Arkansas Times - June 18, 2015 by Arkansas Times

NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT + FOOD / JUNE 18, 2015 / ARKTIMES.COM

Lost for life In 1990, James Weaver Jr. was sentenced to life without parole for the beating death of a man he never laid a finger on. Even with an unlikely ally in his corner, will he ever be free? BY DAVID KOON

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JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

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VOLUME 41, NUMBER 41 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, 201 EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $74 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

Whether you grill over gas or charcoal you can use wood chunks, chips or briquettes to impart a smoky flavor to foods. Try mesquite for an added tang, hickory to add a bacon-like taste and applewood to add a hint of sweetness.comes out of the marinade.

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JUNE 18, 2015

COMMENT

More oversight needed On Friday, Arkansas learned our women’s prison in Newport, McPherson, is the centerpiece of a federal civil rights investigation concerning sexual abuse of the women prisoners in our custody at this unit. The fairly vague descriptions of taking photos, trading contraband for sex by officers and staff, and other human rights violations are part of the federal agency’s concern. We also learned that our state is not in compliance with the non-mandatory Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) due to another federal lawsuit outcome that would be violated if the Arkansas Department of Correction met the PREA certification requirements. This is a serious concern among many of us who serve as prisoner advocates. I believe all Arkansans need to be concerned about these allegations. Our prisoners are also our mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and friends. It is our role as citizens to ensure those we convict and send to prison are humanely treated and return home to our community — without the added trauma of sexual abuse. I have served men and women in our prisons and those returning to our communities for more than two decades, and I became acutely aware of the great importance of the prison staff to be mindful of the powerful dynamic between people who are incarcerated and those who are there to guard them — or those with power and those without any power in those circumstances. I was an eyewitness to the steady development of the power of a staff person who is no longer there, who was given a great degree of power over the women with whom the staff person interacted — with little visible oversight from my perspective. For me, the lack of outside oversight of our prisons is the overarching issue in the abuse of prisoners. As an example, in our two efforts to legislate a ban on the shackling of women in our prison during labor and delivery, the legislation offered by then-Sen. Mary Ann Salmon included an oversight and accountability provision, with reports to be sent to the governor’s office. The legislation offered failed to pass due to the influence of the Department of Correction officials. Consequently, there is little we can truly know about the use of shackles during labor and delivery, or even information about the well being of babies born during a mother’s incarceration in a our state prisons. And this is true about so many things that go on behind the walls of the prison. 4

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

As we hear far too often, we need greater transparency and more civic engagement in the day-to-day functioning of our state agencies, including our prisons. We all need to think of the ways we can provide appropriate oversight so such abuses will end and not recur. If I were a judge, I would be reluctant to send any woman to our state prisons for fear of such mistreatment. Regarding men in our system, rape is so common among our male prisoners that our community tolerates and accepts this as an ongoing part of incarceration. How can a correctional system work effectively when so many traumas are inflicted on those we want to rehabilitate? And how can we succeed in our re-entry and recidivism reduction when so much trauma has occurred?

Dee Ann Newell Executive Director Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind Little Rock

Support Bernie We have hundreds of days left before the 2016 general election. We have hundreds of days to amass a tremendous grassroots movement against the political machines of Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, etc. We have hundreds of days to let America know that we don’t want another candidate that will pay lip service to corporations and Wall Street. We have hundreds of days to fight for someone that looks out for the common man — I can almost guar-

antee that is you, reader. Who is this someone that will truly look out for us (and not just when it is politically expedient)? His name is Bernie Sanders, a man that has been steadfast in his views since day one. Read through the 12 initiatives that Bernie will fight for: rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure; addressing climate change; real tax reform; protecting the most vulnerable Americans; health care as a right for all; taking on Wall Street; making college affordable for all; trade policies that benefit American workers; raising the minimum wage; growing the trade union movement; creating worker coops. Join the fight for Bernie here in Arkansas. What do you have to lose? A primary? Trey Weir Little Rock From the web, in response to The Observer’s June 11 column, “A modest proposal,” which, in the wake of Gov. Asa Hutchinson saying he believed it was legal for Arkansans to openly carry firearms, announced the formation of The Open Carry of Large Butcher Knives, Rusty Machetes or Razor-Sharp Hatchets Movement:

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The ability to carry “arms,” openly or otherwise, and everything you somewhat humorously wrote qualifies as such, is exactly the point. Your “wet my pants” feelings are of no concern to a right guaranteed. Doug Charette Amidst the trembling, teeth-chattering, knee-knocking, and quivering that must go on at your editorial board meetings, are you folks also channeling Kurt Vonnegut? Michael Motley Looks like the author forgot to take his meds today. I stand with the above. Oh, btw, nobody walks around with their pistol or rifle in their hands, not unless they intend to use the tool. Want to ban hammers next? How about vehicles? Lots of people get killed with cars and trucks every year, let’s get those devilish implementations of murder off our roadways! Chris Wardell Each and every one of the above comments comes from an individual who signed on to the blog TODAY in order to comment specifically on this column. Must have hit a nerve, eh? It’s really kinda hilarious, in a pathetic sort of way. Vanessa

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arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

“I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I will be the youngest woman president in the history of the United States.” — Hillary Clinton at her official campaign launch rally in New York last weekend. (What, you thought Clinton had already been running for months? Shows how much you know about campaigns. Next, you’ll say you thought Jeb Bush — who officially announced his candidacy on Monday — had been in the race for months, too.)

WILL HEHEMANN

Quote of the Week:

CLEAR VIEW: Photo from the Goat Trail on Big Bluff by Will Hehemann from our Eye on Arkansas Flickr page.

Think before you ACT

A frontal assault?

The State Board of Education surprised everyone last Thursday by rejecting a proposed contract for a new statewide standardized test, the ACT Aspire, which was recommended by Gov. Asa Hutchinson earlier that week. The ACT Aspire would have replaced the current PARCC test, which has been in place for only one year. Among the board’s concerns: The switch would be the third such testing change in as many years for Arkansas students, and the governor appeared to have bypassed the normal procurement process in making the recommendation. PARCC has been highly unpopular among teachers in its first year of implementation, but that doesn’t mean the new test would necessarily be an improvement. The vote against the ACT Aspire contract united business-leaning members of the state board with its progressives. Diane Zook, a member typically sympathetic to the Chamber of Commerce and the Walton Family Foundation, said, “I have the greatest respect for the governor, but I don’t feel he was well-served with a full picture” of issues regarding the test.

As we went to press on Tuesday, details were still sparse regarding Larry McElroy, the man who crashed an SUV into a curb near the gates of the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, and emerged from the vehicle with a rifle. McElroy was shot by military security and disarmed. He remains in critical condition in the hospital, and his house was raided by FBI agents on Tuesday.

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Money well spent Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge isn›t through defending the state›s unconstitutional law banning abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy, despite the fact that a threejudge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the statute last month. Last week, Rutledge asked the 8th Circuit for a rehearing on the issue, this time before the full court. Defending the ban has already cost the state about $70,000 in court costs and legal fees, and that figure will surely rise. But not to worry. The legislature, knowing that a loss is inevitable, has already set aside $200,000 for costs and fees associated with this specific suit. The bulk of that money will pay the legal fees of the

American Civil Liberties Union, which is challenging the law. That’s right: Arkansas Republicans are so determined to proceed with this piece of political theater that they’re giving as much as $200,000 in public money to the ACLU.

Blind justice in Little Rock Last week, the story emerged of Eric Wilson, a legally blind Little Rock resident who was manhandled by two officers with the LRPD as he walked home from work on 65th Street in the middle of the afternoon. Apparently, he was mistaken for a suspect. The dashboard camera footage from the police vehicle shows Wilson mildly complying with the officers’ commands; they then wrestle him to the pavement. Wilson went to

the hospital that evening for back pain and was told he had a strained lumbar. He’s filed a complaint with LRPD.

Simply Marvellous Marvell, a town of 1,200 in Phillips County, passed a nondiscrimination ordinance last week that states the city will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, sex or sexual orientation. The tiny Delta community, which is majority African American, thus joins the limited ranks of Arkansas cities with such protections. “I don’t like a lot of laws, but I want everybody to have a fair opportunity to have a decent quality of life,” said Mayor Clark Hall. “We want to make our part of Arkansas the best we can be.”

OPINION

Little Rock’s problem

uch to my surprise, all three black Little Rock City Board directors — Erma Hendrix, Doris Wright and Ken Richardson — were solidly behind Hendrix’s idea of a city residency requirement for police, and my city director, Kathy Webb, indicated some sympathy to the idea during discussion at last week’s Board meeting. The Board was to vote on the ordinance at a meeting after our press time. I was glad to see the beginning of a discussion last week on city incentives for residency — as opposed to a requirement. It’s worth considering, though the city’s poor financial condition doesn’t offer much hope for meaningful incentives. But this was disappointing: Police Chief Kenton Buckner was among those too ready (or so it seemed to me from my reading of an Arkansas DemocratGazette story) to blithely repeat, with-

out qualification, a slam on Little Rock schools as a key reason people don’t want to live in Little Rock. I MAX don’t doubt the BRANTLEY perception. But maxbrantley@arktimes.com I’d argue that it’s, at least, not wholly fair, and city officials are overdue to push back. The city of Little Rock covers two school districts — Little Rock and Pulaski County. It has a growing number of free public charter schools as well as private schools galore. Even the widely despised Little Rock School District, which no doubt has some problem schools, has many high-achieving, even remarkable schools all over town, in neighborhoods rich and poor. It is long past time for city leaders —

ACTing out

hen they say it isn’t about politics, as Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin said about Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s timid stance on Common Core, you can be sure it’s about politics. And politics is never more savage than when it deals with the schools, unless it is when it deals with health care. Hutchinson is trying to navigate both political thickets, now labeled by their foes as “Obamacare” and “Obamacore,” by appointing surrogate groups to fade some of the heat for him. In the case of the schools, it isn’t working out so well — or maybe it is and the governor is just a lot cannier than we are. Last week, Hutchinson took the advice of Griffin, the chairman of his working group on Common Core, and announced that the state would end its agreement with Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and its standardized tests, which are aligned with Common Core standards, and instead contract with ACT and ACT Aspire to do the Arkansas school tests for the next school year. That signaled to the dominant right wing of his party that Arkansas was going to abandon Common Core without actually doing

it, at least not yet, which is the same strategy he pursues on health care reform. He has another working ERNEST group, headed by a DUMAS relative, to tell him whether to keep the Medicaid portion of the immensely unpopular Obamacare, which now insures more than 250,000 poor working Arkansas men and women. But the state Board of Education, the citizen laymen appointed by governors to actually make these decisions, promptly said, 6 to 1, that we aren’t abandoning the PARCC tests this year for the simple reason that, aside from politics, switching to ACT makes no sense. While seeking to measure Arkansas students against the rest of the nation, which Hutchinson himself said was one of the goals, switching to ACT would measure them against, well, maybe Alabama and Wisconsin. Even the editorial page of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which reliably cheers the governor’s every genuflection to the extreme right, had to point out the absurdity. Et tu, Brute? The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

who’ve neglected their own responsibility for schools too long — to stop blithely repeating the uninformed slurs so popular about Little Rock, particularly among the suburban development forces that have long used the word “schools” as a proxy for race. Yes, the Little Rock schools are majority black. My own children attended majority black schools from kindergarten through high school graduation and did far better than survive. As I’ve often said, I wasn’t running a sociological experiment. If I’d ever thought there was a better place for my kids, I’d have enrolled them there. Yes, there are problems. Some of them were created by city officials, and they are not improved by mindless tuttutting. Race is an inextricable component. When only 21 percent of white cops live in Little Rock against more than 60 percent of black cops, they can say it’s about schools or cost of living, but it is also about race. The Little Rock City Board has facilitated segregated housing patterns by governance and also gave away a prosperous growth area, Chenal Valley, to the Pulaski County Special School District. It stocks schools with police officers who,

by their arrest rates, seem to view themselves more as peacekeepers in Somalia than community resources. To his credit, City Manager Bruce Moore has vowed to do something about this. If our city leaders view students as absentee cops view the city — inmates to be guarded rather than fellow citizens to be served — things are never going to get better. We may not want to require residency by police or other city employees, but I repeat: When even city directors believe young white people don’t want to live here and by their policies encourage a payroll of commuters, Little Rock has a problem. It will take more than a residency requirement to turn this mindset around. One positive step would be to introduce people like City Director Lance Hines, Police Chief Buckner and many others to the many centers of excellence in the Little Rock schools. They could do as I often have: Have a lunchroom meet-up with some of these sweet-faced children, the vast majority of them from economically deprived homes. They are not people to be feared. They are people to be loved, defended and served. Not used as excuses.

and the Common Core State Standards coverage for low-income adults — Initiative (Obamacore) share a common because it has been a fiscal bonanza for political trajectory. When President the state. But a big part of the legislature Obama asked Congress in 2009 to was elected on promises of scuttling write a universal health insurance law “Obamacare.” What’s he to do? First, based on the conservative Republican have a committee study it and hire some plan of the early 1990s, it looked like business consultants to tell him what’s a shrewd way to reach the bipartisan wrong with it. supermajority needed to pass Congress. Common Core began with greater But once it was embraced by a black fanfare. By the end of its first decade, Democratic president, the Heritage everyone deemed the great George W. Foundation-Republican plan was Bush school reform of 2001, the No abandoned by every last Republican Child Left Behind Act, to be a massive and, joined by the national chamber failure. Liberals and most education of commerce, right-wing groups and professionals never liked the high-stakes much of the insurance industry (they testing, which made a standardized test feared, wrongly, that it would include almost the sole end of classroom teaching. government insurance that would And since each state was left to set its compete with private companies) they own standards and devise its own tests, launched a multimillion-dollar attack on national comparisons were meaningless. the still unwritten law. Persuaded by a So a bunch of governors, mostly blizzard of ads saying that government Republicans, and state school officers panels would order the deaths of sick came up with the idea of true national oldsters and dictate what kind of medical standards and tests that would measure care people got, and that the Obama plan thinking skills and not just what kids would slash their Medicare benefits, memorized. They won over the world’s terminate people’s choice of doctors richest business genius, Bill Gates, who and hospitals, drive up health costs and invested megamillions in development of budget deficits and throw millions of the standards, which he thought would people out of jobs, people turned against raise the American workforce to the level the emerging law, especially in the South. of those Scandinavian countries that far Hutchinson pretty clearly would like exceeded the United States. to continue the benefits of Obamacare, Republican governors everywhere including the big one — Medicaid became champions. Two presidential CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

‘Sesame Street’ A-OK

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JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

ike most of us who’ve come to find a home at the front of a classroom, a series of teachers from whom we’ve had the joy to learn serve as ongoing inspirations and role models. Starting in first grade and continuing through my graduate studies, I can quickly identify more than a dozen individuals whose beat and lyrics I continue to sample in small and large ways in my teaching today. But I never had personal interaction with one of my most important teachers. That’s because it was a television program. A fascinating study released this week provides clear evidence that I’m not alone in receiving lasting, positive impact from “Sesame Street.” Economists from the University of Maryland and Wellesley College compared those with access to “Sesame Street” in its earliest years to those without access. It began to air in late 1969 (it makes a nice cameo in the final hours of “Mad Men” as Joan’s son — about the same age as me — is entranced by the program) and an average of 5 million kids a day watched the program during its height of popularity. In that era, “Sesame Street” — the first program centered on prepping kids to start school — appeared mainly on PBS stations regularly located on UHF (ultra-high frequency) channels; most television sets at that time did not have the capability to dial beyond Channel 13, where UHF stations were located. This created a natural experiment allowing comparison of kids who grew up in places where “Sesame Street” was only a UHF phenomenon and those — like me — who had ready access to the program because it was on a VHF station (KETS, Channel 2 out of Conway). The study shows that kids with “Sesame Street” as part of their lives have had significantly more success in school across several decades than those denied interactions with Oscar, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie by the accident of geography. Kids who lived in areas where “Sesame Street” was readily available in those early years showed up ready to learn and have continued to learn across their lives. The economists focus on the measurable educational benefits of the program, emphasizing that a relatively small amount of spending (on a per-child basis) accrued dramatic positive outcomes. “It’s encouraging because it means we might be able to make real progress in ways that are affordable and scalable,” one of the researchers told

the Washington Post. Indeed, the researchers go so far as to argue that “Sesame Street” — which they term JAY the “first MOOC” BARTH (massive online open course, in contemporary higher education terminology) — was nearly as potent as prekindergarten education in getting those children who had access to it on a daily basis ready to perform in school. And, as with pre-K, the impact was greatest among those from more challenged economic backgrounds; boys were also significant beneficiaries from the program. However, “Sesame Street” has other benefits that extend beyond sharpening math and literacy skills. First, through its vaguely edgy humor, jazzy music and visual style, it also spurs creativity. (One of my earliest memories is the day when KETS shifted from a black-and -white to a color transmitter and Big Bird suddenly sprung into bright yellow.) Even more important, it exemplifies the values of community and diversity. On the show, both humans and Muppets continually stressed the benefit of collaborative work. (The study is quick to point out that brick-and-mortar preschools are even better at socializing kids to work with others.) As its theme song says: “Come and play/Everything’s A-OK/Friendly neighbors there/That’s where we meet.” Moreover, as an only child living in a nearly totally white world, I actually had most of my daily interaction with persons of color through the show. The clear message was that communities were strengthened when folks from different backgrounds brought those perspectives to the collaboration. Thus, “Sesame Street” made kids of my minigeneration not just better learners, but better citizens. The long-term success of “Sesame Street” reminds us that public investment in kids during their earliest years benefits them and society for decades to come. After a state legislative session in which public library spending was thwacked and many tots remain in need of pre-K slots because only minor increases in funding for the state’s successful early childhood program occurred, it’s a timely reminder.

