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NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT / FEBRUARY 14, 2013 / ARKTIMES.COM

SHOWDOWN CAFETERIA It took protests and the court to make the Capitol follow law. BY JOHN A. KIRK PAGE 14

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Join us on our journey to see a vast collection of masterworks in a masterfully designed museum, set into 100 acres of beautiful trail-threaded woodland. Museum founder Alice Walton has assembled one of the most important collections of American art in the country, including paintings, drawings and sculpture from America’s colonial period to the present, from Peale’s famed portrait of George Washington to Mark Rothko’s brilliant abstraction in orange. Moshe Safdie’s design for the museum incorporates areas for contemplation and study with views of the spring-fed ponds that give the museum its name and the Ozarks.

Norman Rockwell traveling exhibition at Crystal Bridges One of the most popular American artists of the past century, Norman Rockewell was a keen observer of human nature and a gifted storyteller. This exhibition features 50 original paintings and 323 Saturday Evening Post covers. Timed, reserved tickets will be required to view this exhibition.

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Or mail check or money-order to Arkansas Times Crystal Bridges Bus PO Box 34010 • Little Rock, AR • 72203 At the museum in April: Special exhibits “Art Under Pressure,” etchings, engravings and other prints made between 1925 and 1945 by Thomas Hart Benton, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Edward Hopper and others, much of it addressing social issues, and “Abstractions on Paper,” work from the Arkansas Arts Center that complements Crystal Bridges’ modern works.

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Audio tours narrated by President Clinton are FREE. New features added to the audio tour! VOLUME 39, NUMBER 24 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.

Foreign Heads of State Gifts: Tokens of Friendship Closes February 24, 2013

The Clinton Library opens up the vaults to showcase unseen treasures given to President Clinton from foreign heads of state. Gifts on display range from native arts or antiques representing the country’s culture and heritage to sparkling gold and gemstones. Other gifts tell the story of a personal friendship with President Clinton.

Gifts on display range from native arts or antiques representing the country’s culture and heritage to sparkling gold and gemstones. Other gifts tell the story of a personal friendship with President Clinton.

1200 President Clinton Avenue • Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 • 501-374-4242 • clintonpresidentialcenter.org

Arkansas Travelers Closes June 2, 2013

This display pays tribute to the Arkansas Travelers, who helped conduct a successful grassroots campaign that gave Clinton the momentum needed to win the Democratic nomination in 1992 as well as his reelection campaign in 1996.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2013

COMMENT

Still amazed I am writing this with a heavy vagina, in response to the “War on Women” (Feb. 6) article. Having lived in Arkansas for 40 years (so I’m still an outsider), I continue to be amazed by the various legislation that has been introduced throughout my years here. Why men believe their private parts and bodies cannot be legislated upon, yet continually want power over women, is just so, well, Bible Belt. We’re definitely not a progressive state. It looks like Arkansas men have the right to have sex with women, but what are THEIR consequences for an unwanted pregnancy? These men will never understand the emotional impact of putting a woman through an unwanted pregnancy and HER life afterwards. Forcing adoption, forcing regret, forcing of financial hardships, forcing a child to grow up in a possibly loveless existence — when the man will not “Man Up” to his responsibility — all in the name of God? Where’s legislation that will guarantee financial and emotional support for the child that someone doesn’t want, but by a law, must have? Just another example of penis power, in my opinion. Elaine Burks Little Rock

The governor’s race Now that Dustin McDaniel is out of the race, who will the Democrats of Arkansas put forward? After having a man like Mike Beebe for governor, if the people of Arkansas permit a pipsqueak like Asa (!) Hutchinson to become governor by default, we will get exactly what we deserve, and it may not be what we like. J.R. Johnson Mabelvale

the population of this county of their right to individual freedom. Surely they understand that we all desire the same thing — we want what’s best for ourselves and our families. Both men and women have the right to personal freedom and self-determination, not just the half with a “y” chromosome. What is it about the female gender that causes some legislators to feel compelled to propose government control over women’s bodies? Helen Jane Brown Executive director Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault Fayetteville

Sanctuary from guns I am a born and bred Arkansan. I am a proud Southerner. But above all, I am a person of faith. The church I attended for several years when I lived in Arkansas has red doors. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway and Episcopal and other churches around the county have red doors. Some are freshly painted and vibrantly glowing in their redness. Some are faded to more of a dirty maroon color rather than flashing with a stoplight red. Sadly, those who attend church in Arkansas and elsewhere

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Only a woman It’s not about exceptions for rape, incest or health of the mother. It is about an individual’s constitutional right to privacy and personal liberty. No one but a woman who becomes pregnant has the right, or the burden, to determine whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. When governing bodies start dictating when, where, and how a woman’s body must be examined, prodded or probed, it is the end of equal justice for one gender at the bidding of the other. Women’s bodies are not objects to be controlled by any legislative agenda. I know no one who is “anti-life” but I know many who profess to be “pro-freedom.” What freedom is more celebrated in our culture than one of self-determination? Sadly, there are those in elected positions who misuse their power to create legislation specifically designed to deprive half 4

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

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seem to have forgotten the reason behind this redness. There are several reasons that we give for our red doors in the church. Most are symbolic of theological concepts and doctrine. Some are practical such as simply indicating that the Episcopal Church you are entering has successfully paid its mortgage in full. However, there is one meaning that is pertinent to this particular point in our history. It is relevant today as it was relevant in the Middle Ages. Red doors symbolized sanctuary. In fact, from the 4th until the 17th century, English law recognized that if a fugitive entered a sacred place such as a church that they were immune to arrest. In this country, people still at times attempt to seek sanctuary. As recently as 2006, conscientious objectors to the Iraq war were able to seek and at least for a time receive sanctuary under the auspice of the United Methodist Church in Tacoma, Wash. So the question must be raised, why has this concept of sanctuary been lost in the shuffle? Frankly, I have no answers. When a refugee from Sudan or Rwanda or some other war-torn country in Africa or the Middle East or wherever and whenever applies for asylum, we consider it. As best we can, we honor such requests and even grant a few. Yet, we have lost all concepts of church as sanctuary. When states make laws specifically saying that it is OK to carry a concealed weapon into a house of worship then people of faith have lost all sense of sanctuary. When houses of worship and people in general allow weapons into houses of worship or any public forum then we have lost all sense of peace. When people as a whole do not explicitly prohibit guns concealed or otherwise in public forums then we have lost all sense of the sanctity of peaceful society. At the end of the day, I am completely in favor of our God-given and our constitutional rights. But I draw the line when people argue that it is their God-given right to bring a gun tucked under their buttonedup shirt into Sunday service because I am pretty sure that a mechanism of death is not welcome in places that speak of new life and eternal life and peace everlasting. I no longer live in Arkansas. I now live in Maryland. One of the highest if not the highest cause of deaths for youth in Baltimore is homicide. Bullets to the heart and brain. No one can nor should argue about God-given and constitutional rights when the way that people currently own and use guns is a crime against humanity. Patrick Kangrga Pikesville, Md.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2013

EDITORIAL

Today’s crisis

he cover story of this issue of the Arkansas Times reminds us of another day when zealots tried to hold themselves above the law. Then it was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that they didn’t want to comply with, and the practice of racial discrimination that they sought to defend. Now, it’s religious extremists trying to impose their own beliefs on others, by denying needy Americans access to the birth control coverage that is provided in President Obama’s health care reform. In 1964, racist shop owners claimed the right to deny service to black people. Today, the lawyer for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says that if he owned a Taco Bell, he should be able to deny his employees access to contraceptives. Hobby Lobby, a large chain of craft stores that purports to consider itself an evangelical Christian enterprise, has said it will defy the federal law requiring birth control coverage for its employees. In Denver, a federal judge has ruled that a heating and air conditioning firm can indeed deny birth control coverage to its workers, because the owners of the firm, conservative Catholics, are opposed to birth control. The Denver ruling elicited a devastating rebuttal from Karen B. Ringen of Boulder, a member of the board of trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In a column for the Denver Post, she wrote: “True religious freedom means the right to make religious decisions for yourself. It gives you (or your boss) no license to tell others what to do. If your religion teaches that the use of birth control is a sin, no one can force you to use it. But your belief, no matter how strongly held, does not give you the power to make decisions for others — especially when those decisions are of an intimate and personal nature. … “We simply cannot have a health-care system where workers’ rights are held hostage to their employer’s religious beliefs, and employers may pick and choose what they will allow in terms of access to health care for their employees. … “It is truly remarkable that some — including a federal judge — have embraced a theory of religious liberty that allows those in positions of authority to use government policy to force their theology onto the rest of us. Some may call that ‘religious liberty.’ To a lot of us, it looks more like something else: religious oppression.” A Supreme Court decision allowing either people or corporations to evade the law in the name of “religious freedom” would be a terrible blow to this country. How then could we stop a fundamentalist motel owner from refusing to rent rooms to Jews or atheists? Or a Muslim taxi driver from refusing to transport Christians to church? Or a Pentecostal factory owner who believes in faith healing from denying all medical coverage to his employees? The televangelists and the bishops may prefer theocracy to democracy. The founders of this nation most certainly did not. 6

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

JON NICHOLS

EYE ON ARKANSAS

SUMAC TO GO: Jon Nichols posted this photo of a robin landing on sumac to our Eye On Arkansas Flickr group. Last week’s Where in Arkansas winner was Jacob Brock, who correctly guessed our photo was taken at the grotto at Petit Jean State Park on the Seven Hollows Trail.

Decide on Medicaid already

he Republican Party, newly in charge of the Arkansas legislature, isn’t wearing the crown easily. Oh, sure. It’s easy to appease the gun nuts. The antiabortion jihadists must and will be served. But after tossing chum to the single-issue sharks, then what? The big question is Medicaid. The Congress, behind President Obama’s leadership, has approved a significant expansion of the Medicaid program and provided the money to pay for most of it, meaning health care for a quarter-million Arkansans. Arkansas Republicans tend toward Tea Baggery. They want to shrink government, even if it means depriving unemployed, underemployed and other struggling people access to health care. Why won’t Republicans just stand up and say no? It seems cruel, for one thing. More important, pressure is immense from virtually every sector of the economy to join Medicaid expansion. At least six other Republicanled states already have. But Arkansas is in a race to the political bottom with Oklahoma and Mississippi. With a 75 percent constitutional vote requirement to pass spending bills, the odds are long on talking sense into a sufficient number of Arkansas legislators to do what’s best for the state. A handful of politically sensitive Republicans want cover. So they delay. They focus on obscure slices of the program. Should the state or the feds pay for that slice of the poor who make up to 138 percent of the poverty line? Shouldn’t we study the program more? And isn’t this program larded with waste, which could pay for expansion on its own? That waste message is an oldie but evergreen. Arkansas Republicans even pushed Legislative Audit into a hurryup special audit of Medicaid, complete with some special advice on places to look, to build this case. The audit was set for a PR-style release to a mostly Republican audience two weeks ago. Republicans were madly leaking that the audit would show tens of millions in wasted money. Department of Human Services, which runs Medicaid, was informed of findings, but given no chance to respond.

DHS, however, saw enough of what was to come to see some of the methodology was flawed and said so. The Beebe administration noted the unusual procedures being followed. No chance for MAX response? What was that about BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com except a booby trap? The Republicans and Legislative Audit, controlled by Republicans, pulled back as the spin went against them. DHS and auditors talked further. When the audit finally was released Friday, there was, essentially, no there there. A small sample of Medicaid recipients — notoriously hard to monitor as to assets in determining eligibility — was shown to have an error rate that might have cost the billion-dollar program $1 million. A doctor with a federal record related to possession of pornographic images hadn’t filed proper paperwork on his conviction. But his past was no secret. Continuing publicity about him probably prompted Republicans to have him checked out. The doctor sees Medicaid patients in private practice, with full approval of the state Medical Board. House Republican Leader Bruce Westerman claims this bunch of trivia demonstrates Medicaid is “broken” and should be fixed, not expanded. I’ve asked to see the original “show” audit. Legislative Audit won’t release it. It hasn’t been formally “presented,” the Republican operative who’s audit’s legal counsel said. Republican Rep. Kim Hammer of Benton, co-chair of the Audit Committee, thought it sufficiently “presented” to post it on his website and speak of its “approval.” I’m betting the crooked path to this audit would reveal a whole lot more about Republican machinations than it would reveal about Medicaid. Republicans don’t want to expand Medicaid. People who want to save a foundering health care system, help more sick people and stimulate the Arkansas economy take the opposite view. It’s a fair philosophical debate. Too bad most Republicans are afraid to wage it straight up. Which indicates they aren’t so dumb.

JON NICHOLS

OPINION

The case for taxes

n old friend who worked harder and smarter than I did in my fecund years and has much more to show for it treated me to lunch and upbraided me in what I thought was an unusually gentlemanly way for having thrown my lot with the utopian socialist Barack Obama. Since I have a full quarter-century on Obama and have been foisting my opinions on an occasional Arkansas reader since the president was born, it would have suited my vanity better to say that he cast his lot with me, but it would seem small of me to quibble over that so I shall not. The issue was the president’s obsession with taxes, those levied on high incomes, which my friend considers an effort to punish success, initiative, character, thrift and the other qualities that once made America the envy of the world. The goal of the schemes — the president’s and mine — is supposed to be, in my friend’s eye, an egalitarian society where everyone shares equally in the bounty of the land. Specifically, the president got Congress at year’s end to tack on another tax bracket for income over roughly $400,000 a year, which will be taxed not at the old 35 percent but at 39.6 percent, the same as before the temporary Bush tax cuts of 2001, and now Obama wants Congress to close a few tax loopholes for corporations and high-

income individuals — all to ratchet down the deficit. The Affordable Care Act, signed by Obama in 2010, also ERNEST imposes a 3.8 perDUMAS cent tax this year on the net investment income of people like my friend and a tax of a little less than 1 percent on the wages and salaries of people earning more than about $250,000 a year. Those “Obamacare” taxes, along with some on tanning-bed manufacturers and other medical equipment that will reap a big demand from the expansion of health insurance, are supposed to forestall the approaching Medicare deficit and help pay for expanded Medicaid and premium subsidies for low-wage workers. Even then, the average tax rate paid by the top 1 percent is still close to lows of the past 75 years, and the record shows that industry and finance flourished in those high-tax times. The worst per-capita GDP growth occurred in the last decade when taxes on the 1 percent were just above the lowest rate since 1930. Since in the repose of old age my income does not subject me to those taxes (in truth, even in my fruitful years my feeble labor never lifted me near those brackets) I have

NWA’s turn?

ommunity leaders in Northwest Arkansas are quite conscious that, despite its growing economic power and population, the region has yet to elect one of its own as governor in the contemporary era. With each passing election cycle, the metropolitan area stretching across three counties (Benton, Washington, and Madison) and including four of the state’s largest cities grows in voting power and political influence in the form of campaign contributions. However, Madison County’s Orval Faubus, a politician of a different era and a different Northwest Arkansas, was the last candidate from the area to win the governor’s office. The strongest Republican candidate to yet announce for the office, 2006 nominee Asa Hutchinson, has roots in the area that he represented in Congress for just over four years. While his political and business career since leaving Congress has taken him from the area, Hutchinson will refresh his NWA ties as he prepares for a primary rich in votes come from the region. Candidates from elsewhere in the state (such as House Speaker Davy Carter) might well be stronger general election candidates because of their fresh faces, their relative

moderation, and their connections outside the reliably Republican region. That said, the political winds blowing JAY in the GOP’s direcBARTH tion likely allow the party to defy history and elect an NWA candidate with previous lackluster statewide performances. Even more interesting is a newly launched trial balloon that a Democratic candidate from Northwest Arkansas is looking at the race. Just this week, Mike Malone — son of a respected former Fayetteville state legislator, former Clinton administration official, and president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council since his return to the state — said that he has been encouraged to run for governor and will “think about it over the next few weeks.” Malone, now also an Arkansas Lottery commissioner, is an emphatically nice guy who has had success in a business community where Republicans rule, despite his Democratic pedigree. While some NWA business types might get on board as contributors if Malone

been quite comfortable with the higher taxes. (To be fair to myself, I thought denizens of the 15 and 25 percent brackets like my wife and I could also pay a little more.) My friend wanted earnestly to know how I justified, morally, penalizing successful people and enterprises to reward Medicaid clients who could pay for their own health care and insurance with only a little drive and hard work. He was disappointed in my faint answers and seemed to invite another try. I’ve turned it into a column and, like the good capitalist that I am, picking up a check for the trouble. First, I’m not a utopian dreamer and, despite the Fox News meme that he’s planting European socialism on American soil, there’s certainly no evidence that it drives the president, whose administration is as cozy with Wall Street and industry as Bush. Robert Owens’ followers at the commune at New Harmony, Ind., in the 19th century were about the last utopians. The nation long ago embraced the idea that it was a societal obligation, to be fulfilled by government, that every child be educated even if it meant that some would pay more than their pro-rata share, which my friend certainly did happily. And people contracted their governments to provide them many other services that each person could not secure for herself — roads, defense from foreign foes, security from criminals (including the white-collar kind),

safe food and drugs, a secure agricultural system, a healthy environment, a marketplace regulated to protect consumers and investors alike. For a century, people let it be known that they expected the government to somehow guarantee the opportunity for medical attention for everyone, including those who could not afford it. Each of us is a little safer if everyone gets medical attention. Hence, those Medicare taxes. In almost every instance, those services do not meet the approval of everyone. Each of us, every day, sees government spending we think is a misuse of our dollars but others see as vital. The trillions spent by Obama and his predecessors on Middle East war, arms subsidies and, yes, those drone strikes on unpatriotic U.S. citizens, reflect a national blindness to historical truth and make us no safer. But a majority each time deemed it wise, even if approval was fleeting. Taking $125 million of your and my tax dollars and giving it to the billionaire Koch brothers and a promoter named Correnti so that they will build a steel mill at Osceola rather than in Mississippi seems like the ultimate folly to me, but most people think it’s worth it to get 500 jobs for decent Osceola boys rather than undeserving Mississippians, so I’m philosophical about it. I hoped my friend might be philosophical about pitching in for health care for the ne’er-do-wells who won’t do more than hold down a dead-end job or two.

shows viability as a candidate, he would enter the race lacking in personal wealth, a vibrant statewide network or name recognition. That combination would normally be deadly for a prospective candidate, but the post-Dustin McDaniel 2014 election cycle is shaping up to be anything but normal. A candidate like Malone with a strong regional network but little statewide reach would need a large field of Democrats to create a “friends and neighbors” dynamic common in Democratic races of the past. In such races, candidates would tend to dominate their local area in the first primary; the two candidates who had added votes in parts of the state without a candidate to their local support would eke out a runoff and then a true statewide race would begin. The key to whether the Democratic primary has three candidates or a half-dozen is in the hands of former South Arkansas Congressman Mike Ross, who will either affirm his 2012 decision to leave the electoral arena or return to what now appears to be a more winnable race. Ross’s congressional voting history, particularly on social issues, creates serious problems with progressives with disproportionate power in the Democratic primary. However, Ross’s entry would push several candidates from

the race because of his regional base and his fundraising ability. If Ross decides to stay out, candidates from every region of the state will join Bill Halter, the only prospective candidate who’s won a statewide race, in the primary. Even in a fractured race with a large field of candidates, a Northwest Arkansas candidate remains disadvantaged in a modern Democratic primary. While thousands of Democratic voters live in the region, many vote Republican in primaries because that’s where the action is for key local races like county judge. Just the opposite is true elsewhere in the state. However, a Democratic nominee from the growing region of the state might well be the party’s best hope to stem the Republican tide in the fall. Showing the potential power of this region in a statewide race, those three counties provided Mike Beebe with more than one in every nine votes he received in his 2010 reelection campaign. Election cycle after election cycle, Arkansas Democrats spout rhetoric about how the party needs to “get serious” about making a major investment in gaining NWA votes. To date, that has been mere rhetoric. The nomination of a “(479)” candidate for the state’s preeminent office would force the party to turn that rhetoric into reality. www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

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ARKANSAS TIMES

t some point during or after the telecast of Arkansas’s listless, unspeakably awful performance Saturday at Vanderbilt, one of the commentators who had to make smirking reference to the production as the “SEC Game of the Week” unleashed this tidbit: The Razorbacks have won 12 SEC road games in the last 10 years. That utterance gave this columnist a “Harry Doyle moment.” You’ll recall Bob Uecker’s character in “Major League,” as he read off the linescore from another Indians’ loss, attaining an incredulous pitch when he saw the team’s futility in print. “One hit?! We got one [expletive] hit?!” My reaction to the quantifying of Arkansas’s decade-long basketball futility was similar, only nobody else was in the house to observe or hear it. After consulting the web, it turns out our record is even worse: The Razorbacks have won only 14 games since Nolan Richardson’s firing. Averaging basically a win away from Bud Walton per year sounds right, doesn’t it? We know that Stan Heath’s tenure was curtailed largely due to flagging attendance at home and monumental struggles on the road, and John Pelphrey actually fared worse. Those guys had the reins for nine seasons, and with Mike Anderson’s second season nearly in the books, he has not been able to reverse course. The 2012-13 campaign has managed to make all the prior problems appear conventional. It isn’t that this Arkansas team simply has a psychological barrier at this point. The Hogs are quite literally Jekyll and Hyde depending upon the environs, and you won’t find any other program in the country that could thoroughly dominate a No. 2 Florida squad on a Tuesday night and then get swallowed whole by a bad Vanderbilt team four days later. When you watch Anderson on the sideline — or in the case of the Commodores’ off-kilter arena, the baseline — you see a man who is as utterly confounded as the rest of us. That, regrettably, brings me to the conclusion that Anderson may simply be too gentlemanly. Nobody would be foolish enough to zealously advocate Nolan Richardson’s demeanor all the time, but the one thing that seems to distinguish the erstwhile coach from his pupil is that razor’sedge mentality that Richardson made his signature. Anyone with graying

temples can easily recall the famous walk-off in Austin, which was at the time both mystifying BEAU and embarrassWILCOX ing, but the retrospective observation is that Nolan simply stood up for his players. He was determined to affect a game as much as anyone in cowboy boots and an ugly necktie possibly could. This isn’t to indict Anderson for a lack of intensity, but there have been numerous occasions the past two seasons where unbalanced officiating has been costly to the Razorbacks. Anderson, for his part, stops well short of castigating the refs, and there are certainly appreciable arguments to being civil. When the game is completely out of hand, though, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t endorse a jacket-throwing tantrum or two. And not necessarily because I believe it would alter any given game’s outcome. Anderson is more schematic than Richardson was, and that is evident even in these losses. His team didn’t play recklessly on Saturday (only 11 turnovers), a testament to the fact that even at their worst, the Hogs still manage to have some measure of poise. They missed an ungodly number of uncontested shots, suffered because Marshawn Powell got dinged with two early fouls and never could tweak the tempo to their liking. Vanderbilt, which sincerely appeared to be one of the worst teams in majorconference basketball a month ago in a 56-33 loss at Fayetteville, did a commendable job of breaking Arkansas’s pressure. But the Hogs still need someone — anyone — to exert influence on the game. It’s not happening on the court at all, so the duty falls to Anderson to be something more than a tactician. In his first decade as head Hog, Richardson was rather masterful at putting his stamp on games at certain junctures, be it in the form of a well-timed technical foul or simply a mass substitution to transmit the proverbial message to a group of players that had faltered. Anderson is respectful of his position and the profession, which is by all means what you want your coach to be, but as this season hangs in the balance he is letting critical chances to reach his squad go by the boards.

