Arkansas Times

ARKANSAS’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF POLITICS AND CULTURE ■ november 25, 2010

www.arktimes.com

Best Breakfast in Arkansas

By Kat Robinson page 10

The INsIder Better late ...

n A tipster informed us that Michael Langley, director of state Alcoholic Beverage Control, had turned up in early November on the list of attorneys suspended for failure to complete the required annual 12 hours of continuing legal education.

State law requires the ABC administrator to be a licensed lawyer.

Langley said the mail notifying him of his CLE deficiency June 30 hadn’t reached him because he’s going through a divorce and living at a different address.

Normally, when a lawyer receives such a notice, Langley said, he can pay $100 for a nine-month extension to catch up on hours. Informed of his shortcoming last week, Langley said he filed a petition with the Supreme Court Friday to grant a stay of the suspension and paid the $100.

He said this was a technicality because he caught up on his CLE hours in October.

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Favorite things

n Randi Romo, a familiar local figure for her work in gay rights through her Center for Artistic Revolution, got a big surprise thanks to that work last week. A former Little Rock resident, Guy Zakrzewski, nominated her to be honored as a hero on the Oprah Winfrey show for her work against bullying of children. Romo was invited up for the show and attended with Zakrzewski. Turns out the episode they attended last Tuesday wasn’t a “heroes” segment, but Oprah’s “Favorite Things” show in which she showers her studio audience with gifts (one year a new car for each). Romo walked away with, among other things, a 52-inch Sony 3D TV, a diamond watch, a Royal Caribbean cruise, an airline ticket, a Blu Ray player, five years of Netflix, a “dream closet” from the container store, a panini maker and Jay-Z’s new book. She said she gave away many of the gifts to friends. Oprah pays the income tax on the bounty, by the way.

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n Circuit Clerk Pat O’Brien, who leaves office Dec. 31, is going out with a bang of the gavel of all 17 circuit judges in Pulaski County. They signed an unprecedented unanimous order forbidding him from destroying paper copies of lawsuits and other legal pleadings. He is putting court records on-line and thinks paper copies are no longer necessary. The judges said the system isn’t working perfectly yet and until there’s certainty that all records will be available on-line, he should delay destruction. O’Brien has said he’ll appeal to the state Supreme Court, though the time for getting a decision before he leaves office is short. Successor Larry Crane has said he’ll delay paper destruction until judges are confident in the system.

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www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 3

Smart talk

Contents

Sen. Faris: Another deadbeat n When we wrote recently about a number of lawmakers who persistently fell behind on their low rent payments in the Capitol Hill building, we forgot one other state tenant. Sen. Steve Faris occupies an apartment set up years ago by then-Secretary of State Bill McCuen (Faris’ former boss) in what’s known as the “boiler room,” a utility building with a tall smokestack on Capitol grounds west of the Capitol. Faris pays a bargain $200 a month. Until mid-summer, when reporters started sniffing about legislative deadbeats, Faris was a consistent slow pay, with FARRIS: Nothin’ going on, but payments 60 days in arrears, this year, in Febru- the rent. ary, March, April, May and June, according to secretary of state records. The secretary of state’s office shot down a rumor that the term-limited Faris was trying to work out a lease renewal with outgoing Secretary of State Charlie Daniels so he could hang onto his Capitol-grounds pad when he becomes a Senate employee, as is expected to happen. The current lease expires this month and Daniels’ successor will handle future assignments of the space, a spokesman said.

8 Murky water GRIFFIN: Will move into Snyder’s old office.

Same place n Conveniently, residents of the Second Congressional District will find their new congressman in the same place they found their old one. Rep. Vic Snyder’s Little Rock office, in the Prospect Building at 1501 North University Ave., Suite 150, will change tenants in January, when Snyder moves out and Tim Griffin moves in. No word yet on Griffin’s Washington address.

Brave new world n It’s a good bet that body-scanning X-ray machines — the socalled “digital strip search,” which can see hazy gray images of the naked torso through your clothes — are coming soon to an airport near you, but the Transportation Security Administration won’t say when they’ll land at Little Rock National Airport, citing security concerns. TSA spokesperson Sari Koshetz said the machines are now in place at nearby airports in St. Louis, Gulfport, Miss., Dallas, New Orleans and Memphis, but said it’s TSA policy to not discuss when the machines will be installed elsewhere until a formal announcement is made.

For now, travelers going through the security checkpoint at Little Rock National Airport may be singled out for one of the more thorough hand searches the TSA rolled out nationwide in October, which include TSA agents purposely touching the clothed genital area as part of the search. Koshetz said the more thorough searches — which many travelers, along with pilots and flight attendants unions, have characterized as a “grope” — are always performed by a same-gender officer, and can be performed in an area out

Arkansas regulators insist a former vanadium mine near Hot Springs isn’t a threat to lake and river water. Others aren’t so sure. — By David Koon

10 Breakfast time

The definitive report on the best restaurants in Arkansas, from the usual done well to the extraordinary.­ — By Kat Robinson

16 School transition

The Little Rock School District will have a new superintendent, but that doesn’t mean the superintendent and the teachers union have accepted the fact.

— By Max Brantley

AIRPORT X-RAY: Seeing what you got. of view of the public if the traveler requests it. Koshetz said the more thorough searches were instituted in response to a specific threat that terrorists would seek to “manipulate societal norms to evade detection.” When asked if that translates to: “hide a weapon near their crotch, because Americans generally don’t like anybody other than their doctor or significant other touching them there,” Koshetz wouldn’t comment for the record. Koshetz said that travelers may be subjected to the more thorough body searches randomly, because they set off the metal detectors, or — in the case of airports with body scanners — because they opt out of going through the machine.

Departments

3 The Insider

4 Smart Talk

5 The Observer

6 Letters

7 Orval 8-14 News

16 Opinion

19 Arts & Entertainment

39 Dining

45 Crossword/ Tom Tomorrow

46 Lancaster

Words VOLUME 37, NUMBER 12

n From a Chicago Tribune article headlined “Airport security: Government in our pants”: “The head of a flight attendants’ union local said that for anyone who has been sexually assaulted, it will drudge up some bad memories.”

Not quite. “To unearth or bring to notice” is to dredge up. As a verb, drudge means “to perform menial, distasteful, dull or hard work.” The noun drudge is the person who does that work. Samuel Johnson famously defined lexicographer (what he was) as “A writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge.”

A different word entirely, though with a similar sound, is dreck. I recently had access to correspondence between a journalist and a lawyer in which the journalist referred to dreck and the lawyer said she 4 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Doug smith doug@arktimes.com

didn’t know what he meant. He had to explain that dreck is a slang term for “excrement, dung” and “worthless trash, junk.”

It came into English from Yiddish in the 1920s. n I wish I had a quarter for every time I’ve had to explain something to a lawyer. Here’s another one at work: “In its effort to prematurely construct this facility, SWEPCO has flaunted the legal system and in the process is destroying a very sensitive envi-

ronmental ecosystem.”

Ernest Dumas asks, “Is there another ecosystem besides an environmental one?”

Not in the known world.

Dumas also notes the erroneous use of flaunted. Flaunt and flout are like imply and infer. No matter how often drudges such as I try to explain the difference, people continue to misuse them, as if all our instruction was so much dreck. (I’ll concede that not all of the offenders are lawyers.)

Once more. To flaunt is “to display ostentatiously”: He flaunted his wealth.

To flout, which is what the lawyer should have said, is “to ignore or treat with disdain”: He flouted the rules of propriety.

The two words are so often misused that some modern dictionaries treat them as synonyms. These dictionaries are wrong.

Flout their advice.

ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR, 72203. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $78 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985.

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The Observer isn’t a Harry Potter superfan — not a big enough fan to get a Gryffindor crest tattoo, or read each of the books eight times, or name our dog “Albus” — but we are a fan of the written word, and we are a fan of folks getting excited enough about a book that they’ll do crazy things in celebration of it. We went out and covered the midnight release of the last Potter book some years back, and it gladdened our bookworm’s heart to see so many people — many of them in intricate and fabulous costumery — turn out to profess their love for what amounts to (as our own favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut, put it) a collection of little black marks on paper. It was, as the sportswriters say, a beautiful thing.

We’ve been trying to re-capture a bit of that feeling of late, so when the newest Potter film came out the other day, we decided to pack up the family and go. It’s been years since The Observer attended a midnight screening of anything. These days, our cinematic stamina can barely get us through a 10 p.m. re-run of “M.A.S.H.” before we’re out like a light in front of the TV, so the thought of hitting witching-hour screenings the way we did back in college is quite adventurous. That said, The Observer is determined to make some memories for Junior, that beloved son o’ mine, who at less than one month shy of 11 has led a sheltered life, blessedly devoid of country/western song drama. He is turning into quite a bookworm and cinephile himself, so when he asked if we could chuck it all and hit a midnight screening of Harry Potter who were we to say no? And that, friends, is how The Observer and Co. wound up munching popcorn at one a.m. on a school/work night.

There is a different feeling to watching a movie in a theater in the middle of the night. It makes you feel like you’re part of a secret club of sorts, made up of those willing to slip here by cover of darkness to share in something that might be considered art. Even in the windowless theater, you can somehow feel the weight of the night against the roof and walls. You know that when you emerge, the world will be sleeping. For a moment, you’re here, but when the film is over and the lights come up, you will drive home through the sleeping city where timed sprinklers overshoot lawns and wet the street; through the sleeping neighborhoods, full of houses lit

by solitary lamps, and find your way to where you belong. That, too, is a beautiful thing.

The Observer has a friend who works at a local university here in Central Arkansas, laboring in academic advising, helping students figure out what classes they want to take and — thus — what they want to do with their lives. It’s a noble calling.

With registration long since over, she is now seeing the second wave of folks coming to her door, those long-faced souls who, several weeks in, realize the gravity of their decision to take that Modern Nude Dance or Introduction to Quantum Theory or Stick Pokery 101 class that has turned out to be, for them, an academic nightmare. The one-liners from her dealings with the young folks are always entertaining. Take this recent gem: “Yeah, I need to drop my writing class.

There is SO MUCH writing in it.”

The Observer, in case you haven’t noticed, is a moron. Or so it was pointed out to us by a turning driver as we walked through a green light at a downtown intersection. Later that same day, we were nearly hit again by a driver turning across the crosswalk. She was kind enough to mouth an “I’m sorry” as she continued on without slowing down.

These have not been the only occasions we’ve been a walking target. For all drivers (ourself included) we’d like to point out what our friend the Arkansas State Code has to say about the matter:

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27-52-107: Signal legend (1) Green alone or “GO” means: (A) Vehicular traffic facing the signal, except when prohibited under § 27-51-802, may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless a sign at such place prohibits either turn. But vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.

That seems pretty clear. The Observer and others would enjoy living long enough to die of natural causes. Please watch for pedestrian traffic when driving—we’re no match for your car.

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Letters arktimes@arktimes.com

Condom lock box On Thursday night I loaded up and headed over to my local Kroger to pick up a couple of avocados, a 12-pack of domestic beer, and a box of condoms. Innocent enough.

As I strolled the aisles of the Kroger, I was initially unable to locate the display of condoms. After walking the store again I located the display on a shelf under some sort of Plexiglas contraption that required the otherwise helpless customer to locate an employee to unlock the Rube Goldberg contrivance.

Only after multiple announcements were made over the loudspeaker and the proper Kroger key-holding hierarchy was activated was I able to pick out my brand of condom and proceed to the checkout.

I don’t think of myself as some sort of liberal radical or even all that political, but I found this lockdown to be utterly unacceptable. To calm your more conservative readers I will add that I am a happily married man who chooses to use condoms as part of a family birth control plan.

In the wake of the arrival of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and countless cam-

paigns from all sorts of organizations to raise awareness about the importance of condom use I assumed there was a general level of commitment to making condoms available. It seems that the simple idea that as a society we were better off preventing disease and unwanted pregnancy has entered the mainstream and is fairly uncontroversial. For those that bemoan the need for smaller government, it strikes me that promoting condom use would achieve a huge reduction in services needed for caring for the sick and for children left in situations where the state has to step in.

Are the condoms at Kroger stolen more than other merchandise? Or has the management decided that they are a vice that needs to be locked away? The reason is immaterial. If condom theft is a problem, isn’t it a good problem to have? Doesn’t it mean that individuals are taking heed from years of public service announcements but may not have a means to purchase a box of Trojans?

What concerns and angers me is the change in behavior that I fear the Condom Lockbox promotes. As a 15- or 16-year-old guy I’m embarrassed to admit that I would have probably left Kroger without the condoms rather than face the embarrassment of tracking down an individual with a key and risking an announcement of my intended purchase over the loudspeaker. Economists at the University of Chicago have recently

published a book, Nudge, that shows how all kinds of outcomes can be changed with subtle primes like the Condom Lockbox.

If the condoms are locked away for moral reasons, it is an absolute public health outrage. If they are locked away because of theft, is there not a nonprofit organization that will reimburse Kroger for lost condom sales? Or better yet place a large jar of free condoms at the door?

Dustin Green Little Rock

Random selection This year at the 21st Ig Nobel awards ceremony, one of the prizes was awarded to an Italian for demonstrating mathematically that organizations would become more efficient if they promoted people at random.

At first gasp that sounds like heresy, but on second thought it might just offer a way out of the insane political situation that our country finds itself in right now.

If we were to select our federal elective representatives by lottery rather than by elections, maybe we too would experience the improvement suggested by the Italian study. Goodness knows we couldn’t do any worse than our dismal record so far.

To keep the public involved, we might require that candidates for office submit the signatures of 10,000 citizens (remember voters will no longer be required), to show

some support and to eliminate the very obvious misfits. Then, on “Lottery Day”, the winner will be selected just as we did with the old Selective Service lottery. At that time, the winner can be vetted to be sure that he is qualified to serve in the office that he has been selected for. Citizenship, no felony warrants outstanding, taxes paid, and other such matters can be determined at this time and if a winner is disqualified, another drawing will be held for the position.

Money and pressure groups should not play much of a role in who gets selected to serve, and since service is continued by the “luck of the draw” just maybe our servants would try to serve the needs of the nation and not pander so much to their campaign contributors. There would be no need for a campaign fund. We might want to ease the process of removing an obvious misfit from office, but that rule is long overdue even now.

Could we do any worse than we are doing now?

Herb Hawn Little Rock Submit letters to The Editor, Arkansas Times, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203. We also accept letters via e-mail. The address is maxbrantley@arktimes.com. We also accept faxes at 375-3623. Please include a hometown and telephone number.

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The WEEK THAT was Nov. 17-23, 2010 It was a good week for …

LITTLE ROCK NATIONAL AIRPORT. It got back the $40,000 Airport Director Ron Mathieu had steered to Little Rock Christian Academy, the private school his son attends, for a new football field.

The Arkansas Reporter

Phone: 501-375-2985­ Fax: 501-375-3623 Arkansas Times Online home page: http://www.arktimes.com E-mail: arktimes@arktimes.com ■

■­

■

CORPORATE WELFARE. The city of Little Rock will operate at a deficit again in 2011 — making ends meet with reserve money — and will leave 200 city jobs unfilled. But it will continue to send $200,000 to the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, a subsidy of the private organization’s pro-business lobbying activities. And Mayor Mark Stodola made it clear he does not intend to make the Chamber account for how it spends the taxpayer money. Who do we pay? None of your damn business, taxpayer.

It was a bad week for …

The PULASKI COUNTY QUORUM COURT. Through luck of increasing property tax revenues, Pulaski County government has plenty of money. Spending some on sheriff’s deputies makes sense. But another round of 4 percent pay raises for members of the Quorum Court in the midst of a virtual depression, after 9 percent in pay raises the previous two years, plus bonuses? Not a good example for the unemployed and struggling.

MIKE HUCKABEE. His attention to Iowa indicates he’ll be running for president in 2012. Better him than Sarah Palin. What’s bad about it is his naked appeal to prejudice against gays as evidenced in a Des Moines speech urging voter insurrection against courts that provide equal treatment to gay people. This plays well, however, in the Religious Right-controlled Iowa Republican caucuses.

PAT O’BRIEN. With only six weeks left in office, the Pulaski circuit clerk has provoked a fight with the 17 circuit judges who say he shouldn’t be destroying all paper copies of lawsuits because his on-line filing system isn’t fully working yet.

8 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

brian chilson

ART LOVERS, Crystal Bridges, the Walton-financed museum of American art in Bentonville, finally has an opening date — Nov. 11, 2011.

INDIAN SPRINGS CREEK: Nothing lives here.

Drop by drop Concerns over mining site in Hot Springs.

by David Koon

n You don’t have to be a scientist to know that there’s something wrong with Indian Springs Creek near Hot Springs.

Even in the middle of a weeks-long drought, the small creek was flowing, gurgling out from under a boulder dike that lies directly below a 10-story-high pile of mine waste. In the still pools, the water there is a shade lighter than dried blood, streaked with a metallic, rainbow sheen. The surface of the water has congealed to the point that it looks like rubber; thick enough that ants can be seen scurrying around on top. In the water itself, there is nothing alive. Stirred with a stick, the surface breaks up like sodden tissue paper. Less than a mile from there, the creek empties into Lake Catherine, where people swim and fish. That flows into the Ouachita River, where Arkadelphia gets its drinking water.

The owner of the mine, Umetco Minerals Corporation, has petitioned the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission to remove the drinking-water designation on nearby Wilson Creek, and allow the site to discharge roughly four times more chlorides and total dissolved solids than would normally be allowed, and 13 times more sulfates. There is currently no permit for discharges into Indian Springs Creek. Last month, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality tested the water in streams around the site, found the discharge levels to be out of compliance, and has demanded action from Umetco. Still, both Umetco and the ADEQ say the water there is safe.

In the mid-1960s, Union Carbide started mining vanadium at the site, which lies on

Malvern Avenue just outside the Hot Springs city limits. Vanadium is a metallic element added to steel to make it stronger and more corrosion resistant. The mine shut down in the 1980s. Though the primary risk at active vanadium mines is from inhalation of the toxic dust, the aftereffects of vanadium mining can be just as messy. Studies on groundwater near other vanadium mines have found elevated levels of arsenic, lead, heavy metals and other chemicals.

Umetco has been working to reclaim the 500-acre site for the past 15 years, covering the vast pile of mining spoil with clay, topsoil and vegetation to keep rainwater from percolating through. But there is apparently no physical barrier between the earth and the bottom of the waste pile, and the area is riddled with underground springs. Umetco says that runoff water from the site is pumped up to nearby Wilson Creek for treatment before being discharged, but a large pump in a nearoverflowing concrete catch basin near Indian Springs Creek at the base of the waste pile was not running the day we visited, and those familiar with the site say it never runs as far as they know.

Hot Springs resident Denise Parkinson is worried. Parkinson, who has long been interested in environmental causes, began researching the site after being asked to do so by a friend who was a cancer survivor. “The more I heard about it, the more freaked out I got. Then, in the middle of doing all this research, here comes the Hungarian toxic sludge flood, and it looks exactly like what is going on up on the hillside,” Parkinson said, referring to a recent incident in which several

people were killed and 16 square miles of countryside in Hungary was inundated with caustic red sludge after a dam collapsed at a mine.

Lowell Price owns a home on Lake Catherine. He moved there in 1989, and started hearing rumors of pollution from the Umetco site soon after. Friends of his have said they break out in a rash every time they get the water from Lake Catherine on their skin. An avid fisherman, Price worries about eating fish taken from the lake, and said he’s scared to let his kids and grandchildren swim there.

“What really burns me up is the fact that ADEQ has let us down,” Price said. “I think they’ve sold us down the river. It’s their responsibility to see that the water stays pure.”

Those downstream are concerned as well.

Dorinda Suitor, utilities manager of the water and sewer system in Arkadelphia, which gets its drinking water from the Ouachita River, lodged a letter of concern with the ADEQ in September over the proposed change to the Water Quality Standards for Wilson Creek. Suitor asked ADEQ administrators to consider what their decision would be if their own drinking water came from a river downstream from the Umetco site. “Common sense does not allow me to conceive of a business asking for permit limits to be expanded simply because they can’t meet them without spending money,” Suitor wrote. “In good faith, I cannot imagine a business asking the Commission to lower Stream Standards so that they can pollute.”

Mary Draves is a spokesperson for Dow Chemical Company, which holds Umetco as a subsidiary. In an emailed response, she said several times that she doesn’t know exactly what a reporter saw during our visit to Indian Springs Creek and thus can’t comment on the conditions we observed. Nonetheless, she insists that the water there “is not compromised.”

Draves said Umetco has spent approximately $40 million on reclamation efforts so far. She called the site “typical of mining sites in this region,” and said that the request to change the water quality standards for the Umetco site runoff is “not unusual.” “The ADEQ has granted numerous site specific requests in Arkansas at other permitted sites if those requests meet the appropriate guidelines,” she wrote.

The ADEQ took samples from the Umetco site in October, including samples from Wilson Creek and Indian Springs Creek. In a Nov. 10 letter to Umetco remediation leader Lucius Boudreax, the ADEQ said that their testing found that the level of sulfates in a sample taken at Wilson Creek stood at 264 milligrams per liter, against the existing daily permit limit of 28.5 milligrams per liter, while Continued on page 15

The high flying Little Rock National Airport High executive pay, foreign travel and $272,000 in credit card charges per year.

By Leslie Newell Peacock

entree and appetizers of filet of beef, foie gras, lemonade, etc. At L’Alsace on the Champs Elysees ($122.16), the director and the mayor had stuffed mussels, escargot, a cabbage dish, and non-alcoholic drinks. The tab at La Galichon (no receipt), a lunch with the mayor, Jay Chesshir, Don Hendrix and Becky Thompson (the latter two are not identified), was $128.86.

The last night in Paris, the Little Rock group pulled out all the stops at Le Pichet de Paris, where diners Mathieu, Stodola, Chesshir and a fourth person (name illegible) had a lovely French repast of escargot, shrimp, rock crab, duck foie gras, filet of sole, tuna steak washed down with whiskey and wine, including two bottles of Saint-Jacques (78 euros) and a bottle of Mouton Cadet Blanc for 36 euros, or $54. (Airport policy, unlike state practice, allows purchase of alcoholic beverages with public money for “entertainment.”)

The mayor was not successful in persuading Dassault, which had laid off 150 employees earlier in 2009, to staunch the flow. It cut 200 more jobs in December, two months after the mayor’s return. Dassault’s headquarters for North and South America and the Pacific Rim is in South Hackensack, N.J. Chesshir, incidentally, heads an agency Continued on page 15

DINNER’S ON US: The tab charged to the city’s airport was more than $200 per person when Ron Mathieu took Mayor Stodola and Chamber President Jay Chesshir to dinner in Paris last year. The bill is in euros.

PRICELESS: Airport Director Ron Mathieu and Deputy Director Brian Malinowski wield busy credit cards. airport-supplied cars.

Airport Executive Director Ronald Mathieu and Deputy Director Bryan Malinowski charged $89,949 to an airport Business Platinum American Express card issued them to pay for travel, meals and other

La belle vie Jetting to Paris on the airport’s tab. n Little Rock National Airport Executive Director Ron Mathieu and Mayor Mark Stodola flew to Paris Oct. 3-8 to meet with executives of Dassault Falcon Jet, which operates a manufacturing plant at the airport. They flew first class to Atlanta, business class to Paris. They ate at French restaurants and took French taxicabs and stayed at the Prince de Galles hotel. The tab, based on receipts turned in by Mathieu to the Little Rock airport, came to a total of $15,121.31.

In an e-mail to the Times, the mayor wrote: “Since the trip was made to discuss saving existing jobs and to lobby for the creation of new jobs at Dassault by urging them to build their new SMS Jet on Airport property, the airfare was an expense of the LR Municipal Airport Commission. It was not an expense of the city’s general fund.

I also did not make the reservations. I was asked to represent the city by the airport and AEDC [Arkansas Economic Development Commission] on behalf of the Governor’s office. Mr. Dassault also happens to be a Mayor of a municipal suburb of Paris.”

Stodola’s statement of financial interest filed with the city for the year 2009 reported only that the Little Rock Regional

items, between Oct. 25, 2009, and Oct. 29, 2010, an accounts payable history report shows. That works out to almost $3,800 per month per man in expenses, or better than $100 per day.

But that’s not all their charges. The air-

port issues a Visa bank card to its administrative team; charges since Nov. 4, 2009,

by Mathieu, Malinowski, finance director Carol Snay, operations director Charles Jones, human resources director Allen Williams and purchasing manager Elwin Jones totaled $182,833.85, or more than $15,000 per month. The card pays for miscellaneous expenses, including meals and fees. Of that total, charges by Mathieu and Malinowski account for $30,161, putting expenses by the top two leaders alone at $10,000 per month. The March 2010 statement includes a gift of $5,000 to the private University of Arkansas Foundation by Mathieu. The state Constitution prohibits government agencies from giving money to private corporations.

The expenses produce a mountain of individual receipts. They are presumably reviewed internally for payment and the airport itself pays for an annual audit, but there is apparently no independent audit of the quasi-independent city agency, such as state agencies, cities and school districts are subjected to by the legislature.

Little Rock National Airport, on city property and overseen by a city-appointed Continued on page 15

brian chilson

n If it’s January, it must be Hawaii.

Travel and expense records of Little Rock National Airport executives over the past two years show nearly monthly trips to national and international spots. Hawaii is yearly, for the annual American Association of Aviation Executives Airport Aviation Issues conference. It was followed this year by trips to Chicago and Fort Lauderdale in February. Savannah and San Diego in April, Washington and Atlanta in May, Brussels in June, Prague in October. Last year, it was Paris. Montreal. Dallas. Las Vegas. Miami.

It’s a high-flying job, being the executive director and deputy director of an airport, and commissioners and others — including Mayor Mark Stodola — sometimes go along for the ride.

An Arkansas Times examination of records produced under Freedom of Information Act requests showed top airport officials rang up more than $272,000 in credit card expenses in 12 months time, more than $20,000 per month.

The charges were primarily for travel, lodging and dining expenses, but with some office supplies and other charges, such as car washes and tires for the top officials’

Chamber of Commerce paid for $175 in meals on Stodola’s trip. There was no information on the trip to Paris because, the mayor said, the statement asks only that he report payment from “nongovernmental sources.” The airport “is a governmental unit,” Stodola said.

Graham Sloan, director of the state Ethics Commission, said, however, that, generally, any expenditure of more than $150 on behalf of a government official is reportable. He said the definition of a “governmental source” is a gray area in the law.

Does it mean only the public official’s own government? Or does it mean a payment from a separate source? That’s never been addressed, Sloan said.

The mayor’s four nights at the Prince de Galles (A Luxury Collection Hotel) cost the airport $3,069.87 (2,020 euros).

Mathieu’s room charges were a bit more expensive, at $3,503.93.

Receipts turned in to the airport by Mathieu offer a picture of the meals he, the mayor, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce president Jay Chesshir and others enjoyed on the airport expense account.

At La Christine ($176.89), for example, Mathieu and the mayor dined on a special

www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 9

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EAT ARKANSAS — FOR BREAKFAST A survey of the best the state has to offer.

photos by kat robinson, grav weldon

BY KAT ROBINSON

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10 1. Mud Street Cafe, Eureka Springs; 2. Jack’s Pancake-N-Steak House, Hot Springs; 3. Ferguson’s Country Store, St. Joe; 4. Common Grounds, Fayetteville; 5. B-Side, Little Rock; 6. Ashley’s At The Capital, Little Rock; 7. Local Flavor Cafe, Eureka Springs; 8. Bob’s Grill, Conway; 9. Lucy’s Diner, Fort Smith; 10. Cliff House Inn, Jasper.

10 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

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e’re all told from our earliest age that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet for many of us, breakfast is an afterthought, something we grab and go or skip altogether.

But, believe me, breakfast is alive and well in restaurants across the state. This summer I set out on a vast quest: to learn more about the Arkansas breakfast palate and to discover the best breakfasts being served.

Along the way, I discovered many truths: hashbrowns are more prevalent than grits, omelets are everywhere and pancakes are just as likely as biscuits and gravy to be the state breakfast food. I uncovered some real gems; I also ate at places I wouldn’t send an enemy to.

I don’t really think I understood the scope of this undertaking when I took this assignment. It had occurred to me that I would need to travel. But it didn’t dawn on me that I would log nearly 2,500 miles, as I crisscrossed the state from Lake Village to Magnolia to Paragould to Rogers. I took recommendations from acquaintances, from Twitter followers and Facebook fans, from Arkansas Times readers and from complete strangers.

I even picked up a traveling companion along the way. Just days after taking on the

project, I ran into photographer Grav Weldon, who was fascinated with what I was doing and asked if he could come along for the ride. Well, it sure beat eating breakfast by myself morning after morning.

