Arkansas Times

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After nearly 18 years in prison, the West Memphis Three earn freedom thanks to a surprise plea agreement. BY MARA LEVERITT PAGE 10 ALSO

Join us for a panel discussion on “The West Memphis Three: Past, present and future,” 6 p.m. Thursday at the State House Convention Center. DETAILS PAGE 11

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THE INSIDER Mark Martin’s fight

n Remember Teresa Belew, who quit a job as Secretary of State Mark Martin’s executive assistant because she said the office wasn’t following the Freedom of Information Act? She said (and Martin’s office denied) that an office employee told her to delete an e-mail that would have been covered by an Arkansas Times FOI request. Later, Martin spent more than $3,000 on legal advice from the Friday Law Firm on following the FOI law.

Belew, meanwhile, finds herself up against Martin’s determination to get even.

Belew, who qualified for unemployment compensation when she lost her job last year as director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, stopped those benefits when she got a job with Martin. She applied to have them reinstated when she left Martin’s office. The Department of Workforce Services approved resumption of benefits, finding Belew left her job for cause. But Martin’s office, which opposed that finding, wouldn’t stand for her to receive checks. It asked for review by a singleperson appeals tribunal, which reversed the state office and said she wasn’t entitled to benefits. Belew has now appealed her case to the State Board of Review. She thinks leaving for unwillingness to violate the law is “cause.” Martin, understandably, doesn’t want that official stain on his record.

Martin’s spokesman, Alex Reed, refused to talk about the case. He also refused to talk about this: Martin’s fight against benefits for Belew has been waged for the office by Kevin Crass of the Friday firm. How much was Crass paid to fight Belew? Was it part of the $3,100 in putative FOI advice? Reed wouldn’t say.

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n A ghoulish staple of Death Row coverage is last-meal requests of condemned prisoners. We had something of a reverse image of that cliche last week with the surprise release of the West Memphis Three, including Death Row inmate Damien Echols. He had faced execution for the 1993 slaying of three West Memphis children.

On Death Row Thursday morning, he was at a party on the rooftop of the Madison Hotel in Memphis less than 36 hours later, following the surprise plea bargain that released him. By then, he’d had his first free world meal — a Kobe beef burger with red onion marmalade, shoestring potatoes and lots of ketchup. He told Capi Peck, a Little Rock restaurateur and leader of the Arkansas Take Action group that worked to free the three, that it was the best meal he’d ever eaten. Peck also reported that breakfast Saturday morning in Memphis included two items Echols had never eaten before — a bagel and fresh pineapple. www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 3

Smart talk

Contents Small-school champions n Two Arkansas congressmen are among the 14 sponsors of a bill that would “correct” a provision of the federal school-funding formula they say favors large school districts over small districts. They are Mike Ross, a (Blue Dog) Democrat from the Fourth District, and Rick Crawford, a Republican from the First District.

Nine of the 14 sponsors are Republicans. The bill is the work of the Rural School and Community Trust, whose members have fought mandatory school consolidation laws, including Arkansas’s.

Bipartisan race PERRY: Tax the poor.

Better than Texas n Arkansas’s tax system is a little fairer to low-income people than Texas’s, but then Texas’s, under Gov. Rick Perry, is god-awfully unfair. Perry, a presidential candidate, complained last week about poor people not paying enough in taxes.

He said he was “dismayed at the injustice that nearly half of all Americans don’t even pay any income tax.” The reason they don’t pay any federal income tax is because they’re too poor to qualify. But they pay other federal taxes, and they pay state and local taxes too.

Both Texas and Arkansas, and most other states, have regressive tax systems, in that taxes take a larger share of income from poor families than rich families According to Citizens for Tax Justice, Texas has the fifth highest taxes for lowincome families. The bottom 20 percent of Texas taxpayers pay 12.2 percent of their income in state taxes, while the richest 1 percent pay only 3 percent of their income in state taxes.

Arkansas demands almost as much of poor people — the poorest 20 percent here pay 12.1 percent of their income in taxes — but the Arkansas system is more progressive than Texas’s in that it requires more of rich people than Texas does.

In Arkansas, the richest 1 percent pay 5.9 percent of their income in state taxes, roughly twice as much as the Texas super-rich.

n The rise of Republicanism in Arkansas has brought a rare two-party race to the state Senate in Southeast Arkansas, traditionally a Democratic stronghold.

Mike Akin, a Monticello furniture manufacturer and member of the UA Board of Trustees, has started a Facebook page for his Republican candidacy for District 26, now held by term-limited Dem- AKIN ocratic Sen. Jimmy Jeffress of Crossett.

Akin will have plenty of resources (and some likely criticism over self-dealing he’s done with agencies he’s overseen — a housing project at UA-Monticello and a state subsidy when he was on the Economic Development Commission). He’ll have Democratic opposition. Potential contenders include Rep. Eddie Cheatham of Crossett and former Rep.Gregg Reep of Warren.

8 The part of the brain

that keeps us alive

A UAMS researcher is studying it. — By Leslie Newell Peacock

10 After nearly two decades, freedom

How the West Memphis Three secured a plea deal that let them escape prison and death row. — By Mara Leveritt

32 The brown glop is gone

Browning’s gets a facelift. — By Arkansas Times Staff

DEPARTMENTS

3 The Insider

4 Smart Talk

5 The Observer

6 Letters

7 Orval 8-17 News

18 Opinion

22 Arts & Entertainment

32 Dining

33 Crossword/ Tom Tomorrow Bob Lancaster is on vacation.

Words n It’s full to the bream: “ ‘Bayou Bartholomew is a very diverse body of water that’s clearly very popular among fishermen,’ Seymour said.

‘We have all species of bass, crappie, brim and buffalo catfish.’ ” n “Forrest Wilder of the Texas Observer appeared on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show to discuss the New Apostolic Reformation, an evangelical Christian group that sees Texas Gov. Rick Perry as their chance to overtake the U.S. government.”

The New Apostolic Reformation wants to overtake — that is, catch up with and possibly surpass — the U.S. government? In what way, I wonder? In providing health care for the sick, food for the hungry, schooling for the unlearned?

I doubt it. The NAR sounds like a group more interested in taking over the U.S. government, and putting a stop to this 4 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Doug S mith doug@arktimes.com

foolish humanitarianism.

Perry’s presidential candidacy reminds me of the 1996 campaign, when Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and running behind another senator. Somebody on Saturday Night Live suggested a slogan: “Phil Gramm! If Bob Dole’s not mean enough for you!” Nobody will outmean Rick Perry this time around, I suspect. n Bob Lancaster notes an erroneous report that Perry threw his name into the

ring. It’s the candidate’s hat, not his name, that gets tossed.

Theodore Roosevelt apparently was the first presidential candidate to use the expression. While seeking the Republican nomination in 1912, TR said “My hat’s in the ring. The fight is on, and I’m stripped to the buff.”

Safire’s Political Dictionary says, “Roosevelt popularized a boxing phrase used on the American frontier. When a Westerner decided he was willing to fight all comers, he threw his hat in the prize ring, similar to ‘throwing down the gauntlet’ in the days of chivalry.” n Bonnie Luck submits a quote from one identified as “the teacher of the year”: “Self-esteem is one of the things I try the hardest to address because if a child doesn’t feel good about themselves, I can’t teach him anything.”

VOLUME 37, NUMBER 51 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.

Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

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FRIED The Observer doesn’t usually do reruns, but given the theme of this week’s issue, we thought we’d present a retread of a piece that ran in this space back on Jan. 18, 2011. No matter what you’re going through, friends, keep the faith. As Jason Baldwin — literally the most positive and upbeat person we’ve ever met — told us back in January: There’s always hope.

The Observer and our pal Mr. Photographer were supposed to get down to the prison on Monday to meet with the West Memphis Three — Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols — but got snowed out. By Friday, though, the roads had burned off and we were on again. We went to Varner Unit near Grady first; surrendered our cell phones and ball caps and cigarettes, took off our shoes and belts and allowed our persons and bags to be searched, and were finally ushered through the gates where signs warn of instant death if one is foolhardy enough to breach concertina wire to touch the electrified fence.

We were there to see Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley, but despite scheduling interviews weeks in advance, we were told by an unsmiling deputy warden that speaking to them hadn’t been cleared, only photographs. In the end, we found ourselves forced to simply stare at Echols and Misskelly through glass without speaking — two men on display, like meat.

The Observer is very close to the same age as the WM3, Echols a bit older, Baldwin a little younger. We remember the crime. We remember the trial. And we remember seeing “Paradise Lost,” the documentary about the case that injected into our mind a bitter grain of doubt, which has since grown over the years into a smooth, bright pearl of belief. What is engraved there is this: We have imprisoned innocent men, and somewhere a killer of children walks free.

Though The Observer tries to be impartial in all things, we feel no shame in telling you this. The mind and heart know what they know, impartiality be damned. To say anything less would be to make it plain that we are either a liar or a fool.

By the afternoon, we had been reunited with our cell phones and the

trouble had been ironed out. We headed on to Tucker Max, where Jason Baldwin is shelved, assured that we would be allowed to talk to him like a human being.

He looks much older than he should — slightly balding now, with what should have been the salad days of his 20s well behind him. Sitting in a paneled conference room under the Great Seal of Arkansas, The Observer told Jason Baldwin that he is close to our age.

We’re usually never at a loss for words on an interview — always one question leading to another, and hardly ever enough time or patience for all of them.

This time, though, we found our tongue was too big for our mouth. What do you say to a man who you believe to be innocent who may well die in prison, other than “I’m sorry”?

When we ran out of things to say, we told Jason Baldwin that we were a weirdo in high school — the kid in black who listened to odd music and read odd books.

Because we had gone that far, we went further. We told him what we have thought for a good 15 years now: That save a few quirks of geography, it could have just as easily been us sitting there in his bleached white jumpsuit, waiting to be cuffed and led back to the bowels of the prison, time stretching out before us like the blade of a long knife. Not because we were guilty, but because we would have surely looked the part to men seeking monsters and easy answers.

After we were done — after 30 minutes of jawing about life and television and the books he reads — we said our goodbyes. The Observer went out to our car and drove back to Little Rock through the pristine fields, still draped in melting snow.

That night, The Observer kissed his wife, and hugged his son. That night, we lay down beside our beloved in our own bed, a free man, and listened to her breathing in the dark. Just before the door of sleep coasted shut and latched, we looked at the snowfield ceiling and thought: Why is it that good things happen to some people, and bad things to others? And then we thought: Too cruel to call it Fate.

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See video of our interview with Jason Baldwin at arktimes.com/jasonbaldwin. www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 5

Letters

UCA detached from reality

arktimes@arktimes.com

As an alum, I’m disgusted by the breathtaking arrogance and detachment from reality of the University of Central Arkansas board of trustees and president Allen C. Meadors.

If that house on Donaghey that’s had nearly a half million dollars worth of renovations done in the last few years isn’t good enough for Dr. Meadors and his wife Barb, I have two alternatives: Meadors should either buy his own with his $259,000 salary or quit in protest.

As to Bill Ott, Rush Harding, and the

Vote for progress in Little Rock

While I am sure that Kathy Wells, Jim Lynch and others have honest motives for attempting to sabotage Little Rock’s revenue equalization effort, I submit that they miss the point on the upcoming sales tax vote. No matter how large our egos may be, the vote isn’t about us, or the one proposal among the others listed we may not like. No, the issue remains simple in my view. Is Little Rock going to continue to be a first class city or not?

Those opposing the tax are pursuing a death sentence of sorts for the finest city of its size in the South. Reasons given seem to center on some special interest of the accuser, or some past real or imagined transgression of the governing body.

Others dismiss the effort since they feel it does not pay enough homage to their pet interest. That is a great way to determine the future of a community, isn’t it?

As an analogy, I offer that if we have a child who sometimes does not do to suit us, we continue to feed it and maintain its health while we attempt to improve its behavior. It is the same with a city. Let’s all work together to make it better, not starve it to death and then pray over it when it is gone.

Having worked with Arkansas municipalities for 41 years, I can assure the voters of my beloved city one thing, you cannot please some people — no use even trying. So why don’t we just move past them to the larger stage and make our city the best it can be? As citizens, we should want progress. Trust me, nobody wants this tax to fail as badly as competing cities. We can sit by and let it happen, or we can stand up to the naysayers. As for me and my family, we choose progress.

Have no fear, we will continue to put out fires, rescue the perishing and fight crime. The question is: Will this be the only evidence that a great city once existed on this spot? Let us pray that the answer is no.

A disclaimer: I am a member of the commission for the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. I will receive no compensation when the vote passes. I will receive, however, even greater satisfaction in knowing this tremendous facility, operated on a shoestring as are all my city’s facilities, can continue in operation. This will bring me further satisfaction as I bring my veteran friends to visit and say, “Look at this great place and see what they have done for us.”

Jim von Tungeln Little Rock 6 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

other trustees who appear much more concerned with getting Allen and Barb a dream pad than they are the actual education of the students, if Governor Mike Beebe was to do one last decent thing in office, it would be to clean house at UCA. They are sneaking away to taxpayer retreats in Heber Springs to conduct official business and discuss spending another three quarters of a million dollars for a new home to pacify Meadors? How about discussing why, in a terrible economy, you raised tuition rates again, making them almost double what they were in 2000-01? It’s obvious what the priorities are here.

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My wife and I met, married and graduated from UCA. We’re sending our diplomas back. Shameful.

Lou Werner Hot Springs Village

Offended I write in protest of Graham Gordy’s use of profanity in his column about city mottos in your Aug. 10 issue. I’ll refer to it as the F word just to keep from repeating the offense in your paper.

I worked for newspapers all my adult life, so I’m not a prig about cussing. I have heard and used that word. But I censor its use based on who might hear it, and no reporter I have known would have used it in a written story. It would not have been allowed to appear in print in any of the newspapers for which I worked. The news desk would have edited it right out if I had tried to use it, probably giving me a reprimand. And I’m wondering why someone on your news desk didn’t do that to Mr. Gordy.

Pat Patterson Little Rock

Voting for Griffin a mistake

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Yes, I voted for the congressman, and now admit I made a mistake. I called his office numerous times to express my opinion against raising the debt ceiling. No return calls, not even a form letter. He was sent to Washington with a mandate from his constituents that business as usual was not acceptable. And he ignored that, choosing instead to continue to treat taxpayer money as though it was free candy, instead of living with hard decisions and making sacrifices like so many Americans have had to over the past few years.

That piece of legislation essentially (if one reads it) does absolutely nothing to curb the largesse and waste in Washington, and will ultimately not even be proven deficit neutral.

The final straw was his handing out of what was essentially a dirty play handbook that included personal information about persons critical of certain Republicans. Yes, Tim, I was at that town meeting.

That’s about as low as one can go. I sent you to Washington to get away from this type of sleazy crap, and you bring it right back home in less than two years.

Go on 103.7 every Sunday, Timmy, and act like a good ol’ boy while Bill Vickery throws you softballs. But start working on the resume. God forbid, you might even have to join the private sector in 2012.

Ron Collins 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 arktimes@arktimes.com.

We also accept faxes at 375-3623. Please include name and hometown.

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AUG. 17-23, 2011 IT WAS A GOOD WEEK FOR…

THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE After nearly 18 years in prison, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley earned freedom thanks to a strange legal maneuver known as an Alford plea, which allowed them to maintain their innocence even while they pled guilty to murder.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL The University of Arkansas announced that more than $28 million had been raised, including $10 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, for a $35 million drive to build new football facilities at Fayetteville.

IT WAS A BAD WEEK FOR…

BRYANT MAYOR JILL DABBS The state Ethics Commission ruled that the mayor had violated state ethics rules by giving herself a pay raise, from $65,000 to $71,000, without the approval of the city council.

She’ll receive a letter of caution for using her office for special personal privilege.

ATTORNEY GENERAL DUSTIN MCDANIEL In a statement on the plea agreement that freed the West Memphis Three, McDaniel said the deal was all Prosecutor Scott Ellington’s doing. As Mara Leveritt’s cover story (page 10) indicates, McDaniel was involved in the deal from the beginning. No matter your opinion on the three’s innocence, the plea arrangement stinks of political expediency for McDaniel, who’s eyeing a gubernatorial run in 2014 and wouldn’t want a high-profile trial (or three) hanging over the race.

ALICE STEWART The former Arkansas newswoman who’s handled press for Mike Huckabee and Secretary of State Mark Martin, is drawing plenty of attention for her role as spokeswoman for Michele Bachmann. Ryan Lizza of the New Yorker reported that he saw her force another reporter to erase a video clip by threatening to kick her off the trip. And Zeina Awad, a correspondent for Al Jazeera’s Englishlanguage programming, said Stewart asked her, “Comprende?” Awad suggested that her “funny name” and her Al Jazeera nametag must’ve led Stewart to believe she didn’t speak English.

8 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

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 ■

■­

■

Rescued by our reptile side UAMS researchers find a surprise in the brain.

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

n What makes you you? Is it the cells in your throbbing cerebral cortex, those deep ridges and hills on the surface of your brain, the “little gray cells” that Hercule Poirot speaks of, firing off a drumbeat of awareness?

Look deeper, says Dr. Edgar GarciaRill, director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Science’s Center for Translational Neuroscience (CTN). Look at the brain stem, which laypeople like this writer might call the lizard brain, the primitive, and essential, part of our brain that keeps our hearts beating, our lungs breathing.

There’s more going on there, he says: It’s where awareness begins. It’s why, GarciaRill and colleagues say, you know who you are when you wake up, before you start firing on all (usually caffeinated) cylinders.

That’s because blood flow to the brain stem increases immediately; the cortex doesn’t catch up until 15 to 20 minutes later.

The research being done at the CTN, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, is part of a larger investigation into the mechanics of sleep and wakefulness, and may someday be applied to waking the comatose or anesthetizing the aware. (Hence “translational” — from lab to bedside.) Science has known that the brain stem is involved in waking and sleeping; showing the mechanism on a cellular level “is pretty revolutionary stuff,” GarciaRill says.

What the CTN team has found is that there is cellular activity in the brain stem that is firing away at the same frequency as that of the wakeful cerebral cortex. GarciaRill said he and his team wanted to know “what’s this old, sleepy area doing on high frequency?” What it’s doing, Garcia-Rill says, is “keeping us aware of the world,” or preconscious awareness.

In an example to illustrate how preconscious awareness works, Garcia-Rill asks people to imagine they’re in a car, changing from the right to the left lane. If we think about it — off the top of our heads, so to speak — we’ll grasp the pretend wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock, turn it to the left and return it to 12 o’clock, just enough to be driving head on into traffic. (Or at least that’s what this reporter did.) Our pre-conscious brain knows better, and corrects our movements to keep us from crossing the median.

We have to turn back to the right past 12

BRIAN CHILSON

THE WEEK THAT WAS

GARCIA-RILL: Showing how you are you. o’clock to get in the lane, then straighten out.

“Most of the time,” Garcia-Rill says, “people are basically asleep at the wheel, but they do survive.” He means that literally and virtually. That’s because the preconscious part of our brain, down in the brain stem, is thrumming with as much energy as the thinking cortex. So while we’re thinking about the NPR tear-jerker we’re listening to or singing at the top of our lungs we don’t run off the road.

Garcia-Rill’s team uses cells from the brain stems of rat pups in their research, first described last year. Placed in a bath of cerebrospinal fluid and stimulated by drugs or electrical current, the cells act as if they were still part of a living creature. The team found that the cells generated activity at a frequency of about 40 waves a second — a “significant frequency for learning and memory,” Garcia-Rill says, like that of a frisky cortical cell. The UAMS researchers are using various toxins — derived from such surprisingly natural sources as spiders, fish and mamba snakes — to confirm which channels are firing the cells. They found that brain stem cells have the same membrane channels — like pores — as cortical cells.

Work by other researchers using deepbrain stimulation — a treatment for Parkinson’s, for example — matches up with Garcia-Rill’s theories of preconscious awareness in this primitive area of the

brain, showing that electrical brain activity begins before we will our muscles to move. So if you’re having a conversation with someone amid a lot of activity, you may ignore what’s going on around you until your preconscious brain detects that guy with an axe coming at you (another of Garcia-Rill’s examples) and you react.

Your lizard brain is taking care of you.

“The cortex doesn’t make you you.

Higher functions … don’t make you you,” Garcia-Rill says. “The essence is down in the brain stem.”

Corrections n In last week’s To-Do List (Aug. 17), we mistakenly referred to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano as the former governor of New Mexico, when she is, in fact, former governor of Arizona. n In last week’s “Eye on Arkansas” (Aug. 17), we mistakenly said that Melvin Watkins, also known as Broom Man, sells brooms to benefit the Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind. The Arkansas Lighthouse makes products for the federal government and mans a call center, according to a spokeswoman. It doesn’t make brooms.

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www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 9

BRIAN CHILSON

BENCA: A key player in securing the plea deal for the defense.

The ‘big ask’ An insider’s view of the legal maneuvers that freed the West Memphis Three.

BY MARA LEVERITT

L

ast November’s Arkansas Supreme Court decision marked the first time any court had acknowledged a need to revisit any part of the controversial 1994 trials, let alone “all” of the evidence. It was a pivotal change, and others quickly followed.

Immediately after the court’s ruling, won by San Francisco attorney Dennis Riordan, death-row inmate Damien Echols and his wife Lorri Davis startled supporters by hiring Stephen L. Braga, of Washington, D.C., as their team’s new lead attorney. When Deborah Sallings, the Arkansas member of Echols’ team, resigned at about the same time, Davis and Braga were left looking for another Arkansas lawyer to take her place amid preparations for the critical hearing the high court had ordered.

Davis said she and Braga approached many local attorneys, but found none willing to defend Echols, who was sentenced to death 17 years before for the murders of three West Memphis children. They were growing despondent when someone recommended they contact Little Rock attorney Patrick Benca.

“I met with Lorri and Steve right here in this office,” Benca recalled this week, in the book-lined conference room of his 19th Century office on Broadway. “I was nervous. I really wanted the job. What defense attorney wouldn’t want to be part of what was going on?”

When reminded that others declined, Benca said, “Yeah. I don’t understand that.”

One of the things Braga asked Benca was whether he had a good working relationship with David Raupp, the chief deputy to Arkansas Attorney General Dustin

10 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

McDaniel. Benca replied that he considered Raupp “a good attorney and a good guy,” and that he’d “never had any problems with him.” Benca added that he had known McDaniel for years — that the two had gone through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the UALR School of Law together.

Davis and Braga brought Benca onto the Echols defense team in late January. Like Braga, Benca agreed to work pro bono.

It took him about a month to get up to speed, reading all the records in the case—and watching the HBO documentary films. In early spring Benca emailed Braga: “I’m prepared. I’m ready to do whatever you need me to do.”

Braga wanted help getting some records relating to the victims’ autopsies. Benca contacted Raupp, who agreed to release some of them. Benca was working on obtaining the others, when, in early summer, the laboratory conducting new DNA tests on evidence from the 1993 murders began issuing its first results.

To the lawyers’ disappointment, the scientific findings did not definitively point to a different assailant. But neither did they trace to Echols or his co-defendants, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. That absence of evidence underlined a fact that had been apparent in this case from the start: there never was any physical evidence — from the time of the murders to these new tests — that could be linked to the men in prison.

In July, while the lab was still conducting tests, Braga submitted a status report on the information received so far to Circuit Judge David L. Laser, who had been

assigned to review the case. “At this point in time, we were trying to make some decisions,” Benca said. He and Braga pondered the seemingly far-fetched idea of asking the state’s attorneys to agree to skip the evidentiary hearing, which Laser had scheduled for December, by agreeing that new trials were warranted.

So far, everyone on the state side had fought toothand-nail to resist new trials for the men. But Braga and Benca thought there was a chance that neither they nor the defense teams would want to “waste all that time” going through an evidentiary hearing if, in the end, Laser was going to order new trials. That would require all sides to present the same evidence again — this time before juries — in one, two or even three trials — depending on what Laser ordered.

