Arkansas Times

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APRIL 25, 2012

3

COMMENT

Pryor was right Lord knows I have my differences with Sen. Mark Pryor, but your editorial about his vote against the Buffett Rule was extremely shallow and a did a disservice to serious journalism. The same goes for a recent diatribe by my favorite curmudgeon and ex-Times columnist, John Brummett, in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, but that is par for the course for him.

Sen. Pryor was right to vote against this bill because it was an election year gimmick that will do absolutely nothing to lower the deficit. In fact, it was a backdoor attempt to raise capital gains taxes at a time when the economy needs more capital to drive a recovery. Never mind that it got its moniker from a guy who is fighting the IRS over a billion-dollar backtaxes bill. Sen. Pryor will be fighting for his political life in 2014. Arkansans are fed up with senators talking moderately-toconservatively every six years, but voting as-instructed by the national Democratic Party and Sen. Harry Reid, unless given a pass, as here. Since you will surely support his re-election, however, I thought it would occur to you to provide a balanced treatment of this issue, rather than react in your customary knee-jerk fashion. On this issue, give him some credit. He was right.

Michael Emerson Little Rock

victims already. It would be wrong to put the entire weight of social change on these individuals’ shoulders. They need truly supportive people to help them bear the burden. For Barth to say that these people must “stand up for themselves” for “real social change to be cemented” is absolving society of responsibility for their oppressions.

I myself do not intend to give in to persecution for being gay, but some positive support from outsiders would do wonders.

Ryan Williams Little Rock

Bye Bye Bobby Reaction from the Arkansas Times Facebook page and arktimes.com to last week’s cover: Absolutely no class. Apparently the Arkansas Times is aiming for a “National Enquirer” type feel. Way to aim high!

Lindsey Woods If the point of the cover was to get attention, then many kudos to you and a job well done.

However, I’m guessing most of the Arkansas Times employees aspire to

Save Your Money.

Save ur Water.

4

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

BYE BYE

BOBBY What the ousting of Petrino means for the Hogs.

BY BEAU WILCOX PAGE 8

emulate the New York Times rather than the New York Post. This cover is New York Post material.

Brian Sieczkowski If it wasn’t so true it would be sad, but it’s not. Keep up the good work. Hope I can snag a multi-million dollar gig someday and make the cover too when I’m caught actin’ an ass.

Ol’ Puddin’head I never thought the Arkansas Times would stoop to this level!! Evil and taken way too far!!

Mary Kremers Spence Hilarious! I Love It!!!!!!

Kathy Chelle Underwood Overstreet Tacky is a under statement! I never have ever liked anyone to kick a man when he’s down. Say what you will, he was an awesome football coach. These are sad times for Razorback fans. Let’s move on.

Mike Parks

Outside support needed This is in response to Jay Barth’s column on bullying laws (“Bullying bullies is bad law,” March 28). He stated that the punishment dealt out to Dharun Ravi seemed severe for his actions. It does, but we must not forget his actions resulted in Tyler Clementi’s death. A precious life was lost that cannot be returned. How do you find justice for that? Barth says that we do not want to instill victimhood in groups like LGBTQ people. But if a youth like Clementi is facing, as Barth writes, “mental health issues often tied to society’s continued negative attitudes towards those who happen to be gay and lesbian” then wouldn’t it be right to say he is suffering due to society’s opinion of him? And that suffering is far more compounded among other queer people who don’t have the resources a college student does?

A friend of mine on the Internet lives and works on a family farm in North Dakota. He will not be going to college, and he lives in a world where even admitting to being gay to himself has extremely dire implications.

When societal suppression exists like that, then these people are

ARKTIMES.COM / APRIL 18, 2012 / NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT

Petrino was caught with his pants down. The Times just underscored that fact. It is what it is!

Ardee Eichelmann

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Central arkansas Water partnered with the University of arkansas research and extension Service to assist consumers with tips to save money by reducing outdoor water consumption through the Sprinkler Smart Program. households in Pulaski County can learn how to adjust their sprinkler system properly, the best times and how much to water, and what type of landscaping is best for your yard.

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I in no way support Petrino’s decisions in the last few weeks and find Long’s firing of him justified and full of integrity.

Unfortunately the cover of this week’s Arkansas Times makes another statement of integrity. This photo of Petrino with his “pants down” — clearly falsely generated — I feel was a very poor decision by the editing department. I have been an avid reader of the Arkansas Times since my early undergraduate years and daily read the headline blogs. Being very much a liberal and a supporter of everyone’s opinions I have come to respect this weekly “newspaper” but I am deeply disappointed in the poor taste of this week’s cover photo. bufftrek Arkansas Times and integrity are like oil and water. The Times has taken a sharp turn left since Lindsey Millar took over as editor. arkansas panic fan Best. Cover. Ever.

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APRIL 25, 2012

5

EDITORIAL

Whither Pryor?

t is generally conceded that President Obama will not carry Arkansas in this year’s presidential election. A more difficult question, still vigorously debated, is whether Obama will carry Mark Pryor.

Senator Pryor is and always has been at least nominally a Democrat, if not much more than nominal. Those who believe Obama will capture the Pryor vote dwell on this history, and on Pryor’s family ties, as the son of a Democratic governor and senator who once held the seat that is now Mark’s, and whose party loyalty was reasonably reliable.

But Mark is more conservative than his father, perhaps even a shade more politically cautious than a man who was not a large political risk-taker himself. Obama lost Arkansas (and other Southern states) in 2008, and almost certainly will again. One other ostensibly Democratic senator, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has already announced he may vote for the Republican presidential nominee. Pryors have always been known for their ability to decipher messages on walls. Pryor’s friend and former Democrat Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut supported Obama’s opponent in the last presidential election. Lieberman became an independent after he was defeated in a Connecticut Democratic primary. Pryor and other weakly Democratic senators then contributed money to help Lieberman defeat their own party’s nominee in the general election, Republican votes putting Lieberman over the top.

It might be said that Pryor admires Lieberman, though that is a hard thing to say of any man. Most recently, Pryor was the only Democratic senator to vote against the Buffet rule, an Obama-backed measure that would require the very wealthy to pay a fairer share of taxes. As between unrich Americans and super-rich Koch brothers, Pryor took the Kochs.

Things have been going very well for the superrich lately. This is not unprecedented, we admit.

While Pryor was in Washington battling for the upper one percent, back in Little Rock the state Education Department was busting up the teachers union and the support-staff union in the Pulaski County School District, as cheers erupted in board rooms and country clubs across the state. Unions can win higher wages for their members. Big money is committed to keeping Arkansas a low-wage state, like Mexico or Burma, and is very effective in doing so. The Pulaski County School District unions were among a handful left in Arkansas that could deliver meaningful benefits for their members. Over in Conway, the Chamber of Commerce rented a couple of U.S. representatives, Tim Griffin and Mike Ross, to voice opposition to a proposed increase in the severance tax. Corporate interests don’t like higher taxes any more than they like higher wages, or Democratic presidential nominees. Sen. Pryor may well hear of their concerns.

Since Snyder, Berry and Lincoln left, Pryor has held the undisputed title of “least bad” among the Arkansas congressional delegation. But that won’t buy TV time in the next election year.

6

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

ROLAND GLADDEN

I

EYE ON ARKANSAS

SPRING SCENE: A mother robin feeds her babies outside the Quapaw Quarter home of Roland Gladden.

Will Pryor be Blanched?

T

he 2014 election is already underway.

U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor sent a letter to close friends that said he would indeed be on the ballot again, rather than retire, run for governor, go to seminary or any other rumored new careers. His announcement roughly coincided with his vote, alone among Senate Democrats, to support a filibuster on the “Buffett rule,” a proposal by President Obama to tap millionaires for higher taxes.

Abuse of Pryor from the Democratic base was instant. Pryor’s defense: “There is no disputing that the wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes. This inequity should be fixed as part of broad tax reform, not as a political ploy meant to score points.”

The Democratic base dismissed this as blather.

Critics had a point in saying the Republicans aren’t a likely source of bipartisan support for any tax.

Pryor had ground to make his case. He once spoke warmly of the Simpson-Boles financial plan, which had critics on both sides of the aisle and which the president decided not to pursue. He’s been a player in bipartisan legislation. He worked to preserve the filibuster — aggravating unless you’re in the minority — but still preserve the judicial nomination process.

The Buffett rule vote was only for show, as Pryor indicated. His vote was meaningless. Democrats didn’t have the needed 60 votes with him. It was meant to score political points with the solid majority of votes who want higher taxes for millionaires. Republicans do this sort of thing all the time.

Pryor thinks voters — swing voters, at least — are tired of posturing. Will such moderation attract swing voters? It seems idealistic in hyper-partisan times.

But — given that he gains nothing from either side in the Buffett vote — it is possible he might be sincere.

Pryor finds himself as Sen. Blanche Lincoln did two years ago: Undistinguished general approval ratings, a linkage by party to a president hugely unpopular in

Arkansas and a voting record that, at times, diverges from Democratic base leanings. Lincoln barely survived a primary challenge from the left and was tromped in the general election.

MAX Pryor, whose fundamental perBRANTLEY sonal decency is similar to that maxbrantley@arktimes.com of Lincoln, is at similar risk.

As with Lincoln, I’m reluctant to pile on. Whatever you might say about Mark Pryor’s record, it’s dramatically better than that of any Republican, either Lincoln’s successor, Sen. John Boozman, or wannabe senator, Rep. Tim Griffin.

Pryor also is due sympathy for the thanks he’s gotten from the Obama administration for tough supporting votes on the likes of health care reform, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal, stimulus legislation, Wall Street reform, Supreme Court nominees and more.

Pryor has gotten less than nothing. Obama has delayed Arkansas judicial nominations. When Arkansas qualified for federal money for the Bayou Meto and Grand Prairie water projects, the Obama administration overrode the Corps of Engineers and sent the money to Republican-dominated Tennessee and Mississippi. The potential loss of trout hatchery funding in Arkansas isn’t an interagency technical debate, but another case of the Obama administration, in a time of Republican-constricted budgeting, favoring vote-rich urban areas over rural areas or red states generally. See farm subsidies. See loss of A-10 planes for the National Guard at Fort Smith and a cut in planned enhancements of the C-130 mission at Little Rock Air Force Base.

Given all this, I’m not ready to hang Mark Pryor for breaking with Obama on a tax vote meaningful mostly as a talking point. But the Blanche Lincoln example offers scant comfort that a stand on principle by Pryor will earn appreciation from voters.

OPINION

Meaningful posturing

E

veryone in Congress who cared to go to the chamber cast a ceremonious but meaningless vote on taxes last week and then promptly boasted that they had struck a blow for the people.

The votes were meaningless only in the sense that neither the Senate nor House of Representatives tax bills had a chance of becoming law. They were public relations lagniappe served up in hopes of giving the parties a leg up in the fall elections.

That doesn’t mean that voters shouldn’t pay attention to the votes.

They represent as well as anything could what people are apt to get from the next Congress in the way of debt reduction should one or the other party gain control.

The minority Republicans in the Senate, along with Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, blocked passage of the president’s plan to require people making more than a million dollars a year to pay a 30 percent tax rate.

House Republicans countered the millionaire tax — the so-called Warren Buffett tax — with Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s “small-business tax cut.”

It passed the House 235-173, with all

four Arkansans, including Democrat Mike Ross, voting yes. It has no chance of passing the SenERNEST ate. The House DUMAS also voted ceremoniously to reject the Buffett tax with Ross again voting with the GOP. Pryor, the only Democrat in the Senate to vote against the millionaire tax, explained that he was not necessarily against having millionaires pay a fair tax rate but these tax plans were political posturing by the parties and he was having none of it.

Standing above the fray is a form of posturing itself and, sadly for Pryor, it is not likely to stand him in good stead. Democrats and others who favor imposing a fairer tax on hedge-fund managers and others who use investment-profit loopholes to escape taxes thought his vote was cowardly, and Republicans only jeered.

The Buffett rule — the billionaire said his secretary should not be paying a higher percentage of her meager income in taxes than he did — would reduce the annual deficit by $47 bil-

Ethics overhaul would win the vote

A

bit over a year ago in this space, I made the case that if presented the opportunity at the ballot box, Arkansas voters would ratify a significant ethics overhaul. Recent polling on the Regnat Populus initiative, which had its ballot title cleared by the attorney general last week so that petition signature gathering can begin, supports that analysis.

In a Talk Business-Hendrix College poll late last month, the key provisions of the measure — ending corporate and union donations to Arkansas campaigns, employing the “Wal-Mart rule” to prevent lobbyists from providing gifts to legislators, and a two year cooling-off period before outgoing legislators could be employed as lobbyists — gain the support of 69 percent of those surveyed with majority support across most all groups of Arkansans (the tepid support among African Americans provides an interesting exception).

It’s clear that those who oppose the measure likely cannot win at the ballot box. Therefore, stopping the mea-

sure from getting on the ballot with a “decline to sign” campaign is their best shot at stopping it. The oppoJAY nents of the meaBARTH sure are aided by Regnat Populus’s incredibly late start with a July 1 deadline looming, their present lack of money for paid canvassers to collect signatures, and the fact that the primary election that serves as their best shot to gain large numbers of those signatures is one where turnout will be abysmal because the most scintillating race on most ballots is a lowkey race for Supreme Court.

Some of the most engaged opposition to Regnat Populus is coming from progressive legislators who say that the measure will further disempower folks like them, especially those without personal resources necessary to be a “most-time” legislator. They argue that, in the term-limits era there is not time for legislators to become influen-

lion while the House’s small-business tax cut would increase the deficit by $40 billion next year, the only year the businesses would receive the tax cut.

The Republicans claim the $40 billion in revenue loss would be partially offset by tax receipts from new wages and salaries that would flow when businessmen who enjoy the tax cuts invest their savings in new workers.

It sounds fetching but it is nonsense, and it has been proven so for a couple of generations. Some 9.4 million owners of small businesses would reap tax cuts, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, but 75 percent of the $40 million in tax savings would go to the richest 8 percent of businessmen.

Income taxes on businesses are already the lowest in 80 years.

The theory of these supply-side tax cuts is that a businessman who sees his taxes reduced by a few thousand dollars for one year will decide to give it to someone else by hiring another worker. Businesses don’t hire a new worker just to be nice. They hire for one reason: the new employee is needed to meet the demand for the business’s goods and services. No demand, no new employee.

Look, the supply-side theory has been amply tested and it didn’t work.

The two big examples are President

Reagan’s tax cut in 1981, which sharply lowered rates for high earners and corporations, and President George W. Bush’s successive rounds of tax cuts early in the last decade. They were sandwiched around President Clinton’s tax increase on upper incomes in 1993 to bring down the deficit and balance the budget (it did both). The tax cuts were sold as giant job creators, which would lead to higher tax collections and balanced budgets.

Everyone knows what happened both times: ballooning deficits.

But did the tax cuts produce the huge investment growth that was promised and that this year’s sponsors promise? Over the seven years after the Reagan tax cut, investment growth averaged 2.8 percent; after Bush’s tax cuts it averaged 2.7 percent. After Clinton’s tax increase, which Republicans warned would lead to another great depression, growth averaged 10.2 percent.

Choose any other growth measurement — gross domestic product, jobs, wage levels, median household income, budget deficits, national debt — and the results were uniform. It was far worse after the supply-side tax cuts than after the deficit-reducing tax increase.

Those symbolic votes last week were important.

tial experts and that the best opportunities for “crash courses” are out-of-state conferences with costly travel. Their desire to be effective legislators is to be praised, but reform’s costs are less than they suggest and the benefits of reform outpace them. First, if the educational group carrying out the conference is not lobbying here, its supporters could pay for the legislative travel under the measure. Moreover, there are many more legislators attending meetings sponsored by ALEC (which, we know from reports this week, is actively lobbying in Arkansas on issues like health care reform) and like groups than attending conferences on the latest research on the perils of fracking or benefits of afterschool programs. Finally, even when that travel connects legislators with other progressives from around the country, entities lobbying in Arkansas paying for it is fundamentally problematic. Even if legislators could ignore who paid for their trip when a vote important to the group comes along, it raises a perception of impropriety that harms the public trust.

The critics also underplay the considerable good that would come from the measure. Although the lobbyists who offer legislators trusted information on complex issues would maintain

their legitimate role in the system, the lobbyists who rely upon steaks in the backroom of Doe’s to gain votes during sessions would have that tool taken away from them. Moreover, the new rules would level the playing field for citizen activists who reach out to their legislators during the legislative process.

In addition to reducing the role of the lobbyists who rely on gifts to sway votes, the measure would — over time — create change in the types of individuals who run for the legislature. Those who are drawn to the perks of office or to the promise of a lobbying job immediately after leaving office would no longer have an interest in the post. That would be a considerable step forward for the state and for the people’s interests.

We need to use technology to enhance disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures. We need to expand the Bureau of Legislative Research to provide legislators research without reliance on out-of-state trips.

We need to raise legislative pay (removing per diems) to make it viable for rank and file citizens to do the job. We need to admit that the most severe term limits in the country are doing harm to our state. First, however, we need to take the step forward that Regnat Populus offers us. www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

7

PEARLS ABOUT SWINE

Smith makes sense

All is fair in love?

Even murder?

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APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

ount this columnist among those who was rather nonplussed about the University of Arkansas announcing that it had wrested John L. Smith away from his sabbatical in Utah. But do not misinterpret my reaction as a lack of enthusiasm.

Rather, I believed from the moment Bobby Petrino was dismissed that Smith would have probably been elevated to temporary custodian of Hog football without a minute’s hesitation had he not left for Weber State back in December. The 2011 Razorback staff boasted exactly two men with collegiate head coaching experience, namely Petrino and Smith. The latter was a few years removed from a nondescript four-year run at East Lansing, Michigan, where he was best remembered for an amusing outburst on national television at halftime of a game against Ohio State.

But for all the jabs at Smith, they belied the fact that for the better part of two decades, he was a successful head coach at multiple locales, and fondly regarded by his players.

This move by athletic director Jeff Long is going to be met with predictable cynicism by those who believe that a.) he should have chloroformed Jon Gruden and stuffed him into the back end of that magic Escalade that delivers instant riches and glory to anyone who desires it, or b.) Petrino himself should have been shuttled off to some sort of accelerated rehab in order to return to his post. Indeed, Smith represents the very definition of “safe hire”: a 63-yearold man who was all set to end his coaching career by guiding his alma mater for a few seasons, presumably to ease into retirement and anonymity without fuss.

Hell, the man’s name is inherently mundane and common.

Characterizing the move this way does Smith a grave injustice. For all the harsh words that will be directed toward him for his failings at Michigan State, his struggles there were hardly unique.

His immediate predecessor, Bobby Williams, won only six conference games in three seasons, and even Nick Saban was largely a .500 coach there until his last season (1999). George Perles coached 12 seasons and ended up one game over .500.

Perhaps the better gauge of Smith’s capabilities can be found in his stint at Louisville from 1998 to 2002. Prior to Smith’s arrival, Ron Cooper had guided the Cardinals to a miserable 1-10 season. Howard Schnellenberger, the architect of “The U,” could only muster a 54-56-2 mark in a decade-long

run before Cooper.

Smith led the Cardinals to an average of eight wins per year, a bowl bid every seaBEAU son, which made WILCOX him the Spartans’ choice to succeed Williams and ultimately left Louisville in Petrino’s very capable hands.

Smith is also, naturally, a fresh target for national media members who love nothing more than to besmirch a man for leaving one job to take another, even if Smith’s connection to Arkansas has been so well forged enough that current players have tweeted their undying support for this alleged Band-Aid hire. Those who trumpet loyalty to the new employer and cull quotations from Smith’s press conference at Weber four months ago have never been faced with the chance to quadruple their salary on a 10-month contract, and should therefore cease and desist with the proselytizing.

This is the proper fix for now, even if it leaves unresolved all the familiar questions about how to salvage recruiting for 2013 and beyond. If Smith is successful in this managerial role, the issue will likely settle itself. Paul Petrino and Paul Haynes will continue to oversee the offense and defense, respectively, and in so doing will both have the opportunity to essentially audition for longer-term employment with higher pay. It’s easy to forget that this will be the first sustained play-calling experience for both Pauls, and neither would have been ideal if elevated to head coach now. It’s similarly easy to forget that Long’s savvy in inking Smith to this patchwork contract is twofold: It keeps future coaching options after 2012 well in play, and reserves significant dollars in the Foundation for the next coaching contract, as Smith’s salary will be more or less on par with what Gus Malzahn will make at Arkansas State this year.

Finding fault with this arrangement is easy only because of its utter lack of pizzazz. But thus is the ripple effect of one man’s April joyride. The Razorbacks of 2012 will be one of the country’s more intriguing stories due to the tumult, but it now falls on Smith to alter the narrative by not altering the landscape at all. His charge is to maintain what Petrino built, then cede the caretaker role when a suitable permanent replacement becomes known and available. Fans will react or overreact accordingly, but optimism for the coming season should not ebb.

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10 APRIL 25, 2012 ARKANSAS TIMES

“Beebe China voyage attempt to encourage firms to move to state.”

When I see voyage, I still think of a trip by water, and I find some support in the Random House Unabridged, whose first definition of voyage is “a course of travel or passage, especially a long journey by water to a distant place.” But RH also says that a voyage can be “a passage through air or space” and “a journey by land,” so I guess the headline is not incorrect, even though the governor didn’t travel by boat, I’m pretty sure.

Geographic is correct in identifying 1,500 souls as the victims of the Titanic tragedy. …

Apostate ChristiDOUG anity screwed up SMITH dougsmith@arktimes.com the meaning of ‘soul’ to ‘prove’ that your soul immediately goes to heaven after death. But if you study the Bible closely, you find the Bible doesn’t say that: Instead, it’s pagan Greek philosophy that says that.”

While we’re getting our sea legs, let’s take up a communication from Wayne Jordan concerning “words that have had their definitions twisted from their original meanings.”

“On page 78 of National Geographic’s April issue are these words,” Jordan writes. “ ‘At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the ‘unsinkable’ R.M.S. Titanic disappeared beneath the waves, taking with her 1,500 souls …’ ” “How refreshing it is to see the word ‘souls’ used correctly,” Jordan says. “The ‘soul’ is not something that separates from the body after a person dies. The original Hebrew and Greek define a soul as a living, breathing creature. Thus, the National

The award-winning Meryl Lynch: “William McGurn was a speechwriter for George W. Bush, while Peggy Noonan wrote most of Bush’s father’s best lines.

Mary O’Grady was a finance industry insider at Meryl Lynch …”

From the journalism review Extra!: “What NPR Calls Objectivity … An NPR news brief (1/24/12) on the Occupy D.C. encampment reported that ‘the protesters are activists against what they call income inequality.’ As a listener wrote to us, ‘What I call my jaw dropped as I heard this. I was listening to NPR on what I call a radio …’ ”

WEEK THAT WAS

It was a good week for…

JOHN L. SMITH. The former Arkansas assistant, who left the program in December to become head coach at his alma mater, Weber State, was named head coach of the football Razorbacks.

A former head coach at Louisville and Michigan State, Smith is often described as disgraced former coach Bobby Petrino’s mentor. He’ll be paid $850,000 for a 10-month contract.

bad deal that reaches to the very highest ranks of Walmart, including the former CEO, H. Lee Scott, and the former director of the Arkansas State Police, Tom Mars, who was general counsel of the company in 2005 and is now executive vice president and chief administrative officer. Board chair and Walton heir Rob Walton reportedly received an e-mail about the bribery in 2008.

It was a bad week for…

STATE SEN. JOYCE ELLIOTT. The Democrat-Gazette reported that Elliott was hired by UALR to run the Central Little Rock Promise Neighborhood for $80,000 even though state law prohibits hiring sitting legislators for state jobs. It was an oversight, all say. It will be corrected by funneling the money through the city of Little Rock first. As far as bookkeeping and the statute are concerned, yes, all may now be well. As far as appearances, not so much. It doesn’t erase UALR’s selection of a legislator for a publicly financed job. She’s permanently conflicted as a legislator, of course, on matters relating to UALR or the city of Little Rock, if she’s elected to another term. Rep. Fred Allen is challenging her in the Democratic primary.

WALMART. The New York Times reported that the Arkansas-based retailing giant, after uncovering use of bribery to dominate the Mexican market in 2005, took steps to cover it all up. This is a big, very

ALSO: Turkey Scratch native Levon Helm, beloved musician famous for his time in The Band, died at 71. His songs will live forever. See more on page 13.

TOM PETTY FANS. Fourteen thousand packed into Verizon Arena to see Petty and the Heartbreakers play their first concert in Arkansas in 35 years. Petty promised to return soon. See more on page 48.

AN EVICTION NOTICE. Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas personally delivered word to the Occupy Little Rock encampment at 4th and Ferry Streets Monday evening that a city permit for the occupation, previously open-ended, would not be extended past May 16.

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Let’s be Frank idea that if you were going to do something — really do something — there was across a photo someone had posted of no excuse besides ignorance or laziness an old teacher of ours: the writer Frank for doing it halfway.

Conroy, who served as the director of If you’re forced to hang around a guy the Iowa Writer’s Workshop up in Iowa like for that long enough — by circumCity from 1987 to 2005 before dying of stance, by employment or by military serthe perpetual sneak thief cancer. In the vice, say — there is, as someone we can’t photo, he’s sitting in some sunny place, quite remember pointed out, a pattern: smoking a cigarette. Though there’s First you hate him, then you respect him, a guy in the background of the photo then you love him. Once, with the cold wearing shorts and a T-shirt, Frank is Iowa dark lying against the windows cocooned in brown wool. That says a of the classroom, Frank held up a story lot about him. of ours before the class — held it with Frank was two fingers, like born in New a lace napkin conOnce, with the cold Iowa York City, but was taining dog feces dark lying against the raised mostly in — and declared windows of the classroom, the sticks of Florthat it was AS IF Frank held up a story of ida. You wouldn’t the person who ours before the class — wrote it was a have known it held it with two fingers, like by looking at or writer, the same a lace napkin containing speaking to him. way it is as if guys dog feces — and declared As a kid from who sneak into hospitals, dress Arkansas come to that it was AS IF the the Great Frozen up in scrubs and person who wrote it was North to study deliver babies a writer, the same way it are doctors. He how to lie beautiis as if guys who sneak then proceeded fully at the feet of into hospitals, dress up in the masters way to take a crowbar scrubs and deliver babies back in 1997, The and tear down are doctors. our house, popObserver would have sworn that ping nails and our Frank had been torn whole from some careful joints, turning things over so we 1960s novel about constipated New Engcould see the rot inside, underneath the land WASPs. paint. That was definitely in the “hate” phase, in case you’re wondering.

In class, Frank could be brutal. He saw the process of discussing fiction as It was only later, skulking in our apartment with a bottle and cursing a destructive act and he went about it Godzilla-on-Tokyo style, always with a his name, of course, that we realized slight grin on his face and a mad twinkle he was right. He didn’t tell us what we in his eye, as if he couldn’t believe somewanted to hear. He didn’t tell us how thing as preposterous as the story you’d to fix that particular story. Instead, he told us what we needed to know to be sweated blood into had been visited on just a little bit better the next time we mankind by a kind and loving Creator. sat down to write. That’s the mark of a He was, in a phrase, a tough son of true teacher. a bitch.

The Observer can’t stand doling out We say that with all the respect and morals (they’re almost never true, and love we can muster, and with no disrespect to his mother, whoever she was. where they are, you probably don’t want We’ve known guys like Frank all our to hear them) but in this case, we’ll try one on for size: Give that tough son of a life: hard but fair, simple but not simplisbitch in your life a shot. You might just tic. They weren’t all as smart or accomlearn something. plished as he was, but they all shared the

o G

e k a L o t ! r o u q i L

THE OBSERVER WAS TROLLING FACEBOOK the other day when we ran

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www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

11

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas personally delivered word to the Occupy Little Rock encampment at 4th and Ferry Streets Monday evening that a city permit for the occupation, previously openended, would not be extended past May 16.

The news came as something of a surprise to Occupy Little Rock, which has been meeting in recent days with Mayor Mark Stodola, City Manager Bruce Moore and City Attorney Tom Carpenter about moves to other sites or other ways to potentially end the demonstration, now more than six months old.

Greg Deckelman, who talks to media on behalf of Occupy Little Rock, said the chief delivered the notice about 6 p.m. and said “he hated to be the bearer of bad tidings.” He delivered no other message, Deckelman said. Occupy LR has no idea if this signals an end to further negotiations.

“We’re hopeful they’ll continue to negotiate,” Deckelman said. He wasn’t ready to say what the group would do if that’s not the case. “It would be decided at that point through consensus of the general assembly.” He said there was plenty of time to negotiate a different place for the group to camp, though visibility remains a prime aim of the group. The group has been talking to the city about the possibility of both public and private spots to relocate to.

Deckelman said city officials had said they might be willing to ask the City Board to consider the group’s call for a non-binding city resolution opposition to the Citizens United ruling on “corporate personhood,” but not a guarantee of passage of such a resolution.

City Manager Bruce Moore said the city needed the parking lot to accommodate buses during “tourist season.”

Food fight At least two restaurant owners downtown are ticked off at the Downtown Little Rock Partnership for its sponsorship of Food Truck Fridays, which they say will hurt their business on what are normally their busiest days.

Eric Tinner, who owns Sufficient Grounds locations along Capitol Avenue and The Sports Page on Louisiana, and Matt Lile, owner of Lulav, are blaming the partnership for a recent big dip in business on the first two Food Truck Fridays at Capitol and Main. Lile said his business was down the first week 31 percent 12

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

Occupy losing permit

HILL: Boosters have too much say in selection of coaches.

Black coach bias in college football A new book from Fitz Hill makes the case.

BY EVIN DEMIREL

O

f the dozen years Fitz Hill spent with the Razorback football staff, 1993 to 1997 were most grueling for him because Danny Ford was head coach. In these years, which former assistant coach Hill describes as a “living hell,” Ford regularly referred to black men as “boys” and didn’t understand why they would be offended, said Hill.

The racially insensitive comments didn’t end there. Once, during discussion of a school health care plan, Hill told the staff he had three dependents: himself, his wife and a daughter. “Yeah, he’s like all the black guys,” Ford chimed in. “He’s got babies all over the place.” Although disturbed, Hill chuckled. “That’s what you do when you’re scared to speak up.

I wanted to keep my job. I knew I was expendable.”

“I truly believe in his mind, he didn’t mean any harm,” Hill wrote in an e-mail.

“But unfortunately at that time, he didn’t know any better.” Hill later told Ford the comments hurt. Ford apologized, and stopped saying such things. Hill forgave, and moved on, eventually landing in his current job as president of Little Rock’s

Arkansas Baptist College. But the experience further strengthened his resolve to study the dynamics between minority coaches and college football. While serving as head coach at San Jose State from 2001 to 2004, he interviewed hundreds of black and white coaches around the nation to complete a doctorate dissertation on the scarcity of legitimate head coaching opportunities for minor-

ities. The culmination of his research is “Crackback! How College Football Blindsides the Hopes of Black Coaches,” a new book Hill co-authored with San Jose Mercury News sports columnist Mark Purdy, which Tate Publishing will distribute nationally on April 24.

When the 2012 season begins, 15 of 120 major college programs (Football Bowl Subdivision) will employ black head coaches, according to Hill. That’s two fewer than last year. Whatever progress has been made along these lines in the last couple decades hasn’t been enough, Hill and Purdy contend.

There are a number of reasons for the enduring disparity between the number of black coaches and black players, who constitute roughly half of Division I. At the heart of the issue is severe disagreement between races regarding whether minorities are treated fairly in the coaching ranks or not, Hill discovered in the course of polling more than 500 white and black college football coaches who worked from 1988 to 2001, and after speaking with many other coaches at CONTINUED ON PAGE 41

LISTEN UP

THE

BIG PICTURE

REMEMBERING LEVON On April 19, Phillips County native Levon Helm died after a decade-plus fight with throat cancer. Helm got his start playing rockabilly in the Southern United States and in Canada with Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks. The Hawks went on to back up Bob Dylan as he went electric and eventually became The Band, a group almost singlehandedly created what’s now called Americana — a blend of rock, folk, blues, country and gospel. In recent years, he’d hosted Midnight Rambles at his Woodstock, N.Y., home, playing music with family and friends.

