Arkansas Times - July 13, 2017

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COMMENT

From the web In response to an Arkansas Blog item about Mayor Mark Stodola’s confirmation that he would be running for re-election, a day after state Rep. Warwick Sabin announced he would run for mayor in 2018: Although Sabin couldn’t be any worse and has potential to be much better than Stodola, I have to wonder why we need both a mayor and a city manager. And why did the state Legislature decide [in a law that says that mayoral pay must be “comparable” to other city officials] that Stodola needs to make as much money as the city manager? Why is it in the state’s interest to ensure that Stodola is overpaid by Little Rock?

It’s sad that Little Rock doesn’t even have sidewalks along major sections of Markham Street and Chenal Parkway (within the city limits). Stodola is pathetic in so many ways.

Viper Stodola’s election too many years ago has resulted in unfulfilled hopes for Little Rock citizens. And yes, I’m talking about the non-Fifty for the Future types who reap none of the rewards in our town.

I agree that the current form of city government is perhaps an insurmountable obstacle to city government that would be responsive to the real, and yes dangerous, needs of We the People. The country-club crowd? Not so much, since they already have things going their way.

You can pretend that different areas of town are all treated the same, no matter the income levels or political connections. And you can also pretend that @DerangedDonaldTrump is even remotely competent to do the job the Electoral College put him in.

They’ll find a way to buy his support for the bill. You know, something like passing his bills to rename some post offices.

wannabee conservative In response to Max Brantley’s July 6 column “Bangin’ in LR” about the legislation that allows concealed weapons on college campuses, the state Capitol and places where alcohol is sold:

I wish I could forget. It took the Little Rock Police Department 15 minutes to respond to my 911 call and the department was less than two blocks from my condo.

It saddens me when Max and other posters on this site attack the National Rifle Association and law-abiding gun owners in this site. I really don’t get it. If things really popped off in this nation you would be the first ones in line behind a gun-toting brave heart.

Rainbow Punk Troll I have only needed my concealed carry one time in Little Rock. That time period lasted 1-2 minutes and is a flash in my mind

You are wrong, RPT. Many of those on this blog, Max included, would resent

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In response to an Arkansas Blog post about Sen. John Boozman’s reported withholding of support for the Senate’s proposed Affordable Care Act:

Ivan the Republican 4

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ARKANSAS TIMES

Steven E The only things that are popping off in our country ARE the gun-toting “brave hearts.” They watch way too much television and see too many movies to recognize reality. They are heroes just waiting to happen, Walter Mittys weighed down with bandoliers. In their fantasies, that is.

Like the guy down in Florida that “popped” a man for texting in a movie theater before the movie even started. Like the good doctor who shot up half of West Little Rock in an effort to stop a bank robber a few years back. Like the patriot who shot himself in the leg at Gettysburg over the weekend awaiting an invasion of antifas. Like the doofus out of Carolina who trekked up to D.C. to bust up Hillary’s childtrafficking pizza parlor. Like the Trump hater who shot up the Republican baseball practice. These are just a few samples of reality right off the top of my head.

Damn right! Brave Heart, Dirty Harry and Rambo! Add the rainbow punk and Steven to the list. Just like in the movies, they have a script of how it all turns out rattling around in their heads. The only problem is that they don’t have a million-dollar production company to fullfill their silly macho dreams.

Sorry punk. In an emergency, I want to stay as far away from you as possible.

Sound Policy

Just because we pay for a Mercedes and get a Hyundai with our health care doesn’t mean we don’t have the best health care in the world.

The best measure of any for-profit system is the amount of profit it produces, and our health care system produces more profit than any other country’s.

And that would not be true if our health care didn’t cost more while delivering less. Costing more while delivering less is the best way to make a profit.

Don’t fuck that up, Republicans. You know who your daddy is.

having a gun carrier save their ass. They would rather die as a “martyr” to gun violence than be saved by a person with a gun.

That is why Max insists on missing the main point of the violence that plagues Little Rock.

Simple minds seek simple solutions, and to Max, there isn’t a problem in the world that cannot be fixed by banning guns.

Black on black crime, get rid of guns.

Low literacy rate in Arkansas, ban guns.

Shitty attorney general, get rid of guns.

Guns are just a tiny part of the problem, and not even close to a solution.

As witnessed in Chicago, which has some of the strictest, and most ridiculous gun laws, and yet their gun deaths are a matter of great tragedy.

Nothing will change unless you get to the foundation of the problem. That does include the violent subculture of youths in particular neighborhoods. It also includes taking into account the glorification of violence perpetuated by some rap singers. Account needs to be given for the fact that many of these neighborhoods and subcultures embrace violence and abhor education.

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In response to Ernest Dumas’ July 6 column “Trusting” on the court’s interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and the his-

tory of decisions that abrogated human rights.

As a former progressive liberal, what I see today is a Democratic party that has enormous biases of their own, and that scares me no end. To wit, “prejudices”: the absolute ignoring of yes, the “deplorables.” No need to visit those states, Ms. Clinton; who cares about them?

Well, I have been in Wisconsin and I have seen devastated towns, desperate people, who travel miles and miles every day to get any kind of work they can. And I do mean any work. Just forget about them. That’s prejudice too.

Let’s take on “ignorance.” I investigated the track record of Hillary Clinton — and I am a woman and a feminist. What about Libya? No one wants to talk about her being the architect of our bombing policy. OK, maybe that was also a “mistake”? EXCEPT, and I find this unforgivable, she had the debacle of Iraq staring her in the face. Libya is a nation of tribes just like Iraq, with the same result: absolute disaster, as President Obama called it. Tribal atrocities, slaughter and, yes, thousands of refugees, women, children.

I blame Clinton for this, for pushing what she did. Stupid, and also criminal.

Investigator of both sides.

É P R E S I DE N T ROBI N S ON, as your tenure as AEA President comes to an end, the members and staff of the Arkansas Education Association thank you for your commitment to public education, your advocacy and your friendship.

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EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

LRSD discrimination suit to go forward

Martin dumps data Secretary of State Mark Martin complied with the demands of President Trump’s “election integrity committee,” which most suspect was created to purge the names of those who would vote Democratic from the voter rolls rather than find real evidence of fraud in the 2016 presidential election.

Martin turned over name, birthdate, street address, telephone number, political party registration and voting history of every voter in Arkansas, 1.7 million Arkansans in total, to the group headed by Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who has been sued, repeatedly and successfully, by the American Civil Liberties Union over his voter suppression efforts in Kansas. Martin apparently made Arkansas the first, and perhaps only, state to comply with the commission’s demand for the data dump, a request that 44 states had deemed inappropriate and had refused to abide by as of July 5. Martin said it’s all public information, anyway. A federal lawsuit has been filed against the commission’s request.

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Governor announces aid to LRPD G o ver nor Hut c h i n s on announced a joint investigative group made up of officers from city, county, state and federal agencies would be formed CUED UP: Midtown Billiards, which had to close after a fire in December, reopened July 7 with to “share intelligence” on gang a crowd of regulars armed with Sharpie pens to restore the freshly-painted walls to the bar’s activity and that the Alcoholic former lived-in look. Others played pool, like Maximiliano Dominguez (above.)

Beverage Control Division would more strictly monitor bars after the July 1 shooting was exploring a run and state Rep. at the Little Rock nightclub Power Clarke Tucker (D-Little Rock) said Ultra Lounge in which 28 people he was interested, though he didn’t were injured, 25 of them by gunshot. announce that. Mayor Mark Stodola, Hutchinson also said the State Police in response, said he’ll seek re-elecwould provide manpower for investition, but is too busy working on city gation, intelligence and arrest. “We matters to be campaigning. Sabin’s are committed to supporting the announcement triggered interest in LRPD,” Hutchinson said, and Little his legislative seat: Tippi McCullough, Rock Police Department Assistant chairwoman of the Democratic Party Chief Wayne Bewley said the force of Pulaski County, and Ross Noland, saw the state’s efforts as a means to a lawyer and director of the Buffalo “increase its footprint.”

River Foundation, said they would Power Ultra Lounge, potential canseek Sabin’s District 33 seat in the didates in Little Rock’s 2018 mayoral House, which runs from Interstate 30 election emerged. State Rep. Warwick on the east to Reservoir Road on the west through Hillcrest.

Sabin (D-LittleRock) announced he Also in the wake of the shooting at

BRIAN CHILSON

“I just couldn’t help myself. I knew God told me I needed to run the car into it.”

— Michael Reed, the man arrested for driving into and destroying the Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds just hours after its installation in June, in a telephone interview with Jacob Rosenberg of the Arkansas Times.

Federal Judge Price Marshall refused last week to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges racial discrimination in the state’s operation of the Little Rock School District. John Walker, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said he was looking forward to making his case that decisions to close facilities and invest in others discriminated against minority students. Marshall wrote, “Though [Superintendent Michael] Poore and [state Education Commissioner Johnny] Key make strong arguments about traceability and on the merits, the Court concludes that it can make a better judgment on the facilities/resources claim after seeing and hearing the witnesses, plus considering the documents with the context that only live testimony, as well as oral argument, will provide.”

Candidates announce for mayor

OPINION

We’re No. 1!

I

t’s not often that Arkansas can claim national leadership, so give Secretary of State Mark Martin credit for something.

As of Friday last week only a single state had responded to the hotly controversial request by an “election integrity commission” appointed by Donald Trump for massive amounts of voter information — including registration information, military records, criminal records, partial Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers.

After claiming for a week the office hadn’t received the request, Martin’s office simultaneously acknowledged at the first of last week its receipt and made an immediate electronic transfer of some voter registration information to the commission led by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach and Martin are pals, so close that a friend of Martin’s, former Arkansas legislatorturned-lobbyist David Dunn, got a seat on the commission. Kobach has raised bogus voter fraud allegations for years. He produced a widely derided voter information matchup among the states that

proved definitively how stupid you can look in alleging voting fraud on little more proof than the existence MAX of people named BRANTLEY John Doe in mulmaxbrantley@arktimes.com tiple states.

By Friday, only Arkansas had complied.

What was the hurry? A federal lawsuit was pending that challenges the data drive.

The majority of states were reluctant to cooperate. A number of Republican officeholders, including in Mississippi and Arizona, flatly refused. They wouldn’t even provide information acknowledged to be public. Then Monday, the commission asked states NOT to comply for the time being. It may not have followed federal law in attempting to round up personal information for electronic sharing. Too late for Arkansas.

Even Governor Hutchinson, who’d earlier seemed sanguine with the release of information, told Governor’s School students Monday night that sharing with the feds was not a good idea. Martin’s

It can be fixed

M

ajority Leader Mitch McConnell threatened his 51 disciples in the Senate and his party with the gravest injury imaginable. If they don’t pass his unpopular bill to “repeal and replace” Obamacare in the next few weeks, he may make them sit down with Democratic senators and work out a health care law that would be acceptable to nearly all Americans.

He wouldn’t dare! Does he not remember what has accrued from bipartisanship in the past — Medicare and Medicaid and all their many corrections and expansions, veterans medical care and, yes, even the great Democratic achievement Social Security, where Republicans got in on its original enactment and its scores of corrections over its first 70 years?

OK, it is probably an empty threat.

McConnell, after all, is the father of partisan gridlock. He was so wary this spring that a Democrat might give a piece of advice or get a peep about what the bill did that he did not let even some of the 13 Republican men he said would write the Obama repealer know what was in the bill until his staff had finished writing it. The Senate

bill he produced has now assumed the status of the most unpopular piece of legislation in modern times. RepubERNEST lican governors DUMAS have quailed at the impact it would have on their states — 22 million people losing their insurance, huge budget problems for state governments that Republican governors and legislators would have to deal with, far higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs for sicker, older and poorer people.

Even Arkansas’s John Boozman, a more faithful disciple McConnell has never met, is said to be withholding support. Sen. Tom Cotton, who is supposed to be one of the authors, is silent, obviously hoping the bill never comes to a vote.

Arkansas would be devastated more than any state, except possibly Kentucky. If the Senate bill becomes law, some 367,000 more Arkansans will be uninsured by 2022, when the Medicaid provisions really kick in.

The state government would lose $1.5 billion in federal health care funding in 2022 —

office said the governor isn’t the boss of them. It also said Martin was just following the law, though that’s arguable, since only Arkansas citizens are entitled to protection of the Freedom of Information Act, not some federal commission apparently operating outside federal boundaries.

People all over the U.S. — Democrats and Republicans — have made clear they aren’t happy to give the world their birthdate, street address, telephone number and the party primaries they favor. Some have begun canceling voter registration to protect themselves.

Using Martin as example, this information is what he gave Kobach on 1.7 million Arkansas people: Martin was born Feb. 18, 1968. He was registered in Washington County Dec. 1, 2003. His phone number (optional, but many supply it) is 479-846-1889. His residence is at 123 N. Pittman St., Prairie Grove, AR 72753. He votes in Precinct 560 in Prairie Grove. He affiliated with the Republican Party March 20, 2006.

He last voted Nov. 8, 2016. He voted in Republican primaries in 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2016. He lives in the 3rd Congressional District, state Senate District 2, state House District 80 and School District 195.

These are building blocks for impersonation. The person who answered the

phone at Martin’s house wasn’t too happy about the calls placed there after his number was made public.

True, you can buy the computerized data for a bargain, $2.50. But this doesn’t excuse facilitating universal access or volunteering to be a vote suppression guinea pig for Kris Kobach.

The effort is designed to produce information that could show Donald Trump didn’t lose the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 3 million ballots. The future use is the real issue.