The question for Braga and Benca was: What would persuade McDaniel, Raupp, and Scott Ellington, the prosecuting attorney for Arkansas’s 2nd Judicial District, to change their dug-in position and agree to skip the evidentiary hearing by preemptively supporting new trials?

Benca and Braga reviewed all the issues they were prepared to raise at the hearing and set all of them aside but one: the matter of juror misconduct in the trial of Echols and Baldwin.

JUROR MISCONDUCT The stunning information that the jury foreman at their trial had violated court instructions had come to light three years earlier. Little Rock restaurateurs Capi Peck and Brent Peterson, who had become supporters of the three defendants, hosted a gathering at Trio’s restaurant in early 2008 for several local attorneys, hoping to enlist further support. At that event, one attorney mentioned knowing that another attorney had received phone calls from the foreman throughout the Echols-Baldwin trial.

The Echols team contacted that attorney and in May 2008, Lloyd Warford, of Little Rock, signed an affidavit stating that, at the time of the trial, he was working for the jury foreman, Jonesboro real estate broker Kent Arnold, on an unrelated matter. Warford said Arnold called him repeatedly during the trial, purportedly about the other work, but that during the conversations, Arnold spoke passionately about the trial.

Warford stated in his affidavit that he was surprised that Arnold was selected for the jury because, from the start, he “seemed to have made up his mind the defendants were guilty.” As the trial progressed, Warford said, Arnold expressed frustration that prosecutors were not presenting evidence that Jessie Misskelley had confessed to police — evidence that was used to convict Misskelley at his separate trial a month earlier, but which was inadmissible at the Echols-Baldwin trial because Misskelley refused to appear and repeat his statement that he had seen Echols and Baldwin kill the boys.

“Eventually,” Warford wrote: “Kent said this prosecutor has not done his job and that if the prosecution didn’t come up with something powerful the next day, there was probably going to be an acquittal. At one point, I distinctly remember him saying, ‘If anyone is going to convince this jury to convict it is going to have to be me.’ ” Evidence from other jurors supported Warford’s affidavit — and his belief that “Kent Arnold saw himself as the real hero of this trial,” because he had informed fel-

The West Memphis Three: Past, Present and Future Join the Times and the Clinton School for a panel discussion.

low jurors of Misskelley’s confession. A flip-chart used in the jury room, listing reasons for and against convicting Echols and Baldwin, referenced Misskelley’s confession in the “pro” column. Notes kept during the trial by another juror also mentioned Misskelley’s statement.

Judge David Burnett, who officiated at the trials and throughout subsequent circuit court appeals, ordered Warford’s affidavit to be sealed, and for the next couple of years, it remained unknown to all, except the judge, the defendants and a small circle of lawyers. By 2010, however, defense attorneys were able to argue before the state Supreme Court that the juror misconduct issue, along with the new DNA findings, warranted new trials.

The Supreme Court agreed, primarily on the DNA issues. The juror misconduct question was relatively sidelined, and as Braga and Benca prepared for the hearing set for December, they were not even sure Laser would consider it.

Yet they knew that if Laser did consider the issue of juror misconduct, that alone could impel him to order new trials, at least for Echols and Baldwin. “There was no case law I could find, in this state or anywhere else,” Benca said, “where juror misconduct that egregious had been found acceptable.” He and Braga suspected that Ellington and the attorneys general might be thinking the same thing. “So,” Benca said, “we decided that was the approach.”

‘A BIG ASK’ It fell to Benca to make the local contact. Since McDaniel and Raupp had signed all the state’s motions in the case, along with Ellington, Benca thought that McDaniel, as attorney general, was calling the shots. “I assumed he was the decision-maker.”

Benca called to ask if McDaniel would consider lunch. McDaniel inquired as to what was “on the agenda.”

Benca told his law school friend that he wanted to “catch up” — and that, “by the way, you know I’m on this West Memphis case.” McDaniel accepted the invitation.

The two attorneys met for a late lunch at the Little Rock Club on Wednesday, Aug. 3. They chatted a bit about their families, friends and school days. “Then,” Benca said, “the discussion turned to the possibility that Judge Laser would order new trials.”

As he and Braga had planned, Benca tried to keep the conversation’s focus “as simple as possible.” Benca bore down on the rationale that if Laser were to consider the

Confirmed participants: • Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington of Jonesboro, who agreed to the plea bargain that resulted in release of the three defendants in the case after almost 18 years in prison.

• Arkansas Times contributing editor Mara Leveritt, who’s made a vocational life’s work of writing about the case and whose book, “Devil’s Knot,” is soon to be adapted for a movie.

BRIAN CHILSON

Q

uestions you’d like to ask about the unexpected and dramatic developments last week in the West Memphis Three case?

You’re in luck.

The Arkansas Times, in partnership with the Clinton School for Public Service, is sponsoring a discussion on the case at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Wally Allen Ballroom of the Statehouse Convention Center at Markham and Scott Streets.

• Capi Peck, the Little Rock restaurateur who led Arkansas Take Action, a group that mobilized support for the Three’s release and is working now on a pardon campaign.

• Pat Benca, the Little Rock lawyer for Damien Echols.

• Jeff Rosenzweig, the Little Rock lawyer for Jessie Misskelley Jr. • Blake Hendrix, Little Rock lawyer for Jason Baldwin.

To help the Clinton School make arrangements, please send an RSVP, either by email to publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or 501-683-5239.

As of Tuesday, the event had already drawn more than 500 reservations.

SET FREE: Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin. juror misconduct issue, he would almost certainly order new trials.

Benca said McDaniel told him he “still believed those boys were responsible for the crime.” Benca said the attorney general also informed him, “that he didn’t have the decision-making power: that was Scott Ellington’s job.”

Still, Benca could see that McDaniel was listening closely to his idea that all parties could leap-frog over the hearing by agreeing to new trials beforehand. When Benca concluded, McDaniel responded, “That’s a big ask.”

“My heart was jumping about out of my chest,” Benca recalled. “It’s something when the attorney general says to you, ‘That’s a big ask.’ But then he went over it with me.”

In the end, “Dustin was quite candid,” Benca said.

“He told me he would present the issue to Mr. Ellington and to David Raupp and he said, ‘I’ll get back to you.”

He didn’t shut me down. So I had hope when I walked out of there.”

Benca called Braga. “He was excited. We both were.”

A couple of days later, Benca had a second “conversation” with McDaniel, in which Benca mentioned how nice it would be if everyone could simply “resolve it.”

The suggestion was that, through negotiation, the attorneys might be able to avoid not only the hearing, but the potential trials as well.

“Dustin said, ‘If you’re interested in resolving it, I can make arrangements for you guys to present your argu-

ment to Mr. Ellington.’ I called Steve [Braga], and we had the meeting the following Tuesday.”

‘PRETTY INTIMIDATING’ That meeting, on Aug. 9, took place in the secondfloor conference room of the attorney general’s office. “It has the biggest conference table I’ve ever seen in my life,” Benca said. “There were at least 15 chairs on each side. It was pretty intimidating.” Joining Braga and Benca on the defense side were Little Rock attorneys Blake Hendrix, representing Baldwin, and Jeff Rosenzweig, for Misskelley.

“All of Ellington’s team were on the other side. Dustin was at the head of the table, to my left, with his deputies seated, not at the table, but along the walls nearby.”

Benca recalled: “Dustin set the tone for the meeting. He told everyone, ‘Patrick and I went to law school together, we’re friends, and we met for lunch to talk about this,’ explaining how it all came about. Then he turned it over to us. We proposed an Alford plea with time served.”

The “ask” that Benca mentioned at lunch had by now grown considerably bigger. Benca and Braga were proposing that the state and three defense teams not only agree to new trials, thereby avoiding the hearing, but that they also avoid the risks of new trials — risks that were felt all around — by negotiating a plea agreement to be entered as soon as the new trials were ordered.

That agreement, known as an Alford plea, would allow the defendants to plead guilty to reduced charges, Continued on page 12

www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 11

1993

MAY 5 Three eight-year-old boys — Stevie Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore — are reported missing several hours after they left Weaver Elementary School in West Memphis.

MAY 6 The children’s bodies are found in a creek in an area known locally as the Robin Hood Hills. They had been beaten and hog-tied with their shoelaces.

MAY 7 Police interview 18-year-old Damien Echols about the crime.

MAY 9 Police interview Echols again along with his then-girlfriend Domini Teer and Jason Baldwin.

MAY 10 Police interview Damien Echols at the West Memphis Police Department.

JUNE 3 After being interviewed by the police for hours, mentally challenged Jessie Misskelley implicates himself, Baldwin and Echols in the murder of the three children. Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley are arrested. Misskelley later recants his confession.

AUG. 4 The three plead not guilty to capital murder at a pre-trial hearing.

1994

FEB. 4 A jury in Clay County Circuit Court convicts Misskelley of first-degree murder in the death of Michael Moore and second-degree murder in the murders of Stevie Branch and Christopher Byers and sentences him to life in prison plus two 25-year terms.

MARCH 18 Baldwin and Echols are found guilty of capital murder by a jury in Jonesboro.

MARCH 19 Circuit Judge David Burnett sentences Echols to die by lethal injection and Baldwin to life without parole.

APRIL 7 Bob Lancaster skeptically reviews the trial in the Times: “The prosecutors convicted Echols of checking certain suspicious books out of the public library, and copying off dark passages (‘full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’) from the likes of William Shakespeare. God help him if he’d ever discovered Poe. And yet this vague proposition of the murders as an expression of an ignorant boy’s conception of the demands of demonology was the state’s entire case.

That’s all we had. And an obliging jury— and a judge as dedicated to bringing forth convictions as he was to looking good— called it enough.”

1996

FEB. 19 The Arkansas Supreme Court refuses to overturn Misskelley’s conviction.

12 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

while maintaining that they were innocent, because their lawyers had advised that it was in their best interest to do so. If the state accepted the plea — and if the judge approved it — Benca and Braga were asking that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley all be released from their respective prisons, based on the time they had already served.

Braga presented the proposal. “He was quite compelling,” Benca said. “He’s a good attorney. I understand why he’s one of the best.”

Hendrix said he did not know what Baldwin would say about such a plea, so he was not in a position to agree or disagree. According to Benca, Rosenzweig “felt very confident” he would prevail on an issue in Misskelley’s case that is still before the state Supreme Court. That concerns Judge Burnett’s decision to preside at one of Misskelley’s appeals, even after the judge had retired from the bench and announced his intention to run for a seat in the state senate.

Other factors coloring considerations around the table were the lack of physical evidence, the new DNA findings, anticipated changes in testimony, and the risks inherent to all sides in facing new panels of jurors. Hendrix asked for time to consult with Baldwin, his client.

Ellington noted that he still believed the men guilty.

Nevertheless, Benca said, the prosecutor acknowledged “that this was going to be a difficult case to win.

“We could see there was some concern that they may not get the outcome they wanted. But Ellington also said he thought they had enough for a jury to hang their hat on. And we agreed that you never know what’s going to happen with a jury.”

The meeting lasted approximately an hour and a half.

According to Benca, “the deal would have been done right there, except for Jason.” And that was a big “except.”

The state’s attorneys said the deal would have to be for all the men or none. As Benca put it: “They wanted it all wrapped up.”

“Jeff [Rozenzweig] made no bones about it. He would definitely encourage his client [Misskelley] to take the deal. He felt his client was on board prior to us leaving the meeting. Our only concern was Jason.”

WOULD BALDWIN ‘TURN AROUND’?

From that Tuesday, Aug. 9, until the hearing Judge Laser scheduled on Friday, Aug. 19, Benca said, “I’m telling you, I didn’t sleep. Just a couple of hours here, a couple there. I’d wake up at 3 a.m. and never get back to sleep. I mean, it was high anxiety.”

The next day, Aug. 10, Braga and Benca drove to the state’s Supermax Unit, to relate the news to Echols. On the way there, the lawyers passed a car with a bumper sticker that read, “Free the West Memphis Three.” “We thought it was a sign,” Benca said.

Benca’s concerns were that Baldwin might not “turn around.” And secondly, if Baldwin stood firm, could they persuade the state’s attorneys to consider a different deal — one just for Echols and Baldwin, based on the juror misconduct issue?

The defense teams gave Ellington permission to approach Judge Laser ex parte, or outside of a formal hearing, to determine if he would consider the proposed pleas and if he had any suggestions, procedurally, for how the sides should go forward. Laser requested some

ELLINGTON: Prosecutor still believes in WM3’s guilt.

BRIAN CHILSON

TIMELINE OF EVENTS IN THE WEST MEMPHIS 3 CASE

additional language in the agreements pertaining to the Supreme Court’s order, but other than that, Benca said, he generally accepted the plan.

It was a week after the meeting at the AG’s office, on Tuesday, Aug. 16, that the legal teams got word that Jason had come onboard. “It was a huge day,” Benca said. He drove to Jonesboro the next day to continue work with Ellington’s group, as, over the next 48 hours, other attorneys converged on the Northeast Arkansas city.

Four legal teams had to agree on a complex series of documents. There were four in all: Paperwork by which Judge Laser would order a conditional grant of new trials. The condition was that a plea agreement, signed by all sides, would immediately follow.

Paperwork for the Alford plea, in which the three men all would plead guilty to reduced charges of murder, while also maintaining that they were innocent. Where all had initially been charged with capital murder, Echols and Baldwin now would plead guilty to three counts of first-degree murder; Misskelley to one count of firstdegree and to two of second-degree murder.

Paperwork documenting their new sentencing recommendations — essentially to time served.

And paperwork outlining the conditions of the suspended imposition of sentence, that being the 10 years they had to stay out of trouble or risk being imprisoned

BRIAN CHILSON

again. They also agreed not to sue the state for damages, though they retained the option of returning to court with new evidence to prove their innocence.

On Wednesday, Laser announced that he would hold an unexpected hearing on Friday, Aug. 19. On Thursday, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were taken from their respective prisons — Echols off of Death Row — and transported in chains in a van to the Craighead County Jail. Benca, Braga, and Lonnie Soury of New York, a spokesman for Echols’ team, visited their client in the jail on the night before the hearing.

“I remember thinking, ‘He doesn’t look good,’ ” Benca said. “He was very, very white. His lips were blue.

He said he hadn’t slept in four days, since learning that Jason was onboard.”

To Benca, Echols seemed torn between hope and the fear of hope. “He looked like he was thinking, ‘Is this another high moment that is just going to collapse and fall apart?’ ” Echols told the attorneys that Jason had been upbeat on the ride to Jonesboro, but that the three prisoners had spoken little.

All the defense teams brought suits for their clients to wear in court, along with bags of toiletries. The inconceivable seemed on the verge of happening. When Benca went to bed that night, he had “a sense that the judge would approve everything.”

FRIDAY, AUG. 19, 2011 Media, including many with satellite trucks, began converging on the Craighead County Courthouse at dawn. Police and sheriff’s deputies stood on street corners and at every courthouse door. Inside the building, subdued members of the victims’ families, relatives of the defendants, and hundreds of supporters of the men known as the West Memphis Three began to fill the corridors outside Laser’s courtroom.

In mid-morning, in a room out of public sight, the judge met with the various legal teams and the prisoners. When Benca and Braga first saw Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, they were shackled to their chairs. The attorneys asked that the restraints be removed, and officers complied.

Judge Laser outlined the procedure that was to follow in open court. “It was like a dry run,” Benca said. The attorney added: “I think the judge was excited. He’s a nice guy. It was clear he had a concern for all involved — the victims’ families, the boys in prison and their families. I recommended to the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers that he be given an award by the defense bar. He was so fair, and very gracious to everyone involved. The way he handled the whole thing was pretty spectacular.”

Benca also praised the attorneys general and the lawyers in Ellington’s office. “We had opposing positions,” Benca said, “but they were all very pleasant to work with.”

At about 11 a.m., the doors to the courtroom were opened. Police looked into women’s purses. Everyone entering the courtroom was electronically scanned. Members of the media were seated in the jury box. A single television camera from Little Rock’s KARK-TV was situated to the right of the judge’s bench, to record the hearing for a pool of reporters — and for posterity.

Echols’ wife, Lorri Davis, who had worked tirelessly for years raising money for the defense, sat in a front row,

alongside musicians Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks. Other friends and supporters, including her friends Capi Peck and the actor Jacob Pitts sat nearby.

Also in the small courtroom were John Mark Byers, stepfather of victim Christopher Byers; Pam Hobbs, mother of victim Stevie Branch; Terry Hobbs, Stevie Branch’s stepfather; Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, who made the “Paradise Lost” films for HBO, and filmmaker Amy Berg, who is completing an independent documentary about the case. Pam Echols, Damien’s mother, sat in a wheel chair in the main aisle. More than a dozen police officers stood, scattered strategically around the room.

Events between the time the bailiff said, “All rise,” and the judge said, “Court dismissed,” unfolded quickly. The “paperwork” was outlined for the judge in the agreedupon sequence. The defendants uttered short, rehearsed responses.

The judge said he was satisfied that the defendants would prevail if they faced new trials, and so he ordered those trials. State’s attorneys said they believed that they could win at those trials, because of testimony that all had confessed. The judge accepted that contention, as is required in an Alford plea. Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley stood and individually pleaded guilty but said they were innocent.

Attorneys on all sides said what they’d agreed to about reducing the men’s sentences to the time they’d already served. Laser warned Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley that they faced serious consequences if they got arrested again for anything within the next ten years. And with that, it was pretty much done. The judge sent the defendants and their lawyers back to the room from which they’d come to complete some out-processing paperwork for the prison system.

“It’s hard to wrap your head around,” Benca reflected.

“But that’s it. It just boils down to [the fact] that there were risks. There was uncertainty all around. We thought about it. We prayed about. We felt we could fight this better with them out of prison than in.”

Asked to list the elements he thought contributed to the outcome, Benca cited the juror misconduct issue; the fact that, despite extensive testing of evidence, no DNA matched the men in prison; and “the change of public perception,” which he attributed to Berlinger and Sinofsky’s documentary films, other media and the years-long dedication of supporters. “In my view,” Benca said, “that absolutely played a crucial role.”

After the hearing, on their way to a party in Memphis, lawyers drove Echols and Baldwin to the small town of Marked Tree. There, they stopped at a state revenue office, where arrangements had been made for the men to be issued new identification cards. After their photos were taken — which resemble, but are not, drivers licenses — the two were told to sign their names on a data device and handed an electronic pen. Benca recalled that Echols took the instrument, looked at him and asked, “Are you telling me, I just sign — like it’s a piece of paper?”

Benca expects that before Gov. Mike Beebe leaves office, his signature too will be requested — on pardons for the West Memphis Three.

The governor has indicated he will deny them.

TIMELINE, CONT. JUNE 22 The documentary film “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky begins airing on HBO, casting doubt on the WM3’s guilt, drawing critical praise and sparking international interest into the case.

DEC. 23 The Arkansas Supreme Court refuses to overturn Baldwin and Echols’ convictions.

1997

MAY 27 The U.S. Supreme Court rejects Echols’ appeal without comment.

1999

JUNE 17 Judge Burnett denies Echols’s argument that his defense team was ineffective in the original trial and denies Echols’ appeal for a new trial.

DEC. 3 Echols marries Lorri Davis at Varner SuperMax.

2000

JUNE 22 “Paradise Lost 2: Revelations” begins airing on HBO; it examines the “Free the WM3” movement and focuses on new evidence.

2003

OCT. 30 The Arkansas Supreme Court affirms Judge Burnett’s denial of Echols’ 1999 appeal.

2005

FEB. 24 The Arkansas Supreme Court denies Echols’ petition for a new hearing.

2007

JULY 19 West Memphis police question the mother and stepfather of Stevie Branch. Terry Hobbs, who lives in Bartlett, Tenn., said police requested the interview with him as a result of recent DNA tests on items found with the bodies. Hobbs says he is not bothered by the evidence and maintains he has no connection with the crime.

DEC. 18 Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks and other WM3 supporters present Gov. Beebe with hundreds of postcards from supporters around the world asking for their pardon. The governor says he won’t pardon the three or commute their sentences.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 13

2008

SEPT. 10 Judge David Burnett denies request for a new trial for Echols and declines to hold hearing to consider new DNA evidence.

2010

JAN. 20 Judge Burnett denies Baldwin and Misskelley’s request for retrials.

AUG. 28 WM3 supporters stage a concert/rally in Little Rock to raise awareness for the case. Eddie Vedder, Natalie Maines, Patti Smith, Ben Harper and Johnny Depp perform.

SEPT. 30 The Arkansas Supreme Court hears oral arguments to determine whether there should be an evidentiary hearing for a new trial. At issue is each side’s interpretation of the state’s DNA statute and the “intent” behind the law that grants access to DNA testing, and possibly relief, for those wrongly convicted of crimes.

OCT. 7 Former State Sen. Kevin Smith, D-Helena, who wrote the state’s DNA statute, says the intent of the law is clear: to allow a new trial or venue for post-conviction relief in cases just like this one.

NOV. 4 The state Supreme Court unanimously orders a new circuit court evidentiary hearing for Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley. The court says the circuit judge must consider not only the DNA evidence presented by the defense, but any other exculpatory evidence, including evidence not presented in the original trials.

2011

FEB. 18 Attorneys for the WM3 file briefs on evidence and testimony they hope to develop in the Arkansas Supreme Courtordered hearing on whether they should receive new trials. The defendants asked for new DNA testing of physical evidence from the case, including skin samples from the victims and their clothing. The men also want to call as witnesses the father of one of the victims and one of his friends because they are likely sources of DNA that was found in physical evidence, though no trace of the men convicted was found. They also asked for consideration of favorable findings by forensic scientists, of arguments that false statements were made about a supposed confession

by Damien Echols and of evidence about jury misconduct in one of the trials.

MARCH 17 Circuit Judge David Laser of Jonesboro schedules a hearing for Oct. 1.

AUG. 19 In a rarely used plea arrangement known as an “Alford plea,” Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley plead guilty to murder while still maintaining their innocence. Judge Laser releases them with time served and a suspended 10-year sentence.

14 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

West Memphis Free The sights and sounds of the day the three were set free.

BY DAVID KOON

T

imes photographer Brian Chilson and I pulled ramps to sullen towns where zealots might see the Devil out of Little Rock in the dark on Friday mornunder every rock materialized out of the gloom and then ing, 4 a.m., heading to Jonesboro to see it all fell away. Before long, a thunderstorm reared up over the happen. We’ve been all over the state like edge of the world, its guts crawling with yellow lightning. that over the years, him riding shotgun with his camera We were on a long straightaway through the soybean between his feet and a cup of truck stop coffee balanced fields when a small sedan with its flashers on rushed up on his knee, but I can’t recall us ever leaving so early, or to our bumper then swung into the outside lane and blew past at 90, tail lights soon disappearing into the murk. the two of us being so excited.

I have a very personal connection to the West Memphis Three case. I suppose a lot of people feel the same way. For me, it’s because the story is the reason I became a reporter in the first place.

In college, before I ever dreamed of being a journalist, I read Bob Lancaster’s original, 1994 reporting on the WM3 trials in the Arkansas Times. He was the first to call into question whether or not the three had gotten a full and fair trial, or even if they were guilty to begin with. Later, I read Mara Leveritt’s 1994 interview with Damien Echols, in which he said — in so many words — that he had essentially been convicted and sentenced to death on charges of being a small-town weirdo. Later still, I saw the documentary, “Paradise Lost.”

Every time I saw or read something new BYERS: Once their most vocal opponent, he now supports the WM3. on the case — most of that coming from Mara — I’d recall my teenage years: bad We sure do get in a hurry out here, I thought, in this attitude, black clothes, flipping through religions like a world where time is all we have for sure. pad of paper, loner, lover of a lot of the same odd books and odd music Echols loved. I’d think: “That could have By dawn on Friday, the parking lot outside the Craigjust as easily been me.”

