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AMERICAN DREAMERS

Undocumented young people share their stories of sacrifice, hope and love in their quest for a college education. BY DAVID KOON PAGE 14


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Although we are fortunate to have an abundant water supply in the metropolitan area, customers are encouraged to be good stewards of our water sources by practicing efficient outdoor water use. Customers are asked to alter timing of outdoor watering patterns to avoid the peak time of day demand during the hot summer months and to avoid operating systems entral Arkansas o sailing,sprinkler or do a little fishing.

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COMMENT

In reference to Ernie Dumas’ columns about weapons and Jesus of Nazareth, I would like to try to help Ernie in his study of the Gospel. Ernie is getting closer to the complete perspective. The swordplay in the 18th chapter of Luke: Jesus tells his disciples to buy swords, not for battle, but for show of prophecy: “For I say unto you, that this is written must yet be accomplished in me, and he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.” Jesus allowed for two swords. When Simon Peter cut somebody’s ear off, Jesus replaced the ear. Reparation was made. This prophecy was fulfilled millennia ago and is over. There is no more need for weapons today. Jesus tells us to fear not the one that can kill the body. There is no need today for weapons. Jesus’ earthly mission is outlined in the 4th chapter of Luke and consists of six parts. Ernie would be hard pressed to find a person in the entire state of Arkansas who could, right off the top of his head, cite all six missions. See, very few follow Jesus’ way. Gene Mason Jacksonville

From the web In response to our dining review of Milford Track (Feb. 14): This article inspired us to drive up from Hot Springs Village for a Valentine’s lunch. Well worth it! Freshlymade spinach pasta with grilled salmon and grilled veggies was fabulous! Had to restrain ourselves from eating too many of the fresh, warm wheat rolls while waiting for the food.

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

Dining WHAT’S COOKIN’ 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

DANIEL WALKER

No need for weapons

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

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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.

It was lovely sitting out on the patio overlooking the small lake with swans. Definitely will return! Colleen 32

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

In response to a post on the Arkansas Blog, “Raising the minimum wage makes sense” (Feb. 18): A person working full-time should be paid enough to maintain an adequate standard of living without having to rely on the government or charity to meet their basic needs. Any employer that pays less than a living wage is just shifting their cost of doing business onto taxpayers. So what if some minimum wage workers are teen-agers. I worked as a teen to save money for college and still ended up with over $60k in student loans that I’m still paying back over 10 years later. Perhaps if I was paid a living wage for all the hours I spent working in restaurants, retail shops, and nursing homes then I wouldn’t have graduated to a life of debt. Imagine if I could spend that $250/month at local businesses instead of sending it to an out-of-state bank. People who aren’t getting paid a decent wage have no purchasing power and that’s bad for business. Sarah Marsh

Who benefits most from low cost goods and services? Rich people who can afford to pay more, or poor people who would have to do without? Now another question, who pays the majority of taxes in the U.S.? Rich people. If you want to give poor people a certain standard of living through minimum wages, the effect will be diluted because there are minimum wage earners that are not poor, and the costs will hit the poor when everyone that sells to the poor raises prices to cover increased labor costs. If you want to give poor people a certain standard of living through transfer payments funded by tax dollars, you can target only actual poor people and do a better, but still imperfect job of isolating the poor from the costs of the programs. Gylippus In response to a post on the Arkansas Blog called “House approves bill to permit guns on college campuses” (Feb. 15): Republicans will do anything to insure every fetus develops into a living child (except, of course, help an expectant mother gain health insurance). They love people so much they want to stop all abortion and in most cases get rid of any form of birth control so women are forced to drop kids like a mother cat under a sagging porch. Yet, Republicans abandon children right after they slide thru the birth canal, don’t want them to have health insurance, or education, or medicine if they’re sick or food when they’re hungry. Not satisfied with sending off our young kids to die in our many wars for

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oil, they now want to introduce guns to our college campuses so more of our kids will die after a “Beat Texas” night of revilement? Hell, do we even still play Texas? And there’s nothing Republicans like better than a good execution at one of our prisons and don’t forget they do love the idea of prisons bursting at the seams and a life of 30-hour work weeks at Walmart. Why do Republicans hate our kids? Why do they fight so hard to save a little dab of goo inside an impoverished girl they’ve never met, yet once born, turn their backs on children unless they’ll enroll in a state representative’s illegally state funded pre-school Jesus camp? I guess when the little kid graduates with a Jesus degree at the age of 6, they’ll have nothing more to do with the kid ... any evidence to the contrary? I bet not. When regular people act like this they’re labeled paranoid schizophrenic. In Arkansas they’re elected to Congress. Let us remember the name of every Arkansas legislator who votes to arm our college students so in the years ahead we can name those names after each senseless death by gun at one of our institutions of higher learning. Let us, after every senseless gun death at one of our institutions of higher learning, hold up a large banner at the funeral saying: Republican Rep. Charlie Collins YOU BUILT THIS! DeathbyInches Submit letters to the Editor, Arkansas Times, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203. We also accept letters via e-mail. The address is arktimes@arktimes.com. We also accept faxes at 375-3623. Please include name and hometown.

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

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EDITORIAL

EYE ON ARKANSAS

Arm the fetus

Carry your own

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tate legislators are not the only Republican politicians who believe that firepower turneth away wrath. The Grand Old Party loves the Grand Old Pistol. Asa Hutchinson, already announced as a Republican candidate for governor, has been criticizing President Obama’s plans for restrictions on guns, and has revealed his own purchase of a .45-caliber weapon with a magazine that holds 13 rounds. He said the gun would be illegal under Obama’s proposal, leaving Hutchinson at risk on a hike he’s planned in Alaska, where grizzly bears can be bothersome. Hutchinson didn’t mention it, but any gun that could dispatch a grizzly could do the same to a medical-marijuana user, and a group hoping to legalize medical marijuana in Arkansas is working to put a medical-marijuana proposal on the general-election ballot next year. A similar proposal was narrowly defeated last year. When Hutchinson was the federal drug czar under President George W. Bush, he was the scourge of the medical marijuana trade, using federal laws and agents to raid dispensaries in states that had legalized it, deaf to the pleas of patients in pain. Sen. John Boozman has not announced any recent gun purchases, for bagging bears or medical-marijuana patrons, but he’s just voted against extension of the federal Violence Against Women Act, which is designed to protect women from domestic and dating violence, and to help victims recover when violence occurs. Shooting is one of the more popular forms of violence against women. Boozman comes to the aid of his party. 6

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

T

he Arkansas legislature has decided that the solution to gun violence is to put more guns in more places — churches, college campuses, PTA meetings, book clubs, etc. But one area is yet unfortified in the legislation we’ve seen from the General Assembly, and that is the womb. This is an odd omission considering how much time the legislature devotes to care of the unborn, and how firmly it rebuffs women who assert a claim in the matter. But the legislators are only human, after all, most of them. Things get overlooked sometimes even by the most diligent armorer. Pointing out these lapses is what editorials are for. To be sure, there are logistical problems in supplying a weapon to a fetus, and large-caliber ordnance is probably out of the question. But the legislature has been considering the mandatory insertion of a type of wand into the fetus’s living quarters. Perhaps that instrument could be used to help deliver a small sidearm. Timing is important, of course. It’ll have to be determined at what point the fetus becomes capable of pulling a trigger. But whenever that point is reached, the fetus will need a trigger to pull, and ammunition. Possibly some gun-safety literature. As Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association says, the best way to stop a doctor with a forceps is a fetus with a firearm.

FIERY SPEECH: Former Vice-president Al Gore gave a talk discussing his new book, “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change,” Monday at an invitation-only event at the Clinton Presidential Library, with students of the Clinton School of Public Service and a who’s who of local politicos in attendance.

A word about ethics

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f the Arkansas legislature won’t fix this small matter, it’s not likely to do anything about public ethics at all. I’ve written before about how the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce cooked up a campaign to pass a city sales tax designed in part to direct money to a pet chamber project to build a tech park. Their committee operated largely in secret. Its only reported expenditures of any consequence were to a private political consulting firm, the McLarty Group. How the consultants spent the money on the campaign remained secret. I filed an ethics complaint. I contended the law required the committee to report specifically how its money was spent, just as political candidates must do. The state Ethics Commission staff agreed and recommended the committee be found to have violated the law. The chamber hired a high-dollar law firm that convinced the Ethics Commission that a quirk in legislative drafting hadn’t made that disclosure requirement clear enough. No violation was found. But ... the Ethics Commission said it would ask the legislature to amend the law so that the original intent for disclosure was clearly stated. Voters deserve to know how money is spent on ballot initiatives. Republican Rep. Jane English said she’d push to pass the law if elected to the state Senate. She was. So far, no bill has been introduced. Graham Sloan, director of the Ethics Commission, said private consulting firms were fighting the law change. They like to operate in secret. Take Craig Douglass, for example. He’s spent more than $1.5 million working to put a sales tax on the people of Arkansas to build highways. Until recently, about the only thing the committee disclosed was payments to Douglass. More recently, he’s broken out some spending in broad, categorical ways (advertising, polling) but nothing by way of specifics.

Senator English is a powerful part of the Republican Party majority. What members of its caucus want, they get. So then: Do Republicans believe in open government or not? Do Senator EngMAX lish’s campaign promises mean BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com anything or not? If you can’t pass a simple little piece of elemental disclosure like this — something not nearly so broad as federal disclosure laws — do you really believe Republicans when they claim to support Regnat Populus ethics reforms for legislators which would limit lobbyist freebies and corporate financial influence in elections? Here’s a new wrinkle, though in telling the Ethics Commission about opposition from the campaign consultants last week, Sloan prepared a memo about the current state of the law. I got a copy under the Freedom of Information Act (thankfully still in force). It suggests the law might ALREADY require disclosure of specific expenditures by campaign consultants, if not by ballot committees. Maybe I filed the complaint against the wrong agency — the chamber’s campaign committee rather than the campaign consultants themselves. Here’s why: Under state law, expenditures by any “person” to pass or defeat a ballot question must be disclosed. And, under statute, a person “ means any individual, business, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, labor organization, company, corporation, association, committee, or any other organization or group of persons acting in concert.” Perhaps if the law isn’t changed more in favor of what was intended all along, I can get Craig Douglass, the McLarty Group and others up for their own day before the Ethics Commission.


BRIAN CHILSON

OPINION

Arkansans must suffer lest Obama succeed

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he rabid partisanship in Washington and in many statehouses, ours among them, is so extreme that, according to polls, it sickens most voters. The public alarm over stalemate and partisan strife is about the only healthy sign in the body politic. But the most provocative extremists are correct that this is not new but a robust American tradition. The country has experienced greater antagonisms, like the halfcentury of partisan fury over slavery and states rights before the Civil War, when men carried guns into the halls of Congress to protect themselves from their hotheaded colleagues from the North and South, culminating in the South’s worst fear, the election of Abraham Lincoln. Sen. Charles Sumner of Massachusetts was clubbed nearly to death in the Senate chamber in 1856 for accusing a South Carolina senator of being a pimp for that “old harlot — slavery.” You can find close historical parallels to the bizarre hatred of Barack Obama, who Republicans claim is plotting to establish a European socialist state in America, justifying their stop-him-at-all-costs strategy.

President John Adams accused Thomas Jefferson, his hated vice president, and Jefferson’s party of plotERNEST ting to bring the DUMAS bloody anarchy of the French Revolution to our shores. The Federalists/Republicans then and now were right about the Democrats Jefferson and Obama in about the same measure, which is to say none at all. Waves of intense partisanship have marked turbulent periods after the Civil War — brought on by the populism of Republican Teddy Roosevelt, by Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal, and by Bill Clinton’s interference with the conservative revolution. Were they hated by the other party! The United States decided long ago that James Madison, not George Washington, was right about these matters. Madison thought partisan rancor, though it might be extreme and at times harmful, was generally good for democracy. But it disgusted

‘Fleecing the yokels’

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olitical parties rarely vanish altogether, and hardly ever over a single election cycle. So the demise of the Republicans as a national organization is probably exaggerated. At minimum, its strength across the old Confederacy and what Mencken called the “Cow States” should enable the GOP to keep Congress semi-paralyzed and the shrinking Fox News audience in a state of incipient hysteria even as it fights internal battles of surpassing nastiness. In that sense, the fight over Sen. Chuck Hagel’s nomination as secretary of defense and Sen. John McCain’s erratic quest to turn the Benghazi tragedy into a huge scandal are symptomatic: all word-games, question-begging and make-believe indignation aimed not at governance, but TV appearances. For all the theatrics, Republican Senators apparently won’t filibuster their former colleague’s nomination indefinitely. I expect most are privately appalled at seeing freshman Texas Sen. Ted Cruz question Hagel’s loyalty — something I doubt he’d have the temerity to say anywhere except in front of a TV camera. On “Meet the Press,” David Gregory asked McCain to stipulate what he thinks the Obama administration’s

hiding about the Benghazi incident. “A cover-up of what?” “Of the inforGENE mation concernLYONS ing the deaths of four brave Americans,” McCain sputtered. What else could he say? The idea that the White House refused to call the assault on the U.S. Consulate a terror attack has been a media put-up job driven by the dark arts of selective quotation and malicious paraphrase. People who really care have long since figured that out; those who haven’t probably can’t. Beyond mischief making, however, there are signs that conservative thinkers are beginning to challenge moribund Republican orthodoxy. The water is moving under the ice. Heterodox opinions once limited to former GOP operatives like David Frum and Bruce Bartlett have started appearing all over. Consider this shocking passage about tax rates by National Review editor Ramesh Ponnoru in the New York Times: “When Reagan cut rates for everyone, the top tax rate was 70 percent and the income tax was the biggest tax most people

the father of our country, who deplored the party sniping in his farewell address because it “agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms.” He hoped it would not become the tradition. I like the old gentleman more and more, but the country has paid him no heed. All that history aside, is there something about the current partisan hysteria over Barack Obama that is unique and that justifies the public’s alarm? I think so. It is this: The common welfare, at least as each side saw it, was nearly always at least a consideration in the partisan posturing. It is not today. For four years after November 2008 the principal force of the Republican Party in Washington had only one end. The Senate Republican leader spelled it out bluntly: the defeat of Obama. That being no longer possible, now it is to see that Obama does not succeed in the slightest endeavor and that the country does not prosper or make the slightest progress in any of its manifold trials while Obama is in charge and might conceivably get credit. The voting rules as dictated by Republicans now prevent a vote in either house on any matter that the party’s extremists do not want a vote on. Sixty percent of the Senate must consent to any important vote. The operative rule in the House of Representatives is that no vote will occur unless a

bare majority of Republicans — 118 Republicans in a membership of 435 — wants it to. Never has the House been so undemocratic. Thus another year will pass without Congress making it possible for millions of underwater homeowners to refinance their mortgages and rejoin the economic mainstream, which would be a huge shot for the languid economy. No part of the president’s program will get a vote. The Affordable Care Act and any of its parts must not succeed. The worst of all possible outcomes is that a large majority will come to see it as a very good thing. What if they should begin to say, “I still hate the dusky fellow with the Middle Eastern name, but who misled us about his healthcare thing?” Thus, a minority in the Arkansas legislature who were elected on campaigns to oppose Obama and Obamacare will prevent more than 215,000 poor working families from getting health insurance and stop billions of dollars in health-care assistance at the state line. If the economy is growing robustly, the deficit coming down, medical inflation plunging and the government running smoothly, people might get the wrong idea about Obama. In the end you have to frame in a word they love but hate in this context. Is this really patriotic?

paid. Now neither of those things is true: For most of the last decade the top rate has been 35 percent, and the payroll tax is larger than the income tax for most people. Yet Republicans have treated the income tax as the same impediment to economic growth and middle-class millstone that it was in Reagan’s day.” Ponnoru adds that GOP “tight-money” fundamentalism and scare talk about runaway inflation make absolutely no sense after five years of near-non-existent inflation. When it comes to fiscal matters, in short, Republicans are confronting today’s problems with yesterday’s solutions, substituting dogma for problem solving, and excommunicating heretics instead of encouraging independent thought. Far less polite is former GOP congressional staffer Michael S. Lofgren, who delivers himself of a veritable jeremiad in the Huffington Post. “As with many religions,” Lofgren writes “political parties have a tendency to start as a movement, transform into a business, and finally degenerate into a racket designed to fleece the yokels. One organization which has gone out of its way to illustrate this evolution is the Republican Party.” If that doesn’t clear your sinuses, Lofgren’s title might do it: “Scientology for Rednecks: What the GOP Has Become.” Now as a matter of principle, I dislike the term “redneck,” an offensive ethnic insult

like any other. A writer is on shaky ground objecting to racially coded attacks upon President Obama while using a term like it to characterize Republican voters. Lofgren’s larger point, however, is well-taken. “Compared to the current crop of congressional GOP freshmen and sophomores, even George W. Bush looks like Henry Cabot Lodge.” Republicans have allowed themselves to become the anti-science party, indebted to tycoonfunded “think tanks” and in thrall to paranoid talk-radio ravers who encourage its dwindling voter base to see themselves as a “martyr-like ... persecuted remnant of Real Americans.” Writing in The New Republic, Sam Tanenhaus launches an even more fundamental critique. “Conservatism Is Dead,” he writes, replaced by “inverse Marxists” preaching backward-looking utopianism that promises a return to an America that never existed. In a companion piece entitled “Original Sin,” he laments that “the party of Lincoln — of the Gettysburg Address, with its reiteration of the Declaration’s assertion of equality and its vision of a ‘new birth of freedom’ — has found sustenance in Lincoln’s principal intellectual and moral antagonist. It has become the party of [John C.]Calhoun.” That is to say, of “nullification” and the Confederate States of America. www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