We pushed ourselves hard, following up on almost every reader recommendation I received. Twice I experienced a four-breakfast morning, and one Sunday I hauled Grav through five in the Springdale/Rogers area.

There were points where I never wanted to see an egg or a cup of coffee again.

What follows are the top spots worthy of a visit during the morning hours. Largely because of the limitations of space, I exempted restaurants that only do brunch, and created a special section for bakeries and coffeehouses, which tend to bring in an entirely different sort of breakfast crowd. Narrowing the list was difficult. I suspect my picks will inspire argument (in fact, I’ll provide a forum on Eat Arkansas, arktimes. com/blogs/eatarkansas, where you can tell me about it). But I’m confident, too, that you’ll find some gems you’ve never heard about in the list that follows.

Carry the issue with you when you travel the state, or better yet, check an expanded version of the list at arktimes.com/Arkansasbreakfast, and, wherever you are, you’ll always know about a good breakfast nearby.

Rock, Delicious Temptations continues to offer homemade pancakes and the celebrated Eggs Temptation, a crabmeat take on Eggs Benedict. $$-$$$, 11220 N. Rodney Parham Road, 501-2256893, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily.

Best French Toast Hayestack Cafe, Little Rock You’ve got to love a place that serves Green Eggs and Ham (the eggs are dyed) and soft home-style biscuits made from scratch each morning.

I adore the French toast with candied pecans and Vanilla Creme Anglaise for just $4.25, the sort of thing for which you’d pay twice as much at an upscale restaurant. $$, 27024 Kanis Road, 501821-0070, hayestackcafe.com, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.

casa manana

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Ashley’s at the Capital, Little Rock The decor and ambience of Ashley’s might strike some as overbearingly hightoned, but the food is approachable, particularly at breakfast. Probably because, as the Capital’s James Beard-nominated chef Lee Richardson says, everything “begins with a focus on Arkansas products.” The scope of Richardson’s inhouse operation is almost dizzying. He buys flour from War Eagle, from which he makes sourdough buckwheat pancakes and the bread he serves as toast.

He makes “hundreds” of pounds of jam and preserve from just about every type of fruit the area has to offer. Local sorghum sweetens the butter for toast and biscuits. Eggs are locally pastured. The sausage and bacon come from local heritage pork. Grits come, inventively, from Arkansas grown rice. And the list goes on. Don’t miss Ashley’s Signature Breakfast, chocolate French toast served with caramelized bananas and a side of apple wood smoked bacon. $$$$, 111 W. Markham St., 501-370-7011, capitalhotel.com, 7 a.m.-10 a.m. daily.

B-Side, Little Rock While the beignets with lemon curd and the baconwrapped French toast on a stick get points for pluck, the smoked Gouda grits are what’ll make you a repeat customer. The chicken and waffles combo is another favorite. Simplicity executed well is the secret, according to chef Jef-

frey Moore (the grandson of Ed Moore of Little Rock’s first gourmet restaurant, Jacques and Suzanne’s). “Most of our menu items are just four or five ingredients executed well,” he says. $$-$$$, 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road, 501716-2700, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wed.-Sun.

Best Mexican breakfast Casa Manana, Little Rock Breakfast is served all day at this Little Rock Mexican favorite.

Fresh hot tortilla chips and salsa come out with your coffee. Try the Huevos con Machaca: shredded beef and sliced jalapenos, tomatoes, onions and cilantro scrambled with eggs and served with potatoes and beans. The coffee is hot and freshly brewed. $$, 6820 Cantrell Road, 501-280-9888, casamananamexicanfood.com, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.Fri., 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sun.

Leo’s Greek Castle, Little Rock Where else in Arkansas can you find an omelet filled with gyro meat? The Greek omelet is a two-fold, golden yellow package stuffed with hot gyro meat, topped with cheese and served with toast. Have a piece of baklava, too. $$, 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd., 501-666-7414, 7 a.m.-11 a.m. Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 8 a.m.4 p.m. Sun. Lulav, Little Rock This recent addition to the breakfast market is a welcome one.

Best bacon Ozark Country Restaurant, Little Rock The traditional top vote getter in our Readers Choice poll for breakfast in Little Rock scores with its delicious peppered bacon and Muscadine juice on tap. Another favorite: the pineapple pancakes, which taste like a less-sweet version of pineapple upside down cake and are delicious with real butter and even better with syrup. $$-$$$, 201 Keightly Drive, 501-6637319, 6 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Argenta Market, North Little Rock The little market that could, Argenta Market serves up breakfast at the back counter, including chocolate gravy and biscuits.

Our favorite is the spinach quiche made from locally grown spinach leaves and locally harvested eggs and served with seasonal fruit. Boulevard Bread and Community Bakery goods are also available. $$ 521 N. Main St., 501-3799980, argentamarket.com, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. daily.

Kierre’s Kountry Kitchen, North Little Rock North Little Rock’s (and MauContinued on page 12

Dave & Ray’s Downtown Diner, Little Rock Breakfast done right and for cheap in downtown Little Rock. The cooks know how to properly serve breakfast — veggies are sauteed before they go in the omelet, the sausage is always hot and the eggs are always fluffy. The yellow biscuits are delicious, too. $, 824 W. Capitol Ave., 501-372-8816, 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Delicious Temptations, Little Rock For a long time one of the few mid-range non-chain breakfast options in Little

hayestack cafe

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Frontier Diner, Little Rock The star of the show is the Hog Wild — two eggs, biscuits, gravy and hash browns served up with a nearly inch-thick slice of ham.

The French toast is pretty good, too. $$, 10424 Interstate 30, 501-565-6414, 6 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Mon.-Sat.

The menu includes something for every budget — light pastries, homemade yogurt confections and such for the small budgets, loaded omelets, pork medallions and country ham for the larger budget. The Mediterranean Eggs Benedict with rosemary-shredded potatoes deserve a special shout-out. $$$, 220 W. 6th St., 501-374-5100, lulaveatery.com, 6:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Mon.-Fri.

www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 11

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Spudnut Shop

ecause eating sweet treats for breakfast is a whole different experience, another list:

Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Cafe, Harrison The breads are popular here, but we’re partial to the muffins — especially the pumpkin sour cream and the banana chip nut. Even if you show up late for breakfast, the staff will gleefully heat your muffin. $$, 1012 Hwy. 65 N, 870-741-6455, neighborsmill.com‎, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat.

Boulevard Bread Co., Little Rock You’ll find big muffins, savory scones and all sorts of delicious fresh-baked bread here. The monkey bread is irresistible. Gourmet coffee, too. $$, 1920 N. Grant St., 501-663-5951, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Mon.-Sat. Satellite locations at 400 President Clinton Ave. and inside UAMS.

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community bakery

Community Bakery, Little Rock The spongy beignets are always a treat. And we can’t get enough of the old-fashioned sour cream cake donut. $, 1200 Main St., 501-375-6418, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.; 270 S. Shackleford Road, 501-224-1656, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Mon.-Sat., 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Sun.

Domingo’s Bakery & Restaurant, Springdale The breads here are plentiful; the conches are flaky and slightly sweet and the chocolate on the doughnuts is dark. Best of all, the prices are cheap, which means you can get a whole lot for your dollar. $, 1229 W. Sunset Ave., Springdale, 479-750-4797, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Mercado San Jose, Little Rock Inside this Mexican grocery store, you’ll find one of Little Rock’s best Mexican bakeries serving up cherry empanadas, churros and conchas. It’s the best place in town to find pan dulce. $, 7411 Geyer Springs Road, 501- 565-4246, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Mon.-Sat.

Sugarbaker’s Coffee House Cafe, Paragould This quaint little cafe is a great place for hot coffee, fresh muffins and cookies for breakfast. Breakfast treats usually sell out, so go early. $, 221 S. Pruett St., Paragould, 870-236-7842, 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat.

Ed’s Custom Bakery, Conway Find cinnamon rolls, tightly swirled butter rolls and Conway’s best pecan rolls here. $, 256 Oak St., 501-327-2996, 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Something’s Brewing Cafe, Conway Scones, especially blueberry and pecan, are what draw us back to this Conway coffeehouse time and time again. $$, 1156 Front St., 501-327-5517, 7 a.m.10 p.m. daily.

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hankins country store

Hankins Country Store, Pelsor The bread pudding muffin is popular, but we prefer the pecan roll; its gooey sweet topping complements the salty dough inside. Grab some napkins. $, Junction Hwy 7-16-123, Pelsor, 870-294-5151, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon.-Sat.

12 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Arsaga Espresso Cafe, Fayetteville Arsaga makes its own dessert-like pastries and roasts its own coffee. Quiches and other breakfast items are always available. $$, 1852 N. Crossover Road, 479-527-0690, 6:30 a.m.11 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 6:30 a.m.-12 a.m. Fri.-Sat., 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.; 2418 N. Gregg Ave., 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 6:30 a.m.-12 a.m. Fri., 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.; plus locations in the Fayetteville Public Library, Washington Regional Medical Center and the UA Law Library.

Klappenbach Bakery, Fordyce Back open after a fire that damaged the kitchen, the Fordyce mainstay is back as if nothing had changed. Doughnuts come in large and small sizes. Our favorite is the blueberry Danish— firm and buttery with just-sweet-enough icing and big chunks of fresh blueberry. If you can’t get to Fordyce, you can have some bread mailed to you. $$, 108 West Fourth St., Fordyce, 870-352-7771, klappenbachbakery.com, 6 a.m.5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. Spudnut Shop, Magnolia As its South Arkansas adherents know, a typical Spudnut is made from potato flour and is the diameter of a regular doughnut but with a bit more height. The firm texture makes it a great coffee doughnut.

Don’t miss the cinnamon-sugar dusted version. $, 612 E Main St # B, Magnolia, 870-234-2005, 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Tue., 6 a.m.-11 a.m. Wed.-Sat.

wagon wheel melle’s, for that matter) best place for a country-style breakfast. You can make a meal on the three-biscuits-and-gravy special; the 2x4 (two eggs, two sausages, two slices of bacon and two pancakes) is another favorite. And don’t miss the cheese omelet — an envelope-folded omelet packed with cheese and served up with hash browns and toast. $$, 6 Collins Industrial Place, 501-758-0903, kierreskountrykitchen.com, 6 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Tue.-Fri. 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.

Best waitresses The Diner, Cabot Go for the chicken-fried steak breakfast ($6.99). And for the gentle chiding and good humor of the waitresses, who will break out into an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday” at the drop of a hat.

They remember repeat customers, too. $$, 3286 S. Second St., 501-941-0904, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sun. Hurley House Cafe, Hazen They pack omelets full here. The all-meat-and-cheese omelet comes stuffed with ham, bacon and sausage. It’s served with toast. $$, 1303 Hwy. 70 E, 870-255-4679, 6 a.m.11 a.m. daily.

Bob’s Grill, Conway This is where all the regulars have breakfast in Conway; even on the dreariest Monday morning you can find a dozen or so seated before 7 a.m. Try the hash brown plate with all vegetables. It’s a mountain of peppers, onions, tomatoes and potatoes topped with cheese and served with toast. $, 1112 Oak St., 501-329-9760, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Stoby’s, Conway and Russellville It’s hard to beat the Northerner, Stoby’s hashbrowns and corned beef hash combo. But you can’t go wrong with the Ole Omelet ($5.80), a three-egg cheddar cheese omelet packed with Stoby’s chili. The colossal cinnamon rolls are 4 inches across and made

fresh at Patticakes, the Stoby’s-owned bakery adjacent to each restaurant. The meat at Stoby’s is Petit Jean brand and homemade strawberry jam comes in a squeeze bottle. $$, 805 Donaghey Ave., Conway 501-327-5447; 405 W. Parkway Drive, Russellville, 479-968-3816; stobys.com, 6 a.m.-11 a.m. Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.-12 p.m. at both locations.

Mom & Pop’s Waffles, Morrilton A former Waffle House, this Hwy. 95 joint is the best place in Conway County to pick up a hot breakfast, hot coffee and local gossip. Try the Strawberry Specialty Waffle, a traditional ironed waffle topped with fresh strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar. $, 1504 Oak St., 501-354-8284, 6 a.m-1 p.m. daily.

Cheesiest omelet Wagon Wheel Restaurant, Greenbrier The shoe-sized hamburger steak breakfast is worthy of much mention, with a nice onion-pepper flavor throughout. But the mushroom omelet is the ticket — a traditional thin envelope-fold egg creation stuffed with mushrooms and packed inside and out with a hearty helping of Monterey Jack cheese. Breakfast served all day. $$, 166 S. Broadview St., 501-679-5009, 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 5:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Best potatoes Ed & Kay’s Restaurant, Benton There’s a 16-ounce bone-in ham steak on the menu that’s celebrated, and the Everything Omelet really does contain just about everything except the kitchen sink. But it’s the fried potatoes that really won us over — shreds of red potato thicker than hash browns but not quite home fry size, liberally seasoned and buttered and completely irresistible. Breakfast served all day. $$, 15228 Interstate 30 N., 501-315-3663, 6 a.m.4 p.m. Wed.-Sun. Home Plate Diner, Bryant Home of the

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Best Pastries The other side of breakfast.

soft, delicious masterpiece that is cinnamon roll French toast. That’s cinnamon rolls cut horizontally in half, battered and skillet fried. Probably bad for you, but oh so good. $$, 2615 N. Prickett Road, 501847-3331, homeplatediner.com, 7:30 a.m.10:30 a.m. Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Sat.

English Muffin, hot springs Every day, the Muffin brings in fresh Wolferman’s English muffins in a dozen or so different flavors. They’re always good, but our favorite here is the seafood omelet, an extraordinarily fluffy omelet full of tender shrimp and crabmeat topped with a seafood cream sauce. $$, 4832 Central Ave., 501-525-2710, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.

Jack’s pancakE-n-stEak housE, hot springs Decadent favorites like Sticky Caramel Nut French Toast and the Famous Hash Brown Omelet are good choices. Try the Famous Banana Split Pancakes and the blueberrypecan pancakes; topped with bananas, strawberries and whipped cream, the latter become something close to dessert. Yum. Breakfast served all day. $$, 1105 Albert Pike Road, 501-624-5568, 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sun.-Tue., 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. pancakE shop, hot springs You can’t go wrong at a place where the waitresses still call you “honey.” With an atmosphere lost in the ’60s (and prices to match), this is the place in Spa City to get breakfast before heading out to the track or to the baths. Pancakes come hanging over the edge of the plate and with several options of fruit topping. The apple butter is homemade and terrific on biscuits. $, 216 Central Ave, 501-624-5720, pancakeshop.com, 6 a.m.-12:45 p.m. daily. annE’s country cafE, pinE Bluff Fat omelets and oversized portions come out of the kitchen at this joint on Highway 79 with a little sass from the well established wait staff. Try the New York omelet, a ground beef-and-American cheese creation served up with two biscuits and a side. They’ll give you more grits than you can handle if you let them. $, 3714 Camden Road, 870-

879-0057, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.2 p.m. Sat. and Sun.

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coMMon grounds, fayEttEvillE More than just a coffee and pastry shop, Common Grounds also offers great breakfast-related alcoholic beverages like mimosas and Bloody Marys. Sausage rolls and quiches are popular, and you can’t go wrong with the Lox of Love, which comes with capers blended directly into cream cheese. $$$, 412 W. Dickson St., 479-442-3515, commongroundsar.com, 7 a.m.-11 a.m. Mon.Fri., 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat.-Sun. susan’s rEstaurant, springdalE Known for breakfast and lunch, this family restaurant packs in the crowds on weekend mornings. Our pick here is the chili and cheese omelet. The chili has a great strong tomato tang to it; mix in some cheese under that envelope-style egg wrapper and you have a manfood morning. $$, 1440 W. Sunset Ave., 479-751-1445, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.

Arkansas Kids Count Coalition’s 2010 Pre-Legislative Conference Dec. 2 in Little Rock, 9 am - 2 pm

• Preview of legislation impacting Arkansas families.

• Panels on education, health, economic issues and children.

• Keynote by Dr. Sherece West, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation • Networking with advocates, wonks and lawmakers. $25 includes lunch; $15 for coalition members.

Reserve your spot today: 501-371-9678, ext. 112 or visit www.aradvocates.org/pre-leg Supported by:

Best waffle WafflE hut faMily rEstaurant, springdalE The best waffles in the state can be found at this 35-year-old breakfastheavy establishment along Sunset Avenue (Highway 412). The slightly malted batter of the big Belgians is a perfect match for syrup or sweet strawberries and a pile of whipped cream. $, 2223 W. Sunset Ave., 479-751-8476, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.

Festival of Fashion

Best OrganiC BEan palacE, rogErs Everything you’ll eat at the Bean Palace is organic, from the sausage and hickorysmoked bacon to biscuits, pancakes and waffles made with grains milled on-site.

Apple butter, syrup and jellies are available for every breakfast. $$, 11045 War Eagle Road, 479-789-5343, wareaglemill. com, 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. daily. cliff housE inn, JaspEr Great breakfasts with a great view over the Arkansas Grand Canyon looking out over the Buffalo River Valley. While traditional favorites Continued on page 14

Friday, December 3 11 a.m. - Noon Doors open at 10 a.m.

Tickets $50 each Box of 10 seats $500

OF FASHION Festival of Fashion, an annual event presented by the CARTI Auxiliary, is receiving an "Extreme Show Makeover!" Hundreds of fashionistas of Central Arkansas will experience the latest styles while enjoying hors d'oeuvres.

In the tradition of New York City's "Fashion Week", we will offer guests runway style, theater seating for their up -close enjoyment of the season's finest designs. Doors open at 10 a.m., affording plenty of time to view the decorated trees, bid on auction items and browse the Deck the Halls gift shop.

Fashions Provided by the Following Boutiques

B. Barnett • Barbara Jean • Companions • Evolve New Traditions • Proposals • Roberson’s Fine Jewelers Scarlet • Tulips • Vesta's

gRaV wEldON

For tickets visit carti.com or call 501.660.7634 Sponsored by

WafflE hut

Follow us on

www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 13

like French toast are tasty, go for the country smoked ham steak served with eggs and those decadently moist Angel Flake biscuits. The biscuits alone are worth the drive, but you’ll be happy for the ham steak’s smoky and sugary flavor once you get there. $$, Old Hwy. 7, 870-446-2292, cliffhouseinnar.com, 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. daily.

cakes, made with milk chocolate chips; no need for syrup. Get them as part of the Manager’s Special, along with a couple of eggs and your choice of breakfast meat. $$, 2117 E. Parker Road, 870-9326343, 6:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. daily.

Biggest Biscuits Meacham’s, Ash Flat A quality country breakfast in the wilds of Northeast Arkansas? Indeed. Lauded by locals and gushed over by visitors, Meacham’s offers hearty and large breakfasts. All you really need, though, is one of the gigantic biscuits smothered in gravy or in butter and jam. The big, soft wheat biscuits are pull-apart flaky; you’ll only need one. $$, 191 Hwy. 62 W, 870-994-2101, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Tue.Sun.

Local Flavor Cafe, Eureka Springs Don’t miss the spicy Mexican Scram, a Poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, eggs and onions, topped with avocado slices, tomato and sour cream and served with black beans and two very different salsas. $$-$$$, 71 S. Main St., 479-2539522, localflavorcafe.net, 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Mon.-Sat. Mud Street Cafe, Eureka Springs The coffee alone is worth heading down the stairs to this basement-level eatery. But dishes like vegetable hashbrowns with no less than 11 types of vegetables included and tangy sour cream pancakes truly make the windowless space a destination. Another favorite: the Mud Muffin, a Wolferman’s English muffin with a folded scrambled egg, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onion, black olives and bean sprouts inside. It’s a mouthful, but there are sprouts; it’s got to be good for you, right? $$-$$$, 22 S. Main St., 479-253-6732, mudstreetcafe.com, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Thu.-Tue.

Best Ethnic New Delhi Cafe, Eureka Springs Try the chocolate-scented coffee and the Indian omelet wraps. The latter’s a captivating blend of eggs, sweet caramelized onions, fresh tomatoes, chilies and masala spices in a folded tortilla. $$, 2 N. Main St., 479-253-2525, thenewdelhicafe.com, 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. daily.

Best Cinnamon Rolls

Ferguson’s Country Store, St. Joe Here you’ll find big country breakfasts made from scratch and starring crumbly biscuits, country sausage and omelets. But don’t you dare have breakfast or any other meal at Ferguson’s without one of the store’s famed softball-sized cinnamon rolls. Take-home rolls fill a burger box and come with six ounces of icing. $$, 14 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

new delhi 121 E. Highway 333, 870-439-2234, buffalorivertradingco.com, 8 a.m.11:30 a.m. daily.

Calico County, Fort Smith Country breakfast, defined. While you might be tempted to stop at coffee and the un-iced cinnamon rolls that make it to every diner’s table, you’d be missing out on the likes of crusty-tender country-fried steak, homemade biscuits and the best chocolate gravy you’ll ever have. $$, 2401 S. 56th St., 479-452-3299, calicocounty.net, 6:30 a.m.-11 a.m. daily.

Best 24-Hour Breakfast Benson’s Grill, Fort Smith The breakfast quesadillas and the GOTcha (Gravy On Top) breakfast both have their following, but we’re faithful to the sweet potato pancakes, a short stack of 8-inch rounds topped with a big lump of margarine. $, 2515 Rogers Ave., 479-782-8181, 24 hours daily.

Lewis Family Restaurant, Fort Smith Best known for its Inferno Burger, this restaurant should also be getting notice for breakfast items like French toast made from homemade bread and its turkey sausage. The waffles are studded with more than an ample share of pecans. Breakfast all day. $$, 5901 Highway 71 S, 479-646-4309, 6 a.m.-3 p.m. daily.

Lucy’s Diner, Fort Smith The youngest of Fort Smith’s three 24-hour eateries, Lucy’s offers a gigantic house special breakfast for $6.49; there are more than a dozen possible toppings for your hash browns. Try the cheeseburger om-

elet, a full burger patty crumbled and melted together with American cheese in a fluffy side fold three-egg omelet. $$, 4605 Towson Ave., 479-646-1001, lucysdiner.com, 24 hours daily.

Atkins International Cafe, Atkins This surprising little Mexican-American cafe along Hwy. 64 serves up traditional breakfasts and omelets. The standout dish is the huevos rancheros, eggs served with rice and beans and a pungent orange salsa made in-house that’s heavy on the tomatoes — it’s perfect when mixed with all the other ingredients in a tortilla. $$, 211 E. Main St., 479-641-2760, 6 a.m.11 a.m. Mon.-Sat., 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Sun. The Old South, Russellville The corned beef comes out of a can but it’s plentiful; the hash browns are griddle crisp and the cathead biscuits are handformed. Breakfast all day. $$, 1330 E. Main St., Russellville, 479-968-3789, 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

NORTHEAST

Best breakfast buffet Ole Sawmill Cafe, Forrest City The best breakfast buffet in the state offers several types of breakfast meats as well as country fried steak, eggs, casseroles, biscuits, pancakes, oatmeal, grits and — well, it goes on from there, for just $6.50 a person. $$, 2299 N. Washington St., 870-630-2299, olesawmillcafe.com, 6 a.m.-10:30 a.m. daily.

Front Page Cafe, Jonesboro This popular Jonesboro eatery saves the thrown rolls for dinner. Breakfast is surprisingly reasonable. Go for the chocolate chip pan-

kat robinson

Ozark Cafe, Jasper More than 100 years old, this is the oldest breakfast restaurant on our list. Featuring omelets and pancakes, the true star is the Ozark French toast, a cinnamon-and-brownsugar encrusted creation served with caramel and pecans. Chocolate gravy is also available in copious amounts with buttery, flakey biscuits. $$, 107 E. Court St., 870-446-2976, thefrontporchinn. net, 6:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. daily.

Best biscuits and gravy Penny’s Place, Weiner Every morning before four, the cooks come in to make fresh biscuits and sweet cream gravy from scratch.

It’s the best dish of biscuits and gravy you’ll find in the state. Breakfast served all day. $, 210 N. Van Buren St., 870684-2260, 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

SOUTH

South Fork Restaurant and Truck Stop, Gurdon Here’s a great place to get a traditional South Arkansas breakfast: eggs, cornmeal-heavy sweet pancakes, grits and half-inch thick slices of fried (read: appropriately burned) all-beef bologna served any time you want an artery-clogging breakfast. $$ 2066 Hwy. 53 N, 870-353-4363, 24 hours daily.

Sweetest Breakfast Johnny B’s Grill, El Dorado The most decadent, dessertlike breakfast around: Johnny B’s Gourmet Turtle Delight Waffle, a Belgian waffle topped with chocolate and caramel syrup, pecans, chocolate chips and whipped cream. Incredibly rich, and so sweet you’ll need a French fry or hash brown to survive. It’s one of several waffles on the menu for $5.99.

Traditional favorites also sold here.

Breakfast served all day. $$, 211 S. West Ave., 870-863-8477, 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 5:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. Best pancakes JJ’s Lakeside Cafe, Lake Village While we are quite taken with the spicy Bean Boy Omelet packed with vegetables and peppers, the true breakfast winners here are the pancakes, sweeter than any other we’ve sampled. The sweetness is almost cakelike but with that firm texture a good pancake should have. $, 3681 S. Hwy. 65 82, 870-265-9800, 6 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Mon.-Sat.

Continued from page 9 commission, is like other independently funded entities, including the Advertising and Promotion Commission, the Wastewater Utility, and the Central Arkansas Library System. Its total operating income, from gate rentals, landing fees, land leases and the like, is $27.1 million. But it operates more like a private business, paying top executive Mathieu $180,793 (plus an $8,200 bonus in 2009), more than the governor, Little Rock and North Little Rock’s mayors, the State Police director, Little Rock’s police and fire chiefs. Mathieu drives a 2011 Honda Pilot, a $41,558 vehicle purchased for him weeks ago as part of his contract. Deputy Director Malinowski ($147,465) and Finance Director Carol Snay ($129,794) are paid more than all those officials with the exception of Little Rock’s mayor. Malinowski is also provided a car; he drives a $36,562 Toyota Highlander hybrid.

Only Little Rock’s mayor and police chief earn more than the airport’s director of properties, planning and development Tom Clarke, who is paid $122,424. All of the other four directors are paid $100,000 and up (and two received bonuses of about $3,400), with the exception of media and marketing director Tiajuana Williams, whose salary is $96,174.26, around $1,000 shy of North Little Mayor Pat Hays’ $97,517.

Director Mathieu, who can spend up to $50,000 without permission of the Commission, apologized last week for directing $40,000 to his child’s private school, Little Rock Christian Academy, for what the airport described as advertising on the school’s football field. The money was returned to the airport by the school last Friday.

In an interview last week, Mathieu said he welcomed transparency in his business dealings. It was a change of heart for Mathieu, who initially declined a request for a phone or personal interview with the Times about the football field expenditure. “I live in a fishbowl,” Mathieu said. “If you think I’ve done something wrong, point it out.

Clearly, I wouldn’t have agreed with you [on the arrangement with Little Rock Christian], but you would have been right.”

Mathieu defended the travel expenses as part of doing airline business. He said the Airport Issues Conference in Hawaii is the most important meeting of the year because Federal Aviation Administration policies are discussed there.

The airport paid for first-class travel for Mathieu, Malinowski and Commissioner Virgil Miller to Maui for the conference, at a cost of $8,882.66. Mathieu’s and Malinowski’s wives also attended, but their tickets were reimbursed to the airport. Mathieu’s expense report shows the trip cost $3,357.76 on top of airfare — $1,680 for lodging at the Maui Westin, $1,042.46 for meals (with the “Little Rock delegation”), $561.38 for rental car and incidentals — for his trip alone.

By contrast, the CEO of the Albany International Airport in Albany, N.Y., which has 1.3 million emplanements per year (Little Rock National has 1.1 million), travels five times a year, two of those trips by car to New York City to meet with the FAA, a spokesman said. The CFO travels up to three times per year, and two other directors make one trip per year.

“We do not travel outside the country … and we have not planned to attend any conference in Hawaii,” spokesman Doug Myers said.

Mathieu traveled to Paris Oct. 3-8 last year, on Dassault Falcon Jet business (the economy has forced layoffs at the company’s operation in Little Rock since), and Brussels this year, for the Transatlantic Aviation Issues Conference. Malinowski traveled to Prague in October.

The airport picked up another airfare for the Paris trip, its Visa records show: It paid for Mayor Mark Stodola’s business class ticket, at a cost of $3,565.97 (the same as Mathieu’s). It also paid for hotel rooms for Mathieu and the mayor and restaurant meals. Mathieu’s notations on his restaurant receipts indicate the airport wined and dined Stodola, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director Jay Chesshir and others at several restaurants, including Le Pichet de Paris, where diners Mathieu, Stodola, Chesshir and a fourth person ran up a tab of $502.60. (See sidebar.)