Vote suppression is in the Republican DNA. Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin was hip-deep in George W. Bush voter suppression efforts in Florida in 2004, where active duty military were purged because they were serving overseas when voter address verification cards were mailed. Arkansas’s Republican legislature just passed a new Voter ID law and sent to voters an even more onerous constitutional amendment aimed at making it harder to vote. Mark Martin’s decision to share personal Arkansas voter data is just one more piece of a long-running political dirty trick.

LATE-BREAKING: As a result of the lawsuit, the federal commission has said it will “delete” Arkansas information submitted early, according to a spokesman for Martin.

a huge hole in the budget that would have to be made up with tax increases or abandoned medical services for some subset of the population — children, the elderly frail, the disabled, children’s colonies?

It’s a pointless exercise, but what might “amend and improve” look like if McConnell worked across party lines? Both recent Trumpcare efforts take two giant steps: eliminating Obamacare’s taxes on very rich Americans and corporations involved in health care and eliminating the requirement that healthy people buy insurance without waiting until they get sick or else pay some taxes for the uncompensated care they are apt to get. Those repeals end coverage for 22 million people and hike the premiums and co-pays of others. The taxes pay for the reforms and extend the solvency of Medicare, and the mandate makes it possible for insurance companies to hold down premiums. Both the Senate and House bills set out to slash and someday eliminate Medicaid, the vast program that at some point affects nearly every family in America through nursinghome care, disabled children and adults or family poverty.

So what could Dems and Repubs do together? With a couple of words, they could fix the clumsy language in the Affordable Care Act that House Repub-

licans used in a court challenge of the government’s cost-sharing of deductibles and co-pays of low-income policyholders. They got a ruling from a judge appointed by President George W. Bush that the payments had to stop. It is on appeal, ultimately to the Supreme Court where Trump has inserted a judge who will rule against Obamacare on any point of law. It has unsettled the markets, and insurance companies don’t know whether to get out altogether or raise their premiums sharply in anticipation.

They could fix the “family glitch,” the inept wording in the law that often keeps family members in employer programs from being eligible for premium subsidies.

Charles Gaba, who runs a health care blog, proposed 20 changes in Obamacare, including expanding Medicaid in the last 19 states, each effected by a few words but which together would solve about all of Obamacare’s problems.

Kerr-Mills (our man Wilbur D. Mills) was the original Medicare and Medicaid, enacted in 1960. It was a total flop with fewer than 1 percent of the elderly and poor gaining coverage after five years.

After a landslide victory in 1964, President Johnson asked Mills and Republican leaders to fix it and after a few weeks they had.

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he American president has long been described with the honorific “Leader of the Free World.” No more. Donald Trump basically surrendered the title during the recent G20 summit in Germany.

Even the Russians were offended by Trump’s pointless abandonment of the Paris climate accord — pointless because it’s a purely voluntary agreement with no enforcement mechanisms. The president imagines a worldwide scientific conspiracy, which most educated adults recognize as impossible.

Trump’s Polish speech was also seen as problematic. By endorsing a Manichean, good vs. evil defense of “the West” — defined, Putin-style, entirely in racial and religious terms — Trump was widely suspected of scorning multi-ethnic European democracies like Germany, France and Great Britain. Not to mention Asian ones like Japan, South Korea and India.

The West, so defined, excludes most of the world’s population, although it definitely includes the Confederate States of America.

However, relatively few thought Trump actually grasped the full implications of the tribalized worldview he expressed.

Somebody wrote a speech; Trump read it. Our allies can only guess who’s in charge at the White House: traditional defenders of NATO like Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster?

Or blood-and-soil “populists” like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, the author of the Warsaw speech defining ISIS as a grave civilizational threat? — an all-but-defeated terrorist organization with no army, navy or air force.

In reality, of course, the single greatest threat to the integrity of Western democracy is the Kremlin. But hold that thought.

The correct answer to who’s in charge of U.S. foreign policy is nobody. And certainly not Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who served as the president’s minder during his ballyhooed meeting with Vladimir Putin.

At the White House level, the U.S. doesn’t have a foreign policy. Trumpism is best understood as a cult of personality with a worldview rooted in WWE professional wrestling, where race, ethnicity and tribal loyalties prevail.

But equally important, where longnurtured enmities and alliances alike can be reversed almost overnight.

Everything depends upon protag-

onist’s whims — that is to say Trump himself.

In the WWE, the operative term for these scripted GENE melodramas is LYONS “kayfabe” — possibly what the president meant when he tweeted the nonsense word “covfefe.”

Wikepedia defines it thus: “portrayal of staged events within the industry as ‘real’ or ‘true,’ specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not of a staged or predetermined nature.”

Just so Trump’s meeting with Putin, which for all the hullabaloo was basically a made-for-TV spectacle of little real import. One day Trump boasted that he and his new best friend Vlad were going to set up a U.S./Russian cybersecurity task force. But after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) described it as maybe the dumbest idea he’d ever heard, the president abruptly dropped it.

Just kidding!

Otherwise, the headline on Russian expatriate Masha Gessen’s New York Times commentary said it all: “Trump gave Putin exactly what he wanted.” Specifically, a co-starring role, along with no serious criticism for such Kremlin pastimes as executing journalists and cyberattacks on other countries’ elections.

However, the good news is that even a GOP congress won’t let the president give Putin anything concrete, such as a free hand in Ukraine, or redress from economic sanctions. Russia holds Crimea, but at a cost Trump can’t relieve. Putin’s scheming has pretty much backfired.

But what really seems to animate Trump himself is his ongoing feud with CNN — the cable network that basically made him president. Following the president’s recent tweeting of a WWE video showing him pummeling a figure labeled CNN — not so much an incitement to violence as to stupidity — I was struck by this from a Washington Post profile of correspondent Jim Acosta: Covering this White House, Acosta said, is like “covering bad reality television.” No kidding.

Meanwhile, the ratings continue to grow for CNN as the Trump/Comey/ Putin kayfabe drives news coverage. You may, like me, never seen a single episode of “The Apprentice.” But we’re all watching it now.

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THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

A

newspaper died up in Atkins a few weeks back, not with a bang or a whimper, but with the sound of change jingling in a pocket, just too little of it to keep the printing presses rolling. The Atkins Chronicle was 123 years old when editor Billy Reeder and his wife and co-publisher, Paula, made the decision to shutter the paper. They took over in May, combining the Chronicle and her smaller sister The Dover News. They cut the budget by 50 percent, but still dipped $5,000 into the red in a single month. It wasn’t mismanagement, mind you, nor recklessness, not throwing big parties with showgirls and ice sculptures like the song-and-dance number in “Citizen Kane.” Even cut to the bone, they still couldn’t make it.

In a moving farewell on the paper’s website — we all feed the beast that killed us in the end — Reeder laid out the facts for those who’d walked past Chronicle paper boxes for years without dropping in their four bits to buy a copy. The world these days, Reeder noted, is about speed, while print newspapers are slow. Slow enough to factcheck and spell the names right. Slow enough to separate the chaff of rumor from the sustaining grain of fact. Slow, Reeder said, is expensive. “This paper that you’re paying fifty cents for?” he wrote. “It actually costs between eight and ten dollars to produce each copy.

Yep. You read that right. Eight to ten dollars. For every single copy of the paper that we sell.”

“It could be argued,” Reeder continued, “that we are living in changing times and the closing of newspapers is simply part of the continuing move toward digital and television. That would be a true statement. But it also needs to be considered that far too often those digital and television outlets aren’t telling your community’s story. They’re not sitting in a school board meeting or hanging out in the courthouse or sharing what’s happening with your church’s Vacation Bible School. Local news outlets, like the Chronicle, do. But at the end of the day bills need to be paid.”

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Before you suspect it, writing about the death of the Atkins Chronicle is not The Observer’s come-on, nor our sneaky way of urging those with means to advertise in our pages, or to guilt you into subscribing. It’s not even a nod to The Observer’s secret, near-suicidal wish sometimes for a massive solar flare that flash fries every circuit on earth and stops all the beeping and booping, all the kids zombified by screens, all the couples we see in restaurants unspeaking and fixated on cell phones instead of each other. So, no, this isn’t about profit margins or bitterness, though we are bitter about it. Just a hat tip toward the mounded grave of a lesser-known lady up in Atkins, who served her community well for nearly a century and a quarter. Not just Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Bulge and Remember the Maine; not just the Wall Street crash and planes crashing into towers.

We’re talking about all the stuff that gets lost between the pickets of the bigticket stories: school board meetings and dog bites man, house fires and weather reports, impassioned editorials about things nobody is going to care about in six bare months. It all takes time, love and energy. It takes scribbling until your hand cramps and hours spent on hold, trying to get a comment. It takes the inside-baseball, late-night, early-morning First Amendment champion stuff that makes The Observer want to slug somebody every time we hear another opportunistic dolt label a carefully reported story he doesn’t like as “Fake News!” It’s all so much more valuable than money, but you just can’t convince folks of that these days, so here we are.

It’s predictable where things are going. Just look at the wrecks of fine old ships, large and small, lined up along the coast. But we will say this: As someone who has sat through a three-hour quorum court meeting, as exciting as watching milk curdle, just so folks without the time to be there can have what they need to make informed decisions, you’re sure going to miss all us nosey reporters when we’re gone.

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Doors open at 6 pm

Show starts at 7pm

Tickets $50: available at centralarkansastickets.com

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

9

Arkansas Reporter

THE

Up and running The LR Tech Park.

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

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ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

I

t was 12 years in coming, the Little Rock Technology Park, first conjured by the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Biotechnology Task Force in 2005. Since the park’s March opening, it’s attracted 29 tenants to its renovated, and now connected, buildings at 415 and 417 Main streets (now under one address, 417 Main).

Only three spaces are free on the two “turnkey floors” of the six-story main building, formerly known as the annex to the Exchange Building at 421 Main St. Tenants on those floors are leasing space on a short-term basis, from one month to a year, at below-market rates, an arrangement suited to startup businesses and one that Little Rock Technology Park Director Brent Birch has likened to “gym memberships.” The first floor of the main building is fully leased to the Venture Center, a business accelerator; the second is open-plan co-working space.

A tour of the park gave this reporter an idea of the variety of businesses leasing space there. Three examples: Alese Stroud is CEO of tech park tenant Corporate Insight Strategy, a startup developed last year in the Venture Center accelerator. CIS helps “coach companies to survive major transitions” to new management using software it developed to look at almost 200 factors that determine sustainability.

Stroud noted that only 30 percent of family businesses make the generational transfer successfully; by the time a company has passed to the fourth generation, its success rate drops to 4 percent. Stroud said the company research showed that if 55 percent of family-owned manufacturing companies in Arkansas were unable to survive the passing of the company reins to the next generation, “that would result in a $2 billion tax loss to the state,” Stroud said. Since last year, CIS has worked with 22 businesses, “so we are just coming out

THE FACES OF CIS: CEO Alese Stroud is flanked by Sydnee Golman (left) and Austin Rodgers (right) at the Little Rock Technology Park, where Stroud has leased an office to take advantage of the “energy” there.

of beta [testing],” Stroud said, and know there is an “appetite” for what her company can do.

Stroud wants CIS in the Little Rock Technology Park because “the energy here is something you won’t find in any other office space,” providing access to mentoring from the Venture Center and collaborations with other new companies.

Maf Sonko, a native of Gambia, came to Little Rock last year as part of the Fintech program at the Venture Center, a partnership with the financial technology firm FIS. His company, LumoXchange, which will launch this summer, provides expats and immigrants a way to maximize money sent back home. “It’s like Expedia for exchange rates,” Sonko said. LumoXchange is partnering with banks to provide their exchange rates, locations and other information on the LumoXchange website and allows direct transfers.

Jake Stanley, developer of Kiza Solutions, works with small businesses that need software to help them grow. Stanley, who moved to Little Rock from Dallas to

work with Westrock Coffee, “stumbled into this place,” he said of the Tech Park.

“The alternative is to work from home or buy another office space, and from my experience, that’s just not as stimulating as being around other people doing similar work.” Stanley is also the founder of Coordinates, which works with coffee industry exporters and importers. *** Ritter Communications of Jonesboro was one of the first tenants in the Tech Park; it has signed a five-year lease for its satellite office on the fifth floor of the main building. The other long-term tenant is the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences & the Arts, which is leasing space for its Coding Arkansas’ Future science education courses in the adjoining building (formerly the Mays Law Firm).

The remainder of the space dedicated to established tech companies is wide open. But director Birch isn’t worried that the park won’t soon attract those longerterm tenants needed for guaranteed revenues to retire the debt on the park’s loans,

which total $17 million. “They’ll come,” he said. “They’ll come along.”

The park, which is overseen by an authority made up of representatives from the sponsors (the city and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock) and the chamber, paid $12.6 million for properties in the 400 block of Main, including 5 Main Place (the Exchange Building), which it leases to the state Department of Higher Education; 415 and 417 Main St.; the parking lot on the west side of the block; a smaller parking lot behind the Tech Park; and an undeveloped lot at the northeast corner of Fourth and Main streets. It has spent just under $7 million renovating 417 Main St., bringing the total cost of the project so far to $24 million.

Revenues from leases in the main building since the tech park’s March 1 opening are coming in on average higher than expected for the first year: around $18,000 a month, compared to the $14,080 budgeted. But, as Tech Park Authority member Dickson Flake said, startup leases are not “money you can take to the bank,”

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because of the short-term nature of the tenants. The park is relying on rental income from the Department of Higher Education for the Exchange Building (also known as 5 Main Place, previously owned by Warren Stephens), $63,000 a month, in paying off the loans.

Originally planned as a place where universities would commercialize medical and other research, the Tech Park’s purpose has evolved in response to the “urgent need” for office space for the “startup entrepreneurial scene,” Birch said.