Scott Walker’s path

conomically speaking, all 237 GOP presidential candidates are selling the same Magic Beans. Everybody knows the script. Tax cuts for wealthy “job creators” bring widespread prosperity. Top off Scrooge McDuck’s bullion pool, and the benefits flow outward to everybody else. The economy surges, budget deficits melt away and the song of the turtledove will be heard in the land. Almost needless to say, these “supply side” miracles have never actually happened in the visible world. State budget debacles in Kansas and Louisiana only signify the latest failures of right-wing dogma. Hardly anybody peddling Magic Beans actually believes in them anymore. Nevertheless, feigning belief signifies tribal loyalty to the partisan Republicans who will choose the party’s nominee. However, with everybody in the field playing “let’s pretend,” a candidate needs another way to distinguish himself. I suspect that Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin may have found it. See, Walker won’t just put money back in “hardworking taxpayer’s” pockets. Like a latter day Richard Nixon, Walker will also stick it to people they don’t like: Lollygagging schoolteachers, featherbedding union members and smug, tenured college professors who think they’re smarter than everybody else. If he lacks charisma, there’s an edge of ruthlessness in Walker’s otherwise bland demeanor that hits GOP primary voters right where they live. No less an authority than Uncle Scrooge himself — i.e., David Koch of Koch Industries, who with his brother Charles has pledged to spend $900 million to elect a Republican in 2016 — told the New York Observer after a closeddoor gathering at Manhattan’s Empire Club that Walker will win the nomination and crush Hillary Clinton in a general election “by a major margin.” Viewed from a distance, the determination of prosperous, well-educated Wisconsin to convert itself into an antiunion right-to-work state like Alabama or Arkansas appears mystifying. To risk the standing of the University of Wisconsin system by abolishing academic tenure as Walker intends is damn near incomprehensible. Attack one of America’s great public research universities for the sake

of humiliating (Democratic-leaning) professors over nickel-anddime budgetary issues? Do WisGENE consinites have no LYONS clue how modern economies work? Maybe not. But Walker’s supporters definitely appear to know who their enemies are, culturally speaking. Incredulity aside, it would be a mistake not to notice the craftiness with which he’s brought off the transformation. Not to mention that Walker’s won three elections since 2010 in a “blue” state that hasn’t supported a Republican presidential nominee since Ronald Reagan. Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes don’t mean much by themselves, but throw in Michigan and Ohio, Midwestern states also trending similarly, and you’ve definitely got something. Act 10, the 2011 law that took away collective bargaining rights for many public employees in Wisconsin — except, at first, for police and firefighters — brought crowds of angry teachers (also mostly Democrats) to the state Capitol in Madison for weeks of angry demonstrations. As much as MSNBC was thrilled, many Wisconsinites appear to have been irked. In the end, the state ended up saving roughly $3 billion by shifting the funding of fringe benefits such as health insurance and pensions from employer to employee, costing the average teacher roughly 16 percent of his or her compensation. Mindful of budget shortfalls, the unions had proposed negotiations, but that wasn’t enough for Gov. Walker. For the record, Act 10 was an almost verbatim copy of a bill promoted by the Arlington, Va., based American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a thinktank largely funded by — you guessed it — the brothers Koch. Four years ago, a documentary filmmaker caught Walker on camera telling wealthy supporters that the new law was just the beginning. “The first step is, we’re going to deal with collective bargaining for all public-employee unions,” he said, “because you use divide — and — conquer.” “If we can do it in Wisconsin, we can do it anywhere — even in our nation’s

presents

April 25 - Oct. 18, 2015 During the world premiere of this one-of-a-kind adventure, you’ll become a globe-trotting explorer alongside 13 life-sized roaring, breathing dinosaurs. Discover the amazing diversity that existed during the Age of Dinosaurs as you travel from the ﬁerce plains of Africa to the once-sandy beaches of Antarctica.

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

PEARLS ABOUT SWINE

Two and done

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

For more information, contact Dee Ann Newell at 501-366-3647 and read the research article on this statistic at www.ctcip.org/publications/imrp 10

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

n retrospect, I probably should’ve eased off those comparisons between 2015 and 2004 Arkansas baseball. Ultimately, both teams — overachievers by preseason standards, and to date the only two Hog teams that have won a Super Regional on their home turf — fizzled in Omaha after a spectacular run. That comparison carried over to Omaha, where like their predecessors of 11 years prior, these Hogs ended up bowing out of the tourney after two losses to perennial collegiate powers. In 2004, it was Texas, then Arizona, that scooted the Razorbacks back home in a pair of routs; this time, Virginia and Miami dealt the death blows, though they weren’t nearly as decisive. The Hogs (40-25 at the end of it all) just didn’t seem comfy with the notion of taking center stage in the opening game Saturday. As it played out, Arkansas finished 5-3 over eight NCAA tournament games, and after a 4-0 start where the Razorbacks plated 37 total runs, the Hogs limped to a 1-3 finish with only 10 more tallies on the board over those last four. Granted, save for Andrew Benintendi’s historic campaign, this wasn’t the kind of lineup that evoked fear from opposing pitchers, but it had been one that delivered consistently when called upon. Inning after inning against Virginia went by without much fanfare. Arkansas stole a 2-1 lead midway through, offsetting an early Joe McCarthy solo homer off Trey Killian, and, then after falling back behind by a run, received the big-game jolt from Benintendi that seemed like it was something preordained. He ripped his national-leading 20th homer to tie it, then had the Razorbacks in decent position to retie it later when he drew a leadoff walk and quickly swiped second base. But Josh Sborz, Virginia’s closer, essentially outlasted Razorback stalwart Zach Jackson in the end; whereas Jackson allowed an inherited runner to score the go-ahead run on Kenny Towns’ double, and then permitted an insurance run in the 9th, Sborz was nowhere near as flawed in a five-strikeout, one-hit flourish. Going to Monday’s twilight eliminator against Miami, the Hogs demonstrated the same sluggishness. Keaton McKinney was dealing early, scuffled slightly in the fifth, and got pulled in a decision that many Hog fans would contend was premature and reeked

of panic. Jackson Lowery came on, served up a two-run homer to Jacob Heyward, and that BEAU put the Hogs in WILCOX yet another hole. The grit that they’ve exhibited all season resurfaced. Bobby Wernes battled Miami reliever Michael Mediavilla for 10 pitches before spanking the tying hit, and after an uncharacteristic bout of defensive ineptitude for Arkansas allowed the Canes to go up 3-2, Brett McAfee tied it again with a clutch hit to plate Tyler Spoon. When the Hogs loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, and had Rick Nomura bidding to cap off a perfect day at the plate with a go-ahead hit, things seemed right with the world all over again. Nomura harmlessly bounced out, though, and the bottom half of the frame spelled immediate doom for Jackson, whose velocity seemed to be perceptibly down after all the heat he had thrown in the Stillwater and Fayetteville weekends before. Heyward instead was the one who got to put a final sheen on a masterful day, driving home the walk-off winner and sending all those beloved guys in red to the dugout, heads hung low. Coach Dave Van Horn was quick to say that there would be no tears from him because a trip to Omaha can never be seen as something to begrudge. This team, in particular, blistered through a murderous schedule and moreover beat back an unusually terrible non-conference performance to become a force in the country’s undisputed top conference. Whereas many of the head coach’s prior teams would struggle in late spring when the stakes got higher, this one coalesced nicely. There was a calm confidence about them, with Benintendi and Spoon buoying the offense and guys like McKinney and Jackson emerging as dominant entities on a staff that wasn’t flush with experience. For this being Van Horn’s fourth (sixth if you include two at Nebraska), and the program’s eighth, CWS berth without a title, it’s a little easy for us to all wax pitiable about being a bridesmaid in what many contend is the best amateur sporting forum of the entire summer. But consider this: Vanderbilt won its first title last year after years of close calls near the end CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

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THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

High water

he Observer, like a lot of folks in Central Arkansas, got out in the past few weeks to see the swollen Arkansas River, that normally placid ribbon of water and light transformed by heavy rains into a dragon’s spine of whirls and eddies, the water rushing, full of sticks and logs and snag pikes that could run a person through if he or she was somehow able to avoid being dunked and drowned by the current’s constant push to make them kiss the murky bottom. The Observer’s people on our daddy’s side, who lived near England, wound up bedraggled refugees during the Great Flood of ’27, everything they had soaked or smashed. As The Observer understands it, that flood was what brought them to Little Rock and life as a tangle of rag-tag roofers, so we suppose we should be glad for it. Without the flood, there’s no telling who or where Yours Truly would be right now, if at all. Here’s the truth, sons and daughters: An existence is made up of a million forgotten choices, none of which you had any part in. Think about that next time you’re facing decisions over your own joys and calamities — that what you decide in that moment will ring down the line of your ancestors, obliterating many maybes in the process. No pressure, though. The always interesting Encyclopedia of Arkansas says that in Arkansas, the ’27 flood covered 6,600 square miles, with at least 36 counties in Arkansas drowned in water up to 30 feet deep in places. “In Arkansas,” says the Arkcyclopedia, “more people were affected by the floodwaters (over 350,000), more farmland inundated (over 2 million acres), more Red Cross camps were needed (80 of the 154 total), and more families received relief than any other state (41,243). In Arkansas, almost 100 people died, more than any state except Mississippi. In monetary terms, the losses in Arkansas (totaling over $1 million in 1927 dollars for relief and recovery) surpassed any other affected state.” The Observer doesn’t have to read

it in the electric history books. The old stories have rung down the chain of our own DNA, the fear of rolling waters stamped into our cells. Given that, when we went down to see the Arkansas River on the afternoon it was scheduled to crest at Little Rock, we did so warily and in full daylight, as if we were approaching the lair of a monster. In Murray Park on the day the water was highest, the river had crawled up the boat ramp, inundating half the soccer fields there and creeping into the parking lot where the fishermen usually dock their trucks and empty trailers. The angry water seemed to bow upward at the center of the channel, the edge a ragged hem of shining water on the asphalt. The city had marked the edge of the water with those traffic do-dads with the flashing light on top, but most paid them no mind. Parked with its tires in the edge of the river was a pickup truck, the driver testing his mettle. A few feet away, a family had walked down to the edge. As The Observer watched, a girl of perhaps 7 stepped into the first couple inches of water, not in danger, not at the still edge of the beast, the water not even deep enough there to wet her sneakers, but oh, so brave. The Observer, with our sodden genes handed down from people who lost everything but their lives to the deluge, wouldn’t even have tried that. But there she stood in the river, staring out at the far bank as if she might take off and stride across. And oh, what a story that will make, The Observer thought. For us mortals, the shining, swirling years are constantly creeping up to cover us, rinsing these lives of ours inexorably into the past tense. For that moment, though, there was still time for The Observer to see that girl and think of her, years and years from now, with her children’s children clustered around and all of them begging, pleading, saying: Grandma, please please please. Tell us again how you once stood on the back of a dragon.

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arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

AG wants in on EPA v. Sierra Club Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has filed a motion in federal court requesting that the state be allowed to intervene in the settlement of a lawsuit between the Sierra Club and the Environmental Protection Agency over a clean air rule. The issue in question is the Regional Haze Rule, under which the EPA requires states to develop plans to reduce air pollution — such as coal power plant emissions — that contributes to haze. Much like, say, the Affordable Care Act or various federal education requirements, the federal agency sets a certain standard and it’s up to the states to create a plan that implements that standard in a measurable way. But if a state fails to come up with a satisfactory plan, the EPA can step in and impose its own plan. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) submitted a haze reduction plan to the EPA some years ago, but the federal agency rejected the state’s effort. So in 2014, the Sierra Club sued the EPA to make the federal agency intervene in Arkansas and create its own plan for the state. That suit is now being settled, but Rutledge wants to interpose the state into the agreement. In a statement, the AG’s office said the previous ADEQ plans were “robust” and that the EPA “is attempting to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan for Regional Haze that fails to consider the best interests for Arkansas.” Rutledge issued the following statement: “This is a classic example of a ‘sue and settle’ case ... the EPA agreed to the demands of the Sierra Club without any real litigation of the issues and without input from the State. Recent data shows that visibility impairment is improving in Arkansas and this federal rule is unnecessary. It is my duty to protect Arkansans from rate increases that will negatively impact them and offer zero benefit to Arkansas beyond those proposed by the State Plans. I am confident the State will be granted intervention in this case. The EPA should put the interests of Arkansans far ahead of the Sierra Club’s political interests.” Glenn Hooks of the Sierra Club said, “The state had the opportunity to draft a state plan. They submitted that, and it was rejected. It didn’t do enough to control haze. The major component of the regional haze problem ... comes from coal-fired power plants. The

CLEAN LINE GREEN LINE: The Applicant’s Proposed Route, shown here in green, passes through 12 counties in Arkansas. There are alternative routes as well for the Department of Energy to consider.

The messy Clean Line issue Project to transmit wind energy generates opposition. BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

lara Dotson’s 80 acres north of Dover is crisscrossed by utility easements: a natural gas pipeline, HVAC power line and an Arkansas Valley Cooperative electric distribution line. Last year, she learned that Valero/ Plains All American planned run its pipeline shipping crude oil from Oklahoma to Tennessee through her property. Utilities have the power of eminent domain in Arkansas, which means that landowners can’t stop them from building on their land. They can dicker over compensation, but that’s it. So imagine the reaction when Dotson and family discovered last year that the Plains & Eastern Clean Line Transmission Project plans to run an overhead HVDC line across the property, per-

pendicular to the HVAC line and visible from all points on the property. The Clean Line is a $2 billion, 720mile project that would transmit electric power from Oklahoma wind farms across Arkansas to Tennessee. The company says it would make available 500 megawatts of power to Arkansas power companies and 3,500 mw to the Tennessee Valley Authority. Alison Millsaps, Dotson’s daughterin-law, who worked last year to coalesce opposition to the Diamond Project pipeline, now finds herself working to stop the Clean Line. This time she has lots of company: Several counties and towns that will “host” the Clean Line, in the utility’s vernacular, have passed resolutions in opposition.