“He was my bosom buddy friend to the end, one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation. This is just so sad to talk about. I still can remember the first day I met him and the last day I saw him. We go back pretty far and had been through some trials together. I’m going to miss him, as I’m sure a whole lot of others will too.”

BOB DYLAN “Levon was an influence and an inspiration to all of us. It was an honor and a privilege to have known him. We will miss him.’’

JOE WALSH

“The late Jim Carroll once said that Levon Helm was the only drummer who could make you cry, and he was absolutely right.”

MARTIN SCORCESE

“Baby, he meant a lot to the music business. He was gifted young boy, I’ll tell you that. He was the pride of Marvell, Ark.” RONNIE HAWKINS

“Without Levon’s inspiration, example and direct encouragement, my life would not have taken the path I’m now following. I owe him, and the traditions he stood for, a debt of personal, artistic, and spiritual gratitude that can only be repaid by continuing to travel the road that he helped to show us — the never-ending journey.”

PHIL LESH “Levon Helm will always hold a special place in my heart.

He was as great of an actor as a musician. For me watching him play the role of my daddy in ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’ is a memory I will always treasure.”

LORETTA LYNN “He was a one-of-a-kind person and just an unbelievable musician. His feel at the drums was something. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.

The closest thing I’ve experienced is his nephew Terry [Cagle], who plays with us.”

EARL CATE

“Levon was a sharp cookie. He had to be, look at the good living and the fun he had for many, many years. He was 16 I think when Hawkins said he got him off that tractor up in Marvell.”

SONNY BURGESS “The are few more stirring sounds in all recorded music than the drags and press rolls that announce in the last chorus of ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.’ No other drummer ever sang with such sadness and longing. Few singers of any kind could manage it.”

ELVIS COSTELLO “He called me one time and said, ‘Ya’ll just get your sleeping bags and come sleep here in my studio, just come on up here.’ I said, ‘Man we’re too old for that, we can’t do that.’ But that’s the kind of person he was.

He was always happy every time I saw him.

He was the life of the party.”

BOBBY CRAFFORD

Tune in to the Times’ “Week In Review” podcast each Friday.

Available on iTunes & arktimes.com

INSIDER, CONT. from the previous Friday, and “I really believe [the food trucks] are directly responsible.” Tinner said during the same period business declined at both his Sufficient Grounds locations (one at Union Plaza, close by the food trucks, and the other in the Metropolitan Bank building at 5th and Broadway) and that a survey he made of nearby restaurants showed a big drop in customers — U.S. Pizza by 30 percent and a Subway three blocks away down 23 percent. The decline at Tinner’s three restaurants was even worse in the second week, he said.

“It’s disappointing to see a group like the partnership ... support direct competition,” Tinner said. “It’s hard for me to stomach the fact that my dues are going to this [project] that hurts my business.”

Tinner said the food trucks “come in, cherry pick our business at the peak time of day and week and they leave ... what do they leave besides trash?” Unlike the mobile trucks, Lulav’s Lile noted that he’d invested time and money in fixing up a dilapidated building on Sixth Street for his business, a move that has helped downtown.

DLRP head Sharon Priest believes things will even out in the next two months as overflow customers, people who do not regularly dine out downtown, head to the brick and mortar restaurants. She said the DLRP has offered to print for restaurants fliers that tout discounts at the restaurants for distribution at the food truck site. But Lile said offering discounts to lure business away from the food trucks “frankly hurts us too.”

Priest noted that there are “roughly” 10,000 people who work within a few blocks of the food truck area “who are looking for lunch at the same time.” She said she considers the food truck project — which she said was designed to bring new people to Main Street — a trial. The DLRP has contracted with the Metropolitan Housing Alliance (Little Rock’s Housing Authority) Fridays through June for use of the block where the three food trucks set up.

Tinner, who met with the DLRP before the first Food Truck Friday to express his opposition to the idea, has suggested that the food truck site move around to lessen the impact on any one area downtown, an idea Priest said she’d take into consideration after June.

Priest said she’s also told restaurants they can sell prepared food from carts if they like, an idea that Tinner scoffed at. “I don’t mind a little competition but in the end result, what is the message?” Tinner asked — that downtown restaurants don’t draw new diners? www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

13

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

PERFECT PITCH

The Arkansas Times Academic All-Star Team, another assembly of super achievers.

I

BRIAN CHILSON

JOSEPH BERLEANT

14

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

t’s time again to meet our choices for Arkansas’s top 20 high school seniors.

The class of 2012, our 18th, is full of National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, artists, musicians and writers.

There’s rarely a B on the transcripts of these students — in not just this, their senior year, but in any year of their high school careers.

They have busy lives outside school, too, with extracurricular activities, volunteer work, mission activities and more.

They’ll be honored this week at a ceremony at UALR with plaques and $250 cash awards. AETN will feature some of them in a series of short videos that will appear periodically on the state’s public television network.

We’ve tried to give an idea of what the future holds for them, but these profiles appear before the final deadline for college decisions and many of our winners have exciting options. College plans listed are, therefore, not set in stone.

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

MATH, TENNIS, DOGS — SHE FITS ALL IN

M

argaret Anne Beetstra reads ancient Greek, tutors calculus students and spent last summer researching life expectancy factors for the state Health Department through a scholars’ program at Arkansas Children’s MAGGIE BEETSTRA Hospital. She’s lived in four states, she rescues abused dogs, AGE: 17 and she serves meals at Stewpot. Not only is she a memHOMETOWN: Albuquerque, N.M., ber of seven academic and community service clubs, she’s and Little Rock president of two of them, and she captains her varsity tenHIGH SCHOOL: Episcopal Collegiate nis team. It’s obvious that, at only 17, Maggie’s a whiz with PARENTS: Stephen and Joan Beetstra time management — which is great, because next year she COLLEGE PLANS: Georgia plans to juggle college tennis with a full course load and Tech, Washington University, some to-be-determined undergraduate research project.

Northwestern University, Rice Maggie knows her priorities, though. “I love tennis, but University or Agnes Scott, applied tennis can’t be my life. I definitely want to do undergradumathematics ate research, and if I don’t study applied mathematics, I’ll do chemistry or neuroscience,” she said. Among her academic achievements, Maggie is at the top of her class, has a 4.52 GPA and is a National Merit semifinalist. Joan Beetstra, Maggie’s mother, is amazed by her daughter’s work ethic. “With school and tennis, it’s just the hours she puts in,” Joan said. “I’ve never seen anyone who power-studies the way she does ... she’s also good at thinking on her feet, which really works in her favor.” Maggie considers leading Honor Council the most noble of her sundry activities. “It’s the most prestigious club at our school,” she said.

“It’s our job to enforce the Honor Code that every student signs. It can be tough, having to inform one of my peers that there are serious consequences to their behavior, mostly because students are remorseful and regret what they’ve done.” In dealing with her peers, Beetstra applies principles she learned through working with her family’s rescue dogs: “I’m an only child, so these dogs are my siblings. They teach me to be grateful, they teach me unconditional love, they teach me that everyone deserves a second chance.”

MODEL STUDENT

J

oseph Berleant is a computer whiz and lifelong cellist with plans to head off to Pasadena’s Cal Tech this fall.

(For the record, Cal Tech just became the first university to beat Harvard for the title of best school in the world, according to the London-based “Times Higher Education.”)

The Central High senior recently received his acceptance letter, and he’s still giddy. “It’s such a good engineering JOSEPH BERLEANT AGE: 18 school,” he said. “I want to go into computer science, but HOMETOWN: Little Rock that ties in so closely with other types of engineering. Being HIGH SCHOOL: Central High at Caltech will give me a good opportunity to keep up with PARENTS: Daniel Berleant and what’s going on in all forms of engineering and physics.” It’s Joy Liaw no surprise that Caltech wants him. Joseph scored a perfect COLLEGE PLANS: California Institute of Technology, computer 36 in math on his ACT, with a composite score of 35. This science year he took a course in differential equations at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, since he took AP calculus, the highest math Central offers, his junior year. He has also designed a computer program that more efficiently models plants. The program took top honors at the state science fair and advanced to the international Intel Science Fair in Los Angeles. Currently, Joseph is working on a paper detailing the program, which he hopes to present at the Bionanotox 2012 Conference. If his paper is accepted, he’ll be a rarity — a high school student among graduate students, professors and think-tank types. Though his achievements are far beyond high school, Joseph is down-to-earth and committed to his school and his community. In addition to being treasurer of Junior Civitan, a Central High volunteer club that pitches in everywhere from the Salvation Army to Wildwood Park, Joseph is in six other clubs and honor societies, he’s a National Merit semifinalist and he plays with the Arkansas Youth Symphony. Last year, he won the Arkansas ACLU Bill of Rights essay contest with an essay about First Amendment freedoms of gay and lesbian high school students. He’s taken 21 Advanced Placement classes, which means, depending on Caltech policies, he could have a major head start on his freshman year. Joseph should be right at home next year among the world’s brightest engineering hopefuls.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

T

his summer Jean Corbitt is going to Turkey as part of Centre College’s summer enrichment program. She’s almost as excited about that as she is the fact that, as a Brown fellow at Centre, her college career — or at least, tuition, room and board — are entirely covered. As the daughter of two philosophy professors (her mom is at JEAN CORBITT Hendrix, her dad is at University of Central Arkansas), AGE: 18 she chose the small Danville, Ky., liberal arts college HOMETOWN: Conway because, she said, “I wanted to take classes in a lot of HIGH SCHOOL: Conway High subjects and be with people with way different majors School West from mine. It’s a bigger perspective for learning.” Jean PARENTS: Peg and Douglas Corbitt COLLEGE PLANS: Centre College, loves English and history. In fact, her team qualified for undecided major the National History Day competition four years in a row. Her ninth grade year, her team won second place with a skit about Jackie Cochran, who founded the women’s air force training program during World War II. The team got to perform the skit at a congressional breakfast in Washington, D.C. — one of Jean’s proudest moments to date. Jean came to international politics a little more cautiously.

Last summer through a Duke Talent Identification Program, Jean spent a week in the Netherlands, which included an extensive tour of The Hague. When she came back, she signed up for Model UN. “All of the super-powers were taken, so we chose to represent Afghanistan,” she said. Through researching the country’s policies and conditions Jean realized “how much we take for granted ... education for women, a peaceful transfer of power ... things I just assume should happen.”

In addition to her academic achievements — Jean is a National Merit semifinalist, ranked second in her class, will graduate with a dozen A.P. classes and has a 4.30 GPA — she is first-chair trumpet in her school’s symphonic band, and she founded a jump rope team at her former elementary. “We teach the kids tricks and choreographed routines to help them feel special and give them confidence,” she said.

OUT IN FRONT

Z

ach Ford is the drum major of the Har-Ber High School Band. He patiently explained to a questioner the responsibilities of a drum major: He makes sure that the band stays together in its playing. He teaches marching techniques to the incoming 10th graders. He gives “very vocal” commands to the band while it’s on the march. When Zach isn’t drum majoring, he’s ZACH FORD AGE: 18 the leader of the Har-Ber Band’s percussion section.

HOMETOWN: Springdale But when asked about significant achievements, he HIGH SCHOOL: Har-Ber mentions not the band, but working as a volunteer at PARENTS: Phil and Shawna Ford the Miracle League in Northwest Arkansas, a baseball COLLEGE PLANS: Duke, league for special-needs children. “Seeing the joy on mathematics the face of a child who has been told that they cannot play sports because of their disability is enough to make anyone get out of bed on a Saturday morning to go out and play ball,” he writes. Academically, Zach ranks first in a class of 481. He’s the Student Council president, a Quiz Bowl competitor, a member of the National Honor Society, manager of the basketball team, a runner on the cross country and track teams, and a participant in his school’s production of the musical “Anything Goes.”

Besides his work with the Miracle League, he helps lead services at the Westside Church of Christ, is a Junior Rotarian, coordinated a fund-raiser for a children’s charity, and organized the annual Christmas caroling event for Har-Ber students.

He’s been an all-region musician for five years, and an all-state musician for two.

He won the Epsilon Sigma Alpha Outstanding Youth Award.

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

15

UALR Graduates @ Work • Wright, Lindsey & Jennings • Aristotle • Nabholz Construction • Caterpillar • LM Windpower • American Chemistry • Baptist Health • Entergy • FIS • Molex • Stephens Inc. • KARK • Searcy Daily Citizen • Acxiom • UAMS • AT&T • KTHV • Windstream • eStem High School • Clinton Presidential Library • Hewlett-Packard • Welspun • BKD • • Arkansas Supreme Court • VCC • Jones Productions • Lockheed-Martin • Delta Trust & Bank • Mangan Holcomb Partners • Arkansas Governor’s Office • Verizon • Frost and Associates • Historic Arkansas Museum • ESPN • KATV • Mitchell Williams • U.S. Bank • Walmart • U.S. Marshals Museum • U.S. Army • Arkansas Attorney General’s Office • Mosaic Templars Educational and Cultural Center • Raytheon • Arkansas Democrat-Gazette • The Communications Group • Southwest Power Pool • BAE Systems • Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield • Arkansas History Commission • William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace National Historic Site • Central Arkansas Library System • Frazier, Hudson & Cisne • Pulaski County Special School District • Arkansas State Police • Schueck Steel • Arkansas Department of Information Systems • TME • CLEAResult • St. Vincent Infirmary • Clinton School of Public Service • Heifer International • Arvest Bank • Friday, Eldredge and Clark • North Little Rock Police • Arkansas Children’s Hospital • AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals • Arkansas Business • North Little Rock School District • Arkansas Department of Human Services • Fox News • Arvest Mortgage • Mainstream Technologies • MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History • Central High School • Arkansas Times • Arkansas Department of Workforce Services • Williams and Anderson • Little Rock Central High National Historic Site • State of Arkansas • Old State House Museum • Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Mimi Farrar Bachelor’s - Management Master’s - Finance & Marketing Our graduates are at work across Arkansas — from small businesses and nonprofits to government agencies, healthcare providers, and large corporations. Enroll now and discover UALR’s unique opportunities in the capital city’s hub for internships, career development, and job placement. ualr.edu

University of ArkAnsAs At LittLe rock

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

NOT DEFINED BY SCORES

JOCK AND JOURNALIST

hen Whitney Gao was nominated queen of the Central High basketball homecoming court, she gave a shout-out to her counselor: “Score one for the smart girls!” But Whitney’s not really one for numbers — at least as identifiers. Yes, she’s ranked No. 1 in Central’s senior class. Yes, her SAT score was 2400.

Yes, her ACT score was 35. Yes, she scored seven 5s on WHITNEY GAO AGE: 17 her Advanced Placement exams. But, as Whitney said HOMETOWN: Little Rock in her essay for the Times, “I’m a sister, a daughter. I’m HIGH SCHOOL: Central High an under-the-covers reader of fashion magazines, a PARENTS: Xiang Gao and Li Tong complete nerd, and the girl whose laugh you hear all COLLEGE PLANS: Harvard College, the way down the hallway.” She chose that essay topic, premed she said in an interview, because so much weight is put on test scores and grades; “I want college to recognize me as someone besides SAT and AP scores.” They should know she’s a pianist who loves Grieg, and she hopes to keep playing in college, though math and sciences will be her focus. “I just really want to learn about everything ... the most obscure subjects that I wouldn’t get a chance to learn in high school.” But the big picture is to prepare for medical school and become a physician like her father, who is a radiation oncologist at CARTI. When she hears students say they are looking forward to having fun in college, “to me that’s extremely boring,” she said. Not this summer, though — “I want to chill.”

Then, come fall, she says she’ll buckle down. It’s hard to believe, but Whitney said that without her mother, “I would have been super lazy. I wanted to watch TV when I was little.” But her mother “got me started really early doing math and reading and it was good.” (Is she fashionable, by the way? She’d like to think so, but she confesses, “To be honest, I have shown up in sweat pants and a sweat shirt to school.”)

ndrew was both a member of his high school football team and the editor-in-chief and sports editor of the school newspaper. He aspires to be a sportswriter. We told him that as an actual football player, he might be overqualified. Most sportswriters are frustrated football players. He felt he could fit in.

Though he was a wide receiver, he was not very athletic ANDREW HUTCHINSON AGE: 18 nor very big, he said, and he knows that his football HOMETOWN: Springdale career ended at the high school level. Academically, HIGH SCHOOL: Springdale High Andrew ranks first in a class of 517. He’s a member of PARENTS: Randy and Cynthia the National Honor Society, recipient of a Presidential Hutchinson Award for Excellence, an Advanced Placement (AP) COLLEGE PLANS: University of Arkansas, journalism Scholar, and a winner of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce Champions in Education Award. He’s also senior leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Sports have always been a part of his life. Journalism entered in the 10th grade, when he joined the Bulldog Herald staff as a sportswriter, and loved it. But it wasn’t until he wrote a published remembrance of his first football coach, who had just died of cancer, and he received a heartfelt letter from the coach’s fiancee, “that I knew becoming a journalist would be worthwhile.” Family members and others have told him that the print medium is dying. Nonetheless, he says, “That’s what I’m going to do. I just want to write.”

CALLED TO MEDICINE

LOVES HER HERITAGE

re Gorukanti has two goals: He wants to go to medical school and he wants to start a music school for elementary school children, which he sees as a way to boost learning in other areas. It’s possible the Honors Diploma graduate of Southside High can pull it off: Sre is both musician (he plays alto and tenor sax and has made All-Region band three times) and SRECHERAN GORUKANTI AGE: 18 scientist (he’s spent time in a laboratory at Missouri HOMETOWN: Fort Smith University of Science and Technology extracting and HIGH SCHOOL: Southside cloning mouse and pig DNA looking for clues to obesity).

PARENTS: Jaysree and Narender He thought for a while about being rebellious and not Gorukanti pursuing what is a family calling: His father is a doctor, COLLEGE PLANS: St. Louis University, premed his sister is in medical school and he has uncles and cousins who are doctors. “It’s the Indian thing, pretty much,” he explained. However, after he volunteered at a hospital for two summers, he discovered that “I loved escorting the patients and watching the doctors work with the patients … it really changed me.” His biggest influence, however, was a trip to India where he saw “abysmal conditions … people living in cardboard boxes. I think it would be a great thing if we had doctors go to these countries and work on sanitation” and other health issues, he said. His father is an oncologist, but Sre is interested in plastic surgery, so he could repair cleft palates in less developed countries. This AP Scholar with Distinction calls himself a “nerd at heart” who says partying doesn’t “call” to him. (One thing that does call to him: If you graduate from St. Louis University with a high gradepoint average, you can forego the MCAT.)

rittany Grace Johnston is just the kind of young woman you’d love to have teaching your elementary school student: Bright, interested, observant.

Fortunately, that’s what she wants to do, so in five years or so she might be available. She might also give your child lessons in Mexican folk-dancing, which she took up as a high school freshman to get “closer to my BRITTANY GRACE JOHNSTON culture.” Brittany’s mother, Araceli Johnston, is from AGE: 18 Mexico, and Brittany told the Times she found more HOMETOWN: Little Rock connection to her roots through dancing than through HIGH SCHOOL: Little Rock language. She wasn’t always exploring her Mexican Christian Academy heritage; she said she at one time “approached it apPARENTS: Anthony and Araceli Johnston prehensively.” After her 9th grade “wakeup call,” BritCOLLEGE PLANS: University of tany said in an essay, “I came to the realization that my Oklahoma at Tulsa, St. Louis family is different, and that’s what makes it great. I love University or Baylor University, my country and I love my background. I am Hispanic. early childhood education I am American. I swim in the melting pot of cultures that makes our nation magnificent.” Besides being an essayist, Brittany also writes poetry with a weekly creative writing program at her school, and described a poem she wrote recently about driving: “When you come to a halt the whole world comes into focus.” Number 3 in her class, Brittany’s honors include National Merit semifinalist, National Hispanic Scholar and winning gold in the National Spanish Exam. With encouragement from her mother, who teaches Spanish at Little Rock Christian Academy, and a friend, Brittany co-founded a chapter of the National Honors Spanish Society at her school.

And not only is she a member of Refeljos Mexicanos Ballet Folklorico, Brittany plays xylophone. At the beginning of her senior year, she wanted to be a dentist, because it “made sense,” but has decided since that early childhood education suited her better. She’s not rushing into anything however: “I don’t want to get ahead of myself.” That’s how she’ll get her world to come into sharp focus.

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ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

Springdale High School & Springdale School District Salute

Andrew Hutchinson for his selection as an

Arkansas Academic All-Star

Springdale Har-Ber High School & Springdale School District Salute

ZACH FORD

THANKS TO DEBATE

I

f you were trying to sell the virtues of debate, you couldn’t get a better spokesman than Nathan Justus.

According to him, he was, in junior high school, insecure, timid and quiet. “I was the farthest thing from the confident young man that I am today,” he writes.

In his sophomore year of high school, a “life-altering transition” occurred. “I was introduced to the debate NATHAN JUSTUS AGE: 18 team. Through debate, I was given the confidence I HOMETOWN: Cabot needed to fully live as a person and compete for my HIGH SCHOOL: Cabot achievements, the social skills I needed to interact with PARENTS: Billy and Robin Justus people and forge bonds of friendship, and the logic COLLEGE PLANS: Auburn University and reasoning skills I needed to access my academic or University of Oklahoma, aerospace engineering. success.” Access he has. He’s captain of the debate team, of course, president of the National Math Honor Society, and a member of the Key Club, the National Honor Society, the Ecology Club and the AP Academy.

He’s had the lead role in three school productions and ensemble roles in two others. He has a 4.2 grade point average. He organized and led a six-week math tutoring workshop for junior high students. His high school principal says, “Nathan is a scholar in the truest sense of the word. … Perhaps the crowning achievement that makes this young man so remarkable is he has such impeccable ethics and character.”

for his selection as an

Arkansas Academic All-Star

RECORD HURDLER SOARS IN SCORES

M

Munro & Company owner Don Munro became an Arkansas Community Foundation donor in 1978, just two years after the organization was founded. He’s invested both time and resources to build philanthropy in his community of Hot Springs and throughout Arkansas. He and a statewide network of more than 400 leaders who sit on local and statewide Community Foundation boards make sure ARCF engages people, connects resources and inspires solutions to build community.

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ARKANSAS TIMES

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acy Manning approaches academic hurdles the same way she does actual hurdles: by effortlessly flying over them on her way to a first-place finish.

The National Merit semifinalist and National Honors Society member holds the state record for the 60-meMACY MANNING AGE: 18 ter indoor hurdles and she and her teammates on the HOMETOWN: Fayetteville Fayetteville High School Varsity track team won the HIGH SCHOOL: Fayetteville High state championships in 2010 and 2011. Among other big PARENTS: Lance and Tareneh track and field wins, Manning won the 100-meter and Manning 300-meter hurdles. She’s also the captain of the FHS COLLEGE PLANS: MIT, Vanderbilt, Princeton, Georgetown, Rice, Notre Varsity cheer team, which also won the state champiDame or Wake Forest, premed onship in 2010 and 2011. She recently scored a perfect 36 on the ACT and has a composite score of 2200 on the SAT. Perhaps not surprisingly, Manning has been accepted at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country: MIT, Vanderbilt, Princeton, Georgetown, Rice, Notre Dame and Wake Forest. She hasn’t made a decision yet, and still has to make a couple more campus visits. And she hasn’t determined what her undergraduate studies will be, though it will likely be one of the sciences. But one thing she’s sure of is that she’ll be premed and will likely pursue the same practice as her father. “My dad is an ENT surgeon. I’ve watched him go through that whole process and I’m definitely thinking about going that route,” Manning said. She’s also thought ahead to where she’d like to do her residency, and will likely take a cue from her father in that regard as well. “My dad did his residency at The Mayo Clinic,” she said. “I really had fun at Rochester and it would be so cool to get to follow in his footsteps and do a residency there.”

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APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

QUIZ BOWL QUEEN

K

elly McKenzie is a passionate Quiz Bowler. She loves the thrill of competition. She loves the lightning round (10 questions in 60 seconds; her proudest quiz bowl memory is of her team answering all 10 questions in a JFK lightning round correctly). She loves the companionship of it; some of her closest friends KELLY MCKENZIE are quiz bowlers. Since middle school, she’s been the AGE: 17 captain of her team. “I enjoy every suspenseful minute HOMETOWN: Lonoke and every question that stretches on my brain further,” HIGH SCHOOL: Searcy High School she wrote in her Academic Allstars essay. Kelly’s clearly PARENTS: Don and Sheryl stretched her brain plenty. She scored a perfect 36 on McKenzie COLLEGE PLANS: University of her ACT, a 2350 on her SAT and is a National Merit Arkansas or Rice University, semifinalist. She’ll graduate as valedictorian. Working chemical engineering. hard comes naturally, she said. “I’ve always tried my hardest. If I have an assignment, I have a lot of trouble doing it just to get it done. Even if it’s easy, I want to do it as well as I can for my own pride, I guess.” Still, Kelly manages time for extracurricular pursuits. She’s in school choir (it recently did a “fun” Latin song and a “haunting” arrangement of “Scarborough Fair”).

She’s a member of the chess team (losing to her younger brother inspired her to join; now they’re more evenly matched). And she enjoys whittling wood she finds while exploring the 100 acres her family lives on in Lonoke (she’s currently working on a carving of a hunting dog). In college, she plans to study chemical engineering because she’s fascinated by chemistry and wants to work in alternative energy research and development. She’s particularly interested in solar energy. “The oil situation right now is ridiculous,” she said. “We’re paying a lot of money for foreign oil and tearing up habitats to drill.” Energy from the sun is a better alternative, she reckons. If chemical engineering doesn’t work out, she could always fall back on crafting. A piece of jewelry she created — beaded safety pin brooches done in school colors — sold enough to raise $500 for a new cancer treatment center in Searcy. They even have a name: Jeangles.

SOUND THE TRUMPETS

F

irst chair. Musicians know it’s held by the band’s best player of an instrument. The more people play the instrument, the harder it is to attain. Ask Audrey McMillion. The Arkadelphia high schooler plays trumpet, as do thousands of others in the state’s high schools. Three hundred try out for All-State band.

AUDREY MCMILLION It’s been a decade since an Arkadelphia band member AGE: 17 made the all-state band. Audrey broke that string her HOMETOWN: Arkadelphia junior year, though a nervous audition left her in the HIGH SCHOOL: Arkadelphia High third band. But that experience taught her something.

PARENTS: Bud and Amanda Her devotion to band, orchestra, scales and sight readMcMillion COLLEGE PLANS: Hendrix College, ing had paid off. She was in the league of the “factory” music and English schools. She gained confidence. This year, her senior year, you’ll find Audrey sitting in the first band. But look quick. You’ll also find Audrey in the Jazz Band, fielding questions on the Quiz Bowl team, competing in Skills USA, Future Problem Solvers and Knowledge Masters. “She’s the busiest genius we have,” principal David Maxwell said. He particularly admires her problem-solving in Skills USA, where students tackle computer programming, robotics and engineering. “She’s the type who loves to take things apart and see how they work,” he said. A summer program in writing, Governor’s School and a newfound devotion to reading classic books have inspired her desire for a liberal arts education. She’s a National Merit scholarship semi-finalist. She’s No. 3 in her class, with a 4.176 GPA and the As didn’t come easily: Her senior year lineup is heavy on Advanced Placement: American government, calculus, chemistry, English composition. She’s also taking Spanish and principles of engineering. Oh, and yes, band. She’ll be soloing on Percy Grainger’s “Lincolnshire Posy.”

Congratulations to the Catholic High School Class of 2012 (Our 82nd Graduating Class)

“Remember the Lord in all that you do, and He will show you the right way.”

P rov e r b s 3 : 6



Catholic High School for Boys

6300 Father Tribou St., Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 (501) 664-3939 www.lrchs.org

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

iPHONES TODAY, BIOMED TOMORROW

T

he entrepreneurial bug bit Peter Montgomery in a big way last year. After learning how to repair iPhones from a friend, Montgomery started FayettvilleFix, mending the cracked screens of many customers around PETER BENJAMIN MONTGOMERY Northwest Arkansas. “It just kind of blew up this year,” AGE: 18 he said. “It’s been a ton of fun learning how to keep a HOMETOWN: Fayetteville small business running, keeping inventory, filing taxes HIGH SCHOOL: Fayetteville High and everything. It’s been a great learning experience PARENTS: Roger Montgomery and and I’ve had a ton of fun with it.” That love of gadgets Colene Gaston COLLEGE PLANS: Harvard, Stanford and technology will likely figure into Montgomery’s or Duke, biomedical engineering post-high school career as well. He’s been accepted to Duke, Harvard and Stanford (he’ll make a decision by May 1) and plans to study biomedical engineering. “My dad’s a physician, so he’s always made me interested in medicine and taught me a lot about how great it is to be able to have a profession where you’re helping people every day. So medicine has always been an allure for me and at the same time, I’ve always been interested in technology, so biomedical engineering seems like a good mix of the two.” Speaking of helping people, in addition to running his own small business, working for Fayetteville iPhone app outfit Field Agent, playing for the FHS varsity soccer team, taking an active role in his school’s chapter of the National Honor Society and, you know, maintaining a 4.28 GPA, Montgomery also finds time to volunteer tutoring elementary school students and stocking the food pantry at the nonprofit Lifesource International. “Peter is one of those students that high schools, colleges and universities all want to have,” wrote Kelly Williams, Montgomery’s calculus teacher. “He is not only academically successful, but community minded, volunteering his time as a tutor for elementary children in need, stocking food pantries, and serving as summer counselor for underprivileged children.”

Southside High School Congratulates

Srecharan Shiva Gorukanti We Are Proud Of You!

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STRONG MAN

L

ittle Rock Christian’s Carter Neblett sees himself as a product of four strong male role models — his father, brother, uncle and grandfather. He wrote in his All-Star application of the influence each had, such as his father’s example of staying cool under pressure.

Guidance counselor Carla Kenyon, who nominated Carter, said she’d seen the Nebletts operate coolly — CARTER NEBLETT and happily — when Carter was only 13. He joined his AGE: 17 HOMETOWN: Little Rock father and others on a mission trip to an orphanage in HIGH SCHOOL: Little Rock Guatemala. “He showed incredible maturity,” Kenyon Christian Academy recalled. He helped his father lead worship services PARENTS: Roy and Julia Neblett and worked with children. “My favorite memory of him COLLEGE PLANS: University of was when he and his dad put on some worship music Tulsa, University of Arkansas or Auburn University, engineering. and twirled the girls around. I’ll never forget the looks of delight on the little girls’ faces.”

Carter leaves much to be delighted about. As a sophomore, he notched a 34 composite score on the ACT test, a high-range score good for top scholarships at many colleges. He’s a four-year varsity soccer competitor and a singer who participates in the school’s Barbershop Beaux, the Madrigals, the Warrior Choir (which he leads) and school musicals. He’s a National Merit semifinalist, as well as a finalist in the National Achievement Award competition for minority students. He’s the top-ranked student in a class of 111, with a 4.44 GPA. He did it the hard way, earning enough high scores on Advanced Placement tests to be named an AP Scholar. His AP courses senior year include calculus, chemistry and a foreign language. Carter, a midfielder, says his soccer has cut into singing, a talent he picked up from his dad. In addition to the school team, he’s played for the Maumelle soccer club. Math and science are his school strengths, he says, which helps explain his engineering plans. He’s continued mission work locally, working on community projects between working at Chick-fil-A.

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APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

Surgical Technology

THE PRODUCER

W

hile the world is sure to be her oyster someday soon, for now all the world’s a stage for El Dorado High School’s Ashley Pratt, a National Merit Scholarship finalist who is finishing up her high school career with a 4.28 GPA. Since she was young, Ashley has been interested in the theater and drama.

