Arkansas Times

ARKANSAS’S SOURCE FOR NEWS, POLITICS AND ENTERTAINMENT ■ JUNE 22, 2011

www.arktimes.com

THE END CHOICE OF

It’s harder than ever to get an abortion in Arkansas; the pro-life movement wants to make it impossible.

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK / PAGE 10

ROAD TRIP!

$

99

N O S R E P R PE

Price Includes

s 2OUND 4RIP 4OUR "US 4RANSPORTATION TO THE #ONCERT s 'ENERAL !DMISSION 4ICKETS TO THE #ONCERT s $INNER BEFORE THE SHOW s ,IVE -USIC %NROUTE s +EG ON "OARD

Charge by phone (all major credit cards) 501-375-2985. Or mail check or money-order to Arkansas Times Music Bus, Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203.

Reserve Your Seat Today!

The Arkansas Times Music Bus leaves Little Rock from 2nd & Main (in front of the parking deck) at 3 p.m.

Thursday Aug. 4th and will return that night after the concert. We will have dinner in the Jonesboro Arts & Entertainment District, and then head for the concert at 7:30 p.m.

TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY LITTLE ROCK TOURS

THE INSIDER Obit policy flap

n The Center for Artistic Revolution, a gay rights organization, has mobilized a protest over an obituary policy in the Batesville Guard that omitted a gay man from the list of his partner’s survivors.

The newspaper’s policy is that free obits will not include “common-law spouses, in-laws or significant others whether straight or gay,” owner-manager Pat Jones said Tuesday. She said the editor, Angelia Roberts, had a significant other and he, too, would be left out.

However, paid obits are different; survivors may write them as they wish, as long as they are of a reasonable length. A paid obit is $85 in the Guard.

Oscar Jones, Pat Jones’ son, said the policy was more about length than morals, but he said the paper probably needed to review it. Jones, a lawyer, said he was a strong advocate for gay rights, and was co-counsel for plaintiffs in the successful lawsuit that overturned Act 1, the law that would have prohibited gay couples from fostering or adopting children.

Lonely Dog at Home?

Let him play while you work!

now opEn SunDAy! All DAy HAppy Hour EvEry SAturDAy!

Doggy Day Care, BoarDing, grooming & Training www.downtowndogz.com

SINCE 1933

THE RESTAURANT STORE

WeddingZAK! Season Designs Is Here!

mood spoons Plenty Of Gift ideas and

DOWNTOWN DOGZ 501.375.DOGS

KREBS BROTHERS

Gift Cards available

2811 Kavanaugh Blvd • Hillcrest (501) 664-2068

4310 Landers Road • North Little Rock, AR 72117

(501) 687-1331

www.krebsbrothers.com • M-F 8-5 Sat. 9-5

First things (Huck) first

n News article noted in Mountain Home’s Baxter Bulletin: “A charitable VIP dinner is slated July 19 featuring former Arkansas governor and presidential contender Mike Huckabee. The $500 per plate dinner at Big Creek Golf and Country Club is to be part of Huckabee’s appearance at a financial and nutritional conference at East Side Baptist Church. The VIP dinner, in part, is to help fund the cost of Huckabee’s appearance. He is to be available for socializing at the event. According to Andy Farmer, proceeds above what is needed for Huckabee’s expenses will be donated to relief efforts at Joplin, Mo.”

Tea Party defined

n New polling from the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics at the University of Arkansas and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute sampled opinion from 3,400 people to get inside the minds of members of the Tea Party movement.

The results: They are white (91.4 percent); Christian (85 percent with a disproportionate percentage Bible literalists); middle class; male, and well-educated. Despite a better employment rate, they hold a negative economic outlook and a more negative view toward health care reform than the average Republican. Views on race distinguish the Tea Partyers. Almost 63 percent of them thought the country has “gone too far in pushing equal rights.” Only 39 percent of other whites agreed with this sentiment. Disapproval of Obama among Tea Party whites was 69 percent, while it was only 19 percent among non-Tea Party whites. About 39 percent of the Tea Partyers thought the president, who is Christian, is a Muslim. www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 3

Smart talk

Contents

Separate but equal

Digging data

n A visitor to Dickey-Stephens Park discovered that he couldn’t buy a beer and a hot dog at the same refreshment stand, but had to go to two different stands. He wondered why.

Pete Laven, general manager of the Arkansas Travelers, said this was a continuance of a longstanding tradition at Traveler games. Beer and hot dogs were segregated at the old Ray Winder Field too, he said.

Mainly, it’s a question of equipment and layout, Laven said.

At the main refreshment stand, which sells hot dogs and many other items, there’s little room left for stacks of canned beer.

Dickey-Stephens is one of only a few ballparks that still sells beer in the can, Laven said, although draft beer too is now available in the beer garden. (Because of the cans, Traveler fans can buy those big units of Foster’s, the kind that gave a former major-league pitcher his nickname: “Oil Can.”) The visitor had suspected the policy had something to do with keeping beer away from minors, but Laven said that wasn’t so. “We have other ways of doing that,” he said.

n The Times’ collection of searchable databases, which already includes salary information on all Little Rock and Pulaski County government employees, continues to expand at www.arktimes. com/data. There you’ll also find salary information for the city of Fayetteville, a list of all state agency cell phone expenditures and a list of license plate numbers for all state legislators and constitutional officers. It’s all part of an effort to make government more transparent. As far as the license plates go, the next time you see a big honkin’ truck blow by (think Lt. Gov. Mark Darr), or the next time you’re passed by a speedy sports car (remember “Fireball” Bruce Holland?) or if your front end is clipped while driving past the Capital Bar and Grill after a Bourbon and Bacon dinner, you’ll be able to visit the Times online, find out where to direct your ire and air your displeasure in the comments section.

Sweepstake in Spain

cessing fee. It’s also possible that this is a phishing scheme by which a consumer would call a number and be asked for bank account info on the premise that the ‘winnings’ can be directly deposited.”

Sure enough, our letter from the sweepstake said we’d have to pay 10 percent of our winnings to our claims agent, and that we’d begin the process of collecting our winnings by calling that very claims agent, Mr. Diego Sanchez, at 01134 658 719 571. We didn’t get around to it.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel sends a form letter to the many Arkansans who inquire about international lottery/ sweepstake mailings they’ve received. His letter advises that the mailings are “scams designed to separate you from your money.” Because almost all of the scams are based outside the United States, the attorney general has no real legal recourse against them, a spokesman said.

10 Limited options It’s increasingly difficult for a woman to get an abortion in Arkansas. — By Leslie Newell Peacock

18 A filmmaker

on the rise

Little Rock native Jeff Nichols has garnered much critical love for his latest movie, “Take Shelter.” — By Lindsey Millar

29 Consistently great You can always count on the food at Hillcrest’s Acadia. — By Arkansas Times staff

DEPARTMENTS

n Euromilliones Loteria International was pleased to inform us, their letter said, that we’d just won $815,960 in the Spanish Sweepstake. And we didn’t even remember buying a ticket.

Such letters are not uncommon, according to the state attorney general’s office, whom we told about our good fortune even though Euromilliones Loteria International had advised us to keep our winnings “top secret from public notice.”

“Spain, Germany and Australia are popular fake locations for these non-existent sweepstakes,” the a.g.’s e-mail said. “One scheme involves asking a consumer to deposit the ‘winning’ check and then wiring money back for some sort of processing or claim fee. Another might have a number for a consumer to call to claim winnings, and during the call the consumer will be given instructions on wiring the claim/pro-

3 The Insider

4 Smart Talk

5 The Observer

6 Letters

7 Orval 8-15 News

16 Opinion

18 Arts & Entertainment

29 Dining

31 Crossword/ Tom Tomorrow

38 Lancaster

Words n A Georgia lawyer, after winning a retrial for his client: “I’m ready to fight this case again, and committed to making sure something like this doesn’t happen again. We need to hold their feet to the fire, and make sure they don’t run ramshod over defendants.”

Rams generally go unshod, I think, at least in warm weather. The lawyer was probably thinking of roughshod. Someone is always being accused of riding or running roughshod over someone else, as in “Boozman rode roughshod over the children begging for food.”

Back in the 17th century, according to The Word Detective, a horse that was “roughshod” wore horseshoes with nailheads projecting from the bottom of the shoe. This gave the horse better traction on slippery ground or ice, but it also made the horse an even more brutal weapon 4 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Doug S mith doug@arktimes.com

when used against an enemy on foot. Bad enough to be trampled by a horse; worse to be trampled by a roughshod horse.

So to ride roughshod originally meant “to crush brutally.”

Over time, it was watered down to its present figurative meaning of “to charge ahead without mercy or regard for the rules.” (Senator Boozman, however, still uses real horses. “They’re remembered longer,” he says.)

It could be that the lawyer was thinking of rambunctious (“hard to control; turbulently active”), or rampage (“vio-

lent or excited behavior”) or the adjective rampant (“violent in action or spirit”).

Rama-lama-ding-dong, not likely. n J.C. Sarna submits an item headlined “Woman goes on rampage at Bradenton Wal-Mart.” The article continues, “A report says Mays’ spit then landed on a detective’s hand that arrived to speak with her.”

Sarna says “Aside from American Sign Language, I didn’t know hands could speak.”

Some can. “Lovely Hula Hands” are known for their loquacity: “Lovely hands that tell a thrilling story of life and gay romance ... And my heart so madly beating, gladly understands, all the tender meaning of your hula hands.”

Probably not what that police detective had in mind.

VOLUME 37, NUMBER 42 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR, 72203. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $78 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985.

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

©2011 ARKANSAS TIMES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

FOR INFORMATION OR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL 501-375-2985

The Observer is a great lover of our fair metropolis — City of Vines, City of Sweatstained Undershirts (summertime only), City of Clapboard and Shade. Our campaign to coin a secondary name for her is a labor in progress.

We’re working on it.

Whatever you want to call this place we live other than Little Rock/North Little Rock, it’s the people who make it great. Those great people spawn great things, like the Little Rock Film Festival, which screened 100 movies and brought in thousands of cinema lovers for a fourday shindig a few weeks back.

As luck would have it, The Observer had a couple of flicks with our name in the credits that were showing at the LRFF, a short called “Ballerina” that we wrote with our brother, and another called “Seven Souls” on which we did some writing touch-ups for our brotherfrom-another-mother. As luck would further have it, the two shorts showed back-to-back during a screening. The Observer was there, watching from the cheap seats, waiting breathlessly in the dark for the first cry to hang the writer.

After the first screening on Friday night, there was a filmmaker Q&A with the audience. While The Observer works mightily to avoid that kind of thing, and would have been happy to skulk at the back of the hall by the trash cans, there came a question about the writing on “Ballerina.” Suddenly, we found our self holding a microphone, standing before the amassed faithful, asked to explain our inspirations.

“Ballerina” is a strange sort of thing — a kinda-science-fiction movie whose tone owes a lot to both Hitchcock and the old “Twilight Zone” series. As The Observer told the audience, when we heard Netflix had put 138 episodes of Rod Serling’s low-budget masterpiece in their Instant View menu, it was like Christmas had come early to The Observatory. We watch two or three of them every night before we go to bed, to plant the seed of fruitful dreams.

Beyond that, we fear, our answer to the eager questioner was a bit muddled and rambling. Though we’ve been teaching classes for more than 10 years, we don’t perform well before crowds. So, we stood there, and muttered, and tried our best to explain Where It Came From, a question which has been the bane of

writers since ol’ Will Shakespeare first fielded it about The Scottish Play. We hope we made at least a little sense, because our recollection of answering the question has been reduced by the buzz of our nervousness to something that sounds in hindsight like the gibbering of a chimpanzee.

For the folks who were there, though, here’s what we really meant to say: Stories come from wherever they come from, and God bless whoever or whatever sends them. Beyond that, it’s probably best not to look too long into that light, lest ye make it go out.

Fletcher Larkin, a locavore potter, is looking for red clay.

Larkin, who gave a demonstration in front of the Laman Library’s Argenta branch last Friday night, is using local materials for the firing and glazing process, rather than ordering them from out of state: White clay from Acme Brick in Malvern, novaculite from a mining company in the Ouachitas (it makes a translucent white glaze), syenite from Granite Mountain and wood ash from Whole Hog Barbecue. Now he’s looking for a plentiful source of Arkansas red clay for his stoneware teapots and cups and bowls, which he sells from Fox Pass Pottery, his family’s business in Hot Springs.

Imagine it, food locavores — eating your Arkansas farm vegetables off a plate made of Arkansas mud and rock.

It doesn’t get more local than that, I guess, unless you carved your fork from the fallen oak out back, blew your own glassware from Arkansas River sand, and wove your own napkin from Arkansas cotton. Why not?

HOW M A N Y PA R K WAY V I L L AGE R E SI DE N TS D OE S I T TA K E TO C H A NGE A L IGH T BU L B? NON E .

Parkway Village is private retirement living that features the

A few nights back, with

perfect blend of security and comfort. Here, we take care of

Spouse and Junior gone to visit relatives in South Arkansas and the house to our self, The Observer dreamed someone was knocking at our front door — a series of four or five urgent raps. We got up and went to the door; peered out through the diamond-shaped window, but the porch was empty. Though we live in the city and know its dangers, though we know better, we opened the door anyway, but found only the summer night and warm air, with empty Maple Street shelving away down the hill in the yellow glow of the streetlights.

everything like appliance repair, lawn care, routine maintenance and air conditioning. We’ll even change your light bulbs.

Residents have only one number to call when any service is required. The only thing you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

For a personal appointment, call Mark Hamby at 501.202.1626.

Visit us online at ParkwayVillageAR.com.

www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 5

Letters arktimes@arktimes.com

From comments on arktimes.com In response to David Koon’s June 15 story, “To spay or to shelter?” on the debate on whether to use money earmarked for animal welfare to spay and neuter or to build an animal shelter: It’s an issue of simple math. According to the University of Cornell, the national average for sheltering an animal through tax-funded programs is $200 (it is a higher for humane societies that spend more, hold animals longer and will invest money in vet care for sick and injured animals). This includes the overhead costs of maintaining a shelter, a vehicle, food, vet care (very limited), euthanasia drugs and your payroll for shelter personnel. So for an $80,000 annual budget, we are talking about sheltering 400 dogs and cats total a year (in a shelter that will cost 800K?!?!?!).

The average euthanasia rate is over 50%, so at least 200 of those animals will be killed. Since nothing is being done to actually deal with the unwanted pet births, the need for sheltering will not diminish — it will be simply an issue of warehousing a (very) small percentage of the homeless dog and cat population, year after painful year.

Alternatively, the cost of speutering (spay/neuter) averages $60 (or less) per animal through low-cost, non-profit programs. So just $60,000 spent annually would provide 1,000 free sterilizations of pets owned by people who cannot afford it (and who contribute the greatest percentage of unwanted puppies and kittens to the homeless population in the first place). So what does that mean in actual numbers?

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is a primary sponsor of the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy. According to their studies, each unaltered female cat and dog produces almost 16 babies each year (3 litters of 5.4 kittens on average for cats and 2 litters of 7.6 on average for dogs, annually). Obviously, only half are female. Even if you predict a 60% death rate of these offspring (and the survivor’s subsequent offspring) before they reach sexual maturity, the number of unwanted births that 1,000 spays would prevent over a 2-year period is over 100,000! Talk about bang for your buck (pun only partially intended).

The problem is backward thinking in deciding that sheltering is the most effective way to deal with homeless pets because shelters have been around for 6 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

a lot longer than birth control. It is far sexier to show pictures of pretty puppies and kittens with sad eyes begging for the public’s adoration than to talk about preventing the births of those babies in the first place. This is why there is still a lot more humane society dollars spent on sheltering than on speuter programs in our state and across most of the nation.

The Faulkner County Quorum Court is refusing to listen and obviously doesn’t have a clue how a shelter works or the laws which govern how to operate a shelter (their proposed numbers say it all), let alone the humane alternative of population control. I know of two local

organizations (one a tax funded group, the other an animal welfare organization) who, when approached by the FCQC to provide sheltering, offered to administer a voucher program for speutering to county residents as a better alternative — actively refusing the shelter idea as being an inefficient solution to the problem. I know that both of these organizations are well-informed on the issue, can site examples of these programs all over the nation, and are quite capable of explaining exactly how these programs work.

Trublu

Arkansas Department of Education has taken over the Pulaski County School District: Can we now readdress the question of consolidation? It could even be two districts under one administration. No one has to cross the bridge to go to school.

Having three districts in Pulaski County is only slightly less silly than having the four the folks in Jacksonville propose. presrevrob Referencing our “State cell phone usage data” app:

In response to the news that the I am blown away! Some of these agencies are spending around $1,000 per month on each cell phone (average). I am certain they are smart enough to have free mobile to mobile, the most minutes of any package and data packages. Who the heck are they talking to and about what? WOW! government_cheese

Baptist Health is the leader in da Vinci robotic technology.

The first in the region to use it.

The first to enhance it.

During the last year alone, we performed 775 roboticallyassisted procedures with the da Vinci Surgical system.

And we’re one of just 13 medical centers in the country to enhance da Vinci with superior fluorescent imaging. Uniting the latest technology with expert physicians enables Baptist Health to provide Arkansas with the very best care.

for all our best, visit baptist-health.com

D. Keith Mooney, M.D.

Ron Kuhn, M.D.

Tim Langford, M.D.

Kay Chandler, M.D.

Lawrence Bandy, M.D.

In response to an item on the Arkansas Blog noting the expansion of our online data section: What about concealed carry permits?

If I meet with a government official I would like to know in advance if they are packing a pistol. Because if they are, and I am not, then I have wasted my freedom and placed my life in danger.

Empire of Dirt In response to “Talking points on tax development slush fund,” a post on the Arkansas Blog about the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce’s talking points for proposed uses of $40 million city capital funds that would come from the Little Rock sales tax increase proposal: I attended one of the early “info” meetings. Nothing was said about ports, or industry, rather parks, police/ fire departments, and street repairs. As for Chamber projects — the Chamber doesn’t support verbally or otherwise improvements in public education, only alternatives. Industries interested will pay their own way if the quality of life and public education are acceptable to those executives who transfer in. The City should go to the legislature and get groceries and medicines removed from local option taxes before asking voters to endorse another money grab.

Verla Sweere

Submit letters to The Editor, Arkansas Times, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203. We also accept letters via email. The address is maxbrantley@arktimes.com. We also accept faxes at 3753623. Please include a hometown and telephone number.

over 500 Items on sale throughout the store

OVER 400 ITEMS ON SALE THROUGHOUT THE STORE over 500or Items sale colonial SpEcial: Buy any caSE 30-packon of BEEr and rEcEivE onEthroughout 8lB Bag of icE for onE cEnt! the store SpecialS good thru June 28, 2011

SpiritS

EvEryday $66.99 $47.49 $41.39 $18.59

SalE $52.99 $41.99 $29.99 $15.99

WinE valuE BuyS

EvEryday $16.99 $26.99 $21.99 $19.99

SalE $13.99 $17.99 $14.99 $14.99

pack $11.99 $6.39 $12.99

caSE $22.98 $23.96 $25.48

Everyday $10.99 Everyday $9.99 Everyday $11.99

Sale $8.99 Sale $7.99 Sale $9.99

Dewar’s 12yo Scotch Jameson Irish Whisky Stoli Vodka Gordon’s Gin Cavit Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Merlot & Riesling 1.5 Liter Spice Route Pinotage 750 ml Bottega Vinaia Trentino Pinot Grigio Chateau Greysac Medoc 750 ml

BEErS of thE WEEk

St Pauli Girl Reg. & Dark 12pk Bottles Sapporo & Sapporo Light 6pk Bottles New Belgium Folly Pack 12pk Bottles

BESt Buy undEr $10 – 750 ml

Francis Coppola Presents Rosso & Pinot Grigio Ken Forrester Petite Rose 750 ml Spanish Sons Tempranillo

WinES of thE WEEk – 750 ml

honor advertised prices. please bring the ad.

St. Clement We 2008 Napacompetitors’ Valley Chardonnay Markham (West of Shackleford on $179.88 Markham) Everyday $21.99 11200 W.This Week $15.99 Case of 12 ($14.99) Little Pinot RockNoir 501-223-3120 • 866-988-vino Block 9 Caiden’s Vineyard 2009 Everyday $15.99 This Week $11.99 Case of 12 $131.88 ($10.99)

We honor competitors’ advertised prices. please bring the ad.

11200 W. Markham (West of Shackleford on Markham) Little Rock 501-223-3120 • 866-988-vino

Just right.

Choosing the right law firm.

Choosing the right attorney is not a one-sizefits-all decision. You deserve a law firm committed to understanding your needs and giving you the very best legal representation.

At Moffitt & Phillips, we are big enough to handle any size legal issue and small enough to give you our undivided attention. Just right. moffittandphillips.com | 501.255.7406

www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 7

JUNE 15-21 IT WAS A GOOD WEEK FOR…

BRYAN ABERNATHY. A judge found the Fayetteville doctor not guilty of misdemeanor terroristic threatening despite a tape recording made secretly by a 28-year-old female patient and submitted as evidence, in which the doctor offers the patient a beer, offers to perform oral sex on her, tells her he’s found her attractive for 10 years and threatens to kill her if she tells anyone.

IT WAS A BAD WEEK FOR…

PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. The Arkansas Department of Education took over the state’s third largest school district, removing embattled Superintendent Charles Hopson and the school board in the process. Retired Superintendent Bobby Lester will run the district while it’s under state control.

HELENA-WEST HELENA SCHOOL DISTRICT. The state also took over this school district, which was designated as fiscally distressed last September and, according to the state, hasn’t made sufficient progress.

AGGRIEVED WALMART WORKERS. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that 1.5 million female employees could proceed with a class action sex discrimination lawsuit.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACK BASKETBALL. Rotnei Clarke, the Hogs’ leading scorer from a year ago, left the program. He’s the third Razorback to ask for release from his scholarship since Mike Anderson became head coach.

ARKANSAS STATE HOSPITAL. Because the State Hospital, which cares for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, hasn’t been able to meet federal Medicare standards, the state sacked its leader, Charles Smith, and David Laffoon, the leader of the Behavioral Health Division of the state Human Services Department.

MARION BERRY. The former U.S. congressman was diagnosed with lymphoma following recent brain surgery.

SECRETARY OF STATE MARK MARTIN. He whined that his office has suffered from “abuse” of Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act, partly because he’s a Republican.