7


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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

ome weekends, even in the ofttortured Ozarks, the sun shines just right on the ballfields and the energy is just right in the arenas. Saturday, February 16, 2013 isn’t going to make any sort of history books, but it was one of those rare days for Arkansas athletics that just went well from start to finish. The Razorback baseball squad pasted Western Illinois 7-2 in an efficient performance that didn’t even eat up two full hours. And then it ended just in time for a chilled Baum Stadium crowd to migrate to either a pub or join the rare sellout throng at Bud Walton Arena, which watched a damned entertaining, if indisputably erratic, 73-71 win for the basketball team in its newfound rivalry game with Missouri. Disregard, for a moment, that the baseball team promptly dropped the series finale against the lowly Leathernecks the following day. Put aside the sketchy officiating that flecked the Hogs’ 16th basketball victory of 2012-13, most notably the final minute thereof. Just eat it up, folks, because every sweet morsel of enjoyment that the Razorbacks enjoy lately seems like such an aberration. The baseball team did slip a notch in one poll from No. 1 to No. 2 because of the series-ending loss, which started with veteran lefty Trent Daniel being off-target and having shaky defense behind him and ended with the hitters not mustering quite enough of a comeback after falling behind by four runs in the seventh inning. Dave Van Horn has always treated these non-conference matchups appropriately, never investing too much in games of little actual consequence, instead shuffling the lineup frequently and giving young pitchers work. Make no mistake: the Hogs gave Western Illinois a couple of authoritative beatings on Friday and Saturday to claim the series, and this squad has the appearance of being Van Horn’s safest bet in his decade-plus at the helm. The Hogs’ win Saturday was, in substance and form, a callback to the method they employed through much of 2012. Barrett Astin made his five innings count (three hits and one walk in a one-run, 63-pitch outing) before freshman Jalen Beeks turned in three spectacular frames of follow-up work. The hitting performance was anything but demonstrative, but as evidenced by the score, the Hogs made their eight hits count and seized full control of the game when presented the chance. This is the new college baseball,

which you may take or leave as you deem appropriate, but it’s a deeply tactical endeavor these days and BEAU Van Horn seems WILCOX to be more suited to that brand. And for the basketballers, having finally shaken the winless-on-the-road albatross at Auburn three nights earlier, they got a big lift on Saturday in claiming the first round of what figures to be a reasonably spicy bout with Mizzou. It was hardly a thing of beauty, as virtually all these games trend that way by default, but the Hogs were mostly terrific in the second half and the Tigers inexplicably continued to rely on a pitiable long-range game while enforcer Alex Oriakhi stood around, supremely and understandably bored. This speaks to what will eventually become a problem for the Tigers: Frank Haith’s lackluster grip on the game. Missouri rode high for months last year as Arkansas struggled, seeming to magnify that Mike Anderson was somehow wrongheaded for leaving the former for the latter. The crashing halt to the Tigers’ season in the first round of the NCAA tournament was a loss to 15th-seeded Norfolk State, and even though Arkansas whiffed on the postseason entirely last year thanks to a February swoon, Razorback fans were eager to remind Phil Pressey & Co. of that wound with some pregame chants. It was that uncommonly spirited day at Bud Walton, where the fans bought into the Harlem Shake craze (and buoyed the team when it fell behind early and late). Marshawn Powell and BJ Young, as they frequently do in home games, basically made the win. Powell was SEC Player of the Week after posting 20-plus points in the wins over Auburn and Missouri, and his second-half assertiveness against the Tigers may have rebooted the Hogs’ tournament hopes (NIT here, people... let’s not distance ourselves from reality). And Young’s seven-point flourish in the final half-minute was as pivotal as any one-man burst the team has had in the past few seasons. Coty Clarke’s 13-point showing, however, conveys the greatest source of optimism for the final weeks: if the junior transfer can provide that scoring as the season winds down, the Hogs become far more lethal as a whole. And that might make for a few more blissful Saturdays this spring.


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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

A close reader, Richard W. Chapman was bothered by an item that appeared in Arkansas’s foremost weekly journal of news, politics and entertainment: “Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is coming to the River Market in the former space occupied by Redbone’s Downtown.” “Perhaps that should be ‘is coming to the space in the River Market formerly occupied by Redbone’s Downtown,’ ” Chapman writes. “I’m not sure this was an error, but it just didn’t seem right to me. The space is still there, so it isn’t ‘former space.’ I think.” The syntax would be OK if you read “the former space occupied by Redbone’s Downtown” as an entity.” It’s true the space is still there, but the space occupied by Redbone’s isn’t. But I agree with Chapman that “the space in the River Market formerly occupied by Redbone’s Downtown” is better. We’ve talked before about the fad of turning verbs into nouns when there’s already a perfectly good noun available. I’ve now seen reveal used as a noun so often that I’m starting to wonder if the last book in the Bible will be renamed The Book of Reveal. And they just keep coming. “In a logical, ‘more Spock-like world,’ said Glenn Thrush in Politico.com, the news that the

economy shrank in the final quarter of 2012 would prove to Republicans that America can’t afford the looming, DOUG automatic spendSMITH dougsmith@arktimes.com ing cuts known as the ‘sequester.’ ... But having lost the fiscal-cliff and debtceiling showdowns to President Obama, Republicans are now saying the sequester is preferable to no cuts at all.” In my unabridged, sequester is a verb only (“to remove or withdraw; separate”). The noun is sequestration. To say “the sequester” makes about as much sense as saying “the withdraw,” or “Tim Bucktew and his missus are having a trial separate.” Maybe those of us who dislike this affectation should retaliate by turning nouns into verbs. “I wish President Obama would drone the guy responsible for all this verbal abuse.” “Yeah, drone him before the sequester hits.” “If you don’t bring that energy every night or come out and not focus for a half, you put yourself and a hole and lose games.” You put yourself and a hole where? The former space occupied by Redbone’s Downtown?

WEEK THAT WAS

It was a good week for ... THE WAR ON WOMEN. Two unconstitutional bills that would curtail women’s rights continue to steamroll towards passage in both chambers. Sen. Jason Rapert’s bill to ban most abortions beginning in the 12th week of pregnancy and Rep. Andy Mayberry’s measure to ban abortion at 20 weeks should head to Gov. Mike Beebe some time this week. Beebe has questioned the constitutionality of both, but hasn’t said whether he’ll veto them. SUPPRESSING THE VOTE. A bill by Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest) to require voters to present identification at the polls advanced through a Senate committee, despite sharp questioning from Sen. David Johnson (D-Little Rock), who noted the true aim of the bill: suppressing minority and elderly voters.

Foto por Brian Chilson

TUBRE 18 DE OC

Foto por Brian

LA

A COMUNIDAD LA VOZ DE NUESTR MUNIDAD CO A TR ES NU LA VOZ DE D MUNIDA TRA CO S E U N VOZ DE 12 • EDICIÓN 30

The Remove of Redbone’s

AN ETHICS COMPROMISE. Rep. Warwick Sabin and Sen. Jon Woods cosponsored a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gifts to legislators, prohibit corporations from making political contributions and establish a two-year period between when a lawmaker leaves office and when he’s permitted to become a lobbyist — all measures proposed by the ethics reform group Regnat Populus. Sabin and Woods said they planned to add provisions to the measures to extend term limits and create a commission that would decide

when Arkansas’s lawmakers and constitutional officers should receive raises. LEONARD COOPER. The eStem senior won $75,000 on Teen Jeopardy. The turning point for Cooper came after trailing on the second day of the game show, when he picked a Daily Double and wagered nearly all of his money. His clue was “In Reginald Rose’s play ‘Twelve Angry Men,’ the men are all members of one of these.” Would you have known the answer?

It was a bad week for ... A RESOLUTION ON THE TECH PARK. The board continues to show little enthusiasm for the three nonresidential sites proposed for the Little Rock Technology Park, as evidenced by its meeting last week, where chair Dr. Mary Good complained that she wished the engineer’s report would have eliminated one or two of the sites. It did not. PHOTO THIEVES. Two former employees of the North Little Rock-based Rogers Photo Archives pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to a release from the office of U.S. Attorney Christopher Thyer, the two men diverted funds from customers of the Rogers Archive to their personal PayPal accounts. Police recovered more than 100,000 stolen photographs at the North Little Rock home of one of the men.


THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Blue balloons THE OBSERVER, TAKING THE STAIRS to our second floor office as

a sop toward our health, saw a large bouquet of blue balloons tied to the stair rail. “Congratulations!” they read. We knew immediately what the stairwell balloons meant: It was a girl! It was a girl because Iriana’s Pizza (directly beneath The Observer’s office on the first floor) had agreed the evening before to store pink balloons and blue balloons out of sight while a couple would cut a cake that would tell them whether they would have a son or daughter a few months from now. From the beginning: The couple had their first date at Iriana’s. Later, the man proposed to the woman at Iriana’s, an event for which John Iriana baked a heartshaped pizza with an arrow through it and put an engagement ring on the arrow. Now, the couple is pregnant, and they wanted to spend another important moment of their life together at the pizza restaurant. They asked their ob/gyn to put the results of an ultrasound revealing the sex of the baby in an envelope and keep the results a secret. The mom-to-be gave the envelope to a friend who bakes fancy cakes; if she baked it with pink-colored batter they were having a girl, blue of course meant a boy. The mom-to-be gave John Iriana the cake, heavily iced in yellow and pink fondant, and two sets of balloons, pink and blue, to be presented to the table that evening after the couple sliced into the cheery icing to get to the cake inside. The Observer knows this because we are naturally nosy and, getting our afternoon pick-me-up tea, saw the pretty little cake and just had to ask the mom-to-be why she was bringing it to a pizza restaurant. And that’s how we knew, seeing the blue balloons forlornly still tied to the rail in the stairwell the next morning, the batter was pink and the baby a girl. John Iriana thought he might put the balloons to use: He had a friend in mind who would be startled to see them tied up in front of his house. Sometimes a pizza restaurant is more than just a place to get a pie. SPEAKING OF PIZZA, THIS OBSERVER has

been eating a fair amount of it lately, as his better half is halfway around the world

— Rwanda, to be specific. She’s traveling for the hunger relief organization she works for, doing important work that will undoubtedly save lives, unlike yours truly who spends the bulk of the work week in front of a computer, putting down word after word that will hopefully be useful for a week or so before becoming birdcage liner or packing material or whatever afterlife newsprint goes on to. So The Observer and son are on their own for a bit. Of course, we’ve had plenty of help from The Observer’s mother and the in-laws, who came down to Capital City last weekend and then brought the little one back up to Fayetteville with them, for a week with his grandparents and their friends. This means your Observer has been on his lonesome for going on four days now, which is the longest amount of time he’s spent solo in several years. Now, we know what you’re thinking: “Freedom!” Right? Uh, kind of. More like: “Boredom!” The last few days have found us just kind of shuffling around the house, then around town, trying to remember what it is we do. Or rather what it is we did, in the days before marriage and family. We straightened up the ol’ casa, put some things away. There’s some work to be done out in the yard (later on, of course). We went out to get a new pair of shoes, one of those errands that had been necessary but neglected for some time. (Side note: Why is it so incredibly hard to find a size 12 in anything? Surely it must be the most common men’s shoe size, because while there’s no shortage of sizes 8.5-11.5 and even quite a few 13-plus, size 12 shoes are exceedingly scarce — at least at the four or five places we looked. We know what you’re going to say and yes, we’ve considered buying shoes on the Internet. But we’re old-fashioned and like to try something on before we commit to buying it.) Anyways, The Observer is going up to Fayetteville this weekend to fetch the boy, and Mrs. Observer is due back early next week. We can’t wait to go pick her up at the airport, head back home and then get dinner at the Oyster Bar. Things will be back to normal, and that’s just how this Observer likes it these days.

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

11


Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Highway handout Legislative skulduggery is afoot that should enrage the Tea Party if a number of ‘baggers (aka Republicans) weren’t in on the scam. You may remember that it was only November when voters approved a half-cent increase in the state sales tax to finance a $1.8 billion highway construction program. You’ll recall, too, that a companion idea to raise the diesel tax to get a tiny portion back from truckers on the damage they cause to roads wasn’t allowed to go forward. The road construction companies and Arkansas Department of Highway and Transportation aren’t satisfied. They want still more general revenue. Draft legislation, with the support of many Republican legislators, is circulating to divert additional state general revenues from other uses to road construction. The bill would tap the sales tax on new and used cars and other transactions related to vehicles, such as battery sales and the like. As explained to the Times, the money would begin flowing when the sales and use tax hits $2.2 billion (it was at $2.128 billion in the year ended last June 30) and the highway department tapping of the revenue would be phased in, rather than all at once. It’s still a historic direct raid on general revenues (as opposed to a voterapproved direct highway surcharge on the necessities of life) in a state that is not exactly robust. Here’s the real outrage and hypocrisy: The Republican caucus is close to the votes necessary to passing Rep. Bruce Westerman’s governmentstrangling bill to impose an arbitrary cap on state spending growth. It would be capped at 3 percent or a three-year rolling average of revenue increases (less than 3 percent in recent times). It’s bad business any way you slice it. Calamities couldn’t be met. The legislature would cede appropriation authority to the executive official who has to make appropriated budgets balance. The occasional good year wouldn’t allow for use of surplus on deferred maintenance and construction. But never mind all that. The Teabagging Republicans propose to sharply limit the growth of state spending at the same time they propose to take millions out of general revenue for highway construction. Gov. Mike Beebe’s formidable political skills have been all but useless against the Republican caucus. You’d think he could at least figure out a way to tell the Republicans, led by Rep. Jonathan Barnett (R-Siloam Springs), pushing this Republican raid on revenues for highway projects that their CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 12

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

There’s a new ASA! in town Medical marijuana supporters are back, and ready to scrap with an old enemy. BY DOUG SMITH

L

ast November, over half a million Arkansans voted to legalize medical marijuana. Another 30,000 votes, and Arkansas would have become the first Southern state to take the step. Though 18 states and the District of Columbia have already done so, many proponents at the national level were surprised that the vote in Arkansas was so close — 507,757 for a constitutional amendment to legalize, 537,898 against. According to David Couch of Little Rock, the lawyer for the Arkansas effort, “When people saw how close the vote was, a lot of them called and said ‘We want to help next time.’ ” They’ll get their chance next year. The 2012 proposal was placed on the ballot through the initiative process, which requires the collection of signatures on petitions. But the legislature can refer three proposed constitutional amendments to the voters at each general election. A CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

COUCH: Lawyer says changes to initiative should bring in more votes.

Water wars CAW-proposed land deal with planner gets choppy reception. BY DAVID RAMSEY

L

ake Maumelle watershed landowners, angered by a possible conservation easement deal between Central Arkansas Water and the chairman of the Pulaski County Planning Board, lodged complaints about a perceived conflict of interest at a CAW meeting Feb. 14. CAW has a deal in the works with planning board chair Ray Vogelpohl for a conservation easement on his 335-acre horse ranch that would restrict development on the land. CAW, which has never before paid for a conservation easement, has allocated $500,000 for that purpose in its 2013 capital projects budget, money that could potentially go directly to Vogelpohl from funds raised from landowners’ 45-centsper-month watershed management fee. CAW officials have stressed that the deal, which has been in negotiation for five years, was not yet official and that the $500,000 was a placeholder, as they

do not yet have a firm figure for the proposed easement. An appraisal completed last month valued the easement at more than $800,000. Vogelpohl has been on the county planning board since 2006. He is the only member of the board who owns land in the watershed. He has been a supporter of 2008 subdivision regulations that placed some limits on development in the watershed, as well as the land-use ordinance that would impose stricter zoning regulations on landowners and developers set for a vote by the Pulaski County Quorum Court later this month. Both have been met with strong protests from landowners, while environmental groups have complained that the rules do not go far enough to protect the watershed. Three of a group of about 10 landowners spoke at the CAW meeting, complaining that the potential easement deal had

the appearance of impropriety. They also said that no one had been in touch with them about easement deals on their land. Barbara Penney, who owns land north of Lake Maumelle, said that she had never been approached by any member of CAW asking about the watershed and had only learned about the easement deal on television. “This is a terribly important conflict of interest,” she said. “[Vogelpohl] has always professed to represent his community but in the meantime … he was negotiating for personal gain.” Details of the easement deal came to light via Freedom of Information Act requests from landowner Lorie White, who has been an active critic of the landuse ordinance. “It’s kind of ridiculous that’s been kept secret,” she said at the meeting. “He is the planning board chairman, he is a property owner in the watershed, and he is possibly going to get half a million dollars or more for this easement. Why was that kept under wraps?” She also complained that CAW had been less than fully cooperative with her FOIA requests. Vogelpohl did recuse himself in October 2011 when the planning board CONTINUED ON PAGE 30


LISTEN UP

#ARLegValentines and #ARLegBreakupLines

THE

BIG

Last week, Twitter provided a welcome diversion from the God, guns and fetusesobsessed Arkansas legislature. Prompted by AP reporter Andrew DeMillo, journalists, legislators and other Capitol observers spent a good bit of Valentine’s Day coming up with puns that married love and the legislature. On Feb. 15, the focus turned to legislativethemed break-up lines. See the best (and some of the worst) below. Search the hashtags #ARLegValentines and #ARLegBreakupLines to see everything.

PICTURE

John Brummett @johnbrummett

#ARLegValentines

Arkansas DemocratGazette columnist

Andrew DeMillo @ademillo

Associated Press state Capitol correspondent

John Lyon @johnlyon09

urt The Supreme Co e has found our lov d an , te ua adeq equitable.

mrshodgman @mrshodgman

Person on Twitter who we don’t know

Arkansas Democratic Party Chair

Iw yo ant to e will Our lov e die. lo ur weap be ve, in on never s in th concea of led e ch you urch o r he art. f

Evie Blad @EvieBlad

That is a pro te ed-from-FO ctI-disclosure hand gun in my pocket, and I’m happy to se e you.

Noble Strategies @NobleStrat

Republican state representative from Harrison

Robert Thompson @Thompson72450 Democratic state senator from Paragould

Democratic state senator from Paragould

She left me after I failed to rise and report progress.

Nathan Vandiver @KUARvandiver KUAR 89.1 FM Capitol reporter

We have no fiscal connection.

Will Bond @1willbond

Arkansas Democratic Party Chair

You can’t gerrymander love.

REP LOVE, S SEN FLOWER

Lobbyist

Laura Kellams @LauraKellams

Northwest Arkansas Director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families

You don’t need a supermajority to appropriate my heart.

I passe da bill and I liked it .

I love you unconditiona lly, and you do n’t have to sho w me a photo ID.

Trey Baldwin @BaldwinAR Person on Twitter who we don’t know

Arkansas Blog @ArkansasBlog Max Brantley, Arkansas Times

Our love is not termlimited.

Happiness is a warm gun.

David Goins @dgoins

Kelly MacNeil @KellyMacNeil

You could have bought dinner before you laid me on the table.

I want to love you, but ... the devil’s in the details.