But it’s a strange alliance for Millsaps. She is a proponent of clean, renewable power like wind energy. Not everyone who opposes the Clean Line feels that way. The opposition has made strange bedfellows of Tea Party members and Libertarians with folks on the left side of the political spectrum. “It’s a whole new world to me,” Millsaps said. Opponents have a variety of reasons they dislike the Clean Line project. U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton, who are to the right of the right wing of the Republican Party and supporters of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, have filed a bill in Congress that would give the states veto power over electric lines, ostensibly to stop the federal government from exercising eminent domain. Given their position on Keystone, it’s possible their financial support from the oil industry motivates them and others who oppose the project. Millsaps and others — including the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma — believe the line will lower their property values a full 30 percent. (Clean Line says studies indicate that 10 percent is a more accurate figure, but Millsaps says it’s basing that on studies done in urban areas.) She also is concerned about health effects from the power line. CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

THE

BIG PICTURE

58% LIVE ELSEWHERE (1,093)

Little Rock, black and white

The Little Rock City Board recently discussed an ordinance proposed by Director Erma Hendrix that would require newly hired Little Rock police officers to reside in Little Rock or promise to do so within 90 days. That made us wonder about race and residency among other city employees. According to the 2010 census, Little Rock’s population was 49 percent white and 42 percent black. The following information came from a Freedom of Information request.

27% LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK (310)

42% LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK (803)

73% LIVE ELSEWHERE (827)

All City of Little Rock employees: 1,896

All white City of Little Rock employees: 1,137

34% LIVE ELSEWHERE (243) 66% LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK (468)

All black City of Little Rock employees: 711

2% OTHER (15)

34% BLACK (220)

64% WHITE (419)

Little Rock Police Department employees: 654

40% LIVE ELSEWHERE (88)

22% LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK (94) 60% LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK (132)

Black LRPD employees: 220

78% LIVE ELSEWHERE (325)

White LRPD employees: 419

2% OTHER (8)

15% LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK (48)

23% BLACK (94) 44% LIVE ELSEWHERE (41) 75% WHITE (313)

Little Rock Fire Department employees: 415

56% LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK (53)

Black LRFD employees: 94

85% LIVE ELSEWHERE (265)

White LRFD employees: 313

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INSIDER, CONT. state’s plan did not do enough to combat the haze coming from, specifically, White Bluff. “It’s long past time to clean up this pollution. They’re required by the Clean Air Act to do that. When you don’t write your own plan, you basically abdicate,” he said. “Everybody talks about how we don’t want these one-size-fits-all Washington mandates, and then you don’t comply.” Judd Deere, a spokesperson for the AG’s office, said the state should be given another chance to come up with a plan, on a longer timetable. “We feel that a plan from the state level, taking into account state interests, is the better route,” he said. If the federal court allows Arkansas to intervene in the suit, Deere said that might lead to further litigation, “or it could be that we are brought into the settlement table, and we try to come up with a date or a timeline that is agreeable to all parties.”

Johnson running for judge State Sen. David Johnson (D-Little Rock) announced that he’s running for district court judge for Jacksonville District Court and Maumelle District Court in next year’s election. Rumor mill on who might run for Johnson’s Senate seat: former state representative and Democratic party chairman Will Bond (Bond now lives in Little Rock, but represented Jacksonville in the legislature). Other possibilities: lawyer Nate Coulter, a former Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor; lawyer and banker John Adams, who has made recent unsuccessful runs for Congress and the state House; and public relations consultant Jordan Johnson. Not expected to run: freshman state Rep. Clarke Tucker of Little Rock. David Johnson previously worked as deputy prosecuting attorney in Pulaski County from 1998 to 2004, which included appearances before the Jacksonville and Maumelle district courts. In 2004, he was elected to the state House, where he served two terms before being elected to the Senate in 2008. Jacksonville and Maumelle previously had separate district courts, each with its own judge; beginning Jan. 1, 2017, the district courts will be combined under a single judge. The current judges are expected to retire.

arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

JAMES WEAVER JR.: Prior to his 1989 arrest.

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

The Tucker redemption

Dennis Young was a cog in the Corrections machine until he heard the story of lifer James Weaver Jr. Even with the tenacious former parole board member pushing for his release, will Weaver ever be free? BY DAVID KOON

ight now, on some level, Dennis Young is probably thinking about James Weaver Jr. That’s the kind of guy Young is. You can tell it just by looking at him, the wheels behind his eyes always turning over something like a stone being polished, his demeanor and bearing that of a minorleague baseball coach who once touched The Bigs, perfectly accented by an Ark-LaTex twang. The thing his mind has been tumbling for over a year now is how to keep James Weaver from dying in prison. The first thing you need to know about Young is that he’s no easy touch. As a Democratic state representative from Texarkana from 1993 to 1999, he served as the co-chair of the Joint Penal Committee and co-sponsored the state’s “Three Strikes” law, which sent loads of habitual criminals to prison for long stretches on relatively minor crimes. These days, he unapologetically calls Three Strikes “probably one of the worst pieces of legislation ever passed in Arkansas,” saying it has contributed to the state’s prison overcrowding crisis — something that’s also often on his mind. Maybe that’s what led him to seek a seat on the Arkansas Parole Board: some sense of culpability. If true, though, you’ll probably never get him to admit it. He is also that type of guy. Plays the heart close to the vest. It’s odd then, to hear Young use a fairly squishy word like “fate” to describe what brought him to the Arkansas Department of Correction’s Tucker Maximum Security Unit last June, where he met James Weaver Jr. Convicted of capital murder as an accomplice to a man who bludgeoned their roommate to death in December 1989, Weaver had been in a prison for over 24 years by then. With a sentence of life without parole, he was probably going to die there. The more Young dug into Weaver’s case, however, plowing through dusty

files that hadn’t been cracked since the original trial, the more Young became convinced that Weaver should have long since been allowed to rejoin the world as a free man. The only hope for James Weaver at this point is clemency. His requests to Govs. Mike Huckabee and Mike Beebe for commutation have been unsuccessful, and the clock is ticking on his pending request to Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Hutchinson must decide on Weaver’s petition by July 5, and if Hutchinson turns him down, Weaver will have to wait at least eight years until he can try again. By then, the man who went to prison at 19 will be north of 50 years old.

‘Fate took me there’

Recently retired as an insurance agent, Young was looking for something to occupy his time and energy in late March 2014 when he saw that Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) had objected to the appointment of Rapert’s former election opponent Linda Tyler to the Parole Board, leading Gov. Mike Beebe to withdraw the appointment. Beebe had wanted Tyler to fill out the term of retiring Parole Board member Joe Peacock, which ran until Jan. 14, 2015, and was suddenly in need of a replacement. “When I saw that in the paper,” Young said, “I picked up the phone, called the governor’s office, and said I was recently retired, and I was a former legislator. I

thought, ‘I know everything about the criminal justice system. I can hit the ground running.’ So on April 1, I got a phone call, and they said, ‘We’d like you to come up to fill this term.’ ” As luck would have it, one of Dennis Young’s favorite movies turns out to be “The Shawshank Redemption,” and one of his favorite scenes in that favorite film is where Morgan Freeman’s character Red, grown old in prison and out of give-a-damn, appears before the dapper parole board, where he finally tells the truth about his remorse, inadvertently talking the board into granting him the freedom that all the bowing and scraping he’d done before never could win him. As Dennis Young will tell you, though, real parole hearings don’t have much in common with Hollywood fantasy. In Arkansas, the way it generally works is one board member, one prison, several file boxes full of old horrors, and the slow parade of inmates. Later, that single board member passes along an up or down parole or clemency recommendation on each inmate to the full parole board (the single-member system is something Young has argued for changing, given how drastically one person’s opinion can impact an inmate’s chances for release). Young calls the 10 months he spent on the parole board one of the most meaningful times of his life. Young wasn’t even supposed to be at Tucker Max the day he interviewed James Weaver. But on June 5, 2014, board member Jimmy Wallace was out, so Tucker Max fell to Young. “Fate took me there,” he said. “It was the only time I went there when I was on the board.” Young had been there awhile that day, asking questions of dangerous men, consulting files and filling out a parole hearing form he had devised himself, when Weaver’s hearing came up. Even though Weaver was in for life without parole, lifers are allowed a hearing every eight years to make their case for clemency from the governor. Young said the first thing he noticed about Weaver was that he had over a

Like a lot of young men out on their own without many prospects, the three led a shabby, hand-tomouth existence. Hubbard and Weaver threw newspapers in the early morning to bring in a little household income.

dozen supporters in the room. “This kid — and I call him a kid, but hell, he’s 44 years old now — this young man comes in, cleancut, no tattoos,” Young said. “He had probably about 20 supporters there, including a minister and a number of other people. It just wasn’t your usual parole hearing.”

ADC No. 093762

When Weaver became Arkansas Department of Correction Inmate No. 093762 he was a 19-year-old. In December 1989, Weaver was living with two roommates, Alan Hubbard and John Rogers, in a house at 6212 Young Road in Southwest Little Rock. Weaver had met and moved in with Hubbard a few months earlier, living first in a trailer on Kanis Road with another roommate before moving into the house with Rogers and Hubbard, who had known each other since the third grade. Hubbard, then 20, was already a felon, convicted in his native Jefferson County in April 1988 of two counts of felony theft of property and two counts of breaking and entering. He’d been sentenced to three year’s probation. Like a lot of young men out on their own without many prospects, the three led a shabby, hand-to-mouth existence. Hubbard and Weaver threw newspapers in the early morning to bring in a little household income. They were taking a lot of drugs, Weaver and Hubbard later said: pot, alcohol and speed, spending most nights cruising Geyer Springs Road in Hubbard’s 1986 Dodge Colt. Weaver had no car and had to rely on Hubbard for transportation. Their dire financial straits were compounded by the fact that Rogers was, by all available accounts, habitually late on paying his third of the rent. While Weaver told detectives he was frustrated with Rogers’ failure to pay, Hubbard was furious. Weaver said that Hubbard’s anger grew until, in early December, Hubbard started talking about beating up Rogers to force him to pay. On Dec. 13, 1989, Hubarktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

bard and Weaver went over to the home of friends, Big Al and Little Al Caton, and came back to the house on Young Road with a 4-pound steel “tire thumper” — essentially a length of capped pipe — used by truckers to test the pressure in truck tires. Just how that steel bar came into their possession — and, specifically, who asked to borrow it and why — is crucial to understanding why James Weaver was eventually charged, convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. John Johnson is the chief deputy prosecutor for the Sixth Judicial District. Speaking generally about the law and not specifically about the Weaver case, he said that though there was a time when a defendant could be charged with being an accessory after the fact, Arkansas law has long been that to be charged as an accomplice, one has to aid, assist, facilitate or participate in the planning or commission of the offense prior to or while the offense is being committed. “Whether that’s encouraging, aiding in some way, providing the murder weapon,” Johnson said, “there has to be some sort of assistance in the commission of the crime, as opposed to coming in after the fact and helping to dispose of the body.” In Arkansas, acting as an accomplice in a serious felony such as a murder can net you the same punishment as the person who actually killed, even if you never laid a finger on the victim. The stories of who asked for the tire thumper and why, in both the police statements and Weaver’s trial transcript, are mixed. Weaver consistently said it was Hubbard who asked for the bar, claiming that he didn’t know that Hubbard planned to kill with it. Hubbard told police that it was Weaver who initially asked the Catons for a bat, with the two taking the iron bar instead. Little Al Caton, who had

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

READY FOR RELEASE: Weaver with his mother, Deborah Croxton.

known Weaver much longer than Hubbard, testified at Weaver’s trial that it was Hubbard who asked for a weapon to “beat up John.” Al Caton Sr., however, said that it was Weaver who asked to borrow a bat to “do some collecting,” a request Caton Sr. said he denied, though he testified that he did tell Weaver about the tire thumper in his car, saying, “I didn’t tell him to go get it. I said, ‘I ain’t telling you you can’t, I ain’t telling you you can.’ ” Neither Al Caton Sr. or Jr. knew if it was Weaver or Hubbard who retrieved the bar. Other aspects of the Catons’ accounts also don’t match, such as whether it was day or night when Weaver and Hubbard arrived, and whether Big Al was home at the time or not. Attempts to locate and contact the Catons for further comment were unsuccessful by press time. Whatever the truth, the prosecution was able to convince the jury that Weaver had helped Hubbard acquire the tire thumper with the knowledge that it would be used to kill. In his testimony at trial, Weaver said that he and Hubbard had gone out to throw papers early on Dec. 14, 1989, the day after the visit to the Caton home. Hubbard would later tell investigators

that at the time they were “loaded” on alcohol and speed. When they returned to the house, with Rogers asleep on the couch, Weaver said he was standing in the kitchen when Hubbard walked into the room holding the steel bar and asked if he would help kill Rogers. “I got angry at him,” Weaver testified at his trial. “I got agitated, and I told him that he was stupid, and that he wasn’t going to kill anybody, especially John. He’d known him since the third grade, and what he was doing was ridiculous.” After that, Weaver said, he went to bed in his room, on the other side of the wall from the living room where Rogers slept. After about 15 minutes, Weaver told the jury, Hubbard came in and sat silently on the edge of the bed for a full minute, holding the iron bar. Then Hubbard stood up and walked out. Weaver testified that seconds later, he heard a sickening thump from the other side of the wall. He said he got up and walked into the hallway just in time to hear a flurry of blows. An autopsy would later find that Rogers had been struck on the left side of his head with a heavy object at least six times, his skull crushed to the point that the medical examiner said it was “almost split into

two halves.” In his statement to police, Hubbard told Detective Mark Stafford that Weaver was sitting on the end of the couch when he murdered John Rogers, something Weaver denied and Dennis Young discounted, given that Rogers, who was 5-foot-10inches tall according to the autopsy report, was stretched out there asleep. Asked why he killed Rogers, Hubbard told detectives that money wasn’t the real reason. He said he was just angry. “[It was] just a little bit of everything,” Hubbard said. “He’s one of those kind of people.” After hearing John Rogers being killed, Weaver testified at his trial, he eventually went into the living room. “[Hubbard] told me to come with him to get rid of John’s body, and I knew that John was dead,” Weaver said. “I told him I didn’t want to go, and he said that I didn’t have a choice. That I was already in trouble. I didn’t stop him or anything, so there was no use resisting.” Weaver said that in addition to being worried that he would also get in trouble for the crime, he was scared that Hubbard would hurt or kill him if he resisted. “You’re James Weaver,” Dennis Young said. “You walk out into the hallway and there’s Alan Hubbard. He’s standing there with a bloody tire thumper in his hand, and there’s a dead body on the couch right here. He says, ‘You’re going to help me get rid of this body.’ You’re a bit smaller than he is. You’re a person who has never stood up to anybody in your life. What are you going to do? You’re going to say, ‘Yes, Alan. Do you want me to get my clothes on right now so we can go?’ ” Weaver went. After throwing away Rogers’ bloody jeans and sweater in a dumpster behind a nearby bowling alley, the two drove around for a while with the body in the hatchback of Hubbard’s Colt. They eventually made their way to a power line service road near Willow

Lake in Cabot just as the sun came up. Once there, Weaver said, he and Hubbard rolled Rogers’ body out of the car before Hubbard dragged him into the woods. On the way back to Little Rock, Weaver would later testify, Hubbard made a joking threat that he took very seriously. “He told me that if — well, he was joking with me — and he said that he hoped that no differences come between us, because he didn’t want to kill me, too.” After they got back to the house, the two tried to clean up the blood with towels and bleach. The next day, Hubbard rented a steam cleaner at a local grocery store. When Rogers’ girlfriend stopped by looking for Rogers on the day he was killed, she told police, Weaver answered the door and told her that John had been in a fight with some unknown men, then left with them. The next day, Mike Rob-

ON A MISSION: Dennis Young.

arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

Photography by Nancy Nolan 18

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

INSIDE: Weaver (left) plays with a band at Tucker Max.

erts, the foreman of the paint crew John Rogers sometimes worked on, stopped to pick up Rogers. Roberts later told police he had seen blood on the porch and grass. Hubbard and Weaver moved out of the house on Young Road and into an apartment within days. Young said Weaver has since told him that Hubbard rarely let Weaver out of his sight after the murder. Coupled with Weaver’s naturally timid personality, Young said Weaver was just following his lifelong pattern of “going along to get along” when he helped dispose of the body and lied to those who came looking

for Rogers. “Until the police showed up, James Weaver was pretty much under the thumb of Alan Hubbard, that entire time,” Young said. “I guess he could have taken off and run out the front door and tried to seek refuge somewhere, but in my mind, he’s still got [the memory of] that bloody body there on the couch and Alan Hubbard standing there with a tire thumper. He’s wondering, ‘Would he do this to me if I try to do something?’ ” Rogers’ girlfriend eventually filed a missing person’s report. When detectives with the Little Rock Police Depart-

ment showed up at the door of Hubbard and Weaver’s new apartment four days before Christmas 1989, both agreed to go down to the station to answer some questions. Transported in separate cars, they didn’t even make it to the freeway before they started spilling their guts about what happened. On March 6, 1990, less than three months after the murder of John Rogers, James Weaver Jr. was afforded a one-day trial. At the time, Alan Hubbard was in the state hospital on a court-ordered mental evaluation and wasn’t available to testify. Though Weaver’s public defender asked

Judge John Langston to continue the case until Hubbard could be available to testify, the motion was denied. (Prosecutor John Johnson, it should be noted, said it’s common for trials against accomplices to go forward without the actual killer being available to testify.) After a little over three hours of jury deliberation — and with the jury having the option to convict him of first-degree or second-degree murder or manslaughter — Weaver was found guilty of capital murder. The state had waived the death penalty in the case, so the only possible sentence was life in prison without the arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

OUTSIDE: Weaver at his high school graduation party.

possibility of parole. Months later, Alan Hubbard would later accept a plea bargain in which he pled guilty to first-degree murder. He received a sentence of life in prison, and died there on May 22, 2007.