8 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

The Arkansas Reporter

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

■­

■

Taping interrogations Supreme Court rule would not mandate recording

BY GERARD MATTHEWS

n The Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Criminal Practice has proposed a rule that would encourage, but not require, the electronic recording of police interrogations. The panel, which is made up of judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers, has opened the proposed ruling for public comment until Friday, July 1.

Seventeen other states require taping of interrogations, according to the Innocence Project, a group that tries to assist prisoners who might be freed through DNA testing.

The proposed rule states that “whenever practical, a custodial interrogation at a jail, police station, or other similar place, should be electronically recorded.” The admissibility of any custodial statement will be determined based on the “totality of the evidence,” meaning it will be considered alongside other factors, such as why a recording was not made, if it has been clearly altered, the length of the interrogation, age of the suspect and if the suspect is particularly vulnerable for any reason known to the police.

The proposal’s language concerns some defense attorneys.

Jeff Rosenzweig is a Little Rock attorney who represents Jessie Misskelley, a member of the West Memphis Three who was jailed for life based on a confession he made at the age of 17. Only parts of that confession were taped. Rosenzweig said he could not talk about the Misskelley case, but could comment generally on the proposed rule.

“It has so many caveats, like ‘where feasible,’ ‘it’s just one thing to consider,’ etc., etc.,” he says. “In terms of its ultimate impact — I’m glad we have it as opposed to not having it. But a lot of its ultimate impact will come down to how the Supreme Court actually interprets it.”

Felicia Epps is a professor of law and associate dean at the Bowen School of Law in Little Rock. She says the rule contains a few “wiggle words.”

“For example,” she says, “‘whenever practical.’ What does that mean? The court will tell us that. There’s another one: ‘when feasible.’ That’s one of the exceptions in the rule, when it wasn’t feasible for a recording to be made. Well, what does that mean?

Now you can just pick up a phone and make a recording.”

When asked if the rule would apply to

BRIAN CHILSON

THE WEEK THAT WAS

MISSKELLEY: Serving a life sentence at the Varner Unit near Grady.

Misskelley’s case, Epps says it would not because there’s nothing retroactive about the rule.

In 2009, the state legislature passed Act 759, which would allow courts to consider whether a confession or waiver of counsel was recorded when determining if either was given “freely, voluntarily and intelligently,” but only in the case of juveniles.

No such law exists for those over 18 years of age.

Paul Kelly, a senior policy analyst at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, worked to pass the 2009 law. He has concerns about the proposed Supreme Court rule.

“We are working to try to get it to where they require taping,” Kelly says. “The current proposal is even weaker than what we set in 2009. I don’t think it would change behavior much. There’s no consequence for not doing it, so there’s no real motivation.”

But Rosenzweig says it’s not likely the rule will be made stronger, although it is possible.

Bob McMahan, prosecutor coordinator for the state of Arkansas, says the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association has not yet taken a position on the rule change, though it will be discussed by the group’s board later in the week.

Epps says the rule should not

hurt prosecutors.

“When I first looked at this I can see where it’s an advantage to the defense,” she says. “The prosecutors aren’t losing anything because we’re still applying that totality of the circumstance test. It would be different if the Supreme Court was trying to say, ‘If you don’t record it, it will be excluded.’”

However, Epps can imagine some scenarios where taping might have a chilling effect on getting confessions for crimes.

Suspects are much less willing to confess when they know they’re being taped, she says. For that reason, law enforcement concerns that taping suspects would affect their rapport may be justified.

For others, the real question is: Why not?

“The only reason that you wouldn’t want to record is that you want to give yourself — and I’m talking about the police here because they’re the ones that have the recorders — you want to have the flexibility to lie if you want to,” Rosenzweig says. “In other words, if you’re taking a statement, the accuracy of what is being said is extremely important. You can pick up the nuances. Different people talk different ways.

You want to know whether a particular statement is a particular statement. For instance, ‘I did the burglary’ is different from, ‘I did the burglary?’

Corrections n In the “Gluten-free dining” Natives Guide in the June 8 issue, we mistakenly reported that Anne Luther, manager of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Central Arkansas, gave low marks to U.S. Pizza for attempts to avoid cross-contamination in their kitchen. On the contrary, Luther notes on her website, centralarkansasgig.org, that the local chain offers many GF options. n In our June 8 Smart Talk item on Lucie’s Place, a proposed shelter for homeless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender young adults, we reported that legal services for residents would be provided by Bowen Lambda, the LGBT law student group of UALR’s Bowen School of Law. Legal services will actually be provided by Mike Lauro of Lauro Law, a Little Rock based LGBT-oriented law firm, in conjunction with volunteers from Bowen Lambda.

We regret this error.

Summer Restaurant Challenge Dine out - check in - get rewarded!

June 15 - July 13

arktimes.com/ben-e-keith

the restaurants

the RULES THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT Ben E. Keith is pleased to present Arkansas Times readers an opportunity to get rewarded by “checkingin” to participating restaurants. Visit any of the listed restaurants and checkin using the foursquare app on your smartphone device.

Checking-in may unlock individual restaurant specials, giveaways and more. The first 10 readers to submit check-in confirmation at 10 participating restaurants during the week will receive a $50 Ben E. Keith certificate that can be spent at any participating restaurant. A total of 40 certificates will be awarded.

The contest runs June 15July 13. The week is counted from Wednesday to Tuesday.

The contest is open to anyone 18 and older.

Submission confirmation & prize awards will be conducted by the Social Media Division of the Arkansas Times in person at 201 E. Markham, Suite 200 or via email at socialmedia@ arktimes.com. Look for the Ben E. Keith Summer Restaurant Challenge online at arktimes.com/ben-ekeith for complete rules and information on submissions.

LITTLE ROCK Acadia - 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd.

American Pie Pizza - 10912 Colonel Glenn Rd. Arkansas Burger Company - 7410 Cantrell Rd. Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel – 111 W. Markham St. Blue Coast Burrito – 14810 Cantrell Rd. Bobby’s Country Cookin’ – 301 N. Shackleford Rd., Suite E1 Burge’s Restaurant - 5620 R St. Café @ Heifer – Heifer International • 1 World Ave. Capital Bar & Grill - 111 Markham St. Catering to You - 8121 Cantrell Rd. Cheers in the Heights - 2010 N. Van Buren Ciao Baci - 605 N. Beechwood Coast Café – In the River Market Hall • 400 President Clinton Ave. Cotham’s in the City – 1401 W. 3rd St. Damgoode Pies - 2701 Kavanaugh, 6706 Cantrell Rd., 10720 Rodney Parham Rd. Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro – 200 River Market Ave. Downtown Deli – 323 Center St. The Faded Rose – 1615 Rebsamen Park Rd., 400 N. Bowman Rd. Franke’s Downtown – Regions Building • 400 Broadway Ferneau – 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Gellatte’s – 14810 Cantrell Rd. Grady’s Pizzas and Subs – 6801 W. 12th St., Suite C Graffiti’s – 7811 Cantrell Rd. Green Cuisine – Food Truck usually at 985 W. 6th St. Homer’s – 2001 E. Roosevelt Rd. Jazzi’s – 5200 Asher Ave. Krazy Mike’s – 200 N. Bowman Rd. Loca Luna – 3519 Old Cantrell Rd. Lulav – 220 West 6th St. Maddie’s Place – 1615 Rebsamen Park Rd. McBride’s Café & Bakery – Baptist Health Medical Towers 2 • 9501 Lile Dr. The Oyster Bar – 3003 W. Markham Red Door – 3701 Old Cantrell Rd. Shotgun Dan’s – 10923 W. Markham St. SO Restaurant-Bar – 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Sufficient Grounds Café – Union Building • 124 W. Capitol Sufficient Grounds Café Express – Metropolitan Tower • 425 W. Capitol Taziki’s – 8200 Cantrell Rd. Terri Lynn’s Bar-b-q & Deli – 10102 N. Rodney Parham Rd. The House – 722 Palm St. The Pantry – 11401 Rodney Parham Rd. Town Pump – 1321 Rebsamen Park Rd. Vieux Carre – 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd.

follow friend browse

NORTH LITTLE ROCK American Pie Pizza – 4830 North Hills Blvd.

Argenta Market – 521 N. Main St. Blue Coast Burrito – 4613 E. McCain Blvd.

Fresh Cup Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt – 4816 North Hills Blvd.

Gadwall’s Grill – 12 North Hills Shopping Center Georgia’s Gyros – 2933 Lakewood Village Dr. Java Roasting Café – 6725 JFK Blvd.

Las Palmas – 4154 E. McCain Blvd.

Reno’s Argenta Café – 312 N. Main St. Ristorante Capeo – 425 Main St. Rocky’s Pub – 6909 JFK Blvd.

Shotgun Dan’s – 4020 E. Broadway Starlite Diner – 250 E. Military Rd. Starving Artist Café – 411 N. Main St.

MALVERN Chile Peppers – 2071 Olive Lancaster

MAUMELLE American Pie Pizza – 9708 Maumelle Blvd.

Cheers Maumelle – 1901 Club Manor Drive Cock of the Walk – 7051 Cock of the Walk Lane Key West Self Serve Yogurt – 105 Country Club Pkwy.

Woka Woka Custom Stir Fry – 1800 Club Manor Dr. SHERWOOD Pig’n-Chik – 7824 Hwy. 107 Shotgun Dan’s – 4203 E. Kiehl Ave. JACKSONVILLE Cayenne’s Cajun Cuisine – 2650 John Harden Drive, Suite Q First Street Café – 2126 N. First St. Smokin’ Buns Barbecue & Catfish – 25401 Hwy. 107 CABOT Brick Oven – 2051 West Main Suite G Chef Candace – 16B Ryeland Dr. CJ’s Café & Deli – 3065 Hwy. 367, Suite 5 CONWAY Blackwood’s Gyros & Grill – 803 Harkrider Ave. Brick Oven – 1475 Hogan Suite 117-118 O’Henry’s Restaurant – 2853 Hwy. 365 Something Brewing Café – 1156 Front St. SCOTT Cotham’s – 5301 Highway 161 BENTON The Dairy Bar – 15360 Interstate 30 Dan’s I-30 Diner – 17018 Interstate 30

HOT SPRINGS Arlington Hotel – 239 Central Ave. The Back Porch Grill – 4810 Central Ave. Belle of Hot Springs – 5200 Central Ave., Hwy 7 South Café 1217 – 1217 Malvern Ave. #B Cajun Boilers – 2806 Albert Pike Doe’s World Famous Steaks – 4904 B Central Ave. Granny’s Kitchen – 362 Central Ave. Greg’s Drive & Dine Café – 1739 Airport Rd., Suite A Hester’s Family Restaurant – 1204 Central Ave. Higdon Square Café – 706 Higdon Ferry Rd. Jason’s Burgers & More – 148 Amity Rd. KJ’s Grill – 1834 Airport Rd. Lee’s Grill – 135 Central Ave. Luna Bella – 104 Grand Isle Way Mr. Whiskers – 1538 Malvern Ave. The Pancake Shop – 216 Central Ave. Patty’s on the Lake – 2800 Albert Pike Rd. Patty’s Down the Road – 6920 Albert Pike Rd. Rocky’s Corner – 2600 Central Ave. Rolando’s – 210 Central Ave. Smokin’ In Style BBQ – 2278 Albert Pike Rd. Souper Sandwich – 4501 Central Ave. Taco Mama – 1209 Malvern Ave. Taco Pronto – 4350 Central Ave. THE Steakhouse – Westgate Plaza • 2216 Albert Pike Whistle Stop – 2608 Albert Pike Rd. BISMARCK Fisherman’s Grill – 102 Millennium Park Dr. EUREKA SPRINGS Angler’s Grill and Pub – 14581 Hwy. 62 West Café Luigi – 91 S. Main St. Catfish Cabin – 3085 E. Van Buren Casa Colina Mexican Cantina – 173 S. Main St. DeVito’s Restaurant – 5 Center St. Ermilio’s – 26 White St. Gaskin’s Cabin – Highway 23 North Grand Taverne – 37 N. Main St. New Delhi Café – 2 N. Main St. Pizza Bar – 13 N. Main St. Roadhouse Restaurant – 6837 Hwy. 62 West GREERS FERRY AREA Janssen’s Lakefront Restaurant – 9999 Edgemont Rd., Edgemont

twitter.com/#!/SRChallenge facebook.com/pages/Summer-Restaurant-Challenge/161801580552252 arktimes.com/ben-e-keith

The Foursquare app is available for download on most smartphone devices. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Foursquare.

The information you provide will only be used for the purpose of verifying winners.

PUTTING THE FETUS FIRST

Pro-lifers keep up attack on access, but pro-choice advocates fend off the end to abortion right.

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

B

10 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Life, shook her head sadly when she heard the stories. Abortion is as old as mankind is, she said. If she succeeds in her battle to make abortion illegal again, yes, she said, women will still seek abortions and, yes, they might suffer. She recalled her mother talking about women using knitting needles, and that the expression was “to knock these babies.”

But she dismisses claims made previously that thousands could die. And she believes legal abortion is dangerous, too. “They’ll die regardless.”

And, in Mimms’ view, thousands of unborn children will live. No longer will women thwart the Father’s will, the plan He has for every fetus conceived.

T

LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

efore Roe v. Wade, there was “Bloody Mary.”

Women who lived in Arkansas in the 1960s and whose friends had had abortions (or who’d had them themselves) will remember the woman who for a couple hundred dollars would terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

“Bloody Mary” wasn’t a health professional.

She lived on Lake Hamilton and performed abortions in her home there. A woman this reporter interviewed recently remembered driving one of her friends there.

She and the others who made the trip — including the father — dropped off their friend at a house where, the woman remembered, a Confederate flag flew. The abortionist herself wore overalls and a hat with a Confederate flag on it. The crew — all teen-agers — nervously drove around a bit before going to back to pick up their friend.

“She’d been stuffed with gauze way up,” past the cervix, the woman recalled.

“She was having incredibly painful contractions and bleeding all over the place.” They got her back to Little Rock, and though she tried to keep her situation from her parents, the bleeding was massive. She had to go to the hospital, suffering from infection and blood loss. “Bloody Mary” had apparently used instruments to force open the cervix and wedged in “tons of gauze, multiple rolls,” the girl told her friends.

“The very doctor who had sent her to the abortionist had to take over her care,” the woman recalled.

“Bloody Mary” is no myth, and she wasn’t the only abortionist to endanger a girl’s life with a botched abortion. This writer, too, knew highschool girls who visited an abortionist, with lifethreatening outcomes.

Rose Mimms, the head of Arkansas Right to

ROSE MIMMS: Arkansas Right to Life director unswayed by fears of return of illegal abortion.

hose who support the right of a woman to decide whether or not to carry her pregnancy to term were relieved that legislators thwarted the will of Arkansas Right to Life and other anti-abortion lobbyists in this year’s General Assembly, turning back eight of nine bills that would have further limited access to what is now a legal procedure.

But Right to Life and the Family Council have successfully chipped away at access to legal abortion in Arkansas, one of only 13 states to have made abortion legal prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973.

Arkansas law allows abortion up to the first day of the 26th week of pregnancy, or in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Minors must get consent or a judicial bypass, except in the case of abuse, assault, incest or neglect.

At one time, there were several physicians in private practice in Arkansas who would perform an abortion, and a clinic affiliated with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences offered the procedure as well. In recent years, only Dr. William Harrison in Fayetteville and Little Rock

BRIAN CHILSON

NO LONGER VIOLENT: But protests continue, as here at Little Rock Family Planning Services.

Family Planning Services offered surgical abortions.

With Harrison’s death, there is now only one place to get a surgical abortion.

With the approval of RU486, however, Planned Parenthood clinics in Fayetteville and Little Rock have begun to provide medical abortions — a service the organization says only 10 percent of its patients come to them for. Right to Life claims to have stopped Planned Parenthood expansion into other cities in Arkansas.

The sometimes violent protests at women’s clinics by the Army of God, Operation Rescue and other extremist groups — which included murder and attempted murder of doctors and nurses, bombings, arson and other forms of intimidation — increasingly scared off providers, though the national Right to Life condemned the murder of Dr. George Tiller, at his church, in 2009, the last doctor to be killed for providing abortion.

Increasingly, it’s state and federal legislation that has undermined the extent to which legal abortion can be obtained. Since the court ruled on Roe, federal and state governments have withdrawn all dollars for abortion and legislatures have passed laws requiring parental notification or consent, waiting periods, forced viewings of ultrasounds, overregulation of clinics, limitations on private insurance coverage and other roadblocks to the current constitu-

T

the Health Care Affordability Act, to create the exchanges, designed to help people who could not otherwise get insurance. Mimms was surprised that the bill, which passed the Senate but, like all but one of the other bills, died in the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor. “I thought it was a no-brainer,” she said. She said women could take out a rider (though none exist) to pay for coverage in case sometime in the future they might want an abortion, like a cancer policy.

SB113. Rogers Republican Sen. Cecile Bledsoe introduced a bill that would have prohibited companies participating in health insurance exchanges from covering abortion. (Under the Health Care Affordability Act, states have until 2014 to create the exchanges, meant to serve individuals and small businesses that can’t now afford insurance coverage.) Bledsoe and her supporters argued that the bill would make sure no federal dollars paid for abortion, but the reproductive rights coalition pointed out that federal law already exists to prevent taxpayer dollars to go toward abortion. The bill would have curtailed what private pay insurers would do, they said.

Arkansas Right to Life intends to bring this bill back in 2013, since the state has until 2014, under

HB1887. Rep. Andy Mayberry, a Republican from Hensley, introduced a bill that would have made abortion at 20 weeks gestation or later illegal, on the theory that fetuses can feel pain at that point. That would cut the window of availability by 5 weeks.

Included in the bill’s language was the claim, based on “new studies,” that indicate that neural development is such that that the fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks. It includes the information that doctors who perform surgery on such fetuses (like spina bifida surgery) use anesthetics.

State law already requires abortion providers to provide women with information stating that at 20 weeks, the fetus reacts to stimuli that “in an infant or adult would be interpreted as a response to pain” and noting that anesthesia is administered to fetuses at 20 weeks who are to undergo prenatal surgery.

tional right to abortion. Courts all over the country are tied up in litigation over state laws that would further block access.

Arkansas Right to Life would ban all abortions, except, director Mimms says, to save a woman’s life. hough the organization favors all pro-life legislation, Arkansas Right to Life concentrates its efforts on “bills that have a legitimate chance” of passage, Mimms said. Of the three bills it actively supported, only one passed. A rundown:

www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 11

BRIAN CHILSON

HER FAITH RESTORED: The ACLU’s Rita Sklar said legislators wanted good information.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, however, concludes that fetal neural development doesn’t reach a stage at which pain is recognized until 27 to 30 weeks, and doctors say the reason pain killers are used in fetal surgery is to keep the fetus immobile and the uterus relaxed.

The bill also would have allowed parties other than the patient to sue a physician who violated the law. That would have given standing, for example, to a rapist whose victim was seeking an abortion.

The bill got a “do pass” on a voice vote in the House public health committee, but failed 9-3 on a roll call vote.

Right to Life director Mimms said committee chair Rep. Linda Tyler of Conway would not initially allow Mayberry to use a PowerPoint presentation depicting fetuses in various states of gestation, but agreed to put it to a voice vote at the next meeting. At the next meeting, Tyler called the vote when the committee attendance reached a quorum and Mayberry’s proposal “went down in flames,” Mimms said. “Half the members weren’t there,” Mimms said. “I’m sure they’ve got good excus-

12 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

es for being late,” she said wryly.

Mimms said pro-lifers would make sure that Tyler’s “feet will be held to the fire” at the next session. Yet, she also believes that Tyler was being controlled by higher forces — “the governor, the AG [attorney general], somebody.”

HB1855. The only anti-abortion legislation to pass this year, the bill, now Act 1176, requires facilities that provide more than 10 abortions per month to be licensed by the state. Planned Parenthood objected to the bill because abortion providers are already regulated by numerous federal health agencies and state and local safety codes. The state Health Department is formulating proposed licensing rules now; the rules should be ready for review in July, according to the department.

S

tate Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Hot Springs) introduced a bill that would have made it illegal for all state facilities to abort abnormal fetuses. Only the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences would have been affected by the bill.

The bill, which would have made an exception for the life of the mother,

failed on a voice vote.

Westerman talked to Dr. Curtis Lowery, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at UAMS, before introducing his bill, but it’s unknown if the legislator talked to any women.

The bill was vague enough, Lowery said, that, for example, it might have prevented doctors from operating on a woman who had a premature rupture of the membranes surrounding the fetus. The fetus would have zero chance of survival, he said; without the operation, the woman would risk infection.

The bill would have required women to carry to term fetuses with fatal abnormalities. That’s tantamount to “forcing a mother to face [the risk of delivery] for a baby that would not have a chance of survival,” Lowery said.

Ravina Daphtary, a regional coordinator for the women’s reproductive rights group Raising Women’s Voices, did not, of course, support the bill. But she gave Westerman credit for doing some research. “His candor about the difficult choices these families face was so refreshing,” she said.

He “demonstrated a level of empathy that is rare among male, pro-life

legislators in Arkansas.”

On the other end of the spectrum, state Rep. Missy Irvin, a Republican from Mountain View, introduced a bill that would have required doctors to prescribe abortion-inducing drugs at a dosage three times the amount that’s been proven effective. When the FDA approved the drug RU486 (mifepristone) in September 2000, the recommended dosage was 600 mg.

But relying on evidence from data on drug regimens generated worldwide, doctors have cut the dosage by a third, prescribing it “off-label” at 200 mg.

(Prescribing off-label is a common practice.) Irvin’s bill, which passed the Senate, would have meant women had to pay triple the price and face a risk of more side effects, the reproductive rights side said.

Pro-lifers maintain RU486 is dangerous, and cite 12 deaths in the decade it’s been in use. Pro-choicers would argue that far more women die in childbirth.

Ironically, Irvin had argued in her presentation of a prior bill that physicians needed to have control over the treatment of a patient, a contradiction pointed out to her by a fellow legislator

during testimony on her mifepristone bill.

Other failed bills would have required providers of surgical abortion — there is only one in Arkansas — to build an “ambulatory surgical facility,” an expense that could put a provider out of business; and required a woman to be informed of her fetus’ heartbeat and the statistical probability of successfully carrying the fetus to term, and sign a form attesting to that; made it a criminal offense for a doctor to not provide women with state-produced materials on abortion, materials considered as biased by pro-choice forces. There was also a House bill on health exchanges identical to SB113.