Fox 16 reporter

Robert Thompson @Thompson72450

Fox 16 reporter

Lets Roses are red. ge . Violets are blue c love o t our o u r Lets balance ou o mmitte t of n t . o th e and budget e flo e iliz ab st or. d An revenue.

LET’S GET FISCAL

#ARLegBreakupLines

David Goins @dgoins

I’ll show you why they call it the MAC building.

Arkansas Times associate editor

Our love just grows and grows. Let’s cap it at 3%

The thing only m beau ore Republican t representative than iful th from Conway Cap e build itol ing you. is

Bradley Phillips @BradleyPhillips

John Burris @john_burris

David Ramsey @ ArkDavey

David Meeks @DavidMeeks

Arkansas DemocratGazette reporter

Lobbying firm

Associated Press news editor for Arkansas and Oklahoma

Adena J. White @AdenaJ I hope you get my Valentine’s Day card on time. I senate yesterday.

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Kelly P. Kissel @kisselAP

Roses are red. Violets are blue. The Ark. Leg would like to shove this in your hoohoo.

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Arkansas News Bureau Capitol reporter

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Werner Trieschmann @wernertplays

Baby, baby, can’t you detect my heartbeat?

Kenneth Ryan James @kryanjames Lobbyist

Yeah, I know we’ve been going together for 138 years, but I’ve grown and its time to move on. from 11/6/12

Senior Communications Specialist at Heifer International

Matt DeCample @DeCample

Spokesman for Gov. Mike Beebe

It’s like we’re both just voting “present” on this relationship.

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INSIDER, CONT. pilferage will get no support as long as the Republican caucus is attempting to strangle the rest of state government. It’s arithmetic. Less is less.

Halter on the lottery Bill Halter, the gubernatorial candidate who drove creation of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, sharply criticized a bill that would change lottery reward amounts. Currently, students at four-year colleges receive $4,500 and those at two-year colleges receive $2,250. The new bill, headed to sure passage in the General Assembly, gives all students entering college — regardless of whether it’s a two- or four-year institution — $2,000 in their first year. Community college students would get $2,000 again in their second year, while four-year students would receive $1,000 more each year — $3,000 in year two, $4,000 in year three and $5,000 in year four. “This legislation will make it significantly more difficult for Arkansas students to achieve a higher education,” Halter said it in a release. Later, in an interview, Halter told the Times he takes exception to legislators who are pushing the line that lottery revenue is eroding. Halter cites arithmetic. The simple numbers: In the lottery’s first two years and nine months, it produced $274 million for scholarships. Divide that by 2.75 years and you get just a hair under $100 million a year, which was the amount projected to be produced. Gross sales are off this year against last year by about 9 percent, but the net available for scholarships is down only about 1 percent because of a shift in lottery ticket purchases from scratch-off to more profitable draw games and other expense reductions. Halter’s point is that the legislature is now adjusting scholarship amounts downward not because of a shortfall in revenue but because more students have applied for the scholarships than expected. Also, more sought four-year rather than two-year college educations, which meant bigger scholarship grants. Thus, the legislature is “addressing the wrong problem,” he said. His metaphor: If flu vaccines work, you don’t make them more expensive, you produce more flu vaccine. If college scholarships encourage more kids to go to college — and encourage more students to go to four-year schools which have a better record at retention — you don’t address the “problem” by cutting scholarships. You find additional resources to keep the program equally strong. Well, you might do that in a world where budget-slashing Republicans are not in the legislative majority, anyway. www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

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COMING ACROSS

Undocumented students, many brought here as children, push for legislation that will make college, and the American Dream, attainable. BY DAVID KOON

S

omewhere in the story of every undocumented student brought to this country as a child, there’s a moment of horrible realization: the sudden, painful understanding of why the thought of being stopped by the police sends a shadow of fear skating across their parents’ eyes. For most of those kids, that’s followed quickly by the realization that they, too, are undocumented — that even though they feel American on the inside, the geography of their birth says otherwise. It isn’t that it’s kept a secret from them. It’s just that the complexities of adult life — Social Security numbers, immigration status, and the idea of invisible borders between countries — elude the young. Sooner or later, though, everyone has to grow up, and for many undocumented students, that means coming to grips with one of the cruelest quirks of immigration law: that even if you were brought to this country before you could decide whether to come or not, and grew up here, and excelled in school here, and speak English just as fluently or better than you speak Spanish, there is a point where the ladders that lead to better places stop for anyone not born on American soil. One of those places is affordable access to higher education. Though the Supreme Court has ruled than every child in the U.S. should receive free public schooling regardless of their immigration status, many of the private scholarships and all the federal loans, grants and work-study programs that help millions of young Americans seek an education beyond

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a high school diploma aren’t available for the undocumented students, no matter how good their grades. Even if undocumented students were able to pay out-of-pocket for their tuition — an idea that isn’t feasible even for most bornand-raised Americans in an age of sky-highand-rising education costs — the problem is compounded by the fact that in many states, including Arkansas, undocumented students must pay the out-of-state tuition rate, which can double the tuition at a public university in Arkansas. These barriers play a big part of why a study by the Pew Hispanic Center found that only 61 percent of undocumented high school graduates go on to college, compared to 76 percent of legal permanent residents, and 71 percent of native-born citizens. For this story, we talked to four young undocumented Arkansans, and asked them to share their stories via interviews, which we have condensed into narratives. All four have either applied for or received temporary legal residency through the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (see sidebar for more on DACA), but keep in mind that while DACA will keep them from being deported and allow them to legally work, it doesn’t give them access to federal student aid and most private scholarships. All the young people we talked to are hopeful for the eventual passage of the federal DREAM Act, or — better still — comprehensive immigration reform. But hearing these stories, one has to ask: Why are they being punished for something they had no say in?

LIDIA MONDRAGON

AGE: 20 Attending University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

M

y family came from Mexico when I was 6. My dad was already here in the United States. He would come and go every few months. My mom just decided to follow him here so the family would be together. We lived in California for about a year. My uncle already lived here in Arkansas, so he came and talked to my dad and said: “You need to come to Arkansas. There’s more work, and the cost of living is less than it is in California.” My dad didn’t think about it twice. We packed up and came to Waldron, and I started school in the third grade. I didn’t know that much English. I could understand some of it, but I couldn’t speak it. I got involved in some of the ESL classes and it wasn’t until the summer before fifth grade that I actually started to speak it and really understand it. I really love school. When we had vacations, I’d wish they’d hurry up and go faster. I always wanted the time away from school to be over, and I made good grades. In the 10th grade, all these colleges started sending me invitations to come tour their campus. My parents were really excited about it. I took tours with my friends, but then I talked to the counselor and she didn’t really know how to help me. She said, “I don’t even think you can go to college.” I got really down my junior year and I thought about dropping out. There were a lot of my friends who dropped out. They were like: “I’d rather work than keep studying, because there’s no point.” But I didn’t quit. By the end of my senior year, everybody was talking about the DREAM Act, and my parents said: “You really need to work hard in your studies so that when the time comes, you can prove you are an asset to the community.” I graduated with honors, and was salutatorian of my class. I applied to all of the public universities in Arkansas. I got accepted to all of them, but I couldn’t get scholarships. I came in one day and told my parents that I didn’t think I’d be able to go. They said: “Just take as many classes as you want. We’ll work.” My Dad said: “If you have the brains, we’ll get the money.” Education for my parents was the most important thing. They said that’s what’s going to distinguish you from


JORGE ANDONEGUI

AGE: 19 2012 graduate of Hall High, hoping to start college this summer

I

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

BRIAN CHILSON

t was pretty difficult for me seeing all my friends going to college and not being able to go because of the expense. We came into this country from Mexico when I was in the third grade. We lived with fear on a daily basis. We didn’t want to get stopped, because of course they’re going to ask for a driver’s license, and what are we going to say? We don’t have one. They’re going to start questioning you. It’s difficult to live. It’s like they say: We live in shadows. We have to hide who

we are all the time. I did all my elementary, middle school and high school here in Arkansas as an undocumented alien, and graduated from Hall High School last year. I worked all through high school, because I never thought I would graduate. I didn’t see the point of it. My first two years of high school was mostly working. I missed a lot of school. But then, during my junior year, my mind changed a lot. We all grow up, and I realized that even if it wasn’t time for me then, that didn’t mean my time was never going to come. So I focused in school and dropped hours from my job. I started volunteering. I’m really happy with all I’ve done.

She had the surgery in December. She was supposed to have bed rest for a month. She only stayed a week. She said: “I can’t stay in bed. You need the money for school.” She went back to work. My mom is my role model. The DREAM Act is not only going to benefit me, it’s going to benefit millions of students who have worked hard and who want to do something for themselves and their families, and who want to give back to the community they’ve grown up to love and make their home. I’m very hopeful something will change. People think we’re all criminals coming to do bad in this country. That’s not the case. I’ve had people ask me: “Why don’t you just go back to your country?” I say: “What country? I was raised here.” This is my country. This is my home. In school, I pledged allegiance to the American flag. I may not have been an American citizen, but in my heart I know I’m an American.

BRIAN CHILSON

everybody else. Since then, I’ve been going to school full time every semester. I’m majoring in pre-med biology, and I want to be a doctor someday. My parents work 12 hours a day, seven days a week. They go in at 6 in the morning and come home at 7 at night. They have to drive an hour away. I have a younger sister who is 14, and I feel like it’s taking them away from her. She doesn’t really see my parents that much, because as soon as they get home, they eat and then go to sleep. They’ve paid $10,000 dollars each semester. The beginning of my sophomore year, my mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer. That was a breaking point for me. I felt like I needed to work because she needed surgery to remove the cancer, and we didn’t have the money for it. I just wanted to work so she could get better, but she wouldn’t let me. Our community came together to raise most of the money she needed.

www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

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HUMBERTO MARQUEZ

AGE: 18 Attending the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

M

y dad was just doing what any human being would do when he came here from Mexico when he was 16: He came here to survive. Where he was living, there was extreme poverty, so he risked everything to come to the U.S. and work here so he could provide a better life for his brothers and sisters and his parents. This was in the early 1980s, in the times when he could go back and forth. He met my mom, and when they had my older sister and me, it really didn’t cross his mind to bring us to the United States. It’s a very risky journey, but times were getting rougher in Mexico and everything was getting more expensive. They just couldn’t do it anymore, so he decided to bring us here. I came when I was 5 years old. In high school, I was really involved. I was president of some clubs and I was very active in my church in Waldron. I didn’t really realize I was undocumented until I was in high school. I’m sure this happens to a lot of us. We don’t think about it when we’re in middle school or elementary school. In high school, things get serious. I remember the first time I tried to take the ACT when I was a sophomore, I was registering online and it asked for my Social Security number. I knew what a Social Security number was, and I was sure that I didn’t have one. I knew that you had to be born here. I had to register for the test the old fashioned way, through the mail. That’s when I started looking into more of what being undocumented was really about. I knew my parents had always had the fear of getting stopped by the police because they didn’t have driver’s licenses, but that’s when I realized it: My parents are undocumented, and I am undocumented. Somehow, I always thought that because I knew English and I was a good student, nothing was going to harm me. Nothing was going to stop me from reaching my dreams. That belief, in my mind and heart, was kind of like my protection. I thought nothing could stop me. I love this country and I’ve done so many things. I feel American. After that, I felt fear. I felt scared. I thought: I still have a good bit of high school left, and I hope something will be done for people like me, but my world just started crumbling. I knew the only way to succeed in this coun-

BRIAN CHILSON

I always knew that my status here in the country was unlawful, but when you’re a kid, it doesn’t really affect you as much. You just leave it up to your parents. But when you get to the age of 14 or 15, and you want to start buying your own stuff, or you might want to get a job, or you see your friends at 16 getting their driver’s licenses, and you realize it’s something you can’t have. It’s really frustrating in your senior year to have the counselor calling all your friends, asking them which college they want to go to. And then you come in and they ask for your Social Security number, and they tell you they can’t help you when you say you don’t have one. You’re like: What did I do to deserve this? I didn’t do anything. I have studied as much as they have. I’m going to graduate the same way they did. I have so many friends who not only thought about dropping out, they actually did. They didn’t see a point in going to school. Now that we have Deferred Action, it was a big disappointment for them knowing that they didn’t qualify for that anymore. Most of them went back to school, and if they were over 21, they had to go for their GED. It brought a lot of people back to get their education, and that’s a good thing. When the Deferred Action came, I applied for it, and luckily I got accepted this past December. It has helped me a lot to improve my life. Of course it helps to get a job and open doors for yourself, but it mentally and emotionally helps you as well, because you don’t have to live in shadows anymore. Right now, I’m really hoping that the bill giving us in-state tuition will pass. It’s absolutely ridiculous for us to pay more money than other kids — kids who have taken the same classes in school, kids who maybe didn’t even do as well in class as we did. It’s really frustrating to have to pay for something that we didn’t ask for, which was to come to this country. I’m hoping to start college in August, but my goals right now are to keep fighting for this campaign, and get the law passed here in Arkansas so we can have instate tuition. I think this will help so many more students have the will to graduate from high school. That’s why a lot of Latinos drop out. They think: What’s the point of me graduating from high school if I’m never going to be able to have a good job or go to college? This will help. Kids who are about to graduate will be able to look toward the future and not just feel like they’re stuck in a place where they can’t move forward.

try was through education, and I went into a sort of depression. It just felt like there was no hope for me. There were several moments during my high school career that I wanted to give up, when I was seriously thinking about it. Not dropping out of high school, but seriously thinking about not going to college and just starting to work. I thought college would be out of my hands because my parents can’t pay for it and I can’t get loans. It was very frustrating not knowing what to do or where to go to. I knew people who just gave up, because it was too hard. But something inside me told me: You can’t give up. Not now. There might be something in the future for you. I was friends with Lidia Mondragon in school, and she was really my inspiration to keep going. I knew she was determined to go to college, and I saw her as a role model. I could be doing the same thing. When I was a junior in high school, she was already in college. That’s when I first realized: You can do this. This is possible. This isn’t something that only happens in California or

Texas. I learned about scholarships that didn’t require a Social Security number and I applied like crazy. When I heard about Deferred Action, I just couldn’t believe it. My parents called me. They were so excited. It’s that glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. I immediately got to filling out the documentation. I applied in October, and finally got my work permit and everything else in December. It was like a breath of relief holding that card that gave me some kind of status here in the United States so I could work. Even the right to work makes all the difference in the world. To be holding that card and knowing that I could go to any employer and not have fear, it was a great feeling. But at the same time, I knew that my parents couldn’t file for Deferred Action. It was another one of those bittersweet moments: So, I’m good, but what about my parents — the ones who have sacrificed everything to bring me here? It gives me the motivation to keep fighting. I’m not afraid anymore. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18


Sen. Joyce Elliott pushes (again) for a bill to extend in-state tuition to undocumented students.

STIck IT Where The Sun DoeS ShIne

C

BY DAVID KOON

urrently, 12 states — including Texas, California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts — have laws that extend in-state tuition to undocumented students. Most were put in place since the federal DREAM (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors) Act — which would have established temporary legal residency for undocumented students who came to the country as minors and who were pursuing higher education or military service — was first introduced in Congress in 2001. Variations on the DREAM Act have been considered by Congress at least five times since then, but none has passed, with the failures mostly due to Republican concerns that it would constitute an amnesty program. In response to the DREAM Act stalemate and stories of young immigrants being arrested and deported to countries they only knew as children or infants, the Obama administration announced their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) plan last summer. The plan, which began accepting applications last August, allows young people brought to the U.S. when they were under the age of 16 who are currently in school or high school graduates to request a temporary two-year exemption from deportation and apply for a work permit and a Social Security number. As of January 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had accepted 394,533 applications for Deferred Action, though Pew Hispanic Research recently estimated there are up to 1.7 million undocumented students in the U.S. who are potentially eligible for the program. Though Deferred Action has allowed many undocumented students to emerge from the shadows and talk about their

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BRIAN CHILSON

BRIAN CHILSON

‘A HUMAN SHOP LOCAL ISSUE’

experiences in public for the first time, there is still the barrier of economics, including the requirement that undocumented residents brought to Arkansas as children pay out-of-state tuition. In Arkansas, one legislator working to close at least part of the tuition gap for undocumented students is Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock). Elliott is drafting a bill that would extend in-state tuition rates to any student who has gone to school in Arkansas for three years and who graduates or receives a GED, regardless of immigration status. For undocumented CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

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ZAHIRA REY

‘A HUMAN ISSUE’

AGE: 17 Senior at Central High School, and hopes to start college next fall

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

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BRIAN CHILSON

I

get really nervous when I tell my story. When I was younger, I didn’t know I was undocumented. I didn’t know what it meant. I didn’t know I couldn’t travel. I didn’t know I couldn’t vote. I’d love to vote someday. I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to go back to my country and see my family again — my grandma. I came here without a choice. I didn’t think about it, but a few years ago, it was like it hit me: This is real. It was difficult for me to think about it. My dad came here from Argentina in 2000 to work, then me and my mom and my sister followed in 2004 when I was 9 years old. My uncle was living in Arkansas and that’s why we came here to live. I remember starting school. When I got here, I couldn’t speak English at all. I only knew how to say “Hi,” and “OK.” There were two Hispanic kids in my class, and they always made fun of me. I was like: If you’re Hispanic, you should help me. My teacher would just give me the work and say: “Don’t even do it if you don’t know what you’re doing.” I cried every morning before school and every afternoon after I got home, because I didn’t want to go. I thought: What is the point of me going to school? That summer, I learned English by myself. I was like: I have to learn English to help my mom out, and help my sisters. I’m the only one in the house to translate for my parents. They need me. I’m the only one who can help my sisters with their homework, because my mom doesn’t understand. I have to do this by myself. I learned English, and in the fifth grade, I finally started learning. There were people there that actually helped me. My parents have always worried about being undocumented. I remember one day, someone called my mom and told her that Immigration officers were on University Avenue, and my mom had to go that way because it was the day she did the grocery shopping. My mom was so afraid. It was scary. I had to imagine my mom being deported back, and I couldn’t live without my parents. I need them here. I’m only 17, and I want them to be here to see all the great things I’m going to do. It was terrifying. In my ninth grade year, I was like: Why should I care about high school? I’m just going to graduate and not even

go to college. I can’t even work when I get out of college. It’s a waste of time and money, and I’m going to get nothing back. I just wanted to go to high school and get it over with. I didn’t care. My mom knew I didn’t want to go to college, but she was like: “You have to go. I’ll work three jobs, four jobs. I’ll work my butt off for you to go to college. I don’t want you to go to work cleaning bathrooms for other people.” That’s when everything came together in my head. I realized that I should have done better in high school, and I started trying my hardest. I realized that I’m actually here for a reason, and that I can actually do something. I know people from other schools who are undocumented, and some of them just dropped out. They were like: I don’t even care if I graduate. Now I feel like a lot of them regret it. Some of my friends are out there working, and some of them say: I should have made a better choice and stayed in high school. Now that we’ve got Deferred Action, it’s better for us. We can make something. There’s something happening. Everything is coming together. There are people out there trying to help us. There are people out there who care about us. That’s what made me excited.

