery,” and it has been a game changer for low-income families in states like Michigan and Nebraska. In both places, the vast majority of participants had never saved before, lived on modest incomes, or were asset poor. Nonetheless, participants’ average yearend savings balance was over $2,000 and more than 90 percent continued their savings habits into the next year. One successful, multistate prizelinked savings product called “Save to Win” allows credit union members to open yearlong share certificates for just $25. During that year, participants can’t make withdrawals, but they can make as many deposits as they like. Every $25 deposit (with a limit of 10 per month) earns another entry into the raffle for prizes, which are awarded randomly every month and every quarter and which range from $25 to $5,000. Save to Win happens to use credit unions, but Arkansas banks can hold similar raffles. Banks and credit unions benefit by attracting new customers and can offset the cost of prizes by offering lower interest rates than normal savings accounts or acquiring grants. As of 2014, over $115 million has been saved nationally in prize-linked accounts, with most of the participants being financially vulnerable families. In a 2015 study by the nonprofit Doorways to Dreams Fund, a 35-year-old police officer with a prize-linked savings account said, “I’m doing so much better. I have an emergency fund, I’m paying down my debt. … It’s changed how I feel about my future.” These accounts are life changing: Because they are fun, they get people excited about building healthy sav-

ings habits. For a family living on a razor-thin budget, that financial cushion could mean being able ELEANOR to afford a major WHEELER car repair, getting through a week without a paycheck, or finally catching up on household debts. Without any guidance, building up cash for a rainy day is especially hard for many Arkansans, who are less likely to have a savings account than are residents of any other state, according to the Corporation for Enterprise Development. Despite a historic drop in unemployment, our jobs still pay too little: The Arkansas median hourly wage was about $1 behind Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas in 2014. Job outlooks are even worse for minorities. If you are an African-American resident of Arkansas, you can expect to make about $4 an hour less than your white neighbors. We make these problems worse by cutting taxes for everyone except the least well-off. A $100 million tax cut package in 2015 completely left out the bottom 20 percent of workers. Legislators also have repeatedly shot down an asset-building tool called the Earned Income Tax Credit that would help working families; Arkansas is still among the few states that don’t have such a tax credit at the state level. Even gains from the economic recovery have gone almost exclusively to the wealthy — the bottom fifth of Arkansas workers are stuck with the same wages they had in 2009, while the top fifth have enjoyed a 2.4 percent bump in income. All of these factors combine to make prize-linked savings a unique opportunity to change the asset poverty landscape in Arkansas. Unlike traditional lottery programs, prize-linked savings accounts entail no direct state involvement, but legislation is required to get around legal restrictions on gambling. In 2014, the American Savings Promotion Act cleared federal barriers to prize-linked savings programs, and in 2015 Arkansas passed a bill allowing our banking institutions to participate. However, it is up to banks and credit unions to get the ball rolling, and only a handful in Arkansas have so far taken the initiative on prize-linked savings programs. This innovative tool can’t work unless we get the conversation started.

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Eleanor Wheeler is a senior policy analyst for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

MY NAME IS DEMARCUS BERNARD BACCUS. I

was born in Atlanta, GA. I am the oldest of four. My mother Desiree Arnold raised us on her own. At the age of 11, I went through foster care due to family problems but I was only there for one week. After I returned home I was a new person. I know since being only eleven, that sounds crazy but it was very true. My life changed because I became more independent and very family oriented. I tried to do as much as I could to protect my younger brothers and sisters. I graduated high school at 18 and started working. I was often told that I should go to college to play basketball, because I was talented. But no one understood that I was scared to leave home again because of trauma from the stay at the foster home.. I did not want to leave my siblings again. Over the years I met Dr. Steven Lee. He was running for school board at the time and he called me into his office and asked me if I had ever tried or thought about going to college? I told him no, that college just isn’t for me. He explained that he would make a deal with me, go to Arkansas Baptist College for a semester, and if I liked it, I could stay and if I didn’t we would try another college. I agreed, and when I arrived at Arkansas Baptist College I was so nervous because I didn’t know anyone. So I kept to myself and made constant phone calls home. After my first semester I made a 3.5 which qualified me for the Dean’s list ,an honor I hadn’t received since early recognition when I was in elementary school. Entering my sophomore year I had a new attitude and confidence. I wanted to make an impact and I wondered what I could do to influence other students. I was told about the Student Government Association. So I decided this was the avenue I needed to take, and I ran to be the new President of the association and I ran with confidence. I ordered yard signs, leaflets, and handed out cards around campus and also put up a banner. Since becoming the President of Student Government Association, I have helped transition the females to the south dorm, started a campus fitness program, helped organize a Dress for Success day, and orchestrated a campus wide clean-up. Additionally I attended classes with students in our Exodus Program. Another important cause I worked on was to break the barrier between Arkansas Baptist College and Philander Smith College. I am also on the search committee for our new president. I have a vision to change the image of Arkansas Baptist College, starting with myself but including the student body and our community.

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ARKANSAS TIMES

SEPTEMBER 11-27, 2015 (501) 378-0405 | TheRep.org

Faubus or bust! took over the LRSD, the state board and Education Commissioner Johnny Key finally BILL acknowledged KOPSKY they are responsible for making a long-range plan for Little Rock schools. They called for collaboration between charter schools and traditional public schools. Then, by blithely authorizing the expansions, they nearly guaranteed a wave of litigation that will make collaboration and planning almost impossible. Little Rock is now on the path of New Orleans, Philadelphia or Detroit. Anyone who sees those cities as models for prosperity needs to have their head examined. “Come to Little Rock — we’re just like Detroit, but with more tornadoes and mosquitoes,” is going to be a huge sell. So where do we go next? Despite the setback, there are things we can do. First, Little Rock doesn’t have an education problem as much as we have a poverty problem. There is plenty we can do about that. Real neighborhood revitalization and supports for families would pay huge dividends for our city and our schools. Our city needs a plan for strengthening our neighborhoods. Second, we must keep fighting for research-based solutions we know will improve education for every student. Quality early childhood education needs more state funding. We need to create quality afterschool and summer programs. We have to address food and housing instability. We have to improve discipline policies and keep creating diverse, desegregated schools. One can only hope the state board will hold eStem and LISA accountable for the charters’ promises to be more inclusive and to collaborate with the LRSD — but the past leaves little optimism. Finally, while some people try to segregate our city, we have to find ways to build meaningful relationships across the boundaries that divide us. That dialogue must lead to reform of systems across our city and state, or it will be hollow. Both the LRSD and charter schools have some hard decisions to make in coming years, with or without the courts. Those decisions will be much better if they are informed by our full community.

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awyers. The state Board of Education clearly thinks that Little Rock’s children need more lawyers. The state board approved big expansions last week for two Little Rock charter schools, eStem and LISA Academy. Because the decisions invite further desegregation lawsuits, the state board likely condemned a new generation of Little Rock kids, in both charter and traditional public schools, to growing up in a court-supervised education system. A year ago, in this same space, just after the state takeover of the Little Rock School District, I wrote that we couldn’t give up. Today, as frustrating as it is, we still can’t give up. Families in the LRSD and in charter schools have to see we have one community and every child is our responsibility. No child or family can ever be seen as an enemy. But the future just got a lot harder. Baker Kurrus, on the job less than a year but already the first competent superintendent anyone at LRSD remembers, calmly dismantled the charter schools’ cases. He was joined by Little Rock parents and legislators asking for a pause to make a comprehensive plan that could unite the various parties. They presented data showing eStem and LISA charter expansions will do irreparable harm to the vast majority of Little Rock’s children. They showed that the charters serve mostly affluent students at the expense of the most needy kids. They showed that eStem and LISA don’t offer Little Rock families a fair choice — segregating students by income, race, disability and English language proficiency. They illustrated that expansion would create three separate and unequal school systems in Little Rock, which is immoral and illegal. They showed that eStem and LISA are mediocre schools, not terrible, but often outperformed by LRSD schools with similar demographics. The state board ignored the evidence, ignored the plea, and went blindly bumbling back to Faubusland. They said they wanted to give eStem and LISA students more choices but ignored the fact that the expansions will take choices and chances away from LRSD kids. Some state board members seemed shocked that Kurrus would put principles above politics and responded by calling him a rookie. They encourage competitors to take the LRSD’s best students, but say stop whining and get to work. Finally, more than a year after they

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Bill Kopsky is executive director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel. www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

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e are deviating from Razorback-related matters for this week out of selfish imperative. I took in the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in Houston over the weekend, with wife and boys in tow. A bizarre Saturday night at NRG Stadium — two of the most lopsided margins of victory in the typically nip-and-tuck doubleheader — gave way to the kind of championship game that a maligned sport craved. Villanova was not the archetype of the underdog, but among the quartet, the Wildcats lacked panache. Syracuse arrived as a ballyhooed 10 seed that rolled through its region for two weeks after pundits doubted the Orange’s credentials. Oklahoma came allegedly hungry for its first title and armed with the country’s most dynamic player. And North Carolina was ever the blue blood, stacked with NBA-ready talent. “Nova” was just, well, perfectly solid and theoretically uninspiring, built on defense, helmed by a gentlemanly coach, and kind of anonymous. That’s what made the Cats special, in immediate retrospect. Whereas Arkansas has struggled to capture an identity as a program in the post-championship zenith now two full decades bygone, Jay Wright has quietly molded Villanova into the working-class, preparednessdriven program that mirrors its home city. Like Philly itself, the Wildcats of 2016 were something historians could appreciate. That’s why a few of the shockingly throaty contingent supporting the city of Brotherly Love’s Catholic institution arrived wearing “Party Like It’s 1985” T-shirts. That’s why the coach and centerpiece of that venerated champion, Rollie Massimino and Ed Pinckney, respectively, blended in quietly among the star-gazing spectators and alums who backed Carolina on Monday night, notably Michael Jordan himself. That’s why Nova came out of the locker room as it had 39 times prior, undaunted by the foe or the gravity of the moment. UNC would nudge its way to small leads throughout the first half but never escape. The Wildcats watched Okie’s Buddy Hield cleanly stroke a threepointer to open the semifinal scoring, and even knowing the Sooners had demolished them by 23 earlier in the year, they just settled into their motion offense and then sent approximately 19 different players to harass Hield on the perimeter. End result? That trey was the