In the 2013 session, Right to Life will push for legislation to ban what Rose Mimms calls “webcam abortions.” She’s referring to the use of telemedicine to allow satellite clinics to prescribe medical abortifacients. That would make

praised the open-mindedness she witnessed among some legislators during the session. “I was happy to see several committee members who wanted to learn more about how legislation really impacted women and women’s health.” Did the pro-choice proponents change any minds? “I think so. When they learned the truth about what a bill would do, some verbally expressed surprise — ‘You mean this bill wouldn’t do anything?’ ” She said bills that were “purely political plays” made them mad.

Some legislators were sincere in their religious or moral objections to abortion; some didn’t think it was the government’s business.

Debate “renewed my faith in the political process,” she said.

“Women’s bodies are used as a political football and it’s time that stopped,” Sklar said. Lawmakers need to address issues more appropriately in the government’s domain.

“Women’s bodies are used as a political football and it’s time that stopped.” abortion accessible “in every part of the state,” and she called it the future of abortion. While telemedicine is used in other situations to bring health care to areas lacking a doctor, Mims said pregnancy is “not just another medical condition.”

On the federal level, Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman has another anti-abortion tactic up his sleeve. He will introduce legislation that would not allow minors to cross state lines to get an abortion without proof their parents have been notified, and sets a fourday waiting period. Only those in a medical emergency or who can offer “clear and convincing evidence of physical abuse” by a parent during those 96 hours would be exempt. It also sets criminal penalties for violation of the law.

R

ita Sklar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas,

E

ven Arkansas Right to Life concedes that making abortion illegal, its goal, wouldn’t stop abortion, though director Mimms believes most women will abide by the law.

Dr. James Romine, a Fayetteville obstetrician in practice for around 40 years, worries that should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, women will again need hospital care for septic abortions, and he wonders if physicians will be trained to treat it.

In 1965, prior to legalized abortion, Romine did an obstetrical rotation at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, a 1,000-bed charity hospital. An entire ward was devoted to care of women who’d developed sepsis from criminal abortions.

“They would present with sepsis or fever and infection and bleeding. ... Those required highdose antibiotic therapy and evacuation of the uterus and at times some teen-agers had to have complete

Is your child a shooting star?

Look for the right child care facility.

Department of Human Services Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

For FREE information on Child Care in your area, call the Child Care Referral Line at 1-800-445-3316 or 1-501-682-9699.

This information is provided as a public service only and in no way implies any recommendation or endorsement by the Division, the Commission or any personnel of any facility listed.

Visit our website at: www.arkansas.gov/childcare www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 13

The Little Rock School District Child Nutrition Department is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children (18 and under) without charge. There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Meals will be provided at the sites as follows: Bale (June 20-July 15), Baseline (June 13-Aug. 4), Brady (June 13 - Aug. 4), Chicot (June 20-July 15), Cloverdale (June 20-July 15), Dodd (June 16-June 30), Forest Heights (June 13-Aug.10), Hall (June 20-July 15), Henderson (June 14-July 8), Mabelvale ES (June 20-July 15), Mabelvale MS (June 20-July 8), Mann (June 13-June 30), McClellan (June 20-July 8), McDermott (June 14-July 28), Otter Creek (June 20-July 14), Rockefeller (June 13-Aug. 5), Romine (June 13-Aug. 4), Stephens (June 13-Aug. 4), Terry (June 20July 15), Wakefield (June 15-July 13), Washington (June 20-July 15). For specific days and times at each location, please visit www.LRSD.org.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866)632-9992

The LiTTLe Rock SchooL DiSTRicT

hysterectomies,” Romine said.

He saw women who’d inserted slippery elm into the cervix.

Coathangers still in the uterus. Eroded vaginas from potassium permanganate, a common illegal abortifacient; “I saw a 15-year-old bleed to death from that.” He saw two patients die from septic shock and scrubbed in on several hysterectomies necessary in cases of severe infection. The abortionists didn’t “operate under the germ theory,” he said.

With abortion legal, back alley abortions have largely disappeared, though UAMS did treat one case in the past 12 months. It’s more common that women try to self-induce; doctors here have seen girls who’ve drunk turpentine and other chemicals, used herbal remedies or ordered phony medications online.

Romine’s practice in Fayetteville did not offer abortion. “It didn’t mix with” ob/gyn, he said. But Dr. William Harrison did, and was an outspoken proponent of a woman’s right to choose. He died last year, leaving Northwest Arkansas without its only surgical abortion provider (and reducing the number of Arkansas providers by half).

T

Centennial Bank believes in the importance of getting out in the community. Where our customers are. So if you need us, we’ll be there for you. Even after hours. That’s why you can find us on your neighborhood stroll. Or wherever you happen to be.

MY100BANK.COM | A Home BancShares Company

14 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

hough the reasons for it are unclear — whether lack of access or a decline in pregnancy — abortion in Arkansas is declining. There were 5,500 abortions reported to the state Health Department in 2000, compared with 4,532 in 2010 for a much larger population.

Since 2003, when the department started reporting its data on teenagers by individual age (rather than cumulatively), abortions performed on teens 17 and under dropped from 438 to 285 last year. The age group in which abortion is most common — ages 20 to 24 — has declined at a somewhat slower rate, from 1,905 in 2000 to 1,455 in 2010.

There are some possibly ugly numbers in the department’s records.

Minors must have their parents’ consent or a judicial bypass to get an abortion in Arkansas, but there is an exception for medical emergencies, if minors have been abused, assaulted, raped or the victims of incest or neglect, or if they have been declared emancipated, usually because they’ve already borne a child. In 2010, 67 girls fell into that category.

That’s the highest number since the department started keeping data on

girls requiring parental consent in 2005. It is not possible to tell from the data how many girls who did not receive their parents’ consent did not seek a judicial bypass and gave birth.

The Arkansas Health Department, even without legislative pressure, limits access to abortion in its own way, by not providing a contraceptive that Right to Life groups contend is an abortifacient. The medication Plan B, which inhibits ovulation (in the same manner that doubling up on birth control pills after unprotected sex does), is considered by right-to-life groups as an abortifacient. There is a gray area, depending on how quickly the pill is taken after sex: If it’s taken after an egg is fertilized in the fallopian tubes, it works by keeping the zygote from attaching to the uterine wall.

The department does provide other forms of birth control — including the IUD, which acts in the same manner that Plan B does, by making the uterine wall hostile to implantation.

Murry Newbern, director of community affairs for Planned Parenthood of Arkansas, is frustrated by the demonization of the organization. “Over 90 percent of what we do is not abortion. It’s preventive.”

She wishes anti-abortion groups like the Family Council and Right to Life would put as much energy into preventing unintended pregnancy as they do into blocking access to what is a legal procedure.

The family planning organization has been able to fend off the current attack from Republicans in Congress who want to end all federal funding. Since no federal dollars may be spent on abortion, that means that what Congress would actually be cutting is health care for the poorest women in America. In Arkansas, half of Planned Parenthood’s clients rely on Medicaid for clinic reimbursement.

Newbern noted that churches get federal money on the premise that they won’t spend any of it proselytizing “and the government trusts them.” She said the government does thorough audits of how Planned Parenthood spends its money; lawmakers — the majority of them men — must know their proposal would mean fewer women would receive pap smears, breast exams, sexuallytransmitted disease tests, birth control and other care.

Authentic New Orleans Cocktails “Check-In” on June 15 - July 6 receive

1/2 off

any Authentic New Orleans Cocktails!

400 N. Bowman Road 501-224-3377 1619 Rebsamen Road 501-663-9734 www.thefadedrose.com

K e v i n B r o c k m e i e r, L a m a n L i b r a r y ’s 2 0 1 1 W r i t e r s Fellowship recipient, will read from his new book, “ T h e I l l u m i n a t i o n : A N o v e l .”

A b o o k s i g n i n g w i l l fo l l o w.

2801 Orange Street nOrth LittLe rOck, ar 72114 501-758-1720 www.LamanLibrary.Org

FRIDAYS APRIL 29JULY 22 *EXCEPT MAY 27 AND JUNE 17

JUNE 24 CRISIS AND EPIPHANY

8 P.M. TILL AFTER MIDNIGHT • $5 COVER MUST BE 21 OR OLDER • RIVERTOPPARTY.COM • (501) 399-8059

SPONSORED BY:

www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 15

EYE ON ARKANSAS

Editorial n If anybody could lower the quality of the Republican presidential field, Rick Perry just might be the man. Republican members of the Arkansas legislature are clamoring for his candidacy; Rick Santorum isn’t seedy enough for them.

It was reported last week that 20 Republicans in the Arkansas House of Representatives have sent a letter to the Texas governor asking him to run for president. It was reported the next day that Perry had vetoed a bill that would have prohibited the sending or reading of text messages while driving. He explained that government mustn’t interfere with Texans’ right to kill each other on the highways. To do so, he said, would amount to “micromanagement.” Dumb and dangerous, as was said of a former president.

Perry closely resembles George W. Bush, except for being more egotistical. Like Bush, he recklessly mixes right-wing religion with government. In cooperation with a radical anti-gay group, he’s sponsoring a Christian evangelical revival meeting, supposedly with the goal of “unifying” Americans. Like Bush, he has lots of shady contributors that he likes to steer government contracts to. Like Bush, he’s extremely secretive and often misinformed. He hasn’t yet had the opportunity to lie America into a war, but observers say he’s capable.

So far as we know, Bush never suggested that Texas should secede from the Union again. Perry has. Only the wildest of politicians could make George Bush look moderate by comparison.

So wrong for so long n From “Media-made Dixie,” by Jack Temple Kirby: “In notable advertisements [in the 1920s] southern companies, trade associations, and governments vied with one another in portraying white laborers (children of the Populist masses) as degraded and docile. The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, for example, promised prospective industrialists that ‘In the South, the worker is your friend … efficient, willing, Anglo-Saxon.’

The Carolina Power and Light Company announced: ‘you can make it for less in the Central Carolinas,’ and the Duke Power Company celebrated ‘willing labor, unhampered by any artificial restrictions on output; native born of old pioneer stock and not imbued by un-American (read “union”) ideas or ideals.’ ” Some things Southern have changed over the last 100 years, but not the Chamber of Commerce’s advice. The Chamber is still telling people that if they work cheap, don’t join unions, and keep their mouths shut, prosperity is just around the corner. Yet the corner never gets turned. Little Rock is especially abused. Here, city officials give $200,000 of public money to the Chamber every year. Surely we can find somebody who’ll lie to us for less.

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

PHOTOGRAPHER

MANAGING EDITOR

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Max Brantley Leslie Newell Peacock

Brian Chilson Mike Spain

Mara Leveritt

Patrick Jones

David Koon Bob Lancaster Gerard Matthews Doug Smith

Rafael Méndez Bryan Moats Sandy Sarlo

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Erik Heller Katherine Smith Daniels Angie Wilson

REAL ESTATE SALES EXECUTIVE Tiffany Holland

CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE Challis Muniz

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Lindsey Millar

Phyllis A. Britton

AUTOMOTIVE ADVERTISING MANAGER

EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Kai Caddy

Michelle Miller, Manager

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

MUSIC EDITOR

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

John Tarpley

Tiffany Holland

Heather Baker Kelly Ferguson Josh Bramlett

ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Roland R. Gladden

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Kelly Schlachter

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Tracy Whitaker

IT DIRECTOR

Robert Curfman

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Anitra Hickman

CONTROLLER Weldon Wilson

BILLING/COLLECTIONS Linda Phillips

OFFICE MANAGER Angie Fambrough

PRODUCTION MANAGER Ira Hocut (1954-2009)

association of alternative newsweeklies

FOR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE CALL: (501) 375-2985

16 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

Bottom-of-barreler

TAEKWONDO TITLE: Cody Gertz of Quincy, Ill., left, and Kevin Durant Jr. of Sacramento, Calif., compete during last year’s American Taekwondo Association World Championships in Little Rock. The 2011 World Championships begin tomorrow at the Statehouse Convention Center.

Tell it to the court n Last week, I took a load of papers to a recycler to be shredded. The office was a small aluminum building surrounded by mounds of cardboard and paper.

It wasn’t exactly Fort Knox. Still, a sign on the door warned that everything inside the building was being audio-video recorded.

Businesses record constantly. Banks. Stores. Gas stations. Almost any operation that can be robbed equips itself with cameras. Security is a cost of doing business.

We know, if only thanks to TV cop shows, that police cars are now equipped with cameras. Those cameras supply a measure of security for police — proof that they acted properly. And sometimes the cameras catch evidence that supports a defendant in court.

But what happens at the police station itself?

What kind of recording do Arkansas police do when they bring someone in for questioning? Answer: As much or as little as they choose.

If you were brought into a police station for questioning about a crime, your interrogation might be recorded entirely. But that’s unlikely. Usually, a video camera or audio recorder will be turned on only when police think you’re ready to make a statement, and that can be after hours of unrecorded questioning.

Often, no electronic recording is made at all. In those cases, the only record of what you’ve said will be an officer’s paraphrased notes.

Police used to have to rely on pencils and paper.

And even when audio-video equipment became available, it was expensive and tapes were a pain to store. But we’re in a new era now, with inexpensive recorders and easy computer storage. It’s time for police and courts to catch up.

Last month, the Arkansas Supreme Court took a half-step toward doing so, announcing that it was changing its Rules of Criminal Procedure regarding interrogations. The proposed rule says that “whenever practical, a custodial interrogation … should be recorded.”

That’s not good enough. Police interrogations often result in criminal charges. Statements made

Mara Leveritt during them become evidence at trials, where liberty — and sometimes life — hang in the balance. The Arkansas Supreme Court should set a high standard for that evidence.

Experts from the American Bar Association, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of District Attorneys, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and many police agencies agree: electronic recording improves the accuracy, fairness, and reliability of statements taken by police.

The weak rule the Supreme Court has proposed relies on judges to decide whether to admit statements that were not electronically recorded. That passes the buck. We need a Supreme Court rule that is clear and uniform, and that applies equally to every police agency in Arkansas. Seventeen other states require that, and it’s time for Arkansas to adopt a strong recording rule too.

The Arkansas Supreme Court is accepting public comments on its proposed electronic recording rule until July 1. Please write to the court (at 625 Marshall St., Little Rock, AR 72201) before that deadline.

Tell the justices that police should record custodial interrogations from beginning to end, and that courts should not admit evidence from interviews unless they were entirely recorded.

While there are few reasons to support a halfmeasure, there are many that favor a strong recording rule—one that requires at least as much as my recycler—especially when the stakes are so high. For one: think what it might have meant for the West Memphis Three if, 18 years ago, police had recorded—not just two disjointed, error-filled statements—but the full eight-hour interrogation of Jessie Misskelley Jr.

BRIAN CHILSON

Gov. Perry: Somebody’s prayer answered n In a breathtaking example of good timing, 20 Republican Arkansas lawmakers sent a letter to Texas Gov. Rick Perry last week urging the handsome farmer with the big cufflinks and high collars to run for president.

The Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire had just exposed the total vacuity of the present field of candidates, which even the thoroughly Republican editorial page of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette lamented. Perry’s wife is supposed to have talked him into running for an office that six months ago he declared flatly that he would not seek. Finally, there is growing evidence that people have forgotten what the previous president from Texas did.

Perry, who inherited the Texas governorship when George W. Bush became president, is what Bush would have been if he had had the guts.

Perry should catapult to at least the middle bracket of the field because he will inherit the theocratic branch of the party that was abandoned when Mike Huckabee took himself out of the race last month. With the American Family Association, the virulent

Ernest Dumas anti-gay organization, Perry is promoting a giant prayerpalooza at Reliant Stadium in Houston on August 6, the week before the Iowa presidential straw poll. The governors of the other 49 states and the public are invited to join Perry at the stadium for fasting and prayer for the country. Governor Beebe, by the way, is not going.

Perry said last month that the nation’s economic collapse and its other woes were God’s plan to force the country to follow the Bible’s dictates, which are to quit borrowing money and to stop expecting the government to solve problems. Things got so bad in the United States last year that Perry blundered into saying that Texas had the right to secede from the union and implied that it was something worth considering some day, but he later acknowledged that Texas could not secede and said he would never propose such a thing.

Is truckers’ highway program falling apart? n It was an idea that seemed so glorious and logical only weeks ago.

Big truckers wanted to pay higher diesel taxes to finance bonds to fix the roads they drive on, meaning the interstate ones and main federal highways. The truckers understood, you see, that they needed to invest in public pavement for the same reason that railroads invested in private tracks.

The trucking industry was motivated by worry about widespread conversion to toll roads. It also was worried about what federal deficit-reduction might mean to the transportation infrastructure.

So, as kind of a laboratory experiment in little Arkansas, truckers would offer to raise their state diesel taxes by a nickel a gallon over 10 years for a billion-plus dollars in bonded debt, so long as the money would go to the major pathways they use.

All they needed, since public debt was involved, was for the voters to approve of their largesse in a special election, one the legislature would refer to the governor’s call.

With nary a Republican vote on the floor, the proposal got referred — after,

John Brummett jbrummett@arkansasnews.com

that is, Republicans amended the measure to say the governor could call this election only once, not over and over until the voters got outlasted, and to provide that the diesel increase would not apply to farm vehicles.

So have you got all that? Fine. Now perhaps you ought to begin to forget it.

The whole thing may be falling apart.

The Arkansas Trucking Association got worried about soaring fuel prices and the public appetite for higher fuel taxes.

There would be few things more embarrassing from a public policy standpoint than asking to be allowed to pay higher taxes and then being denied. You would have conceded your special obligation, but not addressed your problem.

And, remember, there was only one shot at an election. Thus timing was everything.

Back in April, the governor asked all Texans to join him in prayer that God lift his yoke from West Texas. It is not clear why God is displeased with the farmers and ranchers of the high plains and Rio Grande valley or perhaps with the shale exploration companies that have been draining the aquifers, but the region is in the midst of an epidemic of forest and prairie fires and the worst drought since record keeping began 116 years ago. The massive hydraulic fracturing under way there in search of gas is in peril because water is disappearing. Oil companies have to go far afield and pay premium prices for water from farmers, cities and irrigation districts.

You would think that Mike Huckabee would have thrown his support immediately to Perry but he declined the other day. There is a temptation to lay it off to payback, but Huckabee is too good a Christian to do that.

In 2008, Huckabee asked Perry to support him publicly for the presidential nomination but the Texan refused. Strangely, Perry endorsed Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor whose flagrant marital infidelities and libertine lifestyle should have put off every devout Christian.

It was strange because Perry imitates Huckabee in so many ways, in philosophy and style. Both want the United States to support Israel’s ownership of all the occupied lands of Palestine because God intended the Jews to have them. Huckabee wants

the Palestinians and other Muslims expelled from their ancient homeland to other parts of Araby but Perry has not been so specific.

Like Huckabee, Perry will demagogue the immigrant question but also show a little compassion and pragmatism from time to time. Perry is against walling Mexico off from Texas. The state’s economy has benefited from its wide-open border with Mexico.

Both thunder against taxes—well, Huckabee not so much anymore—but raised them. Perry’s big fiscal initiative was to greatly expand the state’s corporate income tax (Texas calls it a franchise tax but it is based on a corporation’s capital and net taxable income) to offset a smaller cut in Texas’s high property taxes. The economic royalists in the party were as disapproving as they were of Huckabee’s serial tax increases in Arkansas.

But no one in the party is more dedicated to the idea that government should be turned over to profit-making businesses. Bush was good at that, cutting the insurance and drug companies in on a big share of Medicare revenues and other corporations in on much of the spoils of war making.

Having corporations run the highways, wars, medical assistance programs, Social Security and everything else is exactly what the tea party seems to be about. Mrs. Perry and the Arkansas legislators may be right.

This could be Rick Perry’s time.

So the Trucking Association retained a highly regarded national pollster who happened to be known and trusted by Gov. Mike Beebe — Harrison Hickman — to take the temperature on all this of 600 Arkansas respondents.

Poll results began leaking out last week. Long story short: Nearly twothirds opposed taxing truckers more, half “strongly.” When pushed by the pollster to understand that they wouldn’t pay the tax on gasoline themselves, and that only truckers would, and when further pushed to understand that this would mean jobs and safer roads and bridges, respondents softened their opposition — by merely a couple of points.

This fiscally driven taxpayer revolt may not have subsided in Arkansas. One thing people seem to believe most fervently is that increased taxes on a shipper means more costs to the end consumer.

Hickman’s conclusion was that the anti-tax mood of the Arkansas electorate was toxic. He doubted the success of a campaign even if funded by millions.

Truckers are not inclined to ante up big dollars for a campaign so they could be denied on their offer to tax themselves more.

Meanwhile, a few Democratic state legislators have been heard to wonder if they might undo their referral of this diesel fuel scheme in the fiscal legislative session next year. They’re getting a sense of the temperature, apparently.

Late Thursday, the Trucking Association sent a letter to Beebe asking him formally to put off indefinitely calling this 5-cent diesel fuel tax election, calling it the “right policy at the wrong time.”

Instead, truckers want Beebe to consider calling a different election entirely at some point in the next year or two. That would be one simply to re-up the current 4-cent diesel tax bond program that will be paid off by 2013 and otherwise expire at the time.

Unless that one is at least renewed, the state would be left not only without additional money for major highway maintenance, but without the existing amount.

Surely the people would let the truckers keep paying their current diesel fuel rate.

Surely.

Don’t you think?

Finally, don’t forget that this amounts to half the story. House Speaker Robert Moore also persuaded the Legislature to refer to the people at the general election ballot in 2012 a proposed constitutional amendment for a half-cent general sales tax increase for even more bonded debt for four-lane connectors between major towns.

I always thought the truckers’ tax-usmore plan was much easier to sell.

John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 17

arts entertainment

This week in

Opera in the Ozarks

Joan Jett to Magic Springs

PAGE 20

PAGE 21

and

TO-DO LIST 20

CALENDAR 22

Q&A with Jeff Nichols

BY LINDSEY MILLAR

J

eff Nichols is on a roll, albeit one that’s taken a while to gain momentum. The Little Rock native spent much of his 20s working to produce his debut feature film, “Shotgun Stories.”

