Arkansas Times - June 25, 2015 by Arkansas Times

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VOLUME 41, NUMBER 42 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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JUNE 25, 2015

ccess Us

24 hours a day, 7 days a week,

255 or 800-264-5640 or Free James Weaver

w.rivendellofarkansas.com. The Arkansas Times cover story on June 18 regarding the plight of James

that is available Weaver, in anmost inmateareas in the Tucker Max-

imum Security Correctional Facility who was sentenced in 1990 to life without parole, was timely and informative. Weaver was convicted for his forced participation in the disposal of a dead body. I will not attempt to retell the entire story in this letter since David Koon did a wonderful job writing about Weaver’s situation, in which I became involved due to my position as one of seven commissioners on the Arkansas Parole Board this past year. I would encourage everyone to read Koon’s article, as well as visiting the website freejamesweaver.com, and form your own opinion whether Weaver’s 25 years of incarceration have been ample punishment. The website includes a four-page letter and links to all information given to the governor outlining many of the reasons why the parole board unanimously recommended that Weaver be granted clemency and released from prison. James Weaver filed an application for clemency, which was received by Gov. Mike Beebe on Oct. 1, 2014. Gov. Asa Hutchinson inherited the file because there is generally an eight- to nine-month n, AR 72019 backlog of clemency and pardon requests that must be taken up by the governor. est towardByHot Springs/Texarkana statute, the governor had until July 5 to render his decision. Fortunately or unfortunately, Hutchinson has issued his decision. He , at the stoplight turnas was rightdone onto did not deny previously by Govs. Mike Huckabee and Beebe, neither is the firstof whom streethad onallthe left. of the information that was available to Hutchinson. A denial meant that Weaver could not 70 East towould I-30have East reapply for another six years. Hutchinson took “no action” on Weaver’s request, which means that Weaver can reapply for commutation immediately. Weaver is in the process of that already. There is ollow directions above) some question as to how long this new process will take, but I am of the opinion that the governor could render a decision immediately once the new application is received and reviewed by his office. Others imply that the process could take over a year. Public opinion could help speed up the process, so I ask all of you to help free James Weaver. There is no doubt in my mind that former Pulaski Circuit Judge John Langston was wrong in not allowing a continuance in Weaver’s trial that would have enabled the actual killer, who was being evaluated at the State Hospital, to be available at that trial. And, how many of you have ever heard of a murder trial being held two-and-a-half months after a murder?

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JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

COMMENT That just doesn’t happen … but, it did! Again, read Koon’s story as well as the information sent to the governor shown on the website. You will also be able to read about a case in which a much more involved accomplice to a murder received a 20-year term but was paroled after serving only 14 years. Arkansas’s criminal justice system needs a great amount of reform. Hutchinson has formed a task force to look into this burdensome and costly system. As of May 27, there were 18,839 imprisoned individuals compared to 17,864 on Dec. 16, 2014, in the Arkan-

sas Department of Correction (ADC). There are also approximately 54,000 individuals in Arkansas Community Correction (ACC). That number includes individuals on parole and probation, those in drug courts and boot camp, and approximately 2,000 incarcerated individuals. That is a total of almost 73,000 who are directly overseen by ADC and ACC. This does not count the unfortunately huge number of family members, including numerous children without a parent, who are indirectly affected and suffer immensely. Our state cannot afford to continue

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“as is.” So many of our prisoners, and those out on parole, are repeat offenders. The majority of those committed lesser crimes (drug offenses lead the list) than those who need to be kept in prison for worse crimes such as murder, sex crimes, assault and domestic violence. What can the state do to end this vicious cycle that sometimes affects three generations of a family? For starters, provide pre-K education to properly prepare all children in this state to earn a high school diploma or vocational education as well as a college diploma. Why do we wait until they reach prison to teach them these things? And then, Arkansas must attract good jobs that pay much more than minimum wage. We must spend our tax dollars more wisely on education and job creation, which will, in turn, lower our crime rate. In closing, I would ask all Arkansans to help “free James Weaver.” His bunk at Tucker Max should be occupied by someone who scares us. Dennis Young Texarkana

Modern vs. historic Little Rock’s Historic District Commission is entertaining a proposal that would allow the construction of modern-looking structures in the MacArthur Park Historic District. In fact, it engaged a consultancy to consider how the standards associated with preserving the historic district might be changed to facilitate the construction of modernlooking structures. These would not be modern structures stylistically consistent with old-time structures, but simply modern structures. Modern structures that could be placed adjacent to, or surrounding, National Register properties. Modern structures that could comprise entire half-blocks of the district. Modern structures with no attempt at stylistic harmonization with historic structures. What sense does this make? People who choose to live in an historic district do so because they enjoy the ambiance associated with such an experience. And people who visit an historic district expect to see something historic, not something modern. Those interested in preserving the historic character of the MacArthur Park Historic District need to let the historic district commissioners know their feelings before the district is reduced to an architectural hodgepodge of historic buildings and modern suburbia. Dale Pekar Little Rock

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JUNE 25, 2015

EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

Quote of the Week “I will never, ever hold her again, but I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul.” — Nadine Collier, daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance, one of the nine victims of last week’s massacre at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C. Collier spoke at a bond hearing for Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old lone wolf white supremacist who committed the act of racial terrorism against parishioners at the historic black church.

Aftershocks of Charleston The hate crime at Emanuel A.M.E. has sparked something of a regional reckoning with racist symbols such as the Confederate flag (see columns, opposite page). But as important as symbols can be, money is more so. A number of prominent Republicans now have returned donations from Earl Holt III, the leader of a white supremacist organization called the Council of Conservative Citizens, which was cited by the South Carolina gunman as an inspiration for his rampage. On Monday, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton gave back $1,500 in contributions from Holt, saying, “I do not agree with his hateful beliefs and language and believe they are hurtful to our country.”

Farewell to Justin Harris — well, eventually Rep. Justin Harris (R-West Fork) announced last week that he’s decided not to seek re-election in 2016. The announcement comes months after the Arkansas Times first reported on the “rehoming” of two young girls the legislator and his wife, Marsha, adopted in 2013. In a brief interview with a Northwest Arkansas TV station, Harris said that he and Marsha had already discussed the possibility of not running for a fourth term, but acknowledged the rehoming controversy “definitely has 6

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

No thanks.

SKULLS CAPPED: Decorated ceramic skulls on display at the Little Rock Farmers Market come from a vendor from Talavera, Mexico.

a little … to do with it.” Between now and the end of 2016, Harris will still collect some $60,000 in legislative salary and likely tens of thousands more in per diem.

The agony of polling New polling from Talk Business, Hendrix College and Impact Management Group drives home the point that Arkansas can be a lonely place to be a progressive. Fifty-four percent of likely voters said that a business that provides wedding services — such as a florist or caterer — should be allowed to refuse to serve same-sex couples; just 29 percent said such discrimination should not be allowed. Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s job approval numbers stand at 52 percent approval, 18 percent disapproval. Perhaps because of his nonstop saberrattling, U.S. Sen Tom Cotton is more divisive: 44 percent approve of his performance, 39 percent disapprove. And, in a (very) hypothetical 2016 presidential matchup between Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee, Clinton loses Arkansas by a margin of 37 percent to 51 percent. Huckabee shouldn’t get too excited, though: Hillary actually performs slightly

better against Huck than she does against a generic Republican.

Trump up the jams It seems too good to be true, but true it is: Donald Trump will be the keynote speaker at the annual fundraiser held by the Republican Party of Arkansas this summer in Hot Springs. “Mr. Trump brings a very unique dimension to next year’s democratic process as a private entrepreneur and business leader,” RPA chairman Doyle Webb explained. Yes, unique — that is accurate! Let’s just let Trump speak for himself with these gems from his speech announcing his candidacy last week: — “I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created.” — “I don’t need anybody’s money. It’s nice. I don’t need anybody’s money. I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich; I’ll show you that in a second.” — “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. … They’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, are good people.”

Arkansas’s prison population, by the numbers Last week, Wendy Ware, a consultant who’s been analyzing Arkansas’s prison growth for 20 years, told a legislative task force that the state’s prison population will top 20,000 in 2017 under a best-case scenario projection. For some perspective, here are historical numbers on the Arkansas Department of Correction’s inmate numbers over the past 40 years.

1977: 2,519 1987: 4,891 1997: 9,943 2007: 13,916 June 3, 2015: 18,681 The recent leap has largely been the result of changes made to parole rules in 2013. In 2012, ADC took in 1,633 parole violators. In 2013, it took in 3,671. “I can’t stress how substantial [of an increase] that is,” the consultant told the task force. “In fact, I’ve never seen anything like it in my career.”

OPINION

The crossroads

e have reached a crossroads. Call it the juncture of Guns and Glory. Find it, fittingly, in

the South. In one direction we see grief-stricken survivors of the massacre at South Carolina’s Emanuel A.M.E. Church, who arise from the blood around them to address their attacker with tears and forgiveness. Pointing down another road is Arkansas’s former governor and current presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, who finds sorrow in the fact that no one in the kind congregation was carrying a concealed weapon, so as to have been able to shoot down the assassin. Survivors of the shooting at Charleston’s Emanuel A.M.E. Church have already shown us the higher road, even as tears streamed down their faces. They spoke of all they had lost in one man’s outburst of hate. They stood in shock, stricken by brutal betrayal at the hands of one they’d befriended. Yet, when hate

came to them they did not return it. I suspect that, having suffered much, as that church has, it sees MARA forgiveness not LEVERITT only as a mission, but as a mandate for social health. Having taken to heart the words, “Be not afraid,” they armed themselves with prompt forgiveness. Huckabee, a minister, on the other hand, would lead us down a lower road. His call is for weaponry of the kind the killer used. His response would be armament concealed on — rather than in — a person. I have seen Huckabee display greatness of spirit. He has that capacity. So did Orval Faubus. But when the chance comes to play to fear, both have proven willing. In matters like the church shooting, I imagine that Huckabee, like most

Slaves to the past

boyish white supremacist’s massacre of nine worshipers at a black Charleston, S.C., church reminds us that, much as we may wish it were not so here in the old Confederacy, William Faulkner was right when he wrote in “Requiem for a Nun”: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” We are bound to that past until the day people rise above the divisions, ignorance and contempt that slavery brought to the shores. Far from the postracial society so widely proclaimed after the election of Barack Obama in 2008, we are only a little closer than when the U.S. Supreme Court called for that transformation 61 years ago. We will know soon enough whether Dylann Roof and the Emanuel A.M.E. Church provided another bridge. I am not optimistic. For the altar of the mass murder that he considered to be a heroic act of patriotism, Roof chose the church that symbolized the United States’ indelible history as the largest slaveholding nation on earth, which for its first threescore years counted a black person as only three-fifths of a human being even as it proclaimed itself the world’s

beacon of liberty. Emanuel A.M.E., the second oldest black church in the South, was burned in 1822 ERNEST after a member DUMAS tried to organize a slave rebellion. He and accomplices were executed and blacks were forbidden thereafter to have churches. On the day Roof was arraigned in court for the murders, the nation sort of celebrated the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth 1865, when a Union general alighted at Galveston, Texas, and told slaveholders that it was at last down to them and that, yes, even Texans had to free their slaves. Roof did not hide his motives — he hated black people and hoped to ignite a race war that would put blacks back in their subordinate place in a segregated society. A Facebook photo showed him wearing the flag patches of the old apartheid regimes of South Africa and Rhodesia, and in other photos he brandished the Confederate battle flag, the enduring

of us, recalls horrific acts, great and small, committed by one human against another, and reflexively jumps to the gun. We think of the undefended Warsaw ghetto, of the attempt to kill President Reagan, of children gunned down in schools, or of someone we know who was senselessly attacked and killed. We confront such events and our inner guardians cry out for defense. Which is not unreasonable. What does not make sense is that, like the extremists we fear, we Americans have weaponized ourselves into a state that is proving our destruction. We have industrialized our fears and hammered out our responses to them in hard, body-piercing metal. Nor are we alone. The whole world stands at this crossroads. Civilizations and faiths grew up together, learning from and inspiring each other in ways to move beyond the butchery that has marked so much of human history. The effort allowed us to advance in agriculture, law, science and art, but that advance moves in fits and starts and its future is by no means assured. At every critical juncture, some-

one, finally, must lay down arms so stability can return. Often the answer is simply to not pick them up in the first place because, really, who at Emanuel Church would have been safer if someone had, as Huckabee suggests, opted to return fire? Emanuel Church, wounded and suffering, must now ask itself hard questions about how guarded it will become. I don’t know how it will answer. But, based on what we have seen, I believe it understands that it will cease to be the great refuge it has been for so long if it now surrounds itself with wire, erects a gate at the parking lot, pushes guests through metal detectors and urges congregants to pack concealed weapons. We all face questions like those now before Emanuel. Life leads to crossroads aplenty. At this one, where Huckabee calls for yet more destruction, I choose to walk with Mother Emanuel.

symbol of the South’s great struggle to perpetuate human bondage, which its churches held to be God’s plan just as some of them now proclaim it to be God’s wish that neither the government nor Christians recognize the mutual love of sexual minorities. Roof’s own South had to abandon apartheid, at least legally, after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board decision in 1954 and the passage of civil rights laws in the 1960s. In every community of the South and much of the North we are still struggling with the legacies of slavery and segregation, although most folks in the South concur with a slim majority of the Supreme Court that inequality and injustice are things of the past. Dylann Roof expected to be admired as a hero and a martyr even as he was prosecuted, and in some quarters he will be, quietly. Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City and killed 168 people in 1995, believed he was the vanguard of the American right, which would rise up against a tyrannical liberal government. Like McVeigh, Roof is demented, but it is not hard to see how the misimpressions developed as he and his pals haunted the bars and strip joints around Charleston. To soak up the message that America is headed to ruin under the leadership

of a black man and that great acts are needed to save it, he did not have to link up with the online hate groups or social media that proclaim the tyranny of the black president or the growing menace of blacks and immigrants. You hear it at lunch tables or the workplace and you see it in unsolicited emails and you hear it in the dog whistles of political campaigns. And, if you are in our beloved South, you see it symbolized in the civil venues. Let it be said that, unlike the church bombings and racial killings during the not-so-distant civil rights era, the South Carolina officials reacted not with mild disapproval, but with outrage and, unlike the Fox network, they called it what it was: a racially motivated mass murder that had to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. (Fox suggested that Roof was carrying out the left’s agenda of stifling religious liberty; an NRA leader blamed the dead minister, a state senator, because he did not support a concealedcarry gun bill in the legislature. Our own Mike Huckabee, presidential wannabe, said the deaths were the worshipers’ fault because they do not arm themselves when they enter God’s house, as he thinks God wants them to do.) The Confederate battle flag still

Mara Leveritt is contributing editor to Arkansas Times. Max Brantley is on vacation.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 46 www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

Killer’s failure

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ARKANSAS TIMES

as any murdering terrorist ever failed more dramatically than Dylann Storm Roof? Like any punk with a gun, he managed to slaughter nine blameless African-American Christians at an historic church in Charleston, S.C. Intending to start a race war, he succeeded only in shocking the moral conscience of the state and nation. Racist atrocities like Roof’s have left indelible stains on this country since its founding — Elaine (Phillips County) in 1919, Tulsa in 1921, the Birmingham church bombing of 1963. Any historian can provide a longer list, although white people have generally forgotten, partly out of shame. To the extent that black people also forget, it’s largely out of self-preservation. The African-American capacity for forgiveness often comes as a blessing and a surprise. If black people contemplated vengeance like my Irish Catholic ancestors, I’ve often observed, you couldn’t live in the American South. One would be naive to believe that anything essential has really changed this time. Except that the words and actions of many in South Carolina, “the home office of American sedition” as Esquire’s inimitable (Irish Catholic) blogger Charles P. Pierce calls it, make it possible to think that something important already had. I posted Pierce’s initial response to the Charleston atrocity on my Facebook page. Because when fierce indignation’s what you want, Charlie’s your man. “We should speak of it as an assault on the idea of a political commonwealth, which is what it was,” Pierce wrote. “And we should speak of it as one more example of all of these, another link in a bloody chain of events that reaches all the way back to African wharves and Southern docks. It is not an isolated incident, not if you consider history as something alive that can live and breathe and bleed. We should speak of all these things. What happened in that church was a lot of things, but unspeakable is not one of them.” Pierce lampooned what he considered the crocodile tears of South Carolina politicians. He urged Gov. Nikki Haley to look at the “flag of treason” flying at the state Capitol before professing bewilderment. Enter Emily Hanson, a Facebook friend I haven’t actually met. Emily’s profile picture showed her kissing a draft horse, one reason we connected. Another is that she often agrees with my columns. “I am an Arkansan living in Charles-

ton, S.C.,” Hanson wrote. “Until today, I had a wonderful job telling visitors about the rich history of Charleston. I quit today because I will no longer wear the Confederate hat required by my employer. Not because the company is in any way racist or intolerant, GENE but because I can LYONS no longer wear a symbol that represents slavery, hatred, brutality, and so much more to so many Americans. “Mr. Pierce made many very valid points, but I caution him and anyone else who wants to get on a moral high horse and talk about the Southern docks and African wharves … . PLEASE don’t make this a Southern problem! It is America’s problem and we ALL have to look at our beliefs, attitudes, and treatment of others and begin the change we want in the world to take root in our own soul. I believe it is high time to heal the wounds of our past and I did what I could today by refusing to wear a Confederate hat and praying in solidarity with the Charleston of today.” OK, so it’s a little contradictory. It’s not a Southern problem, but she’ll be damned if she’s wearing that Rebel hat. Also from her Facebook page, I know that Emily took part in several of the multiracial civic and religious rites that have consumed the city since that terrible night. Along with an estimated 25,000 hand-holding mourners, she joined comedian and South Carolina native Stephen Colbert on the Ravenel Bridge spanning Charleston Harbor. “Peace and love and unity in the Holy City,” Colbert said. Shortly after Gov. Haley and the rest of South Carolina’s Republican establishment agreed to ask the legislature to quit playing make-believe and take down the accursed Confederate flag, Emily, bless her heart, posted some good news: “I was contacted by my former employer, who … has decided to retire the Confederate hat as part of the uniform. (And I got my job back!) It goes to show that one person CAN make a difference! By thinking about what I could do as little old me, I have become a part of something far bigger than myself and part of a community that is ready to heal!” Granted, it’s only symbol. But symbols can express complex realities: This time was different. This time the murdering coward failed.