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February 24, 2013

Join us at The Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock to walk the red carpet and celebrate a night of great films and advocacy for a one-of-a-kind, once-ayear black tie event that helps support a very important place of hope. All proceeds benefit the Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc. Make Reservations Now! Please visit us online at www.wolfestreet.org or call us at 501.372.5662 THE ONLY EVENT IN ARKANSAS Sanctioned by ©A.M.P.A.S.®

5:30 Sponsors & VIP Pre-party 6:00 Red Carpet Interviews Begin Silent Auction Begins 7:10 Live Auction 7:30 Broadcast of 85th Academy Awards Five Course Dinner Appetizer Inspired by Wolfgang Puck “The Wolfe Street Foundation saves lives; offering a solution to families suffering from the effects of alcoholism.” Co-chairs: Kathy C. Swanson & Karen Holderfield www.arktimes.com

february 14, 2013

ArkAnsAs Independent LIvIng CounCIL

Wanda Hamilton & Roger Fitzgibbon, Board Members. Sha’ Burke-Stephens

Promoting independence, including freedom of choice and full inclusion into the mainstream of society for all Arkansans with disabilities. ShA’ BuRke-STephenS, MBA, CEdD, Executive Director LeAnnA CLARk, Administrative Specialist

11324 Arcade Drive, Suite 7, Little Rock, AR 72212 501-372-0607 | Fax: 501-372-0598 | Toll Free: 800-772-0607 www.ar-silc.org

W O RDS

Seeing demons Demonize is the hot verb in political discourse these days. “The Wall Street Journal ignores GOP priorities to accuse Obama of demonizing his opponents.” “The NRA president said that the commission was demonizing the Second Amendment.” To demonize an opponent is to make him sound really bad, so that when you abuse him, you can claim he’s only getting what he deserves. Arkansas legislators have demonized women, to justify the anti-abortion bills the lawmakers are passing. “The colonel’s lady and Judy O’Grady are demons under the skin,” as Kipling didn’t quite say. The name of the Wake Forest University athletic teams is Demon Deacons. I wonder if they ever get demonized, as in “Tar Heels demonize Wake, demand exorcism of fieldhouse.” Wake players could be either demonized or deaconized, for that matter. Both sound unflattering, at least to non-Baptists. From a review of “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War”: “The French and Indian War began the glorious process of our own independence but precipitated our regretful destruction of native Americans’ way of life and culture.” Regretful means, obviously, “full of

regret.” I don’t think the people who were busily destroying native Americans’ way of life and culture felt DOUG any regrets at the SMITH time. dougsmith@arktimes.com It was only much later that society began to view that destruction as “unfortunate, deplorable” — that is, regrettable, which is the word the reviewer was reaching for. Why did the European leave? A headline in the editorial section of the Sunday paper — “The European Left and it’s trouble with Jews” — prompted a note from Richard W. Chapman: “Where is the apostrophe police when we need them?” Over at the doughnut shop, probably, while the apostrophes are on a rampage. Or am I demonizing the punctuation cops? “It was cut and dry, no ifs, ands or buts. There’s a right way, a wrong way and an Army way.” In this case, the right way is cut and dried. Nobody seems to have a generally accepted explanation of the phrase’s origin. I’ve heard that it has to do with pioneers turning meat into jerky. I’ve also heard that that story is malarkey.

WEEK THAT WAS

It was a good week for ... GUBERNATORIAL RACE JOCKEYING. Lt. Gov. Mark Darr said he’s not running for governor and pledged his support to Asa Hutchinson. Meanwhile, former Congressman Mike Ross is reportedly considering jumping into the race, and past Republican candidate Sheffield Nelson has said he’s mulling running either as a Republican or independent. DELAYING. Republicans, including Rep. John Burris (R-Harrison), said they want to delay making a decision on expanding Medicaid to next year’s fiscal session. If the legislature then decided to expand, it would be leaving six months of money on the table. See the Expand-o-meter on page 21 for more. A TORT REFORM BATTLE. Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Little Rock), with significant input from plaintiffs’ lawyers, got the jump on the business lobby by filing a proposed constitutional amendment with several Republican co-sponsors to curb the impact of Arkansas Supreme Court rulings in big damage cases. That upset Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot), another Republican, who is carrying the business lobby’s tort reform amendment, a far harsher measure. 10

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

Williams’ bill would take the authority for court rulemaking in damage cases away from the court and put it in the hands of the legislature.

It was a bad week for ... SECRECY. After the University of Arkansas refused Freedom of Information requests from the Arkansas Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette related to the university’s reconstruction of what went wrong in the Advancement Division and how it ran a budget deficit of $3 to $5 million before the slide was stopped, the Democrat-Gazette sued the University. The UA had said that while it would release some material, its special review of the overspending amounted to a personnel record for the involved employees. This reasoning could just as easily form the basis of making secret every last document in the possession of the UA. BOOKBAG SNATCHERS. A House committee endorsed a bill by Rep. Charlie Collins (R-Fayetteville) to allow staff at Arkansas colleges to carry concealed handguns. The bill would leave the decisions at each campus to its governing body. A similar measure that would allow concealed carry within the state Capitol is likely to be filed soon.

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Choices The Observer mostly tries to keep it light around here, but there are times when even the class clown has to stand up and help push the wheel. So here we continue to oppose the Arkansas legislature’s efforts to control women’s bodies. Two of the proposals likely to reach the governor’s desk this week would prevent abortions even when fetal anomalies that would cause a child to die soon after birth were detected. The Times received the following letter from a reader who asked to remain anonymous last week and ran it on our Arkansas Blog. It was so moving that we had to share here, even though we fear the folks who most need to hear this story are too far gone to listen. Ten months ago my wife and I learned that she was pregnant, and we couldn’t have been more excited. We made a baby budget, bought parenting books and paid careful attention to everything she ate. We were ready to be parents. At 19 weeks we had the ultrasound that would tell us our baby’s gender. Our best friends were having a boy, and we were anxious to know. Within moments we were looking at our baby girl for the first time. Her name was Amelia. Imagine how we felt when our ultrasound technician stopped smiling. I am a pilot in the Air Force. Even flying in combat over Iraq and Afghanistan, I had never fully understood the meaning of dread. Now I know that dread is what occupies the 15 minutes between an ultrasound and the doctor’s return. After a very long weekend, we were seen by a high-risk specialist. Two new words were inked into our vocabulary: “encephalocele” and “holoprosencephaly.” Do not Google these terms; the results will break your heart. Of her numerous problems, these were the most serious ... Amelia would not survive to term. My wife is a surgical nurse, and our family is one of doctors, educators and veterans. We knew the prognosis, what questions to ask, what every term and statistic meant. Regardless, I cannot adequately describe our grief, fear, and anger, or the agony of days spent on hold with insurance companies and hospitals. The genetic counselors in the high-risk pregnancy center were patient and understanding, but the situation was bleak. We could allow the baby to die naturally, but my wife could feel the tiny baby kicking and that constant reminder would be emotionally unbearable. There were several

options for termination of the pregnancy. We chose the option that was safest. We returned to the specialist center later and sat down in front of the ultrasound for the last time. The doctor placed a needle through my wife’s uterus to the baby’s heart, which stopped immediately. Two weeks later, our stillborn baby was delivered in a quiet delivery room. She weighed eight ounces, much smaller than I expected. Many family friends and coworkers have since come forward with their own stories of abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths. We had never suspected. As one mentor put it to me, I had joined a secret fraternity of parents who had lost a baby. A bill proposing a 20-week cut-off for terminating pregnancies in the State of Arkansas just passed the Arkansas House of Representatives. It is arbitrary and wrong. Our first ultrasound happened at 19 weeks, as is the case within most pregnancies. It is usually the first opportunity for doctors to diagnose serious problems. By the time we were seen by a specialist, we were past 20 weeks. Recently a coworker came to my wife in tears, sharing her story for the first time. Her own ultrasound had revealed her baby’s fatal kidney failure and she faced the same gut-wrenching decision. The Arkansas legislation establishes criminality at the very moment when parents and their doctors have to face painful reality. The bill is a product of ignorance and insensitivity to the suffering of parents and their unborn children. This legislation demands that grieving mothers carry their baby as long as possible, without exception. It declares that politicians know better than medical experts in every situation, even ours. This is not an argument about unwanted children. It is about the right of parents and their doctors to make educated and moral decisions with all the facts, not with a calendar. The debate about abortion is personal for us. We wanted our child. We do not vote in Arkansas. We are here because I am stationed in Little Rock, and it is where we have to seek medical treatment. Military families like mine with spouses deployed and concerns of their own are subject to this unconscionable law as well. It is unfair to demand that parents like us come forward with stories of personal loss, now in the state Capitol or later in courthouses. The decision we had to make was painful, personal and ethical. My outrage as a husband and would-be father will not permit me to remain silent.

Join us for a reading, audience Q & A, and book signing by

Poets Carolyn Guinzio and Davis McCombs Tuesday, February 19

6 p.m.

Free and open to the public R.J. Wills Lecture Hall Campus Center Second Floor Pulaski Technical College Main Campus 3000 West Scenic Drive North Little Rock

For more information, contact Sandy Longhorn at slonghorn@pulaskitech.edu www.bigrockreading.blogspot.com

(501) 812-2200 www.pulaskitech.edu

Find us on Facebook.

This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

The 2013 legislative session will eventually end with a giant debate on whether Arkansas should provide health care under Medicaid for everyone making up to roughly $17,000 a year. Many legislators oppose expanding the program and aren’t too happy about the existing Medicaid program. Easy for them to say. They all are able to obtain state health insurance at a nominal cost. Some of them choose to work full-time at legislating, for a little more than $15,000 a year, plus office expenses, a retirement plan and that solid-gold insurance. We ran the numbers. The state insists (though some challenge the interpretation) that federal law prevents it from naming which legislators are covered by state insurance. But the state Department of Finance and Administration’s employee benefits section will reveal the totals. In the current, Republican-majority legislature, 52 of 100 House members have taken the state health insurance coverage and 21 of 35 state senators. The cumulative cost to taxpayers is $233,000. Twelve of those legislators are covering only themselves. The rest are getting state subsidies not only for themselves but spouses and/or children. It’s a heckuva deal. For the best state coverage — the “gold” plan — the state pays $862 a month toward family insurance coverage while the legislator must pay only $148. Recipients in the past have included the likes of Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R-Rogers), a doctor’s wife. Some Republican legislators have complained about providing Medicaid coverage for people making near the poverty level. With a few extra hours of work, they should be able to swing it, one Republican from Northwest Arkansas commented.

Who’s got the audit? The Legislative Joint Audit Division dumped a massive audit of the Medicaid Program on the public late last Friday. The audit had been sought by Republican legislators, who’d originally planned to have it unveiled Jan. 30. They were leaking that it would show millions in wasted Medicaid expenses and lend support to those fighting expansion of the Medicaid program. But the Beebe administration let it be known that the Department of Human Services 1) had problems with methodology in the report and 2), in a break from custom, had not been given an opportunity to respond to auditors’ findings before the release. With the messaging spinning out CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 12

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

CHEREE FRANCO

Insuring the needy

PETRICE HOWARD AND FAMILY: Got heat finally.

No rights for tenants Study panel wants landlords to fix properties, end retaliatory eviction. BY CHEREE FRANCO

n early October, Petrice Howard noticed hundreds of tiny water droplets beading the ceiling of her daughters’ bedroom in her rented Baring Cross home. Soon after, black mold spread across the walls, ceiling and baseboards of the bedroom and then spread to the bathroom and an adjoining room, her sons’ bedroom. Howard notified her landlord immediately. A month later, when nothing had been done, she reported the problem to North Little Rock code enforcement. Two days after the city’s inspection, Howard received a warning from Big Dog Homes LLC that because her house wasn’t “in order,” she had broken her year-long lease, and no more rent would be accepted until she rectified the situation. Two weeks after that, Howard received a 10-day notice to vacate. “I wrote the owner a letter and asked what policy has she violated? You just can’t go in and evict a person because their house isn’t set up the way you want it,” said Alicia Walton-Middleton, Howard’s neighbor and a criminal and family attorney. Walton-Middleton,

who learned of Howard’s predicament through the Baring Cross Neighborhood Association, believes the eviction notice was retaliation against Howard for calling code officers. Arkansas renters have fewer rights than those in any other state. For example: Arkansas is the only state in the nation without an implied warranty of habitability, which means Arkansas landlords are not required to make repairs or maintain their properties. Arkansas is one of only 10 states that don’t prohibit retaliatory eviction. The Non-Legislative Commission on the Study of Landlord-Tenant Laws, created in 2011 by the legislature, released a report Dec. 31 recommending 15 tenantlandlord law reforms. “Ninety percent of landlords are good people, and 90 percent of tenants are good people, and we take care of our places to start with,” said Howard Warren, who represents the Landlords Association of Arkansas on the commission. “The warranty of habitability is something the landlords would actually support, because it would make it harder for

the bad landlords to make us all look bad.” Lynn Foster, professor at the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a member of the study commission, said, “If you’re on a month to month lease, maybe it says the landlord makes repairs, maybe it doesn’t — but if you report something to code, the first thing the landlord is going to do is try and evict you. That’s why it’s imperative that if we adopt a warranty of habitability, we also adopt a statute prohibiting retaliatory eviction.” Erin O’Leary with Arkansas Legal Services, a nonprofit that provides legal aid to low-income plaintiffs, says that a large part of the agency’s business is helping tenants. “If your heat breaks, you can’t withhold your rent or use your rent money to fix the heat. No matter what your living conditions, your responsibility to pay your rent on time and in full is never removed. For our clients of very limited means, they’re choosing to get their heat fixed or to pay their rent on time. ... If they have to pay to get the heat fixed, the only mechanism to get that money back is to file in small claims court. But that’s a lengthy process, and our clients can’t wait a long time to get back $700.” The commission calls for changes in state law rather than relying on municipal codes, which are lacking in smaller towns and which are slow to be enforced where they do exist. They also don’t cover all circumstances: While mechanical issues are covered by code, in cities where code exists, there are no guidelines for problems such as mold. “For me to prosecute you, as a landlord, I have to show you where you are violating the law,” said Tom Wadley, North Little Rock Code Enforcement director. He refers mold calls to the state Department of Health. It didn’t take long for the mattresses, blankets and clothes — anything Petrice Howard kept in those back rooms — to mildew. Howard moved her eight children into the one remaining bedroom and the living room. The city found three code violations in Howard’s house — leaking pipes, a leaking toilet and broken windows. The code report notes a fourth phenomenon: “rear bedroom walls and ceiling sweating and would cause a molding problem.” All related repairs were to be made by Dec. 18, but the final repair was not completed until Jan. 24, according to the city. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

LISTEN UP

THE

BIG PICTURE

Tune in to the Times’ “Week In Review” podcast each Friday. Available on iTunes & arktimes.com

INCONSEQUENTIAL NEWS QUIZ

INSIDER, CONT.

1. Favorite daughter Chelsea Clinton will be returning to the state on April 26 for a very special event. What is it? A) Chili dog eating contest in which the winner will be awarded the title of “Honorary Clinton.” B) Smash-a-Thon XI, a battle royale wrasslin’ match at Barton Coliseum, which will see Chelsea don her father’s old spandex mask and assume Bill’s top secret alter ego, El Politico Diablo. C) A fundraiser for Ballet Arkansas, the company Chelsea danced with before moving to D.C. after her dad was elected. D) Donkey basketball at Smackover High School. Why? Because everything’s more fun with donkeys!

2. On Friday of last week, the University of Arkansas was shocked by word of an accident on campus. What happened? A) A work-study student in the campus radio station was showing off his gat, and shot himself in the hand. B) The Double Secret Probation prohibits us from reporting much, but let’s just say it involves ninth-year sophomore John “Wookie” Clampett, a live turkey, the dean’s Lincoln Continental and a bottle of that brandy with a pear in it. C) Horrible man/jackass hybrid created during teleportation experiments at the school’s Bobby Petrino Quantum Stupidity Labs. D) Hook-handed maniac exploded after simultaneously drinking Coke and eating Pop Rocks. Seriously. I heard it from my roommate’s boyfriend’s friend.

4. Washington Monthly recently wrote that trying to talk about reality to Arkansas Congressman Tom Cotton would likely be most akin to ... A) “Legionnaire’s Disease.” B) “Staring into the eyes of a goat and expecting to find a glimmer of comprehension.” C) “You know when you flush the toilet and it sorta gives everything a good stir but doesn’t go down? That.” D) “Waking up in a bus station next to an empty can of keyboard duster.”

5. There were some tense moments at the Little Rock Zoo last week. What caused the commotion? A) Sometimes rhinos just fall out of love. It’s nobody’s fault. It just happens. B) “See that big bulge in the python? Don’t ask.” C) A Clouded Leopard wormed through a feeding slot and into an enclosed service area, but was soon recaptured without danger to the public. D) Zoo staff members finally came to blows over whether zebras are black with white stripes or white with black stripes.

KYLE CASSIDY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS (CLINTON), KAT ROBINSON (SISTERS), OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN TOM COTTON

3. Sisters Gourmet Bistro in Van Buren recently canceled a reservation for a planned fundraiser by the River Valley Equality Center once the owner learned the group works on behalf of gays and lesbians. Who or what did the owner reportedly compare the group to in explaining his reason for canceling the reservation? A) “Them gatdang gay folks from California with their gay stuff, always gaying it up.” B) The cast of “Diff’rent Strokes” C) The 1978 Steelers D) The Ku Klux Klan

of control, Republicans decided not to have the special audit released after all Jan. 30. Instead, DHS and auditors sat down and talked about the preliminary findings. A new audit was produced and released Friday, Feb. 8. With DHS corrections incorporated, it was nothing like Republicans had hoped. Some accounting problems were reported in some sectors of the program, but the amounts of money at issue — in medical services reimbursed for people who were not eligible — was small against the billions spent on the program. The Arkansas Times remained curious about that original audit. But, so far, efforts to see the document have been unsuccessful. Frank Arey, chief counsel for the Audit Division (and a long-time Republican), wouldn’t release it. The law allows release of working papers such as draft audit reports when the final audit has been “presented” to the Auditing Committee. Though the audit was posted on the division’s website and widely discussed, it will not be “presented” until a future meeting, perhaps in May, Arey said. The Department of Human Services likewise wouldn’t release the document, claiming audit working papers couldn’t be released. But DHS is not a part of the audit division. Any documents it might possess as a result of audit work would seem to be public information. But DHS, having won a hard-fought compromise on preparation of the document, likely doesn’t want to make anyone unhappy by releasing information that audit doesn’t want released. Republican Rep. Kim Hammer of Benton, co-chair of the auditing committee, gave away the firm ground on which Arey stood when he posted a copy of the audit on his own website and wrote, “In response to a legislative request, The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee has approved the following report to provide information about the Medicaid Program.” When the Times asked Arey how we squared working papers secrecy with Hammer’s announcement, he referred questions back to Hammer. Shortly after the Arkansas Times blog posted Hammers’ comment and noted the conflict, Hammer took the webpage down. Someday, we’ll see what the Republicans originally had hoped to release to buttress their case against Medicaid. But that day may not come until after the issue is decided. EDITOR’S NOTE: Because of printing considerations, the Arkansas Times returns this week to distributing in Central Arkansas on Thursday. For daily coverage, remember our free website, arktimes.com. www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ANSWERS: C, A, D, B, C

BRIAN CHILSON

CAPITOL OFFENSES Fight to desegregate its cafeteria started in 1965.