Upon release in 2007, it did well on the festival circuit, drew praise from Roger Ebert and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. But it took him three years to secure financing for his second film, “Take Shelter.” It promises to be worth the wait.

After debuting at Sundance earlier this year, it won the grand prize at Critics’Week at the Cannes film festival in France.

I recently caught up with Nichols on the phone at his home in Austin, Texas, to talk about what his recent success means for his career, how he scored the same special effects company that did “Avatar,” how marriage and fatherhood figured into the screenplay for “Take Shelter” and about his plans to shoot his third film in Arkansas.

“Take Shelter” won’t see limited release until October, but in these summer movie doldrums, we need a promising film to anticipate.

You’ve made two acclaimed indie films. What does that mean in terms of juice?

It remains to be seen is the honest answer. Obviously, since Sundance I’ve started to get phone calls and more requests. It’s a little weird because I have a team in place —meaning a manager, an agent and a lawyer — that’s all in LA. So I’m somewhat buffered from the direct response.

There’s a lot more energy and a lot more momentum. How true that is and how I can apply that is what remains to be seen.

But the big thing after Cannes is that 18 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

maybe, just maybe I now have the opportunity to really make the films that I want to make. Not just films that I think are cool or projects that come my way that I think, “Yeah, I’ll do that.” But actually films that I write and direct and films that I consider to be my projects. There are so few filmmakers that get that opportunity.

But that’s what you’ve done on you’re first two films.

I mean just to continue to do it. It’s one thing to do it with no money with not many people paying attention. It’s another for your budgets to continue to increase — not that I need huge budgets. To make this a living and make it a true profession, where I’m not asking everyone to work for free and do me favors, which has happened with the last two films in order to get them to exist. By default now, the level of production I work at has to increase. In order to bear the weight of all that, it’s certainly a question about whether or not I get to keep doing my own thing.

But that’s easier said than done. And you’ve got offers coming your way that make you say, “Wow, I could buy a house for that” or “Man, I could just take care of things for a while.” And it’s not just about movies, sometimes it’s “Man, that’s a big studio film.” And all that interests me.

But after Cannes I’ve got a chance to possibly be able to do my own stuff for at least a little bit longer at an increased level.

That’s just a select group of filmmakers, guys like the Coen brothers and Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson, who get to do what I’m talking about. I’m not saying I’m at that level or in that zone, but there’s a glimmer of possibility.

Let’s talk about Cannes. You were the only American film in Critics’ Week.

Critics’ Week is cool. It’s just for first and second features, and it’s judged by a panel of international filmmakers and critics, and there are only seven films. So it’s really focused. And you look at the filmmakers that have come out of Critics’ Week — Pedro Almodovar, John Sayles, Guillermo del Toro. All these filmmakers had films in Critics’ Week, and to win? I don’t know how to process that. You never know how people are going to receive your film. I still think the jury’s out on “Take Shelter.” It’s for some people and not for others (laughs).

It is a progression forward in how it operates with the audience from “Shotgun Stories.” But they’re both tricky films.

They’re not easily digestible, three-act structured.

What’s your paragraph pitch of “Take Shelter”?

It’s about a working-class guy who begins having dreams about supernatural storms, and he’s not sure if they’re premonitions about something to come or symptoms of a mental illness that’s been in his family for a long time.

This idea came from general anxiety that you saw around the country and the world and your own anxiety about getting married and becoming a new dad?

MOVIES 26

DINING 29

Yeah. That was the thematic impetus.

You try to find some universal theme to start off. And I kind of hold that in the back of my mind. So far it’s worked because it kind of creeps into everything you’re doing. With this film, anxiety was the initial thought, kind of like revenge was the initial thought in “Shotgun Stories.” But as I started to write I realized that anxiety isn’t an actual theme. It’s not enough. It’s an effect, not a cause, so it’s not a full story.

It’s just an element. That’s when marriage became this important story element and became an important thematic element by default. So you’ve got a lot going on in the movie. You have social anxieties and personal anxieties and you have this meditation on what marriage means, about ideas like commitment and communication.

They’re all intertwined. But I distinctly remember in the process of writing, thinking “Oh, this movie’s about marriage and not anxiety.”

It’s funny that you could confuse the two.

(Laughs) My wife keeps saying, “Man you got to watch what you say.” Because that’s not what I really mean. What I mean is, I was in my first year of marriage and I was thinking about why some marriages work and most marriages don’t and the best answer that I could come up with is that people quit communicating, they quit sharing their fears with each other and that leaves people to separate physically and emotionally, not just legally.

In this movie, it was kind of a test of how far people are willing to go for each other and why that’s important. When you say it, it sounds cheesy. Themes are always tricky to talk about.

Universal themes can sometimes be confused for cliches only because they’re true.

They’re true and they’re simplified.

There’s a reason it takes two hours to explain this stuff.

Continued on page 24

■ theaterreview

Raising the Steaks

‘Billy Blythe’

THE VIP STEAK EXPERIENCE

Medicine Show Theater, New York City, June 19

Enjoy this great offer for a limited time

6 oz. FILET

19.99 Center cut tender filet $

JESSICA WURST

n Spoiled theatergoers accustomed to wellfunded spectacle might arch an eyebrow when they hear that a production is foregoing distractions like costumes and props so that “the focus is on the material.” Just like real-estate-speak heralding an undesirable location as mere “minutes away” from a destination, black-box theatrical readings — typically script-in-hand, half-baked recitations to interest investors — have a way of driving home the feeling that you’re not where you want to be, but you can almost see it from there.

Thanks to powerful singing and credible emoting, the Metropolis Opera Project’s development reading of “Billy Blythe,” by now short-handed by most Arkansans as the Bill Clinton opera, emerged as a destination rather than a way-station when the fledgling company brought it to life in Manhattan earlier this week (after billing it as — that’s right — a developmental reading where “the focus is on the material.”). If the 11-member cast did not meticulously summon Hope and Hot Springs as the towns awaited their share of America’s postwar boom cycle and the agitation of the Civil Rights movement, the performers at least executed a quick and vivid sepia-tinged sketch, the most that can be asked of a one-act play — which the work, crafted by onetime Ouachita Baptist University classmates Bonnie Montgomery and Britt Barber, essentially is.

Imagining the sort of Southwest Arkansas heat that might simmer a doughy, selfdoubting preteen boy toward rage sufficient to stand up to a loutish abusive stepfather, which represents the young Clinton’s crucible in “Billy Blythe,” was not difficult.

Audience members over-representing the tattooed-and-pierced contingent — at least among regular opera-goers — filed up three flights of stairs to the airless Medicine Show Theater, on the far edges of Hell’s Kitchen.

(An address which makes things sound grittier than they were: David Letterman’s and Jon Stewart’s theaters are nearby.) An endearingly addled matron with a sweatdampened pageboy hooted “wooo!” to quiet the crowd for pre-show announcements.

She did not mean to mimic a hog call, but might as well have; taking note of the handheld fans fluttering throughout the theater, she observed, “this looks like a funeral in the South.”

Despite the material’s somber tone the performance was anything but a dirge. Jessica Bowers, the mezzo soprano who sang the role of Clinton’s beloved mother Virginia, moved cleverly from the role of coquette with her husband Roger to confidante with her young son Billy, as the two traded memories of William Blythe, Billy’s late father

IN NEW YORK: Alex Krasser as Billy. and the husband against whom Virginia will clearly measure all others.

A current of wistful desperation lies beneath the surface of the mother-son relationship as captured by Montgomery, the composer, and Barber, the librettist. (The two women drew most of their inspiration from “My Life,” Clinton’s memoir.) In teasing out these nuances, Bowers’ creamy charisma and blemish-free lilt compensated for the lack of seasoning in the characterization of Alex Krasser, as Billy, although he ably located Clinton’s future commander-in-chief swagger with “High Noon,” a rousing song that imagines Billy leaving Hot Springs’ Malco Theater after a viewing of what he would one day cite as his favorite film. “Billy Blythe,” a specimen of the genus “folk opera,” ebbs and flows on an Americana score by turns plaintive and rollicking, and the full ensemble finds a cheering, ragtime esprit de corps in a scene in which Virginia celebrates an afternoon spent cashing in at the racetrack, touching off resentments in a scotch-swilling Roger.

Montgomery has said she constructed “Billy Blythe” on the cornerstone of “Virginia’s Aria,” and the care and attention to detail shows. In the piece’s New York staging, Bowers performed the lyrics — a paean to a woman’s fading beauty, and the love of the man it once enchanted — while pantomiming with near-religiosity the makeup application the real Virginia Kelley maintained throughout her life. Bowers gazed into the audience as if it were the mirror reflecting back a self she’d trade even her son’s future greatness to regain, and the moment was transfixing, if not transportive all the way back to a place called Hope.

Incidentally, the same night that Montgomery arrived in New York to supervise final rehearsals for the show, Bill Clinton went the Foxwoods Theater for the opening night of “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.”

He likely would have been better served holding out for a hero’s coming-of-age saga hitting a little closer to home. In both productions, you can spot the wires, but it’s a good bet only one featured material worth focusing on.

— Kyle Brazzel

served sizzlin’.

Served with a complimentary side.

At Copelands, we use only the finest handselected, USDA approved, 100% corn-fed Midwestern beef that has been naturally aged 28 days - ensuring a perfectly flavorful steak each and every time.

Loaded Macaroni & Cheese Smothered Green Beans Red Hot Potatoes Red Beans and Rice

Try one of the many wines on our wine list, with more selections now available by the glass or by the bottle at a great value.

SIDES

Grits and Gravy Baked Potato Vegetables Toot Toot®

Lonnaise Vegetables Corn Macque Choux Mashed Sweet Potatoes

CREATE YOUR OWN SPECIALTY STEAK

Add a delicious topping to your favorite steak.

Caramelized Onions ............. 1.00 Rene Mushrooms ................. 2.00 Garlic ..................................... 1.00 Garlic Sautéed Crawfish...... 4.99 Bleu Cheese........................... 1.50 Garlic Sautéed Crabmeat ..... 4.99

Shackleford Crossing • Shackleford & I-430 • 312-1616 www.copelandsrestaurantlittlerock.com

Artists who enjoy working with students The Arkansas Arts Council is currently accepting applications for visual, literary and performing artists who wish to be listed on the 2012-2013 Arts in Education Artist Roster.

This innovative program places professional artists in Arkansas pre-K – 12 schools and after-school/summer programs to serve as teaching artists-in-residence.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011.

For additional information and to download an application, visit ArkansasArts.org or contact Cynthia Haas at 501-324-9769 or cynthia@arkansasheritage.org.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Arkansas Arts Council • 1500 Tower Building, 323 Center Street • Little Rock 501-324-9766 • ArkansasArts.org • Find us on Facebook! www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 19

numbers have a smidge more radio polish than, say, Reckless Kelly, but they’ll likely scratch a similar itch for fans of the Red Dirt rockers. The longtime buddies are rolling into town on their fifth annual Hold My Beer & Watch This tour, which gives the Texas troubadours a chance to drink suds, swap stories and showcase their songs in a stripped-down acoustic setting.

T H U R S D AY 6 / 2 3

SWINGIN’ UTTERS

10 p.m., White Water Tavern, $12.

n All right, all you old-school punks, it’s time to get out those leopard-print creepers and your beat-up leather jacket, dial up the babysitter and get ready to call in sick to work on Friday, because unfortunately, you don’t get many chances to catch a punk band of this caliber in Little Rock very often. Since the late ’80s, San Francisco’s Swingin’ Utters has been one of the main torchbearers for catchy-ashell punk rock rooted in the sounds of The Clash, Sham 69 and Stiff Little Fingers.

Over the years, the band has expanded its sonic palate to include a helping of melodic roots-rock into the mix, and its latest album “Here, Under Protest,” is its first in eight years. Seeing a band like the Swingin’ Utters at a venue as intimate as the White Water is a rare opportunity. Boston’s Continental – founded by Rick Barton, of Dropkick Murphys fame – should be a great match. Little Rock’s The Reparations open the show.

F R I D AY 6 / 2 4 OLD PUNKS, LIKE THE UTTERS, NEVER DIE: They just get married and have kids and start listening to a lot of early Johnny Cash records.

■ to-dolist

BY ROBERT BELL

W E D N E S D AY 6 / 2 2

RANDY ROGERS AND WADE BOWEN

DAVID BELL

8:30 p.m., Revolution, $20.

OZARK OVERTURE: Opera in the Ozarks kicks off its 61st season with a production of Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.”

20 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

n There’s a new generation of country artists and fans who grew up absorbing just as much ’90s alternative rock as they did George Strait, Garth Brooks or Willie, Waylon and the boys. For these folks, it’s perfectly natural for a bit of crunchy electric guitar to cozy up next to the fiddle and lap steel. Exhibit A: Randy Rogers, who writes the kind of soaring, heartfelt tunes that are the perfect make-out music for truck cabs from Bakersfield to Tallahassee. Fellow traveler Wade Bowen’s

OPERA IN THE OZARKS 7:30 p.m., Inspiration Point, $20-$25.

n For the last 61 years, Opera in the Ozarks at Inspiration Point has served as both petri dish and launching pad for musical theater performers from all around.

After an intensive four-week rehearsal, the students perform in fully staged productions of classic and contemporary operas. The company kicks off this season with “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”), an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee. The opera, which will be sung in English, runs through July 21. On June 25, Opera in the Ozarks debuts its production, sung in Italian, of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” which will run through July 20. Mark Adamo’s “Little Women” is adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel of a young woman’s understandable but doomed struggle to prevent life from taking her beloved sisters away from her. The production debuts June 28 and runs through the season’s final performance on July 22. For more details, go to opera.org.

BUFFALO RIVER ELK FESTIVAL

10. And who could forget her sultry yet bombastic take on the Tommy James and the Shondells’ bubblegum classic “Crimson and Clover” or the stadium-rock monster “Do You Wanna Touch Me?” Answer: Yeah, but only if it’s Joan asking and not disgraced glam-rocker Gary Glitter, who wrote the original (although we’re just going to pretend he didn’t, for reasons you can read about on the Internet). Jett hasn’t had a hit in a while, but who cares? She’s a legend, she’s eerily ageless (at 52) and she still totally kicks ass live. Tickets are $40-$45 for admission to Magic Springs plus $5-$10 if you want a reserved seat at the show. If you show up after 4 p.m. it’s only $22.50 to get in.

10 a.m., Downtown Jasper, Free.

n OK, this one might be a bit of a stretch because Jasper is way the hell up there, but it really sounds like fun and some of us, surely, need to get out of the city and take a break from going to the dang bar for a weekend. Since 1998, the overpoweringly quaint downtown Jasper square has hosted the Buffalo River Elk Festival, which celebrates the successful reintroduction of these big-ass, majestic beasts to the hills of North Arkansas. There’s going to be lots of food, arts and crafts, a talent show, a kid’s fishing derby, the Arkansas State Championship Elk Calling Contest, a Dutch oven cook-off betwixt folks dressed up in old-timey garb, a bunch of live bands, educational programs, dancing in the streets, hourly drawings for elk permits (allowing the lucky winners the chance to bag one of these celebrated critters) and basically more small-town charm than you can shake a handcrafted wooden doo-dad at. The festivities conclude Saturday night with a fireworks display.

DAVID REMNICK

2 p.m., Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Free.

n As part of its inaugural Summit for Ambitious Writers, the fine folks over at the Oxford American have included some events for those of us not attending the five-day, intensive writing workshop happening right now up on Petit Jean Mountain. OA Editor Marc Smirnoff will host “Interviews on the Mountain,” a series of discussions with some big-name editors and writers, culminating with a discussion with New Yorker Editor David Remnick. The series kicks off Wednesday afternoon with Little Rock’s own William Whitworth, who served as chief editor of The Atlantic Monthly for 20 years and is a veteran of the Arkansas Gazette and The New Yorker. Celebrated travel writer Pico Iyer, who Time dubbed “among the finest travel writers of his generation,” is on tap for Thursday. The interview series is free, but registration is required, so sign up at summit.oxfordamerican.org. After the Remnick interview, stick around for a barbecue dinner ($15) and live music from Audrey Kelly and Don’t Stop Please.

JOE JOHNSON’S ALL-STAR BIRTHDAY BASH

9 p.m., Clear Channel Metroplex, $50-$75.

SHE LOVES ROCK ’N’ ROLL: And Joan Jett don’t give a damn about her bad reputation. of Tyrannosaurus Chicken, the duo that swept the most recent Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase, followed by a performance from the True Soul Revue, the stone-cold house-rocking studio band for True Soul Records, the legendary Little Rock ’70s funk and soul imprint.

JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS 8 p.m., Timberwood Theater, Magic Springs, $22.50-$55.

n For a lot of guys (and probably a fair number of gals) born between, say, 1965 and 1980, odds are good that Joan Jett was an early rock ’n’ roll crush. After the dissolution of her late ’70s all-girl punk/metal group The Runaways, Jett had a string of radio hits: “I Love Rock N’ Roll” spent several weeks at No. 1 and “I Hate Myself for Loving You” cracked the Billboard Top

n A couple issues back, former Razorback and NBA All-Star Joe Johnson sat down for a Q&A with the Times’ Lindsey Millar.

When Millar asked him what he had on the horizon for this summer, Johnson offhandedly mentioned an upcoming birthday. It seemed like a bit of an odd thing to bring up. But whatever, birthday parties are always fun, with the ice cream and cake and balloons. Then we realized, oh, this is what he was talking about: For his 30th birthday, Johnson is bringing in big-time Atlanta MC Young Jeezy as well as ’90s R&B stars K-Ci & JoJo for the “White Out Black Night Party,” a 21-and-up throw-down that will likely go down in Little Rock party lore. Tickets are $50 for general admission or $75 for VIP, which includes table seating and the buffet. Is there even any question which one you should opt for? After all, we wouldn’t expect the guy who owns the Super Truck to go for anything less than totally over-the-top when it comes time for a birthday throw-down. There’s a strictly enforced dress code of black and/ or white attire for the affair, with no tennis shoes, T-shirts, jeans or sagging pants getting in the door.

THURSDAY 6/23

n Crash Meadows offers an evening of earnest modern rock at Cajun’s Wharf at 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m.

DJs Deja Blu and Silky Slim helm the wheels of steel at VIP Thursday at Sway, 8 p.m., $3. The Lucious Spiller Band takes to the stage at Stickyz, 9 p.m., $5. Ben Creed brings the yucks at the Loony Bin, 8 p.m., $7. For some virtuosic jazz guitar, check out the ever-impressive Ted Ludwig Trio at the Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. For outdoor flicks, “The Tuskegee Airmen” is playing at Dreamland Ballroom, 8 p.m., free, or if you’re in the mood to never want to swim in the ocean ever again, Riverflicks is showing “Jaws” at North Shore Riverwalk, 7 p.m., free.

FRIDAY 6/24

n The summer fun doesn’t stop ’til the wee hours at Cool Shoes’ “Beach Party,” featuring a grip of local DJs, Downtown Music Hall, 9 p.m., $7.

Need a country fix? How about Colt Ford, Sonny Ledford, Jason Helms Band and Ryan Couron, 6 p.m., Clear Channel Metroplex, $15 adv., $20 door. Fire & Brimstone take the Irie jams to Capi’s at 8 p.m. Bop your head to Russellville pop-punkers Half Raptor, playing alongside Little Rock melodic indie-pop outfit Catskill Kids at Stickyz, 9 p.m. Iron Tongue and The Dirty Streets mix things up at White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. Wes Jeans takes his bombastic electric Texas blues to Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $6 adv., $8 d.o.s.

Over the years, jazz guitarist Tonk Edwards has backed up some serious heavyweights, including Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie.

Check him out at the Quapaw Bathhouse, 6 p.m., $10. Bid adieu to the Impressionists exhibit at the Arkansas Arts Center with hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and music, 7 p.m., $20.

SATURDAY 6/25

S ATU R D AY 6/ 25

GET DOWN ON THE MOUNTAIN

7 p.m., Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Free.

n To wrap up the Summit for Ambitious Writers, the Oxford American is putting on a humdinger of a shindig with the transcendently ramshackle psych-blues

■ inbrief

BIGTIME BIRTHDAY BASH: Joe Johnson’s 30th birthday party promises to be a swanky affair, with Atlanta MC Young Jeezy and R&B stars K-Ci & JoJo.

n DJ Jeremy Word keeps you up way too late at Discovery, 9 p.m., $10.

Watch a boatload of up-and-comers battle it out at the Gorilla Music Finals, 4 p.m., Downtown Music Hall, $9 adv., $12 door. The Intruders and Tiffany Christopher play Cajun’s Wharf at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively, $5 after 8:30. The burlesque beauties of the Memphis Belles will titillate your senses, with tunes from self-professed “outlaw honky tonk hell-billy anarchist crooner” Izzy Cox, Maxine’s, 10 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. The Sara Hughes Band plays White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 21

www.arktimes.com

afterdark

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

FILM

MUSIC

COMEDY

Ben Creed. The Loony Bin, 8 p.m.; June 24, 10:30 p.m.; June 25, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

FILM

Movies in the Park: “How to Train Your Dragon.” Riverfest Amphitheatre, 7 p.m. 400 President Clinton Ave.

LECTURES

William Whitworth, editor emeritus of The Atlantic. This lecture is part of the Oxford American’s Summit for Ambitious Writers. Reservations required.

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 4 p.m., free. 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton. 727-5435. summit.oxfordamerican.org/registration.

CAMPS Camp Wildwood. Campers age 11-14 will take part in a variety of art forms, including yoga, horticulture, culinary and performing arts and more. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, through July 1, 9 a.m. p.m., $50 registration fee, $450 session fee, $405 for Wildwood members. 20919 Denny Road.

Rock ’N’ Roll Camp. Children in grades 4-6 will 22 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

COMEDY

Ben Creed. The Loony Bin, through June 24, 8 p.m.; June 24, 10:30 p.m.; June 25, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10.

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

AETN Community Cinema: “Two Spirits.”

Filmmaker Lydia Nibley explores the cultural context behind the tragic murder of Fred Martinez, a Navajo youth who was nadleeh, or “two-spirit,” possessing a balance of masculine and feminine traits. Faulkner County Library, 6 p.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway.

501-327-7482. www.fcl.org.

Dreamland Drive-In: “The Tuskegee Airmen.”

Original Tuskegee Airman Milton Crenchaw will be on hand to answer questions. Dreamland Ballroom, 8 p.m.