Typos

Dennis Young knew only the sketched outlines of that story before James Weaver’s clemency hearing on June 5 last year. Talking to Weaver and looking over his file, Young said that he just couldn’t shake the nagging idea that there was something wrong with the case. “In my conversation with him, I just started thinking, ‘There’s something about this,’ ” Young said. “This guy is going to stay here. He’ll rot. He’ll stay in prison for the rest of his life. And all he was is an accessory to a murder? When I got back to the office, I really started looking into it.” While Young said most recommendations to the full board were made on the same day as the hearing, he decided to hold on to the case for a while. In taking a closer look at Weaver’s file, one of the first things he noticed was that in Weaver’s Inmate Record Summary, it listed Weaver as a habitual criminal, convicted of two counts of breaking and entering and two counts of theft of property out of Jefferson County. “I thought, ‘Yeah, he’s a bad egg. He did some other things before this occurred, and he was only 18 when it happened,’ ” Young said. Still, that feeling kept gnawing at him. “I keep reading and reading,” Young said. “Finally, I thought, ‘I have got to go back down, and I’ve got to talk to him again.’ So I do. I went back down to Tucker. And I said, ‘James, what about these other felonies that occurred in

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Jefferson County?’ He sits there rather stunned, and he says, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ ” What Young was the first to discover, what apparently nobody else caught, was that at some point in the past 25 years, someone had copied the criminal information from Alan Hubbard’s records into the records attached to James Weaver. Specifically, this: “Defendant James Weaver has been previously convicted of four (4) or more felonies, and consequently his sentence should be increased as provided for in Ark. Code Ann. 5-4-501.” Other than that it begins with “Defendant Alan Glenn Hubbard Jr. …” the language in Hubbard’s file is identical. Young

later confirmed with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Pine Bluff Police Department that Weaver had never been arrested or charged there. In fact, prior to his being convicted of capital murder, Weaver had never been charged with anything more than traffic violations. While the false information wasn’t included in Weaver’s original trial or sentencing, Young said there’s no telling how long it has been in his Inmate Record Summary, tainting the opinions of parole board members or those in the governor’s office who review requests for clemency. “Somebody in the typing pool somewhere, probably in Pine Bluff, made a mistake,” Weaver said. “It’s the exact

same information that shows up in Alan Hubbard’s file. Alan Hubbard is the one with the record of the four felonies, but it appears right there in [Weaver’s] summary of prior criminal actions.” After sorting that out, Young started requesting documents, including the original prosecutor’s file, and the trial transcript. The more he read, the more disturbed he was by the case. He eventually made a report to the full parole board detailing all the information he’d uncovered, and on Oct. 1, 2014, the full board recommended unanimously, with merit, that Weaver’s sentence be commuted from life without parole to time served or parole eligibility.

“This is the absolute worst case I’ve seen,” said Young, who created the website freejamesweaver.com to raise awareness about the case. “There’s just absolutely no reason for a man like this to get life without parole. I can’t tell you how adamant I am about that. I wouldn’t be doing all this if I wasn’t adamant. This stays on my mind.”

Denial and hope

The Arkansas Department of Correction denied the Times’ request for a faceto-face interview with Weaver, citing the ADC’s Administrative Regulation 001, which includes a clause that says, “Prior to granting approval for such interviews, the Warden will have to take into consideration the effect such an interview may have on the inmate and his/her personal mental attitude, the effect it may have on other inmates, and the effect of such an interview with respect to any pending review of the inmate.” ADC spokesperson Cathy Frye said that it was her understanding that the portion about “any pending review” was the reason for the denial. We were, however, able to get a few

basic questions to Weaver before press time, which he was able to answer and forward to us. In that response, Weaver reiterated what he told police and the jury in 1990, that it was Alan Hubbard who procured the tire thumper and that he didn’t know Hubbard planned to use it to commit murder. “To be frank,” Weaver wrote, “at the time, I was more interested in trying to obtain drugs. Fulfilling my addiction was more important to me than other things going on around me. I’m ashamed to say that, but it’s true.” Weaver said that after the murder, he wished he had run, tried to contact the authorities, or reached out for help. “I should have and wished I had done a thousand things,” Weaver wrote. “I was afraid, a coward, and shamefully compliant. My limited life experience and lack of emotional fortitude were simply not sufficient in the face of that horror. If there was any sense in my world, it was lost. The irony is that my arrest was my rescue. And as I share this, I need to say, though I was subject to something I was incapable of responding to rationally, I can’t in good conscience use that to justify

my lack of courage and inaction. Because John was the true victim.” Weaver’s mother, Deborah Croxton, said that while the first 10 years of her son’s incarceration were hard on her, seeing James grow as a man in prison has helped. “I know there’s this thing where people go to prison and suddenly they believe in God and they’re saved. He truly is. There are men who truly are saved. I don’t know if you’re a Christian, but I am. And I am because of James,” she said. “I believe that God saved his life. I truly believe that. I don’t like the fact that he’s down there, but he’s come so far.” While Croxton said she is 100 percent convinced her son had nothing to do with planning the murder, she said James has accepted his guilt and responsibility for not doing more to deter Alan Hubbard from killing Rogers, and for not contacting authorities after the murder. “James took responsibility for his part in not reacting in a crime,” she said. “He has paid for that. … But it’s just time [for him to be released]. He’s been in too long for what he didn’t or did do.” If he gets out, Weaver told the Times he wants to visit the grave of his father,

who died in 2006. Given how many times Weaver has been denied clemency already, however, Dennis Young said he worries a lot about giving Weaver too much hope. “In my last letter from James, he started talking about, ‘when he got out,’ and ‘when he had freedom,’ “ Young said. “Oh God, I hated to see him write about that. Because I’m just scared to death that the governor may say no, regardless of all the information he’s been given.” As for Weaver, he wrote that he doesn’t believe meeting Dennis Young at Tucker Max last June was an accident. “I don’t know if it is possible to adequately express the depth of gratitude my family and I have for Mr. Young, for his belief in me, and his tireless effort to expose the truth and strengthen our hope. I will be forever in his debt,” Weaver wrote. “It is true that our futures in this world can never be known with certainty. However, I don’t subscribe to coincidence. That doesn’t mean that I understand the reason for everything that happens, but I do believe there can be meaning and purpose discovered through the most difficult circumstance.”

arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

Arts Entertainment AND

AN ARKANSAS ‘INK MASTER’ Katie McGowan to compete in reality show.

ot long ago, while drinking an amaretto sour at South on Main, I was asked by a colleague, “Can I see your tattoo?” It’s on my right ankle. “Sure,” I said, a tad embarrassed about the dark mass of star-like shapes there, initially constructed to cover up a fairy on a moon (terrible, in both concept and execution). “It’s not done yet.” “Would it be too presumptuous of me to suggest an artist?” she asked. “Not at all,” I said, glad to have some guidance from a local, new as I am to the area. “I know this girl in Sherwood,” she said. “The studio is a little hard to find, but it’s so worth it.” And then she showed me Katie McGowan’s Instagram account (@ katietattoos). I was enamored with the adorable renderings of My Little 22

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Pony and Bambi. I was astounded by her black-and-white portraits. One art deco piece reminded me of stained glass windows I had seen in centuryold buildings. For the first time in my life, I wanted a tattoo not because I was young and it sounded like a great idea or because I needed a cover-up after my great idea had gone sour, but because this was truly art that I would want on my body. I came across a picture of Katie on the account: pouty lips painted bright red, blond bangs cut straight across her forehead, long hair cascading down her back. Tortoise-shell glasses and, yes, tattoos of all sizes and colors up and down her arms. And the frame around the pic? It read: “Ink Master Season 6 premieres June 23rd.” I was floored. My husband and I had just returned to Arkansas after living in Italy for four years. Without

access to American cable, we had to work hard to stream any television shows we wanted to watch, the episodes frequently stopping and restarting due to the slow Italian Internet. But no matter our difficulties, we always, always streamed Spike TV’s “Ink Master.” Hosted by Dave Navarro (guitarist from ’80s alt-rock band Jane’s Addiction), “Ink Master” entertained us with the antics of its mostly male cast of tattoo artists and the courage of the human canvasses, who willingly offered up the use of their bodies for the competition with very little say in what would be permanently inked there. A female “Ink Master” contestant working in my own backyard? I had found my tattoo artist. ***

Just as my colleague had warned me, Black Cobra Tattoos is a little difficult to reach. With no easy exit off U.S. Highway 67-167 to get directly to the shop, I had to drive one road past the shop’s location and then circle back, consciously making sure I didn’t accidentally end up back on the highway headed south. Located beside a Fish ’n Stuff, which proudly displayed a sign identifying it as an “Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza REGISTRATION SITE,” Black Cobra was rather unremarkable from the outside. But once inside, it looked like a Gen Xer’s dream. An especially striking painting of a stack of stuffed animals was flanked by portraits of Princess Leia and a Storm Trooper. Framed articles about the shop’s owner from Inked and other magazines intermingled with drawings of nudes and skulls and plaques recognizing outstand-

BRIAN CHILSON

BY HEATHER STEADHAM

ROCK CANDY

BOSWELL MOUROT FINE A RT

Check out the Times’ A&E blog

NEW WORKS BY ARKANSAS ARTIST

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BRIAN CHILSON

A&E NEWS ing achievements in tattoo artistry. The two flat-screen televisions positioned in high corners played “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” while speed metal music blared over the speakers. The first person to greet me was a man with dark hair shaved on both sides and earlobes extended with large-gauge plugs. He had Bat Boy (of Weekly World News fame) and Jason (from “Friday the 13th”) tattooed on his right shoulder. This was Kyle Arkansas, the shop’s manager and resident body piercer. He told me Katie “might be the funnest person I’ve ever worked with at any job. Definitely the most positive person I’ve ever worked with at any job.” In fact, he couldn’t say enough about Katie; according to Kyle, she’s got the “best personality of anyone in the tattoo shop,” and that “when she was gone to ‘Ink Master,’ it was weird not having her laugh here.” I saw Katie sitting in her station — the first one after the entryway. Her tool cart was festooned with stickers, one with a quote from the Dalai Lama: “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” She wore her signature glasses, her blond hair piled on top of her head. With her Morrissey T-shirt, navy blue jeans and black Keds, she looked like a friend I might’ve had in high school. She was working on a man at the moment, her tattoo gun surprisingly quiet — not the noisy dental-drill buzz I remembered from the last two times I had my ankle worked on. She smiled at me but went straight back to work, concentrating deeply on her client’s right shoulder. I couldn’t help but notice that Katie was the only woman working in the shop, but that’s no surprise in this industry — and it’s one of the reasons I’m so fascinated by her. It occurred to me that in all the tattoo shops I’ve been in (admittedly, only three or four), I’d never seen a female tattoo artist. On “Ink Master,” none of the judges are female, and only 19 of the 95 contestants over six seasons of the show have been female. I recently decided I’d like to know what the industry standard was, but when I Googled “number of female tattoo artists,” I was frustratingly CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

THE LITTLE ROCK-BASED SIBLING Rivalry Press won this year’s Lamda Literary Award in Lesbian Poetry earlier this month at the organization’s 27th annual ceremony in New York City. The press had previously won the Lamda Literary Award in Gay Poetry in 2012. This week, Sibling Rivalry publishers Bryan Borland and Seth Pennington will appear at the Library of Congress to participate in a panel on LGBTQ publishing — all 57 of the press’ titles have been acquired for the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Vault. NPR HAS PREMIERED THE NEW single from Memphis band (and local favorite) Lucero, the first track to be released off its forthcoming LP “All A Man Should Do,” due out Sept. 18 via ATO Records. NPR calls it “a meditation on missed offramps,” in which Little Rock native Ben Nichols “honors his spiritual mentor Warren Zevon — and another, Paul Westerberg, whose talk-ballad style clearly served as inspiration — with scenes from an urban pilgrimage gone poooft, set to a gentle driving beat.” They also quote Nichols’ statement of purpose for the new record: “I was 15 years old in 1989,” he says. “This record sounds like the record I wanted to make when I was 15. It just took 25 years of mistakes to get it done.” Listen at Rock Candy on the Times’ website. FICTION WRITER, TV SHOWRUNNER and renowned mystic Nic Pizzolatto, who got his M.F.A. at the University of Arkansas roughly a decade before creating the HBO neo-noir series “True Detective,” is profiled in the new issue of Vanity Fair magazine ahead of the June premiere of the show’s second season. It’s the most comprehensive look at Pizzolatto to date. He is described, at various points, as “occasionally sweet” and “a shade too intense” and “a big personality, the crazy fuck who, having won a pile of chips — and it’s two in the morning and the casino is filled with sharks — pushes it all back to the center of the table” (read more at Rock Candy). Season two premieres June 21 and stars Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch.

ELIZABETH WEBER

BEHIND THE CURTAIN THROUGH JULY 8, 2015

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BEST FOOD TRUCK

Your favorite food truck just opened your new favorite restaurant for lunch or dinner. 219 Capital ave, LR 72201 501.313.5645 thesoutherngourmasian.com monday-saturday 11-9 arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY WILL STEPHENSON

SATURDAY 6/20

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS 8 p.m. Magic Springs. $54.99.

THE WRONG MAN: The Arkansas Times screens Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” at Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m. Thursday, $5.