In 2002 — just moved back from Lafayette, Louisihead County Courthouse annex — a squat, brown buildana, with my wife and son, my father not a year in the ing with all the charm of a bricked-over shipping congrave and my heart still broken by his death — I saw tainer — was already a quarter filled, the big satellite an ad in the back of the Arkansas Times looking for a trucks growling fumes into the damp air. There were only reporter. Being a journalist was never in the cards for me a handful of supporters there by then, three or four kids before that moment. I’d toyed with the idea in college, in black T-shirts with posterboard signs and a homemade but soon figured I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life banner painted on a bed sheet. They mingled with the writing about traffic accidents and sewage projects. But reporters, in their ties and sensible skirts. At one point, a when I saw that ad, I remembered those early stories on wall of dark clouds rushed over the city like a drawn curthe WM3 in the Arkansas Times, before almost anybody tain, causing the camera crews and newscasters to seek else had even considered the idea that Echols, Baldwin shelter with the kids under the overhang in front of the and Misskelley were anything less than guilty as sin, and courthouse, but it never did much more than sprinkle for I realized that I wanted to be a part of that. most of the day.

I thought of all this as my wife’s Honda moaned north Judge Laser had set an in-chambers meeting with through the dark toward Jonesboro, toward what might interested parties for 10 a.m., with the public hearing to be a resolution to the story that started me in that direcfollow at 11. By 7 a.m., the crowds had started to swell tion in the first place — some kind of resolution, any— at first maybe a hundred, then two hundred, then exponentially growing to easily a thousand. They clustered at way, other than Baldwin and Misskelley dying in prison; every door, hoping that would be the one the WM3 would other than Echols walking down the longest hallway of choose to grab their first breath of free air. Up on the sechis life to face the needle. The headlights discovered the ond floor, a balding man in a shirt and tie frowned down pool table-flat land north of Searcy foot by foot. The off

BRIAN CHILSON

TIMELINE, CONT.

Throughout the morning, the only way to know when a family member of the defendants or the three young victims was present seemed to be to listen for the hoofbeats of the media. Somebody from the case would walk up, and soon a forest of pole-mounted microphones would sprout up around them, reporters pressing in from all sides with cameras and recorders. At one point, Pam Hobbs, the mother of Stevie Branch, was spotted on a sidewalk beside the courthouse, solemnly puffing away on a cigarette. The cameras and boom mikes moved in and clustered around, refusing to disperse even when Hobbs said she had no comment. Finally, they just filmed her smoking, Hobbs politely turning her head as she exhaled so as not to blow smoke on the congregation.

Friendship, freedom and a principled stand.

BY DAVID KOON

O

ver the years, the West Memphis Three case has often felt like the Damien Echols Show.

It’s understandable why. Sitting on Death Row, Echols has always had the most to lose. He’s the most photogenic, the most articulate, the most artistic of the three — an accomplished writer, artist and poet. Too, he’s served the hardest time: locked down 23 hours a day, he reportedly hadn’t been outdoors in over 10 years before last Thursday.

It seemed odd, then, that the hero of Aug. 19, 2011, turned out to be Jason Baldwin. By taking the plea deal instead of going with his original, principled stand to roll the dice on a new trial in hopes of being found innocent — a stand which might have scuttled the deal for all three — Baldwin was not only able to secure his own freedom but that of Echols and Misskelley as well.

His attorney calls it one of the most compassionate things he’s ever seen a client do in all his years of practice.

At the press conference on Friday, Baldwin choked up several times while describing the agonizing decision he made to put his hope of being found innocent aside for the sake of his friends. “I did not want to take the deal in the get-go,” he said. “However, they’re trying to kill Damien. Sometimes you’ve just got to bite down to save somebody.

“I’m obviously ready to get out of prison,” Baldwin went on to say. “I want to be out, and deserve to be out. I was ready to fight it in trial and court as much as possible. But [Damien] had it so much worse than I had it, on Death Row. It’s just insufferable to put a person through that for any more minutes. I don’t know why I didn’t even think too much about that at

Damien Echols’ mother, Pamela Metcalf, was one of the first family members of the WM3 to arrive, and she came in a wheelchair, pushed by a black-haired woman with a passing resemblance to Damien. Metcalf sat in her chair at the edge of a sidewalk for a long time, staring at the doors of the courthouse, before somebody finally thought to ask her if she was a Somebody. The press dutifully assembled around her after that — 360 degrees at times, not just in her face — and soon she was a woman at the bottom of a well; frail, frowning, dark hair lying on her back and looking as if she wished she could be anywhere but there at that moment. The first question was inevitable: What would she say to her son when she saw him?

Continued on page 16

BRIAN CHILSON

Jason’s choice

first when the plea came to me. But I’m just glad that he’s out now, and he’s going to be with his wife and surrounded by people who love him and care for him, and are not intent on hurting him.”

When first approached by his attorney, Blake Hendrix, with the deal on August 10 — a deal which Hendrix said prosecutors made clear was a “global proposition,” all three of the WM3 or none — Baldwin turned it down flat, saying he didn’t want to be saddled with convictions for crimes he didn’t commit. After that, Hendrix went back to prosecutors and inquired whether Echols and Misskelley could take the plea while Baldwin stayed in jail until trial, but they rejected that possibility, saying it was all or none. It wasn’t until later in the week, Hendrix said, after several “non-attorney friends” came to Baldwin and chatted with him about how hard Echols had it on Death Row, that Jason dropped his objections and agreed to take the Alford plea with the rest.

Hendrix said he had essentially the same thing to say to Baldwin both times he met with his client that week — first when Baldwin rejected the deal, and later when he decided to take it. “I said: ‘Jason, that is one of the most noble things I’ve ever had anyone say to me,’ ” Hendrix recalled. “This was one of the most genuine, kind things I’ve ever seen anybody do for somebody else.” Though Hendrix said that he has long been convinced of Baldwin’s innocence, he adds that his client’s reluctance to take the deal should prove that beyond a doubt. “Rejecting an offer that let him immediately get out of jail? That’s one of the for-surest signs that he’s innocent.”

Hendrix said he can’t divulge where Jason Baldwin is now, other than to say that he’s resting and relaxing while friends and supporters help re-acclimate him to society after 18 years in jail. It’s easy to imagine Baldwin somewhere in the sun right now, smiling and on his way to tanned. It’s a stark contrast to where he was two weeks ago: a thin man in a white prison jumpsuit, sitting on a prison bunk deep down in the night, his friend’s lives as free men in one hand, and his dream of being found truly innocent in the other.

BRIAN CHILSON

BRIAN CHILSON

on the crowd from a window for much of the morning, at times sitting so still that he looked like a painting of a man through the gauzy screen. At one point, a prisoner transport van rolled to the curb in front, causing a flurry of activity. Turned out it was a switcheroo, with the WM3 slipped in the back of the courthouse from an SUV. By 9 a.m., the parking lot was a circus. Inside, the line to get into the fourth floor courtroom where the public portion of the hearing was to be held was so deep that the fire marshal closed that floor, with uniformed police officers warning even the press away from the elevators.

One person who had no trouble getting past the guards, however, was Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder, who slipped in a side door. He was shorter and thinner than I would have imagined — this man who informed so much of my 20s — but often smiling as he waited with the WM3 faithful to be ferried up to the courtroom. Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines arrived a few minutes later, looking very thin and with her hair cut almost down to the scalp, eyes hidden behind a large set of Ray Bans.

Outside, everybody you can imagine was in attendance: girls with nose rings and mini-skirts and spiked hair; an old man in a cap that proved his service on some Navy destroyer years before; a baby sleeping serenely on her mother’s shoulder. At one point, I spotted two men in dark suits, black beards and matching black fedoras skirting the edge of the crowd, one pacing three feet behind the other as if there was an invisible bar that secured them chest to spine. Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger — the directors of the two “Paradise Lost” documentaries and a third still to come next year — were there, alternately whispering instructions to camera crews and answering questions for reporters. Berlinger said that he was 29 years old when he started making “Paradise Lost,” and is almost 50 now. To see the case come to a conclusion and know their film had a lot to do with it is a good feeling, Berlinger said. He went on to say that if the WM3 did plead guilty to win their freedom, he couldn’t blame them. “If I was on death row and had spent 18 years under the conditions Damien has spent, I would take a deal too,” he said.

“It’s amazing how quickly — when there are political interests and perhaps Dustin McDaniel’s gubernatorial run at the end of the year and an embarrassing evidentiary hearing — it’s amazing how quickly things can change,” he said. “The prosecutor put someone in prison for something they didn’t do, and low and behold, BOOM, they can come out.”

METCALF: Damien’s mother.

www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 15

THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES Steve Branch, Sr.

Pamela Hobbs

Terry Hobbs

FATHER Broke a court-imposed gag order the day before the WM3 were released to angrily complain to the press about the plea deal that would set them free. “I want them to go back,” he told reporters. “Don’t just give them their walking papers.”

MOTHER Memorably appeared in “Paradise Lost” wearing her son’s Cub Scout neckerchief on her head. On record as a believer in the WM3’s claims of innocence, she told a Memphis TV station last week she now feels “a little bit confused” over whether the WM3 committed the crimes or not.

STEPFATHER Married at the time of Stevie Branch’s murder to Pam Hobbs (they divorced in 2004). A favorite suspect among WM3 supporters due to DNA testing which revealed that a hair found tied into a knot that bound one of the murdered boys belonged to him. Told reporters he didn’t think justice had been served following the WM3 plea deal.

Ricky Lee Murray

Sharon Melissa Byers

John Mark Byers

FATHER A resident of Indiana at the time of the murders, he was questioned in the slayings but had a sound alibi for his whereabouts.

MOTHER Famous for cursing the WM3 “and the mothers who bore them” in “Paradise Lost.” Died under mysterious circumstances on March 29, 1996, at age 40. Her cause of death is still listed as undetermined, though her body showed several hypodermic needle marks.

STEPFATHER Married to Melissa Byers at the time of Chris Byers’ murder. Another favorite suspect of WM3 supporters (he gave a knife to “Paradise Lost” directors which bore traces of human blood), Byers originally believed in the guilt of the WM3, but has since become a vocal supporter of their innocence.

Steven “Stevie” Branch, Jr. Born Nov. 26, 1984, in Blytheville, Ark.

Christopher “Chris” Byers Born June 23, 1984, in Memphis, Tenn.

James Michael Moore

PARENTS The lowest-profile of all the parents of the victims, the Moores are now divorced. Both still believe the WM3 are guilty; Todd Moore released a statement on Aug. 20 in which he called the day the WM3 were freed “the second worst day of my life.”

Born July 27, 1984, in Key West, Fla.

“The very first thing I will say to him is I love him,” she said. “He knows I’m here for him. I’ve always been here, and I always will be, and it’s time to come home.”

A little while after Metcalf arrived, Steve Branch appeared. The father of 8-year-old Stevie Branch — one of the boys stripped and drowned in Ten Mile Bayou all those years ago — Branch’s anger seemed to come off him in waves as he spoke to reporters. Unlike some other family members of the victims, Branch had not been swayed by the WM3’s case for innocence. On Thursday, he’d tested a gag order imposed on family members and attorneys to register his displeasure about the plea deal.

As he spoke on Friday, a radio station van running a live feed in the parking lot played back his words a half-second later, lending a strange echo effect. He said he’d tell Judge Laser that it wasn’t too late to change his mind.

“I want [Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley] to go back,” he said. “If they’re released, at least let them go to another trial and let another jury find them innocent. Don’t just give them their walking papers. Don’t just set them free just because they said they killed my son.”

A few minutes before the hearing, John Mark Byers arrived at the courthouse. Nobody had to ask if he was a Somebody. Byers, who once cursed the WM3 to hellfire at every opportunity, changed his tune a few years back, and has since become a vocal supporter of the WM3. Tall,

16 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

UNHAPPY: Steve Branch, Sr. speaks to reporters outside the Craighead County courthouse .

bald, pale — the kind of guy who might have been cast as a gravedigger in a 1950s melodrama — Byers literally shouted into reporters’ outstretched microphones, his voice booming off the front of the courthouse. The plea deal, he said, was “bullshit.”

“I want justice, and I want the three of them to be free, and I have no animosity whatsoever towards the Three,” he said. “I know they’re innocent, and I have been on their side and fighting hard for them since 2007 when I realized I was wrong. They did not kill my son, and this is wrong what the state of Arkansas is doing to cover their ass!”

Something close to silence fell over the crowd once 10 a.m. rolled around, as if people were straining to listen for what was going on upstairs. The police and fire marshal came out and pushed the crowd back to clear the sidewalk. Just after noon, the word came down: The West Memphis Three were free. A cheer rose up. Grown men literally wept, and didn’t give a damn who saw them.

I broke from the crowd and went down to the press conference in the basement. First, the prosecutors came in and tried to explain the pleas; to explain that, even though they thought the WM3 would likely win their freedom if retried, prosecutors still believed them to be the sole killers of the three children.

BRIAN CHILSON

Roy Todd Moore and Diana Moore

After the prosecutors were gone, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley came in with their attorneys and supporters, looking like men just woken from long sleep. Monday morning, they had all lived with the idea that they might die in prison. They probably hadn’t had a good cheeseburger or a pizza or a milkshake in almost two decades.

How long since any of them stood with his feet in running water? How long since any of them had felt the rain?

How long since any of them ran as long and as far as he wanted? Now here they were, soon to ride out of Jonesboro; soon to be free to do whatever and eat whatever and love whoever they damn well pleased.

Jessie Misskelley has a jailhouse tattoo on the top of his head: a clock face with no hands; a symbol of his status as a lifer, with nothing but time. It’s the tattoo a man would get if he thought he would spend the rest of his life in jail. As the WM3 settled into their chairs before the assembled press, Bruce Sinofsky from “Paradise Lost” — 18 years older than he was when he and his friend Joe first decided to make a documentary about three Satan worshippers who killed three boys — spoke up. I’ll remember what came next for the rest of my life: “Hey Jessie,” Sinofsky shouted. “What time does your clock say?”

Jessie Misskelley smiled. “I dunno,” he said. “What time is it now?”

No backing down for WM3 supporters.

BY GERARD MATTHEWS

B

efore the hearing on Friday, longtime West Memphis Three advocate Jene’ O’Keefe was walking around the courthouse in Jonesboro, showing a printed-out email to other supporters who had gathered. The email was from Pearl Jam publicist Nicole Vandenberg. It read: “Eddie Vedder is really interested in this case. He saw ‘Paradise Lost.’ What can we do to help?”

Since then, Vedder has thrown his support behind Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley and Damien Echols, footing the bill for legal counsel and using his platform as a singer in a high-profile rock band to raise awareness about the case.

That support, from Vedder and others including filmmaker Peter Jackson and Dixie Chicks singer/ songwriter Natalie Maines doesn’t end with Friday’s plea bargain, advocates say.

Capi Peck leads Arkansas Take Action, a group formed in 2007 to raise awareness about the case. She says supporters of the WM3 are committed to making sure the three men make a smooth transition to their life outside prison walls and to one day proving their innocence.

“Until they’re truly exonerated, we’re going to still fight the fight,” Peck says. “The long-time financial supporters are going to continue to see this through.

Nobody pretends that this is all over. We can take a few days to celebrate, but it’s not over till the person or persons responsible for this crime are incarcerated.

I don’t want anybody to think for one second that anybody is signing off right now. We have to find who is responsible. Until they’re pardoned it’s just not going to sit right, it’s not going to feel good. They had to plead guilty to something they didn’t do.”

Peck says the most direct line to a pardon would be to prove the three men’s innocence. Until Gov. Mike Beebe leaves office, it will likely be the only way. At the hearing on Friday, Baldwin, Misskelley and Echols were sentenced to more than 216 months of time served, with a 120 month suspended sentence. Echols and Baldwin pleaded to three first-degree murder counts and Misskelley to one first-degree and two second-degree murder counts. These facts virtually guarantee Beebe will not grant clemency.

“I can tell you three things,” says Matt DeCample, spokesman for Beebe. “One, we don’t even have a pardon request active right now. No request has been made. Two, in general terms, the pardons we’ve done, and there have been several hundred since we’ve been in office, have occurred once all terms of someone’s sentence is complete — that means all probation, parole, fines, etc. And third, we have never granted a pardon on a homicide case.”

Jeff Rosenzweig, attorney for Jessie Misskelley, says although it is true the governor will be reluctant

FREE AT LAST: Echols and his wife Lorri Davis in Memphis on his first night of freedom. to consider a pardon while the three men are serving suspended sentences, it’s a matter of policy. There are no legal prohibitions to considering clemency. However, he believes a pardon is “highly unlikely.”

“Of course, I did not expect this result at this point, either,” he says. “But pardons are a completely political process. I don’t mean a necessarily bad process.

It’s political in the sense that, in the end, it is up to a politician, not a judge. And he can grant or deny as he wishes. There’s no appeal from the denial of a pardon.”

In the meantime, supporters of the three will continue to fund investigations, DNA testing and other efforts in an attempt to prove the three men are innocent, says Lonnie Soury, a spokesman for the WM3.

“I know that people who have contributed to their cause, like Peter Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh, want to continue investigations,” he says. “We’re going to be collecting information. We’re actively putting our files together. We’re compiling information to advance this case legally and to clear the names of these young men.”

MARA LEVERITT

BRIAN CHILSON

Now what?

Soury says he’s confident new leads can be found, even though the murders were committed 18 years ago.

“We still have the confidential tip line. We’re still accepting calls. In fact we received a call this weekend from someone that had some interesting information.

People are still out there and we wuld hope that they would come forward.”

“In wrongful conviction cases, time is your best friend. People change, they get less and less connected to the case. You take an 18-year-old kid who was involved in the murder or knew somebody who was, now he’s 36 and maybe he’s got religion [and wants to come forward]. Those are very real things. The more time you have, the more opportunities you have for new evidence.”

Peck says one immediate concern is making sure all three adjust to life after prison and have the resources they need to do so. The WM3’s biggest financial supporters are making sure the three men are taken care of for the time being and Arkansas Take Action has set up a trust fund to try to help Baldwin, Misskelley and Echols get back on their feet.

“They don’t have any money. They probably have debt. None of them has a job. We’d like to continue raising money for them. I think that’s important,” Soury says.

Peck says all three men will need time to figure out what they’ll do now that they’re free. Baldwin would like to go back to school. Misskelley is happy to have been reunited with his family. Echols, who has already published a memoir called “Almost Home,” would like to write another book based on his experiences.

But there is some question if Echols would be allowed to collect money raised by book sales. The state of Arkansas has a “Son of Sam” statute that prevents a defendant who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a crime from making any profit off of “any book, motion picture, magazine article… or from the expression of his or her thoughts, opinions, or emotions regarding the crime.” Money made from such efforts to “reenact the crime” will go to the circuit court, according to the law. But Patrick Benca, Echols’ attorney, says the law has no application here. He also says the state has not sought any money generated by the sale of “Almost Home.”

“There’s no way in the world that the statute would have any application to [the West Memphis Three], because they’ve maintained their innocence and they have no idea about the crimes, that’s their position,” Benca says. “What the statute would prevent them from doing is to sit down and write a story about how they killed these little boys.”

The issue will certainly be a point of contention.

Although the three men maintain their innocence, they are still guilty in the eyes of the state of Arkansas. Peck hopes to see that change one day.

“A plea bargain is a plea bargain,” she says. “The state just wanted this to go away. But it’s not going to go away. I think we’ll try to stay as high-profile as we possibly can and just switch one word from ‘free’ to ‘pardon.’ We’ll continue to raise awareness and put pressure on political leaders, because this ain’t over, baby.”

www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 17

EYE ON ARKANSAS

Editorial n Sometimes we the people complain so hard about the government not working that we fail to notice when it does. There have been two such happy occasions in Central Arkansas in the last week and a half.

Federal Judge Susan Webber Wright upheld the First Amendment, always cause for celebration, ordering the local bus company to stop discriminating against atheists who want to advertise on the sides of buses just as other people do, including churches. Central Arkansas Transit Authority and its advertising agency had refused to sell ads to the atheists unless they put up an unprecedented $36,000 deposit to pay for vandalism that might ensue. Wright told CATA to deal with the atheist group the same way it deals with other advertisers. She brushed aside the flimsy defense that it was the private ad agency, not the public transit authority, that was denying ad space to the atheists. Even the ad agency’s own contracts said the agency was acting on behalf of CATA. Next, the state Ethics Commission voted to send a letter of caution to Bryant Mayor Jill Dabbs, finding that she had illegally raised her own salary without the approval of the city council. Dabbs’ rambling testimony on her own behalf was unpersuasive. The Commission voted against her 5 to 0, and a couple of those were Republican votes. Mayor Dabbs is a Republican, apparently of the Mark Martin school. Like the erratic secretary of state, she’s a good bet to stay in hot water.

The people misserved n Did somebody say Mark Martin, again? Martin is in the wrong like Willie Mays was in the outfield, ranging widely.

He’s lately been squandering taxpayers’ money on legal advice that he could have gotten for nothing.

Martin has a lawyer on his own payroll, and he can obtain assistance from the attorney general. But he paid $3,000 to a private law firm to advise him how to comply with the state Freedom of InformationAct. The advice the firm gave was similar to that in a free booklet the attorney general distributes. (Some state agencies seem to believe that publicly-paid lawyers should share with their privately-employed colleagues. We remember a lawsuit in which the defendant University of Arkansas showed up with enough of its own lawyers to field a baseball team, yet hired a private attorney to argue the case.) Maybe Martin felt he couldn’t get exactly the advice he wanted from state lawyers. We suspect Martin reads the Freedom of Information law the way W. C. Fields read the bible — looking for loopholes.

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18 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

The people served

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: All eyes were on Jonesboro last week as the West Memphis Three were released from prison. The case has drawn worldwide interest. Here, John Mark Byers, adopted father of murder victim Christopher Byers, speaks to the media prior to the hearing. Byers said he believes the West Memphis Three are innocent and the unusual plea bargain did not mean justice was served.

Turbulence at airport n The filling of an airport job last week inadvertently exposed internal airport political friction.

Bottom line: Airport Director Ron Mathieu properly exercised his executive power but made a policymaker unhappy in the process. It might cause Mathieu long-term headaches.

Last week, gas industry PR man Mark Raines accepted, and then declined, a $125,000-a-year job as director of PR and government relations for Little Rock National Airport. He cited family concerns.

Friday, I was told by two sources that Airport Commissioner Thomas Schueck, a forceful industrialist, had made clear his unhappiness at Raines’ selection.

Schueck backed another finalist, former City Director Michael Keck. Shortly after, Raines decided not to take the job. Word got back to Schueck that he’d been a factor. He called Raines and tried to make things right, but Raines decided to stay put in the Fayetteville shale world “My decision for not taking that job is just very personal. I’m not going to get into a lot of that hearsay,” Raines told me. He said he had heard from Schueck Thursday and appreciated his call and thought highly of the airport and its leaders. “It was a nice thing for him to do. And I’ll just leave it at that.”

Schueck said that he’d said nothing unpleasant publicly or privately about Raines, though he admitted he’d had a difference of opinion with Mathieu on whether the choice would be solely Mathieu’s to make (as Mathieu had announced from the beginning) or a Commission decision.

“It’s absolutely untrue that I said anything to anybody. I was happy with him,” Schueck said. Yes, he did call Raines because he wanted to correct any impression he’d spoken ill of Raines. “He was not my favorite. But you don’t always get what you want.

I thought he was a wonderful candidate and would have made a great employee,” Schueck said. He said Raines told him he didn’t think he could work at the airport if there was a split on the commission.