I was like: I’m going to do better in school, and I’m going to fight for what I want. In college, I want to try different things. I’ve thought about being a lawyer, because I want to help Hispanics. I want to actually go out there and say: I’m here for you. I want to help you. You’re not alone. There are other people in the state and in the country who care about you, who want to help you. I want to give Hispanic people a voice and actually try to talk to them and let them know there’s somebody out there and that it’s OK to come out of the shadows. What I want people to know is that I haven’t broken a law. I was brought here before I could decide, but my parents came here because they wanted something better for us. They say don’t judge a book by its cover, and the people who say kick us all out are judging the book by a cover. They don’t know us. Come and meet us. Actually come and talk to us. Try to experience what we go through. Picture your life without your parents, or your family. Picture your family being separated. Imagine not being able to see your children anymore, or your family being in a different country. Imagine how you’d feel in that moment.

students, that could slash their tuition costs in half. Elliott said her bill, for which she is seeking a Republican co-sponsor, will specifically avoid the issue of immigration status as a way of keeping the state law from running afoul of federal law. “That is what assures us that we don’t provide anything to anyone that’s undocumented that we don’t also provide to a [nativeborn] student,” she said. “The federal law absolutely requires that. That’s the same kind of standard that the other laws around the country meet, and not a single one of them has been overturned.” Elliott plans to introduce the bill in the legislature by late February, and said she is hopeful about its chances, even though she introduced a similar bill in 2005 — a bill which had the backing of Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee — and another in 2009. In 2009, the bill failed by one vote in the Senate, which Elliot called “heartbreaking.” Elliott said she believes the bill has a shot this time, even with Republicans controlling the House and Senate, because the public has come to understand that education is not about politics. “We have generally not made educating our kids or having access to education a partisan issue,” she said. “We need to recognize that no matter who it is, they’re going to be in our state and they are and it’s in our interest for them to be educated.” Elliott said that holding young people responsible for being brought here by their parents doesn’t make sense to her. She calls it “a human issue.” “What law do we have in place that specifically punishes kids for the actions of their parents?” she said. “It might come about as a byproduct of something parents have done — parents in prison, for example. But there is not a policy in place that says if your parents go to prison, you won’t be allowed to go to school. But in this case, we are holding children accountable by an actual policy for the actions of their parents. And that’s unfair.” Elliott said she sees achieving greater access to higher education by undocumented students in the same light as the struggle to integrate public schools during the days of Jim Crow. In that way, she said, getting her bill passed is both an economic and personal issue for her. “I just can’t ever forget when I was a kid I was a part of trying to find a way through these policies deliberately designed to make education unequal,” Elliott said. “I was never as a child able to make sense of that: Why is there a school right here, and nobody wants me to be there?”


person unfamiliar with the Arkansas legislature might expect that the strong showing of support for medical marijuana would encourage a member of the legislature to sponsor such an amendment, acknowledging that it could relieve the suffering of some of the legislator’s constituents. But Arkansas legislators these days devote most of their deliberations to the protection of fetuses and guns. Many seem fonder of the unborn than the born, and many would argue that bullets can end suffering more surely than marijuana. To be fair, there are legislators more advanced in their thinking. Couch said in an interview last week, “We talked to some legislators about sponsoring an amendment. I think some of them were willing, but they all said the General Assembly is more conservative than the voters, and there wasn’t much hope the amendment would be approved. So we decided to go the petition route again.” Changes have been made in the amendment “to address concerns that were expressed during the last election,” Couch said. The amendment still will allow for the sale of medical marijuana at authorized dispensaries (38 of them statewide in the new proposal), but it will not allow patients or caregivers to grow their own. The 2012 amendment included a “grow-your-own” provision for people living more than five miles from a dispensary. “People thought it would be hard to regulate grow-your-own,” Couch said, “hard to keep marijuana from being diverted to other users.” “Last time, Mr. Cox kept saying that out-of-state doctors could write prescriptions for medical marijuana,” Couch said. “That’s not true, but we rewrote the provision to clarify that it has to be an Arkansas doctor.” (“Mr. Cox” is Jerry Cox of Little Rock, president of the Family Council, a Religious Right group, and a prominent opponent of the marijuana amendment.) “He also said that the amendment allowed for a lifetime permit. We clarified that provision to say it has to be a new permit every year.” In 2012, the amendment was silent on taxes. The new version says medical marijuana will be subject to all state and local sales taxes. “That could produce as much as $10 million to $12 million a year in new tax revenue,” Couch said. “And that’s net, because the amendment also says that all costs of operating and regulating the program must be covered by fees from dispensaries and users.” Last year, Gov. Mike Beebe said he opposed the amendment because of the program’s cost to the state. Couch said that when efforts were made to explain to Beebe that there would be no cost, the governor said he was opposed also because legalization of

marijuana would put the state in conflict with the federal government, which says that marijuana is illegal, medical or otherwise. The reason the amendment requires special dispensaries is that pharmacies would be in violation of federal law if they sold marijuana. The feds sometimes crack down on states that have legalized medical marijuana, closing dispensaries and arresting buyers and sellers. Sometimes they decide they have more pressing business and leave the states’ medical marijuana trade alone. It depends a great deal on who’s running things. And speaking of that ... last year, the Arkansas medical marijuana group was affiliated with and funded by the Marijuana Policy Project of Washington. The Project also supports full legalization of marijuana; opponents of the Arkansas amendment said that full legalization was the true goal of the amendment’s supporters. This year, the proponents have affiliated with another group, Americans for Safe Access, which is focused on medical marijuana and is also headquartered in Washington. The locals have formed a chapter called Arkansans for Safe Access. Couch said the Washington group chose its name specifically so that it could use the initials ASA. And that was because the federal “drug czar” at the time, during the Bush 2 administration, was Asa Hutchinson, a former Arkansas congressman and a hard-liner who raided medical marijuana establishments around the country, denying pain relief to cancer victims and other sufferers. The all-caps ASA fought back with litigation. There are ASA v. Asa lawsuits in the files someplace. Now back in Arkansas, Hutchinson has said he’ll run for governor again next year, though he’s already lost three statewide elections. He’s been known to use the name “ASA!” in his campaigns. Next year, somebody else may be using it on their bumper stickers too. Couch is, of course, optimistic about the new amendment’s chances. Pessimists don’t join this sort of campaign. He says that a different strategy would have put his cause over the top last year. “We outpolled them by 20,000 votes on election day. If we’d started campaigning and advertising earlier, we’d have gotten more votes in the early-voting period.” But the Marijuana Policy Project preferred to hold money back for the closing days of the campaign. “We spent about $750,000 last time, $250,000 gathering signatures and $500,000 on ads and campaign expenses,” Couch said. “I expect we’ll have at least that much again. To have a state in the Southern Bible Belt go for medical marijuana would be a boost for the national campaign.”

ARKANSAS TIMES READERS ARE GIVERS.

FEMALE LEADERSHIP SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS MISSION FOCUSED COALITION BUILDINGRELEVANT NUTRITION & WELLNESS

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY MISSION FOCUSED

REACHING OUT HIGH-IMPACT

TRAIN COMMUNITY LEADERS

ADVOCATE

FEMALE LEADERSHIP MISSION FOCUSED

LEGACY ISSUE-BASED

RELEVANT NUTRITION & WELLNESS

FEMALE LEADERSHIP

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF LITTLE ROCK OUR READERS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN

SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS

REACHING OUT

TRAIN COMMUNITY LEADERS INVESTING IN THE FUTURE ADVOCATE NETWORKED MEMBERSHIP

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

TO CHARITIES AND NON-PROFIT ORGINIZATIONS LAST YEAR.

RELEVANT

L E ARN WHAT WE DO JLLR.org

arktimes.com / 501.375.2985 SOURCE: THE MEDIA AUDIT, JAN. 2012

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

19


Arts Entertainment AND

THE JUDGES’ TAKE

GRAYSON SHELTON “That drummer will never be out of work! Really full sound for a threepiece.”

BRIAN CHILSON

MANDY MCBRYDE “They look way too young to sound this good.”

ROUND 4 WINNER: Terminus.

Terminus takes Round 4 Fayetteville trio tears it up to make the finals. BY ROBERT BELL

R

ound 4 wasn’t just close. It was really close, and not only between Tom and Hebron and Terminus — the two bands that scored highest and were separated by a mere three points. The difference between the top four bands was six points or fewer and each judge picked a different winner. But in the end, Fayetteville trio Terminus won, advancing to the March 1 finals on the strength of some raging prog-metal. It’s hard to exaggerate just how impressed all the judges were with this group, especially considering the fact that all three of its members are 17-18 years old. 20

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

Starting the evening off was Miles Rattz. Frontman Michael Chavez and crew embodied Pavement-y slackness in every regard, delivering giddily warped pop tunes with pleasantly baffling arrangements. “Loose” doesn’t even begin to describe the Miles Rattz approach to live performance. This might rankle the sort of listeners who get all uptight about things like “tuning” and “timekeeping” and “coherent pop structures” and stuff like that. The rest of us are on board the Rattz train, though. The band was prone to wisecracking too. “This song is called ‘Sometimes,’ ”

Chavez said. “Just kidding, it’s called ‘Always.’ ” Guest judge Shayne Gibbs, of Se7en Sharp, wrote “Great sense of humor, nice headbands. I liked the combo of electronic beats with the guitars, hypnotic at times.” Judge Grayson Shelton “enjoyed some of their song ideas.” CT found Miles Rattz to be “very kooky with nice melodies,” while Mandy McBryde thought “the few songs that opened up to strong hooks and melodies were much more enjoyable for me. Wish they’d start with the last three and move forward from there.” Conway’s This Holy House played next. They’re no strangers to the Showcase, having played in the 2011 edition. But since then, they added guitarist CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

CT “I loved it! These dudes killed it. These kids are only gonna get better.”

GUEST JUDGE SHAYNE GIBBS “I’ve been playing guitar for probably half as long as they’ve been alive, and they’re all way better than I am. Give ’em some time to polish their stuff, then look out.”


ROCK CANDY Check out the Times’ A&E blog arktimes.com

A&E NEWS THINK ABOUT ALL THE STUFF YOU SPEND $10 ON without thinking too much about it: Lunch, a six-pack, a movie ticket, scratch-offs, a grandisimo frozen chai pumpkin whatever. Here’s one more you can add to the list, if you get a move on: Riverfest tickets. The folks behind the biggest music festival in the state have made a limited number of tickets available for only 10 bones. For you math-inclined types, that’s a saving of $25 per ticket over the gate price. Here’s the thing, though — when they’re gone they’re gone. That might be March 22, the deadline for the discounted tickets. Or it could be when they sell out of the allotment. It’s whichever comes first. Yeah, yeah — they haven’t announced the lineup yet and maybe you’re holding out, but come on. You know you’re going to go. Why not save $25, which you could use to buy lunch, a six-pack and a couple scratchoffs. The $10 tickets are available at riverfestarkansas.com.

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Thursday, February 21

Jim Mize w/ The P-47s & Joe Meazle

Friday, February 22

Samantha Crain w/ Kevin Kerby

saTurday, February 23

AMY LaVERE w/ Mandy McBryde

Tuesday, February 26 Swampbird w/ Whale Fire

check out additional shows at

whitewatertavern.com

THE CENTRAL ARKANSAS LIBRARY SYSTEM ANNOUNCED last week that patrons can now download up to three free songs per week through the music download site Freegal. Patrons can log in through the Freegal site with their library card number and PIN. Once they’re in, they can download music from more than 10,000 different record labels, including the entire catalog of Sony Entertainment. Did we mention that it’s free? As in: no dollars. The songs are delivered as MP3s, but patrons can also download Freegal apps, which are available on iTunes and the Google Play store. Laman Library in North Little Rock also offers three weekly music downloads through Freegal, which means that if you get cards from both, you can rack up a gadget and/or laptop full of perfectly legal tunes in no time. FOLK-ROCK SINGER/SONGWRITER SHAWN JAMES OF FAYETTEVILLE and his band The Shapeshifters recently recorded a barn-burning cover of John Legend’s “Who Did That to You” from the “Django Unchained” soundtrack during an appearance at KUAF 91.3-FM. The cover has blown up in a big way online, with the video getting almost 51,000 views since it was posted on Friday and landing briefly on the front page of Reddit. Give it a listen at arktimes.com/shawnjames and you’ll hear why.

Coming Soon, new Skinnygirl® Mojito.

www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

21


THE TO-DO

LIST

BY ROBERT BELL, DAVID KOON & LINDSEY MILLAR

THURSDAY 2/21

YVETTE ‘BABYGIRL’ PREYER BENEFIT

7 p.m. Revolution. $10.

PLAYIN’ IN THE POCKET: Revolution hosts a benefit for drummer Yvette “Babygirl” Preyer Thursday.

THURSDAY 2/21

FRIDAY 2/22

ARGENTA FILM SERIES: ‘UNDEFEATED’

9:30 p.m. White Water Tavern. $7.

7 p.m. Argenta Community Theater. Free.

If your heart was warmed by Sandra Bullock’s turn in “The Blind Side,” then a sound bite oft-repeated in similar varieties to describe Oscar-winning documentary “Undefeated” might be all you need to hear: “It’s ‘Friday Night Lights’ meets ‘The Blind Side’ and the whole movie is true” (as George Stephanopoulos said on ABC). If you actively avoided Bullock’s role as a Southern Belle savior of a gentle black giant, plenty of other critics have begun their reviews with an acknowledgement: We know this might sound like inspirational treacle, but it’s really good! How to reconcile the two takes? I don’t know; I haven’t seen the film. But I do know that filmmakers T.J. Martin and Dan Lindsay embedded with the woeful Manassas High School football team in north Memphis for about a year and turned 500-hours of footage into a 113-minute documentary. With that much material on a football team made up of kids from a forgotten part of town, hungry for a future that may never come and led by a white volunteer coach they call Big Daddy Snowflake, there’s bound to be some lasting moments. I’ll interview Coach Bill Courtney (Big Daddy Snowflake) in a post-screening Q&A. Like all of the films in the Argenta Film Series, the screening is free, but an RSVP at lrff. eventbrite.com is required. LM 22

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

You’ve got to hand it to musicians in Central Arkansas. If one of their friends or colleagues needs a hand, they’re willing to step up. Ditto for Chris King and Suzon Awbrey of Stickyz and Revolution, as well as several other venue owners in the area. They’ve hosted numerous benefits over the years, which have no doubt helped folks who’ve experienced misfortune. Yvette “Babygirl” Preyer is an Arkansas native who studied music at Philander Smith College and the University of Arkansas. She’s a badass drummer who’s played with a ton of notable artists, includ-

ing Isaac Hayes, Luther Allison, Rufus Thomas, The Bar-Kays and Michael McDonald, whose band she’s played in for some time. Preyer recently suffered a non-life-threatening illness that required two serious surgeries and three to six months of recuperation. We all know how expensive it can be to get sick here in the United States. Even if you have good insurance, not being able to work can put a strain on your finances. So a bunch of folks have come together to help Preyer with some of those expenses. This show will include performances from Nicky Parrish, Ramona Smith, Julia Buckingham Group, Gerald Johnson, Butterfly, Tonya Leeks, Darrill “Harp” Edwards and more. RB

SAMANTHA CRAIN

A good many fans of Americana here in Central Arkansas are probably already familiar with Oklahoma singer/songwriter Samantha Crain. She’s played at White Water Tavern on numerous occasions, and returns Friday on tour for her new record, “Kid Face,” out this week. The album isn’t a radical departure from Crain’s mostly country- and folk-steeped songs. Spare piano chords, a whining violin and ghostly pedal steel make fleeting appearances that keep the listener’s ears on their toes. “For the Miner” has an almost-funky bass line that wouldn’t sound out of place on something from Ditch Trilogy-era Neil Young. There are some woozy strings and keys that add an air of tension to an otherwise low-key tune. John Vanderslice’s production is excellent throughout, giving the record a wide-open sound, the songs augmented by instrumental flourishes that never distract from Crain’s words. Which is nice, because she gets in some good ones, like these from “Taught to Lie,” the album’s second track: “You’d think I’d get a phone call from your rolling mansion / It’s been four years, you gotta know that I’ve changed, you gotta know that I am different / I did a pretty bad thing but it’s nothing that I wouldn’t mention.” Compared to Crain’s previous album, 2010’s “You (Understood),” “Kid Face” is quite a bit darker and more subdued, but it also sounds like a big step forward. Also on the bill is the redoubtable singer, songwriter, storyteller and all-around enjoyable dude Kevin Kerby. RB

OKLAHOMA TROUBADOUR: Samantha Crain plays White Water Tavern Friday night.


IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 2/21

FRIDAY 2/22-SUNDAY 2/24

LANTERNS! FESTIVAL

6 p.m. Wildwood Park for the Arts. $10.

I was a kid from the sticks in my youth, back in the dim days before Internetin’ and textin’ and X-Boxin’ and all the other bleep-bloop-bleeping that keeps modern young whippersnappers indoors and pasty. In my day, our nighttime entertainment was going outside! In the dark! And if you got snake bit or bear mauled or went temporarily

blind from shoddy moonshine likker, you just rolled with it. These days, as a city dweller, I recall fondly those days of tromping the moonlight. But you don’t have to be a “Gran Torino”-grade old fart like me to enjoy the nightlife, and the Lanterns! Festival at Wildwood Park sure makes the dark a lot more pretty than my daddy’s Army flashlight. The festival, which is scheduled to coincide with the first full moon of the lunar new year, kicks off Friday night and runs through Sunday. One of Arkansas’s

only festivals made to be best enjoyed after dark, the Lanterns! Festival allows visitors to walk the trails of Wildwood Park for the Arts by the glow of beautiful, flickering displays of fire and light built around a series of cultural themes. This year’s themes include the Caribbean, Germany, New Orleans, Shakespeare’s England, Venice and Rio De Janerio, with international foods and beverages available for purchase. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-12, and kids 5 and under get in free. DK

SATURDAY 2/23-SUNDAY 2/24

ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ‘TRUTH & TRIUMPH’

8 p.m. Robinson Center. $14-$52.