THURSDAY 6/18

‘NORTH BY NORTHWEST’

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

This month’s Arkansas Times Film Series screening is Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 spy-thriller “North by Northwest,” which the Village Voice has called “Hitchcock’s ultimate wrongman comedy” and the Chicago Reader has called “certainly one of the most entertaining movies ever made.” It’s important to see this movie in a theater, because in some ways it’s a film about size, spectacle and scale. Action

sequences are set in the U.N. General Assembly building and at Mount Rushmore. We are shown skyscrapers, car chases along high cliffs, and cropdusters in wide, endless fields. Hitchcock was determined to top himself, to repurpose vast American landmarks and landscapes as settings for terror and dislocation. Working with screenwriter Ernest Lehman, the stated goal was to make “the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures.” The resulting film is pure thrill-ride momentum,

scenic paranoia and constant visual energy in widescreen VistaVision. The template for future movies of its kind — the James Bond series, most notably — it’s a perfect, genuinely entertaining film. Interviewing Hitchcock for a book, the French filmmaker and critic Francois Truffaut said that he recognized, in “North by Northwest,” a “taste for fantasy founded in the absurd.” Hitchcock replied, “The fact is I practice this taste for the absurd absolutely religiously.”

government tried to extend a portion of that freedom — tentatively, awkwardly, haltingly — to African-American slaves. It only took a war. Not strictly recognized as a federal holiday — more often a state holiday or ceremonial observance — Juneteenth has nevertheless been celebrated for over

a century. Join the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center this year for a block party featuring food trucks, a rock climbing wall, live music and dance (from acts like Big Piph and Tomorrow Maybe, the Big John Miller Band and the Out Loud Artistry dance troupe), film screenings, vendors and more.

SATURDAY 6/20

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION

11 a.m. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Free.

If we can all agree that July 4 commemorates the Great Day of Independence from Tyranny, let us also agree that Juneteenth, celebrated June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 our 24

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Joan Jett moved around a lot as a kid, but by the mid-1970s her parents had settled on Brentwood, a suburb just a bus ride outside of L.A., where she would go and dress up like Marc Bolan and hang out at Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco and, eventually, slip her phone number to Kim Fowley, a producer who made a fortune from one-off ’60s novelty songs with names like “Alley Oop,” “Nut Rocker” and “Popsicles and Icicles.” Fowley helped Jett assemble an all-girl rock band called The Runaways, who were very successful though generally not taken seriously. “The fact that The Runaways picked up guitars was not accepted,” Jett once told an interviewer. “We were called sluts, whores and dykes all the time. And we were constantly laughed at by bands we played with, by the crews and by the press. It was just totally frustrating.” In the ’80s, Jett founded The Blackhearts — all of them guys, this time — and had a hit with “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” which you’ve heard if you’ve ever heard anything. In ensuing years she would appear on the soundtracks to both “Days of Thunder” and “Freaks and Geeks,” be worshipped as a literal saint by the polyfidelitous Kerista Commune of San Francisco, nicknamed the “Original Riot Grrrl” (by Rolling Stone) and all sorts of other things. She is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for instance, and is a vegetarian.

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 6/18 The Eureka Springs Blue Weekend is happening all weekend with performances by Shari Bales Band, The Bel-Airs, Earl & Them, Patrick Sweany, Brick Fields, Shawn Holt and the Teardrops and many more, $5-$75. Tim and Myles Thompson play at The Joint in Argenta as part of the Argenta Arts Acoustic Music Series, 7:30 p.m., $20. Comedian John Roy is at the Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, $7 (and at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $10).

FRIDAY 6/19

BLACK AND BROWN COMEDY GET DOWN: Charlie Murphy, Mike Epps and Cedric “The Entertainer,” join Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley and George Lopez at Verizon Arena, 8 p.m. Saturday, $49.75-$75.

SATURDAY 6/20

BLACK AND BROWN COMEDY GET DOWN

8 p.m. Verizon Arena. $49.75-$75.

It’s been an unusually good year for stand-up comedy in Little Rock, with local appearances by Todd Barry and Hannibal Burress making up for 2014’s comedy drought. Still, the lineup for Verizon Arena’s Black and Brown Comedy Get Down show Saturday night seems almost too promising — like an attempt to revive the energy of

the “Def Comedy Jam” golden days, or a return of “The Original Kings of Comedy.” There is Cedric the Entertainer, former host of “Showtime at the Apollo” and “ComicView” and “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” and actor in everything from “Barbershop” to the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo”; there is Mike Epps, stand-up powerhouse and pioneering stoner character actor (“Next Friday,” “Friday After Next”); D. L. Hughley, political com-

mentator, author, former star of “The Hughleys” and longtime drive-time radio personality; Charlie Murphy, older brother to Eddie, breakout star of the “Chappelle’s Show” and brilliant storyteller; Eddie Griffin, the best part of “Malcolm & Eddie” and a hero to millennials hoarding VHS copies of “The Meteor Man” and “Undercover Brother” and “Scary Movie 3”; and George Lopez, veteran of Nick at Nite, “Lopez Tonight” and both “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” movies.

great. Slate, for instance, called it a “visually over-crammed, emotionally empty mega-spectacle,” which I wish I could adopt as a recommendations category on Netflix. CNN’s critic said it “falls short of the 1939 Oz,” which just seems cruel and meaningless as a critical metric — like saying Luke Bryan falls short of Hank Williams Sr. It’s a 21st century fantasy blockbuster directed by the mind behind “Evil Dead” and pieced together from psychedelic

CGI and Danny Elfman music and one of James Franco’s most sphinxlike, art-school performances. It has that over-determined, huge-scale catastrophic quality that most of the great Hollywood bombs all share — like “Waterworld” or “Xanadu” or “The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” its failure is what makes it beautiful. Let’s all go outside and watch it together by the Arkansas River on a big screen, for free. Why wouldn’t you want that?

be properly considered in the lineage of great American two-piece trash bands, a tradition inaugurated by Suicide, perfected by The Flat Duo Jets and made lucrative by the White Stripes. Band members have adopted the name: They are Bobby Hussy and Heather Hussy now, self-

described “Shriekin Hipsters and Hippie Vampires.” Their songs are brief and bruising and a little interchangeable — angry, squawking, petulant noise-rock that puts you in the right mind for smoking meth or robbing a gas station or refusing to clean your room.

WEDNESDAY 6/24

‘OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL’

8:30 p.m. First Security Amphitheater. Free.

“Oz the Great and Powerful” wasn’t an especially well-liked movie on its release in the summer of 2013. New York Magazine called it “peculiarly joyless,” and Grantland titled its review “The Wizard of Zzzz.” Somehow the tone of even the bad reviews, though, made it seem

WEDNESDAY 6/24

THE HUSSY

9 p.m. The Lightbulb Club, Fayetteville.

Madison, Wis., punk band The Hussy, whose fourth LP, “Galore,” is due out June 30, calls itself a “two-piece trash band,” and should

The Ar tosphere Festival Orchestra presents “Earth Sounding” at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, 7:30 p.m., $10. The Summer Soulstice Dance Par ty returns to White Water Tavern featuring DJs Baldego and G-Force, 9 p.m., $5.

SATURDAY 6/20 Enchanted Flame: a Summer Solstice Show is at Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, featuring food trucks, vendors and fire dancing by ReCreation Studios, 7 p.m., $15. The Dover String Quartet performs at the Berry Performing Arts Center in Siloam Springs, 7 p.m., $12. Ashley McBryde plays at Satchemo’s Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., $5. One Less Reason plays at Juanita’s with Prosevere and Synphormi, 9 p.m. $10. Folk trio The Memphis Dawls play at White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. Late night at Sway is House of Avalon’s Playhouse.

TUESDAY 6/23 The Artosphere Festival Orchestra performs at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, 7 p.m., $10. Billy Wilder’s 1953 movie “Stalag 17” screens at Vino’s Brewpub Cinema at 7:30 p.m., free.

WEDNESDAY 6/24 “The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” screens at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History at 6:30 p.m., free. Eureka Springs Americana group Sad Daddy plays at South on Main as part of its Local Live series, 7:30 p.m., free. The Guy Forsyth Band, fronted by the blues singer formerly of the Asylum Street Spankers, plays at Stickyz, 8 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. Rapper Dizzy Wright is at Juanita’s with Jahni Denver, 8 p.m., $15. arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

AFTER DARK

MEMPHIS ROOTS: Folk trio The Memphis Dawls perform at White Water Tavern 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

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

THURSDAY, JUNE 18

MUSIC

Arkansas River Blues Society Thursday Jam. Revolution, 7 p.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/ new/. Eureka Springs Blues Weekend. Featuring the Shari Bales Band, The Bel-Airs, Earl & Them, Patrick Sweany, Brick Fields, Shawn Holt and the Teardrops and more. Downtown Eureka Springs, through June 21, $5-$75. Downtown Eureka Springs, Eureka Springs. Even Odds (headliner), Byron (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. 26

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Open Jam. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem. Thorncrown Chapel, 7 p.m. 12968 Hwy. 62 West, Eureka Springs. RockUsaurus. Senor Tequila, 7-9 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 7:30 p.m.,

free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com/. Tim and Myles Thompson. Argenta Arts Acoustic Music Series. The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

COMEDY

John Roy. The Loony Bin, through June 20, 7:30 p.m.; through June 20, 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www. loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

46th Annual NQA Quilt Show. Statehouse Convention Center, 9 a.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 7 Statehouse Plaza. Antique/Boutique Walk. Shopping and live entertainment. Downtown Hot Springs, third Thursday of every month, 4 p.m., free. 100 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

POETRY

POETluck. Literary salon and potluck. The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow, third Thursday of every month, 6 p.m. 515 Spring St., Eureka Springs. 479-253-7444.

CLASSES THURSDAY, JUNE 18

Pulaski Tech Craft Corner: Pinterest. Pulaski Technical College, 5:30 p.m., $10. 3000 W. Scenic Drive, NLR.

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Artosphere Festival Orchestra: “Earth Sounding.” Walton Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $10. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. Dance night, with DJs, drink specials and bar menu, until 2 a.m.

1620 Savoy, 10 p.m. 1620 Market St. 501-2211620. www.1620savoy.com. Donna Massey & Blue-Eyed Soul (headliner), Brian Ramsey (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-3755351. www.cajunswharf.com. Eureka Springs Blues Weekend. See Jun. 18. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Rhiannon Presents: The Betty Ford Ball. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway. Summer Soulstice Dance Party. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com/. Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W Capitol Ave.

COMEDY

“HOGNADO!.” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. John Roy. The Loony Bin, through June 20, 7:30 p.m.; through June 20, 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www. loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Contra Dance. Park Hill Presbyterian Church, first and third Friday of every month, 7:30 p.m.; Fourth Friday of every month, 7:30 p.m., $5. 3520 JFK Blvd., NLR. arkansascountrydance.org. “Salsa Night.” Begins with a one-hour salsa lesson. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

46th Annual NQA Quilt Show. Statehouse Convention Center, through June 20, 9 a.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 7 Statehouse Plaza. Fantastic Friday. Literary and music event, refreshments included. For reservations, call 479-968-2452 or email artscenter@centurytel. net. River Valley Arts Center, Every third Friday, 7 p.m., $10 suggested donation. 1001 E. B St., Russellville. 479-968-2452. www.arvartscenter. org. LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St.

SATURDAY, JUNE 20

MUSIC

Ashley McBryde. Satchemo’s Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., $5. 1900 W. Third St. 501-725-4657. https:// www.satchemosbarandgrill.weebly.com. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. See Jun. 19. Dover String Quartet. Berry Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m., $12. 2000 W University St, Siloam Springs. Eureka Springs Blues Weekend. See Jun. 18. House of Avalon’s Playhouse. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. Magic Springs’

Timberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., $54.99. 1701 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. All-ages, on the restaurant side. Revolution, 9 p.m.-12:45 a.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new/. K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. The Memphis Dawls. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. One Less Reason, Prosevere, Synphormi. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $10. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Pickin’ Porch. Bring your instrument. All ages welcome. Faulkner County Library, 9:30 a.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org. Shari Bales (headliner), Greg Madden (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com/.

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

COMEDY

“HOGNADO!.” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Black & Brown Comedy Get Down. Featuring Cedric “The Entertainer,” Mike Epps, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, George Lopez, Charlie Murphy. Verizon Arena, 8 p.m., $49.75-$75. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. John Roy. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www. loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

“Enchanted Flame”: A Sumemr Solstice Show. An event featuring food trucks, vendors and fire dancing by ReCreation Studios. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, 7 p.m., $15. 20919 Denny Road.

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EVENTS

46th Annual NQA Quilt Show. Statehouse Convention Center, 9 a.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 7 Statehouse Plaza. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Historic Neighborhoods Tour. Bike tour of historic neighborhoods includes bike, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001. Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom 2015. A block party celebration with live music, poetry, children’s activities, food trucks and vendor booths. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 11 a.m., free. 501 W. 9th St. 501-683-3593. www.

Custom Framing 1813 N. Grant

661-0687

arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. mosaictemplarscenter.com. Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 31: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. Pork & Bourbon Tour. Bike tour includes bicycle, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 11:30 a.m., $35-$45. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001.

SUNDAY, JUNE 21

MUSIC

Eureka Springs Blues Weekend. See Jun. 18. Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Karaoke. Shorty Small’s, 6-9 p.m. 1475 Hogan Lane, Conway. 501-764-0604. www.shortysmalls.com. Karaoke with DJ Sara. Hardrider Bar & Grill, 7 p.m., free. 6613 John Harden Drive, Cabot. 501-982-1939 ‎. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

EVENTS

Artist for Recovery. A secular recovery group for people with addictions. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. NW Arkansas. DickeyStephens Park, June 21, 6:10 p.m.; June 22-24, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

MONDAY, JUNE 22

MUSIC

Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project. Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel, 7 p.m. 504 Memorial Drive, Bella Vista. 479-855-6598. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Monday Night Jazz. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com/. Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Vatican, Snake Driver, Without. Vino’s, 8 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. NW Arkansas. DickeyStephens Park, through June 24, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-6641555. www.travs.com.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23

MUSIC

Artosphere Festival Orchestra Brass & Winds. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 7 p.m., $10. 224 N. East St., Fayetteville. Jeff Ling. Khalil’s Pub, 6 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 322 President Clinton Blvd. 501-244-9550. willydspianobar.com/prost-2/. Karaoke Tuesdays. On the patio. Stickyz Rock 28

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 7:30 p.m., free. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Music Jam. Hosted by Elliott Griffen and Joseph Fuller. The Joint, 8-11 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Open Turntables. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com/.

COMEDY

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

DANCE

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

EVENTS

Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock.

FILM

“Stalag 17.” Vino’s, 7:30 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. NW Arkansas. DickeyStephens Park, through June 24, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-6641555. www.travs.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com/. Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Dizzy Wright, Jahni Denver. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $15. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Drageoke with Chi Chi Valdez. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Guy Forsyth Band. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. The Hussy, Pagiins. The Lightbulb Club, 9 p.m. 21 N. Block Ave., Fayetteville. 479-444-6100. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. MUSE Ultra Lounge, 8:30 p.m., free. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-6398. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Sad Daddy. South on Main, 7:30 p.m., free. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 7:30 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com/.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. The Rajun Cajun John Morgan. The Loony Bin, June 24-27, 7:30 p.m.; June 26-27, 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Little Rock Bop Club. Beginning dance lessons for ages 10 and older. Singles welcome. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 7 p.m., $4 for members, $7 for guests. 12th & Cleveland streets. 501-350-4712. www.littlerockbopclub.

FILM

Movies in the Park: “Oz the Great and Powerful.” First Security Amphitheater, 8:30 p.m., free. 400 President Clinton Ave. “The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 6:30 p.m., Free. 503 E. 9th St. 376-4602. www. arkmilitaryheritage.com.