She has put that passion to work in El Dorado High’s ASHLEY PRATT AGE: 18 theater program, working in over a dozen school proHOMETOWN: El Dorado ductions of plays and musicals, from “The Tempest” HIGH SCHOOL: El Dorado High to “A Christmas Story,” while also volunteering at the School South Arkansas Arts Center. Though she’s comfortPARENTS: Elizabeth and David able onstage, her real passion is working behind the Pratt COLLEGE PLANS: Arkansas State scenes as a producer and stage manager. Working in University, theater the theater is demanding both physically and intellectually. “I kind of like the fact that it requires a little bit of every skill,” she said. “You have to be really capable and really smart to do it.” She admits she has a love/ hate relationship with math and science. Drama and English have always been her favorites. “I like to discuss things,” she said, “and in math and science, it’s really just, ‘This is how it happens, or this is what you’re supposed to do.’ In a lot of the humanities classes, there’s more give and take.”

This fall, Ashley will be attending Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, where she plans to major in theater. While you might think she’s aiming for the bright lights of Broadway, you’d be wrong. A visit to New York City in recent years left her cold, but thanks to her recent work on a short film made in El Dorado, she’s now thinking of working in film. “I had more fun working on that, despite the crazy hours, than I’ve had for awhile working on stage productions. It just kind of clicked with me.” Asked why she pushes herself so hard academically, given all the other demands on her time, Ashley says she’s a perfectionist. “I cannot stand to do less than my best,” she said. “Even if more than my best is what it takes to be perfect, that’s what I’m going to do.”

FOR THE DEFENSE

A

n attorney friend of ours once told us that if you dislike lawyers so much, try calling a plumber the next time you’re in a legal pinch. In a few years, one of the lawyers pulling her clients’ fat out of the fire will undoubtedly be Jonesboro High’s Emily Richmond. A National Merit Scholarship finalist with a 4.35 GPA and EMILY RICHMOND a ranking of number two in her class of 357, Richmond AGE: 17 already has her sights set on a life before the bar. An HOMETOWN: Jonesboro accomplished trumpet and piano player, Emily’s love HIGH SCHOOL: Jonesboro High of legalese began with her school’s mock trial team — a School PARENTS: Vicky and Robert group of students that stages faux legal cases, facing off Richmond with other teams who present either the prosecution COLLEGE PLANS: University of or defense. “If you’re watching it,” she said, “it looks Mississippi, business law exactly like a real trial. You have a judge, you have a jury, you always have to stand up and say ‘Your Honor’ to the judge, that sort of thing.” Emily says she’s always been interested in the justice system and the laws that allow society to function, and plans a dual major in accounting and broadcast journalism while an undergrad, followed by law school. While she had planned on attending the University of Arkansas, the suggestion of a neighbor that she take a tour of the University of Mississippi changed everything. “When I went down and took the tour, I just fell in love with the campus,” she said. “They have a program that does dual-majoring in accounting and law, and I could get it done in about six years.” After law school, she plans to go into some form of financial law, possibly bankruptcy law. “I’ve kind of always been geared toward a goal,” Emily said. “And my goal was always: I’ve got to get to college and it’s got to be paid for. It’s my personality. I love the satisfaction I get when I do well in something.”

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INSPIRED BY FIRST PLANE RIDE

PRAGMATIC ACHIEVER

CA’s Honors College is getting a young woman with experience in a multitude of disciplines when Amber Rolland arrives in Conway in the fall. The seriousminded straight-A student has worked in the field for entomologists at Arkansas State University, studying insect damage to cotton plants. She’s traveled to Orlando, AMBER DAWN ROLLAND Fla., to take part in a Future Business Leaders of America AGE: 18 conference. Every month she sends $38 to a 9-year-old in HOMETOWN: Monette Rwanda with whom she shares a birthday and exchanges HIGH SCHOOL: Buffalo Island letters. Last year, she helped raise several thousand dolCentral lars, through T-shirt sales and a letter-writing campaign, PARENTS: Matt and Angie Rolland COLLEGE PLANS: University of for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Central Arkansas, mechanical inspired by a toddler suffering from neuroblastoma. She’s engineering also editor of her high school newspaper BIC Hoofprints, sports editor of the Mustang yearbook and was named Arkansas Scholastic Press Association Writer of the Year in 2011. She displayed some of that journalistic talent in an essay about the press association conference she wrote for the Arkansas Times (“The uncomfortable dress I was wearing made me fidget and I was unprepared for the amount of hairspray and make-up that had been applied to me by our yearbook editor in the two hours she spent using me in a real-life version of Barbie Dress Up.”). She was gracious as well, attributing her win to the assignment of more interesting pieces to her by her editor (who came in 2nd in the contest). Amber is sensible, so rather than go into journalism as a career, she thought about becoming a financial analyst — she was already writing a financial advice column for the newspaper. But she’d also taken her first ride in an airplane the summer before her senior year and started thinking about wanting to work with aircraft. “One of my teachers sat me down and said I think your brain would be better utilized” as an aerospace engineer, Amber said. It’s a brain that produced 2070 on the SAT and was useful in making Amber the valedictorian of her class.

earcy’s Edwin Sherwood is a pragmatist. Asked why he’s taken every AP class available at Searcy High School, why he’s involved in more than a dozen school clubs, why he’s spent portions of his summers at prominent universities attending classes and leadership forums — why, rather than coasting on natural intellect, he’s closing out his EDWIN SHERWOOD high school years, by actually trying — Edwin said simply, “I AGE: 17 want to get into a good college, get a good scholarship and HOMETOWN: Searcy get a good job.” Julia Roddy, Searcy High School guidance HIGH SCHOOL: Searcy High School counselor, attributes that disposition to Edwin’s maturity.

PARENT: Stacie Smith It was on display recently, she said, when administrators COLLEGE PLANS: Undecided. determined that Edwin, despite long considered a lock as valedictorian, had fallen a hundredth of a point behind a classmate (fellow All-Star Kelly McKenzie). He handled the news with grace, Roddy said. “He was completely accepting and immediately hugged Kelly and congratulated her,” Roddy said. Perhaps Edwin’s equanimity stems from self-confidence. With his resume, he certainly should be confident. He’s president of Searcy High’s student council, National Honor Society, Youth Advisory Council, Spanish Honorary club and Key Club. He’s a National Merit Finalist with a 4.3 GPA and a near perfect score on his ACT. And, unlike most of his peers, he already has college credit from an elite university. Last summer, he participated in summer session at Yale, where he took a writing seminar and a course on political philosophy. By then being on the campus of a prestigious university was old hat, as he’d previously attended conferences at Stanford and Johns Hopkins. Spending time outside of Arkansas with people all over the world whet Edwin’s appetite to attend college out of state. He’s still undecided where he’ll go, but despite expressing interest on studying international law after he returned from Yale summer session, now he says he probably will major in physics. As for his plans this summer, he’s considering a well-earned break. “I’ll probably just relax,” he said.

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APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

S

You belong Great minds really do think alike.

At UCA, excellence is something we constantly strive for, and achieve. From having entering freshmen classes above the state and national average in ACT scores year in and year out, to being the home of a nationally acclaimed Honor’s College.

And in the lives of Arkansas’s top high school students, it is that same commitment to excellence that defines them. In honor of these accomplishments, we congratulate all of the Arkansas Academic All-Stars.

™

uca.edu

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

THE TIME TRAVELER

OF BEING A ‘MICHAEL JORDAN’

hen Tyler Spain was in kindergarten, his parents Milton and Michelle Spain were called in for a conference by Tyler’s teacher, who was concerned that he wasn’t finishing his work. When the teacher shared some of the coloring Tyler had done, they saw the issue: he didn’t finish in the time allotted, but the parts of the drawing he did finish were perfect. When Tyler’s parents pointed that out to the TYLER SPAIN AGE: 17 teacher, Milton recalled, “she said: ‘That’s what I mean. He’s HOMETOWN: Greenwood a perfectionist.’ We said: ‘Is that a bad thing?’ ... We knew HIGH SCHOOL: Greenwood High from that point on that he pushes himself.” That search PARENTS: Michelle and Milton for perfection has paid off for Tyler both academically and Spain athletically. While holding down a 4.09 GPA, Tyler found COLLEGE PLANS: University of Arkansas time to play on teams that took Greenwood High School to back-to-back 5A state football championships his junior and senior year. It was grueling, both intellectually and physically. Between going in early to watch game films, his classes, practice after school, workouts and still more prep, it wasn’t uncommon for him to leave home at 7 a.m. and not return until 7:30 p.m. When he got home, he still had a book bag full of the most intellectuallydemanding homework his school could throw at him. That should tell you why he’s one of only a handful of Academic All Stars to ever play on a high-ranking sports team. “Not only are you physically drained from what you’re doing all day,” he said, “then you go home, you’ve got to eat and shower, and then you’ve got to do the mental aspect, which is doing your homework.” One of the things that’s been driving Tyler intellectually for the last few years is a fascination with time travel. It started in the 7th grade, when he befriended a former rival by striking up a conversation about the nature of time. Soon enough, they were recommending books on the subject for each other. Tyler — who will be attending the University of Arkansas in the fall, with plans to study business — said he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to build a working time machine, but adds that one of the things he’s come to realize is that life isn’t always about succeeding. “If you try and don’t succeed, it isn’t a failure,” he said. “It’s only a failure when you don’t learn something.”

heryl Watts, Pulaski Academy’s college counselor, has praised many a nominee for the All-star team over the years, but we’re pretty sure TC Zhang is the first she’s called the “Michael Jordan of academics.”

It doesn’t seem an exaggeration. The National Merit semifinalist was a finalist in the prestigious Intel science TC ZHANG competition. (Research into free radicals was where he AGE: 18 lost us.) He’s a scientist who is also a winner in the NCTE HOMETOWN: Little Rock writing awards. Who’s a perennial winner in National HIGH SCHOOL: Pulaski Academy History Day competition (he’s built websites on subjects PARENTS: Wenle Zhang and that have included Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms Jinfen Li COLLEGE PLANS: Several Ivies, and the Dayton peace accords.) But wait, TC has more Georgetown or Vanderbilt, pre-med knives in his drawer, from president of Model UN to the and business chess team to Quiz Bowl. In the Model UN, he debated nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. TC, born in Shanghai to parents with engineering and computer gifts, said he once was sure that he’d be a medical doctor.

But he said his exploration this year of philosophical topics had expanded his view.

His senior thesis is on the existential philosopher Martin Heidegger’s involvement with Nazism. “I ran across a general introductory philosophy book. I was interested in it. I started with Sartre and ended up with Heidegger. I wanted to see how his philosophy played into the real world.” His social studies have led him to study religion, particularly Islam. He takes lessons each Sunday in the visual arts, working in media ranging from pencil to oils.

Where does he wind up? Like the 800-pound gorilla, presumably, the answer is wherever TC chooses. PA doesn’t rank its students, but it would be hard to top a 4.7667 GPA, inflated by his exhaustion of virtually every advanced course the school has to offer. His ACT and SAT scores were near perfection, 34 and 2330. His senior courses included AP biology, calculus, government and politics, literature, physics and student art, along with independent research the senior thesis. His lowest score in any course, on a 100-point scale? 97. Better work on that government, TC.

W

C

CatCh the WildCat Spirit !

Proceeds will be donated to a new dog Park Project, ‘Unleashed.’

Explore the difference at episcopalcollegiate.org.

28

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

ALL-STAR FINALISTS These students made the final round of judging for the Arkansas Times Academic All-Star team. From 40 finalists, the 20 winners were chosen. These were the other finalists:

ALL-STAR NOMINEES These are the students nominated for the Arkansas Times’ 2012 Academic All-Star team.

They are arranged by their hometowns, as identified by mailing addresses:

HALEY BIRCH Malvern High School

JON JACOB FLETCHER North Little Rock High School West

KATIE LANTS Pulaski Academy

JAMES BLAKE TILLEY Lake Hamilton High School

SETH Q. WASHISPACK Conway High School West

HANNAH BIRCH Malvern High School

LAUREN GUNDERMAN Batesville High School

GRIFFIN MARCZUK Catholic High School

HANNAH NOEL SHAMEH Huntsville High School

KENDELL WHITEHEAD El Dorado High School

CURTIS BURNLEY JR. Watson Chapel High School

CHRISTIAN HEYMSFIELD Elkins High School

MORGAN MARLEY Elkins High School

JACOB STAUTZENBERGER Rogers High School

SYDNEY C. WIGGINS South High School, Fort Smith

CAMDEN DWELLE Arkadelphia High School

KAYLYN HOLLOWAY Cabot High School

SAMUEL THOMA Episcopal Collegiate School

BAILEY VIA North Little Rock High School West

HILARY J. ZEDLITZ Rogers Heritage High School

ALEXANDER GRACE FINLEY Bryant High School

ATKINS LUKE T. DUVALL Atkins High School

BATESVILLE ZACHARY BRANSCUM Southside High School

BEEBE LUCAS RATZ Beebe High School

BONO SABRAH FUTRELL Westside High School

ALMA DAVID ALBERS Alma High School

SARAH JONES Atkins High School

LAUREN GUNDERMAN Batesville High School

FELISHA THOMAS Beebe High School

LACY PATTERSON Alma High School

AUGUSTA FLETCHER BRAXTON DOZIER McCrory High School

RUSSELL HUGHES Batesville High School

BEECH GROVE MORGAN ELIZABETH TRIPOD Paragould High School

CABOT NATHAN JUSTUS Cabot High School

ARKADELPHIA CAMDEN DWELLE Arkadelphia High School

BALD KNOB KAELIN BARI COOLEY Bald Knob High School

AUDREY MCMILLION Arkadelphia High School

TYLER ADDISON WALLACE Bald Knob High School

JAMIE YOUNG Southside High School BEARDEN JORDAN G. WRIGHT Bearden High School

BENTON COLLIN MCADOW Bauxite High School SETH M. ALKIRE Bryant High School

CALICO ROCK KAITLYN FRY Calico Rock High School CAMDEN STONI BUTLER Harmony Grove High School CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

29

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

ALL-STAR NOMINEES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 CLARKSVILLE AUSTIN KEEFER Westside High School

OLIVIA PENNINGTON Crossett High School

CONWAY JEAN CORBITT Conway High School West

DARDANELLE LAURA CATHERINE VORSTER Dardanelle High School

SETH Q. WASHISPACK Conway High School West

DELIGHT BAILEY HARRIS Murfreesboro High School

CROSSETT COLE HOWIE Crossett High School

RANDY HOUSE Murfreesboro High School

DEWITT CAROLE JENNINGS DeWitt High School

LEE HUDSON Parkers Chapel High School

EVERTON SHANE GRINDER St. Joe High School

DOVER KAREN LEAVELL Dover High School

ASHLEY PRATT El Dorado High School

FAYETTEVILLE RYAN DUCHANOIS Greenland High School

ADAM RICHARDSON Dover High School EL DORADO CHRISTA BURGESS Parkers Chapel High School

KENDELL WHITEHEAD El Dorado High School ELKINS MORGAN MARLEY Elkins High School

ANDREW JAY GIEZENTANNER Farmington High School CHRISTIAN HEYMSFIELD Elkins High School

MACY MANNING Fayetteville High School

SYDNEY WIGGINS Southside High School

SARAH KATHERINE LANTS Pulaski Academy

PETER MONTGOMERY Fayetteville High School

GREENWOOD OLIVIA FOSTER Greenwood High School

GRIFFIN MARCZUK Catholic High School

JESSICA OLIVER Farmington High School

TYLER SPAIN Greenwood High School

FORT SMITH SRECHARAN GORUKANTI Southside High School

HARRISBURG JORDAN HARPER Harrisburg High School HINDSVILLE WILLIAM THOMAS EMBRY Huntsville High School HOT SPRINGS ELIZABETH DYE Lakeside High School JOHN BRADFORD HUDGENS Lakeside High School BLAKE TILLEY Lake Hamilton High School MARY KATHERINE TUCKER Lake Hamilton High School HUNTSVILLE HANNAH NOEL SHAMEH Huntsville High School JONESBORO DEREK ANDREW BOWEN Westside High School FAITH NYITRAI Nettleton High School EMILY RICHMOND Jonesboro High School JUDSONIA CHARLIE WRIGHT White County Central High School LAKE CITY HAYDEN ALEXANDER CORNWELL Nettleton High School LITTLE ROCK SALINA ADOLPH Arkansas Baptist High School MARGARET ANNE BEETSTRA Episcopal Collegiate School JOSEPH BERLEANT Central High School ANDREW CULBERSON J.A. Fair High School WHITNEY GAO Central High School CHELSEA GILLESPIE J.A. Fair High School BRITTANY GRACE JOHNSTON Little Rock Christian Academy

CARTER LAVELL NEBLETT Little Rock Christian Academy ESMERELDA PENA McClellan High School SAMUEL THOMA Episcopal Collegiate School TEVIN DESHAUN WILBORN McClellan High School TIANCHENG ZHANG Pulaski Academy LONOKE TYLER GRADY Lonoke High School KELLY MCKENZIE Searcy High School JULIE PENNINGTON Lonoke High School LOWELL NATHAN GILBERT Shiloh Christian School MALVERN HALEY BIRCH Malvern High School HANNAH BIRCH Malvern High School MANILA MIKAYLA DAWN SHEDD Manila High School MCCRORY RACHEL JOANN MILLER McCrory High School MONETTE CESAR MARROQUIN Buffalo Island Central High School AMBER DAWN ROLLAND Buffalo Island Central High School MORRILTON AUSTIN NICHOLS DUVALL Morrlton High School NORTH LITTLE ROCK THOMAS HALL Arkansas Baptist High School BAILEY VIA North Little Rock High School East PARAGOULD DEIDRA HOPE PILLOW Crowley’s Ridge Academy CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

30

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

THANK YOU The Arkansas Times would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the Academic All-star Team and its scholarship fund.

Arkansas Federal Credit Union Cabot High School El Dorado High School Episcopal Collegiate School Henderson State University Little Rock School District Malvern high school Southside High School Springdale Har-Ber High School Springdale High School University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

31

ARKANSAS TIMES ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

Cabot High School is proud of our Academic All Star, Nathan Justus!

Malvern School District congratulates

Haley and Hannah Birch

Congratulations Nathan!

2012 Arkansas Academic All-Stars Semi-Finalists

DOES YOUR

facebook

NEED SOME +FIRST AID? Bring your status back to good health.

TIMELINE CONVERSION MARCH 30!

DON’T WAIT!

ARKANSAS TIMES Social & Digital Media

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APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

501.375.2985 FAX: 501.375.9565 socialmedia@arktimes.com

ALL-STAR NOMINEES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 AARON CHRISTOPHER SCHENK Paragould High School PERRYVILLE HALLIE MOORE Perryville High School KYLE WHEELESS Perryville High School PINE BLUFF CURTIS BURNLEY JR. Watson Chapel High School KATHERYN CLEMMONS Watson Chapel High School POTTSVILLE EMILY TAYLOR HILL Pottsville High School PRAIRIE GROVE ASHLEY HIPPS Greenland High School QUITMAN SAMANTHA EZELL Quitman High School CHRIS GRUBLES Quitman High School RISON DILLON MILLER Woodlawn High School TARA WALKER Woodlawn High School ROGERS JORDAN LEE COX Shiloh Christian School WILLIAM MELENDEZ Rogers Heritage High School JACOB STAUTZENBERGER Rogers High School MORENA VALDIZON Rogers High School HILARY ZEDLITZ Rogers Heritage High School RUSSELLVILLE RACHEL ELIZABETH HARRIS Russellville High School DARRELL ANDREW HENDERSON Pottsville High School

EDWIN SHERWOOD Searcy High School CARA TOMLINSON Riverview High School SHERIDAN CATHERINE LINDSAY MULL Sheridan High School NICK WARE Sheridan High School SHERWOOD JON JACOB FLETCHER North Little Rock High School West HALEY GREENWOOD Abundant Life School SOLGOHACHIA TAYLOR MCELROY Morrilton High School SPARKMAN JON DAVID PIGOTT Harmony Grove High School SPRINGDALE JESSICA ANDERSON Har-Ber High School ADAM ZACHARY FORD Har-Ber High School ANDREW HUTCHINSON Springdale High School SARAH USSERY Springdale High School STUTTGART JAKE ORLICEK DeWitt High School WALDRON ANNIE WILCOX Waldron High School WALNUT RIDGE JAMES SULLIVAN BIGGER Crowley’s Ridge Academy REBECCA GILL Black Rock High School TAYLER GINN Walnut Ridge High School JASON HARPER Black Rock High School CLAYTON HUFSTEDLER Walnut Ridge High School

KYLE MICHAEL JONES Russellville High School

WALDO REBECCA BEASLEY Nevada High School

ST. JOE JILLAYNE WILLIS St. Joe High School

WARD KAYLYN HOLLOWAY Cabot High School

SEARCY HEATH ROGERS Riverview High School

WEST FORK AARON ENGLAND West Fork High School

There's Never Been A

Better Time to

Go to College Va lua bl e i n for m at ion a b ou t

ARKANSAS ACADEMIC CHALLENGE SCHOLARSHIP www.ar kcolle ge1 01.com

Brough t to you by

My parents want More For Me In LIFe. at Least we agree on soMethIng.

SayGoCollege Week. MARCH 4-8.

Ask your school counselor for details.

Or visit SayGoCollege.com to learn more.

Log on and go.

This message is brought to you by the U.S. Department of Education and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

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Navigating the Road to Collegiate Success in Three Easy Steps Going to college is the not the first step toward a successful future, but it is a big part of the journey. By completing a degree, you will increase your earning potential by hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. That equates to a better standard of living, and a higher quality of life for you and your family.

By 2025, more than half of all jobs in Arkansas will require some sort of post-secondary credentials – most will require a bachelor’s degree.

If our work force can’t fulfill those needs, those high-paying jobs will move out of state.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT FIELD OF STUDY At the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, we find what’s more important than just awarding degrees is providing Arkansans with workforce skills to equip them for higher-paying jobs. Although degree production is a priority for our agency, I encourage you to choose a degree program other than general studies. Consider the fields of science, technology, math or engineering. These jobs are going to be more in-demand in coming years, and now is the time to prepare for those opportunities.

Whether choosing a private or public school, there are many ways to ease the financial burden of attending college, including the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship and other sources. It’s also never been easier to apply for state or federal financial aid.

STUDY HARD, KEEP YOUR SCHOLARSHIP Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the YOUniversal Scholarship Application to qualify for any federal financial aid or for any of the grant and scholarship programs administered by ADHE. Students who graduate this year can receive the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship but must have completed Smart Core with a 2.5 GPA or had a composite ACT score of 19 with a 2.5 GPA. To keep the scholarship, freshmen must enroll in at least 12 hours first semester and 15 hours second semester while maintaining a 2.5 GPA. Visit www.adhe.edu for more information or call 800-54-STUDY.

NETWORK, CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES Hopefully you’ll get involved on campus, whether it’s in a Greek organization, student government or a student/professional organization. Those people are going to be your professional peers if they stay on the right track, and your faculty advisers can really be helpful. The friendships you’ll be creating and relationships you’ll be building can easily generate opportunities for learning outside the classroom by way of an internship or a parttime job. Networking may sound blasé or like a soft skill, but it’s an invaluable talent to develop.

SUCCESS IN THREE EASY STEPS So, at the risk of sounding like one of your professors (which really isn’t a bad thing), let’s review what it takes to get a degree and the skills you’ll need to land a good job: 1. Choose a field that’s in-demand such as science and technology or engineering; 2. Keep your grades up by studying and attending class so you can keep your Academic Challenge Scholarship; and 3. Network to get a good job or internship and put yourself ahead of the game.

And have a good time! You’ll never have an opportunity quite like this again.

Shane Broadway Interim Director Arkansas Department of Higher Education

Shane Broadway served three terms as a representative and two terms in the senate for Pulaski and Saline Counties.

He was elected the youngest Speaker of the House by his colleagues in 2001. While serving in the General Assembly, Broadway was at the forefront of the legislature’s push to continue improving Arkansas’s educational system and was co-sponsor of legislation that created the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

Advertising Supplement to Arkansas Times

ARKANSAS ACADEMIC CHALLENGE SCHOLARSHIP T he Arkansas Academic Challenge Program provides educational assistance to Arkansas residents in pursuit of a higher education.

Additional funding made possible by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has allowed the expansion of the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship to provide higher education opportunities to previously underserved Arkansans (traditional, currently enrolled & nontraditional college students).

Eligibility requirements for the Academic Challenge Scholarship are based on two student categories: Traditional (Current year high school graduates) and Nontraditional Students.

HOW TO APPLY Take advantage of the online universal application. It’s your one-stop shop for state and lottery funded financial aid.

With the new online application you can: • Search and apply for scholarships and grants • Create your account • Check your status • Receive alerts and notices through email • Manage your account 24/7

AWARD AMOUNTS: The Arkansas General Assembly sets award amounts annually. Once determined, the amounts will be posted on the ADHE website - www.adhe.edu.

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BASIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: An applicant must: • Be an Arkansas resident and U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident • Be accepted for admission at an approved Arkansas institution of higher education in a program of study that leads to a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, qualified certificate or a nursing school diploma • Not have earned a baccalaureate degree • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (although there will be no income cap)

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE TRADITIONAL STUDENT: • Enroll in fall semester immediately after high school • Enroll full-time each semester • Graduate from high school in current school year • Meet one of the following criteria: 1. Graduate from an Arkansas public high school and complete the Smart Core curriculum; and either

DEADLINE DATES

RESOURCES

Must apply no later than June 1 immediately following graduation as a traditional student. All other students must also apply by June 1.

Arkansas Department of Higher Education: www.adhe.edu Free Application for Federal Student Aid: www.fafsa.ed.gov Arkansas Student Loan Authority: www.fundmyfuture.info College Goal Sunday Arkansas: www.arcollegegoalsunday.org Say Go College Week: www.saygocollege.com College 101: www.arkcollege101.com

For complete program details please visit

www.adhe.edu

or contact the Arkansas Department of Higher Education’s Financial Aid department at the following: Email: finaid@adhe.edu (800) 54-STUDY (501) 371-2050 – Greater Little Rock

i. Achieve at least a 2.5 high school GPA; or ii. Achieve a 19 on the ACT or the equivalent score on an ACT equivalent test.

2. Graduate from an Arkansas public high school before the 2013-2014 school year, but did not complete the Smart Core curriculum, achieve a 2.5 high school GPA; and either i. Achieve a 19 on the ACT or the equivalent score; or ii. Score proficient or higher on all statemandated end-of-course assessments 3. Graduate from a private, out-of-state or home school high school and achieve a minimum composite score of nineteen (19) on the ACT or the equivalent score on an ACT equivalent test.

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT: • Enroll full-time or part-time each semester • Meet one of the following criteria:

Financial Aid Division 114 East Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201 Email: finaid@adhe.edu (800) 54-STUDY (501) 371-2050 – Greater Little Rock facebook.com/ArkDeptHigherEd twitter.com/ArkDeptHigherEd

1. Graduated from an Arkansas public high school and achieved a 2.5 high school GPA or had a 19 on the ACT or the equivalent score on an ACT equivalent test ; or 2. Graduated from a private, out-of-state, or home school high school or obtained a GED and achieved a 19 on the ACT or the equivalent score on an ACT equivalent test; or NOTE: Students who have completed 12 hours at approved institutions of higher education must have a 2.5 cumulative postsecondary GPA.

RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS: Traditional students must enroll in at least 12 hours the first fall semester following high school graduation and at least 15 hours each semester thereafter to receive funding. Traditional students must complete at least 27 hours first year and at least 30 hours each year thereafter with a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Nontraditional students may enroll in as few as 6 hours and receive a pro-rated scholarship amount. Nontraditional students must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA with continuing eligibility based on enrollment.

Advertising Supplement to Arkansas Times

Arkansas Colleges & Universities No matter what you're interested in, Arkansas has a college or university to fit your needs! With vocational, two-year and four-year schools all around the state, the possibilities are endless.

Arkansas Baptist College 1600 Bishop St. Little Rock, AR 72202 (501)329-6872 *Wednesday, September 5, 2012 www.uabaptcol.edu Arkansas Northeastern College P.O. Box 1109 Blytheville, AR 72316 (870)762-1020 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.anc.edu Arkansas State University P.O. Box 600 Jonesboro, AR 72467 (870) 972-2100 *Sunday, August 19, 2012 www.astate.edu ASU - Beebe P.O. Box 1000 Beebe, AR 72012 (501)882-3600 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.asub.edu ASU - Mountain Home 1600 South College Mountain Home, AR 72653 (870)508-6100 *Monday, August 20, 2012 www.asumh.edu ASU - Newport 7648 Victory Boulevard Newport, AR 72112 (870) 512-7800 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.asun.edu Arkansas Tech University 215 West O Russellville, AR 72801 (479) 968-0389 *Thursday, August 23, 2012 www.atu.edu Black River Technical College P.O. Box 468 Pocahontas, AR 72455 (870) 248-4000 *Monday, August 20, 2012 www.blackrivertech.org Central Baptist College 1501 College Ave. Conway, AR 72034 (501)329-6872 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.cbc.edu College of the Ouachitas 1 College Circle Malvern, AR 72104 (501) 337-5000 *Thursday, August 16, 2012 www.otc.tec.ar.us Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas P.O. Box 960 DeQueen, AR 71832 (870) 584-4471 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.cccua.edu *Enrollment Date

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Crowleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ridge College 100 College Paragould, AR 72450 (870) 236-6901 *Friday, August 31, 2012 www.crowleysridgecollege.edu East Arkansas Community College 1700 Newcastle Rd. Forrest City, AR 72335 (870) 633-4480 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.eacc.edu Harding University 900 E. Center, Box 12277 Searcy, AR 72149 (501) 279-4000 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.harding.edu Henderson State University 1100 Henderson St. Arkadelphia, AR 71999 (870) 230-5000 *Sunday, July 22, 2012 www.hsu.edu Hendrix College 1600 Washington Ave. Conway, AR 72032 (501)329-6811 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.hendrix.edu John Brown University 2000 W. University St. Siloam Springs, AR 72761 (479) 524-9500 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.jbu.edu Lyon College P.O. Box 2317 Batesville, AR 72503 (870)793-9813 *Tuesday, May 1, 2012 www.lyon.edu Mid-South Community College 2000 West Broadway West Memphis, AR 72301 (870) 733-6722 *Monday, August 20, 2012 midsouthcc.edu National Park Community College 101 College Dr. Hot Springs, AR 71913 (501)760-4222 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.npcc.edu North Arkansas College 1515 Pioneer Drive Harrison, AR 72601 (870)743-3000 *Friday, August 3, 2012 www.northark.cc.ar.us Northwest Arkansas Community College One College Drive Bentonville, AR 72712 (479) 636-9222 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.nwacc.edu

Ouachita Baptist University OBU Box 3753 Arkadelphia, AR 71998 (870) 245-5000 *Friday, August 24, 2012 www.obu.edu Ozarka College P.O. Box 10 Melbourne, AR 72556 (870)368-7371 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.ozarka.edu Philander Smith College 812 West 13th St. Little Rock, AR 72202 (501) 375-9845 *Tuesday, November 22, 2011 www.philander.edu Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas P.O. Box 785 Helena, AR 72342 (870) 338-6474 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.pccua.edu Pulaski Technical College 3000 W. Scenic Dr. North Little Rock, AR 72118 (501) 812-2200 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.pulaskitech.edu Rich Mountain Community College 1100 College Dr. Mena, AR 71953 (479) 394-7622 *Wednesday, August 15, 2012 www.rmcc.edu South Arkansas Community College 300 S. West Ave El Dorado, AR 71730 (870) 862-8131 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.southark.edu Southeast Arkansas College 1900 Hazel St. Pine Bluff, AR 71603 (870) 543-5900 www.seark.edu Southern Arkansas University P.O. Box 9392 Magnolia, AR 71754 (870)235-4000 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.saumag.edu Southern Arkansas University - Tech P.O. Box 3499 East Camden, AR 71711 (870) 574-4500 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.sautech.edu U of A at Fayetteville 425 Admin. Bldg.

Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-2000 *Wednesday, August 1, 2012 www.uark.edu

U of A at Fort Smith P.O. Box 3649 Fort Smith, AR 72913 (479)788-7000 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.uafortsmith.edu U of A at Little Rock 2801 South University Little Rock, AR 72204 (501) 569-3000 *Thursday, August 16, 2012 www.ualr.edu U of A at Monticello P.O. Box 3596 Monticello, AR 71656 (870) 367-6811 *Monday, August 13, 2012 www.uamont.edu U of A at Pine Bluff 1200 N. University Dr. Pine Bluff, AR 71601 (870)575-8000 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.uapb.edu U of A Community College at Batesville P.O. Box 3350 Batesville, AR 72503 (870) 612-2000 * Wednesday, August 8, 2012 www.uaccb.edu U of A Community College at Hope 2500 S. Main Hope, AR 71802 (870)777-5722 * Tuesday, August 14, 2012 www.uacch.edu U of A Community College at Morrilton 1537 University Blvd.

Morrilton, AR 72110 800-264-1094 *Wednesday, August 1, 2012 www.uaccm.edu U of A for Medical Sciences 4301 W. Markham, Slot 541 Little Rock, AR 72205 (501) 686-5000 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.uams.edu University of Central Arkansas 201 Donaghey Ave. Conway, AR 72035 (501) 450-5000 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.uca.edu University of the Ozarks 415 North College Ave. Clarksville, AR 72830 (479)979-1000 *Friday, August 10, 2012 www.ozarks.edu Williams Baptist College P.O. Box 3578 Walnut Ridge, AR 72476 (870) 886-6741 *Thursday, September 6, 2012 www.wbcoll.edu

There’s never been a

better time

to go to college or an easier

way

to apply for financial aid

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education reviews and approves academic programs for the state’s 11 public universities and 22 public two-year colleges. In addition, the agency is responsible for distributing approximately $170 million annually from state revenues and lottery funds in the form of financial aid. More than 20 grant and loan repayment programs are available to students, with eligibility requirements ranging from academic status and financial need to specific fields of study. Some are listed below: Academic Challenge Scholarship I Arkansas Governor’s Scholars Program I Arkansas Health Education Grant Program (ARHEG) Higher Education Opportunities Grant (GO! Opportunities Grant) I Law Enforcement Officers’ Dependents Scholarship Program Military Dependents Scholarship Program I Nursing Student Loan Repayment I The Guard Tuition Incentive Program (GTIP) Second Effort Scholarship I State Teacher Education (STEP) Program I Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program Teacher Opportunity Program I Washington Center Scholarship I Workforce Improvement Grant For complete information about a particular program, visit www.adhe.edu to review program rules and regulations. The eligibility requirements and rules governing the programs administered by ADHE are subject to legislative and regulatory amendments. Please e-mail the Financial Aid Division at finaid@adhe.edu for additional information.

• Application period is from January 1 to June 1 for upcoming academic year • Must complete FAFSA as well as YOUniversal scholarship application • Download free YOUniversal app for any smart phone

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VOWS

JAY BARTH AND CHUCK CLIETT Walker Jay Barth and Charles Buren Cliett Jr. of Little Rock were married March 18 by Susan N. Herman, president of the board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union on which Dr. Barth

serves as Arkansas affiliate representative, at a private residence in Brooklyn.

A reception dinner followed at Seersucker, the Brooklyn restaurant owned

by Arkansas-born chef Robert Newton.

A blessing of the civil marriage was performed by the Rev. Scott Walters at Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock on April 14.

Barth, 45, is the M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics and director of civic engagement projects at Hendrix College in Conway. He graduated from Hendrix magna cum laude and received a master’s degree and PhD in political science from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is co-author of the most recent edition of “Arkansas Politics and Government: Do the People Rule?” (University of Nebraska Press, 2005).

Barth is the son of Jayme Lynette

Barth of Little Rock. Jayme Barth, who is retired, was a computer programmer for various companies including Dillard’s department stores.

Cliett, 51, is an attorney specializing in insurance regulatory law and a partner in the law firm of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard in Little Rock.

He graduated from Mississippi State University cum laude and received his JD, with honors, from The University of Texas at Austin.

Cliett is a son of Grace Campbell Cliett and the late Dr. Charles Buren Cliett of West Point, Miss. Grace Cliett, who is retired, worked in county government for many years, also serving on the board of the West Point Housing Authority.

Dr. Cliett was professor and head of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Mississippi State University for 25 years.

Cliett and Barth met in 2000 on the

blind half of a double date set up by a mutual friend when Barth was visiting Austin, where Cliett then lived. They immediately bonded during an afternoon road trip to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Ranch outside Austin. The two political junkies remember sharing laughs about double-edged observations in First Lady Barbara Bush’s memoir for sale at the Ranch’s bookstore. They then began a long-distance relationship that lasted until 2002 when Cliett relocated to Little Rock.

Though the Arkansas Times does not typically publish marriage announcements, because the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and its affiliated newspapers in Northwest Arkansas won’t publish announcements by same-sex couples, we are happy to provide that service.

BLACK COACH BIAS, CONT. various clinics and conventions. “I found out white coaches and black coaches are in two different worlds,” Hill said. On one hand, 90 percent of the 175 black coaches who responded to one of his surveys said they felt “a diversity plan to increase the number of black coaches is necessary.”

On the other hand, many white coaches told Hill that blacks are getting far more breaks and have a much easier time getting good jobs, despite statistics to the contrary. There are about 1,200 coaching jobs at elite FBS schools and many white administrators and coaches believe equality for black coaches means less equality for white coaches, Hill said. “Thousands and thousands of men want those jobs,” Hill and Purdy write. “Backbiting and politics are inevitable. Toss in the racial component, and you are brewing a dangerous stew.”

Hill believes progress will be made only if whites and blacks listen to each other. He is eager to listen to white coaches’ concerns, and believes dialogue on a wider scale will stop pigeonholing for both black and white coaches. Many black coaches Hill surveyed believed their success with white employers was based more on their perceived ability to recruit black players from inner-city neighborhoods than the ability to “coach.” Hill said his research also indicated black assistant coaches weren’t getting as many jobs as offensive or defensive coordinators, or even offensive line coaches — strategyintensive positions that demand critical thinking and often serve as launching pads to head coaching positions.

Hill believes boosters, the alumni

and fans, who donate millions to major college programs, have too much say in who becomes and remains their college’s head coach. Typically, these boosters have the ear of the athletic director and other administrators, as that program’s growth often depends on the boosters’ long-term pledges. Regular donations come with perks. Hill recalls UA boosters who were given sideline passes and allowed to dress as coaches. “I even heard a booster suggest a play that should be called during the critical moments of a game,” he added.

If a new head coaching opportunity opens at a major college program, boosters often try to call the shots. The typically white male boosters tend to recommend candidates in their circles, which are typically white and male. Further amplifying this good ol’ boy feedback loop, some boosters also harbor harmful stereotypes of blacks, similar to Ford’s. “They realize that their money buys them access, power and the ears of the athletic directors and presidents — and the ability to tell inappropriate, racially oriented jokes at public gatherings with impunity,” writes Hill.

Mostly, Hill has heard about such joking through the grapevine. He feels less explicit bias, though, has cost black coaches jobs. Take Jerry Baldwin, for example, who in 1999 became the first black head coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. From the start, Baldwin said he didn’t get much support from boosters or the administration.

“When I got that job, I was told there are no Division I players on this team and you’ll be lucky to win any games in

the first two years. And they were right — there were no Division I players on that team, none at all,” Baldwin told an audience at Arkansas Baptist College in March. “I remember in spring practice we didn’t have enough linemen for scrimmage.”

Despite a 6-27 record through three seasons, Baldwin felt the team could turn a corner in his fourth year. Plenty of talented players would return, and the team’s GPA had steadily increased while drug and discipline problems under previous coaches had diminished. Nonetheless, the athletic director coldly informed him he would be fired. A frustrated Baldwin went higher, to President Ray Authement. “I went in and he had tears in his eyes. He said ‘Coach, I can’t explain, but I can’t take the pressure no more. I believe you’re gonna win the conference next year. I believe that, but I can’t take the pressure of you being an African-American coach.’ ” Baldwin added some administrators understand their boosters well enough to not risk rocking the boat with a black head coach. He recalled what Mike Garrett, a former athletic director of the University of Southern California, said at a black coaches’ clinic: “I would love to hire an African-American, but I can’t because of the pressure.”

Given these circumstances, Hill believes outside intervention, through the NCAA, is necessary to promote equity.

“Currently, the bias that’s ingrained in the process does not do that.”

Hill recommends the NCAA mandate at least three things: a) a graduate assis-

tant position added to each FBS football staff, to be filled only by minorities, that would eventually expand the pool of qualified minority coaching candidates; b) the formation of a year-round athletic advisory board consisting of five or six university “stakeholders” (i.e. administrators, trustees, faculty members, students, alumni and boosters) to diversify input during coach selections; c) that football programs interview one minority for each vacant head coaching position, as the NFL’s Rooney Rule requires.

“I’m not saying that you have to hire an African American. I’m just saying there are African Americans out there to be considered that are not being considered because of the color of their skin.”

Entering last fall, Arkansas was one of 84 Football Bowl Subdivision teams that hadn’t yet hired a black football head coach. Change may be coming. Taver Johnson had recently become the first black interim head coach in Razorbacks history before John L. Smith became head coach on Tuesday.

Moreover, two other blacks — defensive coordinator Paul Haynes and former offensive coordinator and current University of Alabama at Birmingham head coach Garrick McGee — also appeared to be in the running for the UA’s permanent head coaching gig. Together, the three men represented a strong chance the state’s largest sports program would experience a significant watershed moment.

Hill wants the hiring practices of athletic administrators to be more open. He doubts that will happen naturally. www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

41

Arts Entertainment AND

F F O S E K .

A k c T o R DD in Little

T

he ambitions of a fledgling night spot like Flying DD are various — too complicated, in fact — to simply pre-judge the way that one is inclined to do when spying photos of bikini-clad ladies all over its website. I was fully expecting one of those cavernous, low-decor warehouses you sometimes find in SEC college towns that traffic in chicken wings and weekly Jello wrestling for broke coeds. While Flying DD is attached somewhat oddly to the back of what appears to be a body shop on South University, just a beat from the UALR campus, it’s not exactly bereft of ambience or too concerned with compromising the virtues of intoxicated young women. And that’s saying a lot, because I happened to attend on the evening of one of their “Naughty Nightie” contests.

Flying DD (pronounced Flying D’s) is the creation of 42

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

TT LLIO

IE E TAL A N BY

local entrepreneur/man-about-town Wally Waller. He opened the bar in October hoping to provide a “playground for adults” atmosphere with great live music piped in through a spanking-new sound system and never blasting so loud you can’t enjoy yourself. He’s brought a crew of experienced night-life folk to helm what seems to be styled as your casual neighborhood beer joint — both a bartender and the house DJ, Doc Bryce, were insistent that everyone in the bar knew everyone, it was a very casual, chill experience where you didn’t have to behave or feel like you weren’t among friends. And it was true, to an extent. Even when my friend and I were approached about possibly entering as contestants in the “Naughty Nightie” contest, it wasn’t that uncomfortable.

Stated plainly: This is a bar where you party. They have numerous drink specials and gimmicks, one trumping the next. Two-dollar Tuesdays too much for you? Try

BRIAN CHILSON

G e h c i N n I a Y FAnLunassuming new club fil s

$1 Wednesdays, where you can swill accompanied by a DJ set. They offer karaoke not once but twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. If you come on a Thursday, they have $5 pitchers and it’s pretty good stuff on tap: Shiner, Dos Equis, Blue Moon, along with your domestics. They also make a pretty good margarita, which you can slurp for $3 every Monday. Starting this week, they’ll have four DJs for a $5 cover every Friday.

At present, the live music offerings at Flying DD take place mostly on the weekends. Generally, they’ll have at least one night of live music a week, featuring every kind of genre you can imagine: country bands, reggae-fusion, classic-rock inspired outfits like Liquid Kitty or Four on the Floor, and nu-rock/metal acts like Jacksonville’s Blind Mary. Because of the familiar neighborhood-feel of the venue, Flying DD currently hosts a lot of specialevent parties and birthday parties, which, with its “adult playground” mission, seems like an ideal fit.

Another bonus: They have food. They open for lunch every day and serve vittles on through the night ’til last call. Waller said they pride themselves on their fresh sandwiches (especially in a part of town where you’d be hard-pressed to find any). There’s also a special menu section of “Bar Food,” including your standard hot dogs, Frito pie, and cheese dip. Personally, I always love a drinking establishment that bothers to serve food past 10 p.m.

Now, despite the bar’s structural quirks (you have to walk down a hallway past Waller’s office to get to the bathrooms, near a cluster of local businesses that inhabit the front), Flying DD offers a lot of great open space. The back of the bar opens up with industrial garage doors onto an extensive patio area and beach-volleyball court (they’re currently recruiting team sign-ups for the spring league). A warm breeze tinged with cigarette smoke wafted in from outside. The furniture inside is a little hodge-podge, some comfy stools and clusters of sofas.

Overall, its non-aesthetic is, in itself, a kind of aesthetic, like a good South Austin dive bar: a cement box outfitted with a glorified porch. It’s a charming setup, and I haven’t been anywhere else in Little Rock that offers anything quite like it.

The “Naughty Nightie” contest kicked off around midnight, and there were five mostly last-minute entrants.

As DJ Doc explained to me, a “naughty” nightie could really be anything — a pair of boxers, a teddy, just your bra and panties. He assured me that most of the $100 prizewinners usually go for the “girl next door look.”

One contestant had recently turned 18 and had all the sweet, ungainly poise of a young woman not yet sure of what to do with herself. A few were very cute and very suggestively clad college girls (fancy, shiny underwear), and one was a tall tattooed and dark-haired type, who elected to compete in a modification of what she came to the bar wearing: a push-up bra, cutoff shorts rolled down so that you could see the top of her mismatched panties. Much as Doc predicted, it was she, the contestant who expended the least amount of effort, who took first place.

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

A&E NEWS

Mother’s Day Sunday, May 13th

Live Music

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Flowers!

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FANS OF PRECISION-CRAFTED NASHVILLE POP take note: the folks in Lady Antebellum will bring their chart-demolishing, country radiodominating selves to Verizon Arena June 27. Opening up the show will be Darius Rucker, formerly known as Hootie, and country pop newcomers Thompson Square.

Tickets just go on sale Friday, April 27, and they’ll run you $36-$85.

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! l l a B Play The St. Louis Cardinals

BRIAN CHILSON

March 3 – September 16, 2012

YOU MIGHT RECALL A LITTLE BAND from down in Hot Springs called The Holy Shakes, which won the Arkansas Times 2012 Musicians Showcase a few weeks ago with a potent blend of punk rock attitude, brawny rhythms and nervy, live-wire guitar. Well that band’s got an album coming out next month on Thick Records and folks, it is a bruiser.

That won’t be surprising for anyone who’s caught the band live.

Opener “One of These Days” sets the tone for the album, which is all casual threats and sneering and swagger and menacing vibes. The record recalls the best of the sort of discordant punk rock that put the emphasis on “rock” and that seemed to be in disconcertingly short supply after say, 1999 or whenever it was that Skull Kontrol broke up.

Anyone who digs the kind of inspired punk Dischord Records was dishing out in the ‘90s or Drive Like Jehu or those gnarly sounding Chris Thomson-fronted bands — e.g. Circus Lupus, Monorchid, the aforementioned Skull Kontrol — should get The Holy Shakes debut. It’s available via 0s and 1s on May 25 or the heavy LP (180 Gs! Clear or black vinyl!) on July 12.

“Play Ball” features decades of memorabilia from one of our country’s most storied franchises, the St. Louis Cardinals. This exhibition has over 100 items such as the World Series trophies from 2006 and 2011, championship rings, and artifacts from Baseball Hall of Fame members and Arkansas Natives Dizzy Dean and Lou Brock.

For A Limited Time Only!

• July 4 - July 22 – 2011 World Series Trophy • July 4 - September 16 – 2011 World Series Ring • August 3 - September 16 – Stan Musials’ newlyrestored uniform Join us as we reflect on the joy, the heartache and the fun that comes with being a baseball fan.

On loan from St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame & Museum

1200 President Clinton Avenue • Little Rock, Arkansas 72201• 501-374-4242 • clintonpresidentialcenter.org www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

43

THE TO-DO WEDNESDAY 4/25

J.J. GREY & MOFRO

LIST

BY ROBERT BELL

THURSDAY 4/26

JAMES DURBIN

9 p.m. Revolution. $20.

9 p.m. Juanita’s. $13 adv., $15 d.o.s.

J.J. Grey comes from the humid marshes of Florida, and if ever there was an artist whose music really sounds like the place he comes from, it’s Grey, who’s possessed of a voice both gritty and deeply soulful and a knack for slinging effortless-seeming blues rock. He and his band Mofro have been kicking up a swampy, funky, blues-inflected sound for more than a decade now.

After releasing a couple records on the small label Fog City Records, Grey signed to the long-running Chicago blues imprint Alligator Records, a natural fit, for sure.

Grey’s last studio album — 2010’s “Georgia Warhorse” — was a wellreceived slab of what his record label’s motto advertises: Genuine house-rockin’ music. But Grey can go in for the convincing tearjerker, too. Check out the track “King Hummingbird,” a near seven-minute ballad that channels classic Allman Brothers or The Black Crowes at their most wistful.

You will likely recall James Durbin as the studded leather-clad young man from Season 10 of American Idol. A fan favorite who made it to the top four urging viewers to “give metal a chance,” Durbin brought a dose of hard rock to Idol’s mostly pop-oriented proceedings, singing numbers by Guns N’ Roses, Queen, Sammy Hagar and Judas Priest, who he brought on the show for a wailing medley of Priest classics “Living After Midnight” and “Breaking the Law.” Durbin’s on tour right now supporting his debut album, “Memories from a Beautiful Disaster.” He was on Idol a couple weeks ago performing the earwormy single “Higher than

Heaven,” looking like Darby Crash’s hunky little brother and sounding a bit like Sebastian Bach fronting a crunchy post-nu metal outfit. In a recent interview, Durbin named Ronnie James Dio as a primary influence. Dio’s “music was so heavy but the vocals were so smooth,” Durbin said. “To hear this operatic voice over these heavy guitars was just moving.” That a guy who did really well on Idol claims Saint Dio among his influences would, on its own, be enough to make me root for him. But Durbin also overcame Tourette’s and Asperger’s syndromes and struggled just to be able to have normal interactions with people. Plus, he seems like a really genuine dude who just loves metal.

IDOL OUTING: American Idol fave James Durbin comes to Juanita’s Thursday in support of his debut album, “Memories from a Beautiful Disaster.”

sartorial arts — architecture, for example — then this event will be right up your catwalk. Sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers, Wine & Design features looks not only inspired by interior design, but the pieces will actually be made from materials usually used to decorate rooms, not people. Speak-

ing of “Project Runway,” the emcee will be none other than Korto Momolu, the runner-up from Season 5. In addition to the unconventional attire, there will be unlimited wine and hors d’oeuvres, door prizes and a silent auction, all benefiting Our House, which provides housing assistance to working homeless people.

THURSDAY 4/26

WINE & DESIGN

7 p.m. Clinton Presidential Center. $30-$50.

If your favorite episodes of “Project Runway” were the ones where Tim Gunn asked the designers to create a look based on some abstract concept or something seemingly unrelated to the

THURSDAY 4/26

ARGENTA FILM SERIES: ‘JUST LIKE US’

6 p.m. Argenta Community Theater. $8.

This documentary follows Egyptian-born American comedian Ahmed Ahmed (who also directed the film) on a tour through Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Lebanon and Egypt to bring standup comedy to a part of the world that many folks don’t associate with laughter and good humor. The film follows Ahmed and an assortment of other comedians and, as he told the Washington Post last year, is “about humor and family and culture. There’s a smidgen of geopolitics and religion just to raise the question, not to preach it. I’m just hoping audiences respond.” The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Arkansas native Taylor Feltner was one of the producers of “Just Like Us.” He’ll be on hand Wednesday to answer questions after the screening.

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APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

FRIDAY 4/27 & SATURDAY 4/28

GLEN CAMPBELL

8 p.m. Walton Arts Center. $43-$79.

Glen Campbell might be mostly remembered for “Rhinestone Cowboy,” but as I’ve noted in the pages of the Times before, his CV is staggering: He sold more than 45 million records; he hosted his own TV variety show (the second Arkansas native to do so — Johnny Cash, of course, was the other one); he was a member of the vaunted studio wizards known as The Wrecking Crew, alongside legends like Hal Blaine, Dr. John, Jack Nitzsche, Leon Russell and many more; he won five Grammys in 1968 alone; he was handpicked by John Wayne to star in the original film version of “True Grit” (and also “Norwood,” another film based on a Charles Portis novel), and filled in for Brian Wilson on tour with The Beach Boys (and recorded the 1965 single “Guess I’m Dumb,” a sublime pop nugget written and produced by Wilson). It’s gonna be hard not to think about Levon Helm now when considering Campbell — another small-town Arkansas boy who lit out for

FINAL TOUR: Glen Campbell brings his Goodbye Tour to Fayetteville for performances Friday and Saturday night at the Walton Arts Center.

the territories, finding fame and fortune as a musician (and sometimes as an actor).

Campbell last year made his Alzheimer’s diagnosis public, announcing that he’d be

going on tour one last time. So folks, these shows will most likely be your last opportunity to see one of Arkansas’s musical legends play live.

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 4/26

The Moscow Festival Ballet presents “Romeo & Juliet” at Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., $25-$40. Powerhouse locals The See bring rousing guitar rock to White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5. Got a jones for some Stones?

Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones Tribute plays an 18-and-older show at Stickyz, 9 p.m., $7 adv., $10 d.o.s.

FRIDAY 4/27

The hypnotic psych-blues grooves of Tyrannosaurus Chicken will help keep you up all night at Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5.

Maxine’s hosts another Songwriters Showcase, with Brian Martin, Andy Warr, Mandy McBryde and Jonathan Wilkins, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. Velvet Kente plays White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $7. It’ll be an evening of eardrum shredding heaviness at Downtown Music Hall, with Shadows Fall, Moment of Fierce Determination, Severe Headwound and A Darkend Era, 7 p.m., $17 adv., $20 d.o.s. Texas rocker Bleu Edmondson plays Stickyz, 8:30 p.m., $10.

REAL REGGAE: South Africa’s Tidal Waves return to Arkansas for performances at Low Key Arts in Hot Springs on Saturday and Juanita’s on Sunday.

SATURDAY 4/28

TIDAL WAVES

8 p.m. Low Key Arts. $7.

It’s a shame that so much contemporary roots reggae sounds bogus, with tinny synthesizer tones that are thin and dry, compared to the warm, enveloping throb of the classic stuff. And don’t even get me started on digital dancehall or ragga or whatever they’re calling it these days. So where should one look for some reggae that sounds like the good old days? Try South Africa’s Tidal Waves, a band that’s been going for more than a decade now. The band blends Jamaican sounds, such as jazzy

piano reminiscent of some of the original ska bands, with Afrobeat elements, like the distinctively bright high life guitar sound that weaves through some of their tunes. There are occasional guitar heroics that might sound a bit out of place for those accustomed to the stripped-down, minimal sounds that emanated from the island in the ’70s, but it works in the context of Tidal Waves’ fusion of styles. “Mafikeng,” from the band’s recent album “Manifesto,” manages to blend haunting chants reminiscent of Burning Spear with Clash-like horns and crunchy dis-

torted guitar. “Geypseys Lament” is a minimal, rock-steady inspired number that coasts along on beautiful harmonizing and classic-sounding organ. The band sufficiently impressed Ziggy Marley that he asked them to back him up for performances in Soweto and Johannesburg, so they’ve gotten the nod from reggae royalty. But I really can’t stress enough how good their “Manifesto” album sounds. In a world filled with posers, this band is the real deal. They also play at Juanita’s Sunday night at the Mane Affair Hair Show (see calendar).

and fans, especially in the ’80s and ’90s. $18.99 for a CD with maybe two good tracks? Good riddance. Who needs ’em?

Hank Williams III recently articulated this to SkeletonCrueTV: “It’s a great time to be DIY. You’ve got YouTube, the Internet, when you jam in your rehearsal room, record it, upload it, make your own website.” Years ago, you didn’t have that option, he said, but “you don’t need the majors now, just do it yourself man.”

Williams also epitomizes another thing

that’s good about nowadays: You don’t have to be one thing. Williams plays country, punk, hardcore, psychobilly, metal, sludge, whatever he wants. He’s not constrained by some record label jerk saying, “Well, I don’t know about this doom metal side project, Hank. It doesn’t really fit in with the branding strategy we’ve created for you.” He’ll be showcasing his multiple musical styles at this show, with Hellbilly, Attention Deficit Domination and 3 Bar Ranch.

TUESDAY 5/1

HANK III

7 p.m. Downtown Music Hall. $21 adv., $25 d.o.s.

I’ve probably bemoaned the current state of music and culture as much as or more than anybody, but there have been some positive developments in the last few years. For one thing, the major labels are dying. With a few notable exceptions, these corporations were bloodsuckers that found no limit to the ways they could screw over artists

SATURDAY 4/28

Word has it that the garagepsych- and classic country-warping weirdoes in The Frontier Circus have some new tunes in the works to shock and amaze the crowd.

Booyah! Dad opens the show at White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5.

If you want to witness a genuine southern Illinois hillbilly ruckus, check out The Whistle Pigs at Reno’s Argenta Cafe, 9 p.m. For an evening of Southern summer wear, drinks and appetizers, croquet and live jazz from Jeremy Shrader’s Hot Memphis Four, check out The Seersucker Social, benefiting the Old Statehouse Museum, where the event kicks off at 6 p.m., $25 adv., $30 door. The Celebrity Dance Showcase benefits Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind and Sickle Cell Support Services, with a silent auction, complimentary wine, beer and desserts and, of course, dancing. Showcase starts at 6 p.m., after-party at 8:30 p.m., Wildwood Park, 5 p.m., $35 adv., $45 door.

The Weekend Theater celebrates its 20th anniversary as an institution of community theater with a party at The Villa Marre, 6:30 p.m., $35. Biking for Bigs is a Big Brothers Big Sisters biking event that includes a post-ride party and cookout and the opportunity for little brothers and sisters who don’t have bikes to be given a used, fitted and restored bike, Big Dam Bridge, 10 a.m., $15-$25. www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

45

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-6631196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

“After 7.” Includes open mic performances, live band, drink specials and more. Porter’s Jazz Cafe, 7 p.m. 315 Main St. 501-324-1900. www.portersjazzcafe.com.

Alternative Wednesdays. Features alternative bands from Central Arkansas and the surrounding areas. Mediums Art Lounge, 6:30 p.m., $5. 521 Center St. 501-374-4495.

Bolly Open Mic Hype Night with Osyrus Bolly and DJ Messiah. All American Wings, 9 p.m. 215 W. Capitol Ave. 501-376-4000. allamericanwings.com.

Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Chris Henry. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www.thetavernsportsgrill.com.

G r i m M u z i k p r e s e n t s Wa y B a c k Wednesdays. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8:30 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-3242999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

J.J. Grey & Mofro. 18-and-older show.

Revolution, 9 p.m., $17 adv., $20 d.o.s. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www. khalilspub.com.

Karaoke. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton.

501-315-1717.

Kat & Chuck. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m., free.

14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www. thirst-n-howl.com.

Katie Herzig, Andrew Belle. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

Ricky David Tripp. Ferneau, 5:30 p.m. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-603-9208. www.ferneaurestaurant.com.

Switchfoot. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9 p.m., $25. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville.

479-442-4226.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Title Fight, I Was Afraid, Second-Rate, Lifer, Lunsford. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com.

COMEDY

Tim Kidd, Chris Dubail. The Loony Bin, 8 p.m.; April 27, 10:30 p.m.; April 28, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

46

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

MICHAEL WILSON

MUSIC

MIDWEST CHANTEUSE: Jessica Lea Mayfield returns to Little Rock for a show at White Water Tavern Monday, 9 p.m., $12. The Ohio singer/songwriter’s darkly introspective tunes are showcased on a couple of fine albums produced by fellow Buckeye State native Dan Auerbach of Black Keys renown.

EVENTS

Science After Dark: “Itsy, Bitsy, Teeny, Weeny.” Ages 21 and older, with cash bar and presentation about small things ranging from the Nano to the just plain tiny. Museum of Discovery, 6 p.m., $10, free for members.

500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800-880-6475. www.amod.org.

LECTURES

“The DREAM Act: A Panel Discussion on Immigration and Education”. University of Central Arkansas, 7 p.m., free. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. www.uca.edu.

Joseph Torres. Presentation from the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller “News for All the People,” which provides a history of race and the American media.

Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-6835239. www.clintonschool.uasys.edu.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26

MUSIC

Choir Spring Concert. Hendrix College, 7:30 p.m., free. 1600 Washington Ave., Conway.

501-450-1248. www.hendrix.edu.

Dean Agus (headliner), 4 Elementz (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com.

Hayes Carll. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9 p.m., $18. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-4424226.

“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.

James Durbin. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $13 adv., $15 d.o.s. 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.

Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. www.zacks-place.com.

Kristen Cothron & The Darksid. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m.

9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

Puddin’head. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl. com.

Satisfaction — Rolling Stones tribute. 18-andolder show. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $7 adv., $10 d.o.s. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

The See. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5.

2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Some Guy Named Robb. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. Trey Hawkins Band. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www.thetavernsportsgrill.com.

University of Central Arkansas University Chorus. University of Central Arkansas, Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m., free.

201 Donaghey Ave., Conway.

COMEDY

Tim Kidd, Chris Dubail. The Loony Bin, through April 27, 8 p.m.; April 27, 10:30 p.m.; April 28, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Golden Dragon Acrobats. Arkansas State University at Mountain Home, 7 p.m., $15 students, $30 non-students. 1600 S. College Ave., Mountain Home.

Moscow Festival Ballet in “Romeo & Juliet.”

Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., $25-$40. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway.

EVENTS

Farm to Table: April’s Harvest. Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 10 a.m., $35. 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton. 727-5435. www.uawri.org.

Nano Days. Learn about nano technology with hands-on activities. Museum of Discovery, April 26-28, 9 a.m., $8-$10, free for members. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800-880-6475. www. amod.org.

Philander Smith College Scholarship Dinner.

Fundraiser honoring Dr. Joycelyn Elders.

Philander Smith College, 6 p.m. 900 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive.

Wine & Design. Fashion show benefiting Our House, featuring emcee Korto Momolu.

Clinton Presidential Center, 7 p.m., $30-$50.

1200 President Clinton Ave. 370-8000. www. clintonpresidentialcenter.org.

Come join us for happy hour drink speCials!

5:00-6:30 pm best steak 2005-2012

free valet parking piano bar tues-sat 335 wine seleCtions • fine spirits from around the world ask about private Corporate lunChes

500 president Clinton avenue (in the river market distriCt) Call for reservations 501.324.2999 • www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.Com

FILM

Argenta Film Series: Taylor Feltner. Arkansas native Feltner will screen his documentary “Just Like Us.” Argenta Community Theater, 6 p.m.

405 Main St., NLR. 501-353-1443. argentacommunitytheater.org.

“Miss Representation.” Includes a panel discussion with Angela Thomas of AY Magazine,

Stephen Wermiel. The former Supreme Court reporter for the Wall Street Journal will discuss his book, “Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion.”

Clinton School of Public Service, 12 p.m., free.

1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

FRIDAY, APRIL 27

MUSIC

12 Sharp. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, April 27-28, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford.

501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net.

Bleu Edmondson. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $10. 107 Commerce St. 501372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Bluesboy Jag and His Cigar Box Guitars.