800 W. 9th St. 501-607-0954.

Riverflicks: “Jaws.” North Shore Riverwalk, 7 p.m.

Riverwalk Drive, NLR. www.northlittlerock.org.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22 Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free.

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

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

Brown Soul Shoes. Stickyz Rock ’N’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Bud Summers. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Chase Coy, Rival Summers. Downtown Music Hall, 6 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s. 211 W. Capitol.

501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

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

Karaoke. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9 p.m. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com.

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

Lucero, Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $15 adv., $17 d.o.s. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $20. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

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

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG. We Came as Romans, Through The Looking Glass, A Faith Forgotten. Juanita’s, 8:30 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com.

p.m., $5. 923 W. Seventh St. 501-375-8466. www. vinosbrewpub.com.

Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. www.zacks-place.com.

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

Ol’ Puddin’haid. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free.

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

Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

The Smittle Band. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $7.

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

Swingin’ Utters, Continental. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $12. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

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

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

LECTURES

FAMILIAR FACES: The longtime Memphis road warriors of Lucero probably need no introduction in these pages, but just in case, here goes: sweaty, southern barroom rock steeped in equal amounts of Springsteen, the Replacements and bourbon. Openers Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth churn out guitar-mangling pop genius that’s as catchy as the band is loud. The show is Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Maxine’s and is $17.

Andy Core. Andy Core, a national motivational speaker promoting a better work-life balance, will be the featured speaker for the Downtown Little Rock Partnership’s Summer Forum. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 8:30 a.m., $35. 601 Main St. 501-375-0121. www.therep.org.

Pico Iyer. The famed travel writer delivers a lecture as part of the Oxford American’s Summit for Ambitious Writers. Reservations required. Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 4 p.m., free. 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton.

727-5435. summit.oxfordamerican.org/registration.

BENEFITS

experiment with various musical styles and instruments while learning about the life and music of Elvis Presley, culminating in a live performance by the students. Clinton Presidential Center, through June 24, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., $175 member, $200 nonmember. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-748-0472. www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org.

Wilderness Explorers Day Camp. Children ages 11-13 will hike, canoe and learn survival skills. An overnight camp Thursday includes dinner provided by park staff. Pinnacle Mountain State Park, through June 24, 9 a.m. p.m., $100. 11901 Pinnacle Valley Road. 501-868-5806.

Live Music tHURSDAY, JUNE 23 WINGIN’ UttERS! (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) WItH CONtINENtAL (BOStON, MA) & tHE REPARAtIONS SAtURDAY, JUNE 25 Sarah Hughes Band tUESDAY, JUNE 28 VOODOO SAUCE WItH MICHAEL WHItHAM CHECk OUt ADDItIONAL SHOWS At

WHItEWAtERtAVERN.COM

NOW SERVING LUNCH FRIDAY’S 11-2PM myspace.com/whitewatertavern Little Rock’s Down-Home Neighborhood Bar

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

THURSDAY, JUNE 23 MUSIC

Brian & Nick. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 8 p.m., Free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. www. markhamst.com.

Crash Meadows. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30pm. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com.

“V.I.P. Thursdays” with DJs SilkySlim and Derrty Deja Blu. Sway, 8 p.m., $3. 412 Louisiana.

501-907-2582.

“Hip-Hop Night.” Vino’s, Every other Thursday, 8

Find Us On Facebook www.facebook.com/arkansastimes

Relief on the Ridge. Food, drinks and live music at silent auction to benefit the American Red Cross in Arkansas. M2 Gallery, 6 p.m. 11525 Cantrell Road (Pleasant Ridge Town Center). 501-225-6271. m2lr. com.

CAMPS

Camp Wildwood. See June 22.

Rock ’N Roll Camp. See June 22.

Wilderness Explorers Day Camp. See June 22.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24 MUSIC

Boombox. Revolution, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s.

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

Bryan Frazier. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar. com.

Colt Ford, Jason Helms Band, Ryan Couron.

Clear Channel Metroplex, 6 p.m. 10800 Colonel Glenn Road.

Cool Shoes: “Beach Party.” Features DJs Wolf-EWolf, AWOL, SpencerX and Rysk. Downtown Music Hall, 9 p.m., $7. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

Cory Fontaine. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www.beerknurd.com/ stores/littlerock.

Ed Burks. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, June 24-25, 7 p.m.; July 1, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Fire & Brimstone. Capi’s, 8 p.m. 11525 Cantrell Suite 917. 501-225-9600. www.capisrestaurant.com.

Goldy Locks. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, June 24-25, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-2247665. www.westendsmokehouse.net.

Half Raptor, Catskill Kids. Stickyz Rock ’N’ Roll

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

JULY 20: CJ Ramone. 8 p.m., $15 adv., $20 d.o.s. Downtown Music Hall, 211 W. Capitol.

376-1819.

OCT. 4: Taylor Swift. 7 p.m., $27-$71. Verizon Arena. 975-9000, verizonarena.com.

Chicken Shack, 9 p.m. 107 Commerce St. 501-3727707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Iron Tongue, The Dirty Streets. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com.

Jason Greenlaw Band. Fox And Hound, 9 p.m., $5.

2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www. foxandhound.com/locations/north-little-rock.aspx.

Jet 420 (headliner), Chris Henry (happy hour).

Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Joey Farr and the Fuggins Wheat Band.

Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com.

“Summer Jam” with Changus, Tim Anthony.

Juanita’s, 10 p.m., $10. 1300 S. Main St. 501-3721228. www.juanitas.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free.

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG. Tonk Edwards. Quapaw Bathhouse, 6 p.m., $10.

413 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

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

Tiffany Christopher Band. Town Pump, 10 p.m.

1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 501-663-9802.

Wes Jeans, Seth Freeman. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $6 adv., $8 d.o.s. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

White Collar Criminals. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 8 p.m., Free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-2242010. www.markhamst.com.

COMEDY

Ben Creed. The Loony Bin, through June 24, 8 p.m.; June 24, 10:30 p.m.; June 25, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10.

The Loony Bin, June 24, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; June 25, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

14th Annual Buffalo River Elk Festival.

Celebrating the reintroduction of elk to Newton County with arts and crafts, food, wildlife seminars, live music and fireworks on Saturday night. Jasper Historic Courthouse Square, June 24-25, 10 a.m. Court Street and Hwy. 7, Jasper.

“Au Revoir, Impressionists.” Bid adieu to the Arkansas Arts Center’s exhibit with hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and music. Arkansas Arts Center, 7 p.m., $20. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group.

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

LECTURES

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker. Part of the Oxford American’s Summit for Ambitious Writers.

Reservations required. Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 2 p.m. 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton. 727-5435. summit. oxfordamerican.org/registration.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Dickey-Stephens Park, June 24-25, 7:10 p.m.; June 26, 6 p.m.; June 27, 1 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

CAMPS

Camp Wildwood. See June 22.

Rock ’N Roll Camp. See June 22.

Wilderness Explorers Day Camp. See June 22.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25 MUSIC

Bank Lauck Band. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9 p.m.

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

Chris Henry. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m. 323 President

Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www.beerknurd.com/ stores/littlerock.

Dave Hardy. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 8 p.m., Free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. www. markhamst.com.

DJ Jeremy Word. Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m., $10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www.latenightdisco.com.

Ed Burks. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through June 25, 7 p.m.; July 1, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom. com.

Fire & Brimstone. Senor Tequila, 7 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505.

Goldy Locks. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www. westendsmokehouse.net.

Gorilla Music Finals. Battle of the bands including At War’s End, Blind Mary, The Down South Juggaloz, Every Knee Shall Bow, Hourglass, Intoxxx, Never Taken, Seamless, Season of Evil, Unmasked, Veridium, Who Shot JR? Downtown Music Hall, 4 p.m., $9 adv., $12 door. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

The Intruders (headliner), Tiffany Christopher (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.

“Inferno” with DJs SilkySlim, Deja Blu, Greyhound. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-9072582.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Magic SpringsTimberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., $39.99-$54.99.

1701 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs.

Joe Johnson’s All Star Birthday Bash. This 21 and older bash features performances by Young Jeezy and K-Ci & JoJo. Clear Channel Metroplex, 9 p.m., $50-$75. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-217-5113. www.clearchannelmetroplex.com.

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

Katmandu. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar. com.

Kerry Grombacher. Lake Catherine State Park, 7:30 p.m., free. 1200 Catherine Park Road, Hot Springs.

The Light: A Christian Live Music Experience.

Pastor Dwight Townsend of Longley Baptist Church with saxophonist Phillip Brown, JDKT and The Sounds of OEM. The Land, 6:30 p.m., $10. 3700 W. 65th St. Matt Plessner, Joel Jordan. Fox And Hound, 9 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www.foxandhound.com/locations/north-little-rock. aspx.

Memphis Belles, Izzy Cox. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Sara Hughes Band. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

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

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free.

111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG. True Soul Revue, Tyrannosaurus Chicken.

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 7 p.m., Free. 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton. 727-5435. www.uawri.org.

Tyrannosaurus Chicken. Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar. com.

COMEDY

Ben Creed. The Loony Bin, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10.

The Loony Bin, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

14th Annual Buffalo River Elk Festival. See June 24.

Breakfast with Primates. Breakfast buffet in Cafe Africa and a keeper chat all about primates. Seating is limited and prior reservations are a must. Little Rock Zoo, 8 a.m., $13-$22. 1 Jonesboro Dr. 501-661-7218. www.littlerockzoo.com.

Arkansas Farmers Market. Locally grown produce. Certified Farmers Market, 7 a.m.-12 p.m.

6th and Main, NLR. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free.

Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads.

Farmer’s Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 31: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552.

www.rivermarket.info.

Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd.

“Power of Praise” ACH Fundraiser. Music from Scott Poynter, Tammy Cain, Caleb’s Crossing and Inner State to raise funds for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Oak Park Baptist Church, 7 p.m., $10. 8200 Flintridge Rd. Seeds of Knowledge Horticulture Seminar.

Includes guest speakers, demonstrations on tomato grafting and growing fruits and vegetables, as well as classes on cooking with seasonal produce. Local food will be served. River Market, 8 a.m., $50. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-753-9993. www.suesgarden.biz.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Dickey-Stephens Park, through June 25, 7:10 p.m.; June 26, 6 p.m.; June 27, 1 p.m., $6-$12.

400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs. com.

ATA World Championship - Grand Master Inauguration. One year after embarking on a trip around the world, Grand Master Soon Ho Lee and Chief Master In Ho Lee return to Little Rock. The journey, known as the Songahm Vision Tour, took them to places of great significance to Songahm Taekwondo.

Their voyage concludes during the Inaugural Ceremony of the 2011 ATA World Championships. Verizon Arena, 6:30 p.m., $16. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com.

CAMPS

Camp Wildwood. See June 22.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26 MUSIC

Chris Hughes, She Breathes Fire. Downtown Music Hall, 6:30 p.m., $8 adv., $12 door. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead. com.

Karaoke. Shorty Small’s, 6-9 p.m. 1475 Hogan Lane, Conway. 501-764-0604. www.shortysmalls.com.

Lending Love Apparel Benefit Show. Benefit show featuring EKG, Moses Uvere, Lilo Eskimo & Adam Bomb and more. Juanita’s, 6 p.m., $10 adv., $15 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com.

“Margarita Sunday.” With Tawanna Campbell, Jeron, Dell Smith, Cliff Aaron and Joel Crutcher.

Juanita’s, 9 p.m. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

Sunday Jazz Brunch with Ted Ludwig and Joe Cripps. Vieux Carre, 11 a.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501-663-1196. www.vieuxcarrecafe.com.

The Two Tenors. Asbury United Methodist ChurchAsbury United Methodist Church Place page, 3 p.m. 1700 Napa Valley Dr.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Dickey-Stephens Park, June 26, 6 p.m.; June 27, 1 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

CAMPS

Camp Wildwood. See June 22.

MONDAY, JUNE 27 MUSIC

Karaoke. Thirst n’ Howl, 8:30 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Seraphim, Xibalba. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $7. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows. homestead.com.

Stone County Connection. Collins Theater, 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation. 120 W. Emerson St., Paragould.

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

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

EVENTS

Arkansas Poker Championship. The build-up to the $25,000 Arkansas Poker Tournament began June 13 with the first of 20 qualifying rounds to be held over the course of 10 weeks. Oaklawn Park will host a poker tournament every Monday and Wednesday through Aug. 17. The top 60 qualifiers will go headto-head in the final set for Wed., Aug. 24. The final will offer $25,000 in guaranteed prize money with at least

$10,000 going to the winner. Oaklawn, through Aug. 17: 5:30 p.m., $60 buy-in amount. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411, ext. 602. www.oaklawn. com.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 1 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

CAMPS

Camp Wildwood. See June 22.

Go West Young People! Campers will explore the life of early American pioneers using historical facts and artistic creativity. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, June 27-July 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., $150 ($140 Wildwood Park members). 20919 Denny Road.

CLASSES

Beginning Yarn Spinning Class. Glenda Hershberger, spinner and teacher at the Ozark Folk Center, will teach a class about how to make a variety of yarns. Ozark Folk Center State Park, June 27-29, 10 a.m., $225. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View. 870-2693851.

TUESDAY, JUNE 28 MUSIC

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

Givers, Pepper Rabbit. Stickyz Rock ’N’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, June 28-30, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-3242999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Karaoke Night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

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

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

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

Scott H. Biram, The Reparations. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 d.o.s. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

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

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

VooDoo Sauce, William Blackart. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., Donations. 2500 W. 7th. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

DANCE

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

EVENTS

Charity Bingo Tuesday. ACAC, 6:30 p.m. 608 Main St. 501-244-2974. acacarkansas.wordpress.com.

Farmer’s Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 31: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.

Tales from the South. Authors tell true stories.

This week: Dida Gazoli, Buck Marsh, and Clay Arnold; live music by Monkhouse and blues Guitarist Mark Simpson. Dinner served 5-6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. To make a reservation, please call 501-372-7976. Starving Artist Cafe, 7 p.m. 411 N. Main St., NLR. 501-3727976. www.starvingartistcafe.net.

LECTURES

Kevin Brockmeier. Author Kevin Brockmeier will discuss his latest book, the well-received novel “The Illumination.” Laman Library, 6:30 p.m. 2801 Orange St., NLR. 501-771-1995. www.lamanlibrary.org.

CAMPS

Adventure Overnight Camp. This 4-day, 3-night camp is designed to introduce children ages 11-13 to the wonders of our natural world. Pinnacle Mountain State Park, June 28-July 1, $150. 11901 Pinnacle Valley Road. 501-868-5806.

Camp Wildwood. See June 22.

Go West Young People! See June 27.

CLASSES

Beginning Yarn Spinning Class. See June 27.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 MUSIC Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free.

Continued on page 24 www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 23

NICHOLS

Continued from page 18

MAGNETIC: John O’Hurley in “Chicago.”

■ theaterreview ‘Chicago’

June 14, Robinson Center Music Hall

n The star-studded movie, of course, did a lot to raise the profile of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “Chicago,” but it’s always been a stellar American musical. The story of murderous, fame-hungry Roxy Hart and her cohort in crime, Velma Kelly, continues to, as one song goes, “razzle dazzle ’em.”

The touring production that pulled into Little Rock for a two-day stay thanks to Celebrity Attractions confirmed all of the musical’s great qualities: a wicked sense of humor, a brassy score and tremendous, Brechtian showmanship.

It wouldn’t be fair to go too far without mentioning the choreography, which this production says is done by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse. You don’t have to know much about Fosse to see his slinky, sexed-up style present in the chorus of dancers, all wearing next to nothing covered by enough fishnet to drape a football field.

The headline on this “Chicago” is the appearance of John O’Hurley, who will forever be known as J. Peterman on Seinfeld.

O’Hurley, playing the opportunistic lawyer Billy Flynn, could have easily been a stiff on stage or hammed it up. Instead, with his silver hair and distinct, booming voice, he was magnetic. His comic timing was deadon and he effortlessly held the stage whenever he was on it. The ventriloquist number

was a thing of beauty.

O’Hurley was matched and perhaps slightly bested by Ron Orbach and his incredibly incisive take on poor schlub Amos Hart. Orbach comes on like a comic doofus — it makes perfect sense that Roxy would step all over this guy. It makes it all the more poignant and heart-wrenching when Orbach belts out his sad lament, “Mr. Cellophane.”

Roz Ryan, as Matron “Mama” Morton, hardly moved a muscle on stage (especially when compared to the writhing bodies around her), but she got the audience eating out of her hand from almost her first appearance.

O’Hurley, Orbach and Ryan were so enjoyable that Tracy Shayne as Roxy and Terra C. MacLeod as Velma came across as a bit bland. Shayne and MacLeod are clearly pros and they don’t lack for vocal chops or dancing ability. But Shayne in particular never seemed to fully inhabit her role and her Roxy never communicated a desperateness that clearly is part of the character.

But that’s only a tiny drag for a very adult show that, unlike most musicals, is able to make it to the end with its black heart intact. This “Chicago” also proved to be a playground for some sharp performers.

— Werner Trieschmann

CALENDAR

Karaoke. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9 p.m. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com.

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

Knee Deep, Attack the Mind, Critical Mass.

Downtown Music Hall, 8 p.m., $6. 211 W. Capitol.

501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

Mayday By Midnight. Stickyz Rock ’N’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Monkhouse. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $2. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

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

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

Continued from page 23 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

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

Darryl Edwards. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through June 30, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

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

24 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Can you talk about how you used special effects in “Take Shelter”?

It helped that we had Hydraulx, a gazillion-dollar effects company out in LA, onboard as executive producers. The Strause brothers, Greg and Colin, run the company.

For some reason, they saw “Shotgun Stories” and they really liked it and read the script for “Take Shelter.”

The coolest anecdote was how we made the clouds. On bigger budget films like Roland Emmerich films, they 3D model all the clouds. They make them from scratch. The reason for that is so that you can spin them around, you can move them as slow or fast as you want. You have total control.

We didn’t have the budget for that. So what we did was find really high resolution stills from storm chasers in the United States of these incredible looking storm cells and imported those, broke them into layers and then did some light and added 2D movement. You’re far more constrained, but we didn’t need to move them much. The cool thing was that we were sitting in front of a computer looking at real clouds. Instead of sitting in front of a computer looking at fake clouds, asking how can we make these fake clouds real, we were looking at real clouds saying how far can we push this. It was really a good lesson to learn and one I’ll take forward if I do more CGI stuff in the future.

It seems like you almost couldn’t have made the movie without Hydraulx involvement?

Absolutely not. I had the component in place before I had the financing. We didn’t know the details, exactly how much we were going to pay them or whatever. But they were such cool guys, who said, “Nah, we’ll figure that out. Just know that we’re in.” So I was able to take that to the financier in Ohio and say, “I got Mike Shannon, I got Jessica Chastain and I got Hydraulx.” And that was enough to get the ball rolling.

You caught Mike Shannon in “Shotgun Stories” before he sort of blew up, before “Boardwalk Empire” and the Oscar nomination. Now you’ve got Jessica Chastain before “Tree of Life” and all sorts of other things she has coming up.

Did you just get lucky?

COMEDY

Valarie Storm. The Loony Bin, June 29, 8 p.m.; June 30, 8 p.m.; July 1, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; July 2, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road.

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

EVENTS

Arkansas Poker Championship. See June 27.

Science Cafe: “Up, Up & Away -- Atmospheric Science.” The Afterthought, 7 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar. com.

FILM

Movies in the Park: “Ghostbusters.” Riverfest Amphitheatre, 8 p.m. 400 President Clinton Ave.

CAMPS

Adventure Overnight Camp. See June 28.

Yes. But you have a sense when you’re talking about an actor. You have a sense that, Oh, yeah, this person is going to be really good. Not just in your movie. I’m not a rocket scientist. You look at Mike Shannon’s early films and you can’t take your eyes off him. So that wasn’t hard.

But with Jessica, it was luck because I hadn’t seen anything she’d been in. Because Sarah Green was our executive producer — she produces for Terrence Malick — I got a 10 minute meeting with Malick and he said, “This is one of the greatest actresses I’ve ever worked with.” After I heard that, I flew out to LA and we hit it off. Even then I didn’t have knowledge of what she was going to bring to the table.

But I’m not kidding, she goes toe to toe with Mike Shannon. And it’s 100 percent necessary. You watch this movie with a lesser actress in that role and it doesn’t work.

She is the backbone of the story and ultimately the movie.

So “MUD” is definitely your next project?

It’s whole-heartedly the next thing I’m doing. When we start shooting is up in the air, and there are some details I can’t talk about. Though some are just blatant: The river’s flooded.

Hopefully it’ll shoot this year. It’s tricky because I can’t shoot it in the winter. It’s not a year-long script. We’ll see. I have conversations about it every day.

Is Captain Kirk going to be in it?

We don’t know. We’re in talks with Chris Pine, but nothing is set.

You don’t know where you’re going to shoot it?

The location scouts started in Louisiana, but Christopher Crane has been killing himself to get this project in Arkansas. Arkansas is stepping up to the plate in a major way.

Everything we wanted out of Arkansas, Arkansas is doing. They are rescuing this project out of the grasp of Louisiana.

We still don’t know where we’re going to shoot. I wrote it for around DeWitt, but they don’t have any islands down there. Apparently, all the islands are further south in Arkansas City, and I haven’t been there.

To read the full version of this interview, go to arktimes.com/jeffnicholsq&a.

Camp Wildwood. See June 22.

Go West Young People! See June 27.

CLASSES

Beginning Yarn Spinning Class. See June 27.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER “The 39 Steps.” A man bored with his life meets a woman who says she’s a spy and soon the two are on the run from a mysterious organization in this adaptation of the Hitchcock classic. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, through June 26: Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m.; Thu., 7 p.m., $20-$40. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.therep.org.

“Always Patsy Cline.” A revue of the legendary

Continued on page 28

■ media We don’t like local news

See works by Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas and Cézanne!

And there’s not much of it out there, either.

BY GERARD MATTHEWS

n That headline might seem a little severe, or hyperbolic, but it’s exactly what a new study by George Washington University professor Matt Hindman says about us and how we consume local news on the Internet.

According to the new study, “Less of the Same: The Lack of Local News on the Internet:” “Local news is a tiny part of web usage; collectively, local news outlets receive less than half of a percent of all page views in a typical market.” Most of them, as you might imagine, go to sites like Facebook and Google, which account for 10 and 7 percent, respectively, of page views in any given market.

