Arkansas Times

ARKANSAS’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF POLITICS AND CULTURE ■ JANUARY 19, 2011

www.arktimes.com

Republicans go rogue.

BY DOUG SMITH PAGE 10

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THE INSIDER Packing heat

n In the wake of the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in Tucson, North Carolina Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler told Politico.com: “You never think something like this will happen, but then it does. After the elections, I let my guard down. Now I know I need to have [my gun] on me.”

With that in mind, we asked the Arkansas delegation if they, too, planned to pack heat in the wake of the Arizona shootings.

Rep. Tim Griffin, who represents the Second District, does not currently have a concealed-carry permit, a spokesperson said. Anna Nix, a spokesperson for Rep. Rick Crawford, said the First District congressman did not have a concealedcarry permit and did not plan on applying for one.

Third District congressman Steve Womack said in an e-mail, “I have a concealed carry permit. I do not discuss when/why/where I might carry a weapon.”

A spokesman for Democratic congressman Mike Ross, of the Fourth District, refused to answer the question, saying the office did not comment on security matters. However, concealed-carry licenses are a matter of public record. A call to the Arkansas State Police turns up a concealed-carry permit for a Michael Ross, complete with the area code of Ross’ hometown, Prescott. Bill Sadler, public information officer for the State Police, said that while he couldn’t be 100 percent certain of the exact identity, “the law is pretty particular about the use of formal names, so that would explain Michael instead of Mike.”

Lubrication

n Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has hinted that his department might try to regulate hydraulic fracturing. A November press release from his office raised questions about the chemicals used in frac fluid and the effects they may have on water quality.

But a certain group of congressmen called the Natural Gas Caucus — of which our own Rep. Mike Ross is a part — doesn’t want regulation. Pro Publica reports that the caucus sent Salazar a letter urging him to avoid imposing any new regulations on the natural gas industry.

The 32 members of the Natural Gas Caucus received a total of $1.7 million from the oil and gas industry between 2009 and 2010. The average contribution to members of the caucus was $54,455, but Mike Ross brought in much more than that: Ross came in third on the list at $125,850 in contributions.

Ross could not be reached for comment by press time.

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Smart talk

Contents

11 Arkansans

Keeping guns from the insane n A report by Pro Publica says that states have been lax about reporting the names of persons adjudicated as mentally defective to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS. Citing Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence statistics, Pro Publica said Arizona, where a mentally unstable man killed shot six people and wounded 14, including critically-injured U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, had provided only 4,400 records out of a total of 121,700 to NICS. Since 2007, according to the Arkansas Crime Information Center, the state has reported to NICS all people who have been determined by a court to be “mentally defective.” The legislature enacted a law that year requiring all county and circuit court clerks to provide ACIC records of persons who’ve been committed or who have been found innocent of a crime by reason of insanity. The number: 1,479.

City Director Brad Cazort, who is the administrator of the Criminal History Division of the ACIC, says he believes the NICS reporting has kept guns out of the hands of some people in Arkansas.

Still, Arkansans who’ve been judged mentally defective can still buy guns, if an individual wants to sell to them. Sellers who hold federal firearms licenses, on the other hand, are required to run background checks. The State Police runs background checks on those who apply for concealed carry permits.

No room for the Times n It may come as no surprise that the Times is not always on the best of terms with many a local politician. However, even in the most adversarial of times — like, say, during the Huckabee administration — we have enjoyed a designated parking spot at the state Capitol, much like every other news organization in town. Ours was the farthest away from the building, but it was ours nonetheless.

Media parking spots, like everything else on the grounds of the Capitol, fall under the purview of the secretary of state’s office. We found out last week, while covering inaugural festivities, that the current secretary of state, Mark Martin, feels the Times no longer deserves a space. A spokesperson for Martin said the spaces are “designated, by request, to mainstream media outlets.” The Times was never notified of the need to make a request.

of the Year

It’s the Republicans, for their unprecedented gains in state government. Partisanship on horizon. — By Doug Smith

19 At the Rep

Film actress Phyllis Yvonne Stickney stars in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” — By Werner Trieshmann BROCKOVICH: Chromium crusader.

Brockovich revisited n Chromium-6, the suspected carcinogen that was the subject of the movie “Erin Brockovich,” has been found in municipal water supplies in 31 cities, so Central Arkansas Water is sending a sample of its water to a lab to be tested.

Water quality specialist Sharon Sweeney says she “seriously doubts” that the chromium-6, or will be detected “because our watersheds are so protected.” That protection is by virtue of geology — chromium 6 occurs naturally in volcanic rock — and by the lack of industries locally that use the element.

The state Health Department treats for “total chromium,” a measure of all types of chromium, but the test does not distinguish between types. Tests have not detected “total chromium” in CAW water, Sweeney said.

The Environmental Protection Agency, while finding that the chemical is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” has not set a limit on chromium-6, but California’s environmental agency is suggesting a voluntary limit of 0.02 parts per billion. Levels of 12 ppb were found in water in Norman, Okla.

31 Oh, Pho

Pho Than My’s Vietnamese fare draws big crowds on North Shackleford.

— By Arkansas Times Staff

DEPARTMENTS

3 The Insider

4 Smart Talk

5 The Observer

6 Letters

7 Orval 8-15 News

16 Opinion

19 Arts & Entertainment

31 Dining

37 Crossword/ Tom Tomorrow

38 Lancaster

Words VOLUME 37, NUMBER 20

n “Cecil Newton put Auburn through enough agita over the past two months.

The least he could have done was spared them more on Monday night.”

Agita? Sounds like somebody was aiming for agitation and forgot the last half of it.

Agita is not a word I’m familiar with, nor is it in my old Random House Unabridged. It is in the on-line MerriamWebster, however. The noun agita is defined as “a feeling of agitation or anxiety,” and its first known use was in 1982. M-W says it’s derived from the Italian acido, “literally heartburn, acid.” n “A police report said officers stopped Crossbun at W. Short 17th and Moss streets, and found a loaded revolver in his pocket. While being arrested, police re4 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Doug Smith doug@arktimes.com

ported that Crossbun said, ‘[I] took care of the bitch.’ ” Why were the police arrested? The other guy sounds like the dangerous one.

A good rule to remember is that a qualifying phrase at the beginning of a sentence generally applies only to the subject of the sentence. In the example above, the subject is “police.”

Dangling modifiers are not new, though they seem to be more common than ever. Success With Words quotes a passage from “Giant” by Edna Ferber

(1952): “With a neck-cracking jerk the car leaped forward. Never a timorous woman, their speed now seemed to her to be maniacal.” Speed was never a timorous woman, for sure, nor any other kind. n Is fascist acceptable? “ ‘We’ve been all called liars, racists and radical right and teabaggers. And the last thing they called us was dinosaurs.

You can call me all these names if you want to, but just don’t call me a socialist.’ ” n Wait loss: “The burgers have a light spicing to them, not too harsh but pleasant and beerworthy. They do take a little time to cook, though — you’re looking at an eight minutes weight on average before it comes to the table.”

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

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

©2011 ARKANSAS TIMES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

FOR INFORMATION OR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL 501-375-2985

as seen at

Dizzy’s...

The Observer and our pal He looks much older than he should Mr. Photographer were supposed to — slightly balding now, with what get down to the prison on Monday to should have been the salad days of his meet with the West Memphis Three 20s well behind him. Sitting in a pan— Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin eled conference room under the Great and Damien Echols — but got snowed Seal of Arkansas, The Observer told Jaout. By Friday, though, the roads had son Baldwin that he is close to our age. burned off and we were on again.

We’re usually never at a loss for We went to Varner Unit near Grady first; words on an interview — always one surrendered our cell phones and ball caps question leading to another, and hardly and cigarettes, took off our shoes and ever enough time or patience for all of belts and allowed our persons and bags them. This time, though, we found our to be searched, and were finally ushered tongue was too big for our mouth. What through the gates where signs warn of do you say to a man who you believe to instant death if one is foolhardy enough be innocent who may well die in prison, to breach concertina wire to touch the other than “I’m sorry”? electrified fence. We were there to see When we ran out of things to say, we Damien Echols and Jestold Jason Baldwin that sie Misskelley, but despite we were a weirdo in high What do you scheduling interviews school — the kid in black say to a man weeks in advance, we who listened to odd music were told by an unsmil- who you believe and read odd books. ing deputy warden that Because we had gone to be innocent that far, we went further. speaking to them hadn’t who may well We told him what we been cleared, only photographs. In the end, we have thought for a good die in prison, found ourselves forced to 15 years now: That save a other than “I’m few quirks of geography, simply stare at Echols and sorry”?

Misskelly through glass it could have just as easily without speaking — two been us sitting there in his men on display, like meat. bleached white jumpsuit, The Observer is very close to the waiting to be cuffed and led back to the same age as the WM3, Echols a bit older, bowels of the prison, time stretching out Baldwin a little younger. We remember before us like the blade of a long knife. the crime. We remember the trial. And Not because we were guilty, but because we remember seeing “Paradise Lost,” we would have surely looked the part to the documentary about the case that in- men seeking monsters and easy answers. jected into our mind the first bitter grain After we were done — after 30 minutes of doubt, which has since grown over of jawing about life and television and the years into a smooth, bright pearl of the books he reads — we said our goodbelief. What is engraved there is this: byes. We went out to our car and drove We have imprisoned innocent men, and back to Little Rock through the pristine somewhere a killer of children walks fields, still draped in melting snow. free.

That night, we kissed our wife, and Though The Observer tries to be im- hugged our son. That night, we lay partial in all things, we feel no shame down beside our beloved in our own in telling you this. The mind and heart bed, a free man, and listened to her know what they know, impartiality be breathing in the dark. Just before the damned. To say anything less would be door of sleep coasted shut and latched, to make it plain that we are either a liar we looked at the snowfield ceiling and or a fool. thought: Why is it that good things hapBy the afternoon, we had been re- pen to some people, and bad things to united with our cell phones and the others? And then we thought: Too cruel trouble had been ironed out. We headed to call it Fate. on to Tucker Max, where Jason Baldwin is shelved, assured that we would be al- n See video of our interview with Jason lowed to talk to him like a human being. Baldwin at arktimes.com/jasonbaldwin.

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www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 5

Letters arktimes@arktimes.com

Bad year for meat This has not been a good year for the meat, dairy, and egg industries.

In January, ABC News provided extensive coverage of cow abuse by the dairy industry. The BP oil spill in April called attention to an even larger Gulf “dead zone” caused by the massive amounts of animal waste dumped every day by the Mississippi river. A month later, a U.N. report urged a global shift towards a vegan diet to reduce world hunger and climate change.

In June, FDA asked factory farms to stop routine use of antibiotics that lead to drug-resistant bacterial infections in humans. August witnessed the largest ever recall of more than half a billion eggs harboring salmonella.

Finally, this month, President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to replace fatty animal products and other junk foods in school lunches and vending machines. According to the School Nutrition Association, 65 percent of U.S. schools now offer vegetarian lunch options.

For a New Year’s resolution, we should all consider following suit. I found a great website at www.LiveVegan.org with recipes and tons of other useful info.

Luke Molina Little Rock

We Americans are strange people who continue to stand in the rain with no umbrella and then wonder why we are getting wet. We complain about the lack of jobs without addressing our lack of production. If manufacturing is the engine that drives any economy and we manufacture nothing, why are we surprised there are no jobs? Everything we consume is shipped from Asia, Central America, Mexico or Canada. We don’t even produce all the food we eat.

Corporate America, which has become addicted to quasi-slave labor, has been successful in busting the unions that once created the greatest economy in modern

history. Little by little, the economic security we had known was gradually eroded as factory after factory began moving overseas and unions continued to be demonized. Now, 30 years after the assault on the working class began under the Reagan administration, we stand waiting for a miracle to happen overnight. No president, no matter the party, can turn around in two years a condition that took 30 years to create.

Our Congress has been complicit in our economic demise by giving in to corporate demands that work against the middle class. Until we citizens become mature and responsible enough to elect

6 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Why bang heads?

Why in the world do the football players, after a good happening, have to BANG their heads together and-or hit each other on their heads? To me, that is so stupid.

Do they not get enough trauma from all the hits and physical abuse they seem to enjoy playing football? Or is it that as a 72-year-old retired registered nurse and woman, I do not appreciate the macho behind it? I have asked a male friend and he says, “That is just part of the game and their way of showing happiness.”

So, maybe I understand their viewpoint, plus, I do love to watch football.

So carry on, oh ye of the male species, to prove how macho you are. But here I sound like an old nurse: Please do not bang your heads for no reason because I have taken care of too many of you and it is very serious. You have to live with your brain for a very long time if you expect to get old like I am.

Beverly A. Clary Little Rock

Dandy Don

Corporate America A government of the people, for the people and by the people has turned into a government of the corporation, for the corporation and by the corporation. All this has been accomplished by the Republican Party in the years since President Eisenhower left office. They have ignored his warning about the military/industrial complex and what it would do to America.

The GOP has constantly reduced the taxes on the wealthy, while making sure that the working American pays their fair share.

As a record number of Americans are struggling to get by, many of the largest corporations are experiencing record profits and their CEOs are receiving recordbreaking bonuses. According to one report, the average CEO earns $5,430 per hour, which is 344 times the pay of the average worker and is 10 times the pay gap that existed 30 years ago.

Congress has become a subsidiary of the corporations, while democracy is dying. I don’t agree with all the Democrats do, but I cannot again vote for the party that has ruined American’s economy. I can’t see why any working American would still vote the Republican ticket.

G.M. Kesselring Van Buren

intelligent statesmen of integrity who will work for us, and stop scraping the bottom of the barrel for self-serving politicians who are only interested in maintaining power, nothing will ever change. Until we realize that we are being played by politicians who peddle fear and strife, nothing will ever change.

Edwina Lockhart Little Rock

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The recent death of Don Meredith, a football and broadcast star, as well as a very decent human, brought back memories from 1958 and 1960.

In 1958 on a recruiting visit to SMU during their spring practice I watched Meredith — then a sophomore — complete 18 of 22 passes in the rain. (Who is this guy?) Later that night my host, an end, and I along with another high school recruit were in a car with Meredith, driving home from a movie and dinner about midnight. Meredith stopped to buy a Sunday paper from a kid standing miserably in the rain. “How many papers you got?” Meredith asked. “6.” “Here’s $6, go home.”

In 1960 SMU opened the season at Rice. Meredith, then a senior, had a good game, but SMU lost. I was a sophomore tackle who played about 45 minutes. After the game, walking off the field Meredith came across to congratulate me … and tell me he remembered my visit to SMU. Robert Johnston Little Rock n Submit letters to The Editor, Arkansas Times, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203. We also accept letters via e-mail.

The address is maxbrantley@arktimes. com. We also accept faxes at 375-3623.

Please include a hometown and telephone number.

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The Arkansas Reporter

THE WEEK THAT WAS JAN. 12 – 18, 2011 IT WAS A GOOD WEEK FOR …

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

ERNIE PASSAILAIGUE. The much-criticized state lottery director kept his $330,000 job after an evaluation by the Lottery Commission, some of whose members didn’t seem pleased by the Commission’s decision.

■­

■

FLORIDA FLIERS. Vision Airlines announced that it would begin nonstop service between Little Rock and Destin, Fla.

TOM SCHUECK AND JOHN BURKHALTER. Both of Little Rock, they were appointed by Governor Beebe to fill vacancies on the state Highway Commission.

BILLY ROY WILSON. A Pulaski Circuit Court ruling formally established that as the true name of a Little Rock federal judge who has also been called William R. Wilson Jr. because of a mistake on a birth certificate.

TEXTERS. State Rep. Clark Hall, DMarvell, chairman of the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, first banned all kinds of cell-phone use, including texting, by everybody at meetings of his committee, but backed down the next day and said that use of cell phones by the public would be permitted.

CIVILITY. It wasn’t easy, but Rabbi Eugene Levy of Temple B’Nai Israel and Nader Abou-Diab of the Islamic Center of Little Rock maintained theirs as they argued passionately at a religious forum about the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

IT WAS A BAD WEEK FOR …

TODD TURNER. The chairman of the state Democratic Party, an Arkadelphia lawyer, announced that he’ll step down next month. Governor Beebe said he’ll recommend former state Rep. Will Bond of Little Rock, also a lawyer, to succeed Turner.

THE LITTLE ROCK POLICE DEPARTMENT. Racial friction within the department over the hiring of an officer who’d attended a Ku Klux Klan meeting as a teenager burst into the open. Police Chief Stuart Thomas defended the hiring.

8 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

J. HENRY FAIR

CHARTER SCHOOLS. Two new ones – one in Little Rock, one for all high school students in Cross County – were approved by the state Board of Education.

THE PITS: Waste pits on a drilling pad near Dimmock, Pa.

Baby steps Agencies trying to get a handle on gas regulation.

BY GERARD MATTHEWS

n The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has proposed a new state regulation that would help keep tabs on waste pits constructed on natural gas drilling sites across the state.

The rule would allow ADEQ to team up with the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, which recently passed a similar rule (known as rule B-17), to help regulate the pits. However, some environmentalists are concerned that the proposed rule doesn’t go further than what’s been in place the last several years.

The regulation will cover pits built on drilling pads, which are constructed to hold various types of fluids used or produced during the drilling process.

Currently, natural gas companies that construct the pits must follow rules set forth in a general permit awarded by ADEQ, which was put in place once the Fayetteville Shale exploration began approximately six years ago. The rules contained in that permit will be put into the new regulation. Teresa Marks, director of ADEQ, says the proposed regulation will allow ADEQ and AOGC to co-regulate the pits.

“So what we’ve gone from is instead of ADEQ being the only agency that has enforcement authority, we’ve gone to concurrent authority [with the AOGC] for those spills that happen on drilling pad

premises.” Marks says.

ADEQ has had problems regulating these pits in the past as well as pits used to hold drilling waste before its disposal because of an inadequate number of inspectors. Marks says the addition of AOGC inspectors will help ameliorate that problem.

“This will allow AOGC inspectors to go out and take care of these matters that happen on the pit at the time they see it,” Marks says. “They’re out more than we are in these areas, since that’s their core focus, so when they’re out there and they see a violation, they can go ahead and take some enforcement action at that time. It will really give us more eyes and ears out there. Environmental regulations will be enforced by two agencies instead of just one.”

But some environmentalists aren’t convinced that the rule includes enough protections for landowners.

Andy Cheshier, a member of the group CARE, Citizens Against Resource Exploitation, says one of the main problems with the proposed ADEQ rule, and the one recently passed by AOGC, is that neither of them ever mentions the word “landowner.”

“There’s not one mention of landowners in B-17,” he says. “They’re supposed to be looking out for landowners too, but they don’t mention them once. It’s just the same ol’, same ol’.”

Cheshier says the rule should be more stringent about protecting water sources because these types of pits can overflow after heavy rainfall and pollute waterways.

“I wish they would have gone a bit farther on some stuff like setting the pits back from water wells or creeks. I’ve had friends that have lost cows because of these pits,” Cheshier says.

The language in the rule is vague, saying the location of mud, circulation or reserve pits must be “chosen with reasonable consideration to maximizing the distance from surface waters.” But, as Cheshier points out, there are no concrete measurements mentioned.

Cheshier also thinks the rule doesn’t have enough “teeth,” but Larry Bengal, the director of AOGC, disagrees.

“We have an internal policy for our inspectors to visit drilling wells once per week during the drilling process,” Bengal says. “If there are any complaints, we follow-up as soon as possible. Operations can be shut down under certain circumstances and civil penalties can be issued for violations.”

Those penalties include citations of noncompliance, fines of up to $1,000 day if problems go uncorrected or an additional $1,500 fine if the violation creates a hazard for a potable water well.

Marks is hopeful the new regulation will help protect the state’s waterways.

“This is the first time we’ve probably had this clear of a concurrent enforcement authority with another agency,” she says.

“I can’t think of another instance where it’s been specifically like this. We hope that this will increase our presence and our enforcement authority because that’s what we’re trying to do: basically combine our resources and respond to these issues in a quick and efficient manner.”

The final wording of the regulation has not been set in stone. The proposed regulation will be up for public comment until Feb. 8. A public meeting will be held on Jan. 25 to discuss the proposal and its implications. The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. at ADEQ headquarters in North Little Rock.

Correction n Ernest Dumas’ cover article in the Jan. 13 Times about the anemic revenues from the severance tax on natural gas referred to a tiny increase in the tax in Gov. Orval Faubus’ tax program in 1947. The year was 1957, not 1947.

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We’re searching Arkansas to find the one nurse we can say is the most outstanding in our state. Do you know a nurse that you feel is the most compassionate, caring and empathetic caregiver? A nurse who has given comfort or care to you, a family member or friend? We are asking you to send us their name, where they work and a short message expressing why you think they are the most deserving nurse in Arkansas.

Deadline February 15, 2011.

We hope to have nominees from every county and every medical facility in Arkansas. From approximately 48 finalists, we will choose two “Runners Up” and finally, one nurse will be named Arkansas’ Most Compassionate Nurse at a special ceremony held immediately after and in conjunction with the ThinkNurse Expo on April 30th, 2011 in Little Rock. The nurses will be recognized in the ASBN Update magazine and the Winner will be featured inside and on the cover. Watch for more details coming soon!

Send or email your nomination to: NURSING COMPASSION P.O. Box 17427 Little Rock, Arkansas 72222 sramsel@pcipublishing.com

201 East Markham, Suite 200 Little Rock, AR 72201

www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 9

ARKANSAN OF THE YEAR   

IT’S A NEW BALLGAME Republicans at bat.

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BY DOUG SMITH

hat will likely be remembered as an era of semi-good feelings in Arkansas government is drawing to a close, unlikely to be repeated in the foreseeable future. Highly conservative and intensely partisan, Arkansas Republicans made unprecedented gains in the 2010 elections, achieving near parity with the historically dominant and less combative Democrats, and readying their home state to become a copy of regressive neighbors like Oklahoma and Texas. For all they did, and are likely to do, Arkansas Republicans are the Arkansas Times’ choice as Arkansans of the Year.

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hile the rest of the state was staying Democratic, the Third Congressional District — Northwest Arkansas — went Republican in 1967 and has been there since. John Boozman was the U.S. representative from the Third District for 10 years, and could have held the seat as long as he wanted. But Sen. Blanche Lincoln, a Democrat, was considered politically vulnerable this year — most Democrats were — and the national Republican leadership wanted Boozman to run against her, though he’s a colorless campaigner. He acceded to the request, then spent most of the campaign hiding his lack of light under a bushel, confessing to having played football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and keeping his mouth shut otherwise, except for an occasional dig at Obamacare.

The stories about Lincoln’s weakness proved understated, if anything, and Boozman won easily. He was succeeded as congressman by Steve Womack, another Republican, naturally.

Tim Griffin followed a similar strategy in the Second Congressional District, where the incumbent,

BOOZMAN: Adheres to the party line.

Rep. Vic Snyder, a Democrat, did not seek re-election.

State Sen. Joyce Elliott was the Democratic nominee, a black candidate in an election year when resentment of a black president was strong. Whereas Boozman had gone largely unnoticed over the years, serious charges had been made against Griffin. A career political operative, a protege of Karl Rove, he was accused of trying to deny voting rights to blacks, military personnel and others expected to vote Democratic if allowed to reach the polls. He denied the “vote caging” charge, but couldn’t really defend himself from another — that the Bush White House (specifically, Rove) and the Bush Justice Department had conspired to get rid of a U.S. attorney without cause, and to give the job to Griffin to pad his political resume. The voters didn’t pay much

attention though, so heated was anti-Democrat sentiment. Griffin admitted only to having been a member of the Army Reserve.

Political scientists are hardwired not to make too much of any one election, according to Janine Parry, a political science professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. But she sees indications that the election of 2010 has special import for Arkansas Republicanism. “The history of Arkansas Republicans since Reconstruction is that victories are isolated and shortlived,” she says. An individual Republican has unusual success, Republicans do very well in one house of the legislature, and “Everybody cheers and four years later the state returns to the status quo. But this time we saw Continued on page 13

BRIAN CHILSON

Republicans won one of Arkansas’s two U.S. Senate seats, knocking off a powerful incumbent and apparently spooking the other senator further toward the right. Before the 2010 general election, Republicans held one of the four Arkansas seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; now they have three. None of the seven state constitutional officers was a Republican; three are now. In the 35-member state Senate, Republicans went from 8 to 15. The 100-member state House of Representatives was 72-28 in favor of Democrats before the election. The new House has 44 Republicans and 55 Democrats, with one seat still to be filled at a special election.

Because most appropriation bills and tax bills require a three-fourths majority for approval, Republicans can now easily block these bills, even if a few Republican legislators vote with the other side. The possibility of paralyzing partisan conflict in state government has never been so great.

Conflict in the legislative process is always present, of course, but in Arkansas heretofore, it’s been mostly nonpartisan. There’s an old saying that a one-party state is a no-party state. There, political differences have more to do with personalities than with party affiliation. All the Southern states were like that once, but displeasure with the civil rights movement swung the others to hard-core Republicanism, and fierce partisan warfare. Arkansas however largely held on to its oneparty/no-party status until now. Ironically, much of the credit for that goes to Winthrop Rockefeller. Once the number-one Republican in Arkansas, he was also the most liberal governor in the South in the late ’60s, the opposite of the kind of politician that Republicans in other states were building the party around. He made moderate-to-liberal political views acceptable in Arkansas, and he was followed by a string of Democrats who shared those views, though most of them were better than Rockefeller at keeping their true colors concealed. For all the special-interest connections he made in his long legislative career, Gov. Mike Beebe is part of that group. His powers of negotiation are about to be severely tested.