Dogtown Coffee and Cookery, 6 p.m., free.

6725 John F. Kennedy Blvd., NLR. 501-833-3850. www.facebook.com/pages/Dogtown-Coffeeand-Cookery/221280641229600.

Boom Kinetic. 18-and-older show. Revolution, 9:30 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501823-0090. revroom.com.

Canvas. The Tavern Sports Grill, 8 p.m., free.

17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www. thetavernsportsgrill.com.

Chris Henry. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock.

DJ Silky Slim. Top 40 and dance music. Sway, 9 p.m., $5. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Eclipse The Echo. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5.

2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www.foxandhound.com/locations/north-littlerock.aspx.

Ed Burks. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, April 27-28, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

“The Flow Fridays.” Twelve Modern Lounge, 8 p.m. 1900 W. Third St. Glen Campbell. Walton Arts Center, April 27-28, 8 p.m., $43-$79. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville.

479-443-5600.

Haydn’s “The Creation.” Christ the King Catholic Church, 7:30 p.m., $10-$15. 4000 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-376-8484. lovetosing.org/.

Illegal Productions. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8:30 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

PG-13 (headliner), Richie Johnson (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Shadows Fall, Moment of Fierce Determination, Sever Headwound, A Darkend Era. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $17 adv., $20 d.o.s. 211 W. Capitol. 501-3761819. downtownmusichall.com.

Shawn Robertson’s event. Juanita’s, 10 p.m.

614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com.

Songwriters Showcase. Featuring Brian Martin, Andy Warr, Mandy McBryde and Jonathan Wilkins. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Symphony on the Green. Featuring dinner, cocktails and music from the Arkansas Symphony Big Band. Proceeds benefit ASO and music education in schools. Chenal Country

COMEDY

Tim Kidd, Chris Dubail. The Loony Bin, through April 27, 8 p.m.; April 27, 10:30 p.m.; April 28, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Food Truck Fridays. Includes three food trucks on the corner of Main Street and Capitol Avenue. Main Street, Little Rock, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Main St. 501-375-0121.

LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group.

Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. 800 Scott St., 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. Nano Days. Learn about nano technology with hands-on activities. Museum of Discovery, through April 28, 9 a.m., $8-$10, free for members. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800-8806475. www.amod.org.

FILM

UCA Student Film Festival. Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, 5:30 p.m. 350 S. Donaghey, Conway. 501-852-2377.

SPORTS

Real Deal in the Rock. Tournament featuring some of the top high school basketball players in the country playing at several gyms around Little Rock. Check schedule for times and locations at fivestarbasketball.com. Central High School Quigley Cox Stadium, April 27; April 28; April 29. 1500 Park St.

BENEFITS

Relay for Life. Overnight relay walk to benefit the American Cancer Society. Clinton Presidential Center, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501574-8671. www.relayforlife.org/littlerock.

SATURDAY, APRIL 28

MUSIC

12 Sharp. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net.

Trim: 2.125x5.875 Bleed: None

Anthony Lofton. Laman Library, 6 p.m., free.

2801 Orange St., NLR. 501-758-1720. www. lamanlibrary.org.

Catfish Jackson. Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com.

Chris & Dan. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock.

Crisis (headliner), Jim Mills (happy hour).

Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m.

2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Dirtfoot, Star & Micey. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $8 adv., $10 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

DJ Showcase Pulse. Flying DD, 9 p.m., $5. 4601 S. University. 501-773-9990. flyingdd.com.

Ed Burks. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m.

500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www. sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

The Frontier Circus, Booyah! Dad. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Glen Campbell. Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $43-$79. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479443-5600.

Grouplove, Company of Thieves. All-ages show. Revolution, 9 p.m., $15. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Hank Williams Jr., Jamey Johnson. Arkansas Music Pavilion, 7:30 p.m., $42-$102. 2536 N. McConnell Ave., Fayetteville. www.arkansasmusicpavilion.com.

“Independent Music Night” Hip-Hop Showcase. Lil Spade (mixtape release and video premiere), 4X4 Crew (video shoot and single release), Grim Muzik, Mad Ark Click, E-Dirty & Menace 5:40 Boys, Duke Stigall with The Lab Rats, Dr. Frank, Heavy Hustlin’ and Pretty Black Nation, including DJ Fatality and host Vincent Von Vegga. Downtown Music Hall, 9 p.m., $10. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com.

Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com.

Karaoke. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 6929 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876.

“KISS Saturdays” with DJs Deja Blu, Greyhound and Silky Slim. Sway, 10 p.m.

412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Luke Williams Band. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m.

2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

Meshugga Klezmer Band. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $8. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

Nappy Roots. 18-and-older show. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $15 d.o.s. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www. stickyfingerz.com.

New World Symphony. The finale performance of the Conway Symphony Orchestra’s 20112012 season. Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, 7:30 p.m., $20-$38. 350 S. Donaghey, Conway.

501-450-3265.

Rare Remedy, StarBlind. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

Rehab Superstar, Dean Heathen. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $8. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www. vinosbrewpub.com.

Rodge Arnold. The Tavern Sports Grill, 8 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www. thetavernsportsgrill.com.

Saturday night at Discovery. Featuring DJs, CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

Closing Date: 4.18.12 QC: SM

LECTURES

Club, 6:30 p.m., $150. 10 Chenal Club Blvd.

501-661-9516.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Tonya Leeks & Co.. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

Torn Apart, Eddie & The Defiantz, Killing Souls. Vino’s, 8 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-3758466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

Tragikly White. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

Tyrannosaurus Chicken. Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com.

Velvet Kente. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $7. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

White Chocolate. Thirst n’ Howl, 9 p.m., free.

14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirstn-howl.com.

White Collar Criminals. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9 p.m., free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. www.markhamst.com.

Ad Name: Bud Light with a Twist Item #: PLB201110112

Lindsey Millar and Leslie Newell Peacock of the Arkansas Times. UALR, 6 p.m., free. 2801 S. University Ave. 501-569-3191.

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

47

BRIAN CHILSON

MUSIC REVIEW

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers April 21, Verizon Arena

BY ROBERT BELL

R

ock ’n’ roll radio might not be the kingmaker it was in decades past, but Saturday’s Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers show at Verizon Arena proved that artists who have a 30-plus-year back catalog of timeless hits can still sell out stadiums, even here in flyover country.

Before the show, I was outside talking to a couple who mentioned how disappointed they’d been back in 2000, when the Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band reunion tour concert didn’t sell out at what was then Alltel Arena.

The woman asked rhetorically what it says about Arkansas when a concert from someone of The Boss’s stature fails to pack ’em to the rafters. That was indeed mystifying, but such is the nature of the live music biz. It’s an unpredictable, often fickle beast, where last year’s hot 48

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

ticket is next year’s dud, sometimes even for established performers. A show that sells out two nights in Seattle might tank in Tampa. Sometimes, it’s just that the show was on a Tuesday. Who knows?

Regardless, Saturday’s concert was an unmitigated success. Maybe it’s that Petty had never played in Arkansas before. Maybe it’s that he was a fixture on rock radio (and MTV, back when that channel played music) from the late ’70s through, well, now really. Maybe it’s that he appeals to young and not-so-young alike with a still fresh-sounding mix of classic rock ’n’ roll, Byrds-y Rickenbacker jangle, Dylan-esque folksiness and laidback style. Maybe it’s all of the above.

Whatever the reason, the stadium was packed with the most deafening concert crowd I have ever heard anywhere. When they sang along to “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” during Petty’s encore, it was a crushing wave of sound: “Oh my, my/Oh hell yes.”

Opener Regina Spektor’s set was enjoyable. I’ve got to cop to not being

BRIAN CHILSON

MUSIC REVIEW

SHOP ‘N’ SIP First thursday each month shop ’til 8pm and enjoy dining in one of the many area restaurants.

BRIAN CHILSON

HILLCREST SHOPPING & DINING

very familiar with her work, but her voice is incredible and distinctive, and she clearly has songwriting chops to spare. Her set was entertaining and she was enthusiastic, thanking Petty and The Heartbreakers “for showing her America.” Her tune “Us” was a vibrant slice of inspired singer/songwriter storytelling.

Petty’s 19-song set was a mix of deep tracks, familiar album cuts and outright hits, heavily favoring the latter two categories. He opened with the chiming “Listen to Her Heart” and then went right into a rollicking take on “You Wreck Me,” from 1994’s “Wildflowers.” The set list jumped around through Petty’s rich catalog, with four songs coming from 1989’s stone-cold classic “Full Moon Fever.”

While I got to hear many of my favorite tunes over the two-hour set, I could’ve easily hung in there for another hour or two if it meant hearing the rest of them.

This was the first show I’d ever been

to at Verizon, and while people have complained to me in the past about the building’s acoustics, Saturday’s show sounded incredible, with a mix that was just spot-on. Every element was audible and clear.

Of course, a good sound system never hurts. But no amount of acoustical engineering can replicate the sound of a band as tight as The Heartbreakers. The guitar interplay between Petty and Mike Campbell was blistering, especially during a raucous, full-speed-ahead version of “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” When the band took a bow after “American Girl” (a perfect song if ever there was one), the place was radiating with good vibes.

“This is our first trip to Arkansas,” Petty said early in the set, to which the crowd roared. He seemed a little taken aback by the thunderous enthusiasm, but he said they’d return. I’d bet that most of the 14,138 people in the stadium were thinking the same thing as I was: “Oh my, my/Oh hell yes.”

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APRIL 25, 2012

49

THE TELEVISIONIST

TEDTalks and Jesse Owens

BY DAVID KOON

NETFLIX PIX: TEDTALKIN’

ITY

UN R COMM U O T R SUPPO

DRINKL. LOCA

50

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

Though we supposedly live in The Information Age, with all the knowledge of mankind at our fingertips at the click of a mouse, the problem of the Internet is not one of quantity, but of quality. You’ll probably soon be able to buy a ticket to the triumphant world tour of a hologram Tupac Shakur, and you can navigate from Paris, Ark., to Paris, Texas, to Paris, France, solely by cell phone, but we still haven’t figured out a good way to sift the Internet — that great, near-infinite electric landfill of porn, Chinese commercials, social networking, lies, celebrity gossip, slander, libel, recipes, theft, angst and cute kitten pictures — in order to find the few diamonds that exist within it. Luckily for those who care about quality information and brilliant insight, the Internet has also brought us TEDTalks. TEDTalks are an outgrowth of the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Conferences that have been held every year since 1984.

The formula is simple: get together the most brilliant people on the planet, in every imaginable field — including guys like Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall and Bono, but also obscure-but-fascinating scientists, designers, writers, athletes, architects, musicians, chefs, explorers, etc.

— and give them a public forum to talk about what gets them out of bed in the morning. A few years back, TED started recording these 15-30 minute talks, and in 2006, they put the first of them online.

As of this writing, there are more than 1,000 TEDTalks available for free at the conference website, ted.com. A visit is like getting a seat at the dinner table with the world’s great minds in attendance.

I’m an addict. I’ve personally watched over a hundred TedTalks now, on subjects I thought I’d never know anything about, and I’m here to tell you: Not a single one has been boring. Now, Netflix has been kind enough to put collections of TEDTalks on the streaming section of their website, each a little fruit basket of brilliance on a given theme, including “Beauty and Fashion,” “Beasts and Bugs,” “Crime and Punishment,” “Icons” (featuring folks like Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall, and filmmaker J.J. Abrams) and “Sex, Secrets and Love.” If you can’t find anything to interest you in all that, well... there’s always Kardashians gossip and pictures of cats saying “I can haz chezburger?” Please exit the global conversation, and try not to spread your genes around too much.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: JESSE OWENS

7 p.m. Tuesday, May 1 AETN

Way back in 1936, with Hitler on the rise in Germany and racism institutionally enshrined in not just the American South but almost every corner of the United States, the idea that a black 22-year-old sharecropper’s son from Oakville, Ala., could come to symbolize the triumph of freedom over repression sounds like a story only Hollywood (though not Hollywood back then) could come up with. The thing is, it’s the true story of champion track and field star James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens. In college, Owens had distinguished himself as an athlete to rival anyone in any sport who came before or since. In one instance, during a meet in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the spring of 1935, Owens set three world records — for the long jump, the 220yard sprint and the 220-yard low hurdles — and tied the world record for the 100yard dash, all in less than an hour. Need we remind you that this was long before the era of athletes setting pharmaceutically-enhanced records that need an asterisk? In 1936, Owens traveled to the Olympic Games in Berlin, where he and other black members of his team were greeted with taunts and jeers because of their race. “I was angry because of the insults that Hitler and the other German leaders had hurled at me and my Negro teammates on the Olympic squad,” he later recalled. Owens proceeded to use that anger as the fuel he needed to deliver an old school ass-whipping of the best the Master Race had to offer, winning four gold medals and humiliating Hitler so thoroughly that he later complained that blacks should be banned from future Olympic Games. Still, it wasn’t a fairy-tale ending for Owens. He later told interviewers that President Franklin Roosevelt never reached out to thank or congratulate him for his accomplishments in Berlin. To add insult to injury, after he turned down a track and field meet in Sweden in order to appear at a paying gig soon after his Olympic triumph, Owens was stripped of his amateur status by officials in the U.S. He eventually wound up working in a gas station, and later filed for bankruptcy before his death in 1980. Still, like any great American life, it’s a lot more complicated than just a rise and fall. Tune in to see how.

ART NOTES Thea is all about promoting self-confidence and learning through art, so there will be kids’ art activities. With the guidance of ceramicists Angela Cummings and Hamid Ebrahimifar children (and adults, too) will paint clay tiles that will be glazed and fired for a permanent public art piece in Argenta. Kids will also learn how to make chalk and then will get to use what they make on the streets. There will be a collaborative painting project for adults as well, guided by area art teachers.

Leopoulos said Thea is starting on the small side to guarantee the first festival’s success but he expects to see it grow, adding artists from outside Arkansas and perhaps spilling south into Little Rock.

There’s only a 10 percent chance of rain Saturday; there’s a far better chance of good art and a good time.

SPOUTING OFF: Teapots by Oksana Litvinova, Thea Arts Festival artist.

Thea Arts Festival kickoff And Birch Tree’s “EXPRESSIONS” art sale.

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

M

ain Street in Argenta is upping its art cred this Saturday, April 28, with the inaugural Thea Arts Festival, an all-day celebration that will bring 28 artists, live music and dance to North Little Rock’s creative district downtown.

Paul Leopoulos, president of the Thea Foundation, which will benefit from the festival through sponsorships and booth sales, said the foundation’s board of directors wanted to do a fundraiser that was “meaningful to our mission,” which is to encourage arts education and support the arts in Arkansas.

The 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. event should be meaningful to Argenta as well, adding polish to its arts district crown.

Visual artists and artisans went through a selection process to be able to participate and will be eligible for $5,000 in awards on Saturday. Exhibiting painting, pottery, glass, woodworking, tile, basketry and sculpture on a closed-to-traffic Main Street will be V.L. Cox, Ken Davis, Janet Donnangelo, Kelly Furr, Doug Gorrell, Zach Graupner, Mia Hall, Jane Hankins, Bre Harris, Tom and Sage Holland, Steve Horan, Kateri Joe, Kandy Jones, Beth Lambert, Fletcher Larkin, Sean LeCrone, Elena Liachenko, Oksana Litvinova, Delia Martin, Bryan Massey, Leon Niehues, Ed Pennebaker, Barbara Satterfield, John Sewell, Jason Smith, Douglas Stowe and Jennifer Wilson.

Artists will receive all proceeds from their sales.

There will be artist demonstrations

by Arts Center instructors, Larry Pennington of “Claytime” pottery studio, plein air painters and others. Punctuating the art will be musical performances on each block between Broadway and Sixth Street by soloists and groups like the Pickoids, Fire and Brimstone and the Arkansas Symphony Quartet, which will bring along the ASO’s instrument “petting zoo” for kids who want to try their hand at violin or other instruments.

Soloists include Aaron Bard, Audrey Dean Kelley, Danile Haney, Steve Bates and Alisa Coffey. Ballet dancers will perform throughout the day as well.

On Thursday, April 26, a crowd is sure to turn out once again for “EXPRESSIONS,” the art show and sale of paintings by clients of Birch Tree Communities at the Governor’s Mansion.

The annual event packs the mansion ballroom with people eager to see and buy the paintings, made by artists who paint from the heart and not by the book, giving their work a fresh and unfettered appeal. The show will feature selected works by clients of other mental health providers as well.

Birch Tree’s clients are persons with serious mental illness whose art classes offer a route to self-esteem, expression and recovery. All proceeds from the sale go to the artists. Artist Jim Tindall is the arts specialist for Birch Tree.

The event is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and includes music by Wine and Roses and hors d’oeuvres. Lauren Clark from KTHV will be emcee for a live auction.

Tickets are $25 and are available at the door; there’s usually a line out the mansion’s front door so go early. Call 3033202 for more information.

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APRIL 25, 2012

51

AFTER DARK, CONT. dancers and more. Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m., $10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www. latenightdisco.com.

Shannon Boshears. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 8:30 p.m., free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. www.markhamst.com.

Songwriters Showcase. Parrot Beach Cafe, 2-7 p.m., free. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Thread, Mismanage, 3D Arcade. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

Tidal Waves. All-ages show. Low Key Arts, 8 p.m., $7. 118 Arbor St., Hot Springs.

Tom Cox Trio. Maxine’s, 5:30 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

The Whistle Pigs. Reno’s Argenta Cafe, 9 p.m.

312 N. Main St., NLR. 501-376-2900. www.renosargentacafe.com.

Clinton Ave. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse.com.

Thea Arts Festival. Argenta, 10 a.m. p.m. Main Street, NLR. 501-375-9512.

The Weekend Theater’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. The Villa Marre, 6:30 p.m., $35.

1321 Scott St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org.

Woo at the Zoo. Includes food, beverages, music from The Shannon Boshears Band and a zoo keeper chat about animal mating behavior.

Little Rock Zoo, 6 p.m., $35. 1 Jonesboro Dr. 501-666-2406. www.littlerockzoo.com.

COMEDY

Biking for Bigs. Big Brothers Big Sisters biking event includes post-ride party and cookout and the opportunity for little brothers and sisters who don’t have bikes to be given a used, fitted and restored bike. Big Dam Bridge, 10 a.m., $15-$25. 7600 Rebsamen Park Road. www.bigdambridge.com.

“Boosters & Big Rigs.” Family event hosted

by Junior League of Little Rock and UALR Children International, featuring free health screenings, immunizations, car seat safety information and more. Jack Stephens Center, UALR, 9 a.m. p.m., free. 2801 S. University Ave. Craws For A Cause. Benefit for The March of Dimes. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7 p.m., $45 adv., $55 door. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.crawsforacause.com.

Tim Kidd, Chris Dubail. The Loony Bin, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road.

501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

4th annual Celebrity Dance Showcase.

Dancing event to benefit Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind and Sickle Cell Support Services includes silent auction, complimentary wine and beer and desserts. Showcase starts at 6 p.m., after-party at 8:30 p.m. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, 5 p.m., $35 adv., $45 door. 20919 Denny Road.

Argenta Farmers Market. Argenta, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. Main Street, NLR. “Bollywood Meets Hollywood.” Includes Indian food, silent auction, dance performances, music and more in a fundraiser for Harmony Health Clinic’s India for Harmony program. Church at Rock Creek, 6 p.m., free, donations accepted. 11500 W. 36th St. 501375-4400.

Breakfast with Gorillas. Little Rock Zoo, 8 a.m., $13-$22. 1 Jonesboro Dr. 501-661-7218. www. littlerock.zoo.com/.

Central Arkansas Iris Society’s 47th Annual Iris Show. Grace Lutheran Church, 1 p.m., free. 5124 Hillcrest Ave. 501-663-3631. www. centralarkansasiris.org.

Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads.

Fort Lincoln Freedom Fest. Includes a variety of Civil War-themed festivities and live performance from Ben Coulter. Prairie County Community Center, 9 a.m. p.m. 710 E. Sycamore St., DeValls Bluff. 870-659-5652. www.arkansascivilwar150.com/events.

Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 27: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-375-2552. rivermarket.info/.

Made From Scratch — Culinary Workshop.

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 10 a.m., $80. 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton. 727-5435. www. uawri.org.

Nano Days. Learn about nano technology with hands-on activities. Museum of Discovery, 9 a.m., $8-$10, free for members. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800-880-6475. www.amod. org.

Seersucker Social. Includes drinks and appetizers, croquet and live jazz from Jeremy Shrader’s Hot Memphis Four, benefiting the Old Statehouse Museum. Old State House Museum, 6 p.m., $25 adv., $30 door. 500 52

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

SPORTS

Real Deal in the Rock. See April 27.

St. Vincent Tour dePaul 5K. War Memorial Stadium, 8 a.m., $25-$30. 1 Stadium Drive.

501-552-2381. stvincenthealth.com/ TourdePaul.

BENEFITS

SUNDAY, APRIL 29

MUSIC

Karaoke. Shorty Small’s, 6-9 p.m. 1475 Hogan Lane, Conway. 501-764-0604. www. shortysmalls.com.

Karaoke with DJ Sara. Hardrider Bar & Grill, 7 p.m., free. 6613 John Harden Drive, Cabot. 501-982-1939 .

Stardust Big Band. Arlington Hotel, April 29, 3 p.m.; May 13, 3 p.m.; June 17, 3 p.m., $8, free for ages 18 and younger. 239 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-767-5482.

Sunday Jazz Brunch with Ted Ludwig and Joe Cripps. Vieux Carre, 11 a.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.vieuxcarrecafe.com.

EVENTS

Friends of Contemporary Craft: A Conversation with Mia Hall. Presentation from the head of the Furniture Design Department at UALR. Arkansas Arts Center, 6 p.m., $15-$20. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

The Mane Affair Hair Show. Juanita’s, 5 p.m., $24-$75. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

SPORTS

Philander Smith College Athletic Awards Banquet. Featuring guest speaker Doug Williams of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Redskins. Philander Smith College, 7 p.m., $25. 900 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive.

Real Deal in the Rock. See April 27.

WWE Extreme 2012 watch party. 18-andolder. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 7 p.m., free. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

MONDAY, APRIL 30

MUSIC

Jessica Lea Mayfield. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $12. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com.

Karaoke. Thirst n’ Howl, 8:30 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

No Bragging Rights, Kills and Thrills, Handguns. Downtown Music Hall, 6 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com.

Reggae Nites. Featuring DJ Hy-C playing roots, reggae and dancehall. Pleazures Martini and Grill Lounge, 6 p.m., $7-$10. 1318 Main St. 501-376-7777. www.facebook.com/pleazures. bargrill.

Ted Ludwig Quartet. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

Touch, Grateful Dead Tribute. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

EVENTS

Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner. Former U.S. Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. of California will be the keynote speaker. Embassy Suites, 6 p.m., $50. 11301 Financial Centre. 501-3129000. www.pulaskigop.org/.

Martini Monday. Juanita’s. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

LECTURES

Mark Updegrove. The director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum will discuss his book, “Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency.” Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www.clintonschool. uasys.edu.

DANCE

“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7 p.m., $5 regular, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. www.revroom.com.

EVENTS

Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 27: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-375-2552. rivermarket.info/.

“Music at the Movies.” Featuring The Rockefeller Quartet. Laman Library, 6 p.m.

2801 Orange St., NLR. 501-758-1720. www. lamanlibrary.org.

Tales from the South. Authors tell true stories; schedule available on website. Dinner served 5-6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Call for reservations.

Starving Artist Cafe, 5 p.m. 411 N. Main St., NLR. 501-372-7976. www.starvingartistcafe.net.

Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock.

Wiggle Worms: “Weighing the Difference.”

Weekly program designed specifically for pre-K children. Museum of Discovery, 10 a.m., $10, free for members. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800-880-6475. www.amod.org.

LECTURES

“Exploring Our World.” Third in the series is “East and West; Women in the World: Pornography, Abuse and Sexualization of Young Girls.” University of Central Arkansas, 7 p.m., free. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. www. uca.edu.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, MAY 1

Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. DickeyStephens Park, May 1, 7:10 p.m.; May 2, 11 a.m.; May 3, 7:10 p.m.; May 4, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12.

400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www. travs.com.

MUSIC

BENEFITS

Brian Martin. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Eoto, Kraddy. 18-and-older show. Revolution, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Gil Franklin & Friends. Holiday Inn, North Little Rock, first Tuesday, Wednesday of every month.

120 W. Pershing Blvd., NLR. Hank III, Hellbilly, Attention Deficit Domination, 3 Bar Ranch. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $21 adv., $25 d.o.s. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com.

Jeff Long. 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.

Karaoke Night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m.

314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub. com.

Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 120 Ottenheimer. 501-244-9550.

Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-3151717.

Lucious Spiller Band. Copeland’s, 6-9 p.m. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. 501-312-1616. www.copelandsofneworleans.com.

Ricky David Tripp. Ferneau, 5:30 p.m. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-603-9208. www.ferneaurestaurant.com.

The Sideshow Tragedy. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

“Preservation Crustaceans.” Crawfish and shrimp boil to benefit The Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas. River Market Pavilions, 6:30 p.m., $30 adv., $35 day of. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-4757. www.preservearkansas.org.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER

Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre: “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. Arkansas Arts Center, through May 13: Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 3 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., $11-$14. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

“The Fall of the House.” TheatreSquared Artistic Director Robert Ford’s mystery. Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios, through May 6: Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m., $10-$20. 505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville.

479-443-5600. theatre2.org.

“The Fantasticks.” Billed as “The World’s Longest Running Musical,” including such tunes as “Try to Remember and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.” Arkansas State University at Beebe, Sat., April 28, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., April 29, 2:30 p.m.; Mon., April 30, 7:30 p.m.; Tue., May 1, 7:30 p.m., $5-$10. 1000 W. Iowa St., Beebe.

501-882-8951. www.asub.edu/. Royal Theatre, April 26-28, 7 p.m.; Sun., April 29, 2 p.m.; May 3-5, 7 p.m.; Sun., May 6, 2 p.m., $5-$12. 111 S. Market St., Benton. 501-315-5483.

“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

The C.S. Lewis classic about four siblings who travel to the mythical land of Narnia. Arkansas Arts Center, through May 13: first Saturday of every month, 3 p.m.; Fri., 7 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., 501-372-4000. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www. arkarts.com.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 56

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"memorable! Funny! Fresh! rich with feeling. stands out in mul tiple ways." david deWi t t, ThE nEW york TimEs

"i lovEd iT! genuinely heartwarming and hilarious."

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MOVIE LISTINGS

APRIL 27-28

Eric kohn, indiEWirE

®

from Academy Award nominee Taika Waititi (EAglE vs. shArk, FlighT oF ThE ConChords)

Market Street Cinema times at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only. Rave showtimes are valid for Friday only. Breckenridge and Lakewood 8 showings were not available as of press deadline. Find up-to-date listings at arktimes.com.

"A cross between 'ThE 400 BloWs' and LITTLE_ROCK_BOY_0425 'slumdog millionAirE.' Crowd-pleasing!"

James greenberg, ThE hollyWood rEporTEr

NEW MOVIES Boy (NR) – A young Maori boy in New Zealand is reunited with his long-lost father. Market LITTLE ROCK Street: 2:00, 4:00, 7:15, 9:00.

Market Street Cinema The Deep Blue Sea (R) – Rachel Weisz is a (501) 312-8900 , woman trapped in a loveless marriage who finds passion with another man. Market Street: 2:15, 4:25, 6:45, 9:00.

The Five Year Engagement (R) – Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are a couple fumbling toward matrimony in this Apatovian rom-com. Chenal GET SMART AND GET ONLINE: ARKANSAS TIMES 9: 11:00 a.m., 1:50, 4:40, 7:30, 10:20. Rave: 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:45, 2:45, 4:45, 5:45, 7:45, WED: 04/25 8:45, 10:45, 11:45. Riverdale: 11:05 a.m., 1:45, 1/16 PAGE (2.125") X 2.8125" VV 4:25, 7:10, 9:55.

ALL.BOY.0425.ATemail Pirates! Band of Misfits (PG) – Hugh Grant’s voice stars as an animated pirate captain, also WE CAN HELP YOU USE IT starring Brendan Gleeson as “The Pirate with Gout.” Chenal 9: 11:30 a.m., 2:00, 7:00 (2D), 4:30, 9:30 (3D). Rave: 10:35 a.m., 1:35, 4:05, 6:45, 9:10 (2D), 11:35 a.m., 2:35, 5:05, 7:30 (3D).

Riverdale:11:05 a.m., 1:05, 3:05, 5:05, 7:05, 9:05.

Raven (R) – “John Cusack is … Sherlock Poe.” Rave: 11:25 a.m., 2:25, 5:25, 8:25, 11:25.

Riverdale: 11:30 a.m., 1:50, 4:10, 6:30, 9:05.

Businesses in Arkansas, large and Safe (R) – Another 90 minutes or so of Jason small, use social media to connect Stratham kicking ass and stuff. Something about a safe in this one? Yeah, that sounds with customers and sell their products right. Chenal 9:11:10 a.m., 2:10, 4:30, 7:10, and services.

10:10. Rave: 11:15 a.m., 2:15, 5:15, 8:15, 11:15, midnight. Riverdale: 11:35 a.m., 1:40, 3:55, Running a successful social media 6:05, 8:10, 10:15.

W.E. (R) – A film by Madonna about a royal campaign takes time and a unique scandal. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:15. combination of marketing, communiRETURNING THIS WEEK cation and customer service skills.

21 Jump Street (R) – Buddy cop comedy starring Jonah Hill and former male stripper Channing That’s where we come in. Arkansas Tatum. Rave: noon, 3:10, 5:50, 8:40, 11:30 Times Social Media is staffed by Act of Valor (R) – This action thriller stars reallife U.S. Navy SEALs. Movies 10: noon, 2:30, experienced professionals who know 5:15, 7:45, 10:15. how to get maximum benefit from Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) – That rascally Alvin is at it again, driving Dave these new mediums. Our services are crazy and making him scream “ALVIN!” Only priced affordably for Arkansas small this time it’s on a cruise ship. Also, Alvin raps.

Movies 10: 3:05. businesses.

American Reunion (R) – The old crew from “American Pie” is back together to stare into the gaping chasm of suicidal depression and imminent middle-aged irrelevance. Rave: 10:10 p.m.

Bully (PG-13) – This is probably a good documentary about bullying and all, but you’d be To find out more, call Kelly wise to go see it just in case you bump into Harvey Weinstein and he starts asking you Ferguson, director of Arkansas about it. Rave: 7:05 p.m.

Times Social Media at The Cabin in the Woods (R) – Bad things happen to attractive young people when they go 501-375-2985 or email her at to a cabin in the woods, from producer Joss kellyferguson@arktimes.com Whedon. Rave: 10:55 a.m., 1:55, 4:55, 7:55, 10:55, midnight. Riverdale: 8:00, 10:10.

Chimpanzee (G) – Beautifully shot documentary footage of majestic primates, but it’s narrated

by Tim Allen. Chenal 9:11:15 a.m., 1:40, 4:00, 7:05, 9:30. Rave: 11:40 a.m., 2:10, 4:40, 7:00, 9:25.

Chronicle (PG-13) – A trio of teen-agers gain mysterious superpowers from a meteorite, but will they use their newfound abilities wisely?

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‘FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT’: Jason Segel and Emily Blunt play the archetypal Apatovian couple – he’s an irresponsible loser who somehow managed to snag an attractive, upwardly mobile woman.

Movies 10: 12:50, 5:35, 7:55, 10:00.

Contraband (R) – Marky Mark has to return to his life of drug-running to save his boneheaded brother-in-law from gangsters. Movies 10: 12:10, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:10.

Coriolanus (R) – Ralph Fiennes stars in and directs this Roman Empire-era piece about politics, war and revenge. Market Street: 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (PG-13) – Starring Nicolas Cage in a reprisal of his role as Marvel’s Ghost Rider. Also starring Idris “Stringer Bell” Elba. Movies 10: 12:05, 2:30, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15.