In an e-mail, Stodola told the Times that he went to France to discuss with Dassault ways to prevent employee layoffs and to promote airport land as a site for an assembly plant for their SMS Falcon jet.

For next year’s Airport Aviation Issues trip, to Kona, Hawaii, the airport has purchased business-class plane tickets at $2,690.41 apiece for Mathieu and Commissioners Miller, Jesse Mason and Tom Schueck. It is airport policy that any airport travel of duration longer than four hours justifies purchase of a business-class air ticket.

Monday, Miller said the airport “may have to get some type of reimbursement” on those tickets, since Schueck is making a study of airport expenses, including travel. Commission chair Bob East asked Schueck to come to the Dec. 21 meeting of the commission with a report, including a recommendation on the executive director’s spending authority.

Miller said the AAAE meeting in Hawaii had served him well as a way to learn about the aviation industry. If you’re going to sit on a commission, he said, “you have the responsibility to learn [about the industry], go to workshops, seminars and conferences.”

Almost all of the commissioners, including former Mayor Jim Dailey, real estate developer Jimmy Moses, and East have taken trips on the airport’s tab in the past couple of years. Las Vegas, Washington and Atlanta were among the destinations. Commissioner Kay Kelley Arnold’s name was not on any documentation as a traveler.

creek

Continued from page 8 total dissolved solids were 467 milligrams per liter, against a permitted maximum daily concentration of 259.5 milligrams per liter. These permit limits are already higher than that allowed in the region. Umetco has petitioned the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission to change those standards dramatically — to allow for 260 mg per liter for sulfates and 543 mg per liter for TDS. The ADEQ letter instructs Umetco to correct the problem as soon as possible, and it was to submit a written response by this week. ADEQ says fines may be pending.

Umetco currently doesn’t have a permit to discharge anything into Indian Springs Creek.

Teresa Marks, director of ADEQ, said that in the past, Umetco has done its own monitoring and testing at the site, and sends it to ADEQ on a monthly basis. While Marks agreed that some might see that as a case of the fox guarding the henhouse, she said it is an arrangement that’s necessary. “Unfortunately we just don’t have the resources to go out and do routine testing on all the facilities that we have permitted,” Marks said. “Neither does any other state in the nation.” The last time the agency did its own testing at the Umetco site prior to last month’s round was April 2008.

Marks said the ADEQ is concerned about the still-pending proposal to remove the drinking water designation for Wilson Creek, and will be responding to the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission about those concerns. “As a matter of public policy, we would like to not see any of the designated uses degraded on any of our waterways,” Marks said. “Now sometimes with development and growth, that may have to take place. But our concern is that if a stream is capable of meeting a designated use that we not remove that use

la belle vie Continued from page 9

that Stodola has annually recommended for a $200,000 taxpayer outlay in the name of economic development. Stodola has also defended Chesshir’s refusal to disclose the specifics of how that money was spent. Among other things, Chesshir has refused to say whose salaries the city is helping to pay, an important point because a city contract with the chamber says the

brian chilson

airport

PARKINSON: Freaked out. to allow a degradation.”

While Indian Springs Creek is devoid of life due to contamination, and Marks said it probably wouldn’t be safe to drink due to a “laxative effect” caused by the heavy metal content, she believes it isn’t a danger to the public. She said the red color of the water and the skin on top is caused by high levels of iron oxide which she said may be “a naturally occurring phenomenon.” ADEQ test results showed the levels of iron in the creek at 47 milligrams per liter. The EPA standard for drinking water is .3 milligrams per liter. Marks said Indian Springs Creek isn’t big enough to alter the water quality in Lake Catherine.

“We’re talking about a small amount of water,” Marks said. “So by the time it actually makes it to Wilson Creek (where it is treated) and goes down to Lake Catherine, it’s not going to have a significant impact on Lake Catherine.” ADEQ will be testing the lake water soon, but Marks said she feels comfortable that the water coming from the Umetco site is safe. “I can say that I am confident that once the water leaves the Umetco premises, it’s generally not going to pose a danger to the public,” Marks said.

money is not to be used for the chamber’s political efforts. If it is subsidizing employees who do such work, it would appear to violate at least the spirit of the contract.

Stodola said he didn’t know — and he didn’t ask — whether the city’s tax money paid the expenditure by the chamber on his behalf in Paris. The city contract says the chamber’s contract is covered by the FOI. Chesshir interprets it to mean he need not provide any information to the media beyond a general summary of spending.

Correction n Cynthia Nance, dean of the University of Arkansas Law School at Fayetteville, says that a survey showed 94 percent of the school’s 2009 graduates were either working as lawyers or seeking advanced degrees. An Arkansas Times article Nov. 18 quoted a law school administrator as saying the survey showed that 94 students, or 75 percent of the class, were either working as lawyers or pursuing advanced degrees. www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 15

eye on arkansas

Editorial n “Lt. Gov.-elect Mark Darr, a Republican from Springdale, said Tuesday that he’ll offer a daily prayer for Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, adding that he wants to get along with Beebe. “ ‘I’ll also make the commitment to pray for Gov. Beebe every single day that God will give him wisdom and that God will give him health, and I will pray for the members of the legislature that I work with that [wisdom and health] will be in their lives.’ ” Can’t hurt. We all want a governor who’s strong and smart.

Legislators too, though this may require a little heavier praying on Mr. Darr’s part. If there’s time, he might add charity and good intentions to his daily request of the Almighty. Some of his fellow Republicans seem to be interpreting the election results as a mandate to break stuff. Darr himself has shown an inclination toward governmental vandalism, promising continued opposition to President Obama’s new health care reforms, apparently thinking them too soft on the poor and the elderly. Don’t forget yourself in your prayers, Mr. Darr.

You might well extend them to the judicial branch too. Supreme Court justices may believe they know everything already, but there is some evidence to the contrary. The media?

That would take a lot of praying for one man. (Some rightwing preachers have been practicing imprecatory prayer, asking God to slaughter those who disagree with them, but we’re pretty sure that Mr. Darr will stay away from that sort of thing. He’s not an ordained minister.)

At the very least, the Darr program will give him something to do, and finding something for the lieutenant governor to do is always a problem. Darr’s predecessor had time on his hands — and no interest in filling it with prayers for the governor — and Arkansas wound up with a state lottery as a result. Darr’s plan seems benevolent by comparison.

Missouri shows us n It was a bad election for people, but animals made gains, especially in Missouri, where voters approved the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, placed on the ballot by citizen-sponsored initiative. (Don’t forget John Q. Public either, Mr. Darr.

Sometimes legislators and governors are prayer-proof.)

Because of weak animal-protection laws, Missouri had become home to one-third of the country’s commercial dogbreeding facilities, wretched places where, for man’s profit, dogs are denied adequate food, water, space and shelter.

Puppy-mill malefactors will be looking to move now, and Arkansas is one of the places they’ll look to. Legislation to make them unwelcome is needed. Arkansas animal-lovers should begin lobbying, if they haven’t already.

201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203 Home page: http://www.arktimes.com • E-mail: arktimes@arktimes.com Publisher Alan Leveritt editor

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Prayer pal

RIVER MARKET ON ICE: Young skaters enjoy the outdoor ice rink in the River Market pavilion. The rink is open through Jan. 9.

As the schools turn n Still paying attention to the Little Rock School District?

If so, and if you’ve been confused about recent events, maybe I can help.

The Little Rock School Board has been having executive sessions about an unnamed employee.

That employee is Superintendent Linda Watson.

The Board has voted not to extend Watson’s contract, which expires June 30.

Watson is popular with the classroom teachers union, which has been shown every consideration during her leadership. Union leader Cathy Koehler has been making some overheated remarks about the Board. The remarks tend to harden those unfriendly to the union. They don’t build much warmth among even those friendly to the Little Rock Education Association.

Koehler hopes that by making enough noise that she’ll prevent the inevitable — Watson’s departure.

She can’t.

So why won’t the School Board talk about the matter in public? It will, probably in early December. The best time to advertise for new school superintendents is in January. Soon, the Board will begin the public process of finding a new leader. There will be local forums. There will be telephone polls.

There will be on-line surveys. It’s uncertain yet whether an outside consultant will be hired.

I suspect Board President Melanie East is holding the series of private meetings to develop a consensus on the process before it goes public. I suspect she’ll fail to achieve a 7-0 vote. Members Katherine Mitchell and Dianne Curry seem hardened to stand with Watson to the bitter end.

Won’t it be uncomfortable to have Watson on the scene while the process to replace her is underway?

Yes. Inevitably, the discussion will turn to shortcomings the board hopes to avoid in a successor.

Why won’t the School Board buy out Watson’s contract? At some point, it would make perfect sense to

Max brantley max@arktimes.com

buy out the remaining seven months and install an interim leader. But Watson and her backers are in no mood to agree to anything. It keeps hope alive of her continuation in the job. It also allows her ample opportunity to travel to professional conferences on the district’s credit card in her final months.

You might ask whether it seems a little rude to shove a career Little Rock educator with a good heart out the door. It’s no fun, but it’s business. New leadership is needed. Preparation is vital. Watson could, for example, even surprise everyone by finding a new job. Better to have a smooth, orderly and comfortable-for-all transition.

Now the future: Might the School District choose an alternative path to new leadership? Might it, for example, seek a waiver from state law requiring the hiring of a certified administrator and reach out to hire a paradigm-breaking leader? Think businessman Baker Kurrus, who wrote the incisive cover story for us about the district’s ills following completion of his 12 years on the school board. He’s not likely to leave his job as leader of the Rockefeller business interests, but he’s the sort of outside-thebox person who might be an interesting option. Or Jim Argue, the former legislator and education activist who co-chaired the school district’s strategic planning effort. Or Sen. Joyce Elliott, a teacher, former union leader and a thinker and leader beholden to no one.

These could be exciting times for the Little Rock School District. The teachers will have a seat at the table as the process unfolds. They’d be a lot more productive if they’d stop fighting a lost cause and look to the future.

brian chilson

Tax work, not wealth n The hoary theory that taxing the wealth of people with lots of it is the root of all problems is going to get a new test in Washington, Little Rock and a few other state capitals. The cataclysmic failure of the last test, the Bush tax cuts of eight and 10 years ago and a similar one in Arkansas, are distant memories.

Resurgent Republicans in the U. S. House of Representatives are talking about finally eliminating income taxes on capital gains, now taxed at a top rate of 15 percent. Grover Norquist, the spokesman for Americans for Tax Reform, one of the billionaire boys clubs, was in Little Rock to sell conservative activists, as if they needed persuading, on the perfidies of taxing anyone but working people. Republican lawmakers left determined to take an ax to the Arkansas tax code and free the 15,000 or so Arkansans with lots of passive income to do good works.

You can’t make a persuasive argument that rich people and corporations need more money so the appeal is that it’s needed to put people to work. Who doesn’t want to put people to work?

The Arkansas legislators want to eliminate income taxes on capital gains altogether, apparently both short-term and long-term gains, and repeal the little corporate franchise tax. They probably have the votes to pass the tax repeals.

Governor Beebe, who has to balance the precarious state budget, will veto them,

Ernest Dumas but under Arkansas law the legislature if it dares can override his veto with a simple majority.

It is cherished wisdom that taxing investment income—anything but wages and salaries—causes businesses to lay off people or not hire them. Neither logic nor history gives the slightest support to the idea, but that makes no difference.

Reducing or eliminating income taxes on capital gains provably does two things: It leaves more wealth with investors, and it reduces the amount of money government has to deliver services like education, protection and medical care.

Everything else is gauzy theory.

The theory is this: When the Waltons— they’re easy to pick on because they are successful—see that their federal or state tax bills are a little smaller they will call the Walmart management and tell them they should hire more stock clerks or open a new store somewhere. How likely is that to happen? If lowering or eliminating capital gains taxes spurs hiring it is so minuscule as to be unsupportable.

Businesses hire because there is a sufficient demand for their products and services that they need more employees

My pal the opportunist n This is the kind of thing that can happen when you take a newspaper opinion columnist and elect him to responsible public office.

You wind up arguing about what the state’s nickname ought to be.

You remember David Sanders. He was my foil, or I his.

Our newspaper company thought I needed to be counterbalanced since I was so dad-blamed moderate. So the higherups brought in young David to balance my reasoned moderation with his arch-conservatism.

He was fresh off Gov. Mike Huckabee’s staff and, before that, he had been the press secretary for the U.S. Senate campaign of the original Boozman, the late Fay. Sanders and I had our ups-and-downs over the decade, but we are on an up lately, getting along handsomely. I always told him electoral politics was better-suited for him than newspaper columnizing.

One thing that happened in the course of his campaigning door-to-door in that suburban Pulaski County/Hot Springs Vil-

John Brummett jbrummett@arkansasnews.com

lage district that he will now serve as state representative was that he encountered my mother and sister. Alas, they came to adore him, seeing him perhaps as the conservative son and brother they wish they’d had.

The fact of the matter is that Sanders will be one of the brighter and better Republican insurgents in the state Legislature next year. He has been working quietly — with others, mind you — to steer the Republican caucus toward ethics reform legislation. As you know, I encourage and applaud those efforts.

So it was with a heavy heart that I saw on Wednesday that Sanders had filed a bill to change the official nickname of Arkansas from “The Natural State” back to the “Land of Opportunity” that the nickname once was.

I sensed immediately what was afoot:

to provide them. They don’t hire because the government leaves investors with some more spare change and they prefer to use it to put someone to work. The Blue Hog Report (www.bluehogreport. com) did some careful calculations of what it would take for repeal of the little Arkansas capital gains tax to even put one minimum-wage worker on the job.

You don’t have to take a poor scribe’s word for it. There’s a long history of fluctuating capital-gains taxation and the economic consequences.

In 1999, the legislature altered Arkansas’s capital gains treatment. It was Gov. Mike Huckabee’s great claim as a tax cutter. It excluded 30 percent of longterm capital gains from the income tax.

What happened? Arkansas employment, which was 1,215,000 and climbing when the law passed, began falling almost immediately and did not return to that level until May 2004.

The top state tax rate on income is 7 percent. Only about 15,000 Arkansas taxpayers have investment income of $200,000 a year or more, the people who might go out and get someone hired.

About 12 percent of Arkansas tax filers claim some capital gains, but most are one-time gains from property sale or else negligible sums.

The tax savings from reducing the Arkansas capital gains rate, even for those with a quarter-million of profits, are not enough to drive hiring. The federal government recoups some of the savings because the taxpayer loses the deduction for state taxes.

The history of federal capital gains taxation is longer but no more supportive. The tax rate was raised in 1976 under President Gerald Ford and economic growth accelerated. President Jimmy Carter cut the top rate from 39 percent to 28 percent in 1978 and economic growth slowed. President Reagan’s sweeping tax cuts in 1981 lowered the top capital gains rate again to 20 percent, which was followed by the deepest recession since the 1930s. Needing to rein in the growing deficit, Reagan restored the 28 percent rate on capital gains in the tax reform act of 1986 and the economy and hiring sharply expanded over the next two years.

Few people would argue that raising tax rates spur the economy and lowering them dampens it, but the historical record should tell us something. It is at least this: lowering taxes on high incomes is neither a cure for economic distress nor a palliative.

And, oh yes, the Bush tax cuts, which were to send the economy soaring and set off the greatest hiring rush in history. We know what happened. But what about specifically the capital gains cut of 2003, which was packaged with accelerated personal and corporate tax cuts and lowered the top capital gains rate to 15 percent? The economy continued to grow at a snail’s pace and then fell off the cliff.

In 2005, there were three months when more than 300,000 people were hired, but overall it was the U. S. economy’s weakest job performance since the Depression.

But, hey, let’s try it again.

Sanders disdained a nickname that extolled the environment over economic growth — water quality over enriching gas drilling, for example — and would apply his conservative economic principles to try to get us called something more in line with his Club for Growth-ish beliefs.

Sanders used to write columns about how global warming wasn’t.

I sent him a hot e-mail and he called and said, hey, I promised this in my campaign and some left-leaning Democrats — Hendrix professor Jay Barth and Clinton School dean Skip Rutherford — agree with him.

But making a goofy promise in a campaign is no excuse for a waste of time as a legislator, and, anyway, who cares what two tired old liberals think?

Sanders says he is not against nature, but that he is wholly for personal opportunity. These are not matters of philosophy, he says, but matters of emphasis. Personal opportunity is a broader, grander concept, he believes.

He called the next day to express amazement. He had been told that some critics were saying that his proposal was based in his fundamentalist religion — that he thinks it is wrong to worship nature and not God.

He was absolutely floored by such nonsense, he said, even as I so expertly explained how some people might hold that view that I had to stop myself short lest I start believing it myself.

Anyway, let me give you my twopronged view of this issue: 1. A state nickname is a trivial matter unworthy of serious policy discussion and Sanders ought to be booted in the behind for filing this silly bill. We once called ourselves the Wonder State, though I never knew what it was we were wondering about. I seem to recall that we once went by the Bear State, as if having more bears than people from Helena south to Arkansas City was something to advertise.

2. We are not a natural state. Quite the contrary, our lakes are mostly man-made.

Our economy is based on altering the natural landscape to farm it, irrigate it, clear-cut it and drill into it.

So I say pass this nonsense and get it the heck over with.

John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. You can read additional Brummett columns in The Times of North Little Rock. www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 17

THE

H C R A E S

IS ON

It’s the return of the annual Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase as performers compete for an array of prizes. All acts who have at least four songs of original material are encouraged to enter.

All styles are welcome.

Semifinalists will compete throughout January, February and March at Sticky Fingerz and Revolution.

Weekly winners will then face off in the finals in March.

2010 WINNER BROTHER ANDY AND TH HIS BIG DAMN MOU

Check out arktimes.com/showcase11 for information on how to enter online and upload your files.

Door prizes will be given away to fans in attendance!

ARKANSAS TIMES MUSICIANS SHOWCASE ENTRY FORM

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY DEC. 24, 2010 FOR MORE INFO EMAIL showcase@arktimes.com

NAME OF BAND HOMETOWN DATE BAND WAS FORMED AGE RANGE OF MEMBERS (ALL AGES WELCOME!) CONTACT PERSON ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP PHONE

¡REVOLUTION!

E-MAIL SEND ENTRIES AND DEMO CD TO: ARKANSAS TIMES MUSICIANS SHOWCASE, P.O. BOX 34010, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72203

arts entertainment

This week in

Big Silver to White Water

and

Hard to keep a good clown down A visit with the Arkansas Juggalo Family.

W

hile e-mailing back and forth to arrange a meeting with a few area Juggalos, the moderator for the Arkansas Juggalo Family website seemed a bit hesitant about submitting to

Page 21

Page 20

CLOWNING AROUND: Detroit horrorcore rap duo Insane Clown Posse (above) have spurred an unlikely nationwide legion of face-painted fans called ‘Juggalos.’

By John Tarpley

Sinful Sunday

yet another article about local fans of horrorcore rap-metal clowns Insane Clown Posse, this time in advance of the band’s Dec. 2 show at The Village.

“I am concerned about what the overtone of your article will be. The last few times that the Arkansas Times has taken interest in Juggalos, it was to mock them,”

wrote Josh Malcome, nom de clown, Payaso.

No doubt he’s right. Robert Bell’s critical review in the Times of last year’s Insane Clown Posse show at The Village brought the “family” out in force to our Rock Candy blog, provoking a string of responses that ranged from belligerently

to-do list

20

calendar

22

Movies

30

Dining

39

defensive to aimlessly pissed. (http://bit. ly/icp_review) Since then, things have become bleaker for Juggalos (or “ninjas,” as they sometimes call themselves) demanding respect.

What used to be an inside joke between the pop-culture savvy became a nationwide occasion to point and laugh after a couple Juggalo-baiting skits from “Saturday Night Live” went viral and brought Juggalo-mocking to the mainstream.

Then the community of fans returned to the media eye when part of the 20,000-strong crowd at this year’s annual “Gathering of the Juggalos” bloodied reality TV star Tila Tequila by pelting her with rocks, bottles of Faygo soda (ICP’s notorious drink of choice) and, reportedly, human feces harvested right out of a Port-a-Potty. Yikes.

So with a mountain of bad press behind their backs and another suspect writer approaching for yet another article, seven Arkansas Juggalos, decked out in Insane Clown Posse clothes, jewelry and tattoos, kept a video camera cued in on me during our meeting in Conway. You know, so I don’t misquote anyone.

If you hadn’t gathered, Juggalos are a unified front of self-defined misfits and outcasts.

“A Juggalo is someone who couldn’t fit in with any other group, but ICP and the other Juggalos have given people a place to come together and be part of this and now I’ve got hundreds of thousands of friends I can call family,” says DJ D.O.E. of local hardcore act Intoxxx. “It’s awesome.”

“We’re a bunch of outsiders that decided, ‘Hey, we’ll be a family. I got your back, you got mine, we’re not going to get picked on anymore,’ ” says Ouija Voss, a Juggalo out of Conway.

It’s hard to deny the primal need for community and the necessary sense of self-worth that comes from being aligned with a group of the similarly minded. But it’s even harder to wrap one’s head around just how and why a nation of ostracized Continued on page 29 www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 19

■ to-dolist

By Lindsey Millar and John Tarpley

FRIDAY 11/26

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS V. ALABAMABIRMINGHAM BLAZERS 7 p.m., Verizon Arena. $25.

n As appealing as a weekend of lying on the couch or, for the masochistic, finding incredible bargains might sound, make room for the Hogs, Central Arkansas. And not just on Saturday. Friday, the men’s basketball team makes its annual visit to Verizon to play its toughest opponent yet, Conference USA’s University of AlabamaBirmingham. Yes, we’re still a year away from welcoming THE GREATEST RECRUITING CLASS IN THE HISTORY OF ARKANSAS SPORTS. But it’s time to hop back on the bandwagon again, Hog fans. Because fair-weather fandom is for pro sports. Because, for the first time in recent memory, this team does not feature an often dazzling point guard prone to ridiculous turnovers. Because Marshawn Powell is the best basketball Hog since Joe Johnson. Because John Pelphrey knows that, even though he’s likely to be granted a pass until next year to try to work his heralded freshmen into the mix, if he blows it too terribly this year, he’s likely gone; as a consequence, hopefully, that means he’s going to get the guys to run an actual offense. And, because football’s almost over, and you’ll need something else to channel all those unreasonable hopes and dreams into. LM.

BIG SILVER’S THANKSGIVING SPECIAL 10 p.m., White Water Tavern. $5.

n Late-year holidays in Little Rock — they always bring out some killer local rock shows. This Thanksgiving’s big ’un finds dizzyingly prolific Isaac Alexander bringing his least prolific band back to the stage for the first time in so long he couldn’t remember when Big Silver last played when asked early this week. Like all bands Alexander fronts, the twang-pop quintet specializes in Fab Four-esque melodies and earwormy lyrical hooks. Friday sees the group getting a little help from its friends. Massive bearded singer/songwriter extraordinaire Adam Faucett, folk-pop chanteuse and opera composer Bonnie Montgomery, Big Cats front man and Max Recordings head honcho Burt Taggart and folk standout and radio hostess Amy Garland are all scheduled to lend their talents to Big Silver for a song or two. In exchange, the band’ll back 20 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

BACK ONSTAGE: Big Silver, with friends in tow, at White Water Tavern. each performer in one of his or her songs.

A Big Silver-backed version of “Virginia’s Aria” from Bonnie Montgomery’s “Billy Blythe,” maybe? You never know. LM.

HINDER

8:30 p.m., The Village. $22.50-$25.

n Are you looking for rock ’n’ roll fame?

Maybe not the sort of everyone-will-knowyour-name fame that, say, U2 enjoys.

But still a fame that will make you rich, allow you to wear leather pants and not be mocked, possibly employ a weed carrier and have lots of groupie sex? Well, you’re in luck. Hinder, the Oklahoma hard rock five-piece that comes to Little Rock days before releasing its third album, “All American Nightmare,” has distilled the formula for that sort of modern rock success into three easy-to-follow steps. Step one: Steal liberally. Song titles. Riffs. Lyrics.

Why write a song when, as Hinder does on its new song “Put That Record On,” you can just string together references to classic rock hits? Step two: Get really, really stoned and fill in the gaps of what’s left with your best prison-style poetry about your ex-girlfriend (e.g. “I wanna lay you down in a bed of roses / For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails”). Step three: Shape your voice into an unholy mix of the dude from Goo Goo Dolls and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and make sure every time before you sing, you get completely wasted. On Jagermeister, preferably. Who’s ready to be famous? LM.

SATURDAY 11/27

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS V. LSU TIGERS

2:30 p.m., War Memorial Stadium. Sold out.

n The game may be sold out, but a War

HINDER CAN SHOW YOU THE WAY TO ROCK: In three easy steps.

Memorial tailgate is never full. A grill suggestion courtesy of my cousin: Wrap a thick cut of pork or chicken around sausage and leftover dressing with kitchen twine — and bam! — a game day delicacy. Typically, a War Memorial game is more about drunken revelry and smoked meats than dedicated fandom, but this year, with a potential Sugar Bowl berth at stake (go Auburn!), Hog fans are likely to bring their game faces (which, of course, doesn’t preclude food and drink so much as it puts a cap on it). Here are several things I’d be willing to bet on with regard to the game: Les Miles will make at least one stupid — but probably at least two — costly decision(s). LSU’s ground game will give us the same sort of troubles Mississippi State’s did. The crowd will be the difference maker. For a more astute preview, see A Boy Named Sooie, on page 24. LM.

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER

8 p.m., Robinson Center Music Hall. $37-$77.

n Is it hip to like Mannheim Steamroller yet? If not, can it be? The progressive rockers have been synthesizing Christmas since 1984, providing bottomless laughs and endless opportunities to play air MIDI keyboards over the holidays. Little did Chip Davis, Mannheim Steamroller founder, know he’d change the entire Yuletide soundscape when he decided “Deck the Halls” didn’t sound enough like a promotional VHS for Minnetonka, Minnesota’s 1982 Chamber of Commerce. The group’s annual, cross-country Christmas tour is a yearly staple and their stops in Little Rock are as reliable as their sweet electronic drum fills. It’s a one-night-only affair, so get to

vaudeville show returns with not just betassled, nearly naked ladies, but also a fire-breather, a sword swallower, a contortionist and a fast-talking MC. The Diamond Dames Burlesque Troop and Revolution Go Go Girls shake it in support. The after party at Ernie Biggs features locals Father Maple, Cody Belew and The Break Through downstairs and UK breakbeat star DJ Deekline upstairs.

The $10 cover charge gets you in both events. Go to Brown’s new social networking site, RSVPsociety.com for special deals. LM.

TUESDAY 11/30

BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR/ROXY COTTONTAIL

brian chilson

6:30 p.m., Downtown Music Hall. $10 adv., $12 d.o.s.

PRETTY THINGS: The peep show helps make Sunday sinful. getting while the getting’s good. After all, if you miss this one, you’ll have to wait three whole weeks before you get another chance to see hokey prog-rock Christmas when Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to town. JT.

and drink specials and late-night fun on Sundays. This first go ’round, it folds nicely into the return of Pretty Things Peep Show at Revolution. Back in town after a successful show in February, the

n After more than a quarter century of indiscriminately sticking random bits of music in my ears, I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything like Blood on the Dance Floor. Halfway into “Sexting,” the biggest single released by the Florida-based glamtronica outfit, I was ready to pack my bags and go live in a cave.

It’s all kissy babytalk about club drugs and “[verb]ing in your [body part]” on top of the synthesized equivalent of pink sequin. (You got it: that’s eight-bit techno beats.) Roxy Cottontail, on the other hand, is a little more digestible. A staple in New York City’s club scene for years, the electro princess has ushered Diplo, Spank Rock and Baltimore’s infamous Hollertronix crew into the spotlight when not churning out her own, self-described brand of “electro-disco nursery rap.” If all these subgenre neologisms weren’t gobstoppingly insane enough for you, the night’s lineup also features Dot Dot Curve, an emo-crunk duo. Afterpartiers, steer your gears towards Ernie Biggs where Roxy Cottontail, Brooklyn DJ/rapper Jasmine Solano and the night’s organizer, DJ Big Brown, man the speakers for the night.

JT.

SUNDAY 11/28

SIN SUNDAY

9 p.m., Revolution/Ernie Biggs. $10.

n The tagline, Sin Sunday, is for the party we told you about last week — local promoter, DJ and owner of GreenGrass Rock ‘n’ Roll Bodega Mike Brown’s new weekly shindig at Ernie Biggs aimed at folks who work in the service industry. It’s about a diverse line-up of live and DJed music, cheap admission

DO THE BUNNY HOP: Roxy Cottontail DJs at Downtown Music and at the Ernie Biggs after party.