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

BY JOHN A. KIRK

n Wednesday, July 15, 1964, Ozell Sutton went to collect voter registration materials from Secretary of State Kelly Bryant’s office at the Arkansas State Capitol. Sutton, from a sharecropping family in Gould, was head of the Arkansas Voter Project, an affiliate of the region-wide Voter Education Project that was being run out of Atlanta by former Arkansan Wiley Branton under the auspices of the Southern Regional Council. After gathering his materials, Sutton headed to the Capitol cafeteria in the basement of the building to grab some food. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which required the desegregation of public facilities and accommodations, had become law just two weeks earlier on July 2. Sutton entered the food line and picked up a tray and silverware. Capitol cafeteria manager Edris Tyer, who had operated the business on a lease from the state since 1947, approached Sutton and told him “we don’t serve Negras here!” Sutton recalled quipping in reply, “That’s all right lady, I

don’t eat them either, so you don’t need to serve me any negras. You need to serve me some roast beef!” Sutton was asked to leave the premises. On Tuesday, July 21, the Capitol cafeteria was incorporated as a private, nonprofit club, with a token $1 membership fee. Businesses across the South were trying to reinvent themselves as private clubs in hopes of evading the 1964 Civil Rights Act. However, in the cases of Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States and Katzenbach v. McClung, both decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in December 1964, the court upheld the act’s contention that the U.S. Constitution’s commerce clause forbade racial discrimination even in privately run businesses. In fact, the case of the Capitol cafeteria was even more straightforward. The Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause, which forbade government from engaging in racial discrimination but was understood not to cover private businesses, already covered the cafeteria. The courts had previously upheld that businesses operating in conjunction with state entities could not discriminate against black customers. On this

basis, Sutton had the right to eat at the Capitol cafeteria even before the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The act only served to confuse the issue at hand. Precisely what the change in status of the cafeteria meant in terms of its racial policy was soon revealed. On Thursday, July 30, an AfricanAmerican woman, Barbara Leary, was refused service at the Capitol Club. As Leary entered someone yelled, “Who is checking cards?” Manager Edris Tyer told Leary that “colored people were not being served here now” because it was a members only club. Leary asked, “What can I do to become a member?” She was told that the cafeteria was “being run by a corporation” and that she could not join. The following day a uniformed guard, 71-yearold Jack Morgan, a former North Little Rock patrolman and a Pulaski County deputy sheriff, was hired for $10 a day to sit outside the door of the club and check membership cards. A bell button was placed outside when Morgan was not on duty and the door was locked. A new sign appeared on the cafeteria door reading “Capi-

tol Club, Inc.” with, in tiny letters underneath, “Members Only.” On Wednesday, Sept. 16, Sutton, backed by NAACP attorneys, filed a class action against the Capitol Club in the U.S. District Court. Sutton maintained that the cafeteria had a “long established” policy of refusing to serve blacks. Yet the legal delays continued. Meanwhile, events outside the courtroom had a more dramatic impact. In January 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. launched a campaign for voting rights in Selma, Ala. The campaign culminated in a showdown between civil rights marchers and Alabama state troopers on Edmund Pettus Bridge. When the marchers refused to disperse, state troopers plowed into them on horseback, using billy clubs, tear gas and bullwhips on them. The violence, broadcast on prime time national television networks that evening, provoked a national outcry. The very same week that Selma’s “Bloody Sunday” took place, Little Rock experienced its own, as the Arkansas Gazette called it, “hemidemi-semi-pseudo Selma.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Arkansas’s African American History every month at

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Free Admission

501 W. Ninth St. · Little Rock 501.683.3593 mosaictemplarscenter.com Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5pm Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. 16

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

COURTESY UALR CENTER FOR ARKANSAS HISTORY AND CULTURE NATIONAL DUNBAR HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Celebrate

SUTTON: Wanted roast beef.

On Thursday, March 11, at around 11:45 a.m., a group of 32 people made up of Philander Smith College students and Arkansas Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) project volunteers tried to eat at the Capitol Club. Guard Morgan told them they could not enter without membership cards. The situation grew tense as Morgan told one demonstrator, “I’m going to bust you in the eye in about two minutes if you mess with me.” A cafeteria employee asked Morgan, “You want me to call in some extra boys?” Morgan replied, “Well, I need them.” Not long after, Maj. Mack Thompson, head of the State Police highway patrol division, arrived wearing civilian attire and a helmet. Four state troopers and Secretary of State Kelly Bryant followed closely by. Bryant told the students that they could not eat at the cafeteria since it was a private club. When the students refused to move, Thompson told his men, “OK, move ’em outa here.” The troopers formed a wedge and, according to SNCC volunteer Arlene Wilgoren, “approximately 15 or 20 troop-

ers pushed, shoved, kicked, hit, slapped and threw bodies down the hall” into a small room where driver’s licenses were sold. A young white Pine Bluff Commercial reporter, Bob Lancaster (now a columnist with the Times), who was there to cover the story, also got caught up in the fray. The 21-year-old journalist was mistaken for a SNCC volunteer, grabbed around the neck by a state trooper, and shunted along with the rest of the pack. When he protested that he was not part of the group, a trooper slugged him in the mouth. After being released, the students met SNCC volunteer Bill Hansen along with another group of students outside. They conferred about events at the Capitol Club and decided that they should still try to eat there. They re-entered the Capitol via the south side Seventh Street entrance. Hansen and another white SNCC volunteer, Nancy Stoller, led the group toward the stairwell. State troopers at the top of the stairs restrained most of the students. Ten made it past them into the basement

where yet more state troopers confronted them. Hansen, Stoller and the others, were pushed back up the stairs. Hansen was hit over the head with a riot stick along the way. More state troopers joined the melee at the top of the stairs. The students pulled a prone Hansen out of the scrimmage, into the hallway, and then outside into the rain. There, they made a pallet for him, covered him with their coats, and formed a cordon around him joining hands and singing “We Shall Overcome.” Around 15 helmeted state troopers with riot sticks, together with a State Police captain and lieutenant holding electric cattle prods, and a number of city policemen, stood under the portico nearby observing the scene. A bystander drummed up a chorus of “Dixie” in response to the students’ rendition of “We Shall Overcome.” Others yelled football chants and called the Hogs in an attempt to drown the students out. Five minutes later, Hansen was whisked away to Arkansas Baptist Hospital. Reportedly, State Police Director Col. Herman E. Lindsey thought his “troopers had handled the situation well.” Later that day, at 4 p.m., around 200 black and white marchers made up of SNCC volunteers and college and high school students arrived at the Capitol singing “We Shall Overcome.” They waved placards reading, “Is This America or Russia?”, “We Didn’t Have Enough Blood in ’57?” and “Alabama Sunday, Arkansas Today.” The Capitol doors were locked to prevent the students gaining entry. After singing more songs the marchers knelt in the rain at the foot of the Capitol steps and prayed. At 4:15 p.m., with the marchers still kneeling in prayer, around 30 state troopers walked up the Capitol steps in front of them and stood defiantly in the doorway. A handful of people, mostly FBI agents and newsmen, looked on. After 10 minutes, the state troopers left. Five minutes later, the students left too, vowing to return again the following day. The next day at 1 p.m., 15 students arrived in cars. Jim Jones, Arkansas SNCC project director; Rev. Ben Grinage, Pine Bluff SNCC project director, and Anthony Hines, a Philander Smith student, led the group double file through the south entrance and down the stairway to the Capitol Club. Guard Jack Morgan told them they could not enter without membership cards. Jones, Grinage and Hines debated with Morgan for 15 minutes, demanding to know under what law he was forbidding them entry. Tiring of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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FEBRUARY 14, 2013

conversation, Morgan told them, “You’d better shut up. You’ve talked enough.” He then shouted inside the cafeteria, “Is there anybody in there?” Secretary of State Bryant emerged from inside. Bryant insisted, “I must have the hall cleared,” and signaled the police into action. State Police Capt. R.E. Brown mobilized a number of his men outside the doorway of the cafeteria and ordered them to advance. The state police charged the students, jabbing at them with their riot sticks. Those at the front of the line were almost instantly knocked off their feet and those behind them fell in a domino effect. The police continued to advance, prodding, shoving and kicking the students as they went. Bystanders at the back of the group also began to attack the demonstrators. One hurled a bottle of mustard gas at them. The volatile and highly corrosive liquid, used as a chemical weapon in World War I, quickly evaporated into choking and nauseating fumes. Everyone sought to escape as quickly as possible. White SNCC volunteer Howard Himmelbaum had mustard gas thrown directly on his back and was hospitalized. In a twist of fate, Himmelbaum later in life returned to the state and became office manager for Gov. Mike Beebe, working just a few feet away from where he had previously been attacked. On Saturday, March 20, a group of Little Rock’s black and white ministers met to discuss what action they should take over the ongoing demonstrations at the Capitol. They learned that there was going to be a policy change and that in the future demonstrators would be arrested rather than attacked. Though encouraged by the news, the ministers still decided to protest the continuing segregation at the Capitol and the police brutality against demonstrators. They planned to seek a meeting with Gov. Orval Faubus on Monday and debated whether or not they too should try to test Capitol Club facilities. The escalating violence and the threat of an interracial protest from city ministers led to a further change of heart and policy. On Sunday, March 21, the day that national attention was focused on the beginning of another civil rights march in Selma, it was announced that the Capitol Club would close temporarily. A group of 49 ministers led by white Episcopal Bishop Rev. Robert R. Brown, and including a dozen or so black ministers, marched on the Capitol on Monday, March 22. As they gathered outside at around 10 a.m., Gov. Faubus left the building to attend the dedication of a Jobs Corp Center in Hot Springs. Two of the ministers, Rev. Sam Allen, executive secretary of the Arkansas Council of Churches, and Rev. Henry L. Parker, an 18

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ARKANSAS TIMES

African American minister at St. Phillips Episcopal Church, went downstairs to the Capitol Club. When they got there, the door was locked. They knocked, and a voice shouted, “We’re closed.” After Allen and Parker reported back to the other ministers, the whole delegation headed to Faubus’ office. Clarence Thornbrough, Faubus’ executive secretary and president of the Capitol Club, was there to receive them. He ushered the ministers into a conference room to talk. Brown told Thornbrough, “We respectfully petition the governor to consider the aspects of closing the cafeteria. And we ask him to reopen the cafeteria to all sorts and conditions of people.” Brown then read out a written petition signed by all of the ministers before handing it to Thornbrough, asking him to tell “the governor that we the clergy are anxious to be of any service that we can.” Afterward, Brown told reporters, “This is not an easy problem but we, the clergy, feel strongly on the matter.” The student and ministerial protests had the intended effect of oiling the wheels of justice. The very same day that the ministers turned up at the Capitol with their petition, federal Judge J. Smith Henley wrote to Sutton’s and the Capitol Club’s attorneys to set a trial date. On Monday, April 12, 1965, Henley handed down his decision in the case, ruling that it was a straightforward denial of the Fourteenth Amendment mandate against government denying equal protection under the law. He ordered the Capitol Club to integrate and the defendants to pay the costs of the lawsuit. On Thursday, April 29, the Capitol Club Inc. held a meeting attended by 75 members. Secretary of State Bryant explained that the club board had recommended the revocation of the club’s charter. He then announced that the cafeteria would reopen to the public the following morning at 7 a.m. The next day, at 1 p.m., Ozell Sutton returned alone to the cafeteria where he had been refused service 10 months earlier. He joined the line, collected his food, and ate lunch without incident. Sutton told reporters that he was there to test facilities “as a matter of information.” Manager Edris Tyer reported that “business was brisk.” This time peacefully, another barrier to full equality for black Arkansans had been removed.

John A. Kirk is George W. Donaghey Professor and Chair of the History Department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is author of the book “Redefining the Color Line: Black Activism in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1940-1970,” published by the University Press of Florida.

TENANT RIGHTS, CONT.

CHEREE FRANCO

CAPITOL OFFENSES, CONT.

HOWARD HOUSE MOLD DAMAGE: Spread from room to room.

landlord had insulation installed in the attic above the sweating bedroom — a step beyond what the law requires, said Wadley, since there’s no provision for insulation or mold. This slowed the condensation, but it didn’t entirely remedy the problem. Water beads remained in one corner of the room and large patches of mold remained on the walls. Howard pays $575 a month for the roughly 1,200-square-foot house that she moved into Sept. 27, 2012. The water heater has visible damage, and according to Howard, hot water has been inconsistent. When it began to get cold, Howard realized that the heater in the living room didn’t work at all — a major problem, since she and her family were already living in only the front bedroom and living room. She reported this to her landlord in mid-November. A secondhand heater was installed within a few days, but that heater didn’t work properly either. It wasn’t repaired until Jan. 17, after Walton-Middleton repeatedly called Cassandra Hilton, the property manager for Big Dog Homes, and Joi Whitfield, the owner, on Howard’s behalf. According to tax records, Big Dog owns 54 properties in North Little Rock. “Ms. Whitfield, she told me, ‘I’m not going to spend $6,000 on that house, in that neighborhood,’ ” Walton-Middleton said. “In our last conversation, I discussed with her that at some point I’m going to fade into the background, and Ms. Howard needs to be assured that her concerns as a tenant are going to be answered without the threat of litigation. We shouldn’t have to say ‘we’re going to sue you’ to get you to do what needs to be done. Ms. Howard pays her rent. She needs heat.” Walton-Middleton’s persistence with Big Dog Homes eventually paid off. On Jan. 30, a crew gutted Howard’s back bedroom and insulated the walls, in addition to adding insulation under the house. While the repairs were made, Whitfield

put Howard and her children up in Motel 6. “It’s great that she’s finally doing the repairs, but things should never have come to this,” said Walton-Middleton. “Ms. Howard and her kids, they had to live with that for October, November, December, January. They shouldn’t have had to do that.” Whitfield declined to comment except to note the repairs. Nearly one in three Arkansans lives in a rental property. ♦♦♦ Human Rights Watch, an organization that follows rights violations worldwide, issued on its website Feb. 5 the report “Pay the Rent or Face Arrest: Abusive Impacts of Arkansas’s Draconian Evictions Law.” “Arkansas’s criminal eviction law is absolutely unique,” said Chris AlbinLackey, a senior researcher for HRW and author of the report. “There’s no other law in the country that deals with failure to pay rent as a criminal matter. It seems like an issue that’s very much under the radar, that hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves inside and outside of Arkansas.” Albin-Lackey based his report on interviews with tenants charged under the state’s criminal evictions law, landlords, a district judge, lawyers and independent legal experts, including members of the study commission, in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Cabot and West Memphis. Like other states, Arkansas has a civil eviction process — a clunky and expensive affair that the commission recommends streamlining. Based on data HRW gathered from 11 district courts, it’s safe to assume that criminal evictions are vastly more common. Those courts alone heard more than 1,200 criminal eviction cases in 2012. “Arkansas’s criminal evictions law is a strange blend of archaic lawmaking, modern day lobbying and shoddy drafting,” reads the HRW report. Some por-

CHEREE FRANCO

TENANT RIGHTS, CONT. tion of the criminal failure-to-vacate statute has been on the books since 1901. In 1989, the state Supreme Court upheld the statute, and in 2001, the legislature increased the penalties for tenants choosing to plead not guilty. Under the statute, a tenant who is just a day late on rent can be served a 10-day notice to vacate. A tenant who doesn’t vacate is automatically guilty of a general misdemeanor that bumps up to a Class B misdemeanor upon a guilty plea or court ruling. In some cases, the tenant is arrested and detained. In other cases, the tenant is simply served with a summons, or is arrested, given a court date and released. Ultimately, what happens to the defendant has nothing to do with the details of the case, and everything to do with where the eviction occurred. “One of the reasons this law is so problematic is that it’s enforced differently in different counties,” said Foster. “Some prosecutors refuse to enforce the law at all, presumably because they find the law unfair.” The federal government forbids criminal eviction of tenants receiving federally-subsidized housing. Albin-Lackey’s research in Arkansas last summer included attending court proceedings and learning how the evictions process works. “There are at least one or two [cities] where the police go to peoples’ houses and actually arrest them … and they have to make bail if they’re going to be released. Otherwise, they have to stay in pretrial detention,” he said. In Jacksonville, for example, he found that most tenants are detained until they come up with $250 bail (though Jacksonville Police Officer Jessica HartfieldLee said the department’s standard bail for failure-to-vacate is higher, $750). In Little Rock and North Little Rock, tenants are merely served with a summons. According to Will Jones, supervisor over Pulaski County district courts, the county processes anywhere from 10 to 30 criminal evictions a day. Pine Bluff Assistant City Attorney Daryl Taylor handles a criminal eviction roughly every other week. The defendants are never arrested. “An arrest is a traumatic experience, and we balance the weight of the crime with the potential outcome. If the potential outcome is a fine, that’s just not the type of offense we arrest for,” she said. Mike Murphy, Conway city attorney, can’t remember the last time he prosecuted a criminal eviction. “Usually when we point out to folks that the criminal statute can be used to fine the person, but that there’s no equitable remedy in the statute to order the people to leave, most folks opt to go through CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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FEBRUARY 14, 2013

the civil eviction process,” he said. “It’s much faster in terms of getting an order to vacate.” State law penalizes defendants for pleading not guilty, which Albin-Lackey said is a denial of due process. “The law says if you plead guilty, you don’t have to put up the money that you allegedly owe your landlord,” said Albin-Lackey. “You’ll just be convicted and fined [$25 a day, for every day that you occupied the premise illegally] or handed down whatever sentence the district court wants to give you. If you plead not guilty, you’re required to pay all of the money that you allegedly owe your landlord to the court registry. So you’re basically asked to put up money that you didn’t have in the first place just to exercise your right to have a trial. If you don’t have that money and still want to plead not guilty, you end up facing much harsher sentencing if you’re actually convicted, than had you just pled guilty.” Commission member Foster compares this system to forcing an assault victim to pay a fee in order to bring charges against the assailant. “It’s the taxpayers subsidizing the landlords, allowing the landlord to use the prosecutor as their own personal lawyer. It’s an inappropriate use of the criminal justice system,” she said. HRW found numerous instances of misuse or abuse of the failure-to-vacate statute. Some landlords refuse to accept rent and then evict for nonpayment. In one case, a West Memphis woman, Charlotte Morton, was in a rent-to-own situation. When her husband died, she lacked one payment in receiving the deed to her house. Since the contract was in his name, the seller refused to recognize it, refused to accept the final payment, and on more than one occasion, has attempted to crim-

CHEREE FRANCO

TENANT RIGHTS, CONT.