The Hunger Games (PG-13) – Teen-lit version of “The Running Man,” starring Jennifer Lawrence. Chenal 9: 11:00 a.m., 3:30, 6:50, 10:00 (IMAX), 11:30 a.m., 4:00, 7:20, 10:30. Rave: 10:35 a.m., 1:50, 5:10, 8:30, 11:50. Riverdale: 11:00 a.m., 2:05, 5:35, 9:00.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (PG) – Documentary about a tiny yet prestigious sushi restaurant and the family who runs it. Market Street: 4:00, 9:00.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (PG) – When you were watching “Land of the Lost,” did you find yourself wishing they’d cast The Rock instead of Will Farrell? Well, here you go.

Movies 10: 1:35, 3:55, 6:15, 8:35 (2D), 12:25, 2:45, 5:05, 7:25, 9:45 (3D).

The Lucky One (PG-13) – Zac Efron as an Iraq war vet who becomes infatuated with a stranger.

Chenal 9: 11:25 a.m., 2:05, 4:35, 7:20, 10:20.

Rave: 10:45 a.m., 12:15, 1:25, 4:25, 5:40, 7:25, 10:25, 11:35. Riverdale: 11:20 a.m., 1:40, 4:00, 6:25, 8:50.

Mirror Mirror (PG) – Retelling of “Snow White” with Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen. Rave: 10:40 a.m., 1:10.

October Baby (PG-13) – Soft-focus, feel-good anti-abortion propaganda. Riverdale: 11:25 a.m., 2:00, 4:35, 7:05, 9:35.

Project X (R) – Millennial brats throw a rager that gets out of hand, from producer Todd Phillips of “The Hangover” and “Hated: G.G. Allin and The Murder Junkies” renown. Movies 10: 7:35, 9:55.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (PG-13) – Ewan McGregor plays a fisheries expert who must help the sheikh bring fly-fishing to the Yemen River. Riverdale: 11:15 a.m., 1:55, 4:30.

The Secret World of Arrietty (G) – Animated tale about a family of tiny fairies who must

survive the challenges and dangers of the suburban garden in which they dwell. Movies 10: 12:40, 3:00, 5:20.

Think Like a Man (PG-13) – Based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book. Chenal 9: 11:05 a.m., 1:55, 4:45, 7:35, 10:25. Rave: 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30, 1:20, 2:00, 3:30, 4:15, 5:00, 6:30, 7:15, 8:00, 9:30, 10:15, 11:00, midnight.

Riverdale: 11:00 a.m., 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00.

A Thousand Words (PG-13) – Eddie Murphy becomes magically connected to a tree that loses one leaf for every word he says, and they’ll both die if all the leaves fall off, so he has to not talk. Movies 10: 12:30, 2:50, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50.

The Three Stooges (PG) – Yup, starring three guys you’ve never heard of. Chenal 9: 11:20 a.m., 1:45, 4:25, 7:25, 9:55. Rave: 11:10 a.m., 1:40, 4:30, 7:10, 9:40. Riverdale: 11:10 a.m., 1:20, 3:30, 5:45, 7:55, 10:05.

Titanic 3D (PG-13) – Cameron’s really rubbing our noses in it this time, huh? Just wait ’til they come out with 4D. You’ll be able to smell Leo’s greasy locks. Rave: 10:30 a.m., 2:30, 6:40, 10:50.

Undefeated (PG-13) – Documentary about the dramatic turnaround of the Manassas Tigers high school football team of Memphis. Market Street: 1:45, 7:00.

The Vow (PG-13) – Something sad and beautiful and sadly beautiful happens to the sad, beautiful Rachel McAdams and the former male stripper Channing Tatum. Movies 10: 12:20, 2:55, 5:25, 7:50, 10:20.

Woman in Black (R) – Man, now they’ve got that Harry Potter dude starring in horror movies about creepy old castles haunted by old-lady ghosts. Movies 10: 12:15, 2:35, 4:50, 7:05, 9:30.

Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre: 17825 Chenal Parkway, 821-2616, www.dtmovies.com.

Cinemark Movies 10: 4188 E. McCain Blvd., 945-7400, www.cinemark.com.

Cinematown Riverdale 10: Riverdale Shopping Center, 296-9955, www.riverdale10.com.

Lakewood 8: 2939 Lakewood Village Drive, 7585354, www.fandango.com.

Market Street Cinema: 1521 Merrill Drive, 312-8900, www.marketstreetcinema.net.

Rave Colonel Glenn 18: 18 Colonel Glenn Plaza, 687-0499, www.ravemotionpictures.com.

Regal Breckenridge Village 12: 1-430 and Rodney Parham, 224-0990, www.fandango.com.

MOVIE REVIEW

Join us in supporting National Safe Digging Month in April.

Call 811 before every dig.

‘CHIMPANZEE’: Tim Allen narrates the nature doc.

Monkey movie The stunning visuals in ‘Chimpanzee’ would work without goofy voiceover.

THE ARKANSAS SCHOLARSHIP LOTTERY HAS HELPED FUND

64,708 SCHOLARSHIPS

BY SAM EIFLING

“C

himpanzee,” the new documentary about a troop of chimps deep in the jungles of the Ivory Coast, represents an occasionally uneasy marriage between two of the great cultural forces in their respective fields. Shooting and directing “Chimpanzee” are a couple of old pros who in the past decade helped to re-invent the nature documentary: Alastair Fothergill (“African Cats,” “Earth,” the “Planet Earth” series) and Mark Linfield (“Earth,” production and writing on the mini-series “Frozen Planet”).

Distributing “Chimpanzee” is Disneynature, the new branch of Disney that can afford to sink tens of millions of dollars into the likes of “Earth” and “Oceans” but which also brings a different sensibility than, say, the BBC. Which is how Tim Allen — recognizable even in voiceover because of the “Toy Story” movies — winds up narrating the lives of a couple rival bands of chimpanzees, often with the sort of projected first-person lines usually reserved for syrupy motivational posters or a “Look Who’s Talking” sequel.

It may make 6-year-olds giggle, but you won’t help but feel your ape movie has been dumbed down.

The script obscures the strong points of the film, namely, incredible access (produced in part by the Jane Goodall Institute, “Chimpanzee” had some 700 shooting days in the field), beautiful cinematography and a genuinely astonishing story in the wild. A chimp tot we know as Oscar (hint, hint, Academy) grows up in the best and worst of chimpanzee times. His troop, headed by an alpha male called Freddy, has the run of a fantastic nut grove where they can feed. There’s a nice fig tree on a ridge, as well, but it’s being eyed by a rival band of chimps that keeps pushing further into the territory controlled by our hero chimps.

Just so we keep these groups straight, the leader of the interlopers is named Scar — yes, just like the “Lion King” villain. That’s Disney’s fault. Not Disney’s fault is an event that puts Oscar in the unhappy company of such animated animal characters as Nemo, Simba and Bambi. It’s a rough jungle out there, and when Oscar needs help, he doesn’t always get it.

What emerges is a surprisingly good story with a gratifying narrative arc, and Allen-voiced wisecracks aside, “Chimpanzee” is marvelously instructive on what it’s like to be an ape in the woods.

You crack nuts. You hike miles through the forest to get to fruit trees. You nap at midday. At night, you fold branches into a bough to sleep in, high above the leopards on the forest floor. If you spot a group of small monkeys in the treetops, you gather your friends to set a trap for them and then lunch on raw monkey meat. You groom.

You poke sticks into ant colonies to slurp them off. You reach into hollow trees to yank out honeycomb by the handful. You twirl on branches. You wash and munch fruits in rivers. You mug for the camera.

The usual.

Some of the most memorable moments of “Chimpanzee” are the interludes between scenes, when that “Planet Earth” slo-mo and time-lapse-camera geekery is allowed to bloom. Slime mold slurks along logs at super-speed; raindrops pummel puffball mushrooms, ejecting poofs of spores with every blow; ants march in a high-speed blur.

The visuals are smashing, and they carry enough of Oscar’s story that you wonder how much the voice-over truly adds. A director’s cut wouldn’t be hard to imagine: the same edit, but with just onethird of the script. The jungle tells its own story, and “Chimpanzee” triumphs when it shuts up and lets us listen.

I want to teach high school or middle school and help young people get involved with a positive outlet like music.

I am able to live in the dorms because of the [Arkansas] Academic Challenge Scholarship.”

Mandi Carreiro Little Rock

Find us on: Facebook.com/ArkansasScholarshipLottery

This is just one of the many great stories about the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship. There have been 8,846 scholarships awarded in Pulaski County alone, making a difference forever in Arkansas education. To apply for a scholarship, visit adhe.edu. Deadline is June 1.

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APRIL 25, 2012

55

AFTER DARK, CONT. “Moonlight and Magnolias.” The screenplay for famed producer David O. Selznick’s latest film, “Gone with the Wind,” isn’t working, so he pulls in writer Ben Hecht and director Victor Fleming for a five-day rewrite marathon. This production includes the use of peanuts onstage during the performance. The Public Theatre, Thu., April 26, 7:30 p.m.; April 27-28, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., April 29, 2 p.m.; May 4-5, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., May 6, 2 p.m.; May 11-12, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., May 13, 2 p.m., $12-$14. 616 Center St. 501-410-2283. www.ctlr-act.org/.

“Murder at the Howard Johnson’s.” Starring director Glen Gilbert in a comedic tale of a love triangle gone wrong. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through May 20: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., $15-$33. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

“Nobody’s Business” auditions. Auditions consist of readings from the script. Accompanist will be provided. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Sun., April 29, 4 p.m.; Mon., April 30, 7 p.m. 1112 Alcoa Road, Benton. 501-773-7830.

“The Piano Lesson.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson concerns a family in Depression-era Pittsburgh who must decide what to do with a family heirloom. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Thu., April 26, 7 p.m.; April 27-28, 2 and 7 p.m., free. 501 W. 9th St. 501376-4602. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com/.

“Secrets of a Soccer Mom.” A humorous look at the gossip, secrets and goings-on in the world of soccer moms. Cast includes Libbi Whitehurst, Cindy DeRosa, and Ashley Carnahan, under the direction of Liz Parker with stage management

by Christa Ward. Lantern Theatre, through April 28, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., April 29, 2:30 p.m., $12. 1021 Van Ronkle, Conway. 501-733-6220. www.conwayarts.org/index.html.

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APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

“Stuart Little.” Stage adaptation of the E.B. White story. Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Fri., April 27, 7 p.m.; Sat., April 28, 2 and 7 p.m.; Sun., April 29, 2 p.m., $5.

701 Main St., Pine Bluff. 870-536-3375. www. artssciencecenter.org.

“The Tempest.” Presented by Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, this version is an hourlong production tailored for families and those less familiar with Shakespeare. River Market Pavilions, Sun., April 29, 2 p.m., $3-$5. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.

GALLERIES, MUSEUMS

NEW EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER: Friends of Contemporary Craft “Conversation” with sculptor and furniture-maker Mia Hall, 6 p.m.

April 29; “11th National Drawing Invitational: New York, Singular Drawings,” through Sept. 9, curated by Charlotta Kotik; “Young Artists 51st Annual Exhibition,” through May 27; “Still Lifes of Daniel Massad,” through June 10; “The New Materiality: Digital Dialogues at the Boundaries of Contemporary Craft,” through Aug. 5; 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 GOVERNOR’S MANSION: Birch Tree Community’s annual “EXPRESSIONS” exhibit, paintings by clients of the non-profit that serves people with mental illness, 6-8 p.m.

April 26. $25 at door, food and refreshments. www.birchtree.org.

M2GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road: “MasterPieces for Autism,” silent auction of puzzle piece work by local and national artists and work created by children with autism, 7-10 p.m. April 27, with music by Darill “Harp”

Edwards. All proceeds benefit the Arkansas Walk Now for Autism Speaks and A-Camp. $40 per person, $75 for couples, purchase at www.a-camp4kids.org or 951-0115.

MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Itsy, Bitsy, Teeny, Weeny,” Science After Dark event on the very small, 6-8 p.m. April 25, $10 (members free), ages 21 and older; “Astronomy: It’s a Blast,” interactive exhibits on black holes, celestial navigation, the space shuttle and more, through Sept. 17; “Wiggle Worms,” science program for pre-K children 10 a.m.-10:30 a.m. every Tue., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., $10 ages 12 and older, $8 ages 1-11, free under 1. 396-7050.

STEPHANO’S FINE ART, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Mad Hatter Tea Party and Art Show,” works inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” with Elizabeth Dismang and Mitch Breitweiser, Stephano, Lynda Marnon, Paula Wallace, George Peebles, Robbie Wellborn, Teresa Smith, Joan Courtney, Gwendolynn Combs, Kathleen Kennally, Scott Davis, Elijah Talley, Robert Bean, John Kushmaul, V.L. Cox, Mike Gaines, Ron Logan, Jim Jolly, L.C. Kitchen and Angela Turney, receptions 6-10 p.m. April 27-28, show through May 15. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 563-4218.

THEA ARTS FESTIVAL, Main Street Argenta, NLR: Juried show by 28 artists, music by the Arkansas Symphony Quartet, the Pickoids and others, dance, tile-painting and chalk-making, between Broadway and Sixth on Main Street. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 28. 379-9512.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “UALR Student Competitive,” Rebecca Sittler Schrock, juror, through mid-May, Gallery I; student exhibition by Cyrene Quiamco (paintings/ ceramics); Heather Harmon (ceramics) and Carrie Crooker (metals), through May 6, Gallery

II; Lilia Hernandez, Allison Short, Justin Bryant and Mingste Cheng, April 28-May 7, Gallery III. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-8977.

BENTONVILLE SUGAR GALLERY, 114 w. Central Ave.: “Pixel; Ghost,” Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition of video and sound works by John C. Kelley, April 26-May 7, reception 5 p.m. May 4. 2-6 p.m. Thu., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 1-5 p.m.

Sun. 479-273-5305.

CONWAY UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS: “Foundations Course Competitive,” April 26-May 3, Baum Gallery, reception 4-6 p.m.

April 26. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., extended to 7 p.m. Thu. 501-450-5792.

FAYETTEVILLE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, Fine Arts Center: MFA thesis exhibition by Glenna Worrell, ceramicist, April 30-May 4. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Mon.-Fri., 2-5 Sun. 479-575-7987.

JONESBORO ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY: “Spring 2012 Senior Exhibition,” work by Steve Adair, Laura Flowers, Shelly Gibson, Adam S. Hogan, Bryanna Jaramillo and Dylan McAlister, Bradbury Gallery, opens with reception 5 p.m.

April 26, show through May 12. Noon-5 p.m.

Tue.-Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 870-972-3471.

ROGERS ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. Second St.: “Portraits in Gray: A Civil War Photography Exhibition Featuring the Collection of David Wynn Vaughan,” spon-

AFTER DARK, CONT. sored by the Southern Museum of Kennesaw, Ga., April 30-July 21. 479-621-1154.

RUSSELLVILLE PARTY IN THE PARK COMMUNITY FESTIVAL: Art displays and demonstrations, craft, dancing, genealogy booth, music at City Park, Arts Center, Hughes Community Center, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 28.

CONTINUING EXHIBITS

THE ART LOFT, 1525 Merrill Drive: Work by Dan Thornhill, Catherine Rodgers, Patrick Cunningham, Rosemary Parker, Kelly Furr, Melody Lile and others, with music by Rico Novales. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat. 251-1131.

BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute: “Rockefeller Elementary Celebrates Governor Rockefeller,” children’s drawings and photographs,” Mezzanine Gallery, through May 26; “Making a Place: The Jewish Experience in Arkansas,” show through June 23, Concordia Hall; “Connecting Threads,” Studio Art Quilts Associates show, through April 28, main gallery; National Museum of Women in the Arts’ “Women to Watch,” atrium gallery, through April 28. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790.

CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “Structures,” recent paintings by Daniel Coston, through April 28. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.Sat. 224-1335.

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.: Catherine Rodgers, featured artist, with Jennifer Coleman, Larry Hare, Cynthia Ragan and others. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 801-0211.

GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “BlueEyed Knocker Photo Club Presents,” 170 photographs by 19 photographers working in film and digital media, through May 12. 664-8996.

HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Off the Wall,” oil on canvas/paper and bas relief on masonite by Kennith Humphrey, through June 8. 372-6822.

HEIGHTS GALLERY, 5801 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by contemporary Arkansas artists, gifts.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-2772.

KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St., NLR: “All Things Wild,” paintings by Karen Garner, through May 10. 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sat. 529-6330.

LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St.: “Inside Peanuts: The Life and Art of Charles M. Shulz,” through May 13. 758-1720.

L&L BECK GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Ducks in Arkansas,” paintings by Louis Beck.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 660-4006.

M2GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell: “Five-Year Anniversary Show,” etchings by Evan Lindquist, new works by Jeaneen Barnhart, Cathy Burns and Dan Holland. 225-6257.

OW PIZZA, 1706 W. Markham St.: Grav Weldon, photographs. 374-5504.

REFLECTIONS GALLERY AND FINE FRAMING, 11220 Rodney Parham Road: Work by local and national artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. 227-5659.

SHOWROOM, 2313 Cantrell Road: Work by area artists, including Sandy Hubler. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 372-7373.

STATE CAPITOL: “Arkansans in the Korean War,” 32 photographs, lower-level foyer. 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. STUDIOMAIN, 1423 S. Main St.: “Almost Arkopolis: The History of Our Downtown,” timeline highlighting the history of downtown with photographs, postcards, drawings, and newspaper articles. info@studio-main.org.

THEA FOUNDATION, 401 Main St., NLR: “Metal Art,” work by Carolyn Hendrix and Amanda Wyman, through May 4, 4th annual “Caleb Everly Memorial Show,” artwork by students from NLR elementary schools, through May 2. 379-9512.

BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, 600 Museum Way: American masterworks spanning four centuries. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu., Sat.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri. Tickets free but timed; reserve at 479-418-5700.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE, One College Drive: “I thought I would find you here,” collaboration by Megan Chapman and Stewart Bremner, through April.

479-636-9222.

FAYETTEVILLE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, Mullins Library: “Women of a New Tribe,” photographs of African American women by Jerry Taliaferro, through April. 479-575-7311.

HOT SPRINGS ALISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: Paintings by Alison Parsons. 501-625-3001.

AMERICAN ART GALLERY, 724 Central Ave.: Paintings by Jimmy Leach, Jamie Carter, Ersele Hiemstra, Margaret Kipp, Kim Thornton, Sue Coon, Virgil Barksdale and others. 501-624-055.

BLUE MOON, 718 Central Ave.: “Lasting Impressions,” watercolors by Kay Morgan Aclin, through April. 501-318-2787.

FINE ARTS CENTER, 626 Central Ave.: “Sacred Texts,” photographs by Frank Rivas, ceramics and works on paper by Husny Dahlan, through April 28. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-624-0489.

GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Marian Kline, equine-themed paintings. 501-318-4278.

JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 Central A: New paintings by Dolores Justus and Vivian Noe-Griffith, fiber art by Jennifer Libby Fay. 501-321-2335.

TAYLOR’S CONTEMPORANEA, 204 Exchange St.: H.M. Saffer, nature-themed paintings on paper and canvas, through May.

12 Award Winning Fresh, Healthy Flavors And 50+ Toppings Corner Of Cantrell Blvd. And Chenonceau (Next To NYPD Pizza) 501.868.8194

PINE BLUFF ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER: “Jazz with Class: Pine Bluff High School Annual Art Exhibition.” 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m.

Sat. 870-536-3375.

SCOTT PLANTATION AGRICULTURE MUSEUM, U.S. 165 S and Hwy. 161: Artifacts and interactive exhibits on farming in the Arkansas Delta. $3 adults, $2 ages 6-12. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 501-961-1409.

SCOTT PLANTATION SETTLEMENT: 1840s log cabin, one-room school house, tenant houses, smokehouse and artifacts on plantation life. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thu.-Sat. 351-0300. www.scottconnections.org.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Registration for the 4th annual “Plein Aire on the White River,” set for May 4 and 5 during the Cotter Trout Festival, has begun.

Adults and high school students may register; awards will be given to winners. Entry is $45; paintings must be started and completed outdoors the event and within 30 miles of the Cotter Spring House. For more information write the White River Artists at P.O. Box 369, Cotter 72626 or e-mail whiteriverartists@gmail.com.

More gallery and museum listings at www.arktimes.com.

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

57

Dining THREE ARKANSANS WITH ROOTS in Mongolia owning a Japanese fusion restaurant — that’s the American dream American-style. Altan Congor, Enkhchaimeg Davaaeorj and Nima Baatar opened Sky Modern Japanese restaurant a week ago in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center, in the space formerly occupied by Capi’s. The cuisine is modern in the sense that chefs Ray Antipolo and Christopher Robbins skip the sukiyaki and use Indian spices and French sauces in dishes such as Garlic Shrimp Sriracha, “really good” seared duck breast on wild rice cakes and Japanese eggplant in a honey-sesame miso, Congor said. A hibachi bar in one corner seats 10 and serves up such specialties as hibachi lamb chops, which Congor claims is a delicious dish done nowhere else; there is also a sushi and sashimi bar. Dinner is served daily from 5 p.m. to close; lunch is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 3 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday. The full bar offers a wide-ranging wine list, Congor said, and special cocktails.

Congor said prices are moderate, with, for example, a sushi platter for two costing $30. Phone number is 244-4300.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

65TH STREET DINER Blue collar, meatand-two-veg lunch spot with cheap desserts and a breakfast buffet. But hurry — breakfast closes down at 9:30 a.m. on the dot, and the restaurant doesn’t reopen until 11 a.m. for lunch.

3201 West 65th St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-562-7800. BL Mon.-Fri. ACADIA A jewel of a restaurant in Hillcrest. Unbelievable fixed-price, three-course dinners on Mondays and Tuesday, but food is certainly worth full price. 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-603-9630. D Mon.-Sat. BIG ORANGE: BURGERS SALADS SHAKES Gourmet burgers manufactured according to exacting specs and properly fried Kennebec potatoes are the big draws, but you can get a veggie burger as well as fried chicken, curried falafel and blacked tilapia sandwiches, plus creative meal-sized salads. 17809 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-821-1515. LD daily.

BLACK ANGUS Charcoal-grilled burgers, hamburger steaks and steaks proper are the big draws at this local institution. 10907 N. Rodney Parham.

No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-228-7800.

BLD Mon.-Sat. CONTINUED ON PAGE 59 58

APRIL 25, 2012

ARKANSAS TIMES

CHEREE FRANCO

WHAT’S COOKIN’

PILED HIGH: Dempsey Bakery’s club sandwich.

No allergens, no problem Dempsey Bakery serves up tasty specialty fare.

F

or a growing minority of Central Arkansans, the arrival of Dempsey Bakery — a modish joint on the edge of downtown that serves gluten-free sandwiches and treats — was the most exciting food news of 2011. In the past decade, the gluten-free craze has been touted by celebrities such as Zooey Deschanel, Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey and Billy Bob Thornton, while gluten-free retail sales have soared from $935 million in 2006 to about $2.64 billion in 2010, according to a report by market researcher Packaged Facts. Major manufacturers such as Anheuser-Busch, Betty Crocker and General Mills have all introduced glutenfree products.

Central Arkansas is increasingly in on the trend. A handful of local restaurants are offering gluten-free menu items, and there are a couple of gluten-free support groups in the area. But to date, Dempsey is the first entirely gluten-free restaurant.

The ever popular sans-gluten diet ameliorates celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Untreated, this disease fosters a host of problems — among them malnutrition, irritability and skin disorders. A Mayo Clinic study published in 2009 indicated a 50 percent rise in celiac disease since the 1950s, and as awareness

Dempsey Bakery

323 S. Cross Street 375-2257

QUICK BITE Recently, Dempsey debuted its website at dempseybakery.com. You can meet the members of the Dempsey family (and read about their dietary restrictions), as well as getting a comprehensive overview of what items are offered fresh and frozen.

HOURS 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

OTHER INFO Credit cards accepted, no alcohol

grows, diagnoses, both professional and armchair, have kept pace. But gluten is an important binding agent in many common foods, and trying to avoid gluten is, well, trying.

Paula Dempsey, formerly of Dempsey Film Group, has a family full of dietary restrictions. Her frustration in purchasing gluten-free basics — sandwich bread, birthday cakes, cookies — led her to develop her own recipes. So last June, she opened Dempsey Bakery in a sunny, former garage at Cross and Third streets.

The decor — checked tiles and a red and

white theme — nods to sock-hop nostalgia. It’s spacious and geometrically clean, and there’s always someone behind the counter willing to discuss the virtues of going gluten-free.

But it’s not just that problematic gluten.

Dempsey scorns a whole grocery list of common allergens. You’ll find no wheat, nuts or tapioca, and many items are dairyfree, vegetarian or vegan. Dempsey does breakfast, lunch and special orders, with soup and sandwich offerings that rotate daily. There’s always frozen items, such as pizza dough, ready to take home. Ingredient lists are available for everything, and Dempsey is generous with samples. (From random tastes plucked over multiple visits, we can tell you that the tangy-sweet Lemon Blueberry Teacake, the Milk Cake and the Monkey Bread are moist and delicious.)

As far as we can tell, most sandwiches start with the tabula rasa of Everyman’s Bread. Everyman’s is an airy but solid, nutty-flavored bread, with a thin, crispy crust, thus named because it eschews allergy triggers: soy, dairy, egg, corn, rice, tree nuts or refined sugar. Instead it’s made of sorghum flour, flax meal, potato starch, yeast, sea salt, vinegar, molasses and arrowroot. (Arrowroot, an herbal thickening agent, features prominently in many of Dempsey’s baked goods.) Everyman’s Bread is a bit stronger, in both texture and flavor, than Grandma’s lightly sweet, chewy, warm-from-the-oven affair, but for those with allergies, we’re sure it’s celebrated.

Beyond the painstakingly constructed bread (which, in our opinion, gets the job done just fine), Dempsey’s Club is a fairly standard sandwich. Everyman’s is laced with garlic mayo and piled high with deli-thin turkey, ham and about four of the most perfectly crunchy, non-greasy, strips of bacon. Fresh spring greens and thick slabs of juicy tomato round out this muscular lunch. Take off the meat and add fresh roasted red pepper and a thick layer of salty, tangy olive spread and you have the Tapenade sandwich — which we found just as satisfying as the Club (although perhaps a Tapenade with bacon would be the perfect compromise?).

The Muffaletta is another heap of hearty, savory ingredients set against the Everyman’s Bread. There’s that chunky oily olive spread again (with just a hint of citrus), paired with pepperoni, salami and provolone — pretty solid, although we have to admit, we miss the classic Ital-

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.

ian loaf a bit.

The black bean soup is flawless. The base avoids doing that thick glue-texture thing that is so often the fall-out from cooking beans and bean stock. There are also big chunks of tomato and whole cooked celery, the perfect amount of heat and a strong cumin flavor.

Each Wednesday there’s a chickenoptional pot pie, which Dempsey makes and freezes, so they’re available to take home. Even if you go in for lunch, you get a defrosted pot pie, which doesn’t seem to hurt the rice-flour crust a bit.

The crust is thin, flaky, buttery goodness — so light, in fact, that it dispelled that toofamiliar pot pie post-consumption lethargy we Southerners have experienced at one time or another. The pot pie isn’t vegan, but there is a tomato rather than a cream base, which also lightens things a bit. Cooked celery, carrot and potato mush together in this more pasty than saucy base, which has an overwhelming tomato flavor. But that crust? That crust is definitely crave-able.

As for the sweets, the iced sugar cookies are among the best we’ve ever tasted.

At $2.50 a pop, we thought this must be some ridiculous cookie — but actually, it is. The cookie tastes rich and buttery, with a subtle sweetness and a light, meltin-your-mouth texture — which we attribute to rice flour being so much lighter than wheat flour. The icing had a crisp shell and a soft interior, and the whole shebang tasted soooo fresh. And did we mention how adorable? Ours was iced as a rainbow landing in a pot of gold, and if you keep up via Facebook, you’ll notice that the offerings seem to get even cuter and more creative daily.

We found the chocolate cloud cookie — a powdered sugar, round brownie kind of deal — to be a bit gritty. Whatever Dempsey is using to compensate for the gooey gluten in this treat, at least, isn’t entirely cutting it. But we dug the gigantic mint sandwich cookie — two soft molasses-flavored jumbo cookies with knotty little chocolate-chip surprises and a fluffy mint ganache, which is probably quite full of delectable dairy.

All in all, Dempsey significantly broadens Little Rock’s food offerings, and there’s plenty of reason to drop in even if you don’t have dietary limitations. The down side? Well, let’s just say, specialization costs a pretty penny. If you’re truly gluten-sensitive, we suspect the convenience will help balance the price tag.

BELLY UP

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

BOBBY’S CAFE Delicious, humungo burgers and tasty homemade deserts at this Levy diner.

12230 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-851-7888. BL Tue.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri. BOSCOS This River Market brewery does food well, too. Along with tried and true things like sandwiches, burgers, steaks and big salads, they have entrees like black bean and goat cheese tamales, open hearth pizza ovens and muffalettas. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, Beer, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-907-1881. LD daily.

BOUDREAUX’S GRILL & BAR A homey, seatyourself Cajun joint in Maumelle that serves up all sorts of variations of shrimp and catfish. With particularly tasty red beans and rice, jambalaya and bread pudding. 9811 Maumelle Blvd.

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

NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-753-6860. L Sat., D Mon.-Sat. BOULEVARD BREAD CO. Fresh bread, fresh pastries, wide selection of cheeses, meats, side dishes; all superb. Good coffee, too. 1920 N. Grant St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-5951.

BLD Mon.-Sat. 400 President Clinton Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-374-1232. BL Mon.-Sat. 401 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $$.

501-526-6661. BL Mon.-Fri. 1417 Main St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5100. BL Mon.-Fri., BL Sat. BUTCHER SHOP The cook-your-own-steak option has been downplayed, and several menu additions complement the calling card: large, fabulous cuts of prime beef, cooked to

30TH ANNIVERSARY 1982-2012

LITTLE ROCK’S MOST AWARD-WINNING RESTAURANT 1619 REBSAMEN RD. 501.663.9734 • thefadedrose.com

Think small.

The smaller your bank, the more important you are.

You’ll never go back.

Since 1916

614-6161

myhomeloanbank.com Chester @ Markham, Little Rock

perfection. 10825 Hermitage Road. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-312-2748. D daily.

CAJUN’S WHARF The venerable seafood restaurant serves up great gumbo and oysters Bienville, and options such as fine steaks for the non-seafood eater. In the citified bar, you’ll find nightly entertainment, too. 2400 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5351.

D Mon.-Sat. CAMP DAVID Inside the Holiday Inn Presidential Conference Center, Camp David particularly pleases with its breakfast and themed buffets each day of the week.

Wonderful Sunday brunch. 600 Interstate 30.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-975-2267. BLD daily.

CAPERS It’s never been better, with as good a wine list as any in the area, and a menu that covers a lot of ground — seafood, steaks, pasta — and does it all well. 4502 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-868-7600. LD Mon.-Sat. COAST CAFE A variety of salads, smoothies, sandwiches and pizzas, and there’s breakfast and coffee, too. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-371-0164. BL Mon.-Sat. COMMUNITY BAKERY This sunny downtown bakery is the place to linger over a latte, bagels and the New York Times. But a lunchtime dash for sandwiches is OK, too, though it’s often packed. 1200 S. Main St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$.

501-375-7105. BLD daily. 270 S. Shackleford.