only one the senior guard would hit as the Cats checked him for a seasonworst nine points, and the balanced BEAU scoring attack was WILCOX lethal in a 44-point rout that had Sooner fans shuffling out of the joint more flabbergasted than fuming. To Carolina’s credit, the Heels didn’t sit back on their namesake. They were aggressive and composed from the outset, but often had the same issues that Oklahoma had, just on a smaller scale. Nova’s irrepressible backcourt of Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins slipped off ball screens easily and squared up for clean looks, which they continued to drain with fierce regularity. Daniel Ochefu held his own against UNC’s gifted bigs, and Phil Booth came off the Wildcat bench to pour in a career-best 20. Nova assembled a 10-point lead late, and Carolina responded with poise and passion. It’s not often, to be honest, that the anointed favorite matches the effort being thrown at it by a fierce, hardscrabble opponent, but the Heels merit credit for playing like a team that zealously wanted to justify its hype. Marcus Paige’s final collegiate shot was a phenomenal, double-clutch 22-footer that knotted the score at 74 with 4.7 seconds remaining and sent the Carolina fans into a commemorative cushionflinging frenzy. And wouldn’t you know it, the Wildcats simply did not mind. Arcidiacono whipped up the court and left the ball for Jenkins at very nearly the same spot where Scotty Thurman wrote the Hogs into the annals 22 years earlier. The 6-6 junior grabbed, elevated, launched and leaned forward with all the swagger of a more heralded gunner, and as the buzzer sounded the ball cleanly went through. Streamers fell as Jenkins stood in confident admiration of his physical craft, his name now etched in lore. What a champion. What a night. And what a jarring reminder that even as we Arkansans lament the moribund state of our own program now, so many of us are fortunate enough to be able to reach back to a time where an angular, smooth 6-6 sophomore from Ruston, La., tossed up a similar rainbow over the hands of Tobacco Road’s finest and landed it squarely in the pantheon of the sport’s shiniest moments.

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4/6 – 4/12

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

The little things

he Observer has, for one reason or another, been thinking of late about the little things, the choices and changes and pauses and coincidences of time and space that can change everything about our lives. Butterflies flapping their wings, creating swirls of air that spin and spin until they are killer cyclones on the other side of the world, are often on the mind of Yours Truly. The Observer is a student of history — both world history and our own — and both are fairly chock-full of moments when for want of a nail, the kingdom, empire, war, storefront, applecart, election, sailboat or civilization was lost. When we think about all the ways this life of ours has pivoted on a pause that kept us out of the place where we would have met certain doom had we arrived there 10 seconds later, it kinda bakes our noodle. You likely have had moments in your life like that, if you think of it. The thing that most recently got us thinking about all this cosmic billiardry was our friend and colleague Will Stephenson’s excellent recommendation that we read an even more excellent long-form story from Texas Monthly called “The Reckoning,” by Pamela Colloff. You can find it online, and should. It’s the 50-year tale of Claire Wilson, a woman who — as a pregnant 18-year-old — was the first of 46 people shot by sniper Charles Whitman from the tower at the University of Texas at Austin in August 1966. Fourteen people, including Wilson’s boyfriend, Thomas Eckman, died in the shooting. Wilson’s unborn son also died, struck by a bullet fragment. The brilliance of the piece is that Colloff resists the urge to stop with Wilson’s story once the blood had been staunched and the visible wounds have closed. Instead, she follows her methodically through the next 50 years, as she succeeds and fails, pushes for gun control, adopts a son, and generally tries to come to grips with how much her life was changed in a single second and a decision to walk in the shadow

of the tower. The Observer’s life, as we’ve said, has sometimes been like that, choices to be made spinning at us so fast sometimes that we don’t know whether to scratch our watch or wind our ass after a while, the future always flowing around the steadily withering willow of us and into the past, decisions and decisions, some of them made for us by age, ignorance, genetics or plain ol’ fear of failing, others made for us by politicians who took the results of elections to oaken chambers far away, where they try to gin bullshit and U.S. currency into the blanket that must cover us all but which seems to cover only a few most of the time. Given this too human tendency to ponder the way it all might have gone, it’s no wonder that physicists, from Albert Einstein to Doc Brown from “Back to the Future” to Frank Capra in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” are always puzzling over parallel universes or using a time machine to fix things. Every life, my friend, is a magic garden of forking paths, each alternate route sealing over with impenetrable hedge the moment your foot turns away, so that you will never even be able to even glimpse what might have been had you pointed your toe in the other direction. Who is to say that the moment you took to scrub the mustard from your tie didn’t spare you a life of agony? Or that you might have met your soulmate on that trip never taken to Anaheim? Or that a bullet might spin out of the blue sky as you’re walking, minding your own business, with one hand protectively on your growing belly? Such is life, and absolutely why you should live yours without fear: Because no matter how much you want things to stay the same, yours is changing in ways you can’t even fathom, even now, even as you’re reading this sentence. But, as our favorite fabulist, Kurt Vonnegut, was heard to say: So it goes. And goes. And goes. And goes.

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APRIL 7, 2016

Arkansas Reporter

THE

The Passion of Greg Complaints over ‘Passion of the Christ’ showing at public high school lead to teacher’s classroom rant on ‘liberals,’ termination. BY DAVID KOON

teacher at Wilbur Mills University Studies High School in Little Rock was suspended with pay and recommended for firing last week after he showed a portion of the 2004 R-rated film “The Passion of the Christ,” which depicts the torture and crucifixion of Jesus in gory detail, during his U.S. History class and later went on a classroom rant against complaints by “liberals” that stopped him from showing the second half of the film the next day. Audio of the teacher’s diatribe was recorded, apparently by an unidentified student, and forwarded to the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas and, later, Arkansas Times. An investigation by the ACLU uncovered allegations that the teacher had previously launched into similar diatribes against liberals, had once hung a Confederate flag in his classroom, and previously made students write papers on a YouTube video that called Democrats “the party of slavery.” The teacher, Greg Hendrix, also coaches football and track at the school. The showing of the film apparently formed the core of a teaching unit in Hendrix’s class, with a list of study questions distributed before the screening including questions such as, “Did seeing the movie change your perspective on Christ’s suffering for your salvation and the degree to which Christ loves you?” and “Do you think God’s way of saving us (the Passion, death and resurrection of Christ) makes God seem distant and uncaring about man?” When parents who were told by their children that Hendrix had shown “The Passion of the Christ” complained to the school, the administration told Hendrix not to show the second half of the 14

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

film. Before showing “Star Wars” in his class instead, Hendrix went on a rambling lecture about the evils of liberalism before the class. In the recording, which goes on for over 10 minutes, a clearly angry Hendrix tells the class that their rights have been violated, singling out the person or persons who complained as “liberals.” “So here’s the deal,” he says in the recording, “your First Amendment right to peacefully assemble in this classroom and to have free speech was ruined by one person. A liberal. I keep telling you, when Democrats are offended by something and they don’t agree with it, they want to shut it down, they want to ban it, and they want to censor it. So you have lost your First Amendment right that is guaranteed to you by the Constitution to peaceful assemble in this classroom, and to free speech, because of one person.” Later in the recording, he says that the sooner the students learn about liberalism, the better off they’ll be. Then he speaks about African-American support for Democrats, saying, “I keep telling you, I’ll never understand how blacks can support the Democratic Party. It just blows my mind. All they do is convince y’all that whoever the Republican nominee is, is going to take away food stamps and all this stuff, put you in chains and send you back to Africa. Well, shit. If that was going to happen, they would have done it a long time ago, wouldn’t you think? Has a Republican ever done that? No. Here’s the bottom line on Republicans, because I am one. Actually, I’m a constitutional conservative. We just want you to get off your ass and go to work and be productive members of society and quit mooching off the government, because somebody is pay-

U.S. HISTORY?: A Mills High School teacher showed his history class a portion of “The Passion of the

ing for that. Me.” The student body at Mills High is majority African American. Pulaski County Special School District communications director Deb Roush initially issued a statement saying that the school district had suspended the teacher, who it didn’t name, with pay pending an investigation. The district later released a statement saying Hendrix had been recommended for termination. He has 30 days to appeal. The Times was unable to reach Hendrix. Holly Dickson, legal director for the ACLU of Arkansas, said the ACLU is preparing an ethics complaint to be filed with the state Board of Education over Hendrix’s conduct. She said Hendrix was terminated as a football coach by the Bentonville School District in October 2014 after, witnesses said, he allegedly called a former player a “faggot” and a “queer.” Hendrix denied those allegations. Dickson said the ACLU received several calls about the incident involving the film and Hendrix’s in-class rant. “He seems to think there’s one complaint about the film, and I think in general the students realized that this was clearly illegal and over the top,” she said. “We’ve started hearing more. It’s not just about the film, obviously, which you can hear just from the audio.”

Dickson said that, contrary to what is said on the recording, students in publicly funded classrooms leave many of their rights at the schoolhouse door. “There is no general student right to assembly or free speech to monopolize a classroom or to receive information that’s unconstitutional,” Dickson said. “The film he was showing is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and parents’ rights to control the religious upbringing of their children.” In a letter to the PCSSD administration, ACLU cooperating attorney Bettina Brownstein said the ACLU investigation into the incident had found that Hendrix had frequently launched into what she called “this kind of tirade against Democrats and liberals” during his time at the school. The ACLU also discovered he had shown a video called “The Reasons Why the Democrats Are the Party of Slavery” to his classes and required students to write essays about it, and at one time displayed a Confederate flag in his classroom. “It seems as if very little instruction pertinent to the course subject occurred in the two semesters Mr. Hendrix has taught it,” Brownstein wrote. “Students report that they watch films and videos, mostly, and that no text or other books have been opened.”

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ion of the Christ.”

Brownstein went on to say that she’d received reports that students were threatening another student who had complained about Hendrix, adding that she expected the district to prevent any threats, bullying or harassment. “The ACLU takes the First Amendment very seriously, as well as the other completely inappropriate conduct and words of this teacher,” Brownstein wrote. “We also take very seriously bullying against students. It certainly seems that Mr. Hendrix has no business being in any classroom or coaching any students. I find it surprising and disheartening that a teacher could teach almost two semesters at Mills and engage in the kind of unconstitutional and other inappropriate conduct that Mr. Hendrix perpetrated.” Brownstein also directed the PCSSD to a 2003 settlement agreement with the district that says its personnel will not subject students to “religious preaching on district premises.” The agreement stems from a federal civil rights suit brought against the PCSSD by the ACLU on behalf of a gay student in Jacksonville who was subjected to religious preaching and forced to read the Bible as punishment for his sexual orientation.