ALBIN-LACKEY: Arkansas law is unique.

inally evict her. Morton has appeared before the court twice. Both times, the charges were dropped, but now Morton fears unexpected knocks at her door. “The landlord just has to go to the prosecutor with an affidavit, and the county prosecutor looks at them and says, well, if the landlord is telling the truth, this is a violation of the law, so we’re going to go ahead and file these charges. … I don’t know why, I assume because most of these offices are overworked and don’t have the time to scrutinize these things,” Albin-Lackey said. What tenants don’t understand, according to Albin-Lackey, is that under the law, the judge isn’t allowed to hear counterclaims. The judge is only allowed to ask if they have paid their rent or if they’ve moved. Albin-Lackey saw tenants arrive in court with documents supporting their side of the story, not realizing that the judge wouldn’t be able to hear it. In one instance, an elderly tenant pleaded

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no contest and was sentenced to probation, despite having never received her 10-day notice because she was hospitalized following a stroke. Often the statute seems to function as an intimidation tactic. According to prosecutors and aid workers, most of these cases never make it to court. “What we find is, people are so confused and so scared, they end up moving out, whether or not they actually owe money,” said O’Leary. The commission and HRW criticize the statute for criminalizing poverty. “I think there’s a general misconception on the part of landlords, on the part of judges, on the part of legislators, that this law only affects deadbeats. … The main thing that we’re trying to do with this [HRW] report is highlight the number of people who don’t fit that profile,” said AlbinLackey. The commission’s report reads: “There is really no difference between this statute and a statute that would criminal-

ize persons who default on their mortgages and remain on the premises.” Albin-Lackey interviewed one Little Rock couple who were arrested on their way to Bible study. When Steve (who wants to be known only by his first name) and his wife found the police at their door, the wife, a recent heart transplant recipient, fainted on the spot. Steve, 60, had lived in the same apartment complex for nearly nine years, but that month, August 2012, they were two weeks behind on rent. They met with the property manager and offered to pay half of the rent then and half before the month ended, but were refused. After receiving their 10-day notice, they immediately began looking for a new home. Steve also asked his brother for help. But when the money arrived, the property manager refused to accept even the full rent. In district court, his wife clutched a bag of anti-rejection meds, just in case their locks were changed while they were away. The clerk asked her to face him for a mug shot, and she began weeping. “Are we going to jail? I don’t want to go to jail!” she said. The judge asked Steve how long they had been in the apartment and allowed him to explain their situation. According to Steve, “She said, ‘OK, well, I’m going to give you another week. And if you’re not out in a week, you’ll have to come back to court, and we’ll have to charge you.’ ” The judge didn’t fine them or require them to pay the missed rent. Her action was “a mercy the law does not actually allow judges to extend to the accused,” the HRW report notes. “We had to rush and get what we can get. What’s bad about it, when you try to get another apartment, the application’s going to tell that you were evicted,” Steve said. Their new apartment had a

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TENANT RIGHTS, CONT. carbon monoxide leak due to improper stove fittings, no heat and only two outlets, problems that Steve has had to call code about, since his landlord has little interest in remedying them. ♦♦♦ Even in straightforward circumstances, failure-to-vacate is preferred by landlords because it is cheaper and easier than civil eviction. “The landlords’ position is, we want a simple, effective way to evict an intentionally nonpaying tenant,” said commission member Warren. “When a tenant intentionally occupies my property without paying for its use, they’re stealing from me. I’ve never evicted grandma. I’ve evicted people who blow their money on iPhones or dressing up an old car or buying expensive furniture from rent-a-center.” Arkansas has two civil eviction statutes on the book, but one of them is contradictory and unusable. Foster outlines the other, called unlawful detainer: “A landlord would have to file a complaint with the circuit court. The form is complex, most likely requiring a lawyer, and you have to pay court fees of $165. By using the criminal statute, the landlord becomes a victim of a crime and doesn’t have to pay court fees.” According to Warren, civil evictions can cost landlords up to $2,000, in addition to any uncollected rent. He’s heard horror stories from landlords unable to force tenants to leave. “You get down in the Delta and the poor sections of Arkansas, and you have no way to get any form of eviction. Neither the 10-day failure-tovacate works, nor does the civil, because attorneys won’t take the cases. They’re unpopular. You’re throwing somebody out,” he said. The commission recommends several statute changes that should make the civil process more attractive to landlords. Among them: having standard forms available so that neither landlords nor tenants need to hire attorneys; giving district courts, with cheaper filing fees and faster dockets, the power to hear civil evictions, and establishing a week or less time frame between the tenant’s written response and a possession hearing. Repealing the criminal failure-to-vacate is only recommended when a better civil eviction procedure is in place. HRW recommends repealing failure-to-vacate in its entirety during the 2013 legislative session, and until repeal, requiring courts to report these cases and their verdicts and sentences to the Administrative Office of the Courts. ♦♦♦ In addition to a lack of protection from retaliatory eviction, tenants are not protected from undue landlord access to the space (entering with no

notice). The commission would address that by limiting landlord access to the premises. Other recommendations made by the commission: adding stronger protections against discrimination and for domestic violence victims, and adding the missing portions of the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA). URLTA is a sample law, essentially a recommendation to all states, adopted in 1972 by uniform law commissioners from each state. Twenty-one states have enacted the URLTA, but Arkansas is not among them. That’s because, in 2007, the Arkansas legislature enacted only half of the act — the half that provides landlord protections. Arkansas didn’t enact any of the tenant protections, which is why landlords don’t have to keep up common spaces, provide waste receptacles or maintain basic sanitary conditions, and can continue to enforce a tenant’s lease even if the premise becomes uninhabitable due to natural disaster. Under URLTA, asking tenants to give up legal rights is punishable by requiring the landlord to cover the cost of the tenant’s attorney fees and three months’ waived rent. Landlords often do credit, background and reference checks on tenants, sometimes at the tenant’s expense. But beyond word of mouth, tenants have little guidance on which landlords to avoid. The attorney general’s office doesn’t keep a comprehensive record of tenant complaints, and the Arkansas Real Estate Commission only investigates complaints against realtors who manage other people’s properties. There is no oversight for landlords who manage their own property, since the Arkansas Landlords Association doesn’t have any system of processing or verifying complaints. Withholding rent for any reason is immediate grounds for eviction. You can sue if evicted and to get out of the lease, Foster said, “But how many renters have the resources to sue? ... You’ll hear from landlords that there were pro-tenant people on the commission, but I’m not pro-tenant. I’m pro-fairness. We are so far out of line from other states. Are Arkansas tenants so different? What makes Arkansas tenants so bad that we have to take away their rights?” There’s a chance the legislature could act on the reforms during this legislative session. The study commission has asked that a bill be drafted and “a number of legislators have expressed interest,” Foster said. She thinks the recommendations will have a better chance of passing if they are divided into separate pieces of legislation.

The Expand-o-meter Delay delay delay: prospects looking bleaker for expansion. BY DAVID RAMSEY

TODAY’S CHANCES OF PASSING EXPANSION: 35 PERCENT.

like the Voter ID of health care. Experience in other states suggests that this will harass some eligible folks out of the program while doing nothing about fraud. Meanwhile, the Medicaid program itself shows early signs of curtailing cost growth. The projected Medicaid shortfall has been cut by more than half to $61 million. Medicaid officials suggest the cost reduction could be related to its new Payment Improvement Initiative — or at least to providers anticipating

Though the Washington Post, in an infographic it regularly publishes, continues to suggest that Arkansas has already said yes, things in fact remain dicey for Medicaid expansion. Republicans, led by House Public Health Chairman Rep. John Burris (R-Harrison), are now promoting the idea of waiting to make the decision until the fiscal session next year. From a fiscal point of view, this is insane: The 100 percent match rate between 2014 and 2016 is the part of Medicaid expansion that no one denies is a good deal for the state. Waiting until the fiscal session would mean the state couldn’t start expansion until July 2014, leaving six months of money on the table. Burris is no fool, so this instead has the stench of a delay tactic. If Arkansas wants to say yes, they would do so this year. Meanwhile, Republicans continued trying to change the subject to their preferred topic: Waste! Fraud! Abuse! BURRIS: Under the weather, but wants to delay taking medicine. “We keep hearing stories of…” is their opening line, which we guess means that the coming initiative. There was some other good news some people really like gossiping (or fantasizing?) about Cadillac-driving Med- for expansion proponents. Two more icaid recipients, “crazy check” scam- Republican governors came out for mers and housecleaners who don’t work Medicaid expansion; despite hating enough days. The ultimate release of a Obamacare, that’s now six that have Legislative Joint Audit Division audit of concluded that expansion is too good the Medicaid program — sought early a deal to pass up. (Still no movement by Republicans, who initially leaked that from our Dixie neighbors; Tennessee it would show massive waste — didn’t is probably the real bellwether and give “The Waste Wing” of the Repub- there’s a little hope there.) Here at licans as much fodder as expected. The home, Gov. Beebe has floated another audit found that the Medicaid program compromise idea and gotten a maybe paid more than $1.3 million to ineligible from the feds. recipients since 2009; hardly a signifiStill, none of these developments cant number in a $5 billion program, make a lick of difference if the Republican leadership is determined to run a though that might not matter. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Hot delay game. For the third straight week, Springs), captain of The Waste Wing the Expand-o-meter is dipping down. team, has filed a bill along with Sen. David Sanders (R-Little Rock) to institute a costly system of biometric smart For previous entries on the Expand-ocards for Medicaid recipients — sort of Meter, visit arktimes.com/expandometer.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Arts Entertainment AND

THE JUDGES’ TAKE

BRIAN CHILSON

GRAYSON SHELTON “Hell of a stage show! I’m a sucker for a good rock ’n’ roll band. Velvet Revolver meets Buckcherry.”

ROUND 3 WINNER: The Revolutioners.

Revolutioners in the air

Little Rock quintet wins on showmanship, hard rockin’ riffs.

MANDY MCBRYDE “ ‘I wanna feel your friction baby,’ is a rock opera I wanna see.”

BY ROBERT BELL

ltimately, Round 3 of the 2013 Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase came down to showmanship. That’s the category that The Revolutioners dominated, and it’s what earned the loud ’n’ libidinous hard-rock quintet a spot at the finals. If you’ve ever witnessed a performance from the group’s frontman Phil Houston (who also plays in Showcase alums Se7en Sharp), that probably won’t surprise you. Houston was all over the place: stage left, stage right, standing on the monitors and the drum risers and probably a few other places too. Plus, dude can sing his ass off. The band has AC/DC-esque hard rock down cold. The dual-guitar raging of Ben Richman and Jackson Hagerman kept the riffs a comin’ while the rhythm section of Danny Praseuth and Lance Berry anchored it all down. Kicking things off was Little Rock’s Freedom Bureau, a quartet that offered up a set of ambling, shambolic, folktinged rock. Anybody into early Sebadoh, Pavement, Silver Jews (particularly “Starlite Walker”) will find much 22

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

to dig in the Bureau’s sound. Showcase judge Grayson Shelton was into the band’s “very ’60s garagepop,” noting, “I want to book these guys to play a clambake on Venice Beach in 1966. And I want a time machine.” Guest judge Travis Hill wrote “jangly pop ... dig the clean guitar lines.” Judge Mandy McBryde called Freedom Bureau “smart rock. It spans so many decades I can’t even figure out where it came from. I like their moodier stuff.” Judge CT wrote, “I like the change-up of styles.” Up next was singer/songwriter Gwendlyn Kay, a native of Shirley (Van Buren County) who brought a helping of heartfelt country to the proceedings. She performed with guitar accompaniment by Glenn Parish. Every single judge noted the quality of Kay’s songs, and was blown away when she announced that she’d recently turned 21. Guest judge Travis Hill wrote, “Fantastic commercial country songwriter. Definitely has a future in the business. Can’t believe she’s 21.” Judge Mandy McBryde said, “She’s definitely got

some marketability and a few hit songs.” CT wrote, “Very good, nice songwriting, lots of attitude in her voice. Hell yeah for small towns.” Grayson Shelton noted Kay’s “good stage presence, very confident.” He wrote, “Good storytelling. She can carry a show with good songs and crowd interaction.” Closing out Round 3 was Mothwind, who brought deep-space mega-riffage and crushingly awesome loudness to end the evening, all anchored by bassist Jeremy Partin’s four-string raging. Grayson Shelton wrote that drummer Kevin Rains “is a beast!” Mandy McBryde was impressed as well: “This drummer is amazing!” Shelton also appreciated vocalist Mike Mullins’ singing style. “Mike’s voice helps break it up. It’s definitely a harder set, but it adds a different dynamic. Some metal bands get really into being as hard as they can be. Kudos for keeping it fresh.” Guest judge Travis Hill called Mothwind “The kick in the teeth I need!” CT wrote: “Very driving and heavy, yet uplifting.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

CT “Arkansas’s answer to Buckcherry. Very good, very professional. Arena Rock, if that was still around.”

GUEST JUDGE TRAVIS HILL “Fantastic frontman. I love rock ’n’ roll.”

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DEADLINE REPORTS THAT TINA FEY WILL BE WORKING with “Pitch Perfect” director and Fayetteville native Jason Moore on the upcoming comedy “The Nest,” which is about a pair of sisters who, upon learning their childhood home has been put up for sale, decide to spend one last weekend together, bonding and feuding and then patching things up and so forth, as sisters often do. Moore, who directed on the Broadway productions of “Avenue Q” and “Shrek the Musical,” made his film debut with “Pitch Perfect.” As Deadline notes, the musical comedy was a sleeper hit, grossing more than $108 million worldwide, on a cost of $17 million.

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JEFF NICHOLS’ ARKANSAS-FILMED FEATURE “MUD” has a poster now, and that is it right up there. Star Matthew McConaughey is lookin’ rugged, all sportin’ a gat and a couple-or-five days’ worth of whiskers and an impressively dirty shirt. It’s a good look for him. Also, Vogue caught up with Nichols recently for a chat about artistic inspiration, the differences between Cannes and Sundance and what inspired him to write “Mud.” From the interview: “How did Mud come about? “I was walking through the Little Rock public library and I found this book called The Last River. It had these black-and-white photographs that detail people who made a living off the lower Arkansas River. I felt like that was a part of Arkansas and a culture that I hadn’t experienced and wanted to investigate it. So I kind of picked the place and then I was thinking, You know, what could happen down there? And it was literally one of those things where you sit up in bed and you’re like, ‘Guy hiding out on an island!’ It just felt like a classic story and then you start to wrap all the detail around that.”

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Arkansas Times 01-23-13_02-13-13.indd 1

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

1/15/13 2:18 PM

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY ROBERT BELL & DAVID KOON

THURSDAY 2/14

FRIDAY 2/15

WINSTON FAMILY ORCHESTRA

JIMBO MATHUS & THE TRI-STATE COALITION

10 p.m. White Water Tavern. $5.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. It’s rolled around again, that innocuous-seeming engine of capitalism that helps insure healthy returns for Hallmark and florists and fancy restaurants and Victoria’s Secret and who knows what all other components of the economy. Of course, you don’t have to go along with all that, whether you have a sweetheart or you’re on your own. You could go to a dive-y bar and drink cheap beer and listen to rock bands. And hey, if you’re not at the Times Showcase (see page 22), you could come check out Winston Family Orchestra and Color Club. Guitarist Jordan Trotter, from Grand Serenade, has joined WFO. If you missed Color Club’s record release show from a few weeks back, here’s your chance to see them. RB

SATURDAY 2/16SUNDAY 2/17

18TH ANNUAL ARKANSAS CUSTOM KNIFE SHOW

10 a.m. Robinson Center Exhibition Hall. $10.

Arkansas has long been to big ol’ knives what Kentucky is to bourbon, with the state’s historical influence in the field going back to the most famous big ol’ knife of all: the Bowie Knife, first made by blacksmith James Black at the request of Jim Bowie around 1830 at what is now Old Washington. Heck, Rambo’s big ol’ knives were even made here by the late, great Russellville knifesmith Jimmy Lile, and you don’t get much more badass than that. Arkansas has many fine craftsmen carrying on the tradition. You can see the best of their work — and the work of bladesmiths from 28 other states and Taiwan — at this year’s Arkansas Custom Knife Show, presented by the Arkansas Knifemakers Association. Now in its 18th year, the show will feature 152 tables and some of the best blades seen anywhere. Craftsmen will be on hand to discuss their calling and sell their creations, as well as leather crafters, sellers of knife-making supplies and more. The show will feature hourly door prizes, and awards will be given in a variety of categories. Ten bucks gets you in both days. DK 24

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

10 p.m. White Water Tavern. $10.

We mentioned this a while back in a feature about him, but Jimbo Mathus and his band The Tri-State Coalition have a fantastic new album out on Fat Possum. It’s called “White Buffalo,” and Times contributor Joe Meazle, who wrote the feature, had high praise for it. “Found within the album’s 10 tracks are blistering Southern rock riffs, heartfelt reflective ballads, back-road pop tunes and eerie midnight highway dirges,” he wrote. “The record really seems to show off Mathus’ songwriting and the Tri-State Coalition’s versatility, while Eric ‘Roscoe’ Ambel’s production keeps them reined in just enough. Ambel’s relationship with Mathus is a new one and I hope it continues.” Well, I just got word that Ambel, who lives in New York (and has performed alongside heavies like Steve Earle) will be flying in to play with the band at this album release show. Also, it should be noted that Ambel was one of the owners of The Lakeside Lounge, an East Village joint that was

ARKANSAS SON-IN-LAW: Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition play a record release show at White Water Tavern Friday.

probably the best bar in the city and certainly had the best jukebox. Sadly, Lakeside closed last year on account of the vicissitudes of capitalism — a.k.a., the rent is too damn high. Mathus went up there to play for the bar’s last hurrah, so Ambel is returning the favor and it’s happening at

White Water. Seriously, that place was a great bar, and it (along with Rosemary’s Greenpoint Tavern) was where I spent an unhealthy amount of time during my brief tenure in the big city. Mathus shows are always a good time, but this here is not one to miss. RB

SUNDAY 2/17

SUZANNE VEGA

8 p.m. Juanita’s. $25 adv., $30 day of.

There aren’t too many other artists who are still making rewarding, relevant music three decades or more into their careers. But not everyone can be a Leonard Cohen or a Scott Walker or a Suzanne Vega. Vega’s latest album of new material, 2007’s “Beauty & Crime,” earned glowing reviews, with several critics hailing it as her best work. More recently, Vega revisited her back catalog with the intimate, thematically arranged “Close-Up” series. Over the course of four albums, culminating with last year’s “Songs of Family,” Vega offered her fans stripped-down versions of her songs. She told the Kalamazoo Gazette there was another reason for the series, offering an interesting glimpse at business realities for musicians: “The original recordings for those hits belong to A&M Records, and they can do what they want with them, legally. Which means that they’re probably not going to reissue them, and that means I have no control over those works,” she said. “If I re-record them, then I own these

CLOSE-UP CONCERT: Suzanne Vega performs at Juanita’s Sunday.

masters, and I can sell them at shows, I can mix them, I can service them to radio, give them to the press. It gives me a way of owning the physical copy of my own life’s work.” Nothing against the originals, but to these ears, the songs on the “Close-Up” series are often preferable to

the studio versions. Her songs stand on their own very well, and the way they’re assembled makes for an enjoyable listening experience. It’s probably safe to expect to hear some of Vega’s classics at this show. Conway-based singer/songwriter Treva Blomquist opens. RB

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 2/14

ITALIAN GOTHIC: Lacuna Coil plays at Revolution Sunday night.

SUNDAY 2/17

LACUNA COIL, SEVENDUST

8 p.m. Rev Room. $25.

Though there are times when you want to chill out with a singer/songwriter slow jam or some classic jazz, there are other times when any rock fans worth their salt crave tunes to destroy cities by — that hard, fast, nearincomprehensible metal that makes you want to find James Taylor and

smash his guitar over the nearest Billy Joel. We’ve all been there, dudes and dudettes. This week, your dose of lightning-lit confusion and anger will be delivered by the Italian goth metal band Lacuna Coil, which is appearing on a double bill with Atlanta’s Sevendust. Founded in Milan in 1994 as Sleep of Right, Lacuna Coil is a little different in that the band features dual male/female vocals, provided by Andrea Ferro and

Cristina Scabbia, respectively. The result is something like a harder-edged Evanesence — heavy, bass-driven metal with dreamy, almost ethereal vocals. How hard are they? One of their first big hits in Europe was the single “Heaven is a Lie.” They’re currently on the road promoting their sixth studio album, “Dark Adrenaline.” Check out the first single off the album, “Trip the Darkness,” on YouTube for a sample. DK

Musical!” There’s some singing and some screaming. Lots of guitar chuggery. Lots of masks and black clothing with questionable zippers. These guys are angry, but they’re also sad. There’s this dude, and he’s having to push this big wooden thing, then later on he’s older and he has to pull this heavy wooden cart for some reason. He doesn’t look too happy. Next up is the video for “Sun Doesn’t Rise.” It has lots of creepy stuff, like bugs and whatnot. There’s a crow fighting with a scarecrow in a pumpkin patch. The black-

and-white footage is all decayed and scratchy looking. Somebody (the person who made this video) was way into the early work of Stan Brakhage. Anyways, more crows show up and they’re all messing with the scarecrow and picking at him. Why won’t they just leave him alone? Then this kid comes along and puts a pumpkin head on the scarecrow, which gives him powers and he starts just kicking the crap out of the crows who, to be honest, had it coming. Opening the show are Final Trigger, Gemini Syndrome and Society’s Plague. RB

out in — when else? — ’97) then brothers and sisters, ya’ll are in luck. The band is currently on its “Too Far to Care” Anniversary Tour, which means that they’re going to be playing two sets at Revolution Wednesday, one of

which will be “Too Far to Care” in its entirety, the other of which will contain many more fan faves from the group’s deep catalog. It’s pretty much a lock that there will be sing-alongs to every song at this 18-and-older show. RB

TUESDAY 2/19

MUSHROOMHEAD

9 p.m. Juanita’s. $15 adv., $18 day of.

OK, here’s the thing where we learn about a band by watching a couple of its most popular videos. The band is Mushroomhead and the genre is … Post Nu-Metal? Sure. First video is “Solitaire Unraveling.” The band members are playing some very dusty instruments. They’re hanging out in what it would look like if Tim Burton took a heroic dose of brown acid and then designed the set for “Post Apocalypse — the

WEDNESDAY 2/20

OLD 97’S

9 p.m. Revolution. $18 adv., $20 day of.

If you’re a fan of Dallas alt-country giants The Old 97’s and their classic album “Too Far to Care,” (which came

Let’s say you’re a fan of skateboarding-friendly hip-hop and ska-inflected punk rock. Well you’ll want to get over to Juanita’s, because The Dirty Heads are playing there, with Shiny Toy Guns, Midi Matilda and Oh No Fiasco, 9 p.m., $23 day of. It’s a Red Dirt fiesta over at Revolution, with Turnpike Troubadours and Dry County, 18-and-older, 9 p.m., $12. The Chamber Music Society of Little Rock presents a performance featuring Rachel Barton Pine on violin, Clinton Presidential Center, 7:30 p.m., $10-$35. The Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence hosts the Ultimate Beauty Makeover Luncheon, featuring Green Bay Packers tight end and all-around super good dude D.J. Williams, KNWA news anchor Neile Jones and more. Proceeds benefit Arkansas domestic abuse prevention and support programs, The Metroplex, 11 a.m., $50. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse recently kicked off its run of the comedy “Til Beth Do Us Part.” It’s about a marriage that threatens to come undone after years of complacency on the part of meteorologist Gibby Hayden, whose ambitious, careerdriven wife has hired an assistant to help out. 6 p.m. Tue.-Sat.; 11 a.m. Wed. and Sun., $15-$35.