“What should be stressed,” Birch said, “is how important this is to Little Rock beyond the tech industry. A lot of times, when I do public speaking, most people don’t fully grasp why we need this.”

What the Tech Park will do, Birch said, is keep the students educated in technology and coding — which Governor Hutchinson has made a priority — in Little Rock. “If we don’t have opportunities for them, they’re going to leave, and if they do, that leaves a big gaping hole” in the city’s economy. “If we don’t make the right effort in trying to foster our tech community, [tech] companies will go to Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis.”

The next hurdle for the park, Birch said, “is convincing the banks … to get behind some companies.”

Phase 2 of the Tech Park — new construction at the corner of Fourth and Main — will require private capital, Birch and Flake said. Originally envisioned as laboratory space for UAMS’ Bioventures, the new building will be constructed as office space with the capability on the top floor to convert to lab space, which requires special ventilation and other mechanical needs. Kevin Zaffaroni, chairman of the Tech Park Authority board, said the board has gotten guidance from Bioventures head and park board member Nancy Gray on that count. Bioventures has laboratory space available now that it did not have several years ago when the board was created and began to plan for the Tech Park.

“Our next step will be to allocate a modest amount of funds to work with a professional to develop a vision for Phase 2,” Flake said. “I would like to think that we would be starting Phase 2 planning — I mean beyond illustrations and concept — by mid-2018.”

THE

BIG PICTURE

INCONSEQUENTIAL NEWS QUIZ: This town needs an enema! edition Play at home, in your body armor!

1) Russellville police responded to a recent early-morning alarm at a branch bank to find a man had broken in. According to police, why did the man say he entered the bank?

A) He’d been told by Jesus Christ to break in and take a Holy Bible.

B) He was jonesin’ for one of those lime-green lollipops.

C) His pubic wig got sucked into the bank while he was attempting to fornicate with the pneumatic tube in the drive-through.

D) The latest Trump tweet was so unhinged that he decided to take shelter in a bank vault in anticipation of a surprise nuclear strike on Arkansas.

2) State Rep. (and former Arkansas Times associate editor) Warwick Sabin made a major announcement last week. What was it?

A) His wife, Jessica DeLoach-Sabin, is the masked, crime-fighting vigilante known as “The Ginger Avenger.”

B) Little Rock’s crippling chicken gizzard shortage is entirely attributable to him.

C) He’s considering a run for Little Rock mayor in 2018.

D) He falsified his resume to exclude his tenure as student body president at Trump University.

3) At a July 6 press conference, Governor Hutchinson announced a plan to combat an increase in violent crime in Little Rock. What’s the plan, man?

A) NRA-sponsored cases at every intersection with a loaded handgun inside, each stenciled with the words: “In Case of A Bad Guy With A Gun, Break Glass (Good Guys Only).”

B) Robocop.

C) Increased monitoring of parolees, enhanced liquor permit enforcement and more cooperation between city, county, state and federal law enforcement in sharing intel on violent offenders.

D) Hutchinson himself will do late-night foot patrols of the neighborhoods south of Interstate 630 while wearing a “Free Hugs” T-shirt.

4) State Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Arimathea) recently posed with a giant novelty check during a press conference at the state Capitol. How much was the check for, and why was it given?

A) $100, which Rapert won from Lucien Greaves of The Satanic Temple after a bet to see which of them could make the most people abandon organized Christianity in a calendar year.

B) A $25,000 donation from the producers of the “God’s Not Dead” film series, to help rebuild the recently smashed Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds.

C) $500 grand prize in Butthurt Magazine’s Social Media Post of the Year contest.

D) A $6,500 check for his celebrity endorsement of Creepy Preacher™ brand menswear.

5) A couple floating the Mulberry River in Franklin County recently ran into a spot of trouble. What, according to police, was the problem?

A) Sasquatch visited their campsite and kept bogarting the joint.

B) Man-on-man action with banjo-playing hillbillies just isn’t as hot once you know they all voted for Trump.

C) They ran into an impassable turd jam from the industrial hog farm upstream.

D) A bearded stranger allegedly attempted to detain the woman before attacking her male companion with a machete, severely injuring the companion’s arm.

Answers: A, C, C, B, D

LISTEN UP

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

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On the job exp Workers tell it like it is.

W

hat is it like to walk a mile in a nurse’s shoes as she cares for people in a nursing facility? Or, for that matter, to walk a mile in size 16 heels?

This sixth annual edition of Little Rock Confidential offers up stories, told anonymously to persons on the Arkansas Times staff, by people who know the answer to those questions, as well as the joys and travails of being a bail bondsman, or woman tattoo artist, or woman pastor, or an art teacher to adults with developmental disabilities. Even a member of the General Assembly confides in us.

ART TEACHER, ADULT DAYCARE FACILITY

I

DRAG QUEENS, TONYA AND KATHLEEN

K

ATHLEEN: I got started when I was 23 or 24. I watched “RuPaul’s Drag Race”; we marathoned it. I was

already interested in women’s fashion. The first time I ever dressed in drag, I had a drag birthday party.

The girls came as drag teens and the guys as drag queens. We did lip sync.

TONYA: After I saw Kathleen in the “Rocky Horror” show at Sway [a Little Rock nightclub], I saw how inclusive it was. Everybody was willing to help him do as good a job as possible. That encouraged me to do it, too. Before drag was popularized, you had to go to a bar to see it or on YouTube, and then it got mainstreamed on LOGOtv and you could see what went into it. It made me really interested — the artistry, you have to know about hair, makeup, costuming, hip pads … . When I saw how supportive everyone was, it put me over the edge.

I’d been wanting to do it for such a long time, ever since I was 14.

Some do it for free, until you get to a certain point. We want to make money and help the club. Almost any drag queen you’ll talk to, you operate in the negative — the costs of the clothes, the wigs, the shoes. But you’re able to do something very entertaining, and [later] you can fall back on your investments [in dress].

KATHLEEN: We have a show tomorrow. I’ll get off at 5 o’clock, we’re supposed to be there at 10, so I’ll have five hours to prepare.

I’ll go home, shave, shower, relax and then glue down my eyebrows.

TONYA: You take an

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JHD

ERO

JA S

teach adults with developmental disabilities, so there are varying levels of skill, varying levels of mental capacity, varying levels of, you know, where that person’s been that day. Basically, every person comes with a different slate every day. So, one of my biggest challenges is having to be fluid with adults. With children, you can reprimand. You can say, “You know what? I don’t like the way you’re acting” or “You need to sit down and be quiet.” These guys are adults, though, you know? You have to give them a level of freedom. It’s not my job to tell them what to do. It’s my job to teach them art.

But, you have things that come into play every day — different political views, different factors — and you just have to roll with that, to work with all different types of people to reach the same goal, which is to enjoy art. We have people with very strong ties to religion, or [politics, according] to the way that they were raised (and that being the only way). We have a large amount of Trump supporters who come through our building … who are just blindly following what is being taught at home. So, at times it’s just better for me to bite my tongue and wear my “Nasty Woman”

shirt rather than talk about it. You express yourself and show people love in different regards, as opposed to arguing with someone because their mother told them they’d have to stay at home today to watch the entire Trump inauguration on TV. I mean, that happened, and this woman’s mom came and got her, because I wouldn’t put it on the television. What do you do? You let it go. These battles are very different from children’s battles. I mean, there are fights about somebody taking all the crayons, but also, “I’m in love with this person, and they don’t love me back.” With art, there are feelings and emotions, and you get to express them.

We have a volunteer-led painting program that works with people who are nonambulatory, people who are mentally sound but maybe can’t use their hands. They come up with some really dark pieces. Lots of dark browns, lots of reds — really specific choices in abstract paintings. And that person will come up and say, “This is what I’m feeling like today. I’ve had to move to a different house four times in a year,” because they can’t find legitimate help for their daily needs. Painting is their expression about not being able to do things for themselves — not even being able to go to the bathroom by themselves. It can get really dark, because the world looks

really bleak for them.

These Medicaid [reductions] that are coming down the pipeline would put these people in an absolute shell. It wouldn’t provide for them to come here anymore. It wouldn’t call this an “emergency.”

It wouldn’t count this as a service that is necessary to them. A 28-yearold male who’s in a 9-month-old’s headspace — he gets something out of coming here every day. He gets something. He sees colors. He hears music. We’ve gotten letters from our CEOs — ones that are sent out to these families — saying, “This is what’s coming down the pipe.

Talk to your representatives. Tell them this is not what you want.”

So, it’s basically then a fight to get the parents and the people supporting people to understand that they need to do whatever they can do to prevent it, and that they will be directly affected. I fight a large amount of my battles against the bureaucracy — basically, our facility doesn’t receive any Medicaid money when the students leave, when we clock them out to paint somewhere out in the community, when we take them to a play at The Rep. These are the kind of things that we want them to be able to experience, but if they’re not here for a solid eight hours, we don’t get billed for them. We get a lot of opposition.

— as told to Stephanie Smittle

plaining

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

13

GAGE SKIDMORE

Elmer’s Glue stick or some kind of adhesive and use it to make your brow hairs lie flat, and layer it. Then you cover them up with makeup. The trouble is covering up the color.

If you start to sweat, the glue will melt and the eyebrows will pop out.

For men, the skin above the eyelid hangs down a little bit, so we draw on eyebrows higher so we have more space for eye shadow.

Then you get into the foundation and contouring. My cheeks aren’t high, so I’ll draw a fake hollow that’s closer up here and contour my forehead to look smaller.

There’s a lot of hair removal; that’s the most time-consuming.

KATHLEEN: In the old days, if you wanted to be a drag queen, you would go to a club to learn to entertain in drag. You would get a mother, who would teach you makeup and styling, who to go to to get readymade outfits.

Then when you were established [and achieved mother status], you would adopt a daughter or daughter.

TONYA: It’s always a struggle to be innovative and memorable [in your act]. The field is really saturated right now; people will do whatever gimmick no matter how much it puts them in harm’s way, no matter how much they have to put away their dignity. There was a girl [at the club] who was flying

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from the ceiling and did it all with her own gear, she was 25 feet off the ground. She just came in with one of her friends and hooked up to the ceiling. I don’t think she even had a contractor come in to test whether the beam was weight-bearing.

There was another one that — I don’t 100 percent agree with this — that had an actual knife and carved up a raw chicken on stage that she had put blood in. You’ve heard of Santeria, right? It was a raw roaster chicken.

Kathleen: And that was an issue itself because of salmonella …

TONYA: There’s a fire-eater we’re friends with that wanted to do it in the club but wasn’t allowed to, so she did it outside the club.

KATHLEEN: And one girl did the splits without warming up.

TONYA: And someone I know I think got a mild concussion from falling straight backwards.

We try to do humor. Tomorrow I’m going to do a number inspired

by Tonya Harding. I would wear skates but I’m not willing to spend $160 on size 16 figure skates and then hurt myself.

KATHLEEN: I try to make references to movies. Tomorrow I’m going to be doing a “Serial Mom” number, from the movie with Kathleen Turner, by John Waters.

TONYA: A lot of the acts are sexy. We tend to go toward more comedy, but a lot of people prefer to go down a route of traditional, seductive acts, stripping where you’re not actually physically taking off your clothes.

KATHLEEN: I haven’t had anybody be hostile, but there have been times when people don’t know drag etiquette — you don’t go onstage to tip, you don’t grab if a woman is performing and make a pass. It’s a legality to keep us separate from a strip club, which has to do with the age of the people who can get in and food.

TONYA: I’ve gotten ice thrown at me and heckled. It’s hard to see who it is because of the spotlight in your eyes. A lot of times it’s my friends; they’re drunk, and it’s in good humor.

We saw a patron of the club getting beat up by her boyfriend

outside in the street and we ran out and pulled him off and got her back inside with her friends. As petty and drama-filled as it can be, we do all care for each other.

It’s a community of extremes.

Everybody can be really supportive and helpful, give you bobby pins and hairspray and eyelash glue, but the second you step out of line — do a bad performance — they are the first to put you on blast.

KATHLEEN: It’s like blasting someone with a laser. Say you texted me something hateful, I would post the text on Facebook, so that something that is private and ugly is now public. If you say one thing in private and another thing publicly, there is a vigilante justice that goes through the community.

TONYA: The reasons people entertain in drag are very individualistic. For some people it’s an outlet if they have gender dysphoria; it gives them the ability to dress the way they want to.

KATHLEEN: Every since I was young, I’ve always liked women’s fashion, pretty dresses, makeup, how they do their hair. I was denied a lot of that, told, “Don’t be a sissy.” I like to explore my creativity with fashion; with men’s fashion, you can’t.

TONYA: It’s the transformative quality of the art itself. You create a persona and you don’t have to be yourself. It’s kind of like a confidence issue. I can’t make myself look slender, but I can choose the silhouette of my body. It’s fun to step away from what’s always been normal.

My first time in heels on stage, I wore a dress I made myself out of Chick-fil-A bags. We had to go to so many fast food places to get the bags, and we got a KFC bucket that they didn’t want us to have. It took 180 Chick-fil-A bags.

KATHLEEN: The first [Chickfil-A], they gave us 10 bags, and said “I don’t know what you need this for, but I hope it’s for a good cause.”

TONYA: The second was at McCain Mall, and they gave us 30 bags. They didn’t care.

KATHLEEN: When we went

to the one in front of Lowe’s in North Little Rock …

TONYA: These younger girls, they got so excited. They gave us so many bags. If it hadn’t been for them …

I sang “Fergalicious” by Fergie, about candy and food. It’s normal to have a very athletic build — well, not athletic but a toned build, to be lean and strong and skinny in drag, and when you are overweight you get labeled, you’re not going to be able to do any athletic tricks.