FOR ANIMAL LOVERS who want something different from lions and tigers: Oh, my, there’s the Little Rock Zoo’s new Arkansas Heritage Farm, which opened Saturday, April 2, with a “Pass on the Gift” donation of baby goats from Heifer International. The farm, which replaces the old petting zoo, includes a big red barn and outdoor yards where child-sized animals — Pygmy goats, Katahdin sheep, Blackberry sheep, heritage chickens, turkeys, miniature donkeys and miniature horses — will hang out. You won’t find out what the fox says, but Heifer is working with the zoo to develop educational materials. The international development nonprofit also contributed a chicken tractor, which is a movable coop that will let the zoo spread chicken manure around parts of the farm. The farm was funded by the 3/8-cent city sales tax passed in 2011, donations from private individuals, and the state Department of Parks and Tourism. Sponsors include Hiland Dairy, the Central Arkansas Planning and Development District and the Arkansas Zoological Association. Arkansas Times photographer Brian Chilson was on the scene Saturday to capture the scene. 1. Kristen Crawley (left) and Kayla Elrod with Heifer International hold baby goats Heifer is donating to the Heritage Farm exhibit. 2. Lily the goat provides a bit of shade to her friend Eclipse, a miniature horse. 3. Anjeleah Martindale, 5, tries to pet the nose on a billygoat.

4. Mayor Mark Stodola tries to get the donkeys to shake his hand. 5. A brown goat tries to give Evan Poroshine, 15 months old, a kiss. 6. Katahdin sheep munch hay in their yard in front of the new Heritage Farm. 7. The interior of the new Heritage Farm barn, funded by the 3/8-cent sales tax passed in 2011, private donations and a grant from the state Department of Parks and Tourism.

8. She’s a good old silkie, at the Arkansas Heritage Farm.

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

‘The House o

The Preller Collection comes to the Histo

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

ou won’t find anything about Hugo and Gayne

Preller in Wikipedia or online histories. You would think that a couple who made their living piloting a floating photography studio down the Mississippi and up the White rivers at the turn of the 20th century, making thousands of

of Light’

Historic Arkansas Museum.

COCK

photographs of the landscape and its people, would merit a mention in some online account. As it turns out, the story of this unusual couple — he an immigrant artist, gunsmith and watchmaker, she perhaps the first woman commercial photographer in Arkansas — has been known to only a few folks outside Augusta and Woodruff County. One of them is White River photographer Chris Engholm, who learned about the Prellers in 2013 and set about preserving the family’s collection of photographs. Thanks to Engholm, the Prellers will travel again, this time up the Arkansas to the Historic Arkansas Museum, which opens “Hugo and Gayne Preller: The House of Light” on April 8. The Preller Collection exhibition includes original photographs by both Hugo and Gayne — his outdoors, hers the studio shots; photo brooches that may have been made as memorials for the dead; paintings on washboard mussel shells by Hugo Preller; a model of the Prellers’ houseboat studio made by the late Little Rock photographer Greer Lile; and other artifacts. Hugo Preller, born in 1865 in Germany, came to the United States when he was 17, traveling in steerage on the S.S. Spain. Because he’d had a religious

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

❝NOTHING SHORT OF A MASTERPIECE!❞ - Hollywood Reporter

Humane Society of Pulaski County’s 70th Anniversary Celebration & 70’s Style

FUR BALL

Friday April 29th, 2016 7 PM-11 PM Next Level Events in the Historic Union Station

HSPC Cat “Blythe”     

FRI. 8 PM | SAT. 2 PM & 8 PM | SUN. 2 PM

Welcomed by

April 15-17 • Maumelle PAC

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APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

Bway/LR Bway/LittleRock

HSPC Dog “Curly Sue”

A disco inFURno with 70’s decorations and themed food Come dance to the classic 70’s sounds of rock & disco Live band (popular local band “Just Sayin”) and a DJ Silent auction of dog & cat bowls & treat jars created by professional artists Guests are encouraged to dress “Old School” 1970’s or in whatever makes you feel “Groovy!”

Individual tickets: $46 in advance, $53 at the door Sponsorships available: From $270-$7000 Purchase tickets and sponsorships at: www.warmhearts.org

70 Years of Saving Lives is Something to Celebrate!

THURSDAY APRIL 14 2016 Begins 7 p.m.

in ML Harris Auditorium on the Philander Smith College campus, free and open to the public. For more information call

501-370-5354.

No tickets or RSVPs required.

DOCKED: The Prellers’ traveled up the White River in their second photography studio/ houseboat and landed in Augusta. Their home there included Gayne Preller’s studio, where she made portraits, including brooch photos like the one at left.

vision as a child — he saw tongues of flame emerge from under the ice of a frozen lake and burn the sky — he became a circuit rider for the Methodist Episcopal Church. That took him to Kentucky, where he met and married Gayne in 1892; he was 27, she was 16. Carey Voss, assistant curator at HAM, described the Prellers as “early Bohemians” whose sense of adventure launched them down the Mississippi River in 1898 to begin their remarkable lives. Gayne operated the floating photography studio, docking for a couple of years at the mouth of the Wolf River

near Memphis and weeks at other river towns. Hugo hunted and found work repairing guns and watches. He took outdoor photographs; she did the indoor portraits. “Money is none” in Arkansas, Hugo wrote Gayne while on an exploratory trip downriver from Memphis, but they would be able to “live off the fat of the land.” They would survive together, he said, even if “we have to live like Gypsies.” In 1908, the Prellers began the trip up the White River to Augusta, where they settled in 1910. Here they built what the family calls the House

of Doors — made entirely from doors ordered from Sears — and it was where they lived and worked until their deaths many years later. Their photographs make up the largest record of the era in the Arkansas Delta, Engholm believes. Once in Augusta, Hugo Preller was commissioned to both paint and make photographs of the town’s commerce and leaders. Gayne ran the Preller Photography studio out of the House of Doors. She also ran a variety store that her granddaughter, Gayne Preller Schmidt, called a “curiosity shop.” That thousands of photographs

Alicia Garza

An established social activist committed to challenging societal views on race and sexual orientation, Alicia Garza birthed “Black Lives Matter” in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in 2013. Immediately prompting activism nationwide, the work of Garza and her colleagues has taken #BlackLivesMatter from a viral outcry to a critical social movement emblazoned across the nation, and destined to shape civil rights for current and future generations.

900 Daisy Bates Drive Little Rock, AR 72202 www.philander.edu

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APRIL 7, 2016

FRIDAY, MAY 20 | 6-9 P.M. at the ARGENTA PLAZA

WINE

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JA Z Z

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for a

TASTE OVER 300 WINES

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Purchase tickets early: $30, $40 at the door

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for tickets! Print your tickets and present at the door.

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

ARKANSAS

Veteran SALUTE

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Join Arkansas Capital Corporation and Simmons Bank as we salute bravery in business throughout the month of May. We’re looking for veterans who have made a lasting impression on our country and in the local business community. And we want your nominations. AT I O N S Q UA L I F I C Must be an Arkansas veteran that has helped influence the community or state through leadership in business. Suggested business categories: Agriculture, Entrepreneurs/Trailblazers, Medical, Small Business Submit your nominee today to Brooke@arktimes.com

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HUNTING IN THE DELTA WOODS: A photograph by Hugo Preller.

BIKE RIDE

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

made by the Prellers survive can be credited to Schmidt.

t was a painting on a mussel shell that started Engholm on his journey to preserve the Preller Collec-

tion. Gayne Preller died in 1958. More than a half century later, Engholm, who had been paddling the White, visited the Lower White River Museum in Des Arc and it was there he saw Hugo Preller’s painting of a button factory in DeValls Bluff done on the large washboard shell. Intrigued, Engholm asked the museum director about Preller and learned there were still Prellers in Augusta. He canoed to Augusta. “I’d been on the river three or four days and I looked like Nanook of the North,” Engholm said, when he tracked down Schmidt at her dressmaker’s shop in Augusta. It took a bit to earn her trust — an earlier photographer had digitized Preller photographs without permis-

sion and sold them. He asked if she had any of her grandparents’ photographs. “They’re here somewhere,” Schmidt said. They were in dusty boxes, an attic trunk, loaned to a friend. In all, Schmidt and Engholm found some 2,500 photographs. The photos are not in the best condition — many are foxed, many are faded, many are torn. Some date to the 19th century, when the Prellers were in Kentucky. There are photographs of steamboat passengers; two boys by the White, in straw hats and rolled up overalls, holding their catch of bullfrogs; a picture of a hunter, a string of dead squirrels around his waist, a slain fawn at his feet. The Prellers aboard their first boat, equipped with sails, the wooden sides painted “Photography Copying Enlarging Artistic Painting”; also the Prellers and extended family beside the houseboat years later. The Prellers were not Disfarmer afloat. Until late in her career, Gayne

BURNS PARK • NORTH LITTLE ROCK

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

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APRIL 7, 2016

TURN OF THE CENTURY: Gayne Preller made many portraits of African Americans; her granddaughter says “she had just one door” to the studio in Augusta.

posed her subjects against elaborately painted backdrops and with props; a chair she used will be in the exhibition. Mike Disfarmer, who didn’t begin taking pictures until 1930, only used a plain white background. Too, Disfarmer didn’t much like people. Gayne Preller, on the other hand, was likely more engaged with her subjects; Engholm thinks she was trying to “bring out their personal idiosyncracies.” The work also reveals something about Gayne: Among the 1,800 portraits recovered, 400 are of African Americans. These are handsome subjects: a seated gentleman with a favorite book; 22

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

another in a fancy suit, silk handkerchief in pocket, cigar in hand; a woman in striped gown posed next to a fancy wicker chair (the chair still exists and will be in the show). “She didn’t have but one door and one set of props,” Schmidt said. Mysteriously, the dozens of brooches found all hold portraits of African Americans. Why these brooches — thought to be memorials of the dead — were kept by the Prellers rather than by the subjects’ families is a mystery. The photographs will be shown in their original condition, though some digital enlargements will be included in the exhibition. Because the works are

HUGO PRELLER PORTRAIT: The Prellers apparently added a bit of color to this photograph to indicate the fawn’s blood. Note the squirrels tied at his waist.

not dated, they will be organized in the show by place rather than chronology, though dress style will hint at the older ones, and those with a white backdrop are the latest. Some of Hugo Preller’s meticulously painted mussel shells — one of a fire at what he calls a “crude oil irrigation plant” at Crockett’s Bluff; another is of three snagboats at DeVall’s Bluff — will be in the exhibition, as will a few of the original doors from the Sears door house: Greer Lile saved some of them in the 1970s when he heard the house was falling in. Hugo Preller taught Sunday school in Augusta until World War I, when

he was asked to quit because he was German. He also wrote a book on his study of the Bible, a book that was about “the harmony of the creation story and science,” Schmidt said. “I started putting it on the computer, but that was laborious and boring because he quoted Scripture sometimes twice in the same phrase,” she said. “He was on a search for eternal life. We were considered the peculiar Prellers,” Schmidt said. Where is the book now? “It’s around here somewhere,” she said. The opening reception will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be live music by the Cons of Formant and Arkansasmade beer by Core Brewing.