FRIDAY 2/15

“Project 1927: The Lynching of John Carter” is a panel discussion about the 1927 lynching, with Stephanie Harp and George Fulton Jr., the great-grandson of John Carter, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 5:30 p.m. The Big John Miller Band brings the goodtime tunes to The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. Fayetteville Salsa institution Calle Soul comes to Juanita’s, with dance lessons at 9:30 p.m. and music at 10 p.m., $10. Trippy electro artist Govinda plays an all-ages show at Revolution, 9:30 p.m., $10. The Spa City Sweethearts Burlesque Revue features performances from The Foul Play Cabaret in a fundraiser for Low Key Arts. It’s Friday and Saturday at Low Key Arts, 7 p.m., $10.

SATURDAY 2/16

For madness on two wheels, don’t miss AMSOIL Arenacross, Verizon Arena, 7 p.m. and noon Sunday, $7-$24. Roller derby buffs, take note: “Derby Love is a Battlefield” finds Central Arkansas Roller Derby taking on Girls Rollin’ in the South, Skate World, 7 p.m., $10, free for kids 10 and younger. Psych/trance/blues duo Tyrannosaurus Chicken plays an 18-andolder show at Stickyz, 9:30 p.m., $6. Joecephus brings the ruckus back to Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

AFTER DARK 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.

THURSDAY, FEB. 14

COMEDY

Collin Moulton. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. $7-$13. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

MIKE POE

MUSIC

2013 Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase Round 4. With Miles Rattz, This Holy House, Peckerwolf, Terminus and Tom & Hebron. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $5 21 and older, $10 20 and younger. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. A Block of Love. With Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers. Montego Cafe, 9 p.m. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www.montegocafe.com. Benefit for Woody Wood. With Just Sayin’, Aaron Owens, Tragikly White and Jason Campbell & Singletree. Denton’s Trotline, 7 p.m., $10. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Chamber Music Society of Little Rock. Performance featuring Rachel Barton Pine on violin. Clinton Presidential Center, 7:30 p.m., $10-$35. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 370-8000. www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org. Dear Rabbit. Maxine’s, 7 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. The Dirty Heads, Shiny Toy Guns, Midi Matilda, Oh No Fiasco. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $19 adv., $23 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Downtown Battle of the Bands Round 4. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $6. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Krush Thursdays with DJ Kavaleer. Club Climax, free before 11 p.m. 824 W. Capitol. 501-554-3437. Live at Laman: Wine and Roses. Laman Library, 7 p.m., free. 2801 Orange St., NLR. 501-758-1720. www.lamanlibrary.org. Love and Happiness Valentine’s Day with Ramona Smith. The Afterthought, 8:30 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com. Ol’ Puddin’haid. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m.; March 14, 8 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-3798189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. Sol Def (headliner), Chris Henry (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. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. That 1 Guy. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9 p.m., $13. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-4424226. Turnpike Troubadours, Dry County. 18-andolder. Revolution, 9 p.m., $12. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Winston Family Orchestra, Color Club. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W 7th St. 501375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

NEW TUNES: The Dangerous Idiots play a record release show for their new long-player “Frankenbastard,” out on Mostar Records. Opening the show will be Booyah! Dad and Adam Faucett, White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $6.

DANCE

Art of Motion: Tango. Includes lessons from local and national tango instructors. No partner needed. Arkansas Arts Center, through May 9: second Thursday of every month, 7:30 p.m., $10, free for members. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

EVENTS

Ultimate Beauty Makeover Luncheon. Presented by Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence, featuring Green Bay Packers tight end D.J. Williams, KNWA news anchor Neile Jones and more. Proceeds benefit Arkansas domestic abuse prevention and support programs. Clear Channel Metroplex, 11 a.m., $50. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-9075612. domesticpeace.com/.

FILM

“Last Shot Love” film premiere and concert. Premiere of the short romantic comedy “Last Shot Love,” filmed in Argenta. Live music from Knox Hamilton and Wes Cunningham. The Joint, 8 p.m., $12. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

SPORTS

Live horse racing. Thu.-Sun. every week until

April 13, plus Martin Luther King Day and Memorial Day. Oaklawn, $2. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411. www.oaklawn.com.

BOOKS

UCA’s Arkatext literary festival. Call or email mspitzer@uca.edu for more information about times and events. University of Central Arkansas, through Feb. 15. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. 501-450-3339. www.uca.edu.

CLASSES

Children’s Classes: “Discover the Artists of Crystal Bridges.” For children ages 6 to 12. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 3:30:30 p.m.; Feb. 21, 3:30:30 p.m.; Feb. 28, 3:30:30 p.m., $80. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-418-5700. crystalbridges.org.

FRIDAY, FEB. 15

MUSIC

101 Old School Night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com. Ben Colture. The Tavern Sports Grill, 8:30 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www. thetavernsportsgrill.com. Big John Miller Band. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.

afterthoughtbar.com. Brown Soul Shoes. 18-and-older. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Calle Soul. Salsa dance lessons at 9:30 p.m. Music starts around 10 p.m. Juanita’s, 9:30 p.m., $10. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. Dance night, with DJs, drink specials and bar menu, until 2 a.m. 1620 Savoy, 10 p.m. 1620 Market St. 501-2211620. www.1620savoy.com. Dan Wagner. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., free. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock. Fire & Brimstone Duo. Montego Cafe, 5 p.m., free. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www.montegocafe.com. Free World. Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com. Friday night at Sway. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. The Goddamn Gallows, Jayke Orvis & The Broken Band, James Hunnicutt. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $6 adv., $8 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Govinda. All-ages. Revolution, 9:30 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Jeff Coleman. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, Feb. 15-16, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition with Eric Roscoe Ambel. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $10. 2500 W 7th St. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com. Kavanaugh. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 8 p.m., free. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. RTB2, Daniel Markham, The See. Vino’s. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Shannon Boshears (headliner), Richie Johnson (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-3755351. www.cajunswharf.com. Shotgun Billy Band. W.T. Bubba’s Country Tavern, 9 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-244-2528. Stephen Neeper Band. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m., $6. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Synergy, DJ Sleepy Genius. Montego Cafe, 8:30 p.m. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www.montegocafe.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. Velcro Pygmies. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-2247665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. “YOLO.” Featuring four DJs and beach volleyball, 18-and-older. Flying DD, $5. 4601 S. University. 501-773-9990. flyingdd.com.

COMEDY

Collin Moulton. The Loony Bin, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $7-$13. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com. The Main Thing: “The Last Night at Orabella’s.” Original two-act comedic play about the residents of tiny, fictional Dumpster, Ark. The Joint, 8 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-3720205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Mike Brown. UARK Bowl, 8 and 10:30 p.m., $7. 644 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-301-2030. www.uarkballroom.com.

EVENTS

SATURDAY, FEB. 16

MUSIC

2 Hole Punch (headliner), Jim Mills (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. Adam and Cole. W.T. Bubba’s Country Tavern, 9 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-244-2528. Andrew Ellis and Lucky Lemont. Bear’s Den Pizza, 9:30 p.m., free. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-328-5556. www.bearsdenpizza.com. Christian De Salvo, The Sallings Group. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 7 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. See Feb. 15. DJ Scotty B, Big Brown, Sleepy, Ewell. Also, Dominique Sanchez & The Disco Dolls with DJ Joseph Huge. Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m.,

COMEDY

The Main Thing: “The Last Night at Orabella’s.” See Feb. 15.

DANCE

Little Rock West Coast Dance Club. Dance lessons. Singles welcome. Ernie Biggs, 7 p.m., $2. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-247-5240. www. arstreetswing.com.

EVENTS

18th Annual Ivy Ball: A Pink & Green Masquerade. Dinner and dancing, presented by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Beta Pi Omega Chapter and The Ivy Foundation of Little Rock. Semi-formal attire. Embassy Suites, 7 p.m., $40. 11301 Financial Centre. 501-312-

AMSOIL Arenacross. Verizon Arena, Feb. 16, 7 p.m.; Feb. 17, noon, $7-$24. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. “Derby Love is a Battlefield.” Central Arkansas Roller Derby vs. Girls Rollin’ in the South. Skate World, 7 p.m., $10, free for kids 10 and younger. 6512 Mabelvale Cut Off. 501-758-9269. Live horse racing. See Feb. 14. UALR Men’s Trojans vs. Middle Tennessee. Jack Stephens Center, UALR, 7 p.m., $5-$38. 2801 S. University Ave. UALR Women’s Trojans vs. Middle Tennessee. Jack Stephens Center, UALR, 4:30 p.m., $5-$38. 2801 S. University Ave.

BOOKS

Meet the new Budweiser Black Crown, a 6% golden amber lager brewed with toasted caramel malt and beechwood finished for a smooth and distinctive flavor. Tasted, chosen and handpicked by the loud, the savvy and the famous, at bars and festivals across the nation. And then, dressed in black. #TASTEIS

Trim: 2.125x12 Bleed: none Live: 1.875x11.75

SPORTS

TASTE IS INTRODUCING A NEW SHADE OF AMBER

Publication: Arkansas Times

BOOKS

“Toadsuck Review” Launchapalooza. Includes readings, live music, a cash bar and more. Michelangelo’s Italian Ristorante, 7 p.m., free. 1117 Oak St., Conway. 501-329-7278. www. michelangelosconway.com/index.html. UCA’s Arkatext literary festival. See Feb. 14.

9000. Argenta Farmers Market. Argenta, 7 a.m.-noon. Main Street, NLR. Arkansas Black History Quiz Bowl. Teams of 6-12 graders from across Arkansas test their knowledge of African-American history, achievements and contributions. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 9 a.m. 501 W. 9th St. 501-376-4602. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com. Crystal Bridges Teen Workshop: “Not Your Usual Still Life Class.” For ages 13-18. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 1 p.m., $40. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-418-5700. crystalbridges.org. Custom Knife Show. Presented by Arkansas Knifemakers Association, in the Robinson Center Exhibit Hall. Robinson Center Music Hall, Feb. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Feb. 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., $10 (two-day pass). Markham and Broadway. 501-554-2582. www.littlerockmeetings.com/conv-centers/robinson. Did You Know? Monthly Series: “Making Health Connections: Let’s Talk about Mental Health.” Pyramid Art Books and Custom Framing, 1:30 p.m., free. 1001 Wright Ave. 501-372-6822. hearnefineart.com. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-noon. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Intimate Victorian Valentine’s Dinner. The Empress of Little Rock, 7 p.m., $125 per couple. 2120 S. Louisiana St. Piccadilly Circus. Barton Coliseum, Feb. 16, 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 17, 1, 3:30 and 6 p.m., $34. 2600 Howard St. www.arkansasstatefair.com. Spa City Sweethearts Burlesque Revue. See Feb. 15.

Closing Date: 1.25.13 QC: CS

SPORTS

Live horse racing. See Feb. 14.

$10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www. latenightdisco.com. Grace Kelley Quintet. Walton Arts Center, 7 and 9 p.m., $11-$36. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Jeff Coleman. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Joecephus. Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com. K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802. Lucious Spiller. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www. cregeens.com. Pickin’ Porch. Bring your instrument. All ages welcome. Faulkner County Library, 9:30 a.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www. fcl.org. Raising Grey. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Randy Houser, Lindsay Ell. Revolution, 9 p.m., $15, $50 (meet and greet). 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. The Revolutioners, Stella Luss. Juanita’s, 10 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Rex Bell Trio with Kasie Lunsford. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Sarah Hughes Band. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $5. 2500 W 7th St. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com. Saturday night at Discovery. Featuring DJs, dancers and more. Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m., $10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www.latenightdisco.com. Singer/Songwriters Showcase. Parrot Beach Cafe, 2-7 p.m., free. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. Smokey Emerson. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Telegraph Canyon, RTB2, Daniel Markham. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Tyrannosaurus Chicken. 18-and-older. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $6. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Wordplay, T.JAY and A Glorious Bang, Michael Leonard Witham & The Stick Figures. Vino’s. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

Brand: Bud Black Crown Item #: PBD201310413 Job/Order #:247211

Homeschool Friday Fun: “Celebrate Black History Month.” For children ages 5-9 and 10-13: Learning about the African American artists in Crystal Bridges collection and more. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 2-3:30 p.m., $45. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479418-5700. crystalbridges.org. Jim Balfanz. The president of the nonprofit City Year will discuss the results of a study called “Closing the Implementation Gap.” Clinton School of Public Service, noon, free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www. clintonschool.uasys.edu. LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group. Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. 800 Scott St., 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. “Project 1927: The Lynching of John Carter.” Panel discussion about the 1927 lynching of John Carter, with Stephanie Harp and George Fulton, Jr., the great-grandson of John Carter. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 5:30 p.m. 501 W. 9th St. 501-376-4602. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com. Spa City Sweethearts Burlesque Revue. Featuring performances from The Foul Play Cabaret in a fundraiser for Low Key Arts. Low Key Arts, Feb. 15-16, 7 p.m., $10. 118 Arbor St., Hot Springs. Stonewall Democrats Valentine’s Gayla. With music, dancing, refreshments and more. Sway, 8 p.m., $10. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Table for Two — Beef Medallions. Includes demonstration, cooking lesson, meal, overnight lodging and continental breakfast. Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 5 p.m., $200 (couple). 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton. 727-5435. www. uawri.org. Ultimate Arenacross Experience. Meet Arenacross riders and discover what it takes to be in the sport. Museum of Discovery, 1 p.m. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800-880-6475. www.amod.org.

Baobab Tree Book Club: “Good Self, Bad Self.” Pyramid Art Books and Custom Framing, 3:30 p.m., free. 1001 Wright Ave. 501-372-6822. hearnefineart.com. Michael Don Fess. The author of the new novel “The Cruising Serial Killer” will sign copies of his books. WordsWorth Books & Co., 1:30 p.m. 5920 R St. 501-663-9198. www.wordsworthbooks.org.

SUNDAY, FEB. 17

MUSIC

Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, first and third Sunday of every month, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 ©2013 A-B, Budweiser® Black Crown Lager, St. Louis, MO www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

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Michael Eubanks. Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon, 7 p.m. 10901 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-227-8898. www.lonestarsteakhouse.com. Sevendust, Lacuna Coil, Avatar. Revolution, 8 p.m., $22 adv., $25 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Stardust Big Band. Arlington Hotel, 3 p.m., $8. 239 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-7771. Successful Sunday. Featuring live music and DJs. Montego Cafe, 7 p.m. 315 Main St. 501372-1555. www.montegocafe.com. Sunday Jazz Brunch with Ted Ludwig and Joe Cripps. Vieux Carre, 11 a.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.vieuxcarrecafe.com. Suzanne Vega, Treva Blomquist. Standing room only, general admission. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $25 adv., $30 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

EVENTS

Featured artists Caren garner & Philip Kirkpatrick

Custom Frame Sale

AFTER DARK, CONT.

After the Artwalk, Experience Artistic Dining With Us! 411 main st. • North Little Rock 501-372-7976 www.starvingartistcafe.net

Captured Live from the Met: Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, 2 p.m., $15, $5 for students. 350 S. Donaghey, Conway. 501-450-3265. Custom Knife Show. See Feb. 16. “Live from the Back Room.” Spoken word event. Vino’s, 7 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www. vinosbrewpub.com. Piccadilly Circus. Barton Coliseum, 1, 3:30 and 6 p.m., $34. 2600 Howard St. www.arkansasstatefair.com. Soup Sunday. Benefit for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Embassy Suites, 4 p.m., $20-$50. 11301 Financial Centre. 501-312-9000.

FILM

“The Powerbroker” Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights”.” Fayetteville Public Library, 2 p.m., free. 401 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville.

SPORTS

AMSOIL Arenacross. Verizon Arena, noon, $7-$24. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. Live horse racing. See Feb. 14.

CLASSES

Drop-In Drawing. Informal drawing session. Materials are provided. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 1 p.m., free. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-418-5700. crystalbridges.org.

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2 Riverfront Place North Little Rock • 501.375.7825

MONDAY, FEB. 18

MUSIC

2 Riverfront Place North Little Rock 501.374.8081 • Benihana.com

Affiance, Glamour of the Kill, More Than Sparrows, Found Fearless, Dear Karma, Enter the Dojo. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $7 adv., $10 day of. 211 W. Capitol. 501-3761819. downtownmusichall.com. Jazz at The Afterthought: KABF Jazz. The Afterthought, Feb. 18, 8 p.m.; Feb. 25, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com. Ol’ Puddin’haid. Norm’s, Feb. 18, 7 p.m.; Feb. 25, 7 p.m. 6416 Col. Glenn Road. Reggae Nites. Featuring DJ Hy-C playing roots, reggae and dancehall. Pleazures Martini and Grill Lounge, 6 p.m., $7-$10. 1318 Main St. 501376-7777. www.facebook.com/pleazures.bargrill.

SPORTS

Live horse racing. See Feb. 14.

TUESDAY, FEB. 19

MUSIC

Cotton Jones, Free Micah. 18-and-older. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $6. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Dangerous Idiots (album release), Booyah! Dad, Adam Faucett. White Water Tavern, 9

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

p.m. 2500 W 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Lucious Spiller Band. Copeland’s Restaurant of Little Rock, 6-9 p.m. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. 501-312-1616. www.copelandsrestaurantlittlerock.com. Micawber, Fallen Empire, Deshoveled. Allages. Downtown Music Hall, 8 p.m., $5. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall. com. Mushroomhead, Final Trigger, Gemini Syndrome, Society’s Plague. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $15 adv., $18 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Open jazz jam. The Joint, 8 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Ricky David Tripp. Rocket Twenty One, 5:30 p.m. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-603-9208. www. ferneaurestaurant.com. The See. Bear’s Den Pizza, 9:30 p.m., free. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-328-5556. www.bearsdenpizza.com. The Toasters, Mrs. Skannotto. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

DANCE

“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7 p.m., $5 regular, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. www.revroom.com.

EVENTS

28th Annual North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Featured guest speaker is James Lee Witt, Executive Chairman of the Board with Witt O’Brien’s and Former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Verizon Arena, 5 p.m., $60. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-372-5959. verizonarena.com. Interfaith Dialogues. Sophia Said will discuss Islam. Rialto Community Arts Center, 6 p.m. 213 E. Broadway St., Morrilton. 501-354-8408. www.rialtoartscenter.com/. Tales from the South. Authors tell true stories; schedule available on website. Dinner served 5-6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Call for reservations. Starving Artist Cafe, 5 p.m. 411 N. Main St., NLR. 501-372-7976. www.starvingartistcafe.net. Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock. Wiggle Worms: “Hot Air.” For children six and younger. Museum of Discovery, 10:30 a.m. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800-880-6475. www. amod.org.

FILM

Film Series: “Cats of Mirikitani.” In conjunction with “Wendy Maruyama: Executive Order 9066.” Arkansas Arts Center, 6 p.m. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www.arkarts.com. Vino’s Picture Show: “The Graduate.” Vino’s, 7:30 p.m., free. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

BOOKS

Big Rock Reading Series: Davis McCombs, Carolyn Guinzio. Reading in the R.J. Wills Lecture Hall. Pulaski Technical College, 6 p.m., free. 3000 W. Scenic Drive, NLR.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com. Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, Feb. 20, 5 and 9

AFTER DARK, CONT. p.m.; Feb. 27, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Chris Henry. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www.thetavernsportsgrill.com. Craig Campbell. All proceeds benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. Juanita’s, 8:30 p.m., $15. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. For all Those Sleeping, Get Scared, Ice Nine Kills, Upon this Dawning, Between You & I. Downtown Music Hall, 6:30 p.m., $12 adv., $14 day of. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com. Jason Burnett. Denton’s Trotline, 7 p.m., free. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Joey Farr & The Fuggins Wheat Band. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, Feb. 20, 8:30 p.m.; Feb. 27, 8:30 p.m., $4. 107 Commerce St. 501372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Old 97s. 18-and-older. Revolution, 9 p.m., $18 adv., $20 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Ricky David Tripp. Rocket Twenty One, 5:30 p.m. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-603-9208. www. ferneaurestaurant.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. UCA Department of Music symphonic band concert. Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, 7:30 p.m., free. 350 S. Donaghey, Conway.

COMEDY

Alex Ortiz, Jose Sarduy, Dan Fritschie. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7-$15. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com. The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Standup Open Mic Night. Hosted by local come dians. UARK Bowl, 9 p.m., free. 644 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-301-2030. uarkbowl.com.

DANCE

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

EVENTS

Brown Bag Lunch Lecture: “Desegregating Downtown Little Rock: The Efforts of Local and External Organizations.” Old State House Museum, noon. 500 Clinton Ave. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse.com. Crystal Bridges Studio Studies Series: Watercolor Painting. With instructor Carol Cooper. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 6:30-8 p.m., $80. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-418-5700. crystalbridges.org. WOW: Politics Under the Influence. 21-andolder culinary event, with discussion of the role of alcohol in the early stages of political life in the United States. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 6 p.m., $30. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-418-5700. crystalbridges.org.

POETRY

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

CLASSES

Preschool Art Class: “Creatures of Crystal Bridges.” For children ages 3 to 5 with a caregiver. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 1:15 p.m., $30. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-418-5700. crystalbridges.org.