Max Brantley max@arktimes.com

Then there was this. The same sources told me that Schueck was upset with Mathieu for not choosing his preferred candidate because he thought Mathieu owed him a favor. By one source’s account, Schueck had made it possible — either through his own direct contribution or one he arranged — for $40,000 to be contributed to Little Rock Christian Academy so it would repay the airport for the controversial $40,000 in airport ad dollars Mathieu had directed to the private school for a new football field surface. The airport got a sideline ad for the money. The matter became hotly controversial after the Arkansas Times uncovered it.

“Where do you keep coming up with those falsehoods?” Schueck asked.

That’s not an answer to the question of whether Schueck helped the airport get its money back and Mathieu out of a jam.

“That’s all been handled and I’m not going back into it,” he said.

That’s not a yes or no either, I noted, but it’s all Schueck would say.

Schueck said that I shouldn’t take this as any indication of any problem between him and Mathieu.

Nonetheless, continued turmoil prompted a special Airport Commission meeting Tuesday. No action was taken, though there’d been buzz that Schueck might have the votes to push through Keck for the job.

It’s Mathieu’s call on what to do next, Commission Chairman Virgil Miller said, in consultation with the Commission’s personnel committee. He added, “He has the full support of the Commission.”

We’ll see.

BRIAN CHILSON

Climate-change enigma n Big policy changes are driven not by reflection but by cataclysm — foreign attacks on Americans, our own declarations of war, economic depression, or any circumstance that sharpens the nation’s awareness of peril or widespread injustice, like the scenes of repression in the South that preceded the enactment of the historic civil rights laws in the 1960s.

The strictures of public opinion and politics thus are loosened, and the ponderous government machine finally moves, though not always with perfect wisdom.

So how do you account for the climatechange enigma of 2011, the lack of any serious debate about what to do about global warming in the midst of one of the most turbulent weather years in modern history?

Arkansas sets summer temperature records, as do swaths of the South and Southwest, Texas experiences perhaps its worst drought ever, the plains endure great floods again, and the atmospheric moisture from warming seas dumps epic snows on the Northeast, all of which oblige the 25-year-old models of climate change.

Let’s be clear that a 114-degree reading in Little Rock or even Texas’s parching drought, which still will have to go some to beat the state’s decade-long drought of the

Ernest Dumas late ’40s and early ’50s, are not themselves cinching proof of global warming but only indicators of the rising odds. Atmospheric change is not supposed to repeal the seasons but only gradually increase the prospects and severity of big weather events.

But the severe weather and escalating evidence of change — consult Arkansas farmers about the steadily expanding growing season, for good or ill — are the kinds of events that ordinarily would compel a torrid debate and probably some demagoguery. Imagine, if you can, that global warming were a Republican issue.

Republicans would be demanding the impeachment of Barack Obama.

But it was the other way around, and the Republicans won the debate, such as it was. Some 65 percent of Americans now believe either that the earth is not warming (nearly 50 percent of them) or else that human activity is not part of the cause.

President Obama’s timid efforts in 2009 to enact some climate-change and energy-

We aim for closure, not perfection n I applaud the new freedom for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley.

That is not to say I am certain of their innocence in the murder of those little boys in West Memphis 1993. I only suspect it. I believe 18 years in prison are 18 too many for suspected innocence.

What I am certain of is that the state rushed to unjust judgment because of community emotion and on account of the political pressure that the community emotion brought to bear. I am certain there was woefully insufficient evidence for conviction, and, in its place, impatience, fear and prejudice.

Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, late teens at the time, dressed strangely and listened to heavy metal music and talked about witchcraft. They, Echols mainly, went around sneering and scoffing at convention.

Fearful people, minimally informed, said this awful crime was all about their supposed Satan worship and human sacrifice.

Sometimes belief is a personal choice, not a logical deduction. Sometimes people would rather be finished with something than right about it. You hear people talking

John Brummett jbrummett@arkansasnews.com

more about closure than about perfection.

It’s a soiled little open secret of our criminal justice system: The police are imperfect. The prosecutors work with what they’ve got. Sometimes prosecutors don’t prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sometimes the prosecution presents a perfunctory circumstantial case and hopes the jury will conclude that the police wouldn’t have arrested the guy if he hadn’t done it or at least was a bad guy who might have.

Sometimes the jury decides it would be better to err on the side of putting the guy in prison than to err on the side of putting him on the street.

Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley got set free not so much for legal reasons as for political and financial ones. Politicians needed to be shed of them. The state needed to head off retrials that were likely and that they probably would lose. The state wanted

conservation legislation fell flat even when he enjoyed Democratic control of both houses. Arkansas’s entire congressional delegation, except for Vic Snyder, joined the Republicans and the carbon-fuel industries in voting that climate issues were not urgent enough to do anything, not soon anyway.

Whatever they may mean scientifically, two blistering years have not changed the political dynamics a whit. The drive to block the Environmental Protection Agency from adopting and enforcing rules on carbon dioxide emissions, which the U.S. Supreme Court said it was obliged to do by the Clean Air Act, has picked up steam rather than dying in the heat. The new Republicans in the Arkansas delegation voted this summer to eviscerate the agency’s budget to stop the regulation of greenhouse gases.

Blanche Lincoln, who had joined with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, to block the EPA from trying to regulate greenhouse gases before her crushing defeat in her re-election bid for the Senate last year, now is a big-energy hire. Using a new forum for the National Federation of Independent Business, she denounced the EPA this month for trying to impose new regulations on business when it should be removing them. They will cost jobs, she said.

Whatever side you are on with any issue, you cite jobs. Environmental strides have consistently created jobs, not abolished them.

At the state level, the government, except

for the courts, is still greasing the way for utilities to build a mighty coal-burning plant at McNab, which will spew 6 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when it goes on line, in addition to the 30 million tons already emitted by Arkansas’s aging coal plants. And the new generation isn’t needed.

The rising stars in the political firmament are Rep. Michele Bachmann and Gov. Rick Perry, who trumpet attacks on scientists for trying to scare Americans into tying the hands of business still more with this climate stuff. Bachmann sometimes actually denies that warming is occurring.

Perry doesn’t deny global warming but says everyone has pretty much concluded that it is not caused by human factors but by natural phenomenon. There is scientific disagreement about the magnitude of greenhouse gases’ contribution to warming but not about its existence. Perry put his theory that the warming is a natural phenomenon, evidence of God’s hand, to the test in July when he called on Texans to join him in praying that God stay his hand.

The prayers went unanswered.

Jon Huntsman, the odd man in the Republican presidential derby, warned this week that Republicans would regret it if they followed those like Perry and Bachmann who repudiate science by denying evolution and manmade warming.

Yes, but only if their grandchildren are Republicans.

to avoid having to pay steep damages in federal court lawsuits for wrongful imprisonment.

The three got set free because documentary filmmakers took up their case. They got set free because a smart and resourceful woman from New York saw the documentary and fell in love with one of them.

They got set free because rich celebrities of liberal causes contributed and raised large sums of money to hire expert investigators, expert lawyers and expert public relations consultants — to retain professional skill exceeding that to be found among local officials. This superior expertise held the further advantage of being blessed with the freedom to pick its case and obsess thereon, liberated from having to work on whatever latest crime just came across the scanner.

“We weren’t going away,” Lonnie Soury, the public relations agent from New York hired by Echols’ wife, Lorri Davis, said outside the Craighead County Courthouse.

Soury said a wrongful conviction case was like a political campaign in some ways.

He said sound legal arguments and new evidentiary discoveries weren’t the end of it. You had to tell the public about them.

If every inmate in the state prison could receive the same exposure and advocacy on HBO, the same alliance with Johnny Depp and Eddie Vedder and Natalie Maines, the same money for the same talented, singu-

larly focused and unrelenting investigators, lawyers and public relations agents, the same Internet-driven movement — how many, we can only wonder, would turn out to have been convicted dubiously because of fear and prejudice and over how they looked, maybe because of skin color, and acted?

How many of those might the politicians want rid of if they were making internationally renowned nuisances of themselves and weren’t going away?

It’s best not to think too long on that.

On Friday, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel boasted that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley had now been convicted twice of this horrific crime.

That is technically true, but audaciously spun.

The first conviction was unjust and the second a transparent charade.

If a guy running to be your next governor wants to brag about something like that, then let him. If you want to vote for him as a result, then we’ll let you do that, too.

After all, when it comes to political choices, we tend in November of evennumbered years to be more interested in being finished than in being right, to be aiming for closure, not perfection.

John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 19

It’s back!

Ask For These Specials for August 24 - 31 4-SQUARE 405 President Clinton Ave. 501.244.2622 www.4squaregifts.com Vegetable Biryani And Mango Lassi $8.49 + Tax

THE BUTCHER SHOP 10825 Hermitage Rd. 501.312.2748 www.thebutchershop.com Half Price House Wines By The Glass

ACADIA 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501.603.9630 www.acadiahillcrest.com 3 Course Special Menu With Wine Pairing For $72

CAJUN’S WHARF 2400 Cantrell Rd. 501.375.5351 www.cajunswharf.com $30 Prix Fixe 3 Course Menu

BAR LOUIE 11525 Cantrell Rd. 501.228.0444 www.barlouieamerica.com Buy 1 Entrée, Get The 2nd Half Off (MENTION DINELR.COM OR TEAR A CORNER FROM ARK. TIMES AD) BIG WHISKEY’S 225 East Markham St. 501.324.2449 www.bigwhiskeys.com $1 Off A Burger BLACK ANGUS 10907 N. Rodney Parham Rd. 501.228.7800 www.blackanguscafe.com $2 Off 2 Hamburger Steak Dinners

TE AR A

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20 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

CAMP DAVID 600 Interstate 30 501.975.2267 $1 Off The Lunch Buffet

Your favorite Little Rock chefs have put together a variety of specials for the month of August that are great values on the city’s most delicious dining.

CHEERS IN THE HEIGHTS 2010 N. Van Buren St. 501.663.5937 www.cheersith.com Free Non Alcoholic Beverage With Purchase, One Per Table (MENTION DINELR.COM OR TEAR A CORNER FROM ARK. TIMES AD)

GRAFFITI’S 7811 Cantrell Rd. 501.224.9079 www.littlerockgraffitis.net One Free Appetizer With Entrée Order Per Table (MENTION DINELR.COM OR TEAR A CORNER FROM ARK. TIMES AD)

CIAO BACI 605 N. Beechwood St. 501.603.0238 www.ciaobaci.org Tapas, Entrée, And Dessert Prix Fixe Menu $28

GUILLERMO’S GOURMET GROUNDS 10700 Rodney Parham, Ste. A2 501.228.4448 www.g3coffee.com Lunch Combo With Sandwich, Chips And Drink $6

COPPER GRILL 300 E 3rd St., Ste. 101 501.375.3333 www.coppergrilllr.com $12 Prix Fixe 2 Course Lunch Menu $25 Prix Fixe 3 Course Dinner Menu

Your favorite Little Rock chefs have done it again.

CAPERS 14502 Cantrell Road 501.868.7600 www.capersrestaurant.com $12 Prix Fixe 2 Course Lunch Menu $30 Prix Fixe 3 Course Dinner Menu CAPI’S NUEVO LATINO 11525 Cantrell Rd., Ste. 917 Pleasant Ridge Town Center 501.225.9600 www.capisrestaurant.com $1 Off Lunch Entrees And $2 Off Dinner Entrees

CROWNE PLAZA-CAFÉ 201 201 S. Shackleford Little Rock, AR 72211 501.223.3000 Blackened Grouper w/ Lobster Cream Sauce Half Price - $13.95 With Dinner Salad Domestic Beer $1.75 House Wine By The Glass $3

THE HOP DINER 201 E. Markham 501.244.0975 $1 Off Cheeseburger Combo Meal

DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO 200 RIVER MARKET AVE. 501.375.3500 1/2 Price Cheese Dip And All Other Appetizers, $1 Off Adult Beverages, Tea And Soda

LOCA LUNA 3519 Old Cantrell Road 501.663.4666 www.localuna.com Mon: Surf or Turf Angus Filet Or Sea Bass Filet With Sides $16.95 Tues: Large Pizza $9 & $2 Draft Beer Wed: Lady’s Night Happy Hour $2 Wine, Beer, Margaritas & Cozmos Thurs: Thirsty Thursdays Happy Hour All Night Long Sun: Kid’s 12 And Under Eat Free With Adult Entrée Order (MENTION DINELR.COM OR TEAR A CORNER FROM ARK. TIMES AD)

FAR EAST ASIAN CUISINE 11610 Pleasant Ridge Rd., Ste.100 501.219.9399 www.fareastasiancuisine.com Free Beverage With Lunch (MENTION DINELR.COM OR TEAR A CORNER FROM ARK. TIMES AD)

MADDIE’S PLACE 1615 Rebsamen Park Rd. 501.660.4040 www.maddiesplacelr.com Get A $10 Lunch! Soup Or Salad Plus A 1/2 Sandwich And Drink (price includes tax)

They’ve put together a variety of specials Visit DineLR.co for the month of August that are great values on the city’s most delicious dining.

CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER 11525 Cantrell Rd., Ste. 905 501.490.2433 www.cheeburger.com Mon: FREE 1/2 Best Of Both Basket With Purchase Of 2 Entrees Tues: Reg. Shake For Price Of 1/2 Shake With Purchase Of Entrée Wed: 1/2 Price Kids Meals With Purchase Of Entrée Thurs: Dinner & Dessert For 2 For $20

Be sure to ask your server about Little Rock Restaurant Month Specials!

MEXICO CHIQUITO 13924 Cantrell Rd. 501.217.0700 www.mexicochiquito.net Two Appetizers, Two Entrees, Two Desserts For $15.99 MEXICO CHIQUITO MEX-TO-GO 11406 W. Markham St. www.mexicochiquito.net Cheese Dip And Salsa With Chips, Entrée And Soft Drink $5.19 (punch extra) NYPD PIZZA & DELICATESSEN 6015 Chenoceau Blvd. (Corner Of Cantrell Rd. across from The Ranch) 501.568.3911 Two Free Toppings On The Pizza Of Your Choice OYSTER BAR 3003 West Markham St. 501.666.7100 - LRoysterbar.com $2 Off Lb. of Shrimp, $1 Off 1/2 Lb. of Shrimp THE PANTRY 11401 Rodney Parham Rd. 501.353.1875 www.littlerockpantry.com $1 Off draft beer (MENTION DINELR.COM OR TEAR A CORNER FROM ARK. TIMES AD) PIZZA CAFÉ 1517 Rebsamen Park Rd. 501.664.6133 www.pizzacafe.wetpaint.com $1 OFF Pizzas

PROST 501.244.9550 www.willydspianobar.com Beat The Heat Special! Antifreeze In A 22-Ounce Collectors Mug $5 PURPLE COW 8026 Cantrell Rd. (The Original) 501.221.3555 11602 Chenal Pkwy. 501.224.4433 www.ilovepurplecow.com One Free Appetizer Per Table With Purchase Of Entrée RED DOOR 3701 Old Cantrell Rd. 501.666.8482 www.reddoorrestaurant.net Mon: Bottles Of Wine 1/2 OFF Tues: All Appetizers Are 1/2 Price Wed: Steak Night 7oz. Angus Filet With Sides $16.95 Thurs: All Night Happy Hour Tues. -Wed. Breakfast: Free Coffee SALUT ITALIAN BISTRO 1501 N. University Ave., Ste.160 501.660.4200 www.salut-bistro.com 3 Courses From The Classic Italian Menu For $30 Per Person SO RESTAURANT BAR 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501.663.1464 www.sorestaurantbar.com 3 Course Dinner $35 Per Person

STAR OF INDIA Since 1993 301 N Shackleford Rd., Ste. C4 501.227.9900 www.lrstarofindia.com 15% Off Dinner Entrée SUSHI CAFÉ 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501.663.9888 www.sushicaferocks.com Happy Hour All Week! 5-7pm $5 Wine; $2 Domestic Beer; $3 Import Beer TCBY 11418 West Markham St. 501.221.9020 www.tcby.com Celebrating 30 Years!

25% OFF All Waffle Cones TOWN PUMP 1321 Rebsamen Park Rd. 501.663.9802 The Pump’s Classic Foot Long Hotdog With Homemade Chips $5 TRIO’S 8201 Cantrell Rd., Ste. 100, Pavilion in the Park 501.221.3330 www.triosrestaurant.com $1 Off Lunch Entrees And $2 Off Hot Dinner Entrees UNION BISTRO 3421 Old Cantrell Road 501.353.0360 www.unionbistro.net Four Course Dinner $39.95 1 Small Plate (excluding cheese plate) Salad (house or Caesar) Entrée Dessert OR 4 Small Plates $34.95

VESUVIO BISTRO 1501 Merrill Dr. 501.225.0500 Italian Surf And Turf: Grilled Beef Tenderloin Over Wild Mushroom Risotto- Finished With Jumbo Shrimp Sautéed In A Citrus Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce $35 VIEUX CARRE 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501.663.1196 www.afterthoughtbar.com Lunch Special: Soup Of The Day OR House Salad And Any Sandwich $10 + Tax THE VILLA ITALIAN RESTAURANT 12111 W Markham St., Ste.310 501.219.2244 Small Potato Gnocchi Appetizer With Red Sauce Only $2 WILLY D’S 322, President Clinton Blvd.

501.244.9550 www.willydspianobar.com Beat The Heat Special!

Willy D’s Antifreeze In A 22-Ounce Collectors Mug $5

eLR.com and watch the Arkansas Times forSTEAKROOM more information.

SONNY WILLIAM’S PIZZA D’ACTION 2919 West Markham St. 501.666.5403 Black And Bleu Burger With Tater Tots Or Fries $8.95

500 President Clinton Ave., Ste.100 501.324.2999 www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com Appetizer: Crab Au Gratin $11.95 Entrée: 6 Oz. Filet With Grilled Portabella And Balsamic Demi Glaze $35.95 Dessert: Red Velvet Cake $6.25

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www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 21

arts entertainment

This week in

and

Drowning Pool to Downtown Music Hall

HBO to re-air Paradise Lost films

PAGE 24

PAGE 31

TO-DO LIST 24

CALENDAR 26

PLANTING ROOTS

L

ast year, the Fayetteville Roots Festival made its debut in a modest way with 13 acts playing on one day at one location, the Greenhouse Grille restaurant. The groups, many from Fayetteville and others from around the country, were known quantities in acoustic and folk circles.

Not surprisingly, the festival wasn’t a long time in the works but instead a quick pulling together of acts by Bryan Hembree, a member of Fayettville’s 3 Penny Acre. But Hembree’s improvised little jamboree struck a chord.

“Last year we sold out of tickets,” says Hembree.

“We wanted to move ahead and expand. We feel like Fayetteville has needed something like this that shows off the community of musicians that are here. My band tours and we were constantly asked about the groups from here and why there wasn’t a festival like this already.”

Even in its debut, the festival was able to pull in audiences from nearby states, Hembree notes.

This year the Roots Festival, which kicks off on Saturday, feels more like an event worthy of its name.

The festival is spread out over two days in multiple locations and capped with headliner Guy Clark, the 22 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

MOVIES 28

DINING 32

FAYETEVILLE FOLKIES: Bayard Blain, Bernice Hembree and Bryan Hembree are 3 Penny Acre; Bryan Hembree organized the Fayetteville Roots Festival.

The Fayetteville Roots Festival expands in second year.

BY WERNER TRIESCHMANN

famed Texas singer/songwriter “Sometimes the festival model is whose appearances are few and far great for getting musicians together between. Clark’s booking signals a but it isn’t a great listening envibroader reach for the Roots Festival. ronment,” says Hembree. “But we August 27-28 “Guy Clark has had commerwanted to have an urban festival in With Guy Clark, Sarah Lee Guthrie cial success but he’s also an undervarious listening environments that and Johnny Irion, Trout Fishing in ground hero,” Hembree notes. will be great for audiences. Other America, 3 Penny Acre, more.

Walton Arts Center and other locaAlong with Clark and perforthan the main stage at the Waltions mances by a total of 30 different ton Arts Center, which is a terrific Ticket prices vary from free to $99. groups and solo musicians, there are stage, these are going to be smaller, www.fayettevilleroots.com panel discussions and an emphasis more intimate spaces.” on local food.

Still, much of the music made “Often when you have a festival, the food is just an over the weekend will be coming from Fayetteville afterthought,” says Hembree. “We didn’t want that.” acts including beloved local duo Trout Fishing in To that end, the Roots Festival will hold a free conAmerica, Still on the Hill and Hembree’s 3 Penny cert on Saturday morning at the Fayetteville Farmer’s Acre. For Hembree, the roots label isn’t about what Market. When the music shifts to the Walton Arts it excludes as much as the variety of music that it includes.

Center on Saturday afternoon, there will be local ven“The idea of roots music is that it is all-inclusive,” dors set up to showcase the best the area has to offer. says Hembree. “Primarily the acts we have are acousMusic stages will be set up all over the Walton Centic acts. You might have little tastes of blues, folk, blueter. The Women’s Songwriters Circle will hold court grass and singer/songwriting. The idea is an all-incluin the second floor lounge and the Old Time Heritage sive festival, mostly based in acoustic music. This is Stage will be located in the Arts Center’s Rose Garstill a viable genre. But it’s not mainstream.” den. Hembree notes that this is done on purpose.

Fayetteville Roots Festival

A & E N E WS

New on Rock Candy n A major director is attached to a film adaptation of Arkansas Times contributing editor Mara Leveritt’s “Devil’s Knot,” Deadline New York reports. Atom Egoyan (“The Sweet Hereafter,” “Chloe”) is aboard to direct a script originally penned by Scott Derrickson and Paul Boardman (“The Exorcism of Emily Rose”).

The film could be ready to shoot this spring.

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY, AUGUST 25 JOE SUNDELL W/ DAMN ARKANSAN

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26 MALCOLM LIGHTNIN’

September 6–October 9

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

This Tony Award musical is a buoyant mix of comedy, romance and wisdom, and its soul-soaring, footstomping score, PURLIE inevitably sends audiences out of the theater singing, smiling and believing in a better tomorrow.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 30 IRON TONGUE W/ THE DIRTY STREETS (MEMPHIS, TN) CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL SHOWS AT

Special KiDS rate $15 July 26 - September 3

Meredith Willson’s razzle-dazzle musical classic “The Music Man” will lift your spirits with its’ toe-tapping tunes and heart lifting marches. One of Broadway’s best!

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west memphis three n Start dropping them quarters into your concert ticket piggy bank (that’s a normal thing to have, right?), because Juanita’s is bringing Lucinda Williams to town Oct. 11. Tickets are $30 and you can order them at juantias.com.

If you’ve never listened to Williams, well, you’re missing out on one of the best singer/songwriters ever and you probably should get on board.

Maybe start with her self-titled album or “Sweet Old World” or “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” or hell, any of them.

Williams is sometimes criticized as being a perfectionist, but she has one of the best track records around, so what’s a little fussiness here and there over a particular take or mix. n The four-day Festival on the Border coming to Fort Smith beginning Friday, Sept. 9 looks to have something for everyone, with performances from The Fray, Girl Talk, Andy Grammer, Dierks Bentley, The Randy Rogers Band, The Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra featuring Mark O’Connor and The Young Actors Guild’s production of “Hairspray.”

The symphony performance will include three of O’Connor’s compositions and the world premiere performance of the music of the Coen Brothers’ “True Grit.”

Tickets are $10 per night except for the symphony performance, which is $25. Get ’em at festivalontheborder. com.

The Arkansas Times, in partnership with the Clinton School for Public Service, is sponsoring a discussion on the case at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Wally Allen Ballroom of the Statehouse Convention Center at Markham and Scott Streets. we hope to have a supply of “Devil’s Knot” on hand for people who’d like to buy the book and have Mara sign it.

participants: • Prosecuting Attorney scott ellington of Jonesboro, who agreed to the plea bargain that resulted in release of the three defendants in the case after almost 18 years in prison.