Eat, DrinBke Literary! &

Pub ! h s i r Pe

It’s

Poetry, fiction and memoir readings, live in the big room at Stickyz Rock-N-Roll Chicken Shack.

D E N O H Y L E N I F THE L A N O I S S E F O PR P

AP SON KN A J F E H C ANSAS K

AR SYSCO

with:

Sharon Gariepy Frye, R.J. Looney, Ayara Stien Silva Zanoyan M , erjanian, Michael Clay, Donnie Lamon and more!

Hosted by: Little Rock Poet Justin Booth!

Saturday, April 16 7-9 pm

ÀStickyz AT

Shack. Rock-N-Roll Chicken

ES ALL K A T 1 PETE / M O C S F / $125 M P 6 CHE 6 / D RIL 21 P E WORL A , S R OUND TH R A M EMOS THU O D KILLS INES FR

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT DAVID KOON AT DAVIDKOON@ARKTIMES.COM Pub or Perish is a related event of the Arkansas Literary Festival.

CHEF de CUISINE SPONSORS: HILAND DAIRY / ALLEGRA PRINTING / GLAZER’S / CWP PRODUCTIONS WINE PULL SPONSOR: O’LOONEY’S SOUS CHEF SPONSOR: CAPITAL HOTEL / MARK FONVILLE PHOTOGRAPHY LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU CULINARIAN SPONSORS: COCA-COLA / UAMS / SIMMONS BANK ARKANSAS SOYBEAN BOARD / WESTROCK COFFEE / CONGER WEALTH MANAGEMENT / YAYA’S EURO BISTRO / ARVEST FIRST ARKANSAS BANK & TRUST / HANK’S FINE FURNITURE / LEGACY TERMITE & PEST CONTROL / SUSAN CONLEY MITCHELL WILLIAMS LAW / VENTURA FOODS / ARKANSAS CRAFT DISTRIBUTORS / SUBWAY / TIPTON & HURST

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APRIL 7, 2016

Arts Entertainment AND

LOVE STORY: The relationship between Francesca (Joan Hess) and Robert Kincaid (Michael Halling) sends ripples through the Iowa town.

A musical ‘Bridges’ at The Rep Swan song for artistic director Bob Hupp. BY JAMES SZENHER

t might have been easy for composer Jason Robert Brown to phone it in when scoring the musical adaptation of a well-known film (and best-selling novel), and simply provide enough catchy and evocative melodies to satiate the audience’s thirst for standard musical theater fare. But with his score for “The Bridges of Madison County,” which opens a three-week run Friday at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the audience gets something unique and vibrant. Brown’s score evokes both the American heartland in which the play is set and the sense of wanderlust and romance that some of the characters feel. It’s written for a small acous24

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

tic ensemble (including some actors who play instruments onstage) and amps the story up several notches for maximum emotional impact. “There are some hummable songs but also some of the music really stings you to the core. It’s a classic, rich, lush score: His melodies really epitomize romantic ballads and the texture of the music stands out,” actor Michael Halling said. Halling plays Robert Kincaid, a traveling photographer who finds himself falling in love with Francesca, an Italian immigrant who married a soldier after World War II and now lives in rural Iowa. “The music matches what your body and soul are doing as a

singer because it’s so articulate in that way,” he adds. Joan Hess, who plays Francesca, said that it was the score that inspired her to learn the music and seek out the role. “I think that musical theater might be the best way to tell this story,” she added. The story is well-known to those who are familiar with the best-selling Robert James Waller novel or the film starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood: A woman leaves home and marries young, and 18 years later finds her desire to build a home for her family clashes with the new excitement she feels around Kincaid. Director Robert Hupp saw the play on Broadway without having read the book or seen the film, and was drawn in by the music and the story: “When I saw it, it was so far above what I thought it would be as a musical. It was such a powerful experience in the theater that I knew I wanted to share it with audiences here in Little Rock,” he said. “Whatever you might hope for from the best musical, the best drama, it’s all right here.” The Rep’s production will be the

regional premiere of this musical, which opened on Broadway in 2014. “Not many people in the world have had a chance to see this, so Little Rock is pretty lucky. The national tour has just started this year, and the New York run was pretty short,” Hess said. Additionally, the play will be the final one directed by Hupp, who has been The Rep’s producing artistic director for the last 17 seasons. “It’s poignant for me as my last show as director because it epitomizes what we do best at The Rep. The actors are diving into something challenging and rewarding, and we hope the audience will experience that, too,” he says. Fate sets the play’s characters on a path that in many ways jostles them from their everyday lives and forces them to make decisions that will define their futures and send ripples throughout their small rural community. Noah Racey plays Francesca’s husband, Bud, and as an actor who’s worked in many musicals, he praised the play as “the lifeblood of our kind of theater.” His character in many ways represents the rugged American farmer — dependent upon the land, his family and the surrounding community. “I’ve spent most of my life in someone like Kincaid’s shoes, so it’s fun for me to play a family man, a bedrock of the community.” He noted that the play stays firmly connected to the rural landscape where it’s set. “What do you go to the theater for?” Hupp asked. “To be transported somewhere else to have an experience that you can’t find anywhere else. Here we have that experience created by some of the best actors in the country performing one of the best stories created for musical theater.” Hess added: “At the base of our human experience, we all want to love and be loved. There’s something that will certainly be stirred within you by this play. You won’t want to miss it.” “The Bridges of Madison County” plays through Sunday, May 1. Special events include a panel discussion at the Clinton School for Public Service at noon Thursday, April 7; “Pay Your Age Night” on Sunday, April 10; and Sign Interpreter Night on Wednesday, April 20. More information is available at therep.org..

ROCK CANDY

Check out the Times’ A&E blog arktimes.com

A&E NEWS LOOKING AHEAD IN the Arkansas Times Film Series: On April 19, at Riverdale 10 Cinema, we’re screening William Friedkin’s 1977 cult classic “Sorcerer,” starring Roy Scheider and soundtracked hypnotically and brilliantly by Tangerine Dream. Friedkin’s follow-up to the massively successful “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist,” “Sorcerer” is a much stranger and more ambitious film, influenced — the director has claimed — by Werner Herzog and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Overlooked by many critics at the time, Roger Ebert judged it one of the top 10 films of 1977, and its reputation has only grown over the years — Quentin Tarantino named it among his 12 favorite films in 2012 and Stephen King placed it at No. 1 on a list of “20 movies that never disappoint.”

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ACCLAIMED NORTHWEST Arkansas theater group TheatreSquared has announced the lineup for its 2016-17 season, which includes Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning works (e.g. Robert Schenkkan’s LBJ drama “All the Way” and Lisa D’Amour’s “Detroit,” named one of the New York Times’ “Top 10 Plays of the Year”) as well as classics like Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations.” Season passes start at $79 and are on sale now at the Walton Arts Center Box Office or by phone at 479571-2785. For more information visit theatre2.org. A CHANGE.ORG PETITION imploring ‘80s hair metal icons Def Leppard to take a band photo in front of the Arkansas School for the Deaf’s scoreboard (their mascot being the Leopards) has garnered over 1,300 supporters as of press time. The group will perform at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena on May 11, which — the petitioners believe — will present the ideal opportunity for the band to bring some much-deserved attention to a worthy institution. To support this very important and pressing issue, visit arktimes.com/DefLeppard and lend your name to the cause. THE ARGENTA COMMUNITY Theater has announced a new “Dogtown Film Series,” which will feature screenings of old (“Citizen Kane,” “2001: A Space Odyssey”) and new (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”). All screenings will be $5 and the series will start with the “Star Wars” screening at 7 p.m. April 14.

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APRIL 7, 2016

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK AND WILL STEPHENSON

THURSDAY 4/8-SUNDAY 4/10

29TH ANNUAL OZARK UFO CONFERENCE

Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center, Eureka Springs.

LET IT BURN: Ruthie Foster performs at South on Main at 8 p.m. Thursday, $22.

THURSDAY 4/7

RUTHIE FOSTER

8 p.m. South on Main. $22.

Ruthie Foster is a blues and soul singer-songwriter and an accomplished guitarist who hails from Gause, Texas, and a family of gospel singers. In interviews, she says she grew up listening to country music radio and

singing in her church choir. She joined the Navy after a stint at a community college — her enlistment a doomed effort, she says, “to get away from music.” She became a full-time musician in 1996; since then, she’s been nominated for Grammys, toured with the Blind Boys of Alabama and col-

laborated with the Allman Brothers Band. In May she’ll be in New York performing in a tribute show dedicated to legendary Arkansas guitarslinger Sister Rosetta Tharpe, but we’re lucky enough to have her in Little Rock this weekend at South on Main. WS

guides at a bourbon distillery and make string-band music for the age of ebooks and artisanal chocolate bars. But this is low-hanging fruit: Their songs are catchy, almost too catchy — earworm melodies accompanied by a hint of quiet menace. For a wildly popular band, in other words, they are surprisingly polarizing. This is one British Invasion many of us want no part of: Our folkways are

our own, and who are these English interlopers to co-opt them so cavalierly? And, some would say, blandly? Anyway: They’re famous, and at this point you already know whether you’re willing to pay their extravagant ticket prices or not. For my money, I’d say skip it and get your folk-revival fix from the White Water Tavern any given weekend. Make America Great Again. WS

THURSDAY 4/7

MUMFORD & SONS

8 p.m. Verizon Arena. $59.90.