That’s the barrier we try to break down. We’re not dancers, but we still want to go out there with as much energy as possible. My first time, though, it was my first night in heels and it was miserably hot in front of the spotlights, hot in the club, hot inside a paper dress with a giant bucket headdress … a full-sized family meal bucket with paper mache drumsticks covered in brown glitter.

KATHLEEN: They were glued on.

TONYA: And I had a chicken nugget box purse.

KATHLEEN: The act I’m most remembered for was when we did the “U.S.A. is AOK” and I based the act on the mockumentary “Drop Dead Gorgeous.” It’s Kirstie Alley and Kirsten Dunst, and they’re doing this pageant and the theme is “The U.S.A. is AOK,” and they come out with headdresses made of different monuments, and say “I love the U.S.A. because …”

TONYA: The club is full of conspiracy theorists, it runs rampant, and people are super convinced that the entire situation with 9/11 was a conspiracy, all fake, a fabrication of the Bush administration.

KATHLEEN: So I came out with the Twin Towers on my head and said, “I’m happy to be living in a country where jet fuel can melt steel beams and an inside job can be covered up to become a national tragedy … .”

TONYA: The movie was set up to make fun of people’s belligerent nationalism. The act was a very nuanced way to be social criticism of the conspiracy that runs rampant in the club.

KATHLEEN: It was not to make fun of the tragedy itself, but

to make fun of the people who don’t believe it was a legitimate terror attack. I sang “Don’t Cry Out Loud” by Melissa Manchester and had two backup dancers who were dressed in cardboard planes, and when they crashed into me they shot off these glitter pens.

TONYA: We were very ready for damage control.

KATHLEEN: We had a long talk about it. What makes legitimate social criticism?

TONYA: There are people who have protested [acts], but if you’re not pissing anybody off, you’re not exciting anyone.

— as told to Leslie Newell Peacock

WOMAN PASTOR

W

omen didn’t start coming up for ordination (in any numbers) until the 1970s in my denomination, though it had been allowed since the 1950s. It was the ’70s when I encountered the first female pastor I’d ever met. I didn’t know it was possible.

The first time I saw a woman pastor I thought, “I don’t think I’m going to like this.” I had never thought about a woman [pastor] before, it didn’t seem right to me.

So I can very much relate to how people think it’s a weird idea. It was to me at first.

What happened, which is what always happens, is that after I had a chance to experience her as a pastor, I thought, ‘What is the big deal? It’s not any different.

She’s just a pastor.’ If you have that skepticism, you have to have a personal experience of a woman as a pastor to get over that.

I was ordained in 1984. I think the first churches I served had objections before I came, but apparently they weren’t so antiwoman to keep it from happening.

Here’s the deal. Every church I’ve ever served, people who are vehemently against women in the ministry leave before I get there. They’re just gone; they find another church. Then there is a sizable number of skeptics, just like I was. It takes about three

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

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weeks for them to realize nothing has changed. Church goes on.

Services go on. They have to realize how unremarkable it is to have a female pastor.

But you do have people who are not always your fans, especially at first. You have to build trust. It’s really important. Some women make the mistake of wanting to come in and change a lot of things. They appear to have an agenda, as far as women’s issues go. But the best way to get progress is not to talk about it in the beginning. Standing in the pulpit is enough to say that women matter. Once you have relationships and you’ve made deposits in the emotional bank account, you can start making withdrawals.

People did come to me occasionally and say they didn’t believe in God. You know, there was a guy in the last church I served, a wonderful guy, but he had cancer. He just struggled, telling me, “I know that people believe in Christianity” — he was a longtime church member — “but I just can’t believe. I don’t have that kind of faith. What am I going to do?”

It was impossible to help him be at peace. I finally said, “It doesn’t matter. It’s OK. You are who you are, you believe what you believe.

You don’t have to make yourself believe if you don’t.” I hope that, in the very end, he found peace.

I’m just too liberal, I guess, but I think we should trust our instincts and what makes sense to us. The church to me is a means to an end.

It’s not an end in itself. It’s to help you feel at peace, it’s a source of love and comfort and strength, and if you don’t find it there maybe you can find it somewhere else.

Buddhism is a wonderful source, I think.

The older I get, the less it matters as far as specific religious beliefs. I could never be ordained today.

When I was a kid I used to think about hell a lot, not that it’s

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JULY 13, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

mentioned much in my denomination. I would think, “There’s a God who’s going to decide that you’ve done 57 horrible things in your life so you’re going to hell, but here is someone who’s done 56 horrible things and they don’t?”

It just didn’t make sense.

A lot of things pushed me to go into the ministry. I’m glad for it, but I could never do it again.

I’m just in a different place. When I was a pastor, I believed that I believed, I was not being insincere at all. I wasn’t trying to fool anyone.

But over the years [you see] life is so very cruel. This creation is beautiful, but very cruel. Look at the animal kingdom — predator, predator, predator. With humans, too. If there is a creator, why create something that is so absolutely guaranteed to make you suffer?

The TV series “The Young Pope” — a lot of people don’t like it, but I think it’s great. It made me think about, maybe I just try to make God be benevolent, but maybe God is not benevolent.

Maybe I’m just refusing to accept that that is a possibility.

— as told to Leslie Newell Peacock

LPN, LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY

I

don’t get grossed out. I really don’t. Somebody who might have a bad cough — who coughs stuff up out of their lungs — that grosses me out a little, but pretty much nothing else. Our CNAs [Certified Nursing Assistants] are the ones who really bust their asses and take care of the patients. I’m talking about they clean up vomit, they clean up feces, they clean up urine, they clean up — well, people that have tube feedings, those will sometimes leak and they clean that up. They’re the ones that get down and dirty, and they’re the least paid. I understand how it works — they’re also

the least educated, but they’re the ones who take care of the patients.

The nurses give them medicine, perform assessments, communicate with doctors and families.

And they do paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork. But the CNAs check vital signs, make sure the patients have water, make sure they’re bathed and clean, that their sheets and blankets are clean and dry. For the ones who can’t take care of themselves at all, they keep their mouths clean and perform mouth care. They’re the ones who have the nasty job. Imagine that you can’t get out of a wheelchair by yourself and you know you have to go to the bathroom, but everyone’s busy doing something for someone else right now. And you know, it’s dignity smashed to smithereens when they shit on themselves. But it happens.

You get attached to people.

On the long-term care side, some of them are there seven or eight years. In our facility right now, we have a lady who’s been there nine years. It’s hard. A lot of times, there aren’t family members left to make medical decisions. It’s hard for a niece or a granddaughter or a nephew to make their loved one a DNR, where they’re not resuscitated if they go into cardiac arrest.

There are people who, if they weren’t getting artificially fed and artificially hydrated, they’d have died. They become contracted because they can’t have therapy since they don’t have Medicare. If they’re on Medicaid and in longterm care they give up all their money but $40 a month. The facility they’re in is responsible for all their medication and all their food, and the facility is owned by a corporation who’s looking at the bottom line. If they make money that year, administrators, admission specialists and the Directors of Nursing get a bonus. So they understaff the facility — it’s a horrible thing to see, but there can be people waiting to go to the bath-

room — or worse, sitting in their own waste — while a CNA is next door helping someone else.

They need to be looking at acuity — what does it take for a person to be taken care of properly?

We do things in our facility that used to be done in a hospital setting. If someone is incontinent and can’t move and has to be turned every two hours and they can’t lick their own lips or wipe their own face, then someone should be spending maybe 20 minutes with that person four or six times a day. Sometimes that doesn’t happen, and bedsores occur. Which makes people irate because there’s always an attorney on TV saying, “If your loved one gets a bedsore … .” It’s all a big circus, and it really just depends on how much Medicare or Medicaid is going to pay you for that patient.

I work in a facility where the budget is $5.25 per person per day for food, and it looks like shit on the plate. They give them a bologna sandwich with a piece of cheese and a packet of mayonnaise and a packet of mustard on the side. I mean, it’s pitiful what people who don’t have money have to do at the end of their lives — probably after working their asses off their whole lives.

I love those little old people.

They become almost like your grandparents. For me, that’s the way it is. It’s not that way for everyone; people that work there get aggravated, and some of the patients are aggravating. There are people there that are 80, 90 years old, who still use the N-word and cuss people who are taking care of them because they’re black. That happens. But these people are at the end of their life, and they all deserve to be treated with love and respect. It’s a heart-wrenching thing, and it pulls you in every direction.

— as told to Stephanie Smittle

WOMAN TATTOO ARTIST

A

woman doing tattoo work is going to have to deal with a lot of dick jokes. A lot of calling women “bitches.” It all depends on who you’re working for, though.

There are some tattoo artists in the community who are super P.C., and some who are not. I’ve definitely had to deal with a form of sexism that’s like, “Oh, I want the girl to tattoo me because she can draw better.” Like, favoritism sexism.

Everybody wants a woman tattoo artist at this time, and it kind of makes some of the dudes upset.

Right now, I think that a lot of the tattoo artists you see coming out with solid, fresh new ideas are women.

For the longest time, we weren’t given a shot. We were told what to do. We were told, “You tattoo what’s over here. I’ll do all the flash.

You go through me, and I’ll tell you what you can put out.”

And you know, tattooing as we know it in America only really goes back to wartime.

In Eastern cultures, it’s definitely much more ancient. So, women have come a long way here in a very short amount of time.

One time this guy came in and asked for a face tattoo of his girlfriend’s name. Right across his face. And we were like, “Are you shitting me?” And, I did a dick bouquet for a woman once.

Like, a bouquet of ejaculating dicks.

The majority of tattoos I’ve done have been on women and gay men. I think I’ve only tattooed two straight men in my entire life,

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

17

and I am totally cool with that.

Women want women tattooers. Maybe they feel more comfortable about it. I don’t know. But they don’t usually ask for the guys. Biker dudes who come in don’t want me to touch ’em. They don’t feel like I’m gonna do it justice; I’m not gonna do their rebel flag justice, or I’m not gonna do their reaper right.

(Laughs.) And I probably would put a dick in its eyeball or something.

— as told to Stephanie Smittle

A MEMBER OF THE ARKANSAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

I

WALT STONEBURN

ER

would hope that anybody who runs for office wants to be a public servant.

The word politician has earned an unfortunate connotation. A negative connotation.

There are people who show up in Little Rock and you don’t necessarily see them do a whole lot.

But it is important to remember that legislating is not our sole job. Just because someone doesn’t go down there and run a ton of legislation, it doesn’t mean they’re not working for their constituents back home, it doesn’t mean they’re not being a thoughtful presence in committee or in their respective chamber. But you do hope that

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ARKANSAS TIMES

when somebody gets elected to the legislature or any office, they are doing something and not just enjoying the title.

I really genuinely believe [that] it’s not nearly as toxic or polarized [here] as it is in our nation’s capital right now. There are definitely partisan fights, but those are small in number compared to the number of bills we actually pass. You can have the most right-wing legislator and the most left-wing legislator and they still vote together more than 80 percent of the time. Unfortunately, the partisan issues tend to get more of the attention. You just try to put together as broad a coalition as you can, both politically and geographically: conservative Democrats, moderate Republicans.

We’re a relatively small state.

In D.C., you fly in, you’re there for a couple days or a week. It’s my understanding that these days, there’s not a lot of commingling between members of opposite parties [in Washington]. In Little Rock, there still is. There’s less since the ethics laws passed, because there’s not the dinners. It is, I think, one of the interesting unintended consequences that we have started to see members from opposite parties and different parts of the state are socializing less because there isn’t somebody actively pulling different groups together to take them out.

It’s not that we’re all too cheap to buy our own dinner. But before that, you did have lobbyists who were strategically pulling people together to try to build relationships. Now, that’s really on us, and it doesn’t happen quite as often. I wouldn’t say it’s reason enough to go back to the old days of ethics [rules], but I think it’s worth pointing out to people that something like that wasn’t all bad. There were positive aspects.

I would think it would be all but impossible to go down for a legislative session and not have any contact with the lobbyists. When you show up as a first-time legisla-

tor, you’re going to end up working on issues that are outside your area of expertise. You just are. The lobbyists know the issues. They’re a great, quick resource. Obviously, they almost always have an angle, something they’re trying to push.

But in my personal experience, I’ve never had a lobbyist mislead me or misrepresent anything. I figure that’s just because they know that if they do that once, they’ve probably lost you forever. Even if they don’t get your vote now, they might need your vote later. I make it a practice to always ask them: You want this particular piece of legislation. Why would somebody be against it? I make them argue the other side. If they can’t or aren’t willing to, I’m not willing to trust what they’re saying. There’s always at least one other side.

I do think that there are legislators who are more influenced by lobbyists than others. I can’t think of any lobbyists, though, that I haven’t voted with and voted against. I’m not in the pocket of anybody. I think it wouldn’t be entirely unfair to say that there have been legislators who were in the pocket of certain lobbyists.

That’s all I’ll say there. But if you’re that worried about somebody getting bought by a steak or a hamburger, you should do a better job of finding somebody to run, or you should vote for somebody else.

Is corruption widespread?

Given recent events, I don’t necessarily want to say that it’s not.

[Laughs.] It certainly seems to have at least some presence, but I don’t think it’s to the level you’ve seen in other states, or in our nation’s capital. It’s a shame when something like that happens. Every time, it just makes it harder on everybody else.

If one politician does it, everyone gets painted with the same brush.

If it wasn’t worth it, I wouldn’t be doing it. Every job has its frustrations and challenges. It can be tough. Right after the [presidential] election, [my spouse] and I

were like, “Ugh, I can’t imagine going down to Little Rock.” Honestly, there were a couple of days there when I questioned whether I even wanted to. But I looked at our child, and I thought: I can’t imagine her growing up, getting old enough to learn about the election, and her asking me: “What did you do then?” I didn’t want to have to tell her: “That’s when I decided to hang it up.”