Racism is systemic

oosebumps rose on my arms as I walked into Bethel A.M.E. on Sunday night for a prayer vigil in remembrance of the nine black worshippers killed in Charleston, S.C., last week. The sanctuary was packed, people pressed together in the foyer outside and the overflow hall had standing room only. I later learned that 1,000 people attended the service. I was glad to see a good number of white folks and people from a wide variety of faith traditions both in the audience and among the list of speakers. Many of the messages focused on healing from the tragedy through love and reconciliation. Only a few speakers took things to a deeper level to discuss the need to work together for justice and an equitable society, and the necessity that people move beyond prayer and dialogue into action. There was one speaker in particular who I could not get behind. Gov. Asa Hutchinson approached the lectern to a standing ovation, began with some heartfelt comments about the tragedy and appreciation for those gathered, then spoke about his respect for the way the victims’ families were responding. He praised them for not expressing “anger, hatred, or a desire for revenge.” He also praised the family of slain Rev. Daniel Simmons for allegedly wanting to keep politics out of the discussion to focus on forgiveness and healing. Through his emphasis, Hutchinson played directly into the narrative of respectability politics, where white people tell people of color how they should respond to a situation and condemn responses from others in the community experiencing anger, rage and other expressions of grief. Respectability politics plays into the illusion that we can move forward without discomfort, sacrifice or upheaval. It comes directly from white fears of being held accountable. Yes, the response of the victims’ families shows strength and a depth of love that is incredible to witness, but Hutchinson used it for his own ends. Don’t get too loud, “tolerance and faith can overcome violence,” he said. Hutchinson also spoke about his tenure as a U.S. attorney for Arkansas in the 1980s, during which he prosecuted the notorious white supremacist group the Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord. He said he thought that taking down the Covenant meant that Arkan-

sas would no longer face these kinds of issues, then acknowledged that there is still a need to root out ongoing “racial bigotry and hatred.” His focus ACADIA on overt, militant ROHER white supremacy betrays a lack of understanding of systemic racism, which does not require any outward expression of racial bigotry to enact. Hutchinson himself has been involved in reinforcing systemic racism in our state and nation. After he headed George W. Bush’s Drug Enforcement Administration, an agency that has been a major player in the mass incarceration of people of color, Hutchinson became a top official at the Department of Homeland Security, which has a history of racial profiling and discrimination. In his first six months as governor, he signed bills into law that cut funding for libraries, shrank programs for impoverished elderly residents, and increased barriers to TANF assistance, all of which disproportionately affect communities of color. Hutchinson has not been willing to strongly support policy that would materially improve the lives of people of color. The Charleston murders were most assuredly political in nature. The killer said so himself. To avoid discussing the political nature of the situation and act as if racism is only the purview of a few bigots directly obscures the systemic racism that creates the conditions for this kind of tragedy. There can be no peace without justice, Rev. Ryan Davis reminded us at the vigil. And there will be no unity or healing until we transform the structures that benefit the few at the expense of the many. In the lyrics of a gospel song that A.M.E. Bishop Samuel Green so passionately shared, “There’s a storm out on the ocean and it’s moving thisa way.” Those who are serious about justice must prepare. In the A.M.E.’s plans to engage Americans in facing the reality of racism, I hope it will be able to help people move beyond the rhetoric of individual bigotry and hatred to a more nuanced understanding of power and oppression.

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The Hidden Cost of Mass Incarceration: TOO MANY FATHERS IN PRISON -CHILDREN NEED THEIR DADS Also learn about Arkansas Voices newest public awareness campaign to mitigate the stigma of parental incarceration for the children: 7 OUT OF TEN-NOT EVEN CLOSE. ERASE THE STIGMA; STOP THE HURTING OF OUR 70,000 CHILDREN WHO HAVE COPED WITH A PARENT BEING BEHIND BARS. Too many, for too long, have described these children as carrying the risk of future incarceration at a rate of 70% more likely than other children. This statistic is unfounded and we must stop hurting these children, as they already have multiple sorrows when losing a parent to prison. The stigma of incarceration hurts our children.

For more information, contact Dee Ann Newell at 501-366-3647 and read the research article on this statistic at www.ctcip.org/publications/imrp www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

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e mourn for the families of the dead at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. As we grieve, it’s time to rekindle a conversation about race in America and press for the changes that the Emanuel congregation championed for centuries — changes that also made it a target. The conversation needs to be inclusive of whites, African Americans, Latinos and every other part of our society. It must honor our different viewpoints but be grounded in data. And it must change attitudes as well as actions and policy. The face of racism for many is the South Carolina shooter and the terrorist cults he associated with. People of color across America feel less safe and secure because of them. This was not an isolated event. The shooting occurred in a state represented by a congressman who tried to shout down President Obama during a State of the Union Address. Across the South polarization is up, segregation is up, rhetoric is superheated and meaningful dialogue is near absent. When we tolerate language that dehumanizes people of different races, religions, genders, sexual orientations or political beliefs — when we allow people to debase our institutions of selfgovernance — then we condone a culture of intolerance that creates terrorists. But racism is not always a terrorist with a gun. Subtle racism is the daily experience of many black and brown Arkansans. They face it trying to vote, with the police, on the job, at the doctor, at the bank and at school. But many white Arkansans live in a bubble where racism does not exist because we don’t see things like the South Carolina shootings every day. In multiple surveys, people of color regularly report that racism impacts them daily while whites report that it doesn’t exist. That disparity in viewpoints alone is a major social problem. Racism is so ingrained into our society that discrimination often occurs even without racist intent. Institutionalized racism — policies that create unequal outcomes for people whether those outcomes are intended or not — is shortening the lives and limiting opportunity for millions of people of color as well as whites. Consider some data: Black and brown children are more than twice as likely to be suspended from school than white children, twice as likely to die in childbirth, twice as likely to be unemployed as adults (even with college degrees), and will earn half of what whites do. They are much more likely to be incarcerated. And for every $141 in savings a white family has, blacks have just $11. These facts make some people defensive.

Many whites think evidence that our society is racially unjust is an attack on them because they know they BILL don’t hate anybody. KOPSKY It makes some whites uncomfortable because they know they struggle to get by and they know a lot of other white families do as well. The growing wealth gap and shrinking middle class has exacerbated the problem — it feels like more and more of us are scrapping for less. Some people of color are uncomfortable with this data as well. It makes some feel ashamed, and others feel hopeless. Many are concerned that whites will simply dismiss the data as evidence of people of color’s inferiority. And there’s the ever-present fear of violence should we try to change it. These levels of inequity are immoral. Race should not determine destiny. We need to change hearts and minds, but we must also change policy to create opportunity. Arkansas lawmakers recently put opportunity further out of reach. They made one of the most unfair tax systems in the country worse again by lowering taxes on the wealthy. They cut unemployment benefits by 20 percent. They refused to ensure that money spent on low-income students is used effectively. None of these actions was taken with racist intent, but they disproportionately hurt people of color. Meanwhile we are the last state that criminalizes being late on your rent, one of only two states with no civil rights commission, and one of only five states without hate crimes legislation that prosecutes terrorists like the South Carolina gunman. Many are reluctant to talk about race because we fear the conversation will explode. Our society is so segregated that we often have few relationships across racial lines and our communities often see the world quite differently. It is not hopeless. A lot of people in our communities have been trying to have these conversations for a long time. At the Arkansas Public Policy Panel we are recommitting to these conversations and hope you will join us. The hate groups of America hope to spark a violent revolution. Let’s create a counterrevolution of opportunity by shining a light on our uncomfortable inequities, tearing them down together and building a healthier community led by love. Bill Kopsky is executive director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel.

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A bunny tale

efore Debra Wood worked for the Arkansas Foodbank, and the Laman Library before that, and owned the ArtSpace Gallery before that, she worked in the Clinton White House. She handled student correspondence for the president. So her ears perked up recently when, lunching at a local restaurant, she heard a little girl at a nearby table telling her mother about a trip to the Clinton Presidential Center she’d made with her grandmother. (The girl was surprisingly excited about her trip to a library to honor a president who was out of office before she was even born.) The little girl — maybe 7 or 8 — pulled out what looked like a baseball card but was a picture of Socks, the Clintons’ famed cat, to show her mother. She said she wished she had a Buddy card, too. Wood’s thinking: “Wow, I probably have a Buddy card at home.” That’s because it was Wood’s office that originally created the baseball cards, bearing pictures of the first family, the White House, Air Force One, the pets, etc. All had “stats” on the back, like how many rooms are in the White House and the fact that whatever plane the president is in is Air Force One, information like that. So as Wood was wondering if she should try to find a Buddy card for the little girl, she heard the young lass pipe up again, this time about the White House Easter Bunny. And Wood thought: “I AM the Easter Bunny!” Yes, for seven years, Wood dressed up as one of three bunnies (mom, dad and baby bunny) for the famed Egg Roll on the White House lawn. For a brief moment, Wood considered telling the little girl that she was the Easter Bunny and might have a Buddy card. But she reconsidered: “They would think I was nuts,” Wood said. Fearing someone might summon the Butterfly Net Patrol to take her away, she let it go. Wood recalled one Easter in particular when children from a school for the blind came to the Egg Roll. They were

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in a special section, and she, in bunny costume, had a military escort to guide her down a row of the children. “And they were all putting their little hands on me, to pat the bunny, and I was so emotional. They were so excited.” Wood began to cry, but she couldn’t wipe her eyes, because all she had were big bunny paws and no way to reach her eyes with them. The tears just kept rolling until she could go back in and take off the costume. Some people have great stories to tell. And in Wood’s case, they’re true.

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*** Speaking of great true stories, the issue you hold in your hands (unless you’re perusing this in the digital ether, of course) is our annual LR Confidential issue, in which we give people total anonymity in exchange for the truth about their lives. This year, the story Yours Truly collected was that of a law enforcement officer who killed a suspect in the line of duty. While we couldn’t say much of the “why” without revealing the officer’s identity, suffice it to say that had this cop not pulled the trigger, there’s a very good chance he and another officer would have been gravely wounded or in the ground. When we were done, we told him what we’ve told others: The Observer has come to believe the line between order and anarchy is so thin that it might terrify most people if they knew just how thin. Holding back the darkness, however, are certain people who have made the decision to put away that ancient portion of all of us that tells a human being to turn and flee from death, grief, fire and blood: cops, defense attorneys, prosecutors, firefighters, doctors, nurses, soldiers, others. No, they don’t deserve a pass just for doing that. It doesn’t make them holy, or noble. But never let anybody convince you it isn’t a sacrifice. To those folks, The Observer says: Thank you.

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JUNE 25, 2015

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Tenant takes Housing Authority to court Claims her voucher voided unfairly.

not take place until September, so she borrowed money from family, friends BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK and her church to pay July’s rent, and asked her landlord, Rental Realty Inc., renda Glover, 53, of Little Rock, suit filed Nov. 3 in federal District if it would use part of her $850 security is taking her loss of her federal Judge Leon Holmes’ court, Glover’s deposit to pay August’s. The landlord housing allowance to federal housing allowance was reduced after agreed in writing to the arrangement, court, a move attorneys say is rare. her daughter and her daughter’s two the lawsuit says. “They give you a book on rules and children moved out. (Another daughter However, the landlord then told regulations,” Glover said. “If you read it and two grandchildren remained in the Glover it was going to take her entire you know your rights.” Not everybody household.) Glover, who has arthritis deposit — more than twice the rent — reads it — not everybody can, and she filed a complaint with she added. “When it’s a governthe state Attorney General’s ment-funded thing, when you Office. Learning she’d comabide by the rules on your side, plained, the landlord gave her they should do the same thing.” a 10-day notice to vacate, saying she’d not paid for August The Metropolitan Housing Alliance informed Glover it was — despite their signed agreeterminating her Section 8 housment that it would accept ing voucher (such vouchers are her security deposit for the funded by the U.S. Department month’s rent — and sent of Housing and Urban Develnotice of the eviction to the opment) because her landMHA. At that point, the MHA lord had issued her a notice to notified Glover it was termivacate for nonpayment of rent. nating her housing allowance. Glover, however, had a letter Two days after the landfrom her landlord acknowledglord issued the notice to vacate, Glover tried again ing she had arranged to pay her rent. Her lawyers have filed to pay the August rent, but a class-action lawsuit against Rental Realty would not accept it. In September, Little Rock’s housing authority claiming she was denied due Glover paid her rent on Sept. process. 5, but again the landlord The MHA — which is overwould not accept it and seen by the Little Rock Housserved another notice to ing Authority board of comvacate. missioners — has been in the A handwritten note at the bottom of a document news in the past few years, authorizing the mutual most recently June 4, when Executive Director Rodney rescission of the lease with Forte was found guilty in LitGlover says, “Rental Realty tle Rock District Court of failis releasing Brenda Glover ing to comply with the state SUED IN FEDERAL COURT: After MHA rescinded tenant’s voucher. from her current lease. Her Freedom of Information Act. In outstanding balance owed 2013, Forte fired an employee will be paid with her secuafter the employee awarded a contract and has a monthly income of $746, could rity deposit that she put down.” But to his own business. The previous direcno longer afford the apartment — her Jordan Haas, owner of Rental Realty, said Tuesday that his company would tor, Shelly Ehenger, was fired by the share of the rent went from $1 to $303 a board after complaints of nepotism and month — so she asked the MHA to transnot have agreed to accept a security improper hiring practices. fer her Section 8 voucher to a smaller, deposit in lieu of rent. He said there In July 2014, according to the lawcheaper rental unit. The transfer could were unpaid tenant-related repairs due

McCullough for Senate? Tippi McCullough, president of the Stonewall Democratic Caucus of Arkansas and an English teacher at Central High School, said this week that she is considering running for the state Senate District 32 seat being vacated by Sen. David Johnson (D-Little Rock) at the end of his term. Johnson is running for judge in Jacksonville District Court and Maumelle District Court. McCullough is known for her work for LGBT rights, but said she will not be a one-issue candidate. As a teacher for 30 years, half in public school and half in private school, she said education would be a priority, along with tax issues for poor and low-income Arkansans and health care. She said she would bring “common sense” to those issues. “People have reached out to me,” McCullough said. “I’m going to explore the possibility over the next two weeks.” Will Bond, a lawyer and former state representative from 2003 to 2008, has already announced he will seek the seat. Other Democrats rumored to be interested in making a run for the seat include lawyer and banker John Adams, Arkansas film commissioner Christopher Crane and public relations consultant Jordan Johnson.

Power grid vandal sentenced Jacksonville resident Jason Woodring, 38, whose meth and Nostradamus-inspired attacks on the Arkansas power grid the Arkansas Times wrote about in a cover story last year, was

BRIAN CHILSON

CONTINUED ON PAGE 37 12

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

THE

BIG PICTURE

Inconsequential News Quiz: Play at Home!

1) Police were called to a Kum & Go convenience store in Springdale recently after a report of a man doing something there that he shouldn’t have before fleeing the scene. What was the man allegedly doing? A) Crawled into the doughnut case among the muffins and crullers, then fell asleep. B) Brought in a kitchen-sized trashcan and made himself an XXXXXXL Dr Pepper slushie. C) Stuffed over two dozen piping hot Polish sausages down his pants. D) Masturbating, of course. 2) The man who was fatally shot after brandishing a rifle near the gates of the Little Rock Air Force Base earlier told deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office that his house was being bugged by an Air Force officer. According to a report in the case, who did the man say was one of the clandestine perpetrators? A) Captain Crunch. B) General Motors. C) Colonel Sanders. D) Major Fuhcup. 3) A recent story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sports section about retired coach and Dallas Cowboys scouting director Larry Lacewell was accompanied by a photo of the rather prominent-bellied Lacewell and an odd headline. What was the headline? A) “Football lingers inside Lacewell.” B) “Lacewell still pointy on both ends, round in the middle.” C) “Lacewell: ‘Lucky drawers’ never washed in 41 years.” D) “Coach swallows whistle, can now fart Razorback fight song.” 4) A recent story in The Guardian newspaper profiled Taylor Wilson, a Texarkana native who did something rather amazing at age 14, briefly holding the world record for his feat. What did Wilson so? A) Slept 26 consecutive hours, got up and drank a Mountain Dew, slept 19 more hours. B) Used the word “like” 31 times in a single sentence. C) Built a working fusion reactor with a plasma core 40 times hotter than the sun. D) Ate 207 pizza rolls during a single episode of “Family Guy.” 5) State Rep. Justin Harris (R-West Fork), lately embroiled in a scandal over the “rehoming” of his adopted daughters and allegations that he believed the girls were possessed by demons, recently made an announcement. What was it? A) Signed a two-year endorsement deal with Horrendously Ill-Fitting Men’s Suit Warehouse. B) Adopted a Lhasa Apso puppy, later rehomed it to the tiger cage at the Little Rock Zoo. C) Televised three-way claw hammer cage fight between himself, Mike Huckabee and Josh Duggar at Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma. Pay-per-view alone is expected to top $100 million. D) He will not seek re-election.

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INSIDER, CONT. sentenced to 15 years in prison last week, having pleaded guilty in March to federal charges of destruction of an energy facility, setting fire to a power station, using fire to commit a felony and possession of firearms, ammunition and drugs. The court entered a judgment against him for $4.8 million to Entergy and $49,000 to First Electric Cooperative for damage to various downed power lines in 2013. Before his arrest, Woodring was self-employed as a swimming pool cleaner. In federal court, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Linda Satter, Woodring finally addressed his actions: “We live in uncertain times,” he is quoted as saying. “I’ve talked to a lot of people in the last 15 years from all walks of life. ... Black, white, rich, poor, male, female. The consensus seems to be that things are getting worse in society.” After his infant son’s death in 2007, “I kind of stepped back and tried to find ways to make things better. … I started to show people what I was learning, and get them involved … but everybody was too busy with these distractions. I got frustrated trying to get everybody’s attention. I thought that if I could take the power out, it would take away all these things that distract people … and we could all listen to what’s really important. “When I went up there on that 500,000-volt power line,” he said, “I actually thought I was going to be helping people.” Woodring was to appear in Lonoke County Circuit Court on June 25 to answer to drug and gun charges and is scheduled to appear in Pulaski County Circuit Court on June 29 to face two state charges of first-degree criminal mischief.

Benton County booming A report issued last week from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights the impressive wage growth in Benton County. The report provided data from the fourth quarter of 2014. Nationally, the average weekly wage increased 3.5 percent over the course of 2014. Benton County had the largest increase in the country, with average weekly wages rising 9.9 percent. The county seat is Bentonville, home to Walmart, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and a growing set of downtown restaurants and businesses; it’s also increasingly becoming a home for tech startups. www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

ANSWERS: D, C, A, C, D

Little Rock Confidential In exchange for anonymity, local workers get real with the Arkansas Times about what they see and do on the job.

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

Have you ever wanted to know what the folks who are serving you coffee or doing your nails or protecting you from danger have seen while on the job? What they really think about us? Once more, they reveal their secrets to the Arkansas Times in this fourth edition of “Little Rock Confidential.” Read on, as they tell their own stories:

Country club worker

here’s not a bunch of places of employment where you’re seeing the same people every single day who aren’t coworkers. Some of them — a few old men who were retired — would eat three meals a day there, shower there, brush their teeth, do everything there. Play cards, play golf. And every Friday or Saturday night dinner, they’re there with their wives, dressed to the nines, drinking their cocktails. Super predictable: They’d like to have the same table, same waiters — a standing reservation every weekend. Those guys were basically living there: lifers, for sure. They get invested in your lives. I had about three who would invite me to go to church with them, meet me and my husband out for drinks, send my kids birthday cards. I thought that was a neat deal, to work someplace where people were genuinely interested in you. The majority of the not-so-nice was always about money. Always. The sense of entitlement was, you know, a funny situation. It’s a member-owned club, and everyone there acts privileged because they own it. But, to use one of the rooms there for an event, even as a member, you have to pay a food-and-beverage minimum. That covers the cost of having the staff there, setting it up, having the staff on site to take care of you and clean up. Some people wanted to come and use the room and have service, but they didn’t want to pay the minimum. They’d say they’re not going to pay, but they’d still come and then get mad when there’s no tables and chairs set up for them. They’d wave their hands in the air and say, “This is my club! I can do what I want! I can come and use it if I want, and I pay every month as it is!” There was a guy who lived slightly off the first hole of the golf course, and he built a little basketball court, part of which was on the country club land. He didn’t get a permit or anything — he just felt entitled to do it, and then people got mad, and it’s all, you know, the talk of the club.