If at any point in the past four years you have seen an inspirational movie trailer, shopped at a T.J. Maxx or noticed yourself humming along with a car commercial, you are no doubt familiar with the British folk-pop group Mumford & Sons, who dress like tour 26

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

One of the strangest classes I ever took in college was a seminar entitled “Taboo, Magic and Subsistence,” taught by a tenured professor whose research involved working with shamans to explore “plant auras,” investigating “bead mounds” and spending several years living on Orchid Island (off the coast of Taiwan) amid the Yami people, an indigenous population that he insisted he’d discovered only thanks to a late-night meeting in a bar with a sailor who showed him how to reach the island via star charts. It was a long, fruitful semester. One of our guest speakers, a real highlight for the class, was a journalist and documentarian named Linda Moulton Howe, who had abandoned a career in academia (including a master’s degree program at Stanford) to pursue her obsession with crop circles, cattle mutilation and “aerial light phenomena,” the latter of which she demonstrated for our class by covering all the windows with duct-tape, playing New Age music and hosting a sort of seance that involved strange, inexplicable flashes of dancing light. Inexplicable, anyway, because the lights were off and the windows were covered in duct-tape. She was an engaging, passionate speaker — a true believer — so I was pleased to see that she’s one of the keynote speakers at this year’s annual Ozark UFO Conference, which has become a bona fide Eureka Springs institution over the past 29 years. Other notable speakers include Erich Von Daniken (author of the conspiracy lit classic “Chariots of the Gods”), who will discuss extraterrestrials, pyramids and the relationship between the two; Richard Dolan, frequent SyFy channel guest and author of “UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Cover-up 1941-1973”; and Sherry Wilde, whose life was disrupted when she was abducted by aliens in 1987. WS

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 4/7

THURSDAY 4/7-SUNDAY 4/10

TUESDAY 4/12

FANTASTIC CINEMA & CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

MELANNE VERVEER

Various times. Riverdale 10. $10-$135.

6 p.m. Clinton School for Public Service. Free.

Little Rock film culture suffered a devastating blow with the closure of the Little Rock Film Festival last year (for reasons that remain, at best, confusing). One of the handful of institutions stepping into the void is the Film Society of Little Rock, which, in addition to forthcoming events like the 2nd Annual Kaleidoscope LGBT Festival (coming in August) and the Flipbook Animation Film Festival (coming in November), is hosting this weekend’s Fantastic Cinema & Craft Beer Festival, an event that combines an array of independent genre films (with a heavy focus on sci-fi, horror and fantasy) with a perfectly complementary craft beer component. The opening night feature will SXSW hit “The Alchemist Cookbook,” written and directed by Joel Potrykus. There will also be Australian sci-fi mysteries, Finnish horror-comedies, Canadian werewolf thrillers, documentaries about Vikings and countless other things exciting and unspeakable. See a schedule and get more info at fantasticcinema.com. WS

Melanne Verveer, the executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, was also chief of staff to Hillary Clinton when Clinton was first lady. The institute was founded in 2011 as an offshoot of the U.S. Department of State’s Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, created under Secretary of State Clinton. That suggests Verveer, besides talking about the institute’s research and her role as U.S. ambassador for women’s global issues, should be able to provide insight into Clinton’s longtime efforts to promote women’s education and status. Verveer, who worked on the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, is also the co-author of “Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose.” LNP

It’s opening day for the Arkansas Travelers baseball team, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12; they’re playing the Midland RockHounds at Dickey-Stephens Park. The crew behind the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s forthcoming production of “The Bridges of Madison County” will give a panel discussion at the Clinton School for Public Service’s Sturgis Hall, noon. The Ron Robinson Theater screens Elia Kazan’s classic “A Streetcar Named Desire” (starring Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando) at 7 p.m., $5. Comedian John Crist is at the Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m., $8 (and at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $12). Little Rock sketch comedy troupe Red Octopus Theater performs its new original production, “Make Spring Great Again,” at the Public Theatre (through Saturday), 8 p.m., $10. The Joint in Argenta presents “The Game,” a comedy game of “wit, skill and luck,” at 8 p.m. Local indie rock group Midwest Caravan plays at the White Water Tavern with I Was Afraid and Landrest, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY 4/8

FADER recently. Raised in a series of small, economically devastated towns in South Carolina along with four siblings — a family of Seventh Day Adventists — Victoria is a rising talent in a genre (indie

rock) typically dominated by white men from much more entitled socio-economic backgrounds. (Last January, Rolling Stone included her on a list of “10 New Artists You Need to Know,” and she’s received a great deal of positive press in the interim.) A temperamental loner and a talented writer, Victoria says of her work: “I am constantly reassembling and deconstructing and reconstructing — and I do it out of necessity.” So far she’s best known for a ghostly, blues-inflected dirge called “Stuck in the South,” which wears its Southern Gothic influences proudly, despite the alienated stance implied by the title. Rolling Stone tagged her sound as resembling “PJ Harvey covering Loretta Lynn at a haunted debutante ball,” which seems close enough. She’ll share a bill Tuesday with Joshua Asante, who sounds more like Phil Lynott covering Jeff Buckley at a haunted dive bar. (I’m kidding; I have no idea what that means; Asante is one of Little Rock’s most innately talented and genuinely moving performers, and this show is the highlight of the week’s calendar; go to this.) WS

nal created by the late poet C.D. Wright, includes the names of the published writers of Arkansas. At the launch party, writers will read from their favorite works by other authors: Poet Jo McDougall will read the work of late Fayetteville poet Miller Williams, Jay Jennings will read

from the works of Charles Portis, and so forth. The maps will be provided free to educators and librarians; book lovers can buy one for $10. All proceeds go to the Central Arkansas Library System Foundation, which sponsored the project with the help of Hendrix College. LNP

STUCK IN THE SOUTH: Adia Victoria performs at the White Water Tavern with Joshua Asante, 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, $8.

TUESDAY 4/12

ADIA VICTORIA, JOSHUA ASANTE 9:30 p.m. White Water Tavern. $8.

“I’ve always been drawn to themes of women in times of darkness,” singersongwriter Adia Victoria told The

TUESDAY 4/12

READERS’ MAP OF ARKANSAS LAUNCH 6:30 p.m. Oxford American Annex.

It’s been three years in the works, A Readers’ Map of Arkansas, and this literary-themed poster is now ready for distribution. The map, an update of the origi-

The Ozark Foothills Film Festival, the annual Batesville showcase featuring narrative and documentary features and shorts (along with filmmaker panels and special events), continues at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville through Saturday, $25. Sherece West-Scantlebury, president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, gives a talk at the Clinton School’s Sturgis Hall at noon. The Old State House Museum screens “On Any Sunday” (1971) as part of its Second Friday Cinema series, 5 p.m. “Rednecks in Spandex,” the new original production from local comedy group The Main Thing, is at The Joint at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $22. Soul Track Mind performs at Stickyz at 9 p.m., $5. Country rapper (and TV personality) Big Smo is at Revolution at 9 p.m., $16. Self-proclaimed “alt-country-comedyblues-funk-rock” group (got that?) Brothers with Different Mothers performs at White Water at 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAY 4/9 Ken Burns’ “Jackie Robinson” screens at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center at 1 p.m., free (and will screen again before Sunday’s Travelers game at DickeyStephens Park, 4:30 p.m.). Blues singer and guitarist John Hammond (son of the legendary record producer) performs at Eureka Springs’ Basin Park at 5 p.m., free. Verizon Arena hosts Professional Bull Riders at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, $12.50-$102.50. “Where the Red Fern Grows” screens at the Ron Robinson Theater at 7 p.m., $5. Amp Out Alz 5, a concert benefiting Alzheimer’s Arkansas, is at Revolution at 7 p.m., $30. Kiss It! (a Kiss tribute band) performs at Vino’s at 8 p.m., $7. www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

AFTER DARK All events are in the Greater Little Rock area unless otherwise noted. To place an event in the Arkansas Times calendar, please email the listing and all pertinent information, including date, time, location, price and contact information, to calendar@arktimes.com.

Ave.

COMEDY

John Crist. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com. “Make Spring Great Again.” See April 7. “Rednecks in Spandex.” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

MUSIC

Acoustix. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Mayday By Midnight (headliner), Smokey (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Midwest Caravan, I Was Afraid, Landrest. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Mumford and Sons. Verizon Arena, 8 p.m., $59.50. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. Open Jam. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. RockUsaurus. Casa Mexicana, 7:30 p.m. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Ruthie Foster. South on Main, 8 p.m., $22. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Sound Effects with DJ Courier. Maxine’s, 9 p.m. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

The Game. A comedy game of “wit, skill and luck.” The Joint, 8 p.m. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. John Crist. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $8. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www. loonybincomedy.com. “Make Spring Great Again.” A new original sketch comedy show by Little Rock’s Red Octopus Theater. The Public Theatre, through April 9: 8 p.m., $10. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www.thepublictheatre.com.

DANCE

Ballroom dancing. Free lessons begin at 7 p.m. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 8-11 p.m., $7-$13. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501221-7568. www.blsdance.org. Contra Dance. Park Hill Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., $5. 3520 JFK Blvd., NLR. arkansascountrydance.org.

EVENTS

COAL BLACK DREAMS: Doug Strahan & the Good Neighbors perform at South on Main at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“A Streetcar Named Desire.” Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ron-robinson-theater.aspx. Fantastic Cinema & Craft Beer Festival. A festival presented by the Film Society of Little Rock and focusing on independent genre cinema (sci-fi, horror and fantasy). Riverdale 10 Cinema, $10-$100. 2600 Cantrell Road. 501-296-9955.

LECTURES

“Bridges of Madison County” Panel Discussion. A talk with the crew behind the forthcoming production from the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Sturgis Hall, noon. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Midland. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com. Horse racing. Oaklawn Park: 1:30 p.m., $2.50$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. www.oaklawn.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Envy. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe. South on Main, 10 p.m., $15. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com.

Big Smo. Revolution, 9 p.m., $16. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new. Brothers from Different Mothers. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Funk Yeah (headliner), Richie Johnson (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Maddie Robinson. Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, 6 p.m. 1515 E. 4th St. 501-301-4963. www.kentwalkercheese.com. Redefined Reflection, The Violet Hour, Pulse Rate Zero, Undercover Devil. Vino’s, 7 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway. Salsa Dancing. Clear Channel Metroplex, 9 p.m., $5-$10. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-217-5113. www.littlerocksalsa.com. Soul Track Mind. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 River Market Ave. 501372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com. Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W. Capitol

FILM 28

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

FILM

Fantastic Cinema & Craft Beer Festival. See April 7. Ozark Foothills Film Festival. A film festival featuring narrative and documentary features and shorts, with filmmaker panels and special events. University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, through April 9:, $25. 2005 White Drive, Batesville. 870-612-2000. www.uaccb.edu. Second Friday Cinema: “On Any Sunday” (1971). Old State House Museum, 5 p.m. 300 W. Markham St. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse.com.