POETRY

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

SPORTS

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

ARTS

THEATER

“9 to 5: The Musical.” Studio Theatre, through June 21: Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., $18. 320 W. 7th St. “The Addams Family: A New Musical.” The Weekend Theater, through June 28: Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.; Fri., June 19, 8 p.m., $20. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org. “As You Like It.” Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Tue., June 23, 2 p.m.; June 25-26, 2 p.m.; Sat., June 27, 10 a.m., $10. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “August: Osage County.” Arkansas Repertory Theatre, through June 18: Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m.; Tue.-Thu., 7 p.m. 601 Main St. 501378-0405. www.therep.org. “Fiddler on the Roof.” Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Sun., June 21, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Wed., June 24, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sat., June 27, 7:30 p.m., $28. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “The Merchant of Venice.” Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Fri., June 19, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., June 20, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Tue., June 23, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., June 27, 2 p.m.; Sun., June 28, 2 p.m., $28. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. TheatreSquared’s 2015 Arkansas New Play Festival. Walton Arts Center, June 19-28, $40. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600.

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS New shows in bold-face

ARGENTA GALLERY, 413 A-B Main St., NLR: “The Mom Series,” photographs by Lali Khalid, “A” side, June 19-July 10, reception 5-8 p.m. June 19, Argenta ArtWalk; Arkansas League of Artists’ “Spring Members Show,” “B” side, through June 30. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 2255600. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “The Quiet Hours,” paintings by John Wooldridge, through July 10; also paintings by Carol Cumbo Roberts and David Mudrinich. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. L&L BECK ART GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Go West, Young Man,” through June 30, free giclee drawing 7 p.m. June 18. 660-4006. COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: “And then, I … ,” ceramic installation by Barbara Satterfield, 3rd Floor Gallery, through June 27, receptions and improvisational performances 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. June 20. 918-3090. MUGS CAFE, 515 Main St., NLR: “Summer Savories,” work by Jennifer Freeman, Diane Harper and Endia Price, reception 5-8 p.m. June 19, Argenta ArtWalk. 960-9524. TRIO’S RESTAURANT, Pavilion in the Park: Paintings by Mike Gaines, glass by Merri Chandler, the Pavilion Room, 5:30-9 p.m. June 18, sponsored by Stephano’s Fine Art. 563-4218. BENTONVILLE 21c MUSEUM HOTEL, 200 NE A St.: “Making Change,” Fleetwood Cadillac covered in cut and reworked nickels, dimes and pennies by Kentucky artist Monica Mahoney, commissioned by hotel to reflect Walmart’s roots, unveiling 6:30 p.m. June 19 in the Art Yard, part of the 21cafe series, available for use by hotel guests; also “Duke Riley: See You at the Finish Line,” sculpture, and “Blue: Matter, Mood and Melancholy,” photographs and paintings, featuring Mahoney’s “Women Walking Series.” Lecture by Mahoney 6 p.m. July 15. 479-286-6500. CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way: “Art Talk by Mindy Besaw: Art and the National Parks,” 1 p.m. June 22; “American Encounters: The Simple Pleasures of Still Life,” 10 still life paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries from the High Museum, the Terra Foundation, the Louvre and the Crystal Bridges collection, through Sept. 14; “Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish,” 20 color plates based on the original watercolors by sporting artist Samuel Kilbourne, through Sept. 21; American masterworks spanning four centuries. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed., Fri.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun., closed Tue. 479-418-5700. EL DORADO SOUTH ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, 110 E. Fifth St.: Arkansas Arts Council public forum on the arts, 1:30-4 p.m. June 24, reserve seats at 501-324-9766 or faye@arkansasheritage.org.

CALL FOR ENTRIES The Arkansas Arts Council is accepting applications from performing, literary or visual artist who would like to join the Arts in Education Artist Roster. Call Cynthia Haas at 324-9769 or email Cynthia@arkansasheritage.org for more information. Deadline is July 10. The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is accepting entries for a show themed “Man versus Machine: The Art of Expression and the Wired World” to run July 31 to Nov. 1. Deadline is July 1. Submissions should be sent to FS RAM, 1601 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith 72901. Call 479784-2787.

CONTINUING GALLERY EXHIBITS ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “54th Young Artists Exhibition,” art by Arkansas students grades K-12, through July 26; “30 Americans,” works by African American artists from the Rubell Collection, through June 21; “Humble Hum: Rhythm of the Potter’s Wheel,” recent work by resident artist Ashley Morrison, Museum School Gallery, through June 21. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. ARKANSAS CAPITAL CORP. GROUP, 200 River Market Ave., Suite 400: “Southern Curiosities,” work by Diane Harper, Dominique Simmons and Barbara Satterfield, through June 26. 374-9247. ART GROUP GALLERY, Pleasant Ridge Town Center, 11525 Cantrell Road: “grow garden grow,” ceramics by Karen Hamilton, also work by gallery members. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-6 p.m. Sun. 690-2193. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “State Youth Art Show 2015: An Exhibition by Arkansas Art Educators”; “Human Faces & Landscapes: Paintings by Sui Hoe Khoo,” Butler Center West Gallery, through July 25; “White River Memoirs,” artwork collected by canoist and photographer Chris Engholm along the White, Concordia Hall, through July 25; “A Different State of Mind,” exhibition by the Arkansas Society of Printmakers, Loft Gallery, through June 27. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Plein Air Painters of Arkansas,” work by Victoria Harvey, Clarence Cash, Tom Herrin, Greg Lahti, Sean LeCrone, John Wooldridge and Diana Shearon, through June 30. CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880. GALLERY 221, 221 W. 2nd St.: “ZEITGEIST,” work by David Bailin, Guy Bell, Elizabeth Bogard, Taimur Cleary, Amy Edgington, Tracy Hamlin, Kimberly Kwee, Mathew Lopas, Brian Madden, Victorial Gomez Mayol, Kasten Searles, Kat Wilson and Craig Wynn, through July 4. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sat. 8010211. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: New work by Robert Bean and Stephen Cefalo, through July 11. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996. GINO HOLLANDER GALLERY, 2nd and Center: Paintings and works on paper by Gino Hollander. 801-0211. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR, and HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: National Silverpoint Invitational 2015 “Drawing with Silverpoint,” through June 27, works by Sherry Camhy, Jeannine Cook, Lori Field, Marietta Hoferer, Michael Kukla, Jeffrey Lewis, Tom Mazzullo, Susan Schwalb, Aj Smith and Marjorie Williams-Smith. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave: “Page Turners: Original Illustrations and Prints by Bryan Collier,” through June 22. 372-6822. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM GALLERIES, 200 E. 3rd St.: “Heather Condren and Miranda Young,” repurposed books by Condren, linocuts and ceramics by Young,” through Aug. 9; “(Everyday) Interpretations: Cindy Arsaga, Joe Morzuch and Adam Posnak,” through Aug. 9; “Suggin Territory: The Marvelous World of Folklorist Josephine Graham,” through Nov. 29.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA BRANCH, 420 Main St., NLR: “Dennis McCann: A History.” 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 758-1720. LOCAL COLOUR, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Rotating work by 27 artists in collective. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 265-0422. MUGS CAFE, 515 Main St., NLR: “From Stars to Sidewalks,” works by printmakers Jorey May and Regan Renfro. 442-7778. RED DOOR GALLERY, 3715 JFK, NLR: Paula Jones, new paintings; Jim Goshorn, new sculpture; also sculpture by Joe Martin, paintings by Amy Hill-Imler, Theresa Cates and Patrick Cunningham, ornaments by D. Wharton, landscapes by James Ellis, raku by Kelly Edwards and other works. 753-5227. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. STEPHANO’S FINE ART, 1813 N. Grant St.: New work by Jennifer Wilson, Mike Gaines, Maryam Moeeni, Ken Davis, John Kushmaul and Gene Brack. 563-4218. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “MA Thesis Exhibition,” photography by Brady Forrester, ceramics by Heather Beckwith, graphic design by Yihan Wang, through June 28. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.. 569-3182. BENTON DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Dianne Roberts, classes. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. BENTONVILLE THE PRESSROOM, 121 W. Central Ave.: TRUCK/ ART: “Structural Defiance: Ba’aler Abstraction,” new work by Louis Watts, in the parking lot behind the coffee shop. CALICO ROCK CALICO ROCK ARTISAN COOPERATIVE, 105 Main St.: Paintings, photographs, jewelry, fiber art, wood, ceramics and other crafts. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. calicorocket.org/artists. CONWAY ART ON THE GREEN, Littleton Park, 1100 Bob Courtway: Paintings by Kristen Abbott, Eldridge Bagley, Nina Ruth Baker, Elizabeth Bogard, Steve Griffith, William M. McClanahan, Mary Lynn Nelson, Sheila Parsons and others. 501-499-3177. EL DORADO SOUTH ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, 110 E. 5th St.: “Through Our Young Eyes,” black and white film photography by members of the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado, Lobby Gallery, through June 26; “Small Works on Paper,” Arkansas Arts Council traveling exhibit, through June 25. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 870-862-5474. FAYETTEVILLE WALTON ARTS CENTER, 495 W. Dickson St.: “I Think I Can,” interactive installation by the Terrapin Theater of Australia with model trains, puppetry, live video and audience participation, through June 27, an Artosphere event; “Remembered and Rendered: A Ceramic Garden,” created by Katie Sleyman in collaboration with Community Creative Center, through June 27, Tyson Plaza, an Artosphere event. HARRISON ARTISTS OF THE OZARKS, 124½ N. Willow St.: Work by Amelia Renkel, Ann Graffy, Christy Dillard, Helen McAllister, Sandy Williams and

D. Savannah George. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. 870-429-1683. HEBER SPRINGS BOTTLE TREE GALLERY, 514 Main St.: New silver collection by Mary Allison; also work by George Wittenberg, Judy Shumann, Priscilla Humay, April Shurgar, Julie Caswell, Jan Cobb, Johnathan Harris, Antzee Magruder, Ann Aldinger, Sondra Seaton and Bill and Gloria Garrison. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 501-5908840. HOT SPRINGS ALISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: “The Art of the Tree, Route 66,” wire sculpture by Kevin Chrislip, through July 3. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-625-3001. HOT SPRINGS FINE ARTS CENTER, 626 Central Ave.: “Airwaves,” through Aug. 1. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., open until 9 p.m. every 1st and 3rd Fri. 501-624-0489. HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK CULTURAL CENTER, Ozark Bathhouse: “Arkansas Champion Trees: An Artist’s Journey,” colored pencil drawings by Linda Williams Palmer, through August. Noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun. 501620-6715. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 Central Ave.: New paintings by Taimur Cleary, Dolores Justus and Emily Wood, through July (gallery closed through June 20). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-772-3627. NATIONAL PARK COMMUNITY COLLEGE, 101 College Drive: “The Lost Highway,” scale models of roadside architecture of the 1950s by David Rose, library, through June. 501-760-4222. FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM, 1601 Rogers Ave.: “Selections from the Permanent Collection,” through Sept. 6; “Dawn Holder: Several Collections of Commemorative Plates,” mixed media by Dawn Holder, through July 19. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787. HELENA DELTA CULTURAL CENTER, 141 Cherry St.: “The Arkansas Delta Duo: The Art of Tim Jacob and the Art of Norwood Creech,” paintings, through Aug. 22. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 870-338-4350. JONESBORO ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, Bradbury Gallery: “Spring 2015 Senior Exhibition,” work by Sylvia M. Clemmons, Noel Miller, Penny Jo Pausch and Shawn Wright. Noon to 5 p.m. Tue.Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 870-972-2567. PERRYVILLE SUDS GALLERY, Courthouse Square: Paintings by Dottie Morrissey, Alma Gipson, Al Garrett Jr., Phyllis Loftin, Alene Otts, Mauretta Frantz, Raylene Finkbeiner, Kathy Williams and Evelyn Garrett. Noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri, noon-4 p.m. Sat. 501-766-7584. PINE BLUFF ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS GALLERIES, 701 S. Main St.: “Bombs, Bones and Bacteria,” mixed media by Robert Reep and Tom Richard, through June 20. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat. 870-536-3375.

NEW MUSEUM EVENT MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: “Movies at MacArthur: ‘The Strange History of Don’t

Ask, Don’t Tell,’ ” HBO documentary, 6:30 p.m. June 24, free, with popcorn and beverages; “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. 376-4602.

CONTINUING HISTORY, SCIENCE MUSEUM EXHIBITS ARKANSAS INLAND MARITIME MUSEUM, North Little Rock: The USS Razorback submarine tours. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 371-8320. ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD MUSEUM, Camp Robinson: Artifacts on military history, Camp Robinson and its predecessor, Camp Pike, also a gift shop. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., audio tour available at no cost. 212-5215. ARKANSAS SPORTS HALL OF FAME MUSEUM, Verizon Arena, NLR: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 663-4328. CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSEUM VISITOR CENTER, Bates and Park: Exhibits on the 1957 desegregation of Central and the civil rights movement. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. 374-1957. CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Dinosaurs Around the World,” animatronic dinosaurs, free with admission, through Oct. 18; permanent exhibits on the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000. ESSE PURSE MUSEUM & STORE, 1510 S. Main St.: “Pinafores, Purses and Pigtails,” vintage girls’ purses, toys, photos and more, through Sept. 20; “What’s Inside: A History of Women and Handbags, 1900-1999,” vintage purses and other women’s accessories. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sun., $8-$10. 916-9022. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. 3rd St.: Historic tavern, refurbished 19th century structures from original city, permanent exhibits on the Bowie knife and Arkansas’s Native American tribes (“We Walk in Two Worlds”), also changing exhibits. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Wiggle Worms,” science program for pre-K children 10 -10:30 a.m. every Tue. Hours: 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. 396-7050. OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham: “Different Strokes,” the history of bicycling and places cycling in Arkansas, featuring artifacts, historical pictures and video, through February 2016. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685. WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER, Riverfront Park: Exhibits on fishing and hunting and the state Game and Fish Commission. 907-0636. CALICO ROCK CALICO ROCK MUSEUM, Main Street: Displays on Native American cultures, steamboats, the railroad and local history. www.calicorockmuseum.com. ENGLAND TOLTEC MOUNDS STATE PARK, U.S. Hwy. 165: Major prehistoric Indian site with visitors’ center and museum. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun., closed Mon. $3 for adults, $2 for ages 6-12. 961-9442. arktimes.com

JUNE 18, 2015

MOVIE REVIEW

‘JURASSIC WORLD’: Chris Pratt fends off a hungry herd.