That was the only thing I saw people get really ugly about: money. Most of the scandalous stuff that I can recall happened on the weekends — nonmember events, weddings and stuff. The wildest one was a group of young doctors that just graduated who wanted to put their whole minimum [payment] toward alcohol. They got so drunk that we found people passed out the next day in the locker room, male and female. In hindsight, we should have been a little bit more prepared on our end. There was crying. There was vomit. There was sex in the bathroom. One of our staff found them. The majority of our staff is a group of Filipinos who come over for like eight months a year on a work visa, so their English isn’t super good. One of them came to me and said “Miss _____, Miss _____, you need to see what’s going on here.” I got my co-worker and we just opened the bathroom door and said, “It’s time to stop. It’s time to get out of here. Y’all know better.” That kind of thing. But what do you say, right? We walked away and let them do what they needed to do and that was that. Once, there was a gun pulled by a drunk person in the parking lot. The guy should not have been driving and someone was trying to stop him. Then, a pizza man came by and accidentally blocked his car — and I don’t know why there was someone delivering pizza to the country club — but between somebody blocking his car and somebody not wanting him to drive, it just kind of escalated. He started waving his gun, and everyone was like “Dude, OK, you drive then,” and he drove away. No shots fired. He was a member of the club, and that was addressed. There was a vote about what to do with him. I did not hear how they specifically handled him — but he definitely is still a member. Overall, it was a great experience. I would consider myself a people person, so I enjoyed going to work, and I still talk with some of the members. I left because I was working every holiday, every weekend, for four years. I missed out on Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas Eve, with my family for four years. It was taxing, and I was ready for a change. The only days we were closed were on Christmas and

New Year’s Day. Yes, you’d think people would be home on Christmas Eve, but the club had to be open — for the lifers. — as told to Benjamin Hardy

Law enforcement officer The following account is from a law enforcement officer who once killed a suspect in the line of duty. After an investigation, the shooting was ruled justifiable. The officer is still at work with an agency in Central Arkansas. He was as close as you are to me. I yelled at him and said, “Dude, I will shoot you!” And he said, “I know.” I pulled the trigger twice, and he fell on his face. I think one of the reasons I’ve had so much trouble with it is because I was so close to him. I could hear the gurgling noises. I could hear a hissing. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was a hole in his lung. It was the blood going through the lung. There for a second, I literally thought there was a snake underneath him. It sounded like a hissing snake. I’ve had difficulties dealing with it and shaking it off. Since then, I’ve developed some OCD-like symptoms, especially when it comes to my own security. Checking locks. I’ve probably worn out three or four alarm systems on my car, just making sure it’s locked. Little stupid stuff like that. My wife refers to it as being hyper-vigilant. My startle reflex is off. If something falls, I’m like a cat hitting the ceiling. I can’t sit in church. I’ll see movement out of the corner of my eye and my head’s whipping around. She’s thinking, “You’re in church.” My thinking is, “You know how many mass shootings they’ve had in churches?” I just can’t turn it off. In my house, I know where the gun is all the time. When I get up in the morning, it goes with me. When I go to bed, it goes with me. It has a place at the breakfast table. I know where it is, and I could find it in the dark. I know exactly where it is on the bedside table. The only time that changes is when [children] are over. But it still goes in the same place every time, because I know that if something breaks bad, it’s not like losing your car keys. You can’t be meandering around looking for it. I need to know exactly where it is. That’s the OCD stuff kicking in, too. Is it ready to go? Is everything as it should be? Hopefully that will be something I can work myself out of after I retire. I

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JUNE 25, 2015

hope. The best way I can describe it is: You know Ebenezer Scrooge? His friend Jacob Marley, dragging the chains around? That’s me. When you shoot somebody, they send you to [a psychologist] to make sure your marbles are in a bag enough to send you back to work. It’s gotten better over the years, but it’s kind of a joke. I saw [a psychologist] just two or three days after, but none of these things started to appear until months later. So I went and sought help on my own. I went to counseling for months, and was diagnosed with PTSD. I take medication. Hopefully when I retire I’ll be able to get off of it. The last piece of cake I eat at my retirement ceremony, I’ll spit the meds out. [laughs] One of the most interesting things I’ve had to do during the whole process was when my therapist said, “What would you say to the guy, if he was sitting right here?” I said, “Why did you make me do that? I didn’t want to do that. I told you what I was going to have to do. But you made me do it.” I said it just like that. And the therapist said, “Would you really talk to him like that?” I said no. Then I started dropping F-bombs. There were people out in the lobby who probably canceled their appointment for the day and got the hell out. I’m calling this guy everything but a son of God, but saying the same thing, “Why did you make me do this? You could have run. You could have stopped. You could

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

have done anything but that.” I got no answer, and I’ll never get an answer. I have no idea why he did it. I don’t understand, and still don’t. You don’t have that opportunity with that guy. It’s not two dudes playing “Call of Duty.” You don’t hit replay. You don’t get another life. It is what it is. He doesn’t have to deal with it anymore, but his family does. He probably had kids. They’ve got to deal with it. My family has got to deal with it. I’ve got to deal with it. You get different reactions for co-workers. It runs the gamut, from they don’t know what to say so they don’t say anything, to what they should really say, to “Hey killer! Two more like that and you get a microwave!” You’re supposed to say, “I’m glad you’re OK.” There’s no judgment in that. You’re not saying it’s a good shoot. You’re not saying it’s a bad shoot. You’re just saying to a co-worker, “I’m glad you’re OK.” This one guy, I saw him coming out of court. This was a guy who I’d worked with for years. We ate dinner together. We were fairly close. This was four days after the shooting. I was coming out of court and I saw him and said, “Hey, what’s happening?” And he just kept walking. Didn’t make eye contact or anything. It really bothered me. Later on, I kind of figured out that nobody really knows what to say. You don’t want to do more damage. But there are a lot of officers that look at you different. You Monday morning quarterback yourself for the rest of your life. I could go step by step with you on what I did. Luckily, I’m blessed with the fact that my actions, I feel like, were completely on the money. But that is probably rare in these types of incidents. You don’t get in your car in the morning and think, “You know, I’m going to go into work today and I’m going to kill somebody.” These things happen and you get dragged along behind the truck. I talked to a minister about it: How is this going to square me with the Almighty? It’s one of the Ten Commandments: Thou Shalt Not Kill. I’m thinking, “Did I save my mortal life now to put my eternal life in jeopardy?” The pastor that I talked to actually broke down the Ten Commandments in the original languages. He said the word “kill” should really be “murder.” Thou Shalt Not Murder. That helped. But it’s always going to be there. That guy is always going to be with me. Sometimes I feel like I’m like a dude in prison. I’m crossing the hash marks on the wall,

waiting to get out. That’s all I can think about right now, is getting out. What else have I got? I’ve got my family. But as far as my mental and emotional survival, I can’t do it here [as a police officer]. So, yeah, I’ve got all my eggs in one basket. And if I catch a 12-gauge round through the basket and all my eggs run out, I’m fairly well fucked. But that’s what I’ve got. — as told to David Koon

Manicurist

My 4-month old son, Kwaine, died in 1995 after sitting in an emergency room for hours with a high fever and a history of pneumonia and a doctor refusing to see him. I watched a white child with a broken arm be seen while I waited. I told the emergency room nurse that I would wait until midnight — I had been there since 6 p.m. — and if the doctor hadn’t seen my son by then, I would leave if my son’s condition wasn’t life-threatening and take him to Little Rock the next morning. The nurse had the ER doctor look at my son’s X-rays and told me my son’s condition was not life-threatening. I woke up the next morning and my son was dead in my arms. My mom died the next year. I decided I needed a fresh start — someplace where nobody knew my name or my past. I was a single mom with two kids and $80 to my name, and I needed something to earn money fast. Initially I thought I wanted to be a hairstylist, but when I learned that school lasted a year, I decided to go the manicurist route, which was only four months of cosmetology school. I started doing nails in 1999 and it has been going strong since then. People come see me for the total experience, relaxation, to feel better, to feel complete and for appearance. And then there are some who like the one-on-one. “Hey, next time bring a bottle of wine. No one over there listens, but you are here.” My passion is not the actual process of doing nails and feet, it’s the people. When I can be here and hear someone else’s situation is worse than mine, I actually feel better about my own life. I travel to Mountain View once a month to do an 80-year-old lady’s nails. I get so much out of that — it makes that lady so happy. She can’t believe that I would do that for her — that I would get on the floor. You know what I think about? I think about Mary washing Jesus’ feet. I walk out of there feeling like George Jefferson. We often forget about the elderly. For whatever reasons people come to see me, I care what they think about me because

what I do is my legacy. What I do and how I treat people matters. I get such a diverse group of people that with all that I may be going through — my husband has an illness that requires constant medical attention and help from others — I don’t ever need the services of a therapist. I was told in school not to get personal with my clients. “How can I touch you or rub on you without getting personal?” I have a personal relationship with all my clients.

I had a lady that kept putting her feet on my head when she wanted me to look at her. I’ve been running my own business for 11 years. I service about 150 clients. I have a standing clientele base and eight to 10 people every day. Their backgrounds range. I mostly service the high-end clientele — doctors, lawyers, judges, their wives, paralegals, forensic analysts, retired teachers with good benefits. I don’t do walk-ins because I choose who I will accept as a client, and I usually do that by hearing the person over the phone. And then after our first visit, we will know whether or not we click. Usually the people I have, I keep. The hands bother me more than the feet, as far as germs are concerned. People do far more with their hands than with their feet. So calluses, hair, funguses don’t bother me, but I certainly see a lot of it. The worst feet I have ever had was a lady with nails that had grown so long, they curled under her toes. I cut them and took care of her feet anyway, but told her that she needed to cut them more often. She had dangerously long nails. She came back about six months later.

Free

Her nails were not curled under her feet, but were still about six inches long. The worst experience that I have had with clients had nothing to do with smells or germs. I had a lady that kept putting her feet on my head when she wanted me to look at her. I finally had to tell her that I did not want her to come anymore. She previously had a standing weekly appointment. That was the only person I have had to turn down. I hear so much in my line of work, but not as much as one might think. One of the most shocking was a woman who told me that she found her husband in bed with another woman, and she just stood there and watched as her husband got dressed. Most recently, I have people that are involved in the pharmacy-doctor scandal. I tell these people to hang in there and that things will get better. Then, I have this one girl who laughs the whole time. There is a nerve on the bottom of your feet and hers is especially sensitive. One of my more memorable experiences with a client is from a guy that said, “Oh hey, I know you like Patron. I’m going to bring a bottle of Patron and we are going to have some shots. I’ll bring me some beer.” He brought a fifth of Patron and a little shot glass, and I drank shots while working on his feet and hands, which took about an hour and a half. After a while, I told him that we had sure put a dent on that bottle. He informed me that I had done that all by myself. I thought to myself — I’m not drunk. So, he left and I stood up and really felt the effect, and I was ready for him to leave so that I could rush to the bathroom. He left and came back for his phone he’d left while I was on the toilet with the door wide open. I was embarrassed. I love my job and glad I didn’t choose hair. People are too picky about their hair. If I mess up your nails, I can fix them. I make $50 per pedicure and $30 to $40 for manicures. I get $55 for nails. So I can make anywhere from $30 to $50. Pretty damn good not to be a doctor or lawyer. People ask me, “How do you remember my feet?” I tell them because I see them more than your face. — as told to Kathy Kelly

Starbucks barista

I began working for Starbucks in 2010 and worked there for four, almost five years. I was originally hired as a chef, but I declined the position and asked to train as a barista instead. Starbucks really was that cool job that just sucked. It was cool because you were able to see, interact with and experience people of different racial backgrounds and social classes on a daily basis. What made Starbucks suck were those specific customers that every store knew about, almost like a blacklist, that introduced themselves and expected you to know their drink even if it was the first time you personally had ever met them. Some of the most difficult customers are gold card members. They feel like it’s the newest American Express Black Card, super exclusive. It makes them feel like they have some sort of power. No, you paid for 30 drinks, congratulations. You get a free drink a year, thank you. And refills. That’s the only purpose of the card. It doesn’t give you the power, right, or authority to berate and degrade someone else. As a shift manager I could never let anyone berate one of the baristas. Their job is hard enough, let alone over a $7 drink that I can easily fix and give to you for free. Have some respect for the baristas, even if you don’t like them. I’ve watched at least 10 baristas cry because of something a customer’s said. I’ve seen things get thrown at baristas. I’ve seen people quit in the middle of their shift, and someone is always having a breakdown. Most people think the job is completely easy: “I’m going to sell coffee and it’s going to be like a movie.” No. You’re going to come to Starbucks, you’re going to smell like coffee and stinky milk, you will get pissed off by the customer that gets to the window and says they want their drink iced after you’ve already made it, they will curse you out, give you 10 other things to put in it and expect you to make it over perfectly in 30 seconds flat. It can be frustrating, especially the drivethrough. It seems like white women in Suburbans and large trucks, with sunglasses and cell phones, don’t mix with drive-through. Either they hit the box or drive up the curb. I’ve seen

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BUSINESS CHECKING www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

so many people hit the speaker and drive away. I’ve seen a lot of people throw trash out of their cars into the drive through and look at you while they do it. It’s so disrespectful, like walking in the house with muddy shoes and wiping them on the carpet, like “what?” You serve so many people each day that you don’t really learn customers’ names, you learn their drinks, like when you talk about them to other partners [co-workers], “Did the guy who gets the tall Chai come in today already?” “No, but the lady who comes in and gets like 6 pounds of coffee did.” “Good, then I won’t see her till next week.” It makes for interesting conversation. There are so many college students that work at Starbucks. Half of them are disgruntled, because they’re working at Starbucks, and they’re usually still working there after they graduate from college. Almost everyone smokes weed to stay sane, but it’s definitely a great place to network. When you stay at a store long enough the customers know you by name and ask about you when you’re not there. You’re pretty much known in the neighborhood after you’ve worked at Starbucks. You’ll be out on your off day and run into a customer, “Hey don’t you work at Starbucks?” “Yeah, you’re the Chai Tea latte extra hot, no water, no foam.” “That’s me!” The organization as a whole is focused. I still have stock invested in the company. I see it took a hit [laughs], but at least they’re geared towards their customers and their satisfaction rather than pushing out crap like McDonald’s. They protect their name and try to stand behind it especially with their employees. Starbucks calls their employees “partners,” and I can see why. You can work at any Starbucks, transfer anywhere there’s an opening, if you want to travel abroad or go to school they can help you with that. The biggest benefit of being a partner was the free drinks and food. I’ve had everything on the Starbucks menu, including the discontinued and seasonal items. But Starbucks breaks some of the best fucking people. I’ve seen multiple people that were bright, energetic and manager material get absolutely crushed and demoralized by the interview processes to become a manager. You can’t tell somebody that’s been helping that place not fail as a store, working their ass off as a barista, that they’re not doing everything possible to keep the store afloat just because they’d rather interact with customers than shove travel mugs down their throat. Like I’ve seen people just flat-out crying on the floor because of an interview gone wrong. I try to comfort them and tell them that it’ll get better, they’ll get the promotion the next time, but it won’t get better and they won’t get

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

the promotion. I was promoted to shift manager after being with Starbucks for two years. I had been qualified for the position for a year, but management made me ask for it instead of offering it to me. Once you make that jump in position, at some stores being the shift manager, you’re damn near the manager. The promotions suck, though. I understand it’s minimum wage, but it seems like they really only do the minimum — 12 cents can only impact gas prices, not a paycheck. As a shift manager you really have to care about other people and their issues, especially employees. It made me more empathetic, more efficient, and better with people in general, but I was definitely overworked and stressed out. I was always leaving late and catching hell about having partners in the store after their shift ended when I was closing.

But Starbucks breaks some of the best fucking people. Starbucks is very nondiscriminatory in their hiring and that’s a good and bad thing. They’ve hired a few people that were sketchy to begin with. There’s one guy I remember especially: Dude was a drug addict. He seemed to be genuine when they interviewed him and supposedly “brought more diversity to the store,” but he was a constant worry for me as a manager. I was pretty much babysitting and watching him every shift making sure nothing got stolen or that he didn’t flip the hell out on a customer. I’ve heard of baristas doing disgusting things to customers’ drinks, but I didn’t personally ever see it and just couldn’t do anything like that myself. At the end of the day I try to treat people the way I want to be treated. This is your job, even if that person doesn’t have any respect for your position. It’s a lot easier to make their drink right and get them out of your face than have them come back because it was wrong or you did something and they come back even more pissed off. Just kill them with kindness. Worst fucking customer I’ve ever had in my life? The shift manager on duty was a hard-ass and managed aggressively. He tried to run a tight shift but you can’t run a tight shift at Starbucks — it’s Starbucks. Well, a local homeless drug addict came in and got in line during our morning rush and wanted a free coffee. We were getting ready

to brew another batch so my instinct was to give him the free coffee and tell him to leave, that way he wouldn’t cause a scene. But the supervisor decided otherwise and told the man that either he paid upfront for the coffee or he needed to leave. The guy didn’t like that, so he went to the store’s restroom and came out a few minutes later with the biggest smile on his face. He glared at the supervisor, bought a coffee and left. Twenty minutes later the shift manager goes to the bathroom and comes back out looking like he had just seen a ghost. The guy basically took a dump in the middle of the bathroom floor. That was the grossest thing I’ve ever seen. I took over the rest of the shift and the shift manager went to go clean up the bathroom. The funniest thing I saw was when Farrakhan came, and he was surrounded by these huge guys and they ordered nothing but straight black coffee all around [laughs]. You meet a lot of celebrities, too. I’ve met Tom Arnold, Andy Dick, Mos Def and lots of local celebrities like reporters, judges and politicians. I didn’t care too much for politics then so I treated them normally. I hated frappuccino happy hours because you always had the most demanding customers with kids and they want something off the secret menu. I’m not looking for anything on a secret menu; if it’s a secret it’s still a secret to me, just tell me what’s in it. It seemed like we always had drug dealers come through and order the most non-gangsta drinks like strawberries and cream frappucinos extra sweet with extra whipped cream or caramel frappuccino with extra caramel drizzle and extra whip blended in, and they had the nerve to pay with change. I can clearly see the large wad of cash sitting in the car, but you paid with quarters and nickels? I hated employees who stole or pocketed tips because they felt like they had a hard shift and they deserved the extra money, I’m just not selfish like that, so it really annoyed me. But Starbucks is most definitely a family. Anybody I’ve ever worked with I still keep in contact with. My best friend still works there and we hang out all the time. I can still go into a store and be recognized by customers and employees. I know I can go back at anytime, I’ve been asked to multiple times and still do to this day, that’s why it’s important to maintain a good reputation. I would definitely go back to Starbucks if it paid more or if I could have my own franchise. I miss the faceto-face interaction and the environment. But it’s definitely not a job for people who aren’t friendly and don’t want to help people. After you leave you try to stay away from black polos and khakis for a while. I still can’t wear khakis. — as told to Kaya Herron

our 2015 season unmasked

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Why Would President Obama and Congress Make it Easier for the Chinese to Steal OUR INVENTIONS? America has been the cradle of innovation for over 200 years. However, right now, our Constitution and patent system are under attack by President Obama who is pushing for passage of H.R. 9, the so-called “Innovation Act” which poses a direct threat to the Constitutional protections in place for American inventions and intellectual property.

H.R. 9 Threatens America’s Intellectual Property By:

This bill has been endorsed by a Chinese state-controlled telecom giant because it would make it easier for them to continue raiding our wealth and property.

H.R. 9 changes U.S. patent law and threaten America’s private property protections. Weakening these protections will cost jobs and reduce America’s position as a global leader in innovation and discovery.

✘ Weakening existing U.S. patent laws. ✘ Stifling investment in new discoveries. ✘ Making it harder for patent holders to defend their inventions in court. ✘ Creating more costly litigation for inventors to protect their ideas.