LECTURES

Sherece West-Scantlebury. A talk by the president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Sturgis Hall, noon. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys. edu.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Midland. DickeyStephens Park, through April 9, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. www. travs.com. Horse r acing. Oaklawn Park: 1:30 p.m., $2.50$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. www.oaklawn.com.

EVENTS

11th Annual Ozark Mountain Transformation Conference. A metaphysical and spiritual convention. Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center. 207 W. Van Buren, Eureka Springs. 479-738-2348. #ArkiePubTrivia. Stone’s Throw Brewing, 6:30 p.m. 402 E. 9th St. 501-244-9154. Hillcrest Shop & Sip. Shops and restaurants offer discounts, later hours, and live music. Hillcrest, first Thursday of every month, 5 p.m. 501-6663600. www.hillcrestmerchants.com.

29th Annual UFO Conference. Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center, April 8-10. 207 W. Van Buren, Eureka Springs. Fantastic Friday. Literary and music event, refreshments included. For reservations, call 479-968-2452 or email artscenter@centurytel. net. River Valley Arts Center, Every third Friday, 7 p.m., $10 suggested donation. 1001 E. B St., Russellville. 479-968-2452. www.arvartscenter.org. LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 501-2449690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. LGBTQ/ SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St.

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MUSIC

Amp Out Alz 5. Benefiting Alzheimer’s Arkansas. Revolution, 7 p.m., $30. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/

COMEDY

DANCE

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $10. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600.

EVENTS

29th Annual UFO Conference. Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center, through April 10. 207 W. Van Buren, Eureka Springs. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell and Cedar Hill roads. Fresh Fish: Glitterock’s Official Drag Talent Competition. Sway, 9 p.m., $5-$10. 412 Louisiana. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Historic Neighborhoods Tour. Bike tour of historic neighborhoods includes bike, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001. Pork & Bourbon Tour. Bike tour includes bicycle, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 11:30 a.m., $35-$45. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001. Professional Bull Riders. Verizon Arena, 7 p.m., $12.50-$102.50. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501975-9001. verizonarena.com.

FILM

Ken Burns’ “Jackie Robinson.” Mosaic Templars

MUSIC

EVENTS

29th Annual UFO Conference. Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center, through. 207 W. Van Buren, Eureka Springs. Artists for Recovery. Located in the Wesley Room, a secular recovery group for people with addictions, open to the public. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana. Professional Bull Riders. Verizon Arena, 2 p.m., $12.50-$102.50. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501975-9001. verizonarena.com.

FILM

Fantastic Cinema & Craft Beer Festival. See April 7.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Frisco. Dickey-Stephens Park, 6:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com. Horse racing. Oaklawn Park: 1:30 p.m., $2.50$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. www.oaklawn.com. Jackie Robinson Night. A screening of Ken Burns’ “Jackie Robinson” before the Travelers game. Dickey-Stephens Park, 4:30 p.m. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

MONDAY, APRIL 11

MUSIC

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Monday Night Jazz. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

LECTURES

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SUNDAY, APRIL 10 Al White. Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, 3:30 p.m. 1515 E. 4th St. 501-301-4963. www.kentwalkercheese.com. Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

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SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Midland. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com. Horse racing. Oaklawn Park: 1 p.m., $2.50-$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411. www.oaklawn.com.

Pub: Arkansas Times

Cultural Center, 1 p.m., free. 501 W. 9th St. 501683-3593. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com. Fantastic Cinema & Craft Beer Festival. See April 7. Ozark Foothills Film Festival. See April 8. “Where the Red Fern Grows.” Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ron-robinson-theater.aspx.

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new. Brent Best, Raptors of Texas (Kevin Kerby). White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. High Lonesome, Oh My Blue Sky, Paul Sammons. Maxine’s, 9 p.m. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. John Hammond. Basin Spring Park, 5 p.m., free. Downtown Eureka Springs. Kiss It! (Kiss Tribute). Vino’s, 8 p.m., $7. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Phillip Huddleston. Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, 6 p.m. 1515 E. 4th St. 501-301-4963. www.kentwalkercheese.com. Pickin’ Porch. Bring your instrument. All ages welcome. Faulkner County Library, 9:30 a.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org. Shannon Boshears (headliner), Greg Madden (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. SOULution. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

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APRIL 7, 2016

ART NOTES

Open galleries, open studios And a painting left on the wall. BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

Matt McLeod Fine Art Gallery is hosting receptions from 5p.m. to 8 p.m. for its show “New, Fresh, Vibrant,” featuring the works of David Clemons, Jude Harzer, Wayne Salge and Jeremy Couch. Christ Episcopal Church hosts a reception from 5p.m. to 8 p.m. for its exhibit “Interconnections,” featuring the work of Maria and Jorge Villegas. As for the beyond, the 2nd annual Friends of Contemporary Craft Studio

etter weather, more art: Now that we are firmly planted in spring, there are more activities in the gallery and beyond. The biggest opening next week is Friday, April 8, when the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center opens “African American Treasures from the Kinsey Collection” documenting African-American life and culture. Bernard and Shirley Kinsey’s collection has been on tour throughout the nation, and includes such items as a firstedition copy of poetry by Phyllis Wheatley (1773); an early draft of the Emancipation Proclamation; letters from Malcolm X to Alex Haley; and artworks by Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, John Biggers, Alma Thompson and other significant artists. Also Friday night is the 2nd Friday Art Night after-hours gallery tour downtown. The show at the Historic Arkansas Museum featured on the cover of this week’s Arkansas Times is but one event. Other shows and galleries for 2nd Friday, which runs 5-8 p.m., are “Culture Shock: Shine Your Rubies, Hide Your Diamonds,” work by the women’s artist collective at the Butler Center galleries; the Arkansas League of Artist’s spring show at the Cox Center; William McNamara watercolors at Gallery 221; “Complete Spaces,” sculp-

‘TALISMAN OF JOY’: Work by artist Melissa Gill in the “Culture Shock: Shine Your Rubies, Hide Your Diamonds” show that opens Friday at the Butler Center in the Arkansas Studies Institute.

ture by Marianne Hennigar and jewelry by Christie Young at Arkansas Capital Corp.; and a screening of the motorcycle documentary “On Any Sunday” at the Old State House. On both Thursday and Friday night,

Tour starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 9, with a reception at New Deal Gallery, 2001 S. Louisiana St., which has an open studio of its own, and also includes tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the studios of natural dyes textile worker Sofia V. Gonzalez,

1117 Tyler St.; fused glass artist Patricia Holifield, 5110 Country Club Blvd.; sculptor Andy Huss, 14125 County Farm Road; jeweler Burke Johnston, 5 Sonata Trail; set designer Mike Nichols, Arkansas Repertory Theatre Scene Shop, 714 S. State St. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. only); ceramists David and Paula Smith, 8213 Westwood Ave.; and fused glass artist and sculptor Donnell Williams, 29 Glenmere Drive. A closing reception will be held at Boswell Mourot Fine Art, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tour tickets are $10. Coming up next week: Niki Ciccotelli Stewart, director of education and exhibitions at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, will give a talk at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, at the Arkansas Arts Center as part of the Art of Architecture lecture series. There will be a reception beforehand, at 5:30 p.m. On Wednesday, April 13, HAM will screen the Arkansas premiere of “Audubon: The Film” at 5:30 p.m. The film was written and directed by Al Reinart, who co-wrote the screenplay for “Apollo 13,” and produced by John Aldrich, editor of “An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story.” One painting you almost did not get to see this week was Byron Taylor’s “Legacy II,” which is part of the Arkansas League of Artists show at the Cox Center. The painting depicts a woman lying dead in front of a pharmacy, blood running from between her legs from, one gathers, a botched abortion. On Saturday, Taylor got a call from a woman with the ALA asking him to come pick up the painting because, Taylor said, she found it “offensive.” Taylor posted an image of the painting on Facebook and the fact that the ALA wanted it down. The post got more than 100 com-

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consideration of the content and the over all depiction and message behind the piece, it was decided to let the piece remain in the show.” Taylor was incensed that the ALA wanted to take down his painting, and asked in his Facebook post if anyone wanted to start a “REAL Arts League.” But it should be noted that the ALA has never ‘LEGACY II’: It may not be easy to look at, but embraced any kind of controversy Byron Taylor’s painting about the threat to legal in its shows, at least none that I can abortion will hang in the Arkansas League of remember. On its web page that Artists exhibition at the Cox Center. shows 2015 art show pieces, there’s a cat on a saddle. Peonies. A little girl reading a book. A duck blind. Fish. Birds. ments and was seen by many more. Taylor went to the Cox Center to A horse (“What the Hay!”) A diner, by talk to ALA board president Ed Rhodes Taylor himself. There is absolutely zero blood, much less ruptured uterus blood. and secretary Sharon Franke. Rhodes removed his work from the wall when That doesn’t mean the ALA should not Franke would not back down, according accept such work, just that it’s not surpristo Taylor, but Taylor asked him to leave ing that the powers that be there might be it up. Taylor didn’t take his down either, offput. Censorship is a funny thing: Someand later got a call from Franke that his times it’s forgivable. One can’t demand work would remain in the show. that an arts collective love one’s stuff. In a Facebook message, the ALA told Having said that, I’m glad the ALA is letting the painting stay in the show. An the Times that “the Show Chairman and a few other of our members on hand at the even better venue, however, would be time the piece was initially hung had such the state Capitol, where legislators might a strong initial reaction to the piece, in a be reminded of what will happen when disturbing way, that they initially didn’t they succeed at turning back the clock and feel it was appropriate. But after careful making abortion illegal again.

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APRIL 7, 2016

MOVIE REVIEW

PURGE THIS NONSENSE: Likable Mike Epps (center) can’t make “Meet the Blacks” funny.