• Arkansas Times contributing editor MArA leveritt, who’s made a vocational life’s work of writing about the case and who’s book, “Devil’s Knot,” is soon to be adapted for a movie.

• cAPi PecK, the little rock restaurateur who led Arkansas take Action, a group that mobilized support for the three’s release and is working now on a pardon campaign.

• PAt BencA, the little rock lawyer for Damien echols.

• Jeff rosenzweig, the little rock lawyer for Jessie Misskelley Jr. • BlAKe HenDrix, the little rock lawyer for Jason Baldwin.

• MAx BrAntley of the Arkansas Times will moderate and questions from the audience will be taken.

To help the Clinton School make arrangements, please send an RSVP, either by email to publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or 501-683-5239.

www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 23

■ to-dolist

BY ROBERT BELL

W E D N E S D AY 8 / 2 4

DROWNING POOL

7 p.m. Downtown Music Hall. $17.

n Drowning Pool started off back in the early aughts as one of the tens of scores of dozens of nu-metal bands that soundtracked the free-floating mall-angst of all those young men who favor oversized athletic wear, attempted dreadlocks and extreme goatees. The video for the band’s hit song, “Bodies,” starts off with original singer Dave Williams aggressively whispering “Let the bodies hit the floor” over and over at this helpless old man. He goes on to loudly and repeatedly grunt “Let the bodies hit the floor” at the poor fellow, although oddly, at no point do any bodies hit the floor. In 2002, Williams passed away unexpectedly from a form of heart disease and was replaced by another guy who looked kind of like him and who was pretty good at whispering and grunting “Let the bodies hit the floor.” But then that guy left, and like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon inside of a Hot Topic, Drowning Pool 2.0 was born. The current singer doesn’t look or sound like those other guys – he can sing sometimes – and according to the band’s videos, he also doesn’t harass old men, instead opting to take bubble baths with hot girls and talk about how if you want to step up, then you are going to get knocked down, presumably by him.

So, you know, fair warning. Opening acts include Kyng, Burn Halo and Echoes the Fall.

OLD-SCHOOL NU METAL: Drowning Pool has been at it for nigh on 15 years. The Dallas metal band plays Downtown Music Hall Wednesday night. years, but reformed in the mid ’80s, releasing more albums and touring the world. In 2006, Hill died while on tour in Germany.

His son, Kenyatta Hill, is leading the current version of the band, which includes founding member Albert Walker. While the elder Hill can never truly be replaced, his son bears a striking resemblance to him, in both voice and visage.

GUY CLARK

8 p.m. Revolution. $25-$40.

T H U R S D AY 8 / 2 5

WEST MEMPHIS THREE: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE 6 p.m. Statehouse Convention Center, Wally Allen Ballroom. Free.

n Last week’s release of the West Memphis Three was a bolt out of the blue, and the legal maneuvers it entailed were perplexing even for seasoned court observers and those who were deeply familiar with the case. After serving 18 years in prison, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr. are now free men, and although they continue to assert their innocence in the brutal 1993 slaying of three young boys, they had to plead guilty to the court in a rare agreement known as an Alford plea. There are still plenty of unanswered questions about the case, and this panel discussion will seek to address some 24 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

‘WHEN THE TWO SEVENS CLASHED’: Culture had an enormous reggae hit. The current incarnation of the band, featuring founder Joseph Hill’s son Kenyatta, plays Stickyz Thursday night. of them. On the panel will be Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington, Times contributing editor and “Devil’s Knot” author Mara Leveritt, Arkansas Take Action leader Capi Peck and attorneys for Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley. RSVP by e-mail at publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by phone at 501-683-5239.

CULTURE FEATURING KENYATTA HILL 9 p.m. Stickyz. $10.

n Things were bad all over back in 1977, but in Jamaica, the times were especially

rough, with the economy in the tank and violence in Kingston rampant. Culture singer Joseph Hill had a vision – based, he claimed, on a prophecy by Marcus Garvey – that July 7 of that year would see even more chaos. The band had a huge hit with “Two Sevens Clash,” the single inspired

by Hill’s intense vision. The album of the same title is easily one of the best reggae LPs ever, up there with Burning Spear’s “Marcus Garvey,” Toots and the Maytals’ “Funky Kingston,” Dr. Alimantado’s “Best Dressed Chicken in Town” and the many other timeless albums recorded on the tiny island. The band broke up for a few

n It’s been a jam-packed few weeks for fans of old-school, “songwriter’s songwriter” type country performers. Earlier in the month, Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell and several others played in Jonesboro at the Johnny Cash Music Festival. Last week Billy Joe Shaver brought the house down with a two-hour show at Revolution. Robert Earl Keen plays Revolution in a couple weeks and David Allan Coe is at The Electric Cowboy Sept. 1. Guy Clark is on par with any of these artists, and should need no introduction. He’s written tunes that have been recorded by numerous country giants, including Johnny Cash (“Texas 1947,” “Let Him Roll”), Jerry Jeff Walker (“L.A. Freeway” and “Desperadoes Waiting For a Train”), Ricky Skaggs (“Heartbroke”), Vince Gill (“Oklahoma Borderline”) and plenty more. Clark’s own albums – especially his stone-cold classic debut “Old No. 1” – are sturdy from top to bottom, filled with songs that feel perfectly broken in. If you dig country, do not miss this opportunity to see one of an ever-shrinking pool of living legends.

day night’s show includes Suffocatinghatred, Driven to Madness, Attack the Mind, Tha Mutha Load, Drop Dead Syndicate, The Midnight Ghost Train, Eddie and The Defiantz.

S U N D AY 8 / 2 8

48-HOUR FILM PROJECT SCREENINGS 7 p.m., 9 p.m. Argenta Community Theater. $8.

LIVING LEGEND: Guy Clark wrote country classics such as “L.A. Freeway” and “Desperadoes Waiting For a Train.” He plays Revolution Thursday night.

FRI D AY 8/ 26

LIGHTNIN’ MALCOLM 10 p.m. White Water Tavern. $7.

n Hopefully, most Times readers are already familiar with the hypnotic Hill Country blues of guitarist Lightnin’ Malcolm, who has paid several visits to the White Water Tavern over the last few years, often with Cedric Burnside as one half of the Juke Joint Duo. On “Renegade,” Malcolm’s latest album, he teams up with drummer Cameron Kimbrough, grandson of the legendary bluesman Junior Kimbrough. The new album’s tunes find Malcolm weaving in other influences, particularly on the reggae-tinged “Ain’t Even Worried” or “Renegade,” which has a Crazy Horse sort of vibe to it. “North Mississippi” is a gut-bucketful of funky R&B grit, with a trio of horn players providing punchy accents and an unexpected verse from guest rapper J. Grubbz that meshes perfectly with the rest of the song. There’s no shortage of Malcolm’s signature honey-toned blues numbers, though, such as the rowdy “So Many Women” and the good-times celebration “Come Go With Me.” Malcolm’s music is certainly part of the long-running blues tradition, but in his hands it is no fixed genre exercise. This is music that’s alive and kicking, mutating and absorbing new sounds while staying true to its roots.

Rock metal outfit Drop Dead Syndicate and their manager James Funderburk have hosted Synfest, a big throw-down that includes their friends and fellow travelers from across the spectrum of heaviness.

This year’s event will include all manner of metal maniacs, but it is also a benefit fundraiser for the organizers’ friend Dana Rucker and her five-year-old daughter Maddie, who is battling brain cancer.

The two-night festival couldn’t be for a better cause, and you also won’t find more metal for your money anywhere else. Friday night’s lineup includes Dirtyfinger, Demitrious in Ground Zero, Land of Mines, Rollo Tumasi, Rusty Hook, Gemini, At War’s End. Satur-

n For this year’s 48 Hour Film Project, 37 fearless (or is that foolhardy?) teams of filmmakers signed on to write, film, edit and score a four- to seven-minute movie over two jam-packed, sleepdeprived days. On Friday night, the teams are given a character, a prop and a line of dialogue that must be used in the film. This year’s Little Rock films had to include the character of J. Butler Bedford, Detective; a bird (real or stuffed); and the line, “Some people say it’s unlucky.” The Times usually manages to cobble together a team of impulsive misfits who are just crazy enough to take on such a mission. This was the first time in several years that our scribe David Koon bowed out of writing duties, having taken several for the team, but he said it’s usually a delirious good time. The screenings, stretching this year over three nights, include audience awards and overall awards for best film, best actor, best actress and other categories. A panel of judges decides the overall winner, which will go on to be screened at Filmapalooza along with the 48HFP winners from 80 or so other cities. Koon said the films range from amazing to uniquely terrible, and that while you can do a lot in 48 hours, an overly ambitious project is a nearly surefire way to fail. Or put another way, “some people say it’s unlucky.”

SYNFEST

6 p.m. Downtown Music Hall. $8.

n For the last six years, the guys in Little

MISSISSIPPI BLUESMAN: Lightnin’ Malcolm plays White Water Tavern Friday night, with drummer Cameron Kimbrough.

■ inbrief

THURSDAY 8/25

n Ramblin’ folk-rock troubadour Joe Sundell is at White Water Tavern with Damn Arkansan, 9 p.m., $5.

Alterna-metal four-piece Machina and industrial-ambient rock band The Vail play Maxine’s, 8 p.m., free. Mandy McBryde’s country-tinged tunes will scratch your singer/songwriter itch at The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5. Honkytonk country crooner David Ball comes to Denton’s Trotline, with Luke Williams, 9 p.m. Demento-blues-breakers The Sideshow Tragedy play Downtown Music Hall with local bruisers Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, 8 p.m., $6.

FRIDAY 8/26

n Genre-bending quartet The Toneadoes tear it up at Cornerstone Pub & Grill starting around 9:30. Karla Case sings the blues at Dugan’s Pub, 8:30 p.m. with no cover charge. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse has the musical classic “The Music Man” at 6 p.m., $23-$33.

Fayetteville’s Benjamin del Shreve and Little Rock’s Glittercore glam it up at Stickyz, 9 p.m., $6. Thomas East tickles the ivories at Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. Bill Scholl, Larry Gatchel and Conrad Wilson offer and evening of jazz at Quapaw Bathhouse in Hot Springs, 6 p.m., $10. How do you like the chance to win a used car? How about nine chances? Well, it’s Clunker Car Night at Dickey-Stephens Park, with the Arkansas Travelers set to take on the Tulsa Drillers, starting at 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. The gospel music comedy “Smoke on the Mountain” opens at Center on the Square in Searcy, 6:30 p.m., $10-$27.

SATURDAY 8/27

n Austin-based roots rockers Band of Heathens plays Stickyz with bluesy Memphis songstress Grace Askew, 9 p.m., $10. Marquis Hunt and Rodney Block play a jazz brunch fundraiser for the Jill Trice Endowment Scholarship Fund, Philander Smith College, 11:30 a.m., $40 adv., $50 door. Gospel singer Vickie Woodard plays at New Zion Christian Church, 6:30 p.m. Alabama’s 13 Ghosts tastefully crib — and update — some moves from The Band’s playbook. The group plays White Water Tavern with fellow Birmingham rock ’n’ rollers Model Citizen, 10 p.m., $5.

Mountain View alternative rockers Silver Service play Reno’s Argenta Café, 9 p.m. Angry Patrick’s Comedy Bunker hosts Adam Dodd at Juanita’s, 7:30 p.m., $10. Funny expert Pat Godwin brings the yucks to The Loony Bin, at 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., $12. Charlotte Taylor and Gypsy Rain host a birthday bash and KABF fundraiser at Parrot Beach Cafe, 7 p.m., $5. www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 25

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

www.arktimes.com

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24 MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

Alternative Wednesdays. Features alternative bands from Little Rock and the surrounding areas.

Mediums Art Lounge, 6:30 p.m., $5. 521 Center St. 501-374-4495.

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

Carter’s Chord, Jason Helms. Revolution, 9 p.m., $8. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Darryl Edwards. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com.

Drowning Pool, Kyng. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $17. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

Grim Muzik presents Way Back Wednesdays.

Cornerstone Pub & Grill, through Aug. 31: 8:30 p.m., $5. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub. com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m.; Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 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. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9 p.m. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com.

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

Mayday By Midnight. Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, through Aug. 31: 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz. com.

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

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG.

COMEDY

Pat Godwin. The Loony Bin, 8 p.m.; Aug. 26, 10:30 p.m.; Aug. 27, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $8-$12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Director for play sought. The South Arkansas Arts Center theater committee is accepting director applications for the upcoming holiday production of “It’s A Wonderful Life,” by James W. Rodgers, based on the film by Frank Capra. The play will be produced Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 1-4. Auditions for the production are scheduled for the first week of October.

Deadline for applying is Sept. 2. Send a resume and brief production plan to South Arkansas Arts Center, Attn: Jack Wilson, 110 E. 5th St., El Dorado, 71730. through Sept. 2.

26 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

MUSIC

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

“BLISS.” Music by DJ Greyhound. Deep Ultra Lounge, 10 p.m. 322 President Clinton Ave. Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill. Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $10. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

David Ball, Luke Williams. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

Guy Clark. Revolution, 8 p.m., $25-$40. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Aug. 25, 7 p.m.; through Sept. 1, 7 p.m.

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

Joe Sundell, Damn Arkansan. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com.

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

Machina, Vail. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., Free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Mandy McBryde. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5.

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

Ol’ Puddin’haid. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free.

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

“ONE.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

The Sideshow Tragedy, Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth. Downtown Music Hall, 8 p.m., $6. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows. homestead.com.

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

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG.

COMEDY

Pat Godwin. The Loony Bin, through Aug. 26, 8 p.m.; Aug. 26, 10:30 p.m.; Aug. 27, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $8-$12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

CHOPPED ‘N’ SCREWED LEGEND: Michael ‘5000’ Watts – DJ and co-founder of the Houston label SwishaHouse – comes to Revolution on Friday with one of his latest signings, Badbwoy BMC, who combines elements of dubstep with the label’s established Houston sound into something called trillstep. Also on the bill are School of Dub, Sniq, Daniel Kichen, Kreepa MC, Tyler Durden and Germz. 9 p.m. $10 adv., $15 door.

Savor the City. Throughout August, dozens of Little Rock restaurants are offering deals such as discounts and special prix fixe menus. Details are available at www.dinelr.com. Little Rock, through Aug. 31, 11 a.m. 200 E. Markham St. 501-376-4781.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. DickeyStephens Park, through Aug. 26, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12.

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

CLASSES

Computer classes for seniors. These classes for seniors ages 50 and older will be held at the UAMS Institute on Aging in Room 1155. UAMS Institute on Aging, 12 p.m. 629 Jack Stephens Drive. 501-6031262.

EVENTS

Director for play sought. See Aug. 24.

Savor the City. See Aug. 24.

LECTURES

Alzheimer’s Association Education Symposium. This conference will give families, professionals and individuals with the disease an opportunity to discuss issues they face, share resources, and learn from leaders in the field. Clinton Presidential Center, 9 a.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 370-8000. www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org.

Fair Housing/Fair Lending Legal Updates.

Fair housing litigator John Relman will discuss legal decisions, theories of discrimination, compliance and enforcement of state and federal fair housing laws and regulations. UALR William H. Bowen School of Law. 1201 McMath Ave. 501-324-9434. www. law.ualr.edu.

The West Memphis Three: Past, Present and Future. Panel discussion including Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington, Times contributing editor Mara Leveritt, Arkansas Take Action leader Capi Peck and attorneys for Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr. RSVPs to publicprograms@ clintonschool.uasys.edu or 501-683-5239. Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www.clintonschool. uasys.edu.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. DickeyStephens Park, through Aug. 26, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12.

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

BENEFITS

2011 Dinner of Champions. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Arkansas presents this fundraising event that will honor Shane and Debbie Broadway. Argenta Community Theater, 7 p.m., $150. 405 Main St., NLR. 501-663-8104. argentacommunitytheater.org.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26 MUSIC

Amy McBryde and The Active Oliver. Reno’s Argenta Cafe, 9 p.m. 312 N. Main St., NLR. 501-3762900. www.renosargentacafe.com.

Benjamin del Shreve, Glittercore. Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $6. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Bill Scholl, Larry Gatchel and Conrad Wilson.

Quapaw Bathhouse, 6 p.m., $10. 413 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

Bluffet (Jimmy Buffet cover band). Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m., $10. 2150 Congo Road, Benton.

501-315-1717.

Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth, The Reparations, Adam Faucett & The Tall Grass.

Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

DJ g-force. Deep Ultra Lounge, 9 p.m. 322 President Clinton Ave. DJ Silky Slim. Top 40 and dance music. Sway, 9 p.m., $5. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Don’t Stop Please. Pied Piper Pub & Inn, Aug. 26-27, 8 p.m. 82 Armstrong, Eureka Springs.

479-363-9976.

Ghost Town Blues Band. Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar. com.

Jet 420 (headliner), The Crumbs (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Karla Case. Dugan’s Pub, 8:30 p.m., Free. 403 E. 3rd St. 501-244-0542. www.duganspublr.com.

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

Michael ‘5000’ Watts, Badbwoy BMC. Opening acts include Niq, Daniel Kichen, Kreepa MC, Tyler Durden and Germz. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $15 door. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Nine Lives Spent. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-2247665. www.westendsmokehouse.net.

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

Sol Definition. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www.foxandhound.com/locations/north-little-rock.aspx.

Synfest. Benefit show featuring Dirtyfinger, Demitrious in Ground Zero, Land of Mines, Rollo Tumasi, Rusty Hook, Gemini, At War’s End Downtown Music Hall, 6 p.m., $7. 211 W. Capitol.

501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free.

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG. Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, Aug. 26-27, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-3242999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

The Toneadoes. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9:30 p.m.

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

White Collar Criminals. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9 p.m., Free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-2242010. www.markhamst.com.

William Staggers Trio. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

COMEDY

Pat Godwin. The Loony Bin, through Aug. 26, 8 p.m.; Aug. 26, 10:30 p.m.; Aug. 27, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $8-$12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Director for play sought. See Aug. 24.

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 Valley & Ozark Senior Expo 2011. Door prizes, vendors, bingo, free health screenings and more. Conway Regional Fitness Center, 8 a.m., free.

700 Salem Road, Conway. 501-450-2267.

Savor the City. See Aug. 24.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. Dickey-

Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27 MUSIC

13 Ghosts, Model Citizen. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Adam Faucett. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7.

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

Band of Heathens, Grace Askew. Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $10. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Bizarro Buddha. Artchurch Studio, 6 p.m., $5. 301 Whittington Ave., Hot Springs. 501-318-6779. www. artchurch.org.

Bonnie Montgomery, Mandy McBryde.

Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Brown Soul Shoes. Dugan’s Pub, 8:30 p.m., Free.

403 E. 3rd St. 501-244-0542. www.duganspublr. com.

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

D-Mite and Tho-d Studios Showcase.

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

Do501.com Musicians Showdown. Includes Chris Milligan & Muskrat Freight Train, Stardust Output, Peter Paul & Pelphrey, The Evelyns, Some Different Animals and This Holy House. Revolution, 9 p.m., $7 over 21, $10 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Donna Massey and Blue-Eyed Soul (headliner), Sarah Hughes (happy hour), DJ g-force (between sets). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Don’t Stop Please. Pied Piper Pub & Inn, 8 p.m. 82 Armstrong, Eureka Springs. 479-363-9976.

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

“Inferno” with DJs SilkySlim, Deja Blu, Greyhound. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-9072582.

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

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

Marquis Hunt, Rodney Block. This jazz brunch is a fundraiser for theJ ill Trice Endowment Scholarship Fund, which will benefit students in the coming school year. Philander Smith College, 11:30 a.m., $40 adv., $50 door. 900 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive. 501-370-5279.

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

Mr. Happy. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www.foxandhound.com/locations/north-little-rock.aspx.

Open Mic Night and Class Clown Competition.

Featuring performances from That Guy Drew, CatchingYourClouds, The Sesh and The Front Line.

Riverdale 10 Cinema, 6 p.m., $6. 2600 Cantrell Road.

501-296-9955.

Shannon Boshears. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9 p.m., Free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-2242010. www.markhamst.com.

Silver Service. Reno’s Argenta Cafe, 9 p.m. 312 N. Main St., NLR. 501-376-2900. www.renosargentacafe.com.

Sol Definition (live band), Ewell, Rufio, Platinumb, Brandon Peck (DJ), Dorae Saunders, Roxie Starlite, Crayola Cassidine (showroom). Discovery Nightclub, 11 p.m., $12.

1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www.latenightdisco.com.

Synfest. Benefit show including Suffocatinghatred, Driven to Madness, Attack the Mind, Tha Matha Load, Drop Dead Syndicate, The Midnight Ghost Train, Eddie and The Defiantz. Downtown Music Hall, 6 p.m., $7. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free.

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG. Tennessee Gentlemen. Ozark Folk Center State

Park, 7 p.m., $10 adults, $6 kids 6-12. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.

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

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

Vickie Woodard. New Zion Christian Church, 6:30 p.m. 300 S. JP Wright Loop Road, Jacksonville.

COMEDY

Pat Godwin. The Loony Bin, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $8-$12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

74th Annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet. Bishop Park, 5:30 p.m., $20 single, $35 couple. 6401 Boone Road, Bryant. 501-224-9200.

7th Annual Pettaway Community Fest Day. Pettaway Park, 12 p.m. 511 E. 21st St. Annual Iris Rhizome & Plant Sale. This event helps the Central Arkansas Iris Society maintain its iris beds at the State Capitol. Grace Lutheran Church, 8 a.m. 5124 Hillcrest Ave. 501-663-3631.

Breakfast with Elephants. Enjoy breakfast in Cafe Africa and a discussion with an elephant keeper.

Little Rock Zoo, 8 a.m., $13-$22. 1 Jonesboro Dr. 501-666-2406. www.littlerockzoo.com.

Daughters of the Confederacy Churchill Chapter 100th Anniversary. Holiday Inn Presidential, 6 p.m. 600 I-30. 501-375-2100.

Director for play sought. See Aug. 24.

Arkansas Farmers Market. Locally grown produce. Certified Farmers Market, 7 a.m.-12 p.m.

6th and Main, NLR. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads.

Farmer’s Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 31: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.

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

Keep Arkansas Home: Home Preservation and Foreclosure Prevention Event. ACHANGE, the Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment, is sponsoring this event to allow borrowers to meet face-to-face with mortgage servicers and HUD-approved counselors.

Verizon Arena, 10 a.m., free. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-766-3941. verizonarena.com.

Savor the City. See Aug. 24.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals.

Dickey-Stephens Park, Aug. 27, 7:10 p.m.; Aug. 28, 6 p.m.; Aug. 29, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

Rollin’ on the River. Rollin’ on the River is a 5k race and 2k family fun walk, with a children’s area with games and bouncy houses and breakfast and lunch provided. Clinton Presidential Center, 7 a.m., $25.

1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-227-3600. www. eastersealsar.com.

BENEFITS

Car wash and hot dog lunch. To benefit the Center for Artistic Revolution’s youth program. There will be a non-denominational service at 10:30, prior to the car wash. New Beginnings Church of Central Arkansas, 12 p.m., $10-$20. 4303 East Drive, NLR. 501-851-3355. www.newbeginningsofcar.org.

Charlotte Taylor’s Birthday Bash and KABF Fundraiser. Silent auction, bikini contest and music from Gypsy Rain. Parrot Beach Cafe, 7 p.m., $5.

9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

BOOKS

Stephanie Bayless. The author will discuss “Obliged to Help,” her biography of pioneering Arkansas progressive Adolphine Fletcher Terry. Terry Library, 10:30 a.m., free. 2015 Napa Valley Drive.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28 MUSIC

Do501.com Musicians Showdown. Includes Flameing Daeth Fearies, First Baptist Chemical, Booyah! Dad, Interstate Buffalo, War Chief Revolution, 7 p.m., $7 over 21, $10 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

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

Stardust Big Band. Arlington Hotel, Aug. 28, 3 p.m.; Sept. 18, 3 p.m. 239 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

501-623-7771.