SHOWCASE, CONT.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER

“Ain’t Nothing But A Thang.” This award-winning drama-comedy takes a raw look at the problems that plague an African-American family, including AIDS, illiteracy, self-hate and drug abuse. The Weekend Theater, through Feb. 23: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m., $12-$16. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org. “All the King’s Women.” The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis, is remembered in this captivating look at several women who met him in person, some enthralled, some appalled. Lantern Theatre, through Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m., $12. 1021 Van Ronkle, Conway. 501-733-6220. www.conwayarts.org/index.html. Auditions for “Doubt, A Parable” and “The Paris Letter.” “Doubt” runs April 5-20; and “The Paris Letter” runs May 3-18. Sat., Feb. 16, 10 a.m.; Sun., Feb. 17, 6 p.m., The Weekend Theater. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www. weekendtheater.com Auditions for “Hats! The Musical.” Production dates are April 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. and April 21 and 28 at 2:30 p.m. Landers Theater, Mon., Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. 332 E. Main St., Batesville. 870-793-2170. “The Dixie Swim Club.” A comedy that centers around the long-time friendship of five very different Southern women who met on their college swim team. Starring Barbara Morgan, Linda Rickel, Ann Wilson, Mary Currey and Mary Hill. Pocket Community Theater, through Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m., $5-$10. 170 Ravine St., Hot Springs. “A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur.” UCA Theatre presents the Tennessee Williams play. University of Central Arkansas, Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall, Feb. 14-15, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 20-22, 7:30 p.m., $10, free for UCA students. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “Potted Potter.” Walton Arts Center, Sat., Feb. 16, 4 and 8 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 17, 2 and 7:30 p.m., $19-$29. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479443-5600. “The Pursuit of Happiness.” In this comedy, a mother and father put enormous expectations on their 18-year-old daughter getting into the right college. But she has other ideas. The Public Theatre, Feb. 15-16, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 17, 2 p.m.; Feb. 22-23, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 24, 2 p.m.; March 1-2, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 3, 2 p.m., $12-$14. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www.thepublictheatre.com. “Sons of the Prophet.” Award-winning new comedy about a young Lebanese-American man and his struggles with work, home and his health insurer. Recommended for ages 17 and older. Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios, Feb. 14-16, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 17, 2 and 7 p.m.; Feb. 21-23, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 24, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 28-March 2, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 3, 2 and 7:30 p.m., $10-$22. 505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. theatre2.org. “Til Beth Do Us Part.” Comedy about a marriage that threatens to come undone after years of complacency on the part of meteorologist Gibby Hayden, whose ambitious, career-driven wife has hired an assistant to help out. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through March 10: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m.; Sun., 11 a.m., $15-$35. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

GALLERIES, MUSEUMS

NEW EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS

More art listings can be found in the calendar at www.arktimes.com ARGENTA ARTWALK, downtown NLR: Galleries on Main Street will be open 5-8 p.m. Feb. 15 for monthly art event. CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

MILES RATTZ

THIS HOLY HOUSE

PECKERWOLF

TOM & HEBRON

ROUND 4 LINEUP MILES RATTZ: Miles Rattz, a.k.a. Michael Chavez, makes lo-frills bedroom pop that charts the same warped, weirdo waters as Ariel Pink was wading around in back when he got started. Chavez’s “Fought Songs” EP is four tracks that recreate the feeling of lying on the couch with two stereos in two different rooms playing two different R. Stevie Moore cassettes at the same time, but you’re too, uh, compromised to get up and turn one of them off. “Hotel Staytion” is a dose of Nilsson-in-a-funhouse-mirror pop charm. THIS HOLY HOUSE: The members of This Holy House are no strangers to the Showcase, having made it to the finals in 2011. At that point, the band was still a trio, but they’ve since added guitarist/vocalist Jordan Ahne to the lineup. Oh, and they also released a full-length album and won the Back Room to the Main Stage competition last year at Vino’s, which netted them a cool thousand bucks and a spot playing the Arkansas State Fair. Check out “Put Your Arm Around My Shoulder” for some soaring guitar rock that recalls Jeff Buckley and Crazy Horse in equal measure. PECKERWOLF: This Little Rock trio isn’t even a year old yet, but these dudes clearly know how to kick up an eardrum-bruising yet memorable ruckus

TERMINUS

using guitars and amps and drums. Check out the sweet intro to “JT Boner,” which tastefully cribs sweet bits of riffgold from early Black Sabbath and melts them down to combine with the groove of The Jesus Lizard to create an alloy of rock that’s a great soundtrack for getting up to no good. TERMINUS: Heavy, prog-informed post-rock is the name of the bidness that Fayetteville trio Terminus is in. If your ears are open to the metallic crushingness of such bands as Baroness, Isis, Mastodon and the like, don’t miss these dudes. Check out “Hierophant,” for a muscular, raging workout that shows off the group’s chops without seeming showy. Oh, and check this: they’re in high school. They’re in high school and their tunes could stand up with any number of bands twice their age. TOM & HEBRON: Brothers Tom and Hebron Chester have a spooky-good grasp on ‘70s singer/songwriter rock. Think Elton John, The Band, Wings, Emmitt Rhodes and the like. Check out “Ridge Runner,” which hits so many classic FM sweet spots. They must’ve spent hours with their parents’ record collection, and you can hear how fully they’ve absorbed those dusty grooves. This is a makeup show for Tom & Hebron, who had the flu a couple weeks ago. They’re feeling much better now, presumably. www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

MOVIE LISTINGS

FEB. 15-16

Market Street Cinema times at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only. Chenal 9, Riverdale and McCain Mall showtimes were not available by press deadline. Find up-to-date listings at arktimes.com.

Amazing New Pieces From Anna Beck Jewelry!

2616 Kavanaugh Blvd. • Little Rock 501.661.1167 www.shopboxturtle.com

EAT LOCAL 30

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

NEW MOVIES Amour (PG-13) — A couple confronts the heartbreaking, inevitable decline of old age in this total bummer of a beautifully made and wellreviewed film. Lakewood 8: 7:00, 9:50. Market Street: 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15. Beautiful Creatures (PG-13) — Basically “Twilight” but with witches instead of whatever it was “Twilight” had. Oh, and bad southern accents. It’s got those, too. Breckenridge: 12:20, 4:25, 7:20, 10:05. Lakewood 8: 11:20 a.m., 2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 10:00. Rave: 10:25 a.m., 1:25, 4:25, 7:25, 10:25, midnight. Escape from Planet Earth (PG) — Animated aliens have to escape from the planet Earth. Breckenridge: 1:15, 9:50 (2D), 4:50, 7:40 (3D). Rave: 10:50 a.m., 1:15, 3:55, 6:30, 9:00, 11:20 (2D), 11:50 a.m., 2:15, 5:00, 7:30 (3D). A Good Day to Die Hard (R) — “Die Hard” goes to Russia in search of a paycheck. Breckenridge: 12:30, 4:00, 7:00, 7:30, 9:30, 10:00. Rave (XTreme): 11:30 a.m., 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30, midnight (XTreme), 10:25 a.m., 12:15, 12:55, 2:45, 3:25, 5:15, 5:55, 7:45, 8:30, 10:15, 11:00. Quartet (PG-13) — Bunch of retired British singers in an old folks home have to get the band back together to save the orphanage, er, sorry, the old folks home. Rave: 11:15 a.m., 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15. Safe Haven (PG-13) — Sorry dude, but you are definitely going to have to take your girlfriend to see this soft-focus yawn-fest. Breckenridge: 1:00, 4:40, 7:25, 10:10. Rave: 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:35, 2:35, 4:25, 5:25, 7:15, 8:15, 10:05, 11:05, midnight. RETURNING THIS WEEK Anna Karenina (R) — If director Joe Wright (“Pride and Prejudice,” “Atonement”) hates the term “Oscar bait,” maybe he should, you know, stop Oscar-baiting so much. Market Street: 1:45, 6:45. Argo (R) — A group of Americans in revolutionary Iran make an improbable escape, based on actual events, from director Ben Affleck. Breckenridge: 12:45, 7:00. Django Unchained (R) — Another revenge flick from Quentin Tarantino, with Jamie Foxx and the guy from “Titanic.” Rave: 11:20 a.m., 3:10, 6:50, 10:30. Flight (R) — Denzel Washington is a pilot with a substance abuse problem, from director Robert Zemeckis. Movies 10: 12:10, 3:50, 7:00, 10:00. The Guilt Trip (PG-13) — It’s exactly like “The Road,” except with Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand and the world hasn’t ended yet and it’s supposedly a comedy. Lakewood 8: 7:05, 9:30. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (R) — They’re just running out of ideas, aren’t they? Starring Jeremy Renner. Breckenridge: 3:45, 9:40. Rave: 10:15 a.m., 12:35, 5:20, 7:40 (2D), 2:55, 10:00 (3D). A Haunted House (R) — All your favorite midto late-2012 pop-culture references, all conveniently stapled onto a single parody of the “Paranormal Activity” flicks. Rave: 2:00, 4:20, 6:40, 9:00, 11:30. Here Comes the Boom (PG) — “The Zookeeper” star Kevin James is a teacher in this one. Movies 10: 12:25, 2:50, 5:15, 7:40, 10:10.

CREATURE FEATURE: In “Beautiful Creatures,” Alice Englert plays this young woman who is in that awkward stage where she’s becoming a witch and has to figure out whether she’s going to be a good witch or a bad witch. Hitchcock (PG-13) — Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Dame Helen Mirren as the director’s wife and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh. Market Street: 4:20, 9:15. Hotel Transylvania 3D (PG) — Animated kids movie in which Dracula is an overprotective father who hosts a big monster mash, starring the voice of Adam Sandler, of course. Movies 10: 12;30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:15, 9:30. Hyde Park on Hudson (R) — In which Bill Murray is FDR. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:15. Identity Thief (R) — Yeah, real cute Hollywood. We’ll see how funny it is when somebody steals your debit card number and uses it to buy a bunch of iPads. Breckenridge: 12:50, 4:10, 7:10, 9:50. Rave: 10:30 a.m., 1:20, 2:30, 4:10, 5:15, 6:55, 8:00, 9:45, 10:45. Jack Reacher (PG-13) — Cliche-a-thon action thriller starring Tom Cruise and, for some reason, Werner Herzog. Lakewood 8: 11:30 a.m., 2:15, 7:10. Les Miserables (PG-13) — Latest version of Victor Hugo’s classic, starring Anne Hathaway, Gladiator, Wolverine and Borat. Breckenridge: 4:30. Life of Pi (PG) — Based on the smash-hit book of the same name, from director Ang Lee. Market Street: 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15. Lincoln (PG-13) — Steven Spielberg’s biopic about Abraham Lincoln, with Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field. Breckenridge: 12:10, 3:40. Rave: 10:40 a.m. Mama (PG-13) — From “Pan’s Labyrinth” helmer, rising star Jessica Chastain confronts a bunch of terrifying something or other. Breckenridge: 1:15, 4:35, 7:35, 9:55. Lakewood 8: noon, 2:20, 4:45, 7:15, 9:40. Rave: 12:30, 3:05, 5:45, 8:20, 10:55. Parental Guidance (PG) — Boomer grandparents Billy Crystal and Bette Midler are outmatched by their bratty post-millennial grandkids. Lakewood 8: 11:45 a.m., 2:05, 4:35. Red Dawn (PG-13) — Not so much a “remake” as an act of cinematic necrophilia — and an unnecessary one at that. Movies 10: 12:45, 5:10, 9:55. Rise of the Guardians (PG) — Animated adventure story about a group of heroes who protect the imaginations of children from an evil spirit who wants to take over the world. Lakewood 8: 11:50 a.m., 2:10, 4:25. Movies 10: 1:10, 3:25, 5:40, 7:55, 10:15 (2D), noon, 4:45, 9:35 (3D). Side Effects (R) — Former male stripper Channing Tatum’s wife gets all messed up on pills or something in this pharmacologically-inspired thriller from Steven Soderbergh. Breckenridge: 1:05, 4:20, 7:40, 10:05. Lakewood 8: 11:55 a.m., 2:25, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55.Rave: 10:20 a.m., 1:10, 3:50, 6:40, 9:20.

Silver Linings Playbook (R) — Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star as two dysfunctional yet charming weirdoes who are just trying to make their way in this crazy world, OK? Jeez! Breckenridge: 12:35, 3:50, 7:05, 9:50. Rave: 10:35 a.m., 1:30, 4:35, 7:35, 10:30. Skyfall (R) — An aging Bond still can’t be beat. Movies 10: 12:20, 3:30, 6:45, 9:50. Stand Up Guys (R) — Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin are aging gangsters who reunite after a long time apart. Market Street: 2:15, 4:15, 7:15, 9:15. Texas Chainsaw 3D (R) — Heartwarming tale of a misunderstood social outcast who makes friends with people by killing them with a chainsaw. Lakewood 8: 5:00, 10:05. Movies 10: 3:00, 7:45. This is 40 (R) — Remember how in “Knocked Up” there was that joyless yuppie couple played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann? Here is a movie all about them. Lakewood 8: 11:30 a.m., 9:50. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (PG-13) — Vampire movie sequel starring the girl who cheated on the guy, plus the other guy, the werewolf one. Oh yeah, get this: It’s the last one in the series! Movies 10: 12:05, 1:15, 2:45, 4:00, 6:05, 7:10, 8:45, 10:05. Warm Bodies (PG-13) — Pretty much “Twilight,” but with zombies instead of whatever it was “Twilight” had. Breckenridge: 1:10, 4:15, 7:15, 9:45. Rave: 10:55 a.m., 1:25, 4:05, 6:35, 9:05, 10:10, 11:45. Wreck-It Ralph (PG) — Animated movie about a video game character. Lakewood 8: 2:30, 4:55, 7:25. Movies 10: 12:40, 3:20, 6:10, 9:20 (2D), 2:15, 7:05 (3D). Zero Dark Thirty (R) — This is a Major Serious Film that raises Big Important Questions about the implications of … eh, whatever. Let’s just give this the Best Picture Oscar now and call it a day. Breckenridge: 12:25, 8:00. Lakewood 8. 11:40 a.m., 3:00, 7:35. Rave: 11:00 a.m. Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre: 17825 Chenal Parkway, 821-2616, www.dtmovies.com. Cinemark Movies 10: 4188 E. McCain Blvd., 945-7400, www.cinemark.com. Cinematown Riverdale 10: Riverdale Shopping Center, 296-9955, www.riverdale10.com. Lakewood 8: 2939 Lakewood Village Drive, 7585354, www.fandango.com. Market Street Cinema: 1521 Merrill Drive, 312-8900, www.marketstreetcinema.net. Rave Colonel Glenn 18: 18 Colonel Glenn Plaza, 687-0499, www.ravemotionpictures.com. Regal Breckenridge Village 12: 1-430 and Rodney Parham, 224-0990, www.fandango.com. Regal McCain Mall 12: 3929 McCain Blvd., 7531380, www.regmovies.com.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘IDENTITY THIEF’: Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy star.

Flat, rote and dopey ‘Identity Thief’ steals McCarthy’s comedic talent. BY SAM EIFLING

anding as it did just as the ol’ “Why are there no funny women?” debate was clearing its throat again, 2011’s “Bridesmaids” was one of the besttimed comedies of the past decade. The breakout star of the ensemble was Melissa McCarthy, who put cliches to shame by being hilarious, and a woman, and of the robust physical proportions that Hollywood usually shuns. Critics and audiences gushed in harmony: Get that woman more work. Well, someone did, installing McCarthy as the title crook in “Identity Thief.” And with that, we’ve taken a step backward. It would be fair to say McCarthy is curiously unfunny in “Identity Thief,” except almost nothing in “Identify Thief” is funny, obviating any curiosity. It’s occasionally amusing, mostly flat and rote and dopey. McCarthy is scattershot, while the sap whose credit line she has pirated, Jason Bateman, is checkerboard-square and delivers all the laughs of your average nutrition label. They have a touch of comedic chemistry but nothing to work from. Gosh, it’s as if director Seth Gordon (“Horrible Bosses”) and screenwriter Craig Mazin (two “Scary Movie” sequels) stole from the two leads the very individual essence that made them them. If only we had a word for that. Bateman and McCarthy begin the movie both using the name Sandy Patterson. He is the real Sandy: He has a pregnant wife, a couple of spunky kids, and a mid-level job at a financial firm in Denver made unbearable by his condescending cheapskate boss. He quits when cowork-

ers, led by “Harold & Kumar” alum John Cho, break away to start a rival firm. As Sandy’s life dangles in that balance, he realizes his credit cards have all been maxed out and a warrant is out for his arrest. He saves his job only by proving his identity has been stolen, and via the magic of movie logic decides to travel to Florida to coax his tormentor back to Denver, to fess up. McCarthy doesn’t relent easily. She’s the picture of a frizz-haired human sneer, running constant low-grade cons and partial to a devastating little trachea-jab. Her snitty criminal — who agrees to roll with Sandy in part to escape a pair of drug cartel goons and a bounty hunter played by erstwhile liquid terminator Robert Patrick — softens over the course of their journey north. And there it becomes clear that “Identity Thief” doesn’t have any ear at all for tone. Is it a madcap getaway movie? A physical comedy? A live-action “Financial Crimes for Dummies”? A pat, family-friendly redemption story? Or a take-no-prisoners raunch-romp about taking a prisoner? “Identity Thief” never picks. It dooms itself as a grab-bag that winds up as an inert lump of attempted emotions and aborted giggles. As shaky as it was, it hauled in $36 million its first weekend out to win the box office. Americans followed through on their stated intention to patronize another McCarthy movie, even if they’re quickly realizing this isn’t the one they wanted. Maybe now that we know she’s bankable, someone should get that woman some work worthy of her talents.

AFTER DARK, CONT. BOSWELL-MOUROT, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Exodus of Dreams — Cuba to America,” works by Ernesto Capdevila, Eloy Perera, Maydelina Lezcano and Lourdes Porrata, show through Feb. 15; “Piecing Together,” woodcuts by Delita Martin, Feb. 16-March 10, artist talk at reception 7 p.m. Feb. 16. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0030. COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: “Bridging the Burden: In Their Shoes,” boots of Arkansas soldiers killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, through April 27. 918-3086. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 2nd and Cumberland: Knife-cutting competition, 2 p.m. Feb. 15, Log House grounds (preceding the Arkansas Knifemakers Association Custom Knife Show at the Statehouse Convention Center Feb. 16-17). 324-9351. MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: “Undaunted Courage, Proven Loyalty: Japanese-American Soldiers in World War II,” through August; “Korea: The Forgotten War”; and other exhibits. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602. THEA CENTER, 401 Main, NLR: “Visual Arts Competition Winners Show,” through March 22; “Ceramic Bowls,” show and sale of bowls by students at Parkview and Hall High School to benefit the Arkansas Food Bank, through Feb. 15, Argenta ArtWalk reception 5-8 p.m. Feb. 15. 9 a.m.-noon, 1-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-5 p.m. Sat. 379-9512.

April 21; “Edward Weston: Leaves of Grass,” 53 gelatin-silver prints, through April 21; “Delta Exhibition,” through March 10; “Museum School Faculty Exhibition: Past and Present,” through March 10. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “1st Annual Membership Exhibition” by the Arkansas Society of Printmakers, through April 27. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5700. GALLERY 221, 2nd and Center Sts.: “People, Places and Emotions,” work by Jennifer “EMILE” Freeman, through Feb. 28. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 801-0211. GALLERY 360, 900 S. Rodney Parham: “Bunker Dogs Art Expo Opening,” paintings, drawings, comics and more by Matthew Castellano, X3MEX and Everett Gee, through Feb. 23. LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St.: “For All the World to See,” the struggle for racial equality 1940s-1970s in photographs, television clips, artifacts, through March 16. 758-1720. SEQUOYAH NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER, UALR University Plaza Suite 500: “Contemporary Art of the Osages,” J.W. Wiggins Gallery, through March 29. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Collecting Prints,” works from the permanent collection, through March 11, Gallery I; “John Harlan Norris: Occupants,” portraits, Gallery III, through March 21. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-8977.

BATESVILLE LYON COLLEGE: “2013 Small Works on Paper,” Kresge Gallery, through Feb. 22, reception 5-7 p.m. Feb. 14. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 870-3077000.

BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, 600 Museum Way: “Abstractions on Paper: From Abstract Expressionism to Post Minimalism,” through April 29, works from the collection of the Arkansas Arts Center by Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, Ellsworth Kelly and others; permanent collection of American masterworks spanning four centuries. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu., Sat.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.Fri. 479-418-5700.

BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: “Conversations: Ursula Von Rydingsvard’s ‘Unraveling’,” talk by Sara Segerlin about the large-scale sculpture in wood in the early 20th century gallery, 3:30 p.m. Feb. 16. 479-418-5700. CONWAY AETN, 350 S. Donaghey: “Arkansas Champion Trees: An Artist’s Journey,” drawings by Linda Palmer, Feb. 18-March 15, reception and gallery talk 1-4 p.m. Feb. 23. 682-2386. FORT SMITH FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM: “Mona Lisa’s Daughters: Portraits of Women from the Arkansas Arts Center,” works by 31 artists, including Milton Avery, Will Barnett, Chuck Close, Naomi Fisher, Norman Rockwell, Byron Browne and Alex Katz, Feb. 15-March 17, “Mona Lisa Smiles,” more than 100 drawings by area students, reception noon-2:30 p.m. Feb. 16, show through March 17, in conjunction with main gallery exhibition “The Secrets of the Mona Lisa.” 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Thea Foundation, 401 Main St., North Little Rock, is taking submissions for its 11th annual scholarship competitions for high school seniors. Competition and submission deadlines are Feb. 23 (performance poetry) and April 5 (filmmaking). For more information, go to the theafoundation.org/scholarships or call 379-9512.