So, you just keep going. It’s more important now to fight than ever. I don’t want to make it sound like it’s only important for Democrats to fight. I think that it’s important for anybody who really cares about our institutions and still believes in the power of government and its ability to do good, and who still believes in civility and democracy. It’s important for them to be involved, regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum.

We need more people running for office who are interested in governing, and not just being in office.

— as told to David Koon

BAIL BONDSMAN

I

t’s different every day. Some hard days, some rough days, some easy days.

Basically, somebody will come in or they’ll call and we’ll go down to the jail. Or they fill out their paperwork here, pay here, we go down to the jail. Probably five or six a day.

The family waits outside and we go into the back with the inmates.

We sign the book, but we don’t pay at the windows. We actually go through the bonding doors. You go through one door, you’re in the middle of two doors. You have to wait on them to allow you into the next door.

When you get in, there are like five tables in there. There are chairs in there. It may just be you and two other bondsman. It may be

you and 15 people that are getting released. It may be full of inmates.

It’s not just you and your inmate.

So, they bring the guy out or girl. Whichever one. We fill out our bond. We fill it and bring $20 in. So we pay a jail fee of $20, but it’s broke up into different charities. The actual jail only gets like $2 or $3 off it. So they’re really not making all this money that everybody thinks that the jail’s making off of the bond.

They take it back to the sergeant, to approve the guy or girl to be [bonded out]. Then [the person being bonded out] will go in a room and they’ll change out.

They’ll get their clothes that they went to jail with back. They’ll put them on. Then they’ll go to the window and get their property back: their phones, keys, wallets, whatever they went into jail with, they’ll get that back at that time.

And then, we just wait.

Sometimes there’s a long wait over there. It can be four or five hours. But, at the same time, you got to think about what all they’ve got going on. We’re not the only one there. There’s other bondsmen there, there’s other people there needing things. So you just have to wait that out, too. You can’t expect to just be real fast-paced every time. And they may have a code over there. If they have a code over there, we’re stuck just like the inmates: We’re not getting in or out either.

When they let us out, that’s when we go back out with the family. Most of the time it’s normal business, but you do have some mamas. It’s more the moms that are real upset.

We get 10 percent of the bond and $80 of the state fee. Say it’s like a $4,000 bond; it’s going to be $480.

That’s the easy part. Then it’s keeping up with them afterward, staying in contact with them. We gotta call them and let them know their next court date. Make sure they’re staying on top of that kind

of stuff.

And we tell them when they’re back there the stipulations of their bonds. Because that right there’s going to let you know if they start arguing with you: “Hey, do you really want to bond this person or do you not?”

Literally, we are babysitting them. It’s like teaching a baby to walk. You know, there’s a first step where they have their bond hearing, and then they have their plea arrangement, then they have the next step.

They have to call in every week, too. That way we can keep up with them, because if they miss court then we got something to go off of. Like every week they call in you verify their name, phone number and address. A lot of times they’ll give you a different number though. They’ll call you and give you the number that they bonded out with but yet they’re calling from another number.

You know, sometimes you gotta go out there. You go to the addresses. On the application there will be like five or six different addresses and references: their mama, their daddy, brothers, sisters, friends. Whoever. And then you have to go to each address. Or you may have to dig further, pull their public records. We get authorization to pull any kind of records.

You go out there, you surround the house, knock on the door. And sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s hard. They’ll hide from you.

You have to go in, search the house.

Just like something you see on [the television show] “Cops.”

There’s about eight of us that go.

When you get out there you never know. People high on drugs, people drunk. You never know what it’s going to be. Maybe a gun lying in that room when you go in. You just never know. It’s a day-to-day thing you face.

— as told to Jacob Rosenberg

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

19

Arts Entertainment AND

ey Block plays the music of Spike Lee’s films

SPIKE LEE JOINT, DOUBLE FEATURE: Rodn 1989’s “Do the Right Thing.”

“Y

ou remember Lee’s movies because you remember the songs and melodies used to tell the story.” That’s what trumpeter Rodney Block, a longtime admirer of the films of Spike Lee, says about “joints” like “Mo’ Better Blues,” “School Daze,” “Love and Basketball,” and “Malcolm X.” He and his band, the Rodney Block Collective, will perform selections from these movies for the Arkansas Sounds concerts of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, which is 20

JULY 13, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

Friday night, following a Thursday screening

celebrating the African-American filmmaker with a showing of “Do the Right Thing,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 13.

“I’ve always admired and enjoyed Spike Lee’s movies,” Block said, “but I truly became a fan when ‘Mo’ Better Blues’ hit the scene in the early ’90s. It was the combination of traditional jazz and hip-hop music on the soundtrack that made this particular movie about a trumpet player [played by Denzel Washington] stand out to me.

“I’ve watched this movie probably 300 times over the years, and the music

of

is still fresh like the very first time I heard it. The uniqueness about Lee is not only the movie itself, but the

soundtrack, too; it has just as much depth and thoughtfulness in how it serves the story.”

“Do The Right Thing” is Lee’s 1989 portrait of an African-American neighborhood where tension is building between residents and the Italian-American and Korean families who own business there. It presents deeply flawed characters on both sides of almost every conflict, and derives its continued relevance from events that — though very much of that time — still resonate in 2017. It isn’t a musical, but it’s filled with music from beginning to end.

The film takes place on one day in Bedford-Stuyvesant, on the hottest day of summer. It opens with local DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy (Samuel L. Jackson) holding an alarm clock up to his microphone, urging the neighborhood to wake up, and while he never leaves his studio, his voice and the music he plays are connective threads that tie the film together. There’s even a good 90-second “roll call” where Love Daddy shouts out the variety of artists he plays, from Count Basie to Tracy Chapman to Run DMC. Lee’s father, jazz bassist Bill Lee, composed original music for the film as well.

Arkansas Sounds coordinator John Miller interviewed Block earlier this year for the Primary Sources podcast of the Central Arkansas Library System. “We had a nice long talk and ended up afterwards thinking about ideas for an Arkansas Sounds event with his band,” Miller said.

“I asked him if there was something he’d always wanted to do but couldn’t or hadn’t yet. He spoke of his love of Spike Lee and his desire to have a con-

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cert of Spike’s film music. I had the idea of a larger tribute to include a film or films. We immediately decided to screen “Do the Right Thing,” due to its association with summer and its relevance in today’s world, and to have Rodney’s concert be a journey through the music of Spike’s films.”

Block came up with the name “40 Acres and A Block: A Spike Lee Tribute,” a reference to Lee’s production company, 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks.

Miller remembered seeing the film in theaters when it was first released.

“While the film portrayed the intense heat and heavy humidity of summer and the boiling tempers and smothering frustration of the neighborhood,” he noted, “I walked out of the theater thinking this film was amazing, refreshing and simple. Simple in the way that it was the truth; refreshing in the way that this truth existed on film at all. And amazing in the way this truth was being told in the first place. Perhaps that’s why it’s relevant today. Truth is always true, even 28 years later.”

Assuming there is a 20-year statute of limitations on soft spoilers, it bears mentioning that while the bulk of the film is comedic, it culminates in violence, the loss of a life and a subsequent riot. It’s a story that black audiences have known for years.

Miller said the film is “very relevant, complex and nuanced, and I think most real relationships are, whether between individuals or groups. Perhaps a lot of films don’t portray these relationships honestly, particularly when race and ethnicity is involved, because they’re generally just trying to make money, cover costs and not wanting to wade through the murky waters of race, injustice and social structure. And maybe the complexity of those subjects make it hard for audiences to process and for a director to tackle them in a two-hour film.

Yet Spike chose to wade through those waters and made an artistic statement without being overcome by this baggage.”

Admission is $5 for the film, $10 for the concert. An after-party Friday at Zin Wine Bar, 300 River Market Ave., features a local DJ; cover is $5.

MEMPHIS DUO 8BALL & MJG are headlining U.N.I.T.Y. (United Neighbors in Touch with Youth), a concert set for Friday, July 14, at the Revolution Music Room organized in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Power Ultra Lounge earlier this month. The Rodney Block Collective, Rod D, Big Piph (Epiphany Morrow), Young Freq and Stephan James share the bill, and organizers say door proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas. The concert, organizer Michael Brown said, is a way to “come together in solidarity to heal our community through the power of music … . Let’s do some good, heal some wounds, and make some money for the kids.” General admission is $30 in advance, $40 at the door, and VIP tickets are $50.

PADMA VISWANATHAN IS the recipient of the 2017 Porter Fund Literary Prize, a $2,000 award presented annually by a nonprofit established in 1984 to honor the memory of Dr. Ben Kimpel, chairman of the English department at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and named for his mother, Gladys Crane Porter. The award goes to writers with an Arkansas connection. “It seemed somehow fitting that I received the call about being selected for the Porter Prize while watching my kids play in Central Park,” Viswanathan said. “No matter where I go now, Arkansas, my adopted home, exerts an irresistible pull. I didn’t know, when I moved to Fayetteville 11 years ago, whether Arkansas would have me, nor what I would have to offer this place. To be awarded the Porter Prize feels like a response to those questions.

I am profoundly honored.” Viswanathan, an associate professor of creative writing at the UA, will be honored at an award ceremony Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Main Library’s Darragh Center Auditorium.

ARMISTEAD MAUPIN, THE author of the “Tales of the City” series and “Babycakes” and subject of the film “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin,” will appear at this summer’s Kaleidoscope Festival, the Film Society of Little Rock’s LGBT-focused film event to take place Aug. 11-19 at Argenta Community Theater, South on Main and Flyway Brewing. Maupin appears at South on Main in partnership with the Oxford American magazine. The festival opens with “Hello Again,” a musical depiction of 10 love affairs across a century, starring Audra McDonald, Martha Plimpton, Cheyenne Jackson and others. Cheryl Dunye, star and director of the feature film “The Watermelon Woman,” is slated to appear at the festival for a screening celebrating the 20th anniversary of the acclaimed film’s release. “The Watermelon Woman” — often cited as the first feature-length film directed by and about a black lesbian — explored

themes of sexuality, race and economics by depicting a search for the identity of an uncredited black actress in a 1930s Hollywood film called “Plantation Memories.” Also on the lineup at Kaleidoscope 2017: a culinary event with celebrity chef Crystal “Chef Pink” DeLongpre and her wife, Courtney Rae of Bacon & Brine; a drag queen brunch and other film screenings, including “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin,” “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson,” “Jesus,” “the Ornithologist,” “Princess Cyd,” “The Wound,” “Saturday Church,” “Brothers of the Night,” “Signature Move,” “Small Talk,” “The Untamed” as well as “The Revival,” filmed in Arkansas by Jennifer Gerber, the interim director of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival.

MURPHY ARTS DISTRICT, the $100 million project to revitalize downtown El Dorado, has announced additions to its five-day launch festival, which kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 27: Hunter Hayes, 2012 CMA New Artist of the Year, and Arkansas songwriter Ashley McBryde have been added to the stellar lineup, which includes Lyle Lovett, Ludacris, X Ambassadors, ZZ Top, a free concert from Smokey Robinson with the South Arkansas Symphony, John Hiatt, Migos, Robert Earl Keen, Chase Bryant, Brad Paisley, Natasha Bedingfield, Train and Robert Randolph and The Family Band.

For more information or tickets to the grand opening festivities, visit eldomad. com.

ARKANSAS SOUNDS, A project of the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, announced the lineup for its Sounds in the Stacks program, a series of piano concerts in libraries across Central Arkansas. On Thursday, July 27, KATV, Channel 7, chief meteorologist Ned Perme performs in the Maumelle Library, 10 Lake Pointe Drive; on Tuesday, Aug. 29, Tim Anthony plays at the Dee Brown Library, 6325 Baseline Road; on Tuesday, Sept. 26, Robert “Frisbee” Coleman & Franko Nilsson Coleman duet at Fletcher Library, 823 N. Buchanan Street; on Thursday, Oct. 19, Brenda & Ellis duet at the Terry Library, 2015 Napa Valley Drive; and on Thursday, Nov. 16, Jeff Coleman tickles the ivories at Sanders Library, 31 Shelby Drive, Sherwood. All concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

ROBERT BEAN, DEPARTMENT chair of the Museum School of the Arkansas Arts Center, will be drawing on the walls of the Museum Faculty Gallery in the lower lobby from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday through Friday, July 21.

The installation, “Personal Spaces,” will use imagery inspired by several sources, including Bean’s poetry, to create 13 narratives in one large drawing.

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“Annie.” The Weekend Theater’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical. 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2:30 p.m. Sun., through July 16. $16-$20. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761.

“Sweet Charity.” Argenta Community Theater’s production of Cy Coleman’s Tony Award-winning musical. 7 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. through July 29. $30. 405 Main St., NLR. 501-353-1443.

“The Pervert and the Pentecostal.” The Main Thing’s summer musical comedy. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., through Sept. 1. $24. The Joint Theater & Coffeehouse. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-372-0205.

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The Arkansas Arts Council is accepting entries for the 2018 Small Works on Paper touring exhibition through July 21. Juror will be James Phillips, artist and associate professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Awards totaling $2,000 will be given. The show will open in January 2018 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Go to the programs link arkansasarts.org to find an online entry form or call Cheri Leffew at 324-9767 for more information.

FINE ART, HISTORY EXHIBITS MAJOR VENUES ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “Feed Your Mind Friday” with ceramicist Julia Baugh, noon July 14; live drawing

by Robert Bean of “Personal Spaces,” 13 narratives, on the Faculty Gallery wall, noon-5 p.m. weekdays, official opening July 18; 59th annual “Delta Exhibition,” through Aug. 27; “56th Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition,” through July 23; “Drawing on History: National Drawing Invitational Retrospective,” works from the permanent collection, through Sept. 24. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sun. 372-4000.