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ARKANSAN OF THE YEAR   

THEY ALSO STOOD OUT Other important Arkansans in 2010.

As is customary, we asked staff and readers for other suggestions of Arkansans worthy of mention for being important to life in Arkansas in 2010. Some of those suggested: The ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT. It threw up a roadblock to an air-poisoning coal-fired power plant in Hempstead County that carried the clout of corporateinfluenced inevitability. It ordered equal treatment of gay people under the law. It granted important new hearings to the West Memphis Three murder defendants. Courageous, it was.

BOBBY PETRINO. The Hog football coach, with the help of rifle-armed quarterback Ryan Mallett, built a BCS bowl team and set the hearts of Razorback fans fluttering with dreams of national championships. It earned him a new contract with an $18 million buyout for either side. He better be good. We’re stuck with him or a huge bill.

CLIFF LEE. The star baseball picture bought a nice old house for fix-up in an established part of Little Rock, passed up New York (and an additional $30 million) for better quality of family life in Philadelphia and gave $1 million to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Strong arm; strong values.

ANTHONY TURNER. He’s not an Arkansas resident now, but the graduate of the Midland School District in rural Independence County blew the whistle to CNN on a violently homophobic Facebook rant by School Board member Clint McCance. It set off a hot national discussion that led to McCance’s resignation from the School Board. It was a blow against bullies everywhere.

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ALICE WALTON. OK, she’s a Texan, but she’s using a portion of her inherited billions to build the Crystal Bridges museum of American art in her Bentonville home town.

12 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

It will open next year. The influence of that investment — and expected Walton donations — also prompted a decision to build a larger facility of the Walton Arts Center in Bentonville, rather than Fayetteville, where it began.

JIM WALTON. The Arkansas banker is using his inherited millions to reshape the public school system to his liking — particularly by encouraging many more charter schools, particularly by destroying the Little Rock School District if he can. He ruffled some legislative feathers in the Republican caucus by not paying them enough for their votes on charter school legislation. It might wash over in opposition to a Walmart desire to see all Internet sales in Arkansas taxed, not just those by companies, like Walmart, with operations here. The Times is behind the Walton interests on that tax idea, by the way.

CHARLES PORTIS. His venerable best-selling novel “True Grit” was a best-seller again thanks to a dandy new screen adaptation by the Coen brothers.

MATTIE ROSS. The fictional heroine of “True Grit” was nominated by one reader for Arkansan of the Year for her cinematic embodiment of a certain Arkansas chauvinism and other virtues the scrappy Yell County teen projects in the hunt for her father’s killer.

The TEA PARTY. They tended to vote Republican, but they had their own special brand of mad-on that proved influential at various levels of politics — particularly in turning Garland County into a deep-red redoubt of anti-tax, anti-government sentiment. Oaklawn Park, look out?

MIKE ROSS. We express no pleasure in the tactics he adopted to be the lone Democratic congressional survivor in Arkansas elections this year. But survive he did — by voting time after time against the interests of his mostly poor constituents (health care) and missing not a chance to push hot buttons, such as religion, guns or gay people (he’s for, for and against).

BLANCHE LINCOLN. She departed office, though a badly beaten loser in her Senate re-election race, with grace. We don’t care what anyone else says. Though her service of corporate interests sometimes disappointed us, she worked hard and she was unfailingly friendly.

We KNOW that it won’t take a week of her replacement, John Boozman, to miss her deeply. Not even if she goes to work for the K Street gang.

WALTER HUSSMAN. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette publisher clung to his notion of a pay-to-play world of publishing on the Internet and effectively took control of print journalism in Northwest Arkansas. He moved ever closer to making Arkansas a one-newspaper state when it comes to comprehensive print journalism. But on-line competitors — including ever-more-vigorous and FREE TV websites — stand in the way of total information dominion. Thank goodness.

MELANIE FOX. In her turn as Little Rock School Board president, the workaholic methodically led the board to a surprisingly peaceful buyout of the few months remaining on Superintendent Linda Watson’s contract and planned an inclusive process to find a new leader who’ll begin shaking up a district that needs to put still more focus on the classroom and less on administrative superstructure.

BILL HALTER. The lieutenant governor lost his primary challenge of Sen. Blanche Lincoln, but the state lottery he fathered got underway and provided millions in scholarship help for tens of thousands of grateful students.

DANI JOY. The mayor of Eureka Springs led the city to providing insurance coverage for domestic partners of city employees, adding to the luster of a very welcoming community.

RON MATHIEU. The Little Rock National Airport director’s big-spending ways — a $40,000 contribution to his son’s private Christian academy and deluxe first-class travel around the world — gave everyone another reason to hate government. And the Little Rock Airport Commission, in kissing off Mathieu’s sins, only made matters worse.

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. The business community, as embodied by local and state chambers of commerce, are no longer content to use their lobbying muscle to beat up on working people and public schools that don’t run the way the Waltons like. Now they demand taxpayer dollars to support their work. And elected officials like Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and the City Board of Directors don’t have the gumption to tell the good suits to pay their own way.

GOV. MIKE BEEBE. He enjoyed nearly unprecedented popularity for cautious, informed governance and won re-election in a walk.

CHARLAINE HARRIS. The Magnolia vampire novelist kept churning out hits and material for a hit TV series.

The WORKING CLASS. As a nominator put it, “The Persons of the Year should be all the faceless middle-class and poor Arkansans still alive on January 1, 2011, after 365 days of rich folks pouring hot oil down upon them. To have survived what they have this year (and last) is phenomenal!”

VIC SNYDER. The 14-year congressman left office with dignity and courage intact to spend more time with his four kids, including triplets. Some weren’t inclined to praise on account of the Karl Rove acolyte and Republican political hit man, Tim Griffin, elected to replace him.

JODY HARDIN. He opened the Argenta Market, a step in the activist/farmer/businessman’s long effort to bring local farmers and food sources closer to consumers. A “heritage” farm and locally farmed tilapia are on his plate for 2011.

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Continued from page 11

multiple victories, victories at the national level and the state level, victories in the legislative branch and the executive branch. That suggests it may be long-lived.”

Yet she can also imagine Republicans slipping backward before they do something so dramatic as win majorities in both houses of the Arkansas legislature. She’s not yet convinced that Arkansas voters have made the switch that occurred in other Southern states years ago.

Rick Crawford won the First Congressional District seat previously occupied by Marion Berry, but, Parry says, “Crawford probably should have won by a wider margin than he did. That suggests the First District might go Democratic again with a stronger candidate and a different national climate. The First District relies heavily on government subsidies, including agricultural subsidies.” And the national Republican Party is talking an anti-subsidy line. “Crawford may have to be willing to oppose his own party.”

That could be a problem for Boozman too. A Republican in a heavily Republican district, he’s voted with the Republican leadership 90 percent of the time as a representative. In a statewide election six years from now, he might have trouble unless he’s changed

   GRIFFIN: Unharmed by accusations.

BRIAN CHILSON

REPUBLICANS

ARKANSAN OF THE YEAR

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ARKANSAN OF THE YEAR   

BRIAN CHILSON

SCOTT: Unfriendly to goosesteppers.

YESTERDAY’S REPUBLICANS LOOK AT TODAY’S

BY DOUG SMITH

n “A conservative Republican in Arkansas would be a liberal over here.” – Jim Caldwell of Tulsa, a former member of the Arkansas Senate.

That may be the best face that moderates of both parties can put on the huge political gains made by conservative Republicans in Arkansas last fall: “Still not as bad as Oklahoma.”

It was a historic election for Arkansas Republicans, by far their best since the Reconstruction era, when many native Democrats were effectively disfranchised.

The Arkansas Times sought reaction from people who were prominent in another memorable Republican advance, the Winthrop Rockefeller administration of the late 1960s. Rockefeller served two terms as governor, alongside a Republican lieutenant governor; helped elect a handful of Republican legislators, and invested huge sums trying to build a robust state party, an effort that fell short.

Rockefeller Republicans were very different from the Republicans of today, and Bob Scott insists the distinction be noted. He takes no pleasure in the Republican successes of 2010.

Now a “semi-retired” lawyer in Rogers, Scott was a legal aide to Governor Rockefeller, an adviser on prison affairs, and eventually a state revenue commissioner. Before that, he was an elected city attorney and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives from Benton County. He was, and is, bold-spoken.

“I’m not enamored with the current leadership of my party,” Scott says. “I grew up in the party of Eisenhower, Rockefeller, Jacob Javits, Everett Dirksen and Charlie Halleck – conservative, but not rigidly conservative.” He feels no kinship with “the Tea Party and the goosesteppers” now running the party. Though he still considers himself an old-school Republican, he largely quit voting for Republican candidates at the national level during the George W. Bush years, when, Scott says, Bush lied the country into war. “Americans lost their lives over the crap he pulled.” Scott worked in support of John McCain in 2000, but eventually McCain proved a disappointment too. He’ll resume

REPUBLICANS

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BRIAN CHILSON

Continued from page 13

EXULTANT: Republican State Chairman Doyle Webb (front) with Lt. Gov. Mark Darr, House Minority Leader John Burris, Secretary of State Mark Martin and Land Commissioner John Thurston.

14 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

his voting pattern. “Arkansans are independent,” Parry said. “They’re not enamored of party loyalty.” (Lincoln voted with her party’s leadership about 50 percent of the time.)

Still, the Arkansas population shifts, confirmed by the latest census, look good for Republicans. East Arkansas and South Arkansas, which are more likely to vote Democratic, continue to lose population, as they have for years. Northwest Arkansas and the suburbs around Little Rock continue to gain. People in those areas have more money, they’re better educated, and they vote Republican overwhelmingly. They’re much more likely to vote, too, Parry says. “The Jefferson County turnout rate is 20 percent less than the Benton County rate. And Jefferson County is as Democratic as Benton County is Republican.”

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Rockefeller Republicans were different from the Republicans of today. voting for Republicans when the party returns to its true ownership, Scott says. “Republican friends call me a Democrat. I tell them ‘I’ve got more Republican credentials than all you bastards put together.’ ” Len Blaylock of Perryville, another important figure in the Rockefeller administration, is not offended

by Teabaggers. The day he was interviewed, he was scheduled to attend a Tea Party meeting later, at the invitation of friends. He’s definitely pleased by the Republicans’ progress. “I thought the Democrats had been doing so bad, things were really out of hand. There’ll probably be more teamwork between the parties now.

I think that’s good for the country. I’m happy to see a Republican in the eastern part of the state [U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford] have a chance to show what he can do.

I’m happy to see a Republican senator from Northwest Arkansas. I’m not gonna say Blanche [Lincoln] was all bad, but I felt like she needed to be replaced. I think John Boozman is a good choice. He has a voting record I’m pretty proud of. And we elected a fine state senator here in Perry County, Jason Rapert. I think he’ll bring some really solid ideas to state government. He’s got a band. They played at the Sarah Palin rally in North Little Rock.”

When a reporter says that Rockefeller was more liberal than today’s Republicans, Blaylock doesn’t exactly agree. “I wouldn’t say he was liberal. He certainly had some different ideas.” Blaylock was welfare commissioner under Rockefeller and ran a welfare department that was widely perceived as somewhat more progressive and less political than its predecessor in the Orval Faubus administration.

After Rockefeller’s defeat, and death, the Arkansas Republican Party fell back under the control of the undistinguished partisans who’d led it before. Blaylock

A

t a news conference in Republican state headquarters the day after the election, state Chairman Doyle Webb announced that “Arkansas has become a two-party state.” Among those present — having just stopped by out of curiosity, he said — was Jerry Cox, president of the Arkansas Family Council, the state’s foremost advocate for the Religious Right.

A few days later, Cox announced the most ambitious legislative program in the Council’s history, covering all the usual ground but even more intensely. Liberals should prepare to defend against a Tim Tebow bill.

But anyone who follows the Arkansas legislature with an eye on social issues is apt to wonder what difference it makes if there are more Republicans this time. Republican and Democratic, the legislators generally vote for guns and against gays, they’re anti-abortion and pro-prayer-in- the-schools.

“It’s on the tax proposals where a change might make a substantive difference,” Parry says. “If Gov-

BLAYLOCK: Happy now. remained active in party affairs and began to seem less Rockefellerish. He served as state chairman for a time, and was even the party’s gubernatorial nominee once, during those barren years when the Republicans could offer only sacrificial candidates for statewide office.

He’s entitled to celebrate now. “If you got a side and it wins, you gotta be happy.”

Jim Caldwell is positioned somewhere between Scott and Blaylock. Caldwell was a Republican state senator from Rogers in the 1970s, and was considered a Rockefeller Republican. That meant “progressive” by the standards of the Arkansas legislature.

But he says now, “I had no ideology, no issue when I first ran. I just thought a two-party system was a good

ernor Beebe looks for new revenue in the next two to four years, he’ll have to peel off a lot more opponents to get what he wants. Tax cuts, tax increases — from a political scientist’s viewpoint, those are the things that matter. Social issues may affect only a small percentage of people.”

An even smaller number of people will be affected by another probable change in legislative procedures, but they’ll be seriously affected. The hiring of legislative employees has been nonpartisan in Arkansas. In other states and in Congress, the parties are in charge of the hiring. Rep. John Burris of Harrison, the Republican leader in the House, says that change in the hiring of staff is “not on the agenda” of House Republicans.

“As long as the staff is fair and nonpartisan, we won’t have a problem.” But there’ll be a bunch more Republicans deciding whether the staff is fair and nonpartisan.

Burris also predicts that Republicans will work with the governor and the Democratic majority, for the most

idea. I don’t recall any of us [Republican legislators] having an agenda. I don’t know that these new ones do, but if they do, it’ll probably level out once they get in.

Usually when the candidates get to town, they see the big picture and they understand they have to deal with issues that don’t just apply to their home district.”

Like Blaylock, Caldwell served a hitch as Republican state chairman in the post-Rockefeller years. “I have to sort of rejoice that some Republicans were elected in Arkansas [this year],” he said.

Loads of Republicans get elected in Caldwell’s new home state of Oklahoma. Republicans have a big majority in each house of the Oklahoma legislature, and strange conservative-Republican proposals are regularly submitted to and approved by Oklahoma voters.

Last fall, reacting to a threat previously unimagined, they voted to prohibit Muslim law from being used in Oklahoma courts. (A similar proposal was made for Bella Vista, Ark., by a couple of residents, but that was just one city and the Bella Vista City Council did nothing with it.) Former Senator Lincoln was largely middle-of-the-road, as is Sen. Mark Pryor. Oklahoma senators are invariably and aggressively right-wing – anti-abortion, pro-gun, anti-gay, pro-school prayer …

Boozman will probably be like that, though maybe not as loud about it.

Still, the formerly progressive Caldwell says he “pretty much votes Republican” in Oklahoma elections, though he makes exceptions now and then.

Last fall, he voted against a Republican candidate for attorney general who was “running mainly to get rid of Obamacare.” Arkansas’s new Republican lieutenant governor, Mark Darr, who has no official duties to speak of, also ran against Obamacare. It’s beginning to look a lot like Oklahoma.

part. Beebe has said the state can’t afford more tax cuts than the grocery-tax cut that’s his own proposal. Republicans are pushing for a number of tax cuts. Beebe has said they must show how cuts would be paid for.

Some observers expect that Republicans will respond by refusing to approve certain appropriation bills, producing gridlock.

H

ardly anyone applauded, but for a couple of decades, Arkansas has been an island of political moderation and comparative enlightenment in a troubled Southern sea of intolerance and ignorance. Even Mike Huckabee, now a darling of the Teabaggers as a Republican presidential candidate, was a mostly mainstream, nonpartisan sort of governor who relied on Democrats to get his legislative program through. The Republicans now are changing the rules of the game. The Arkansan of the Year award goes to those who make a difference, for good or evil.

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www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 15

EYE ON ARKANSAS

Editorial n Custer didn’t really send a message asking for more Indians, historians now know. But, though it seems equally counterintuitive — if not bonkers — the Arkansas legislature’s first response to mass murder is always to seek to put more guns in the hands of more shooters.

The blood hadn’t dried in the streets of Tucson before Rep. Denny Altes was sponsoring a bill to make it easier for Arkansans to carry guns openly, rather than concealed, as they do now. Concealment requires a couple of seconds longer for the carrier to put his weapons to use, thus allowing some likely targets to slip away. A clearly stated open-carry law would encourage more people to pack, Altes said, and “the outlaws, the crazies, the wackos, they’re going to have to be careful.”

There’s a classic headline for you: “Altes warns wackos.”

We rather doubt that the wackos — at least the ones who aren’t sponsoring legislation — would be frightened by Altes’ bill, but the rest of us, the non-wacko faction, certainly should be. The more guns there are out there, the more likely it is those guns will be used, and the greater the chance that innocent victims will die. The wackos always shoot first, if they can get hold of a gun easily.

Knowing our place n Hitler called England “a nation of shopkeepers,” we were reminded the other day when we read a thoughtful essay describing modern America as “a nation of footmen.”

The author was writing about our steely resolve to serve our betters. Is the Social Security system nearing financial embarrassment? A government commission recommends reducing benefits to the elderly and the poor rather than raising taxes slightly on the very wealthy. Cheers ring out. Let we the people bear the pain, not them the upper crust. A new healthcare law annoys a few at the top? Repeal it, by all means.

Here in Arkansas, a bill (HB 1002) before the legislature would reduce the capital gains tax, of all things. Arkansas already gives a generous income-tax exemption for capital gains, which are profits from the sale of assets such as stocks and bonds, investments, art and vacation homes.

HB 1002 would deprive public education, transportation and health systems of some $70 million a year in order to give the top 1 percent of Arkansas taxpayers a $4,200 a year tax break. Middle-class Arkansans would get a tax break of $1.

And we’d probably try to give that back.

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

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BRIAN CHILSON

Empowering the wackos

A CELEBRATION: Antonio Ware Jr., 2, watches the Martin Luther King Jr. Day marade in Little Rock on Monday.

If you’ve got it, spend it n Most of last week’s news coverage of Governor Beebe’s address to legislators laying out his priorities for the new legislative session focused on the biggest ticket items with long-term ramifications for the state budget. But, an item early in the speech that received almost no media coverage has more immediate ramifications for the children of the state’s most challenged families.

Just after rightly praising the historic progress that the state has made in the area of public education in the last decade, Beebe said, “Money that comes into Arkansas meant to close achievement gaps is often stashed away instead of being spent efficiently on the very purpose for which it was intended.”

One has to be pretty deep in the weeds of Arkansas education policy to know what Beebe was referencing. As part of its response to the Lake View case, the General Assembly enhanced per pupil education spending in the state but also provided additional funds to districts with significant rates of poverty to be spent on a long list of programs meant to close the achievement gap. How much districts get depends on the percentage of students who come from families eligible for free or reduced school lunches under the National School Lunch Act (NSLA). In some districts, many NSLA funds are being “stashed away” rather than being spent to aid students.

In 2009, Rep. David Rainey of Dumas and others tried to limit the amount that districts could carry over to a very reasonable 20 percent of their allocation. But that bill was brick-walled in the House Education Committee. The anecdotal evidence of significant carryovers was overwhelmed by potent, behind-the-scenes opposition of local school superintendents and school boards. Those who lead school districts at the local level didn’t want the state telling them how and when to spend this money.

It’s not their money, of course; it’s state money meant to create true equity in the state’s educational system with the subsequent positive impact on our

Jay Barth state’s economy.

As we enter the new session, those who had to rely upon anecdotal evidence to make their case in the last session now have expansive data on the subject, thanks to the usual good work of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. The group’s report found that more than $25 million of the $145 million allocated to school districts under the program was squirreled away in the 2008-09 school year. Only 12 percent of the districts and charter schools spent all of their money and five districts carried over a majority of their FSLA dollars. One of the most troubling cases was the Dollarway School District; with 93 percent of its students eligible for free/reduced lunches and most of its students failing to achieve basic proficiency, the Pine Bluff area district left $1,521,733 in its coffers that should have been used to improve the educational achievement of its students.

The report also notes that much of the spending that does occur goes for items that haven’t been shown to close the achievement gap. More effective targeting of dollars will require a fundamental alteration in legislation, shortening the list of projects eligible for FSLA spending and raising the protective hackles of local school officials.

Governor Beebe has shown in his words that he gets the issue. It will be a true test of his leadership to turn those words into the action that will create a true opportunity to learn for Arkansas’s poor kids.

Jay Barth is a professor of political science at Hendrix College. He is filling Max Brantley’s column space while Brantley is on vacation.

BRIAN CHILSON

A vote against reform is a vote against Arkansas n If anything beneficial came of Jared Loughner’s attempt to assassinate an Arizona congresswoman and as many of her followers as he could take out, we will find out this week when the House of Representatives takes up repeal of the healthinsurance reform law.

The silver lining to the tragedy would be a calm and rational debate — even if a ruthlessly partisan one — on what the health law and its repeal will mean. The outcome is certain (the Republican House will pass the repeal) and meaningless (it will die in the Senate or on the president’s desk), but if there is a thorough and frank argument on what the law has done and will do and the country is not distracted, it will be a marvelous thing. It hasn’t happened yet.

But why connect Tucson and the health-care debate?

Yes, even the president of the United States has said no one could know what demonic ideas ran through Loughner’s brain when he went to the Safeway to gun down Gabrielle Giffords, but it is equally certain that it was a political event, an assassination as Loughner himself described it. It was not an attack on a liquor-store clerk. Loughner harbored all sorts of quack conspiracy theories about the government and women in authority, even if

Ernest Dumas he had not been influenced by posters in Tucson by her opponent, Jesse Kelly, that urged people to help remove her from office by shooting a full automatic M16 rifle with Kelly, or seen Sarah Palin’s celebrated crosshairs on Giffords’s district. After she voted for the health bill, Giffords’ office door was shattered and she received threats.

So Speaker John Boehner and others promise a civil and respectful discussion this week. The Republicans are going to say that the Affordable Care Act will run up huge budget deficits, put people out of work and drive up the cost of medical care even higher. Congress’ independent experts, formerly praised by the Republicans for shooting down Bill Clinton’s health reform bill in 1994 and disputing Democratic claims on this law, say none of that is true and that, in fact, the Affordable Care Act would do just the opposite.

That debate should winnow the issues down to the one central question: whether people ought to expect their government to contrive a way for every citizen to be

Taxpayers 1, tax receivers 0 n Gov. Mike Beebe declared that his budget was as low it could go without forcing painful reductions in essential services. But then, only four days into the session, our newly Republicanized state Legislature found painless savings.

It was that state and district judges and prosecuting attorneys can live adequately — painlessly, let us reasonably assume — on their current six-figure salaries, from $100,000 and up for prosecutors to $156,000 for the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

That is to say that these officers of our courts could go without the 1.86 percent cost-of-living raises contained for them in the draft of the first bill that gets passed every session, which is the general appropriation bill for state constitutional officers.

Owing to political smartness, the bill provided no raises for the governor and legislators. But it did contain that little upward adjustment for judges and prosecutors sought with political tone-deafness by the

John Brummett jbrummett@arkansasnews.com

Arkansas Judicial Council.

The bill got voted out in that form Wednesday by the Joint Budget Committee, mostly as a result of the business-as-usual inertia by which state government budgets have been made for decades.

But then some in the heavily reconfigured general legislative population — Republicans and some Democrats — rose up.

Business was not conducted as usual, at least in the morning freshness of the session, before the assembly line of lawmaking gets cranking at warp speed.

So the bill got sent back to Joint Budget for reconsideration, which will take place Wednesday.

These raises presumably will have to be

insured against sickness and injury regardless of his or her wealth and to make medical care and insurance more affordable to all, or whether the government should leave all that to the mercies of the market?

That also is a debate worth having.

How nice it would be if the arguments could be telescoped to Arkansas. What do Arkansas’s four congressmen intend by voting to repeal the act? A good debate would have each of them explain why the law’s various provisions are bad for the people of Arkansas. Specifically: • Why should the 1.4 million Arkansans now covered by private insurance risk having their insurance canceled or have lifetime spending caps put on their insurance after they are in an accident or suffer a grievous illness? The new law will prevent it.

• Why should the state be stopped from setting up a one-stop exchange for individuals and business to shop for insurance, with government assistance if they cannot afford it?

• Why should 250,000 or so Arkansans whose family incomes are below 133 percent of the federal poverty line be denied hospitalization and medical coverage, and why should the federal government be prohibited from pumping $10 billion or more into the state over the first six years to improve their health care?

• Why should the 25,000 poorest Arkansans on Medicare lose rebates to help them with their catastrophic prescription drug costs? Repeal will return them instantly and from now on to the infamous “doughnut hole” that makes them choose

between medicine and other necessities of life.

• Why should the state’s 506,000 seniors on Medicare once again have to make a copay to receive preventive services like mammograms, flu shots, colonoscopies and cancer screenings?

• Why should people who buy new insurance plans be denied the choice of primary-care doctors in the network or the right to see an ob-gyn without a referral?

The new law gives them that protection.

• Why should people who can afford insurance, with or without the government’s help, not be required to purchase coverage or else pay a small tax rather than rely on the beneficence of hospitals, the government and the insured when they have expensive illnesses or injuries? They must buy retirement insurance, old-age medical insurance and car insurance, so why not health insurance.

• Why should 13,600 Arkansas young adults lose their insurance coverage through their parents’ plans, which is guaranteed by the new law?