Dino might ‘Jurassic World’ does what it needs to. BY SAM EIFLING

f only they could’ve kept the dinosaurs from killing the bejesus out of everyone, the Jurassic World theme park of “Jurassic World” would’ve made a helluva vacation spot. Gyro-hamster balls to let you glide through pastures of brontosaurs; a jungly lazy river for paddling past apatosaurs; a petting zoo where tykes could saddle up on lil’ triceratopses. Holography displays, interactive DNA exhibits, a dang Starbucks in the concourse — even knowing how the place turns into a bonanza of murder and chaos, I’m tempted to go. Tickets have got to be bottomed out right now, after all. Trouble is, on a Central American island where the resident genetics lab is also reviving extinct species by splicing their genes with whatever rad animal bits they can crib from nature, anything can happen. This is the central engine of “Jurassic World,” in which the characters — including Chris Pratt (Owen) as an ex-Navy velociraptor trainer and Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire) as a spreadsheetminded corporate prig — are almost wholly incidental to the plot. Those two go out searching after A) a hybrid T-rex/grabbag behemoth escapes its pen to terrorize every dinosaur and person on the island, and B) Claire’s nephews (Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson) go missing in the wilds, just as the park is clamping down for the emergency. Meanwhile a shady dude connected to the military somehow (Vincent D’Onofrio as Hoskins) is too psyched for his long-term health about the prospect of trained battlefield raptors. Pratt’s fun enough; he’s still dwelling in the meteoric rise of last summer’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which made him an overnight star. This is where he vaults firmly onto the A-list of relatable dudes who can carry a tent-pole picture. “Jurassic World” zoomed to the largest weekend box office haul in the history of movies, raking in more than half a billion bucks and landing as the top movie in every major movie market in the world, something like

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

66 of them. That’s bananas, considering especially that the director, Colin Trevorrow, had only one major picture to his name before this, 2012’s “Safety Not Guaranteed,” which made all of $4 million at the box office — not exactly “Avengers” ducats. “Jurassic World” as a movie is all right, but only all right. Put it this way: If its sequel has an entirely different cast, no one will much notice or care. And while it followed an established box office juggernaut in the first three “Jurassic” movies, those were made (the second two, weakly) before a large slab of this film’s audience was even born. So what happened? It would be a cinch to overthink this, I believe, so let’s not strain in that direction. The crush people have here is squarely on the dinosaurs. “Jurassic World” has moments of genuine comedy and maybe an emotion or two, though nothing so complex it couldn’t fit inside an emoji. What it brings in shameless heaps is dinosaur awe and dinosaur fear. Outer space might be the only better brand in big-ticket cinema. Tricking your brain into believing, if only for a few fleeting seconds, that a made-up, jacked-up carnivore dino might bite you in half or pick you up and drop you squirming and screaming into a mosasaurus tank, is a catchy hallucination to offer people, and it turns out the response crosses just about any cultural boundary you care to name. Here’s the odd bit, though. In the 20ish years since the original “Jurassic Park” release, some of the effects have gotten much, much better — while others, such as watching dinosaurs run in packs, seem to have stalled. For anyone who remembers the sheer mind-blow of the original and who got all geeked up for John Williams’ iconic score (fire up the French horns, ’cause it’s back, too), the joy of “Jurassic World” is in its overwrought retread of what is in essence a campy monster movie, “King Kong” with a fossil record. Middling though it may be, it’s also low-brow as high art, a guilty pleasure without shame or consequence.

TIME TO VOTE for the FINALISTS! GOT AN OPINION? IT’S TIME TO CHOOSE THE BEST OF ARKANSAS.

➥ Since 1996 (that’s 19 years) when we first started the Best of Arkansas (frequently imitated). ➥ Voting is now 100% online ➥ Cast your votes online at arktimes.com/bestofarkansas2015 ➥ Vote for your favorite businesses in central Arkansas from May 14 until May 27 during our first round of voting. ➥ Then return on June 5 thru June 25 to cast your vote for your favorite of the five finalists in each category.

2015

➥ Results will be published in the July 30 Best of Arkansas issue

IPAD MINI

➥ WE’LL AWARD A RANDOMLY SELECTED WINNER AN To be included int he drawing, you must complete at least half of the ballot and provide your email address.

! S T S I L A N I F E H T . 5 M 2 O R E S F N E T U E O J S V S O R U D O CH OTING EN THEY NEED YO 2015 V N IS TIGHT! rkansas O I a f T I o T t E P s M e O b C / E H m T o c . s e m i t k ar

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JUNE 18, 2015

Dining

Information in our restaurant capsules reflects the opinions of the newspaper staff and its reviewers. The newspaper accepts no advertising or other considerations in exchange for reviews, which are conducted anonymously. We invite the opinions of readers who think we are in error.

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

WHAT’S COOKIN’ SOUTH ON MAIN’S MATT BELL HAS been honored with an invitation to cook for the James Beard Foundation House in New York on Aug. 17. Bell will serve approximately 80 people, and, as is customary, will provide the staff needed to run both the kitchen and front-ofthe-house operations. To raise money for the endeavor, South on Main will sell tickets to a “family style” dinner similar to the one the staff eats weekly on June 28. The menu will include smoked pork, chicken, salmon and an assortment of salads, roasted vegetables and deviled eggs. Each ticket is good not only for the dinner, but for a watch party that will be held the night of the Beard dinner. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased from EventBrite. For more information, contact Amy Bell at amy@southonmain.com.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

ACADIA A jewel of a restaurant in Hillcrest. Unbelievable fixed-price, three-course dinners on Mondays and Tuesday, but food is certainly worth full price. 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-603-9630. D Mon.-Sat. BEST IMPRESSIONS The menu combines Asian, Italian and French sensibilities in soups, salads and meaty fare. A departure from the tearoom of yore. 501 E. Ninth St. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-907-5946. L Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun. BIG ORANGE: BURGERS SALADS SHAKES Gourmet burgers manufactured according to exacting specs (humanely raised beef!) and properly fried Kennebec potatoes are the big draws, but you can get a veggie burger as well as fried chicken, curried falafel and blackened tilapia sandwiches, plus creative meal-sized salads. Shakes and floats are indulgences for all ages. 17809 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1515. LD daily. 207 N. University Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-379-8715. LD daily. BIG ROCK BISTRO Students of the Arkansas Culinary School run this restaurant at Pulaski Tech under the direction of Chef Jason Knapp. Pizza, pasta, Asian-inspired dishes and diner food, all in one stop. 3000 W. Scenic Drive. NLR. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-812-2200. BL Mon.-Fri. BJ’S RESTAURANT AND BREWHOUSE Chain restaurant’s huge menu includes deep dish pizzas, steak, ribs, sandwiches, pasta and award-winning handcrafted beer. In Shackleford Crossing Shopping Center. 2624 S. Shackleford Road. Beer, all CC. 501-404-2000. BLACK ANGUS CAFE Charcoal-grilled burgers, hamburger steaks and steaks proper are the big draws at this local institution. Now with lunch specials like fried shrimp. 10907 N. Rodney Parham. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-228-7800. LD Mon.-Sat. BOBBY’S CAFE Delicious, humungo burgers and tasty homemade desserts at this Levy diner. 32

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

INSPIRED: Salmon with baby tomatoes, sugar snap peas, asparagus and white wine at Ira’s Park Hill Grill.

Ira’s on point Find a cocktail there in Park Hill.

s a former Park Hill resident, we were pleased when voters there approved alcohol sales in the cool North Little Rock neighborhood. We’ve often thought Park Hill was like Hillcrest with less expensive houses, but no place to get a cocktail. Voters changed that in 2013, making Park Hill “damp” (but not “wet” — there are no liquor stores). Ira’s Park Hill Grill, in the Lakehill Shopping Center, might be the only bar in the neighborhood. We liked the place when it was E’s Bistro, and we took note when chef Ira Mittleman took over the place about four months ago. There have been interior upgrades. The decor is sophisticated and relaxing. The muted-tone cafe curtains soften the windows and do as much as you can to diminish the strip-center feel. Subtle lighting and original, framed photos help as well. It wasn’t too busy on the Wednesday

evening when we visited, and Mittleman was out and about, greeting folks between his regular return trips to the kitchen. His menu is inviting — not huge, but with a lot of variety. Ira’s has an admirable wine list and a selection of signature cocktails. We ordered a reasonably priced bottle of chardonnay before digging into our food. We started with the Poblano Pepper Cheesecake ($8), which was light and fluffy, like quiche. The cornmeal crust worked well, and the poblanos came through, but mildly. The three cheeses (ricotta, cream cheese and one we couldn’t quite nail) were the primary taste sensation, and the mango salsa that topped the dish provided sweet and cool counterpoints. It’s a winner. We liked the Mushroom Spring Rolls ($8), which feature chopped carrots, cabbage and mushrooms in crisp, not greasy skins. They were clearly made to order.

Both our entrees were home runs. Salmon is a ubiquitous entree, but we’d never had it done quite like this — a good-sized fillet cooked in parchment paper with artichoke hearts, red bell peppers, snap peas, asparagus and spinach. The salmon was flaky, moist and tender. Chunky garlic mashed potatoes provided a nice complement. It was a good deal for $20. We absolutely adored the Lamb Shank ($26), a huge, HUGE shank that had been cooked four hours (the chef told us) with tomatoes, onion and grated carrot. The lamb was succulent, flavorful and tender. The same potatoes accompanied it, along with a handful of grilled asparagus spears. Just as the cheesecake appetizer was lighter and f luffier than we expected, so was the Grand Marnier creme brulee, which was whipped with a hint of orange. We really liked it, a change from dense (and chocolate) versions. The mixed-berry shortcake was excellent and huge. The shortcake was like a giant, split scone, almost like a flaky biscuit with a sugared crust. Raspberries and blueberries worked well with a massive double dollop of whipped cream. We later compared notes with a couple of foodie friends and found that our experience at Ira’s was far superior to theirs. Whether the place is simply improving with time … or we picked the right menu items … or we just got lucky and they just were unlucky, we’re not sure. But we had an excellent first meal there.

Ira’s Park Hill Grill 3812 JFK. Blvd. North Little Rock 501-771-6900 www.irasparkhillgrill.com

QUICK BITE Ira’s debuted its Sunday brunch last weekend. The menu is posted on line and looks pretty classic with such brunch staples as corned beef hash and Eggs Benedict, though $14 for the latter seems a little steep. HOURS 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. OTHER INFO Credit cards accepted, full bar.

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

DED R FA O R E S TA U R A N T

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DINING CAPSULES, CONT. 12230 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-851-7888. BL Tue.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri. BOSTON’S Ribs and gourmet pizza star at this restaurant/sports bar located at the Holiday Inn by the airport. TVs in separate sports bar area. 3201 Bankhead Drive. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-235-2000. LD daily. BOUDREAUX’S GRILL & BAR A homey, seatyourself Cajun joint in Maumelle that serves up all sorts of variations of shrimp and catfish. With particularly tasty red beans and rice, jambalaya and bread pudding. 9811 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-753-6860. LD daily. BOULEVARD BREAD CO. Fresh bread, fresh pastries, wide selection of cheeses, meats, side dishes; all superb. Good coffee, too. 1920 N. Grant St. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-6635951. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. 400 President Clinton Ave. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-374-1232. BLD Mon.-Sat. (close 5 p.m.), BL Sun. 4301 W. Markham St. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-526-6661. BL Mon.-Fri. 1417 Main St. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5100. BL Mon.-Sat. BREWSTERS 2 CAFE & LOUNGE Down-home done right. Check out the yams, mac-andcheese, greens, purple-hull peas, cornbread, wings, catfish and all the rest. 2725 S. Arch St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-301-7728. LD Mon.-Sat. BROWN SUGAR BAKESHOP Fabulous cupcakes, brownies and cakes offered five days a week until they’re sold out. 419 E. 3rd St. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-4009. LD Tue.-Fri. (close at 5:30 p.m.), L Sat. BUTCHER SHOP The cook-your-own-steak option has been downplayed, and several menu additions complement the calling card: large, fabulous cuts of prime beef, cooked to perfection. 10825 Hermitage Road. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-312-2748. D daily. CACHE RESTAURANT A stunning experience on the well-presented plates and in terms of atmosphere, glitz and general feel. It doesn’t feel like anyplace else in Little Rock, and it’s not priced like much of anywhere else in Little Rock, either. But there are options to keep the tab in the reasonable range. 425 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-850-0265. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. CAJUN’S WHARF The venerable seafood restaurant serves up great gumbo and oysters Bienville, and options such as fine steaks for the non-seafood eater. In the citified bar, you’ll find nightly entertainment, too. 2400 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5351. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. CAMP DAVID Inside the Holiday Inn Presidential Conference Center, Camp David particularly pleases with its breakfast and themed buffets each day of the week. Wonderful Sunday brunch. 600 Interstate 30. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-975-2267. BLD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. CAPERS It’s never been better, with as good a wine list as any in the area, and a menu that covers a lot of ground — seafood, steaks, pasta — and does it all well. 14502 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-868-7600. LD Mon.-Sat. CHEDDAR’S Large selection of somewhat standard American casual cafe choices, many of which are made from scratch. Portions are large and prices are very reasonable. 400 South

University. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-614-7578. LD daily. CHICKEN KING Arguably Central Arkansas’s best wings. 2704 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-771-5571. LD Mon.-Sat. 5213 W 65th St. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-5573. LD Mon.-Sat. COAST CANTINA A variety of salads, smoothies, sandwiches and pizzas, and there’s breakfast and coffee, too. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-371-0164. LD Mon.-Sat. COMMUNITY BAKERY This sunny downtown bakery is the place to linger over a latte, bagels and the New York Times. But a lunchtime dash for sandwiches is OK, too, though it’s often packed. 1200 S. Main St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-375-7105. BLD daily. 270 S. Shackleford. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-224-1656. BLD Mon.-Sat. BL Sun. COPELAND’S The full service restaurant chain started by the founder of Popeye’s delivers the same good biscuits, the same dependable frying and a New Orleans vibe in piped music and decor. You can eat red beans and rice for a price in the single digits or pay near $40 for a choice slab of ribeye, with crab, shrimp and fish in between. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-312-1616. LD daily. COPPER GRILL Comfort food, burgers and more sophisticated fare at this River Marketarea hotspot. 300 E. Third St. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3333. LD Mon.-Sat. CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE Home-cooking with plenty of variety and big portions. Old-fashioned breakfast served all day long. 2618 S. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, all CC. 501-225-7100. BLD daily. 3101 Springhill Drive. NLR. No alcohol, all CC. 501-945-9373. BLD daily. CRUSH WINE BAR An unpretentious downtown bar/lounge with an appealing and erudite wine list. With tasty tapas, but no menu for full meals. 318 Main St. NLR. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-374-9463. D Tue.-Sat. DAVE’S PLACE A popular downtown soupand-sandwich stop at lunch draws a large and diverse crowd for the Friday night dinner, which varies in theme, home-cooking being the most popular. Owner Dave Williams does all the cooking and his son, Dave also, plays saxophone and fronts the band that plays most Friday nights. 201 Center St. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-3283. L Mon.-Fri., D Fri. DAVID FAMILY KITCHEN Call it soul food or call it down-home country cooking. Just be sure to call us for breakfast or lunch when you go. Neckbones, ribs, sturdy cornbread, salmon croquettes, mustard greens and the like. Desserts are exceptionally good. 2301 Broadway. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-3710141. BL Tue.-Fri., L Sun. DELICIOUS TEMPTATIONS Decadent breakfast and light lunch items that can be ordered in full or half orders to please any appetite or palate, with a great variety of salads and soups as well. Don’t miss the bourbon pecan pie — it’s a winner. 11220 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-225-6893. BL daily. DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO Interesting bistro fare, served in massive portions at this River Market

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JUNE 18, 2015

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. favorite. 200 River Market Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3500. LD Tue.-Sat. THE FADED ROSE The Cajun-inspired menu seldom disappoints. Steaks and soaked salads are legendary. 1619 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9734. LD daily. FLYING SAUCER A popular River Market hangout thanks to its almost 200 beers (including 75 on tap) and more than decent bar food. It’s nonsmoking, so families are welcome. 323 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-372-8032. LD daily. FOX AND HOUND Sports bar that serves pub food. 2800 Lakewood Village. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-753-8300. LD daily. FRANKE’S CAFETERIA Plate lunch spot strong on salads and vegetables, and perfect fried chicken on Sundays. Arkansas’s oldest continually operating restaurant. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-2254487. LD daily. 400 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-372-1919. L Mon.-Fri. FRONTIER DINER The traditional all-American roadside diner, complete with a nice selection of man-friendly breakfasts and lunch specials. The half pound burger is a two-hander for the average working Joe. 10424 Interstate 30. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-565-6414. BL Mon.-Sat. GADWALL’S GRILL Once two separate restaurants, a fire forced the grill into the pizza joint. Now, under one roof, there’s mouth-watering burgers and specialty sandwiches, plus zesty pizzas with cracker-thin crust and plenty of toppings. 7311 North Hills Boulevard #12. NLR. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-834-1840. LD daily. GARDEN SQUARE CAFE & GROCERY Vegetarian soups, sandwiches and wraps just like those to be had across the street at 4Square Cafe and Gifts, plus a small grocery store. 4Square does unique and delicious wraps with such ingredients as shiitake mushrooms and the servings are ample. A small grocery accompanies the River Market cafe. River Market. No alcohol, all CC. 501-244-9964. GIGI’S CUPCAKES This Nashville-based chain’s entries into the artisan-cupcake sweetstakes are as luxurious in presentation as they are in sugar quantity. 416 S. University Ave., Suite 120. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-614-7012. BLD daily. GRAMPA’S CATFISH HOUSE A longtime local favorite for fried fish, hush puppies and good sides. 9219 Stagecoach Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-407-0000. LD Tue.-Sat, L Sun. GUILLERMO’S GOURMET GROUNDS Serves gourmet coffee, lunch, loose-leaf tea, and tapas. Beans are roasted in house, and the espresso is probably the best in town. 10700 Rodney Parham Road. CC. 501-228-4448. BL daily. HONEYBAKED HAM CO. The trademark ham is available by the sandwich, as is great smoked turkey and lots of inexpensive side items and desserts. 9112 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, all CC. 501-227-5555. LD Mon.-Sun. (4 p.m. close on Sat.). IZZY’S It’s bright, clean and casual, with snappy team service of all his standbys — sandwiches and fries, lots of fresh salads, pasta about a dozen ways, hand-rolled tamales and brick oven pizzas. 5601 Ranch Drive. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-868-4311. LD Mon.-Sat. LITTLEFIELD’S CAFE The owners of the Starlite Diner have moved their cafe to the Kroger Shopping Center on JFK, where they are still serving breakfast all day, as well as plate lunches, burgers and sandwiches. 6929 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol. 501-771-2036. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. MAGGIE MOO’S ICE CREAM AND 34