ARTS CENTER OF THE OZARKS, 214 Main St., Springdale: “Sensory Iconoclast,” paintings by chefs, through Sept. 10, reception 6-8 p.m. Aug. 8, to be followed Aug. 23 by a dinner prepared by painters, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. 10 a.m.5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 479-7515441.

ARTS & SCIENCE CENTER FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS, 701 S. Main St., Pine Bluff: “Color in Space: The Art of Justin Bryant,” through Sept. 9. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat. 870-536-3375.

BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Sammy Peters: Then and Now,” abstract paintings, through Aug. 26; “Historic Bridges of Arkansas,” photographs by Maxine Payne, through Aug. 26; open 5-8 p.m.

July 14, 2nd Friday Art Night, music by Saxman Daryl Minefee. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790.

CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSEUM VISI22

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ARKANSAS TIMES

TOR 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: “Xtreme Bugs,” animatronic insects, through July 23; permanent exhibits on the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., $10 adults, $8 seniors, retired military and college students, $6 youth 6-17, free to active military and children under 6.

CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way, Bentonville: “Chihuly: In the Gallery and in the Forest,” works by the glass artist Dale Chihuly, through Aug. 14, $20, ticket required (tickets.crystalbridges.org); “Animal Meet Human,” 16 works, including Adonna Khare’s 40-foot-long pencil drawing, “Elephants,” and Helen Frankenthaler’s “The Bullfight,” through Oct. 30; “Not to Scale: Highlights from the Fly’s Eye Dome Archive,” drawings and models of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome, through March 2018; “Roy Lichtenstein in Focus,” five large works, through July; American masterworks spanning four centuries in the permanent collection. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed., Fri.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun., closed Tue. 479-418-5700.

ESSE PURSE MUSEUM & STORE, 1510 S. Main St.: “Take Your Purse With You: The Reimagined Work of Katherine Strause,” paintings, through Aug. 27; “What’s Inside: A Century of Women and Handbags,” permanent exhibit. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun. $10, $8 for students, seniors and military. 916-9022.

FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM, 1601 Rogers Ave.: “Carlos Luna,” mixed-media on wood, paintings and Jacquard tapestries, through Sept. 18; “K. Nelson Harper: Lasting Impressions,” art of the letterpress, through Sept. 3. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787.

HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. 3rd St.: “Gordon and Wenonah Fay Holl: Collecting a Legacy,” through Feb. 4, 2018; “Traces Remain,” installation by Dawn Holder and works on paper by Melissa CowperSmith, through Aug. 6; “Portraits of Friends”

by Dani Ives, through Aug. 6; open 5-8 p.m.

July 14, 2nd Friday Art Night, with beer from Diamond Bear and music by Tonya Leeks. Ticketed tours of renovated and replicated 19th century structures from original city, guided Monday and Tuesday on the hour, self-guided Wednesday through Sunday, $2.50 adults, $1 under 18, free to 65 and over. (Galleries free.) 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351.

MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, 503 E. 9th St. (MacArthur Park): “Work, Fight, Give: American Relief Posters of WWII,” through Aug. 16; “Waging Modern Warfare”; “Gen. Wesley Clark”; “Vietnam, America’s Conflict”; “Undaunted Courage, Proven Loyalty: Japanese American Soldiers in World War II. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 3764602.

MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, 9th and Broadway: “Not Forgotten: An Arkansas Family Album,” photographs by Nina Robinson; permanent exhibits on African-American entrepreneurship in Arkansas. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 683-3593.

MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Human Plus,” low and hightech tools that extend human abilities, through Sept. 10; also interactive science exhibits. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m.

Sun., $10 ages 13 and older, $8 ages 1-12, free to members and children under 1. 3967050.

7 P.M. TUESDAY, JULY 18

$ 8 . 50

RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA 2600 CANTRELL RD

AT CANTRELL GALLERY: Paul Caldwell’s landscape photography is featured in an exhibition, “Chasing the Light, from Arkansas to California,” through Sept. 2.

501.296.9955 | RIVERDALE10.COM ELECTRIC RECLINER SEATS AND RESERVED SEATING OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham St.: “2nd Friday Cinema: Raiders of the Lost Ark,” 5:30 p.m. July 14, with beer and pizza; “Cabinet of Curiosities: Treasures from the University of Arkansas Museum Collection”; “True Faith, True Light: The Devotional Art of Ed Stilley,” musical instruments, through 2017; “First Families: Mingling of Politics and Culture” permanent exhibit including first ladies’ gowns. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685.

SOUTH ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, 110 E. 5th St., El Dorado: “2017 Juried Art Competition,” 69 works by 47 artists chosen by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art curator Dylan Turk, through July 28. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 870-862-5474.

TOLTEC MOUNDS STATE PARK, U.S. Hwy. 165, England: Major prehistoric Indian site with visitors’ center and museum. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun., closed Mon. $4 for adults, $3 for ages 6-12, $14 for family. 961-9442.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Nasty Woman,” work by 35 women artists from Arkansas and across the nation, including Heather Beckwith, Susan Chambers, Melissa Cowper-Smith, Norwood Creech, Beverly Buys, Nancy Dunaway, Margo Duvall, Melissa Gill, Mia Hall, Louise Halsey, Diane Harper, Tammy Harrington, Heidi Hogden, Robyn Horn, Jeanie Hursley, Catherine Kim, Kimberly Kwee and Jolie Livaudais, through Aug. 25, closing reception 5-7 p.m. Aug. 25. Weekdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 569-8977.

WALTON ARTS CENTER, Fayetteville: “Glacial Shifts, Changing Perspectives,” large-scale paintings and photographs documenting glacial melt by Diane Burko, through September, Joy Pratt Markham Gallery. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, noon-4 p.m. Sat. 479-443-5600.

WILLIAM F. LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St., NLR: Arkansas League of Artists 2017 “Members Show,” through July 28. 416-4729.

SMALLER VENUES ARGENTA ART GALLERY, 413 Main St., NLR: “Drip Drop,” 20 paintings by Morgan Coven Herndon, through July 14.

ARTISTS WORKSHOP GALLERY, 610 Central Ave., Hot Springs: Jim Reimer and Caryl Joy Young, paintings, through July.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-6 p.m. Sun. 623-6401.

BARRY THOMAS FINE ART & STUDIO, 711 Main St., NLR: Paintings

by Thomas. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 349-2383.

BELLA VITA JEWELRY, 523 S. Louisiana St.: Handmade jewelry, open 5-8 p.m. July 14, 2nd Friday Art Night. 396-9146.

CANTRELL GALLERY, 8205 Cantrell Road.

“Chasing the Light, from Arkansas to California,” photographs by Paul Caldwell, through Sept. 2. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335.

CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880.

CORE BREWERY, 411 Main St., NLR: “Faces

by Chalino,” work by Luis “Chalino” Atilano.

COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: “Kaleidoscope,” work by Sandra Marson, open 5-8 July 14, 2nd Friday Art Night. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 918-3093.

DRAWL GALLERY, 5208 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by regional and Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 2407446.

GALLERY 221, 2nd and Center Sts.: Work by William McNamara, Tyler Arnold, Amy Edgington, EMILE, Kimberly Kwee, Greg Lahti, Sean LeCrone, Mary Ann Stafford, Cedric Watson, C.B. Williams, Gino Hollander, Siri

presents…

Sean McGowan Thursday July 20 7:30 p.m.

The Joint

“A fingerstyle jazz guitarist who combines many diverse musical influences 301 Main Street with unconventional North Little Rock techniques to create a broad palette of textures” Tickets $25 Available at the door or online at www.argentaartsacousticmusic.com or www.centralarkansastickets.com

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

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A TWISTED TRIO: The Fourth Wall Arts Ensemble performs this Thursday night, capping off Wildwood Academy of Music & The Arts’ Summer Festival.

THURSDAY 7/13

THE FOURTH WALL ENSEMBLE

7:30 p.m. Wildwood Park for the Arts. $15.

Flutist Hilary Abigana’s feet do not touch the floor during the second half of Erik Satie’s “Gymnopedie No. 1,” arranged especially for this “hybrid ensemble” trio. Instead, she renders the curious, contemplative melody from atop the back of her colleague C. Neil Parsons, who’s put down his trademark trombone to dance in tandem with Abigana, supporting her only with only his shoulder muscles and fingertips as she points her toes to the sky, upside down. In celebration of Independence Day this year, Abigana, Parsons and percussionist Greg Jukes made a 30-second video

clip of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” involving acro-yoga techniques and a one-handed piccolo trill, with a parade of extras encircling the trio with sparklers. The ensemble is ruining it for all the talented musicians who just want to report for duty and play Bach’s “Prelude in G Major” beautifully — and on standard instruments, maybe, instead of Boomwhackers. But the trio is also teaching students of music how to incorporate freedom of movement and a sense of play into their musicianship, in this case the students at this summer’s Wildwood Academy of Music & The Arts (WAMA). The public is invited to attend this last WAMA Summer Festival concert.

The $15 admission supports future scholarships for WAMA students. SS

THURSDAY 7/13-SUNDAY 7/30

‘HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL’

7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2:30 p.m. Sun. The Studio Theatre. $16-$18.

It’s here, in musical form — the original “Mean Girls,” the movie that gave us “What is your damage?” and “How very.” The 1988 film “Heathers” pretty much flopped at the box office, but it

crept into pop culture as a tutorial in first-rate snark and a dark sign of how destructively cutthroat high school can be. In 2010, the guy who wrote the musical adaptation of “Reefer Madness” gave “Heathers” the musical treatment, and in 2014, the play started making the rounds in smaller theaters nationwide.

For the Community Theater of Little Rock’s performance, the last production in CTLR’s 61st season, Natalie Williams plays our hero Veronica, Grace Taylor plays fallen alpha Heather Chandler, Frank O. Butler directs, Tanner Ogelsby directs the music and Jerry Woods produces. Thursday’s show is a

Pocket Preview, in which the company accepts donations in exchange for viewing the show’s final dress rehearsal. For all other shows, bringing along a gently used pair of running shoes to donate will knock $1 off your admission price.

CTLR advises that the show is “not suitable for children and younger teens.” SS

through conversion therapy,” the band’s lead singer said on a visit to The Onion’s A.V. Club, the Phoenix quintet bills itself as “the world’s only Nedal band.” That is to say: These guys dress up like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons and play hardcore metal. Their latest, “Howdilly

Doodilly,” features tracks like “White Wine Spritzer,” “More Animal Than Flan” and “Godspeed Little Doodle,” all lovingly attributed to quotes from Homer Simpson’s devoutly religious neighborino except for the album’s closer, “All That Is Left,” penned by

frontman head Ned: “Come to the mall/ There you will find all that is left/When you feel left out and everything right seems wrong/Set your paws to the south and there you will find all that is left.” Local dream rockers I Was Afraid open the show. SS

THURSDAY 7/13

OKILLY DOKILLY

10 p.m. Four Quarter Bar. $12.

Owing as much to Christopher Guest, Weird Al and Megadeth as they do to Matt Groening, this is the kind of stuff mash-up dreams are made of. Made up of “two lefties and three righties going 24

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ARKANSAS TIMES

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IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 7/13 Second City Conservatory alum Dave Landau takes the stage at The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., $8-$12.

Arkansas Public Media hosts Arkansas trivia at Stone’s Throw Brewing, 6:30 p.m., free. Jay Jackson hosts Comedy Cage Match, a faceoff among three comedians, 8 p.m., The Joint, $8. Brian Nahlen and Nick Devlin play a happy hour set at Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free, and later, Jet 420 hosts the Cajun’s Swingin’ Deck Party, 9 p.m., $5.

FRIDAY 7/14

‘PAVEMENTS ARE BURNING’: Red Octopus Theater’s summer sketch comedy production, “Cruel Summer,” opens at The Public Theatre on Thursday.

THURSDAY 7/13-SATURDAY 7/15

RED OCTOPUS THEATER: ‘CRUEL SUMMER’

8 p.m. The Public Theatre, 616 Center St. $8-$10.

If, like pop pioneers/hoop earring aficionados Bananarama, you are “trying to smile but the air is so heavy and dry,” Red Octopus Theater’s new show is bound to help a little. “Cruel Summer,” the troupe’s beat-the-heat sketch comedy show, is “all about every-

one’s love-hate relationship with June through August in Arkansas,” a press release read. “Sketch subjects range from the White House to the White River as Red Octopus pokes fun at the Summer of 2017.” I’d wager they’ve got ample material to poke at since last summer’s production, and the ensemble has welcomed a couple of new additions to the fold, Sarena Kaye Crowe and Jon Hatton. “Red Octopus, like any

theater, really,” longtime troupe member Jason Willey told us, “needs new blood, new faces and new voices from time to time to keep it fresh and relevant and exciting. If you don’t find those new people, the thing will die.”

Crowe and Hatton perform with Willey, Alli Clark, Lesley Dancer, Josh Doering, Scott Dombroski, Sam Grubb, Jeremiah James Herman and Anderson Penix. SS

SATURDAY 7/15

THE MIKE DILLON BAND

10 p.m. Four Quarter Bar. $8.