■ inbrief

THURSDAY 11/25

n If you’ve got to get away from the family, Divas in the Rock at Ernie Biggs looks to be the ticket. Tawanna Campbell, Jeron, the Dell Smith Experience and special guests Rodney Block and the Real Music Lovers perform, 10 p.m., $10.

FRIDAY 11/26

n Searcy-based grunge act 3 Miles From Providence headlines at Maxine’s; experimental industrial rockers The Vail and Southern hard rockers Finding Jimmy Hoffa support, 8 p.m., $5. Comedian Alex Ortiz continues his stand at The Loony Bin, 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., $6-$9. Local party starters Boom Kinetic take to Revolution, 9:30 p.m., $8. Sticky Fingerz hosts a night of buck jumping and jiving when zydeco outfit Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe return to Little Rock, 9:30 p.m., $5. “Friday Night Blackout” showcases some of the best in local rap and hip-hop when Grim Musik, 4x4 Crew, Ear Fear, E-Dubb and more take to the Cornerstone Pub & Grill stage, 8 p.m., $5. Goldylocks, a modern rock band from Nashville that’s fronted by a female wrestler, begins their two day stint at West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5.

Fox and Hound hosts local country rocker Ryan Couron¸ 10 p.m., $5.

SATURDAY 11/27

n Colorful Memphis soul-rockers The Venus Mission play the hits from the ’70s and beyond at Sticky Fingerz, 9:30 p.m., $6. The Afterthought hosts a night of blue eyed soul, R&B, classic rock and blues standards from the Big John Miller Band, 9 p.m., $7. Casey Donahew Band, the Texas country act that’s no stranger to Little Rock stages, returns to town for a show at Revolution alongside the locals of the Elise Davis Band, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s. White Water Tavern brings in The Frontier Circus, the band of ne’er-do-wells from The Rockin’ Guys masquerading as cowboy country ramblers, and the eponymous new project from a ubiquitous local rocker, Chris Michaels and the Cranks, 9:30 p.m., $5. Discovery Nightclub offers up a few different ways to burn your newfound Thanksgiving weight when DJ Kramer spins in the lobby, Wendy Hunt handles the techno room and Brandon Peck cranks it up in the theater, 10 p.m., $10. “The O.D.” returns to Cornerstone Pub & Grill with performances from hip-hop heavies Bware, Epiphany, Southwest Boaz and more, 9 p.m., $5-$10. www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 21

William Staggers. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7.

2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

www.arktimes.com

afterdark

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.

sports

Music

EvEnts

“River Market on Ice” 2010. The River Market Pavilions turn into an outdoor ice skating rink for the holidays. For hours and more information, visit holidaysinlittlerock.com. River Market Pavilions, through Jan. 9, 2011, $8. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.

University District Thanksgiving Festival. A two-day Thanksgiving celebration with food and music from the Children of the World choir. For more information, call 3661202 or visit mosaicchurch.net.

Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, 11 a.m. 6420 Colonel Glenn Rd.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Music

3 Miles From Providence, The Vail, Finding Jimmy Hoffa. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

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

Big Silver, Adam Faucett, Amy Garland, Bonnie Montgomery, Burt Taggart. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www. myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

Boom Kinetic. Revolution, 9:30 p.m., $8. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom. com.

Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe. Sticky Fingerz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz. com.

DJ Ja’Lee. Sway, 5 p.m., $5. 412 Louisiana.

501-907-2582.

“Friday Night Blackout” with GRIM Muzik, 4x4 Crew, Ear Fear, Big Drew, E-Dubb, Cat Daddy, Lil Mac da Pikeboy, Venomous Ink, New King Mafia, Shea Marie, DJ K-One. ARKANSAS TIMES TIMES 22 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS

EvEnts

Haunted Evening Tour. A two-hour tour of locations said to be the city’s most haunted and a visit with paranormal investigators. Visit hauntedtoursoflittlerock.com for more information. MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, through Dec. 3: 7 p.m., $25. 503 E. 9th St. 376-4602. www.arkmilitaryheritage.com.

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. “River Market on Ice” 2010. See Nov. 25.

Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball vs.

University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers.

Verizon Arena, 7 p.m., $33.10. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. UALR Men’s Basketball vs. Louisiana Tech.

UALR - Jack Stephens Center, 2 p.m. 2801 S. University Ave.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25 “Divas in the Rock” with Tawanna Campbell, Jeron, The Dell Smith Experience, Rodney Block and the Real Music Lovers. Ernie Biggs, 9 p.m., $10 early admission. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

“V.I.P. Thursdays” with DJ Silky Slim. Sway, 8 p.m., $3. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Katmandu. Capi’s, 8:30 p.m., free. 11525 Cantrell Suite 917. 501-225-9600. www.capisrestaurant. com.

Ol’ Puddin’head. Thirst n’ Howl, through Dec. 31: 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www. tnhrocks.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free.

111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG.

coMEdy

Alex Ortiz. The Loony Bin, Nov. 26, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; Nov. 27, 7, 9 and 11 p.m. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy.com.

Kevin Hart. Robinson Center Music Hall, 8 p.m., $27.40-$45.90. Markham and Broadway. www.littlerockmeetings.com/conv-centers/robinson.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27 Music

FUNNY MAN: Actor/comedian Kevin Hart (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Soul Plane” those Dwayne Wade Air Jordan commercials) stops in at Robinson Center Music Hall on his “Seriously Funny” tour at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 26. Tickets range from $21.50 to $38.50.

Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m., $5. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

Goldy Locks. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, Nov. 26-27, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford.

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

Hinder, My Darkest Days, Default. The Village, 8:30 p.m., $22.50 adv., $25 d.o.s. 3915 S. University Ave. 501-570-0300. www.thevillagelive.com.

Joey Farr and the Fuggins Wheat Band.

Midtown Billiards, Nov. 27, 12:30 a.m., $8 nonmembers. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990‚Äé. midtownar.com.

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

Rip Van Shizzle. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.tnhrocks.com.

Ryan Couron. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300.

Smile Empty Soul, Earshot, Edisun, Se7ensharp. Downtown Music Hall, 7:30 p.m., $10 adv., $13 d.o.s. 215 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

Steve Bates. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, Nov. 26-27, 8 p.m., free. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www. cregeens.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, Nov. 26-27, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-3242999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Trey Hawkins Band. Juanita’s, 10 p.m., $10. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

SWAY’s Liquid

ThAnkSgiving FeAST

8 p.m.-2 a.m. Nov. 25-27 Shot Specials | Free Parking 412 Louisiana St.

The Venus Mission. Sticky Fingerz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $6. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Big John Miller Band. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

Blues in the Natural State. George’s Majestic Lounge, 8:30 p.m. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville.

479-442-4226.

Casey Donahew Band, Elise Davis Band.

Revolution, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

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

DJ Ja’Lee. Sway, 5 p.m., $5. 412 Louisiana.

501-907-2582.

The Frontier Circus, Chris Michaels and the Cranks. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

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

Joey Farr and the Fuggins Wheat Band.

Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $8 non-members.

1316 Main St. 501-372-9990‚Äé. midtownar.com.

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

Kramer (lobby); Wendy Hunt (techno); Brandon Peck (theater); Shawn Tyler Andrews, Jasmine Turrell, Dominique Sanchez (theater). Discovery Nightclub, 10 p.m., $10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www.latenightdisco.com.

Loose Change. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.tnhrocks.com.

Mannheim Steamroller. Robinson Center Music Hall, 7:30 p.m., $37-$77. Markham and Broadway. www.littlerockmeetings.com/conv-centers/ robinson.

Michael Leonard Witham. Reno’s Argenta Cafe, 9:30 p.m. 312 N. Main St., NLR. 501-376-2900. www. renosargentacafe.com.

“The O.D.” with Bware, Konyak, Duke, Epiphany, Northrock, Southwest Boaz, T. Jonez, Gadah. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9 p.m., $5-$10. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

The Pretty Things Peepshow. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

“Rock the Toy Box” Benefit with Attack the

UpCOMiNg EVENTS Concert tickets through Ticketmaster by phone at 975-7575 or online at www.ticketmaster.com unless otherwise noted.

Dec. 3: Old 97s. 9 p.m., $16 adv., $18 d.o.s.

Revolution, 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090, rumbarevolution.com.

Dec. 7: Michael Buble. 8 p.m., $51.50-$91.50.

Verizon Arena. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster. com.

Dec. 7: Sweet Eagle CD release show.

White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th. 375-8400, myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

Dec. 9: T-Model Ford. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th. 375-8400, myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

Dec. 18: Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., $27-$63. Verizon Arena. 800-7453000, ticketmaster.com.

Dec. 22: Lucero, Cory Branan. 9 p.m., $16.

Revolution, 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090, revroom.com.

Dec. 23: The Big Cats. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th. 375-8400, myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

Dec. 31: Hayes Carli. 9:30 p.m., $18.

Revolution, 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090, revroom.com.

Mind, Eve’s Decent, Driven to Madness, Tangled in Ruin, Danger Ready. Downtown Music Hall, 6:30 p.m., $10. 215 W. Capitol. 501-3761819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

Six Strings Down (headliner), Lyle Dudley (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

The Schwag. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $7. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

Steve Bates. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m., free.

301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www.cregeens. com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. “Thank Me Later” with Ron G., Jeron, JWhite, Sean Fresh, R.A., Bully Gang. Mediums Art Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $10. 521 Center St. Third Degree. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300.

Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m.

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

Comedy

Alex Ortiz. The Loony Bin, 7, 9 and 11 p.m. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy. com.

events

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

“River Market on Ice” 2010. See Nov. 25.

“Spirit of Christmas” Holiday Gift Fair. Hilton Garden Inn, 10 a.m. p.m. 4100 Glover Lane, NLR.

sports

Arkansas Razorbacks vs. LSU Tigers. War Memorial Stadium, 2:30 p.m. 1 Stadium Dr. 501-6630775.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28 musiC

“Sin Sunday” with Father Maple, Cody Belew, The Breakthrough, DJ Deekline, DJ Elliot Poston, DJ Jaedan. Ernie Biggs, 10 p.m., $10.

307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs. com.

All Star Weekend, The Scene Aesthetic, Stephen Jerzak, Action Item. Juanita’s, 3:30 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s., $39 V.I.P. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

“Climax” with Cruise Control, Mike Blaze, DJ Swagger. Ernie Biggs, 9 p.m. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Nightmare River Band, Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $7. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

The Pretty Things Peepshow, Diamond

Dames Burlesque Troop, Revolution Go Go Girls. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

“Sunday Funday” dance party. Sticky Fingerz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

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

events

“River Market on Ice” 2010. See Nov. 25.

“Storybook Holidays.” Holiday foods, a duck march, Santa photos and a tree-lighting ceremony to kick off the Christmas season. The Peabody Little Rock, 11 a.m. 3 Statehouse Plaza. 501-906-4000. www.peabodylittlerock.com.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29 musiC

EOTO, Wolf-E-Wolf. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom. com.

Monday Night Jazz with Steve Struthers, Brian Wolverton, Dave Rogers. The Afterthought, 8 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. $5. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

events

“The Jewish Guys Chanukah Special.” The annual holiday radio show returns with Phil Kaplan and Leslie Singer leading a night of music from the Meshugga Klezmer Band, the Bauman Brothers, pianist Tatiana Roitman and Darril “Harp” Edwards.

For tickets or more information, call 569-8485 or visit kuar.org. Clinton Presidential Center, 7 p.m., $5. 1200 President Clinton Avenue. 370-8000. www. clintonpresidentialcenter.org.

“Pink Trash Ball.” A benefit for The Komen Foundation. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9:30 p.m., $35. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-4424226.

“River Market on Ice” 2010. See Nov. 25.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 musiC

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: “River Rhapsodies.” Clinton Presidential Center, 7 p.m.

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

Blood on the Dance Floor Afterparty with DJs Roxy Cottontail, Jasmine Solano. Ernie Biggs, 8 p.m., ladies free, $8 men. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Blood on the Dance Floor, Dot Dot Curve, Roxy Cottontail, Flameing Daeth Fearies.

Downtown Music Hall, 6 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s.

215 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows. homestead.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. 501-315-1717.

Lee Brice. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $10. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

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

Tequila Tuesdays with DJ Hy-C. Bill St. Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-3531724.

Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

danCe

“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7 p.m., $5 regular, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.revroom.com.

events

“A Night at the Rep.” The Rep hosts a night of food and drinks with a silent memorabilia auction before a performance of “A Christmas Story.” For tickets or more information, call 372-5959 or visit therep.org. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 5 p.m., $40.

601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.therep.org.

“River Market on Ice” 2010. See Nov. 25.

LeCtures

Adam Richman. The host of “Man vs. Food” will discuss his new book, “America the Edible: Why We Eat, What We Eat, Where We Eat.” For more information or to reserve seats, call 683-5239 or e-mail publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www.clintonschool.uasys.edu.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1 musiC

Acoustic Open Mic with Kat Hood. The Afterthought, 8 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-6631196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

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, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

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

Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

Lucious Spiller Band. Sticky Fingerz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free.

111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG.

Comedy

Live Music

FRiDay, NovemBeR 26 Big SiLveR SatuRDay, NovemBeR 27 tHe FRoNtieR CiRCuS CHRiS miCHaeLS & tHe CRaNkS tueSDay, DeCemBeR 7 Sweet eagLe ReCoRD ReLeaSe SHow tHe DiRty StReetS myspace.com/whitewatertavern Little Rock’s Down-Home Neighborhood Bar

7th & Thayer • Little Rock • (501) 375-8400

Everything for C hristmas

Oliver’s Antiques

Tony Tone. The Loony Bin, Dec. 1-2, 8 p.m.; Dec. 3, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; Dec. 4, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9.

10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy.com.

501.982.0064 1101 Burman Dr. • Jacksonville Take Main St. Exit, East on Main, Right on S. Hospital & First Left to Burman

events

New Hours: MoNday-saturday 10-5

“River Market on Ice” 2010. See Nov. 25.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2 musiC

Blitzkid, The Kill Crazies. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 215 W. Capitol. 501-3761819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

“V.I.P. Thursdays” with DJ Silky Slim. Sway, 8 p.m., $3. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Hendrix College Choir’s “Candlelight Carol Service.” Hendrix College, Dec. 2-4, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 5, 4 p.m., free. 1600 Washington Ave., Conway. www.hendrix.edu.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Ol’ Puddin’head. Thirst n’ Howl, through Dec. 31: 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www. tnhrocks.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free.

111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Trademark (headliner), Josh Green (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

University of Central Arkansas Wind Ensemble. University of Central Arkansas Reynolds Performance Hall, 7:30 p.m., free. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway.

Zoogma, Montu. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9 p.m., $10. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-4424226.

If You’re Bored In This Town . .

It’s Not Our Fault.

Comedy

Tony Tone. The Loony Bin, through Dec. 2, 8 p.m.; Dec. 3, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; Dec. 4, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy.com.

events

Hillcrest Shop & Sip. Shops and restaurants offer discounts, later hours, and live music. Hillcrest, first Thursday of every month, 5-10 p.m. P.O.Box 251522.

501-666-3600. www.hillcrestmerchants.com.

Continued on page 25 www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 23

A boy named

An Evening with

David Sedaris

Wednesday, April 13, 7 p.m.

Pulaski Academy’s Connor Performing Arts Center 12701 Hinson Road

Miracles meet luck at War Memorial Stadium

ts Ticke e al on s r 1! mbe Dece

Ticket information: $50 floor/$40 balcony Available at 918-3009, tickets@cals.org, CALS branches, or www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org

All proceeds benefit the Arkansas Literary Festival.

KUAR FM 89 Presents the 10th annual Jewish Guys

Chanukah Special November 29 the Clinton Presidential Center

Music, stories and schtick featuring the two Jewish Guys, Phil Kaplan and Leslie Singer.

Reception: 6:30 p.m.; show at 7 Admission: $4.99 (Such a deal!)

Pre-paid reservations required www.kuar.org or (501) 569-8485 With thanks to our Chanukah Special sponsors: The Clinton Presidential Center and The Clinton Museum Store.

ARKANSAS TIMES TIMES 24 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS

photo courtesy Anne Fishbein

By Derek Jenkins

n The Hogs did just about everything they could do to lose the game Saturday night.

They also did everything they had to do to win. You can focus on whatever side of that coin you want, but I’m willing to chalk it all up to road woes and look ahead to the Battle for the Boot.

I decided against counting up the number of motion penalties called on Ray Dominguez this season because 1). left tackles are the second-highest-paid players on an NFL roster for a reason and 2).

Dominguez has as good an excuse as anyone on the team for trying to get a head start off the line.

I guess I’m cutting the special teams some slack because, with the exception of an Auburn loss over which you could point a lot of fingers, they haven’t very often been a weakness this season. Yes, Maudrecus Humphrey’s roughing penalty likely stole a comfortable lead from us and ultimately resulted in a drive that turned the game into the race it became — only his infraction wasn’t egregious and, like a good kicker missing a vital field goal, that kind of thing just happens on occasion, as does a little extracurricular sparring.

Anthony Leon, who has been positively vicious in his role as a roaming hybrid back all season, lost his head and the first half of the LSU game after getting a little negatively vicious in retaliation for some more subtle kicking and jabbing. What are you going to say to a player who is defending himself?

Leon didn’t throw a punch; His fist wasn’t closed. He struggled off the ground and swung violently to push away a much larger player. Anyone who has ever been in a scrum or recovered a fumble knows that surviving a smothering dogpile involves sustained and dirty use of multiple fingers and knees and elbows. Leon just let it get the best of him.

I mentioned on the Arkansas Expats’ Hog Call podcast recently that I’m amazed at how little time we’ve spent worrying over our linebackers this season. Occupying the thinnest position by far on defense, those guys have been so consistent of late that I hardly think to call them by name.

More welcome attention should be paid to Jerry Franklin, who brought down or helped bring down 20 Bulldogs. Grant-

ed, it helped we were getting beat on the line of scrimmage for most of the day, but Franklin’s performance might have been the difference between long drives that visibly wore down a very physical MSU rushing game and the big, damaging plays that haunted us last season.

Over the couse of the game, Knile Davis more than made up for twice putting the ball on the ground. Mallett has made lots of bad passes this season, but the interception he forced in the third quarter was the first bad decision I remember him making since the Alabama game. This team played well. More importantly, they played hard — and that’s a good thing heading into the toughest defensive matchup we’ve seen.

John Chavis’ LSU unit ranks first in the conference in total defense. It also ranks first in passing defense. Chavis presided over some of the best squads in NCAA history at Tennessee. Combine that with the personnel at LSU, where “SEC speed” is not just a tired phrase, and you have a challenge on your hands. Whatever temperature the Tiger offense is running this Saturday, his D will come to play.

Luckily, we have a mole. Assistant Coach Steve Caldwell spent a lot of time with Chavis’ rock-solid 4-3 and multiple bliz packages during his 14-year tenure at Knoxville. But defense isn’t like offense.

You can’t unlock it. There’s no secret. If it works, it works because a coordinator has accounted for all of the holes and the players have developed instincts and discipline enough to perform in a predictable way on the field.

But you can understand it. You can find the weaknesses. You can squeeze through the cracks. You can exploit the weakest links. And Petrino has likely spent more than the usual face time with Cadwell this week. Expect a lot of Knile Davis, as the line has holes, despite its giant anchor, Drake Nevis. Greg Childs, on physicality alone, would have been the ideal preoccupation for standout corner Patrick Peterson, but Petrino will likely try to match his dynamism with Joe Adams. Adams might not get a lot of the touches, especially in the second half, but that won’t mean he isn’t getting his job done.

The LSU offense is another matter Continued on page 29

Continued from page 25 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents “Illuscination.” Verizon Arena, Dec. 2, 7 p.m.; Dec. 4, 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m.; Dec. 5, 1 p.m., $11.75$55.75. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. “River Market on Ice” 2010. See Nov. 25.

“Tie One On.” Live and silent auctions for artistdesigned aprons, food, drinks and live music to benefit Our House shelters. For tickets or more information, visit ourhouseshelter.org. Pavillion in the Park, 6:30 p.m., $50. 8201 Cantrell Rd.

Books

Cary Bradburn. The author discusses his new book, “On the Opposite Shore: The Making of North Little Rock.” Hays Senior Citizens Center, 10:30 a.m.

401 W. Pershing Blvd., NLR.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER “Boeing Boeing.” Bernard, a successful architect living in Paris, thinks he can easily cope with his three air hostesses, who all happen to be his fiancee, in this comic farce. For reservations, call 562-3131 or visit murrysdinnerplayhouse.com. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through Dec. 8: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m., $22-$30. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

“A Child’s Christmas in Wales”. The Harding University Department of Theatre presents the holiday classic based on Dylan Thomas’ article in the Ulrey Performing Arts Center. Harding University, Dec. 2-4, 8:30 p.m.; Dec. 4-5, 2 p.m., $5. 900 E. Center Ave., Searcy.

“A Christmas Story.” A stage adaptation of the classic Christmas film in which Ralphie Porter, a young boy from an eccentric Indiana family, comes of age during the holidays. For tickets or more information, call 378-0405 or visit therep.org. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, through Dec. 17: Wed., Thu., 7 p.m.; Fri., 7 p.m.; Dec. 4-5, 2 and 7 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 18, 7 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 19, 2 and 7 p.m.; Dec. 19-2, 2 and 7 p.m.; Tue., Dec. 21, 7 p.m.; Dec. 22-23, 2 and 7 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 25, 7 p.m., $20-$40. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.therep.org.

“Once Upon a Mattress.” A musical retelling of the “Princess and the Pea” fairy tale. For more information, visit theroyalplayers.com. Royal Theatre, through Dec. 12: Thu.-Sat., 7 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., $5-$12. 111 S. Market St., Benton.

GALLERIES, MuSEuMS New exhibits in bold-faced type.

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “A Century of Revolution: Mexican Art since 1910,” work from the collection of the University of Texas, through Nov. 21, Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery; “Bigger, Better, More: The Art of Viola Frey,” largescale ceramic figures, through Nov. 28, Jeannette Rockefeller and Townsend Wolfe galleries, $7 adults, $5 seniors, $4 youth; “Currents in Contemporary Art,” “Masterworks,” “Paul Signac Watercolors and Drawings,” ongoing. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000.

ARKANSAS STUDIES INSTITUTE, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “2010 Design Awards Exhibition,” Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects exhibit, Mezzanine Gallery, through Jan. 29, 2011; “Making Pictures: Three for a Dime,” photographs and text by Maxine Payne, through Dec. 10; Arkansas League of Artists juried show, through Nov. 27; “Raices,” new mixed media work by x3mex about Mexican independence, through Nov. 30. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5700.

BOSWELL-MOUROT FINE ART, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Paintings by Eleanor Dickinson. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0030.

CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “40th Anniversary Group Show,” work by 28 artists represented by the gallery, through Dec. 24. 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 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: 16th annual “Holiday Art Show,” paintings, sketches, pottery, photographs, glass, sculpture, ornaments, scarves, jewelry, mixed media by more than 70 Arkansas artists, through Jan. 8, 2011. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat.

664-8996.

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Twice Told Tales,” paintings by Rebecca Thompson, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sat. 664-2787.

HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Pioneers of the Paint: Masters of the 19th Century,” paintings

by Edward Michael Bannister, Charles Ethan Porter, Robert Scott Duncanson and Henry Ossawa Tanner, through January. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 372-6822.

HEIGHTS GALLERY, 5801 Kavanaugh: “Do You Believe …?” Seasonally themed works by Deborah Allen, Elizabeth Bogard, Thad Flenniken, Rene Hein, Jim Johnson, Betty Jones, William McClanahan, Beverly McLarty Burrows and others, through Dec. 24. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 664-2772.

KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St.: John Kushmaul, “Cityscapes.” 529-6330.

LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St.: “Quilts and

their Stories,” Arkansas Quilters Guild show, through Dec. 12. 758-1720.

LOCAL COLOUR GALLERY, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Art and jewelry by members of artists’ cooperative. 501-265-0422.

M2GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road (Pleasant Ridge Town Center): Charles Henry James, retrospective, also work by Jason Twiggy Lott, William Goodman, Char Demoro, Cathy Burns and others. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 225-6257.

RED DOOR GALLERY, 3715 JFK, NLR: Buddy Whitlock, featured artist, also work by Lola Abellan, Mary Allison, Georges Artaud, Theresa Cates, Caroline’s Closet, Kelly Edwards, Jane Hankins, James Hayes, Amy Hill-Imler, Morris Howard, Jim Johnson, Annette Kagy, Capt. Robert Lumpp, Joe Martin, Pat Matthews and others.10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 753-5227.

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.

SAGE HOUSE GALLERY, 24627 Hwy. 365 N: “Farm-to-Table,” paintings of the Argenta Farmer’s Market by Pat White, Shirley Brainard, Tom Herrin, Bill Lewis David Cook; Janice and Marvin Crummer, and Suzanne Waggoner, through Nov. 27. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 851-4608.

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. STEPHANO’S FINE ART, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Sculpture by Tony Dow, through Dec. 15. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.- Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 563-4218.

THEA FOUNDATION, 401 Main St.: “Italian Sketchbooks of Ted Parkhurst,” George Rodrigue prints. 379-9512.

Continued on page 27

Arkansas Minority Health Commission

PRESENTS

Let’s Talk About It…

HIV/AIDS in Arkansas panelists

calendar

PATRICK C. PACKER Executive Director Southern AIDS Coalition, Inc. DR. NATE SMITH MD, MPH Deputy Director Public Health Programs Arkansas Department of Health

DIEDRA J. LEVI, Executive Director Brothas & Sistas, Inc. Founder, Living Effected Corp.

ANN DIXON HIV Consumer

DR. CRESHELLE NASH Medical Director Arkansas Minority Health Commission

DR. CARMEN T. PANIAGUA AMHC Commissioner University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

AMY ROSENBERG JD, Harvard Law School Health Law and Policy Clinic

RICK COLLINS Chair Arkansas HIV Minority Task Force

topics to be discussed | | | |

2011 Legislative Recommendations to Improve the Health of HIV Consumers in Arkansas National, Regional & Grassroots perspectives on HIV/AIDS Why was "Brothas & Sistas, Inc." so controversial?

Lack of State Contribution to HIV/AIDS care and treatment

ty ave si er v i un S 01 23 re tu ul c ri 6-8 U of A division of ag n service little rock, ar 72204 pm cooperative extensio

0 3 v o n T I t u o b Let's Talk A

Fr ee pu bl ic he al th fo ru m FOr more information call 501.686.2720 or visit arminorityhealth.com www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 25

shop local

n musicreview

Brad Paisley

support your community Small Town

n A little after 10:30 p.m. on a Friday night in North Little Rock, big fish are looking enormous on the huge video screens in Verizon Arena and country music’s brandnew Entertainer of the Year is rocking “I’m Gonna Miss Her” while a crowd of 9,688 sings along.

One of his best and most popular songs, it’s the tale of a guy who has to choose between his gal and his favorite hobby, and it’s classic Brad Paisley. So are “Catch All the Fish” (and “drink all the beer”), “Mud on the Tires” and “Waitin’ on a Woman.”

Paisley rolled into town on his H20 tour with pals Darius Rucker and Justin Moore and a string of 18-wheelers that may amply hold his equipment but could soon run out of space for all of his hits.

Always toting a down-to-earth personality, Paisley seems humbled by his popularity and acclaim, including the new title he earned a week earlier by finally winning the Country Music Association’s biggest award. As part of his performance of the poignant “Letter to Me,” a note sent back in time to himself at 17, he recalled uncomfortable years as a teen and told youngsters in the audience to hang in there, “I’m living proof high school is not

HUMBLE: Brad Paisley remains down-to-earth despite success. necessarily the best years of your life.”

From the fun and outrageous “Celebrity” and “I’m Still a Guy” to the haunting “Whiskey Lullaby” (with duet partner Alison Krauss joining him via video) to the tender “The World” and “She’s Everything,” he handles diverse subjects, tempos and styles with ease.

No Paisley concert is complete without a certain couple of songs, so when he left the stage briefly, you could bet he’d return for “Ticks” — as in “I’d like to check you for” — and his “Alcohol” anthem on which he was joined by Rucker and Moore. That’s the one where he salutes so-

BRiaN chilsON bRIAN chIlSoN

Verizon Arena, Nov. 19

called adult beverages for “makin’ the bars with lots of big money and helpin’ white people dance.”

Along with past chart toppers like “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “Alright” and “It Won’t Be Like This for Long,” Rucker showcased his most recent No. 1 — “Come Back Song” — and nearly brought the house down with a rollicking version of the Hank Williams Jr. classic “Family Tradition.”