• Why should insurance companies once again be allowed to spend whatever they wish from your premiums on executive compensation and bonuses, advertising, lobbying and profits? The new law will require them to spend at least 80 to 85 percent (depending on the size of the employers) of your premium dollar on actual health care starting in 2014.

Those questions would be a debate worth having. Alas, no one of the state’s Lilliputian delegation will want to discuss them.

stricken if the bill — the vital starting point for the session, which always becomes Act 1 — is to garner the adequate majority on the floors of the House and Senate.

These are budget savings amounting only to thousands of dollars, a few misty raindrops on the ocean. Yet it will not be so minimal, but serious meddling, if this same principle — that tax receivers should not get more money if recession-beset taxpayers are not getting more — gets applied to a broader range of state employees.

Beebe has recommended for state employees the same 1.86 cost-of-living increase that put the well-paid judges and prosecutors in the uneasy glare of this spotlight. But here is a prediction: Not all state employees will get it.

Lower-income employees will receive it, and should. Perhaps nearly all employees will get it. But I would not bet right now on the prospects for a raise for any high-level state employee drawing a top-tier salary, a Grade 99 job they call it in the pay grid.

If I am right about what may happen, then we would be starting to talk about real savings in the budget, maybe amounting to a few million dollars. That might be enough to pay for one of the tax cuts that Beebe has been saying we cannot afford, such as the

break on the used car tax.

I proclaim these developments welcome, presenting raw old-fashioned populism by which taxpayers get elevated over tax receivers, which is what the extraordinary election in November was mostly about.

But beware. There can be danger.

A weak economy puts greater strain on certain government services — Medicaid, for example. Sometimes, then, tax receivers will require more for the very reason that taxpayers have less.

It is very simple to understand: If you lose your job, then you move from a beleaguered taxpayer to a needy tax receiver.

These fired-up new legislators owe it to the populist and tax-saving mandates that elected them to do the harder work — harder than telling a judge to live with his $140,00 a year.

They need to consider and embrace Beebe’s wise notions for long-term reforms producing savings of efficiency in Medicaid and in prisons.

John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. You can read additional Brummett columns in The Times of North Little Rock. www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 17

CONGRATULATIONS SEMI-FINALISTS!

Round One - 1/27 Catskill Kids Tyrannosaurus Chicken Zach Williams and the Reformation Cody Ives Band Round Two - 2/3 The Year of the Tiger The Yipps The Smittle Band Echo Canyon Round Three - 2/10 Brethren This Holy House Michael Leonard Witham The Pink Drapes Round Four - 2/17 10 Horse Johnson Brown Soul Shoes Ezra Lbs. Sea Nanners Round Five - 2/24 No Hay de Que Mandy McBryde and the Unholy Ghost Thunder Thieves Ginsu Wives

2010 WINNER BROTHER ANDY AND HIS BIG DAMN MOUTH

ยกREVOLUTION!

arts entertainment

This week in

Newman plays Walton Arts Center

‘Color Purple’ to Robinson PAGE 20

and

PAGE 21

TO-DO LIST 20

CALENDAR 22

MOVIES 28

DINING 31

‘RAISIN’ AT THE REP

Phyllis Yvonne Stickney stars in the Lorraine Hansberry classic.

BY WERNER TRIESCHMANN

T

‘RAISIN’: Lynnette R. Freeman and Hisham Tawfiq star in The Rep’s rendition of “A Raisin in the Sun.”

here has been a nice display of locallygrown talent for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s last two productions — Avery Clark in the title role in “Hamlet” and Jason Harper and a host of kids in “A Christmas Story” — and this happy trend continues with the upcoming production of Lorraine Hansberry’s masterwork “A Raisin in the Sun.” Phyllis Yvonne Stickney calls herself “bicoastal,” with homes in entertainment capitals New York and Los Angeles thanks to a healthy movie career that includes roles in “Malcolm X,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It?,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and others. But Stickney, a 1998 inductee to the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, is returning to her native city to take on the role of matriarch Lena Younger. It wasn’t a part the small-framed Stickney immediately considered a great fit.

“Oh no, I wasn’t going to audition,” says Stickney. “When I walk in the room, I don’t know that you physically see me as Lena Younger. I thought they would want a different body type, a bigger woman. That’s who has played this part in the past. But then the fact that Phylicia Rashad was cast and she’s not that type and the fact the play was in Arkansas made the difference.”

“Raisin in the Sun” is also a homecoming of sorts for the director, Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj.

Maharaj lives in New York but over the past several years he’s developed a close relationship with Little Rock and the Rep. His high-profile projects at the Rep include his founding of Voices at the River, a new play festival featuring African-American and Latino playwrights, and the production of his play “Little Rock,” a docu-drama about the Central High crisis. He has also directed “Dreamgirls” and “Intimate Apparel” for the Rep.

“A Raisin in the Sun” Arkansas Repertory Theatre

Performances: Friday, Jan. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 6, with performances 7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m.

Sunday. A preview performance on Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 19-20, will follow a pre-show discussion with director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj at 6:15 p.m.

Tickets: $25-$40 www.therep.org

There is also a Central High connection to the production of “Raisin in the Sun”: Spirit Trickey, playwright and daughter of Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Brown-Trickey, is on board as assistant director. Hansberry’s play, which debuted on Broadway in 1959 and has been frequently revived, most recently with Rashad and Sean “Diddy” Combs in the cast, is a domestic drama, in which the Younger family struggles to improve their lot in life by way of an insurance check. Trickey sees the play as dealing with the issue of civil rights in a way that isn’t as stark or direct as the way the Central High battle unfolded.

“You see the struggle in a different light,” says Trickey. “It’s not about soldiers walking kids so they could go to school but it’s a different insight to a different form of struggle. It’s a snapshot into this era. The great thing about this era is the resistance of the people and the tactics they used to resist.”

The actors in the “Raisin” cast agree is that the play is an emotionally charged experience.

“All of the characters here hit bottom at some point in the play,” says Lynnette R. Freeman, who plays Ruth Younger. “But that’s what the play is. It brings up those feelings. My acting teacher says if it’s done right you shouldn’t feel spent but at the end you should feel clean.” www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 19

century Georgia. After first being adapted into what may be Steven Spielberg’s greatest film in 1985, “The Color Purple” found itself, 20 years later, faithfully revived on Broadway, set to jazz, gospel and the blues and receiving standing ovations at curtain, hyperbole in print and 11 Tony nods for Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Music and, four times over, Best Performance. In short, this musical is a beast.

Judging from the runaway success that was “Wicked” and Little Rock’s revitalized interest in live plays, we can all but guarantee that the three-day stand of “Purple” will be the next in a chain of notable local theater. And with tickets starting at an enormously reasonable $22, there’s just no excuse for any theater buff to pass this up. The musical opens Friday night at 7:30 p.m. before offering a 2 p.m. matinee and 7:30 p.m. evening performances on Saturday and Sunday.

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW

8 p.m., George’s Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville. $25.

COUNTRY CHART-TOPPER: Jason Aldean, on the road to country superstardom, takes a stop at Verizon Arena on Friday.

■ to-dolist

BY JOHN TARPLEY

FRI D AY 1/ 21

JASON ALDEAN

7:30 p.m., Verizon Arena. $28.70-$54.15

n We’ve written about it plenty of times before. Gigging in Arkansas may not be a top priority for touring, big name rock bands, but for country music, our Verizon Arena is a required, “must-play” venue for anyone worth his boot leather. It has to get expensive for the dedicated country fan. In just the last year, the Little Rock market has been privy to shows from Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, George Strait and, one of my favorite concerts of last year, an unbelievable live retrospective from a soon-to-retire Brooks & Dunn. It’s such a profitable area for boot scooters that if you were to gather up all the ticket stubs from the past 20 years, you’d have a pretty good overview of the history of new country music. Now Jason Aldean’s ready to tack his name up with the big guys. He’s no stranger to playing Arkansas, gigging at Magic Springs in 2007 and at Riverfest in 2009 before making his way to superstar status and a spot at Verizon. Since he began making stops in the Natural State, Aldean’s particular brand of nostalgic, “tenderbilly” anthems have earned him two platinum records and a smattering of top-spot singles with songs like “Why” and “Big Green Tractor.” Country music 20 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

has been hungry for electrified, beer-andSkynyrd party rockers lately and Aldean’s been the genre’s go-to man since making a name for himself in 2005 with “Hicktown.” It’s a Big & Rich-penned, starsand-bars jam with a music video from A&R hell: mudpits, lifted trucks, the air full of beer cans. Sure, it looks like a fun time. I just can’t imagine any of my buddies from back home who moved to the sticks to take up permanent residence in their own version of Hicktown would be caught dead listening to this on any back road, ever. From this angle, he’s about as country as Pink is punk. But pop pays and not everybody wants to be Kris Kristofferson, so hats off to Aldean, the businessman. May you continue long on the road of Coors Light wishes and catfish dreams.

He’s supported by rising star Eric Church and femme-power duo, The JaneDear Girls. Aldean also makes a stop the following night in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas’s Barnhill Arena, 7:30 p.m., $44.75.

‘THE COLOR PURPLE’

7:30 p.m., Robinson Center Music Hall. $22-$52

n Like “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Beloved,” or “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Alice Walker’s vibrant Pulitzerwinning novel holds a proud place in the annals of Southern literature. Wrenching, controversial and, like its peers, completely irreplaceable, it’s the story of Celie, an impoverished victim of rape in turn-of-the-

n One of the greatest stories of recent bluegrass lore went down in 2007, when the hard-line traditionalists of the Mountain View Bluegrass Festival booted Cadillac Sky, a moderately forward-thinking hill music act, from their festival for being progressive to the point of being, apparently, offensive. Now, keeping the rustic sound of bluegrass pure is, in its own way, a noble effort and one that shouldn’t go unappreciated. Unfortunately for purists, a nation of dirty youngsters are rapidly changing the face of bluegrass music. Even in a bluegrass stronghold like Arkansas, one of our state’s greatest acts is a mohawked, Dexadrine-hearted act called Cletus Got Shot. Nationally, the movement is even larger and no one typifies the face of the new old like Nashville’s beloved Old Crow Medicine Show. Since finding national notoriety in 2004 with the release of its sig-

PAINT IT ‘PURPLE’: The acclaimed musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” comes to Robinson Center Music Hall for a three-day stand.

■ inbrief

THURSDAY 1/20

n The Arkansas River Blues Society hosts a fund-raiser at White Water Tavern with music from Billy Jones, Clover Blue and youngster Matthew Davidson, the ARBS’s entries for the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, 9 p.m., $5. Revolution hosts Cross Canadian Ragweed spin-off Cody Canada and the Departed and local country rockers Good Time Ramblers, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s. The Afterthought continues opening the tent to local Americana and indie acts when the driving folk of Mandy McBryde and the Unholy Ghosts takes to the jazz bar alongside the colorful, cartoony Winston Family Orchestra, 8 p.m., $5. In Fayetteville, George’s Majestic Lounge brings the pedal-steel driven funk and soul of Robert Randolph and the Family Band to Dickson Street, 9 p.m., $20.

FRIDAY 1/21 GOOD OLD BOY: Iconic singer/songwriter/composer Randy Newman brings half a century of songwriting mastery to Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center on Saturday. nature tune, “Wagon Wheel” (a cover of an incomplete, oft-bootlegged Bob Dylan song written for the soundtrack of “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid”), Old Crow has cracked away at the rural landscape with Highwaymen harmonies, a Woody Guthrie ramble and a set of influences spanning the distance from Earl Scruggs to Public Enemy. And now, the collective is enjoying enormous success, sharing “Austin City Limits” duty with Lucinda Williams, performing regularly on “A Prairie Home Companion” and, if dorm rooms are anything like they were when I called them home, providing an all-but-constant hum on college campuses everywhere. My mandolin-playing buddy John, who, like the rest of his family, is no stranger to bluegrass festivals, once played Old Crow for his dad, who scrunched his face and said, “That ain’t how Bill played it.” Mr. Monroe may not have played it that way, but, more than likely, our kids will. The flagship nu-grass stars are supported by two Northwest Arkansas acts: the horn-heavy R&B act FOS Project and the long-running, groove-rocking Uncrowned Kings.

SATURDAY 1/22

usually aimed at giving underage teens a place at concerts — into a big, handmade “welcome” sign for families with small children (i.e. their friends). Another reason to give it up for The Big Cats: They’re simply one of the greatest bands ever to spring out of the local musical fountain. During last summer’s Arkansas Music Poll, they cracked the top 10 list dedicated to local acts; they’re all-but-unanimously beloved throughout town. Their last album, “On Tomorrow,” is as beloved a release as any to come out of Pulaski County in recent memory and a defining moment of our local sound. Now, the Cats are in the studio, working on their follow-up album, and offering Little Rock a number of rare shows, an uncharacteristic move for the band whose live appearances have been scarce for years. We’re not complaining. And we’re certainly not complaining about this one: a family-friendly matinee at the rustic Dreamland Ballroom at Arkansas Flag & Banner Co. We look for any excuse to check out the Dreamland ruins. And we take any chance we can to check out The Big Cats. Which makes this show a nobrainer.

RANDY NEWMAN

THE BIG CATS

8 p.m., Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. $32-$65.

n You’ve gotta hand it to The Big Cats.

Not many old punks keep their guitars strapped on long enough through their adulthood to get a chance to turn their allages shows — a staple of punk ethos that’s

n Here’s the thing about Randy Newman: There’s nothing left to say about him, yet there’s everything to say about him. In the ongoing American musical history, he sits in the highest echelon, an ambitious, daring artist as essential as Cole Porter or Bob

3 p.m., Dreamland Ballroom. $5

Dylan, if only because he had the imagination to split the difference between the two. He’s our country’s Jonathan Swift, a big-hearted, blunt-mouthed satirist with a keen ear for ragtime melodies and a sharp, often misunderstood pen turned towards rednecks, politicians and, of course, short people. Despite never receiving the commercial accolades due him, Newman’s albums — especially the five pieces of wax he pushed off in the ’70s — will forever hold a place on any budding songcraft’s “must-study” list. Even if he never shook up the charts, his influence can’t be ignored. I shudder to think where music would be today without the heart-rending strings of “Louisiana 1927,” the wistful, high yearn of “Dayton, Ohio – 1903” or the teasing drums in “Living Without You.” And he’s still necessary. As a chronicler of recent history, perhaps he’s needed more than ever. Take a shot at the most recent Newman essential, “A Few Words (In Defense of Our Country),” a melancholic, patently dry musical shrug about the Bushera pickle we found ourselves in and the countries quick to hate us, rife with lyrics like “We don’t want your love/Respect at this point is pretty much out of the question/Times like this, we sure could use a friend.” For me, Randy Newman’s voice is the intonation of America’s best corners and truest back porches, not to mention the voice I, just like so many others, hear when I sit down at a piano. This show marks the icon’s first trip back to the state since his first-ever Arkansas appearance in 2007, opening Eureka Springs’ May Festival of the Arts.

n Hunters can stop X’ing the days off of their calendar: the Big Buck Classic returns to the Arkansas State Fairgrounds for another weekend of everything deer hunting; doors open at 1 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, $10 adults.

It’s been a while since his last gig, but lauded local singer/songwriter Chris Denny is set to bring his unique take on Southern sounds to Town Pump, 10 p.m., $5. Cool Shoes returns to Downtown Music Hall with their dugout of DJs waiting to spin electro, dubstep and hip-hop, 10 p.m., $5 early admission.

Always a local favorite, Memphis’ John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives brings a slick take on early rock ’n’ roll to White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. And at the Faulkner County Library, the UALR Guitar Ensemble puts the spin on Joe Pass and The Beatles, 7 p.m., free.

SATURDAY 1/22

n Juanita’s goes dark (and heavy) with two Russellville bands in hard rockers Afternoon Delight, nu-metalists Dark From Day One and Hot Springs industrial act The Vail, 9 p.m. Future poet laureate of Pulaski County (if a certain Facebook group gets its way) Kevin Kerby brings his solo set to White Water Tavern alongside Chris Michaels (of Chris Michaels and the Cranks) and Denton, Texas, songwriter Isaac Hoskins, 10 p.m. Revolution invites fresh-faced upstarts to its stage during the “New Music Test”; this weekend features soulful rock from Haven Hill, driving Southern metal from Iron-E, metalcore from Veridium and alternative freshmen Iron Glass, 9 p.m., $5-$10. www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 21

501-683-5239. www.clintonschool.uasys.edu.

www.arktimes.com

SPORTS

afterdark

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

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19 MUSIC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COMEDY

Scott White. The Loony Bin, 8 p.m.; Jan. 21, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; Jan. 22, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9.

10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20 MUSIC

Arkansas River Blues Society Fundraiser with Bill Jones, Clover Blue, Matthew Davidson.

White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-3758400. www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

Bush Hawg. Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www. stickyfingerz.com.

Cody Canada and the Departed, Good Time Ramblers. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s.

300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom. com.

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

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

Kevin Black. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9 p.m. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. www. markhamst.com.

Mandy McBryde and the Unholy Ghost, Winston Family Orchestra. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

George’s Majestic Lounge, 9 p.m., $20. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226.

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

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.

22 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

PUNKS GONE MAJOR: After spending years of releasing critically-acclaimed albums on small labels, Against Me! has gone big-time, delivering Spin Magazine’s record of the year in 2007 and following it up with 2010’s “White Crosses,” another enthusiastically-received, folk-punk screed. The Gainesville, Fla., veterans take to Juanita’s for a much-anticipated show Sunday, Jan. 23. 8:30 p.m., $15 adv., $18 d.o.s.

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

COMEDY

Scott White. The Loony Bin, through Jan. 20, 8 p.m.; Jan. 21, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; Jan. 22, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road.

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

EVENTS

Antique/Boutique Walk. Shopping and live enter-

tainment. Downtown Hot Springs, third Thursday of every month, 4-8 p.m., free. 100 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

LECTURES

“The Blair-Rockefeller Poll.” The Diane D. Blair Center for Southern Politics and Society and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute will unveil the results of the inaugural Blair-Rockefeller Poll, a comprehensive online poll of Southern attitudes regarding politics and public policy. For more information or to reserve seats, call 683-5239 or e-mail publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu. Clinton School of Public Service, noon. 1200 President Clinton Ave.

football & Basketball games!

We have THEM ALL!

We have NFL Sunday ticket and ESPN Gameplan.

Come watch your favorite college or pro team!

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

No Cover!

Where friends get together!

Live Music Thurs, Fri & Sat Nights!

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

Horse racing. Oaklawn, Jan. 20-22, 1 p.m., $2.50$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. www.oaklawn.com.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21 MUSIC

Big John Miller. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www.foxandhound.com/locations/north-little-rock.aspx.

Chris Denny. Town Pump, 10 p.m., $5. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 501-663-9802.

Col. Bruce Hampton and the Quark Alliance.

Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $8. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz. com.

Cool Shoes with DJs Kichen, Ewell, Cameron Holifield. Downtown Music Hall, 10 p.m., $5 early admission. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

DJ Ja’Lee. Sway, 8 p.m., $5. 412 Louisiana.

501-907-2582.

DJ Titan, Andy Sadler, Jeremy Sayre.

Revolution, 9 p.m., $5-$10, military personnel free.

300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom. com.

Downstroke. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, Jan. 21-22, 10 p.m. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-2247665. www.westendsmokehouse.net.

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

FreeWorld. Midtown Billiards, Jan. 22, 12:30 a.m., $8 non-members. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com.

Jason Aldean, Eric Church, The JaneDear Girls. Verizon Arena, 7:30 p.m., $28.70-$54.15. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena. com.

John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

Matt Hartz. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, 7 p.m., “pay what you can.” 20919 Denny Road.

“The O.D.” with with Da Saw Squad, Osyrus, Shea Marie, The Parker Bros., Kwestion, Juke Joint, K. Toomer, J-Fuego, DJ Silky Slim, Epiphany. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9 p.m., $10.

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

Old Crow Medicine Show. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9:30 p.m. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville.

479-442-4226.

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

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

Rodney Block & Co. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $10. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

The Sound of the Mountain, Inner City Lights, Iron Tongue. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $7. 923 W. Seventh St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

Steve Bates. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, Jan. 21-22, 8:30 p.m., free. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www. cregeens.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/ CBG. Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, Jan. 21-22, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-3242999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Thread. Thirst n’ Howl, through Jan. 28, 9 p.m.

14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-nhowl.com.

The Trusties. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9:30 p.m. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. www. markhamst.com.

UALR Guitar Ensemble. Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org.

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

West End Motel, Fiend Without a Face.

Juanita’s, 7:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

COMEDY

Scott White. The Loony Bin, Jan. 21, 8 and 10:30

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

FEB. 8: Hayes Carll. 10 p.m., $20. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th St. 375-8400, whitewatertavern.com.

FEB. 9: Kid Rock. 7:30 p.m., $60.20-$102.90.

Verizon Arena. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com FEB. 21: Tapes n’ Tapes. 9 p.m., $12 adv., $14 d.o.s. Stickyz, 107 Commerce St. 3727707, stickyfingerz.com FEB. 26: Pinetop Perkins. 9 p.m., $20.

Stickyz, 107 Commerce St. 372-7707, stickyfingerz.com.

MARCH 12: Baths. 9 p.m., $10. Stickyz, 107 Commerce St. 372-7707, stickyfingerz.com.

MARCH 18: 8Ball & MJG. 9 p.m. Revolution, 300 President Clinton AV. 823-0090, revroom. com.

MARCH 27: Destroyer. 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s. Stickyz, 107 Commerce St. 372-7707, stickyfingerz.com.

MAY 24-26: “Beauty and the Beast.” 7:30 p.m. Robinson Center Music Hall, Markham and Broadway. 244-8800, celebrityattractions.com.

MAY 27-29: Riverfest 2011. Downtown Little Rock. riverfestarkansas.com. p.m.; Jan. 22, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Arkansas Marine Expo. The annual boating expo is back for its 29th year, offering exhibitors, events and workshops about all things marine. Statehouse Convention Center, Jan. 21-23, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., $5.

7 Statehouse Plaza.

Big Buck Classic 2011. The annual festival returns with giveaways, vendors, contests, demonstrations and deer scoring competitions. For more information, visit bigbuckclassic.com. Arkansas State Fairgrounds, Jan. 21-23, $5-$10. 2600 Howard St. 501-372-8341 ext. 8206. www.arkansasstatefair. com.

LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group.

Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and Straight Ally Youth and Young Adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. 800 Scott St., 6:30 p.m.

SPORTS

Horse racing. Oaklawn, through Jan. 22, 1 p.m., $2.50-$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

501-623-4411. www.oaklawn.com.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22 MUSIC

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

Afternoon Delight, Dark From Day One, The Vail. Juanita’s, 9 p.m. 1300 S. Main St. 501-3721228. www.juanitas.com.

Badges, Bandits and Bars: A Seminar on Arkansas Law and Justice. With Tony Perrin, Bobby Roberts, Judge Jim D. Spears and David Turk, speakers, Old State House Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Registration 9:30 a.m., $15 (includes lunch), event 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 324-9685.

Big Buck Classic 2011. See Jan. 21.

Covershot (headliner), Fire & Brimstone (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com.

DJs Kramer (lobby); Michael Shane, Justin Sane (disco); g-force (Hip-Hop). Discovery Nightclub, 10 p.m., $12. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-6644784. www.latenightdisco.com.

DJ Ja’Lee. Sway, 8 p.m., $5. 412 Louisiana.

501-907-2582.

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

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

Jason Aldean. Barnhill Arena, University of Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., $44.75. 131 Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville.

Jess Hoggard. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9:30 p.m. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. www. markhamst.com.

Jocephus and the George Jonestown Massacre. Midtown Billiards, Jan. 23, 12:30 a.m., $8 non-members. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com.

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

Kevin Kerby, Chris Michael, Isaac Hoskins.

White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-3758400. www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern.

Mobile Deathcamp. Downtown Music Hall, 8 p.m., $6. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

“New Music Test” with Haven Hill, Iron Glass, Iron-E, Veridium. Revolution, 9 p.m., $5-$10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Nos Rebos, Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth. Town Pump, 10 p.m., $5. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 501-663-9802.

Raccoon Snake Hybrid, The Kill Crazies, Attack the Mind, Still reign, Shadowvein, Poisonwood. Downtown Music Hall, 8 p.m., $6.

211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows. homestead.com.

Randy Newman. Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $32-$65. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-4435600.

Rip Van Shizzle. Thirst n’ Howl, through Jan. 29, 9 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

The Smittle Band. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7.

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

Steve Bates. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8:30 p.m., free.

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

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/ CBG. Ten Cent Hat. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

That 1 Guy. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9 p.m., $10. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226.

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

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

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

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

COMEDY

Armadillo Rodeo. The Public Theatre, 8 p.m., $8.

616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www.thepublictheatre.com.

Scott White. The Loony Bin, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Arkansas Marine Expo. See Jan. 21.

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

SPORTS

$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. www.oaklawn.com.

MONDAY, JANUARY 24 MUSIC

THuRsDay, JaNuaRy 20 aRkaNsas BLues socieTy BeNefiT sHow

EVENTS

fRiDay, JaNuaRy 21 JoHN PauL keiTH & THe oNe fouR fives (MeMPHis, TN)

Traditional Irish Music Session. Khalil’s Pub, Fourth and second Monday of every month, 7 p.m.

110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www. khalilspub.com.