Brave Combo and freak jazz fans, you can tune out, because you already know who Mike Dillon is, anyway. For the uninitiated, though, Dillon is a wildly talented percussionist who’s managed to take one of the least punk instruments

ever — the vibraphone — and find lots of weird, trippy things to do with it. His list of past collaborators includes Les Claypool and Ani DiFranco, and he’s made a habit of teaming up with saxophone provocateur Skerik in ensembles like The Dead Kenny G’s, Critters Buggin and Garage a Trois. To see his percussion ensemble play is to get an immer-

sive lesson in polyrhythm, and to hear the vibraphone do things it doesn’t get to do very often: clink, clang, accelerate and be the focal point of pieces titled “Pansperdomic Space Dust” and “Bring Back Your Purse Full.” If you’ve ever yawned at modern jazz, or found it too sanguine or too erudite, here’s your antidote. SS

Genine Perez & The Sound bring a “Summer Feel Good Set” to South on Main, 9 p.m., $15. Brian Nahlen fans, take note: The baritone, his full band and guests Nick Devlin, CandySoul, Cody Short, Stephen Winter and Anna Jordan are playing the entirety of his EP “Better Than I Thought It Could Be” and most of his full-length album “Cicada Moon,” 9 p.m., Four Quarter Bar, $8. Charlotte Taylor performs at Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m., free. Lama Dudjom Dorjee Rinpoche gives a talk titled “Heartfelt Advice: Why Meditation Helps,” 7 p.m., Ecumenical Buddhist Society of Little Rock, 1516 W. 3rd St., $10-$20 suggested donation. Singer-songwriter Sawyer Fredericks plays an all-ages show at Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, with Gabriel Wolfchild, The Northern Light and Haley Johnson, 9 p.m., $15-$22. Nerd Eye Blind performs at Oaklawn Racing & Gaming’s Silks Bar & Grill in Hot Springs, 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., free.

Delta Translation performs at Thirst N’ Howl Bar & Grill, 8:30 p.m., $5. The Old State House Museum will show the film “Raiders of the Lost Ark” at 5:30 p.m., its 2nd Friday Cinema event, and the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Butler Center Galleries, the Cox Creative Center and Bella Vita Jewelry will be open 5-8 p.m. for 2nd Friday Art Night. Patrick Sweany plays blues rock for the working class at the White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $10. Fret & Worry bring songs of trials, tribulations and trains to the Town Pump, 7 p.m. Magic Springs Theme & Water Park screens “The Angry Birds Movie” above the wave pool as part of its Dive-In Movies series, 7 p.m., $35-$55. Moxie brings its party set to Maxine’s in Hot Springs, 9 p.m., $7. Richie Johnson kicks off the weekend at Cajun’s, 5:30 p.m., free, and later, Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase finalists CosmOcean take the stage, 9 p.m., $5. Family Dog plays a free show at Markham Street Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m., free. Brick Fields brings its soulful Ozark repertoire to Kings Live Music in Conway, with an opening set from Amber Wilcox, 8:30 p.m., $5.

SATURDAY 7/15 Brad Williams (of The Salty Dogs) plays a set at The Green Corner Store, CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

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MONDAY 7/17

LUCIE’S PLACE CABARET

7 p.m. The Studio Theater. $20.

Cabaret typically lies on the boudoir end of the musical theater spectrum, so it’s not too often you get to take the kids along. Lucie’s Place is

TIGER/ZEBRA: Zigtebra visits The House of Art in Argenta for an all-ages show Sunday evening, with Dazz & Brie, Sammy Williams, DJ Ike and The Dossier.

SUNDAY 7/16

ZIGTEBRA, DAZZ & BRIE, THE DOSSIER

5 p.m. The House of Art. $5-$10 suggested donation.

Chicago’s Zigtebra is an understated delight. Their videos each bear a single, neatly framed conceit, accompanied by imagery that’s alternately cryptic and adorable.

The two half-siblings – Emily Rose and Joe Zeph — met in 2010 by way of shared membership in a dance troupe called Pure Magical Love. The Zigtebra project, their

label’s website says, is “an investigative journey of lineage culminating in the discovery of shared blood” that started off with puppetry and short plays and morphed into a band. The two are hopping from city to city until September, taking selfies with Bernie Sanders, running around wearing animal masks and filming a music video — to a new song — every month. They land at The House of Art, a gallery in Argenta that’s quietly been putting out some of the edgiest public performances in

North Little Rock: confrontational poetry, erotic painting sessions and some low-key performances by “girl gang” (and Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase champions) Dazz & Brie. Dazz & Brie share the bill for this all-ages Sunday shindig, and they’re joined by DJ Ike, Sammy Williams (you know him from local trio Midwest Caravan) and The Dossier, the latest (as far as we know) project from liveaction poetry duo Half Sestina 811, with additional oomph from Chris Stewart on guitar. SS

TUESDAY 7/18

‘A NEW LEAF’

7 p.m. Riverdale 10 Cinema. $8.50.

Elaine May directed only four features from 1971 to 1986.

The first, “A New Leaf,” will be screened this month for the Arkansas Times Film Series, curated by Film Quotes Films in partnership with Riverdale 10 Cinema. (The fourth was “Ishtar,” considered such a colossal flop that it seems it more or less ended her career as a director, though

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ARKANSAS TIMES

she’s continued on as a playwright and screenwriter, with a resume that includes both “The Birdcage” and “Primary Colors.”) May stars in “A New Leaf” along with costar Walter Matthau, who plays Henry Graham, a man who has inherited and spent a vast fortune. When he’s faced with the prospect of living life as a pauper, he decides to kill himself. After being talked out of it, he resolves to marry an heiress to restore his wealth, though his ultimate plan is a bit more sinister. The

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Orwellian (Orson, not George) story of the film’s production is a familiar one; the initial cut of the film that May delivered was three hours long, which Robert Evans cut down to 102 minutes.

May then tried unsuccessfully to have her name removed from the film. Her reward was a Writers Guild Award nomination for screenplay adaptation. In his 1971 review, Roger Ebert called “A New Leaf” “one of the funniest movies of our unfunny age.” So please join us, won’t you? OJ

TUESDAY 7/18

TIKI TUESDAY: DANGLING TASSELS 9 p.m. South on Main. $5.

Landlocked states totally get the short end of the stick when it comes to surf music. I mean, blasting the Man or Astro-man? catalog just loses something in translation when it’s emanating from a party barge on Lake Maumelle,

WEDNESDAY 7/19

‘HEARTBEAT ALASKA’ AND ‘NATIVE VOICES’

Noon. UALR’s Ottenheimer Library, Room 535, and the Sequoyah Center, 500 University Plaza.

Our country’s history of policies and behaviors impacting the health of Native Americans is a long one. For starters, we know that epidemics of measles, malaria and smallpox set in after Europeans touched ground in the West — with feet full of icky foreign pathogens, no less. Most recently, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and sympathetic groups occupied the path of the Dakota Access Pipeline in an extended protest of oil running underneath the Missouri River, from which the tribe gets its drinking water, and across Ojibwe ancestral lands, where tribes gather the wild rice that makes up a substantial chunk of their diets. An exhibit at UA Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center through Aug. 3, “Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness,” takes a look at the wellness strategies native

IN BRIEF, CONT.

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SUNDAY 7/16

‘NATIVE VOICES’: An interview with Katherine Gottlieb, CEO of Alaska’s South Central Foundation and founder of the Family Wellness Warriors initiative, is part of “Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness,” at UA Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center.

peoples have used over the years, and the ways in which those strategies are connected to the lands and cultures of Native Alaskans, Native Hawaiians and Native Americans. There are interviews with Sicangu Lakota medicine men, Shinnecock tribe telemedicine experts and Alaskan spiritual guides.

Sequoyah will be the exhibit’s only stop

in Arkansas, and the first national traveling exhibit for Sequoyah. “We want visitors to understand the diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native perspectives and traditions,” archivist Erin Fehr said, and “in particular, their views on health and wellness, and walk away with a new appreciation of Native American lifeways.” In conjunction with the exhibit, Sequoyah will screen in the Ottenheimer Library a compilation of clips from its extensive Jeanie Green Heartbeat Alaska Film Collection, which Fehr says “covers a wide variety of topics like local festivals, the Iditarod, oral histories with elders, subsistence lifestyles and issues affecting local villages.” For this noontime Wednesday screening, Fehr told us, Sequoyah’s pared down its 1,263 “Heartbeat Alaska” films to those that focus on health and wellness among Native Alaskan communities, “topics like how and where elders gather plants for use in traditional medicines and how they are used; the impact that youth camps have on the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse; how living a traditional lifestyle leads to overall wellness; and diabetes prevention campaigns.” SS

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at South on Main, in partnership with a new entertainment company called Pop-Up Little Rock. The restaurant will add a few tiki-inspired bites to the menu, bar manager Sarah Harrington will work up some tiki cocktails and RWR will book a surf rock band — this time around, the Dangling Tassels, a self-described “Hickxotica duo from Iki Pohaku,” a decidedly Big Islandsounding town that Google Maps says is located in Hillcrest. SS

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right? Still, our swampy, freshwater digs can’t stop us from playing makebelieve, and an unlikely collaboration between “world-wide weird duo” Rural War Room and J. Bradley Minnick of “Arts & Letters” on KUAR-FM, 89.1, aims to provide the props and the setting. Minnick and the masterminds behind the longstanding bizarro mixtape that is Rural War Room — Donavan Suitt and Byron Werner — are heading up a series called Tiki Tuesdays

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mances from dancer Marisa Kirby and violinist Geoff Robson. Alyson Courtney from KATV, Channel 7, will emcee, and proceeds benefit Lucie’s Place, a nonprofit that advocates for equality for LGBT communities and works to provide access to housing, job training and counseling services for homeless LGBT young adults. SS

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throwing a family-friendly shindig of the revue variety, featuring sets from poets Crystal C. Mercer, Bryan Borland and Seth Pennington; vocalists Erin Martinez Warner, Mark Binns, CandySoul, Karen Q. Clark, Dustin Baylan, Bob Bidewell, Kenneth Gaddie, John Willis, Monica Clark-Robinson and Maddie Clark-Robinson; and perfor-

1423 Main St., where Arkansas Ketchup Co. will celebrate its launch, 2 p.m. One PRINT Love Entertainment hosts the Jamaica Me Crazy Reggae Party at South on Main, 9 p.m., $12. Hank Williams Jr. lands at the Walmart AMP, with an opening set from Frank Foster, 7:30 p.m., $41-$96. Sean Fresh and the NastyFresh Crew bring “Moscato & Leftovers” to the White Water Tavern, with an after-party set courtesy of DJ Nick Hud, 9 p.m. Saturday night at Cajun’s starts with a set from Alex Summerlin, 5:30 p.m., and 12 plays the late-night set, 9 p.m., $5. Texas country singer Jon Wolfe lands at Stickyz, 8 p.m., $15. Magick Glow and Sleepy spin tunes in Discovery Nightclub’s Disco-Tech, with G-Force in the lobby, 9 p.m., $10. The Schwag, a Grateful Dead tribute band, pay homage at Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $12. Rockusaurus performs at Thirst N’ Howl, 8:30 p.m., $5.

Christian pop duo For King and Country take the stage at Magic Springs’ Timberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., with a set from Stars Go Dim, 7 p.m., $35-$55. Stephen Winter performs at Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m., free. Fayetteville’s The Squarshers bring a bluegrass jam to Kings Live Music, with an opening set from Caleb Keith, 8:30 p.m., $5. Collage Omage, the winner of Club Sway’s Fresh Fish Little Rock Season 3, hosts a Collage-a-Thon party, 9 p.m.

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Capitol View Studio kicks off its Bottega Brunch Pop-Up Art Show series with works by Erin Lorenzen and Michael Shaeffer and food from South on Main chef Matt Bell, 10 a.m., $15.

TUESDAY 7/18 San Francisco classic rock vets The Steve Miller Band, on tour with longtime stagemate Peter Frampton, perform at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, 7 p.m., $41-$76. Rashad Jennings, former Giants running back and winner of the 24th season of “Dancing with the Stars,” joins partner Emma Slater for “Dancing with the Stars: Live! Hot Summer Nights” at the Robinson Center, 8 p.m., $57-$72. The Ron Robinson Theater screens the 1959 horror flick “House on Haunted Hill,” starring Vincent Price, as part of its Terror Tuesday series, 6 p.m., $2.

WEDNESDAY 7/19 A preview performance of Argenta Community Theater’s production of “Sweet Charity” serves as a benefit for the Argenta Arts Foundation, with beer, wine and heavy hors d’oeuvres, 7 p.m. curtain time, 405 Main St., $50. In This Moment and Motionless in White share a bill at the Clear Channel Metroplex, 8 p.m., $30.

Portland, Ore., trio Symptoms lands at the White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. “Captain America: The First Avenger” screens at the First Security Amphitheater behind the River Market as part of the summer Movies in the Park series, 8:30 p.m., free.

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arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

27

Dining WHAT’S COOKIN’

NEXUS COFFEE AND CREATIVE, 301B President Clinton Ave., breaks with the white walls and succulent plant schema that local coffee shops have embraced and is going for an Arkansas farm look, which folks will get to see when the coffee shop/co-working space first opens its doors at 7 a.m. this Saturday, July 15.

There will be live music and the shop’s regular offerings, including baked goods from Honey Pies and Dempsey bakeries, paninis, cheese boards, beer, wine and, of course, coffee, from two sources: Leiva’s Coffee, which is headquartered in North Little Rock and sells coffee from its farm in Guatemala, and espresso from Mountain Bird Coffee & Tea in Eureka Springs. There will also be nitrogen-infused cold brew. Owner Amy Moorehead says Nexus is the realization of a dream to boost creativity, both entrepreneurial and artistic, at a space with WiFi capability, artwork and live music by local singer-songwriters on Saturday nights. Included within the storefront shop is a barn-like meeting room — with metal siding, a tin roof and a sliding barn door — equipped with a smart TV and a glass board; it will rent for $10 an hour. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

SHIEM SMITH, THE owner of The Veg, the vegan restaurant that had a sublease at 220 W. Sixth St., the site of the July 1 shootings at Power Ultra Lounge in the building, has started a GoFundMe site, gofundme.com/rebuildtheveg, for help finding a new home. Smith is seeking $10,000, part of which will be used to replace lost inventory and equipment.