CONTINUING EXHIBITS

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “Wendy Maruyama: Tag Project/Executive Order 9066,” work inspired by the mass internment of Japanese during World War II, through

ONGOING MUSEUM EXHIBITS

CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Making Politics Personal: Arkansas Travelers,” exhibit about supporters who traveled the country to campaign for Clinton; “Tokens of Friendship: Foreign Heads of State Gifts,” through Feb. 24; permanent exhibits on policies and White House life during the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “Treasures of Arkansas Freemasons, 1838-2013,” study gallery, through July 12; “Phenomena of Change: Lee Cowan, Mary Ann Stafford and Maria Botti Villegas,” through May 5; “Perfect Balance,” paintings by Marty Smith; “A Collective Vision,” recent acquisitions, through March. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, 9th and Broadway: “The Inauguration of Hope,” life-sized sculpture of the First Family by Ed Dwight; “Forty Years of Fortitude,” exhibit on Arkansas’s African-American legislators of the modern era. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 683-3593. MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Grossology: The Impolite Science of the Human Body,” through May 26; “GPS Adventures,” ages 6 to adult, through April 1; “Wiggle Worms,” science program for pre-K children 10 a.m.-10:30 a.m. every Tue., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., $10 ages 13 and older, $8 ages 1-12, free to members and children under 1. 396-7050. www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Dining A SLIM CHICKENS RESTAURANT will come to roost at 4600 W. Markham, the space formerly occupied by Back Yard Burgers, by spring, the Fayetteville-based chain has announced. Rob Byford, who opened and managed the Rogers chain, will own the Slim Chickens here. The restaurant chain, begun in 2003 by Fayetteville pals Ryan Hodson, Greg Smart and Tom Gordon and now expanded into Oklahoma, serves tenders, wings, fries, sandwiches and salads. Slimchickens.com is the website.

DINING CAPSULES

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

HIDDEN GEM: Milford Track’s chicken avocado club on a croissant.

It’s a trek, but well worth it Great sandwiches, pasta at the Milford Track.

AMERICAN

4 SQUARE CAFE AND GIFTS Vegetarian salads, soups, wraps, paninis and a broad selection of smoothies. 405 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-2622. BLD daily. ALL AMERICAN WINGS A small chain of wing shops that feature 13 flavors of wings, from hot to not. 801 W. Markham. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-0000. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. 7706 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-223-3355. Serving LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. ARGENTA MARKET Deli featuring a daily selection of big sandwiches along with fresh fish and meats and salads. 521 N. Main St. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-379-9980. L daily, D Mon.-Sat., B Sat., BR Sun. ARKANSAS BURGER CO. Good burgers, fries and shakes, plus salads and other entrees. 7410 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-0600. LD Tue.-Sat. ASHLEY’S Marries Southern traditionalism and haute cuisine. The menu is often daring and always delicious. 111 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-3747474. BLD Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. BELWOOD DINER Traditional breakfasts and plate lunch specials are the norm. 3815 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-753-1012. BL Mon.-Fri. BEV & GUY’S FISH & CHICKEN Specializes in fried catfish and chicken and all the trimmings. 3319 John Barrow Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-2242981. L Fri.-Sat. D Thu., Sat., Sun. BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT The food’s great, portions huge, prices reasonable. It’s great fun, and the fish is special. 2300 Cottondale Lane. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2677. LD Mon.-Fri. D Sat. BRAY GOURMET DELI AND CATERING Turkey spreads in four flavors and the homemade pimiento cheese are the signature items. Also serves sandwiches, wraps, soups, stuffed potatoes and salads. 323 Center St. Suite 150. No alcohol, All CC. 501-353-1045. BL Mon.-Fri. CAPITAL BAR AND GRILL Big hearty sandwiches, daily lunch specials and fine evening dining all rolled into one. 111

DANIEL WALKER

WHAT’S COOKIN’

ARKANSAS TIMES

t’s difficult to know what to expect from a small West Little Rock cafe located in the basement of a nondescript, large corporate office building and named after a popular hiking route in southern New Zealand. There’s no sign-age, no advertising and it’s virtually impossible to find without being previously told where to look. But for more than 25 years, this humble restaurant known as the Milford Track has survived, even prospered, by word of mouth alone: Folks who know, go, and they are spreading the word with good reason. The Track’s food is familiar and simple, but unusually tasty. Once you eat there, it’s difficult to keep your mouth shut about it. Milford Track is deceptive. At first glance, it appears to be a small, commonplace sandwich and lunch counter, designed to provide second-rate food to the busy corporate types confined by the executive building which houses the small cafe. You’d expect Milford Track to serve pre-packaged, shrink-wrapped food, with a handful of mediocre snacks — the kind of place that could easily operate with just a microwave and a toaster. But in this case, nothing could be further from the truth. Milford Track is making a large percentage of its rather sizable menu from scratch, cooking meals to order, and baking breads on-site, all within the confines of a tiny kitchen. Milford Track is no run-of-themill operation. As expected, Milford does a bustling lunch service. It’s got a list of sandwich classics: smoked turkey croissant with Arkansas tomatoes ($4.50), a Cajun-spiced, blackened chicken sandwich ($4.50), or a classic BLT on whole wheat ($4.50). The hefty “BA burger” ($6.50) comes with the

Milford Track

10809 Executive Center Drive South side of the Searcy Building, Plaza 2 223-2257 milford-track.com QUICK BITE While it may be somewhat difficult to find there (ground floor, lake side of the Searcy Building), Milford Track richly rewards diners with freshly prepared daily soups, house-baked breads, and hearty sandwiches stacked high with meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Do not miss the handmade pastas infused with herbs and spices and topped with your choice of sauce; be sure to top them off with the vegetable medley of grilled string beans, onions, broccoli, and squash. Milford Track specializes in satisfying meals that are both easy on the wallet and on the waistline. HOURS 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. OTHER INFO Credit cards accepted. No alcohol.

disclaimer “not for the faint of appetite” — a thick beef patty cooked to order, smothered in cheese with an array of standard condiments, on a grilled Kaiser roll. We thoroughly enjoyed our chicken avocado club ($6.50) — grilled chicken breast, a spoonful of avocado spread, with crispy bacon, and pepper jack cheese. This club’s default bread is a hearty whole wheat, but we wisely chose to substitute a housebaked croissant. This beautiful pastry was flawlessly done — dozens of layers of light flaky puff pastry, buttery, soft and delicate. A smidgen more on the calorie count, but we feel it was worth it. You would

also be wise to sample the lovely “Earl of Sandwich” ($6.50) — a hearty creation with layers of savory, thinly sliced turkey, with a spread of hummus, grilled peppers, cucumbers, and cheddar cheese. It’s the interplay of sweet peppers and creamy hummus that elevate this sandwich above your average deli shop standard. But what you must come to Milford Track for — the section of the menu that perhaps shines brightest — is its fresh pastas. Milford’s pastas, which are handmade daily, are straightforward, rustic, and incredibly flavorful. Each day, the simple mixture of unbleached flour, eggs, and salt is hand-mixed to the perfect consistency. The pasta dough is then blended with one of six freshly-prepared ingredient mixtures to impart flavor: black olive, chili, cilantro, lemon-pepper, rosemarybasil or spinach. Diners then choose from a variety of light sauces such as black bean chili, cilantro pesto, alfredo, or peppergarlic. These sauces are designed to merely complement the inherent flavors of the pasta, not overwhelm and mask the beautifully prepared centerpiece of the dish. We’re partial to the herbaceous spinach pasta ($7), which comes to you soft and slightly chewy; we like ours lightly dressed in a parsley-parmesan sauce. The slightly salty cheese perfectly compliments the fresh spinach and parsley without overwhelming these subtle flavors. Another fantastic combination we’ve enjoyed is the rosemary basil pasta with pepper garlic sauce. It’s a creamier, richer combination, and the rosemary is just pronounced enough to be noticed without overwhelming the entire dish. For an additional coast, you can add grilled chicken breast, salmon or grilled vegetables. Do not pass the vegetables up: A medley of squash, string beans, bell peppers, broccoli and onions is seasoned with a sweet, peppery, slightly acidic house vinaigrette and then tossed on the grill until tender and caramelized. Easily one of the greatest vegetable preparations we’ve ever tasted. This is one hidden treasure worth searching for. We’re not even certain what types of businesses make their home in the corporate offices surrounding the Track, but we’re already considering taking on a second job here if it means more frequent lunches at this extraordinary cafe. The prompt, friendly service and reasonable prices are only icing on the cake. Milford Track is a gem, and once found and tasted, you’ll be hard-pressed to stay away.

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

Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-3747474. LD daily. CATERING TO YOU Painstakingly prepared entrees and great appetizers in this gourmetto-go location. 8121 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-614-9030. Serving meals to go: LD Mon.-Sat. CATFISH HOLE Downhome place for wellcooked catfish and tasty hushpuppies. 603 E. Spriggs. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-3516. D Tue.-Sat. CIAO BACI The focus is on fine dining, though excellent tapas are out of this world. 605 N. Beechwood St. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-6030238. D Mon.-Sat. CRAZEE’S COOL CAFE Good burgers, daily plate specials and bar food. 7626 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-9696. LD Mon.-Sat. DOE’S EAT PLACE A skid-row dive turned power brokers’ watering hole with huge steaks, great tamales and broiled shrimp. 1023 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-3761195. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. EJ’S EATS AND DRINKS The friendly neighborhood hoagie shop’s sandwiches are generous, the soup homemade and the salads cold. 523 Center St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3700. LD Mon.-Fri. FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES Nationwide burger chain with emphasis on freshly made fries and patties with more than 15 toppings for you to create your own burger. 13000 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-2251100. LD daily.; 2923 Lakewood Village Dr. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-246-5295. LD daily. FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings, too. 511 President Clinton Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 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. $-$$. 501-225-3768. LD Mon.-Sat. HOMER’S Great vegetables, huge yeast rolls and killer cobblers. Follow the mobs. 2001 E. Roosevelt Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1400. BL Mon.-Fri. 9700 N Rodney Parham. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-6637. LD Mon.-Sat. THE HOUSE A comfortable gastropub, where you’ll find traditional fare like burgers and fish and chips alongside Thai green curry and gumbo. 722 N. Palm St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4500. D daily, BR, L Sat.-Sun. IRONHORSE SALOON Bar and grill offering juicy hamburgers and cheeseburgers. 9125 Mann Road. Full bar, All CC. $. 501-562-4464. LD daily. JIMMY’S SERIOUS SANDWICHES Consistently fine sandwiches, side orders and desserts for 30 years. 5116 W. Markham St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-666-3354. L Mon.-Sat., D Mon.-Sat. (drive-through only). KRAZY MIKE’S Po’Boys, catfish, shrimp and other fishes, fried chicken wings and all the expected sides. 200 N. Bowman Road. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-907-6453. LD daily. LOCA LUNA Grilled meats, seafood and pasta dishes that never stray far from country roots. 3519 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4666. BR Sun., LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat.

BELLY UP

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

Check out the Times’ food blog, Eat Arkansas arktimes.com

LULAV Comfortably chic downtown bistro with continental and Asian fare. 220 A W. 6th St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-5100. L Mon.-Fri., D daily. MILFORD TRACK Hot entrees change daily and there are soups, sandwiches, salads and killer desserts. Bread is baked in-house, and there are several veggie options. 10809 Executive Center Dr., Searcy Building. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-223-2257. BL Mon.-Sat. OYSTER BAR Gumbo, red beans and rice, peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, addictive po’ boys. 3003 W. Markham St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-7100. LD Mon.-Sat. OZARK COUNTRY RESTAURANT Specializes

in big country breakfasts and pancakes plus sandwiches and several meat-and-two options for lunch and dinner. 202 Keightley Drive. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7319. B daily, L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milk shakes — in a ‘50s setting at today’s prices. Also at 11602 Chenal Parkway. 8026 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-221-3555. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 11602 Chenal Pkwy. 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. THE RELAY This grill offers a short menu, which includes chicken strips, French fries,

FRESH • HANDMADE • DELICIOUS

A COMbINATION OF NORTHERN AND COASTAL ITALIAN CUISINE C A S U A L

•

E C L E C T I C

•

F U N

Lunch M-F 11-2 • Dinner M-TH 5-9 • Dinner Fri-Sat 5-10 • Bar Open: Until Located in the Historic Mathis Building • 220 West 6th Street • Downtown Little Rock

Private events in the LULAV LOFT for 20-300

LOSE WEIGHT CHALLENGE A GREAT WAY TO STAY MOTIVATED & ACCOUNTABLE HURRY, WEIGH-INS BEGIN FEBRUARY 25!

400 N. Bowman • 353-0224 snapfitness.com/littlerock 1401 W. Capitol • 246-8266 snapfitness.com/littlerockdowntown

hamburgers, jalapeno poppers and cheese sticks. 12225 Stagecoach Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-455-9919. LD daily. THE ROOT CAFE Homey, local foods-focused cafe with tasty burgers, homemade bratwurst, banh mi and a number of vegan and veggie options. 1500 S. Main St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. BL Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. SALUT BISTRO This bistro/late-night hangout does upscale Italian for dinner and pub grub until the wee hours. 1501 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. SANDY’S HOMEPLACE CAFE Specializing in home style buffet, with two meats and seven vegetables to choose from. 1710 E 15th St. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-375-3216. L Mon.-Fri. SCALLIONS Reliably good food, great desserts, pleasant atmosphere, able servers. 5110 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-6468. L Mon.-Sat. SHORTY SMALL’S Land of big, juicy burgers, massive cheese logs, smoky barbecue platters and the signature onion loaf. 1100 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-2243344. LD daily. SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAK ROOM Steaks, chicken and seafood in a wonderful setting. Menu is seasonal, changes every few months. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-324-2999. D Mon.-Sat. STAGECOACH GROCERY AND DELI Fine po’ boys and muffalettas — and cheap. 6024 Stagecoach Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-455-4157. BLD Mon.-Fri., BL Sat.-Sun. TERRI-LYNN’S BAR-B-Q AND DELI Highquality 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. $-$$. 501-227-6371. BL Tue.-Fri., BLD Sat. (close at 5 p.m.). WEST END SMOKEHOUSE AND TAVERN Its primary focus is a sports bar, but the dinner entrees (grilled chicken, steaks and such) are plentiful and the bar food is upper quality. 215 N. Shackleford. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-2247665. L Fri.-Sun., D daily. WINGSTOP Ten flavors of chicken flappers for almost any palate, including mild, hot, Cajun and atomic, as well as specialty flavors like lemon pepper, teriyaki, Garlic parmesan and Hawaiian. 11321 West Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-9464. LD daily.

ASIAN

CURRY IN A HURRY Home-style Indian food. Focus is on fresh ingredients and spices. 11121 North Rodney Parham. Beer, Wine, No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-4567. LD Mon., Wed.-Sun. HANAROO SUSHI BAR Expansive menu, featuring largely Japanese fare. Try the popular Tuna Tatari bento box. 205 W. Capitol Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-301-7900. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. LEMONGRASS ASIA BISTRO Try the Tom Kha Kai and white wine alligator. 4629 E. McCain Blvd. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. 501-945-4638. LD Mon.-Sun. MR. CHEN’S ASIAN SUPERMARKET AND RESTAURANT Cheap, tasty and exotic offerings. 3901 S. University Ave. $. 501-562-7900. LD daily. CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ACROS S

1 One

of a popular TV game show duo 6 Not present when expected, for short 9 Block 14 Many a “Today” show sign 15 Goof 16 Silly 17 Predecessor of Ariel Sharon 19 Number of days in una semana 20 Questionnaire response column 21 Practiced 22 Queen of Denmark, 1947-72 23 Moravian capital 24 Object 25 Request that would complete 42-Across 31 One looking down 32 Some fuzz

33 35

36 37

39 40 41

___-weekly When a right is sometimes allowed Rocky peak Novelist whose first wife had the same first name, curiously Vet, e.g. Boxer’s response Title figure in a Mitch Albom best seller When completed, popular TV program starting in 1975 Man’s name meaning “young man” Black

47 48 Meeting place for

mathematicians?

51 52 55 56 58

Linear, in brief Confusion Erase Military protection Thunders

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE F L O R

A Y S

S E G O

R O H E

O R A L

O N R A M P C P L A S E P A N T E J A N O R A A R N N A T N U S

T K A N E O B E L O S L A S S O D O A A N P H E E C R E P O U V B O

W A I A S T G L E R E M S A Y T R A R I Z A D R A A E S N O E T E A L L

I R O N E R S

U S E N E T O T A R N A S N E T L O

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B R I A N

M A N Y

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C T A H R E R

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A R A P

B E S S

CROSSWORD

DINING CAPSULES, CONT.

EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

PHO THANH MY The pho comes in outrageously large portions with bean sprouts and fresh herbs. 302 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-312-7498. LD Mon, Wed.-Sun. WASABI Downtown sushi and Japanese cuisine. 101 Main St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-0777. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat.

59 60 61 62

Suffix with winter A long time Yes or no follower Land once partly held by the Crusaders: Abbr. One of a popular TV game show duo

14 17 20

1 “Say ___” 2 Longtime Ritz

competitor the Morning” 4 9-Down fox 5 Made a start 6 Certain red 7 “Dies ___” 8 Couples cruise locale? 9 See 4-Down and 36-Down 10 It’s a mystery 11 Heavyweight champ after Carnera 12 Fighting 13 Crumhorn, e.g. 18 Commander of Saul’s army, in I Samuel 22 Live ___ 23 Dentist’s directive 24 Construction beam 25 Mini, for one 26 “What should I ___?” 27 Clumsy move 28 Kind of switch 29 Pacific nation 30 The British Museum’s ___ Marbles 34 Something to fill in

33 37

BARBECUE

30 34

46 48

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23 25

DOWN

Puzzle by KEVAN CHOSET

36 37

38 40 41

1982 9-Down movie You might go to bed early before these Like many gallerygoers “Family Ties” boy Some Monopoly game equipment

43 44 45 48 49 50 51

Sign of an absent mind Nonrhyming poetry One earning a fee, maybe Devices with spools Wells race Raise Like mud

Key with three sharps: Abbr.

Seven-yearold explorer

Ural River city

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Actor Stephen

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

THIS MODERN WORLD

CHIP’S BARBECUE Tasty barbecue piled high on sandwiches generously doused with the original tangy sauce or one of five other sauces. 9801 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-4346. LD Mon.-Sat. DIXIE PIG Pig salad is tough to beat. The sandwiches are basic, and the sweet, thick sauce is fine. 900 West 35th St. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-9650. LD Mon.-Sat. PIT STOP BAR AND GRILL A working-man’s bar and grill, with barbecue, burgers, breakfast and bologna sandwiches. 5506 Baseline Road. Full bar, No CC. $$. 501-562-9635. BLD daily.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

CREGEEN’S IRISH PUB Irish-themed pub with a large selection of on-tap and bottled British beers and an Irish-inspired menu. Specialties include fish ‘n’ chips and Guinness beef stew. 301 Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-376-7468. LD daily. ISTANBUL MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE This Turkish eatery offers decent kebabs and great starters. 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-223-9332. LD daily. LAYLA’S GYROS AND PIZZERIA Delicious Mediterranean fare that has a devoted following. 9501 N Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-7272. LD daily (close 5 p.m. on Sun.). LEO’S GREEK CASTLE Wonderful Mediterranean food plus dependable hamburgers, ham sandwiches, steak platters and BLTs. 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-666-7414. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. (close at 4 p.m.). NEXT BISTRO & BAR Mediterranean food and drinks. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. 501-663-6398. D Tue.-Thu., Sat. TAZIKI’S GREEK FARE Fast casual chain that offers gyros, grilled meats and veggies, hummus and pimento cheese. 12800 Chenal Parkway. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-225-1829. LD daily.

ITALIAN

CAFE PREGO Dependable entrees of pasta, pork, seafood, steak and the like, plus great sauces, fresh mixed greens and delicious dressings. 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5355. LD Mon.-Sat. CIAO ITALIAN RESTAURANT 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. $$. 501-372-0238. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. GRADY’S PIZZA AND SUBS Pizza features a pleasing blend of cheeses. The grinder is a classic, the chef’s salad huge and tasty. 6801 W. 12th St., Suite C. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-1918. LD daily. IRIANA’S PIZZA Unbelievably generous hand-tossed New York style pizza. Good salads, too; grinders are great, particularly the Italian sausage. 201 E. Markham St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-3656. LD Mon.-Sat. PIERRE’S GOURMET PIZZA CO. EXPRESS KITCHEN A broad menu of pizza, calzones, salads and subs. 760 C Edgewood Drive. No alcohol, No CC. $$. 501-410-0377. L Mon.-Fri. ZAFFINO’S BY NORI A high-quality Italian dining experience. Pastas, entrees (don’t miss the veal marsala) and salads are all outstanding. 2001 E. Kiehl Ave. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. 501-834-7530. D Tue.-Sat.