Sunday Funday. DJs, dancing and drink specials.

Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 5 p.m., free.

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

Director for play sought. See Aug. 24.

Savor the City. See Aug. 24.

FILM

48-Hour Film Project premeire screenings.

Argenta Community Theater, Aug. 28-30, 7 and 9 p.m. 405 Main St., NLR. 501-353-1443. argentacommunitytheater.org.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals.

Dickey-Stephens Park, Aug. 28, 6 p.m.; Aug. 29, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-6641555. www.travs.com.

WWE “Raw World Tour 2011.” WWE presents John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio in a street fight for the WWE Championship, “High Flying” Rey Mysterio vs. The Mix in a Raw Challenge Match, plus many others. Verizon Arena, 5 p.m., $17-$62. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 800-745-3000. verizonarena.com.

MONDAY, AUGUST 29 MUSIC

Chris Parker. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., Free.

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

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

The Movement. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com.

EVENTS

Director for play sought. See Aug. 24.

Savor the City. See Aug. 24.

FILM

48-Hour Film Project premeire screenings.

Argenta Community Theater, Aug. 28-30, 7 and 9 p.m. 405 Main St., NLR. 501-353-1443. argentacommunitytheater.org.

SPORTS

15th Annual Golf for Food tournament. All proceeds will benefit Arkansas Foodbank. Holein-one prizes include a 2011 Harley Street Bob, a 2011 Arctic Cat ATV and a 2011 Kia Rio, and there are chances to win many more prizes. Chenal Country Club, 11 a.m., $1,250 foursome. 10 Chenal Club Blvd. 501-569-4217.

2011 Arkansas High School Kickoff Classic.

On Aug. 29, Little Rock Parkview plays Mills at 5 p.m. and Central Arkansas Christian plays Pulaski Academy at 7:30. On Aug. 30, Sylvan Hills plays Vilonia at 5 p.m., Maumelle plays Little Rock Christian at 7:30. War Memorial Stadium, Aug. 29, 5 and 7:30 p.m.; Aug. 30, 5 and 7:30 p.m. 1 Stadium Dr. 501-537-5229.

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals.

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

Razorbacks Coach Bobby Petrino. The Touchdown Club’s eighth season kicks off with a lunchtime speech from Bobby Petrino. Embassy Suites, 11 a.m., $25. 11301 Financial Centre.

501-312-9000.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30 MUSIC

Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

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

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Sept. 1, 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.

Continued on page 30

www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 27

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Mexican Consulate offers prevention and protection programs to migrants.

OH NO, LOOK OUT KATIE HOLMES: Lots of scary bad stuff is probably going to happen to you in this movie about not being afraid of the dark (hint: you should be).

AUG. 26-27

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

Showtimes for Rave, Riverdale, Chenal 9 and Lakewood 8 were not available by press deadline.

Market Street Cinema showtimes at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only.

Michel Leidermann Moderator

EL LATINO Program AETN-TV 10:30 pm, Sunday August 28 Broadcast in Spanish

28 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

NEW MOVIES The Devil’s Double (R) – An Iraqi army officer is ordered to become a body double for Saddam Hussein’s son Uday and must emulate the sadistic son of the dictator. Market Street: 2:15, 4:15, 6:45, 9:00.

Colombiana (PG-13) – A Colombian girl witnesses the murder of her parents and grows up to become a killer herself, as a hired assassin working for her uncle’s criminal enterprise. Breckenridge: 1:50, 4:50, 7:45, 10:15.

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (R) – This documentary offers a glimpse behind the scenes of the late-night star’s recent live tour. Market Street: 2:00, 7:15, 9:15.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (R) – If you hear sinister voices begging to be released from the basement of your creepy Gothic mansion, probably don’t open the door to find out what’s in there.

Breckenridge: 1;24, 4:15, 7:15, 9:40.

Our Idiot Brother (R) – You know, these people are supposed to be all exasperated with their stoner moron brother, but the trailer makes him seem really likeable. Breckenridge: 1:05, 4:45, 7:40, 10:00 The Tree (NR) – A young widow and her four children cope with sadness and metaphors that last about 100 minutes. Market Street: 1:45, 4:20, 7:00, 9:15.

RETURNING THIS WEEK 30 Minutes or Less (R) — Danny McBride and Nick Swardson are two inept criminals who abduct a pizza delivery man played by Jesse Eisenberg, strap a bomb to his chest and cause hilarity to ensue. Breckenridge: 9:30.

Beginners (R) — Oliver, who is pursuing the irreverent and charming Anna, finds inspiration and strength from memories of his father, who came out of the closet after 44 years of marriage to live a happy and fulfilled life. Market Street: 4:15.

Bridesmaids (R) — After her best friend gets engaged, a broke, lovelorn maid of honor has to fake her way through crazy bridesmaid rituals. With Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. Movies 10: 12:50,

4:05, 7:15, 10:15.

Conan the Barbarian (R) – In art, as in life, all things must pass. Except for lucrative film franchises, which apparently must be rehashed every couple decades until time itself ceases.

Breckenridge: 1:15 (2D), 4:20, 7:00, 9:55 (3D).

Cowboys & Aliens (PG-13) — Exactly what it sounds like, from director Jon Favreau.

Breckenridge: 1:00, 4:05, 6:50, 9:35.

Fast Five (PG-13) – The fifth installation of the “Fast and the Furious” series sees the crew in Rio, stuck between a drug lord and a tenacious federal agent. With Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Movies 10: 1:00, 4:00, 7:05, 9:55.

Final Destination 5 3D (R) — The fight for teen-agers’ precious, precious disposable income continues. Breckenridge: 1:40, 4:40, 7:15, 9:45.

Fright Night (R) – The remakes never end.

Breckenridge: 1:30 (2D), 4:35, 7:25, 10:10 (3D).

Green Lantern (PG-13) — Ryan Reynolds stars as the DC Comics superhero in this sci-fi action flick that also stars Blake Lively and Peter Sarsgaard.

Movies 10: noon, 2:35, 5:10, 7:45, 10:20.

The Hangover Part II (R) – The Wolf Pack ends up blacking out and having to retrace the night before again. This time in Asia. With Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms. Movies 10: 12:20, 5:05, 9:50.

The Help (PG-13) — Emma Stone and Viola Davis star in this adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel about the African-American maids who work in white households in 1960s Mississippi.

Breckenridge: 12:50, 4:00, 7:05, 9:50.

Kung-Fu Panda 2 (PG) – Po (Jack Black) is living it up as The Dragon Warrior, but a mysterious villain threatens to ruin his plans. Movies 10: 12:15, 2:25, 4:35, 6:45, 8:55 (2D), 1:20, 3:30, 5:40, 7:50, 10:05 (3D).

Larry Crowne (PG-13) — Tom Hanks stars in this Tom Hanks-directed rom-com as a victim of corporate downsizing who decides to enroll in college, where he meets Julia Roberts. Movies 10: 2:45, 7:30.

Midnight in Paris (PG-13) — Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams hang out with literary heavyweights of the 1920s in Paris. Market Street: 1:45, 4:00, 7:00, 9:15.

Mr. Poppers Penguins (PG) — Jim Carrey plays a businessman whose life takes a turn for the ridiculous after he inherits six penguins. Movies 10:

12:10, 2:40, 4:55, 7:20, 9:40.

One Day (PG-13) – Life and love have a funny way of working out when you’re incredibly attractive and also when it’s just a movie, and not actually real life.

Breckenridge: 1:35 (open captioned) 4:30, 7:30, 10:00.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (PG-13) — Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) crosses paths with Angelica (Penelope Cruz), who forces him onboard her ship to find the Fountain of Youth. Movies 10: 12:35, 3:45, 7:00, 10:00.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13) — The resurrected ’70s sci-fi franchise continues in this origin story of just how those primates got to be so smart. Breckenridge: 1:10, 4:25, 7:20, 9:50.

The Smurfs (PG) — The venerable Dr. Doogie Howser must aid a cadre of tiny blue communists as they flee from an evil plutocrat who seeks to control their means of production. Breckenridge: 1:20, 4:10, 7:10.

Spy Kids: All The Time In The World 3D (PG) – Jessica Alba and Jeremy Piven – a.k.a. The Pivert – star in this family friendly romp about … wait, what? This was directed by Robert Rodriguez?

Seriously? God, his alimony payments must be crippling. Breckenridge: 4:45, 9:40 (2D), 1:45, 7:35 (3D).

Super 8 (PG-13) – After a group of friends films a train wreck in a small Ohio town, inexplicable things begin happening around the crash site and locals start to disappear into thin air. Directed by J.J. Abrams. Movies 10: 11:55 a.m., 2:30, 5:00, 7:35, 10:10.

The Trip (NR) — Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, who are actors and British, travel ye olde English countryside, impersonating famous actors and eating food and generally being irascibly hilarious.

Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 6:45, 9:15.

Winnie the Pooh (G) – Winnie, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kangaroo and Eeyore are reunited in this animated Walt Disney production. Movies 10: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:10, 9:30.

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

Cinemark Movies 10: 4188 E. McCain Blvd., 9457400, www.cinemark.com.

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

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

Market Street Cinema: 1521 Merrill Drive, 3128900, 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.

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‘MY IDIOT BROTHER’: Paul Rudd stars.

■ moviereview When idiots are dull

serving Fine Cuisine From Around The Globe bleu monkey shrimp

maui salad

It’s hard to find the funny in ‘Our Idiot Brother.’ n Oh, man, Paul Rudd deserves better than this. In “Our Idiot Brother,” he’s the titular sibling, Ned, a hippie so dippy he sells a uniformed cop a baggie of weed on the basis of little more than a “c’mon.” When he gets out of prison — broke and, unbeknownst to him, dumped — he’s reduced to crashing with his mother and in turn his three sisters, each of whom embodies a different New York stereotype. Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is the careerist magazine writer; Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) is the semi-committed semi-lesbian semiBohemian; Liz (Emily Mortimer) is the panicky mother angling with her documentarian husband (Steve Coogan) to get their seven-year-old son conditioned for elite prep schooling. If you haven’t been keeping up with New York magazine for the past few years, none of this is going to make enough sense to be funny, and even if you are waist-deep in F-train commuters five times a week, it’s still going to be struggle to squeeze out more than a couple of laughs. Mostly the sound in the theater is going to be seats creaking as people shift their weight, the occasional throat clearing. You almost certainly have better things to do with yourself than to see this movie.

Ned is likable enough, actually, but therein lies much of the problem. He’s naive and endlessly good-natured, nice to the point of dumb. When he needs a place to put his cash as he counts it on the subway, he hands it to a stranger to hold.

He wears out his welcome at Liz’s house by roughhousing with the little boy, who thereafter exclaims his love of fighting.

Ned’s so guileless that one of Miranda’s standoffish story subjects warms to him, excluding Miranda; awkwardness

ensues. He holds secrets like a fork holds lemonade. His greatest pain in life is his ex-girlfriend asserting ownership of the 4263 Central ave. Hot SpringS dog they shared, Willie Nelson. This dog’s name is repeated so many times that the bleumonkeygrill.com joke is worn thin, pounded flat and then thrown to the wind as confetti.

The problem is director Jesse Peretz tries to have it both ways. The movie –Joe Leydon, VARIETY has a few jokes and set pieces played for laughs, but mostly isn’t so much comedy as quirky family drama. And –Duane Byrge, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER Ned is somewhere between too dopey to believe and too common to care about.

The movie’s tagline “everybody has one,” referring to black sheep, suggests it wants to be a universal family story. But we get neither a convincingly realistic Ned nor a fabulously singular Ned. Instead he’s Jeff Lebowski as interpreted by a “Family MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN MORGAN SIMPSON KIELE SANCHEZ TARYN MANNING with LUKE PERRY and TOM SKERRITT Circus” cartoon. Meanwhile there’s just enough nudity and f-bombs that moms, who would be the best bet to care for the characters and story arc, will also be put STORY BY MORGAN SIMPSON WRITTENBY MORGAN SIMPSON AND GEORGE RICHARDS DIRECTEDBY MARIO VAN PEEBLES off. www.redemptionroadmovie.com At the middle, playing things cool, is Rudd, who’s the consummate buddy comedy actor, thrust into a starring role in STARTS FRIDAY, AUGUST 26 which he doesn’t have any buddies. There RIVERDALE 10 THEATRES RAVE MOTION PICTURES COLONEL GLENN 18 2600 Cantrell Rd (501) 296-9955 18 Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive, Little Rock (501) 687-0499 is a scene in which Ned and Miranda’s neighbor fellow have coffee and talk 4.5” X 3.8125" WED 8/24 about how Ned could try to find a lady LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS TIMES friend. Suddenly there’s some chemistry DUE FRI 12PM and some sparky writing, and people are saying things that you didn’t see coming AE: (circle one:) Artist: (circle one:) ART APPROVED from nine lines away. It’s a patter that feels Angela Maria Josh Aurelio Heather Staci Freelance 2 AE APPROVED both original and familiar — a welcome Tim McCool Emmett Jay Steve Philip CLIENT APPROVED contrast to the rest of the movie, which feels neither. Turns out Rudd just needs a Deadline: Confirmation #: friend. Darn shame Ned isn’t the character support your community to get him one.

— Sam Eifling

(501) 520-4800

“Infused By A Generosity Of Spirit”

“Ripples With Emotions”

Academy Award ® Nominee

© 2009 Baily’s Girlfriend, LP ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

eat local Small Town

www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 29

Petrino Agonistes

CALENDAR

n Let me recreate a scene for you. Fayetteville. An August scrimmage. Your team was ranked 12th in the final AP Poll of 2010 and is returning 15 starters from a 10-3 record that resulted in the first BCS Bowl appearance in school history. You have 14 preseason All-Southeastern Conference Team selections, the second most of any conference school.

A play develops. A scream is heard.

Bodies clear and your team captain and AllSEC running back is on the ground writhing in pain.

The running back who had 1,322 rushing yards last season, more than any other running back in the conference. The one who averaged 6.48 yards-per-carry, which led the nation among running backs with at least 200 carries. The one who was named to the Doak Walker, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Players of the Year watch lists.

And then you get the news. Left ankle.

Out for the year. Last season, he was responsible for 101.7 yards-per-game; this season, he’s responsible for your new Paxil prescription.

I keep thinking that everyday in the life of Bobby Petrino must absolutely suck.

“The West Wing” taught me that I never want to be President. “The Sopranos” taught me that I never want to be a mob boss. And reading the sports page, sports websites and message boards everyday has taught me that I never want to be an SEC coach.

“But he’s the most recognized and beloved public figure in the state,” you say.

Yes. And still I say, “Not worth it.” “But he made $3.56 million plus perks last year,” you say. And still I say, “He earned every penny and he deserves more.”

Petrino can do everything right. He can work 20 years to become a head coach, sacrificing his family and friends. He can recruit well, hire the right staff, operate on four hours of sleep per night, live on the road, break head, back and knuckles to innovate his schemes, and then some July night at 4 a.m. his phone still rings and his projected starting offensive tackle — a young man who has as much God-given talent as anyone on your team but one he’s practically had to wet-nurse for the last three years — has gotten arrested for his second DUI. Offensive tackle is his thinnest position. But he has to — has to — kick this kid off the team.

And this is really the problem. Imagine having an 18 year-old. All the anxiety of them being out every night and you not knowing who they’re with or what they’re doing. Now imagine you have 120 of them (85 on scholarship) and they weren’t raised in your home and your livelihood depends on them. Think about that. Your job depends on the reliability of a group of 18-22 year-olds.

Petrino is part-time administrator and full-time P.R. agent. He’s the face of the university and, to many people, the state.

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

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

Stoney LaRue (CD release party). Admission is free with purchase of CD for $10. Revolution, 9 p.m. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

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

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

30 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Graham Gordy Everyday he manages an athletic director, a chancellor, boosters, professors, local and national media, wife and children, emotionally troubled players, egotistic recruits, overzealous fans, the NCAA, the SEC, and the Board of Trustees.

He’s the CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation, but the CEO of Goldman Sachs doesn’t have to deal personally with a trader getting a girl pregnant. He is parent, publicist, counselor, salesman and tutor. He has to relate to fans, but more than that, has to be what this fan base wants to be themselves. He is politician. Able-bodied commander-in-chief behind the big desk, and on the campaign trail with his sleeves rolled up in the barbecue restaurant.

He’s a millionaire, but everyday he takes calls from billionaires who want to give him advice, while at the same time having to go into the living room of some 17-year-old who lives below poverty level and beg him to come play for him.

And he has to be all these things because college football means so much. It’s an amateur sport and it’s the second most popular sport in the country, more popular than Major League Baseball and the NBA. In 2010, for the first time, the 68 college teams that play in the 11 major conferences pocketed more than $1 billion. That’s profit.

But more than fame or money, Petrino is the emblem of our state mythology. It’s regional rivalries. It’s the inseparability of state and team, Arkansas and Hog. It’s player loyalty. It’s seeing someone who will never play a down of pro football do something astonishing and become, briefly, a national hero and, forever, a local one.

And so the face of the modern SEC coach has had to change. From good ole’ boy to CEO. From Nutt to Petrino. From flesh and blood to machine.

We want tacticians. We want control.

And you’re kidding yourselves if you think Charlie Weiss or Phillip Fulmer couldn’t have gotten another year or two leeway from their fans had they adapted and better looked the part.

But Petrino’s job is about more than college football. His job is to distill all the complications, veil all the controversies, and tell us that it’s still the same pure, simple “for the love of the (amateur) game” it was 50 years ago. It’s clear and has rules, and the coaches and players who are moral and fair and work hard are still the ones who gain the greatest rewards our country has to offer. He tells us that the American we know and love is alive and well. He gives us the country we want to be, rather than the country we are.

Continued from page 27

DANCE

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

EVENTS

Director for play sought. See Aug. 24.

Farmer’s Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 31: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.

Savor the City. See Aug. 24.

Tales from the South. Authors tell true stories; get schedule at www.talesfromthesouth.com.

Dinner served 5-6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Reserve at 501-372-7976. Starving Artist Cafe, through Aug. 30: 7 p.m.;. 411 N. Main St., NLR. 501-372-7976. www.starvingartistcafe.net.

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

FILM

48-Hour Film Project premeire screenings.

Argenta Community Theater, Aug. 28-30, 7 and 9 p.m. 405 Main St., NLR. 501-353-1443. argentacommunitytheater.org.

LECTURES

“Get Motivated Business Seminar.” Speakers include Laura Bush, Bill Cosby, Colin Powell, Steve Forbes, Rudy Giuliani, Lou Holtz, Terry Bradshaw and others. Verizon Arena, 8 a.m., Prices vary. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

SPORTS

2011 Arkansas High School Kickoff Classic.

See Aug. 29.

BOOKS

Jay Jennings. The author of “Carry the Rock: Race, Football and the Soul of an American City” will discuss his book and sign copies. WordsWorth Books & Co., 5 p.m. 5920 R St. 501-663-9198. www. wordsworthbooks.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31 MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

Alternative Wednesdays. Features alternative bands from Little Rock and the surrounding areas.

Mediums Art Lounge, 6:30 p.m., $5. 521 Center St. 501-374-4495.

Ben & Doug. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.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.

Grim Muzik presents Way Back Wednesdays.

Cornerstone Pub & Grill, through : 8:30 p.m., $5.

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

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Sept. 1, 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. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9 p.m. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com.

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

Mayday By Midnight. Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, through : 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

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

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG.

EVENTS

Director for play sought. See Aug. 24.

Savor the City. See Aug. 24.

CLASSES

Altered book workshop. An altered book is a form of mixed media artwork that changes a book from its original form into a different form, altering its appearance and/or meaning. Using an old book as a starting point, the class will explore techniques to create a meaningful work of art. For beginners as well as experienced artists. Faulkner County Library, 5:30 p.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER

Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre: “Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo! Train!” This play is for children ages six months to five years.

Arkansas Arts Center, through Aug. 27, 10 a.m., $10 adults, $5 children. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

“First Farewell” cast reading. This will be the first public reading by the cast of “First Farewell,” a drama set during Sarah Bernhardt’s 1906 visit to Little Rock. Laman Library, Tue., Aug. 30, 6:30 p.m., free. 2801 Orange St., NLR. 501-758-1720. www. lamanlibrary.org.

“The Music Man.” A charming huckster posing as a bandleader cons the residents of a small Iowa town, only to fall in love with the town’s librarian and risk being caught to win her over in Meredith Willson’s classic Broadway musical. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through Aug. 28: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., $23-$33. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

“Smoke on the Mountain.” This gospel music comedy set in 1938 has been a hit with audiences across the country, and includes 18 old-timey and gospel tunes. Center on the Square, Aug. 26-27, 6:30 p.m.; Thu., Sept. 1, 6:30 p.m.; Sept. 2-3, 6:30 p.m.; Sept. 9-10, 6:30 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 11, 12:30 p.m., $10-$27. 111 W. Arch Ave., Searcy. 501-3680111. www.centeronthesquare.org.

GALLERIES, MUSEUMS NEW EXHIBITS, EVENTS

n Conway UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS: “Foundation Class Competitive,” juried student show, through Sept. 1, reception 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 30. 501-450-5793. n Fayetteville UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS: “Michael Platt: The Journey,” pigment prints on canvas, through Sept. 30; reception 4:30 p.m. Sept. 8, Room 213, UA Fine Arts Building. 479-575-7987. n Jonesboro ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY: “paper,” work by Willie Cole, Lesley Dill, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Mona Hatoum, William Kentridge, Duke Riley, Faith Ringgold, Kiki Smith, Richard Tuttle, Mike Waugh, Fred Wilson and others, on loan from the Brodsky Center at Rutgers University, opens with reception 5 p.m. Aug. 25, show through Sept. 28, Bradbury Gallery. Noon-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 870972-2567.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “In Search of Norman Rockwell’s America,” paintings by Rockwell paired with photographs

by Kevin Rivoli, through Sept. 18, “Building the Collection: Art Acquired in the 1980s,” through Oct. 9; “Texting: Selections from the Permanent Collection,” through Sept. 11, Strauss Gallery. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 3724000.

BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Shep Miers: now & then,” wood sculpture; “Renee Williams: New Works,” acrylic on paper; “The Art of Robin Tucker,” Atrium Gallery; “V.I.T.A.L. (Visual Images that Affect Lives),” work by Melverue Abraham, Rex Deloney, LaToya Hobbs, Ariston Jacks, Kalari Turner and Michael Worsham, Concordia Hall, through Aug. 27. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Mon.-Sat. 320-5791.

CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “Arkansas and the Range of Light,” photographs

by Paul Caldwell, through Sept. 3. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mon.-Sat. 224-1335.

CHRIST CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Studio 8 Exhibit,” work by students of the Arkansas Arts Center Museum. 375-2342.

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. 6640880.

COMMUNITY BAKERY, 1200 S. Main St.: Susie Henley, paintings, through August.

GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: John Bridges, photographs; Baxter Knowlton, paintings, through Sept. 10. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 6648996.

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Charles Harrington: A Sense of Place,” also work by J.O. Buckley, Robert Rector and Robyn Horn. 664-2787.

HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Kaleidoscope, Remembering the Past,” stained glass window series by Charly Palmer, through Oct. 10. Reception 5-8 p.m. Sept. 9. 372-6822.

HEIGHTS GALLERY, 5801 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Summer Birds,” recent work by Rene Hein, through Sept. 3. 664-2772.

KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St., NLR: “Matthew Castellano’s Tour de World,” historical photographs combined with drawings and foreign stamps, also new artwork by Caren Garner, through midSeptember. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sat. 529-6330.

L&L BECK GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Impersonating the Impressionists,” paintings by Louis Beck, through August. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Sat. 660-4006.