JUNE 18, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

TREATERY Ice cream, frozen yogurt and ice cream pizza. 17821 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-821-7609. LD daily. MARKHAM STREET GRILL AND PUB The menu has something for everyone, including mahi-mahi and wings. Try the burgers, which are juicy, big and fine. 11321 W. Markham St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-224-2010. LD daily. MCBRIDE’S CAFE AND BAKERY Owners Chet and Vicki McBride have been serving up delicious breakfast and lunch specials based on their family recipes for two decades in this popular eatery at Baptist Health’s Little Rock campus. The desserts and barbecue sandwiches are not to be missed. 9501 Baptist Health Drive, No. 105. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-340-3833. BL Mon.-Fri. MOOYAH BURGERS Kid-friendly, fast-casual restaurant with beef, veggie and turkey burgers, a burger bar and shakes. 14810 Cantrell Road, Suite 190. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-8681091 10825 Kanis Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-313-4905. LD daily. OLD MILL BREAD AND FLOUR CO. CAFE The popular take-out bakery has an eat-in restaurant and friendly operators. It’s selfservice, simple and good with sandwiches built with a changing lineup of the bakery’s 40 different breads, along with soups, salads and cookies. 12111 W. Markham St., No. 366. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-228-4677. BL Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. RED DOOR Fresh seafood, steaks, chops and sandwiches from restaurateur Mark Abernathy. Smart wine list. 3701 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-8482. BL Tue.-Sat. D daily. RENO’S ARGENTA CAFE Sandwiches, gyros and gourmet pizzas by day and music and drinks by night in downtown Argenta. 312 N. Main St. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-3762900. LD Mon.-Sat. RIVERFRONT STEAKHOUSE Steaks are the draw here — nice cuts heavily salted and peppered, cooked quickly and accurately to your specifications, finished with butter and served sizzling hot. Also has incorporated some of the menu of Rocket Twenty-One. 2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-3757825. D Mon.-Sat. RIVERSHORE EATERY A River Market vendor that specializes in salads, sandwiches, wings and ice cream. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-244-2326. LD Mon.-Sat. ROBERT’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL If you’re looking for a burger, you won’t find it here. This establishment specializes in fried chicken dinners, served with their own special trimmings. 7212 Geyer Springs Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-568-2566. LD Tue.-Sat., D Sun.-Mon. SAMANTHA’S TAP ROOM & WOOD GRILL An eclectic, reasonably priced menu has something for just about everyone. Excellent selection of wines on tap and beers on tap. 322 Main Street. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-379-8019. LD Mon.-Sat. SHARKS FISH & CHICKEN This Southwest Little Rock restaurant specializes in seafood, frog legs and catfish, all served with the traditional fixings. 8722 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-2330. LD daily. SO RESTAURANT BAR Call it a French brasserie with a sleek, but not fussy American finish. The wine selection is broad and choice. Free valet parking. Use it and save yourself a headache. 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1464. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. STICKYZ ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CHICKEN SHACK

Fingers any way you can imagine, plus sandwiches and burgers, and a fun setting for music and happy hour gatherings. 107 River Market Ave. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-7707. LD daily. SWEET LOVE BAKERY Full-service bakery with ready-made and custom-order cakes, cookies and cupcakes. Plenty of in-store seating. 8210 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. (501) 613-7780. BL Tue.-Sat. TEXAS ROADHOUSE Following in the lines of those loud, peanuts-on-the-table steak joints, but the steaks are better here than we’ve had at similar stops. Good burgers, too. 3601 Warden Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-771-4230. D daily, L Sat.-Sun. 2620 S. Shackleford Rd. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-224-2427. D Mon.-Fri., LD Sat.-Sun. TOWN PUMP A dependable burger, good wings, great fries, other bar food, plate lunches, full bar. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-663-9802. LD daily. TRIO’S Fresh, creative and satisfying lunches; even better at night, when the chefs take flight. Best array of fresh desserts in town. 8201 Cantrell Road Suite 100. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3330. LD Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. WHOLE FOODS MARKET Get barbecue, beer — at a bar or in growlers to go — pizza, sandwiches, salads and more at the upscale grocery chain. 501 Bowman Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-312-2326. BLD daily. WILLY D’S DUELING PIANO BAR Willy D’s serves up a decent dinner of pastas and salads as a lead-in to its nightly sing-along piano show. Go when you’re in a good mood. 322 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-244-9550. D Tue.-Sat. YANCEY’S CAFETERIA Soul food served with a Southern attitude. 1523 Martin Luther King Ave. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-372-9292. LD Tue.-Sat. ZACK’S PLACE Expertly prepared home cooking and huge, smoky burgers. 1400 S. University Ave. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-6646444. LD Mon.-Sat. ZIN URBAN WINE & BEER BAR This is the kind of sophisticated place you would expect to find in a bar on the ground floor of the Tuf-Nut lofts downtown. It’s cosmopolitan yet comfortable, a relaxed place to enjoy fine wines and beers while noshing on superb meats, cheeses and amazing goat cheese-stuffed figs. 300 River Market Ave. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-246-4876. D daily.

ASIAN

BANGKOK THAI CUISINE Get all the staple Thai dishes at this River Market vendor. The red and green curries and the noodle soup stand out, in particular. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-374-5105. L Mon.-Sat. CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE No longer owned by Chi’s founder Lulu Chi, this Chinese mainstay still offers a broad menu that spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings. 5110 W. Markham St. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-604-7777. LD Mon.-Sat. CRAZY HIBACHI GRILL The folks that own Chi’s and Sekisui offer their best in a three-inone: tapanaki cooking, sushi bar and sit-down dining with a Mongolian grill. 2907 Lakewood Village. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-8129888. LD daily. FANTASTIC CHINA The food is delicious, the presentation beautiful, the menu distinctive, the service perfect, the decor bright. 1900 N. Grant St. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-663-8999. LD daily. GENGHIS GRILL This chain restaurant takes the Mongolian grill idea to its inevitable, Subway-

style conclusion. 12318 Chenal Parkway. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-223-2695. LD daily. KEMURI Upscale Japanese from Little Rock restaurateur Jerry Barakat features entrees grilled on robatas (charcoal grills), sushi bar and other Asian dishes, plus American favorites given a pan-Asian twist. You’ve never had baby back ribs likes these cooked on a robata. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd., No. 2. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4100. L Mon.-Fri., D daily. LILLY’S DIMSUM THEN SOME Innovative dishes inspired by Asian cuisine, utilizing local and fresh ingredients. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-7162700. LD Tue.-Sun. MT. FUJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT The dean of Little Rock sushi bars offers a fabulous lunch special and great Monday night deals. 10301 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-227-6498. L Mon.-Sat., D daily. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-227-6498. OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT Veteran operator of several local Asian buffets has brought fine-dining Japanese dishes and a well-stocked sushi bar to way-out-west Little Rock, near Chenal off Highway 10. 5501 Ranch Drive. $$-$$$. 501-868-3688. LD daily. SKY MODERN JAPANESE Excellent, ambitious menu filled with sushi and other Japanese fare and Continental-style dishes. 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 917. Full bar, all CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-224-4300. LD daily. SUSHI CAFE Impressive, upscale sushi menu with other delectable house specialties like tuna tataki, fried soft shell crab, Kobe beef and, believe it or not, the Tokyo cowboy burger. 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9888. L Mon.-Sat. D daily.

BARBECUE

CHATZ CAFE ‘Cue and catfish joint that does heavy catering business. Try the slow-smoked, meaty ribs. 8801 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-4949. LD Mon.-Sat. CORKY’S RIBS & BBQ The pulled pork is extremely tender and juicy, and the sauce is sweet and tangy without a hint of heat. Maybe the best dry ribs in the area. 12005 Westhaven Drive. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-954-7427. LD daily. 2947 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-3737. LD daily, B Sat.-Sun. PIT STOP BAR AND GRILL A working-man’s bar and grill, with barbecue, burgers, breakfast and bologna sandwiches. 5506 Baseline Road. Full bar, No CC. $$. 501-562-9635. LD daily. WHITE PIG INN Go for the sliced rather than chopped meats at this working-class barbecue cafe. Side orders — from fries to potato salad to beans and slaw — are superb, as are the fried pies. 5231 E. Broadway. NLR. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-945-5551. LD Mon.-Fri., L Sat. WHOLE HOG CAFE The pulled pork shoulder is a classic, the back ribs are worthy of their many blue ribbons, and there’s a six-pack of sauces for all tastes. A real find is the beef brisket, cooked the way Texans like it. 2516 Cantrell Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-664-5025. LD daily 12111 W. Markham. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-907-6124. LD daily. 150 E. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-513-0600. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. 5107 Warden Road. NLR. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-753-9227.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

CAFE BOSSA NOVA A South American approach to sandwiches, salads and desserts, all quite good, as well as an array of refreshing South American teas and coffees. 2701

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-614-6682. LD Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. DUGAN’S PUB Serves up Irish fare like fish and chips and corned beef and cabbage alongside classic bar food. The chicken fingers and burgers stand out. Irish breakfast all day. 401 E. 3rd St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-244-0542. LD daily. GEORGIA’S GYROS Good gyros, Greek salads and fragrant grilled pita bread highlight a large Mediterranean food selection, plus burgers and the like. 2933 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-753-5090. LD Mon.-Sat. HIBERNIA IRISH TAVERN This traditional Irish pub has its own traditional Irish cook from, where else, Ireland. Broad beverage menu, Irish and Southern food favorites and a crowd that likes to sing. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-246-4340. D Mon.-Sat., LD Sun. LAYLA’S GYROS AND PIZZERIA Delicious Mediterranean fare — gyros, falafel, shawarma, kabobs, hummus and babaganush — that has a devoted following. All meat is slaughtered according to Islamic dietary law. 9501 N Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-227-7272. LD daily (close 5 p.m. on Sun.) 6100 Stones Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-868-8226. LD Mon.-Sat. THE PANTRY CREST Czech and German comfort food with a great bar menu. 722 N. Palm St. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-725-4945. D Mon.-Sat. TAJ MAHAL The third Indian restaurant in a onemile span of West Little Rock, Taj Mahal offers upscale versions of traditional dishes and an extensive menu. Dishes range on the spicy side. 1520 Market Street. Beer, all CC. $$$. 501-8814796. LD daily. TAZIKI’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE Fast casual chain that offers gyros, grilled meats and veggies, hummus and pimento cheese. 8200 Cantrell Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-227-8291. LD daily. 12800 Chenal Parkway. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-225-1829. LD daily. THE TERRACE MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN A broad selection of Mediterranean delights that includes a very affordable collection of starters, salads, sandwiches, burgers, chicken and fish at lunch and a more upscale dining experience with top-notch table service at dinner. 2200 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-217-9393. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. YA YA’S EURO BISTRO The first eatery to open in the Promenade at Chenal is a date-night affair, translating comfort food into beautiful cuisine. Best bet is lunch, where you can explore the menu through soup, salad or half a sandwich. 17711 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1144. LD daily, BR Sun.

ITALIAN

BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA This upscale Italian chain offers delicious and sometimes inventive dishes. 17815 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-821-2485. LD daily. BR Sun. BRUNO’S LITTLE ITALY Traditional Italian antipastos, appetizers, entrees and desserts. Extensive, delicious menu from Little Rock standby. 310 Main St. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-372-7866. D Tue.-Sat. GRAFFITI’S The casually chic and ever-popular Italian-flavored bistro avoids the rut with daily specials and careful menu tinkering. 7811 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-2249079. D Mon.-Sat. JIM’S RAZORBACK PIZZA Great pizza served up in a family-friendly, sports-themed environ-

ment. Special Saturday and Sunday brunch served from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Flat-screen TVs throughout and even a cage for shooting basketballs and playing ping-pong. 16101 Cantrell Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-868-3250. LD daily. OLD CHICAGO PASTA & PIZZA This national chain offers lots of pizzas, pastas and beer. 4305 Warden Road. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-812-6262. LD daily. 1010 Main St. Conway. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-329-6262. LD daily. SHOTGUN DAN’S PIZZA Hearty pizza and sandwiches with a decent salad bar. Multiple locations, at 4020 E. Broadway, NLR, 945-0606; 4203 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, 835-0606, and 10923 W. Markham St. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-2249519. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. VINO’S Great rock ‘n’ roll club also is a fantastic pizzeria with huge calzones and always improving home-brewed beers. 923 W. 7th St. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-375-8466. LD daily. ZAZA Here’s where you get wood-fired pizza with gorgeous blistered crusts and a light topping of choice and tempting ingredients, great gelato in a multitude of flavors, call-yourown ingredient salads and other treats. 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-661-9292. LD daily. 1050 Ellis Ave. Conway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-336-9292. LD daily.

LATINO

CANTINA LAREDO This is gourmet Mexican food, a step up from what you’d expect from a real cantina, from the modern minimal decor to the well-prepared entrees. We can vouch for the enchilada Veracruz and the carne asada y huevos, both with tasty sauces and high quality ingredients perfectly cooked. 207 N. University. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-280-0407. LD daily, BR Sun. CHUY’S Good Tex-Mex. We’re especially fond of the enchiladas, and always appreciate restaurants that make their own tortillas. 16001 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-2489. LD daily. JUANITA’S Menu includes a variety of combination entree choices — enchiladas, tacos, flautas, shrimp burritos and such — plus creative salads and other dishes. And of course the “Blue Mesa” cheese dip. 614 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-372-1228. LD Tue.-Sat. LA SALSA MEXICAN & PERUVIAN CUISINE Mexican and Peruvian dishes, beer and margaritas. 3824 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. Full bar, all CC. 501-753-1101. LD daily. LOCAL LIME Tasty gourmet Mex from the folks who brought you Big Orange and ZaZa. 17815 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-448-2226. LD daily. LUPITA’S ORIGINAL MEXICAN FOOD Mexican, American food and bar specializing in Margaritas. 7710 Cantrell Road. Full bar. PONCHITO’S MEXICAN GRILL Mexican food and drinks, plus karaoke on the patio 6-9 p.m. Thursdays with DJ Greg, happy hour on beers weekdays. 10901 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, Beer. 501-246-5282. ROSALINDA RESTAURANT HONDURENO A Honduran cafe that specializes in pollo con frito tajada (fried chicken and fried plaintains). With breakfast, too. 3700 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-771-5559. BLD daily. SENOR TEQUILA Typical cheap Mexcian dishes with great service. Good margaritas. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-224-5505. LD daily. 9847 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. 501-758-4432.

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