Arkansas Minority Health Fair. Free health screenings for blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, HIV/AIDS and many more will be provided. Health related vendors will be on hand to provide important information. For more information, call 877-2642826. State Capitol, 10 a.m. p.m., free. 425 West Capitol Avenue. 501-324-8900. arkleg.state.ar.us.

LECTURES

Josh Gottheimer. FCC counselor discusses his new book “Power in Words: Barack Obama’s Speeches from the State House to the White House,” a history and analysis of President Obama’s most important pre-presidential speeches. For more information or to reserve seats, call 683-5239 or e-mail publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu. Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www.clintonschool. uasys.edu.

DANCE

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

LECTURES

Alex Ross. The senior adviser for innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gives a lecture titled “Diplomacy in a Digital World.” For more information or to reserve seats, call 683-5239 or e-mail publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu. Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www.clintonschool.uasys.edu.

POETRY

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26

EVENTS SPORTS Stakes Racing at Oaklawn. Oaklawn, $2.50-

Little Rock’s Down-Home Neighborhood Bar

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

s cajun’ wharf presents

EVENTS

Science Cafe: “The Science of War.” The Afterthought, 7 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd.

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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 23

Arkansas Marine Expo. See Jan. 21.

myspace.com/whitewatertavern

MUSIC

Ed Bowman and the Rock City Players. Town Pump, 10 p.m., $5. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road.

501-663-9802.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Winter Wonderslam.” UALR, 7 p.m., $3. 2801 S University Ave. 501-569-8977.

MUSIC

saTuRDay, JaNuaRy 22 keviN keRBy Now seRviNG LuNcH fRiDay’s 11-2PM

TUESDAY, JANUARY 25

Stakes Racing at Oaklawn. Oaklawn, $2.50$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. www.oaklawn.com.

Against Me!, Cheap Girls, Fences. Juanita’s, 8:30 p.m., $15 adv., $18 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

Big Buck Classic 2011. See Jan. 21.

Philharmonia Quartet Berlin. Walton Arts Center, 2 p.m., $10-$25. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville.

479-443-5600.

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

Live Music

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21

PG-13 The Band

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22

Covershot

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27

4 Elements

MUSIC

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

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

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

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

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

Continued on page 26

live music every night Big Swingin’ Deck Parties on Thursdays

cajunswharf.com

mon-sat from 4:30 p.m.

2400 cantrell road • on the arkansas river

375-5351

www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 23

shop local

■ media Conflicting messages State holiday causes a stir.

BY GERARD MATTHEWS

support your community Small Town

Share the Road

Share the road For Cyclists

Tips for SAFE cycling on the road.

• Bicycles are vehicles on the road, just like cars and motorcycles. Cyclists must obey all traffic laws. Arkansas Uniform Vehicle Code #27-49-111 • Cyclists must signal, ride on the right side of the road and yield to traffic normally.

Code #27-51-301/403 • Bicycles must have a white headlight and a red tail light visible from 500 feet and have a bell or warning device for pedestrians.

Code #27-36-220 • Make eye contact with motorists. Be visible. Be predictable. Head up, think ahead.

• On the Big Dam Bridge... go slow.

Represent!

• As you pass, say “On your left... thank you.”

• On the River Trail... use a safe speed, don’t intimidate or scare others. Watch for dogs and leashes.

Tips for prEVENTiNG iNjury or dEaTh.

For more information...

Bicycles are vehicles on Bicycle Advocacy of Arkansas

www.bacar.org the road, just like cars and League of American Bicyclists motorcycles.

Cyclist should www.bikeleague.org/programs/education Share the Road obey all traffic laws. Arkansas For Cyclists Tips forVehicle SAFE cycling on the road.

Uniform Code #27-49-111

• Bicycles are vehicles on the road, just like cars and motorcycles.

Cyclists must Cyclists should signal, rideobey on all traffic laws. Arkansas Uniform Vehicle Code the right side of the road, and #27-49-111 •yield traffic likeside Cycliststo must signal,normally ride on the right of the road and yield to traffic normally. any other road vehicle.

Code Code #27-51-301/403 •#27-51-301/403 Bicycles must have a white headlight and a red tail light visible from 500 feet and have a bell device for pedestrians.

Giveor 3warning feet of clear space when Code #27-36-220 passing (up to a $1000 fine!)

• Make eye contact with motorists. Be visCodeBe#27-51-311 ible. predictable. Head up, think ahead.

• On the Big Dam Bridge... go slow.

Cyclist by law can not ride on Represent!

•the As you pass, say “On left... thank you.” sidewalk in your some areas, • On the River Trail... use a safe speed, don’t some bikes can only handle Share the Road intimidate or scare others.

Watch for dogs and leashes.roads For Cyclists smooth (no cracks, For morecycling information...

Tips for SAFE on the road. potholes, trolley tracks).

Advocacyonofthe Arkansas • BicyclesBicycle are vehicles road, just like www.bacar.org LR Ord.#32-494 cars andLeague motorcycles.

Cyclists must obey of American Bicyclists allwww.bikeleague.org/programs/education traffic laws. Arkansas Uniform Vehicle Code Make eye contact with cyclists. #27-49-111 • Cyclists must signal, ride on the right side Drive predictably. of the road and yield to traffic normally.

Code #27-51-301/403 prevent bikes. and a •Please Bicycles must have aghost white headlight red tail light visible from 500 feet and have a www.ghostbikes.org bell or warning device for pedestrians.

Code #27-36-220 • Makefor information: eye more contact with motorists. Be visible. Be predictable. Head up, think ahead.

Bicycle advocacy of arkansas • On the Big Dam Bridge... go slow.

Represent!www.bacar.org • As you pass, say “On your left... thank you.”

• On the River Trail... use a safe speed, don’t intimidate others. Watch for dogs Leagueorofscare American Bicyclists and leashes.

www.bikeleague.org/ For more information...

Bicycle Advocacy of Arkansas programs/education

www.bacar.org League of American Bicyclists www.bikeleague.org/programs/education

24 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

n This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday happened to be a slow news day. On the blog, we posted clips from Dr. King’s last speech, pictures from the marade held in Little Rock and a particularly telling link to the Blue Arkansas blog, which listed all the schools in the state that explicitly list MLK day as a holiday, and those that don’t. Each of these items sparked a fair amount of discussion.

There was one item, though, that was particularly divisive, and not just on our blog but across multiple platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The “State of Arkansas” Facebook page posted the following status update: “The State of Arkansas would like to wish all my citizens and friends a very happy Dr. Martin Luther King/General Robert E. Lee Day on Monday! For those of you with the day off, enjoy it!”

In Arkansas, the state officially recognizes the holiday as celebrating both men. A link on the “info” page went to the state Department of Parks and Tourism website. However, Dena Woerner, the communications manager for parks and tourism, says she has no idea who is running the page and it is in no way affiliated with the state.

One thing is clear, though: race is still a touchy subject down here in the Natural State and one that will be, and should be, discussed with passion, pain and empathy — and, regrettably some hyperbole, racebaiting and closed-mindedness — for some time to come.

The next day, that one Facebook status had 73 comments. Our own blog post about the uproar had 24. Some were fairminded, some over-the-top. I think I even saw relationships irrevocably shattered by the back-and-forth on Twitter. Here are some of those comments from the Arkansas Blog that I found, for one reason or another, worth reprinting here. “... My point is that I don’t view sainthood as a threshold requirement for honoring a person, with remembrance or with a holiday. That applies equally to Dr. King and Gen. Lee. “So I reject the idea that there is nothing for black people to honor in the legacies of Washington and Jefferson, just as I reject the notion that Dr. King’s work benefitted only blacks.

“Who knows whether the millions who could not vote, access public facilities, live in peace and without fear, or attend decent schools would have resorted to ‘second amendment remedies’ if not for his leader-

ship. I think all Americans would have paid a high cost had that occurred.

“Gen. Lee is in a different category than Washington or Jefferson. You’d expect his home state of Virginia to heap its highest praise on a Favorite Son whose loyalty to state triumphed over oath to defend the United States. He’s an authentic Virginia hero. Arkansas? Not so much …

“I do wish the days weren’t celebrated together — it sure *looks* like King for the blacks; Lee for the whites. That notion dishonors both.” — Tap “A military leader that dishonored their oath with treason or a preacher the FBI illegally spied on? That the question must be asked is indicative of the moral ambiguity this nation’s citizens find themselves. Some still long for the mythical ‘good ole days’ when naivete allowed the oppressor to demand the oppressed thank him for the privilege.” — Zatharus “… And no matter what any of you say, it was about slavery. Read the articles of secession of the confederate states. The stain of slavery still mars our political discourse.

When reading the Constitution at the Opening of Congress (a fine idea to my way of thinking), they left out anything to do with the three-fifths clause which was the framers’ deal with the devil to get the document ratified. I would call that re-writing history.

There seems to be a lot of that going on among the right wing today.” — the outlier “I seriously doubt that it would make a dime’s difference to Martin Luther King that some folks celebrate Robert E. Lee’s birthday at the same time they observe his.

Were he still with us, MLK would have far more important things on his admirable agenda.” — Durango “Maybe all holidays should be paired.

Lesseee ... Ground Hog Day could be paired with Red Hawk Day, the ground hog’s natural enemy. Washington’s Birthday with King George Fest, Easter with Druid Daze, etc etc etc. Sorta like making Democrat and Republican Senators sit together for the SOTU speech.” — Sanford Marker

A&E NEWS

New on Rock Candy n We’re pleased to announce the judges for this year’s Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase, which kicks off Thursday, Jan. 27, at Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack: Bonnie Montgomery is the composer for “Billy Blythe” and a local folksinger/songwriter. Travis Hill owns and operates Last Chance Records, a Little Rock-based label that features local and national acts. Mike Brown is a longtime local DJ and promoter who owns Green Grass Rock ’n’ Roll Bodega. And Brother Andy Warr is the lead singer of last year’s Showcase winner, Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth, as well as a member of Iron Tongue, Pilot Whale and Sweet Eagle.

Each semi-final week, a guest judge will join our panel. We’ll announce the guest judges closer to the event.

We’re also pleased to announce this year’s lineup. All semi-final rounds will be held at 9 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 27-Feb. 24, at Stickyz.

Round One, 1/27 Catskill Kids Tyrannosaurus Chicken Zach Williams and the Reformation Cody Ives Band Round Two, 2/3 The Year of the Tiger The Yipps The Smittle Band Echo Canyon Round Three, 2/10 Brethren This Holy House Michael Leonard Witham The Pink Drapes Round Four, 2/17 10 Horse Johnson Brown Soul Shoes Ezra Lbs Sea Nanners Round Five, 2/24 No Hay de Que Mandy McBryde and the Unholy Ghost Thunder Thieves Ginsu Wives n Riverfest has confirmed its first acts for the 2011 festival. Saturday, Charlie Daniels will play Riverfest Amphitheatre and Papa Roach will perform on the Bud Stage. n Robert Duvall will star in “Jayne Mansfield’s Car,” the new indie film Continued on page 25

towns all over the state alive. Looks like some thrilling TV.

only because: If these folks can do it, you can too.

HEAVY 9 p.m. Mondays A&E n I was prepared to hate this show — to call it yet another addition to the ongoing Freakshow Channel programming that A&E and several others have leaned toward in recent years (polygamists and hoarders and compulsives, oh my!). Then I watched it, and was genuinely moved. In this show, two morbidly-obese participants per episode — obese to the point of almost being bedridden — agree to participate in a six-month diet and fitness regimen to help them shed pounds and get back on the road toward mobility and health. There’s no challenges, votes or prizes, just real people who know that if they don’t do something they are going to die and leave their families behind. The pilot episode, which I caught the other day, was intense and emotional, with a former high school football player and a bubbly ex-blues singer in the spotlight. While I normally wouldn’t point out something like “Heavy” except to mock the kind of culture that would create it, this time I’ll make an exception, if

SKINS (U.S.) 8 p.m. Mondays MTV n Remember the good old days of teen movies? “Porky’s”? “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”? The entire John Hughes oeuvre? In those movies, teenagers smoke, drank, cussed, chased each others’ groins, FLYING WILD ALASKA and were generally boiling cauldrons of 8 p.m. Thursdays hormones, confusion and angst. Between The Discovery Channel then and now, though, something hapn If Sarah Palin has taught us nothing else, pened. Something stupid. These days, it’s this: It takes a certain kind of crazy nothing gets the censors in a bigger lather to live in Alaska. Normally, we wouldn’t than the idea of little snowflakes on screen make such a blanket statement, but let’s doing exactly what your little snowflakes look at the facts: a state chock full of bears, are doing in real life every time they get half where it routinely gets cold enough to a chance. That’s what made the BBC show freeze the junk off a brass statue, where “Skins” so refreshing. Though it was semany communities are often cut off from verely edited for content and nudity by the the rest of the world for months at a time time it made it to The Colonies, the show by snow. Yeah, we feel comfortable calling is still pretty good, focusing on a group of anybody who lives there a little nuts. Behigh school friends who get up to plenty cause of the isolation, resupply by airplane of sexual and chemical high jinks both in has long been a necessity in the backwaand out of the classroom. Now the hit show ters of Alaska, requiring pilots who aren’t has made the jump to a new American verafraid to fly — and land — in harsh, unsion, set in Baltimore. Though it doesn’t forgiving climate and terrain. In this new get up to as much as the BBC version, show from The Discovery MTV’s “Skins” still pushes Channel, cameras follow one the envelope quite a bit — such outfit, Era Alaska Airenough, anyway, that the lines. Starting from a mompuritan stuffed-shirts at the and-pop operation with one Parents Television Council plane, Era has since grown recently sent out their “most to a fleet of 75 planes. The urgent alert ever” to parents show follows founder Jim about the show, calling it Tweto, his wife Ferno and “dangerous” and filled with their daughters Ayla and sex, drug abuse and violence.

Ariel as they struggle against You know: like your aversub-freezing temperatures, age American high school. gale-force winds and meSounds like an endorsement ‘SKINS’: MTV’s new teen show is “dangerous,” says the Parents chanical breakdowns to keep to me.

Television Council. the planes flying and little — David Koon

A&E NEWS

Continued from page 24 we told you about late last year. It’s cowritten by native Arkies Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson with Thornton slated to both direct and star.

“It’s about a guy in between WWI and WWII who raises a family after his wife left him for an Englishman and moved to England,” Duvall told Entertainment Weekly. “When the wife dies, she asks to be brought back to Alabama to be buried, and at that point the character hasn’t seen her in 20 or 30 years. The two families — her original family she abandoned and her English family — meet and then things get really interesting.”

Duvall offers a big co-sign, too, telling EW, “It puts Tennessee Williams in the back seat — it’s that brilliant.”

n One major oversight from last week’s feature on the pop cultural highlights to anticipate in 2011: Little Rock novelist Kevin Brockmeier’s forthcoming “The Illumination,” due on Feb. 1 from Pantheon. The novel is set in an otherwise ordinary world whose inhabitants suddenly begin to project light from the source of their pain. Brockmeier will sign copies of the book from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at WordsWorth Books. n Memphis trailblazing Southern rap duo 8Ball & MJG is coming back to Revolution on Friday, March 18.

The duo put on a killer show the last time it was in town, in October 2009.

Here’s to hoping the duo returns with the whip-tight Hill Country Revue (Cody Dickinson and Chris Chew of North Mississippi All-Stars) as a back-

t e f f Bu

ing band.

Tickets go up for sale on Friday, Jan. 21. n Producer/musician Marcus Lowe (Il Libretina, Step by Step, Parachute Woman) has released his first solo album, “What Even Is That?”

Find a link to stream the album in its entirety at arktimes.com/marcuslowealbum. n Get a link to stream Beth Ditto’s new EP collaboration with Simian Mobile Disco at arktimes.com/dittodisco. n Last week, Gerard Matthews captured video at an in-store performance at Arkansas CD and Record Exchange

by Lucero’s Ben Nichols. See footage at arktimes.com/nicholsinstore.

• GREAT FOOD • GREAT SERVICE • GREAT EXPERIENCE Buffet & Lunch Mon-Sat 11-3:30 aduLtS $7.35 chiLdren (3-5) $3 (6-10) $4.50 dinner Mon-Sat 4-9:30 aduLtS $10.95 chiLdren (3-5) $4 (6-10) $5.50 Sunday all day $10.95 • SeniorS 60+ 10% diScount Party rooM avaiLaBL e

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www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 25

CALENDAR

Continued from page 23 Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

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

No Age, Rene Hell. Revolution, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

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

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

Hardin Bale Hardin is an avid outdoorsman.

Why does heBale need a Hardin bone marrow transplant? So he can beat leukemia and teach his little boy to hunt and fish, too.

COMEDY

Steve Kramer. The Loony Bin, Jan. 26-27, 8 p.m.; Jan. 28, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; Jan. 29, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

Please join us at the Arkansas Big Buck Classic January 22 as we try to find a match for Hardin and others needing bone marrow to live.

Thousands of patients depend on the Be The Match RegistrysM to find a donor who can give them a second chance at life.

You have the power to heal, the power to save a life.

Take the first step. Join the registry.

Saturday, January 22, 2011 9am to 9pm Arkansas Big Buck Classic Barton Coliseum, Arkansas State Fairgrounds 2600 Howard St • Little Rock (501) 221-9191

THIS WEEK IN THEATER

No Needles!!!

Just a simple cheek swab is needed to see if you are a match for someone awaiting a marrow transplant.

To join, you only need to be between the age of 18 and 60, be willing to donate to any patient in need, and meet the health guidelines.

1 (800) MARROW-2 BeTheMatch.org

The best gift you can give your child is your time.

Are you doing your part?

Department of Human Services Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education This information is provided as a public service only and in no way implies any recommendation or endorsement by the Division, the Commission or any personnel of any facility listed.

Visit our website at: www.arkansas.gov/childcare 26 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

“The Color Purple.” The Tony Award-winning play based on Alice Walker’s classic novel follows one woman’s struggle to overcome racism, sexism and abuse. For tickets or more information, call 244-8800 or visit celebrityattractions.com. Robinson Center Music Hall, Fri., Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 22, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 23, 2 and 7:30 p.m., $22-$52. Markham and Broadway. www.littlerockmeetings.com/conv-centers/robinson.

“A Raisin in the Sun.” The award-winning drama tells the story of an African-American family on Chicago’s south side in 1950. For tickets or more information, call 378-0405 or visit therep.org.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre, through Feb. 6: Wed., Thu., 7 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. $20-$40. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.therep. org.

“Room Service.” A penniless producer and his colleagues will stop at nothing to get backing for his play in the stage adaptation of the Marx Brothers and Lucille Ball movie. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through Feb. 7: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; every other Wednesday, 11 a.m., $28-$32.

6323 Col. Glenn Road. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

“Speech & Debate.” Three teen-age misfits in Salem, Ore., discover they are linked by a sex scandal that could rock their town. But the stakes are raised when one of them sets out to expose the truth. The Weekend Theater, through Jan. 29: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m., $14. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org.

“The White Cat with the Crystal Blue Eyes.”

A children’s play based on the fable by MarieCatherine d’Aulnoy. For tickets or more information, call 501-315-5483. Royal Theatre, Jan. 20-22, 7 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 23, 2 p.m., $5-$10. 111 S. Market St., Benton.

GALLERIES, MUSEUMS NEW EXHIBITS

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “15-Year Anniversary Exhibit,” work by Kendall Stallings, Benini, Glenray Tutor, William Dunlap, Barry Thomas, Gary Bolding and others, reception 5-8 p.m. Jan. 21, Third Friday Argenta ArtWalk, show through March 12. 664-2787.

KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St., NLR: “Off the Wall Show and Sale,” paintings by Matthew Castellano, jewelry by Cliff Bernard, handpainted gourds by Sharon Dawn Clark, open 5-8 p.m. Jan. 21, Third Friday Argenta ArtWalk.

529-6330.

THEA FOUNDATION, 401 Main St., NLR: “Arkansas Children’s Hospital Exhibition,” work by patients and artists in residence, show through Jan. 28, with Hamid Ebrahimifar and Elizabeth Weber on hand to talk about the work, 5-8 p.m. Jan. 21, 3rd Friday Argenta ArtWalk; also demonstration of painting technique

by Sharon Franke 6-7:30 p.m. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 379-9512. n Pine Bluff ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS, 701 Main St.: “Arkansas Women to Watch 2011,” work by Emily Wood, Endia Gomez, Janet Frankovic, Nikki Hemphill, Ruth Pasquine, Thu Nguyen

and Deborah Warren, touring show sponsored

by National Museum of Women in the Arts, through March 19, reception 5-7 p.m. Jan. 20. 870-5363375.

CONTINUING EXHIBITS

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “Museum School Faculty Exhibition: Past and Present”; 37th annual “Toys Designed by Artists,” through Feb. 20; “Delta Exhibition,” annual juried show, through Feb. 20; “Currents in Contemporary Art,” “Masterworks,” “Paul Signac Watercolors and Drawings,” ongoing. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000.

ARKANSAS STUDIES INSTITUTE, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” Main Gallery, through Jan. 28; “2010 Design Awards Exhibition,” Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects exhibit, Mezzanine Gallery, through Jan. 29; “Making Pictures: Three for a Dime,” photography exhibit based on Maxine Payne’s book, throu gh Feb. 19. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5791.

BOSWELL-MOUROT FINE ART, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work in all media by Elizabeth Weber, Hugo Erlacher, Mary Ann Stafford, Lam Tze Sheung, Catherine Rodgers, Jon Etienne Mourot, John McDermott, Kyle Boswell and others. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0030.

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Love and Light,” work by Melverue Abraham, Kathryn Aldefer, David Bell, Austin Grimes, Larry Hare, Lauryn Rayburn, Mary Shelton, Brandye Sneade, Elizabeth Weber and Betsy Woodyard.

375-2342.

CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 6640880.

GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Julie Holt, Susanna Kirk, Fred Nash and Jason Smith, through March 12. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996.

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Twice Told Tales,” paintings by Rebecca Thompson, through Jan. 15; also work by Glennray Tutor, William Dunlap, Donald Roller Wilson, Carroll Cloar, Barry Thomas and others. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. 664-2787.

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

by Edward Michael Bannister, Charles Ethan Porter, Robert Scott Duncanson and Henry Ossawa Tanner, through Feb. 20. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 372-6822.

J.W. WIGGINS NATIVE AMERICAN ART GALLERY, Sequoyah Center, 500 University Plaza: Nativity scenes by Indians of the Southwest and Mexico, through Jan. 14. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.Fri. 569-8336 LOCAL COLOUR GALLERY, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Art and jewelry by members of artists’ cooperative. 501-265-0422.

M2GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road (Pleasant Ridge Town Center): Jason Twiggy Lott, William Goodman, Char Demoro, Cathy Burns and others.

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 225-6257.

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

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

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

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

Mon.-Fri. 372-7373.

STATE CAPITOL: “Arkansans in the Korean War,” 32 photographs, lower-level foyer. 7 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. STEPHANO’S FINE ART, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Fused glass sculpture by Lisabeth Franco, paintings by Joy Schultz, Mike Gaines, MaryAnne Erickson, Stephano and Alexis Silk, jewelry by Joan Courtney and Teresa Smith, sculpture by Scotti Wilborne and Tony Dow. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat.,

Continued on page 29

■ artnotes Third Friday Argenta ArtWalking Gorrell at Cantrell Gallery.

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

n Greg Thompson is celebrating 15 years in business on Friday night with the opening of an exhibit by 20 artists he’s represented over the years. You’ll recognize all of the names: Al Allen, Benini, Mark Blaney, Gary Bolding, J.O. Buckley, Roger Carlisle, Carroll Cloar, William Dunlap, James Hendricks, Henri Linton, Matt McLeod, Shannon Rogers, AJ

will feature Bella Vita Jewelry. Independent artists will show and sell their work in and about shops on Main Street. n “People, Places and Things,” new paintings by Doug Gorrell, goes on exhibit Friday, Jan. 21, at Cantrell Gallery. A reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. kicks things off; the show runs through March 5. Gorrell is an impressionist who prefers to paint plein-air.

n Coming up: You’ve seen him on the cover of Soiree and, if you’re lucky, you’ve seen him in heels as his alter ego Sylvia. Now you can see Arkansas Arts Center registrar and artist Thom Hall talk about AAC acquisitions since 1971, at the Feb. 7 Fine Arts Club program “The Arts Center’s Drawing Collection: Who, What and Why.” Hall will give a GARY BOLDING: See his work at Greg Thompson Fine Art. slide presentation on how the collecSmith, Kendall Stallings, Barry Thomas, tion began, under the leadership of direcGlennray Tutor, Mark Werner and Dontor Townsend Wolfe, with drawings by ald Roller Wilson. (Full disclosure: I had Andrew Wyeth, Willem DeKooning and to look up Mark Werner, but you probably Morris Graves. did not.)

Hall also works on paper, with waterThe reception comes during Third Fricolor crayon, gesso and gouache. Years day Argenta ArtWalk, set for 5 p.m. to 8 ago, he made terrific cloisonne enamel p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. Greg Thompson Fine pieces, but moved to painting to avoid conArt is at 705 Main St. in North Little Rock. tact with the chemicals. Hall is entering his Also on the ArtWalk route: Ketz Gal30th year with the Arts Center. lery (705 Main), where its “Off the Wall The talk will be at 11 a.m.; coffee will Show and Sale” features work by graffiti be served at 10:45 a.m. and luncheon afterartist/painter Matthew Castellano, jewelry ward. Tickets for the coffee and lecture are

by Cliff Bernard and hand-painted gourds $10; with luncheon added, tickets are $35.

by Sharon Dawn Clark; the Thea FounDeadline for luncheon reservation is Feb. dation (401 Main), which is exhibiting 3. Call 396-0322 for more information. work by patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and hosting the artists-in-resin For a measly $25, you can visit private dence who work with them, and where studios and see private collections by Sharon Franke will give a demonstration signing up for the Friends of Contempoof painting technique. The Argenta Branch rary Crafts’ Urban Art Adventure 2011.