The study used data on Internet traffic compiled by the company comScore, which installs software on a sample of Internet users’ computers and collects the data, much like Nielsen does for television ratings.

Hindman set out to see if the Internet had truly become the vibrant bastion of hyper-local news that everyone from techies to media-merging conglomerates expected and wanted it to be. It isn’t. The study looked at Internet usage data from the top 100 news markets in the country.

News outlets were divided into national and local sections. Sites, like smaller operations and blogs, weren’t included if they didn’t attract at least one percent of that market’s audience.

Here are a few of Hindman’s conclusions: n Newspapers and television stations dominate the online market. n Local news audience numbers are down because of low news consumption overall and high consumption of national news. n Only 17 of the 1,074 online local news sources identified by the study were “genuinely new media outlets,” meaning they were completely free of established print or broadcast sources. Sites like Chattanoogan.com and TucsonCitizen.com are examples. Even the most successful of these had extremely low traffic numbers. n Media concentration offline contributes to concentration online. “Most local news markets on the Web are dominated by just a few firms.”

Central Arkansas has a fairly active news community, but it’s likely that some of the smaller outlets like Talk Business, The Tolbert Report, maybe even the Ar-

kansas Blog, just didn’t make the cut in terms of audience size. It’s not clear which outlets were included in the report, and which were not.

Attempts to reach Hindman to get more accurate data on Little Rock were unsuccessful.

Of course, there are a couple of problems with the study. That audience threshold number, limiting the outlets studied, might be too low.

Also, by most accounts, the data overlaps. For example, if 30 percent of the people in a certain market say they go to one site, that doesn’t mean they avoid all the other ones.

In any event, trying to accurately compute Internet usage is a good guess at best.

So not a lot of people look at local news online. Should we be surprised?

Probably not. After all, we’re all very busy people and — hey, look at that YouTube video of a kitten in a cup! But the study does bring up a couple of very troubling trends.

In a throwaway paragraph near the beginning of the report, Hindman talks about how much time people spend on various websites.

“Most page views are short. comScore reports that a page view lasts 26 seconds on average; 98 percent of page views last less than 2 minutes, and 99.8 percent last less than 10.”

Are we really that ADD-addled that we can’t stay on a site for more than 26 seconds? Research on the average length of the television news sound bite would tell you the same thing. We don’t want to hear anybody talking about blah, blah, blah for any longer than about seven seconds. Of course, the Internet may simply not be the place people go to for long-form entertainment. The same Huffington Post-toTMZ-to-Gawker hyperactive page-jumper might sit down to a good couple hours of Chaucer every night. Who knows?

The second, and most important point, the paper underlines is that it doesn’t appear that the Internet has expanded the number of local news outlets. The FCC has been enabling media conglomeration for years — allowing companies to own a television station and a newspaper in the same market, for example — based on the idea that the winnowing number of major news outlets would be counterbalanced by news on the ’net. This study shows that’s just not happening.

see it now! ends June 26

Pierre Auguste Renoir (French, 1841–1919), Woman Arranging Her Hat (detail), ca. 1890, oil on canvas, High Museum of Art, gift of Micheline and Bob Gerson, 2008.165

A r k A n s A s l Ai t trl e tr o sc k C5 0e1 3n7 2t4e0 0r0

9th and commerce

TickeT info: w w w.ark arTs.com

Othello • The Tortoise and the Hare Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat As You Like It

The Summer Festival of Serious Fun! JUNE 16 - JULY 3RD arkshakes.com

REYNOLDS PERFORMANCE HALL ARGENTA COMMUNITY THEATER • THE VILLAGE AT HENDRIX www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 25

HELP WANTED ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Friday, June 24 – Thursday, June 30

CELEBRATING OUR 11th YEAR!

Meek’s Cutoff PG 2:00 4:20 6:45 9:15 Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Paul Dano Independent Spirit Awards, Venice Film Fest InCendIes R 1:45 4:15 6:45 9:15 Lubna Azabal, Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette Academy Award Nominee eveRythInG Must Go R 2:00 4:20 7:15 9:15 Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, Christopher Jordan Wallace Free Wi-Fi the double houR nR 2:15 4:25 7:00 9:00 in the lobby Kseniya Rapport, Filippo Timi Venice Film Festival MIdnIGht In PaRIs PG13 1:45 4:00 7:00 9:15 Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates Directed by Woody Allen

AirplAne PG • Tues 7/12 • 7Pm • Only $5 NOW SERVING BEER & WINE

9 PM SHOWS FRI & SAT ONLY

501-312-8900

EMAIL CINEMA8@CSWNET.COM FOR SPECIAL marketstreetcinema.net SHOWS, PRIVATE PARTIES & BUSINESS MEETINGS OR FILM FESTIVALS 1521 MERRILL DR. CALL (501) 223-3529 & LEAVE MESSAGE

‘MEEK’S CUTOFF’: This tale of a party of pioneers led astray by their guide is the latest beautiful offering from Kelly Reichardt, who directed “Old Joy,” “River of Grass” and “Wendy and Lucy,” which also starred Michelle Williams.

JUNE 24-25

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

Check www.arktimes.com for updates. Market Street Cinema showtimes at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only.

NEW MOVIES Bad Teacher (R) –­ Cameron Diaz plays a bad teacher who suddenly becomes motivated to improve her students’ test scores through the magic of incentive pay. Breckenridge: 11:30 a.m., 2:10, 4:25, 7:45, 10:00. Riverdale 10: 11:45 a.m., 1:45, 3:55, 6:05, 8:05, 10:10.

Cars 2 (G) – A group of animated talking cars travel abroad for the inaugural World Grand Prix in this Pixar sequel. Breckenridge: 11:45 a.m., 2:30, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45 (2D) 11:15 a.m., 2:00, 4:45, 7:30, 10:15 (3D). Riverdale 10: 11:20 a.m., 1:40, 4:05, 9:05, 9:30.

Incendies (R) – After the death of their mother, a brother and sister embark upon a journey to the Middle East and uncover truths about their family’s mysterious past. Market Street: 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15 Meek’s Cutoff (PG) – Michelle Williams stars in this tale of a group of westward voyagers led astray by their guide in the high plains desert. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 6:45, 9:15 RETURNING THIS WEEK African Cats (G) – A Disney (read: sentimentalized) nature doc narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. Movies 10: 12:50, 3:10, 5:25, 7:40, 9:55.

Bridesmaids (R) — After her best friend gets engaged, a broke, lovelorn maid of honor has to fake her way through crazy bridesmaid rituals. With Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. Breckenridge: 12:10, 4:40, 7:25, 10:10. Riverdale 10: 11:10 a.m., 1:50, 4:35, 7:30, 10:05.

Green Lantern (PG-13) — Ryan Reynolds stars as the DC Comics superhero in this sci-fi action flick that also stars Blake Lively and Peter 26 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Sarsgaard. Breckenridge: 12:05, 2:35, 5:05, 7:40, 10:15 (2D) 12:35, 4:10, 7:15, 9:50 (3D). Riverdale 10: 11:35 a.m., 2:05, 4:30, 7:25, 10:15.

The Hangover Part II (R) – The Wolf Pack ends up blacking out and having to retrace the night before again. This time in Asia. With Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms. Breckenridge: 11:25, 2:05, 4:30, 6:55, 9:50. Riverdale 10: 11:40 a.m., 2:15, 4:50, 7:05, 9:55.

Hop (PG) – The day before he’s scheduled to take over the family business, E.B., the teen-age son of the Easter Bunny, runs away to Hollywood to pursue his dream of being a rock drummer. Voiced

by Russell Brand and Hugh Laurie. Movies 10: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45.

Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs. Evil (PG) – Red Riding Hood and the Wolf are called upon to track down the kidnapped duo of Hansel and Gretel.

Voiced by Glenn Close and Patrick Warburton.

Movies 10: 12:25, 2:45, 5:00, 7:05, 9:25.

Kung-Fu Panda 2 (PG) – Po (Jack Black) is living it up as The Dragon Warrior, but a mysterious villain threatens to ruin his plans. Breckenridge:12:00, 2:40, 4:50, 7:10, 9:40. Riverdale 10: 11:05 a.m., 1:00, 3:05, 5:05, 7:05, 9:15.

Limitless (PG-13) – A metropolitan copywriter runs from a group of assassins after discovering and taking a top-secret drug that gives him superhuman abilities. With Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro.

Movies 10: 12:05, 2:30, 5:05, 7:35, 10:05.

The Lincoln Lawyer (R) — Matthew McConaughey plays a lawyer who works out of the back of his Lincoln in this adaptation of a Michael Connelly novel. Movies 10: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00.

Mr. Poppers Penguins (PG) — Jim Carrey plays a businessman whose life takes a turn for ridiculous after he inherits six penguins. Breckenridge: 12:30 (close-captioned) 2:45, 5:10, 7:35, 9:55. Riverdale 10: 11:00 a.m., 1:05, 3:10, 5:20, 7:35, 9:45.

Rango (PG) – A quixotic chameleon has to

succeed at being the daredevil he thinks he is after winding up in an old West town. Movies 10: 12:00, 2:25, 4:50, 7:20, 9:50.

Rio (G) – A domesticated macaw from suburban Minnesota takes to Rio de Janeiro to find the freewheeling bird of his dreams. Voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway. Movies 10: 1:25, 3:45, 6:05, 8:25 (2D) 12:15, 2:35, 4:55, 7:15, 9:35 (3D).

Something Borrowed (PG-13) – A perpetually single urbanite falls in love with her best friend’s new fiancé. With Kate Hudson and John Krasinski.

Movies 10: 1:10, 4:05, 7:10, 10:10.

Soul Surfer (PG) – In spite of losing an arm in a shark attack, a teen-age girl with a passion for surfing returns to the ocean. With AnnaSophia Robb and Helen Hunt. Movies 10: 12:30, 2:55, 5:20, 7:45, 10:15.

Super 8 (PG-13) – After a group of friends films a train wreck in a small Ohio town, inexplicable things begin happening around the crash site and locals start to disappear into thin air. Directed by J.J. Abrams. Breckenridge: 11:40 a.m., 12:20, 2:15, 4:00, 5:00, 7:00, 7:35, 9:35, 10:10. Riverdale 10: 11:30 a.m., 2:00, 4:25, 6:45, 9:10.

Thor (PG-13) – The comic book hero comes to life as the cocky warrior gets banished to Earth and has to defend humans from impending doom. Directed

by Kenneth Branagh. Riverdale 10: 11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:45, 7:01, 9:35.

X-Men: First Class (PG-13) – Professor Xavier’s gifted students explore their new-found powers as the Cold War reaches a fever pitch. With James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

Breckenridge:12:25, 4:05, 6:55, 9:50. Riverdale 10: 11:15 a.m., 1:55, 4:35, 7:15, 9:55.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Authentic MexicAn Food And tex-Mex cuisine everydAy! ‘GREEN LANTERN’: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds star.

■ moviereview Bright for boys, at least ‘Green Lantern.’ n All this time we wondered what a Ryan Reynolds was for and it turns out he’s perfectly serviceable as a cocky man-child who goes from flying jets to becoming an intergalactic super hero with the power to shape reality into a Tex Avery cartoon.

He doesn’t ask to be taken too seriously as Hal Jordan in “Green Lantern,” and neither does the rest of the movie, which is just skippy, because it’s so thoroughly a geeky sci-fi comic book flick that any hint of pretense would burst in a green cloud. “Green Lantern” is a fine example of a movie that accomplishes almost everything it sets out to accomplish, and still isn’t all that great. Twelve-year-old boys will love it while their chaperones at least are able to tolerate it.

The huge comic universes of Marvel and, in this case, DC keep churning up characters that might have been vaguely familiar to non-fans. The Green Lantern, despite some level of name recognition, turns out to be a more challenging fellow to film than, say, Batman or some other heroes who aren’t ostensibly made of malleable green space energy. His powers and back story require so much illustration, in fact, it seems like long stretches of “Green Lantern” are just Reynolds’ talking head superimposed on a CGI suit on a CGI deep-space background along with the CGI aliens he’s fighting or chatting with. Picture the Toontown sequence from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and you’re getting close.

Before he gets whisked into the void, Hal is a test pilot whose first act on-screen is to outfly a pair of fighter drones, crashing his own jet in the process and raising all sorts of consternation that he’s the leastresponsible person on the planet. Thus it seems incongruent when a member of an

alien guardian brotherhood crash-lands on Earth and passes his green ring and green lantern onto Hal. Understandably he’s a touch concerned, even after realizing that the ring has the power to manifest thoughts as objects; if he can imagine a thing, he can instantly conjure it out of energy. He becomes more concerned when he learns a long-imprisoned superfiend named Parallax, played here by a digitized blob that looks like scorched calamari, threatens the universe and everything Hal sort of cares about.

Parallax is fueled by fear, whereas the Lanterns, of which there are thousands, fuel their exploits with the will power gathered from the living beings of the cosmos. This is as deep as the metaphorical aspects of “Green Lantern” reach: fear vs. will, who ya got? Along the way we get to ogle the nasty descent that Peter Sarsgaard makes as Hector Hammond, a biology teacher who’s exposed to some truly unpleasant elements, and admire Tim Robbins semi-slumming in a turn as a Machiavellian senator. There are a couple of women in the movie, including Angela Basset as a government scientist and the perfectly pleasant Blake Lively as Hal’s romantic interest, but “Green Lantern” seems doomed to fail the Bechdel Test, as it’s virtually all dudes interacting, boys with men, men with space men, space men with space monsters. A sequence midway through the closing credits gives strong hints on the path for a “Green Lantern” sequel, of which there may be several, but you wonder whether Warner Bros. can crank ’em out fast enough to catch the true fans of this movie before they sprout chest hair and start noticing girls, or the lack thereof.

— Sam Eifling

Happy Hour 4-6pm • FuLL Bar aVaILaBLE EVEry THursday: 12 oz. margarITas $1.99 EVEry FrIday NIgHT 9-11pm: LIVE marIacHIs suN – THurs 10am-10pm • FrI – saT 10am-11pm (501) 562-1233 • 4918 BasELINE rd LITTLE rock ar 72209

Michel Leidermann Moderator

EL LATINO Program AETN-TV 10:30 pm, Sunday June 26 Broadcast in Spanish www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 27

CALENDAR

Continued from page 24 country singer’s greatest hits as told through her correspondence with fan Louise Seger. For tickets or more information, call 562-3131 or visit murrysdinnerplayhouse.com. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through June 26: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., $23-$33. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

Arkansas Shakespeare Festival: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Webber and Rice’s classic rock musical retells the Biblical story of Joseph, the boy who is sold into slavery and escapes to find more trials and tribulations on his way back home. For tickets or more information, visit arkshakes.com. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, June 23-24, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., June 26, 7:30 p.m.; July 1-2, 2 p.m. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway.

Arkansas Shakespeare Festival: “Othello.”

William Shakespeare’s great tragedy explores ambition, fame, jealousy, sex and war during the Venetian/ Turkish wars of the 1500s. For tickets or more information, visit arkshakes.com. Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, Sat., June 25, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., June 26, 2 p.m.; June 29-30, 7:30 p.m. 350 S. Donaghey, Conway.

Arkansas Shakespeare Festival: “The Tortoise and the Hare.” A children’s theater retelling of Aesop’s timeless fable about a foot race between cocky hare and a deliberate turtle. Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Fri., June 24, 2 p.m.; Sun., June 26, 12 p.m.; through July 2, 10 a.m. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway.

“Beauty and the Beast Jr.” All of the moments from the hit Disney movie are presented on stage, from the delightful characters, to the memorable songs.

Center on the Square, June 23-25, 7 p.m., $8 adv., $10 door. 111 W. Arch Ave., Searcy. 501-368-0111. www.centeronthesquare.org.

“Everybody Loves Opal.” A comedy about three con artists who attempt to take out a hefty life-insurance policy on wacky recluse Opal Kronkie and then speed her demise, only to be thwarted by her oddball antics. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, June 28-July 2, 6

p.m.; Wed., June 29, 11 a.m.; Sun., July 3, 5:30 p.m.; July 5-9, 6 p.m.; Wed., July 6, 11 a.m.; Sun., July 10, 5:30 p.m.; July 12-16, 6 p.m.; Wed., July 13, 11 a.m.; Sun., July 17, 5:30 p.m.; July 23, 6 p.m.; Sun., July 24, 5:30 p.m., $23-$33. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-5623131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

“Gypsy.” Based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous burlesque striptease artist, whose mother, Rose, became synonymous with the “ultimate showbusiness mother.” The Weekend Theater, through July 10: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org.

“Moonlight and Magnolias.” A farce of the lastminute re-write of the entire script for “Gone With the Wind.” Central Theatre, through July 2: Wed., Thu., 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.; June 26-July 3, 2 p.m., $22.50. 1008 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

“On the Origin of Skeptics – The Octopus Guide.” The Red Octopus Theater Co. presents an evening of provocative skit comedy, with proceeds benefiting Darwin Day 2012. The Public Theatre, Sat., June 25, 7 p.m., $10. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www.thepublictheatre.com.

Opera in the Ozarks: “Die Fledermaus.” Die Fledermaus (The Bat) is an operetta composed

by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee. It will be sung in English.

Inspiration Point, Fri., June 24, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., June 29, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., July 2, 7:30 p.m.; Tue., July 5, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., July 8, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., July 15, 7:30 p.m.; Thu., July 21, 7:30 p.m., $20-$25. 16311 Hwy. 62 W., Eureka Springs.

Opera in the Ozarks: “Le Nozze di Figaro.” One of Mozart’s most famous operas, Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) is a continuation of the plot of The Barber of Seville, several years later, and recounts a single “day of madness” in the palace of the Count Almaviva near Seville, Spain. It will be sung in Italian, with translation presented. Inspiration Point, Sat., June 25, 7:30 p.m.; Thu., June 30, 7:30 p.m.; Thu., July 7, 7:30 p.m.; Tue., July 12, 7:30 p.m.; Thu., July 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., July 16, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., July 20, 7:30 p.m., $20-$25. 16311 Hwy. 62 W., Eureka Springs. 479-2538595. www.opera.org.

Opera in the Ozarks: “Little Women.” Mark Adamo’s Little Women is adapted from American

ARGENTA COMMUNITY THEATER Friday, July 1 | 7:30pm Saturday, July 2 | 7:30pm Sunday, July 3 | 2:00pm & 7:30pm sponsored by

TICKETS

www.arkshakes.com 501.450.3265 28 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

author Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel of a young woman’s understandable but doomed struggle to prevent life from taking her beloved sisters away from her. Inspiration Point, Tue., June 28, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., July 1, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., July 6, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., July 9, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., July 13, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., July 22, 7:30 p.m., $20-$25. 16311 Hwy. 62 W., Eureka Springs.

479-253-8595. www.opera.org.

“What’s Cooking: Two Centuries of American Foodways.” Photographs, illustrations, cookbooks, cooking utensils and appliances, tableware, handson “what’s it” activities featuring cooking gadgets of the past, special activities opening day 10:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. Rogers Historical Museum, through Oct. 9: Mon.-Sat.. 322 S. 2nd St., Rogers. 479-621-1154. www.rogersarkansas.com/museum.

GALLERIES, MUSEUMS NEW EXHIBITS, EVENTS

CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Driven to Explore,” moon rock, multimedia NASA exhibits, 1-5 p.m. June 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 27. 370-8000.

SALVATION ARMY, 1515 W. 18th St., NLR: Dream Big free art classes for children in grades K-6, 10-11:30 a.m. June 25, July 9, 16, 23, 30, parental consent required, sponsored by the Thea Foundation.

379-9512. n Eureka Springs ARKANSAS CRAFT GALLERY, 104 E. Main St.: Copperwork by Skip and Racheal Mathews, through June 25, reception 5-7 p.m. June 22. 870269-4120, www.arkansascraftguild.org. n Hot Springs ARTCHURCH STUDIO, 301 Whittington Ave.: “Visual Journals,” two-day mixed media workshop with Terri Taylor, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 23-24. $125. 501-463-9890, www.artchurch.org MID-AMERICA SCIENCE MUSEUM, 500 MidAmerica Blvd.: “Driven to Explore,” moon rock, multimedia NASA exhibits, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 23, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. June 24. 501-767-3461, midamericamuseum.org. n Fayetteville UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS: “Between Us,” ceramics by UA students Pei-I Shih, Glenna Worrell and Nichole Howard, June 22-29, Fine Arts Center Gallery, 1-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 479-575-7987. n Rogers ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. Second St.: “What’s Cooking: Two Centuries of American Foodways,” photographs, illustrations, cookbooks, cooking utensils and appliances, tableware, hands-on “what’s it” activity featuring cooking gadgets of the past, June 25-Aug. 20, special activities on opening day 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 479-621-1154, rogersarkansas.com/museum. n Memphis DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 Park Ave.: “Jean-Louis Forain: La Comedie Parisienne,” opening weekend events June 24-26, exhibition through Oct. 9. $7 adults, $5 seniors and students.

901-761-5250, www.dixon.org.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “A Couple of Ways of Doing Something,” daguerreotype photographs by Chuck Close, poems by Bob Holman, through July 26; “The Impressionists and Their Influence,” paintings and works on paper from the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, private collections and the Arts Center Foundation collection, through June 26, $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 youth, members free; “Michael Peterson: Evolution/Revolution,” wood sculpture, through July 3. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000.

BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “The Art of Robin Tucker,” Atrium Gallery; “V.I.T.A.L. (Visual Images that Affect Lives),” work by Melverue Abraham, Rex Deloney, LaToya Hobbs, Ariston Jacks, Kalari Turner and Michael Worsham, Concordia Hall, through Aug. 27; Arkansas Art Educators’ “State Youth Art Show 2011,” through July 30, Main Gallery. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Mon.-Sat. 320-5791.

CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “20th annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Open Membership Exhibit,” through July 16. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mon.-Sat. 224-1335.

CHRIST CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “A Walk Through Harmony Clinic,” photographs by Ranaa

Tasneem, through June. 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.

COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market (formerly Commerce): “Civil War Arkansas, 18611865,” traveling exhibit of images of people, places and battles, second floor, through June. 918-3090.

GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Amber Uptigrove, Sulac, new work through July 9. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996.

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Best of the South,” paintings by Carroll Cloar, William Dunlap, Glennray Tutor and others. 664-2787.

KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St., NLR: Tim Jacob, “puddle paintings,” through mid-July. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 529-6330.