A comedy in aspiration only ‘Meet the Blacks’ spoofs ‘The Purge’ with unfortunate results. BY SAM EIFLING

ovies don’t come much worse than “Meet the Blacks,” and when they do, they tend to go straight to video. At this quality level they tend to slink beneath the classification of movie per se, because technically they’re just some dude screwing around with a camera and his buddies so he can get better at Final Cut. There are many markers of the overall badness of “Meet the Blacks,” but none perhaps more damning than George Lopez playing a character named President El Bama, maybe the funniest thing in this film’s 90-minute run time. A comedy in aspiration only, “Meet

presents

the Blacks” takes place in the universe of “The Purge” and its sequels, in which, for one night a year, all crime (murder, most relevantly) is legal. Director/writer/former pro basketball player Deon Taylor takes that premise and tries to spoof it, sorta, by moving a family from Chicago to a mansion in Beverly Hills right before the annual Purge. Rich people don’t Purge is the mantra that the father, Carl Black (Mike Epps), is rolling with, blithely. But he didn’t count on the shaggiest plotting ever catching up to him: He skipped Chicago with a bunch of loose ends tailing him, and rich people do in fact Purge like a sumbitch, so the

Blacks (who are, you guessed already, also lower-case black) get to fight off a bunch of Carl’s old nemeses as well as racist white homeowner-association types. You know it’s rough when you leave a movie thinking, “Man, I wonder what the Wayans brothers could’ve done with that premise.” Everything about the plot is a scattershot mess; it’s not entirely clear that either of Carl’s kids have ever acted before, or that his cousin or wife wanted to. Epps himself is likable enough, and does get some laughs. The script sounds like a mashup between Cards Against Humanity, online Halo 4 trash-talk and pure pop-culture improv. Marijuana figures heavily into the plot and may be strictly necessary, therefore, to fully appreciate it. It’s not a total loss. Snoop Dogg appears briefly as a blonde white dude (and in a music video that accompanies a Raven Felix track, “Hit the Gas,” on the soundtrack). Mike Tyson plays an evil-clown character named James Clown. There’s a pretty solid Vanessa Williams joke. Anyone averse to

hearing racial epithets slung around might want to watch this on mute, but there’s one accidentally clever moment in which a chainsaw-wielding white guy in a mask threatens Carl’s family with various horrors. Dude gets himself too worked up and drops an N-bomb. Instantly realizing his mistake, he takes the mask off, apologizes, accepts some abuse from his co-Purgers, apologizes again, and then reminds Carl that he’s still there to kill him. So, spoiler alert, it’s not all completely brain dead. Actually, it could’ve been kinda rad. The genius of the mini-genre that “The Purge” cooked up (and why it turned a $3 million movie into a smash that has piles of sequels and now its own spoof-take) was how it took a seemingly bonkers premise and spun it into something borderline plausible: You could almost see some whacked-out Republican Congress of 2020 passing a Purge night as a patriotic anti-crime bill that the NRA could endorse. And that idea (which became, especially in the sequel, acidic commentary on class tension in America) was meant to appeal to anyone who’s inclined to think rich old white people are, in broad terms, preying on the poor. In an interview before the movie’s release, Taylor said he was a big “Purge” fan: “I was like, this would be hilarious if there was a black family in the Purge.” When you say it like that, yeah, you can start to see how it could sell. Put some witty but worldweary characters in a situation where they’re stuck outside on Purge night, yeah, it could be funny, and actually exciting. This ain’t that movie. But don’t worry: Something more like the real thing, “The Purge: Election Year,” yet another Purging sequel, lands July 1. Cue a bald eagle loading a pump shotgun while smoking a big spliff.

For schedule of events, visit: fantasticcinema.com

Riverdale 10 VIP Cinema

featuring Horror Icon

April 7-10, 2016 Michael Berryman

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

AFTER DARK, CONT. “Perspectives of Economic Relation Cuba-U.S.: Opportunities for Foreign Investment.” A talk by Yusel Arias, Advisor to Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment for the Republic of Cuba. Sturgis Hall, noon. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Frisco. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

CLASSES

Finding Family Facts. Rhonda Stewart’s genealogy research class for beginners. Arkansas Studies Institute, second Monday of every month, 3:30 p.m. 401 President Clinton Ave. 501-320-5700 ‎. www.butlercenter.org.

TUESDAY, APRIL 12

MUSIC

Adia Victoria, Joshua Asante. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $8. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Blues Boy Jag. Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro, 6 p.m. 200 River Market Ave. 501-375-3500. www.dizzysgypsybistro.net. Branford Marsalis. Walton Arts Center, 7 p.m. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Jeff Ling. Khalil’s Pub, 6 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Music Jam. Hosted by Elliott Griffen and Joseph Fuller. The Joint, 8-11 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Powerman5000. Revolution, 7:30 p.m., $10 adv., $15 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Blues Boy Jag and the Juke Joint Zombies. Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, 6 p.m. 17711 Chenal Parkway. 501-821-1144. www.yayasar.com. Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Doug Strahan & the Good Neighbors. South on Main, 8:30 p.m. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Drageoke with Chi Chi Valdez. Sway. 412 Louisiana. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu.

Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Mark Currey. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 5:30 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. RockUsaurus. Senor Tequila, 7 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Justin Rivera and Jake Daniels. Vino’s. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Skip Clark. The Loony Bin, April 13-16, 7:30 p.m.;

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You’ll Love this Tony Award-Winning New Musical! Presented By Remmel T. Dickinson

Joan Hess (Francesca) and Michael Halling (Robert) in The Rep’s production of The Bridges of Madison County. Photo by John David Pittman.

COMEDY

Stand-Up Tuesday. Hosted by Adam Hogg. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

EVENTS

Little Rock Green Drinks. Informal networking session for people who work in the environmental field. Ciao Baci, 5:30-7 p.m. 605 N. Beechwood St. 501-603-0238. www.greendrinks. org. Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock.

LECTURES

Melanne Verveer. A talk by the executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Frisco. Dickey-Stephens Park, 11 a.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

MUSIC

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April 6 — MAy 1

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APRIL 7, 2016

AFTER DARK, CONT. ADVERTISEMENT

April 15-16, 10 p.m., $8-$12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Little Rock Bop Club. Beginning dance lessons for ages 10 and older. Singles welcome. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 7 p.m., $4 for members, $7 for guests. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501-350-4712. www.littlerockbopclub.

POETRY

Wednesday Night Poetry. 21-and-older show. Kollective Coffee & Tea, 7 p.m., free. 110 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909. maxineslive. com/shows.html.

PARTY WITH A HEART STARTING A NON-PROFIT wasn’t exactly part of her career plan but founder,

Tifany Hamlin just couldn’t shake the idea behind Party with a Heart. “So many non-profits are doing great work for amazing reasons and yet we only hear about the really big ones that are either nationally-based or well-established,” she says. Her love of dance – the Saturday night club-kind of dance – left her wishing for a place to go out with her girlfriends. “That’s the idea I couldn’t let go. I know women love to dance, I know women like to go out on the town every once in a while, and I know women need a fun time with their girlfriends. And that’s kind of where Party with a Heart started,” says Hamlin. After forming the organization in August of last year and recruiting her two best friends, Yvette Parker and Lisa Guerra to help, Party with a Heart is off to an amazing first year.

PARTY WITH A HEART partners with a different non-profit each year and hosts events “to increase awareness, education, and support for causes within our community.” Its focus is to give non-profits with a limited staff and budget a voice and presence. The 2016 non-profit partner is P.A.T.H (Partners Against Trafficking Humans @pathsaves.org). Party with a Heart’s inaugural event, Girls Night Out Dance Party, will take place at the Argenta Community Theater on Saturday, April 16. Doors open at 8 pm and close at 11:00 pm. Grab your girlfriends and come tear up the dance floor. All proceeds support P.A.T.H (@pathsaves.org). It’s time to party with all your heart!

To buy tickets to the dance party, visit http://partywithaheart.org/tickets. For more information, email: info@partywithaheart.org. 34

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

ARTS

THEATER

“Driving Miss Daisy.” The Weekend Theater, through April 17: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m., $16. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www. weekendtheater.org. “Menopause The Musical.” Walton Arts Center, Sun., April 10, 4 p.m., $37-$47. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. “Rapture, Blister, Burn.” Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios, through April 24: Wed.Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 2 p.m., $15-$45. 505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. theatre2.org.

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS

2ND ANNUAL FRIENDS OF CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS STUDIO TOUR: Reception at New Deal Gallery 9-10 a.m., tour of eight studios 10 a.m.-4 p.m., closing reception and jewelry demonstration at Boswell-Mourot Fine Art 4-7 p.m. April 9, free, donations accepted. Call 372-4000 for map. ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: Art of Architecture lecture by Niki Ciccotelli Stewart, reception 5:30 p.m. talk 6 p.m. April 12, lecture hall, free; “Dorothea Lange’s America” and “Industrial Beauty: Charles Burchfield’s ‘Black Iron,’ ” through May 8; “Miranda Young: A Printed Menagerie,” museum school gallery, through May 29; 46th annual “Mid-Southern Watercolorists Exhibition,” through April 17; “Admiration,” painting by William Adolph Bouguereau, on loan from San Antonio Museum of Art, through May 15; “Life and Light: “Nathalia Edenmont: Force of Nature,” photographs, through May 1. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. ARKANSAS CAPITAL CORP., 200 River Market Ave., Suite 400: “Complete Spaces,” sculpture by Marianne Hennigar, jewelry of Christie Young. Reception 5-8 p.m. April 8, 2nd Friday Art Night. www.arcapital.com. ART GROUP ARKANSAS, Pleasant Ridge Town Center: “Spring in Arkansas,” 5-8 p.m. April 8. 690-2193. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Culture Shock: Shine Your Rubies, Hide Your Diamonds,” work by women’s artist collective, including Melissa Cowper-Smith, Melissa Gill, Tammy Harrington, Dawn Holder, Jessie Hornbrook, Holly Laws, Sandra Luckett, MorCONTINUED ON PAGE 39

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 7, 2016

Dining

Information in our restaurant capsules reflects the opinions of the newspaper staff and its reviewers. The newspaper accepts no advertising or other considerations in exchange for reviews, which are conducted anonymously. We invite the opinions of readers who think we are in error.