The engaging former lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish also offered up that band’s “Let Her Cry” and something Continued on page 29

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ARKANSAS TIMES TIMES 26 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS

‘Billy Blythe’

Nov. 19, Women’s City Club

n “Billy Blythe” represents an “opportunity to bring opera back to the people,” director Jeremy Franklin told a near-capacity crowd at its premiere Friday night at the Women’s City Club. The production, Franklin reminded the audience, is “by, for and about Arkansans” — by natives Bonnie Montgomery and Brit Barber, composer and librettist, respectively; for Arkansans but also, implicitly, regular folks who don’t know Verdi from verismo and about the man who, more than anyone else, has come to represent what Arkansas means to the world abroad, Bill Clinton.

Of course, as the title suggests, “Billy Blythe” is not a familiar Bill Clinton story.

Rather, Montgomery and Barber look to Clinton’s childhood, specifically to 1959, the last year kept his birth surname Blythe.

But those on Friday hoping for a story that captures that pivotal time in the future president’s life only got a tease. Because that’s all the performance was — not a true premiere, but rather a costumed workshop production of four scenes, only about half of the full opera.

Still, one got the gist. And it was prom-

ising. Montgomery successfully managed to weave ragtime and folk traditions into opera structure. Her rollicking opening instrumental theme, which she played on the keyboard herself (Giovanni Antipolo otherwise provided the accompaniment), especially evoked the era. And while the scenes staged Friday were sometimes hard to follow — they were mostly nonconsecutive — Barber’s libretto teased drama out of a day in the life of the Blythe/ Clinton household: In the opening scene, she finds passion amidst Virginia (Kelly Ponder) and Roger Clinton (Evan Jones) sleepily recalling their idyllic life in New Orleans. In the closing scene, the couple reunite rambunctiously, while young Billy (Christopher McKim) works up the courage to stand up to his drunken stepfather.

But the night’s most resonant piece focused on the relationship of the opera’s central characters, Billy and his mother.

It begins a touch purple, with Virginia complimenting her son on the coffee he’s made for her. “Thick and syrupy — oh, how this coffee oozes of your father’s zest of life,” Ponder sings, before she and McKim launch into a beautifully elegiac duet about William Jefferson Blythe, who died in a car crash before his son was born.

LOVE DUET: Montgomery and Jones at White Water.

The cast for the workshop was roundly excellent. McKim managed a Bubba accent without laying it on too thick. Jones conveyed Roger Clinton Sr.’s combustible nature with gusto. And mezzo-soprano Ponder soared as Virginia Clinton; her second scene aria was a showstopper.

The crowd agreed, rewarding cast and crew with an enthusiastic standing ovation. Later, at the late night after party at White Water Tavern, another crowd with Montgomery, herself a mezzo-soprano, thrillingly taking on the Virginia Clinton role. Like at the earlier showing, the crowd stayed quiet during the performance. At midnight at White Water Tavern, that may’ve been a first.

— Lindsey Millar

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n theaterreview

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calendar

Continued from page 25 TOBY FAIRLEY FINE ART, 5507 Ranch Drive, Suite 103: Contemporary Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Fri. or by appointment. 868-9882.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Portraits of Women from the UALR Permanent Collection,” Gallery II, through Nov. 30; “Nosotras: Portraits of Latinas,” through Nov. 30, Gallery I; student work by John R. Cater, Osas Oyara, Dallas Jones and Mary Colleen Somers, Dec. 1-9. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-8977. n Arkadelphia HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY, Huie Library: “Edge of the World,” digital art and design by Richard Barbre, through Dec. 9. n Benton DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Area artists. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. n Bentonville CRYSTAL BRIDGES AT THE MASSEY, 125 W. Central Ave.: “David Hockney: Six Fairy Tales,” 39 etchings from Hockney’s book, through Jan. 7, 2011. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-418-5700. sUgAR GALLERY, 114 Central Ave.: “Architecture

by Way of Biology,” inventory, drawings and models

by Kendall Buster, through Dec. 18. 479-5754704. n Fayetteville UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, Fine Arts Center Gallery: “Drawing the Line: Utilitarian Pots,” national juried exhibition of functional ceramics by 20 artists, Nov. 29-Dec. 17, opening reception 4-6 p.m. Dec. 2. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 2-5 p.m.

Sun. 479-575-7987.

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World AIDS Day

MUSEUMS, ongoing ExhibitS

ARKANSAS INLAND MARITIME MUSEUM, NLR: Tours of the USS Razorback submarine. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat., 1-6 p.m. Sun. 371-8320.

CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSEUM VISITOR CENTER, Bates and Park: Exhibits on the 1957 desegregation of Central and the civil rights movement. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. 374-1957.

CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: Standing exhibits about policies and White House life during the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m.

Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000.

HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “All in the Touch,” sculpture by Diana B. Ashley and multi-media by Scinthya Edwards, through Jan. 30; “Model Trains of Bill Albright,” Eclectic Collector show, through March 14, 2011; “Natural Wonders: Paintings and Drawings by Laura Terry,” through Dec. 5. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m.

Sun. $2.50 adults, $1.50, $1 children for tours of grounds. 324-9351.

MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Big Bang,” 10 a.m. Dec. 1, announcement of future plans with Gov. Mike Beebe, Bob East of Main Street Revitalization; Sharon Priest of Downtown Partnership, Bob Childress of MOD board, in the lower level Discovery Court; “Illusion Confusion,” optical illusions, through March 2011; “Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World!” through Jan. 9, 2011; interactive science exhibits. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Admission: $8 adults, $7 children ages 1-12 and seniors 65 and up, children under 1 free, “Pay What You Can” second Sunday of every month. 396-7050. www.museumofdiscovery WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER, Riverfront Park: Exhibits on wildlife and the state Game and Fish Commission. n Rogers ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. 2nd St.: 11th annual Holiday Open House, 12:30-4 p.m. Nov. 28, crafts, entertainment, refreshments; “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” theme tours of the 1895 Hawkins House, Nov. 29-Dec. 31; “Buried Dreams: “Coin Harvey and Monte Ne,” photographs; “Rogers Auto-Biography: An Automotive History of Rogers,” through 2011.

479-621-1154.

In observance of World AIDS Day, the Clinton Presidential Center will display the single largest traveling section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. More than 100 12x12 foot panels will blanket the lawn at the Clinton Center. This year’s display includes panels representing Ryan White, Rock Hudson, Pedro Zamora and Arthur Ashe. The quilt panels were hand-sewn by friends and family members of HIV/AIDS victims.

AIDS Quilt Display Clinton Presidential Center Park Wednesday, December 1, 2010 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Reading of Names

Midnight on Tuesday, November 30 until Midnight on Wednesday, December 1

1200 President Clinton Avenue • Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 • 501-374-4242 • clintonpresidentialcenter.org www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 27

Arkansas Times Readers Night Out One night devoted to shopping and dining all over the city!

Arkansas Times is hosting its first Readers Night Out, so grab your friends and join us Thursday, Dec. 2nd. Look for the Readers Night Out Poster in their windows. Final details revealed Wednesday, Dec. 1 on www.arktimes.com and look for the Arkansas Times on newsstands.

Hillcrest

Shop n’ Sip till 8 Box Turtle River City Coffee Shoppes at Woodlawn Rhea Drug Store Haus Werk The Full Moon

Dining: Bossa Nova Ciao Baci Acadia SO

Fringe Benefits Red Mango Bella Boutique Ellen Golden Antiques Ember Heights Gallery Boswell Mourot Tulips New Traditions Heights Toy Center Tipton Hurst Go Running

6:00 Holiday Lighting of the Promenade Beyond the Garden Gate Eggshells Kitchen Company

Terry’s Restaurant Sushi Café Boulevard Bread

Midtowne Evolve

Loca Luna Red Door

West Little Rock Market Street CENTER Jones & Son Jewelry Rejuvenation Clinic

Dining

Dining:

Heights

Riverdale

Lilly’s Dim Sum 1620 The Pantry

Pleasant Ridge Towne Center

12.

02.

10 Glo Jeanté Thread Easy Runner

Dining Capi’s Bar Louie Cheeburger Cheeburger

Hwy 10 Indulgences Spa

Promenade Shopping Center EcoFab Store Just Dogs

Vesta’s Beyond Cotton

S R E D A E R GHT NI T OU

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NT A P I C I T R PA

BE SURE TO LOOK FOR THIS POSTER AT YOUR FAVORITE SHOPS! Attention retailers and restaurants!

If you would like to participate, there is still time! Call 375.2985 and ask for the promotions department.

juggalos

of Union Rescue Mission.

William Tollett, executive director of Union Rescue Mission, says the group offered its help, but the mission declined the gifts.

“We’re a domestic violence facility.

They are a group associated with violence, and they’re inconsistent with our philosophy and mission statement, so we asked them to direct their donation elsewhere.”

“The thing that drew everybody together as Juggalos is that ICP talks about things from their life,” Payaso notes. “Domestic abuse, child abuse, stuff like that.

The people who wanted to listen to that were people who experienced it themselves. That’s how the group amassed itself and it’s grown since then.”

If the Arkansas Juggalo Family takes part in any violence, it was hard to tell during our two-hour talk. In fact, the meanest thing they mentioned the entire night was the time a fellow Juggalo woke up the day after his birthday to find his arms shaved and his hair crusted with mustard.

Are they an odd brood? Sure. They’ll be the first to tell you that.

Did I leave any less puzzled by Insane Clown Posse and the whole Juggalo world? Not at all. It still boggles the mind.

Instead, I ended up pleasantly surprised by a nice chat with what may be seven of the most sincere Juggalos in the whole “Dark Carnival.”

Does this mean I’ll ever stop belly laughing at the Faygo-soaked absurdity of it all? Not on your life, ninja.

Continued from page 19 youths chose to congregate around Insane Clown Posse.

Far and wide, the duo is seen as a novelty act at best, creating some of the most profoundly depraved and indefensibly squalid music ever recorded, a distinction the band flaunts with its series of “Most Hated Band” shirts. At worst, ICP, for short, is seen in some parts of the country as the engine behind strings of violence by Juggalo gangs or “cults.”

It may be a bit severe to classify the sub-culture as a nationally organized gang, as authorities in Utah and Arizona have done, but calling it a cult is less of a stretch. After all, the Juggalo nation consists of thousands of disenfranchised people finding “family,” seemingly boundless acceptance and a new set of social rules as deemed by charismatic leaders who, in this case, just so happen to be two rappers in evil clown make-up.

That cult distinction is one the Arkansas Juggalo Family dismisses.

“No talking or explaining can do it,” says Neon, a long-time Juggalo with the ICP-themed tattoos on his face to prove it.

“The only way to get that image off us is through action.”

But even in matters of charity, it’s a reputation that precedes them. In late 2009, a donations drive organized by the Juggalos hit a brick wall after collecting clothes and food for the Dorcas House, a local domestic violence outreach project

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Beverages provided by Glazer’s & Harbor Distributing

Friday, Dec. 3 • 7 p.m.

Tickets $40 in advance, $50 at the door Table sponsorship (reserved seating for 10) $1000 Guests will rock around the Christmas tree at Festival After Dark, a casual evening featuring Memphis sensation Dr. Zarr's Amazing Funk Monster band. Enjoy savory holiday fare prepared by some of Central Arkansas' most renowned restaurants and have the opportunity to bid on live and silent auction items.

For tickets visit carti.com or call 501.660.7634

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together a stable almost as deep as our own.

My gut tells me that Les Miles won’t be able to pull of one of his crazy finishes in Little Rock, especially if our special teams manage to swallow up Patrick Peterson and get us points when Chavis and co. keep us out of the end zone. But while all the miracles on Markham may seem to be reserved for the Razorbacks, with Fate’s best friend on the opposite sidelines we’d do well not to need them.

Continued from page 24 entirely. Gary Crowton has done very little with a whole lot this season, but Les Miles’ vaunted unpredictability and his players’ raw talent can be a dangerous combo. Stevan Ridley is a consistent producer on the ground, and, while the Ole Miss secondary can make anybody look good, we shouldn’t sleep on Jordan Jefferson. He’s certainly a talented athlete, which is what’s most frustrating about his career thus far. And he has three very able targets in Terrance Toliver, Deangelo Peterson and Rueben Randle —

Follow Derek Jenkins throughout the week and during games on Twitter @aboynamedsooie.

paisley

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Continued from page 26 you won’t find at too many country shows — an interesting version of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

Poyen-native Moore, sporting a black Razorback T-shirt with his jeans, boots and cowboy hat, delighted the home-state crowd with rousing renditions of hits like “Small Town USA,” “How I Got to Be This Way” and “Backwoods,” that song about, among other things, “country mud” and “sippin’ on a Bud.” He not only called the Hogs — and

Festival After Dark

HOOTIE: Darius Rucker delighted the Verizon Arena crowd.

did it right, unlike some musicians who are just passing through — he sent his “I Could Kick Your Ass” out to upcoming Arkansas foe LSU. — Bill Paddack www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 29

Wednesday, Nov 24 -Thursday, Dec 2

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A BIG, BIG LOVE: Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal have been receiving the lion’s share of publicity lately for their soul and skinbearing performances in “Love and Other Drugs,” a “hard R”-rated romantic comedy about a free-spirit and a Viagra salesman finding their casual trysts turning into a budding romance.

Nov. 26-28

movielistings All theater listings run Friday to Thursday unless otherwise noted.

Showtimes for Breckenridge and Chenal 9 were unavailable at press time. Check www.arktimes.com for updates. Market Street Cinema showtimes at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only.

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ARKANSAS TIMES TIMES 30 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS

NEW MOVIES Burlesque (PG-13) — A small-town girl from Iowa lands a job waitressing at a struggling Los Angeles burlesque club, and quickly takes the limelight as the revue’s star attraction. With Cher and Christina Aguilera. Rave: 10:40, 12:40, 1:50, 3:50, 4:50, 7:15, 8:10, 10:15, 11:15. Riverdale: 11:20, 1:50, 4:20, 6:50, 9:20.

Faster (R) — After being double-crossed during a heist years ago, an ex-con sets out to avenge his brother’s death while evading a hitman and a veteran cop. With Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton. Rave: 10:45, 11:40, 3:10, 5:45, 8:20, 10:10, 10:55. Riverdale: 11:05, 1;20, 3:30, 5:35, 7:50, 10:10.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (R) — Cyber-genius Lisbeth Salander finds herself in the hospital after taking a bullet to the head and up for charges on attempted murder upon her release in the final chapter of the “Millenium Trilogy.” Market Street: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00.

Love and Other Drugs (R) — A charming freespirit meets her match in a slick pharmaceutical salesman as their casual trysts turn into a budding relationship. With Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Rave: 11:20, 1:15, 2:15, 4:15, 5:15, 7:25, 8:25, 11:10.

The Tillman Story (R) — A searing look into the military service of football star Pat Tillman and the circumstances surrounding his death. Directed

by Amin Bar-Lev. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:15.

Tangled (PG) — Daring bandit Flynn Rider, Princess Rapunzel and Rapunzel’s 70 feet of hair find adventure and romance during their journey through the outside world. Voiced by Mandy Moore. Rave: 11:55, 2:30, 5:00, 8:05 (2D); 10:30, 11:10, 1:05, 1:55, 3:40, 4:35, 6:35, 7:10, 9:10, 9:45 (3D). Riverdale: 11:00, 1:10, 3:25, 5:30, 7:40, 9:50.

RETURNING THIS WEEK Alpha and Omega (PG) — Two wolves try to find their way back home after being kidnapped from their pack. But things go awry when the two opposites attract. Voiced by Hayden Panettiere and Justin Long. Movies 10: 12:15, 1:20, 2:25, 3:30, 4:35, 5:40, 6:45, 8:55.

Animalopolis (NR) — A half-hour film of goofy animals being goofy in enormous 3D. Aerospace IMAX: 11:00 Thu., 11:00 Fri. Conviction (R) — A working mother puts herself through law school in order to defend her brother, wrongly charged for murder. With Hillary Swank and Sam Rockwell. Market Street: 2:15, 4:15, 7:15,

9:15.

Despicable Me (PG) — A skittish criminal mastermind hiding in the suburbs plans to steal the moon, if only he can keep three orphaned girls away. Movies 10: 12:30, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50.

Due Date (R) — A tightly-wound father-to-be is forced to carpool cross-country with a clueless slacker so he can make it to his child’s birth on time.

With Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. Rave: 12:15, 2:50, 5:40, 8:15, 10:45. Riverdale: 11:25, 1:30, 3:35, 5:40, 7:45, 9:55.

Easy A (PG-13) — A straight-laced, all-star high school student uses the school’s rumor mill to give her social life a boost in this loose adaptation of “The Scarlet Letter.” With Emma Stone. Movies 10: 12:25, 2:40, 5:00, 7:15, 9:35.

For Colored Girls (R) — Tyler Perry adapts Ntozake Shange’s award-winning play about women of color for the big screen. With Janet Jackson. Rave: 11:35, 5:30, 11:20. Riverdale: 11:05, 1:50, 4:35, 7:15, 10:00.

Grown Ups (PG-13) — Five old basketball teammates act like kids again after their high school coach passes away. Movies 10: 7:35, 9:55.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (PG-13) — With Voldemort in control over Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic, Harry, Ron and Hermione have to race against time to overthrow the evil lord.

Rave: 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30. Riverdale: 12:00, 3:20, 6:25, 9:30.

Inside Job (PG-13) — Matt Damon narrates this documentary which analyzes the roots and repercussions of the recent global financial crisis. Market Street: 1:45, 6:45.

Let Me In (R) — A middle school outcast is embraced by a new neighbor who, he soon finds, is a young vampire, in Matt Reeves’ remake of the Swedish “Let the Right One In.” Movies 10: 1:00, 4:15, 7:05, 9:40.

Lottery Ticket (PG-13) — A young man in the projects has to survive a three-day weekend after his neighbors find out he’s holding a lotto ticket worth millions. Movies 10: 7:50, 10:15.

Megamind (PG) — A blue, maniacal supervillain turns into a restless mess when his sworn superhero enemy is accidentally killed. Voiced by Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt. Rave: 10:55, 1:40, 4:05, 7:05, 9:35. Riverdale: 11:10, 1:15, 3:20, 5:25, 7:30, 9:35.

Morning Glory (PG-13) — An accomplished television journalist has to revive a struggling morning show in spite of its always-bickering divas. With Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams. Rave: 11:15, 2:10, 5:05, 7:45, 10:35. Riverdale: 11:15, 1:55, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30.

The Next Three Days (PG-13) — A college professor at his wit’s end decides to break his wife out of prison, years after she was wrongfully accused of a grisly murder. With Russell Crowe and

Elizabeth Banks. Rave: 12:50, 4:10, 4:05, 7:05, 9:35.

Riverdale: 11:45, 2:30, 6:00, 9:10.

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D (R) — In the newest installment of the video game-based franchise, zombie-killing, pistol-packing Alice (Milla Jovovich) returns to shepherd innocent Los Angelenos to safety. Movies 10: 12:20, 2:50, 5:20, 7:45, 10:10.

Saw 3D (R) — People tortured for the amusement of creepy mouthbreathers and sociopaths-in-training.

More of the same abhorrent, sadistic stuff. Rave: 3:05, 8:45, 10:40.

Secretariat (PG) — The unlikely story of housewife Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), horse trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) and their legendary Triple Crown-winning racehorse. Riverdale: 11:30, 2:10, 4:50, 7:25, 10:05.

Skyline (PG-13) — When strange, extraterrestrial lights descend onto Los Angeles, its inhabitants can’t pull themselves away from its threatening glow. Rave: 11:35 p.m.

Stone (R) — Intentions blur when a convicted arsonist arranges for his wife to seduce the parole officer in charge of his case. With Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:00.

Takers (PG-13) — Five meticulous bank robbers elude a hard-boiled detective so they can pull off one last heist. Movies 10: 12:10, 2:45, 5:10, 7:40, 10:05.

Thrill Ride (NR) — This IMAX movie takes viewers on some of the fastest, scariest roller coaster rides on earth. Aerospace IMAX: 1:00 Thu., 1:00, 8:00 Fri., 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 8:00 Sat. The Town (R) — Ben Affleck directs and stars in this heist thriller as a ruthless, master bank robber stuck in a web of paranoia in urban Boston. With Jon Hamm. Movies 10: 12:45, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00.

Toy Story 3 (G) — Donated to a daycare center after their owner leaves for college, the beloved gang of toys rallies together for one last escape. Movies 10: 12:05, 2:35, 5:05.

Unstoppable (PG-13) — Denzel Washington has to stop an unmanned freight train full of explosives and poisonous gas from wiping out a city. Rave: 11:45, 2:20, 4:55, 7:40, 10:20.

Waiting for Superman (PG) — Davis Guggenheim’s alarming look at the state of education in America. Market Street: 4:15, 9:15.

You Again (PG) — A woman sets out to expose her brother’s fiancee, who bullied her throughout high school. With Kristen Bell and Betty White. Movies 10: 12:00, 2:30, 4:55, 7:20, 9:45.

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.

IMAX Theater: Aerospace Education Center, 376-4629, www.aerospaced.org.

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.

THE BEST POTTER YET: Ralph Fiennes stars as Voldemort.

The best Potter yet ‘Deathly Hallows’ raises the stakes. n To be perfectly honest with you, I didn’t care much for the first few movies in the “Harry Potter” series. Too slapstick. Too precious. Too childish. Too obsessed with the latest CGI goo-gaw, at the expense of character and pacing and plot. While the later films were fair-to-middlin’, the main problem was that actor Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the boy wizard, just wasn’t all that good back in those days. He just never sold the character’s anxiety and fear, and thus the danger of the books largely fell flat on screen.

With age, however, comes maturity and skill. The latest installment of the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” is almost completely on the shoulders of the three main protagonists: Emma Watson (who plays young witch Hermione Grainger), Rupert Grint (who plays Ron Weasley) and Radcliffe. They

succeed brilliantly. The result is a film full of tension, pain, and the real emotion that was sometimes lacking in the other stops along the Harry Potter Express.

While the early Potter films were clearly meant to be kid flicks, this one is — to its credit — most definitely not. In a word, this is the best, most complex Harry Potter film yet.

With Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) dead, struck from the highest tower of the school

by Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), the magical world inhabited by Harry Potter and friends has fallen into chaos and evil is taking over. Soon after the film opens, there’s a very tense scene in which Harry and a group of wizard protectors fly into an ambush, with several long-running characters of the series killed or maimed by forces loyal to evil Lord Voldemort

(Ralph Fiennes). Though Harry knows what he must do — find and destroy seven magical objects called Horcruxes, which contain the dissected soul of Voldemort — the adults around Harry are so protective of him as The Chosen One of prophecy and legend that they won’t let him make the sacrifices necessary to bring the endgame.

Worse yet, they keep getting killed while trying to protect him, leaving Harry to deal with the guilt of a young man whose friends sacrificed their lives so he could be safe.

Meanwhile, those loyal to Voldemort have seized control of Hogwarts School and The Ministry of Magic (a kind of wizard Department of Homeland Security, complete with secret courts and jails), and have started an effort to cleanse their world of those with non-wizard blood, which the new regime has decreed renders them racially impure. Because of all that, Harry decides to go it alone, disappearing into the world to live off the magical grid while trying to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort becomes so powerful he can’t be stopped. His old friends Hermione and Ron insist on joining him, however, leading to a lot of tension, heartache and action as the three friends literally journey into the wilderness in scenes that are as close to Frodo’s quest from “Lord of the Rings” as the Potter series will ever get.

Meanwhile, their crusade leads them to learn of The Deathly Hallows, the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world, which Voldemort covets as a way to make himself immortal and omnipotent.

As I said, Grint, Watson and Radcliffe

are excellent here as the three put-upon friends desperate to protect each other and save their world from evil. The three come across at all times as stripped bare in a way we’ve never seen them before, genuinely terrified of what’s around the corner but pressing on in spite of every instinct they have. The amount of care Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are allowed to lavish on their characters owes a lot to the fact that — unlike other films in the series — “The Deathly Hallows” never makes it to Hogwarts, and that’s a good thing. The Potter films have often felt encapsulated within its protected walls, with the school serving as a kind of safe house where Dumbledore and those loyal to him were always ready to step in and save Harry’s bacon if things really got serious. With the school and Dumbledore out of the picture, however, the effect is multi-fold.

Harry and friends are free to explore the rest of the world, both magical and nonmagical, but they are also completely on their own. This leads to moments of real tension, where you find yourself waiting for an adult witch or wizard to swoop in (Deus ex Magica style) and save the day.

When that doesn’t happen — when Harry and friends are allowed to fail in their quest, at least for awhile — it’s a genuine shock. Fold into that an emphasis on character over special effects, and some scenes where I honestly wanted to look away (such as when one of the beloved figures from the series is tortured for information, screaming in pain while literally being branded to mark the character as racially undesirable), and you’ve got the darkest, most emotional Harry Potter film yet — a film that’s less about spectacle and more about the limits a person, even a young person, can push himself to if the lives of his friends are on the line.

In short: Definitely catch it, even if you’re not a fan.

— David Koon

complimentary shuttle service from area hotels

You’ll have deck envy Razorback Post-Game Party, Saturday, November 27.

monday-saturday from 4:30 p.m. | www.cajunswharf.com | 2400 cantrell road | on the arkansas river | 501-375-5351 www.arktimes.com www.arktimes.com •• NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 25, 25, 2010 2010 31 31

We will have ALL

Razorback games!

PPV or not, we will have it!

We have NFL Sunday ticket and ESPN Gameplan.

Come watch your favorite college or pro team!

• Lunch specials Monday through Friday • Happy Hour 4-7p.m • Kitchen open till midnight.

Live Music Thurs, Fri & Sat Nights!

No Cover!

Where friends get together!

Come watch the LSU Game on Saturday and stick around for live music afterwards!

11321 W. Markham St. Ste 6 • www.markhamst.com We are smoke friendly, so 21 and up please.

don’t Forget hillcrest’s

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

check next week’s ad For shop & sip deals at area boutiques and check us out during reader’s night out!

The Shoppes at Woodlawn Box Turtle Haux Werk River City Coffee, Tea & Cream River Rock Realty U.S. Pizza Rhea Drug Café Bossa Nova Gallery 26 & More!

Don’t Miss the tree Lighting!

Fri, Dec. 3rD ARKANSAS TIMES TIMES 32 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS

THANKSGIVING EDITION

n Turkey day is coming up, which means the cable channels have left the keys with the lowliest intern, told him not to touch anything, and scheduled mind-numbing marathons of audience faves. Here, in no particular order, is what’s playing on some of the popular channels during their Thanksgiving view-a-thons.

SPIKE TV: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Gangland marathon n Documentary-style show about great gang wars through time, from the Bloods and the Crips to the Hatfields and McCoys.

TRU TV: 6 a.m. - 2 a.m. (Friday) World’s Dumbest Criminals marathon n Surveillance footage of criminals doing stupid stuff on their way to the hoosegow, accompanied by a chorus of B-list commentators.

E!: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Keeping up with the Kardashians marathon n The supernaturally beautiful clan (and man-handed Amazonian Khloe) spend money like water while looking fabulous.

A&E: 8 a.m. - midnight The First 48 marathon n Real-life detectives track murderers in this rare behind-the-curtain look at the world of homicide investigation.

AMC: 10:30 a.m. - midnight The Godfather marathon n Wisely leaving “Godfather III” in the

DISCOVERY CHANNEL: 10 a.m. 8 p.m.

Mythbusters marathon n Jaime Hynemann and Adam Savage use science to separate truth from myth in urban legends.

BRAVO: 10 a.m BEST BET?: Syfy shows Bond all day Friday.

- 6 p.m Millionaire Matchmaker marathon vaults, AMC makes an offer we can’t refuse in this marathon screening of parts n Matchmaker-to-the-stars Patti Stanger I and II. helps lovelorn Master of the Universetypes and various over-pumped goldBBC AMERICA: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. diggers feel the sting of cupid’s arrow.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Don’t forget that prenup! marathon TLC: 6 a.m. - midnight n Seventy-five years after the original Cake Boss marathon “Star Trek” series, Enterprise captain n Pastry artist Buddy Valastro and his Jean Luc Picard and his crew surf the team take cakes waaaaay beyond that universe, trying to find all Captain Kirk’s bitchin’ sheet cake with the dinosaur you bi-species offspring. had for your sixth birthday party.

FX: 7 a.m. - midnight Kung Fu Panda marathon SYFY: 8 a.m - 3 a.m. (Friday) James Bond marathon n Jack Black stars in this animated romp n Watch 007 shoot, screw and quip his as a panda who yearns to do kung fu. way through his myriad incarnations, THE HISTORY CHANNEL: 7 a.m. from Connery to Craig. midnight Ancient Aliens marathon LIFETIME: 8 a.m. - midnight Will and Grace marathon n Here, in a startling addition to the n A gay dude and a redhead live in a work of historians Doris Kearns Goodtrendy place, or something like that. win and John Hope Franklin, the “HisI’m just guessing here, because the only tory” Channel gins up some dubious thing I know about this show is that I bullshit about aliens. hate it.