LATINO

BROWNING’S MEXICAN GRILL Some holdover items in name only but recast fresher and tastier. Large menu with some hits and some misses. 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-9956. LD daily, BR Sat-Sun. CANON GRILL Tex-Mex, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Creative appetizers come in huge quantities, and the varied main-course menu rarely disappoints. 2811 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-664-2068. LD daily. COTIJA’S 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. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-244-0733. L Mon.-Fri. LA REGIONAL The menu offers a whirlwind trip through Latin America. Bring your Spanish/English dictionary. 7414 Baseline Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-4440. BLD daily. LAS AMERICAS Guatemalan and Mexican fare. Try the hearty tamales wrapped in banana leaves. 8622 Chicot Road. $-$$. 501-565-0266. LD daily. PEPE’S Better than average Tex-Mex. Try the chicken chimichanga. 5900 W 12th St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-296-9494. LD Mon.-Sat. TAQUERIA KARINA AND CAFE Freshly baked pan dulce, inexpensive tacos, burritos, quesadillas and a broad selection of Mexican-style seafood. 5309 W. 65th St. Beer, No CC. $. 501-562-3951. LD Tue.-Thu. CONTINUED ON PAGE 39 34

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Giving from the heart W BY JANIE GINOCCHIO

e’ve talked a lot about Valentine’s Day gifts and places to take your sweetie, but sometimes the best gift of all is one given to the great nonprofit groups that support underserved populations here in Arkansas. If your loved one would rather see a gift made to a deserving organization, then take a look at the amazing work done by these charities:

ARKANSAS STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL (AILC) The Arkansas Independent Living Council (AILC) is a non-profit organization that promotes independence, including freedom of choice and full inclusion into the mainstream of society for all Arkansans with disabilities. The AILC was founded in 1994 under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The AILC partners with other organizations and providers to people with disabilities. There are also Centers for Independent Living in Arkansas who provide independent living services

Sha Stephens, Executive Director of the Arkansas Independent Living Council, and Co-chairperson Catherine Lyon discuss the State Plan for Independent Living.

to consumers: Mainstream Independent Living Resource Center in Little Rock, Delta Resource Center in Pine Bluff, Spa Area Independent Living Services (SAILS) and SOURCES for Independent Living in Fayetteville. Combined, these centers serve 25 counties throughout the state. Each center has its own Executive Director and are governed by their own Board of Directors. Additional information for

Heifer International

hearsay ➥ ABOUT VASE is open after a remodel and change of ownership. Go check out their fresh new look and expanded retail that includes items for the home, gifts, plants, orchids and of course, flowers. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. ➥ THE PAINT BOX in Argenta announces its February frame sale – custom frames, matting and glass are discounted 20 percent off all month long, with hundreds of styles and colors to choose from. Let their 20 years framing experience help you in selecting custom framing that compliments your decor. ➥ S T R U C T U R E S II, an exhibit of recent acrylics by Daniel Coston, will be at CANTRELL GALLERY from March 8 through April 27. There will be an

opening night reception from 6-9 p.m. March 8, and the artist will be present. Refreshments will be served. The gallery and the reception are free and open to the public. ➥ The Arkansas Glasshoppers Inc. will host its 27th annual DEPRESSION ERA GLASS SHOW AND SALE at the Hall of Industry at the state fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 23 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 24. Admission of $5 is good for both days. Parking is free. Door prizes will be given on the hour and there will be a reference table for glass identification. Visitors may bring in up to three items for identification or evaluation. For further information, contact show chairman Bud Martin at 501-868-4969 or bgmarglass@sbcglobal.net. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

wolfe sTreeT foundaTion,inc.

The wolfe sTreeT foundaTion owns and operates the Wolfe Street Center; a meeting place dedicated to recovering alcoholics, their families and loved ones affected by the disease of alcoholism. Over 100,000 visitors attend meetings and events at the center each year. No one seeking help for alcohol abuse is turned away and it doesn’t cost a dime. Alcoholism does not discriminate. It affects everyone in every walk of life; in every race, creed, religion and sex.

The mission of The wolfe sTreeT foundaTion, inc. is to provide facilities for support groups faithful to the original 12 Steps* and to develop and implement programs aimed toward education and prevention for those persons interested in recovery from addictions and for their families as they relate to alcoholism.

The wolfe sTreeT cenTer is a melTing poT for Thousands of arkansans and other members of society who seek to maintain their sobriety. Participants are provided opportunities to reunite with families and companies and reclaim ownership as valuable members of our community. Helping individuals maintain a sober way of life is the mission of the Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc.

according To The naTional council on alcoholism and drug dependence N.C.A.D.D. founded by Bill W. in an effort to let the public know there is a solution, Alcoholism and addiction have reached epidemic proportions in the United States – one in six Americans suffer from alcoholism and addiction. One in four children in America suffers from homelessness, neglect and hunger due to young addicted parents. 10,000 U.S. Military Personnel are dishonorably discharged each month – due to active addiction and alcoholism. In 2011 – over 8000 students died on American College Campuses due to binge drinking and drug addiction. Over 80 percent of all illegal drugs on planet earth are consumed in the United States resulting in a devastating negative impact on the social,

the four centers can be found on the AILC website. Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) and Division Services for the Blind (DSB) are the funding sources for the Arkansas Independent Living Council through a contract agreement. Any donations received will help the AILC in expanding its resource library, which is for consumers with a disability, caregivers, parents or guardians who need information on services. There is also a computer available for use in the resource library, along with software programs to accommodate individuals with a visual impairment. Key individuals include Sha BurkeStephens, MBA, CEdD, Executive Director; Leanna Clark, Administrative Specialist; State Senator Randy Laverty, ARS Commissioner (Ex-Officio); Randy Parker, ARS Deputy Commissioner; Katy Morris, DSB Executive Director (Ex-Officio); and Cheryl Vines, Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission Executive Director (Ex-officio). The AILC is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the governor. Board Members are: Elizabeth Adams, Chairperson, Catherine Lyon, Co-chairperson, Roger Fitzgibbon, Treasurer, Vincent McKinney, Secretary, Wanda Hamilton, At-Large, Jim Mather, AtLarge, Brenda Stinebuck, Rita Byers, Robyn Horn, Jacqueline Bettis, Adren Duncan, and Robert Fagan. EVENTS/FUND-RAISERS: The AILC does not fund-raise, but will assist any of the four Centers for Independent Living in their fundraising efforts if needed. The AILC also provides technical assistance to the centers for Independent Living. In 2014, the AILC will celebrate 20 years as an entity promoting the independent living philosophy. Events are in the planning stages now to celebrate AILC’s anniversary.

economic, mental, physical and spiritual health of our nation.

✃

The doors at 1015 Louisiana are open 365 days a year 16 hours a day thanks to donations, fundraisers and foundation memberships. Help if you can. The Wolfe Street Center is owned and operated by the Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc. The Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit, tax exempt, charitable corporation governed by a 12 - 24 member board, which is not associated with Alcoholics Anonymous or any of its branch organizations in any form. The Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc. through its Board of Directors, reserves the right to set and enforce certain rules of conduct for any and all persons who enter the Wolfe Street Center and its adjoining property.

Donations are 100% tax DeDuctibLe The Center is engaged in programs focused on the solution rather than the problem. • Corporations seek advice and counsel from the Foundation as they develop programs aimed at the recovery of their employees and others. • County and City Judges send DWI cases to the Wolfe Street Center to work off fines with community service and to learn about recovery. • Outreach programs are ongoing to provide answers to questions. “to Learn more visit our website at www.woLfestreet.org or better yet stop by 10th anD Louisiana.”

1015 Louisiana street • p.o. box 3708 • LittLe rock • 501.372.5662

✃

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

✃

CONTACT INFORMATION: Sha Burke-Stephens, MBA, CEdD, Executive Director 501-372-0607, or toll-free 1-800-7720607 fax 501-372-0598 www.ar-silc.org.

✃

The wolfe sTreeT cenTer is a faciliTy dedicaTed To serve groups of: aa, alaTeen, al anon family groups, workshops, seminars, sTep sTudy, speaker meeTings and more

ARKANSAS VOICES FOR THE CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND Founded in 1994, Arkansas Voices for Children Left Behind’s mission is to promote justice for children left behind, including social, racial, economic, family and educational justice. All donations go directly to researchbased services for children separated from their parents due to incarceration or parental mental illness, and to support their kinship caregivers or the

custodial parent. The organization also provides advocacy, technical assistance and training to communities to develop understanding and support for these children and their families. Small scholarships are offered to a youth of an incarcerated parent for post-secondary education. Services include community-based peer support groups, school-based peer support groups, Re-Entry Parenting and Family Re-Entry groups, Parenting from the Jails classes, and home visiting with children and caregivers with Family Literacy and Financial Literacy. Key individuals include Dee Ann Newell, executive director; Maggie Carroll, Project for Youths; and Kathy Kackmarek, co-facilitator. The total of paid staff and volunteers is 32. EVENTS/FUND-RAISERS: Mothers in Prison, Children in Crisis — May 10. Justice Week for Children Left Behind — Last week in June. Sabbath for Children Left Behind — Last Sunday in June. Other events include the Arkansas Kinship Caregiver Network Annual Convening and the Desktop Heroes annual fund-raiser. CONTACT INFORMATION: Dee Ann Newell, Executive Director 1818 N. Taylor, #140, Little Rock, AR 72207 501-366-3647 and WARM Line, TollFree 866-9-VOICES www.arkansasvoices.org

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL Founded in 1944, Heifer International’s mission is to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth. Heifer provides livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to help the poor become self-reliant. Donors can buy an animal, which provides nutrition and income-generating products for families in poverty. They can also choose gifts like sending a girl to school, building a biogas stove and the gift of clean water. Key individuals include Pierre Ferrari, president and chief executive officer; Bob Bloom, chief financial officer; and Steve Denne, chief operating officer. Heifer International has 247 paid employees in the U.S. and 914 internationally. Volunteers total 1,590 people. EVENTS/FUND-RAISERS: Feast in the Field — May 18. CONTACT INFORMATION: 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202 888-5-HUNGER www.heifer.org

CRAZY DAVE'S CARPET OUTLET

PATHFINDER INC.

At this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oscar Experience, benefiting the Wolfe Street Foundation, one of the five live auction items is a Dallas Cowboys package, which includes two 50-yard-line box seats, two jerseys and an incased Cowboys helmet autographed by Felix Jones, as seen here, being shown by event Co-chair, Karen Holderfield. For tickets to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event, being held on February 24th, call 372-5662.

THE WOLFE STREET FOUNDATION

In its 30th year, The Wolfe Street Foundation serves addiction recovery groups faithful to the original 12 steps, offering facilities 365 days a year for more than 40 meetings a week, along educational and prevention programs. Donations help fund operations of The Wolfe Street Center, which offers facilities and programs to help carry on the experience, strength and hope of Alcoholics Anonymousâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; original founders and to let individuals and their families who suffer from this disease know that the 12 Steps work. The center is a melting pot for thousands of Arkansans and members of society who seek to maintain their sobriety. County and city judges send DWI cases to the WS Center to work off fines with community service and to learn about recovery. Also, corporations seek advice and counsel from the foundation as they develop programs aimed at the recovery of their employees.

Founded in 1971, Pathfinder Inc., a nationally recognized nonprofit organization, is dedicated to the development and implementation of individualized strategies designed to enable citizens with developmental disabilities and/or behavioral health needs total access to community life. Programs include preschool services, which enable the birth to 5-yearold child with developmental disabilities to receive individualized services and Pathfinder Academy, an education classroom for children with autism in grades 6, 7 and 8. The classrooms are equipped for academic, social and living skills for the students in a safe environment alongside their peers. Residential services include supervised living, apartment living, intermediate care facilities and rental assistance. Waiver Services is a homebased program which provides individual services within the community for persons who might otherwise have to seek services in an institution. The adult training program provides evaluation, vocational training, professional counseling, work opportunities, habilitation training, protective and sociolegal services, and Pathfinder manages five NISH contracts to provide competitive jobs for individuals with disabilities. Pathfinder also provides mental health, supported employment and transportation services. Pathfinder has facilities in 14 cities across the state, which are mostly residential facilities or workshops. The headquarters is located in Jacksonville. Donations are used toward the purchase of specialized equipment for the preschool and Pathfinder Academy, as well as to provide funds for the supported employment program. Key personnel include Mike McCreight, director of operations and administration, and a board of directors: Joan R. Zumwalt, chairman; Robert D. Ferguson, Jr., vice chairman; Rev. Wendell Dorman, secretary; and members John Burkhalter, T.P. White, Katherine Drummond, Ray Smith, Randy Lann, Tom Larimer, Wali Caradine and Baxter Drennon.

EVENTS/FUND-RAISERS: The Oscar Experience: Little Rock â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sunday, Feb. 24, Embassy Suites Little Rock.

EVENTS/FUND-RAISERS: Wine & Cheese Gala â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 6-8 p.m., Thursday, April 25, Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mansion. For more information, email marketing@pathfinderinc.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Markey Ford Brisbin, Executive Director Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc. 1015 Louisiana, P.O. Box 3708, Little Rock, AR 72203 501-372-5662 www.wolfestreet.org

CONTACT INFORMATION: Pathfinder, Inc. 2520 W. Main St P.O. Box 647 Jacksonville, AR 72078 501-982-0528 www.pathfinderinc.org

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We are a non-profit organization providing justice for children left behind by incarceration or loss of a parent for any reason, including social, educational, family, economic and racial justice. Our toll-free Warm Line has trained volunteers to provide information, resources, or individual family problem solving at 1-866-9-VOICES Find out more about our programs or to become a caregiver online at www.arkansasvoices.org or call 501-366-3647

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On black history

ome thoughts on Black History Month. If you’re going to devote an entire month to appreciating the history of a color, it might as well be the color black. Black holes. These rascals have galaxies for lunch. A humongous one is sucking in the Milky Way even as we speak, and one of these days it’ll get what’s left of you and me and Happy Caldwell whether he thinks it will or not. Déjà vu for Jonah. Blackberry cobbler. Blackberry cobbler is one of the nine best things to eat on the planet earth. There are only two qualifiers: one is that the person who prepares it must have prepared at least a thousand blackberry cobblers previously — you can only get it absolutely right by working your way up to perfection slowly; and two, you have to use blackberries that are really berries and not telephones. Black sheep of the family. Uncle Al. Black hole of Calcutta. Where 90 percent of your calls for tech support are routed. Black widow. There’s a human and an arachnid version of this critter, and about the only difference is that one has a red hourglass tattoo to remind you that your time’s running out. Just black. No cream, no sugar. How manly men

take their coffee. Blacksmiths. We don’t have many of these any more, or bootblacks, either. Our bestBOB known blacksmith LANCASTER was named Black, incidentally — James Black, who made the first Bowie knife, or Arkansas Toothpick. So many people were killed by Bowie knives that a national knife-control movement proposed to register Bowie knife owners, do background checks on them, and finally to confiscate the blame things. These efforts were thwarted by the National Bowie Knife Association, which used the slogan “Bowie knives don’t kill people; people kill people.” The lingering influence of the NBKA and its slogan was said to be a factor in O. J. Simpson getting off. Any discussion of blacksmiths reminds me of Minnie Pearl’s story about her brother E. Bob, who didn’t know jack about jack but was always acting like he knew everything about everything. One day E. Bob was showing off for a group touring a Grinders Switch barn where a blacksmith had just been working. E. Bob was sorting through a bin of horseshoes, expounding on the differences in them, and he happened to grab holt of one still hot from the forge. He flang it down quickly and noisily, and stifled his

yelps and yowls. “What’s the matter, E. Bob?” Minnie said to him, feigning concern. “Burn your hand?” To which E. Bob replied, ever in character, “Aw, naw, hit just don’t take me long to look at a horseshoe.” Black eye. Ignorant legislators give the state one. Popping Blackie’s tail. We once had a cat named Blackie, an otherwise ordinary cat, very dignified, but he liked you to pick him up by the tail and jiggle him in midair, causing the cartilage in his tail and back to snap, crackle and pop. Coach used to do something similar to his footballers, grabbing them up in a big bear hug and jiggling them up and down while their vertebrae popped. Felt really good. Strange animals — people and cats. Odd behavioral similarities. In the black. This expression goes back to the days of ledger bookkeeping when you wrote your assets in black ink and your debts in red. So if your bottom line was black, you could pay the light bill, or red, you might orta go see that unctuous squire with the reset button. I’ve been in the black a few times and it’s better than being in the red, although billionaires and their lackey politicians won’t rest until they’ve siphoned all our little black piles over into their giant black piles, until they have it all and we have what the little boy shot at. Greed. How much is enough? Blackbirds. An insurance salesman named Wallace

Stevens wrote the famous poem “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” He didn’t say there were only 13 ways of looking at a blackbird; he just picked his favorite 13 and then moved on to another topic. Or maybe he had to quit after 13 and go write up a new insurance policy for one of his policyholders. Anyway I know of at least four-andtwenty ways of looking at a blackbird, and one of those 24 is to spy on the big roost of them in the oak grove just down the street here during my morning constitutional. Not only spying but eavesdropping on them the other morning: First blackbird: Boy, there sure are a lot of dead us on the ground down there. I wonder what happened. Second blackbird: I sure am hungry. Let’s get this show on the road. Third blackbird: I’m starving. Fourth blackbird: Bro. Pat Robertson says all them dead us down there are a sign from God. First blackbird: A sign of what? Fourth blackbird: God hates gays. First blackbird: What are gays? Second blackbird: C’mon guys, I’ve gotta eat. Third blackbird: Me too. Fourth blackbird: Me three. First blackbird: Me four. And off they flew, a vast famished cloud of them. Except the dead ones that God killed because he hates whatever gays are. And abortion.

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14, 2013 ARKANSAS TIMES 38 FEBRUARY 38 FEBRUARY 14, 2013 ARKANSAS TIMES

Miscellaneous

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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. 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. $-$$. (501) 315-3663. BLD. TAQUERIA AZTECA The best authentic Mexican in the Benton/Bryant area. Try the menudo on Saturday. 1526 Highway 5 N. Benton. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-7941487. LD Mon.-Sat.

BENTONVILLE

FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings, too. 109A Northwest 2nd St. Bentonville. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 479-657-6300. LD daily.

TUSK & TROTTER It’s not just barbecue and pigs feet, despite the name. The dinner menu has everything from french fries to burgers to duck confit. At lunch, find a lamb sandwich from local growers to hot dogs. 110 S.E. A St. Bentonville. Full bar, All CC.

BRYANT

HOME PLATE DINER This diner has drawn quite a following for generous breakfasts, great lunches, big burgers and an ever changing range of desserts. 2615 N. Prickett Road. Bryant. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-847-3331. B Mon.-Sat. L Mon.-Fri. TASTE OF D’LIGHT The dinner entrees are gigantic. Home of the fattest cheese rangoon in Arkansas (purportedly). 3200 N. Reynolds Rd. Bryant. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-8476267. LD daily.

CABOT

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. 18 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. $-$$. 501-328-5556. LD Mon.-Sat. BLACKWOOD’S GYROS AND GRILL A wide variety of salads, sandwiches, gyros and burgers at this veteran of Conway’s downtown district. 803 Harkrider Ave. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. 501-329-3924. LD Mon.-Sat. BOB’S GRILL This popular spot for local diners features a meat-and-two-veg cafeteria style lunch and a decently large made-to-order breakfast menu. 1112 W. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-379-9760. BL Mon.-Sat. DAVID’S BUTCHER BOY BURGERS Burgers, fries, shakes and drinks — that’s all you’ll find at this joint. 1100 Highway 65 N. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. (501) 327-3333. DUE AMICHE ITALIAN RESTAURANT Stromboli, pasta, pizza, calzones and other

Italian favorites. 1600 Dave Ward Drive. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-336-0976. LD Mon.-Sun. FABY’S RESTAURANT Unheralded MexicanContinental fusion focuses on handmade sauces and tortillas. 1023 Front Street. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-513-1199. L daily, D Mon.-Sat. 2915 Dave Ward. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-329-5151. LD Mon.-Sun. FU LIN RESTAURANT Good variety, including items such as yam tempura, Karashi conch, Uzuzukuri and a nice selection of udon. 195 Farris. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-329-1415. LD Mon.-Sun. PITZA 42 You’ll find pizza made on pita bread and a broad salad menu here. 2235 Dave Ward Dr. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-2051380. SMITTY’S BAR-B-QUE Meat so tender it practically falls off the ribs, and combos of meat that will stuff you. 740 S. Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-327-8304. LD Mon.-Sat. SMOKEHOUSE BBQ Hickory-smoked meats, large sides and fried pickles among other classics. 505 Donaghey. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-764-4227. LD Mon.-Sat.

www.arktimes.com 2013 39 www.arktimes.com FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 14, 2013 14,39

valentine’s day!

ROUND 3 Winner The Revolutioners

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ROUND 4

February 14 Miles Rattz

This Holy House

Peckerwolf

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FINALS, March 1 Damn Arkansan Stephen Neeper Band The Revolutioners TBD TBD

Terminus

Tom & Hebron

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