“Truth & Triumph” will no doubt be one of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s biggest productions this

season. Visiting the ASO will be Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, whose “Concerto for Orchestra” has been hailed as one of the best orchestral compositions in recent memory. In a video detailing the show, ASO Composer Philip Mann said Higdon’s work will show off “the technical virtuosity of every section including

the brass, percussion, wind and strings, and all done with the beautiful color palette of a virtuoso composer.” In the second half of the show, the symphony performs Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony, which “features a large orchestra taken to its limits,” Mann said. The Sunday performance will be at 3 p.m. RB

“authentic” anymore. Sure, your average bar-band blooze-wailers are still annoying, but in the hands of inspired players — even those reverent of tradition — the blues can still sound awesome and electrifying. You’d be hard-pressed to find any finer practitioners currently going than the North Mississippi Allstars. You’re all probably pretty familiar with the band by now; they’re from just down the road and they’ve played in Arkansas a bunch. The

Dickinson brothers — Luther and Cody, sons of the legendary Jim Dickinson — are pretty much Southern music royalty. Together with bassist Chris Chew, they lay down a grimy, funk-informed take on the blues that’s irresistibly fun while still conveying a lot of soul and substance. Add it all up and you’d have to be a real stick in the mud to find fault with the Allstars. Opening the 18-and-older show will be The London Souls. RB

SATURDAY 2/23

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS

9 p.m. Revolution. $20.

It’s a testament to the strength of the form that the blues continues to fascinate listeners and musicians lo these many, many decades after it emerged from the Delta. It’s been through so many iterations, duplications, permutations, mutilations, rebirths and revivals that it’s almost meaningless to try to determine what’s

TUESDAY 2/26

JENNIFER EGAN

7:30 p.m., UCA College of Business Auditorium, room 107. Free.

I don’t think I’ve read a book I’ve liked more than Jennifer Egan’s “A Visit from the Goon Squad” since it was published in 2010. The novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011, is made up of chapters each told from a different character’s point of view, with characters later popping up in supporting roles as the book zips back and forth through time. Most all the stories orbit around an aging punk rocker-turned-record executive and

The great Jim Mize makes a welcome return to the White Water Tavern, with cow-punkers extraordinaire The P-47s and Uncle Joe and The Backsliders’ Choir featuring Mize on dobro and Times contributor Joe Meazle, 9 p.m., $5. The Little Rock Wind Symphony presents “An Organ Extravaganza!” at Second Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., $8-$10, free for students. Pulaski Technical College hosts a screening of the Little Rock punk scene documentary “Towncraft” in the R.J. Wills Lecture Hall, with a Q&A with producer Burt Taggart after the film, 6 p.m., free. Up in Conway, Hendrix College will host Dr. Eric Goldman, who presents “Looking at Ourselves: The American Jewish Experience” in Room C at the Mills Center, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY 2/22

Vino’s has a big night of hip-hop, with “The Beat Party XI,” showcasing producers Ferocious, King Boom, QNote, Mannie Gee and Don Dash Beatz and live performances from #NECESSARY, Duke Stigall, Fresco the Caveman, Arkansas Bo, Sleepy Floyd and Zii Dimensional. It’s hosted by Osyrus Bolly, Panda Rozay and DJ Swift, 9 p.m., $6. Get your weekly fix of burly-ass rock, with Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, Cornerstone, 8 p.m. Revolution has heavy alt-rockers (HED)p.e., with Saint Diablo, At War’s End and Sychosys, 18-and-older, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. This is the last weekend to catch “Ain’t Nothing But A Thang” at the Weekend Theater, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $12-$16, see theater listings for more details. Community Theatre of Little Rock’s production of “The Pursuit of Happiness” continues this weekend, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, The Public Theatre, $12-$14. The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center hosts Family Movie Night with “Remember the Titans,” 6 p.m., free.

SATURDAY 2/23 the troubled woman who works for him. Egan’s often categorized as a post-modernist, but “Goon Squad,” for all its non-linear-ness, is grounded in always compelling realism. As Egan told Heidi Julavits in Bomb magazine, “More and more I feel you’d better not try and say anything too clearly or too loudly in fiction, because you end up eliminating the mystery that’s at the heart of any great literary experience.” Egan will read and sign books on Tuesday and talk craft and answer questions at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Thompson Hall 331. LM

A VISIT FROM THE ‘GOON SQUAD’ AUTHOR: Jennifer Egan comes to UCA Tuesday and Wednesday for a reading and a craft talk.

First Presbyterian Church hosts the first annual Arkansas PFLAG Conference, featuring workshops about a variety of topics relevant to the LGBT community. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the conference starts at 10 a.m., $20. For an evening of excellent singer/ songwriters, check out Amy Lavere and Mandy McBryde, White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $7. Up in Conway, Swampbird tears it up over at Bear’s Den Pizza, 9:30 p.m., free. The Town Pump has a great lineup of local rock ’n’ roll, with Little Rock’s War Chief and The Stephen Neeper Band, 9 p.m., $3.

www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

23


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.

FILM

Argenta Film Series: “Undefeated.” Argenta Community Theater, 7 p.m., free. 405 Main St., NLR. 501-353-1443. argentacommunitytheater.org. “Towncraft.” Screening in the R.J. Wills Lecture Hall. Includes Q&A with producer Burt Taggart. Pulaski Technical College, 6 p.m., free. 3000 W. Scenic Drive, NLR.

THURSDAY, FEB. 21

MUSIC

2013 Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase Round 5. With Knox Hamilton, Midnight Thrills, The Sound of the Mountain, Bartin Membert and Collin Vs. Adam. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5 21 and older, $10 20 and younger. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Aces Wild (headliner), Dean Agus (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. Audrey Dean Kelley. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Jim Mize, The P-47s, Uncle Joe and The Backsliders’ Choir. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $5. 2500 W 7th St. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com. Josh Green. Thirst n’ Howl, 8:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl. com. Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Karaoke night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub. com. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. MacDaddy’s Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 314 N. Maple St., NLR. Karaoke with Larry the Table Guy. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Krush Thursdays with DJ Kavaleer. Club Climax, free before 11 p.m. 824 W. Capitol. 501-554-3437. Little Rock Wind Symphony: “An Organ Extravaganza!.” Second Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., $8-$10, free for students. 600 Pleasant Valley Drive. Love and Theft, Luke Williams, Big Shane Thornton. Proceeds benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. Juanita’s, 7:30 p.m., $15. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. Rachel Brooke. Maxine’s, 7 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Salsa Night at The Joint. With Leah Patterson and Jay Stylz, featuring music from Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers. Lessons begin at 7:30 p.m. The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $10. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. Yvette “Baby Girl” Preyer Benefit. Benefit show, with Nicky Parrish, Ramona Smith, Julia Buckingham Group, Gerald Johnson, Butterfly and more. Revolution, 7 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

COMEDY

Alex Ortiz, Jose Sarduy, Dan Fritschie. The

24

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

POETRY

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

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.

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. 28, 3:30:30 p.m., $80. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-418-5700. crystalbridges.org.

FRIDAY, FEB. 22

MUSIC COUNTRY DUO: Love and Theft plays at Juanita’s on Thursday, with Luke Williams and Big Shane Thornton. Proceeds benefit St. Jude’s Hospital, 7:30 p.m., $15. Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m.; through Feb. 23, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $7-$15. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Antique/Boutique Walk. Shopping and live entertainment. Downtown Hot Springs, third Thursday of every month, 4 p.m., free. 100 Central Ave., Hot Springs. Drought-Resistant Agriculture in Senegal: A Heifer Village Presentation. With Francis Bouba-Dalambaye, director of Heifer International’s Senegal country program. Heifer Village, 6 p.m., free. 1 World Ave. 501-376-6836. heifer.org/heifervillage. “Ensuring Domestic Preparedness and

Resilience: WMD Counterterrorism and AllHazards.” Roundtable discussion on efforts to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction and ensure preparation for all environmental and man-made domestic hazards. Clinton School of Public Service, 12 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www. clintonschool.uasys.edu. “A Talk with Dr. Eric Goldman.” Goldman presents “Looking at Ourselves: The American Jewish Experience” in Room C at the Mills Center. Hendrix College, 7:30 p.m. 1600 Washington Ave., Conway. www.hendrix.edu. Wine Tasting. The Afterthought, 5:30 p.m., $10. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com.

The 17th Floor. 18-and-older. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $10. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Aces Wild. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m., $7. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Almost InFamous. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9 p.m., free. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2464340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Arkansas Brothers. W.T. Bubba’s Country Tavern, 9 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-244-2528. “The Beat Party XI.” With producers Ferocious, King Boom, QNote, Mannie Gee and Don Dash Beatz and live performances from #NECESSARY, Duke Stigall, Fresco the Caveman, Arkansas Bo, Sleepy Floyd and Zii Dimensional. Hosted by Osyrus Bolly, Panda Rozay and DJ Swift. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $6. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www. vinosbrewpub.com. Brian Ramsey. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock. Brock McGuire Band. Dugan’s Pub, 8:30 p.m., free. 401 E. 3rd St. 501-244-0542. www. duganspublr.com. Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com. Butterfly with Irie Soul. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Class of ‘87 Band (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. 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. Code Blue. Thirst n’ Howl, 8:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl. com. Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe. Maxine’s, 8


p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Framing Hanley, Amsterdam, Chuck Shaffer Picture Show. Juanita’s, 10 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. FreeVerse Duo. The Tavern Sports Grill, 8:30 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www.thetavernsportsgrill.com. Friday night at Sway. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. (HED)p.e., Saint Diablo, At War’s End, Sychosys. 18-and-older. Revolution, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Indie Music Night Hip-Hop Showcase. Downtown Music Hall, 9 p.m. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com. Joey Farr & The Fuggins Wheat Band. Midtown Billiards, Feb. 22-23, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com. Miss Used. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Rob Moore. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www.cregeens.com. Samantha Crain, Kevin Kerby. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $7. 2500 W 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com. 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. Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Feb. 23, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. “YOLO.” Featuring four DJs and beach volleyball, 18-and-older. Flying DD, $5. 4601 S. University. 501-773-9990. flyingdd.com.

COMEDY

Alex Ortiz, Jose Sarduy, Dan Fritschie. The Loony Bin, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $7-$15. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. 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, through April 27: 8 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Stewart Huff. UARK Bowl, 8 and 10:30 p.m., $7. 644 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-301-2030. www.uarkballroom.com.

EVENTS

61st Annual Home Show. Verizon Arena, Feb. 22, noon-7 p.m.; Feb. 23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Feb. 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., $8, free for children 12 and younger. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. Arkansas Flower and Garden Show. Statehouse Convention Center, 10 a.m., $6-$8; $12 for threeday pass; free for 16 and younger. 7 Statehouse Plaza. 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, 2:30 p.m., $45. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479418-5700. crystalbridges.org. Jennifer Higdon. A visit from the Pulitzer Prizewinning composer, whose works have been

performed by orchestras all over the world. Clinton School of Public Service, 12 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www. clintonschool.uasys.edu. “Lanterns! Festival.” Shuttle service provided from Kroger Marketplace. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, Feb. 22-24, 5 p.m., $5-$10. 20919 Denny Road. 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.

FILM

Family Movie Night: “Remember the Titans.” Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 6 p.m., free. 501 W. 9th St. 501-376-4602. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com.

POETRY

Poetry Unplugged Open Mic. With Foreign Tongues poetry group. Sports Page, 7 p.m., $5 before 8 p.m., $7 after. 414 Louisiana St. 501-372-9316.

SPORTS

Live horse racing. See Feb. 21.

SATURDAY, FEB. 23

MUSIC

Aces Wild. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Amy Lavere, Mandy McBryde. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $7. 2500 W 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: “Truth & Triumph.” Robinson Center, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.; Feb. 24, 3 p.m., $14-$52. 426 W. Markham St. 501-376-4781. www.jenniferhigdon.com. Benefit with Blind Mary, Se7en Sharp, Siversa, Amore, Jessica Seven, R&R, Found Fearless. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com. The Big Dam Horns (headliner), Some Guy Named Robb (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. Brian Nahlen. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock. Brian Ramsay Trio. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www. cregeens.com. Charlotte Taylor and Gypsy Rain. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. See Feb. 22. Darsomba, Chronic Ritual. Downtown Music Hall, 9:30 p.m., $5. 211 W. Capitol. 501-3761819. downtownmusichall.com. Delta Donnie Band. W.T. Bubba’s Country Tavern, 9 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501244-2528. Joey Farr & The Fuggins Wheat Band. Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 6929 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. All-ages, on the

restaurant side. Revolution, 9 p.m.-12:45 a.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802. Liquid Kitty. Thirst n’ Howl, 8:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl. com. North Mississippi Allstars, The London Souls. 18-and-older. Revolution, 9 p.m., $20. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Phillip Dixon & Balance, Platinumb & Kichen, g-force. Also, Dominique Sanchez & The Disco Dolls with DJ Joseph Huge. Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m., $10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501664-4784. www.latenightdisco.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. Red Devil Lies, Killing Souls, A Traitor’s Funeral, The Muddlestuds. Juanita’s, 10 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.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. Swampbird. Bear’s Den Pizza, 9:30 p.m., free. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-328-5556. www. bearsdenpizza.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. The Vail, Brea. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. War Chief, Stephen Neeper Band. Town Pump. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 501-663-9802.

COMEDY

Alex Ortiz, Jose Sarduy, Dan Fritschie. The Loony Bin, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $7-$15. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www. loonybincomedy.com. The Main Thing: “The Last Night at Orabella’s.” See Feb. 22.

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

61st Annual Home Show. Verizon Arena, Feb. 23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Feb. 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., $8, free for children 12 and younger. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. 9th Annual Midsouth Summit Black Expo. Clear Channel Metroplex, 10 a.m. p.m., free. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-217-5113. www. clearchannelmetroplex.com. Argenta Farmers Market. Argenta, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. Main Street, NLR. Arkansas PFLAG Conference. Featuring workshops about a variety of topics relevant to the LGBT community. Registration begins at 9:30

a.m. First Presbyterian Church, 10 a.m. p.m., $20. 800 Scott St. Dedication of Freedom Park. Dedication for Freedom Park, a new segment in Helena-West Helena’s Civil War tourism development plan. Freedom Park, 12 p.m. 750 Biscoe St., Helena. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. “Lanterns! Festival.” Shuttle service provided from Kroger Marketplace. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, through Feb. 24, 5 p.m., $5-$10. 20919 Denny Road. Little Rock LacrosseFest. With more than 20 youth lacrosse teams from around the region, including Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Burns Park, Feb. 23-24, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. 2700 Willow St., NLR. 615-516-2627. Made from Scratch: Across Europe. Culinary course with Jason Knapp. Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 10 a.m. p.m., $80. 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton. 727-5435. www.uawri.org.

SPORTS

Bowen 5K. A 3.1 mile run/walk through the heart of Little Rock. UALR William H. Bowen School of Law, 9 a.m., $20-$30. 1201 McMath Ave. 501-324-9434. www.law.ualr.edu. Live horse racing. See Feb. 21.

BOOKS

Jack Tobias. Book signing with the author of “A New Home For Mopgolly Mole.” Hastings, 1 p.m. 1360 Old Morrilton Hwy., Conway. 501329-1108. Joseph G. Smith II. The author of “The Crossover: Making Your Biggest Dreams Your Greatest Reality” will sign copies of his books. Faulkner County Library, 1:30 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org.

SUNDAY, FEB. 24

MUSIC

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: “Truth & Triumph.” Robinson Center, 3 p.m., $14-$52. 426 W. Markham St. 501-376-4781. www.jenniferhigdon.com. Green Jelly, Wreckless Endeavor, Queen Anne’s Revenge. Makeup show for postponed date. Previously purchased tickets will be honored. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Karaoke with DJ Sara. Hardrider Bar & Grill, 7 p.m., free. 6613 John Harden Drive, Cabot. 501-982-1939 . Merling Trio. The Fowler Center, 3 p.m., free. 201 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro. 870.972.3471. www.yourfowlercenter.com. Michael Eubanks. Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon, 7 p.m. 10901 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-227-8898. www.lonestarsteakhouse.com. Otherwise, The Revolutioners, Eddie and The Defiantz. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $3. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com. 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. CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

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AFTER DARK, CONT.

EVENTS

61st Annual Home Show. Verizon Arena, 10 a.m. p.m., $8, free for children 12 and younger. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. “Lanterns! Festival.” See Feb. 24 Little Rock LacrosseFest. See Feb. 23. “Live from the Back Room.” Spoken word event. Vino’s, 7 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-3758466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Oscar Experience Little Rock. Black-tie event with live and silent auctions, red carpet interviews and viewing of the 85th Academy Awards. Benefits the Wolfe Street Foundation. Embassy Suites, 5:30 p.m. 11301 Financial Centre. 501372-5662.

SPORTS

Live horse racing. See Feb. 21.

BOOKS

Nancy Powell. Book signing with the author of “Dark Secrets.” Faulkner County Library, 1:30 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-3277482. www.fcl.org.

MONDAY, FEB. 25

MUSIC

Irish Traditional Music Session. “SloPlay” begins at 6 p.m. Public session begins at 7 p.m. Hibernia Irish Tavern, Fourth and second Monday of every month. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Jazz at The Afterthought: KABF Jazz. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Ol’ Puddin’haid. Norm’s, 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. 501-376-7777. www.facebook.com/pleazures. bargrill.