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

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.

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.: New work by Stephano, Thom Bierdz, Tony Dow, Kelley Naylor-Wise, Michael A. Darr, Mike Gaines, G. Peebles, Steven Thomas, Alexis Silk, Paula Wallace and Ron Logan. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 563-4218.

THE ART LOFT, 1525 Merrill Drive: Studios and art gallery. 251-1131.

THEA FOUNDATION, 401 E. Main St., NLR: Works from the permanent collection in celebration of 10-year anniversary, including work by Henri Linton, V.L. Cox, Light and Time Design Studio sculptors, George Rodrigue and others. 379-9512.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “ROUX,” printmaking by Rabea Ballin, Ann “Sole Sister” Johnson, Delita Martin and Lovie Olivia, Gallery III, through Oct. 2, Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall; “Thoughts from China,” ceramic figurative sculpture by James Tisdale, Gallery II, through Oct. 2; “Advancing Tradition: 20 Years of Printmaking at Flatbed Press,” through Oct. 2, Gallery I, Fine Arts Building. 569-8977. n Benton DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Chad Oppenhuizen, Dan McRaven, Gretchen Hendricks, Rachel Carroccio, Kenny Roberts, Taylor Bellot, Jim Cooper and Sue Moore. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467.

HERZFELD LIBRARY, 1800 Smithers Drive: Paintings and drawings by Carolyn Voss, through August. 501-778-4766. n Calico Rock CALICO ROCK ARTISTS COOPERATIVE, Hwy. 5 at White River Bridge: Paintings, photographs, jewelry, fiber art, wood, ceramics and other crafts.

11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. calicorocket.org/artists.

n Fayetteville FAYETTEVILLE UNDERGROUND, One E. Center St.: “The Fulla’ Brush Man,” paintings and drawings

by Jan Gosnell; “Fragments of Landscape,” watercolors by John Humphries; “Concatenations/ Connections,” sculpture by Ed Pennebaker, “The Day After Yesterday,” paintings by Duane Gardner, through August. fayettevilleunderground. blogspot.com n Hot Springs ALISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: “Lavendar Fields: Fresh, Fragrant, Fabulous,” work

by Alison Parsons and Lori Arnold. 501-625-3001.

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

BLUE MOON GALLERY, 718 Central Ave.: Raku pottery by Kelly Edwards, new work by wire artist Bart Soutendijk, through August. 501-318-2787.

GALLERY 726, 726 Central Ave.: “A Touch of Red,” paintings by Caryl Joy Young. 501-915-8912.

GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Houston Llew, glass on copper. 501-318-4278.

JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: “Utility and Beauty: New Pottery by Michael Ashley,” also new work by Dolores Justus. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.Sat. 501-321-2335.

TAYLOR BELLOTT NATURE GALLERY AND COFFEE SHOP, 42388 Central Ave., Suite J: Featuring photographs by Taylor Bellott. 501-5204576.

ONGOING MUSEUM 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.: “Elvis at 21, Photographs

by Alfred Wertheimer,” 56 black and white images taken in 1956 by RCA Victor photojournalist, through Sept. 11; 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.: “The J.V. Double: Jorge Villegas and Jim Volkert,” drawings and sculpture; through Nov. 6; “Digital Exposure: Ross Burnham and Brittany McDonald,” through Oct. 9; “Playing at War: Children’s Civil War Era Toys,” from the collection of Greg McMahon, through Jan. 10; “Reel to Real: ‘Gone with the Wind’ and the Civil War in Arkansas,” artifacts from the Shaw-Tumblin collection, including costumes and screen tests, along with artifacts from the HAM collection, including slave narratives, uniforms and more; through April 30, 2012. 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.

MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: Exhibits on Arkansas’s military history. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602.

MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, Ninth and Broadway: Exhibits on African-Americans in Arkansas, including one on the Ninth Street business district, the Mosaic Templars business and more. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 683–3593.

OLD STATE HOUSE, 300 W. Markham St.: “An Enduring Union,” artifacts documenting the postwar Confederate and Union veteran reunions in the state; “Arkansas/Arkansaw: A State and Its Reputation,” the evolution of the state’s hillbilly image. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 3249685.

WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER, Riverfront Park: Exhibits on wildlife and the state Game and Fish Commission.

CALLS FOR ENTRIES

First Presbyterian Church, 204 W. 4th St., North Little Rock, is accepting entries to its exhibit commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Sept.

11 attacks. The works paintings or drawings should depict where the artist believes God was on the morning of those attacks. Submissions are being accepted through Aug. 31. The exhibit will be held Sept. 9-25. Prizes will be awarded. For more information, contact Rev. Anne Russ at revruss@ gmail.com.

PARADISE LOST (1996): 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 29 PARADISE LOST 2: REVELATIONS (2000): 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug 30 HBO n Way back in 1996, before almost anybody else (other than Arkansas Times, of course. Toot-toot!) gave a tinker’s damn about the three trailer-park nobodies who would become known as the West Memphis Three, HBO aired a haunting documentary called “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,” about the murders of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Chris Byers, and the eventual trials that convicted Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin for not much more than being

kids who dressed in black and liked weird music. Directors Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger, who had made a name for themselves with the excellent doc “Brother’s Keeper,” came to Arkansas to film the trials of Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin because they wanted to make a film about teen depravity in the heartland. Within a few days, however, they realized that the three boys were basically being railroaded by a community gripped with fear. The documentaries on the case have rallied hundreds of thousands if not millions to the WM3 cause, along with all-important celebrities willing to shout innocence from

the rooftops (including Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, whose publicist — in one of those twists you just can’t make up — sent an e-mail to the defense team saying Vedder had seen “Paradise Lost” and wanted to help exactly 13 years to the day before the WM3 were released).

Now, in honor of the release of the West Memphis Three, HBO will be showing both “Paradise Lost” documentaries next week. In addition, Sinofsky and Berlinger have a third installment of the “Paradise Lost” series in the works (it was apparently almost finished when a call to get their asses to Jonesboro last week threw a welcome monkey wrench in the co-directors’ plans), titled “Paradise Lost: Purgatory,” which is scheduled to debut on HBO in January. In light of recent events, might we suggest another title? “Paradise Lost: Resurrection” has a nice ring to it.

NETFLIX PIX: BROTHER’S KEEPER (1992) n While we’re on the subject of Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point fans of “Paradise Lost” and the documentary form in general to this Netflix Instant gem: their first documentary, “Brother’s Keeper,” which won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance the year it was released. Financed with credit cards and shot in the “direct cinema” style (which seeks to simply portray events as they happen, without overlying comment from the filmmakers), later employed in “Paradise Lost,” the gritty doc is the story of the Ward Brothers — William, Delbert, Lyman, and Roscoe Ward — four elderly, near-illiterate farmers who lived together in a shack outside of Munnsville, N.Y. near Syracuse. In 1990, William Ward, who had been suffering from a variety of longterm and painful illnesses, died. Eventually, his brother Delbert confessed to killing William to end his suffering — a confession which was apparently coerced by police — and was put on trial for his murder. He was acquitted at trial. Like the original “Paradise Lost,” “Brother’s Keeper” contains a good bit of tense courtroom drama. At the same time, however, it’s also a moving film about disappearing rural communities, and how simple folk whose families have lived in small New England towns for generations are being pushed out in favor of development, suburban sprawl and progress. Check it out. It’s a hell of a flick.

— David Koon www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 31

n Hunka Pie is offering a 100-pie buffet from noon until 6 p.m. Aug. 28 at 7706 Cantrell Road. The buffet includes pies like Blackberry, Butterfinger, Chocolate Coconut, Velvet Lips Chocolate Cream, Egg Custard, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Pecan, Coconut Custard, Toffee Custard, Rhubarb Custard, Strawberry Rhubarb, Banana Custard, French Apple, French Blueberry, French Cherry, Kampfire S’mores, Key Lime, Lemon Icebox, Mixed Berry, Mint Chocolate Cream, Peach Pecan Crunch, Pear Ginger, Southern Pecan, Strawberry, Strawberry Cream Cheese, Sweet Potato, Sugar Cookie Apple, Peach Custard Cream, Almond Macaroon Cherry, Lemon Dream, Pecan Cream Cheese, Caramel Apple, Strawberry Chocolate Mousse, Hunka’s Favorite Traditional Double Crust Fruit Pies and more than 60 more. They’re available whole ($18.50) or by the slice ($3.50). The phone number is 224-1104. n Our deals partner Half Off Depot has a host of dining- and drink-related new bargains: Kitchen Co. at Pleasant Ridge ($50 gift certificates for $25), Zin Urban Wine Bar ($20 for $10), NYPD Pizza ($18 for $9) and Bleu Monkey Grill in Hot Springs ($30 for $15). Buy them at arktimes.com/halfoffdepot.

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 4 SQUARE GIFTS Vegetarian salads, soups, wraps and paninis and a daily selection of desserts in an Arkansas products gift shop. 405 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-2622. L daily. D Mon.-Sat. APPLE SPICE JUNCTION A chain sandwich and salad spot with sit-down lunch space and a vibrant box lunch catering business. With a wide range of options and quick service. Order online via applespice.com. 2000 S. University Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-663-7008.

ARGENTA MARKET The Argenta District’s neighborhood

32 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

■ dining Not the same old Browning’s Restaurant re-do fashions Mexican grill as neighborhood hangout. n If you haven’t yet been to the new Browning’s Mexican Grill because you hated the food at the old place, forget about it. It’s not the same. However, if you are going to Browning’s because they’ve kept many “tribute menu items” from yesteryear, forget about them, too. They’re not the same either.

This is truly a new Browning’s, which you’ll know long before any food or drink passes your lips. It’s a large, loud, hopping place — at least on one recent Thursday night — with a long bar, flat-screen monitors showing sports and an open floor plan. It’s a see-and-be-seen Heights hangout and probably will stay that way.

The neighborhood needed a large anchor, and Browning’s now is it.

As for the food, it’s nothing like the old Browning’s — the quintessential “brown with cheese” glop that many of us loved as kids because that was all we knew or could know. An oft-told family story recounts me falling over in my high chair at Browning’s as an 18-month-old baby (not sure I’ve been the same since), and it wasn’t too many years later when I tried my first beef taco after weaning off Browning’s hamburgers.

After Juanita’s opened, and then the onslaught of Mexican-owned/operated spots hit town, many realized that Browning’s of old wasn’t many (or any) notches up from a Patio frozen dinner.

Will this ain’t that. It’s not the best Mexican food in town, based on a recent large dinner shared with friends. But it’s not the worst.

We started our dinner as every meal at Browning’s always has and undoubtedly always will — with salsa, cheese dip and chips. (And now that 18-months-old is far in the rearview mirror, with an outstanding, top-shelf “Browning’s Margarita” — $7.50.) The salsa is a lot like the old Browning’s, not at all chunky, with a strong tomato taste, more like a thick picante sauce than what today is the salsa standard.

We went for the traditional yellow queso ($3.99) marked with a sombrero graphic on the menu indicating it as a “tribute item.”

It actually came in two bowls, one the oldschool traditional and one that has been declared the “new” style of yellow. We liked the traditional blend best, smoother, with more cumin and not at all Velvetea-y, a lot like the famed Mexico Chiquito dip. The nouveau model is chunked a bit with tomato and not very spicy, passable but barely.

White cheese dip ($4.99) is also available, and though not sombrero-designated it’s still called a “Browning’s classic.”

Among the entrees, our favorite, unexpectedly, was a “tribute item” — the famed/infamous Plato de Saltillo, though

BRIAN CHILSON

what’scookin’

PLATO DE SALTILLO: The familiar dish remains on the Browning’s menu. outrageously priced at $12.99. It combines a “cheese taco,” which is the old-school Browning’s term for what the rest of the world calls a cheese enchilada, plus a beef enchilada and a beef taco. The cheese enchilada was firm, sharp with cheddar and very tasty — not just a cheese dip enchilada.

The beef enchilada and taco were solid quality, meaty and tasty. And the whole thing wasn’t covered in glop.

We chose two entrees that have been among our favorites at other Mexican restaurants — carnitas and tacos al carbon.

The carnitas ($10.99) featured a large hunk of very tender, slow-roasted pork, but while said to be cooked in a “citrus broth and spices,” this meat was very bland. The only accoutrements, besides very decent corn tortillas, were avocado and corn relish, neither of which offered enough zing to give this dish much life.

The tacos al carbon ($10.99) were also very bland. We realized later the menu said there’d be a choice of chicken or steak, but we were given no option. Steak we got, and steak we would have chosen, but still.

Nor did we receive the guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream that were billed as the accoutrements. Bland beef rolled in a corn tortilla just didn’t do much for any of us.

One of the best features of entrees at Browning’s is that you don’t automatically get rice and beans. Rather, you can choose two of eight far-ranging side items, which include guacamole, lime rice, Mexican slaw, refried beans, black beans, rice, black bean soup and tortilla soup.

With three entrees in the mix we had six opportunities for sides; we tried all but the Mexican slaw and the refried beans. The guacamole ($3.99 a la carte) is top-rate: chunky with no filler; it has a hint of spice, but mostly the avocado shines through, as it should. The side is solid portion, about half a normal appetizer order.

The other two stars were the black bean soup — blended to between smooth and chunky and very spicy; double yum — and, believe it or not, the Mexican rice, which

was light, flavorful and about as perfect as something that pedestrian can be.

Otherwise, the lime rice was short on lime; the black beans were solid and fine, but no big deal; the tortilla soup was oddly gelatinous and bland, definitely the loser in this bunch.

For dessert — like we needed it — we opted for the Tres Leches Dessert Rolls ($4.99) — four rolled, crisp tortillas with cream filling and chocolate drizzle, topped with whipped cream. They were creamy, crunchy, just chocolaty enough, mighty tasty, and ample for the money.

Service was strong all the way around.

It appears that Browning’s has a team waiting approach, because we were served by and checked on by many different folks before and during our meal. It wasn’t at all overwhelming and actually was appreciated, because the place was packed, and all the wait staff surely was being pulled in many directions. When our dessert didn’t arrive as quickly as one waiter thought it should, he declared it would be taken off our bill, even though we didn’t feel delayed.

Nice touch.

Browning’s has enough good things going for it to deserve a try: a fun atmosphere good drinks and decent food.

And we’re betting the off-the-mark menu items will also improve over time.

Browning’s Mexican Grill

5805 Kavanaugh Boulevard 663-9956 Quick bite

Happy hour hops at Browning’s, which has become and will likely remain a Heights hot spot. However, while happy hour is touted on the restaurant’s website — www.browningsmexicangrill.com — there were no happy hour specials in terms of drink pricing; maybe some deals will be added.

Hours

11 a.m.-close daily

Other info

Full bar. CC accepted.

Edited by Will Shortz

No. 0720

When this puzzle is done, you will find that the ends of the answers to the five starred clues, when in the 15-/67-Across, comprise a 1-/71-Across.

■ CROSSWORD

BRIAN CHILSON

grocery store offers a deli featuring a daily selection of big sandwiches along with fresh fish and meats and salads. Emphasis here is on Arkansas-farmed foods and organic products. 521 N. Main St. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-379-9980.

BL daily, D Mon.-Sat. ARKANSAS BURGER CO. Good burgers, fries and shakes, plus salads and other entrees. Try the cheese dip. 7410 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-6630600. LD Tue.-Sat. ASHLEY’S The premier fine dining restaurant in Little Rock marries Southern traditionalism and haute cuisine. The menu is often daring and always delicious. 111 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-374-7474. BLD Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. BELWOOD DINER Traditional breakfasts and plate lunch specials are the norm at this lost-in-time hole in the wall. 3815 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $.

501-753-1012.

BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT The food’s great, portions huge, prices reasonable.

Diners can look into the open kitchen and watch the culinary geniuses at work slicing and dicing and sauteeing. It’s great fun, and the fish is special. 2300 Cottondale Lane.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2677. LD Mon.-Fri. D Sat. BUFFALO WILD WINGS A sports bar on steroids with numerous humongous TVs and a menu full of thirst-inducing items. The wings, which can be slathered with one of 14 sauces, are the staring attraction and will undoubtedly have fans. 14800 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-868-5279. LD daily.

BURGER MAMA’S Big burgers and oversized onion rings headline the menu at this down home joint. 13216 Interstate 30. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-2495. LD daily.

BY THE GLASS A broad but not ridiculously large list is studded with interesting, diverse selections, and prices are uniformly reasonable. The food focus is on high-end items that pair well with wine — olives, hummus, cheese, bread, and some meats and sausages. 5713 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-9463. D Mon.-Sat. CAFE HEIFER Paninis, salads, soups and such in the Heifer Village. With one of the nicest patios in town. 1 World Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-907-8801. BL Mon.-Fri., L Sat. CAPITAL BAR AND GRILL Big hearty sandwiches, daily lunch specials and fine evening dining all rolled up into one at this landing spot downtown. Surprisingly inexpensive with a great bar staff and a good selection of unique desserts. 111 Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-7474. LD daily.

CAPITOL BISTRO Formerly a Sufficient Grounds, now operated by Lisa and Tom Drogo, who moved from Delaware. They offer breakfast and lunch items, including quiche, sandwiches, coffees and the like. 1401 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-371-9575. BL Mon.-Fri. CATERING TO YOU Painstakingly prepared entrees and great appetizers in this gourmet-to-go location. 8121 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-664-0627.

L Mon.-Sat. CATFISH HOLE Downhome place for well-cooked catfish and tasty hushpuppies.

603 E. Spriggs. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-3516. D Tue.-Sat. CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER Premium black Angus cheeseburgers, with five different sizes, ranging from the Classic (5.5 ounces) to the pounder (20 ounces), and nine cheese options. For sides, milkshakes and golden-fried onion rings are the way to go. 11525 Cantrell Rd. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-490-2433. LD daily.

CIAO BACI The focus is on fine dining in this casually elegant Hillcrest bungalow, though tapas are also available, and many come for the comfortable lounge that serves specialty drinks until late. 605 N. Beechwood St. Full bar, All CC. $$$-$$$$.

501-603-0238. D Mon.-Sat. CRAZEE’S COOL CAFE Good burgers, daily plate specials and bar food amid pool tables and TVs. 7626 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-9696. LD Mon.-Sat. CUPCAKES ON KAVANAUGH Gourmet cupcakes and coffee. 5625 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-664-2253. LD Tue.-Sat. 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-2253. LD Tue.-Sat. DIVERSION TAPAS RESTAURANT Hillcrest wine bar with diverse tapas menu.

From the people behind Crush. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd., Suite 200. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-414-0409. D Mon.-Sat. DOE’S EAT PLACE A skid-row dive turned power brokers’ watering hole with huge steaks, great tamales and broiled shrimp, and killer burgers at lunch. 1023 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-1195. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. DOWNTOWN DELI A locally owned eatery, with bigger sandwiches and lower prices than most downtown chain competitors. Also huge, loaded baked potatoes, soups and salads. 323 Center St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-3696. BL Mon.-Fri. DUB’S HAMBURGER HEAVEN A standout dairy bar. The hamburger, onion rings and strawberry milkshake make a meal fit for kings. 6230 Baucum Pike. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-955-2580. BLD daily.

EJ’S EATS AND DRINKS The friendly neighborhood hoagie shop downtown serves at a handful of tables and by delivery. The sandwiches are generous, the soup homemade and the salads cold. Vegetarians can craft any number of acceptable meals from the flexible menu. The housemade potato chips are da bomb. 523 Center St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3700. LD Mon.-Fri. FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings, too. The hamburgers are a hit, too. It’s self-service; wander on through the screen door and you’ll find a slick team of cooks and servers doing a creditable job of serving big crowds. 511 President Clinton Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-375-3474. LD daily.

GRUMPY’S TOO Music venue and sports bar with lots of TVs, pub grub and regular drink specials. 1801 Green Mountain Drive. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-9650. LD Mon.-Sat. HOMER’S Great vegetables, huge yeast rolls and killer cobblers. Follow the mobs.

2001 E. Roosevelt Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1400. BL Mon.-Fri. THE HOUSE A comfortable gastropub in Hillcrest, where you’ll find traditional fare like burgers and fish and chips alongside Thai green curry and gumbo. 722 N. Palm St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4501. D daily, BR and L Sat.-Sun. JIMMY’S SERIOUS SANDWICHES Consistently fine sandwiches, side orders and desserts. Chicken salad’s among the best in town. Get there early for lunch. 5116 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3354. L Mon.-Sat. KRAZY MIKE’S Po’Boys, catfish and shrimp and other fishes, fried chicken wings and all the expected sides served up fresh and hot to order on demand. 200 N. Bowman Road. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-907-6453. LD daily.

LOCA LUNA Grilled meats, seafood and pasta dishes that never stray far from country roots, whether Italian, Spanish or Arkie. “Gourmet plate lunches” are good, as is Sunday brunch. 3519 Old Cantrell Rd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4666. L Sun.-Fri., D daily.

LULAV Comfortably chic downtown bistro. 220 A W. 6th St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-374-5100. BL Mon.-Fri., D daily.

MILFORD TRACK Healthy and tasty are the key words at this deli/grill, featuring hot entrees, soups, sandwiches, salads and killer desserts. 10809 Executive Center Drive, Searcy Building. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-223-2257. BL Mon.-Sat. NEW GREEN MILL CAFE A small workingman’s lunch joint, with a dependable daily meat-and-three and credible corn bread for cheap, plus sweet tea. Homemade

Across 1 [See blurb] 6 Grows old 10 “Easy to Be Hard” musical 14 Boxing locale 15 [See blurb] 16 First word of the “Aeneid” 17 Requested gift in “A Christmas Story” 18 From a distance 19 Shepherd who co-wrote “A Christmas Story” 20 *Midwest conference 22 *Pancake 24 “___ not my fault!”

25 Long Island university 27 Wait 29 Show disdain for, in a way 33 Creatures

38 A star may have a big one 39 *1951 Bogart/Hepburn film 43 Suffix with front 44 Weaver of tales on the big screen 45 Warfare 49 Limerickʼs land 50 One-named female singer with the 2002 #1 hit “Foolish” 53 French dance 56 *Billy Crystalʼs “Memories of Me” co-star 59 *Shooting star?

62 Kind of mail 63 Wander 65 Medicinal shrub 66 When the nude scene occurs in 10-Across 67 [See blurb] 68 Hallʼs partner in pop music

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE D O U B L E

A L L E Y S

I D E A L S

L I E N E E S

P R O I C H A E A S T T D S T U I T I N F A K E F R I S

Y E S I E A G A L F E T E R R O D E A R K

O M G F O R T O I C L T H L R E E A D Y M M E L I L U N C N T G T E E E L D A Y

E E N

G R E A T L A W N

A S Y E T A R A M

H E N R E I D E R O T I C A

O C T O

S U R F

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G H T I E U S E X A C T S O N

B A L E R S

E T E R N E

69 Dancerʼs strap?

70 Ring results, briefly 71 [See blurb] Down 1 One of three people walking into a bar, in jokes 2 Go around 3 Safecrackers 4 “… some kind of ___?”

5 Loversʼ ___ 6 Simileʼs center 7 Faux pas 8 “Kill ___” (Metallicaʼs triple-platinum debut album) 9 One of the highest order of angels 10 Pilgrims to Mecca 11 Domain 12 Computer that once came in Bondi Blue 13 Captain, for one 21 Low point 23 Greek symbol for the golden ratio 26 Lucyʼs husband and son 27 Sheepʼs sound 28 Like Beethovenʼs Symphony No. 8 30 Spotted 31 James who cowrote the script for 39-Across 32 Playwrightʼs prize 33 Ear-related 34 Prefix with -stat

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Puzzle by Peter A. Collins

35 It might make you sick 36 Former telecom giant 37 Bob of “Full House” 40 Waterwheel 41 “___ transtulit sustinet” (motto of Connecticut) 42 Coffee container

54 Dermatologistsʼ concerns 55 Dog restraint 56 Cracked 47 Pop a question 57 Time founder 48 Strong desire Henry 51 Actress Aimée of 58 Opposed to “La Dolce Vita” 60 “It ___ no 52 Mystery writer concern” Marsh 61 “Keep it ___” 64 Peaks: Abbr.