L&L BECK GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Go West, Young Man!” paintings by Louis Beck, through June. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 660-4006.

LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St.: “Feelin’ Groovy: Rock and Roll Graphics, 1966-1970,” through Aug. 21. 758-1720.

LOCAL COLOUR GALLERY, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Art and jewelry by members of artists’ cooperative. 265-0422.

M2GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road (Pleasant Ridge Town Center): “Westland: The Life and Art of Tim West,” artwork by West, photographs by Diana Michelle Hausam. 225-6257.

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

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

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

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

Mon.-Fri. 372-7373.

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

Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. STEPHANO’S FINE ART, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Stephano, Patrick Cunningham, Liz Kemp, Jeff Waddle, B.J. Aguiar, Kelley Wise, Steve Thomas, Jeannie Clifton. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m.

Sun. 563-4218.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Works from the UALR Permanent Collection,” Galleries I and II, through June 24. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Mon.-Fri. 569-8977.

ONGOING MUSEUM EXHIBITS

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

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

CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Elvis,” memorabilia from films, including Elvis’ red MG from “Blue Hawaii,” through Aug. 21; “Elvis at 21, Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer,” 56 black and white images taken in 1956 by RCA Victor photojournalist, through Sept. 11; exhibits about policies and White House life during the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000.

HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “Forgotten Places: Rhonda Berry and Diana Michelle Hausam,” photographs, through Aug. 7; “Mid-Southern Watercolorists 41st Annual Exhibition,” through Aug. 13, Trinity Gallery; “Reel to Real: ‘Gone with the Wind’ and the Civil War in Arkansas,” artifacts from the Shaw-Tumblin collection, including costumes and screen tests, along with artifacts from the HAM collection, including slave narratives, uniforms and more; through April 30, 2012. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $2.50 adults, $1.50, $1 children for tours of grounds. 3249351.

MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: Exhibits on Arkansas’s military history. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602.

n Mark your calendar: The Argenta Foodie Festival returns to downtown North Little Rock from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, July 2. Ashley’s at the Capital, Argenta Market, Boulevard Bread Co., Ferneau, Hunka Pie, Starving Artist Cafe and Union Bistro will all have booths featuring foods made primarily from local produce or meat.

There’ll be live music by the Swingshift Band and Fire & Brimstone, too.

Admission is free.

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

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

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

B Breakfast

L Lunch

D Dinner

$ Inexpensive (under $8/person)

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

$$$ Expensive (over $20/person)

CC Accepts credit cards

LITTLE ROCK/ N. LITTLE ROCK AMERICAN 4 SQUARE GIFTS Vegetarian salads, soups, wraps and paninis and a daily selection of desserts in an Arkansas products gift shop. 405 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-2622. L daily. D Mon.-Sat. ARGENTA MARKET The Argenta District’s neighborhood grocery store offers a deli featuring a daily selection of big sandwiches along with fresh fish and meats and salads.

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

501-379-9980. BL daily, D Mon.-Sat. ARKANSAS BURGER CO. Good burgers, fries and shakes, plus salads and other entrees. Try the cheese dip.

7410 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-0600.

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

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

BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT The food’s great, portions huge, prices reasonable. Diners can look into the open kitchen and watch the culinary geniuses at work slicing and dicing and sauteeing. It’s great fun, and the fish is special. 2300 Cottondale Lane. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2677.

LD Mon.-Fri. D Sat.

Continued on page 30

Acadia continues to impress. n At the end of your dinner at Acadia, you will realize — if you don’t already — that the venerable Hillcrest bistro is in the upper tier of Little Rock restaurants.

And if you happen to be enjoying that dinner on a Monday or Tuesday, as so many do, you’ll have a hard time believing the three-course meal you just devoured has set you back only $24.50, a total that’s easy to blow past if you have three courses in much lesser, even chain, restaurants.

There is no bad day to go to Acadia — and word is it might start opening on Sunday later this summer — but the fixedprice deal makes those early workweek days most appealing. Assuming desserts are about $6, our two meals on another night would have cost $77 vs. the $45 we paid. And they would have been well worth it. But who are we to scoff at a 42 percent discount?

Those not familiar with Acadia, or this deal, might assume it’s a short-term ploy to lure customers on traditionally slower nights and impress them enough to come back again and again. And most of that is true — just not the “short-term” thing, as owner James Hale and manager Gregory Robinson have offered the prix-fixe deal for at least 10 years, at gradually increasing prices. (Hale opened Acadia in 1999, and Robinson came on board in 2001.)

But all discounts and math equations aside, no restaurant in this fickle industry would have thrived as long as Acadia has — and no decade-long deal, no matter how enticing, would support a restaurant — without serious on-plate credentials.

We’re a sucker for pan-seared scallops ($11.75 normally) and never have come close to perfecting the craft at home (this is one dish that fabulous non-stick cookware does no favors for). So we can never not get them at Acadia. These are perfectly prepared — subtly herbed, browned nicely, plump and juicy, not the least bit rubbery as they adeptly straddle that fine line between under- and overcooked.

The other appetizer that graced our table was a fabulous pair of small duck enchiladas ($10.75). Small corn tortillas were filled with shredded duck that was subtly spiced and teamed with black beans and cheese. Those whose first duck eating experience owed to a 12-gauge Remington blast on a cold early morning near Humnoke would never peg this meat as duck.

Nor would they expect to find these jewels resting on a savory but smooth sauce combination the menu defines as “housemade ranchero sauce and lime creme fraiche.”

These are over-the-top good.

We had a lively debate about whose

BRIAN CHILSON

n There have been many delays in the past, so you might not want to take this to the bank, but according to the Browning’s Mexican Grill Facebook page, the Tex-Mex institution will reopen to the public on July 11, initially for dinner only. We’ll keep you posted as we find out more.

■ dining A sure thing

TWO OF THE THREE COURSES: Acadia’s pan-fried walleye (above) and pan-seared scallops.

BRIAN CHILSON

what’scookin’

entree was “better,” and after taste-testing each other’s, we decided both, while very different, were outstanding, and that each of us was glad we’d chosen what we did.

Across the table it was hard not to marvel at the mammoth bone-in pork chop ($19.75). It was thick, tender and the light demi-glace complemented rather than overwhelmed the pork. And then there were the dreamy, gooey, rich potatoes au gratin that accompanied them. Gruyere was a wise choice of cheese, as it too was subtle as opposed to sharper cheeses that can dominate the dish.

Our pan-fried walleye ($21.95) was not as imposing as the huge portion of pork, but it was ample and just as flavorful and masterfully prepared. “Pan-fried” can connote “grease (or butter) laden,” but not in this case. The delicate taste of the firm, tasty fillet shone through, and the cornmeal crust was just a hint crisp but not over-applied. We’re not sure when orzo became common in these parts, but we’ve been gobbling it up ever since. The little rice-shaped pasta is the perfect sop for killer sauces, in Acadia’s case a creamy leekbased sauce. A tartish red cabbage slaw provided a needed taste counterbalance.

Were we not already committed via

“the deal,” we never would have ordered dessert. But, despite what Meatloaf swears, two out of three is bad when you’re in the fixed-price dining world. So we soldiered on. The mixed-berry cobbler was solid but not spectacular, the crust a bit crumbly. The vanilla bean ice cream that topped it was fabulous.

Our blueberry bread pudding offered a nice twist on the classic form, but the caramel drizzle was applied a little too liberally and didn’t provide a pleasing taste combination.

Or maybe we were just too full already to properly appreciate our desserts. No matter. Acadia continues to shine brightly in every way — ambiance to service to quality to wine list to, especially on Monday and Tuesday, price. Check out the menu at www.acadiahillcrest.com, and start formulating your fixed-price battle plan.

Acadia

3000 Kavanaugh Blvd.

603-9630 Quick bite

For more than 10 years, Acadia has featured a bargain, fixed-price, three-course dinner on Mondays and Tuesday. The going rate is $24.50, which is almost literally a steal. But there are other long-term, ongoing specials, including 20 percent off bottles of wine on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Hours

5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday (with talk of opening on Sunday starting later this summer).

Other info

Full bar. All CC accepted. www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 29

r

er

n e -I coM ll el A sw

d

C

o

Restaurant capsules

!

Food You Love From People You Know!

Catering? We Have it!

Call ahead to order box lunches or deli trays for your office or event. We offer a fullservice deli, a variety of house-made sides, and several specialty sandwiches.

GUIDInG PRInCIPlES

• Full-Service neighborhood Grocery • Commitment to local Farmers • Fair and Competitive Pricing • Five-Star Customer Service

ArgentA MArket 521 Main St. Argenta Arts District • (501) 379-9980 7am to 8pm Mon-Sat, 9am to 5pm Sun • argentamarket.com

1321 Rebsamen Park Rd Little Rock

501.663.9802 Non-Smoking

extended Kitchen hours!

Monday & Wednesday 11am-11pm • Tuesday & Friday 11am-1:45am Thursday 11am-midnight • Saturday 11am-12:45am • Sunday 11am-11:45pm

10% off lunch menu!

(Excludes Daily Plate Lunch Special)

take the

Summer Restaurant Challenge

See page 9 for contest information!

Win a $50 Gift Certificate just by checking-in at your favorite restaurants!

arktimes.com/ ben-e-keith

30 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

Continued from page 29

BUFFALO WILD WINGS A sports bar on steroids with numerous humongous TVs and a menu full of thirst-inducing items. The wings, which can be slathered with one of 14 sauces, are the staring attraction and will undoubtedly have fans. 14800 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-868-5279.

LD daily.

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

BY THE GLASS A broad but not ridiculously large list is studded with interesting, diverse selections, and prices are uniformly reasonable. The food focus is on high-end items that pair well with wine — olives, hummus, cheese, bread, and some meats and sausages. 5713 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-9463. D Mon.-Sat. CAFE HEIFER Paninis, salads, soups and such in the Heifer Village. With one of the nicest patios in town. 1 World Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-907-8801. BL Mon.-Fri., L Sat. CAPITAL BAR AND GRILL Big hearty sandwiches, daily lunch specials and fine evening dining all rolled up into one at this landing spot downtown. Surprisingly inexpensive with a great bar staff and a good selection of unique desserts. 111 Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-7474. LD daily.

CAPITOL BISTRO Formerly a Sufficient Grounds, now operated by Lisa and Tom Drogo, who moved from Delaware. They offer breakfast and lunch items, including quiche, sandwiches, coffees and the like. 1401 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-371-9575. BL Mon.-Fri. CATFISH HOLE Downhome place for well-cooked catfish and tasty hushpuppies. 603 E. Spriggs. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-3516. D Tue.-Sat. CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER Premium black Angus cheeseburgers, with five different sizes, ranging from the Classic (5.5 ounces) to the pounder (20 ounces), and nine cheese options. For sides, milkshakes and golden-fried onion rings are the way to go. 11525 Cantrell Rd. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-490-2433. LD daily.

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

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

Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-9696. LD Mon.-Sat. DIVERSION Hillcrest wine bar with diverse tapas menu. From the people behind Crush. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd., Suite 200.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-414-0409. D Mon.-Sat. DOE’S EAT PLACE A skid-row dive turned power brokers’ watering hole with huge steaks, great tamales and broiled shrimp, and killer burgers at lunch. 1023 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-1195. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. DOUBLETREE PLAZA BAR & GRILL The lobby restaurant in the Doubletree is elegantly comfortable, but you’ll find no airs put on at heaping breakfast and lunch buffets. 424 West Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-4311. BLD daily.

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

EJ’S EATS AND DRINKS The friendly neighborhood hoagie shop downtown serves at a handful of tables and by delivery.

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

501-666-3700. LD Mon.-Fri. FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings, too. The hamburgers are a hit, too. It’s self-service; wander on through the screen door and you’ll find a slick team of cooks and servers doing a creditable job of serving big crowds. 511 President Clinton Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-375-3474.

LD daily.

GRUMPY’S TOO Music venue and sports bar with lots of TVs, pub grub and regular drink specials. 1801 Green Mountain Drive. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-9650. LD Mon.-Sat. HOMER’S Great vegetables, huge yeast rolls and killer cobblers. Follow the mobs. 2001 E. Roosevelt Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1400. BL Mon.-Fri. THE HOUSE A comfortable gastropub in Hillcrest, where you’ll find traditional fare like burgers and fish and chips alongside Thai green curry and gumbo. 722 N. Palm St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4501. D daily, BR and L Sat.-Sun. JIMMY’S SERIOUS SANDWICHES Consistently fine sandwiches, side orders and desserts. Chicken salad’s among the best in town. Get there early for lunch. 5116 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3354. L Mon.-Sat. KRAZY MIKE’S Po’Boys, catfish and shrimp and other fishes, fried chicken wings and all the expected sides served up fresh and hot to order on demand. 200 N. Bowman Road.

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

LOCA LUNA Grilled meats, seafood and pasta dishes that never stray far from country roots, whether Italian, Spanish or Arkie. “Gourmet plate lunches” are good, as is Sunday brunch.

3519 Old Cantrell Rd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4666.

L Sun.-Fri., D daily.

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

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

BL Mon.-Sat. NEW GREEN MILL CAFE A small workingman’s lunch joint, with a dependable daily meat-and-three and credible corn bread for cheap, plus sweet tea. Homemade tamales and chili on Tuesdays. 8609-C W. Markham St. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-225-9907. L Mon.-Sat. OYSTER BAR Gumbo, red beans and rice (all you can eat on Mondays), peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, addictive po’ boys. 3003 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$.

501-666-7100. LD Mon.-Sat. OZARK COUNTRY RESTAURANT A long-standing favorite with many Little Rock residents, the eatery specializes in big country breakfasts and pancakes plus sandwiches and other lunch plates during the week. Try the pancakes and don’t leave without some sort of smoked meat. 202 Keightley Drive.

No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7319. B daily, L Mon.-Fri. PERCIFUL’S FAMOUS HOT DOGS If you’re a lover of chilidogs, this might just be your Mecca; a humble, stripmall storefront out in East End that serves some of the best around. The latest incarnation of a LR joint that dates to the 1940s, longdogs are pretty much all they do, and they do them exceedingly well, with scratch-made chili and slaw. Our fave: The Polish cheese royal, add onions. 20400 Arch St. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-261-1364. LD Tue.-Sat. PLAYTIME PIZZA Tons of fun isn’t rained out by lackluster eats at the new Playtime Pizza, the $11 million, 65,000 square foot kidtopia near the Rave theater. While the buffet is only so-so, features like indoor mini-golf, laser tag, go karts, arcade games and bumper cars make it a winner for both kids and adults. 600 Colonel Glenn Plaza Loop. 501-227-7529. LD Thu.-Sun., D Mon.-Wed. PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milk shakes — in a ‘50s setting at today’s prices.

Also at 11602 Chenal Parkway. 8026 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-221-3555. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun 11602 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-4433. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 1419 Higden Ferry Road. Hot Springs. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-625-7999. LD daily, B Sun. SALUT BISTRO This bistro/late-night hangout does upscale Italian for dinner and pub grub until the wee hours. 1501 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. SCALLIONS Reliably good food, great desserts, pleasant atmosphere, able servers — a solid lunch spot. 5110 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-6468.

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

501-664-5353. B daily.

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

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

UNION BISTRO Casual upscale bistro and lounge. Try the chicken and waffles. 3421 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-353-0360.

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

501-224-7665. L Fri.-Sun., D daily.

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

GINA’S A broad and strong sushi menu along with other Japanese standards. 14524 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-868-7775. LD daily.

HANAROO SUSHI BAR Under its second owner, it’s one of the few spots in downtown Little Rock to serve sushi. With an expansive menu, featuring largely Japanese fare with a bit of Korean mixed in. 205 W. Capitol Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-301-7900. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. PHO THANH MY It says “Vietnamese noodle soup” on the sign out front, and that’s what you should order. The pho

No. 0518

comes in outrageously large portions with bean sprouts and fresh herbs. Traditional pork dishes, spring rolls and bubble tea also available. 302 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-312-7498.

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

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

TOKYO HOUSE Defying stereotypes, this Japanese buffet serves up a broad range of fresh, slightly exotic fare — grilled calamari, octopus salad, dozens of varieties of fresh sushi — as well as more standard shrimp and steak options. 11 Shackleford Drive. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-219-4286. LD daily.

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

■ CROSSWORD

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC ARABICA HOOKAH CAFE This eatery and grocery store offers kebabs and salads along with just about any sort of Middle Eastern fare you might want, along with what might be the best kefte kebab in Central Arkansas. Halal butcher on duty. 3400 S. University Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-379-8011. LD daily.

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

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

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

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

Edited by Will Shortz

BARBECUE BARE BONES PIT BAR-B-Q A carefully controlled gas oven, with wood chips added for flavor, guarantees moist and sweet pork, both pulled from the shoulder and back ribs. The side orders, particularly the baked potato salad, are excellent. 5501 Ranch Drive, Suite 4. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-7427. LD daily.

CHIP’S BARBECUE Tasty, if a little pricey, barbecue piled high on sandwiches generously doused with tangy sauce. Better known for the incredible family recipe pies and cheesecakes, which come tall and wide. 9801 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-4346. LD Mon.-Sat. DIXIE PIG Pig salad is tough to beat. It comes with loads of chopped pork atop crisp iceberg, doused with that wonderful vinegar-based sauce. The sandwiches are basic, and the sweet, thick sauce is fine. 900 West 35th St. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-753-9650. LD Mon.-Sat.

Across 1 Bean holder 4 58-/46-Across movie (1973) 11 Actuarial stat 14 Blood type letters

15 Provide with too much staffing 16 Workplace for 58-/46-Across 17 Figure out 18 Most slippery 19 Strike force?: Abbr.

20 “Murder on the ___ Express,” 58-/46-Across movie (1974) 22 “Hmm, donʼt think so” 23 With 55-Across, 58-/46-Across movie (1964) 24 Lisbon lady 25 Pinball paths 27 Lighter brand

28 “12 ___ Men,” 58-/46-Across movie (1957) 30 Quick turnaround, slangily 31 Like some symmetry 34 Cubic Rubik 36 Tanned

37 58-/46-Across movie (1975) 42 Annoy, and then some 43 Kind of surgeon 44 Fishing net 45 Upsilonʼs follower

46 See 58-Across

58 With 46-Across, late, legendary director 60 Butterfly wrapping?

61 Actress Mills and others 63 Cable inits.

64 Workplace for 58-/46-Across 65 & 66 “Aida” aria 67 Gray shade 68 Frequent location of 58/46-Across movies 69 Where Oskar Schindler is buried: Abbr.

Down 1 Tiered tower 52 Musical 2 Titaniaʼs McEntire husband 54 Defendantʼs 3 Being too plea, briefly affectionate 4 Planted 55 See 23-Across 5 Best Musical of 57 Jiffy 1980 6 Sunday subj.?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 7 58-/46-Across S T E M D E A R R E A M S movie (1981) P I S A A W R Y E A T I N 8 “No matter what you choose for A R T I C H O K E P R O L E me is fine” T E D T A L K S A N N I E A L I S L D R A E R 9 Bills and coins 10 It borders Lake O P T I M A N A U T I L U S Huron: Abbr.

A H A E I T H E R 11 Star of 4- and F I B O N A C C I S E R I E S 37-Across P O L L E N R E C 12 Dry stretch in Mongolia I N N E R E A R I O L A N I 13 List space saver S O A E X T A T R A L O G I A D I S A R M E D 21 Listener 23 Choose E G G O S S U N F L O W E R definitely T I E T O R A G U S A R A 26 ___ temperature S E D A N A D E N A H O Y 27 Gun part 29 Test pilot Chuck The circled letters in order spell GOLDEN RATIO. 32 ___ dye 51 Start to cry?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

24

25

28

29 34

37

38

39

13

32

33

49

50

23

26

27

30

31

35

36

40

41

42

43

44

45 51

55

12

46

52

56

53

57

58 62

47

48

54 59

60

61

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

Puzzle by David J. Kahn

33 Author Deighton 35 Toast type 36 Spell-off 37 ___ Plaines 38 Wedded 39 D. W. ___ Award, honor for 58-/46-Across for lifetime achievement 40 Mother of Perseus

41 Chi-town read, with “the” 45 Future attorneyʼs field of study 47 “Tristan ___ Isolde” 48 Friendly term, to a Parisian 49 Varnish resins 50 Hot Wheels product

53 Moving 55 Slugger Sammy 56 Fivers 57 Caretaker, for short 59 Writer Dinesen 61 Funny Stewart 62 Ranch add-on

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554.

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.

Online subscriptions: Todayʼs puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

ITALIAN CAFE PREGO Dependable entrees of pasta, pork and the like, plus great sauces, fresh mixed greens and delicious dressings, crisp-crunchy-cold gazpacho and tempting desserts in a comfy bistro setting. 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5355. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. CIAO Don’t forget about this casual yet elegant bistro tucked into a downtown storefront. The fine pasta and seafood dishes, ambiance and overall charm combine to make it a relaxing, enjoyable, affordable choice. 405 W. Seventh St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-0238. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. GRADY’S PIZZAS AND SUBS Pizza features a pleasing blend of cheeses rather than straight mozzarella. The grinder is a classic, the chef’s salad huge and tasty. 6801 W. 12th St., Suite C. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-1918. LD daily.

IRIANA’S PIZZA Unbelievably generous thick-crust pizza with unmatched zest. Good salads, too; grinders are great, particularly the Italian sausage. 103 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-3656. LD Mon.-Sat. U.S. PIZZA Crispy thin-crust pizzas, frosty beers and heaping salads drowned in creamy dressing. 2710 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2198.

LD daily. 5524 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-664-7071. LD daily. 9300 North Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-224-6300. LD daily. 3307 Fair Park Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-565-6580 ý. LD daily. 650 Edgewood Dr. Maumelle. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-851-0880. LD daily. 3324 Pike Avenue.

NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-758-5997. LD daily. 4001 McCain Park Drive.

NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-2900. LD daily. 5524 John F Kennedy Blvd.

NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-975-5524 ý. LD daily.

ZAFFINO’S BY NORI A high-quality Italian dining experience. Pastas, entrees (don’t miss the veal marsala) and salads are all outstanding, and the desserts don’t miss, either. 2001 E. Kiehl Ave. NLR. Beer, Wine. 501-834-7530. D Tue.-Sat.

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

CAPI’S The eatery has abandoned its previous small plates format for Nuevo Latino cuisine heavy on tamales, enchiladas and Central American reinterpretation of dishes.