The restaurant opened on the first floor of the 220 W. Sixth building, the former home of Lulav, in May. MARCI SMITH OPENED the In the Raw Test Kitchen & Juice Bar food truck July 7 at the food court at 910 Park Ave. in Hot Springs. The all-raw menu includes fresh juice, vegetable and spice combinations, such as the Clean Green (kale, cucumber, apple, celery, lemon, ginger, turmeric, cilantro and parsley); there are also nut milks and blended selections for drinking. Entrees include raw takes on tacos (sunflower seed meats, avocado, cashew cream, cucumbers and salsa), pasta (ribbon squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, wilted spinach) and apple pie (apples and spices in a walnut date crust). The truck will travel between the Park Avenue food court and the 70W Food Court at 1370 Airport Road.

For more information, call 545-7780.

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JULY 13, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

GREAT AT GRAMPA’S: Catfish and shrimp.

Grampa’s, and catfish, are back Don’t skimp on the shrimp.

W

e used to occasionally find our way to Grampa’s Catfish and Seafood in the 1980s. It was on Mission Road in the semi-wilds of upper North Little Rock, not exactly the beaten path. And getting there in the pre-Siri, even pre-Mapquest, days wasn’t easy. But it was worth it to scarf platters of perfectly cooked catfish fillets.

We remember being a bit sad hearing Grampa’s had closed in 2012 after 42 years in business. So when, about a year ago, we heard longtime co-owners Nate (dad) and Scott (son) Townsend were resurrecting Grampa’s on Maumelle Boulevard, which certainly is the beaten path, we considered that very good news.

We were right.

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We popped in early Sunday evening, and we were greeted warmly — a couple of times, actually — by Nate Townsend himself. It was a blistering 94 degrees outside, but nice and cool inside the former Mi Burrito with plenty of fans helping the hard-working A/C. Kaylee, our extremely pleasant waitress, arrived with a bowl of slaw and two plates — an opening lagniappe similar to the ubiquitous chips and salsa at Mexican joints. It was better than average slaw — green cabbage with purple cabbage and carrot accents liberally dosed with a mayo-based dressing. It kept us busy as we briefly waited on our main course, the catfish, chicken and shrimp combo ($16.99 with one side).

Grampa’s touts that everything is cooked when ordered. Great, we thought, so were a bit surprised when our entree emerged only 10 minutes after we ordered it. The combo comes with one whole catfish fillet, eight nicesized fried shrimp and three smallish chicken fingers. We chose fried okra as our side and got half a plateful. We also added “mashed taters,” as the menu calls them ($1.99).

The catfish is on a par with the best in town, but it frankly has gotten pretty easy to find good catfish given the high quality and wide availability of premium fish. We really liked it, but it was the fried shrimp that shone the brightest. The key: It’s handbreaded and fried to order. So much of the fried shrimp you get around here comes straight from the freezer.

Not at Grampa’s. The light batter was black pepper-flecked, and the shrimp were cooked just the right amount of time. They basically were perfect, the equal to the fried shrimp at Doe’s, our other favorite. Sold alone, the shrimp is $7.99 for a quarter-pound and $10.99

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for a half-pound (no-brainer on which one to order!), but we don’t know how many shrimp those quantities represent. We’ll be finding out.

The chicken strips transcend the usual as well, again because they’re hand-cut, hand-battered and cooked to order. Like with the shrimp, the batter features black pepper, and the breast fillets were exceedingly juicy and tender. You can get four of the tenders

Grampa’s Catfish & Seafood

11608 Maumelle Blvd.

North Little Rock 904-5355 grampasnlr.com

Quick bite Note that catfish strips (not fillets) are available at a lower price on the lunch menu, which is available 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday.

Hours 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tuesday through Sunday.

Other info Beer, including local brews, and wine available.

with a side for $7.99 or six for $9.99.

The mashed potatoes were also made from scratch with plenty of butter and milk, and the red skins were included. They were our favorite restaurant mashed potatoes ever. By contrast, the okra was not homemade. It was a decent food-service product and cooked well, but that stuff can only be so good. (We saw the onion rings pass by, and they definitely are from a freezer bag.) Two hush puppies come with the combo platter. We found them too light — both in color and texture — without much taste.

We managed to save room for fried pies, opting for peanut butter/chocolate and coconut cream ($3.49 with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream).

Chocolate was the dominant flavor in that pie, though the peanut butter was discernable. Both pies had a high filling-to-crust quotient, and the rapidly melting ice cream was a nice touch.

We’re glad Grampa’s is back. And though catfish comes first in the name, it’s the shrimp that will bring us back soon.

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29

MOVIE REVIEW

ALSO IN THE ARTS, CONT.

A SUPERVILLAIN ATE MY HOMEWORK: Tom Holland stars as a teenage Spider-Man in Jon Watt’s addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Spidey lessons Parker schooled in happy ‘Homecoming.’

BY CODY BERRY

T

he latest addition to the interconnected web of awesomeness that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jon Watts’ “Spider-Man: Homecoming” brings Spidey back to his high school roots, without the burden of an origin story.

Ignoring Sony’s previous films, the bulk of “Homecoming” takes place several months after the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” in which this version of Spidey first appeared after being drafted by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) for an epic airport battle, only to be sent home immediately afterward.

The film’s opening shows a group of men cleaning up the mess left behind after the Battle of New York, which took place at the end of the first Avengers movie. Their leader, Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), and his crew have been hired by the city of New York to sift through a wrecked Grand Central Station and find what may be saved, including bits of alien technology. While hard at work, a group of government agents 30

JULY 13, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

working for a fictional agency come into the building, claim jurisdiction and order Toomes and his men to turn over what they have or be prosecuted. The agents also tell Toomes that his services are no longer required. Toomes and his men decide to keep a truckload of alien tech for themselves.

Fast forward eight months, and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is documenting how he got to Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport — and how he got the new Stark-designed SpiderMan suit. After the battle, it turns out, Parker was dropped off by Stark and his butler, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), who Stark reveals will act as a gobetween. Stark leaves him with Aunt Mae (Marissa Tomei) and advises Peter not to get into trouble.

It is later revealed that Toomes and his men have somehow engineered extremely powerful weapons using the aforementioned stolen alien technology and are selling it on the black market. Peter, against Stark’s advice,

decides to stop Toomes from accomplishing his goals.

We get to see a 15-year-old Peter Parker dealing with all the things that teenagers go through: school, being awkward with girls, finding a date for the homecoming dance and grappling at forming his identity with a band of social outcasts (including classmate Michelle, played by Disney star Zendaya). Desperate to prove himself Avenger-worthy, he takes on more than he can handle with hilarious results, forcing Stark to intervene more than once.

Ultimately, the film’s about how Peter Parker learns how to be SpiderMan, with plenty of baked-in Marvel references for superfans — notably, a cameo from Stan Lee early in the film, and Captain America (Chris Evans) in a series of funny educational videos that Peter is forced to sit through in class.

Downey’s performance is on point, as is Holland’s. Adding to a long legacy as the perfect villain, Keaton’s Toomes is nearly agreeable. He’s not hell-bent on destruction, stealing from those who — in his mind — stole his livelihood. If there’s anything to complain about, it’s that Tomei is underused. “Homecoming” is a jovial, welcome addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Be sure to stay after the credits — that last jab from Captain America is a good one.

Hollander and jewelry by Rae Ann Bayless.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 801-0211.

GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Recent works by members of the Arkansas Printmakers Society, opening reception 7-10 p.m. July 15 with live music by Rolling Blackouts. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 6648996.

GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave., Hot Springs: Paintings by Janis Polychron and other artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 3184278.

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., North Little Rock: “Southern Abstraction,” works by Sammy Peters, Gay Bechtelheimer, James Hendricks, Pinkney Herbert, Robyn Horn and Don Lee. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 664-2787.

HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “XXIX Prime,” anniversary exhibition, through Aug. 5. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 372-6822.

JUSTUS FINE ART GALLERY, 827 A Central Ave., Hot Springs: “Summer Series II,” work by Taimur Cleary, Robert Fogel, Robyn Horn, Rebecca Thompson and others, through July. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 321-2335.

KOLLECTIVE COFFEE + TEA, 110 Central Ave., Hot Springs: “Dreams and Shadows,” drawings by Kirk Montgomery, through Aug. 3. 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri., 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sat., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun. 701-4000.

L&L BECK ART GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “The Wild Ones,” July, drawing for free giclee 7 p.m. July 20. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tue.-Sat. 660-4006.

LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA BRANCH, 420 Main St., NLR: “Entelechy,” watercolors by Brianna Peterson. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat. 687-1061.

LEGACY FINE ART, 804 Central Ave., Hot Springs: Blown glass chandeliers by Ed Pennington, paintings by Carole Katchen.

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri. 762-0840.

LOCAL COLOUR GALLERY, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Artists collective. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mon.-Sat. 265-0422.

MATTHEWS FINE ART GALLERY, 909 North St.: Paintings by Pat and Tracee Matthews, glass by James Hayes, jewelry

by Christie Young, knives by Tom Gwenn, kinetic sculpture by Mark White. Noon-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 831-6200.

MATT McLEOD FINE ART, 108 W. 6th St.: Work by Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 725-8508.

MUGS CAFE, 515 Main St., NLR: “Nightflyers,” paintings and drawings by Greg Lahti and Robert Bean. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 379-9101.

THE HOUSE OF ART, 108 E. 4th St.: Mixed media work by Kesha Lagniappe and Lilia Hernandez.

WALKER-STONE HOUSE, 207 W. Center St., Fayetteville: “Summer Art Exhibition,” works by Fenix artists Cindy Arsaga, Carol Corning, Michael Davis, Amber Eggleton, Jan Gosnell, Corey Johnson, Leilani Law, Ed Pennebaker, Meikel S. Church and Jason Sacran, through Aug. 5. Noon-7 p.m.

Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. @fenixfayetteville.

OTHER MUSEUMS JACKSONVILLE MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY, 100 Veterans Circle, Jacksonville: Exhibits on D-Day; F-105, Vietnam era plane (“The Thud”); the Civil War Battle of Reed’s Bridge, Arkansas Ordnance Plant

(AOP) and other military history. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $3 adults; $2 seniors, military; $1 students. 501-241-1943.

LAKEPORT PLANTATION, 601 Hwy. 142, Lake Village: Antebellum mansion; exhibits on plantation life from before, during and after the Civil War. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays. $5 general admission. 870-265-6031.

MUSEUM OF AUTOMOBILES, Petit Jean Mountain: Permanent exhibition of more than 50 cars from 1904-1967 depicting the evolution of the automobile. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

7 days. 501-727-5427.

MUSEUM OF NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY, 202 SW O St., Bentonville: Native American artifacts. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 479-273-2456.

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE MUSEUM, Scott, U.S. Hwy. 165 and state Hwy. 161: Permanent exhibits on historic agriculture.

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $4 adults, $3 children. 961-1409.

POTTS INN, 25 E. Ash St., Pottsville: Preserved 1850s stagecoach station on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, with period furnishings, log structures, hat museum, doll museum, doctor’s office, antique farm equipment. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sat. $5 adults, $2 students, 5 and under free. 479968-9369.

ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. 2nd St.: “On Fields Far Away: Our Community During the Great War,” through Sept.

23. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 479-621-1154.

SCOTT PLANTATION SETTLEMENT, Scott: 1840s log cabin, one-room school house, tenant houses, smokehouse and artifacts on plantation life. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 351-0300. www.scottconnections.org.

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Arkansas Times

has a position open in Advertising Sales. If you have sales experience and enjoy the fast paced, crazy world of advertising sales we’d like to talk to you.

We have a variety of print and web products as well as special focus publications that we publish and that translates into a high-income potential for a hard working advertising executive. We have fun, but we work hard. Fast paced and self-motivated individuals are encouraged to apply. If you have a dynamic energetic personality, we’d like to talk to you.

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME TO PHYLLIS BRITTON, PHYLLIS@ARKTIMES.COM.

ARKANSAS TIMES

ARKANSAS TIMES

MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, CALL LUIS AT 501.375.2985

grow Grow LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

MATH TEACHER (Sherwood, AR)

Teach Math at secondary sch.

Bachelors in Math, Math Edu. or Engineer.+1 yr exp as Math tchr at mid or high sch.

Mail res.: Lisa Academy, 21 Corporate Hill Dr. Little Rock, AR 72205, Attn: HR, Refer to Ad#KM

White County Physician Group Searcy, AR Position: Pulmonary/ Critical Care Physician

Responsibilities: Provide professional, teaching, research & administrative services; Render competent, quality, professional medical services to patients in ongoing inpatient, outpatient, emergency, & pulmonary/ critical care at or through the corporation &/or White County Medical Center at Advanced Care Hospital (1200 S. Main St.), Unity Health/White County Medical Center (3214 E. Race Ave.), & Searcy Medical Center ( 2900 Hawkins Dr.); Collaborate/cooperate w/ other physicians.

Education & experience requirements: Arkansas medical license; board certified in pulmonary/critical care.

To apply, mail resume to: WCPG/Unity Health, ATTN: Stacy Bailey, 1200 S. Main, Searcy, AR 72143

Arkansas Times is now hiring a full-time graphic designer with experience in magazine/ newspaper layout and ad design. Must be proficient in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Muse, and Acrobat. Ideal candidate will have experience designing and managing websites.

Experience in video and audio editing is a plus.

Please send resume and portfolio link or PDF to weldon@arktimes.com.

arktimes.com JULY 13, 2017

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