TUESDAY, FEB. 26

MUSIC

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: “Composer of the Year.” Clinton Presidential Center, 7 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 370-8000. www. clintonpresidentialcenter.org. Karaoke Night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com. Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 322 President Clinton Blvd. 501-244-9550. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-3151717. Knox Hamilton. Bear’s Den Pizza, 9:30 p.m., free. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-328-5556. www.bearsdenpizza.com. Lucious Spiller Band. Copeland’s Restaurant of Little Rock, 6-9 p.m. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. 501-312-1616. www.copelandsrestaurantlittlerock.com. Open auditions for new performers. All local and regional musicians who are well versed in performing traditional acoustic Ozark style music are invited to audition. No electrified instruments. Ozark Folk Center State Park, Feb. 26-27, 6:30 p.m. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View. Ricky David Tripp. Rocket Twenty One, 5:30 p.m. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-603-9208. www. ferneaurestaurant.com. Swampbird, Whale Fire. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., Donations. 2500 W 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.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

Dr. Oliver Keith Baker. Baker, a native of McGehee and a professor at Yale University, will give a youth lecture on his ground-breaking research on particle physics. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 10 a.m., free. 501 W. 9th St. 501-376-4602. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com. Jonathan Katz. The reporter and author of “The Big Truck That Went By” will discuss the Haitian earthquake of January 2010, the international relief effort and the ongoing struggle to rebuild. Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www. clintonschool.uasys.edu. Science Cafe: “City Planning — Smoke or Mirrors?.” The Afterthought, 7 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.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.

FILM

“Unfinished Business.” In conjunction with “Wendy Maruyama: Executive Order 9066.” Arkansas Arts Center, 6 p.m. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com. Vino’s Picture Show: “Bonnie & Clyde.” Vino’s, 7:30 p.m., free. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

BOOKS

Jennifer Egan. The author of “A Visit from the Goon Squad” will read and sign books at the College of Business auditorium. On Wednesday, she will give a creative writing craft talk and Q&A at 10 a.m. in Thompson Hall 331. University of Central Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., free. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. www.uca.edu.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27

buy local 5 P.M.

MUSIC

Thursday February 21

Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com. Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375It’s Always Happy Hour. 5351. www.cajunswharf.com. When We Style Your Art, You’re Never Miss One. Chuck Brodsky. That Bookstore in Blytheville, Walls Will Love You. 501.6 03.0 0 8 0 7 p.m. 316 W. Main St. new menu for 2013 CUSTOM FRAMING, FRAMED PRINTS, DECORATIvE MIRRORS Joey Farr & The Fuggins Wheat Band. Stickyz 1813 N. GraNt · 661.0687 rjtAOrOcks.cOM · 5501 k AVANAUGH Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $4. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. “Happy Hour” All Day 9am-5pm Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, Happy Hour In The Heights 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315Drop by our office to enter a drawing for a 1717. Refreshments For All Ages Kevin Bozeman, Gabe Kea. The Loony Bin, 5-7pm Feb. 27-28, 7:30 p.m.; March 1-2, 7:30 and 10 On Charlotte’s Porch p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. Our 5-7pm happy hour will resume in March 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com. 5811 Kavanaugh Boulevard Laurence Juber, Cliff Hutchison. Juanita’s, 9

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p.m., $20 adv., $25 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Live Karaoke and Dueling Pianos. Featuring Dell Smith and William Staggers. Montego Cafe, 9 p.m. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www. montegocafe.com. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

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SHOWCASE, CONT. Jordan Ahne to the mix, to impressive results. Ahne and singer/guitarist Elliott Cotten can shred, and last week they did, showing off some fiery six-string interplay. The Brothers Velek — James on drums and David on bass — give the band solid footing and rhythmic counterpoint that make them stand out among their indie rock peers. McBryde was duly impressed. “The music sounds so good but feels effortless. They are definitely working for the greater good ... and it’s working.” Gibbs wrote, “I dig the reverb-drenched guitars and engaging drumbeats. Kind of reminds me of Bright Eyes, but this cat can sing. Love the drums, never boring.” Shelton wrote that THH is a “good mid-tempo modern rock ’n’ roll band. Not as in radio rock, more Wilco-esque, but Elliot is more of a pure ‘singer’ than a ‘storyteller.’ ” He also noted: “I sold Elliot that guitar for $20. True story.” CT wrote, “Singer is very emotional. Huge songs. I like big songs.” Peckerwolf brought to the showcase a heaping of burly guitar rock that was loud, sweaty, mostly bearded and at times shirtless. Seeing this band live was a bit like play-wrestling with the 50-Foot Woman, and she’s not trying to hurt you, she’s just batting you around for fun, and you wanna be cool about it so you’re like, “No, it’s all right, 50-Foot Woman, I’m fine. That didn’t hurt at all. (Owww!)” Judge CT wrote, “A good rock ’n’ roll band. [Drummer] Tyler Nance is a basher ...” Gibbs wrote, “Beer drankin’ music, as in, I seriously didn’t order a beer until these guys came on. Some thunderous shit.” McBryde wrote that the band “Makes me feel alive and changes my body chemistry. I love it.” Shelton wrote, “One hell of a rhythm section! Bassist/drummer hitting awesome, complex parts. Good high-energy, high-beard show. Queens of the Stone Age/Wolfmother hybrid.” Fayetteville’s Tom and Hebron closed things out, bringing some sophisticated pop/rock ’n’ roll to the Showcase proceedings. The band is steeped in the sounds of the early to mid-’70s FM goldmine of Elton John, Wings, Jackson Browne and the like. Brothers Tom and Hebron Chester are joined by bassist and singer Clay Johnson and drummer Nick Fernandez, as rock-solid a rhythm section as we’ve seen so far. McBryde wrote, “They really get folks movin’ and shakin’. Once upon a time, Billy Joel met Ben Folds Five.” Shelton heard “Good dance music. I danced with a girl and a dude ... Happy Valentine’s Day.” CT wrote “This band 28

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

is tight as hell, cool as ice. I like this.” Gibbs wrote, “I’m the worst dancer I know, but this makes me wanna dance.” ROUND 5 LINEUP KNOX HAMILTON: North Little Rock’s Knox Hamilton makes effervescent indie pop with rich vocal harmonies, propulsive rhythms and shimmering, chiming guitars. It’s largely upbeat, melodic stuff that recalls, say, a less electro-steeped Passion Pit or maybe Of Monsters and Men if that band were less inclined toward melodrama. Check out Knox Hamilton’s “Tom Joyce” for a good representation. THE SOUND OF THE MOUNTAIN: This Russellville quartet has the whole instrumental post-rock/shoegaze thing down — the atmospherics, the off-kilter rhythms, the circular guitar lines, the slow-burn dynamics building toward a squall of guitar, all of it. All of that is to say, fans of Mogwai, Tarantel, Explosions in the Sky and the like should not skip this band. Check out the band’s “Confessions of an English Opium Eater.” BARTIN MEMBERG: Fayetteville’s Martin Bemberg (no, that’s not a typo, he performs as Bartin Memberg) was part of the much-loved Memphis Pencils, who disbanded a couple of years back after a move to Austin. Memberg struck out solo and moved back to Arkansas. Dude is hella prolific, having recorded several EPs and albums of bedroom lo-fi pop since 2011, including an EP released Monday called “Barty Gets British.” THE MIDNIGHT THRILLS: If you’ve got a yen for blues-steeped Southern rock with a solid groove and satisfying guitar crunch, Little Rock’s The Midnight Thrills are gonna be your jam. The trio has obviously listened deeply and often to the canon of great classic rock — The Allman Brothers, Crazy Horse, The Black Crowes, Tom Petty and the like are discernible influences. Check out the ragged, rockin’ “Keep Me in Your Heart.” COLLIN VS. ADAM: After the tragic loss of their bassist Mason Mauldin, who died in a plane crash Jan. 24, Collin vs. Adam made the no-doubt difficult decision to soldier on. They play Round 5, closing out the semifinals. Earlier we described their track “Aurelia” as a haunting piece of instrumental synth pop, with a pinging drum machine, delicate guitar lines and lush synthesizer, slowly unfolding over the course of the song.

AFTER DARK, CONT. Open auditions for new performers. See Feb. 26. 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.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Standup Open Mic Night. Hosted by local come­di­ans of the com­edy col­lec­tive Come­di­ ans of NWA. 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: “Unrest and Reconciliation: Responses to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassination in Arkansas.” Old State House Museum, 12 p.m., free. 500 Clinton Ave. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse. com. Dr. Oliver Keith Baker. Baker, a native of McGehee and a professor at Yale University, will lecture on his ground-breaking research on particle physics. Clinton Presidential Center, 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. 501-492-4900.

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 WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27

Crystal Bridges Studio Studies Series: Watercolor Painting. With instructor Carol Cooper. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Feb. 27, 6:30-8 p.m.; March 13, 6:30-8 p.m., $80. 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. 479-4185700. crystalbridges.org.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER

“100 Years of Broadway.” Musical revue, featuring hits from some of the best-loved Broadway productions. Robinson Center Music Hall, Feb. 26-28, 7:30 p.m., $25-$60. Markham and Broadway. www.littlerockmeetings.com/ conv-centers/robinson. “Ain’t Nothing But A Thang.” This awardwinning 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. “Hair.” Critically acclaimed revival of the Broadway hit. Walton Arts Center, Fri., Feb. 22, 8 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 23, 2 and 8 p.m., $48-$64. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. ImprovLittleRock workshops. Workshop series teaching the fundamentals of improvisation. The Joint, Sun., Feb. 24, 6 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. “A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur.” UCA Theatre presents the Tennessee Williams play.

University of Central Arkansas, Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall, through Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., $10, free for UCA students. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “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, through Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 24, 2 p.m.; through March 2, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 3, 2 p.m., $12-$14. 616 Center St. 501374-7529. 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, through Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 24, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; through 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 ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: Friends of Contemporary Craft Conversation with Kerrick Hartman, Sandi Sell and Carrie Crocker of UALR’s Applied Arts program, 5 p.m. Feb. 24, lecture hall, $5 FOCC members, $10 non-members, students free; “Wendy Maruyama: Tag Project/Executive Order 9066,” work inspired by the mass internment of Japanese during World War II, through 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. HATS OFF TO THE FIRST LADIES OF ART, Arkansas Arts Center: Opening event for Tabriz biennial fund-raiser for the Arkansas Arts Center includes coffee at 10:30 a.m. March 4 with lunch to follow, to be emceed by Jessica Dean. Fine Arts Club event; all proceeds to benefit the Arts Center. A donation of $50 allows giver to honor a “First Lady of Art.” Reserve by Feb. 28. 501-412-3768 or www.hatsoffarkansas.eventbrite.com. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “A Table of Elements,” ceramics and wood by Sandy Simon and Robert Brady, Feb. 23-April 3, Gallery II, gallery talk 2 p.m. April 4; “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. BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, 600 Museum Way: “Imagination on a Global Scale,” talk by Shea Hembrey, creator of “Seek,” the fictional biennial, 3-4:40 p.m. Feb. 24, free to members, $10 to non-members, members reception after the talk; “Abstractions on Paper: From Abstract Expressionism to Post CONTINUED ON PAGE 30


ROUND 4 Winner Terminus

ROUND 5

February 21 Bartin Memberg

The Sound of the Mountain

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FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

AFTER DARK, CONT. 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. CONWAY UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Lecture by Mario Marzan, 1:40 p.m. Feb. 21, in conjunction with “Alternating Currents: A Mixed Media Art Installation by Mario Marzan”; lecture by painter Julie Evans, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26, in conjunction with her exhibit “Swishbone: New Paintings by Julie Evans,” both in McCastlain Hall room 143; “Under the Influence: New Ceramic Work by Curt LaCross,” “Before and After: An Exploration of the Art Conservation Process,” Baum Gallery, all exhibits through Feb. 24. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed., Fri.; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thu., 1-5 p.m. Sat. 501-450-5793. NEWPORT DOWNTOWN VENUES: 5th annual “Delta Visual Arts Show,” exhibits, classes, contests 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 23; classes begin 10:30 a.m. with instructors Arlette Miller, Dana Johnson, Austin Grimes, Endia Bumgarner, Sally Papich, Sean Shrum, Grace E. Henderson, Emily Wood and Frank Plegge. Go to director@newportaredc.org or call 870-523-1009 for registration.

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

BOSWELL-MOUROT, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Piecing Together,” woodcuts by Delita Martin, through March 10. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0030. 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. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “ELEMENTAL Copper. Zinc. Clay. Wood. Bone. Stone. Oil. Watercolor,” multimedia work by Bob Crane, through March 2. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Beating Hooves,” pen and ink drawings by Mary Shelton, through March 4. 375-2342. CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880. COMMUNITY BAKERY, 1200 Main St.: “Beauty in the Natural State,” Arkansas landscape paintings by Jeannie Stone, through March 2. 3757105. 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. ELLEN GOLDEN ANTIQUES, 5701 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Paintings by Barry Thomas and Arden Boyce. 664-7746. 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. CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

WATER WARS, CONT. Continued from page 12 unanimously recommended the landuse ordinance, sending it to the Quorum Court for approval. White contends that he only recused in response to her FOIA requests, which she made public to the media at the time. Vogelpohl’s letter of recusal does not mention details of the easement deal he was pursuing for himself at the time. Emails acquired by White’s FOIA requests suggest that Vogelpohl may have continued to be involved in the negotiation of the landuse ordinance after his recusal. White said after the meeting that she believed the easement deal was a quid pro quo and that CAW was essentially buying Vogelpohl’s support. Vogelpohl did not respond to repeated requests for comment, though, he told the Times as we went to press that a statement was forthcoming. Landowners have three main complaints: 1) They argue that because nearly two thirds of Vogelpohl’s land lies in a floodplain and other portions include steep slopes, development would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, they believe Vogelpohl is being paid handsomely not to develop land that is undevelopable. 2) They believe that the easement deal gives allowances to Vogelpohl that are not in the land-use ordinance, including gravel mining, animal waste being spread on the land, and burying dead and diseased animals. (See a summary of what they believe would be additional allowances under the deal at arktimes.com/landownerscomp.) 3) They believe the easement deal would supersede the land-use ordinance, if it passed, because of a clause stating that “[t]his Code does not interfere with or abrogate or annul any easements, covenants or other agreements between parties.” They note that in December, the next sentence was cut: “However, if this chapter imposes a greater restriction, this chapter controls.” The deletion of this caveat seems to suggest an attempt to undercut the ordinance in relation to other agreements. In sum, they believe that Vogelpohl is getting a major payout for a deal that is less restrictive and offers less environmental protection than the land-use ordinance. CAW officials vehemently deny that Vogelpohl is getting a special deal. They say that Vogelpohl’s land is a top priority for watershed protection because of its location along the Maumelle River and because it is contiguous with other land acquired by CAW. They argue that the easement, like the ordinance, is a key step in protecting water quality in


WATER WARS, CONT. Lake Maumelle, a source of drinking water for more than 400,000 Central Arkansans. Watershed Protection Manager John Tynan told the board that the conservation easement was a vital environmental protection tool and noted that almost 9 million acres across the country are protected under conservation easements as of 2010. He said it was a more cost-effective tool for longterm protection than direct acquisition. He also said CAW has communicated with other landowners who are interested in conservation easements but want to wait to see how the deal with Vogelpohl plays out. CAW plans to look into conservation easement deals with landowners throughout the watershed in the future. At the board meeting, Tynan said the easement deal was “significantly more restrictive” than the land-use ordinance. For example, the easement would create a larger buffer on both sides of the river and would dramatically reduce density. The easement deal would not allow any other homes to be built, whereas the ordinance allows one to two per acre. CAW believes that critics are misrepresenting and exaggerating the differences in allowances between the conservation easement and the land-use ordinance. (See a PDF of CAW’s summary of restrictions and allowances in the two plans at arktimes.com/CAWcomp). In a phone interview after the meeting, Tynan said CAW would never pursue any agreement that would relax restrictions in the land-use ordinance. “We support the zoning code as written,” he said. “We are not interested and would never work on any sort of document or agreement that would work against the purpose and intent of the zoning code.” Tynan said no restriction in the ordinance, enforced by the county, would be superseded by the easement with CAW. He said that the county attorney had advised CAW “clearly and unequivocally ... that the zoning code will be enforced equally to all property owners within the watershed. The fact that the conservation easement may exist cannot and will not relax any requirements.” He said that the clause pointed to by critics only meant that the ordinance wouldn’t override restrictions in other agreements such as an easement. As for the curious deletion of the “greater restriction” sentence, he told the Times that that revision did not come from CAW. Both County Attorney Karla Burnett and Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines told the Times that they believed the sentence was removed during the revision process because it

was redundant. “The ordinance is law,” Burnett said. “Once it’s adopted by the Quorum Court, it’s codified as county law. The easement is just an agreement between two parties…to the extent that the ordinance is more restrictive than the easement, the ordinance controls.” Tynan also said that despite additional requirements, floodplain areas are in fact developable in Pulaski County. He added that, in any case, 120 acres of the property are not in floodplains, and the density restrictions in that area alone would be vital. In a phone interview with the Times prior to the meeting, CAW CEO Graham Rich acknowledged that CAW had known from the beginning that the deal might raise concerns about a conflict of interest. “We’ve spoken with our attorney and there’s nothing illegal about what we’re doing,” he said. “It’s just by happenstance that he is on the planning [board], but he also has a tract that borders land that we own that’s along the biggest tributary. ... Certainly someone could make an issue out of it. I know Ray personally. He would not be the kind that would use his position to gain an advantage on it.” White’s attorney, Kent Walker, isn’t buying it. “There are so many coincidences that are occurring here that I think that they might take a trip to Tunica,” he said in a phone interview after the meeting. “The chair of the planning [board], which is overseeing the zoning ordinance in its initial stages, is the only one offered [a deal]. ... If they’re going to do this, they need to promote it. I’ve met with them a dozen times; not one time has this ever been discussed or brought up.” He also argued that assurances that the easement is more restrictive are undercut by the fact that CAW will be the policing agent: “The fox is guarding the hen house.” Villines responded that critics of the deal were merely trying to derail the ordinance by changing the subject. “The easement has nothing to do with the zoning ordinance,” he said. “If you didn’t know the facts you could perceive a conflict of interest. The facts are, once it was brought to [Vogelpohl’s] attention he did not vote on the issue.” Villines said that he hadn’t spoken with Vogelpohl in more than a year and stated that Vogelpohl was not a player in the negotiations over the land-use ordinance. He does not see any problem with Vogelpohl continuing to chair the planning board, noting that originally landowners in the watershed had been pleased with his selection. “At this point they’re trying to confuse the issue,” he said. “Are we going to protect our water or not?”

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SUBURBAN TERROR: In “Dark Skies,” a bunch of scary stuff happens to a family. Starring Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton.