53 Zulu, e.g.

46 Shoot off the backboard successfully

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: Todayʼs 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.

Continued on page 35 www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 33

SHOP ‘N’ SIP First Thursday each month

Shop ’til 8pm and enjoy dining in one of the many area restaurants.

HILLCREST SHOPPING & DINING

It’s Our Party!

And We Have Gifts For You! Join Us For Ice Cream And Music During The Next Shop & Sip And

Register For FREE Ice Cream Or Coffee For A Year! Also Get Onsite Chair Massages From The Folks At Bugaboo And Rice Samples From Indian Bayou Milling Company!

2715 Kavanuagh Boulevard • (501) 661-1496 • Mon-Fri 6am-9pm • Sat-Sun 7am-9pm www.rivercityteacoffeeandcream.com

ur it’s o t firs ARY! ERS ANnIV

A Taste of Brazilian Cuisine

NEW TOMS FOR KIDS and BABIES

LIVE MUSIC

BY

cindy woOlf

Food & Fun For The Whole Family!

For Your Dining Pleasure The Brazilian Way

2701 Kavanaugh Blvd., Ste. 105 501-614-NOVA (6682) www.cafebossanova.com

Annual Tailgate Party For The Razorbacks!

2616 Kavanaugh • 661-1167 M-F 10-6, SAT 10-5

501-353-2504 2612 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Find your dream home at www.LiveInLittleRock.com

4523 Woodlawn (Historic Hillcrest) 501.666.3600

Restaurant capsules Continued from page 33

tamales and chili on Tuesdays. 8609-C W. Markham St. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-225-9907. L Mon.-Sat. OYSTER BAR Gumbo, red beans and rice (all you can eat on Mondays), peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, addictive po’ boys. 3003 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$.

501-666-7100. LD Mon.-Sat. OZARK COUNTRY RESTAURANT A long-standing favorite with many Little Rock residents, the eatery specializes in big country breakfasts and pancakes plus sandwiches and other lunch plates during the week. Try the pancakes and don’t leave without some sort of smoked meat. 202 Keightley Drive.

No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7319. B daily, L Mon.-Fri. PERCIFUL’S FAMOUS HOT DOGS If you’re a lover of chilidogs, this might just be your Mecca; a humble, stripmall storefront out in East End that serves some of the best around. The latest incarnation of a LR joint that dates to the 1940s, longdogs are pretty much all they do, and they do them exceedingly well, with scratch-made chili and slaw. Our fave: The Polish cheese royal, add onions. 20400 Arch St. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-261-1364. LD Tue.-Sat. PLAYTIME PIZZA Tons of fun isn’t rained out by lackluster eats at the new Playtime Pizza, the $11 million, 65,000 square foot kidtopia near the Rave theater. While the buffet is only so-so, features like indoor mini-golf, laser tag, go karts, arcade games and bumper cars make it a winner for both kids and adults. 600 Colonel Glenn Plaza Loop. 501-227-7529. LD Thu.-Sun., D Mon.-Wed. PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milk shakes — in a ‘50s setting at today’s prices.

Also at 11602 Chenal Parkway. 8026 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-221-3555. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun 11602 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-4433. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 1419 Higden Ferry Road. Hot Springs. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-625-7999. LD daily, B Sun. SALUT BISTRO This bistro/late-night hangout does upscale Italian for dinner and pub grub until the wee hours. 1501 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. SCALLIONS Reliably good food, great desserts, pleasant atmosphere, able servers — a solid lunch spot. 5110 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-6468.

L Mon.-Sat. SHIPLEY DO-NUTS With locations just about everywhere in Central Arkansas, it’s hard to miss Shipley’s. Their signature smooth glazed doughnuts and dozen or so varieties of fills are well known. 7514 Cantrell Rd. No alcohol, All CC. $.

501-664-5353. B daily.

SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAK ROOM Steaks, chicken and seafood in a wonderful setting in the River Market. Steak gets pricey, but the lump crab meat au gratin appetizer is outstanding. Give the turtle soup a try. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-324-2999. D Mon.-Sat. STAGECOACH GROCERY AND DELI Fine po’ boys and muffalettas — and cheap. 6024 Stagecoach Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-455-4157. BL daily. D Mon.-Fri. TERRI-LYNN’S BAR-B-Q AND DELI High-quality meats served on large sandwiches and good tamales served with chili or without (the better bargain). 10102 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-6371. LD Tue.-Sat. (10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.).

UNION BISTRO Casual upscale bistro and lounge. Try the chicken and waffles. 3421 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-353-0360.

ASIAN CHINA INN Massive Chinese buffet overflows with meaty and fresh dishes, augmented at dinner by boiled shrimp, oysters on the half shell and snow crab legs, all you want cheap.

2629 Lakewood Village Place. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$.

501-771-2288. LD daily.

GINA’S A broad and strong sushi menu along with other Japanese standards. 14524 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-868-7775. LD daily.

HANAROO SUSHI BAR Under its second owner, it’s one of the few spots in downtown Little Rock to serve sushi. With an expansive menu, featuring largely Japanese fare with a bit of Korean mixed in. 205 W. Capitol Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$.

501-301-7900. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. PHO THANH MY It says “Vietnamese noodle soup” on the sign out front, and that’s what you should order. The pho comes in outrageously large portions with bean sprouts and fresh herbs. Traditional pork dishes, spring rolls and bubble tea also available. 302 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-312-7498.

SEKISUI Fresh-tasting sushi, traditional Japanese, the fun hibachi style of Japanese, and an overwhelming assortment of entrees. Nice wine selection, sake, specialty drinks. 219 N. Shackleford Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-7070.

LD daily.

SHOGUN JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE The chefs will dazzle you, as will the variety of tasty stir-fry combinations and the sushi bar. Usually crowded at night. 2815 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-7070. D daily.

TOKYO HOUSE Defying stereotypes, this Japanese buffet serves up a broad range of fresh, slightly exotic fare — grilled calamari, octopus salad, dozens of varieties of fresh sushi — as well as more standard shrimp and steak options. 11

Shackleford Drive. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-219-4286.

LD daily.

WASABI Downtown sushi and Japanese cuisine. For lunch, there’s quick and hearty sushi samplers. 101 Main St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-0777. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat.

BARBECUE BARE BONES PIT BAR-B-Q A carefully controlled gas oven, with wood chips added for flavor, guarantees moist and sweet pork, both pulled from the shoulder and back ribs. The side orders, particularly the baked potato salad, are excellent.

5501 Ranch Drive, Suite 4. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-7427.

LD daily.

CHIP’S BARBECUE Tasty, if a little pricey, barbecue piled high on sandwiches generously doused with tangy sauce.

Better known for the incredible family recipe pies and cheesecakes, which come tall and wide. 9801 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-4346. LD Mon.-Sat. DIXIE PIG Pig salad is tough to beat. It comes with loads of chopped pork atop crisp iceberg, doused with that wonderful vinegar-based sauce. The sandwiches are basic, and the sweet, thick sauce is fine. 900 West 35th St. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-9650. LD Mon.-Sat.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC ARABICA HOOKAH CAFE This eatery and grocery store offers kebabs and salads along with just about any sort of Middle Eastern fare you might want, along with what might be the best kefte kebab in Central Arkansas. Halal butcher on duty. 3400 S. University Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-379-8011. LD daily.

CREGEEN’S IRISH PUB Irish-themed pub with a large selection of on-tap and bottled British beers and ales, an Irish inspired menu and lots of nooks and crannies to meet in. 301 Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-376-7468. LD daily.

ISTANBUL MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE This Turkish eatery offers decent kebabs and great starters. The red pepper hummus is a winner. So are Cigar Pastries. Possibly the best Turkish coffee in Central Arkansas. 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-223-9332. LD daily.

LEO’S GREEK CASTLE Wonderful Mediterranean food — gyro sandwiches or platters, falafel and tabouleh — plus dependable hamburgers, ham sandwiches, steak platters and BLTs. Breakfast offerings are expanded with gyro meat, pitas and triple berry pancakes. 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-7414. BLD daily.

SILVEK’S EUROPEAN BAKERY Fine pastries, chocolate creations, breads and cakes done in the classical European style. Drop by for a whole cake or a slice or any of the dozens of single serving treats in the big case. 1900 Polk St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-661-9699. BLD daily.

ITALIAN CAFE PREGO Dependable entrees of pasta, pork and the like, plus great sauces, fresh mixed greens and delicious dressings, crisp-crunchy-cold gazpacho and tempting desserts in a comfy bistro setting. 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5355. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. CIAO Don’t forget about this casual yet elegant bistro tucked into a downtown storefront. The fine pasta and seafood dishes, ambiance and overall charm combine to make it a relaxing, enjoyable, affordable choice. 405 W. Seventh St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-0238. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. GRADY’S PIZZAS AND SUBS Pizza features a pleasing blend of cheeses rather than straight mozzarella. The grinder is a classic, the chef’s salad huge and tasty. 6801 W. 12th St., Suite C. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-1918. LD daily.

IRIANA’S PIZZA Unbelievably generous thick-crust pizza with unmatched zest. Good salads, too; grinders are great, particularly the Italian sausage. 103 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-3656. LD Mon.-Sat. ZAFFINO’S BY NORI A high-quality Italian dining experience.

Pastas, entrees (don’t miss the veal marsala) and salads are all outstanding, and the desserts don’t miss, either. 2001 E. Kiehl Ave. NLR. Beer, Wine. 501-834-7530. D Tue.-Sat.

MEXICAN CANON GRILL Creative appetizers come in huge quantities, and the varied main-course menu rarely disappoints, though it’s not as spicy as competitors’. 2811 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-664-2068. LD daily.

CAPI’S The eatery has abandoned its previous small plates format for Nuevo Latino cuisine heavy on tamales, enchiladas and Central American reinterpretation of dishes. Fortunately, they kept the great desserts. 11525 Cantrell Suite 917. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-225-9600. LD Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun. COTIJA’S A branch off the famed La Hacienda family tree downtown, with a massive menu of tasty lunch and dinner specials, the familiar white cheese dip and sweet red and fieryhot green salsas, and friendly service. 406 S. Louisiana St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-244-0733. L Mon.-Sat. EL JALAPENO 9203 Chicot Road. No alcohol, No CC. $.

501-772-7471. LD Mon.-Fri. LA REGIONAL A full-service grocery store catering to SWLR’s Latino community, it’s the small grill tucked away in the back corner that should excite lovers of adventurous cuisine. The menu offers a whirlwind trip through Latin America, with delicacies from all across the Spanish-speaking world (try the El Salvadorian papusas, they’re great). Bring your Spanish/English dictionary. 7414 Baseline Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-4440. BLD daily. 2630 Pike Ave. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-246-4163.

The Value Of Gold Is At Its All Time High!

8th Annual

Bid for Kids’ Sake Online Auction

Is Your Jewelry Underinsured?

BENEFITING

Begins August 26 at 10 a.m.

Ends September 2 at 10 p.m.

For details go to biddingforgood.com/bidforkids Written ApprAisAls

$45 For The First Piece • $15 For Each Additional Piece All appraisals are confidential and fully insured. Appraisals are completed onsite.

Includes free cleaning and checkup. $25 for on-site evaluation.

Start Something™ 501.374.6661 • bbbsca.org

Kyle-Rochelle Jewelers 501-375-3335

HAROLD MURCHISON, Owner Located In The Historic Lafayette Building at 6th And Louisiana Monday- Friday 10am-6pm www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 35

Refinishing the floors and adding a fresh coat of paint gave the guest house/studio an instant and much-needed update.

AUGUST 24, 2011

Man cave makeover

hearsay

➥ Ommm-MG! In the interest of promoting overall health and well-being, CARACALLA SALON in the Heights will now hold regular yoga and stretching workshops and classes in their downstairs space. Organizations, like The Garden Club and nonprofits, are also able to rent the space for workshops and gatherings. Owner Ella Hunt says, “We’ll also be offering classes on hair and body care and plan to work with a dietician at some point.” While spa side, pick up some Aveda cosmetics, impossible to find anywhere else these days, and Phyto hair care products. (People come from far and wide just to get them). ➥ Moving and stretching. THE PILATES STUDIO of Little Rock, once located next door to Proposals, is now a neighbor of The Full Moon. ➥ Sabb story. A new store recently opened in the Heights space once occupied

by Sabb’s Oriental Rugs. Though the name does not yet appear on the awning, we hear the store is called BONJOUR. A peek inside revealed an array of scented candles, stuffed animals and some children’s clothing. The owner plans to also offer needlework wares and flower arranging classes at some point. ➥ Where ready-to-wear meets ready-to-sleep. YVES DELORME in the Heights is partnering with B. BARNETT for a September 8 fashion show that will match fall clothing with seasonal bedding trends. The show will take place at Yves Delorme from 6-9 p.m. They’re planning an even bigger event for October 20, in which they’ll team up with BARBARA JEAN and PROPOSALS for a fashion show that will close down the whole block. ➥ More B. Jean buzz ... This week is “Shop Your Cause Black Tie Week” at BARBARA JEAN. If you special order from certain evening wear and jewelry collections through Saturday, August 27, and mention your favorite organization from the following list, a portion of proceeds will be donated on your behalf: Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, St. Vincent Foundation, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and Women and Children First. Also, don’t miss the Susan Posnick cosmetics event with special designer appearance on Friday, August 26. Get a bronzer and brush with purchase. Call 2270054 to book your appointment. ➥ Sweater weather? Head to VESTA’S for a special in-store event featuring White+Warren and Covelo Fall 2011 Collections, August 25-27.

36 AUGUST 24, 2011 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES

BY KATHERINE WYRICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANET WARLICK, CAMERA WORKS

Q

uestion: When does a man cave stop being a man cave and become a multi-use space the whole family

can enjoy? Answer: When a wife and a renowned interior designer muscle in with design plans and a vision. With the help of Kaki Hockersmith, this backyard building morphed from a cluttered outpost into a tricked-out comfy spread, complete with an exercise room and sleek (clean!) furniture. We ask Hockersmith how she accomplished such a feat.

CUE: How was this space used prior to its redesign?

Kaki Hockersmith: The space was originally set up as a guest house or perhaps a maid’s quarters or rental apartment. The current owners had been using it as an annex for musical equipment, bike storage and other general overflow of things such as unused furniture. As it became more of a jumble over the years, the couple decided to reclaim the valuable square footage.

CUE: What were some of the challenges posed by this project?

KH: The challenge was to provide areas for a lot of musical and sports

equipment while creating a usable guest suite, home office area and exercise room.

A new space plan was done to accommodate all of these various requests.

CUE: What specific changes were made?

KH: The former kitchenette was converted for installation of bike racks and a workbench while keeping the sink for future uses. Hardwood floors were refinished and drywall installed on damaged areas. A general cosmetic facelift was done while utilizing as much existing surface as possible. We designed a more modern aesthetic to freshen up the decades old décor and packed in the functional elements requested.

The small full bath was updated along with the overhead lighting throughout.

Space was dedicated to a decorative display of the owner’s musical instruments.

A computer station faces the backyard providing a home office area. In the center of the main room is a sitting area with a sleeper sofa facing the fireplace and television. A small room between the bath and main room is devoted to exercise equipment with, of course, music and TV. A once cluttered detached building was transformed into a modern multi-

Specializing in granite countertops, vanities and more...

BEFORE

BEFORE

inside effects 4205 S. Shackleford, Suite A, Little Rock Monday-Friday: 8:30am - 5pm Saturday by appointment only 501.954.8866 • www.inside-effects.com

AFTER

Mention this ad and receive our special “Free Sink” promotion with purchase

Gone is the futon from the owners’ college days, replaced by a modern, hip couch. purpose space which was redesigned very economically to meet all of the homeowner’s needs.

And how does the family man feel about this intrusion of order, flowers and throw pillows? He couldn’t be happier.

For man cave makeover consultations and other interior design projects, contact Kaki Hockersmith Interiors.

1408 Rebsamen Park Rd. (501) 666-6966 kakiint@sbcglobal.net

501-225-M2LR M2LR.COM

The Great Outdoors.

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.com

kakihockersmith.com ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES • AUGUST 24, 2011 37

An inside job Discover the one-stop shop for floors, countertops and more

W

ho hasn’t coveted a friend’s gorgeous granite countertop? Or looked with longing at another man’s newly tiled bath? Or even gazed with envy into the basin of a hammered copper sink in a guest bathroom?

If you’ve ever found yourself in any of the aforementioned scenarios, then you’re probably in need of a little home improvement (and therapy—design therapy). We encourage you to seek help at Inside Effects. If you haven’t heard of Inside Effects, allow us to introduce you. This family owned and operated business takes care of clients, assisting with a full functioning team as general contractor, designer, fabricator and installer all in one.

Owner and president Joe Knoedl brings 40-plus years of tile-setting experience to the business; the Knoedl name has long been synonymous with quality installation of tile and natural stone surfaces in greater Little Rock.

Joe and his son, Scott, General Manager, place a high value on craftsmanship and attention to detail and, between them, have over 70 years in the business.

Located off Shackelford and Colonel Glenn, the showroom houses the highest

quality materials available for floors, walls and countertops. An expansive 5,000-square-foot annex, added in May, holds their impressive inventory of granite and marble—giant slabs as big as queen-size mattresses in varying colors and styles. Many homeowners don’t even consider granite for fear that it’s too expensive, but nothing compares with its beauty or durability, and Inside Effects offers the best selection around. They also offer polished or stained concrete floors, both popular choices today.

The main gallery/office space showcases everything from tiles to rugs to limestone fireplace surrounds, cabinets, carpet, hardwood and outside kitchens. So whether you’re undertaking a large commercial project or just changing your kitchen backsplash and updating your bathroom, Leslie Tetrev and LeAnn Smoot of the IE team are there to guide you.

INSIDE EFFECTS 4205 S. Shackleford Rd., Ste A (501) 954-8866 www.inside-effects.com Hours 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Friday

Kitchen countertops Juperana Fantastico granite; back splash Noce Travertine Tumb.

Master bath floors Chatueau brushed and Chiseled Marble in the Versailles Pattern; master bath countertop Daino Reale Marble Polished; backsplash Chatueau Beveled Polished Brick 2X4.

C

Porch in Antiquity Parchment 18X18.

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Please send your resume and cover letter to Heather Baker - HBaker@arktimes.com • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES 38 AUGUST 24,24, 20112011 • ARKANSAS TIMES 38 AUGUST

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Legal Notices

notiCe of Filing Application for permit to sell alcoholic Beverages for Consumption on the premises. Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has filed with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the State of Arkansas applications for a permit to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on premises described as:722 N. Palm St., Little Rock, Pulaski County. Said application was filed on August 19, 2011. 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. Joshua Blevins for The House.

FIND JOBS ONLINE @ WWW.ARKTIMES.COM

SEE THE ARKANSAS BLOG FOR LATE-BREAKING NEWS & EVENTS www.arktimes.com

Psychic Reader & Advisor Looks into Past, Present, Future Specialized Reading in Tarot Card-Metal Object-Shakra call & consult for an appointment

FLIPSIDE

Apricot Girls!

APPAREL • HANDBAGS • ACCESSORIES

501-223-9046

boutique & party studio

20 years public experience All major credit cards accepted

9871 Brockington Rd • Sherwood AR

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TU-FR 10am-6pm • SAT 10am-5pm

$10 off your reading with this ad.

FooFur is a beautiful cat. She is quiet and calm and would make a wonderful house cat.

She is declawed.

Sherwood AnimAl ServiceS

6500 north hills Blvd Sherwood, Ar 501-834-2287

Macximize Learn to get more from your Mac at home or office.

• Aid in choosing the right Mac for you and your budget • iMac, MacBook, iPad, iPhone • Troubleshooting • Wireless internet & backup

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MOVING TO MAC

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The Arkansas Times10/15/08 is pleased to sponsor Liam’s Little League Alcohol ad-Teens.Times.indd 2 9:58:33 AM

2011 Arkansas Walk Now for Autism Speaks

apricotgirlsboutique

Chandler School and Interior Decorating

Foodtritionist

Spreading the health™

Fall semester: Sept 6-November 22, 2011

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™htlaehPauly, eht gniMS, daeRD, rpLD S Margaret D L , D R , S M , yl u a P t er a gr a M

NutritioN CouNseliNg serviCes

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s p u o r g d n a sl a u di vi d nI – s s ol t h gi e w tl u d A s m ar g or p s s e n ll e w et ar o pr o C

sr e v o e k a m yrt n a P - sr u ot t e kr a mr e p u S

Check out Foodtritionist Facebook sepicer yon h tl a e H - st n u o c eir ol a c u n e M Email: Margaret@Foodtritionist.com k o o b e c a F n o t si n oitir t d o o F t u o k c e h C tel: 501-499-1927

The course includes; lectures, tours of private homes, guest speakers, and lots of hands-on work!

Learn about topics ranging from blueprints to consultation on construction and renovation. Also included will be selection of paint, wallpaper, flooring, window treatments, furniture, lighting and accessories. Decorating for special occasions will be a “fun” topic.

2210 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, AR 72202 501-372-2764 •www.chandlerassoc.com

m o c.t si n oitirt d o o F @t er a gr a M :li a m E 7 2 9 1 - 9 9 4 - 1 0 5 :l e T $3 Off a $40 and up service $2 Off a $25 and up service

10 visit punch card = free regular manicure Or regular fill Present this ad at time of visit. Valid anytime.

JFK NAILS

J.F.K Nails & Hair Salon Spa (501) 833-0183 10214 Hwy. 107 • Sherwood Mon-Sat 9-7 • Sunday 12-5

J.F.K. Nails (501) 812-6933 3418 J.F.K. #A • North Little Rock (Near Crye-Leike) Mon-Sat 9-8 • Sunday 12-5 WALK-iNS WeLCoMe

Females, ages 12-16, with or without a history of abuse or assault. Receive monetary compensation and a CD of your brain.

Call Sonet: 501-526-8386

http://psychiatry.uams.edu/birc_studies

SAVE MONEY NOW ON YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS

www.WalkNowForAutismSpeaks.org/Arkansas

Teams Forming NOW for October walk.

79

1-877-491-92

If you are insured or uninsured this free card can save you money!

You can print your card at www.rxcut.com/PartnersInsurance www.mypartnersinsurance.com It really is that easy. www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 24, 2011 39

RIDE THE

s u B s e u l B

SATURDAY, OCT. 8 AT HELENA

Featuring

e h t to

Keb’ Mo’

Marcus “Mookie” Cartwright Ben Wiley Payton • The Peterson Brothers Band Hamilton Loomis • Lonnie Shields The Matthew Davidson Band • Matt Schofield Homemade Jamz • Moreland & Arbuckle Big Bill Morganfield Blind Mississippi Morris & The Pocket Rockets Tommy Castro • Earnest “Guitar” Roy The Stax Review – Eddie Floyd, Duck Dunn, Steve Cropper Cedric Burnside Project Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues

$

99

Price Includes: • Round-Trip Tour Bus

Transportation • Tickets Into The Peron s Gated Concert Area Per • Live Blues Bus • Lunch at Craig’s Barbecue in Devalls Bluff Performance by Bluesboy Jag Bus transportation provided by Arrow Coach Lines

Charge by phone (all major credit cards), at 501-375-2985.

Or mail check or money-order to Arkansas Times Blues Bus Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203

e v r e Res seat r u o y day! to

om t. 8 fr m. Oc ain . a 0 s at 1 and M rns leave e at 2nd s u B d retu g Blues rking gara e Rock an tl a . the p ntown Lit same day w t r o e D c in on the c after