B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner $ Inexpensive (under $8/person) $$ Moderate ($8-$20/person) $$$ Expensive (over $20/person) CC Accepts credit cards

WHAT’S COOKIN’ IT TOOK SPECIAL LEGISLATION, but homegrown bar and game venue Dave & Buster’s will return to Little Rock in mid-June, bringing its blinking drinks, Caveman Combo and plenty of video games to the Gateway Town Center. The company, now publicly held and traded on the NASDAQ, was the creation of James “Buster” Corley, whose Buster’s Restaurant was the go-to restaurant in Little Rock in the 1970s and 1980s, and Dave Corriveau, who owned Slick Willy’s World of Entertainment, which gave us billiards, video games and a nickname for a president. They opened Dave & Buster’s in Dallas in 1982, selling their companies here in later years. Chuck Beyer, general manager of the Dave & Buster’s here, says Little Rock is special because of the company’s origins; the restaurant here will be the 96th in the company’s chain. The 30,000-square-foot venue includes a dining room that seats 300, a sports lounge with enormous televisions, and a “star-studded bar” and the Midway, where you plunk down cash to play games, thanks to Act 1209 of 2015, crafted just for Dave & Buster’s, which raised the cap on how much a player can win at an arcade. The bar will serve “adult snow cones,” as Beyer described them, and “Glo Kones” that blink thanks to a special cube that you get to drink. Also, of course, mojitos and margaritas and Long Island teas. It’s all over the top, from the menu to the TVs to the booze, and it will be open seven days a week: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Hiring begins May 11; go to daveandbusters.com/careers. CHEF MARK ABERNATHY of Loca Luna and Red Door is kicking off a new series of crawfish boils every Thursday night at 5 p.m. at both restaurants. Plump, succulent crawfish, sweet corn, new potatoes and savory sausage are all on the menu. The chef also tells us he will offer Abita craft beers to wash it all down for only $4 a pint. ARKANSAS NATIVE STACY Lindsey says she’s shooting to open a franchise of Nothing Bundt Cakes at 12312 Chenal Parkway in June. The bakery was founded in 1997 in Las Vegas and, as the name suggests, specializes in varieties of bundt cakes. 36

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

REBEL YELLER: Jason Polk lifts a glass of Pytch Wyte IPA at his new brewpub.

Now, there’s Rebel Kettle LR’s craft beer scene gets another tap.

t’s become a familiar story: For years there was one brewpub (Vino’s), then scant few after River Rock (now Damgoode Pies) and (much later) Diamond Bear came along. Then, almost suddenly, there were many, the most recently opened including Flyway in North Little Rock and Rebel Kettle, which debuted March 25 on Sixth Street, just east of Interstate 30 and one block from Lost Forty.

The question of how many purveyors of locally crafted beer the market will bear will continue to be asked. But based on business the first week at Rebel Kettle, the early answer is that the market isn’t saturated. Not even close. On Friday, April 1, Rebel Kettle was jammed, every seat taken and dozens milling around the bar and the lower patio with its picnic tables and couch/ chair seating. While waiting for our

table, we were able to squeeze in at the bar to order drinks — an impressive 16 Rebel Kettle brews and four quite-decent wines are on tap — and we soon ran into co-owner Jason Polk, who admitted to being more than a bit frazzled. Rebel Kettle had been overrun at lunch and now was on a wait for dinner. He’d been on the phone with Ben E. Keith, his foodservice company, and planned to be there Saturday morning for emergency provisions. A nice touch is complimentary, lightly seasoned popcorn (and KoolAid-infused pickles we somehow failed to notice), which we eagerly munched while testing out the C-Street and Alphaholic IPAs and the White Limo golden ale. Most of the beers come in 8- and 12-ounce portions, and oddly the smaller beers cost less per ounce. So far, Rebel Kettle’s aren’t our favorite local beers, but we settled in on the Alphaholic as one we can stick to, and we applaud the creativity in the number offered and the breadth of styles. It took our waiter a while to report that the chicken wings we’d ordered wouldn’t be coming (thanks, lunch mob), so we moved straight into our three main dishes: the classic cheeseburger ($9.50), grilled Reuben ($9) and Rebel Cobb salad ($9.25). Right out of the chute, Rebel Kettle has one of the better burgers and Reubens in town. The burger is extremely juicy, and the patty is nicely crisped. The accompanying mustard, mayonnaise, (self-applied) ketchup and lettuce/tomato provided the appropriate goo factor, as did the melted Swiss, sauerkraut and remoulade that joined with high-quality pastrami (the close cousin to corned beef) on the Reuben. Each sandwich came with a bag of Zapp’s chips. The Rebel Cobb is a nontraditional take on the classic salad. It features small cubes of andouille sausage and another sausage that seemed like summer sausage (the menu says pastrami, but this wasn’t), along with crumbled blue cheese, tomato and a dollop of olive salad from the famed Gambino’s in New Orleans. It didn’t rate as high as the sandwiches, but it’s interesting. We’d saved room for dessert, but that too was a casualty of the huge crowds, so we returned the next morning about

BELLY UP

Check out the Times’ food blog, Eat Arkansas arktimes.com

GOOD VIBE: Exposed brick and light from garage doors make the pub comfortable.

11:15 to find a smaller crowd that had swelled by noon, along with fresher popcorn, wings and dessert. The wings actually weren’t worth the overnight wait. They were small and while ordered “hot” (the other choices are “Cajun” and “fire) they were bland. Eight wings actually means eight wing pieces (at Gus’s Famous Fried Chicken one “wing” means one whole threejointed wing), and at $8.75 they wouldn’t be a good deal even if they were tastier. The pretzel, however, is a rock star. Those who equate pretzels with Auntie Anne’s need to give this bad boy from Arkansas Fresh a try. It’s crispy on the outside with fine salt vs. salt chunks applied. Inside it is soft, dense and perfectly chewy. It’s $6 with spicy mustard, but pay the extra $1.50 to get a cup of house-made beer cheese — thick, very cheddary, with a bit of red pepper kick. We were pleased with the shrimp po’ boy ($9.50), a 6-inch Gambino’s loaf stuffed with six sauteed, medium-sized shrimp, lettuce, tomato and remoulade (we opted out of the onion). It shared that nice goo factor with its mates on the burger/sandwich menu. There is but one dessert at this point — a $5.50 float made with Yarnell’s vanilla ice cream, the Wake ’n’ Flake chocolate coconut cream stout, whipped cream, shaved chocolate and toasted coconut. We thought the cream stout worked well with the traditional dessert ingredients, but our non-craft-beer-loving dining

mate vehemently disagreed. Besides some really good bar food, Rebel Kettle also benefits from a good vibe. The three large garage doors that open from the bar to the primary patio were open on a sunny, breezy Saturday. The wood planks in the ceiling are likely original, as clearly is all the exposed brick. It’s become a popular stop for the bicycle set and has the feel of a place that’s fun and comfortable just to hang out. On our Friday night, an NBA game was being shown on the three large TVs with no volume; classic rock played over the sound system. On Saturday the TVs alternated between auto racing and soccer, and though only a couple of guys at the bar seemed to be paying attention to the soccer, we all had to listen to the TV commentary. We asked if music was a possibility, but that never happened.

Rebel Kettle 822 E. Sixth St. 501-374-2791

QUICK BITE Rebel Kettle has five burgers, and a couple of them are quite creative. But if you’d prefer, you can substitute grilled chicken for beef at no cost, and for an extra 75 cents you can get a fried egg on top.

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APRIL 7, 2016

Ride the ARKANSAS TIMES

BLUES BUS APRIL 16, 2016

TO THE JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL IN CLARKSDALE, MS

IT'S ALL ABOUT

THE DELTA!

Enjoy small stages with authentic blues during the day and at night venture into the surviving juke joints, blues clubs and other indoor stages. Reserve your seat by calling 501.375.2985 or emailing Kelly Lyles at kellylyles@arktimes.com BUS TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY ARROW COACH LINES

$125

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Round-trip bus transportation Live blues performances en route Adult beverages on board Lunch at a Delta favorite Wristband for the nighttime events

BUS LEAVES AT 9 A.M. FROM IN FRONT OF THE PARKING DECK AT 2ND & MAIN STREETS IN DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK AND RETURNS LATE NIGHT.

The Arkansas Times Blues Bus is a related event and not affiliated with Juke Joint Festival or the non-profit Clarksdale Downtown Development Association. 38

APRIL 7, 2016

ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

AFTER DARK, CONT. gan Page and Rachel Trusty, April 9-Aug. 22, Concordia Hall; “Twists and Strands: Exploring the Edges,” ceramics by Barbara Satterfield and jewelry by Michele Fox; “Jeanfo: We Belong to Nature,” sculpture; “Painting 360: A Look at Contemporary Panoramic Painting,” Underground Gallery, through April 30. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Reception 5-8 p.m. April 8, 2nd Friday Art Night. 320-5790. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Interconnections,” paintings and drawings by Maria and Jorge Villegas, through June 30, reception 5:30-8 p.m. April 8. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-noon Fri. and Sun. 375-2342. COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: Arkansas League of Artists, through April 30. Reception 5-8 p.m. April 8, 2nd Friday Art Night. 918-3093. GALLERY 221 & ART STUDIOS 221, Second and Center streets: “William McNamara,” watercolors, through May 21, reception 4-8 p.m. April 16; “The Literary Muse,” group show. Reception 5-8 p.m. April 8, 2nd Friday Art Night. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 801-0211. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM GALLERIES, 200 E. 3rd St.: “Hugo and Gayne Preller’s House of Light,” historic photographs, April 8-October 31; “A Diamond in the Rough: 75 Years of the Historic Arkansas Museum,” works from the permanent collection; “Arkansas Contemporaries: Then, Now and Next,” through May 8; Arkansas premiere of “Audubon: The Film,” 5:30 p.m. April 13, reservations required. Open 5-8 p.m. April 8, 2nd Friday Art Night, with live music by The Cons of Formant and Arkansas beer from Core Brewing. 9 a.m.-5

p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. MATT MCLEOD FINE ART GALLERY, 108 W. 6th St.: “New, Fresh, Vibrant,” paintings, sculpture and jewelry by David Clemons, Jude Harzer, Wayne Salge and Jeremy Couch, receptions 5-8 p.m. April 7 and April 8. 7258508. OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham: Screening of “On Any Sunday,” documentary on motorcycle sports, 5-8 p.m. April 8, 2nd Friday Art Night; 2016 “Youth Art Month” contest winners, through April 9; “Lost + Found: Saving Downtowns in Arkansas,” photographs of eight projects completed or renovated by Cromwell Architects Engineers. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685. FAYETTEVILLE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS: “2016 Small Works on Paper,” Fine Arts Gallery, through April 30.

ARKANSAS TIMES

MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, CALL LUIS AT 501.375.2985

++ + + + + + + + HOT SPRINGS GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS: “Fabulous Fibers,” artwork by Darlene Garstecki, through April, Magnolia Room. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: Work by Beverly Buys, Taimur Cleary, Rebecca Thompson and others. 501-321-2335. ROGERS ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. 2nd St.: “Historic Millscapes, Paintings of the Past: Selected Works by Artist Don Draper,” reception with family April 10; “Crazy Quilts,” through July 10. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-6210-1154.

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April 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 2016 Fri & Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:30pm $16 Adults • $12 Students & Seniors Pulitzer Prize Winner for Drama For more information contact us at 501.374.3761 or www.weekendtheater.org

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Support for TWT is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the DAH, and the NEA.

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