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Market Street Cinema times at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only. Chenal 9, Movies 10, Rave, Riverdale and McCain Mall showtimes were not available by press deadline. Find up-to-date listings at arktimes.com. NEW MOVIES Dark Skies (R) — Bunch of terrifying something or other invades the suburbs. Breckenridge: 12:35, 3:50, 7:05, 9:40. Lakewood 8: 11:50 a.m., 2:30, 5:00, 7:25, 10:05. Snitch (R) — The Rock has to go undercover in order to save his son. Breckenridge: 12:45, 4:45, 7:30, 10:00. Lakewood 8: 11:25 a.m., 2:10, 4:40, 7:10, 9:45.

DRINK LOCAL 32

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

RETURNING THIS WEEK Amour (PG-13) — A couple confronts the heartbreaking, inevitable decline of old age in this total bummer of a beautifully-made and wellreviewed film. Market Street: 1:45, 4:20, 6:45, 9:15. 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: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:15. Argo (R) — A group of Americans in revolutionary Iran make an improbable escape, based on actual events, from director Ben Affleck. Lakewood 8: 7:00, 9:50. Breckenridge: 3:45, 9:55. 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. 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). A Good Day to Die Hard (R) — “Die Hard” goes to Russia in search of a paycheck. Breckenridge: 12:30, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30. Hyde Park on Hudson (R) — In which Bill Murray is FDR. Market Street: 2:15, 4:15, 7:15, 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. Les Miserables (PG-13) — Latest version of Victor Hugo’s classic, starring Anne Hathaway, Gladiator, Wolverine and Borat. Breckenridge: 12:25, 7:50. 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, 6:45. 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, 2:15, 4:35, 7:15, 9:40. Parental Guidance (PG) — Boomer grandparents Billy Crystal and Bette Midler are outmatched by their bratty post-millennial grandkids. Lakewood 8: 11:45, 2:05, 4:30. 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: 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, 4:55, 7:30, 9:55.

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! Market Street: 1:45, 4:20, 6:45, 9:15. 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., 9:35. 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. Wreck-It Ralph (PG) — Animated movie about a video game character. Lakewood 8: 2:20, 4:45, 7:10. 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: 4:30. Lakewood 8: 11:40 a.m., 3:00, 7:35. 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

‘A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD’: Bruce Willis stars.

Bang! Pow! ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ little more than explosions. BY SAM EIFLING

T

he gist of “A Good Day to Die Hard” can best be summarized onomatopoeia fashion. “Eeee-chhhPOOOO,” cars colliding at top speeds. “Thuh-FOOM,” something exploding in just about every scene. “Blaat-blaat-blaat-blaat-blaat-blaat,” a helicopter’s side guns. “KchtTCHHHHE,” windows shattering. It may not be much of a movie, all told — the plot is so patchy you can hear the wind whistle through it, and the dialogue is so heavyhanded it can’t touch its own nose — but my, does this movie love to break a vehicle. It will become a swift favorite for anyone who hates cars and loves to see them crushed, shot, blown up, ejected from overpasses and pulverized. There must be a name for such a disorder, borrowing mostly Greek suffixes and prefixes. Whatever it might be, those heretofore marginalized individuals now have their “Citizen Kane.” If this fourth “Die Hard” sequel were any higher on its own smashy fumes, it would be an actual monster truck. As it stands, it is merely a 97-minute impersonation of same. Now, so long as the disclaimer is out of the way, and everyone is clear that this is, on balance, the weakest of the “Die Hard” films, there is some genuine fun to be had. Director John Moore (five feature film credits, none rated better than 50 percent on Metacritic) sure knows his way around a detonation. Bruce Willis as John McClane is still Bruce Willis as John McClane. This time he’s going to Moscow to try and help his son, the strapping Jai Courtney, who has been picked up for murder and roped into a trial against a Russian politician with a dark past. We learn in quick order that the younger McClane

is a CIA operative charged with protecting a grizzled Russian (Sebastian Koch) with serious dirt on the politician; somewhere this guy has a file that defines the very notion of a MacGuffin but which, when explained, does seem to justify the CIA’s involvement. Loose nukes! Just imagine of all the “Die Hard” sequels that could result if they hit the black market. Anyway, the older McClane shows up to help the younger McClane and all hell breaks loose. They don’t get along very well and apparently haven’t been on speaking terms much, which makes sense, given that when they do speak almost nothing of any value or originality is exchanged. Dad didn’t have time for Junior, we get it. Now they have to shoot their way out of the grudge, fine. The disappointment is in branding this big-budget schlockapalooza a “Die Hard” movie. Used to be that these movies carried a bit more imagination, a panache that separated McClane from the other shoot-’em-up lunkheads of the ’80s and ’90s. But there’s almost none of that here. Notwithstanding a couple of clever nods to the original “Die Hard” (a twist on the glass-shooting scene, a rooftop shot that will look familiar) this could’ve been cast with almost anyone and titled almost anything. The European espionage suggests “Bourne,” while the brassy score winks at “Bond.” Then the wanton big-bore machine-gunning and resigned show of overwhelming force announces that, far from the legacies of those franchises or its own, “A Good Day to Die Hard” yokes its entire storyline to stunts and special effects. From that echoes a thrilling “thud,” but it’s a “thud” all the same.

AFTER DARK, CONT. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Mindy Lacefield, Jeff Waddle, Emily Wood, recent works, through March 9. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Sat. 664-8996. 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. GORRELL GALLERY OF FINE ART, 201 W. 4th St.: Work by established and emerging artists, including Doug Gorrell. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat. 607-2225. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “18th Anniversary Exhibition,” through March 9. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 664-2787. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “This &*!?@$# Struggle: History Unfolds,” shoepolish and ink work by Frank Frazier, through April 8, reception 5-8 p.m. March 8, artist talk 11 a.m. March 9. 372-6822. 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. L&L BECK GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Ducks in Arkansas,” through FEB.. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 660-4006. M2GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell: “Holiday Show,” work by Dan Holland, Suzanne Koett, Charles Henry James, Dan Thornhill and Jason Gammel. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 225-6257. PAINT BOX GALLERY AND FRAME SHOP, 705 Main St., NLR: Paintings by Karlyn Holloway. 374-2848. SEQUOYAH NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER, UALR University Plaza Suite 500: “Contemporary Art of the Osages,” J.W. Wiggins Gallery, through March 29. THEA CENTER, 401 Main, NLR: “Visual Arts Winners Show,” through March 24. 9 a.m.noon, 1-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-5 p.m. Sat. 3799512. BENTON DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Chad Oppenhuizen, Dan McRaven, Gretchen Hendricks, Rachel Carroccio, Kenny Roberts, Taylor Bellott, Jim Cooper and Sue Moore. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. CONWAY AETN, 350 S. Donaghey: “Arkansas Champion Trees: An Artist’s Journey,” drawings by Linda Palmer, through March 15, reception and gallery talk 1-4 p.m. Feb. 23. 682-2386. FAYETTEVILLE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, Fine Arts Center Gallery: “Employing Voice, Embracing Agency: Contemporary African American Artists,” works from the collection of Darrell Walker by Radcliffe Bailey, Chakaia Booker, Michael Ray Charles, Willie Cole, Wardell Milan, Demetrius Oliver, Xaviera Simmons, Hank Willis Thomas, Mickalene Thomas and Kara Walker, through Feb. 28; “Amos Kennedy Prints!” letterpress broadsides, exhibition cases, through Feb. 28. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.Fri., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 479-575-7987. WALTON ARTS CENTER, 495 W. Dickson St.: “Tectonics,” sculpture by Scott Carroll, through April 14. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat. 479-443-5600. FORT SMITH FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM: “The Secrets of the Mona Lisa”; “Mona Lisa’s Daughters: Portraits of Women from the Arkansas Arts Center Collection,” works by

31 artists, including Milton Avery, Will Barnett, Chuck Close, Naomi Fisher, Norman Rockwell, Byron Browne and Alex Katz; “Mona Lisa Smiles,” more than 100 drawings by area students, all through March 17. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787. HOT SPRINGS BLUE MOON ART GALLERY, 718 Central Ave.: “Steel Creations,” sculpture by Wayne Summerhill, through March. 501-318-2787. GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Tracee Gentry, new paintings. 501-318-4278. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 Central A: Paintings by Donnie Copeland, Robyn Horn, Dolores Justus, Emily Wood and Rebecca Thompson, textiles by Jennifer Libby Fay. 501-321-2335. TAYLOR’S CONTEMPORANEA SALON, 204 Exchange St.: New work by Warren Criswell, Darrell Loy Scott and others. 501-624-0516. PINE BLUFF ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER, 701 Main St.: “Women to Watch,” Arkansas chapter of National Museum of Women in the Arts’ exhibition of textiles by Louise M. Halsey, Barbara Cade, Jennifer Libby Fay, Jane Hartfield and Deborah Kuster, through April 13. 870-5363375.

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. 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. 3764602. 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. OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham: “Battle Colors of Arkansas,” 18 Civil War flags; “Things You Need to Hear: Memories of Growing up in Arkansas from 1890 to 1980,” oral histories about community, family, work, school and leisure. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685.

www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

33


Dining WHAT’S COOKIN’ UTOPIA RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE, a new American-style eatery, has opened at 521 Center St. The restaurant features a full bar, with a lounge area upstairs that will host musical acts and other events. Happy hour is from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. The menu features American faves, including salads, burgers, wings, baked tilapia, salmon, fried chicken, fish, and sandwiches, with more substantial entrees at dinner. Breakfast, which is planned to begin Feb. 25 (hours still to be determined), will include egg dishes, chicken and waffles and omelets. In addition, Utopia is planning “Soul Food Sundays” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The phone number for Utopia is 907-6688.

AMERICAN

ACADIA Unbelievable fixed-price, threecourse dinners on Mondays and Tuesday, but food is certainly worth full price. 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-603-9630. D Mon.-Sat. BIG ORANGE: BURGERS SALADS SHAKES Gourmet burgers manufactured according to exacting specs and properly fried Kennebec potatoes are the big draws. 17809 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1515. LD daily. BLACK ANGUS CAFE Charcoal-grilled burgers, hamburger steaks and steaks proper are the big draws. 10907 N. Rodney Parham. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-228-7800. LD Mon.-Sat. BOBBY’S CAFE Delicious burgers and tasty homemade deserts. 12230 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-851-7888. BL Tue.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri. BOSCOS RESTAURANT & BREWERY CO. Along with the tried and true, like sandwiches, burgers and steaks, they have black bean and goat cheese tamales, open hearth pizza ovens and muffalettas. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-907-1881. LD daily. BOSTON’S Ribs, gourmet pizza star at this restaurant/sports bar. 3201 Bankhead Dr. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-235-2000. LD daily. BOUDREAUX’S GRILL & BAR A homeyCajun joint with all sorts of shrimp and catfish. 9811 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-753-6860. L Sat., D Mon.-Sat. BOULEVARD BREAD CO. Fresh bread, fresh pastries, wide selection of cheeses, meats, side dishes; all superb. 1920 N. Grant St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-6635951. BLD Mon.-Sat. 400 President Clinton Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-3741232. BL Mon.-Sat. 4301 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-526-6661. BL Mon.-Fri. 1417 Main St. Beer, Wine, All 34

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

MICHAEL ROBERTS

DINING CAPSULES

UNIQUE EATS: Scallions’ country club sandwich.

Tasty throwback Scallions does salads and sandwiches well.

W

hat is American cuisine? For most, American food is barbecue and hamburgers, hot dogs and fried chicken, and we can’t help but agree. But there’s another side to American food that we associate with the luncheons and social events of the mid-20th century, dishes like chicken salad with grapes on a lettuce leaf or finger sandwiches of albacore tuna with celery and pecans, all served with salad (fruit or green) or a small cup of soup. It’s the sort of lunch our grandmothers might have made for Bible study when LBJ was president; the sort of thing seen in old cookbooks that devoted entire chapters to sweet and savory gelatin dishes. It’s also the exact kind of throwback menu served at Scallions, which does this nostalgic food so well that eating lunch at the Heights cafe is like taking a comfortable trip through time. As a prime example of the oldschool nature of the Scallions menu, we offer up the Quiche Lorraine ($7.95),

Scallions

5110 Kavanaugh Blvd. 666-6468 scallions.org

QUICK BITE Unable to make it to Scallions’ lunchonly hours? Check out its website for pick-up and catering menus. HOURS 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. OTHER INFO All credit cards accepted. Beer and wine served.

a dish we always associate with Julia Child and old episodes of “The French Chef.” Scallions’ Lorraine has a lot more cheese in it than other quiches we’ve had, turning the egg-based dish from something we’ve always experienced as a rather dry custard into silken bites of creamy, smooth pie filled with gooey Swiss cheese and bacon in

a tender, flaky crust. On a recent visit, we paired the excellent quiche with a cup of crab bisque, which had some unfortunate separation issues with the cream and broth base but still pleased the palate with its rich crab flavor and ample bits of lump crab meat. To add a dose of freshness to our meal, we continued with the Sonora salad ($7.95), a mass of finely chopped green leaf lettuce, red cabbage, and shredded carrots topped with grilled chicken, pecans, blue cheese, and dried cranberries. In a town where most restaurants consider a pile of wilted iceberg to be a salad, this wonderful (and large) combination of sweet, savory and fresh impressed us. In addition, the salad greens and toppings were chopped to perfect fork size, insuring that each bite was representative of the salad as a whole — this may sound picky, but we’ve had all too many salads where the huge bits of lettuce caused embarrassment as we tried to politely get a fork-full into our mouths. From the sandwich side of the menu, we went with the Country Club ($7.95), a fun play on the classic open-faced Croque Monsieur that traded the classic bechamel sauce for something closer to good old Arkansas cheese dip, topped with diced tomatoes and olives. Underneath the cheese, a pile of delicious bacon and ham added some serious flavor, while the ribbon-rye base held everything up quite well. It’s a unique sandwich, one that we liked more and more with every bite. Our day to visit Scallions was wet and chilly, so we did not get to take advantage of the below-street-level patio, with its shaded tables and quiet atmosphere. We hope to make it back during better weather to do so. There’s nothing at all fancy about the place, which we found completely charming. Each person working spoke to our table at least once, coming by for a refill of a tea glass or just to ask how everything tasted. The cafe serves up the sort of middle class, middle America cuisine that is often shunned in this age of fusion cuisine and sleek hipster lounges, but for our money, it’s the sort of food that never goes out of style: It’s tasty, it’s filling, and when done with the sort of care that is apparent at Scallions, it’s an inexpensive way to experience a different side of American cuisine.


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.

CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5100. BL Mon.-Sat. BREWSTERS 2 CAFE & LOUNGE Downhome done right. Yams, mac-and-cheese, greens, purple-hull peas, cornbread, wings and catfish. 2725 S. Arch St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-301-7728. LD Mon.-Sat. BUTCHER SHOP Several menu additions complement the calling card: large, fabulous cuts of prime beef, cooked to perfection. 10825 Hermitage Road. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-312-2748. D daily. CAJUN’S WHARF The venerable seafood restaurant serves up great gumbo and oysters Bienville, and options such as fine steaks for the non-seafood eater. 2400 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5351. D Mon.-Sat. CAPERS It’s never been better, with a menu that covers a lot of ground — seafood, steaks, pasta — and does it all well. 14502 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-868-7600. LD Mon.-Sat. COMMUNITY BAKERY This sunny downtown bakery is the place to linger over a latte, bagels and the New York Times. But a lunchtime dash for sandwiches is OK, too. 1200 S. Main St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-375-7105. BLD daily. 270 S. Shackleford. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-1656. BLD Mon.-Sat. BL Sun. COPELAND’S A New Orleans vibe in piped music and decor. You can eat red beans and rice for a price in the single digits or pay near $40 for a choice slab of ribeye, with crab, shrimp and fish in between. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-312-1616. LD daily. COPPER GRILL Comfort food, burgers and more sophisticated fare. 300 E. Third St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3333. LD Mon.-Sat. DAVE’S PLACE A popular downtown soupand-sandwich stop at lunch draws a large and diverse crowd for the Friday night dinner, which varies in theme. 201 Center St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-3283. L Mon.-Fri., D Fri. DAVID FAMILY KITCHEN Neckbones, ribs, sturdy cornbread, salmon croquettes, mustard greens and the like. 2301 Broadway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-371-0141. BL Mon.-Fri., L Sun. DELICIOUS TEMPTATIONS Decadent breakfast and light lunch items that can be ordered in full or half orders to please any appetite or palate, with a great variety of salads and soups as well. 11220 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-225-6893. BL daily. DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO Interesting bistro fare, served in massive portions. 200 River Market Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3500. LD Tue.-Sat. THE FADED ROSE The Cajun-inspired menu seldom disappoints. Steaks and soaked salads are legendary. 1619 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9734. LD daily. FLYING SAUCER A popular River Market hangout thanks to its almost 200 beers and more than decent bar food. 323 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-8032. LD daily. FRANKE’S CAFETERIA Plate lunch spot strong on salads and vegetables, and perfect fried chicken on Sundays. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-2254487. LD Mon.-Fri. 400 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-372-1919. L Mon.-Fri. FRONTIER DINER The traditional all-American

BELLY UP

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

roadside diner, complete with a nice selection of man-friendly breakfasts and lunch specials. 10424 Interstate 30. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-6414. BL Mon.-Sat. FROSTOP A ’50s-style drive-in has been resurrected, with big and juicy burgers and great irregularly cut fries. 4131 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-4535. BLD daily. GADWALL’S GRILL & PIZZA Mouth-watering burgers and specialty sandwiches, plus zesty pizzas with cracker-thin crust and plenty of toppings. 12 North Hills Shopping Center. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-834-1840. LD daily. GIGI’S CUPCAKES This Nashville-based chain’s entries into the artisan-cupcake sweet-

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

stakes are as luxurious in presentation as they are in sugar quantity. 416 S. University Ave., Suite 120. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-614-7012. BLD daily. HONEYBAKED HAM CO. The trademark ham is available by the sandwich, as is great smoked turkey and lots of inexpensive side items and desserts. 9112 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. 501-227-5555. LD Mon.-Sun. IZZY’S Wholesome, all-American food prepared with care, if rarely far from the middle of the culinary road. With full vegan and gluten-free menus. 5601 Ranch Drive. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-868-4311. LD Mon.-Sat.

YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY

arktimes.com / 501.375.2985

J & S CAFETERIA Home-cooking, with daily specials. Also offers burgers from the grill or a salad bar. 601 S Gaines St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-378-2206. L Mon.-Fri. MARKHAM STREET GRILL AND PUB The menu has something for everyone. Try the burgers, which are juicy, big and fine. 11321 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-2242010. LD daily, BR Sun. MCBRIDE’S CAFE AND BAKERY Delicious breakfast and lunch specials based on family recipes. The desserts and barbecue sandwiches are not to be missed. 9501 Lile Drive. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-340-3833. BL Mon.-Fri. MOOYAH BURGERS Kid-friendly, fast-casual restaurant with beef, veggie and turkey burgers and shakes. 14810 Cantrell Road, Suite 190. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-8681091. OLD MILL BREAD AND FLOUR CO. CAFE Simple and good with sandwiches built with a changing lineup of the bakery’s 40 breads, along with soups, salads and cookies. 12111 W. Markham St. #366. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-228-4677. BL Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. RED DOOR Fresh seafood, steaks, chops and sandwiches. Smart wine list. 3701 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-8482. BL Tue.-Fri. D daily. BR Sat. RENO’S ARGENTA CAFE Sandwiches, gyros and gourmet pizzas. 312 N. Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-376-2900. RIVERFRONT STEAKHOUSE Steaks are the draw here, cooked quickly and accurately to your specifications. 2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-7825. D Mon.-Sat. ROBERT’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL This establishment specializes in fried chicken dinners. 7212 Geyer Springs Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-568-2566. D Mon.-Sat. ROCKET TWENTY ONE Great seafood, among other things, is served at the Ice House Revival in Hillcrest. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-603-9208. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. ROUTE 66 DINER Kid-friendly ‘50s diner with a menu of classics, including chicken and waffles. 7710 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-223-3366. BLD Mon.-Sat. RUDY’S OYSTER BAR Good boiled shrimp and oysters on the half shell. Quesadillas and chili cheese dip are tasty and ultra-hearty. 2695 Pike Ave. NLR. Full bar, All CC. 501-771-0808. LD Mon.-Sat. SHARKS FISH & CHICKEN Specializes in seafood, frog legs and catfish. 8824 Geyer Springs Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-0300. LD daily. SO RESTAURANT BAR Call it a French brasserie with a sleek, but not fussy American finish. 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1464. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. STICKYZ ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CHICKEN SHACK Fingers any way you can imagine, plus sandwiches and burgers. 107 Commerce St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-7707. LD Mon-Sun. TOWN PUMP A dependable burger, good wings, great fries, plate lunches. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-9802. L Mon.-Sat. D daily. CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

SOURCE: THE MEDIA AUDIT, JAN. 2012 www.arktimes.com

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

35


CROSSWORD

DINING CAPSULES, CONT.

EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

ACROS S Knock on wood, say 7 Arizona product 14 “Gotcha” 16 “Hoo-oo- ey!” 17 “No clue” 18 One who made the crew cut? 19 Locational nickname with origins in horse racing 20 Amount to be divvied up 21 Operation time 23 Christian of film 24 Antarctic body named for an Englishman 28 Ring 31 Raid target 32 Noted series of paintings by Andrew Wyeth 36 Face seen on many T- shirts 38 500, e.g. 1

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roast suffix

2 Enzyme 3 One

encouraged to drink on the job 42 4 Midsize moon of Saturn 5 “As I Lay Dying” father 6 Dead center? 44 7 “Come hungry. 47 Leave happy” 48 sloganeer 8 Kentucky 49 export 9 Being, in 55 Bordeaux 10 License to drill? 57 11 Battle of Fort 60 Brooke locale, 61 1863 12 Text alternative 13 “Bonne ___!” 62 15 Chinese dynasty during the Three Kingdoms 63 period 21 Bummers DOWN 22 Food with an inedible ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE center? W H I T E M I A D E B A R 23 Censor, in a way H I M O M E R R I N A N E E H U D B A R A K S I E T E 25 Inconclusive N O S A B L E I N G R I D 26 Like some extreme B R N O I T E M coincidences I D L I K E T O B U Y A N E P O U T E R N A P A L T 27 Composer Menken and O N R E D T O R W A U G H others D O C A R F M O R R I E 28 Loop of lace W H __ __ L O F F O R T U N __ 29 Bitcoins, e.g. S V E N I N K Y V E R T E X O N E D A D O 30 Stuck, after “up” C L E A R B O D Y A R M O R R O A R S I Z E Y E A R S 33 Top-of-the-hour broadcast, S I R E E S Y R S A J A K maybe 41

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Puzzle by MILO BECKMAN

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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

TRIO’S Fresh, creative and satisfying lunches; even better at night, when the chefs take flight. 8201 Cantrell Road Suite 100. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3330. LD Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. VIEUX CARRE Specialty salads, steak and seafood. The soup of the day is a good bet. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1196. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat., BR Sun. WILLY D’S DUELING PIANO BAR Willy D’s serves up a decent dinner of pastas and salads as a lead-in to its nightly sing-along piano show. 322 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-244-9550. D Tue.-Sat. W.T. BUBBA’S COUNTRY TAVERN Sloppy Joe’s, a fried bologna sandwich, a nacho bar and burgers and such. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-244-2528. LD Mon.-Sun. YANCEY’S CAFETERIA Soul food served with a Southern attitude. 1523 Martin Luther King Ave. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-372-9292. LD Tue.-Sat. YOUR MAMA’S GOOD FOOD Offering simple and satisfying cafeteria food, with burgers and more hot off the grill, plate lunches and pies. 215 Center St. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-372-1811. BL Mon.-Fri. ZACK’S PLACE Expertly prepared home cooking and huge, smoky burgers. 1400 S. University Ave. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-664-6444. LD Mon.-Sat. ZIN URBAN WINE & BEER BAR A relaxed place to enjoy fine wines and beers while noshing on superb meats, cheeses and amazing goat cheese-stuffed figs. 300 River Market Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-246-4876. D daily.

ASIAN

A. W. LIN’S ASIAN CUISINE Chinese dishes, several Thai dishes and a variety of sushi rolls. 17000 Chenal Pkwy. 501-821-5398. LD daily. CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE Offers a broad menu that spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings. 5110 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-604-7777. LD Mon.-Sat. CRAZY HIBACHI GRILL Tapanaki cooking, sushi bar and sit-down dining with a Mongolian grill. 2907 Lakewood Village. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-812-9888. LD daily. FANTASTIC CHINA The food is delicious, the presentation beautiful, the menu distinctive, the service perfect, the decor bright. 1900 N. Grant St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-663-8999. LD daily. LILLY’S DIMSUM THEN SOME Innovative dishes inspired by Asian cuisine, utilizing local and fresh ingredients. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-716-2700. LD Tue.-Sun. MT. FUJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT The dean of Little Rock sushi bars offers a fabulous lunch special and great Monday night deals. 10301 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-227-6498. LD daily. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-227-6498. OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT Fine-dining Japanese dishes and a well-stocked sushi bar in way-out-west Little Rock. 5501 Ranch Dr. $$-$$$. 501-868-3688. LD Sun.-Thu., D Fri.-Sat. RJ TAO RESTAURANT & ULTRA LOUNGE Upscale Asian and exotic fare — like Kangaroo burgers and African prawns. 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-603-0080. D Mon.-Sat. SAIGON CUISINE Traditional Vietnamese with Thai and Chinese selections. Be sure to try the authentic pho soups and spring rolls. 14524 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-868-7770. LD daily. SKY MODERN JAPANESE Excellent, ambitious menu filled with sushi and other Japanese fare. 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 917. Full bar, All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-224-4300. LD daily. SUSHI CAFE Impressive, upscale sushi menu with other delectable house specialties like tuna tataki, fried soft shell crab and Kobe beef. 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9888. L Mon.-Sat. D daily.

BARBECUE

CHATZ CAFE ‘Cue and catfish joint. Try the slow-smoked, meaty ribs. 8801 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-562-4949. LD Mon.-Sat. CORKY’S RIBS & BBQ The pulled pork is extremely tender and juicy, and the sauce is sweet and tangy. Maybe the best dry ribs in the area. 12005 Westhaven Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-954-7427. LD daily. 2947 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-3737. LD daily, B Sat.-Sun. PIT STOP BAR AND GRILL A working-man’s bar and grill, with barbecue, burgers, breakfast and bologna sandwiches. 5506 Baseline Road. Full bar, No CC. $$. 501-562-9635. BLD daily. WHITE PIG INN Go for the sliced rather than chopped meats. Side orders are superb, as are the fried pies. 5231 E. Broadway. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-5551. LD Mon.-Fri., L Sat. WHOLE HOG CAFE The pulled pork shoulder is a classic, the back ribs are worthy of their many blue ribbons, and there’s a six-pack of sauces for all tastes. 516 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-664-5025. LD Mon.-Sat. 12111 W. Markham. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-907-6124. LD daily 150 E. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-513-0600. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. 5107 Warden Road. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-753-9227. CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

36

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES


C.J. Ellis, interior designer, Lewis Lighting

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

Bring in spring Tips and tricks from the experts

BY JANIE GINOCCHIO

Kristin Owen and Ellen Seaton, Cynthia East Fabrics Bright, bold colors are popular, from abstract tie dye designs to traditional floral patterns in unexpected hues. Small projects are a great way to give an instant lift to a room without a lot of cost and commitment: recover throw pillows, chair seats, bedding, drapery – even shower curtains. Metallic fabrics are popular, especially with kids. Use sparkle vinyl to add a dash of easy-care bling to upholstered headboards or vanity stool seats. Using natural linen as the fabric for your larger furniture (sofas, chairs) gives you a neutral backdrop that you can easily change with accent pieces to match the season.

Lance Boykin, Crazy Dave’s Carpet Outlet Has your flooring seen one to many spring cleanings? Now’s the time to look into new carpets, rugs, laminate, hardwoods, vinyl or tile, which can change the whole vibe of a room, especially if you’re going from dark to light colors. Crazy Dave’s experienced staff, with more than 45 years of combined experience, can help you make the right selection, and their “retail store with wholesale prices” will ensure you’re getting the best deal.

1. Introduce some brighter colors — spring colors are lighter shades of bold hues. 2. Bring in the light — open blinds, curtains, and shutters for maximum light for the upcoming sunny days. 3. Introduce some graphic patterns — bright, bold patterns have an energetic quality perfect for spring. 4. Fresh flowers — nothing says spring like flowers. 5. All of the above — add fresh throw pillows and area rugs with bright colors and bold patterns for a quick spring makeover like these featured from Dash and Albert.

Josh Hawkins, Dreamweavers Bringing in spring can also mean being more eco-friendly in your purchases, and one of the most unique pieces we’ve seen are Executive Rectangle rugs, which are made from upcycled neckties. There are approximately 1,000 tie pieces in one 6-by-9 foot rug, and people are using them for wall hanging or on the floor.

Jennifer Gibson, The Good Earth Garden Center Ready your outdoor areas with a good clean-up and wash down furniture. Then apply Hi Yield Weed and Grass Stopper or Bonide Phase 1 on both landscape beds and lawns to prevent weeds from sprouting. A great new sustainable outdoor furniture option is eucalyptus. You get the quality of teak but it is less expensive. Teak sculptures are great accents to add to an outdoor space, and make a great conversation piece. Mixed combination pots are a simple way to add color into your outdoor space. Right now, you can plant a blooming camellia, surround it with autumn ferns and primrose, and accent the arrangement with moss.

hearsay ➥ Watch the Academy Awards in style this year by attending THE OSCAR EXPERIENCE: LITTLE ROCK, a fund-raiser for the Wolfe Street Foundation. The Feb. 24 event, which begins with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m., will include red carpet interviews, silent and live auctions, dinner and a broadcast of the Oscars, all at the Embassy Suites Little Rock. Tickets are $150 per person; for more information, visit www.wolfestreet. org or call 501-372-5662. ➥ PAUL MORRELL, Little Rock’s go-to shop for men’s formalwear, is hosting its 30th annual tuxedo sale with some of the best prices ever. The sale begins Feb. 23 and runs through Feb. 27, and customers are encouraged to shop early for the best selection. Deals include new three-button notch tuxedo coats for $45 and coordinating formal trousers for $30. Shoppers can learn more about the sale and see complete details on Paul Morrell’s Facebook page.

➥ Get some gardening ideas for spring at the ARKANSAS FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW, scheduled for Feb. 22-24 at Statehouse Convention Center. Speakers include P. Allen Smith and Chris Olsen, and admission is $8. The show starts at 10 a.m. Feb. 22 and ends at 4 p.m. Feb. 24. ➥ Our House opened its third MY FAVORITE THRIFT STORE location recently at 605 W. Main St. in Jacksonville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and they are still accepting donations for furniture, clothing and housewares. For more information on how to donate, call Kevin Carson at (501) 772-5139. ➥ Did forever turn into never again? Then sell your jewelry at the BAILEY BANKS AND BIDDLE diamond buyback event, scheduled for Feb. 28 to March 2. They’ll buy diamonds of any size and pay 50 percent more for old gold and silver jewelry, as well.

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37


DINING CAPSULES, CONT.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

ALADDIN KABAB Persian and Mexican cuisines sound like an odd pairing, but they work fairly well together here. 9112 N Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. 501-219-8787. LD daily. CAFE BOSSA NOVA A South American approach to sandwiches, salads and desserts, all quite good, as well as an array of refreshing South American teas and coffees. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-614-6682. LD Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. DUGAN’S PUB Serves up Irish fare like fish and chips and corned beef and cabbage alongside classic bar food. 401 E. 3rd St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-0542. LD daily. GEORGIA’S GYROS Good gyros, Greek salads and fragrant grilled pita bread highlight a large Mediterranean food selection. 2933 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-5090. LD Mon.-Sat. HIBERNIA IRISH TAVERN Irish and Southern food favorites and a crowd that likes to sing. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-246-4340. D Mon.-Fri., BR, L, D Sat.-Sun. LAYLA’S GYROS AND PIZZERIA Delicious Mediterranean fare that has a devoted following. 9501 N Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-7272. LD daily (closes 5 p.m. on Sun.). TAJ MAHAL Upscale versions of traditional Indian dishes and an extensive menu. 1520 Market Street. Beer, All CC. $$$. 501-8814796. LD daily. TAZIKI’S GREEK FARE Fast casual chain that offers gyros, grilled meats and veggies, hummus and pimento cheese. 8200 Cantrell

Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-227-8291. LD daily. THE TERRACE MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN A broad selection of Mediterranean delights. 2200 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-217-9393. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. YA YA’S EURO BISTRO A date-night affair, translating comfort food into beautiful cuisine. Best bet is lunch, where you can explore the menu through soup, salad or half a sandwich. 17711 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1144. LD daily, BR Sun.

ITALIAN

BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA This upscale Italian chain offers delicious and sometimes inventive dishes. 17815 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-821-2485. LD daily. BR Sun. BRUNO’S ITALIAN BISTRO Traditional Italian antipastos, appetizers, entrees and desserts. Extensive menu. 315 N. Bowman Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-225-5000. L,D Mon.-Sat. GRAFFITI’S The casually chic and ever-popular Italian-flavored bistro avoids the rut with daily specials and careful menu tinkering. 7811 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2249079. D Mon.-Sat. JIM’S RAZORBACK PIZZA Great pizza served up in a family-friendly, sports-themed environment. 16101 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-868-3250. LD daily. OLD CHICAGO PASTA & PIZZA This national chain offers lots of pizzas, pastas and beer. 4305 Warden Road. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-812-6262. LD daily. 1010 Main St. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-329-6262. LD daily. PIZZA CAFE Thin, crunchy pizza with just a dab of tomato sauce but plenty of chunks of stuff, topped with gooey cheese. 1517 Rebsamen

Park Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-6646133. LD daily. PIZZA D’ACTION Some of the best pizza in town, a marriage of thin, crispy crust with a hefty ingredient load. 2919 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-5403. LD daily. THE PIZZA JOINT Cracker-thin crusts with a tempting variety of traditional or nontraditional toppings. 6100 Stones Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-9108. D daily. RISTORANTE CAPEO Authentic cooking from the boot of Italy. Familiar pasta dishes will comfort most diners. 425 Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-3463. D Mon.-Sat. ROCKY’S PUB Rocking sandwiches and a fine selection of homemade Italian entrees, including as fine a lasagna as there is. 6909 JFK Blvd. NLR. Beer, Wine. $$. 501-833-1077. LD Mon.-Sat. SHOTGUN DAN’S PIZZA Hearty pizza and sandwiches with a decent salad bar. 4020 E. Broadway, NLR, 945-0606; 4203 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, 835-0606, and 10923 W. Markham St. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-224-9519. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. U.S. PIZZA AND SALAD EXPRESS A downtown offshoot off the original with a distilled menu that includes pizza, salad and sandwiches. 402 S. Louisiana St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-5561. L Mon.-Fri. VINO’S Fantastic pizzeria with huge calzones and always improving home-brewed beers. 923 W. 7th St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-3758466. LD daily. ZAZA Wood-fired pizza with gorgeous blistered crusts and a light topping of choice and tempting ingredients. 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-661-9292. LD daily. 1050 Ellis Ave. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-336-9292. LD daily.

♥ ♥

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bob Lancaster, one of the Arkansas Times’ longest contributors has retired. We’ll miss his column mightily. Look out, in the weeks to come, for a look back at some of his greatest hits.

LATINO

BUMPY’S TEXMEX GRILL & CANTINA The menu includes Tex-Mex staples but also baby back ribs, fried fish and a grilled chicken salad. 400 N. Bowman Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-379-8327. LD daily. CANTINA LAREDO This is gourmet Mexican food, a step up from what you’d expect from a real cantina, from the modern minimal decor to the well-prepared entrees. 207 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-280-0407. LD daily, BR Sun. JUANITA’S Menu includes a variety of combination entree choices plus creative salads and other dishes. 614 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-372-1228. LD Mon.-Sat. ROSALINDA RESTAURANT HONDURENO A Honduran cafe that specializes in pollo con frito tajada. 3700 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-771-5559. LD daily. TACO MEXICO Some of the best and some of the cheapest tacos in Little Rock. 7101 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-4167002. LD Wed.-Sun. TACOS GUANAJUATO Pork, beef, adobado, chicharron and cabeza tacos and tortas at this mobile truck. 6920 Geyer Springs Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. LD Wed.-Mon.

FLIPSI ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ARKANSAS TIMES♥CLASSIFIEDS ♥ ♥

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