— David Koon

n media KABF moves forward, slowly Recent changes too little, too late?

by Gerard Matthews

n Back in August, the Times reported on troubles, financial and otherwise, at local public radio station KABF. An audit by the inspector general’s office of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting found “material noncompliance with CPB requirements” including $49,957 in questionable expenses, lack of documentation supporting contributions, lack of discrete accounting, failure to hold open meetings, failure to have open financial records and lack of a community advisory board.

The report also outlined ways that KABF could take corrective actions and maintain CPB funding (which, at over $50,000 per year, is the financially-strapped station’s biggest source of income). So, what’s happened since August? Very little.

Why? That’s a good question.

Board member Jay Jansen’s efforts to call attention to the problems in subsequent board meetings and find ways to fix them were met with disdain and even hostility.

Long-time board members who have served since the station’s early days as an affiliate of the now-defunct ACORN, said time was better spent focusing on the positive aspects — if there were any to be found — of the station’s history and agenda items aimed at solving the problems outlined by the CPB were deferred to later meetings. As a result, KABF will lose its CPB funding and have to find other sources of revenue, not a small task for a station that was barely getting by as it was.

In order to keep the CPB money flowing, the inspector general’s report required the station to, among other things, form a community advisory board to help oversee the station’s accounting. Jansen says a representative from the inspector general’s office also suggested expanding board membership. Action was not taken on either of these items until earlier this month when two new board members were approved.

At a meeting held Nov. 17, another board members was confirmed and a community advisory board was put in place, thanks to two volunteers.

“I think we’ve got about four or five other [potential] board members waiting for approval,” Jansen says. “They’ve been up for approval and [the board] refuse to induct them. A committee reviews the ap-

plicants and makes recommendations to the full board and that committee would only recommend two out of seven or so. Most of those people had immense qualifications, so I didn’t see any logical reason for not allowing these people on the board. I just think the original board doesn’t want to be outnumbered.”

Board President Lucho Reyes called an emergency meeting on Aug. 10 to address some of the outstanding issues. Five board members — Evelyn Parker, Donna Massey, Johnnie Pugh, Columbus Higgins and Maxine Nelson — refused to attend. Jansen immediately called for their resignation. They did not tender it.

Parker, who serves as secretary for the board, said in a telephone interview that she would not answer questions about why she and other board members did not attend the meeting.

“I’m not sure what their motivations are, but if we are able to diversify the board, all of that will hopefully become irrelevant and we’ll be moving on,” Jansen says.

Enrique Castro, who has had a show on KABF for four years, is one of the new board members. He turned in an application for the board in May, but wasn’t confirmed until last week. He says divisions between old board members and new, along with the initial resistance to admitting the station had problems, are hopefully starting to fade.

“It’s really no mystery to anyone that the board has lacked true leadership from within its ranks,” Castro says. “I think it’s a group of well-meaning people ... I believe that finally the seriousness of the situation has really grabbed the board. Some might say it’s a little too late and perhaps it might be, but we really can’t dwell on what the problems were. Now we just have to work together in fixing it.”

The station will continue to operate, at least for the short-term. Right now, Jansen and Castro say the best thing that can happen for KABF is for the community to get involved.

“Our plan is to recruit interested parties who have a desire to help, and those who actually can help, and to begin to work with them. Any in-fighting is not going to bring about anything positive,” Castro says.

The station is at 88.3 FM.

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Nov. 27 • Robinson Center Music Hall • 8pm

For Tickets Call (501) 244-8800 • (800) 745-3000 w w w. t i c k e t m a s t e r. c o m

Groups of 10 or more receive a discount, call (501) 492-3314 CelebrityAttractions.com

The Central Arkansas Library System is proud to present

Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 – Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 Main Gallery, Arkansas Studies Institute 401 President Clinton Avenue Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Exhibit admission is free.

Lincoln: the Constitution and the Civil War was organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association, and made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information and tours, please call 918-3032 or email mmurray@cals.org.

The To-do lisT

➤➤➤

The comprehensive list of everything worth doing this weekend from Times entertainment editor, Lindsey Millar. Whether it’s live music, dance, theater or an exhibit, Lindsey steers you to the best. The To-Do List email newsletter arrives in your in-box every Wednesday afternoon with an eye toward planning for your weekend.

The To-Do List is a sure bet for your active life!

RIVERMARKET BAR & GRILL

CLUBS, CONCERTS & MORE @ arktimes.com

TO-DO FROM ROCK CANDY

LIST

AT THE BACKSTAGE PASS

SubScribe for thiS local newS email!

SMILES & CORN DOGS AT THE ARKANSAS STATE FAIR

iT’s Free! Go To S U B S C R I B E

DAILY UPDATE

ArkTimes.Com WEEKLY ROCK CANDY

TO-DO LIST

WEEKLY

EATARKANSAS DIGEST

WEEKLY

UPDATE

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www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 33 • Lor autatincil dolutpat. Andre dunt utpat.

cats

| UNSUBSCRIBE |

ROBINSON AUDITORIUM THIS WEEKEND

BOSWELL

You’re invited for Advent Services

MOUROT FINE ART

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Animal Art Event!

OPENING RECEPTION

Featuring paintings by a variety of animals from the Little Rock Zoo. Thursday, December 9 • 6• p.m. to 9- p.m.

November 13, 2010 6pm 10pm

The unique artwork will be available for purchase through a silent auction.

Christmas ornaments also painted by Zoo animals will be available for purchase as well.

ARKANSAS TIMES READERS CHOICE AWARDS

Best Seafood Runner Up

SUNdayS, 10:30 a.M.

Gardner Memorial United Methodist Church 1723 Schaer Street, North Little Rock 374-9520 www.gardnermemorialumc.org

Monday – Kids Eat Free!

Wednesday – 25% Off All Bottles of Wine SmallTown

2806 Albert Pike • 501.767.5695 Hours: Mon-Sat 11-10 • Sun 11-9

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Eleanor Dickinson 5815 KAVANAUGH BLVD • LITTLE ROCK, AR 72207 • (501) 664.0030 November 13 - December 4, 2010 WWW.BOSWELLMOUROT.COM

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aprons designed by artists

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T- S H I R T AVA I L A B L E AT 2616 KAVANAUGH HILLCREST 501.661.1167

Or call Phyllis at 375.2985 ext 364 or e-mail phyllis@arktimes.com

BE A HERO, SUPPORT

BURN SURVIVORS AmericA’s FemAle F i re F i g h te r s mission is to raise and expend funds for the benefit of burn survivors across the United States. We are Raising

4th Annual

Awareness and Educating about fire

Pavilion in the park december 2, 2010

safety and treatment of burn injuries.

We do this by producing the America’s Female Firefighters Calendar. The pages of the AFF calendar are graced with ladies from across the United States, and all of

tickets $50

which serve their communities as paid fulltime firefighters. The women who are selected to be featured in the calendar exemplify good health, fitness and moral character, and are dedicated to their profession in the fire service.

For our family of AFF ladies, it is not about being a “Calendar Girl”, but rather being able to “GIVE BACK” and makes a difference.

For more inFormation or to purchase a calendar please email missoctober2011@gmail.com please include your name, address and telephone number.

34 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Hey, Do this!

Food, Music, Entertainment and everything else that’s FUN

Verizon Arena, December 18

PLUS Old State House Museum’s Holiday Open House Nutcracker at Robinson Center Music Hall Michael Buble at Verizon Arena

12.

02.

10

presented by

A dv e rt i s i n g D e pa rt m e n t

Arkansas Times Readers Night Out

Dedicated to all Fashionistas, Shop-O-Holics and Die Hard Foodies

Arkansas Times is hosting it’s first Readers Night Out and we’re asking our readers to join the festivities for one-night of shopping, sipping and dining bliss. It’s happening all over town! Shout-out to your friends and get your game plan on!

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES • november 25, 2010 35

It’s Just Around the Corner!

Presents

Holiday

open House

The

Nutcracker featuring the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

Carols, Cookies and Family Fun! sunday, december 5, 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Free admission

Dec. 11th at 7pm • Dec. 12th at 3pm Robinson Center Auditorium Tickets & Info (501) 666-1761

It’s the 7th Annual

A Tour of Homes • A Taste of Christmas A Touch of Music • A Sampling of Art Step back a century into more genteel times from 2:00-6:00 p.m. in the Quapaw Quarter district of Little Rock on Sunday, December 5.

Tour historic homes, learn their history, and enjoy holiday appetizers, beverages, art, decorations and music during this Christmas event organized by Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church.

Tickets are $20 and available via PayPal at qqumc.org.

For more information, call 501-375-1600 or e-mail qqumc@sbcglobal.net.

36 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Hours: 9 am–5 pm, Monday–Saturday; 1 pm–5 pm, Sunday The Old State House Museum is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

FORECAST

Exciting Arkansas events on the horizon n Kick-off your holidays with Mannheim Steamroller’s spectacular 25th anniversary production at Robinson Center Music Hall on Saturday, November 27 at 8 p.m. Grammy Award-winner Chip Davis has created a show that features the beloved Christmas music of Mannheim Steamroller along with state of the art multimedia effects in an intimate setting. The spirit of the season comes alive with the signature sound of Mannheim Steamroller at this ultimate family experience. Tickets are $44.35-$86.05 and available through Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. n The classic, heartwarming family movie, A Christmas Story, now comes to life as one of America’s favorite holiday shows at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. A Christmas Story unforgettably captures the essence of holiday wonder with wit and nostalgia in Jean Shepherd’s glorious celebration of growing up in late-1930s small-town Indiana. All of your favorites are here, including a “Major Award” leg-shaped lamp, a yellow-eyed bully, a frozen flagpole, Little Orphan Annie’s thrilling radio exploits and a delightfully funny Chinese Christmas dinner.

The all-ages show will be an experience to cherish for years to come. The show runs from December 1 through December 26 with evening curtains at 7 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m.

For ticket information, visit www.therep.org. n Tie One On, December 2 at Pavillion in the Park at 6:309pm. Tie One On is a fundraising event for Our House, Inc., which provides the working homeless, families and individuals, with counseling and case management; transitional housing; job training; free curriculum based childcare; and money management, in order that they may return to independence and lead productive lives. This 4th annual event includes both silent and live auctions of aprons and themed packages donated by local artist, celebrities, and vendors. The ticket price of $50 per person includes entertainment, food, and beverages. To purchase tickets or make a donation please call 501.374.7383 ext 200 or email Ganelle Grimm at Ganelle@ourhousesheltoer. org or online at www.ourhouseshelter.org. n The Arkansas Craft Guild presents its 32nd annual Christmas Showcase December 3-5 at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock. Over 100 Arkansas artisans will display their unique handmade works. Find Christmas gifts for everyone on your list this year. Enjoy live music by Mountain View’s Charlie Mink. Tickets are $5 at the door. Hours are Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10a.m.-4 p.m. Register to win admission to next year’s show. For more information, call 870-269-4120 or visit www. arkansascraftguild.org. n Haiti: Building Back Better, December 4, 2010 through February 6, 2011 at the Clinton Presidential Center. The Clinton Presidential Center celebrates the people and culture of Haiti as the nation recovers from the devasting earthquake.

The exhibit will highlight the history of Haiti, Haitian arts and culture, President Clinton’s presidential and post-presidential involvement with the country, and earthquake recovery efforts. www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org

are available at all Ticketmaster outlets. Charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www. ticketmaster.com. n Wildwood Park for the Arts presents Holiday Tour of Homes showcasing Little Rock’s finest homes in West Little Rock. An exclusive private preview takes On his Crazy Love Tour, Michael Buble stops by Verizon Arena on December 7. place on Friday, December 10 at 7p.m. at the fabulous home of décor and landscape guru enjoy this whimsical tale starring Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, Chris Olsen. Tickets are $60. On Saturday, December 11, the the Rat King and the Sugar Plum Fairy. The show runs Saturhomes of Dr. Steve and Janet Cathey; Robert and Martha Ellen day, December 11 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 12 at 3 Erwin; Stephen and Kim Carleson; Tom Chander and Tim Ellis; p.m. at Robinson Center Music Hall. Tickets are on sale now and Chris Olson will be available for viewing from 10 a.m.-4 and may be purchased by phone at 501-666-1761 or online p.m. for $25 (in advance) or $30 day of tour. Proceeds benat www.arkansassymphony.org. Tickets are also available for efit Wildwood’s statewide educational touring production, Art the annual Nutcracker Tea on Sunday, December 12 at 1 p.m.

To Go!, a musical performed for elementary school students at the Peabody Hotel. Purchase tickets to the tea by calling across Arkansas. Purchase tickets to the Holiday Tour of Homes 501-223-5150 or by visiting www.balletarkansas.org. online at tickets.wildwoodpark.org. n Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presents Home for the Holidays at Robinson Center Music Hall. Geoffrey Robson, conductor, December 17, Friday at 8:00 PM, December 18, Saturday at 8:00 PM and December 19. Sunday at 3:00 PM: Enjoy the holiday season right here at home with your ASO. Hear some of our local talents perform Christmas carols and sing-alongs. Who knows? The Big Man in Red may be there!

Price Range: $20 - $65. www.arkansassymphony.org

Now through December, don’t miss Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro “Martini Madness” n Holidays on Ice has returned to the River Market. After a day of fun on the outdoor ice-skating rink, Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro is the perfect place to warm up to a delicious meal. Present your rink tickets, and receive free apple cider and half-off the restaurant’s award-winning cheese dip. Now through December, don’t miss “Martini Madness” with specialty Three Olives martinis for only $6 each. On Friday, December 10, Dizzy’s will serve free apple cider from 5-8 p.m. during Second Friday Art Night. Dizzy’s is located at 200 River Market Avenue and open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 501-375-3500 or visit www. dizzysgypsybistro.net for more information. For details on additional events at participating Third Street Merchants, visit www.thirdstreetmerchants.com.

n The traditions of joyous family holiday celebrations of the past can be relived at the Old State House Museum’s Holiday Open House, Sunday, December 5 from 1-4:30 p.m. Guests will find the museum colorfully decorated for the season with Christmas carols filling the air and cookies and punch being served. Kids can enjoy fun, hands-on activities such as making holiday cards. Admission is free. Call 501-324-9685 for more information.

n Celebrate the holidays at Boswell Mourot Fine Art. The works of glitter artist, Jon Etienne Mourot, including “Glitter Jesus,” will be showcased at an opening night reception on December 11 from 6-9 p.m. Musical guests Slim Christmas and Yuletide Carol will deck the halls with Christmas cheer. Boswell Mourot Fine Art is located at 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd. in Little Rock. Call 501-6640030 for more information. boswellmourot.com

n Touring in support of his #1 selling release, Crazy Love, Michael Buble plays Verizon Arena in North Little Rock on Tuesday, December 7 at 8 p.m. The Crazy Love Tour is Michael’s biggest and most exciting tour to date. His stage show is propelled by a string of smash hits, including “Home,” “Everything” and his most recent hit single “Haven’t Met You Yet.” Receiving the best reviews of his career, you will be witnessing a superstar in peak form. Tickets are $51.50-$91.50 and

n Ballet Arkansas and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra have prepared a wonderfully exciting and graceful performance of the beloved Christmas classic, The Nutcracker. Children and adults of all ages will

n Trans-Siberian Orchestra, one of the most epic concerts you’ll ever experience, returns to Verizon Arena in North Little Rock on their Winter Tour 2010. The Chicago Tribune has said, “Take the arena-filling production spectable of KISS, the light show of Pink Floyd, the theatrical rock of Queen then add a Christmas theme. The result is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.”

Choose from two show times: 3 p.m. or 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 18. Tickets are $27-$63 and are available through Ticketmaster by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www. ticketmaster.com. n Now through December 31, Murry’s Dinner Playhouse presents Boeing Boeing. Bernard, a successful architect living in Paris, thinks he can easily cope with his three air hostesses, who all happen to be his fiancée. When his long lost cousin Robert arrives for Christmas, things begin to get turbulent. Schedules change, flights are delayed and a new turbo-charged Boeing is introduced. Chaos ensues in this whirl of mayhem and matchmaking. Ticket prices range from $28-$32 and include dinner, show and tax. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday with a 7:45 p.m. curtain.; for special Wednesday matinees and Sunday shows, lunch begins at 11 a.m. with a 12:45 curtain.

Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. with a 6:45 p.m. curtain on Sunday evenings. For tickets, call 501-562-3131. Visit www.murrysdinnerplayhouse.com for additional information.

Now Playing Boeing Boeing

Now - December 31

The hilarious comedy!

Season Tickets and Gift Certificates on Sale!

Colonel Glenn & University • murrysdinnerplayhouse.com • 562-3131 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES • november 25, 2010 37

good Friends • Fine sPirits • great taste

drivers Please be aWare, it’s arkansas state laW: Use of bicycles or animals Every person riding a bicycle or an animal, or driving any animal drawing a vehicle upon a highway, shall have all the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions of this act which by their nature can have no applicability.

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BLOG

CHECK THE ARKANSAS DAILY BLOG: NEWS, COMMENTS, BUZZ UPDATED CONTINUALLY

www.arktimes.com

38 november 25, 2010 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES

READERS NIGHT OUT Dedicated To All Fashionistas, Shop-O-Holics and Die Hard Foodies

www.arktimes.com

n Browning’s has pushed back its target date to reopen from this month to late January or early February after a construction delay.

Restaurant capsules Every effort is made to keep this listing of some of the state’s more notable restaurants current, but we urge readers to call ahead to check on changes on days of operation, hours and special offerings. What follows, because of space limitations, is a partial listing of restaurants reviewed by our staff. Information herein 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.

Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order by city; Little Rock-area restaurants are divided by food category. Other review symbols are:

B Breakfast

L Lunch

D Dinner

$ Inexpensive (under $8/person)

$$ Moderate ($8-$20/person)

$$$ Expensive (over $20/person)

CC Accepts credit cards

Little Rock/ N. Little Rock American ADAMS CATFISH CATERING Catering company with carry-out restaurant in Little Rock and carry-out trailers in Russellville and Perryville. 215 N. Cross St. All CC. $-$$.

501-374-4265. LD Tue.-Sat. ALL AMERICAN WINGS Wings, catfish and soul food sides. 215 W. Capitol Ave. Beer. $-$$. 501-376-4000.

ALLEY OOPS The restaurant at Creekwood Plaza (near the Kanis-Bowman intersection) is a neighborhood feedbag for major medical institutions with the likes of plate lunches, burgers and homemade desserts. Remarkable Chess Pie. 11900 Kanis Rd. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-9400. LD Mon.-Sat. ATHLETIC CLUB What could be mundane fare gets delightful twists and embellishments here. 11301 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-312-9000.

LD daily.

B-SIDE The little breakfast place in the former party room of Lilly’s DimSum Then Some turns tradition on its ear, offering French toast wrapped in bacon on a stick, a must-have dish called “biscuit mountain” and beignets with lemon curd. Top notch cheese grits, too. 11121 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-554-0914. B Wed.-Fri.; BR Sat.-Sun. BAR LOUIE This chain’s first Arkansas outlet features a something-for-everybody menu so broad and varied to be almost schizophrenic. All sampled was unexceptional but not offensive in a very generic sort of way. The way-aboveaverage aspects: friendly, attentive servers/bartenders and broad, creative beer/cocktail selection. 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 924. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-228-0444.

LD daily.

BEEF O’BRADY’S FAMILY SPORTS PUB The signature item is the wings, with a variety of sauces, plus burgers,

North Little Rock’s beloved dining car returns. n Of all the eateries in Central Arkansas, the Starlite Grill may have the hardest of hard luck stories. That old diner car was uprooted from its home in scenic Florida, plunked down on a dingy North Little Rock corner at East Military and MacArthur, loved by locals, then neglected, put on eBay’s Internet auction block only to face more rejection before catching ablaze and sitting sullen and hollowed out for a couple years.

To siphon off a bit of wisdom from Old Blue Eyes, the greasy spoon has been “up and down and over and out” many, many more times than its young age — a spry young 16 — would ever suggest.

But a good underdog story has to have a comeback act, right?

Early word of mouth suggested otherwise: spotty service, cold eggs, heftier prices and so on. But after a few trips to the diner over the last couple of weeks, we’re confident that there’s still hope for a happy ending to the Starlite chronicles.

Each time, we left satisfied and very, very full. Diet food this ain’t.

On our return to Starlite, we called for toast, grits, an egg over easy and, of course, a short stack ($4.50), the sugar and carbo-loaded plate that we remembered as the best plate of pancakes in town. And, of course, coffee.

To digress briefly, late night eateries like this one often pour out cup after cup of lava-hot, mouth-blistering joe. Maybe that’s okay for leather tongues and selfharmers, but when coffee comes to the table, we get impatient. We’re ready to drink it straight away without the risk of scorching tastebuds and making everything taste like a paper towel for the next week. And much to its credit, Starlite serves coffee that’s immediately drinkable and good.

Back to the food: The pancakes remain unchanged. They’re still the thinner, almost creamy kind that puts an emphasis on the

“flap” in flapjack.

We’ve always preferred the floppier type of pancake (as opposed to the fluffy cake type) and can’t think of another in town with more flavor per square inch.

Our sides of egg, grits and toast were unembellished and up to the American diner standard. The grits were thick and piled high, but so bland that it made us recoil. But, trying to err to the sunnier side of things, we decided to look at them as a blank slate, ready for salt, pepper, butter — never sugar, though. Never. The toast, on the other hand, was so butter-logged that it nearly squirted like an orange.

On the lunch side, we took a shot at the Buffalo Burger, a tall bleu cheese and buffalo sauce contraption that was enjoyable, but didn’t leave us craving another. More memorable was the lunch special we dove into: a chicken-fried steak with corn and mashed potatoes, all swimming in thick, white gravy. Even more memorable: the food coma it put us in. If you could judge comfort food by the quality of nap it in-

specialty sandwiches, wraps, salads and fish dishes. 115 Audubon Drive. Maumelle. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-8033500. LD daily.

BIG WHISKEY’S AMERICAN BAR AND GRILL A modern grill pub in the River Market with all the bells and whistles: 30 flat screen TVs, boneless wings, whiskey on tap.

Plus, the usual burgers, steaks, soups and salads. 225 E. Markham. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-324-2449. LD daily.

BOBBY’S COUNTRY COOKIN’ One of the better plate lunch spots in the area, with maybe the best fried chicken and pot roast around, a changing daily casserole and wonderful homemade pies. 301 N. Shackleford Road, Suite

E1. No alcohol, All CC. 501-224-9500. L Mon.-Fri. BOGIE’S BAR AND GRILL The former Bennigan’s retains a similar theme: a menu filled with burgers, salads and giant desserts, plus a few steak, fish and chicken main courses.

There are big screen TVs for sports fans and lots to drink, more reason to return than the food. 120 W. Pershing Blvd.

NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-812-0019. BD daily.

CAFE 201 The hotel restaurant in the Crowne Plaza serves up a nice lunch buffet. 201 S. Shackleford Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-223-3000. BLD daily.

CATFISH CITY AND BBQ GRILL Basic fried fish and sides, including green tomato pickle, and now with tasty

brian chilson

n Flying Burrito Co., 300 President Clinton Ave., is scheduled to close on Tuesday, November 30, according to a post on its Facebook page. In its place, owner Daniel Bryant said he plans to open what he’s tentatively calling Harry and Jorge’s by March 1, 2011.

“During lunch H & J’s will continue the tradition of providing very good Mexican food quickly,” Bryant said, “but now with an added element of full-service that will create a comfortable environment more conducive to night time dining.”

■ dining Starlite’s second act

NOT DIET FRIENDLY: The Starlite Diner serves up plenty of high carb dishes like the Buffalo burger (right). brian chilson

what’scookin’

Starlite Diner 250 E. Military Drive North Little Rock 501-353-0465 Quick bite

The decor may have changed, but the taste remains the same. For pancake fans, the return of Starlite’s breakfast offerings is reason to celebrate.

Hours

6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sun.-Wed., 24 hours Thu.-Sat. starting next week.

Other info

Credit cards accepted.

duces, we’d give the day’s blue plate a blue ribbon.

In fact, next week, when the restaurant returns to its old 24-hour schedule from Thursday to Sunday, a big brown plate of home cooking might just be what the doctor ordered for the hungry insomniac. ribs and sandwiches in beef, pork and sausage. 1817 S. University Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7224.

LD Mon.-Sat. CHEERS IN THE HEIGHTS Good burgers and sandwiches, vegetarian offerings and salads at lunch and fish specials, and good steaks in the evening. 2010 N. Van Buren.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5937. LD Mon.-Sat. 1901 Club Manor Drive. Maumelle. Full bar, All CC. 501-851-6200.

LD daily, BR Sun. CORNERSTONE PUB & GRILL A sandwich, pizza and beer joint in the heart of North Little Rock’s Argenta district.

Continued on page 40

www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 39

Restaurant capsules Continued from page 39

314 Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1782.

CRACKER BARREL Chain-style home-cooking with plenty of variety, consistency and portions. Multiple locations statewide. 3101 Springhill Drive. NLR. 945-9373. BLD. DAVE AND RAY’S DOWNTOWN DINER Breakfast buffet daily featuring biscuits and gravy, home fries, sausage and made-to-order omelets. Lunch buffet with four choices of meats and eight veggies. 824 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol. $. 501-372-8816. BL daily.

E’S BISTRO Despite the name, think tearoom rather than bistro — there’s no wine, for one thing, and there is tea. But there’s nothing tearoomy about the portions here. Try the heaping grilled salmon BLT on a buttery croissant. 3812 JFK Boulevard. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-771-6900.

EL NOPAL Mexican American fare. 700 W. Capitol Ave. 501-372-9999. BL Mon.-Fri. FLIGHT DECK A not-your-typical daily lunch special highlights this spot, which also features inventive sandwiches, salads and a popular burger. Central Flying Service at Adams Field. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-3245. BL Mon.-Sat. THE HOP DINER The downtown incarnation of the old dairy bar, with excellent burgers, onion rings, shakes and breakfast. Plus, daily specials and desserts. 201 E. Markham.

No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-0975.

JASON’S DELI A huge selection of sandwiches (wraps, subs, po’ boys and pitas), salads and spuds, as well as red beans and rice and chicken pot pie. Plus a large selection of heart healthy and light dishes. 301 N. Shackleford Road.

Beer, Wine. $-$$. 501-954-8700. BLD daily.

JIMMY JOHN’S GOURMET SANDWICHES Illinoisbased sandwich chain that doesn’t skimp on what’s between the buns. 4120 E. McCain Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-9500. LD daily.

KITCHEN EXPRESS Delicious “meat and three” restaurant offering big servings of homemade soul food. Maybe Little Rock’s best fried chicken. 4600 Asher Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3500. BLD Mon.-Sat., LD Sun. LETTI’S CAKES Soups, sandwiches and salads available at this cake, pie and cupcake bakery. 3700 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-771-2837. LD (closes at 6 p.m.) Mon.-Fri. L Sat. LYNN’S CHICAGO FOODS Outpost for Chicago specialties like Vienna hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Plus, other familiar fare — burgers and fried catfish, chicken nuggets and wings. 6501 Geyer Springs. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-568-2646. LD Mon.-Sat. MADDIE’S If you like your catfish breaded Cajun-style, your grits rich with garlic and cream and your oysters fried up in perfect puffs, this Cajun eatery on Rebsamen Park Road is the place for you. 1615 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4040. LD Tue.-Sat. MIMI’S CAFE Breakfast is our meal of choice here at this upscale West Coast chain. Portions are plenty to last you through the afternoon, especially if you get a muffin on the side. Middle-America comfort-style entrees make-up other meals, from pot roast to pasta dishes. 11725 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3883. BLD daily.

MORNINGSIDE BAGELS Tasty New York-style boiled bagels, made daily. 10848 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-6960. BL daily.

MR. BELL’S SOUL FOOD Rose City soul food spot owned by Leon and Loreta Bell serves typical meat-andtwo options: smothered pork chops, pigs feet, yams, greens.

The desserts are delectable; the dinner menu includes an all-you-can eat choice (as long as advance payment is made and no doggy bags are expected). 4506 Lynch Drive. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-9000. LD Sun.-Fri. (closes at 6 p.m. Sun. and 7 p.m. Mon.-Fri.).

PHIL’S HAM AND TURKEY PLACE Fine hams, turkeys and other specialty meats served whole, by the pound or in sandwich form. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-2136. LD Mon.-Fri. L Sat. RED MANGO National yogurt and smoothie chain that’s appeal lies in adjectives like “all-natural,” “non-fat,” “glutenfree” and “probiotic.” 5621 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-2500. LD daily.