Our Constitutional Property Rights Are Being Threatened. Call Congressman French Hill at 202-225-2506. Urge Him to Protect Our Constitutional Property Rights. Ask Him to Oppose H.R. 9. Paid for by American Conservative Union. For More Information On Patent Reform, Please Visit conservative.org www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

Arts Entertainment AND

Punk Science

A Q&A with Vision Control’s John Pugh.

BY WILL STEPHENSON

first encountered Little Rock native John Pugh — though I didn’t realize it at the time — on a song called “Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story),” which my older brother’s girlfriend put on a mix CD we listened to in approximately 2003. The band’s name was !!!, which I found equally frustrating and funny. Pugh, the band’s drummer, left the group after it had helped spearhead the New York dance-punk revival of the early aughts, and formed another band with Madeline Davy, Free Blood, which released its own brand of tense, wry, adventurous dance music via the highly regarded DFA Records. “There’s definitely a party aspect,” Pugh told New York Magazine of their music, “and probably a sex aspect as well.” His latest project, Vision Control, further explores the outer limits of future funk and mutant indie rock. He’ll be at Maxine’s in Hot Springs at 8 p.m. Thursday (with The Bloodless Cooties) and will play a record release show at the White Water Tavern at 9 p.m. Friday (with The Bloodless Cooties and The Alpha Ray).

In the last several years, you’ve gone from being in a band with several members (!!!) to being in a duo (Free Blood) and then now finally a solo project. It’s a clear antisocial trend. Is this deliberate? Yes, very deliberate. But not for antisocial reasons. Going solo could be construed as pro-social since I’m not creating within the bubble of the “group.” Instead I’ve tried to use Vision Control as an excuse to socialize and collaborate with friends and associates I admire and am inspired by, but who don’t necessarily have the time to commit to a full-on band experience. For my upcoming releases I got Arkansas expat Ryan Seaton (Soophie Nun Squad, Rainy Day Regatta, Callers and many more) to play and help arrange saxophones. I’m conspiring to build a whole sextet of saxophones using him as well as other players I know. This is no doubt involving a lot of healthy socializing. You’ve maintained a connection with Little Rock over the years,

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

A&E NEWS despite having moved away over a decade ago and having been part of other, more visible or celebrated music scenes since — you brought !!! to the Belvedere, contributed to the zine Fluke long after you left, continue to release music through Max Recordings and Fast Weapons, you’re playing a Thick Syrup Records showcase. What is it about Little Rock? I actually have only in the last few years reconnected with my Little Rock brethren after a decade of being absent. My folks moved to the U.K. in the late ’90s, and I was bouncing around on tour so I never had the chance to swing through town and see people and keep up with who was in what band and who was dating who and who had a baby with who, etc. I felt really out of the loop and took it for granted that Little Rock would always be there in exactly the same state I left it in (in 1997). Well, time has marched on and my folks moved back to town, so now I’m making up for lost time, I guess. Little Rock is, of course, very different, but the creative soil is so fertile that it is very familiar to find folks I know and some I’m just getting to know making noise that could only come from this town. It has always had a contradictory stripped-down/ everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style that I just love. Vision Control is definitely directly influenced by all my musical and personal experiences I had while living here. I feel really blessed to have the support of folks like Nathan [Howdeshell], Burt [Taggart], Matthew [Thompson], Travis [McElroy] and everyone else who has helped me reconnect and contribute something new to the mix. Even though I’ve been in N.Y.C. for nearly 15 years, I’m still an Arkansan, dammit! Here’s a partial, likely inaccurate list of Little Rock punk bands you were in, according to the Internet: Jet Jangua, Rat Fink a Boo Boo, Red Brigade, Uptown Prophets, Crown of Glory, No City No State, The Freshmakers, The Divine Hookup, Rebel Android, Third Sleeper Is the Brain, The

It’s funny to think of Towncraftera Little Rock as not particularly danceable, because we danced a lot! Ventilators, The Cutthroats, Basement Water Nightmare Band. How were you so prolific? Some of these sound fake. How was this possible? That list is quite accurate (there are a few you missed) and all those bands definitely existed in the real world (and a couple in conceptually based alternate dimensions). There was a period of time between 1991 and 1996 that I was learning how to play the drums and the guitar and the bass and the microphone as well as songwriting within the punk underground of Little Rock. Luckily I had friends around who were willing to both teach me what they knew and let me show them some of my weird ideas. That was what it was to be in a band at that time: playing for your friends (or soon-to-be friends), then listening to them play while inventing new ways of interacting via sonic politics. Plus a relatively sleepy Southern metropolis with an abundance of restless kids makes anything possible! Your first single as Vision Control, “Blaspheme Part I,” was billed as being “based on events that occurred at the Little Rock Riverfront Park between the years 1991 and 2992.” Care to elaborate? The downtown “business district” of Little Rock seemed to always be struggling post-suburbanization to “revitalize.” I grew up in the Quapaw Quarter, so I got to see firsthand these attempts. They paved Main Street and made it a walking plaza in the ’70s, which only seemed to attract the homeless and intrepid skate rats. Then they came up with the downtown mall in the ’80s, in which I spent a lot of time eating hot dogs and buying Far Side T-shirts, alone. Around that time they also created the River-

front Park, which was beautiful but I suspect was only fully experienced by most folks once a year during Riverfest. In the early ’90s it became evident that Vino’s was not interested in booking punk bands unless Fugazi or Green Day was in town, and we were running out of church basements and women’s city clubs to put on shows. So one night someone (who is that person, I wonder?) suggested we try going down to the Riverfront Park where the homeless and skate rats had migrated and plug into one of the outlets that were everywhere. It worked, and so we kept going back, either to the amphitheater or the Belvedere, and doing our thing, for the most part unnoticed. Again it was a very open and supportive atmosphere to create in. Everyone was valued and encouraged to contribute, if not musically then through a homemade zine or taking photos or making videos or giving out super-dollared sodas or just maintaining the peace and having fun. “Blaspheme Part I” is a mini-tribute to that era and all the eras that followed and shall follow into the deep future. I was trying to encapsulate the feeling you get when you are getting ready to go out and meet your friends (or just dive into a crowd of strangers) for a night that seems charged with possibility and destined for L.O.V.E. You’re known for making dance music, though it seems like the Towncraft-era Little Rock scene you were a part of wasn’t particularly danceable. Was there a Little Rock dance culture? It’s funny to think of Towncraftera Little Rock as not particularly danceable, because we danced a lot! Just not so much at shows. After Fugazi taught us to stop slam dancing, punks spent most shows clutching their arms in a perpetual slouch as a form of appreciation for a band. But after the show or on nights we were just bored we would be in the kitchen dancing to James Brown’s “20 Greatest Hits” or The Ventures or whatever Blues Explosion record had just come out. Still it took us a while to loosen up and figure out how to boogie to hardcore. Soophie CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD HAS reported that Little Rock native Jeff Nichols (“Mud,” “Take Shelter”) has settled on his next project, a film he wrote and will direct titled “Loving.” Inspired by the documentary “The Loving Story,” the film is to be based on the story of Mildred and Richard Loving, who instigated the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, which struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage — a case commemorated every year on June 12, Loving Day. The film will star Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. “I was struck by the simplicity of ‘The Loving Story,’ ” Nichols told Deadline, “and I hope to make this a painfully beautiful film.” Nichols completed another film last year, a sci-fi chase epic called “Midnight Special,” starring Adam Driver, Michael Shannon and Kirsten Dunst. That film is due to open Nov. 25. AT A PRESS CONFERENCE THIS week, the Central Arkansas Library System made a number of announcements about upcoming programming, including the summer film lineup for the Ron Robinson Theater. Its “Rewind” series continues with “Monty Python & the Holy Grail” (June 26); “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” (July 10), “Beetlejuice” (Aug. 14) and “Good Will Hunting” (Aug. 15). The new “Great Directors” series includes Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps” (June 27), Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Pt. 2” (July 11) and Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” (Aug. 15). The “Kid Flix” series includes “The Goonies” (June 27), “Song of the Sea” (July 11), and, for the week of July 26 through Aug. 1, the theater will screen all eight “Harry Potter” films — offering the whole Hogwarts experience, complete with butterbeer at the concession stand. CALS also announced the summer and fall lineup for its Arkansas Sounds monthly concert series. Iron Tongue plays July 17 with Adam Faucett and The Tall Grass; The John Bush Quintet performs Aug. 7; Runaway Planet on Sept. 4; there will be a tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe on Oct. 16 (featuring a screening of “The Godmother of Rock and Roll”); Jimmy Webb will perform Nov. 7 (presenting “The Glen Campbell Years”); The Cate Brothers Band will play Nov. 20, and the Arkansas Sounds Holiday Concert will be Dec. 11, featuring the Dave Rosen Big Band and the Maumelle High School Jazz Band. www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

SORGHUM

You probably already know that Sorghum flour is gluten-free, but did you know that sorghum flour has fewer calories, three times the fiber and twice the protein as other refined white flours? Health Benefits of Gluten-Free Sorghum: • High nutritional value (high fiber and protein, low calorie)

General rule of thumb when baking with Sorghum or other non-gluten flours:

• More antioxidants than blueberries and pomegranates

1. For cookies, replace 1 cup of wheat flour with 7/8 cup sorghum flour + 1/8 cup coconut flour.

• Can reduce the risk of colon and skin cancer more than other grains

2. For Brownies, make it 3/4 cup sorghum flour + 1/4 cup coconut flour.

• Promote cardiovascular health and aids in blood sugar control

Popped Sorghum

• Improve cholesterol levels • Promote digestive health (gluten-free) • Increase energy levels • A serving of sorghum provides 58% of your daily copper requirement and 28% of your recommended daily magnesium intake.

Just as with popcorn, the moisture in sorghum kernels can swell when heated, making the kernel pop into a tasty snack.

Sorghum’s natural attributes make it possible to enjoy deliciously healthful and gluten-free versions of some of America’s favorite foods PHOTO COURTESY OFLISAISCOOKING.BLOGSPOT.COM 22

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Artisanal Sorghum Bread INGREDIENTS

2 cups sweet white sorghum flour ½ cup potato starch ½ cup sweet white rice flour 1 ½ teaspoon xanthan gum 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 packet active dry yeast (.28 ounces or 8 grams) 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 eggs ½ cup warm club soda (or as much as is needed to wet the bread)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200°. Put all the dry ingredients into the bowl or your stand mixer. Turn on the mixer and combine the flours and other dry ingredients well. Turn it off. 2. Add the white wine vinegar and keep the machine running. Add the eggs, one at a time, and allow the mixer to beat them into the dry ingredients, on low speed. After you have added all the eggs, pour in the club soda, in a slow drizzle. Pour in only as much as is needed to wet all the ingredients completely and combine this into a dough. Turn the oven off, immediately. 3. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and stir the dough on medium speed for three to four minutes. After those three to four minutes, turn

off the mixer and transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. 4. Put the bowl into the oven, which will be warm, but not actively heating. Allow it to stay in there for forty-five minutes. It will not have risen much, at this point. Just a bit. It is gluten-free, after all. There is no gluten to push along that rising. Accept that. 5. Take the bowl out of the oven and put it on the stovetop. Turn the oven up to 500°. Put a cast-iron pot, large enough to hold the bread, into the oven. A cast-iron dutch oven with an enamel surface is probably ideal. But any large pot or pan will do, as long as it has a lid. Leave the dutch oven in the 500° heat for half an hour. Meanwhile, the dough will be doing its small rising on the stove. 6. After half an hour, take the dutch oven out of the oven, carefully. Without worrying too much about the perfect shape, transfer the wet dough into the hot dutch oven. Put the lid on and push the dutch oven back into the oven, immediately. 7. Set your timer for thirty minutes. Do not turn down the heat. Allow the bread to cook in there, with the lid on, for the entire thirty minutes. By the end, it will really smell like fresh-baked bread. Take the pot out of the oven, take the lid off the pot, and voilå a lumpy, wonderfully crusted loaf of gluten-free bread. Allow it to cool for ten minutes, then cut right into it. 8. You can also use this dough and technique for any number of variations. For olive bread, put ½ cup chopped kalamata olives into the dough. For rosemary bread, add one tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary into the dough, the sprinkle thick crystals of sea salt on the top of the bread before baking. Be creative and do what you love. www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

Easy Shrimp & Chicken Paella INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ cup dry white wine ¾ teaspoon saffron threads 2 teaspoons salt 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika (also known as Pimento Dulce) 1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 6 extra-large shrimps heads and shells on 2 large chicken breasts cut into 6 pieces 4 ounces ¼ -inch-thick slices fully cooked smoked Spanish chorizo 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil 1 ½ cups chopped onion 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups pearled white sorghum grain 7 cups chicken broth (If using whole grain, use 9 cups of broth) 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice ¼ cup coarsely chopped roasted red peppers from jar ½ cup frozen green peas, thawed Lime or lemon wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, mix white wine and saffron threads; set aside. Combine salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper in small bowl; rub spice mixture all over shrimp and chicken. Heat heavy large skillet or a paella pan over medium heat. 24

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

PHOTO COURTESY OF COFFEEANDCRUMPETS.COM

2. Sauté chorizo until fat begins to render and sausage browns, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer chorizo to a plate. Add olive oil to skillet. 3. Add shrimps and cook 30 seconds each side. Transfer to plate with chorizo. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with chorizo and shrimps. 4. Add chopped onion. Cook until translucent, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add WONDERGRAIN sorghum and stir to coat. Add wine-saffron mixture and bring to a quick boil on high, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil on high for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover with lid. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in roasted red peppers and browned chorizo. 5. Place chicken and shrimps atop mixture in skillet (You may add drippings from the bowl to the skillet for added flavor). Reduce heat to medium low. 6. Cover skillet tightly. Cook paella until WONDERGRAIN is tender with a bite and the chicken is completely cooked, about 15 minutes. Dish should be moist, not dry. 7. Transfer chicken and shrimps to plate. Stir sorghum (grain should be soft with a pleasant bite); add green peas and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Return chicken and shrimps to skillet, nestling into rice. Cover. Cook until peas are ready, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn heat to high for 30 to 40 seconds until you can smell the sorghum toast at the bottom (Be careful not to burn it!). Now you are ready to enjoy your paella with a twist!

Sorghum Pancakes INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups sorghum flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 3 tsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup powdered buttermilk 3 Tbls butter, melted 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil and

water; add to dry ingredients and mix just until well blended. Heat a large skillet or griddle over med-low heat. 2. Spray the pan with cooking oil. 3. Wet your fingertips under the faucet and shake them over the hot griddle. If the water droplets “ sizzle ,” the heat is right to begin making the pancakes. For large cakes pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan; for small, use 2 T of batter. 4. Cook until bubbles form on the top; flip and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200° oven while making the rest of the pancakes.

www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

PUNK SCIENCE, CONT. Nun Squad definitely helped. Now it seems like the parameters are wide open and punk is less repressed. I definitely consider Vision Control dance music, although it is conspicuously drum-less. I am obsessed with repetition and polyrhythm and wanted to see if I could create a maximal musical landscape using only a minimum of elements (guitar, voice, feedback, pedals). The result is hopefully something you can move to. Not for the dance club necessarily but maybe for a house party in your kitchen .... What is the Deep Stomp Radio Hour and, more importantly, what is the 24-Hour Sound Room? The Deep Stomp Radio Hour is an online radio show I started this year that can be heard at mixcloud.com/ deepstomp. It is music that I have found speaks to me on a spiritual level. Much of it existed in the 20th century, manifesting in a variety of styles such as psychotronic bop, boogie fuzz and first-wave trash. It is definitely built for both the dance club and the kitchen. The 24-Hour Sound Room is a project I am working on that consists of a free-standing room that has speakers of varying sizes embedded in the walls, ceiling and floor. The idea is that sound wave frequencies are fed into the room, creating a sonic environment for the body rather than the ears. I’ve had some profound experiences at really loud punk shows and really loud dance clubs that have awakened me to the physical presence of sound. It started me thinking about the possibility of music as pure vibration and what kind of impact that has on us as humans. To titillate, to nauseate, to torture, to massage, to debilitate ... The first phase of this project is Vibrational Drum Tests, which Vision Control has been performing live as a kind of primer in pure vibrational music. The evolution of this project is posted on my blog (24hoursoundroom.tumblr.com). I encourage anyone interested in the details to check it out. And especially if there are folks who have expertise in acoustics, speaker-building, woodworking, sound art installation, etc. I would love to hear from you. I am operating in a field I refer to as “punk science,” in that everything I am doing is based on what I have taught myself in cramped practice spaces full of speakers. I unfortunately have no formal training. 26

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

BEYOND GENDER

Little Rock photographer’s ‘Transcending Gender’ series seeks the essence of transgender lives. BY DAVID KOON

riginally from McAlester, Okla., photographer Rhys Harper started taking pictures in 2003, after he found his dad’s old camera and “kind of fell in love with the sound of the shutter.” Transgender himself, Harper — who relocated to Little Rock from New York last year to be closer to family — has long wanted to do a portrait series about transgender lives, and finally found the time and wherewithal to make it happen in January 2014. Since then, Harper has shot portraits of over 110 transgender Americans from coast to coast for his “Transcending Gender Project,” including dozens of photos taken on an epic, self-financed road trip last fall that took him from New York to L.A. and back again. To help offset the considerable costs of the project, Harper shoots portrait photography (visit seniorsbyrhys. com for more info), and has set up a GoFundMe page so people can donate toward travel expenses and a desperately needed new camera. You can find a link to contribute to the project and see more photos from the series at the Transcending Gender Project website, transcendinggender.org. What are you trying to capture when you take these portraits? A lot of people say: “Oh, your pictures are about gender.” That’s actually not true at all. The portraits themselves are

really about people who just happen to have these life experiences. My goal is to go beyond gender and really celebrate these peoples’ lives beyond those identities. We see a lot of talk in the news and transgender is a hot topic right now. You see a lot of people asking questions about surgeries and bodies and physically what makes a trans person. I really wanted to get beyond that. It does tend to go “below the belt” when the media talks about trans people. I’ve been guilty of that myself, but I am a reformed sinner. [Laughs] You know, I think that’s people in general. I think people are very fascinated with sex in the world. I think it’s just this curiosity: these people who we don’t necessarily understand. But we’re doctors, we’re lawyers, we’re students, we’re parents. We’re all of these things and more. I basically wanted to create this shared human experience with people who are not trans, so they could look at these portraits and say: “Oh wow. I’m actually not that different from this person. We actually have something in common.” Being transgender yourself, has the project changed your mind about gender? Not me personally. It’s not that it’s changed my mind about gender, but I sort of think there are things that are

more important to focus on. It has created a new way for me to see things. It’s not that I have new or different ideas, it’s just that I’ve been able to see a new perspective. Myself, being someone who was born female, but who completely identifies as male, that’s my personal experience. But there are a lot of people who don’t identify as either [gender]. We feel like we’re forced into these boxes. People like this idea of black or white, yes or no, this or that. It’s hard for people to accept someone that doesn’t fall into one of those places. A lot of these portraits were shot in “Flyover Country” — Arkansas, Colorado, Utah, Wisconsin — Middle America. Why was it important for you to get out away from the coasts? When trans topics [first] started being seen in the news, you got a lot of stories about Big City people. I grew up in McAlester, Okla., so that’s not my experience. One of my favorite portraits, one that really resonates with me, is the kid I photographed in Oklahoma holding the gun. That’s the shared experience I want to create. … I wanted to show that that kid, Chris, he has things in common with his small community. That’s an identity he can share with those people. So I’m really just trying to create that shared experience so maybe people can see: “Hey, we’re not so different after all.”