The all-day event is Feb. 5; reserve by of the Laman Library (506 Main St.) will Jan. 26. also host an artist and Argenta Bead Co.

Drink Smarter!

Arkansas Times launches its first iPhone app, Cocktail Compass.

Cocktail Compass, available for free on the iTunes store, collects information on every bar, restaurant and venue that serves alcohol in Central Arkansas and steers you to the closest happy hour, and specials available only to Cocktail Compass users.

Restaurants and bars, easily update your happy hour info via www.arktimes.com/ cocktailcompass. www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 27

Friday, Jan 21 – Thursday, Jan 27

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‘TINY FURNITURE’: A hit at the 2010 Little Rock Film Festival and winner for Best Narrative Feature at the SXSW Film Festival, “Tiny Furniture” marks the debut of 24-year-old actor/writer/director Lena Dunham. The navel-gazing, loosely autobiographical farce follows Aura (Dunham, above) as she adjusts to being broke and aimless in a post-collegiate world, all while moving back in to her family’s Manhattan loft with her successful art- starmother and her nagging younger sister (played by Dunham’s real-life mother and sister).

JAN. 21-23

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

Showtimes for Breckenridge were unavailable at press time. Check www.arktimes.com for updates.

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

Northside WomeN’s Boot Camp is the QuiCkest, easiest Way to Jump-start your FitNess program.

A specialized program of fitness instruction, nutritional counseling provided by Certified Class Instructor LoCAtIon: Lakewood nLR, classes at 5:15am and 9:15am M,W,F

NeW WomeNs class at 9:15am call Kaytee Wright 501-607-3100 For more information and the Women’s Boot camp calendar, visit www.northsidefitness.net

Northside A c h i ev e . B e l i ev e . S u cc e e d.

FitNess Call aBout the 2011 speCial!

28 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

NEW MOVIES No Strings Attached (R) – Two life-long friends discover that separating casual sex and romance is tougher than they once thought. With Natalie Portman and Aston Kutcher. Chenal 9: 11:25, 1:55, 4:25, 7:20, 9:50. Rave: 10:30, 11:15, 1:15, 2:15, 4:15, 5:15, 7:15, 8:15, 10:00, 11:00. Riverdale 10: 11:30, 2:00, 4:30, 7:05, 9:35.

Made in Dagenham (R) – Female workers walk out of a Ford car plant in 1968 England, protesting sexual discrimination and demanding equal pay.

With Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:15.

Tiny Furniture (NR) – A recent college graduate returns to her mother’s metropolitan loft, broke and in an aimless haze. With Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons. Market Street: 2:15, 4:15, 7:15, 9:15.

RETURNING THIS WEEK All Good Things (R) – A love story and murder mystery based on the most notorious unsolved murder case in New York history. With Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. Market Street: 4:00, 9:00.

Black Swan (R) – Darren Aronofksy’s psychological thriller about a twisted friendship between two master dancers in an elite New York City ballet company. With Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. Chenal 9: 11:15, 1:45, 4:35, 7:25, 9:50.

Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:20. Rave: 12:15, 3:15, 5:55, 8:35, 11:10.

Burlesque (PG-13) — A small-town girl from Iowa lands a job waitressing at a struggling Los Angeles burlesque club, and quickly takes the limelight as the revue’s star attraction. With Cher and Christina Aguilera. Movies 10: 4:00, 7:00, 9:40.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (PG) — The latest adaptation of the beloved C.S. Lewis fantasy series. Rave: 1:45, 7:05.

Country Strong (PG-13) – In the world of country music, a rising star and a burn-out cross paths, both musically and romantically. With Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw. Rave: 10:30, 1:20, 4:20, 7:25, 10:20.

The Dilemma (PG-13) – The bond between old friends and business partners goes crooked when one catches the other’s wife with a strange man.

Directed by Ron Howard. With Vince Vaughn.

Chenal 9: 11:10, 1:50, 4:35, 7:15, 9:55. Rave: 11:00, 1:00, 2:00, 4:00, 5:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:45, 10:45.

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

With Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis.

Movies 10: 2:20, 4:40, 7:30, 10:05.

Faster (R) — After being double-crossed during a heist years ago, an ex-con sets out to avenge his brother’s death while evading a hitman and a veteran cop. With Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton. Movies 10: 2:15, 4:55, 7:35, 10:15.

The Fighter (R) — A look at legendary Irish welterweight Mickey Ward (Mark Walberg), his halfbrother and trainer, Dickey (Christian Bale), and their rise out of crime and drugs. Rave: 10:45, 1:40, 5:05, 8:05, 10:50. Riverdale 10: 11:45, 2:15, 4:45, 7:35, 10:10.

The Green Hornet (PG-13) – Playboy Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) starts a new career as a crime-fighter with help from his kung-fu expert chauffeur, Kato (Jay Chou). Directed by Michel Gondry. Chenal 9: 11:30, 2:00, 4:30, 7:30, 10:00 (2D); 11:00, 1:30, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30 (3D). Rave: 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 4:30, 5:30, 7:30, 8:30, 10:30, 11:30 (2D); 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 (3D). Riverdale 10: 11:15, 1:45, 4:35, 7:10, 10:00.

Gulliver’s Travels (PG) – Jack Black and a pack of shameless producers neuter Jonathan Swift’s brilliant, biting satire. It barely even resembles the original story. Couldn’t they have at least changed the name out of respect? Rave: 11:20, 4:45, 9:55.

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

Riverdale 10: 12:00, 3:20, 6:25, 9:30.

The Heart Specialist (R) – A comedy about the everyday pits and falls of first-year medical residents in a run-down Florida hospital. With Zoe Saldana and Mya. Rave: 9:15.

I Love You Phillip Morris (R) – When an upstanding police officer realizes he’s gay, he leaves his wife, quits his job, becomes a con man, goes to jail and falls in love with a fellow inmate (Ewan McGregor). Market Street: 1:45, 4:00, 6:45, 9:00.

The King’s Speech (R) – After being crowned George VI of an England on the verge of turmoil, “Bertie” (Colin Firth) is faced with the challenge of fixing his debilitating speech impediment with help from eccentric Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).

Chenal 9: 11:00, 1:40, 4:20, 7:05, 9:45. Rave: 10:35, 1:25, 4:25, 7:20, 10:15.

Little Fockers (PG-13) — Five actors, 20 Oscar nominations, six wins, one tired joke beat to death by a screen full of stupid Fockers. With Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro. Chenal 9: 11:20, 1:40, 4:20, 7:35, 9:55. Rave: 11:40, 2:20, 4:55, 7:35, 10:10. Riverdale 10: 11:05, 1:15, 3:30, 5:40, 7:50, 10:10.

Megamind (PG) — A blue, maniacal supervillain turns into a restless mess when his sworn superhero enemy is accidentally killed. Voiced by Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt. Movies 10: 2:00,

4:20 (2D); 2:30, 4:50, 7:10, 9:30 (3D).

The Next Three Days (PG-13) — A college professor at his wit’s end decides to break his wife out of prison, years after she was wrongfully accused of a grisly murder. With Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. Movies 10: 3:50, 6:50, 9:45.

Season of the Witch (PG-13) – A band of 14th century knights discover an evil witch’s black magic may be the source of the Black Plague. With Nicholas Cage. Rave: 10:40, 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 9:35.

Riverdale 10: 11:15, 1:30, 3:45, 6:00, 8:10, 10:15.

The Social Network (PG-13) — David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s instant-classic dives into the drama behind Facebook’s controversial rise from a Harvard dorm room experiment to a world-wide ubiquity. Movies 10: 3:45, 7:05, 9:50. Market Street: 1:45, 6:45.

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

Tron: Legacy (PG) — The reboot of the 1982 classic has Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) entering the virtual gladiator arena to find his lost father (Jeff Bridges). Chenal 9: 11:00, 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00.

Rave: 11:10, 2:10, 5:10, 8:10, 11:15. Riverdale 10: 11:10, 1:45, 4:25, 7:10, 10:00.

True Grit (PG-13) — Rugged U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) helps a stubborn girl track down her father’s killer. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Chenal 9: 11:05, 1:35, 4:05, 7:10, 9:40. Rave: 10:50, 11:50, 1:55, 2:55, 4:50, 5:50, 7:45, 8:45, 10:25, 11:25. Riverdale 10: 11:35, 2:05, 4:40, 7:20, 9:55.

Unstoppable (PG-13) — Denzel Washington has to stop an unmanned freight train full of explosives and poisonous gas from wiping out a city. Movies 10: 2:35, 5:05, 7:45, 10:10.

Waiting for Superman (PG) — Davis Guggenheim’s alarming look at the state of education in America. Movies 10: 2:10, 4:45, 7:20, 9:55.

The Warrior’s Way (R) — A warrior-assassin is forced to hide in a small town in the American badlands after refusing a mission. With Dong-gun Jang, Kate Bosworth. Movies 10: 2:05, 4:25, 7:15.

Yogi Bear (PG) — A devastating 4-hour epic about the decline of a 19th century Hungarian farm cooperative and the interpersonal complications that arise in its wake. Not really: It’s just Yogi Bear.

Rave: 11:25, 1:50, 4:05, 6:45. Riverdale 10: 11:20, 1:20, 3:25, 5:35, 7:30, 9:40.

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

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

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

Market Street Cinema: 1521 Merrill Drive, 3128900, www.marketstreetcinema.net.

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

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

‘I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS’: Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey star.

■ moviereview Cell block brothers The gay romcom: not much different from your standard Sandra Bullock pic. n If you’re unfamiliar with the controversy surrounding the outlandish gay romcom “I Love You, Phillip Morris,” a little background: The film was completed in

2009 and debuted at Cannes that same year. Even though it stars A-list actors Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor and Leslie Mann, it took the better part of 2010 to

CALENDAR

and Graphic Designers Create 2D Worlds”; “Axis Mundi: Levittown,” UCA faculty exhibit, all through Feb. 24. 501-450-5793. n Fayetteville FAYETTEVILLE UNDERGROUND, 1 E. Center St.: “Colored Porcelain,” ceramics by Susy Siegele and Mike Haley; “The End of Isolation,” portraits by Adam Campbell; “Oppression, Suppression, Detachment, Growth,” photographic documentation of installation art concerning kudzu by Jan Parker; “Carl Berman,” paintings, presented by his widow Blanche Berman and curated by Hank Kaminski, through January.

Noon-7 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. www. fayettevilleunderground.blogspot.com.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS: “Ozark Modern,” furniture designed by architect Edward Durrell Stone, through Feb. 16, Fine Arts Center Gallery.

WALTON ARTS CENTER, Joy Pratt Markham Gallery: “Watermarks,” mixed media installation

by Bethany Springer, through April 13, reception 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 3 (First Thursday). 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 479-571-2747. n Hot Springs AMERICAN ART GALLERY, 724 Central Ave.: Thomas Kinkade, Jimmy Leach, Jamie Carter, Govinder, Marlene Gremillion, Margaret Kipp and others. 501-624-0550.

ARTCHURCH STUDIO, 301 Whittington Ave.: “More Life Lessons …,” paintings by Nancy Dunaway, through January. Half the proceeds of sales go to Genesis Cancer Center. 501-3186779.

GALLERY 726, 726 Central Ave.: Priscilla Cunningham, paintings, January artist. 501-6247726.

GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Bill Garrison, paintings, through January. 501-3184278.

HOT SPRINGS CONVENTION CENTER: “Hot Springs: A Journey through History,” photography.

JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: Michael Ashley, pottery, also paintings, sculpture and jewelry. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-321-2335.

LINDA PALMER GALLERY, 800-B Central Ave.: Jason Sacran, paintings, through January.

Continued from page 26 1-5 p.m. Sun. 563-4218.

TOBI FAIRLEY FINE ART, 5507 Ranch Drive, Suite 103: Jane Booth, large abstract oils. 10 a.m.4 p.m. Tue.-Fri. or by appointment. 868-9882.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Women Call for Peace: Global Vistas,” work by Emma Amos, Siona Benjamin, Chakaia Booker, Judy Chicago, Linda Freeman, Irene Hardwicke Olivieri, Leila Kubba, Grace Matthews, Faith Ringgold, Aminah Robinson, Betye Saar, Flo Oy Wong, Helen Zughaib, through March 10, Gallery I; “A Spectacle and Nothing Strange,” photographs by Rebecca Sittler Schrock, through Feb. 13. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-8977. n Benton SALINE COUNTY LIBRARY, 1800 Smithers Drive: Work by students at Dianne Roberts Art Studio and Gallery, through January, Herzfeld Library. 778-4766.

DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Chad Oppenhuizen, Dan McRaven, Gretchen Hendricks, Rachel Carroccio, Kenny Roberts, Taylor Bellot, Jim Cooper and Sue Moore. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. n Calico Rock CALICO ROCK ARTISTS COOPERATIVE, Hwy. 5 at White River Bridge: Paintings, photographs, jewelry, fiber art, wood, ceramics and other crafts. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. calicorocket.org/artists. n Conway AETN, 350 S. Donaghey: “2011 Small Works on Paper,” through Jan. 28. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.Fri. www.aetn.org.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS, Baum Gallery: “Improvising Intaglio: Jiri Anderle Prints from the Baruch Foundation”; “Habitats: Portraiture by Kat Wilson”; “Earth: Fragile Planet”; “Intersecting the Book: When Artists, Writers

secure U.S. distribution because, as a gay love story, it contains considerable gay sex.

Carrey stars as Steven Russell, a good ol’ boy Virginian, a cop who plays organ in the church choir and prays to Jesus every night with his adorable wife, Debbie (Mann). They have a daughter and life is as sweet as their cloying Southern accents. Steven is actually a down-low homosexual, though, and abruptly comes to embrace this fact after suffering a nearlethal car wreck, presumably post-tryst.

Curiously enough, with his new lavish gay lifestyle also comes a life of grifting — everything from credit card to insurance fraud. If the story weren’t based on “actual events,” one might find something uncomfortably homophobic about this plot twist.

Upon his inevitable incarceration, Steven encounters the lithe and precious Phillip Morris (McGregor), with whom he immediately and fairly implausibly falls in love. Despite being housed in different units, their courtship persists through secret love letters, until Steven mysteriously pulls some strings to be transferred to Phillip’s cell. It’s practically gay heaven until Steven ends up back on the outside.

Carrey’s physical antics are put to good use in the spare moments of slapstick and character shape-shifting that

comes part and parcel with being a professional conman. McGregor’s fey bearing and gentleness eventually give way to some hard-edged emotion — but these are skills we never doubted from these folks. Their romance ultimately becomes believable, even if some of the film’s stunts are hardly so.

Most of the couple’s sincere, tender moments are tempered with almost cruel humor — particularly a scene where Steven and Phillip slow dance to Johnny Mathis in their cell while the guards tase their loyal neighbor — a laugh/cry technique found in most mainstream romcoms.

In fact, almost everything about this film is structured as commercially as a Sandra Bullock movie; it just happens to have a gay theme. If not for audience groans during every glimpse of gay sex onscreen, one might not be able to tell the difference.

The apprehensions of distributors about “I Love You, Phillip Morris” appearing stateside seem a little overblown.

Ostensibly, if an audience can stomach the crass homo-frat humor of a Judd Apatow flick, then they can handle this film. The only divergence being that this movie, while telling the tale of a troubled relationship, is perhaps more straightforwardly about love.

— Natalie Elliott

501-620-3062. n Perryville SUDS GALLERY, Courthouse: 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. n Springdale ARTS CENTER OF THE OZARKS, 214 S. Main St.: “Life’s Moments,” paintings by Beth Woessner, “Treasures of the Ozarks,” photographs

by Roy Horne, both through Jan. 28, reception 6-8 p.m. Jan. 13, McCuistion-Matthews Gallery.

479-751-5441. n Russellville RIVER VALLEY ARTS CENTER, 1001 E. B St.: Marlene Gremillion, watercolors. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mon.-Thu., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri. 479-968-2452.

HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “Adrienne Cullins: Black Market Kidney Factory,” paintings, through Feb. 6; “All in the Touch,” sculpture by Diana B. Ashley and multimedia by Scinthya Edwards, through Jan. 30; “Model Trains of Bill Albright,” Eclectic Collector show, through March 14. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $2.50 adults, $1.50, $1 children for tours of grounds. 324-9351.

MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: “In Search of Pancho Villa,” artifacts from soldiers of the period, medals and original sketches of the Mexican Punitive Expedition, the United States retaliatory action in 1916 against the Mexican general who attacked a small border town in New Mexico, through May; “Warrior: Vietnam Portraits

by Two Guys from Hall,” photos by Jim Guy Tucker and Bruce Wesson, through April; exhibits on Arkansas’s military history. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602.

MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, Ninth and Broadway: “The Fine Art of Jazz,” photographs of Kansas City jazz musicians by Dan White; exhibits on African-Americans in Arkansas, including one on the Ninth Street business district, entrepreneurs, the Mosaic Templars business and more. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 683–3593.

MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Illusion Confusion,” optical illusions, through March; interactive science exhibits. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Admission: $8 adults, $7 children ages 1-12 and seniors 65 and up, children under 1 free, “Pay What You Can” second Sunday of every month. 396-7050. www. museumofdiscovery.org.

OLD STATE HOUSE, 300 W. Markham St.: “Arkansas/Arkansaw: A State and Its Reputation,” the evolution of the state’s hillbilly image; “Badges, Bandits & Bars: Arkansas Law & Justice,” state’s history of crime and punishment, through March.

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 wildlife and the state Game and Fish Commission.

MUSEUMS, ONGOING EXHIBITS

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

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

CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Haiti: Building Back Better,” presidential gifts, artifacts and artwork, including steel drum sculpture by Serge Jolimeau and Michee Ramil Remy, through Feb. 6; “Revolution and Rebellion: Wars, Words and Figures,” two original engravings of the Declaration of Independence produced by Benjamin Owen Tyler in 1818 & William J. Stone in 1823, through May 22; “Historical Figures of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars,” figurines by George Stuart, through May; exhibits about policies and White House life during the Clinton administration.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000.

www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 29

Little Rock’s only Vegetarian food truck.

Come by 6th and Chester Monday–Friday from 11:00–1:30 and try us out.

A

Seminar on

Arkansas Law & Justice Saturday, January 22 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Registration at 9:30 a.m.)

Cost: $15 ~ Lunch is provided.

For more information call (501) 324-9685 or see www.OldStateHouse.com

You don’t have to be Vegetarian, you just have to like to eat.

Follow us on Facebook.com/GreenCuisine Twitter: @grncuisine Email: greencuisine1@yahoo.com Corner of 6th and Chester Little Rock, AR

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

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30 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

1012133_08-0286-001

5 0 0 P r e s i d e n t C l i n t o n av e n u e ( i n t h e r i v e r M a r k e t d i s t r i C t ) C a l l f o r r e s e rvat i o n s 5 0 1 . 3 2 4 . 2 9 9 9 • w w w. s o n n y w i l l i a M s s t e a k r o o M . C o M

n Nashville-based Logan’s Roadhouse is opening its fourth location in Arkansas in Bryant on Monday, Jan. 24. The restaurant, located at 23115 I-30 S., specializes in steak, grilled chicken, grilled steakburgers, babyback ribs and seafood. It will be open 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The phone number is 501-653-0300.

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

The newspaper accepts no advertising or other considerations in exchange for reviews, which are conducted anonymously. We invite the opinions of readers who think we are in error.

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

B Breakfast

L Lunch

D Dinner

$ Inexpensive (under $8/person)

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

$$$ Expensive (over $20/person)

CC Accepts credit cards

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

ARGENTA MARKET The Argenta District’s neighborhood grocery store offers a deli featuring a daily selection of big sandwiches along with fresh fish and meats and salads.

Emphasis here is on Arkansas-farmed foods and organic products. 521 N. Main St. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$.

501-379-9980. BL daily, D Mon.-Sat. ARKANSAS BURGER CO. Good burgers, fries and shakes, plus salads and other entrees. Try the cheese dip. 7410 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-0600. LD Tue.-Sat.

Continued on page 32

The crowds don’t lie at Pho Thanh My. n Here’s your quick guide to pho. For starters, it’s pronounced “fuh,” and it’s one of the signature dishes of Vietnamese cuisine: a noodle soup based in a slow-cooked beef and onion stock that, like much Vietnamese food, is made delicious thanks to fresh herbs and vegetables and piquant sauces. After you’ve had it a couple of times, chicken noodle soup will never cure a cold or warm you up on a cold day the same.

As you might guess, pho is a specialty at Pho Thanh My, the new Vietnamese restaurant on North Shackleford in a space that recently housed Albasha and New York New York Deli. But it’s far from the only dish on the menu. Typical Vietnamese fare like bun (vermicelli bowls), com dia (rice plates) and com tam (broken rice dishes) features along with several options of stir-fried noodles, fried rice and nonpho soups. It’s a broad menu, but relatively concise for an Asian restaurant.

In two visits, we managed to sample entrees from nearly every category. The Goi Cuon ($3.50) spring rolls should start every meal at Pho Thanh My (and every Vietnamese restaurant for that matter).

These rice-paper rolls, served cold, come packed with rice vermicelli, basil, cilantro, lettuce and either pork and shrimp or tofu depending on which variety you pick.

Each order includes two rolls and a thick, slightly sweet peanut sauce.

Another important thing to know about pho: It’s almost always served in a massive mixing-bowl-sized bowl. Our Pho Tia Nam Gan ($7.95) seemed to be made up of half a gallon of broth. Like most of Pho Thanh My’s 11 pho options, it featured thin, lean eye of round steak; onions; long rice noodles that just about necessitate indelicate eating, and plenty of scallions; plus thinly sliced broth-cooked brisket and gelatinous tendon. With hints of cinnamon and just the right amount of salt, that combination would’ve been good alone. But to achieve pho perfection, it takes some doctoring. A plate of bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil and not enough hot peppers come with every order of pho. Dump just the right amount of that in the soup and squirt in a tablespoon or so of Sriracha and you’re on your way.

The tendon was the highlight of the soup, but then again, we’re never squeamish over consistency. For those with similarly steely stomachs, there are also tripe options, a seafood assortment ($7.95) — shrimp, squid and crab meat — that one dining companion raved about and, compellingly, one pho ($8.95) that combines “all toppings”

KAT ROBINSON

n The Food Network is looking for Little Rock area restaurant owners to apply to be featured on season two of its restaurant makeover show “Restaurant: Impossible.” Hosted by musclebound chef Robert Irvine, the show finds the British chef, according to the casting notice, using “a little MacGyver and a lot of muscle to rescue these desperate places from complete collapse. Can one man, in two days, with $10,000, turn the tide of a failing restaurant and give hope to the owners and their employees?”

Find a link to apply on the Times food blog, Eat Arkansas.

■ dining Pho real

PHO FOR ALL: Pho Thanh My’s Com Bi Suon Cha (above) and Goi Cuon spring rolls (below).

Not surprisingly, Pho Thanh My’s pho was its most successful dish.

But the rice dish, Com Bi Suon Cha ($7.50), was a close runner-up. It came with a big ball of rice; an orange-flavored char-grilled pork chop; a steamed pork cake that looked and tasted a bit like pork meatloaf, and a small pile of glassy noodles mixed with shreds of pork, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes. Which is a lot of food on one plate.

Our vegetarian friend raved about her Com Chay ($6.95), a bowl of steamed rice and lightly stir-fried assorted carrots, broccoli and cabbage. But another companion found the vermicelli and grilled pork bowl Bun Thit Nuong ($7.50) a touch bland.

The menu includes 13 kinds of bubble tea ($3.50) — including exotic flavors like kumquat, lychee and taro. We loved our mango bubble tea, but with notes of tamarind, cake batter and plum wine, the red plum flavor left us a bit baffled. But perhaps that’s the point: “Challenge your palates with our many tropical flavors!” the menu exhorts.

Pho Thanh My has been open only a month and a half, so perhaps it’s still working out service kinks. On both visits, we were subjected to long waits. On the first visit, we waited for 20 minutes before anyone even took our order. A month later,

KAT ROBINSON

what’scookin’

our servers were more attentive, but we had to ask after one of our orders of spring rolls and our entrees were slow to reach the table and didn’t come together.

That said, we’ll hope for improvements and, in the meantime, join the steady crowds that’ve filled Pho Thanh My since it opened, willing to endure service hiccups for a big, delicious bowl of pho.

Pho Thanh My 302 N. Shackleford Road 501-312-7498 Quick bite

Next visit, we’re checking out the tasty looking regional-style soups. The Mi Hoanh Thanh looks especially appealing. It’s an egg noodle soup with wonton dumplings, sliced pork, shrimp, squid, crab meat and quail egg. Yum.

Hours

11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Other info

Credit cards, no alcohol. www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 31

Continued from page 31

ASHLEY’S The premier fine dining restaurant in Little Rock marries Southern traditionalism and haute cuisine. The menu is often daring and always delicious. 111 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-374-7474. BLD Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. BELWOOD DINER Traditional breakfasts and plate lunch specials are the norm at this lost-in-time hole in the wall. 3815 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-753-1012.