RESTAURANT 1620 Steaks, chops, a broad choice of fresh seafood and meal-sized salads are just a few of the choices on a broad menu at this popular and upscale West Little Rock bistro. It’s a romantic, candlelit room, elegant without being fussy or overly formal. 1620 Market St. Full bar. $$-$$$. 501-221-1620. D Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. SADDLE CREEK WOODFIRED GRILL Upscale chain dining in Lakewood, with a menu full of appetizers, burgers, chicken, fish and other fare. It’s the smoke-kissed steaks, however, that make it a winner — even in Little Rock’s beefheavy restaurant market. 2703 Lakewood Village. Full bar. $$-$$$. 501-812-0883.

SAY MCINTOSH RESTAURANT Longtime political activist and restaurateur Robert “Say” McIntosh serves up big plates of soul food, plus burgers, barbecue and his famous sweet potato pie. 2801 W. 7th Street. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-664-6656. LD Mon.-Sat. L Sun. SLICK’S SANDWICH SHOP & DELI Meat-and-two plate lunches in state office building. 101 E. Capitol Ave. 501-3753420. L Mon.-Fri.

40 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

SPECTATORS GRILL AND PUB Burgers, soups, salads and other beer food, plus live music on weekends. 1012 W. 34th St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-791-0990.

SPORTS PAGE Perhaps the largest, juiciest, most flavorful burger in town. Grilled turkey and hot cheese on sourdough gets praise, too. Now with lunch specials. 414 Louisiana St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-9316. L Mon.-Fri. STARVING ARTIST CAFE All kinds of crepes, served as entrees or as dessert, in this cozy multidimensional eatery with art-packed walls and live demonstrations by artists during meals. The Black Forest ham sandwich is a perennial favorite with the lunch crowd. Dinner menu changes daily, good wine list. “Tales from the South” readings at 7 p.m.

Tuesdays; live music precedes the show. 411 N. Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-7976. LD Tue.-Sat. SUFFICIENT GROUNDS Great coffee, good bagels and pastries, and a limited lunch menu. 1401 W. Capital. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-372-1009. BL Mon.-Fri. T.G.I. FRIDAY’S This national chain was on the verge of stale before a redo not long ago, and the update has done wonders for the food as well as the surroundings. The lunch combos are a great deal, and the steaks aren’t bad. It’s designed for the whole family, and succeeds. Appetizers and desserts are always good. 2820 Lakewood Village Drive,.

NLR. $$-$$$. 501-758-2277.

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE Besides the 45 different smoothies on the menu, the cafe also serves wraps and sandwiches (many of them spicy), salads and “tortizzas.” Good food, healthy drinks, long line at lunch but it moves fast. 10221 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-2242233. BLD daily.

VICTORIAN GARDEN We’ve found the fare quite tasty and somewhat daring and different with its healthy, balanced entrees and crepes. 4801 North Hills Blvd. NLR. $-$$.

501-758-4299. L Tue.-Sat. WHITE WATER TAVERN Excellent, cheap pub food from Little Rock native Nick Castleberry, who’s spent the last 15 years in Seattle earning raves for his affordable, approachable food. With vegetarian options. 2500 W. 7th. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-8400. D Tue., Thu., Fri.

Asian BENIHANA - THE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Enjoy the cooking show, make sure you get a little filet with your meal, and do plenty of dunking in that fabulous ginger sauce.

2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-3748081. L Sun.-Fri., D daily.

CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE A huge menu spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings, plus there’s authentic Hong Kong dim sum available daily until 3 p.m. Multiple LR locations, including 5110 W. Markham St., 501-604-7777, with delivery; a Chi’s Express at 17200 Chenal Parkway, 501-821-8000, and the original: 6 Shackleford Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-7737.

LD daily.

EASTERN FLAMES Maki rolls and half rolls, fresh nigiri and sashimi, katsu, lunch boxes and a nice variety of sake grace the menu at this sushi bar. 7710 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-227-7222. LD Mon.-Sat. FU LIN Quality in the made-to-order entrees is high, as is the quantity. 200 N. Bowman Road. Full bar, All CC. $$.

501-225-8989. LD daily.

HUNAN BALCONY The owner of New Fun Ree has combined forces with the Dragon China folks to create a formidable offering with buffet or menu items. 2817 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. 666-8889. LD. HUNAN ORIENTAL CUISINE Old favorites such as orange beef or chicken and Hunan green beans are still prepared with care in very nice surroundings out west. 11600 Pleasant Ridge Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-223-9966. LD daily.

IGIBON JAPANESE FOOD HOUSE It’s a complex place, where the food is almost always good and the ambiance and service never fail to please. The sushi is good, while the Bento box with tempura shrimp and California rolls and other delights stand out. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-217-8888. LD Mon.-Sat. KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI Though answering the need for more hibachis in Little Rock, Kobe stands taller in its sushi offerings than the grill. 11401 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2255999. L Mon.-Sat. D daily.

P.F. CHANG’S Nuevo Chinese from the Brinker chain that has people waiting in line for hours; make a reservation instead and get seated immediately at a table and enjoy some terrific flavors and presentations. 317 S. Shackleford.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-225-4424.

PANDA GARDEN Large buffet including Chinese favorites, a full on-demand sushi bar, a cold seafood bar, pie case, salad bar and dessert bar. 2604 S. Shackleford Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-8100. LD daily.

PEI WEI Sort of a miniature P.F. Chang’s, but a lot of fun and plenty good with all the Chang favorites we like, such as the crisp honey shrimp, dan dan noodles and pad thai.

You order from the cashier, get your own tea, silver ware and fortune cookies, and they bring you piping hot food to your cozy table. 205 N. University Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-280-9423. LD daily.

SUPER KING BUFFET Large buffet with sushi and a Mongolian grill. 4000 Springhill Plaza Ct. NLR. All CC. $-$$.

LD daily.

VAN LANG CUISINE Terrific Vietnamese cuisine, the best in town, particularly the way the pork dishes and the assortment of rolls are presented. Great prices, too. Massive menu, but it’s user-friendly for locals with full English descriptions

and numbers for easy ordering. 3600 S. University Ave. $-$$.

501-570-7700. LD daily.

Barbecue CAPITOL SMOKEHOUSE AND GRILL Beef, pork, sausage and chicken, all smoked to melting tenderness and doused with a choice of sauces. The crusty but tender backribs star. Side dishes are top quality. 915 W. Capitol Ave. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-4227. BL Mon.-Fri. CROSS EYED PIG BBQ COMPANY Traditional barbecue favorites smoked well such as pork ribs, beef brisket and smoked chicken. Miss Mary’s famous potato salad is full of bacon and other goodness. Smoked items such as ham and turkeys available seasonally. 1701 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-265-0000. L Mon.-Sat., D Tue.-Fri. 6015 Chenonceau Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$.

501-227-7427. LD daily.

FATBOY’S KILLER BAR-B-Q This Landmark neighborhood strip center restaurant in the far southern reaches of Pulaski County features tender ribs and pork by a contest pitmaster. Skip the regular sauce and risk the hot variety, it’s far better. 3405 Atwood Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$.

501-888-4998. LD Tue.-Sat. HB’S BAR B.Q. Great slabs of meat with fiery barbecue sauce, but ribs are served on Tuesday only. Other days, try the tasty pork sandwich on an onion roll. 6010 Lancaster. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-565-1930. L Mon.-Fri. SIMS BAR-B-QUE Great spare ribs, sandwiches, beef, half and whole chicken and an addictive vinegar-mustard-brown sugar sauce unique for this part of the country. Also on John Barrow and Geyer Springs. 2415 Broadway. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-6868. LD Mon.-Sat. 1307 John Barrow Road.

Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-2057. LD Mon.-Sat. 7601 Geyer Springs Road. Beer, All CC. 501-562-8844. LD Mon.-Sat. SMOKE SHACK BAR-B-Q Another relative of the Shack, a legendary and long-gone Little Rock barbecue place. The beef and pork sandwiches are the best bet. Interstate 40 at Maumelle/Morgan exit (Exit 142). Maumelle. 501-803-4935.

LD Mon.-Sat. SMOKEY JOE’S BAR-B-QUE A steady supplier of smoked meat for many a moon. 824 Military Road. Benton.

501-315-8333. LD Mon.-Sat. L Sun. THREE SAM’S The Sams — a father-mother-son team all known as Sam — dish up impossibly huge piles of barbecue at this friendly joint in downtown Mabelvale. Everything here is homemade, including the skin-on potato salad and a stellar dessert lineup. 10508 Mann Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-407-0345. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri.

European / Ethnic KHALIL’S PUB Widely varied menu with European, Mexican and American influences. Go for the Bierocks, rolls filled with onions and beef. 110 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-0224. LD daily. BR Sun. THE PANTRY Owner and self-proclaimed “food evangelist” Tomas Bohm does things the right way – buying local, making almost everything from scratch and focusing on simple preparations of classic dishes. The menu stays relatively true to his Czechoslovakian roots, but there’s plenty of choices to suit all tastes. There’s also a nice happy-hour vibe. 11401 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-353-1875. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. STAR OF INDIA The best Indian restaurant in the region, with a unique buffet at lunch and some fabulous dishes at night (spicy curried dishes, tandoori chicken, lamb and veal, vegetarian). 301 N. Shackleford. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$.

501-227-9900. LD daily.

TAZIKI’S This sole Arkansas location of the chain offers gyros, grilled meats and veggies, hummus and pimento cheese. 8200 Cantrell Rd. All CC. $$. 501-227-8291. LD daily.

Italian DAMGOODE PIES A somewhat different Italian/pizza place, largely because of a spicy garlic white sauce that’s offered as an alternative to the traditional red sauce. Good bread, too. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-664-2239. LD daily. 6706 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-2239. LD daily. 10720 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-2239. LD daily.

37 East Center St. Fayetteville. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

479-444-7437. LD daily.

GUSANO’S They make the tomatoey Chicago-style deepdish 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. 313 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1441.

LD daily. 2915 Dave Ward Drive. Conway. Beer, All CC. $$.

501-329-1100. LD daily.

LA BELLA LUNA Authentic Italian cuisine. 915 Front St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. 501-205-0888. LD Mon.-Sat. LARRY’S PIZZA The buffet is the way to go — fresh, hot pizza, fully loaded with ingredients, brought hot to your table, all for a low price. Many Central Arkansas locations.

10312 Chicot Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-6006.

LD daily. 12911 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-224-8804. LD daily.

LUIGI’S PIZZARIA Excellent thin-crust pizza; whopping, well-spiced calzones; ample hoagies; and pasta with tomatoey, sweet marinara sauce. 8310 Chicot Rd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-562-9863. LD Mon.-Sat. NYPD PIZZA Plenty of tasty choices in the obvious New York police-like setting, but it’s fun. Only the pizza is cheesy.

Even the personal pizzas come in impressive combinations, and baked ziti, salads are more also are available. Cheap

slice specials at lunch. 6015 Chenonceau Boulevard, Suite 1. Beer, Wine, No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-3911. LD daily.

PRESS 1’S PIZZA Massive pies, tasty appetizers and cold beer at this homey, oft-overlooked Sherwood pizza shack.

8403 Highway 107. Sherwood. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$.

501-835-5673. D Mon.-Sat. VESUVIO Arguably Little Rock’s best Italian restaurant is in one of the most unlikely places – tucked inside the Best Western Governor’s Inn within a non-descript section of west Little Rock. 1501 Merrill Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$$.

501-225-0500. D daily.

VILLA ITALIAN RESTAURANT Hearty, inexpensive, classic southern Italian dishes. 12111 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-219-2244. LD Mon.-Sat.

Mexican BLUE COAST BURRITO You will become a lover of fish tacos here, but there are plenty of other fresh coastal Mex choices served up fast-food cafeteria style in cool surroundings. Don’t miss the Baja fruit tea. 4613 E. McCain Blvd.

Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-8033. LD Mon.-Sat. 14810 Cantrell Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-3770. LD Mon.-Sat, L Sun. CACTUS JACK’S This inoffensive Mexican-esque effort on McCain has everything you’ve come to expect from the average Mexican restaurant. Ample portions, if not ample seasoning. 4120 East McCain Blvd. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-5888. LD daily. 11414 West Markham. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-7556. LD daily.

CASA MANANA Great guacamole and garlic beans, superlative chips and salsa (red and green) and a broad selection of fresh seafood, plus a deck out back. 6820 Cantrell Road.

Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-280-9888. B Sat.-Sun., LD daily.

18321 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-8822.

B Sat.-Sun, LD daily. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-327-6637. L Mon.-Sat. CASA MEXICANA Familiar Tex-Mex style items all shine, in ample portions, and the steak-centered dishes are uniformly excellent. 6929 JFK Blvd. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-835-7876. LD daily.

COZYMEL’S A trendy Dallas-chain cantina with flaming cheese dip, cilantro pesto, mole, lamb and more. 10 Shackleford Drive. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-954-7100.

LD daily.

EL CHICO Hearty, standard Mex served in huge portions.

1315 Breckenridge Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-2242550. LD daily. 201 Skyline Drive. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. (501) 327-6553. LD daily.

EL NOPAL Mexican American fare. 700 W. Capitol Ave. 501-372-9999. BL Mon.-Fri. EL PORTON (LR) Good Mex for the price and a wideranging menu of dinner plates, some tasty cheese dip, and great service as well. 12111 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-223-8588. LD daily. 5201 Warden Road. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-753-4630. LD daily.

EMMA’S TAQUERIA Try the torta hawaiiana — a pork sandwich with avocado, pineapple and onions — even more enticing. The homemade pickled cucumbers that come on the side of every order are reason enough to visit.

4318 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-541-7650.

LD daily.

LA HACIENDA Creative, fresh-tasting entrees and traditional favorites, all painstakingly prepared in a festive atmosphere. Great taco salad, nachos, and maybe the best fajitas around. 3024 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$.

501-661-0600. LD daily. 200 Highway 65 N. Conway. All CC. $$. 501-327-6077. LD daily.

LA VAQUERA The tacos at this truck are more expensive than most, but they’re still cheap eats. One of the few trucks where you can order a combination plate that comes with rice, beans and lettuce. 4720 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-565-3108. LD Mon.-Sat. LUNCHERIA MEXICANA ALICIA The best taco truck West Little Rock. Located in the Walmart parking lot on Bowman. 620 S. Bowman. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-6121883. L Mon.-Sat. MERCADO SAN JOSE From the outside, it appears to just be another Mexican grocery store. Inside, you’ll find one of Little Rock’s best Mexican bakeries and a restaurant in back serving tortas and tacos for lunch. 7411 Geyer Springs Road. No alcohol, All CC. $. (501) 565-4246. BL daily.

MI RANCHITO This growing Arkansas-owned chain offers great variety and super-sized meals with solid Tex-Mex, with the typical white cheese dip, only spicier, and more flavor to the regular entree fare. 1520 Market St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. LD daily.

RIVIERA MAYA Typical Mexican fare for the area, though the portions are on the large side. 801 Fair Park Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-4800. LD daily.

SAN JOSE GROCERY STORE AND BAKERY This mercado-plus-restaurant smells and tastes like Mexico, and for good reason: Fresh flour tortillas, overstuffed burritos, sopes (moist corncakes made with masa harina), chili poblano are the real thing. 7411 Geyer Springs Road.

Beer. $-$$. 501-565-4246. LD daily.

SUPER 7 This Mexican grocery/video store/taqueria has great a daily buffet featuring a changing assortment of real Mexican cooking. Fresh tortillas pressed by hand and grilled, homemade salsas, beans as good as beans get.

Plus soup every day. 1415 Barrow Road. No alcohol. $.

501-219-2373. LD daily.

TAQUERIA JALISCO SAN JUAN The taco truck for the not-so-adventurous crowd. They claim to serve “original

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Hot SpringS ARLINGTON HOTEL Massive seafood buffet on Friday nights, breakfast buffet daily, served in the splendor of a grand old hotel. 239 Central Ave. Hot Springs. 501-6237771. BLD. THE BLEU MONKEY GRILL High end, artfully prepared pastas, salads, sandwiches and appetizers are one of the hallmarks of this classy/casual newcomer to the Hot Springs dining scene. Stay for the interesting dessert menu. 4263 Central Ave. Hot Springs. Full bar, All CC. 501-520-4800. LD daily.

CAJUN BOILERS Expertly prepared boiled shrimp, crawfish and such, served in a fun atmosphere. 2806 Albert Pike. Hot Springs. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-767-5695.

D Tue.-Sat. HOT SPRINGS BRAU HAUS All the usual schnitzels are available, an inviting bar awaits as you enter, and the brick-walled place has a lot of history and coziness. 801 Central Ave. Hot Springs. 501-624-7866. LD. JASON’S BURGERS AND MORE Locals love it for filets, fried shrimp, ribs, catfish, burgers and the like at good prices. 148 Amity Road. Hot Springs. 501-525-0919. LD. LA HACIENDA Authentic Mexican food; array of entrees.

3836 Central Ave. Hot Springs. 501-525-8203. LD. ON THE BORDER Tasty Tex-Mex at reasonable prices; great margaritas too. 190 Pakis St. Hot Springs. Full bar, All CC. 501-520-5045. LD daily.

ROD’S PIZZA CELLAR Terrific handmade pizzas highlighted by the Godfather, a whopper. Lunch specials are a steal, especially the buffet. 3350 Central Ave. Hot Springs. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-321-2313. LD Tue.-Sun.

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Conway EL ACAPULCO Tex-Mex served in hefty portions in a colorful atmosphere. 201 Highway 65 N. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-327-8445. LD Mon.-Sun. EL CHICO Tex-Mex and Ark-Mex favorites, a Central Arkansas tradition. Multiple locations statewide. 201 Skyline Drive. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. (501) 327-6553. LD daily.

EL HUASTECO Reasonably priced Mexican fare. 720 S. Salem Road. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-7641665. LD Mon.-Sun. EL PARIAN Traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites are offered by this Arkansas restaurant chain. 2585 Donaghey. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-5131313. LD Mon.-Sun. FABY’S RESTAURANT Nuevo Mexican and Continental cuisine meet and shake hands at Faby’s. The hand-patted, housemade tortillas are worth the visit alone. 2915 Dave Ward. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-329-5151.

LD Mon.-Sun. THE GREAT AMERICAN GRILL Hotel restaurant.

805 Amity Road. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-329-1444. BLD Mon.-Sun. HUTCH’S COUNTRY KITCHEN Country style lunch and dinner offerings. 605 Salem Road #10. Conway.

No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-205-0829. L Sun.-Fri., D Wed.-Fri. LA HUERTA MEXICAN RESTAURANT Standard Mexican fare with an emphasis on family favorites.

1052 Harrison Street. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-762-0202. LD Mon.-Fri. LOS AMIGOS Authentic Mexican food where everything is as fresh and tasty as it is filling. At lunch, go for the $4.99 all-you-can-eat special. 2850 Prince St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-329-7919. LD daily.

MARKETPLACE GRILL CONWAY Big servings of steak, seafood, chicken, pasta, pizza and other rich comfort-style foods. 600 Skyline Dr. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-336-0011. LD Daily.

MIKE’S PLACE Delicious New Orleans-inspired steaks and seafood, plus wood-fired pizzas, served in a soaring, beautifully restored building in downtown Conway. 808 Front St. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-269-6493.

LD daily.

NEW CHINA OF CONWAY Another buffet in the chain.

2104 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-764-1888. LD Mon.-Sun. SLIM CHICKEN’S OF CONWAY Chicken in all shapes and sizes with sauces. 550 Salem Road. Conway. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-450-7546. LD Mon.-Sun. SOMETHING BREWING CAFE Coffee, pastries, sandwiches and such dot the menu of this longtime Conway favorite. 1156 Front St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-327-5517. BLD Mon.-Sun.

Pre-New Year Sale GoiNG oN Now!

yo u r s p a lose re

Around ArkAnsAs

to

Mexico City tacos,” but it’s their chicken tamales that make it worth a visit. They also have tortas, quesadillas and fajitas. 11200 Markham St. No alcohol, No CC. $.

501-541-5533. LD daily.

TAQUERIA LOURDES This Chevy Step Van serves tacos, tortas, quesadillas and nachos. Colonel Glenn and 36th Street. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-612-2120.

LD Mon.-Sat. TAQUERIA SAMANTHA On Friday and Saturday nights, this mobile taqueria parks outside of Jose’s Club Latino in a parking lot on the corner of Third and Broadway. 300 Broadway Ave. No alcohol, No CC. $. D Fri.-Sat. (sporadic hours beyond that).

Join by 12/31/10 and your first month is on us!

Contact us today at (501) 399-9355

jp fitness center

425 W Capitol Ave, 29th Floor Little Rock, AR 72201 Info@jpfitnesscenter.com www.jpfitnesscenter.com

fitnesscenter

1620 Restaurant Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Big Whiskey’s American Bar & Grill Capi’s Restaurant SOLD Catfish City & BBQ Grill Cheeburger Cheeburger SOLD Hampton Inn Heights Toy Center Juanita’s Mexican Cafe and Bar Loca Luna Restaurant SOLD Pizza Cafe Red Door Restaurant Smile Bright Teeth Whitening Starving Artist Café Sticky Fingerz StoneLinks Golf Course Trio’sSOLD Restaurant

halfoffdepot.com/littlerock www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 41

Food for Thought

a paid advertisement

To place your restaurant in Food For Thought, call the advertising department at 501-375-2985

AMERICAN

SEAFOOD Cajun’s Wharf 2400 Cantrell Road 501-375-5351

Food and fun for everyone when you pair Cajun’s Wharf’s succulent seafood and steak with the ever-evolving live entertainment. Enjoy the fabulous fresh seafood or aged Angus beef while listening to the rolling Arkansas River on the famously fantastic deck! They also boast an award-winning wine list.

Black Angus

Homemade Comfort Food Daily Specials • Monday: Spicy Shrimp Stir-fry. Tuesday: Pot Roast.

Wednesday: Meatloaf. Thursday: BBQ Plate or Shepherd’s Pie. Friday & Saturday: Fried Catfish.

Capers Restaurant

Indulge in the culinary creations and intimate environment that define Capers Restaurant. Food and wine enthusiasts agree Capers’ sophisticated approach to dining is key to it’s many accolades including receiving the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for six years running.

Copper Grill & Grocery

An endless array of delicious dishes available in the Grill or grab your Gourmet-to-Go from the Grocery. Offering products by French Farm, Bella Cucina & Bittersweet Herb that promise to turn any recipe into a memorable masterpiece Copper Grill & Grocery is a wonderland for the gourmand.

SO

Contemporary metropolitan bistro meets Southern smalltown hospitality in a neighborhood bar. SO offers the best in fresh seafood and hand-cut rustic meats, complimented by an extensive and diverse wine list, honored with Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Whether casual dinners, special occasions, meetings with clients, or private parties, our service will impress. Reservations six and more. Private Lounge.

10907 N. Rodney Parham Mon-Sat 10:30am-9pm Breakfast 6-10:30am 501-228-7800

BISTRO Lulav

220 West 6th St. 501-374-5100 Breakfast Mon-Fri 6:30 am -10:30 am Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pm Dinner Tues-Sat 5-10pm V Lounge til 1am, Thurs-Sat

Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro 200 S. Commerce, Suite 150 (501) 375-3500 Tues-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm

Fresh seafood specials every week. Prime aged beef and scrumptious dishes. Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, over 30 wines by the glass and largest vodka selection downtown. Regular and late night happy hour, Wednesday wine flights and Thursday is Ladies Night. Be sure to check out the Bistro Burger during lunch. Jump start your day with bistro breakfast from Lulav featuring scrumptious omlettes, pancakes and more.

For the salad lover, Dizzy’s is an absolute paradise. Its list of eleven “Ridiculously Large Entrée Salads” runs the gamut of what you can do with greens and dressing. For example Zilpphia’s Persian Lime Salad, featuring grilled turkey breast, tomato, cucumber, onion, lime and buffalo mozzarella over romaine. For another: Mary Ann’s Dream, with grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cranberries, mandarin oranges, bourbon pecans and bleu cheese. Don’t that sound good?

chinese

14502 Cantrell Road 501-868-7600

300 West 3rd Street 501-375-3333

Brunch Sunday 11 am to 4 pm Lunch Mon-Sat 11 am to 4 pm Dinner Mon-Sat 4 pm to close 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501-663-1464

Fantastic China

Sharing good things with good friends is the motto at Fantastic China. A Central Arkansas favorite offering the Freshest Chinese Food in town. It’s made to order with 100% Vegetable Oil. The presentation is beautiful, the menu distinctive, and the service perfect. Fantastic China is one of the heights most reliable and satisfying restaurants and a local favorite. Full bar.

Butcher Shop

Tremendous steaks, excellent service, fair prices and a comfortable atmosphere make The Butcher Shop the prime choice for your evening out. In addition to tender and juicy steaks, The Butcher Shop offers fresh fish, pork chop, 24 hour slow roasted Prime Rib, char grilled marinated chicken and fresh pasta. Ideal for private parties, business meetings, and rehearsal dinners. Rooms accommodate up to 50-60 people.

Hunan Oriental Cuisine

Hunan Oriental Cuisine is a Little Rock institution that has been serving great Chinese food for over 24 years. Come dine in a calm, relaxed atmosphere where the food can be enjoyed as it was meant to be enjoyed; fresh right out of the kitchen. Or, if you prefer to order takeout, be prepared to come pick up your food quickly, since most orders are ready in 10 to 15 minutes. Lunch Specials are available everyday. Try something different. You never know what you might come to like.

Capi’s

Lunch offers creative and fresh entree-sized salads; a daily special and homemade soup; plus superb sandwiches sure to satisfy. Serving continuously all-day, global appetizers, then Chef Capi’s fabulous After 5 Menu. Advanced acoustics in place for focused business lunches. Happy Hour all day Tue, late afternoon daily, and late night weekends. Cozy patio atmosphere under the canopy. www.capisrestaurant. com. Now serving new Saturday & Sunday brunch menu, and Sunday dinner.

Flying Saucer

“A great place to hangout, experience great beer and authentic German specialties”. The Flying Saucer definitely offers a unique range of domestic and international draft and bottled beers, carrying over 80 beers on draft and 120+ different bottled beers, many which are seasonal.

Accompanying their unique beer line-up is a menu packed with flare. Bratwurst is the house specialty served with German coleslaw, or you can try Brat Con Queso or Beer Brat Nachos. Be sure to leave room for dessert: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout Ice Cream Float offers the best of both worlds.

Buffalo Grill

The crispy off the griddle cheeseburger and hand-cut fries star at this family friendly stop and will keep you coming back. The casual atmosphere will have everyone feeling right at home. The options are endless for whatever dining mood you are in. Grilled Tuna Steak sandwhich to a loaded foot long hotdog to the crispy chicken tender salad. Buffalo Grill does not disappoint. Fast and friendly staff. Very affordable prices!

Morningside Bagels

Morningside Bagels café is a full service bagel bakery.

We serve breakfast, lox and deli sandwiches on a bagel.

Our fresh cream cheese schmears and Guillermo’s coffee compliments our bagels. We serve espresso drinks hot and iced. Our soups and bagel chips have developed their own following. Come visit with Roxane and David Tackett and enjoy.

1900 N Grant St Heights 501-663-8999

Sunday 11:30 am to 9:30 pm Mon-Thur 11 am to 9:30 pm Fri 11 am to 10:30 pm Sat 11:30 am to 10:30 pm 11610 Pleasant Ridge Drive 501-223-9966

mexican Casa Manana Taqueria

400 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-6637 6820 Cantrell Road • 501-280-9888 18321 Cantrell Road • 501-868-8822

Voted Best Mexican 2007. Featuring authentic fare from the Puebla region of Mexico, the selections seem endless at your choice of 3 locations in the Little Rock area. You will find an array of dishes ranging from the salient Shrimp Veracruzana at La Palapa out west to great Guacamole in the River Market Taqueria. Or try tasty Tostadas that share the name of the original Cantrell location, Casa Manana.

Mediterranean Layla’s

Enjoy regional specialties such as Lentil soup, a huge serving of yummy Hummus, Baba Ghannnouj or Tabbouleh.

And don’t forget about the Gyros, they’re sure to be heroes in your book!

9501 N. Rodney Parham 501-227-7272

Brazilian Café Bossa Nova 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd 501-614-6682 Tues-Sat 11am-9pm Sunday Brunch 10:30-2pm

Try something different! Café Bossa Nova serves up cozy atmosphere and unique Brazilian dishes guaranteed to satisfy and served with that special Latin flare. Don’t deny yourself one of the delectable desserts prepared fresh daily or for an A+ apertif, drink in the authentic flavor of the country in the Caipirinha~a perfect blend of lime, sugar and Brazilian sugar cane rum. Dine with them tonight!