TRANSCENDING: (Clockwise from top left) Aiden, Tracy, Chris and Andrea. (Opposite page) Rhys Harper.

Want to see more stories like this? Help us startup Out in Arkansas, a daily, LGBT-focused publication. Go to: arktimes.com/outinark www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY WILL STEPHENSON

THURSDAY 6/25

A CELEBRATION OF GRAHAM GORDY 5 p.m. South on Main. $50.

Arkansas native Graham Gordy honed his interest in writing and filmmaking at UCA in the late ’90s before pursuing an M.F.A. in dramatic writing at New York University. Since then he has worked as an assistant to Mike Myers (later cowriting Myers’ 2008 film “The Love Guru”), a writer on Ray McKinnon’s

Sundance drama “Rectify” and, maybe most impressively, a columnist for the Arkansas Times, where he wrote coruscating columns with titles like “America is delicious” and “An argument in favor of drinking.” A few years ago he came close to selling a series about college football to AMC called “The Wreck,” but it was another idea that finally hit, a show called “Quarry.” A 1970s period piece about a Vietnam vet

who returns home to Memphis after the war, “Quarry” is based on novels by Max Allan Collins and is filming this summer. “This last decade has been sort of a scrambled rewind of the 1970s — an unwanted war, a really terrible recession, and a lot of apathy and anger,” Gordy said of the show in a 2013 interview with the Times. “A big part of this show for us is asking the question in every episode: ‘Am I a man, or a

monster?’ ” The nonprofit Arkansas Motion Picture Institute’s benefit Thursday will celebrate Gordy and his series’ being picked for an eight-episode first season by Cinemax. The party will feature cocktails and appetizers; all proceeds will go to the AMPI, which provides “leadership in film education, while supporting growth and excellence in film, television and digital media.”

annual Arkansas New Play Festival and is bringing the event to Little Rock this weekend for one day only. On Saturday, the company will stage readings of two of the new productions being workshopped this

year. First up, at 2 p.m., is “Dust” by Arkansas native Qui Nguyen. The story of an Asian-American teenager who goes looking for her ex-G.I. father, it’s been described as “blending live hip-hop, raw emotion and

wry wit.” At 7 p.m., the company will present “Uncle,” a new comedy about “an academic sabbatical gone terribly awry” by Lee Blessing, an author who has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award.

SATURDAY 6/25

ARKANSAS NEW PLAY FESTIVAL

2 p.m., 7 p.m. Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Free.

Fayetteville theater company TheatreSquared is the midst of its

‘A BOY’S BEST FRIEND’: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” will be screened at the Ron Robinson Theater 7 p.m. Saturday, $5.

SATURDAY 6/27

‘PSYCHO’

7 p.m. Ron Robinson Theater. $5.

A few days after the Soviet Union launched the first dog into outer space, in November 1957, the owner of a small hardware store in Plainfield, Wis., disappeared. The last receipt she’d written, the police noticed, was for a gallon of antifreeze sold to a local handyman 28

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

named Ed Gein. The police searched Gein’s farm and discovered the woman’s body hung upside down in a shed, decapitated. There were bones in the house. Chairs covered in human skin, skulls on bedposts. Under questioning, Gein admitted that he occasionally exhumed graves; among other reasons, he said, so that he could “become his mother.” Ed Gein — this one shy,

lonely, deranged person — would go on to directly inspire what are arguably the three most famous horror films ever made: “The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and, first of them all, “Psycho.” A masterpiece of pacing, narrative misdirection and dreamlike horror, “Psycho” is the darkest and most unsettling realization of Hitchcock’s maxim that “films should

be stronger than reason.” A film about watching and lying, quicksand and taxidermy, women in trouble. It remade horror cinema in its own image, prefiguring the slasher genre and frightening generations of kids into showering with their eyes open. “I was directing the viewers,” Hitchcock later told the filmmaker Francois Truffaut. “You might say I was playing them, like an organ.”

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 6/25

SUNDAY 6/29

CIVIL RIGHTS BARNSTORMING TOUR 1 p.m. Lamar Porter Field. Free.

Philadelphia-based youth baseball team The Anderson Monarchs are stopping in Little Rock this weekend as part of its Civil Rights Barnstorming Tour, which has been covered by the New York Times. Under the guidance of Coach Steve Bandura,

the team is visiting 21 sites significant to the civil rights movement — including the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala.; Medgar Evers’ house in Jackson, Miss., and our own Central High School. The team is led by an already famous 13-year-old female pitcher named Mo’ne Davis, who made the cover of Sports Illustrated last year after pitching a shutout at the majority-

REBEL RAP FAMILY: Geto Boys perform at Juanita’s 9 p.m. Wednesday, $20.

WEDNESDAY 7/1

GETO BOYS

9 p.m. Juanita’s. $20.

The classic lineup of Houston rap group Geto Boys — and also the current lineup — consists of Willie D, a boxing prodigy turned newspaper advice columnist; Bushwick Bill, a oneeyed, born-again Jamaican dwarf; and Scarface, who is generally considered

one of the best, most respected and accomplished rappers of all time. They were brought together by an ambitious boxing manager and record label CEO named J Prince — Jan. 30 is now officially “James Prince Day” in Houston — who gambled the financial security of his upstart label on the commercial success of this incarnation’s first

male Little League World Series. The team — which is traveling over 4,000 miles on a bus dating from 1947, the year Jackie Robinson made his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers — will be hosted here in town by the Little Rock chapter of Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas.

The Arkansas Travelers play the Springfield Cardinals at Dickey-Stephens Park 7:10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 6:10 p.m. Sunday, $6-$12. Comedian Rajun Cajun John Morgan is at the Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m., $7 (and at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $10). Baltimore death metal band Noisem plays at Stickyz with House of Lightning, Madman Morgan and Colour Design at 8 p.m., $10. The Black Music Month Celebration Concert, featuring Grammy Award-winning artists and a tribute to Michael Jackson, is at the Ron Robinson Theater 8 p.m., $35.

FRIDAY 6/26 album, “Grip It! On That Other Level.” It was a success. Largely for dull reasons — violent lyrics, etc. — the group became a cultural phenomenon, the biggest Southern Rap group since 2 Live Crew. Except 2 Live Crew didn’t say things in interviews like “life is pain, and pain is everywhere.” When a writer from Spin Magazine asked Bushwick Bill in 1990 what sort of life expectancy they looked forward to, given their lifestyle and locale (Houston’s Fifth Ward), he replied, “We’re dead already.” This wasn’t true, of course, and thanks to singles like “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” and “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta,” they have endured in the popular imagination. I mostly return to the group for its solo albums these days — not only Scarface’s epochal “The Diary,” but also Willie D’s politically charged “I’m Goin’ Out Lika Soldier” and Bill’s recklessly underrated “Phantom of the Rapra” — though the group has recorded good music together as recently as 2005’s “The Foundation” (featuring the heartbreaking maturity-rap single “I Tried”). Scarface also released a memoir, “Diary of a Madman,” this year. “I came from the least of the least and I’ve had the most of the most,” he writes in the introduction. “I’m the pain and the progress, the sadness and the celebration, the dream and the nightmare.”

Little Rock native (and former member of !!! and Free Blood) John Pugh’s new solo project Vision Control performs at the White Water Tavern with The Bloodless Cooties and The Alpha Ray, 9 p.m. Randal Shreve and The Devilles play at Stickyz, 9 p.m., $6. Carson McHone and StrangeFellas perform at Vino’s, 9 p.m., $7. “Monty Python and The Holy Grail” screens at the Ron Robinson Theater, 10 p.m., $5.

SATURDAY 6/27 The 1985 kid-adventure classic “The Goonies” screens at the Ron Robinson Theater, 2 p.m., $5. Revolution hosts Vanapalooza 2, a benefit for homeless outreach nonprofit project The Van, featuring Whoa Dakota, The Federalis, The Wildflowers, Isaac Alexander and Saint Thomas, 8 p.m., $10. The Artosphere Festival Orchestra presents “Bold Spirit: The Best of Beethoven” at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, 8 p.m., $10. Memphis band James and The Ultrasounds comes to Maxine’s in Hot Springs with punk band Ten High. “American Idol” Season 10 winner Scott McCreery performs at Magic Springs in Hot Springs at 8 p.m., $54.99. Pageant, Jordan Morgan Lansdowne and Matt Davis are at Juanita’s at 9 p.m., $8. Trophy Boyfriends, Ezra Lbs and Ginsu Wives play a Thick Syrup Records showcase at the White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m.

TUESDAY 6/30 The 1960 West German film “Horrors of Spider Island” (best known for being featured on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”) screens at Vino’s, 7:30 p.m., free. The Joint in Argenta has Stand-up Tuesday, hosted by Adam Hogg, 8 p.m., $5. Austin Lucas returns to the White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

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.

Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. NW Arkansas Food Festival. Walmart AMP, 6 p.m., sold out. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479-443-5600. www.arkansasmusicpavilion.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25

FILM

MUSIC

Ace’s Wild (headliner), Smokey (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Arkansas River Blues Society Thursday Jam. Revolution, 7 p.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/ new. Black Music Month Celebration Concert. Ron Robinson Theater, 8 p.m., $35. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ron-robinsontheater.aspx. Finger Food. The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $10. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. House of Lightning, Noisem, Wrong, Madman Morgan, Colour Design. Revolution, 8 p.m., $7. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/ new. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. 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. Marvin Berry, Riverbottom Debutante. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.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. Senor Tequila, 7-9 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 7:30 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

The Rajun Cajun John Morgan. The Loony Bin, through June 27, 7:30 p.m., $7. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

A Celebration of Graham Gordy. South on Main, 5 p.m., $50. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. NW Arkansas Food Festival. Walmart AMP, 6 p.m., sold out. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479-443-5600. www.arkansasmusicpavilion.com.

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m.; June 28, 6:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26 JUNE 25, 2015

SPORTS

VANAPALOOZA: Nashville’s Whoa Dakota play a benefit for nonprofit homeless outreach project The Van at Revolution along with The Federalis, The Wildflowers, Isaac Alexander and Saint Thomas, 8 p.m. Saturday, $10.

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Big John Miller (headliner), Steve Boyster (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Carson McHone, StrangeFellas. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $7. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. Dance night, with DJs, drink specials and bar menu, until 2 a.m. 1620 Savoy, 10 p.m. 1620 Market St. 501-2211620. www.1620savoy.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Randall Shreve and The Devilles. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $6. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com. Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W Capitol Ave.

Vision Control, The Alpha Ray, The Bloodless Cooties. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

COMEDY

“HOGNADO!” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. The Rajun Cajun John Morgan. The Loony Bin, through June 27, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.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, first and third Friday of every month, 7:30 p.m.; Fourth Friday of every month, 7:30 p.m., $5. 3520 JFK Blvd., NLR. arkansascountrydance.org. “Salsa Night.” Begins with a one-hour salsa lesson. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. Diverse Youth for

A M R E A I Y V A I R DISCOVER REAL MEXICAN FOOD

MENTION THIS AD FOR

SPORTS

“Monty Python and The Holy Grail.” Ron Robinson Theater, 10 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ron-robinsontheater.aspx.

ARKANSAS TIMES

15% OFF

SATURDAY, JUNE 27

MUSIC

Bold Spirit: The Best of Beethoven. Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $10. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. See June 26. Colbie Caillat. Walmart AMP, 8:30 p.m., sold out. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479-443-5600. www.arkansasmusicpavilion.com. James and The Ultrasounds, Ten High. Maxine’s. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.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. Pageant, Jordan Morgan Lansdowne, Matt Davis. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.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. RCO (headliner), Some Guy Named Robb (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Scotty McCreery. Magic Springs’ Timberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., $54.99. 1701 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs. Sundy Best, Elise Davis. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $10. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com. Terminus. Vino’s, 8 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-3758466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Trophy Boyfriends, Ezra Lbs., Ginsu Wives. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Whoa Dakota, The Federalis, The Wildflowers, Isaac Alexander, Saint Thomas. Revolution, 8 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new.

COMEDY

YOUR MEAL

Not Valid With Any Other Offer, Alcohol Or Tax

801 FAIR PARK BLVD. LITTLE ROCK • 501-663-4800

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m.; June 28, 6:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

1217 FERGUSON DR., SUITE 1 BENTON • 501-776-4140

“HOGNADO!” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. The Rajun Cajun John Morgan. The Loony Bin,

7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

EVENTS

TUESDAY, JUNE 30

FILM

Austin Lucas. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. 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. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads. Fashion Arena Expo. Statehouse Convention Center, 2 p.m., $10-$50. 7 Statehouse Plaza. 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. Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 31: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. 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.

“The Goonies.” Ron Robinson Theater, 2 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib. ar.us/ron-robinson-theater.aspx. “Psycho.” Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ ron-robinson-theater.aspx.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m.; June 28, 6:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-6641555. www.travs.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

MUSIC

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.

EVENTS

Artist for Recovery. A secular recovery group for people with addictions. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana. Civil Rights Barnstorming Tour. Lamar Porter Field, 1 p.m., free. 3200 W. 7th St. 501-371-4510. Little Rock Full Figure Fashion Weekend. UALR, 6 p.m., $25. 2801 S. University Ave. 501-569-8977.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield. DickeyStephens Park, 6:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs. com.

MONDAY, JUNE 29

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.

MUSIC

All American Food & Great Place to Party On The Patio!

COMEDY

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

DANCE

“Latin Night.” Juanita’s, 7:30 p.m., $7. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

Heifer Hour. Heifer Village, 11 a.m., free. 1 World Ave. 501-376-6836. heifer.org/heifervillage. Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market Pavilions, through Aug. 25: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock.

FILM

“Horrors of Spider Island.” Vino’s, 7:30 p.m., free. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Arkansas Dirt Boys. South on Main, 7:30 p.m., free. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Drageoke with Chi Chi Valdez. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Geto Boys, Yung Nino. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $20. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.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.

ViNO’S

SEVENTH&CHESTER

501-375-VINO ALWAYS ALL AGES

FRIDAY JUNE 26

| McHone (Austin TX) |

| w/ StrangeFellas (MO) | SATURDAY JUNE 27 | Terminus | TUESDAY JUNE 30

| Vino’s Brew Pub Cinema | | presents |

| “Horrors of Spider Island” | HAPPY HOUR FROM 4-6 P.M. DAILY

www.vinosbrewpub.com www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

Pixar goes emo

MOVIE REVIEW

AFTER DARK, CONT. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 7:30 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

DANCE

‘Inside Out’ sad and joyful.

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.

BY DAVID RAMSEY

new Pixar movie! In the dog days of summer blockbusters, this counts as a genuine event. The latest entry from the animation studio is “Inside Out,” and if it doesn’t quite find the transcendent narrative register of Pixar’s best films, it’s still a delightful success: an imaginative romp through the workings of the human mind, full of clever gags and wacko visual stunners, not to mention a genuinely moving meditation on memory. “Inside Out” is a joyful tearjerker, a dichotomy that serves as the film’s theme. If that theme can be a bit heavy-handed, well, the ride is so much fun that even the schmaltz hits a sweet spot. The film follows Riley, a cheerful 11-year-old girl suddenly facing the first major bummer of her young life when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco (hey, some people like Minnesota!). Or, it sort of follows Riley: Much of the movie is spent inside her head, where her emotions are anthropomorphized into cute, color-coordinated characters guiding Riley’s actions. There’s Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger (with some nifty type-casting: chirpy Amy Poehler of “Parks and Recreation” voices the Joy character; grumpy comedian Lewis Black voices Anger). These five work together and everyone wants what’s best for Riley, but sometimes one of them takes control — jumpy Anger grabs the reins when Riley gets upset at her best friend back in Minnesota; snippy Disgust takes charge when her parents try to feed baby Riley broccoli. This is precisely the same concept, by the way, featured in a mildly amusing 1990s liveaction sitcom called “Herman’s Head” that apparently I was the only one to watch. The difference here is that Pixar’s animation wizards allow the concept to blossom with wild, psychedelic possibility. The film tracks two parallel storylines. We follow various mundane downers of Riley’s life: She cries at her first day of school, she struggles at her hockey tryout, she squabbles with her parents. Meanwhile, the feelings “Inside” (of Riley’s 32

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

FILM

Movies in the Park: “Sherlock Holmes.” First Security Amphitheater, 8:35 p.m., free. 400 President Clinton Ave.

POETRY

IN CONTROL?: The emotions of an 11-year-old girl take shape.

head, or brain, or soul, or however you want to look at it) operate in a universe rendered as an intricate and complex factory. The action begins in headquarters, where the five feelings operate the control panel (with a limited understanding of how to control things, one of the film’s nice allegorical touches). Glowing orbs of memory color-matched with an emotion are created and stored; the special ones are preserved as “core memories” at HQ while the rest get shipped off to longterm memory at the end of each day. For happy young Riley, that mostly means joyful memories, but after the move, Joy finds that she’s losing ground to her fellow Feelings. The way that feelings control us, or don’t, gives “Inside Out” plenty to work with in exploring the ups and downs of growing up. But the juicy stuff comes when Joy and Sadness end up leaving headquarters, getting sent out into Riley’s consciousness via the chute to long-term memory. High-concept riffing and emo gags abound. They try to hitch a ride on a literal train of thought. “Mind workers” dispose of memories Riley no longer uses — piano lessons go to the dump, but they save “Chopsticks” — and continually send up an advertising jingle to headquarters as a prank, so Riley can’t get the song out of her head. The film caroms loopily between brainy concepts and cartoon goofs. There are adventures with the subconscious (“where they take all the trouble makers”), abstract thought, inductive reasoning and non-objective fragmentation. There’s also a trip to Imagination Land, with a forest made of french

fries, plus a Hollywood-style studio where the prima donna Rainbow Unicorn stars in Riley’s dreams. Turning consciousness into a surreal theme park is just about the ideal platform for Pixar’s smart, puckish noodling. But the film doesn’t settle for quips and capers. Riley’s imaginary friend who cries tears of delicious candy is a hoot, but watching him get left behind in the dump, the vast depository of forgotten memories, is genuinely heartbreaking. For all of its whimsy, “Inside Out” is focused on difficult emotional terrain. Identity, family, loss, depression, growing up. The dangers of feelings running too hot — or shutting down. In its treatment of the emotionally tricky business of being a human being, whether 11 or any other age, “Inside Out” is anything but cartoonish. A dinner scene with Riley and her parents hilariously jumps around “Inside” of them, too: (Sadness is the head honcho in Mom’s head, while Anger is the top dog in Dad’s), and we are reminded of how difficult it can be to communicate with the people we love, stuck with the noisy feelings in our own heads. If I have one nit to pick, the storytelling “Out” of the heads — of Riley and her family’s lives — is a bit flat. The film has a lot to say about human feelings, but less to say about the feelings of the humans depicted in the film. That said, let’s talk about our feelings: When Joy and Sadness realize how they have to work together, I felt a rush of precisely that blue warmth. In a film full of dazzling feats, that has to stand as its best trick.

Wednesday Night Poetry. 21-and-older show. Maxine’s, 7 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909. maxineslive.com/shows. html.