BONEFISH GRILL A half-dozen or more types of fresh fish filets are offered daily at this upscale chain. 11525 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-228-0356. D daily.

BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT The food’s great, portions huge, prices reasonable. Diners can look into the open kitchen and watch the culinary geniuses at work slicing and dicing and sauteeing. It’s great fun, and the fish is special.

2300 Cottondale Lane. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-6632677. LD Mon.-Fri. D Sat. BUFFALO WILD WINGS A sports bar on steroids with numerous humongous TVs and a menu full of thirst-inducing items. The wings, which can be slathered with one of 14 sauces, are the staring attraction and will undoubtedly have fans. 14800 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-8685279. LD daily.

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

BY THE GLASS A broad but not ridiculously large list is studded with interesting, diverse selections, and prices are uniformly reasonable. The food focus is on high-end items that pair well with wine — olives, hummus, cheese, bread, and some meats and sausages. 5713 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-9463. D Mon.-Sat. CAFE HEIFER Paninis, salads, soups and such in the Heifer Village. With one of the nicest patios in town. 1 World Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-907-8801. BL Mon.-Fri., L Sat. CAPI’S The eatery has abandoned its previous small plates format for Nuevo Latino cuisine heavy on tamales, enchiladas and Central American reinterpretation of dishes. Fortunately, they kept the great desserts. 11525 Cantrell Suite 917. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-225-9600. LD Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun. CAPITAL BAR AND GRILL Big hearty sandwiches, daily lunch specials and fine evening dining all rolled up into one at this landing spot downtown. Surprisingly inexpensive with a great bar staff and a good selection of unique desserts. 111 Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-7474. LD daily.

CAPITOL BISTRO Formerly a Sufficient Grounds, now operated by Lisa and Tom Drogo, who moved from Delaware.

They offer breakfast and lunch items, including quiche, sandwiches, coffees and the like. 1401 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-371-9575. BL Mon.-Fri. CATERING TO YOU Painstakingly prepared entrees and great appetizers in this gourmet-to-go location. 8121 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-664-0627. L Mon.-Sat. CATFISH HOLE Downhome place for well-cooked catfish and tasty hushpuppies. 603 E. Spriggs. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-3516. D Tue.-Sat. CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER Premium black Angus cheeseburgers, with five different sizes, ranging from the Classic (5.5 ounces) to the pounder (20 ounces), and nine cheese options. For sides, milkshakes and golden-fried onion rings are the way to go. 11525 Cantrell Rd. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-490-2433. LD daily.

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

501-603-0238. D Mon.-Sat. CRAZEE’S COOL CAFE Good burgers, daily plate specials and bar food amid pool tables and TVs. 7626 Cantrell Road.

Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-9696. LD Mon.-Sat. CUPCAKES ON KAVANAUGH Gourmet cupcakes and coffee make this Heights bakery a great spot to sit and sip on a relaxing afternoon. 5625 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-664-2253. L Mon.-Sat. DIVERSION Hillcrest wine bar with diverse tapas menu.

From the people behind Crush. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd., Suite 200. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-414-0409. D Mon.-Sat. DOE’S EAT PLACE A skid-row dive turned power brokers’ watering hole with huge steaks, great tamales and broiled shrimp, and killer burgers at lunch. 1023 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-1195. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. DOUBLETREE PLAZA BAR & GRILL The lobby restaurant in the Doubletree is elegantly comfortable, but you’ll find no airs put on at heaping breakfast and lunch buffets.

424 West Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-4311.

BLD daily.

DOWNTOWN DELI A locally owned eatery, with bigger sandwiches and lower prices than most downtown chain competitors. Also huge, loaded baked potatoes, soups and salads. 323 Center St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-3723696. BL Mon.-Fri. DUB’S HAMBURGER HEAVEN A standout dairy bar. The hamburger, onion rings and strawberry milkshake make a meal fit for kings. 6230 Baucum Pike. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-955-2580. BLD daily.

EJ’S EATS AND DRINKS The friendly neighborhood hoagie shop downtown serves at a handful of tables and by delivery. The sandwiches are generous, the soup homemade

32 JANUARY 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

■ UPDATE GELLATTES While we’re dang near sure some gelato connoisseurs would be willing to argue the finer points of the topic until they’re blue in the face, the samples we’ve had of the stuff in the past tasted mostly like ice cream (the difference apparently lies in how good it is for you, with traditional gelato being considerably lower in butterfat and sugar than plain ol’ ice cream).

That said, ice cream — like pizza, chocolate and sex — is pretty good no matter how you can get it, so we’re not complaining if somebody wants to quibble over the name. While the gelato to be had at the Gelattes in West Little Rock is a bit pricey, it was very tasty, with a thick, creamy, homemade flavor. Situated in the back of Blue Coast Burrito on Cantrell Road, the little coffee and gelato shop — which also features fresh fudge, pastries and a rather encyclopedic list of teas — makes for a fine dessert after some of Blue Coast’s fish tacos. During a recent visit, we tried the cookies-and-cream and turtle cheesecake varieties of gelato, along with a mocha latte. Though the price for two large gelatos and the coffee came to over $15 before tip, we found the flavors definitely soothed the sting in the wallet. Too, given how rich everything we had was, we probably could have gone with a small and been just as happy. 14810 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-868-5247 LD daily.

BRIAN CHILSON

Restaurant capsules

and the salads cold. Vegetarians can craft any number of acceptable meals from the flexible menu. The housemade potato chips are da bomb. 523 Center St. Beer, All CC. $-$$.

501-666-3700. LD Mon.-Fri. FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES Nationwide burger chain with emphasis on freshly made fries and patties. 2923 Lakewood Village Dr. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-2465295. LD daily. 13000 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-1100. LD daily.

FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings, too. The hamburgers are a hit, too. It’s self-service; wander on through the screen door and you’ll find a slick team of cooks and servers doing a creditable job of serving big crowds. 511 President Clinton Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-375-3474.

LD daily.

GRUMPY’S TOO Music venue and sports bar with lots of TVs, pub grub and regular drink specials. 1801 Green Mountain Drive. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-9650. LD Mon.-Sat. HOMER’S Great vegetables, huge yeast rolls and killer cobblers. Follow the mobs. 2001 E. Roosevelt Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1400. BL Mon.-Fri. THE HOUSE A comfortable gastropub in Hillcrest, where you’ll find traditional fare like burgers and fish and chips alongside Thai green curry and gumbo. 722 N. Palm St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4501. D daily.

JIMMY’S SERIOUS SANDWICHES Consistently fine sandwiches, side orders and desserts. Chicken salad’s among the best in town. Get there early for lunch. 5116 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3354.

L Mon.-Sat. KRAZY MIKE’S Po’Boys, catfish and shrimp and other fishes, fried chicken wings and all the expected sides served up fresh and hot to order on demand. 200 N. Bowman Road.

Beer, All CC. $$. 501-907-6453. LD daily.

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

501-663-4666. L Sun.-Fri., D daily.

LULAV Comfortably chic downtown bistro. 220 A W. 6th St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-5100. BL Mon.-Fri., D daily.

MILFORD TRACK Healthy and tasty are the key words at this deli/grill, featuring hot entrees, soups, sandwiches, salads and killer desserts. 10809 Executive Center Drive, Searcy Building. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-223-2257.

BL Mon.-Sat. NEW GREEN MILL CAFE A small workingman’s lunch joint, with a dependable daily meat-and-three and credible corn bread for cheap, plus sweet tea. Homemade tamales and chili on Tuesdays. 8609-C W. Markham St. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-225-9907. L Mon.-Sat. OYSTER BAR Gumbo, red beans and rice (all you can eat on Mondays), peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, addictive po’ boys. 3003 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-7100. LD Mon.-Sat. OZARK COUNTRY RESTAURANT A long-standing favorite with many Little Rock residents, the eatery specializes in big country breakfasts and pancakes plus sandwiches and other lunch plates during the week. Try the pancakes and don’t leave without some sort of smoked meat. 202 Keightley Drive. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7319. B daily, L Mon.-Fri. PERCIFUL’S FAMOUS HOT DOGS If you’re a lover of chilidogs, this might just be your Mecca; a humble, stripmall storefront out in East End that serves some of the best around. The latest incarnation of a LR joint that dates to the 1940s, longdogs are pretty much all they do, and they do them exceedingly well, with scratch-made chili and slaw. Our fave: The Polish cheese royal, add onions. 20400 Arch St. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-261-1364. LD Tue.-Sat. PLAYTIME PIZZA Tons of fun isn’t rained out by lackluster eats at the new Playtime Pizza, the $11 million, 65,000 square

foot kidtopia near the Rave theater. While the buffet is only so-so, features like indoor mini-golf, laser tag, go karts, arcade games and bumper cars make it a winner for both kids and adults. 600 Colonel Glenn Plaza Loop. 501-2277529. LD Thu.-Sun., D Mon.-Wed. PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milk shakes — in a ‘50s setting at today’s prices.

Also at 11602 Chenal Parkway. 8026 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-221-3555. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun 11602 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-4433. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 1419 Higden Ferry Road. Hot Springs. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-625-7999. LD daily, B Sun. SALUT! Elevated pub grub that’s served late Wed.-Sat. With a great patio. 1501 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-660-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. SCALLION’S Reliably good food, great desserts, pleasant atmosphere, able servers — a solid lunch spot. 5110 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-6468.

L Mon.-Sat. SHIPLEY DO-NUTS With locations just about everywhere in Central Arkansas, it’s hard to miss Shipley’s. Their signature smooth glazed doughnuts and dozen or so varieties of fills are well known. 7514 Cantrell Rd. No alcohol, All CC. $.

501-664-5353. B daily.

SHORTY SMALL’S Land of big, juicy burgers, massive cheese logs, smoky barbecue platters and the signature onion loaf. 1100 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-3344. LD daily 1475 Hogan Lane. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-764-0604. LD daily.

SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAK ROOM Steaks, chicken and seafood in a wonderful setting in the River Market. Steak gets pricey, but the lump crab meat au gratin appetizer is outstanding. Give the turtle soup a try. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-324-2999. D Mon.-Sat. STAGECOACH GROCERY AND DELI Fine po’ boys and muffalettas — and cheap. 6024 Stagecoach Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-455-4157. BL daily. D Mon.-Fri. TERRI-LYNN’S BAR-B-Q AND DELI High-quality meats served on large sandwiches and good tamales served with chili or without (the better bargain). 10102 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-6371. LD Tue.-Sat. (10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.).

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE Besides the 45 different smoothies on the menu, the cafe also serves wraps and sandwiches (many of them spicy), salads and “tortizzas.”

Good food, healthy drinks, long line at lunch but it moves fast. Creekwood Plaza (Kanis and Bowman). No alcohol. $$.

501-221-6773. BLD daily.

WEST END SMOKEHOUSE AND TAVERN Its primary focus is a sports bar with 50-plus TVs, but the dinner entrees (grilled chicken, steaks and such) are plentiful and the bar food is upper quality. 215 N. Shackleford. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-7665. L Fri.-Sun., D daily.

WINGSTOP It’s all about wings. The joint features eight flavors of chicken flappers for almost any palate, including mild, hot, Cajun and atomic, as well as specialty flavors like lemon pepper and teriyaki. 11321 West Markham St. Beer. $-$$. 501-224-9464. LD daily.

ASIAN ASIA BUFFET Massive Chinese buffet. 801 S. Bowman Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-225-0095. LD daily.

CHINA INN Massive Chinese buffet overflows with meaty and fresh dishes, augmented at dinner by boiled shrimp, oysters on the half shell and snow crab legs, all you want cheap. 2629 Lakewood Village Place. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-771-2288. LD daily.

FORBIDDEN CITY The Park Plaza staple has fast and friendly service, offering up good lo mein at lunch and Cantonese and Hunan dishes. 6000 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-9099. LD daily.

FU XING Chinese buffet. 9120 N. Rodney Parham Road.

Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-223-0888. LD daily.

GINA’S A broad and strong sushi menu along with other

Japanese standards. 14524 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-868-7775. LD daily.

HANAROO SUSHI BAR Under its second owner, it’s one of the few spots in downtown Little Rock to serve sushi. With an expansive menu, featuring largely Japanese fare with a bit of Korean mixed in. 205 W. Capitol Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-301-7900. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. NEW CHINA A burgeoning line of massive buffets, with hibachi grill, sushi, mounds of Chinese food and soft serve ice cream. 4617 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-753-8988. LD daily. 2104 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-764-1888. LD Mon.-Sun. 201 Marshall Road. Jacksonville. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-8988.

LD daily.

PHO THANH MY It says “Vietnamese noodle soup” on the sign out front, and that’s what you should order. The pho comes in outrageously large portions with bean sprouts and fresh herbs. Traditional pork dishes, spring rolls and bubble tea also available. 302 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-312-7498.

ROYAL BUFFET A big buffet of Chinese fare, with other Asian tastes as well. 109 E. Pershing. NLR. 501-753-8885.

LD daily.

SEKISUI Fresh-tasting sushi, traditional Japanese, the fun hibachi style of Japanese, and an overwhelming assortment of entrees. Nice wine selection, sake, specialty drinks. 219 N. Shackleford Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-7070.

LD daily.

SHOGUN JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE The chefs will dazzle you, as will the variety of tasty stir-fry combinations and the sushi bar. Usually crowded at night. 2815 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-7070. D daily.

WASABI Downtown sushi and Japanese cuisine. For lunch, there’s quick and hearty sushi samplers. 101 Main St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-0777. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat.

BARBECUE BARE BONES PIT BAR-B-Q A carefully controlled gas oven, with wood chips added for flavor, guarantees moist and sweet pork, both pulled from the shoulder and back ribs. The side orders, particularly the baked potato salad, are excellent. 5501 Ranch Drive, Suite 4. Beer, All CC. $-$$.

501-868-7427. LD daily.

CHIP’S BARBECUE Tasty, if a little pricey, barbecue piled high on sandwiches generously doused with tangy sauce.

Better known for the incredible family recipe pies and cheesecakes, which come tall and wide. 9801 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-4346. LD Mon.-Sat. DIXIE PIG Pig salad is tough to beat. It comes with loads of chopped pork atop crisp iceberg, doused with that wonderful vinegar-based sauce. The sandwiches are basic, and the sweet, thick sauce is fine. 900 West 35th St. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-9650. LD Mon.-Sat. KENT’S DOWNTOWN Big sandwiches, barbecue and plate lunches served up at the River Market’s Oppenheimer Hall.

Affiliated with Kent Berry’s other operation, The Meat Shoppe in Gravel Ridge. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-325-1900. L Mon.-Sat.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC ARABICA HOOKAH CAFE This eatery and grocery store offers kebabs and salads along with just about any sort of Middle Eastern fare you might want, along with what might be the best kefte kebab in Central Arkansas. Halal butcher on duty. 3400 S. University Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-379-8011. LD daily.

CREGEEN’S IRISH PUB Irish-themed pub with a large selection of on-tap and bottled British beers and ales, an Irish inspired menu and lots of nooks and crannies to meet in. 301 Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-376-7468. LD daily.

ISTANBUL MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE This Turkish eatery offers decent kebabs and great starters. The red pepper hummus is a winner. So are Cigar Pastries. Possibly the best Turkish coffee in Central Arkansas. 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-223-9332. LD daily.

LEO’S GREEK CASTLE Wonderful Mediterranean food — gyro sandwiches or platters, falafel and tabouleh — plus dependable hamburgers, ham sandwiches, steak platters and BLTs. Breakfast offerings are expanded with gyro meat, pitas and triple berry pancakes. 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-7414. BLD daily.

SILVEK’S EUROPEAN BAKERY Fine pastries, chocolate creations, breads and cakes done in the classical European style. Drop by for a whole cake or a slice or any of the dozens of single serving treats in the big case. 1900 Polk St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-661-9699. BLD daily.

ITALIAN CAFE PREGO Dependable entrees of pasta, pork and the like, plus great sauces, fresh mixed greens and delicious dressings, crisp-crunchy-cold gazpacho and tempting desserts in a comfy bistro setting. 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5355. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. CIAO Don’t forget about this casual yet elegant bistro tucked into a downtown storefront. The fine pasta and seafood dishes, ambiance and overall charm combine to make it a relaxing, enjoyable, affordable choice. 405 W. Seventh St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-0238. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. GRADY’S PIZZAS AND SUBS Pizza features a pleasing blend of cheeses rather than straight mozzarella. The grinder is a classic, the chef’s salad huge and tasty. 6801 W. 12th St., Suite C. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-1918. LD daily.

IRIANA’S PIZZA Unbelievably generous thick-crust pizza with unmatched zest. Good salads, too; grinders are great,

particularly the Italian sausage. 103 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-3656. LD Mon.-Sat. OW PIZZA Good pizzas served in a variety of ways, sandwiches, big salads and various pastas and appetizer breads.

8201 Ranch Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 868-1100. LD Mon.-Fri. 1706 W. Markham St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. LD Mon.-Fri. (closes at 7 p.m.).

U.S. PIZZA Crispy thin-crust pizzas, frosty beers and heaping salads drowned in creamy dressing. Multiple locations: 4001 McCain Park, NLR, 753-2900; 3324 Pike Ave., NLR, 758-5997; 650 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle, 851-0880; 8403 Highway 107, Sherwood, 835-5673; 9300 N. Rodney Parham, 224-6300; 2814 Kavanaugh, 663-2198. 5524 Kavanaugh. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-664-7071. LD daily. 710 Front Street. Conway. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-4509700. LD Mon.-Sun. ZAFFINO’S BY NORI A high-quality Italian dining experience. Pastas, entrees (don’t miss the veal marsala) and salads are all outstanding, and the desserts don’t miss, either. 2001 E. Kiehl Ave. NLR. Beer, Wine. 501-834-7530. D Tue.-Sat.

MEXICAN

AROUND ARKANSAS BENTON DENTON’S TROTLINE Saline county-ites love the buffet dining that, besides great catfish, offers shrimp, chicken, gumbos and snow crab legs. 2150 Congo Road. Benton. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-315-1717. D Tue.-Sat. ED AND KAY’S The pies alone are worth a stop at this Benton-area mainstay. “Mile-High” pies topped with meringue and including coconut, chocolate and the famous PCP (pineapple, coconut, pecan) are dang good; plate lunches feature Arkansas-grown produce like PurpleHull peas and fresh garden tomatoes. Breakfast is pretty good, too — try the Everything Omelet, and don’t pass up on the home fries. 15228 Interstate 30. Benton. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. (501) 315-3663. BLD. TOUCHDOWN SALLY’S A family oriented sports bar and pizzaria with an emphasis on “manfood” like appetizers, wings and seafood. 17332 I-30 North. Benton. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-778-9444. LD daily.

CABOT JANE’S KITCHEN Typical neighborhood joint serving up breakfast and lunch to a crowd of regulars. 211 E Main St. Cabot. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. (501) 843-7171. BL Mon.-Sat. SORELLA’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT Big orders of pasta, pizza and salad. The sauces tend to be garlicky and the bread is a little salty, but it’s a pretty good deal for the money. 2006 S. Pine St. Cabot. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-941-7000.

LD Tue.-Sat. UNCLE DEAN’S CATFISH AND SUCH Hot fresh American raised catfish and egg rolls are the stars at this eclectic restaurant. Don’t miss out on the relish. 818 S. 2nd St. Cabot. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-941-3474. LD Mon.-Sat.

CONWAY BEAR’S DEN PIZZA Pizza, calzones and salads at UCA hangout. 235 Farris Road. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $-$$.

501-328-5556. LD Mon.-Sat. BLACKWOOD’S GYROS AND GRILL A wide variety of salads, sandwiches, gyros and burgers dot the menu at this quarter-century veteran of Conway’s downtown district. 803 Harkrider Ave. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. 501-329-3924.

FAYETTEVILLE CAFE RUE ORLEANS Top quality Creole food and a couple of Cajun specialties (a soupy gumbo, a spicy and rich etouffee) from a cook who learned her tricks in Lafayette, La., and the Crescent City. Best entree is the eggplant Napoleon.

Oyster bar downstairs to make your wait for a dining table pleasant. 1150 N. College Ave. Fayetteville. Full bar, All CC. 479-443-2777. LD Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. COMMON GROUNDS All-day dining on Dickson Street with a broad selection of eats, including breakfast late in the day on the weekend and great coffee anytime. Probably the largest coffee drink menu in Northwest Arkansas. 412 W. Dickson St. Fayetteville. Full bar, All CC. $$. 479-4423515. BLD. CORNER GRILL Hearty sandwiches, a tasty and inexpen-

sive weekend brunch, friendly staff in new location away from Dickson Street. Highway 112. Fayetteville. 479-5218594. BLD. DOE’S EAT PLACE This may be the best Doe’s of the bunch, franchised off the Greenville, Miss., icon. Great steaks, and the usual salads, fries, very hot tamales and splendid service. Lots of TVs around for the game-day folks.

316 W. Dickson St. Fayetteville. 479-443-3637. D. ELLA’S Fine dining in the university’s vastly reworked Inn at Carnall Hall. A favorite — it figures on the UA campus — is the razor steak. 465 N. Arkansas Ave. Fayetteville. 479-5821400. BLD. HUGO’S You’ll find a menu full of meals and munchables, some better than others at this basement European-style bistro. The Bleu Moon Burger is a popular choice. Hugo’s is always worth a visit, even if just for a drink. 25 1/2 N. Block St. Fayetteville. Full bar, All CC. 479-521-7585. LD Mon.-Sat. JAMES AT THE MILL “Ozark Plateau Cuisine” is creative, uses local ingredients and is pleasantly presented in a vertical manner. Impeccable food in an impeccable setting.

3906 Greathouse Springs Road. Fayetteville. Full bar, All CC. 479-443-1400.

JOSE’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Epicenter of the Dickson Street nightlife with its patio and Fayetteville’s No. 2 restaurant in gross sales. Basic Mexican with a wide variety of fancy margaritas. 234 W. Dickson. Fayetteville. Full bar, All CC. 479-521-0194. LD daily.

PENGUIN ED’S BAR-B-Q Prices are magnificent and portions are generous at this barbecue spot with an interesting menu, a killer sausage sandwich, burgers, omelets and wonderful lemonade. 2773 Mission Blvd. Fayetteville.

479-587-8646. BLD. PESTO CAFE This nice little Italian restaurant in, yes, a roadside motel offers all the traditional dishes, including a nice eggplant parmesan. 1830 N. College Ave. Fayetteville.

Beer, Wine. $. 479-582-3330. LD Mon.-Sun. POWERHOUSE SEAFOOD Build-your-own fried seafood platters, great grilled fish specials. 112 N. University.

Fayetteville. 479-442-8300. LD. UNCLE GAYLORD’S The fare is billed as “variety,” but that description just gives the kitchen license to dabble in all of the great cuisines, and breakfast is fabulous, though the weekend offerings aren’t as elaborate as they once were.

315 W. Mountain St. Fayetteville. 479-444-0605. BLD. VENESIAN INN People swarm in for the Italian fare and feast on what may be the best homemade rolls in the state.

582 W. Henri De Tonti Blvd. Fayetteville. Beer. $$. 479-3612562. LD Tue.-Thu., D Fri.-Sat.

HOT SPRINGS ENGLISH MUFFIN, THE The muffins referenced in the name are those famed Wolfermann muffins brought in fresh each day in a dozen or so different flavors. Breakfasts are well-balanced with light omelets in a wide variety. Blue plate specials are also available. 4832 Central Avenue. Hot Springs. All CC. $-$$. (501) 525-2710. BL daily.

THE PANCAKE SHOP The Pancake Shop’s longevity owes to good food served up cheap, large pancakes and ham steaks, housemade apple butter and waitresses who still call you “honey.” Closes each day at 12:45. 216 Central Avenue. Hot Springs. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-6245720. BL daily.

PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milk shakes — in a ’50s setting at today’s prices.

Also at 11602 Chenal Parkway. 1419 Higden Ferry Road. Hot Springs. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-625-7999. LD daily, B Sun.

Special

Gyro Sandwich, FrieS & drink $6.65 Offer expires 02/16/11.

gyros • hummus • tabbouleh • baba ghannouj pizza • calzone • mediterranean salad

fresh, delicious Mediterranean cuisine

9501 N. Rodney Parham • 227-7272 Bryant: 612 Office Park • 847-5455

Retro vintage star backpack 19.95

FOUND

ONLY AT

CANON GRILL Creative appetizers come in huge quantities, and the varied main-course menu rarely disappoints, though it’s not as spicy as competitors’. 2811 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-664-2068. LD daily.

COTIJA’S A branch off the famed La Hacienda family tree downtown, with a massive menu of tasty lunch and dinner specials, the familiar white cheese dip and sweet red and fiery-hot green salsas, and friendly service. 406 S. Louisiana St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-244-0733. L Mon.-Sat. EL JALAPENO 9203 Chicot Road. No alcohol, No CC. $.

501-772-7471. LD Mon.-Fri. LAS MARGARITAS Sparse offerings at this taco truck. No chicken, for instance. Try the veggie quesadilla. 7308 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. LD Tue.-Thu. LA REGIONAL A full-service grocery store catering to SWLR’s Latino community, it’s the small grill tucked away in the back corner that should excite lovers of adventurous cuisine. The menu offers a whirlwind trip through Latin America, with delicacies from all across the Spanish-speaking world (try the El Salvadorian papusas, they’re great). Bring your Spanish/English dictionary. 7414 Baseline Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-4440. BLD daily.