No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-1656. BLD Mon.-Sat. BL Sun. COPPER GRILL Comfort food, burgers and more sophisticated fare at this River Marketarea hotspot. 300 E. Third St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3333. LD Mon.-Sat. CRUSH WINE BAR An unpretentious downtown bar/lounge with an appealing and erudite wine list. With tasty tapas, but no menu for full meals. 318 Main St. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-374-9463. D Tue.-Sat. DAVE’S PLACE A popular downtown soupand-sandwich stop at lunch draws a large and diverse crowd for the Friday night dinner, which varies in theme, home cooking being the most popular. Owner Dave Williams does all the cooking and his son, Dave also, plays saxophone and fronts the band that plays most Friday nights. 201 Center St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-3283. L Mon.-Fri., D Fri. DAVID FAMILY KITCHEN Call it soul food or call it down-home country cooking. Just be sure to call us for breakfast or lunch when you go. Neckbones, ribs, sturdy cornbread, salmon croquettes, mustard greens and the like. Desserts are exceptionally good. 2301 Broadway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-3710141. BL Sun.-Fri. DELICIOUS TEMPTATIONS Decadent breakfast and light lunch items that can be ordered in full or half orders to please any appetite or palate, with a great variety of salads and soups as well. Don’t miss the bourbon pecan pie — it’s a winner. 11220 Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-225-6893. BL daily.

DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO Interesting bistro fare, served in massive portions at this River Market favorite. 200 River Market Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3500. LD Tue.-Sat. THE FADED ROSE The Cajun-inspired menu CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

59

CROSSWORD

DINING CAPSULES, CONT.

EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ Across 1 Says impulsively 7 Everything 13 Southwestern spread 14 Precious 15 Harm 16 Horsehide leather 17 Men’s patriotic org.

18 Lower 20 Evening on the Arno 21 Walt Frazier or Patrick Ewing 23 Some museum pieces 25 Over there 26 Danish shoe company 27 Fraternity letters 28 Horseshoeshaped fastener 30 Nickname for 42-Across

33 Bummed 34 The U.K. is in it, but Ire. is not 35 Rainy and cold 36 Exit key 37 Willing 39 Day-___ 42 Singer born March 25, 1942 46 Mural painter Rivera 47 Koh-i-___ diamond 48 Fill 49 Where IVs might be hooked up 50 ___ Penh 52 ___ Bees (big company in personal care products) 53 A ponytail hangs over it 55 “Yowzer!”

57 Biblical judge 58 Holders of frozen assets?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE B A C H

A C L U

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60 Withstood 62 Religious figures 63 Specifically 64 Largest city on the Belgian coast 65 Examined thoroughly, with “through” Down 1 Meat cuts 2 Sancho Panza’s land 3 Yet to be tagged, say 4 Elvis’s label 5 1968 hit for 42Across 6 Irked 7 ___ Haute 8 “I’ve ___ it!”

9 God whose name is 6-Down reversed 10 See 52-Down 11 Putting up big numbers 12 Studio occupant, e.g.

14 Recess rebuttal, perhaps 16 1967 hit for 42Across 19 Family room fixture 22 ___ au vin 24 “Valley of the Dolls” author 27 It has fuzz 29 End of many a concert 31 Pull a cork out of 32 Brother 36 Mental image, for short?

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Puzzle by Peter A. Collins and Joe Krozel

38 Bouquet

39 Gave the evil eye

40 1962 Neil Simon musical

41 Not bilateral

42 Chuck Yeager and others

43 1967 hit for 42Across

44 Irks 45 The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf.

46 Bickle portrayer in “Taxi Driver” 51 Stash 52 With 10-Down, 1967 hit for 42Across

54 Suffix with kitchen 56 Bell ___ 59 Howard of Hollywood 61 Like Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554.

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

THIS MODERN WORLD

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seldom disappoints. Steaks and soaked salads are legendary. 1615 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9734. LD daily.

FERNEAU Great seafood, among other things, is served at the Ice House Revival in Hillcrest. With a late night menu Thu.-Sat. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Full bar, All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-603-9208. D Tue.-Sat. FLYING SAUCER A popular River Market hangout thanks to its almost 200 beers (including 75 on tap) and more than decent bar food. It’s now non-smoking, so families are welcome. 323 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-7468. LD daily.

FOX AND HOUND Sports bar that serves pub food. 2800 Lakewood Village. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-753-8300. LD daily.

FRANKE’S CAFETERIA Plate lunch spot strong on salads and vegetables, and perfect fried chicken on Sundays. Arkansas’ oldest continually operating restaurant. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-225-4487. LD daily. 400 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$.

501-372-1919. L Mon.-Fri. FRONTIER DINER The traditional all-American roadside diner, complete with a nice selection of man-friendly breakfasts and lunch specials. The half pound burger is a two-hander for the average working Joe. 10424 Interstate 30. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-6414. BL Mon.-Sat. FROSTOP A ‘50s-style drive-in has been resurrected, with big and juicy burgers and great irregularly cut fries. Superb service, too. 4131 JFK Blvd.

NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-4535. BLD daily.

GADWALL’S GRILL & PIZZA Once two separate restaurants, a fire forced the grill into the pizza joint. Now, under one roof, there’s mouth-watering burgers and specialty sandwiches, plus zesty pizzas with cracker-thin crust and plenty of toppings. 12 North Hills Shopping Center. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-834-1840. LD daily.

GRAMPA’S CATFISH HOUSE A longtime local favorite for fried fish, hush puppies and good sides. 9219 Stagecoach Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. 501-407-0000. LD. HONEYBAKED HAM CO. The trademark ham is available by the sandwich, as is great smoked turkey and lots of inexpensive side items and desserts. 9112 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. 501-227-5555.

LD Mon.-Sat. THE HOP DRIVE-IN Old line dairy bar with burgers, fries and milkshakes, revived by the owners of Bob and Scottie’s Dairy Barn in Benton. 7706 Cantrell. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-228-5556. LD Mon.-Sat. HUNKA PIE Diner with burgers, other sandwiches, onion rings and a number of different pies, available whole or by the slice, fresh baked daily.

250 East Military Drive, NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-612-4754. LD Mon.-Sat. (closes at 7 p.m.).

IZZY’S It’s bright, clean and casual, with snappy team service of all his standbys — sandwiches and fries, lots of fresh salads, pasta about a dozen ways, hand-rolled tamales and (night only) brick oven pizzas. Wholesome, all-American food prepared with care, if rarely far from the middle of the culinary road. With full vegan and gluten-free menus. 5601 Ranch Drive.

Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-868-4311. LD Mon.-Sat. KIERRE’S KOUNTRY KITCHEN Excellent home-cooking joint for huge helpings of meat loaf and chicken-fried steak, cooked-down vegetables and wonderful homemade pies and cakes. Breakfasts feature omelets, pancakes, French toast and more. 6 Collins Place. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-0903. BLD Tue.-Fri., BL Sat. LOGANBERRY FROZEN YOGURT Self-serve frozen yogurt. 6015 Chenoceau Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. LD daily.

MARKHAM STREET GRILL AND PUB The menu has something for everyone. Try the burgers, which are juicy, big and fine. 11321 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-2010. LD daily.

MCBRIDE’S CAFE AND BAKERY Owners Chet and Vicki McBride have been serving up delicious breakfast and lunch specials based on their family recipes for two decades in this popular eatery at Baptist Health’s Little Rock campus. The desserts and barbecue sandwiches are not to be missed. 9501 Lile Drive. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-340-3833. BL Mon.-Fri. OLD MILL BREAD AND FLOUR CO. CAFE The popular take-out bakery has an eat-in restaurant and friendly operators. It’s self-service, simple and good with sandwiches built with a changing lineup of the bakery’s 40 different breads, along with soups, salads and cookies. 12111 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-228-4677. BL Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. RED DOOR Fresh seafood, steaks, chops and sandwiches from restaurateur Mark Abernathy. Smart wine list. 3701 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-8482. BL Mon.-Fri. D daily.

REDBONE’S Piquant Creole and Cajun food that’s among Little Rock’s best. The shrimp po-boy and duck and andouille gumbo are standouts.

300 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-2211. LD daily.

RENO’S ARGENTA CAFE Sandwiches, gyros and gourmet pizzas by day and music and drinks by night in downtown Argenta. 312 N. Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-376-2900.

RIVERFRONT STEAKHOUSE Steaks are the draw here — nice cuts heavily salted and peppered, cooked quickly and accurately to your specifications, finished with butter and served sizzling hot. 2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-7825. D Mon.-Sat. RUDY’S OYSTER BAR Good boiled shrimp and oysters on the half shell.

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. Quesadillas and chili cheese dip are tasty and ultra-hearty. 2695 Pike Ave. NLR. Full bar, All CC. 501-771-0808. LD Mon.-Sat. SCOOP DOG Frozen custard, concretes, sundaes. 5508 John F Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-753-5407. LD daily.

SO RESTAURANT BAR Call it a French brasserie with a sleek, but not fussy American finish.

The wine selection is broad and choice. Free valet parking. Use it and save yourself a headache. 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1464.

STICKYZ ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CHICKEN SHACK Fingers any way you can imagine, plus sandwiches and burgers, and a fun setting for music and happy hour gatherings. 107 Commerce St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-7707. LD Mon-Sat. THREE FLAMINGOS Self-serve frozen yogurt.

6929 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-835-4411. LD daily.

TOWN PUMP A dependable burger, plus basic beer food. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-9802. L Mon.-Sat. D daily.

TRIO’S Fresh, creative and satisfying lunches; even better at night, when the chefs take flight. Best array of fresh desserts in town. 8201 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2213330. LD Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. VIEUX CARRE A pleasant spot in Hillcrest with specialty salads, steak and seafood. The soup of the day is a good bet. At lunch, the menu includes an all-vegetable sandwich and a half-pound cheeseburger. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1196. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat., BR Sun. WILLY D’S DUELING PIANO BAR Willy D’s serves up a decent dinner of pastas and salads as a lead-in to its nightly sing-along piano show. Go when you’re in a good mood.

322 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$.

501-244-9550. D Tue.-Sat. YOUR MAMA’S GOOD FOOD Offering simple and satisfying cafeteria food, with burgers and more hot off the grill, plate lunches and pies. 220 W. 4th St. No alcohol, All CC. $.

501-372-1811. Serving:BL Mon.-Fri. ZACK’S PLACE Expertly prepared home cooking and huge, smoky burgers. 1400 S. University Ave. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-6646444. LD Mon.-Sat. ZIN URBAN WINE & BEER BAR A snazzy, cosmopolitan yet comfortable, relaxed place to enjoy fine wines and beers while noshing on superb meats, cheeses and amazing goat cheese-stuffed figs. 300 River Market Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-246-4876. D daily.

ASIAN

CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE No longer owned by Chi’s founder Lulu Chi, this Chinese mainstay still offers a broad menu that spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings. 5110 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-604-7777.

CRAZY HIBACHI GRILL The folks that own Chi’s and Sekisui offer their best in a three-inone: tapanaki cooking, sushi bar and sit-down dining with a Mongolian grill. 2907 Lakewood Village. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-8129888. LD daily.

FANTASTIC CHINA The food is delicious, the presentation beautiful, the menu distinctive,

the service perfect, the decor bright. 1900 N. Grant St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-663-8999. LD daily.

GENGHIS GRILL This chain restaurant takes the Mongolian grill idea to its inevitable, Subwaystyle conclusion. 12318 Chenal Parkway. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-223-2695. LD daily.

LILLY’S DIMSUM THEN SOME Innovative dishes inspired by Asian cuisine, utilizing local and fresh ingredients. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-716-2700. LD daily.

MT. FUJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT The dean of Little Rock sushi bars offers a fabulous lunch special and great Monday night deals.

10301 Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-227-6498. LD daily. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-227-6498.

OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT Veteran operator of several local Asian buffets has brought fine-dining Japanese dishes and a well-stocked sushi bar to way-out-west Little Rock, near Chenal off Highway 10. 5501 Ranch Drive, Suite 1. $$-$$$. 501-868-3688. LD. PAPA SUSHI Hibachi grill with large sushi menu and Korean specialties. 17200 Chenal Parkway.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-7272.

SAIGON CUISINE Traditional Vietnamese with Thai and Chinese selections. Be sure to try the authentic pho soups and spring rolls.

6805 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-663-4000. L Tue.-Fri., D Tue.-Sun. SUSHI CAFE Impressive, upscale sushi menu with other delectable house specialties like tuna tataki, fried soft shell crab, Kobe beef and, believe it or not, the Tokyo cowboy burger.

5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-663-9888. L Mon.-Sat. D daily.

BARBECUE

CHATZ CAFE ‘Cue and catfish joint that does heavy catering business. Try the slowsmoked, meaty ribs. 8801 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-562-4949.

LD Mon.-Sat. CORKY’S RIBS & BBQ The pulled pork is extremely tender and juicy, and the sauce is sweet and tangy without a hint of heat. Maybe the best dry ribs in the area. 12005 Westhaven Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-954-7427.

LD daily. 2947 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-3737. LD daily, B Sat.-Sun. WHITE PIG INN Go for the sliced rather than chopped meats at this working-class barbecue cafe. Side orders — from fries to potato salad to beans and slaw — are superb, as are the fried pies. 5231 E. Broadway. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-5551. LD Mon.-Fri., L Sat. WHOLE HOG CAFE The pulled pork shoulder is a classic, the back ribs are worthy of their many blue ribbons, and there’s a six-pack of sauces for all tastes. A real find is the beef brisket, cooked the way Texans like it. 516 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-6645025. LD Mon.-Sat. 12111 W. Markham. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-907-6124. LD daily 150 E. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-513-0600. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. 5107 Warden Road. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$.

501-753-9227.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

CAFE BOSSA NOVA A South American approach to sandwiches, salads and desserts, all quite good, as well as an array of refreshing South American teas and coffees. 701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-614-6682. LD Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. DUGAN’S PUB The atmosphere is great, complete with plenty of bar seating and tables.

There’s also a fireplace to warm you up on a cold day. The fried stuff is good. Try the mozzarella sticks. 403 E. 3rd St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$.

501-244-0542.

GEORGIA’S GYROS Good gyros, Greek salads and fragrant grilled pita bread highlight a large Mediterranean food selection, plus burgers and the like. 2933 Lakewood Village Drive.

NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-5090. LD Mon.-Sat. HIBERNIA IRISH TAVERN This traditional Irish pub has its own traditional Irish cook from, where else, Ireland. Broad beverage menu, Irish and Southern food favorites and a crowd that likes to sing. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road.

Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-246-4340.

LAYLA’S Delicious Mediterranean fare — gyros, falafel, shawarma, kabobs, hummus and babaganush — that has a devoted following. All meat is slaughtered according to Islamic dietary law. 9501 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-7272. LD daily (close 5 p.m. on Sun.). 612 Office Park Drive.

Bryant. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-847-5455.

LD Mon.-Sat. TAJ MAHAL The third Indian restaurant in a one-mile span of West Little Rock, Taj Mahal offers upscale versions of traditional dishes and an extensive menu. Dishes range on the spicy side. 1520 Market Street. Beer, All CC. $$$.

(501) 881-4796. LD daily.

THE TERRACE MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN A broad selection of Mediterranean delights that include a very affordable collection of starters, salads, sandwiches, burgers, chicken and fish at lunch and a more upscale dining experience at dinner. 2200 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-217-9393. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. YA YA’S EURO BISTRO The first eatery to open in the Promenade at Chenal is a date-night affair, translating comfort food into beautiful cuisine. Best bet is lunch, where you can explore the menu through soup, salad or half a sandwich. 17711 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1144. LD daily, BR Sun.

ITALIAN

BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA This upscale Italian chain offers delicious and sometimes inventive dishes. 17815 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-821-2485. LD daily. BR Sun. GRAFFITI’S The casually chic and ever-popular Italian-flavored bistro avoids the rut with daily specials and careful menu tinkering. 7811 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2249079. D Mon.-Sat. PIZZA CAFE Thin, crunchy pizza with just a dab of tomato sauce but plenty of chunks of stuff, topped with gooey cheese. Draft beer is appealing on the open-air deck — frosty and generous. 1517 Rebsamen Park Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-664-6133. LD daily.

PIZZA D’ACTION Some of the best pizza in town, a marriage of thin, crispy crust with a

hefty ingredient load. Also, good appetizers and salads, pasta, sandwiches and killer plate lunches. 2919 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-5403. LD daily.

RISTORANTE CAPEO Authentic cooking from the boot of Italy is the draw at this cozy, brickwalled restaurant on a reviving North Little Rock’s Main Street. Familiar pasta dishes will comfort most diners, but let the chef, who works in an open kitchen, entertain you with some more exotic stuff, too, like crispy veal sweetbreads. They make their own mozzarella fresh daily. 425 Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-3463. D Mon.-Sat. ROCKY’S PUB Rocking sandwiches and a fine selection of homemade Italian entrees, including as fine a lasagna as there is. 6909 JFK Blvd. NLR. Beer, Wine. $$. 501-833-1077.

LD Mon.-Sat. SHOTGUN DAN’S Hearty pizza and sandwiches with a decent salad bar. 4020 E. Broadway, NLR, 945-0606; 4203 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, 835-0606, and 10923 W. Markham St. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-224-9519. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. VINO’S Great rock ‘n’ roll club also is a fantastic pizzeria with huge calzones and always improving home-brewed beers. 923 W. 7th St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-8466. LD daily.

ZAZA Here’s where you get wood-fired pizza with gorgeous blistered crusts and a light topping of choice and tempting ingredients, great gelato in a multitude of flavors, callyour-own ingredient salads and other treats.

5600 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-661-9292. LD daily. 1050 Ellis Ave. Conway.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-336-9292. BLD daily.

LATINO

BLUE COAST BURRITO You will become a lover of fish tacos here, but there are plenty of other fresh coastal Mex choices served up fastfood cafeteria style in cool surroundings. Don’t miss the Baja fruit tea. 14810 Cantrell Road.

Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-3770. LD Mon.-Sat, L Sun. 4613 E. McCain Blvd. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-8033. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. BUMPY’S TEXMEX GRILL & CANTINA West Little Rock Tex-Mex. 400 N. Bowman Road.

Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-379-8327. LD daily.

CANTINA LAREDO This is gourmet Mexican food, a step up from what you’d expect from a real cantina, from the modern minimal decor to the well-prepared entrees. We can vouch for the enchilada Veracruz and the carne asada y huevos, both with tasty sauces and high quality ingredients perfectly cooked. 207 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-280-0407.

LD daily.

JUANITA’S Menu includes a variety of combination entree choices — enchiladas, tacos, flautas, shrimp burritos and such — plus creative salads and other dishes. And of course the “Blue Mesa” cheese dip. 614 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-3721228. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. ROSALINDA RESTAURANT HONDURENO A Honduran cafe that specializes in pollo con frito tajada (fried chicken and fried plaintains).

With breakfast, too. 3700 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-771-5559. LD daily.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 71

Featuring LYNYRD

M A Y

2 5 - 2 7 • D O W N T O W N

L I T T L E

R O C K

SKYNYRD, SNOOP DOGG, STAIND, BOYZ II MEN, JOE WALSH & MUCH MORE! RIVERFESTARKANSAS.COM www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

61

Hey, do this!

Arkansas Travelers Home Games

M A YFUN!

Root Root Root for the Home Team

All home games are played at Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock. vs. Tulsa Drillers May 1 • 7:10 p.m.

May 2 • 11 a.m.

May 3 • 7:10 p.m.

May 4 • 7:10 p.m. vs. Springfield Cardinals May 14 • 7:10 p.m.

May 15 • 11 a.m.

May 16 • 7:10 p.m.

May 17 • 7:10 p.m.

Food, Music, Entertainment and everything else that’s APRIL 28

APRIL 29

Woo at the Zoo explores the wild and wonderful

Don’t miss “Shakespeare in the Park” at the River Market’s east pavilion in Little Rock. The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, featuring UCA’s talented student troupe, will perform The Tempest at 2 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Tickets will be available at the door. There will be no advance ticket sales. For more info, call 501-320-3503.

world of animal mating from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $35 and include food, drinks and live music. Call 501-661-7212 for tickets. To learn more, visit www.littlerockzoo.com.

The first-ever THEA Arts Festival takes place on Main Street in North Little Rock’s Argenta district from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The work of more than 30 artists will be displayed. There will also be kids’ activities, live music, food and drinks. Proceeds benefit the THEA Foundation, which supports arts education in Arkansas.

For more information, visit www.theafoundation.org.

MAY 3-6

the first Thursday of each month in the Little Rock’s Hillcrest neighborhood.

Local shops, restaurants, and venues are open after-hours and offer discounts, promotions, appetizers and drinks.

On Ice’s Mickey and Minnie’s Magical Journey. Journey into the wonderful worlds of The Little

Verizon Arena in North Little Rock presents Disney

Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan and Lilo & Stitch. Show times are 7 p.m. on May 2 and 3; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on May 4; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on May 5 and at 2 p.m. on May 6. Doors open one hour before show time. Tickets range from $15.75-$45.75. Opening night tickets are $12.75. For more information, visit www.verizonarena.com.

MAY 11

Laman Library as part of the Live at Laman series.

The show starts at 7 p.m.

Admission is free. For more info, visit www.lamanlibrary. org or call 501-758-1720.

➧

MAY 12

KSSN 96 and Verizon Arena bring Dierks Bentley to the Riverfest Amphitheater in Little Rock. Special guests include the Eli Young Band and the Cadillac Black.

Tickets are $22 for lawn seating, $25 and $30 for reserved seating, and $40 for the pit. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. For more info, visit www. verizonarena.com.

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april 26, 2011

ARKANSAS TIMES

MAY 1-MAY 27

Next to Normal, the Tony Award-winning musical and 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, opens at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. With a thrilling contemporary rock score, Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other amidst the humor and turmoil of mental illness. Catch a preview performance on Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 with proceeds benefitting the Wolfe Street Foundation. The play’s official opening night is Friday, May 4 at 8 p.m. with a post-show reception in the Rep Lobby. Complimentary champagne and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. For more info, visit www.therep.org.

MAY 4-6

May 6

festival in downtown Conway. Events include live music, food, a carnival, Toadal Kids Zone, petting zoo, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, 5K/10K, the world famous championship toad races and the crowd-favorite Stuck on a Truck contest. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.toadsuck.org.

River Market Pavilion in downtown Little Rock will include traditional Jewish foods such as old fashioned corned beef sandwiches, lox, bagels and cream cheese, kosher hot dogs, rugelach and many more delicacies.

Entertainment throughout the day will include contemporary and traditional Jewish music. A special Jewish Breakfast is at 8:30 a.m. The festival begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Admission is free.

The 31st Annual Toad Suck Daze is a three-day, family-friendly, FREE

2nd Friday Art Night takes place from

North Little Rock’s own

Audrey Dean Kelley performs at

Eureka Springs is celebrating the 25th annual May Festival of the Arts this month. The city will be unveiling the new Art Park, celebrating the Books in Bloom literary festival on the 20th and plenty of other events sure to please the whole family.

vs. Corpus Christi Hooks May 30 • 7:10 p.m.

May 31 • 7:10 p.m.

5-8 p.m. at various venues, galleries and restaurants in downtown Little Rock. “Like” 2nd Friday Art Night on Facebook to keep up with all of the happenings.

The 2012 Jewish Food festival at the

May 11

The brews will be flowing, the tunes will be jamming and the taste buds will be watering during the 15th Annual Food & Foam Fest Beer Festival at Dickey Stephens Ballpark in downtown North Little Rock, Fri, from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Featuring entertainment, a silent auction, food sampling, beverage sampling and many fun filled activities.

With one general admission ticket ($40), you can sample all the food, beer, and wine provided while listening to Little Rock’s greatest music! http://www.foamfest.org

MAY 12-13

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra invites you to spend an evening with “Wicked Divas.” Eden Espinosa and Emily Rozek, stars of the hit musical Wicked, join associate conductor Geoffrey Robson and your ASO for a fantastic concert of showstoppers from Wicked, The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, and Chicago. The performances will take place at Robinson Center Music Hall at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 12 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 13. Tickets are $20-$65 and available online at www.arkansassymphony.org.

MAY 17

Happy Hour in the Heights is held on the third Thursday of the

month. Shops and galleries stay open until 8 p.m. or so and offer snacks and libations as well as sales and specials.

MAY 18

argenta arts district art walkS hits the streets.

MAY 22

Murry’s Dinner Playhouse presents The Dixie Swim Club, a fun comedy about the friendships of five Southern women. Call 501-562-3131 for tickets. Visit www.murrysdinnerplayhouse.com for more information.

➧

➧

MAY 10

Month of May

➧

MAY 3

Shop ‘n Sip is held on

vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals May 18 • 7:10 p.m.

May 19 • 7:10 p.m.

May 20 • 2 p.m.

May 21 • 11 a.m.

MAY 25-27

Riverfest, Arkansas’ premier arts and music

festival, takes place in the River Market area ofdowntown Little Rock. Headliners include Boyz II Men, Third Eye Blind, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mute Math and Snoop Dogg. In addition to music, there are special events, such as a wine-tasting party, a family fun run, kids’ zone and more, plus food vendors, merchants and artists. For a complete schedule of events, visit riverfestarkansas.com.

MAY 29-june 30

Go to littlerockfilmfestival.org

do this Hot Springs is the place to be this summer with a plethora of options in dining, shopping, museums and places to stay, along with a rich history that will keep you entertained all through out the sizzling season. Given below are a few of the favorites that offer up a tempting array of treats and as well as give you insight on what the vibrant spa city is all about and what made it America's first Resort.

s g n i r p HotS in

McClard’s Bar-B-Q

Cafe 1217

Award winning Barbecue from Coast to Coast Winner Best Barbecue in the StateArkansas Times Travel Channel Top 10 Barbecue Restaurants in the Country Discovery Channel- Best of Barbecue Play Boy- Top Barbecue Restaurants in the Country- August 2009 Featured on History Channel Hairy Bikers Travelocity- Top Insider Spot- 2005 Featured in Southern Living Don’t forget www.mcclards. com for your summer shipping to friends and family.

Hours: 11am-8pm Tues-Sat 505 Albert Pike 501-623-9665 www.mcclards.com

te

uran a st e R o n ti a L o v e u Rolando’s N

Rolando’s cuisine is authentic Latin Fusion at its finest. Chef Rolando’s recipes, made fresh daily, include handmade tamales, traditional Cuban black beans and rice with pulled pork, and their most popular dish, the tantalizing Pescado de Mesias (fish of Jesus)— grilled tilapia on a bed of white rice with pureed mango and a buttery caper sauce served with black beans. You’ll come for the food, but you’ll linger for the atmosphere. Adorned with trees strewn with twinkle lights and landscaped to perfection, the outdoor dining area (or “secret garden” as it’s known) is a romantic nook built into the side of a mountain in the National Park.

Adding to the ambiance, there’s live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Rolando’s also caters events and offers a wide variety of dishes, including items not listed on the menu. Lunch and dinner. 210 Central Ave., (501) 318-6054. http://www. rolandosrestaurante.com/

Award-winning Café 1217 prides itself on the fact that anything that comes from their kitchen is created from scratch, using only the freshest, finest ingredients. In this spirit, the café’s menu is changed monthly.

“This keeps me challenged, and it’s a whole new experience each month for our customers” says Diana Bratton, owner and chef. However, the café still has its base of customer favorites, such as the Southwest Cobb Salad, Shrimp and Crawfish Cakes and a wide variety of homey desserts. Café 1217 has offered catering services in Hot Springs and the surrounding areas since its inception. They cater small intimate affairs to large galas for several hundred people. They also take special orders for smaller events on or off the menu. Lunch and dinner.

1217 Malvern Ave. #B, (501) 318-1094. http://www.cafe1217.net/

Taco Mama Just across the way from Café 1217 you’ll find Taco Mama, one of the tastiest Mexican restaurants in the area. All food at Taco Mama is hand prepared and made daily with the finest and freshest ingredients available.

It’s this careful attention to detail that sets Taco Mama apart. Taco Mama also has a slew of vegetarian options and was designated “Mexican worth the commute” by the Arkansas Times. Head there to enjoy daily happy hour drink specials with some of the coldest margaritas and draft beer in town. Lunch and dinner. 1209 Malvern Ave., (501) 624-6262. http://www. tacomama.net/

Take yourself back to the days of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s when mineral water, gambling, bootlegging and other extreme pleasures brought visitors from all over the world to Hot Springs, Ark.

erica

m A f o m u se u M r e st g The Gan

Time travel to the days when gambling, boot-legging, prostitution and hot mineral baths brought people from all over the country to the Spa City. Hot Springs was once ideal for the production of bootleg whiskey, which attracted mobsters from the east coast and Chicago. Illegal gambling houses soon followed, as did “Great Hats History” gangsters looking to cool their heels Books, when the heat wasand on up North.

Inside the 510find Central Ave., Hot 20’s, Springs, 71901 501-318-1717 • www.tgmoa.com museum you will relics of the 30’sARand 40’s• as well as photos of once seedy establishments that now hold the gift shops, restaurants and art galleries that define modern-day Hot Springs. You can also relive this bygone era with a one-hour guided tour that exposes the world beneath Central Avenue. And don’t miss the museum’s hatterie, the only of its kind in the region, which offers an impressive array of hats for men and women. Hours of operation Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 113 Central Ave., (501) 318-1717. http://www.tgmoa.com/ www.arktimes.com

APRIL 25, 2012

63

EUREKA SPRINGS

CELEBRATES

25TH ANNUAL MAY ARTS FESTIVAL

Cottage Caboodle features chic homey decor, gifts and accessories as well as lighting and art.

E

ach May, Eureka Springs boasts a calendar full of activities surrounding and celebrating the arts. With this year being the 25th anniversary of the festival, the city is gearing up for an even bigger showing with art around every corner!

The city of Eureka Springs, Arkansas is home to more than 300 working artists and the galleries represent over 1,000 local, regional and national artists. With such a dense collection of artists, Eureka Springs is one of the premier art destinations in the nation.

The festival kicks off May 1 with Art with the Animals at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge where local artists will be showing work in the refuge through May 8. This year, Turpentine Creek is celebrating their 20th anniversary and will have a night of live bands and fireworks on May 5th to conclude their anniversary celebrations.

Month long events and exhibits are scheduled, including concerts in Basin Spring Park FridaySundays and holiday Mondays, A Taste of Art: A Visual Feast where art will be on display at many of the city’s restaurants, and downtown gallery strolls. Downtown banks will also get in on the action, with month long displays featuring local artists. Keel’s Creek Winery will present a basic course on the fundamentals of winemaking each Tuesday of the month.

On the first Saturday of the festival, ARTrageous Parade will roll through town at 2 p.m. This colorful and exciting parade is one of the city’s premier events and will feature floats, bands, and more. After the parade, make sure to make your

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APRIL 25, 2012

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

way to Basin Spring Park because Africa in the Ozarks will continue until 11 p.m.

The crowd pleaser White Street Studio Walk is a free event where local artists open up their homes and studios to the public to view their latest works. This event is in it’s 22nd year and will take place May 18, from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Later in the weekend is Books in Bloom. This Literary festival will host more than twenty authors on Sunday, May 20th at the Crescent Hotel. Authors from a variety of genres will attend and will be available to sign books and answer questions in the beautiful conservatory at the hotel. Stay and enjoy this culturally rich event!

The festival’s schedule is so packed with events that it couldn’t all be contained in just one month. Therefore, the May Festival of the Arts wraps up June 10 with AvantGarde in the Ozarks. This experiential art installation is set to live music at the Enthios Art Venue Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays May 31-June 10. Also stretching into June is the Eureka Springs Blue Weekend. Concerts will be held at the Auditorium, The 1905 Basin Park Hotel’s Barefoot Ballroom, Basin Spring Park, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and other venues around Eureka Springs. For more information and the complete Blues Weekend schedule, go to www.eurekaspringsblues. com.

For additional information, visit www.mayfestivalofthearts.com or www.eurekasprings.org

2012 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS MAY 1-31 (MONTH LONG)

MAY 3-6 (THUR-SUN)

Free Concerts in Basin Spring Park Free music will be performed from the band shell in Basin Spring Park Friday, Saturday, Sundays and holiday Mondays all month. Join us in Basin Spring Park for local and regional talent, weather permitting. For more information visitwww. eurekasprings.org.

7th Annual Art as Prayer Exhibit at Studio 62 Gallery, 335 W. Van Buren — Free. A multi-artists exhibition with works in several media depicting prayer. Daily except Tuesdays.