ARTS

THEATER

“The Addams Family: A New Musical.” The Weekend Theater, through June 28: Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m., $20. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org. “As You Like It.” Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, through June 26, 2 p.m.; Sat., June 27, 10 a.m., $10. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “Fiddler on the Roof.” Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Sat., June 27, 7:30 p.m., $28. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “The Merchant of Venice.” Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Sat., June 27, 2 p.m.; Sun., June 28, 2 p.m., $28. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Argenta Farmers Market, June 25-26, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., June 28, 7:30 p.m., $15. 6th and Main St., NLR. 501-831-7881. www. argentaartsdistrict.org/argenta-farmers-market. TheatreSquared New Play Fest. Readings of “Dust” by Qui Nguyen and “Uncle” be Lee Blessing. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Sat., June 27, 2 and 7 p.m., free. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.therep.org. TheatreSquared’s 2015 Arkansas New Play Festival. Walton Arts Center, through June 28, $40. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479443-5600.

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS New shows in bold-face GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Magic Realism,” works by Glennray Tutor, John Hartley, Richard Jolley and others. 664-2787. L&L BECK ART GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Go West, Young Man,” through June 30; “The Wild Ones,” July exhibition, free giclee drawing 7 p.m. July 16. 660-4006. LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St., NLR:

“Spirited: Prohibition in America,” through Aug. 7. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 758-1720. LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA BRANCH, 420 Main St., NLR:Illustrations and cartoons by Kory Sanders. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 758-1720. M2 GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road: “Mikesell and EMILE,” new paintings by Michelle Mikesell and Jennifer Freeman; also work by V.L. Cox, Bryan Frazier, Spencer Zahm and others, reception 6-9 p.m. June 28. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 225-6257. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, 501 W. Ninth St.: Arkansas Arts Council public forum on the arts, 1:30-4 p.m. June 26, reserve seats at 501-324-9766 or faye@arkansasheritage.org. NORTH LITTLE ROCK HISTORY COMMISSION, 506 Main St., NLR: “Give Our Regards to Broadway,” photographic history of the bridge, also photos by Greg Davis. 371-0755. BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way: “Art Talk: The Outsider in American Art,” with Zev Slurzberg, 1-2 p.m. June 27; “American Encounters: The Simple Pleasures of Still Life,” 10 still life paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries from the High Museum, the Terra Foundation, the Louvre and the Crystal Bridges collection, through Sept. 14; “Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish,” 20 color plates based on the original watercolors by sporting artist Samuel Kilbourne, through Sept. 21; American masterworks spanning four centuries. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed., Fri.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun., closed Tue. 479-418-5700.

CALL FOR ENTRIES The Arkansas Arts Council is accepting applications from performing, literary or visual artist who would like to join the Arts in Education Artist Roster. Call Cynthia Haas at 324-9769 or email Cynthia@arkansasheritage.org for more information. Deadline is July 10. The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is accepting entries for a show themed “Man versus Machine: The Art of Expression and the Wired World” to run July 31 to Nov. 1. Deadline is July 1. Submissions should be sent to FS RAM, 1601 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith 72901. Call 479-784-2787. The Arkansas Arts Council is seeking submissions for the juried “2016 Small Works on Paper Exhibition.” Juror Kati Toivanen of the University of Missouri-Kansas City will select entries and purchase award winners. The show travels to 10 venues across the state. Deadline to enter is July 24. Entry forms are available at www.arkansasarts.org or by calling 501-324-9766; for more information call Cheri Leffew at 501-324-9767.

CONTINUING GALLERY EXHIBITS

ARGENTA GALLERY, 413 A-B Main St., NLR: “The Mom Series,” photographs by Lali Khalid, “A” side, through July 10; Arkansas League of Artists’ “Spring Members Show,” “B” side, through June 30. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 2255600. ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “54th Young Artists Exhibition,” art by Arkansas students grades K-12, through July 26; “30 Americans,” works by African American artists from the Rubell Collection, through June 21;

“Humble Hum: Rhythm of the Potter’s Wheel,” recent work by resident artist Ashley Morrison, Museum School Gallery, through June 21. 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. GROUP, 200 River Market Ave., Suite 400: “Southern Curiosities,” work by Diane Harper, Dominique Simmons and Barbara Satterfield, through June 26. 374-9247. ART GROUP GALLERY, Pleasant Ridge Town Center, 11525 Cantrell Road: “grow garden grow,” ceramics by Karen Hamilton, also work by gallery members. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-6 p.m. Sun. 690-2193. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “State Youth Art Show 2015: An Exhibition by Arkansas Art Educators”; “Human Faces & Landscapes: Paintings by Sui Hoe Khoo,” Butler Center West Gallery, through July 25; “White River Memoirs,” artwork collected by canoist and photographer Chris Engholm along the White, Concordia Hall, through July 25; “A Different State of Mind,” exhibition by the Arkansas Society of Printmakers, Loft Gallery, through June 27. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “The Quiet Hours,” paintings by John Wooldridge, through July 10; also paintings by Carol Cumbo Roberts and David Mudrinich. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: “And then, I … ,” ceramic installation by Barbara Satterfield, 3rd Floor Gallery, through June 27. 918-3090. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Plein Air Painters of Arkansas,” work by Victoria Harvey, Clarence Cash, Tom Herrin, Greg Lahti, Sean LeCrone, John Wooldridge and Diana Shearon, through June 30. CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880. GALLERY 221, 221 W. 2nd St.: “ZEITGEIST,” work by David Bailin, Guy Bell, Elizabeth Bogard, Taimur Cleary, Amy Edgington, Tracy Hamlin, Kimberly Kwee, Mathew Lopas, Brian Madden, Victorial Gomez Mayol, Kasten Searles, Kat Wilson and Craig Wynn, through July 4. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sat. 8010211. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: New work by Robert Bean and Stephen Cefalo, through July 11. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996. GINO HOLLANDER GALLERY, 2nd and Center: Paintings and works on paper by Gino Hollander. 801-0211. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR, and HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: National Silverpoint Invitational 2015 “Drawing with Silverpoint,” through June 27, works by Sherry Camhy, Jeannine Cook, Lori Field, Marietta Hoferer, Michael Kukla, Jeffrey Lewis, Tom Mazzullo, Susan Schwalb, Aj Smith and Marjorie Williams-Smith. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave: “Page Turners: Original Illustrations and Prints by Bryan Collier,” through June 22. 372-6822. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM GALLERIES, 200 E. 3rd St.: “Heather Condren and Miranda Young,” repurposed books by Condren, linocuts and ceramics by Young,” through Aug. 9; “(Everyday) Interpretations: Cindy Arsaga, Joe Morzuch and Adam Posnak,” through Aug. 9; “Suggin Territory: The Marvelous World of Folklorist Josephine Graham,” through Nov. 29. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351.

GROW grow LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

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CELEBRATING

THIRTY

YEARS

OF KING

BISCUIT B LU E S

F E ST I VA L OCTOBER 7-10, 2015 / HELENA, AR

KingBiscuitFestival.com 870.572.5223 www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

Dining WHAT’S COOKIN’ BRUNO’S LITTLE ITALY CO-OWNER Gio Bruno has signed a lease with Doyle Rogers’ Dundee Holding Co. for a slim storefront delicatessen at 308 Main St. The delicatessen would be separated from Bruno’s Little Italy, at 310 Main St., by the hallway entrance to the Mann Lofts above the restaurant. Prep for dinner at Bruno’s has proved too time consuming for the restaurant to offer lunch, Bruno said, and besides, people like to linger over an Italian meal, rather than scarf it up and return to work. So he plans to offer Italian sandwiches at lunchtime from the deli, which would have a window on the street for walk-up service, “like a food truck.” The deli will also have a shelf along one wall inside with eight bar stools for limited eat-in, and will stock grocery items such as meat and cheese by the pound and gourmet Italian pasta, sauces, olives, capers and other items. On the lunch menu: He’s thinking meatball, sausage, veal parmigiana and eggplant parmesan sandwiches, and soups and salads. Folks will be able to eat their takeout on the patio in front of Bruno’s in good weather. He’s still thinking about whether to offer individual pizzas, because he doesn’t like serving pizza by the slice, which he said requires reheating and toughens the dough. Besides, he added, there are plenty of places to get pizza downtown, as well as at Capeo’s across the river. Bruno’s also thinking about offering beer and wine, but said the deli will be too small inside and Arkansas law would not allow people to carry a beer or glass of wine on the sidewalk between the deli’s door to Bruno’s Little Italy patio, which is licensed for alcohol. We suggested a tunnel from the deli to the patio. The deli will have an awning like Bruno’s Little Italy to indicate the connection in ownership. The architect is Greg Peckham of Odom, Peckham Architecture. Central Construction, which built the restaurant, is the builder. Bruno’s hopes to have the deli open by late November or early December.

Oven & Tap 215 S. Main St. Bentonville 479-268-5884 ovenandtap.com

QUICK BITE The “tap” in Oven & Tap means more than just beer — although the restaurant boasts a respectable lineup of brews. Wine on tap has become relatively common on Arkansas menus, but Oven & Tap also serves Pimm’s Cup and cocktails like a Negroni, rotated regularly to keep the taps fresh and delicious. HOURS 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. OTHER INFO Full bar, all credit cards accepted.

VEGETARIAN’S DREAM: The Wood Oven Lasagna is a winner at Oven & Tap.

More goodness in Bentonville Oven & Tap makes a strong debut.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

BIG WHISKEY’S AMERICAN BAR AND GRILL A modern grill pub in the River Market District with all the bells and whistles - 30 flat-screen TVs, whiskey on tap, plus boneless wings, burgers, steaks, soups and salads. 225 E Markham St. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-324-2449. LD daily. 34

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

very time we find ourselves in Bentonville, it seems like there’s something new happening in the local food scene. For the longest time, the Northwest Arkansas town was known as the home of Walmart and little else, but lately Benton County has be-

come a haven for talented chefs, fresh local food and a cuisine that wears its commitment to simple, fresh ingredients like a badge of honor. One of the latest entrants into this ever-growing field of tasty upscale restaurants is Oven & Tap, the first venture

of the Township Provisions restaurant group. It bills itself as a “band of food and beverage hounds,” and the eclectic menu at the attractive dining space just off the Bentonville square is a study in recipes derived from various sources and traditions. Dishes as diverse as pizza and edamame sit side by side, something that shouldn’t work but does, thanks to the uniting factor of the wood-fired oven used to cook many of the dishes. The restaurant itself is open and airy, with lots of natural wood giving everything a homey (yet classy) feel. Our server was enthusiastic, and although we didn’t perhaps need him to read the entire menu to us, we can’t fault his excitement for his restaurant’s menu — that’s something that can’t be faked. The only downside to the atmosphere came from the loud, garish pop music blaring over the speakers. Call us old-fashioned, but given the price point of the Oven & Tap menu, we felt like we maybe shouldn’t have to listen to Nicki Minaj singing about the attractiveness of her lady parts over appetizers. “Feeling Myself” is fine for the club, but it was just vulgar over a nice dinner. We get that the restaurant wants to seem casual and hip, but the result for us was a clash in styles that honestly kept us from lingering over drinks as we had planned. Terrible music aside, though, everything else we experienced was excellent. An order of Wood Fired Edamame ($6) was a great snack to pair with our Ozark Beer Co. brews. These slightly charred soybean pods were sweet and smoky, their lemon and herb flavor mak-

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

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

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. ing them distinctive from Japanese versions we’ve tried before. It was obvious from this first dish that the “oven” in the restaurant’s name was not for show. We followed up our edamame snack with a fresh Little Gems Salad ($8), a perfect summery combination of little gem lettuce, cucumbers and fresh blueberries that the menu said came from the Neal Family Farm in Rogers. One bite of this salad and the sweet juicy berries had us singing its praises. The sweetness of the berries was offset nicely by the addition of feta cheese. As a companion to our salad, we ordered the Berkshire Pork Meatballs ($15), and while that price was a touch steep for the portion size, we got our money’s worth from the flavor of dish. The meatballs were tender and moist, with that slightly wild taste that comes from free-range pork, and the housemade tomato sauce was delightful, especially when eaten on the crusty woodoven toasted bread served to the side. We’re a sucker for well-made meatballs, being too often served hard little hockey pucks or mushy versions that fall apart, and these hit the perfect sweet spot in between. For our main course, we contemplated the Chicken-Fried Quail or one of the pizzas, but decided to take a chance on the Wood Oven Lasagna ($18). This dish is a vegetarian’s dream, with shitake mushrooms and flavorful ricotta adding heft to each bite. The fresh arugula piled on the plate added a pungent kick. We were impressed that the lasagna did not get dried out by its visit to the fire. This dish was a winner among winners and one we look forward to eating again. Oven & Tap has been open only a few weeks, so we expect that the things we found off-putting (like the music) will work themselves out. The price-pointto-portion-size ratio is on the upper end of what we find acceptable, but the restaurant’s commitment to local ingredients and fresh menu items dictates a higher price on the menu. There is obvious talent in the kitchen. It’s a restaurant that suits the local, simple ethos that is currently in vogue in the Ozarks, and we look forward to seeing what the upcoming seasons inspire on the menu.

BOBBY’S COUNTRY COOKIN’ One of the better plate lunch spots in the area, with some of the best fried chicken and pot roast around, a changing daily casserole and wonderful homemade pies. 301 N. Shackleford Road, Suite E1. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-224-9500. L Mon.-Fri. BOOKENDS CAFE A great spot to enjoy lunch with friends or a casual cup of coffee and a favorite book. Serving coffee and pastries early and sandwiches, soups and salads available after 11 a.m. Cox Creative Center. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501- 918-3091. BL Mon.-Sat. THE BOX Cheeseburgers and french fries are greasy and wonderful and not like their fastfood cousins. 1023 W. Seventh St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-372-8735. L Mon.-Fri.

BUFFALO GRILL A great crispy-off-the-griddle cheeseburger and hand-cut fries star at this family-friendly stop. 1611 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, CC. $$. 501-296-9535. LD daily. CAFE 201 The hotel restaurant in the Crowne Plaza serves up a nice lunch buffet. 201 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-2233000. BLD Mon.-Fri., BD Sat., BR Sun. MIMI’S CAFE Breakfast is our meal of choice here at this upscale West Coast chain. Portions are plenty to last you through the afternoon, especially if you get a muffin on the side. Middle-America comfort-style entrees make up other meals, from pot roast to pasta dishes. 11725 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3883. BLD daily, BR Sun.

THE EVERYDAY SOMMELIER Your friendly neighborhood wine shop. #theeverydaysommelier

2012 CHAPPELLET “SIGNATURE” NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON EVERYDAY $63.99 - SPECIAL $47.99 “91 Points” – Robert Parker. “Hailing from some of the oldest vines on Prichard Hill in the Valley is this exquisite example of great fruit from a great vintage from a beautiful mountainside. Drink with impunity.” – O’Looneys

Rahling Road @ Chenal Parkway 501.821.4669 • olooneys@aristotle.net • www.olooneys.com

SAM’S SOUTHERN EATERY Shreveport, La., chain features large menu of salads, shrimp, fried fish, po’boys, burgers, cheesesteak sandwiches and more. Also in Pine Bluff: 1704 E. Harding Ave., 879-774-1974. 6205 Baseline Road. 501-562-2255. SIMPLY NAJIYYAH’S FISHBOAT & MORE Good catfish and corn fritters. 1717 Wright Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-3474. BLD Mon.-Sat. SLICK’S SANDWICH SHOP & DELI Meatand-two plate lunches in state office building. 101 E. Capitol Ave. No alcohol. 501-375-3420. BL Mon.-Fri. SPECTATORS GRILL AND PUB Burgers, soups, salads and other beer food, plus live music on weekends. 1012 W. 34th St. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-791-0990. LD Mon.-Sat. SUFFICIENT GROUNDS Great coffee, good bagels and pastries, and a limited lunch menu. 124 W. Capitol. No alcohol, CC. $. 501-372-1009. BL Mon.-Fri. 425 W. Capitol. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-4594. BL Mon.-Fri. THE WHITE WATER TAVERN Good locally sourced bar food. 2500 W. 7th St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-375-8400. D Tue., Thu., Fri., Sat.

ASIAN

IGIBON JAPANESE RESTAURANT It’s a complex place, where the food is almost always good and the ambiance and service never fail to please. The Bento box with tempura shrimp and California rolls and other delights stand out. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-217-8888. LD Mon.-Sat. KIYEN’S SEAFOOD STEAK AND SUSHI Sushi, steak and other Japanese fare. 17200 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-7272. LD daily. KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI Though answering the need for more hibachis in Little Rock, Kobe stands taller in its sushi offerings than at the grill. 11401 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-225-5999. L Mon.-Sat. D daily. NEW FUN REE Reliable staples, plenty of hot and spicy options and dependable delivery. 418 W. 7th St. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-664-6657. LD Mon.-Sat. PANDA GARDEN Large buffet including Chinese favorites, a full on-demand sushi bar, a cold seafood bar, pie case, salad bar and dessert bar. 2604 S. Shackleford Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-224-8100. LD daily. PEI WEI Sort of a miniature P.F. Chang’s, but a lot of fun and plenty good with all the Chang favorites we like, such as the crisp honey shrimp, dan dan noodles and pad thai. 205 N. University Ave. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-280-9423. LD daily. P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO Nuevo Chinese from the Brinker chain. 317 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-225-4424. LD daily. SUPER KING BUFFET Large buffet with sushi and a Mongolian grill. 4000 Springhill Plaza Court. NLR. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-945-4802. LD daily. THE SOUTHERN GOURMASIAN Delicious Southern-Asian fusion. We crave the pork buns. Made the transition from food truck to brick-and-mortar in 2015 to rave reviews. 219 W. www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. Capitol. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-3135645. LD Mon.-Sat. VAN LANG CUISINE Terrific Vietnamese cuisine, particularly the way the pork dishes and the assortment of rolls are presented. Great prices, too. Massive menu, but it’s user-friendly for locals with full English descriptions and numbers for easy ordering. 3600 S. University Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-570-7700. LD daily.

BARBECUE

CAPITOL SMOKEHOUSE AND GRILL Beef, pork and chicken, all smoked to melting tenderness and doused with a choice of sauces. The crusty but tender backribs star. Side dishes are top quality. A plate lunch special is now available. 915 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-4227. L Mon.-Fri. CROSS EYED PIG BBQ COMPANY Traditional barbecue favorites smoked well such as pork ribs, beef brisket and smoked chicken. Miss Mary’s famous potato salad is full of bacon and other goodness. Smoked items such as ham and turkeys available seasonally. 1701 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-265-0000. L Mon.-Sat., D Tue.-Fri. FATBOY’S KILLER BAR-B-Q This Landmark neighborhood strip center restaurant in the far southern reaches of Pulaski County features tender ribs and pork by a contest pitmaster. Skip the regular sauce and risk the hot variety, it’s far better. 14611 Arch St. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-888-4998. L Mon.-Wed. and Fri.; L Thu.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

ALI BABA A Middle Eastern restaurant, butcher shop and grocery. 3400 S. University Ave. No alcohol, all CC. 501-379-8011. BLD Mon.-Sat. BANANA LEAF INDIAN FOOD TRUCK Tasty Indian street food. 201 N. Van Buren St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-227-0860. L Mon.-Fri. KHALIL’S PUB Widely varied menu with European, Mexican and American influences. Go for the Bierocks, rolls filled with onions and beef. 110 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-224-0224. LD daily. BR Sun. THE PANTRY Owner and self-proclaimed “food evangelist” Tomas Bohm does things the right way — buying local, making almost everything from scratch and focusing on simple preparations of classic dishes. The menu stays relatively true to his Czechoslovakian roots, but there’s plenty of choices to suit all tastes. There’s also a nice happy-hour vibe. 11401 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-353-1875. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. STAR OF INDIA The best Indian restaurant in the region, with a unique buffet at lunch and some fabulous dishes at night (spicy curried dishes, tandoori chicken, lamb and veal, vegetarian). 301 N. Shackleford. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-227-9900. LD daily.