TAQUERIA KARINA AND CAFE A real Mexican neighborhood cantina from the owners, to freshly baked pan dulce, to Mexican-bottled Cokes, to first-rate guacamole, to inexpensive tacos, burritos, quesadillas and a broad selection of Mexican-style seafood. 5309 W. 65th St. $. 501-562-3951.

LD Tue.-Thu. TAQUERIA LAS ISABELES Mobile taco stand with great authentic tacos, Hawaiian hamburguesas (burgers topped with pineapple and avocado) and more. 7100 Colonel Glen Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-563-4801. L Mon.-Sat., D Sat. TAQUERIA SAMANTHA II Stand out taco truck fare, with meat options standard and exotic. 7521 Geyer Springs Road.

No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-744-0680. LD Tue.-Sun.

LD Mon.-Sat. BOB’S GRILL This popular spot for local diners features a meat-and-two-veg cafeteria style lunch and a decently large made-to-order breakfast menu. Service is friendly. 1112 W. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-379-9760.

BL Mon.-Sat. CASA MARIACHI Mexican fare. 2225 Prince St. Conway.

No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-764-1122. LD daily.

CATFISH AND MORE As the name suggests, catfish and more — including an all-you-can-eat buffet, sandwiches, individual dinners and fried pies. 1815 Highway 64 West.

Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-513-2252. L Tue.-Sun., D Tue.-Sat. CROSS CREEK SANDWICH SHOP Cafe serves salads and sandwiches weekdays. 1003 Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-764-1811. L Mon.-Fri. DAVID’S BUTCHER BOY BURGERS Burgers, fries, shakes and drinks — that’s all you’ll find at this new Conway burger joint. 1100 Highway 65 N. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. (501) 327-3333.

ED’S CUSTOM BAKERY Bakery featuring pastry classics, rolls, cakes, doughnuts and no-nonsense coffee. 256 Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-327-2996. B Mon.-Sat. EL MEXICANO Three types of stuffed fried avocado are on the menu, along with nachos and a decent white cheese dip. Good sopapillas. 2755 Dave Ward Drive. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-764-1113. L daily, D Mon.-Sat. FABY’S RESTAURANT Unheralded Mexican-Continental fusion focuses on handmade sauces and tortillas. 1023 Front Street. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-513-1199. L daily, D Mon.-Sat. 2915 Dave Ward. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-329-5151. LD Mon.-Sun. FU LIN RESTAURANT Japanese steakhouse, seafood and sushi. Good variety, including items such as yam tempura, Karashi conch, Uzuzukuri and a nice selection of udon. 195 Farris. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-329-1415.

LD Mon.-Sun. HOG PEN BBQ Barbecue, fish, chicken 800 Walnut.

Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-326-5177. LD Tue.-Sat. HOLLY’S COUNTRY COOKING Southern plate lunch specials weekdays. 120 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-328-9738. L Mon.-Fri. LA HACIENDA Creative, fresh-tasting entrees and traditional favorites, all painstakingly prepared in a festive atmosphere. Great taco salad, nachos, and maybe the best fajitas around. Multiple locations throughout Central Arkansas. 200 Highway 65 N. Conway. All CC. $$. 501-327-6077. LD daily.

LOS 3 POTRILLOS A big menu and lots of reasonably priced choices set this Mexican restaurant apart. The cheese dip is white, the servings are large, and the frozen margaritas are sweet. Try the Enchiladas Mexicanas, three different enchiladas in three different sauces. 1090 Skyline Dr. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-327-1144. LD Mon.-Sun. MICHAELANGELO’S ITALIAN RISTORANTE Fine Italian dining in downtown Conway. Menu features brick oven pizzas, handmade sauces and pasta, salads, fish and seafood, steaks. Serves up champagne brunch on Sundays.

Try the Italian Nachos, wonton chips topped with Italian sausage and vegetables coated in Asiago Cheese Sauce.

1117 Oak St. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-329-7278.

LD daily.

ORIENTAL KITCHEN Traditional, reasonably priced Chinese food favorites. 1000 Morningside Drive. Conway.

No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-328-3255. L Sat. D Mon-Sat. PAYTON CREEK CATFISH HOUSE All-you-can-eat buffet featuring excellent catfish, quail, shrimp, crawfish, frog legs and a host of sides. 393 Highway 64 East. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-450-7335. D Wed.-Sat. PLAYWORLD PIZZA AND FUN Typical pizza parlor and arcade geared at kids parties. 2736 Prince St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-450-7300. D Tue.-Sun., L Fri.-Sat. THE SALE BARN CAFE Breakfast and lunch for the sale barn crowd on Tuesdays. 1100 S. Amity Rd. Conway. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-548-9980. BL Tue. SMITTY’S BAR-B-QUE Meat so tender it practically falls off the ribs, and combos of meat that will stuff you. Hot sauce means HOT. 740 S. Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-327-8304. LD Mon.-Sat. SMOKEHOUSE BBQ Hickory-smoked meats, large sides and fried pickles among other classics offered at this 40-year-old veteran of the Conway barbecue scene. 505 Donaghey. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-764-4227.

LD Mon.-Sat. TAQUERIA MICHO’S Breakfast and lunch are served daily at this inventive little Mexican restaurant on Dave Ward Drive.

2751 Dave Ward Drive. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-329-2142. BL daily.

BENNETT’S

302 MAIN STREET • LITTLE ROCK

501.372.2944

MON.-SAT. 9-5 www.bennettsmilitary.com a w a r d

New Orleans Cuisine

AT LITTLE ROCK PRICES!

MAUMELLE AMERICAN PIE PIZZA (MAUMELLE) Handmade pizza on perfect thin crust with varied toppings, and inexpensive. We liked the olive-oil-based margherita and supreme, plus there are salads, sandwiches and appetizers, all for cheap. 9708 Maumelle Blvd. Maumelle. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-758-8800. LD daily. 4830 North Hills Blvd. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-0081. LD daily. 10912 Colonel Glenn Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2251900. LD daily.

CHEERS IN MAUMELLE 1901 Club Manor Drive.

Maumelle. Full bar, All CC. 501-851-6200. LD daily, BR Sun. COCK OF THE WALK Yes, the chicken and shrimp are great, but go for the unbeatable catfish. Plus, we say the slaw is the world’s best, 7051 Cock of the Walk Lane.

Maumelle. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-758-7182. D Mon.-Sat., LD Sun.

w i n n i n g

STEAKS • SEAFOOD CREOLE SPECIALTIES

The Faded Rose

®

LITTLE ROCK’S bEST FOOD vALuE 400 N. Bowman Road 501-224-3377 1619 Rebsamen Road 501-663-9734

RUSSELLVILLE OLD POST BBQ Possibly the best barbecue in Russellville, this stalwart has been around more than 30 years. The thick sauce and nice pink smoke ring in the ribs and briskets give the place its signature taste. 407 S. Arkansas Ave. Russellville. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 479-968-2421. LD. PARADISE DONUTS Some of our favorite yeasty glazed doughnuts in the whole world. There’s something about the golden yellow rounds, something in the texture that makes them both firm and somewhat creamy. We like ‘em with coffee or better yet, chocolate milk. 101 E. Third Street.

Russellville. No alcohol, No CC. $. (479) 968-6225. B.

SCOTT

support your community Small Town

COTHAM’S Hamburgers as big as hubcaps, killer catfish, big sweet onion rings and spectacular Mississippi Mud dessert. 5301 Highway 161. Scott. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-961-9284. L Mon.-Sat., D Fri.-Sat. 1401 W. 3rd St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-370-9177. L Mon.-Fri. www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 19, 2011 33

Food for Thought

a paid advertisement

To place your restaurant in Food For Thought, call the advertising department at 501-375-2985

AMERICAN

SEAFOOD Cajun’s Wharf 2400 Cantrell Road 501-375-5351

Food and fun for everyone when you pair Cajun’s Wharf’s succulent seafood and steak with the ever-evolving live entertainment. Enjoy the fabulous fresh seafood or aged Angus beef while listening to the rolling Arkansas River on the famously fantastic deck! They also boast an award-winning wine list.

Black Angus

Homemade Comfort Food Daily Specials • Monday: Spicy Shrimp Stir-fry. Tuesday: Pot Roast.

Wednesday: Meatloaf. Thursday: BBQ Plate or Shepherd’s Pie. Friday & Saturday: Fried Catfish.

Capers Restaurant

Indulge in the culinary creations and intimate environment that define Capers Restaurant. Food and wine enthusiasts agree Capers’ sophisticated approach to dining is key to it’s many accolades including receiving the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for six years running.

Copper Grill

Whether you’re looking for a casual dinner, a gourmet experience or the perfect business lunch, Copper Grill is the choice urban restaurant for Little Rock’s food enthusiasts. It’s where you can let go and relax in the comfortable dining room, enjoy a glass of wine at the lively bar or share a spread of appetizers outside on the street-side patio. No matter if you’re on the go or off the clock, Copper Grill is your downtown dining destination.

SO

Contemporary metropolitan bistro meets Southern smalltown hospitality in a neighborhood bar. SO offers the best in fresh seafood and hand-cut rustic meats, complimented by an extensive and diverse wine list, honored with Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Whether casual dinners, special occasions, meetings with clients, or private parties, our service will impress. Reservations six and more. Private Lounge.

Butcher Shop

Tremendous steaks, excellent service, fair prices and a comfortable atmosphere make The Butcher Shop the prime choice for your evening out. In addition to tender and juicy steaks, The Butcher Shop offers fresh fish, pork chop, 24 hour slow roasted Prime Rib, char grilled marinated chicken and fresh pasta. Ideal for private parties, business meetings, and rehearsal dinners. Rooms accommodate up to 50-60 people.

Flying Saucer

“A great place to hangout, experience great beer and authentic German specialties”. The Flying Saucer definitely offers a unique range of domestic and international draft and bottled beers, carrying over 80 beers on draft and 120+ different bottled beers, many which are seasonal.

Accompanying their unique beer line-up is a menu packed with flare. Bratwurst is the house specialty served with German coleslaw, or you can try Brat Con Queso or Beer Brat Nachos. Be sure to leave room for dessert: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout Ice Cream Float offers the best of both worlds.

Buffalo Grill

The crispy off the griddle cheeseburger and hand-cut fries star at this family friendly stop and will keep you coming back. The casual atmosphere will have everyone feeling right at home. The options are endless for whatever dining mood you are in. Grilled Tuna Steak sandwhich to a loaded foot long hotdog to the crispy chicken tender salad. Buffalo Grill does not disappoint. Fast and friendly staff. Very affordable prices!

Morningside Bagels

Morningside Bagels café is a full service bagel bakery.

We serve breakfast, lox and deli sandwiches on a bagel.

Our fresh cream cheese schmears and Guillermo’s coffee compliments our bagels. We serve espresso drinks hot and iced. Our soups and bagel chips have developed their own following. Come visit with Roxane and David Tackett and enjoy.

10907 N. Rodney Parham Mon-Sat 10:30am-9pm Breakfast 6-10:30am 501-228-7800

BISTRO Lulav

220 West 6th St. 501-374-5100 Breakfast Mon-Fri 6:30 am -10:30 am Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pm Dinner Tues-Sat 5-10pm V Lounge til 1am, Thurs-Sat

Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro

200 S. River Market Ave., Suite 150 (501) 375-3500 Tues-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm dizzysgypsybistro.net

Fresh seafood specials every week. Prime aged beef and scrumptious dishes. Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, over 30 wines by the glass and largest vodka selection downtown. Regular and late night happy hour, Wednesday wine flights and Thursday is Ladies Night. Be sure to check out the Bistro Burger during lunch. Jump start your day with bistro breakfast from Lulav featuring scrumptious omlettes, pancakes and more.

For the salad lover, Dizzy’s is an absolute paradise. Its list of eleven “Ridiculously Large Entrée Salads” runs the gamut of what you can do with greens and dressing. For example Zilpphia’s Persian Lime Salad, featuring grilled turkey breast, tomato, cucumber, onion, lime and buffalo mozzarella over romaine. For another: Mary Ann’s Dream, with grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cranberries, mandarin oranges, bourbon pecans and bleu cheese. Don’t that sound good?

chinese Fantastic China 1900 N Grant St Heights 501-663-8999

Hunan Oriental Cuisine

Sunday 11:30 am to 9:30 pm Mon-Thur 11 am to 9:30 pm Fri 11 am to 10:30 pm Sat 11:30 am to 10:30 pm 11610 Pleasant Ridge Drive 501-223-9966

Sharing good things with good friends is the motto at Fantastic China. A Central Arkansas favorite offering the Freshest Chinese Food in town. It’s made to order with 100% Vegetable Oil. The presentation is beautiful, the menu distinctive, and the service perfect. Fantastic China is one of the heights most reliable and satisfying restaurants and a local favorite. Full bar.

Hunan Oriental Cuisine is a Little Rock institution that has been serving great Chinese food for over 24 years. Come dine in a calm, relaxed atmosphere where the food can be enjoyed as it was meant to be enjoyed; fresh right out of the kitchen. Or, if you prefer to order takeout, be prepared to come pick up your food quickly, since most orders are ready in 10 to 15 minutes. Lunch Specials are available everyday. Try something different. You never know what you might come to like.

14502 Cantrell Road 501-868-7600

300 West 3rd Street 501-375-3333

Brunch Sunday 11 am to 4 pm Lunch Mon-Sat 11 am to 4 pm Dinner Mon-Sat 4 pm to close 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501-663-1464

Shackleford & Hermitage Rd. (501) 312-2748

323 President Clinton Ave 501-372-8032

mexican Casa Manana Taqueria

400 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-6637 6820 Cantrell Road • 501-280-9888 18321 Cantrell Road • 501-868-8822

Capi’s Nuevo Latino www.capisrestaurant.com

11525 Cantrell Rd, Suite 917 Pleasant Ridge Town Center 501.225.9600

Voted Best Mexican 2007. Featuring authentic fare from the Puebla region of Mexico, the selections seem endless at your choice of 3 locations in the Little Rock area. You will find an array of dishes ranging from the salient Shrimp Veracruzana at La Palapa out west to great Guacamole in the River Market Taqueria. Or try tasty Tostadas that share the name of the original Cantrell location, Casa Manana.

New South of the border comfort food menu with Southwestern and authentic Mexican specialties. Quesos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas and tamales steamed in banana leaves.

Eclectic brunch menu Saturday and Sunday. Creative cocktails, exceptional wine list. Live music Friday nights at 8:30. Serving Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 to close.

Mediterranean Layla’s

9501 N. Rodney Parham 501-227-7272

Enjoy regional specialties such as Lentil soup, a huge serving of yummy Hummus, Baba Ghannnouj or Tabbouleh.

And don’t forget about the Gyros, they’re sure to be heroes in your book!

Brazilian Café Bossa Nova 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd 501-614-6682 Tues-Sat 11am-9pm Sunday Brunch 10:30-2pm

Try something different! Café Bossa Nova serves up cozy atmosphere and unique Brazilian dishes guaranteed to satisfy and served with that special Latin flare. Don’t deny yourself one of the delectable desserts prepared fresh daily or for an A+ apertif, drink in the authentic flavor of the country in the Caipirinha~a perfect blend of lime, sugar and Brazilian sugar cane rum. Dine with them tonight!

brew pub Vino’s Pizza•Pub•Brewery 923 West 7th Street 501/375-VINO (8466)

Beer, pizza and more! Drop in to Vino’s, Little Rock’s Original Brewpub! and enjoy great New York-style pizza (whole or by-the-slice) washed down with your choice of award-winning ales or lagers brewed right on site. Or try a huge calzone, our new Muffaletta sandwich or just a salad and a slice with our homemade root beer. The deck’s always open, you don’t have to dress up and the kids are always welcome (or not).

Vino’s is open 7 days, lunch and dinner. You can call ahead for carry-out and even take a gal. growler of beer to-go. And guess what?? The bathrooms have just been re-done!

34 january 19, 2011 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES

400 N. Bowman Rd 501-224-0012 1611 Rebsamen Park Rd 501-296-9535 11am-9pm 11am-10pm Friday & Saturday

10848 Maumelle Blvd North Little Rock 501-753-6960 Mon-Fri: 6am-2pm Sat & Sun: 7am-2pm www.morningsidebagels.com

steak Sonny Williams

If you have not been to Sonny Williams lately, get there immediately and check out the martini/wine bar. Now you can enjoy 35 wines by the glass, 335 selections of wine, 6 single barrel bourbons and all different kinds of Scotch from the many regions of Scotland. Of course, don’t miss out on the nightly entertainment by Jeff at the piano. Sonny’s is a River Market mainstay and perfect for intimate private parties; free valet parking! As always, Sonny Williams has the best steaks in town along with fresh seafood and game. No Skinny Steaks… Call ahead for reservations (501) 324-2999

Faded Rose

Featuring the Best Steaks in town with a New Orleans flair from a New Orleans native. Also featuring Seafood and Creole Specialties. As Rachel Ray says “This place is one of my best finds ever.” Back by popular demand…Soft Shell Crab and New Orleans Roast Beef Po-Boys.

500 President Clinton Avenue Suite 100 (In the River Market District) 501-324-2999 DINNER MON - SAT 5:00 - 11:00 pm PIANO BAR TUES - THU 7:00 - 11:00 pm FRI & SAT 7:00 - Late

400 N. Bowman 501-224-3377 1619 Rebsamen 501-663-9734 Open Sunday

asian panda Garden

2604 S. Shackleford Road, Suite G 501-224-8100.

Fresh, flavorful, all-you-can-eat sushi. With fresh and authentic Chinese dishes, nice decor, great dessert choices and excellent sushi, Panda Garden raises the bar.

REAL ESTATE b

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J a n u ary 1 9 , 2 0 1 1

Live the dream in this exceptional Conway home

Dream homes don’t come any better than this one at 21 Sugar Maple Ridge in Conway.

Built by Hambuchen Custom Homes, it sits on more than four acres adjacent to the fourth hole of Cadron Golf Course and features four bedrooms, five-and-one-half-bathrooms, approximately 6,000 square feet and so much more.

Attention to detail is what really sets this home apart from the others. Gorgeous professional landscaping provides an excellent backdrop for the house. You’ll find pure relaxation sitting on the back screened porch watching the koi pond and taking in the extensive rock work throughout the grounds. There is also an area for your own putting green if that’s your idea of relaxation.

Inside, the home is even more amazing. The chef’s kitchen has a Dacor doubleconvection oven, sub-zero refrigerator, granite countertops and a walk-in pantry. A breakfast bar offers a more relaxed dining option but the family is also covered for other occasions with a formal dining room and another dining area in the kitchen. The

The master bathroom is impressive.

The kitchen is a chef’s dream.

kitchen opens to a large hearth room with a fireplace where you’ll want to spend most of your family time.

The master suite and another bedroom are downstairs. The master is to the left of the foyer and has an unbelievable master bathroom. The heated floor is one sign that this home is special. Other features are a Jacuzzi tub, walk-in shower with dual showerheads, his-and-hers sinks and beautiful tile work. The remaining bedrooms are upstairs and each has its own bathroom.

Other highlights of the home are the Takagi tankless water heaters, security system, in-ground sprinkler, tornado shelter and gameroom above the garage. This is only a sampling of what this home has to offer. There is so much more to this home that it must be seen to be appreciated. It is listed with Linda Roster White Real Estate. To see additional photos, visit www.LRWHomes.com. Call Linda for a private tour or for more information at 730-1100.

Enjoy family time around the fireplace.

Extensive landscaping is beautiful. www.arktimes.com • january 19, 2011 35

REAL ESTATE by neighborhood TO ADVERTISE, CALL TIFFANY HOLLAND AT 375-2985 Investment Properties

344 CASTLEBERRY - GREENBRIER

Magnificent 3BR/2BA on 1.16 acre corner lot with privacy fenced yard & storage bldg. Open plan with hardwood floors, solid surface counters, custom maple cabinets, built-in Thermador cappuccino machine & wine cooler, large deck and security system. $173,900

MLS# 10274731

1665 ARDEN - CONWAY

Beautiful 3BR/2BA home on corner lot with new hardwood floors, tile in wet areas, custom blinds, fenced backyard, walk to school. Immaculate! $145,000

1104 B WEST 29TH STREET 2BR/1BA fixer upper. Owner financing or cash discount. $350 down, $150 a month. 803-403-9555

MLS#10274951

3005 DALLAS LOOP - CONWAY

Exceptional 4BR/2.5BA updated and modern, two living areas, formal dining and breakfast area, study. New appliances, paint, window treatments, carpet, lighting and bath fixtures. Large fenced yard - walk to school.

Amazing home. $229,000

Land

MLS# 10267818

20 W. MARTIN, GREENBRIER $109,000. 25.21 acres off Brannon Road. Pastureland, borders creek, city water, electric, septic on property. Perfect for horses, cattle and your dream home. MLS# 10269741 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103

3535 HOMESTEAD - CONWAY

Adorable 3BR/2BA split plan with seating for four at breakfastbar, side-byside refrigerator, 2” faux wood blinds, large deck with access thru kitchen and master bedroom. $103,900

MLS#10272778

Publisher’s Notice

501-730-1100 • 501-679-1103 www.LRWHomes.com

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free 1-800-669-9077. The toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

Land SCRATCH GRAVEL, DAMASCUS $69,900. Beautiful country view on paved road, level with some hardwood trees and large barn, public water at road. Seven acres total, buy all or part.

Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103

Capitol View/ Stiffts Station

400 S. VALENTINE - $109,750.

2BR/1BA updated in 2008 with HVAC, roof, kitchen, bath, flooring, paint, lighting, etc. Large fenced yard w/great deck. Walking distance to UAMS & Hillcrest. Call JoJo Carter 773-9949 or www. pulaskiheightsrealty.com for more info.

Arkansas times presents PULASKI COUNTY Real Estate sales over $100,000 Mary T. Weber, Mary E. Taylor, Edwin G. Weber to LRQ LLC, S/2 NE 24-1N14W, N/2 SE 24-1N-14W, $807,000.

Marianne Munro, Tod Swiecichowski to James A. Carney, Jr., Michelle S. Carney, 2620 N. Pierce St., $765,000.

Roger C. Coburn, Jr., Julie Coburn to Jared Hankins, Natalie Hankins, L3 B114, Chenal Valley, $750,000.

M. K. Homes LLC to Robert M. Cearley, Sarah T. Cearley, L71 B83, Chenal Valley, $710,000.

Jerry J. Barakat to Junshuang Z h a n g , To n g h u a n g Z h a n g , 1 1 Shackleford Dr., $700,000.

Christopher B. Maris, Elizabeth M. Maris to Richard Johnson, L408, Meadowcliff, L45, Lakeview Plat 1, Ls24-25 Block C. & L15 Block D, Oak Forest Gardens Annex, $544,000.

Dean L. Worley, Tina L. Worley to Robert E. Gunderman, Carla J. Gunderman, 129 Sezanne Ct., $511,000.

Jeffrey Massey, Danica Massey to Janet G. Mack, David J. Mack, 120 Courts Ln., $476,000.

John W. Bailey, Marilyn C. Bailey to Chandra S. Lingisetty, Hima B. Duttuluri, 10 Laval Ct., $420,000.

Timothy M. Johnson, Melinda R. Johnson to Kalyana C. Koneru, L16 B70, Chenal Valley, $400,000.

Bank Of Little Rock to Steven J. Petruk, 23 Chemin Ct., L24 B70, Chenal Valley, $396,000.

Alfred F. Angulo, Jr., Mary K. Sanders to Raymond L. Bertasi, Leslie B. Bertasi, 39 Margeaux Cove, $391,000.

Bella Casa LLC to Park Fleming, Kathleen Fleming, SE SW 1-2N-14W, $385,000.

Michael S. Maybaum, Dianne E. Maybaum to National Residential Nominee Services, L61 B61, Chenal Valley, $363,000.

Jon O’Donnell, Jr., Anna N. O’Donnell to Christopher M. Welch, Christina E. Welch, 203 Maranes Cir., Maumelle, $340,000.

Iram Bakhtawar, Adnan Bhutta to Richard B. Weiland, Theresa M. Weiland, 11 Grayan Ct., $330,000.

Jonathan Stockett, Anne Stockett to Mitchell Lowe, Sarah B. Lowe, 11212 Rocky Valley Dr., $326,000.

Janet G. Mack, David J. Mack to Jason S. Stumhofer, Amy L. Stumhofer, 13414 Christopher Dr., $324,000.

J. Martin Homes Inc. to Nicholas J. Russell, Venemay Russell, 121 Lake

36 january 19, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Valley Dr., Maumelle, $320,000.

J. Martin Homes Inc. to Mary Helen White Revocable Trust, Nancy H. Sullivan, L29 B23, Maumelle Valley Estates, $320,000.

Christopher B. Maris, Elizabeth M. Maris to Doyle R. Johnson, L47, Lyn-Dell Acres, L14, Colonial Cove, $308,000.

Brian Cox, Stacey Cox to Neal A. Roffmann, Glynda L. Roffmann, 12416 Brodie Creek Trail., $260,000.

Lakeside Custom Homes LLC to Corker Family Trust LLC, 3141 Clearwater Ct., Sherwood, $255,000.

Vernon A. Weiner, Patricia Weiner, Clyde M. Brooks, Marcie Brooks to Michael Zweifler, L2, Patterson, $251,000.

Ramona F. Girner, Ramona F. Zuber, Ramona F. Chambers, John S. Girner to Timothy M. Johnson, Melinda Johnson, 23401 Roland Cutoff Rd., Roland, $246,000.