Shackleford & Hermitage Rd. (501) 312-2748

11525 Cantrell Rd, Suite 917 Pleasant Ridge Town Center 501.225.9600

323 President Clinton Ave 501-372-8032

400 N. Bowman Rd 501-224-0012 1611 Rebsamen Park Rd 501-296-9535 11am-9pm 11am-10pm Friday & Saturday

10848 Maumelle Blvd North Little Rock 501-753-6960 Mon-Fri: 6am-2pm Sat & Sun: 7am-2pm www.morningsidebagels.com

steak

brew pub Vino’s Pizza•Pub•Brewery 923 West 7th Street 501/375-VINO (8466)

Beer, pizza and more! Drop in to Vino’s, Little Rock’s Original Brewpub! and enjoy great New York-style pizza (whole or by-the-slice) washed down with your choice of award-winning ales or lagers brewed right on site. Or try a huge calzone, our new Muffaletta sandwich or just a salad and a slice with our homemade root beer. The deck’s always open, you don’t have to dress up and the kids are always welcome (or not).

Vino’s is open 7 days, lunch and dinner. You can call ahead for carry-out and even take a gal. growler of beer to-go. And guess what?? The bathrooms have just been re-done!

asian panda Garden

2604 S. Shackleford Road, Suite G 501-224-8100.

Fresh, flavorful, all-you-can-eat sushi. With fresh and authentic Chinese dishes, nice decor, great dessert choices and excellent sushi, Panda Garden raises the bar.

42 november 25, 2010 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES

Sonny Williams

If you have not been to Sonny Williams lately, get there immediately and check out the martini/wine bar. Now you can enjoy 35 wines by the glass, 335 selections of wine, 6 single barrel bourbons and all different kinds of Scotch from the many regions of Scotland. Of course, don’t miss out on the nightly entertainment by Jeff at the piano. Sonny’s is a River Market mainstay and perfect for intimate private parties; free valet parking! As always, Sonny Williams has the best steaks in town along with fresh seafood and game. No Skinny Steaks… Call ahead for reservations (501) 324-2999

Faded Rose

Featuring the Best Steaks in town with a New Orleans flair from a New Orleans native. Also featuring Seafood and Creole Specialties. As Rachel Ray says “This place is one of my best finds ever.” Back by popular demand…Soft Shell Crab and New Orleans Roast Beef Po-Boys.

500 President Clinton Avenue Suite 100 (In the River Market District) 501-324-2999 DINNER MON - SAT 5:00 - 11:00 pm PIANO BAR TUES - THU 7:00 - 11:00 pm FRI & SAT 7:00 - Late

400 N. Bowman 501-224-3377 1619 Rebsamen 501-663-9734 Open Sunday

REAL ESTATE b

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N o ve m b er 2 5 , 2 0 1 0

Gorgeous Hillcrest home offers great location, easy living

This completely renovated Hillcrest home at 4924 Hillcrest Ave. sits on an over-sized corner lot and is conveniently located within walking distance of the wonderful restaurants and shopping on historic Kavanaugh Blvd. The home is approximately 2,600 square feet and features three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a three-car garage - a rarity in the Hillcrest neighborhood.

The kitchen has lots of custom cabinets and plenty of counter space. It has all stainless appliances including a gas stove with overhead microwave, solid granite counter tops and a peninsula bar for in-kitchen seating. It opens to a den/sun room with large floor-to-ceiling windows. Just off the sunroom is a deck with a spa tub for relaxing after a long day at work. A second covered deck, attached to the north of the garage, overlooks the yard. A large serving area/butler’s pantry connects

Custom cabinetry is beautiful in the kitchen.

The home has lots of windows.

the kitchen and dining room. This area is perfect for serving buffet-style dinners and for holiday get-togethers.

All the bedrooms are located upstairs with the master suite occupying the east half of the house. The master bedroom has its own fireplace and walk-in closet.

The master bath has a separate tub in addition to a shower and double vanities.

The laundry room is also located on the second floor and has cabinet storage space and a built-in ironing board. The other two bedrooms are split by a large full bathroom.

This home has so much to offer. It is priced at $459,900 and is listed with John Selva of Pulaski Heights Realty. For a private showing, call Pulaski Heights Realty at 501-291-1620 or view more pictures online at www.4924hillcrest.info.

Hardwoods are throughout.

Relax in the spa on the back deck. www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 43

REAL ESTATE by neighborhood TO ADVERTISE, CALL TIFFANY HOLLAND AT 375-2985 501-690-2726

US DEPT OF THE TREASURY SEIZED

REAL ESTATE AUCTION

330 MIDLAND - $795,000

Capitol View/ Stiffts Station

Hillcrest

400 S. VALENTINE - $109,750.

2BR/1BA updated in 2008 with HVAC, roof, kitchen, bath, flooring, paint, lighting, etc. Large fenced yard w/great deck. Walking distance to UAMS & Hillcrest. Call JoJo Carter 773-9949 or www.pulaskiheightsrealty.com for more info.

4101 C ST - $224,900. 3BR/2BA, 1836SF. Recently renovated!

Enter MLS# 10255320 on www.

PulaskiHeightsRealty.com for more photos. John Selva, Pulaski Heights Realty, 993-5442

Little Rock 72205 • Approx. 4200 sq. ft.

Shown by Appointment

Great rates for Realtors & FSBO!

Details at REALTOR.com

375-2985

Call Tiffany at for pricing and availability.

OUTSTANDING STARTER HOME

3735 Ed Allen Rd, Benton, AR 72019 2,984 ± SF home with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, kitchen, breakfast nook, dining room, living room, unfinished bonus room, laundry room, covered porch, patio, attached 2-car garage. Stone fireplace, built-in shelving, wood floors, granite counters. 16 ± acres with inground pool and detached RV garage.

On-site Auction Dec 2 at 12 noon Deposit: $10,000 cashiers check payable to URS Open houses November 21 & 28, 12-4pm

treas.gov/auctions/treasury/rp 703-273-7373

Sale 11-66-702/ CWS 13627

Peter Ellis #0289514

\

If you’re looking for a completely remodeled starter home with great workmanship, this is it! New roof, new interior and exterior paint, new kitchen cabinets with tile backsplash, new Call Rocky Herman at 240-9172 light fixtures and so much more. The tile work is outstanding. You must see this 3BR/1.5BA home. It’s worth a long look at only $79,500.

228-0018 MLS# 10265984

4924 HILLCREST AVE - $459,900.

3BR/3BA plus 3-car garage. 2600 SF. Recently renovated home on large corner lot. Call John Selva at Pulaski Heights Realty at 501993-5442.

Access Realty

Publisher’s Notice All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act which makes

it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free 1-800-669-9077. The toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

712 N. WALNUT - $159,900.

2BR/1BA in the heart of Hillcrest.

Just 1/2 block of Kavanaugh.

Renovated kitchen w/custom maple cabinets, tile floors, solid surface counters. Enter MLS 10257444 at www.PulaskiHeightsRealty.com

Arkansas times presents PULASKI COUNTY Real Estate sales over $100,000 Christopher R. Blackmon, Heather R. Blackmon to David L. Jones, Leticia A. Jones, 40 Courts Dr., $508,000.

Woodhaven Homes Inc. to Mark C. Price, Holly K. Price, 24 Bridge Field Dr., Sherwood, $451,000.

Chenal Valley Construction Inc. to Gregory M. Zawada, Natalia M. Zawada, L41 B13, Woodlands Edge, $450,000.

Shane Johnson, Kristie F. Johnson to Derek M. Scott, Sarah F. Scott, L37 B36, Chenal Valley, $435,000.

Gordon M. Wilbourn, Penny B. Wilbourn to Kimberly Jan Fenley Revocable Trust, Kimberly J. Fenley, 3 Piney Ln., $425,000.

Karrol Fowlkes, Vicki Fowlkes to Bruce E. Schratz, Jr., Lindy A. Landreaux, L9 B9, Newton, $380,000.

William M. Hartnedy, Shelly D. Hartnedy to Charles R. Dunlap, Andrea J. Dunlap, 5 Sawgrass Ct., $350,000.

Freddie N. Young, Deborah J. Young to Gary W. Avery, Dorothy S. Todd, 9 Planters Row, Scott, $340,000.

Jeffery D. Brown, Danny M. Brown to Diana L. Harden, L16, Millers Valley Phase I, $309,000.

Ellen Ser ven to Perr y F. Ambrose, Barbara C. Rifkin, L27 B6, Overbrook, $294,000.

Renaissance Homes Inc. to William A. Steele, II, Mary M. Steele,

17104 Edinburgh Dr., $291,000.

Cindy Sacker to Matthew R. Dedman, 618 N. Martin St., $286,000.

Akins & Clark Construction LLC to Barbara Rice, 13801 Chesterfield Cir., NLR, $285,000.

James A. Hall, Cynthia L. Hall to Robert A. Darling, Donna J. Darling, 13800 Saint Michael Dr., $268,000.

Glenda Harrison to Joseph L. Ward, Dana M. Ward, 116 Duquesne Ct., $252,000.

Myrtle Flowers to Herbert C. Campbell & Betty A. Campbell Living Trust, Herbert C. Campbell, Betty A. Campbell, L23, Timber Creek Townhomes HPR II, $250,000.

Mar y J. Wa tkins to Cind y L. Rogers, 19 Duquesne Dr., $245,000.

Thomas Sonne, Blair Sonne to John W. Lovell, Carole P. Lovell, 9524 Johnson Dr., Sherwood, $240,000.

Graham Smith Construction LLC to James A. Hall, 12 Longleaf Cove, $237,000.

Lifestyle Communities LLC to Roger L. Williams, Caroline A. Boone, L14D, Mountain Terrace Estates Townhomes Phase 1, $236,000.

John R. Southerland, Vande R. Southerland to Chris Bulloch, Kelly Bulloch, 2926 Imperial Valley Dr., $235,000.

Karen M. Hoggard to Hsien C.

44 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Wang, Margaret Wang, 11 Mossy Rock Cove, $235,000.

Brent R. Himes to B&L Investments LLC, 3306 E. H St., $230,000.

William A. McGhee to Ralph D. Livingston, 29219 Bandys Ridge Dr., $229,000.

Christopher J. Anderson, Vickey L. Anderson to Lance A. Nutt, 2 Crown Mountain Ct., Maumelle, $219,000.

Travis L. Jaworski, Shea K. Jaworski to Jesse Wood, Marjorie Wood, L13 B5, Windsor Valley, $206,000.

Regions Bank, Regions Mortgage to Cindy L. Sacker, 5222 G St., $195,000.

John Burgess to Kenneth M. Clay, Jr., Pamela L. Clay, 12203 Willow Ln., Scott, $191,000.

Francisco Dixon, Renae Dixon to Teresa L. Dines, Kyle S. Dines, 3200 Fern Cove N, Sherwood, $184,000.

Thomas D. Keeler, Jennifer L. Keeler to US Bank NA, 901 Timberwolf Trail, Jacksonville, $176,800.

Kevin Keathley, Karen Keathley to Vincent M. Ward, 6717 Greenwood Rd., Cammack Village, $175,000.

Shannon Legrand to Mebylene D. Carter, 21 Silver Meadow Cove, NLR, $174,000.

Gary W. Avery, Dorothy Avery to Greg T. Henington, Jennifer E. Diaz, 122 Apple Blossom Loop, Maumelle, $174,000.

Euro Homes Inc. to Katie A. Middleton, Joshua W. Middleton, 417 Feldspar Dr., Sherwood, $173,000.

National Bank Of Arkansas to Greg Heslep, 9416 Harmony, Yellville, $172,000.

Brenda K. Nettles to BAC Home Loans Servicing LP, Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP, L141, Kingspark Tract A. Replat, $170,241.

Christopher Bulloch, Kelly Bulloch to Linda K. Joyce, Varyne L. Beckett, 12 Sun Valley Rd., $168,000.

Margaret M. Jordan, Peggy M. Jordan, Louis C. Jordan to Jessica Peterson, Benjamin D. Peterson, L9 B40, Pulaski Heights, $163,000.

Jett Ricks Construction LLC to Lindsey Clark, Keith Tugman, 2606 Creekside Dr., $162,000.

Karen E. Worley to Toni A. Thrash, L299, Cammack Woods, $150,000.

Thomas W. Carter, Kimberly R. Carter to James M. Huffman, Robbie J. Huffman, L10 B6, Pike View, $149,000.

Mark C. McGill, Hannah E. McGill to Jared L. Averitt, Jennifer L. Averitt, 500 W. Lee Ave., Sherwood, $145,000.

Quality Homes Inc. to Frances L. Walker, 5710 Atwood Rd., $142,000.

Pamela A. Williams, Carl A. Williams, II, Shanon Williams to Christie Reddin, 222 E. H Ave., NLR,

$142,000.

Jessie M. Garrett to Teresa M. Roseberry, 16 Point West Cove, $137,000.

Joshua Woodard, Jill D. Woodard to Neill W. Ruthven, Beverly M. Ruthven, 3418 N. Magnolia St., NLR, $136,000.

WTH Development LLC to Nathaniel J. Batts, Melanie L. Devries, 102 Chamberlain Ct., $133,000.

Commissioner In Circuit to Summit Bank, L11 B3, Kimball’s South Park, $125,000.

Commissioner In Circuit to Summit Bank, Ls5-6 B2, Retan, $125,000.

300 Third LLC to Marilyn Hutchison, 14411 White Fir Ln., $123,000.

Gary T. Guilbeault, Jessica Guilbeault, Ashley D. Crisel, Ashley D. Guilbeault to Isaac R. Parker, 302 Franklin St., Jacksonville, $121,000.

HSBC Bank USA to Jody C. Penney, Loretta L. Penney, 2102 Lancelot Ln., Jacksonville, $120,000.

Robert J. Shaffer, Jeanette I. Shaffer to Lillian Brannum Living Trust, L3, Hale, $120,000.

James H. Phillips, II, Adrianne Phillips to Zachary Fortner, 9600 Brooks Ct., $119,000.

Cheryl A. Schroder, Norbert D. Schroder to Constance M. Williams, 12 Donnell Dr., Sherwood, $119,000.

Spencer Wilson to David C. Capenter, 28 Park Haven Dr., $117,000.

Selene Rmof Reo Acquisition II LLC to Saed N. Qatoum, Aisha A. Kattom, L112R, Hillsborough Phase IV-A, $115,000.

National Bank Of Arkansas to Greg Heslep, 5904 Base Meadows Dr., Jacksonville, $113,000.

F. A. Bennett, Jr., Linda A. Bennett to John McCaleb, Virginia McCaleb, 6513 Westover Dr., $112,000.

Moscellie Halford to Bank Of America, L4, Green Diamond, $111,398.

HSBC Bank USA to Misty R. Blanchard, 9101 Reservoir Ct., $111,000.

Habitat For Humanity Of Pulaski County to Fidel Castro, Ana Castro, L6 B188, John Barrow, $109,000.

Cody B. Miller to Jimmie S. Smith, 145 Kelso Rd., Jacksonville, $108,000.

Equity Investments LLC to Courtney M. Lewis, 8223 Crystal Valley Cove, $106,000.

Kevin D. Latin, Deanna Latin to Azalea A. Matthews, 8216 Antietam Dr., Mabelvale, $101,000.

Dale Wood, Doris Wood to Pete Sisson, Charlotte Sisson, SE 5-3N10W, NE 8-3N-10W, $100,000.

5600 JFK, LLC to Isabel Passos, L60, Point O’Woods, $100,000.

National Bank Of Arkansas to Greg Heslep, 5800 Base Meadows Dr., Jacksonville, $100,000.

14615 BROWN BEAR DR $299,900. Great 4BR/2.5BA, approx. 3015 SF home in the new Don Roberts School District. Plenty of space for the entire family.

Formal dining room, office, family room & eat-in kitchen all downstairs. All bedrooms have large walk-in closets and master bath & closet are huge. Side-loading garage & fully fenced yard. Call Bob Bushmiaer of Pulaski Heights Realty @ 501-352-0156 for more info or a private showing.

9 LISA COURT - $174,900. This 3BR/2BA approx. 1770 SF, 1-level home in Marlow Manor is super clean & move-in ready! Updates include new HVAC, hardwoods & carpet in bedrooms. Large eat-in kitchen, open family room & fully fenced yard make this a perfect starter home or great for someone looking to downsize. Call Bob Bushmiaer of Pulaski Heights Realty @ 501-352-0156 for more info or a private showing.

Chenal 15 BRONTE CT - $311,500. 5BR/3BA home with approx. 2,928 SF. MBR & a bedroom/office can be found on main level with the three additional bedrooms up. One bedroom is wired with surround sound and used as a bonus/media room. The backyard and deck are a great amenity with views of Pinnacle Mountain. Other amenities inclue sprinkler system, security system (with motion detectors), gas fireplace & a large jetted tub in master bath. For more info, contact James Harkins at 501-5195601. Owner/Agent

Neighboring Communities 1480 W. LAWSON RD - $189,900.

All brick on 3.5 acres in Alexander!

1850 SF, 3BR/2BA, hardwoods in great room and formal DR. Bryant schools. Clyde Butler, CBRPM, 501-240-4300.

21854 WILLIAM BRANDON DRIVE - $168,500. Enjoy country living on five level acres only 15 minutes from downtown Little Rock! Like-new home with 4BR/2BA, wood-burning fireplace, granite counters, stainless appliances & more! Call Clyde Butler of CBRPM at 501-240-4300.

GREERS FERRY LAKE Spectacular view! 5 acres. Utilities, covenants, seller financing. Owner/ agent. 501-825-6200

Conway 1110 TRILLIUM - $152,000. Newly refreshed 3BR/2BA split plan w/ new countertops, kitchen faucet and paint throughout. Gas log FP, wood floors and fenced yard. Close to schools! MLS# 10266757 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103

31 BERNARD - $149,000. Sparkles and shines like new! 3BR/2BA, huge living room with cathedral ceiling, oversized breakfast area, wood-burning fireplace, large bedrooms, 2” blinds thru-out. Fenced yard. MLS# 10253781 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103 3535 HOMESTEAD - $103,900.

Adorable 3BR/2BA split open plan with breakfast bar, side-by-side refrigerator, 2-inch faux wood blinds, laundry room and large deck with access thru kitchen and master. MLS# 10272778 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103 5125 GALLERIA COVE - $209,000.

Stunning 3BR/2BA with open split plan, an abundance of built-ins and storage. Extraordinary lighting throughout, smooth top cooking surface, breakfast bar, walkin pantry. FP, screened in porch and fenced yard. MLS# 10268505 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-679-1103

Greenbrier 37 INDIAN SPRINGS - $152,000.

New construction! Charming 3BR/2BA home w/gas fireplace, breakfast bar, tile backsplash, smooth top cooking surface. Jet tub, stained & scored concrete floors.

Deck with view. MLS# 10253103 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103

No. 1028

1220 TRENTON - $123,000.

Charming 3BR/2BA with all new carpet, paint, tile, appliances including refrigerator, light fixtures, countertops, door knobs and pulls.

Must see! MLS# 10262073 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103

Edited by Will Shortz

9204 CYNTHIA - $122,500. 4BR/2BA, 1426 SF. Great two-story home centrally located. New paint, new lighting fixtures & other updates throughout.

Large fenced backyard. John Selva, Pulaski Heights Realty, 993-5442

Conway

Across 1 Bucko 4 Berlin cry 7 George Washington and others 14 Burning issue 15 ___ Greene, “The Godfather” gangster 16 “The poison of life,” per Brontë s Rochester 17 With 27- and 35Across, a Halloween riddle 19 Set apart 20 Online store option 21 “Punk d” cable channel 22 Club for swingers 23 Bar, at the bar 25 Poet s Muse 27 See 17-Across

■ CROSSWORD

West Little Rock

32 Coral reef dwellers 33 Prefix with comic 34 Check out 35 See 17-Across 38 Be sociable 41 Bottled spirit 42 Go for the gold?

43 With 60-Across, answer to the riddle 48 Soft drink brand 49 Fresh 50 Seat holders 51 Italian TV channel 54 Sniffler s supply 58 Bibliophile s concern 60 See 43-Across 61 Dovetail with 62 “Tell ___ story” 63 New York or Wisconsin, in D.C.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A L U M S O M E N P P P S

M E T A L M E N O I O L E

P I A N O H I N G E

S L O B P E C T I N

M R A N D M E C R L E S A N N T

L A P O F

A U C T I O O N L E B O U U S I T J E A R

W R I T E R S

L E T T E R

S S A C T A O M R R I E I G R O P A R D I A A N C E L S E E R R S E T

H O N O R

64 Yankee manager who wore #37 65 African menace 66 Base ___ Down 1 Bryn ___ College 2 “Off the Court” autobiographer 3 Elaine ___, George W. Bush s only labor secretary 4 In the center of 5 Math groups 6 Be told about 7 Spilling point 8 Staff symbol 9 “That issue is in the past” 10 Capital of the U.S.?

11 Reach for rudely 12 What you will 13 Mind 18 Lock 24 QBs, often 26 Kia model 27 “Whaddaya know!”

U R D U

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know!”

T A 29 Ring cry S 30 Sign of a winner M

B L O C K

W I Z E N

“Catch-22” S N 35 Pre-election activity O O 36 Chemical suffix T 37 “My dear fellow”

O V U L E

28 “Whaddaya

31 Bomber pilot in

1

2

3

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39

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56

57

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23

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47

49

50 58

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51 59

52

53

54 60

61

62

63

64

65

66

Puzzle by David J. Kahn

38 War stat 39 Barnard s ___, locale in “Great Expectations” 40 Crossed (out) 41 Understood 42 Debbie who won three swimming gold medals at the 1968 Olympics

43 Picaroon 44 Like some job training 45 Washington city, river or tribe 46 Nurses take these 47 Top-of-the-world topper 48 Feudal domains

52 Learning method 53 Hydroxyl compound 55 In order 56 Projecting edge 57 2000 Hugh Jackman movie 59 Component of bronze

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.

39 INDIAN SPRINGS - $166,500.

3BR/2BA new construction with gas fireplace, tile backsplash, smooth top cooking surface, microwave, pantry, jetted tub in master. Large deck with country view. MLS# 10257991 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103 53 WIN MEADOW - $239,900. A little bit of country with all the modern amenities! 4BR/3BA with large kitchen w/oak cabinetry, double pantry, cook’s dream island, breakfast nook with large windows. Across from 55-acre lake. MLS# 10257940 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103

Sherwood 400 MAXINE - $119,000. 3BR/2BA, 1452 SF all brick home on corner lot w/a fully fenced yard! Heated and cooled craft room/workshop, new roof in 2010. Clyde Butler, CBRPM, 240-4300

REAL ESTATE by neighborhood

It's cheap, It's simple, It's effective.

Call 375-2985 for more information. www.arktimes.com www.arktimes.com••NOVEMBER NOVEMBER25, 18,2010 201045 45

Grace, 2010 n Thanks for the new driver’s license photo which might lead one to think that the organ donations it authorizes have already been made.

Thanks for the tendency to avoid looking for someone to fix it in favor of looking for someone to blame it on.

Thanks for all the graduation ceremonies with the theme, Go forth from here and join the unemployment line.

Thanks for how healthy gravy is.

Thanks for Pope Gregory XIII’s thanksgiving celebration of the killing of religious dissenters — as many as 30,000 of them — in the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre in France in 1572.

Thanks to voters in Malvern and nearby for electing the local wizard of the John Wilkes Booth fan club to membership in the state legislature over a possibly sane guy.

Thanks for so many deer that they come into town and eat everybody’s nandinas.

Thanks for the bedbug boogie-woogie.

Thanks for the track-and-field exploits of Tyson Homosexual.

Thanks for the telltale hesitancy that’s involved now in either rendering or accepting neighborly roadside assistance.

Thanks for the hurling scene having become obligatory.

Thanks for all the know-it-alls, who’d be surprised.

Bob L ancaster Thanks for telecommunications advances that children who still have their baby teeth understand at least 10,000 times better than I do.

Thanks for signal contributions to grief therapy by the Westboro Baptists of Topeka, Kan. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court for its Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision in January, which allowed big-money corporate interests to buy American elections, starting with the one earlier this month.

Thanks for the discourse shift — from Come, let us reason together to Go Cheney Yourself.

Thanks for the perv priests, and thanks especially for their enablers on up the totem pole.

Thanks for the story about young W. driving Momma to the hospital with the fetus in the slopjar. We needed that. Especially here and now as the giblets are being spooned over our bird.

Thanks for the 10 pounds of dust mites

C

that have joined our household collection since last Thanksgiving.

Thanks for Hot Pockets and for their nationwide acceptance as holiday fare that’s barely edible and only slightly preferable to a hacking cough.

Thanks for those who think they have to talk louder than Wiley Workman Sr. to be heard on their cells when they’re in the process of ruining for everybody else the slow movement of a symphony, or a church service, or a funeral.

Thanks for memes.

Thanks for gravitas.

Thanks for the enhanced airport security searches that let them grope and scan places you didn’t even know you had. That let them boldly go where no one (perhaps) has gone before.

Thanks for hunting and fishing having been made constitutional rights, along with frog-gigging and tipping cows if I’m not mistaken.

Thanks for all the desert beheadings.

Thanks for media narratives, or storylines.

Thanks for the Texas schoolbook regulators and their commitment to making each succeeding generation dumber than the one before.

Thanks for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s demonstration of how it’s possible for a special interest to screw us all with our own goober.

Thanks for all that Arizona is contribut-

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EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR The Nature Conservancy seeks an Executive Coordinator (EC) for the Arkansas State Director’ s office.

The EC provides high level, professional coordination, administrative & logistical support to the Director & Board of Trustees in a highenergy work environment. Must have excellent written & oral comProgrammer Analyst: munication & interpersonal skills. Research, analyze, dsgn, dvlp Ability to manage multiple, com- & implmt client/server applics plex tasks with min. supervision. using ASP .NET, JavaScript, Ability to quickly adapt in response HTML, XML, Perl, MYSQL, SQL to changing circumstances. Duties Server 2005/2008, TSQL, SSIS, are highly confidential & require BCP, Visual Source Safe, Internet discretion, judgment, tact & poise. Information Services (IIS), Bachelor’ s degree and 5 yrs. Windows XP. Req BS Comp Sci, related work exp or equivalent Eng or rel w/ 2 yrs exp. Mail combination. To apply, visit our resumes to Tejas Technologies website: http://www.nature.org/ Inc., 124 W. Capitol, Ste. 878, careers Little Rock, AR 72201.

46 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES 46 NOVEMBER 25, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES

ing to good will among men.

Thanks for an orange House speaker.

I think speaker orangeness might be just what we need to right this listing ship.

Thanks for Saudi justice and our tacit agreement to keep quiet about it lest they cut off our oil. Or one of our limbs. Or digits. Or appendages.

Thanks for all the fracking fracking.

Thanks for all the Hitler specter raising, without which we would’ve surely forgotten by now that he was not a worthy role model. And ugly too. And crazy. And missing a nad.

Thanks for all the terror babies.

Thanks for the War on Christmas by all the Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings Jesus-Haters.

Thanks for the papal bull (so to speak) on condoms.

Thanks for the Midland school board guy who said he’d celebrate diversity the day after all fags commit suicide.

Thanks for the Texas congressman and others who thought we should apologize to BP because our first reaction to their oil spill was not particularly favorable.

Thanks for Mr. and Mrs. Justice Thomas and all that they’ve meant.

Thanks for the Seven Wonders that are going to change my life — yours too! — from the new book of that name by Glenn Beck and Keith Ablow.

Thanks for Louis Gohmert, who beats everything.

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The undersigned states that he is a resident of Arkansas, of good moral character; that he has never been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude; that no license to sell alcoholic beverages by the undersigned has ever been revoked within five (5)years last past; and, that the undersigned has never been convicted of violating the laws of this State, or any other State, relative to the sale of controlled beverages.

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ARKANSAS TIMES IS ACCEPTING RESUMES FOR A FULL TIME

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ARKANSAS’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF POLITICS AND CULTURE ■ OCTObER 21, 2010

www.arktimes.com

CUE 2010

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OCTO

WATERFOW WHAT TO L EXPECT THIS SEASON

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search for what’ s broug the stretch of hig hway back tohtlife

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Applicants should be fluant in InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator in an all Mac environment. Must be selfmotivated, deadline oriented and highly organized, as well as having experience in publication and ad design. Web design / maintenance is a plus. BA or BFA preferred but equalled experience on the job is acceptable.

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OILTIDE SPILL THE RED

INTr Od Br UCINg hA ITNey “BIg yNes O f BrO The r” Everybody’s running against Obama. Even some Dems. But will it work? Ag AINs

BY GERARD MATTHEWS PAGE 10 grA T The IN: In nov AN furnitative PUBL desigure ICAT ION PrOd n ArkA UCed By Adve NsAs TI The hAL dePA rTIsINg mes rT

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Wild | 1

No Phone Calls Please. www.arktimes.com • NOVEMBER 25, 2010 47