ITALIAN

DAMGOODE PIES A somewhat different Italian/pizza place, largely because of a spicy garlic white sauce that’s offered as an alternative to the traditional red sauce. Good bread, too. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-2239. LD daily. 6706 Cantrell Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-2239. LD daily. 10720 Rodney Parham Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-6642239. LD daily. 37 E. Center St. Fayetteville. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 479-444-7437. LD daily. VESUVIO Arguably Little Rock’s best Italian restaurant. The cheesy pasta bowls are sensational, but don’t ignore the beef offerings. 1315 Breckenridge Drive. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-246-5422. D daily. 36

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

LATINO

CANTINA CINCO DE MAYO Friendly, tasty American-ized Mex. 3 Rahling Circle. Full bar, CC. $$. 501-821-2740. LD daily. CASA MANANA Great guacamole and garlic beans, superlative chips and salsa (red and green) and a broad selection of fresh seafood, plus a deck out back. 6820 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-280-9888. LD daily 18321 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-8688822. LD daily 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. (501) 372-6637. BL Mon.-Sat. CASA MEXICANA Familiar Tex-Mex style items all shine, in ample portions, and the steakcentered dishes are uniformly excellent. 7111 JFK Blvd. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-835-7876. LD daily. EL PORTON Good Mex for the price and a wide-ranging menu of dinner plates, some tasty cheese dip, and great service as well. 12111 W. Markham St. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-223-8588. LD daily. 5021 Warden Road. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-753-4630. LD daily. ELIELLA You’ll find perhaps the widest variety of street-style tacos in Central Arkansas here — everything from cabeza (steamed beef head) to lengua (beef tongue) to suadero (thin-sliced beef brisket). The Torta Cubano is a belly-buster. It’s a sandwich made with chorizo, pastor, grilled hot dogs and a fried egg. The menu is in Spanish, but the waitstaff is accommodating to gringos. 7700 Baseline Road. Beer, all CC. $. 501-539-5355. LD daily. THE FOLD BOTANAS BAR Gourmet tacos and botanas, or small plates. Try the cholula pescada taco. 3501 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-916-9706. LD daily. LA HACIENDA Creative, fresh-tasting entrees and traditional favorites, all painstakingly prepared in a festive atmosphere. Great taco salad, nachos, and maybe the best fajitas around. 3024 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-661-0600. LD daily. 200 Highway 65 N. Conway. All CC. $$. 501-327-6077. LD daily. LA VAQUERA The tacos at this truck are more expensive than most, but they’re still cheap eats. One of the few trucks where you can order a combination plate that comes with rice, beans and lettuce. 4731 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-565-3108. LD Mon.-Sat. MARISCOS EL JAROCHO Try the Camarones a la Diabla (grilled shrimp in a smoky pepper sauce) or the Cocktail de Campechana (shrimp, octopus and oyster in a cilantro and onionlaced tomato sauce). 7319 Baseline Road. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-565-3535. Serving BLD Fri.-Wed. MERCADO SAN JOSE From the outside, it appears to just be another Mexican grocery store. Inside, you’ll find one of Little Rock’s best Mexican bakeries and a restaurant in back serving tortas and tacos for lunch. 7411 Geyer Springs Road. Beer, CC. $. 501-565-4246. BLD daily. TAQUERIA SAMANTHA On Friday and Saturday nights, this mobile taqueria parks outside of Jose’s Club Latino in a parking lot on the corner of Third and Broadway. 300 Broadway Ave. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-5685264. D Fri.-Sat. (sporadic hours beyond that). TAQUERIA Y CARNICERIA GUADALAJARA Cheap, delicious tacos, tamales and more. Always bustling. 3811 Camp Robinson Road. NLR. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-753-9991. BLD daily.

TENANT TAKES HOUSING AUTHORITY TO COURT, CONT. the agency. Meanwhile, on Sept. 4, the MHA held an administrative hearing to hear Glover’s appeal of the termination of her housing benefits. Glover sought the assistance of legal aid — the Arkansas Legal Services Partnership — to assist her in the appeal. The hearing officer — who was unable to cite the exact regulation under which Glover’s voucher was being terminated — would not consider the landlord’s statement that he’d agreed to deduct the August rent, and turned down Glover’s appeal. The MHA told Glover and her lawyers it would only consider the landlord’s notice to vacate. MHA employees, the lawsuit says, told Glover that “these practices were routine practices.” Glover, through her lawyers, says the MHA’s decision not to wait until the eviction had been adjudicated before terminating her voucher denied her due process under federal law. In a transcript of the hearing, the hearing officer, Asonja Nuckolls, said the fact that Glover had been a model tenant since she’d been in the Section 8 program since 2006 could not be a factor in the housing authority’s decision. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request by lawyers David Slade, John C. Williams and Hank Bates, who volunteered help to Glover’s legal aid team, MHA provided information that showed that 964 families have lost their Section 8 benefits as a result of having received a notice to vacate since Oct. 24, 2011. (Lawyers now believe the number is likely smaller, but still large enough to constitute a class.) Stacy Fletcher, one of Glover’s legal aid attorneys, said they appealed to the MHA’s board of commissioners but received no response. The somewhat rare decision to go to federal court came because “we had an idea that there was a potentially bigger issue,” said Fletcher, whose specialty is landlord-tenant disputes. (Fletcher is not a party to the federal lawsuit because legal aid lawyers cannot bring class actions.) The MHA’s procedure — declining to wait on a judge’s ruling on whether a tenant violated the terms of a lease before terminating a voucher — appears to be one more facet in Arkansas’s troubled landlord-tenant relations. Fletcher and other lawyers say that because there are so many tenants waiting in line for Section 8 vouchers, landlords don’t have to work with the ten-

ants they have. “If you have a problem with a tenant, there is just another one there,” she said. Glover had to go to trial in circuit court Sept. 2 over the first criminal eviction. The charge was nol prossed. At a trial Oct. 8 on the second criminal eviction, Judge Alice Lightle granted a motion to dismiss — filed not by Glover’s attorneys but by the plaintiff’s. In January, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herb Wright ruled the state’s criminal eviction unconstitutional. Judges in Craighead, Poinsett and Woodruff counties later ruled the same. Still, Arkansas is judged to have the worst landlord-tenant laws in the nation: Landlords are not required to provide the tenant a warranty of habitability. Tenants can’t go on rent strike to force repairs, for example; they have no leverage. Equally important, not every judicial district has ruled the criminal eviction law unconstitutional. “Our clients are poor and very vulnerable,” Fletcher said, many of them in school and working and trying to get ahead. “Landlords are able to get money from the government, federal funds, but are not required to provide safe and decent housing.” While the condition of her home was not at issue in the Glover case, Fletcher said other places that take Section 8 vouchers have been found to have rats, open sewage, mold and other problems. Federal law does set “home quality standards,” she said, but tenants have to act to make landlords abide by the rules. Glover also claims that her new landlord has complained that the MHA is slow to make the federal rent payments. The suit makes both individual and class claims for wrongful termination of benefits, failure to provide sufficient notice of termination, failure to permit evidence and crossexamination of witnesses, failure to base a decision on evidence presented at a hearing, failure to provide an impartial hearing officer and failure to issue a timely and adequate written decision after the informal hearing. The suit asks the court to enjoin the MHA to reinstate Section 8 vouchers for Glover and the class and compensate them for voucher payments improperly terminated. Director Forte said the agency would have no comment during the litigation. Judge Holmes has set a trial date for the week of April 4, 2016.

* Visit NASCIGS.com or call 1-800-435-5515 PROMO CODE 96075 *Plus applicable sales tax Offer for two “1 for $2” Gift Certificates good for any Natural American Spirit cigarette product (excludes RYO pouches and 150g tins). Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer and website restricted to U.S. smokers 21 years of age and older. Limit one offer per person per 12 month period. Offer void in MA and where prohibited. Other restrictions may apply. Offer expires 12/31/15.

www.arktimes.com

Arkansas Times 06-25-15.indd 1

JUNE 25, 2015

5/14/15 8:34 AM

Hey, do this!

JULY 27

Continuing their “History of the Eagles” tour, THE EAGLES soar into Verizon Arena at 8 p.m. Featuring classic songs spanning their entire career, including some never performed live, this promises to be a show to be talked about for years to come. The tour coincides with the release of the band’s acclaimed, top-selling documentary of the same name. Tickets are $54.50-$176.50 and are available online at ticketmaster.com

JULY 3

Need refreshment during the heat? Head to The Southern Fox inside Galaxy Furniture for clothing, accessories, jewelry, food and more. While there sip on homemade lemonade from Chloe every Friday throughout the month. Call 501-375-DESK (3375) for more information or stop by 304 Main St. in North Little Rock.

JULY 13

Ristorante Capeo hosts their MONTLY WINE DINNER the second Monday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m. The dinner includes three full courses paired with three full glasses of wine for $55 per person. Space reservations can be made by calling 501-376-3463 or visiting capeo.us.

J U LY

Celebrate Independence Day with the happy comedy, THE STAR-SPANGLED GIRL, at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse. Written by one of America’s finest, Neil Simon, the show deals with two earnest young men struggling to put out a “protest” magazine, and the all-American girl who moves in next door and manages to send both of them into a romantic tailspin. The show runs through July 18. For tickets and show times, visit murrysdp.com.

JULY 14

Riverdale 10, the only cinema in Arkansas that serves beer and wine, continues its CLASSIC MOVIE SERIES. This month’s feature film is Mad Max the Road Warrior. The movie begins at 7 p.m. and admission is only $5. Riverdale 10 is located at 3610 Cantrell Rd. in Little Rock.

JULY 17

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

JUNE 27

In partnership with Fayetteville’s TheatreSquared, The Arkansas Repertory Theatre will host two, staged reading performances including Dust by Qui Nguyen at 2 p.m. and Uncle by Lee Blessing at 7 p.m. Performances are free and will take place in the Black Box Theatre located on the second Mezzanine level. The Rep is located at 601 Main St. in downtown Little Rock. Visit therep.org for more information.

Grammy-award winning band, OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, brings their boundless energy and spirit to central Arkansas with a show at Clinton Presidential Park at 7:30 p.m. For over 15 years, Old Crow Medicine Show has been delighting crowds across the world. General admission seating is available for $34.50 at ticketmaster.com

Murry’s Dinner Playhouse presents HAIRSPRAY, the ultimate feel-good family show piled bouffant high with laughter and romance. It’s 1962 in Baltimore with teens and sock hops and Tracy is a big girl with big hair, a big heart and a big passion for dance. Winner of eight Tony Awards, the musical features Good Morning Baltimore, It Takes Two, You Can’t Stop the Beat, and the title song, Hairspray. The show runs through August 29. For tickets and show times, visit murrysdp.com

THE ARKANSAS REPERTORY THEATRE hosts

7/1 – LOCAL LIVE: ARKANSAS DIRT BOYS 7/8 – LOCAL LIVE: BRENDA AND ELLIS BAND 7/14 – ROSEN MUSIC BIG BAND ($10 AT DOOR) 7/15 – LOCAL LIVE: QNOTE 7/18 – HARRISON SCOTT KEY BOOK READING (FREE) 7/22 – LOCAL LIVE: FLOWERS AND DIRT 7/29 – LOCAL LIVE: NAN MAUREEN

The 2015 season of the ARKANSAS SHAKEPEARE THEATRE is drawing to a close, but you still have time to catch The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merchant of Venice, Fiddler on the Roof and As You Like It this week. Sunday’s 7:30 p.m. performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor at Argenta Farmers’ Market in North Little Rock concludes the month-long event. For tickets, show times and locations, visit arkshakes.com.

FUN!

•JULY 16

JULY 21

Cantrell Gallery is pleased to host A RANGE OF OPTIONS, the first one-person art exhibit for Eric Spann of Little Rock. Join the artist, view his new art and enjoy light refreshments at the opening night reception from 6-8 p.m. The show continues through Sept. 4. Regular gallery hours are Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cantrell Gallery is located at 2600 Cantrell Road in Little Rock.

Each Wednesday night, the Oxford American presents Local Live at South on Main. The free concert series welcomes top local and regional music to the South on Main stage. All shows start at 7:30 p.m.

JUNE 25-28

JUNE 23-JULY 18

Food, Music, Entertainment and everything else that’s

performances for the end of their 2015 SUMMER MUSICAL THEATRE INTENSIVE. The Select Session (ages 1012) will perform Really Rosie on July 17 at 7 p.m. and July 18 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. A second Select Session will perform July 31 at 7 p.m. and August 1 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Senior Session (ages 13-23) will perform Once On This Island on July 23-24 at 7 p.m. and on July 25 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Single tickets are $10 and can be purchased at The Rep’s Box Office or online at therep.org. For more information call (501) 378-0405.

Happy 4th of July!

ARKANSAS FLAG AND BANNER is having their annual 50% off

sale for one week only July 13-18th. Everything in stock including all Razorback items are 50% off! Mens, women’s and children’s clothing are 25% off for the entire month. Stop in and see the newly designed huge showroom, go to www.flagandbanner.com or call 3757633 for more information.

Thank you!

HEAD OUTSIDE

Create a space you want to spend time in with Ken Rash’s Outdoor Furniture

ome to the car to work and back. That is the routine for so many of us, with spending time outdoors an afterthought. Maybe it’s because of the unbearable heat and humidity that marks Arkansas summers, or maybe it’s because the outdoor space at our homes consists of some lawn chairs and tiki torches that have seen better days. But there is a way to create a comfortable, inviting space on your deck or in your backyard that will turn into what Mark Roberts, sales manager at Ken Rash’s Outdoor Furniture, calls “the biggest room in your house,” one that can be a kitchen or a family room or both. OUTDOOR KITCHENS From campfires to grills set up at the tailgate or on the deck, people love to cook outside. In the summer, it’s a handy way to create meals without heating up the house, and you can avoid a lot of the mess that happens when you cook inside. With guidance from the staff at Ken Rash’s, you can create an outdoor kitchen that is as simple or as intricate as you want it to be. If you like the ability to move things around, you can The famous Big Green Egg is versatile.

select a cast-aluminum cart that will house a grill, along with drawers and shelves to stash utensils, charcoal or smoking chips. Those in the market for a more permanent setup can select from a variety of cabinet styles and create a custom setup of drawers, cabinets, refrigerators and sinks. Grill accessories can include burners large enough to boil large batches of shrimp or crawfish, lights, adjustable racks and sear zones. If you want to cover your outdoor kitchen, Ken Rash’s has a selection of pergolas, umbrellas and covers to choose from.

A complete outdoor kitchen is handy in the summer.

SELECTING A GRILL Whether you’re planning an outdoor kitchen or just want to cook outside from time to time, a grill is the most important part of your setup. Ken Rash’s carries the top of the line in both charcoal and gas grills, and will also teach you how to use them. If you’re in the market for a gas grill, Ken Rash’s stocks Holland grills, which were voted the best gas grill on the market in 2013. Roberts said Holland grills give you the taste of grilling without having flame touch the food, a process that’s known in the industry as infrared grilling. Saber grills are also infrared, but you can adjust the temperature. Saber grills can also heat up to 700 degrees in 10 minutes or less using up to a third less gas than most other grills. The Broilmaster brand is a more traditional gas grill that is customizable with a variety of burner styles and a stainless steel smoker shutter. For charcoal devotees, Ken Rash’s carries Hastybake grills, which are made in Tulsa. The fire box on the Hastybake can be raised or lowered, which allows grillers to adjust the heat for everything from burgers to larger cuts that need a longer, slower type of cooking. In addition to Hastybake grills, Ken Rash’s also stocks the Big Green Egg, a popular, versatile grill that can also be used as a smoker or to bake items like breads, cakes and cookies. CREATING A COMFORTABLE SPACE Ken Rash’s doesn’t just help you create the best outdoor cooking space – the store also carries outdoor furniture for almost every taste and style. Lawrie Rash, the store’s owner, said people are favoring pieces that provide more cushioning than what was seen in previous years. The plus is the outdoor cushions at Ken Rash’s are made with materials that drains water very quickly and are covered with a Sunbrella fabric –

which means they don’t have to come inside, even when it’s raining or during the winter. Rash said people are also moving away from traditional outdoor dining sets toward what’s called “chat groups” – ensembles of four chairs, or a loveseat and chairs, along with a coffee table or fire pit. To keep things cool on hot summer nights, Ken Rash’s sells Kuulaire units, which are portable evaporative coolers. The Kuulaire can lower the temperature in a 400 square-foot area by about 10 degrees, without getting you damp like a mister does. Let the experts at Ken Rash’s help you put all the pieces together to create your dream space outside. Pleasant Valley Plaza 11220 Rodney Parham (501) 663-1818 kenrashsoutdoorfurniture.com

Create an ensemble around a fire pit. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com JUNE 25, 2015 www.arktimes.com JUNE 25, 2015

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JULY EDITION

UR O H HAP PY

hen getting together with friends and work buddies, happy hour is a long and beloved tradition. Some bars and restaurants keep the usual afternoon hours

THE

AND

as the time to celebrate quitting time. There are also those that celebrate happy

TO D RI N K S, W IN

T E,

hour into the evening hours and on weekends. A reverse or late night happy hour is also on trend. Luckily, the metro area has some great spots to choose from. Just like a compass helps point you in the right direction, we’ve broken down areas of town and some of the best bars and restaurants in these areas. We’ve also checked in with some local retailers for ideas on outfits to help you look your best. These chic, affordable looks are sure to make you the center of attention. We’d like to send a special thank you to LEVEL, Ciao Baci and SO

Restaurant-Bar for accommodating photo shoots at their locations. See the clothing ideas and cocktail hot spots on the following pages.

Full bar. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. daily. $5-10 cover on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Drink specials Sun.-Thu.

RIVER MARKET

BIG WHISKEY 225 E. Markham St. 324-2449 Big Whiskey lives up to its name as being the “it” location to any true American Whiskey connoisseur to attend. Located in the Downtown River Market District it is definitely the place to start your night off. With a large selection of great American Whiskey and other liquors, there is a drink to suit anyone’s palate. If you are around the downtown area this is a great place to do lunch or end your day of work with their lunch specials and happy hour drink specials. Have a shot or two out on their new patio! Full bar. 11-1 a.m. daily. Happy hour 4-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. ERNIE BIGGS 327 President Clinton Ave. 372-4782 You can do patio season all year long at Ernie Biggs! Their indoor/outdoor patio makes it possible to have the patio experience even in the winter. When you’re done getting your patio fix come on inside and enjoy the show. Ernie Biggs is a staple when it comes to great live music with its dueling pianos serving up the great school fight songs and covers you thought you’d never hear played live again. Audience participation is encouraged. Live music nightly and a DJ playing upstairs Wed.-Sat. Patio, drinks, DJ’s, karaoke and PIANOS equals a great time!

FLYING FISH 511 President Clinton Ave 375-FISH It’s all about the food here. The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy plus raw, boiled and grilled offerings too. Big selection of wine and beer in a casual fun atmosphere. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. FLYING SAUCER 323 President Clinton Ave. 372-8032 Flying Saucer is the mecca of beer in central Arkansas. With more than 240 beers and 100 different brewing styles to choose from the list may be a bit daunting. A full pub menu matches their wide variety of imported and domesticbeers.One-of-a-kind sandwiches,wraps,bratwurst, pizza and more. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-1 a.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.-midnight.

SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAK ROOM 500 President Clinton Ave. 324-2999 sonnywilliamssteakroom.com Twitter: @SonnySteak Sonny’s is famous for its mouthwatering menu of fine steaks. That’s why it’s important to succeed with great wine and cocktails that don’t pale in comparison to the food. The Wine Spectator has granted Sonny Williams’ the “Award of Excellence” from 2001-2014. Choose from dozens of wines, either by the glass, half-bottle or bottle. Feeling like something international? Try some of the fine spirits from around the world or check out the Scotch list from every region of Scotland! While you are enjoying your drink, pull up a seat at the grand piano bar and hear live music. Full bar. Mon.-Sat. Open for dinner 5-11 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Piano Bar is open 7 p.m.-late Tue.-Sat. Be sure to find them on Facebook for specials.

DOWNTOWN/SOMA

Fine wines are one of the keys to the success of Sonny Williams’.

LEVEL 315 Main St. 372-1515 clublevelonline.com facebook.com/clublevelar This ultra-chic spot showcases a sleek and

Eat Well, Drink Well, Laugh Often, Live Longer r Happy Hour 4-6pm and ALL-DAY Wednesday! • Wine Specials on Tuesday Consistently Voted as one of the Best Patios, Wine Bars, Cocktails, Bartender and Restaurants in the City!

605 N. BEECHWOOD • HILLCREST | (501) 603-0238 | WWW.CIAOBACI.ORG OR RG 40 40

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to Midtown on Saturdays for their Man’s Brunch for a Bloody Mary. Enjoy happy hour daily from 3-8 p.m. Regular hours are 3 p.m.-5 a.m. seven days a week. Like them on Facebook to stay up-todate on upcoming shows and events. THE SOUTHERN GOURMASIAN 219 W. Capitol 313-5645 The Southern GourmaCulture Clothing can help you get the right look sian is known for their for every occasion. Seth (left) is wearing a Scotch spectacular dishes and and Soda blazer, Howe shirt and AG Jeans. modern atmosphere, but Aaron’s (right) look is chic, yet comfortable, with a did you know they cur7 Diamonds shirt and khaki Opnk pants. Shot on rently offer wine and beer location at LEVEL. and have plans to bring on premium Sake as well? On the beer side, they offer local beers on tap, including Stone’s moderndécorcombinedwithraw,industrial Throw, Diamond Bear, Vino’s, and Lost touches. LEVEL embodies an experience 40 and look forward to expanding and that captures the unmistakable style and rotating the tap selections as the bevy energy that can’t be found anywhere else. of newly announced local breweries With over 10,000 square feet, LEVEL has come on line. Be sure to check out their two full bars, a full kitchen, posh furnishselection of regional craft beers from ings, an elevated DJ booth, the latest in Arkansas and bordering states. Rotated audiovisual and lighting designs and spaseasonally and based on menu changes, cious VIP accommodations. A top-notch they have a small, eclectic wine list staff helps to round out the unique club chosen specifically for the style of food experience. Their drink menu can’t be beat they offer. Enjoy monthly beer pairing and the names of some of the cocktails dinners with Stone’s Throw where five make ordering them that much more courses are paired with five beers. Menus fun. Friday night is Ladies Night with no are different every time and it’s a lot of cover and $2 specialty drinks all night for fun, because the chef’s get to step outside the ladies. Each weekend, there’s no cover the box and do some really interesting before 10 p.m. and a Level Up Happy Hour dishes! A monthly wine pairing dinner is from 8-10 p.m. with various drink specials. Open Fri.-Sat. from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. MIDTOWN BILLIARDS 1316 Main St. 372-9990 midtownar.com Everyone knows that Midtown is the place to be for late night partying. But, did you know that they’re open at 3 p.m. with a killer happy hour? Getting to Midtown before the usual crowd of late night partiers is a whole other experience with a relaxed environment and plenty of space to enjoy their famous cheeseburgers without fighting for elbow-room! You can even play a round of pool or try your hand at dominos. Their expanded beer selection means you can enjoy several craft beers along with the usual favorites. Head

Delicious combos are part of the monthly beer pairings at Southern Gourmasian. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com JUNE 25, 2015 www.arktimes.com JUNE 25, 2015

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staff is knowledgeable and happy to lend a hand if you don’t know your tannins from your mid-palate, and you can try out your inner sommelier with a menu featuring light snacks, including a variety of artisanal meats and cheeses. “Wine flights” are available with a tasting sampler of multiple wines of a specific region or varietal “in order to get a feel for breadth and depth.” Happy hour 4-6 p.m. daily for $2 off wines by-the-glass and $1 off all beers. Every Wednesday from 4-10 p.m. come sample 5 great wines from around the world for ZINSday Wine Tasting, $15 per person with FREE food pairing. Every Saturday night at 4:30, bring your friends for Paint Nite at ZIN. Artist Adam Crockett guides you step-by-step through creating your own painting while you enjoy beverages of your choice. All painting materials are included, alcohol is additional. For more information and to reserve your space, go to paintnite.com

starting soon. Happy hour 4-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri with $4 draft beers and all bottled and canned beers are $1 off. Check out Wine Wednesdays with wines by the glass $2 off and 25% off by the bottle. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat. VINO’S BREW PUB 923 W. 7th St. 375-8466 Long considered a hot spot for music in the city, Vino’s is also known for some of the tastiest and most experimental craft brews in the state. The pub has kept the quality of its old favorites high while introducing different brews for every season. Look for local ingredients such as hops, lavender and even Trinidad scorpion peppers from Dunbar Community Gardens to show up in some of the brews. You can enjoy a pint on the two-story deck and back patio. Pizza by the slice, sandwiches and massive calzones make this a perfect spot to enjoy some good food and a locally made pint-only $3.25 during happy hour from 4-6 p.m. daily. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thu., 11 a.m.-12 a.m. Fri.-Sat.

Casual glam is an easy transition from work to play. Robin Sherrill wears a rust and cream embroidered maxi dress with pom-pom detail by Entro and handmade ‘ceremony beads’ by Katrina Manarin, all available at Ember. Shot on location at Ciao Baci.

HEIGHTS/HILLCREST/RIVERDALE

ZIN URBAN 300 River Market Ave. 246-4876 4-10 p.m. Mon.-Wed., 4-11 p.m Thu., 4 p.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat., 5-10 p.m. Sun. Zin Urban’s sleek profile is inviting for those who want a touch of modern in a bar. The atmosphere is mellow and the music is low, so you can focus your attention on fine wine and good conversation, making this the ideal spot for happy hour, date night or any other day of the week. The

CIAO BACI 605 N. Beechwood 603-0238 ciaobaci.org facebook.com/ciaobacihillcrest Instagram: @ciao_baci Twitter: @ciao_baci A charming bungalow in the heart of Hillcrest, Ciao Baci is the place to see and be seen. The atmosphere is that of casual fine dining with a cuisine of Mediterranean-influenced Southern food. With an eclectic drink menu full of creative and yummy cocktails, you can be sure to find something to suit every taste. During the summer, we’re especially

Happy Hour upscale

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In The River Market District 501.324.2999

sonnywilliamssteakroom.com Free Valet Parking

1316 Main Street 501.372.9990 midtownar.com Like us on Facebook!

happy hour daily from 4-6 p.m. Enjoy Tuesday Wine Specials and Wednesday Happy Day all night.

Playful and sexy is a winning combination for any hot spot. Robin has the right vibe in a cute skort romper with eyelet trim and handmade beaded tassel necklace by Shanlou, available at Ember. Shot on location at SO Restaurant-Bar.

partial to the Naughty Lemonade! The wine collection boasts the largest half bottle selection in town. Outside seating is available and dogs are welcome (outside only). Full bar. Mon.-Sat., 4 p.m.-close,

RIVERDALE 10 MOVIES 2600 Cantrell Rd 296-9955 riverdale10.com for showtimes Riverdale 10 Movies now serves beer and wine, making it quite unique in Little Rock. You can catch a new release or one of their Classic Movie Series showings while enjoying beer or wine with your movie and popcorn. The relaxed atmosphere at Riverdale 10 Movies helps to distinguish this place from all of the hectic big box theaters. It is owned by a local Arkansan, so they know how to make you feel right at home. SO RESTAURANT-BAR 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-1464 Sorestaurantbar.com facebook.com/sorestaurant-bar Instagram: @so_restaurantandbar Twitter: @sorestaurant What’s not to love about SO RestaurantBar? It’s a little New York in Little Rock. The upscale, bistro-style spot has a casual inviting vibe that makes it the perfect place

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Come see our 10,000 Sq. Ft. Showroom 11220 N. Rodney Parham • Ste 14 Little Rock 501.663.1818 kenrashsoutdoorfurniture.com ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com JUNE 25, 2015 www.arktimes.com JUNE 25, 2015

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Eclectic Chef-Driven Menu Sourced Locally Plus, Park Hill’s first restaurant with a full bar and an extensive wine and drink menu. NOW OPEN FOR SUNDAY BRUNCH 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Lunch: Tue - Fri, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dinner: Tue - Sat , 5 p.m. - Until Bar opens at 5 p.m. Happy Hour 5 - 7 p.m.

Hear live music in a smoke-free environment at Another Round Pub.

Also available for catering, reception dinners and private parties

3812 JFK Blvd., NLR • 501-771-6900 • www.irasparkhillgrill.com

for drinks with friends, clients or even alone. With Veo Tyson behind the bar, you won’t feel more at home! Their extensive and diverse wine list is impressive and is the recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for the last five years. With a new chef and new menu, now is a good time to experience all that SO RestaurantBar has to offer. Full bar. Open for lunch Tue.-Sat. at 11 a.m. Dinner served nightly beginning at 5 p.m.

WEST LITTLE ROCK

PROVISIONS FOR THE CULTURED GENTLEMAN 11220 N Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 3 | 501.246.5466 | shopcultureclothing.com 44 44

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1620 SAVOY 1620 Market St. 221-1620 5-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. Some people think 1620 Savoy is only for special occasions. That must be because they make even a boring old weekday feel special as soon as you walk through the doors. 1620 Savoy exemplifies class and elegance in an ideal setting in the heart of West Little Rock. Most Arkansans know 1620 Savoy for their award winning dishes, and rightfully so (they are rolling out the New Summer Menu June 29th), but you would be remiss to overlook the bar. Whether indulging in a pre- or post-dinner cocktail or just stopping by after work, guests may sit at the comfortable bar, enjoy libations in the more casual lounge area or relax on their great outdoor patio. You do not want to miss Blue Oyster Mondays featuring succulent Blue Point Oysters for

$2 each, $6 Asian Pear Martinis, $3 Stella Artois and $5 Satori Pinot Grigio. Wine Down Wednesdays are special too house wine is half off all day with the purchase of an entrée. Drop in from 5-7 p.m. Mon.Thu. for happy hour specials featuring $3 Domestic Longnecks, $5 House Wine or Cocktails and a special bar menu. ANOTHER ROUND PUB 12111 W. Markham St. 313-2612 anotherroundpub.com Come visit Little Rock’s premiere music venue, all in a smoke-free environment! Check out their Facebook page for LIVE performances, trivia nights and more. Now open for lunch, their staff is waiting to serve you for lunch, dinner or late night. Full bar. 11 a.m.-midnight Mon.-Thu. 11-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. MELLOW MUSHROOM 16103 Chenal Pkwy. 379-9157 mellowmushroom.com facebook.com/mellowmushroomlittlerock It’s been two years since its opening and Mellow Mushroom has won (and continues!) the hearts of the locals with its fresh all-natural hand-tossed approach to pizza and insane drink menu. Enjoy “Members Only” benefits and specials when you join their Free Beer Club. It’s like no other beer club in Little Rock.

The team at 1620 Savoy is ready to give you an exceptional dining experience. From left to right: Executive Chef Joseph Salgueiro, Admin. Assistant Carla Wheeler, Owner Jeffrey Edwards, Operating Manager Charles Daniel and Head Chef Tim Morton.

With 40, mostly craft, beers on draft and 30 more in bottles, you are sure to find a favorite. There’s something special each day of the week like Live Team Trivia and Mystery Beer Night so be sure to like them on Facebook to stay in the know. Great Beer Chills Here! Happy hour 2-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thu. and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. MEXICO CHIQUITO 13924 Cantrell Rd. 217-0700 4511 Camp Robinson Rd., NLR 771-1604 mexicochiquito.net facebook.com/mexicochiquito Twitter: @mexchiquito Who knew that the place with the best cheese dip in town also serves margaritas and beer? Look to their dine-in locations in west Little Rock and North Little Rock for yummy frozen or on-the-rocks margaritas and ice-cold beer. Wednesdays and Fridays are even better with their $1.50 specials on margaritas from 4-7 p.m. Locally owned, they’re celebrating 80 years and giving to their customers all year long! Register for monthly giveaways every time you make a purchase plus they’re giving away a trip for two to Hawaii at the end of the

year as a grand prize. Visit their website for Mex-To-Go locations and full hours.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

IRA’S PARK HILL GRILL 3812 JFK Blvd. 771-6900 irasparkhillgrill.com The Park Hill neighborhood of North Little Rock has reason to rejoice! Restaurants can now serve alcohol and Ira’s Park Hill Grill is the first full service restaurant in the area to do so. The cozy bar is a great place to meet for happy hour. A cocktail or glass of wine from their full bar is the perfect companion to a fantastic dining experience. Ira’s offers fresh seafood dishes, steak, pasta, duck, lamb and a variety of salads, sandwiches and appetizers. With a newly added brunch menu there’s always a great time to try them out. Grab a group and head over for their newly added “flight nights”. It’s the perfect way to sample different wines and enjoy the deliciousness from the kitchen. Full bar. Happy hour 5-7 p.m. Tue.-Fri. Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tue.-Fri. Dinner 5 p.m.-close Tue.-Sat. Sunday Brunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Find them on Facebook for updates and other specials. ■

LIVE MUSIC, FOOD, DRINKS AND MORE! WE SERVE A FULL MENU OF DELICIOUS FOOD, AND HAVE AMAZING LUNCH SPECIALS EVERYDAY!

MON-FRI 11AM TO CLOSE SAT 11AM TO 1AM SUN 11AM TO MIDNIGHT

12111 WEST MARKHAM 501-313-2612 ANOTHERROUNDPUB.COM

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DUMAS, CONT. flies at the Capitol at Columbia, S.C., the cradle of the Confederacy. The state still officially proclaims that it must maintain its reverence for the lost cause of the Confederacy and the soldiers who fought to preserve bondage — or “states’ rights,” the euphemism that replaced it in our nostalgia. After a few days of straddling, the South Carolina governor and other officials came around to asking the legislature to banish the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds, and a few Republican presidential candidates said it might not be the perfect symbol for a democracy. Huckabee was not one of them. Here in Arkansas two months ago, the Republican legislature beat down a bipartisan effort to abandon Gen. Robert E. Lee’s birthday as an official holiday shared with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lee is a symbol of our great lost causes — secession and slavery. It was explained on the legislative floor and in the editorial pages of the statewide newspaper that Lee was a fine general and just a good man, qualities that should be memorialized with an

official holiday. If great martial leadership needs enshrining, a more deserving honoree might be Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in the last great war led a nobler cause than slavery — the defeat of tyranny — and was good enough to actually win his war and then lead his country in peace. Flags and memorial holidays are mere symbols, but beyond the official reproofs there is no evidence that the popular bigotry to which Roof catered is diminished an iota. For real hope, rather, we have to turn to the relatives of the slain worshipers, who showed up at his arraignment not to shout imprecations at the killer but, one after another, to express their grief but also their forgiveness and to ask mercy for the killer driven by hate. “I’m a work in progress and I acknowledge that I’m very angry,” said Bethane Middleton-Brown, whose sister, a minister, Roof shot point-blank with the .45-caliber Glock model 41 his parents gave him the money to buy for his birthday. “She taught me we are the family that love built. We have no room for hate. We have to forgive.”

Drivers Please be aWare, it’s arkansas state laW: Use of bicycles or animals

Every person riding a bicycle or an animal, or driving any animal drawing a vehicle upon a highway, shall have all the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions of this act which by their nature can have no applicability.

RESEARCH STUDY

• Men and women ages 18 - 60 • Healthy volunteers or persons suffering from depression • No major medical illness • 1 visit to complete questionnaires and interviews • 1 visit to complete brain imaging scan • All responses are kept confidential • Monetary compensation provided Principal Investigator: Dr. Ricardo Caceda, UAMS

Shop shop LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

CONTACT NOLAN KORDSMEIER 501-526-8487

BEAUTIFUL SMILES MAKE HAPPY PEOPLE!

CHILDREN AND ADULTS We accept: AR-KIDS, Medicaid, Care Credit and all types of insurance.

PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE

overtaking a bicycle

The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a roadway shall exercise due care and pass to the left at a safe distance of not less than three feet (3’) and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken bicycle.

anD cyclists, Please remember...

You’re vehicles on the road, just like cars and motorcycles and must obey all traffic laws— signal, ride on the right side of the road and yield to traffic normally. Make eye contact with motorists. Be visible. Be predictable. Heads up, think ahead. 46

JUNE 25, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Welcome Dr. Christopher Larson Accepting New Patients to our team!

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(501) 565-3009 · (501) 562-1665

Monday–Saturday Faith Dental Clinic · www.faithdentalclinic.com

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MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, CALL LUIS AT 501.375.2985

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FREE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM The Little Rock School District Child Nutrition Department is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children (18 and under) without charge. Bale 6201 W. 32nd June 18 - July 10 (Brkfst: 8:30-9; Lunch: 11-12:15) Cloverdale 6300 Hinkson June 18 - July 29 (Brkfst: 8-9:30; Lunch: 11-12:30) Franklin 1701 S. Harrison June 22 - July 31 (Brkfst: 7:30-8:30; Lunch: 11:15-12:00) Hall 6700 “H” St. June 22 - July 29 (Brkfst: 8:30-9:30; Lunch: 11-12:50) Henderson 401 John Barrow June 18 - July 30 (Brkfst: 7:30-9:20; Lunch: 11-12:45) M.L. King 905 MLK June 18 - July 10 (Brkfst: 7:30-8:30; Lunch: 11:15-12:30)

Mabelvale ES 9401 Mabelvale June 22 - July 17 (Brkfst: 7:30-9:15; Lunch: 11-12:30) Otter Creek 16000 Otter Creek June 18 - July 10 (Brkfst: 7:20-8:30; Lunch: 11:15-12:30) Rockefeller 700 E. 17th June 18 - July 30 (Brkfst: 7:30-9; Lunch: 11-12:45) Romine 3400 Romine June 18 - July 30 (Brkfst: 7:30-8:45; Lunch: 11-12:30) Stephens 3700 W. 18th June 18 - July 31 (Brkfst: 7:30-8:45; Lunch: 11:30-12:45) Terry 10800 Mara Lynn June 18 - July 10 (Brkfst: 7:20-8:20; Lunch: 11-12:30)

Wakefield 75 Westminister June 22 - July 31 (Brkfst: 7:30-8:30; Lunch: 11-12:30) Washington 2700 S. Main June 18 - July 31 (Brkfst: 7:30-9:10; Lunch: 11:30-12:45) Watson 7000 Valley June 18 - July 31 (Brkfst: 7:30-9:10; Lunch: 11:15-12:45) Wilson 4015 Stannus June 18 - July 31 (Brkfst: 7:30-9:15; Lunch: 11:30-12:45) Meals are provided Monday-Friday.

For more detailed information including visit, www.lrsd.org. There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination go to http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing-cust.html, write to: USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, call (866)632-9992 or email program.intake@usda.gov. www.arktimes.com

JUNE 25, 2015

Photography by Nancy Nolan 48

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ARKANSAS TIMES