Michael W. Lucas, Tonya J. Lucas to Katherine A. Donoven, 9256 Wooded Acres Cir., Sherwood, $245,000.

KCA Development LLC to Justin C. Reddin, Autumn L. Reddin, 41 Kanis Creek Pl., $242,000.

Stephen Hess, Katrina Hess to Loel E. Clements, Lisa A. Clements, 3 Windstone Dr., Sherwood, $231,000.

Thomas W. Bond, Gabriel Bond to Thomas R. Bond, Patricia Bond, SE NE 17-3N-10W, $230,000.

Fr a n k J . L a d m i r a u l t , D i a n a Ladmirault to Marcus O. Millsap, L6, The Pointe Phase 1, $225,000.

Wilcox Contracting LLC to Matthew A. Nickleson, Rebecca A. Nickleson, L127, Ashley Downs Phase I, $214,000.

Lisa R. Hatfield, Sharon A. Whorton, Terry Whorton to Linda M. Collins, 14 Taylor Park Loop, $214,000.

Robert E. Insall, Sheila K. Kirby to I 40 Kerr LLC, L2-3 B31, Park Hill NLR, $210,000.

John B. Harkey, Jane Harkey to Paul D. Groce, Kay F. Groce, 3 Lombardy Ln., $209,000.

Bruce A. Thomasson, Carol A. Thomasson to Ann E. Scoggins, William F. Rahn, 16724 Lone Pine Rd., NLR, $198,000.

Billy W. Lewis, Patsy N. Lewis to Raymond & Mary Sue Ramsey Joint Revocable Trust, Raymond Ramsey, Mary S. Ramsey, L6A, Plantation Acres Phase II, $198,000.

Curtis Summers, Beverly A. Summers to Andrew J. Paladino, Kimberly G. Paladino, 12 Coachlight Dr., $197,000.

C l a y t o n L . Fr e e m a n , N a t a l i e A. Freeman to Kevin D. Kitchens, Kathryn F. Kitchens, 5 Liberty Bell Ct., $197,000.

Randy Wiggins Company Inc. to Jack H. Simmons, Marilyn J. Simmons, 8109 Austin Gardens Ct., Sherwood, $195,000.

Karen D. Fleming to Robert J. Lamberson, 15100 Gorgeous View Trail, $195,000.

HBH Builders Inc. to George M. Freeman, 505 Garden Valley Loop, $194,000.

Lafayette Plaza LLC to Daphne Bell, 523 S. Louisiana St., Unit 10-C, $192,000.

Chad Tarver to Michelle Perez, 8 Hogan Dr., Maumelle, $190,000.

Jennifer L. Carter, Adam P. Carter to Julie A. Dornblaser, 5031 Lakeview Rd., NLR, $190,000.

Sanders Enterprises Inc. to Barbara J. Turner, L104, Bentley Court Phase II, $189,000.

Rikki D. Smith, Jennifer N. Smith to Jason Kent, Shannon Kent, 100 Basalt Cove, Sherwood, $188,000.

Michelle Alley, Jod y Alley to Alexandria T. Caraway, 605 Poinsetta Dr., $185,000.

Jyothi P. Chandrasekhar, Gouri V. Babu to Gokulakrishn U. Naidu, 8 Trelon Dr., $185,000.

David A. Rogers, Cynthia E. Rogers to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., 509 Harris Rd., Jacksonville, $181,881.

HBH Builders Inc. to Margaret A. Binz, L10 B2, The Gardens At Valley Falls, $180,000.

Daniel M. Flowers, Juliana M. Flowers to Andrew Cozens, Natasha Cozens, 8 Sharondale Pl., Maumelle, $176,000.

Dawn Prasifka, Dawn Waldron, Dawn Jansen to Michael D. Terrell, Shona E. Terrell, 8215 Alvin Ln., $176,000.

Suzanne Penn to Sheri L. Hamlin, 5201 Fairway Ave., Apt. 16, NLR, $174,000.

Jarrod A. Devore, Kendi Devore to Jonathan Hughes, L117 B1, Woodruff Creek, $173,000.

Jacqueline Penny to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., 1 Taylor Park

Loop, $171,000.

Jerry L. Coates, Sharon M. Coates to Clay Coates, 4611 Gooch Dr., $170,000.

Federal Na tional Mortga ge Association to Jamie B. Johnson, Katie L. Johnson, 9401 Johnson Rd, Mabelvale, $166,000.

Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Shanetta Brown, 1401 Sweetgum Ln., NLR, $164,000.

Brett Chumley, Nikki Chumley to Christopher Robertson, Sara Robertson, 21 Tortoise Park Cove, $163,000.

Keith J. Harvey, Jr., Ashley B. Harvey to Denise Ralls, 8 Garden Oaks Ln., Maumelle, $162,000.

Katherine Kiernan to Toni M. Wilson, 7510 Amherst Dr., $159,000.

Crystal G. Reeder to Adam McElderry, Lindsay McElderry, 79 Lefever Ln., $157,000.

Christopher B. Lamb, Leslie Lamb to Carrie L. Simpson, 7 Sams Cove, $157,000.

Cherie J. Wilkerson to Ewell R. Welch, Bonnie D. Welch, 4601 Crestline Dr., NLR, $155,000.

Douglas W. Galigher, Linda S. Galigher to John Calhoun, Lauren Calhoun, 26 Burkwood Dr., $155,000.

Brook Wilson, Noble D. Wilson, Brenda K. Wilson to Dilip Bhandari, Nirmala Parajuli, 14011 Sweet Bay Dr., $154,000.

Diane C. Vogler to Jimmy R. Long, L12 B18, Indian Hills, $153,000.

Keith Hamaker, Donna Hamaker to Michael A. Humphrey, 2921 Misty Ln., $153,000.

John Burkhead, Carrie Burkhead to Graham H. Goodloe, Albert T. Goodloe, Veronica Goodloe, 3024 Circlewood Dr., $152,000.

Eanes Properties Inc., B&B Capital Reserves LLC to Amber K. Clayton, 827 Trammel Rd, NLR, $150,000.

Dennis E. Alford, Kelly A. Alford to Michael T. Oliver, 411 Hayley Ct., Sherwood, $148,000.

Kathryn F. Kitchens, Kathryn K. Franke, Kevin D. Kitchens, Carolyn Franke, William K. Franke to Carolyn Franke, L8, Oakcliff, $148,000.

Steven D. Womack, Sherrie K. Womack to Jolly Roger LLC, L42, Queen Manor, $148,000.

Tony W. Fowler, Freda S. Fowler to Molly Stewart, 102 Tivoli Ln., Maumelle, $146,000.

Carlos L. Miller, Lillie D. Miller to Kevin Aung, Norah Pfingsten, 16 Shawnee Forest Cove, $146,000.

Jeffery Hokett, Megan Hokett to Charles Nelson, Sandra Nelson, L4, Garden Oaks, $145,000.

Marcus Moore, Susan R. Moore to Moussa Baro, 2 Twin Pine Pl., $145,000.

Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Brandon Jackson, Rosemary L. Lock, 1217 Anemone Dr., NLR, $144,000.

Nuage Residential Contractors LLC to Lanette F. Latting, 1 Ponds Edge Ln., Alexander, $143,000.

Jarred B. Crow, Jennifer C. Crow to Bryce M. Rogers, L70, Meadow Ridge, $142,000.

Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Milton Murphy, 1401 Chervic Cir., NLR, $141,000.

Doris A. Haralson to US Bank NA, L38, Riverside, $140,678.

C. R. Anderson, Jannie E. Anderson to Mariah Reescano, Jerry L. Reescano, 31 Silver Ridge Cove, NLR, $140,000.

Joseph M. Zomaya, Najeba Y. Zomaya to Jeremy S. Craig, Kathryn E. Craig, 28 Flag Rd, $140,000.

CBM Appraisals Inc. to Conkin Enterprises Inc., L1, Pine Mountain, $140,000.

Gregg A. Knutson, Piper L. Knutson to Jamie C. Warren, 1904 Mesquite Cir., $139,000.

Troy J. Lampley, Laura Lampley to Chadwick Holsclaw, Dennis S. Holsclaw, 6112 Brentwood Rd, $135,000.

Hassel E. Myers, Jr., Carol S. Myers to Deborah L. Huber, 12805 Pleasant Forest Dr., $135,000.

Justin D. Swinford, Michelle M. Swinford to Victoria D. Shelton, 119 E. A Ave., NLR, $134,000.

Bolton T. Harris, II to Suzanne Langley, 2218 Durwood Rd, $133,000.

Brian K. Ford, Jr., Kimberly Ford to Phillip Holder, L7 B49, Indian Hills, $132,000.

Herman T. Camp, Rebecca Camp to Darren J. Mercer, Chinah N. Mercer, 101 Franklin St., Jacksonville, $132,000.

MRW Enterprises LLC to R&D Holding Limited Partnership LLLP, S/2 SE 8-1S-13W, $130,000.

Gina D. Devore, Donald C. Devore to Wells Fargo Bank NA, 315 Barton St., $129,424.

William A. Smith, Judith L. Smith Ira

to Kelli L. Hartje, 7201 Forest Dale Dr., NLR, $126,000.

Euro Homes Inc. to James M. Seales, Tamara L. Seales, 108 Meadows Dr., Jacksonville, $125,000.

Vaughn E. Carl, Ema Carl to Elijah K. Sellars, Shuting Sellars, 1100 Latigo Trail., Jacksonville, $125,000.

Robert S. Hancock to Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, L76, Briarwood, $124,850.

WTH Development LLC to Tiffany F. Haynes, 4 Erving Cove, $122,000.

Maureen E. Miller to John M. Kreth, 121 Prospect Trail, NLR, $121,000.

Better Community Development Inc., Black Community Developers Program In, Better Community Devlopement Inc. to Shalisa Dawkins, 8311 W. 28th St., $120,000.

Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Prakash Trivedi, 1405 Chervic Cir., NLR, $120,000.

Claudine M. James, Rommel E. James to Steven C. Stafford, Candice E. Stafford, 101 Parker St., Jacksonville, $120,000.

Jason R. Fallis to William C. Garre, II, 605 Willow St., NLR, $120,000.

Janet M. Allen, Gordon M. Allen to Ronald E. Brackenridge, Connie Brackenridge, 1 Valewood Cove, Sherwood, $119,000.

Bridget R. Pitonyak, Thomas E. Pitonyak to Paul M. White, Jennifer J. White, L48, Santa Fe Heights, $115,000.

Barbara W. McDaniel, Jim McDaniel to Harold E. Williams, 1124 Southedge Dr., $114,000.

Deltic Timber Corp. to Robert M. Cearley, Jr., L22 B126, Chenal Valley, $106,000.

Steve H. Nickles, Mary E. Murphy, Deborah A. Nickles to Gary L. Webb, 705 Emerald Gardens Dr., NLR, $105,000.

Dennis R. Clemmons to Short Properties LLC, L30, Edgepark Phase 2, $105,000.

Timothy F. Hines, Jr. to David J. Chipolla, 6 Oak Forest Cove, Maumelle, $103,000.

Nytalya Jordan to US Bank NA, L3 B4, Ferrell, $102,760.

Euro Homes Inc. to Emily Rodriguez, 105 Meadows Dr., Jacksonville, $102,000.

Dorothy J. Craig to Robert S. Rhodes, Jr., Diane D. Rhodes, L44, Pleasantree 4th, $100,000.

4924 HILLCREST AVE - $459,900.

3BR/3BA plus 3-car garage. 2600 SF. Recently renovated home on large corner lot. Call John Selva at Pulaski Heights Realty at 501-993-5442.

Hillcrest

712 N. WALNUT - $159,900.

2BR/1BA in the heart of Hillcrest.

Just 1/2 block of Kavanaugh.

Renovated kitchen w/custom maple cabinets, tile floors, solid surface counters. Enter MLS 10257444 at www.PulaskiHeightsRealty.com

West Little Rock 14615 BROWN BEAR DR $299,900. Great 4BR/2.5BA, approx. 3015 SF home in the new Don Roberts School District. Plenty of space for the entire family.

Formal dining room, office, family room & eat-in kitchen all downstairs. All bedrooms have large walk-in closets and master bath & closet are huge. Side-loading garage & fully fenced yard. Call Bob Bushmiaer of Pulaski Heights Realty @ 501-352-0156 for more info or a private showing.

Neighboring Communities

1480 W. LAWSON RD - $189,900. All brick on 3.5 acres in Alexander! 1850 SF, 3BR/2BA, hardwoods in great room and formal DR. Bryant schools.

Clyde Butler, CBRPM, 501-240-4300.

21854 WILLIAM BRANDON DRIVE - $168,500. Enjoy country living on five level acres only 15 minutes from downtown Little Rock! Like-new home with 4BR/2BA, wood-burning fireplace, granite counters, stainless appliances & more! Call Clyde Butler of CBRPM at 501-240-4300.

GREERS FERRY LAKE Spectacular view! 5 acres. Owner/ agent. 501-825-6200 www. enchantedbluffestates.com

Conway 1220 TRENTON - $123,000.

Charming 3BR/2BA with all new carpet, paint, tile, appliances including refrigerator, light fixtures, countertops, door knobs and pulls. Must see! MLS# 10262073 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-6791103

3005 DALLAS LOOP - $229,000.

Exceptional 4BR/2.5BA updated and modern, two living areas, formal dining and breakfast area, study. New appliances, paint, window treatments, carpet lighting and bath fixtures.

Large fenced yard - walk to school. Amazing home. MLS# 10267818 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-679-1103 3535 HOMESTEAD - $103,900.

Adorable 3BR/2BA split open plan with breakfast bar, side-by-side refrigerator, 2-inch faux wood blinds, laundry room and large deck with access thru kitchen and master. MLS# 10272778 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103 5125 GALLERIA COVE $209,000. Stunning 3BR/2BA with open split plan, an abundance of built-ins and storage.

Extraordinary lighting throughout, smooth top cooking surface, breakfast bar, walk-in pantry. FP, screened in porch and fenced yard. MLS# 10268505 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103

Greenbrier

No. 1215

1665 ARDEN - $145,000. Beautiful 3BR/2BA home on corner lot with new hardwood floors, tile in kitchen and wet areas, custom blinds, fenced backyard, walk to school.

Immaculate! MLS# 10274951 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-679-1103

Edited by Will Shortz

4101 C ST - $224,900. 3BR/2BA, 1836SF. Recently renovated!

Enter MLS# 10255320 on www.

PulaskiHeightsRealty.com for more photos. John Selva, Pulaski Heights Realty, 993-5442

Conway

■ CROSSWORD

Hillcrest

Across 1 Friends and neighbors 5 Bend oneʼs elbow, e.g.

9 Cornered 14 Start of an incantation 15 Wash up 16 “On the Beach” author 17 Hard-boiled crime genre 18 Aesir ruler 19 Perfect Sleeper maker 20 Athlete who has pigged out on snacks at a bar?

23 Interstatechampioning prez 24 Strippersʼ tips, often 25 Explosive of old 28 Special treatment, for short

29 “___ gehtʼs?”

(German “How are you?”)

30 ___ pro nobis 31 Chief heckler?

36 Skewer 37 Place for a Dumpster 38 Juanʼs “what” 39 Lavender, for one 40 Pesky arachnid 41 Skydiverʼs amended plans?

43 Troopentertaining grp.

44 Cara ___ (Italian term of endearment) 45 Performer yukking it up 46 Friend from afar 48 Tickled 50 Indy letters 53 Insulation from jokes?

56 Rodeo ride

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE J A D E A P O P Y P S I C A C T G O A W A M M O A P O F A T V S H A W S E C R U S A I C E N T H A T E

L A I R

O R A L L Y

S A N Y O

C C A L A M O L U T L S E T A R G I A D R

H T T P S O Y U Z G Y R O

A S I S O V L A O L P S S K L A E N P S E A W S

W A R M O V I E

A L E U T

S T A S I S

N A T I V E

T R A C E R

O N O W E N I D P D U T Y I S H E T S Y M O T H O W I E G E N X

58 Astronomyʼs ___ cloud 59 Brand for woofers, but not tweeters?

60 Cultural prefix 61 Purple shade 62 Sound from a steeple 63 Core belief 64 Criticʼs unit 65 Primordial stuff Down 1 Japanese writing system 2 Old Apple laptop 3 Brief moment 4 “Listen!,” oldstyle 5 Walk with jerky motions 6 Chili server 7 Escapees from Pandoraʼs box 8 Alien: Prefix 9 Take on 10 Angle symbol, in trigonometry 11 Explode like a puffball 12 “Boston Legal” fig.

13 Truly, in the Bible 21 Unwise undertaking 22 Brand once advertised with the jingle “We wear short shorts …”

26 Circular gasket 27 Baristaʼs offering 28 Back into a corner 29 Boo-hoo

1

2

3

4

5

14

6

7

8

9

15

17

18 22

23

24

25

28

29

33

34

37

43

56

51

52

39

44

57

27

42 45

47 53

26

36

41

46

13

30

35

38

40

12

19

21

32

11

16

20

31

10

48

49

50

54

55

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

Puzzle by John Lampkin

31 Copier malfunction 32 Beethoven dedicatee 33 “Rocket Man” rocker 34 Pastel hue 35 Scat syllable 36 Bernie Madoffʼs hedge fund, e.g.

39 Parasolʼs offering

41 Leave high and dry 42 Say “Hey, batter batter batter” and such 44 Mr. Met, for one 47 Tubular pasta 48 Mosaic artistʼs material 49 Spanish poet García ___

50 Fifth-century canonized pope 51 Birthstone for many Scorpios 52 Working stiff 54 The old man

55 Banjo accessory

56 Double or nothing, e.g.

57 Tpke., e.g.

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

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

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

Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay.

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

344 CASTLEBERRY - $173,900.

Magnificent 3BR/2BA on 1.16 acre corner lot with privacy fenced yard & storage bldg. Open plan with hardwood floors, solid surface counters, custom maple cabinets, built-in Thermador cappucino machine & wine cooler, large deck and security system. MLS# 10274731 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-7301100 or 501-679-1103 39 INDIAN SPRINGS $166,500. 3BR/2BA new construction with gas fireplace, tile backsplash, smooth top cooking surface, microwave, pantry, jetted tub in master. Large deck with country view. MLS# 10257991 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-679-1103 53 WIN MEADOW - $239,900.

A little bit of country with all the modern amenities! 4BR/3BA with large kitchen w/oak cabinetry, double pantry, cook’s dream island, breakfast nook with large windows. Across from 55-acre lake.

MLS# 10257940 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-679-1103

Sherwood 400 MAXINE - $119,000. 3BR/2BA, 1452 SF all brick home on corner lot w/a fully fenced yard! Heated and cooled craft room/workshop, new roof in 2010. Clyde Butler, CBRPM, 240-4300

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for pricing and availability. www.arktimes.com • january19, 19,2011 2011 37 www.arktimes.com • JANUARY 37

The worst month n Here’s more damning evidence that January is and always has been the worst month.

It was in January 2000 that Tom DeLay, well-known Texas bug exterminator and palm-greaser, patented his idea to bribe termites with special-interest money into moving from big campaign-contributors’ houses to those of the poor and un-influential.

According to Bob Woodward, it was in January 2003 that the Decider decided to launch a war against Iraq, no matter what.

It was in January 1835 that a nut with a gun first tried to assassinate an American president. That would’ve been Andrew Jackson — the president, not the nut. Although.

“Dr.” John R. Brinkley first implanted goat testicles into the shriveled scroti of yahoos with the droops, promising thereby to restore their virility, in Milford, Kan., in January 1918. By the time he turned up in Little Rock in January 1938 he’d refined his technique, instead of inserting the caprine nads whole, whirring them instead in a primitive blender into a godawful injectable goop.

Jeez. Sumbitch never went to jail, either.

Douglas MacArthur, unanimously voted the biggest prick in the U.S. military between Sheridan and Westmoreland, was born in Little Rock in January 1880.

He never wanted to admit his native Arkieship, and we’re not crazy about the

Bob L ancaster idea, either, anymore.

It was in January 1984 that God spoke to Pat Day through the TV larynx of Jimmy Swaggart in a Florida motel room, telling him that for the remainder of his career as a jockey he’d be “riding for Jesus.”

In January 1891, just after the Wounded Knee massacre, while the frozen bodies, mostly squaws and papooses, still lay uncollected in the snow, a young editorial writer named L. Frank Baum, who’d later write the Wizard of Oz books, sat down in the newspaper office in nearby Aberdeen, S.D., to assess the tragedy. “… Our only safety depends upon the total extermination of the Indians,” he wrote. “Having wronged them for centuries, we had better, in order to protect our civilization, follow it up by one more wrong and wipe these untamed and untamable creatures from the face of the earth.”

Britney Spears began spreading ’em indiscriminately in January 2000, perhaps as inspiration rather than augury for her megahit, “Oops! I Did It Again.”

Nixon, Elvis, and J. Edgar Hoover all

C

born in January, which pretty much foredoomed U.S. 20th Century karma. It was allegedly in January too that “Mary” Hoover first partied in curly black wig, little red dress, and naughty boa. Another January, Pat Nixon switched from furtive Pall Malls to sylphid Virginia Slims.

It was in January 1941 that Max Schreck, aka Count Orlok, or Nosferatu, winged to the United States to take up a new identity as one Richard Bruce Cheney, allegedly “born” in Lincoln, Neb., that same month.

It was in the January afterglow of 2004 that Janet Jackson’s bazoomba popped out for 100-million TV viewers to ogle at halftime in Super Bowl 38. I missed it, gone for brewskis.

Much of the Rape of Nanking occurred in January 1938. Look it up and tell me: He’s got the whole world in His hands?

The Slaughter of the Innocents occurred entirely in the month of January in 1 A.D. The Alamo was built in January 1718 by Oompah-Loompas, who were given to understand that it would be a chocolate factory.

Rumors peaked in January 1955 of something going on between Pinky Lee and Soupy Sales. Very disillusioning to a boonies 11-year-old. Might’ve presaged Pee-wee Herman forgetting to laugh in January 1992 over fallout from his flogging the bishop at the Bijou.

The Battle of New Orleans — January 1815, when Old Hickory put the bloody British to running through briars, brambles,

S

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Legal Notices

Notice of Filing Application for Restaurant Beer and Wine permit. Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has filed an application with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the State of Arkansas for a permit to sell and serve beer and wine with food, only for consumption on the premises, at: 3 Rahling Circle, Ste. A-1, Little Rock, AR, Pulaski County. Said application was filed on December 21, 2010. The undersigned states that he is a resident of Arkansas, of good moral character; that he has never been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude; that no license to sell alcoholic beverages by the undersigned has ever been revoked within five (5) years last past; and, that the undersigned has never been convicted of violating the laws of this State, or any other State, relative to the sale of controlled beverages. Kawser Jamal for Palio’s Arkansas LLC

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Public Notice of RFQ For Project Administrative Professional Services The Baxter-Marion Rural Water Association #1 is anticipating receiving CDBG grant funds from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to construct a water system. The Baxter-Marion Rural Water Association #1 is interested in acquiring the services of a project Administrator (firm or individual) to provide services for the above referenced project. Procedures for selection of an individual/firm will be in accordance with CDBG procurement requirements. All responses will be evaluated in terms of specialized experience and technical competence; performance; capacity and capability of the firm/individual to perform work; and proximity to and familiarity with the project area. Negotiations will begin with the respondent obtaining the highest total score in the evaluation process. Interested parties are invited to secure an RFQ package from: County of Marion, Sara Thorne P.O. Box 545 Yellville, AR 72687 All interested parties must submit their response to the RFQ package to:County of Marion, Sara Thorne \ s1P.O. Box 545 Yellville, AR 72687 All Statements of Qualifications must be submitted no later than 4:00p.m. on Monday, February 7, 2011. The County of Marion reserves the right to reject or withdraw any Statement of Qualifications. The County of Marion is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. James “ Pete” Giles Marion County Judge

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and bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go — the battle best remembered for the U.S. artillerymen who fired their field pieces till the barrels melted, then grabbed them some alligators and fought another round using them as cannons. Taught as fact in Texas.

Theodore Roosevelt died in January 1919 and we’ve had nothing but pussy presidents since.

It was January 2004 when Billy Bob Thornton revealed that his impressive phobia roster included graven images of Benjamin Disraeli.

David O. Dodd, the Boy Martyr of the Confederacy, has been disinterred 12 times for ceremonial rehanging on the anniversary of his execution as a Confederate spy in January 1864.

It was January 1961 when warden Jim Bruton first made what he called a “longdistance call” by hooking up the Tucker Telephone to a convict’s big toe and penis and having a trusty turn the crank. LOL for ol’ Jim. After first refutiating the idea, Sarah Palin decided in January 2008 that it would be OK to burden the child she was expecting with the name Trig, which wags would assume was short for either Roy Rogers’ horse or a branch of mathematics. Agreed-on moniker for any future Trig sib: Crosshair.

And in this January’s rosy fingers, omens dire — for every Beebe blackbird falling dead from the sky, 20 Ozark gaspergou bellied up as if in propitiation.

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➤➤➤ The comprehensive list of everything worth doing this weekend from Times entertainment editor, Lindsey Millar. Whether it’s live music, dance, theater or an exhibit, Lindsey steers you to the best. The To-Do List email newsletter arrives in your in-box every Wednesday afternoon with an& eyeGRILL toward RIVERMARKET BAR planning for your weekend. The To-Do List is a sure bet for your active life!

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www.arktimes.com • January 19, 2011 39