Bank on Art — Arvest Bank, Community First Bank, and Cornerstone Bank will host month long displays of some of our finest local artists.The free exhibits will be open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Artists’ receptions TBA. Iris at the Basin Park, 8 Spring Street, hosts the 10th Annual High School Art Exhibit presenting the work of high school art students from Berryville and Eureka Springs. Free. The exhibit will continue the entire month of May. For more information call the gallery at 479-253-9494.

A Taste of Art: A Visual Feast — Works of Eureka Springs visual artists will on display at many of the city’s finest restaurants. The exhibits will include receptions in the restaurants honoring the artists on various dates during May. Downtown Gallery Strolls — numerous galleries present featured artists each Saturday 6-9 p.m.

Africa in the Ozarks — 5th annual festival of African Rhythm, Dance, Food, and Culture, events in the Auditorium and in Basin Park.

MAY 1-8 (TUE-TUES) Art with the Animals — Local artists may be seen at work in the refuge daily at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.

MAY 5 (SATURDAY) ARTrageous Parade — Free. This artful and sometimes outrageous parade rolls through historic downtown Eureka Springs beginning at 2 p.m., but get there before that to get the best viewing locations.

One of the kick-off events for the May Festival of the Arts, the parade will feature colorful floats, walkers, bands, and more, adorned Eurekastyle.

Africa in the Ozarks at Basin Park — Free. Festive African music, drumming and dancing celebration starting after the Parade and continuing until 11 p.m. in Basin Spring Park, orchestrated by Eureka Springs’ own Yao Angelo and his band, Ozakwaaba.

Downtown Gallery Stroll — Several galleries will hold open houses, provide refreshments, and host visiting artists who will exhibit their latest works. 6-9 p.m.

Artifacts Gallery, in their new locations at 37 Spring St (upstairs), will host two MEET THE ARTIST events: 4-6 meet Folk Artists Craig Hirsch & Lorna Trigg who will demonstrate their flutes & drums and lead interactive flute/drum workshop, and 6-9 meet Fine Artist Lisa Bauer.

Eureka Thyme Gallery features local artist, Betty Johnson, known for her pet portraits and also landscape and people /doll portrait art, during the 6-9 p.m. Gallery Stroll.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 66

Full Espresso Bar Organic Loose Leaf Teas Local Art

Non Smoking Full Bar

Breakfast 8-11 Lunch 11-3

Award winning coffee, desserts & fresh made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, burgers, omelets & pancakes.

Many vegetarian selections.

BEST BREAKFAST AROUND THE STATE BEST COFFEE AROUND THE STATE Described as a Euro-Vintage Marketplace, Vintage Cargo is stocked with beautiful home furnishings.

We appreciate our customers!

22 South Main Street 479-253-6732 www.mudstreetcafe.com ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

APRIL 25, 2012

65

Visit America's Premier Big Cat Refuge

479-253-5841

TURPENTINE CREEK R

e

es WILDLIFE REFUGE id cu i nw ng E x o t i c C a t s Na ti o

- Open Daily 9 AM - Hourly Tours - On Site Lodging - RV Park - Gift Shop Open - Lifetime Memories

Volunteers Needed 7 Mi. South of Eureka on Hwy. 23 www.turpentinecreek.org

2012 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS, CONT. Out on Main Gallery (#1 Basin Spring Ave, above the New Delhi) will feature the brother & sister artists, Hank Barnes and Helen Thomas. Hank’s hand-crafted stained glass pieces grace many a home in the region, while his sister, Helen, sees and records the world creatively through a camera lens. Show/reception from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 479-253-8449.

Jewel Box Gallery Artist Reception 6-9 p.m. during the Gallery Stroll Downtown.

MAY 6 (SUNDAY) Ozark Chorale Spring Concert in the Aud 2:30 p.m.. $10 tickets includes free refreshments.

We are your destination!!

Our Customers travel from miles around to shop at one of the most exciting home furnishing stores in the area! Italian pottery by Vietri –iron works by Jan Barboglio – unique furniture pieces architectural elements – lamps and mirrors – great selection of decorative accessories.

Tuesday - Saturday 10-5pm VINTAGE CARGO 41 Kingshighway • Eureka Springs, AR 479-253-5943 • www.vintagecargo.net

Join us for an intimate dinner and view the enchanted city of eureka by night!

“best italian restaurant in arkansas!”

– Arkansas Times Readers’ Choice Awards, Runner-up Statewide

“best in eureka springs!”

– Arkansas Times Readers’ Choice Awards, Runner-up “EurEka’s finEst italian rEstaurant, yEt modEratE in pricE…phEnomEnal.”

– Frommer’s Guide

Featured in the new York times, southern Living and Bon appetit!

DeVito’s Restaurant has offered fine Italian cuisine and unique specialty dishes in Eureka for over 25 years and still provides the same award winning quality food and dining experience.

LIKE us on Facebook — DeVito’s of Eureka Springs

Dinner Open at 5:00 pm • Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm Closed on Wednesdays • Reservations are not required.

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APRIL 25, 2012

5 Center Street • Historic Downtown Eureka Springs

(479) 253-6807 • www.eureka-springs-usa.com/devito

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

MAY 7-11 (MON-FRI) Metal Sculpture Workshop with Wayne Summerhill at ESSA-Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

MAY 10 (THURS) Artist reception at Cottage Inn Restaurant — meet Michael Zorok and view his recent paintings.

4-6 p.m.

MAY 11-12 (FRI-SAT) Downtown Eureka Springs Art Fair — Free. Fine art exhibit and sale by regional artists in a street fair setting in Basin Spring Park and along Center Street. 10 am — 6 p.m. Friday and Noon — 5 p.m. on Saturday — Contact Barbara Robinson for details on exhibiting.

Student Band Music Fest — 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Aud.

MAY 12 (SATURDAY) Downtown Gallery Stroll — Free.

Several galleries will hold open houses, provide refreshments, and host visiting artists who will exhibit their latest works. 6-9 p.m.

CosmicRoots,” a local band from Enthios ArtVenue performs in Basin Park — free.

Artifacts Gallery, in their new locations at 37 Spring St (upstairs), will host two MEET THE ARTIST events: 4-6 meet Jimmy Leach who will be demonstrating his painting and 6-9 meet Folk Artist Judith Leswig (soft sculpted dolls).

Wilson and Wilson Folk Art Open House — Free. The mother and daughter painting team of Blakeley and Sylvia Wilson invite you to enjoy a special day-long Open House 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at Wilson and Wilson Folk Art, 23 Spring St. Eureka Thyme Gallery — come and meet Carol Dickie and see her ‘abstract naturalism’, mixed media paintings. 6-9 p.m. during the Gallery Stroll.

Out on Main Gallery (#1 Basin Spring Ave, above the New Delhi) will feature the colorful and textural Impasto paintings of regional artist

Jan Ironside. Show/reception from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 479-253-8449.

Jewel Box Gallery Artist Reception 6-9 p.m. during the Gallery Stroll Downtown.

MAY 13 (SUN-MOTHER’S DAY) Annual Mother’s Day concert at the Aud with Native American flute artist, John Two Hawks. 2 p.m. — tickets $12 and Mothers are free.

Mother’s Day Variety Show featuring singer/songwriter Dave Baer, The Institute of Jugglology, and Ethan, The Juggler. 6-8 p.m. at Southwind Stage and Sacred Earth Gallery, 15845 US 62 W 479-253-7644.

MAY 17 (THURSDAY) Poet Luck at Writers’ Colony — This potluck dinner and literary salon is open to the public and held the third Thursday of every month, MarchOctober at The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs. Bring a pot luck dish to pass and hear readings by local writers. 6 p.m.

MAY 18 (FRIDAY) 22nd Annual White Street Studio Walk — Free. White Street, on the upper historic loop, is the working address of several local artists who welcome you into their homes and studios to view their latest works.

They will be joined by more than forty guest artists, who will show weaving, watercolors, jewelry, oils, pottery, stained glass and much more. Amazing art combines with a block party atmosphere to provide a great time for the whole family. 4-10 p.m.

MAY 19 (SATURDAY) Spring Garden Tour - hosted by Eureka Springs Garden Club from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Locations all around town including several B&Bs, Churches and private gardens. $20.

For more info, call 479-253-7078.

Saturday Gallery Stroll. 6-9 p.m. every Saturday in May. Our galleries invite you to have refreshments while you peruse the amazing art of Eureka Springs.

Eureka Thyme Gallery will host local artist Denise Ryan who is well-known for her portrait and still life oil paintings. 6-9 p.m.

Artifacts Gallery, in their new locations at 37 Spring St (upstairs), will host two MEET THE ARTIST events: 4-6 meet Folk Artist Kim Kenney demonstrating woodworking and exhibiting her newest turned pieces, and 6-9 meet Fine Artist Diana Harvey (paintings) and Kim Kenney (wood).

Out on Main Gallery (#1 Basin Spring Ave, above the New Delhi) will feature oil paintings by Arkansas artist Barbara Loftin. Barbara’s paintings, in her own words, attempt to “tell a short story or capture a moment in

While in town, try out a couple of our favorite restaurants in Eureka Springs.

DeVitos: Celebrating their 25th year in business, DeVitos offers fine Italian cuisine as well as unique specialty dishes.

DeVito’s is consistently voted one of the Best Italian Restaurants Around the State and has been featured in the New York Times, Southern Living and Bon Appetit.

You sure don’t want to miss it so stop in on your way through town. 5 Center Street, Eureka Springs 479253-6807 http://www.eureka-springs-usa.com Mud Street Cafe: A favorite in the Arkansas Times Readers Choice Awards, Mud Street is known for their award winning coffee and serves one of the best breakfasts in the city.

Their lunch is delicious too- try out a sandwich on one of their fresh croissants for an appetizing midday pickme-up. Make sure to stop in between 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays). 22 S Main Street # G, Eureka Springs 479-253-6732

time.” Show/reception from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 479-253-8449.

A group exhibition, “Finding Nature — Artworks in the Landscape” will feature local artists working with natural materials — reception at The Space, #2 Pine St, 5-9 p.m.

Eureka Springs Art Park — grand opening event Downtown and along Main Street 2 p.m. — More Details TBA. Jewel Box Gallery Artist Reception 6-9 p.m. during the Gallery Stroll Downtown.

Artists Reception: “Finding Nature — Artworks in the Landscape” featuring local artists working with natural materials — reception 5-9 p.m. and exhibit continues through 26th. The Space, 2 1/2 Spring Street.

showing their most recent works in clay and fabric from 6-9 p.m.

Artifacts Gallery, in their new locations at 37 Spring St (upstairs), will host two MEET THE ARTIST events: 4-6 meet Barbara Robinson demonstrating her painting, and 6-9 meet Fine Artists Jim Nelson (wood sculptures) and Barbara Robinson (paintings).

Out on Main Gallery (#1 Basin Spring Ave, above the New Delhi) will feature the bright, incredibly detailed and, above all, fun, watercolors of(award-winning) Eureka Springs artist Zeek Taylor. Show/reception from 5-9 p.m. 479-253-8449.

Jewel Box Gallery Artist Reception 6-9 p.m. during the Gallery Stroll Downtown.

MAY 20 (SUNDAY)

MAY 28-JUNE 1 (MON-FRI)

Books in Bloom — a literary festival.

A free annual ‘garden party’ event held at Crescent Hotel for readers and writers. Noon to 5.

Young Artist’s Music Recital “Come and Go” held at the Grand Central Hotel 1-3 p.m.

Digital Photography Workshop with Edward Robison at ESSA-Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

Acrylic Painting Workshop with Denise Ryan at ESSA-Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

MAY 26 (SATURDAY) Downtown Gallery Stroll Free.

Several galleries will hold open houses, provide refreshments, and host visiting artists who will exhibit their latest works. 6-9 p.m.

Rhythm House Dance Recital in the Auditorium 7-9 p.m.

Eureka Thyme Gallery will host The Starbirds, Ken and Sandy will be

MAY 31-JUNE 10 (FRI-SAT-SUN) AvantGarde in the Ozarks: 9th Wave.

Experiential art installation and live music at Enthios Art Venue. Fridays 7-9 p.m., Saturdays 4-6 p.m. and Sun 2-4 p.m. — continues through June 10th.

MAY 31-JUNE 3 (THURS — SUN) Eureka Springs Blues Weekend.

ROCK CANDY TO-DO LIST

WEEKEND PLANS EVERY WEDNESDAY IN YOUR INBOX. MADE EASY

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APRIL 25, 2012

67

hearsay ➥ You might not expect to find garden inspiration at RHEA DRUG STORE, but the Hillcrest pharmacy and gift shop carries plenty of accessories to dress up your green space. We love the quirky flowers made from recycled soda cans, which can be propped up in a garden or potted plant to add an unexpected element. Customers will also find great entertaining items for the season, plus tons of cute gifts. ➥ Brides, don’t forget: PROPOSALS BOUTIQUE welcomes Avant Bride for a special trunk show this week. Score some gorgeous bling from the jewelry line on Friday, April 27 2-5 p.m. and Saturday, April 28 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call (501) 661-4696 to schedule an appointment. ➥ The PROMENADE AT CHENAL has a big week planned! Endurance athlete Jason Lester begins a 4,800mile journey across the United States as part of Nike’s Journey for a Better World tour, and he’ll make a stop at the LITTLE ROCK NIKE STORE at the Promenade on Wednesday, April 25. Meet Lester and hear his story at a welcome party from 4-7 p.m. The openair shopping center is also accepting entries for a MOMMY MAKEOVER GIVEAWAY in honor of Mother’s Day. One lucky mama will win a prize valued over $1,000 that includes a relaxing massage, shopping spree, new ‘do and more. Visit chenalshopping.com for details on how to enter. ➥ Support Our House, a local shelter and resource center for the working homeless, when you scope out exciting new couture fashion at WINE & DESIGN: RUNWAY EDITION. The event will be held at the Clinton Presidential Center Thursday, April 26 from 7-10 p.m., with Project Runway alum Korto Momolu hosting. The evening’s runway show will feature intricate garments created out of products typically used by local interior designers and architects. Tickets are $40 at the door and $30 in advance. Call (501)224-1900 for information. ➥ Ready your taste buds for an explosion of delight—the third annual FOOD BLOGGER BAKE SALE will set up shop for one day only this Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Curious foodies can stop by 6th and Main Streets in the Argenta Arts District to purchase items made by local bloggers, as well as a few professionals like Dempsey Bakery, Brown Sugar Bake Shop and Blue Cake Company. The event will raise funds for Share Our Strength, an organization that aims to end childhood hunger.

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APRIL 25, 2012

APRIL 25, 2012

Little Rock outdoor furniture retailer Ken Rash’s is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year.

the

Great Outdoors

BY BLAIR TIDWELL

A

home isn’t quite complete without an outdoor space to kick back and enjoy a gorgeous day. And these days, a simple chair or two won’t do for your deck, patio or porch. Local retailers of outdoor furniture have seen a rise in the popularity of outdoor “living spaces,” with homeowners putting just as much effort into decorating their front porches and backyards as their family rooms and bedrooms.

“There are so many beautiful places in Arkansas that people want to spend more time outdoors enjoying their views of nearby lakes and mountains,” says Lauren Roberts, a buyer and sales associate at Arkansas Furniture in Hot Springs. “We have also seen that many people are placing televisions and kitchens outside on their patios. With all of the extra time spent outdoors, it is important to have a comfortable, cozy place to sit and relax.”

Roberts has seen a move away from traditional dining sets and pinpoints deep-seating couches, group-friendly sectionals and especially “chat groups” as the strong trends in recent years.

Lawrie Rash of Ken Rash’s in Little Rock agrees and explains the concept: “A chat group consists of four really comfortable chairs—club chairs, swivel

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

or spring—and a table in the middle. A chat table is usually higher than a coffee table but lower than a dining table; the idea is that it’s the perfect set-up for comfort and conversation, and you can still enjoy a meal there.”

Besides the improvement of comfort in outdoor furniture—which Rash says has become as good as those made for indoors—more options have made it easier to create a lovely area for living. Arkansas Furniture carries mostly wrought iron, aluminum and synthetic wicker pieces, including the eco-friendly Breezesta line which is made from recycled milk jugs and water bottles and has a lifetime warranty.

Ken Rash’s also offers synthetic wicker, wrought iron and aluminum furniture, as well as items made from teak and ipe wood.

Plus, choices in style have grown: “The outdoor industry used to be decades behind, with hunter green as the main player for years,” says Rash.

“But those days are long gone. We see Tangerine Tango, the color of the year, primarily as pops of color on throw pillows or an umbrella or accessories. We also continue to see all shades of bright green. Plus, yellow and red remain strong.”

Guide to green After crafting a comfy seating space, your next step is to spruce up the actual green area. Depending on budget and commitment, homeowners may want to start small. Try grouping varieties of potted plants on a patio or deck to add some greenery.

Jennifer Gibson, who has been helping The Good Earth Garden Center customers for seven years, suggests placing a foliage plant such as a Palm in a large planter, Hibiscus or Sweet Potato Vine in a medium container and Lantana in the smallest.

After dabbling in plotted plants, it’s time to tackle the rest of your space.

Gibson explains that cleaning up an outdoor area should be no different than spring cleaning indoors. “It’s basically clean, organize, decorate!” she says. “Take a good look at what you have, and what can be utilized by transplanting and re-grouping. Many perennials, shrubs and even some trees respond well to transplanting if done correctly. Then, create spaces for annual color in order to add visual interest and focal points—it’s amazing what a difference some bright color can make!”

If you’re ready for an overhaul, Gibson says it is important to evaluate your budget and priorities. You’ll also need to determine your vision and idea for the space, and then step into The Good Earth Garden Center’s beautiful park-like “showroom,” which is sure to provide inspiration for your own plant-filled paradise.

And cushions aren’t the only way to show some personality, though Rash recommends replacing outdated ones as a way to quickly freshen up existing furniture. She also says that adding throw pillows, durable area rugs made for the patio and other accessories can instantly create a cozier space. “Candles and lanterns are also nice and add ambiance, as well as keeping the bugs away,” Rash says.

Both Rash and Roberts agree that in addition to finding furniture that suits the consumer’s style, durability should be the main focus; “The focus of our store is all about fashion with durability and comfort,” Roberts says of Arkansas Furniture. “The furniture will need to withstand rapidly changing weather, especially here in Arkansas. The additional dollars spent on quality outdoor furnishings are ultimately offset by the added life-span and comfort.”

Cushion Cover-Up C

ynthia East Fabrics has you covered…when it comes to re-covering your worn out—or just plain ugly and out-of-style—cushions.

Shoppers who don’t relate to the do-it-yourself movement, don’t worry. You can still get a customized look without the hassle; the store’s talented staff will not only help you pick out the perfect textile for your project, they’ll also craft drapes and bedding, make pillows, cover furniture, and yes, re-

cover cushions.

Terry Dilday at Cynthia East says that the process is simple. First, bring in a picture of your project (made easy by digital pictures). Yardage estimates and pricing can be made by looking at the photo, and much of the work can even be done over email. Then, of course, you’ll select your new look from the shop’s stunning array of fabrics.

According to Dilday, the current selection at the

BY BLAIR TIDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

store is full of color and patterns. “The hottest patterns going right now are an Ikat and a Chevron (think Charlie Brown’s sweater),” Dilday says. “The Pantone color of the year is Tangerine Tango. It can be put together with navy and white for a crisp, nautical flair.” Another trend to think about when updating your cushions or re-upholstering is texture; burlap neutrals, soft linens and silks are being mixed together for a toned-down elegance.

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69

Guns for everyone

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hen he wasn’t at the St. Louis zoo getting bit by a penguin last week, Newt Gingrich was across town berating the National Rifle Association for being too timid in its advocacy of gun ownership and gun use.

Newt wants everybody in the United States everywhere in the United States to be armed and ready to stand their ground, meaning ready to blow somebody’s head off that looks at them funny. He wants more guns rather than fewer, and he’d revoke just about all the restrictions on them.

But that’s not all he wants. Hell, that’s standard NRA stroking and hardly newsworthy. Newt would go Cold Dead Hands one better, though, by extending Second Amendment lock-and-load rights not only to everybody in the country but to everybody in the world. Man, woman, child, hermaphrodite — although I’m not sure about the hermaphrodites. Black, white, yellow, brown, red. Turk, Swede, Tutsi. Newt is a pretty fanatical Christian when he remembers that he is, so under his scheme Christians might get better ammunition than Buddhists or Hindus or Mormons, or some similar advantage or perk, but even scoffer heathens would get the basic endowment.

Frogs would. Ragheads. Psychos.

Pacifists would get arms whether they wanted them or not. So would cas-

trati. Yellow-bellies.

Ghandhites. Peaceniks. I don’t know about fetuses.

In the Newt vision, if you’re an BOB Australian aborigLANCASTER ine, you’d have a right to carry a gun — and not just to shoot wallabies instead of harvesting them by boomerang. With a mandatory Stand Your Ground rider, you could shoot Crocodile Dundee long as you claimed self-defense.

Of course he’d have the same right to shoot you — he’d likely demur on the machete, homicide from it being harder to justify — but even with all the countless unending universal Mexican standoffs at least the gun-playing field would be leveler than it is now. The system we have in place now, in many countries half the time they treat you like a common criminal if you shoot somebody for sport or payback or target practice or because God told you to. Like you had a choice.

Muslim women wouldn’t have to put up with nearly as much of the macho crap if you didn’t know whether Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson were lurking there under every single burka in the seraglio. Where Khrushchev could only pound the podium with his shoe, any deposed butcher or aggrieved

hedge-fund manager who wanted to address a plenary UN session could get the floor just by gatting off a few ahem bursts ceilingward. Castro would get a new gun, but so would every embittered anti-Fidel whose only satisfaction now is in driving around the presidential palace letting his derelict Plymouth Fury backfire.

If the U.S. Supreme Court felt obliged to intrude upon this new state of affairs, well, seven billion filled hands might persuade them to desist.

But dare I say there might be implementation problems?

Soon as everybody on earth gets their gun and authorization to fire it at will — whichever one is Will — then won’t we be right back where we started, at Square One? The hombre who has only one gun will be at the mercy of whoever has two. And both of them will cower at the approach of the bully with the handgun, the shotgun, the squirrel rifle, the machine gun, some hand grenades, and perhaps a tank.

Hard to go up agin’ a tank with just a roscoe. It can be done, but as a practical matter, you might as well be packing a chrysanthemum.

Two guns are better than one against a half-track, if one of them is a bazooka, but is Newt’s Second Amendment extension going to include a bazooka for everybody in the world, too? OK, say it does. Everybody in the world gets a handgun, some

long guns, and a bazooka. And even if you don’t live in a gated community, you’re authorized to off any suspicious-looking passerby wearing a hoodie. But what if the next hoodied passerby makes his pass in an F-22 Raptor fighter jet with its entire spread locked in on your pitiful-ass onegun gluteus maximus?

And what if the hoodied guy after him commands a whole squadron of F-22s, and they’re all armed with nuclear warheads, plus he can call in drones, cruise missiles, and assassin Navy Seals to take out your entire watch posse before you can wave a hankie? Is it the answer to continue escalating the balance of gun terror until we’ve furnished you and everybody else in the world with a personal arsenal that begins with your basic liquor-store burner and ranges up to and includes your own wristworn atomic bomb like the one the predator in “Predator” self-destructed with?

Every starving child in the Sudan would have a handgun and an atomic bomb under the Newt initiative. They might try to eat them, but that would be their business, not yours. More likely they’d swap one or the other for a goat. Or both of them for two goats. Somebody would have to procure and supply all those A-bombs and I’m sure Dick Cheney would volunteer Halliburton for the task, probably at no more of a profit than $10 or $20 quadrillion, or all the money in the world, whichever was greater.

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IMAGE ANALYSIS SPECIALIST The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR is seeking a Research Associate (Image Analysis Specialist) who will be responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and integrity of MRI data collected for the Brain Imaging Research Center. They will be involved in acquisition, processing, and statistical analysis of MRI data; assist in the preparation of MRI experiments and in troubleshooting errors in the data analysis. Duties include acquiring imaging data, performing processing and statistical analysis of MRI data, and preparing presentations describing results of statistical analyses. Other minor duties include transferring MRI data to central servers, conduct quality assurance inspections of MRI scanner and acquired data, and maintain data infrastructure. The candidate will also assist with subject scheduling, serve as liaison with researchers outside of the Brain Imaging Research Center, and attend weekly research conference/grand rounds. Master Degree in Statistics/Math plus 3 years of research experience OR Bachelor Degree in Statistics/Math plus 5 years of research experience required.

Send all correspondence to: Jill Gregory, MBA 4301 W. Markham St., #554 Little Rock, AR 72205 Jagregory@uams.edu

70 25,APRIL 25, 2012 ARKANSAS TIMES 2012 ARKANSAS TIMES 70 April

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Mail resumes to Tejas Technologies Inc., 124 W. Capitol, Ste 878, Little Rock, AR 72201

Employment JohNSoNíS BACkYARd GARdEN in Austin, TX is hiring 5 temporary Farm Workers from 4/24/2012 to 1/30/2013: 40 hrs/ week. Workers will drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops. May perform such tasks as: Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps. May operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors and irrigation equipment. Also, may attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools. $10.00/hr (prevailing wage). Guarantee of 3/4 of the workdays. All work tools, supplies, and equipment furnished without cost to the worker. Free housing is provided to workers who cannot reasonably return to their permanent residence at the end of the workday. Transportation and subsistence expenses to the worksite will be provided or paid by the employer, with payment to be made no later than completion of 50% of the work contract. Report or send resumes to Arkansas Department of Workforce Services Foreign Labor Certification Program Monitor #2 Capitol Mall, Room 434 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 683-2372 and reference job order #TX6185372

10 tEmPoRARY PoSItIoNS; approx 8 months; Duties: to operate farm equipment; planting of sugarcane by hand, farm, field and shed sanitation duties; operation and performing minor repairs and maintenance of farm vehicles and equipment. Able to work in hot, humid weather, bending or stooping to reach ground level crops and able to stand on feet for long periods of time. Once hired, workers may be required to take a random drug test at no cost to the worker. Testing positive or failure to comply may result in immediate termination. $9.30; Job to begin on 6/1/12 through 1/20/13.

3 months experience required in sugar cane farming. All work tools provided. Housing and transportation will be provided to workers who can not reasonably return to their permanent residence at the end of the work day; subsistence expenses to worksite will be provided by employer upon completion of 50% of work contract or earlier if appropriate; _ guaranteed of contract. Employment offered by Monte Vallot’ s Farm located in Abbeville, LA. Qualified applicants may call employer for interview at 337-893-0744 or call their nearest SWA office at 501-682-7719 using job #413296.

EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Call our live operators now! 1-800-405-7619 EXT 2450 FIEld WoRkERS - 5 temporary positions; approx 7 months; Duties: to operate farm equipment; planting of sugarcane by hand, farm, field and shed sanitation duties; operation and performing minor repairs and maintenance of farmvehicles and equipment. Able to work in hot, humid weather, bending or stooping to reach ground level crops and able to stand on feet for long periods of time. Once hired, workers may be required to take a random drug test at no cost to the worker. Testing positive or failure to comply may result in immediate termination. $9.30 per hour; Job to begin on 6/1/12 through 1/5/13. 3 month experience required in sugar cane farming. All work tools provided. Housing and transportation provided to workers who can not reasonably return to their permanent residence at the end of the work day; _ guaranteed of contract; subsistence expenses to the worksite will be provided by the employer upon completion of 50% of the work contract, or earlier, if appropriate. Employment offered

by Agricultural Advancements, L.L.C. located in Lafayette, LA. Worksite located in Duson, LA. Qualified applicants may call employer for interview at (337) 278-1217 or may apply for this position at their nearest State Workforce Agency using job order #413514. For more info regarding your nearest SWA you may call (501) 682-7719

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DINING CAPSULES, CONT. SENOR TEQUILA Authentic dishes with great service and prices, and maybe the best margarita in town. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-5505. LD daily 9847 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. 501-758-4432.

TACO MEXICO Tacos have to be ordered at least two at a time, but that’s not an impediment. These are some of the best and some of the cheapest tacos in Little Rock. 7101 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-4167002. LD Wed.-Sun. TACOS GUANAJUATO Pork, beef, adobado, chicharron and cabeza tacos and tortas at this mobile truck. 6920 Geyer Springs Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. LD Wed.-Mon. TAQUERIA THALIA Try this taco truck on the weekends, when the special could be anything from posole to menudo to shrimp cocktail.

4500 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $.

501-563-3679. LD Wed.-Mon.

AROUND ARKANSAS

BENTON

DAN’S I-30 DINER Home cooking and blue plate specials are the best things to choose at

this Benton diner. Check out the daily special board for a meat-and-two-veg lunch -- and if chicken stuffing’s on the menu, GET IT. 17018 Interstate 30. Benton. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-778-4116. BL Tue.-Sat. LA VALENTINA There are touches of authenticity on La Valentina’s “real Mexican” menu, including specialties like palmadas meat pies, but otherwise you’ll find tacos, burritos, chimichangas and the like here. 1217 Ferguson Drive. Benton. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-7761113. LD daily.

SULLIVAN’S DINER Tasty chicken fried steak and other home cookin’ standards paired with well-executed Thai dishes. 520 Lillian St. Benton. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-778-4630.

BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun.

CONWAY

DOMOYAKI Hibachi grill and sushi bar near the interstate. Now serving bubble tea. 505 E. Dave Ward Drive. Conway. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-764-0074. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. THE FISH HOUSE The other entrees and the many side orders are decent, but this place is

all about catfish. 116 S. Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. 501-327-9901. LD Mon.-Sun. GUSANO’S They make the tomatoey Chicago-style deep-dish pizza the way it’s done in the Windy City. It takes a little longer to come out of the oven, but it’s worth the wait. 2915 Dave Ward Drive. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-329-1100. LD daily.

HART’S SEAFOOD Southern fried fish and seafood buffet over the weekend. 2125 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$.

501-329-8586. D Thu.-Sat., L Sun. JADE CHINA Traditional Chinese fare, some with a surprising application of ham. 559 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$.

501-329-5121. LD Mon.-Sat. OAK STREET BISTRO The Conway eatery known for its creative flair with sandwiches and salads is now open for dinner and has a liquor license. Check out the massive menu; the desserts are excellent. 800 4th Avenue.

Conway. Full bar, All CC, CC. $$-$$$. 501-4509908. L daily, D Thu-Sat. SHORTY’S` Burgers, dogs and shake joint.

1101 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-329-9213. LD Mon.-Sat.

STOBY’S Great homemade cheese dip and big, sloppy Stoby sandwiches with umpteen choices of meats, cheeses and breads. 805 Donaghey. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$.

501-327-5447. BLD Mon.-Sat. 405 W. Parkway.

Russellville. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-9683816. BLD Mon.-Sat. STROMBOLI’S Locally owned purveyor of NY style pizzas and strombolis. 2665 Donaghey.

Conway. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-3273700. LD daily.

HOT SPRINGS

BELLE ARTI RISTORANTE Ambitious menu of lavish delights in a film-noir setting; excellent desserts. 719 Central Ave. Hot Springs. Full bar, All CC. 501-624-7474. LD. DON JUAN’S Mex-style enchiladas, runny white cheese dip, great guacamole and great service in strip-mall locale. 1311 Albert Pike Road No. A. Hot Springs. No alcohol, All CC. 501-321-0766. LD. MCCLARD’S Considered by many to be the best barbecue in Arkansas — ribs, pork, beef and great tamales, too. 505 Albert Pike. Hot Springs. Beer, No CC. 501-624-9586. LD.

www.arktimes.com APRIL 25, 2012 712012 71 www.arktimes.com April 25,

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The Arkansas College Savings Plans is the easy, affordable and smart way to save for your child’s education at nearly any college in the nation. Starting to save now is the best thing you can do to support their success in 5...10...or 18 years. We offer two plans that will help you accomplish your goals and help give your child a head start.

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