Fortunately, they kept the great desserts. 11525 Cantrell Suite 917. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-225-9600. LD Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun. COTIJA’S A branch off the famed La Hacienda family tree downtown, with a massive menu of tasty lunch and dinner specials, the familiar white cheese dip and sweet red and fiery-hot green salsas, and friendly service. 406 S. Louisiana St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-244-0733. L Mon.-Sat. EL JALAPENO 9203 Chicot Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-772-7471. LD Mon.-Fri. LA REGIONAL A full-service grocery store catering to SWLR’s Latino community, it’s the small grill tucked away in the back corner that should excite lovers of adventurous cuisine. The menu offers a whirlwind trip through Latin America, with delicacies from all across the Spanish-speaking world (try the El Salvadorian papusas, they’re great).

Bring your Spanish/English dictionary. 7414 Baseline Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-565-4440. BLD daily. 2630 Pike Ave. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-246-4163.

TAQUERIA KARINA AND CAFE A real Mexican neighborhood cantina from the owners, to freshly baked pan dulce, to Mexican-bottled Cokes, to first-rate guacamole, to inexpensive tacos, burritos, quesadillas and a broad selection of Mexican-style seafood. 5309 W. 65th St. $. 501-562-3951. LD Tue.-Thu. www.arktimes.com • JUNE 22, 2011 31

The great room should be renamed the fabulous room. It’s the perfect spot for gathering with friends and family—comfortable yet sophisticated.

JUNE 22, 2011

hearsay ➥ Hot Zang!

June 23-24, New-York based fashion designer Zang Toi presents his latest collection at B. BARNETT. Toi himself will make an appearance! ➥ Hot deals. BAUMAN’S summer sale begins on June 30 and will run for two weeks. ➥ Hot news: DILLARD’S reinvents itself. Word has it that the department store chain is attempting to reposition itself as more of a luxe player in the market, à la Nordstroms. Changes of note: “customers” are now referred to as “clients,” and they’ve added high-end lines like Kiehl’s cosmetics and Vince Camuto shoes and also expanded their Michael Kors offerings. ➥ If you can’t stand the heat . . . On June 23, KITCHEN CO. offers a grilling class with Aaron Walters.

Beef and shrimp are on the menu.

On the 24th, Karol Zoeller makes Egg Casserole with Sherry Sauce, Beer Biscuits & Candied Bacon.

Both classes are from 6-8 p.m.

Clare de Room A mama moonlighting as a designer gives a friend’s old house a very chic update

BY KATHERINE WYRICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

A young Heights family with a pre-teen daughter and two mischievous rescue dogs turned to their stylish friend, Clare Burks, for help when they wanted to transform their old house into a modern, well-appointed home. I’m a firm believer that great designers are born not made, and Burks is a prime example of that. A mother of four who once worked in the fast-paced ad world in Clare loves the way the light bounces off these pillowy subway tiles on L.A. and lived in Budapest for over a decade, Burks brings the kitchen backsplash (from Inside Effects). a unique perspective and worldly sensibility to her work. few things at the outset: that we wanted a sectional and large TV someShe also has an innate sense of proportion and a great eye where and that we would use the client’s rustic country dining table and (perhaps inherited from her mother, Mary Clare Brierley, who worked matching chairs. Other than that, it was wide open. at MertinsDyke for many years).

Again, I wanted to accent the natural light where we had it and “They were still living with their college furniture,” says Burks of her enhance it where it was lacking. The backsplash was originally a rather clients/friends. They also, says Clare, had beige walls throughout the dull putty-colored tile placed on the diagonal, and it just zapped the house. So, the ever-energetic Burkes decided to begin with color—and room’s energy. My dear friend, Eric Ford, suggested I go see what some gentle coaxing. “Originally, the clients wanted to leave the interior options Inside Effects had; I did and found exactly what I was lookhouse color the same as it was, beige. . . As the project moved forward, ing for—a gorgeous, pillowed subway tile in a rich creamy-white that however, the client’s trust in me grew, and we ended up choosing new matched the trim in the room. Perfect! Casual glamour. paint colors for the master bedroom downstairs and all the rooms Next was the sectional. We chose one of the newer shimmer leathers upstairs.” After establishing the palette—and trust—Clare’s creativity in chocolate from American Leather. It radiates light and sheen, and it’s could really take flight. supple and soft. We then found the fabulous console in Platinum (by Here, she catalogues a few rooms for us. Prepare yourself for an ediStanley), the Museum Bench in Lichen ultrasuede, the custom pillows fying experience. from Hickory Chair and a linen accent pillow with French writing. All from mertinsdykehome. The blue-green throw was from Cynthia Great Room/Kitchen East. In addition to adding undercounter kitchen lights, we needed a Here, we focused on the comfort of daily living here. We knew a

32 JUNE 22, 2011 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES

A C s

501-225-M2LR M2LR.COM

S

a l e

This Hickory Chair print with pagoda inspired the look of the master suite.

Two Bauhaus chairs anchor the upstairs office. Table and lamp from Clement. was using it as a display and had it covered with stuff, so you couldn’t even see it. The bamboo was exactly what we wanted, and we loved the black finish in contrast to the soothing walls. To soften the light, we found sheer floor-length curtains at Cynthia East that have oversized horizontal seams that almost hide the blinds behind them. Uber-glamorous!

Up To

75% Off !

Pleasant Ridge Town Center 11525 Cantrell Rd • 501.716.2960 M-F 10-6 • Sat. 10-5 solematesboutique.blogspot.com

Have a Worry Free vacatioN!

try Gel PolisH sHellac

An amazing pair of cast-iron Arc de Triomphes from Clement sit astride the master bedroom fireplace.

The black bamboo dressing table was a major score from Bella Boutique.

Originally from Gumps, it marks the focal point of the master suite.

that sits in the middle of the bed.

The little alcove in the master bedroom was appealing because of the light but odd because of its size and shape. We went back and forth about what to put there, then it struck me that this was the perfect spot for a dressing table. The dressing table, which originally came from Gumps (!), was a big score from Bella Boutique. Narcissa [Jackson]

Upstairs Office The Bauhaus chairs, from the client’s father, were the lynchpin for the look of the room. The black-and-chrome lamp and chrome-and-glass corner table were both scores from Clement in Hillcrest. They set up the sharp, masculine feeling of the room against the soft-grey backdrop of the wall color (Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore).

Upstairs Den Here’s something cool: American Leather furniture now also comes in upholstery! The sectional for the upstairs den—where many a teenager will play Wii, drink sodas, and dance on the furniture ‘til dawn—is American

14 Day Wear • No Chipping No Smudge •Zero Dry Time Mirror Finish Mon-Sat 9am-6:30pm • Sun 12pm-5pm

Nail Paradise 11321 W. Markham, Ste. 5 Little Rock, AR 72211 501.225.2228

support your community Small Town

In the upstairs hallway, a mertinsdykehome lamp sits atop a mirrored console from Dillard’s.

34 JUNE 22, 2011 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES

Clare accented the daughter’s room with a wild floral print chair from SoHo Modern. A groovy white wooden lamp with a lime shade from mertinsdykehome sits on the dressing table atop a tray from Cynthia East.

Ozark

Water

Projects

 Turning your used and new shoes into clean drinking water.

The upstairs den makes for a prime pre-teen hangout. Clare chose stylish yet practical pieces for this space.

Leather. We chose an indestructible grey flannel that is rich and soft to the touch. The Langham console is one solid piece, light in color and design but sturdy in construction.

I love the way the room sways and bends between modern elements, like the white coffee table and chrome legs of the sofa, and organic textures, like the Driftwood Deer Head (Box Turtle), Tropical Driftwood bowl (mertinsdykehome) and woven sisal rug. All found at mertinsdykehome, except for the end table from Cynthia East.

Having traveled the world and lived abroad, Burks was delighted (and impressed) to find so many wonderful resources right here in her hometown. By mixing high-end finds with more reasonable ones (from Target, TJ Maxx, and PB Teen), she was able to create a harmonious and hip home that perfectly suits this family. Says Clare, “I just love how it’s still an old Heights home that has been updated for a young vibrant family, and even though it has been added onto, it has retained its charm.” And, I might add, gotten an infusion of cool from a talented friend.

Contact Clare Burks at: clareburks@gmail.com or (501) 772-0218

The roman shades in the guestroom were custom made with a whimsical print by Designers Guild.

To schedule a shoe drive at your business, church or school, contact us at:

(501) 733-6587 or (501) 231-1504

The Russian Propaganda Girl linen pillow from mertinsdykehome adds color and pops out the orange in one of the two George Dombek prints (Greg Thompson Fine Art).

The Ozark Water Projects team will export your donated shoes to distributers in South America, Haiti and Kenya. Shoe resale builds the local developing economy with micro-businesses and affordable shoes for pennies on the dollar or barter.

Affordable shoes are a life-saving tool as they protect the new owner’s feet and overall health from foot abrasions, parasites and mites.

Funds generated are used to purchase well-digging rigs, water filtration systems and other supplies to bring clean, fresh water to those in need.

Ozark Water Projects is a 501 c3 charity based in Little Rock, Arkansas. They work in conjunction with Shoeman Water Projects to provide affordable footwear and cup of clean, fresh water for those who thirst. For more information on Shoeman Water Projects, check out www.shoeman.org

No animals were harmed in the making of this whimsical deer head from Box Turtle.

The warm wall color, Mink, in the guestroom complements the end tables, from Serena & Lily. The Jonathan Adler-esque lamps were a thrilling T.J. Maxx find!

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS TIMES • JUNE 22, 2011 35

NATIVES GUIDE Petsitting services

W

ith the beginning of the summer vacation season comes the perennial question of what to do with your pets. There are many options available, but first you have to decide whether to go the boarding route or hire a sitter. Most animals prefer their own surroundings to a kennel, as anyone who’s ever had a dog try to slink out of a vet’s office knows. If that’s the case, vet boarding may not be a suitable option, even if it sometimes makes the most economic sense. What follows is a list of some of what Central Arkansas has to offer for pets of all persuasions.

36 JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES

CHENAL PET PALACE $85 per night.

The Good, the Bad and the Fuzzy.

There’s good news for the many pets and owners who bemoaned the end of The Good, the Bad and the Fuzzy several years ago — GTBF is back in business!

Holly Hope, who once ran the enterprise with her husband, Ian, now partners with Kelly Quinn to offer in-home care for animals of all stripes — and spots. They limit themselves to the Heights/Hillcrest/ Capitol View area, with occasional exceptions made for Argenta or downtown. Rates not currently available. Holly Hope: 681-2120 (cell), 374-6534 (home); Kelly Quinn: 661-4642.

Rockin’ Paws. Ashley Brown spent the last few years helping manage the premier dog walking and pet sitting company in Portland, Ore., and has now brought this experience back home.

Brown caters to the specific needs of client and pets, from daily dog walking, running sessions, drop-in pet sitting, basic obedience, specialized dog training to full-service overnight house/pet sitting. She relates the story of a certain

lonely client — a beagle mix named Hank — who just wanted someone to take him joyriding during the day.

Brown happily obliged. She says she treats all her canine clients with the same care she gives her beloved long-haired dachshunds. Fully licensed, bonded and insured and a member of Pet Sitters International. 352-0111. ashley@rockinpaws.net. rockinpaws.net.

Rates: 15-minute visit, $17 30-minute visit, $19 45-minute visit, $22 1-hour visit, $26 Wags and Whiskers. In business three years, owner Michelle Wilkerson says a typical home visit involves feeding, walking, brushing and playing with your animal and lasts approximately 30-40 minutes. Morning visits are made between 5 a.m.-8:30 a.m., and evening visits are made between 6:30 p.m.9:30 p.m. Dogs require a minimum of two visits per day if they stay in the house. Bonded, insured and a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. 501-416-PETO (7380).

BRIAN CHILSON

SITTING Affectionate Pet Sitters. This business’ website states, “Each animal has his/her own personality, and we respect them for who they are!” APS owner Leslie Gorrell takes her sitting, and her love for animals, seriously, from prickly Pomeranians to laid-back labs.

Gorrell started her business in January 2008, but she’s been sitting with pets since moving back to Arkansas in 1992 (and years before that). APS is based in North Little Rock, but serves locations in Little Rock, Maumelle and Sherwood as well.

Pet services include the obvious like providing fresh water and food and attention, and extras, such as midnight visits and transportation to and from the vet, groomer, doggie day care, etc. — kind of like a pet chauf-fur. Overnights and extended stays are available to nonsmoking households.

APS sitters will also bring in newspapers and mail, carrying trash and recyclables out/in and water plants.

APS is insured and bonded and Red Cross Certified in Pet First Aid, trained in dog CPR. Sounds gross, sure, but could save a life. It’s also a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. 607-2122. AffectionatePetSit@ sbcglobal.net. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. Rates: 1 daily visit, $18 2 daily visits, $34 3 daily visits, $48 4 daily visits, $60 Overnight Visits range from $55 to

MichelleWilkerson@hughes.net.

Rates: 1 visit per day, $21 2 daily visits, $36 per day 3 daily visits, $47 per day 4 daily visits, $60 per day BOARDING Chenal Pet Palace and Arkansas Pet Resort. Family-owned and -operated since 2005, Chenal Pet Palace and Arkansas Pet Resort might be called the Ritz-Carltons of pet boarding. Every “guest” receives one-on-one attention and resides in themed suites with televisions. Some of the rooms even have doggy doors that lead to private fencedin outside areas.

Depending on your dog’s personality and tastes, you can choose from one of these themes: hunting, rock ’n’ roll, princess, seaside and Razorback. (Not kidding.) The rooms are perhaps more for the owners’ benefit than the dogs’, but still are preferable to a cage or kennel. One wonders, though, do dogs really watch TV? And, if so, should they?

Other amenities include room service, fresh linens, daily housekeeping and three to four daily playtimes in a 10,000 sq. ft. exercise area.

Both locations welcome pet owners to come by for a tour and to meet the staff. Rates range from $28-$48 a night.

Arkansas Pet Resort of Maumelle, 8402 Counts Massie Road. 753-5855. Chenal Pet Palace, 14309 Kanis Road. 2232688. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Downtown Dogz. In February, owners Stephanie and Brent Rogers moved from their old location by Interstate 30 into roomier digs — 16,000 square feet to be exact. They pride themselves on being a cage-free facility in which dogs are free to socialize and play — all while being closely monitored. Should you have an anti-social or older dog who’s not up for tussling and playing, other accommodations are available. Sunday pickups by appointment only. Overnight boarding $25, includes daytime playtime with daycare. 624 Byrd St. 375-3647.

(The Rogerses also operate a separate pit-bull rescue program).

TRAVS HOME VS. NWA NATURALS

FREE TO THE PUBLIC

6/24 – 6/27

RAY WINDER FIELD GRANDSTAND SEAT GIVEAWAY! SAT. 6/25 AND MON. 6/27 FIRST 4,000 FANS RECEIVE A RAFFLE TICKET FOR PAIR OF CLASSIC SEATS SATURDAY 6/25: POST-GAME FIREWORKS MONDAY 6/27: BUSINESSPERSON’S SPECIAL 1:00 PM GAME

GUEST SPEAKER:

DAVID REMNICK

EDITOR OF THE NEW YORKER & AUTHOR

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 AT 2:00 PM The Oxford American magazine and Winthrop Rockefeller Institute are hosting the inaugural Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers on June 21 – 26, 2011, atop breathtaking Petit Jean Mountain. Debuting at the Summit will be the free “Interviews on the Mountain” series, featuring David Remnick, William Whitworth and Pico Iyer. All three sessions of this stimulating series are FREE to the public and promise to provide insight for readers and writers alike.

Seating is limited! To reserve your place, please visit:

SUMMIT.oxfordamerican.org/registration CALL TOLL FREE: 866-972-7778 or 501.727.5435

For Sale in Central Arkansas?

PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN | 1 ROCKEFELLER DRIVE | MORRILTON, AR 72110

For in Central CentralArkansas?

Arkansas?

For Sale Sale in

find it at it at at find it arkansasautobuyer.com

arkansasautobuyer.com arkansasautobuyer.com

FOR GROUP OUTING AND PRIVATE PARTY INFORMATION CALL 664-1555 - TRAVS.COM

We’ve reacHed caPacity for our first

social media

seminar!

KeeP your eye out for tHe next scheduled event!

if you’re signed up, we’ll see you

FridaY, JUne 24TH

9am

at tHe little rocK cHamber of commerce

Presented by

7,158 New and Used Cars and Trucks Online This Week!

7,158 New and Used Cars and Trucks Online This Week!

7,158 New and Used CarsPrices! and Trucks Online This Week!

Photos!

Descriptions!

Only One Click Away!

Hosted by

Kelly Ferguson

Photos! Descriptions! Prices! Only One Click Away!

Photos! Descriptions! Prices! Only One Click Away!

www.arktimes.com • june 22, 2011 37

Dog-peter gnat update n Followers of the dog-peter gnat situation — it isn’t a “crisis,” as some of them would have you believe — accuse me of dereliction this summer for “ignoring the problem” and not providing updates.

“Who’ll do it if you don’t?” one of them implores.

Who indeed.

There’s no coverage of the dog-peter gnat situation in the mainstream media, the alternative media or the tabs. There are no dog-peter gnat weblogs. There are no chat rooms or message boards to keep dog-peter gnat philes and phobes current on the nittygritty of dog-peter gnatiana.

There are only a handful of references in the vast Google vaults — notably, not to blow my own horn, a recounting of some of the past attention the topic has received in this newspaper in this very column. Also G-noted are a song by a Florida balladeer with the notorious D.P.G. in the title, and a cookbook recipe that recommends dog-peter gnats as a seasoning that looks like black pepper and tastes something like Tabasco sauce.

My guess is that this last is mere burlesque rather than haute cuisine. Even if you were able to collect enough of the little fuggers to make a sprinkling, the taste, I’d be willing to bet, would be more like Vienna sausages than Tabasco sauce.

Bob L ancaster Notice these last two citations contain no up-to-date information or useful data on the dog-peter gnat. Nothing newsy or educational. They’re largely just gag humor, in more than one sense of the word. Nothing on the big dog-peter gnat surge in Japan after the tsunami — a plague complicated by the leaked nuclear radioactivity which for a few spooky days had dog-peter gnats the size of roosters chasing terrified survivor Pekinese across the Nipponese coastal plain like monster knobgobbler Nosferatus.

Also completely ignored by the international media and the search engines have been tribal reports out of Africa of gnatlike locusts ravaging the savannahs, bringing special agitation to the forked-penised rhinoscerosi. These aren’t the dog-peter gnats our own mutts have to endure, but rather a cousin subspecies that natives of the parched African Horn where they originate call the camel-peter gnat. The camel-peter and dogpeter gnats differ only in size and in their choice of which mammalian tallywhacker they prefer spending their brief lives mania-

cally and pointlessly orbiting.

I’ve never been in a biology classroom where the dog-peter gnat was mentioned, or in a biology lab where one was dissected.

I’ve seen fungus gnats cut open and studied down to their minutest particulars, and sand gnats, and fruit gnats. Even the great gnatologist Fabre, who wrote full-length gnatographies of a dozen varieties of the critter, is mute concerning the dog-peter gnat. So is Darwin. So is Benjamin Franklin. So is the Old Farmers Almanac. Both Gnatty Bumppo and Gnat “King” Cole dropped the initial “G” from their first names to discourage people from associating them with the dogpeter gnat. I think I know the reason for this aversion, and I bet you do too.

If it sought out the dog’s ear, or the corner of the dog’s mouth — even if we were obliged for accuracy’s sake to call it the dog-anus gnat — the professors and the entomological press would give it its due; it would get coverage comparable to that of the sabertooth mosquito, the Gypsy moth, the dung beetle. But there’s just enough of Puritan left in us, or Victorian, and at least 265,000 other kinds of gnat or near-gnat that are just as deserving of attention and that don’t have the name baggage this one does.

What Huckabee calls the Ewww! factor translates into benign neglect of the dogpeter gnat situation, and those of us on the dog-peter cutting edge can rationalize that neglect because the dog-peter gnat isn’t venomous like the fire ant, isn’t a mortal threat

C

like the killer bee, but is merely gratuitously irksome, an infernal nuisance to our Best Friend, and it’s nasty in an icky glandularsecretion way that repulses the Phyllis Schlafly in us all.

So I plead guilty to the dereliction. I’ve just had other things on my mind. Less important things admittedly. Like how they’ve just ruint tomatoes, the climate, discourse, and wise governance. How they’ve romanced stupidity. How they’re trying to steal our Social Security and force our womenfolk to bear and rear rapists’ spawn. Etc. Against that backdrop, on these shores, in these climes, at this time, the dog-peter gnat situation just hasn’t seemed to matter much.

Insofar as giving it my personal attention, I worked up a grant proposal to study the effects of dog-peter gnats on the mental health of various pet dog breeds, but they never got back to me. I heard by the grapevine that Republican congressmen wanted to use the money instead to “hike the Appalachian Trail,” if you know what I mean, Vern.

I found in some of Pasteur’s research notes proof positive that you can’t get rabies from a dog-peter gnat flying into your eye — even one that’s lately cavorted around a mad-dog’s nads. And there’s this: More dogs are wearing pants, thus depriving the dog-peter gnat of precious habitat. That’s a start, but it’ll take a lot more dog duds to have a meaningful reductive effect. And snugger ones. More snug dog pants, even for strays. Maybe especially for strays.

S

LASSIFIED LASSIFIED Job Title: Copywriter - Advertising

The Design Group, LLC, a growing mid-sized integrated marketing agency in Little Rock seeks an experienced Copywriter with excellent conceptual and copywriting skills with a strong understanding of direct marketing principles and strategic direction, and can manage multiple projects with ease and precision as well as create and deliver presentations. This position reports to the Account Director and is part of a team responsible for the management and coordination of client projects and activities.

Basic Function: Create compelling on-brand copy and content strategy, including corporate branding projects, customer loyalty programs, direct promotions, store signs, window programs, email campaigns, banner ads, messaging, translating brand moments to respective mediums. Collaborate with art directors and graphic designers. Establish working relationships with and seek information from image design, direct marketing, retail and merchant teams to maximize project and product knowledge. Education: BA/BS, preferably in English, Journalism, or Copywriting.

Please send resumes to: liz@designgroupmarketing.com

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Join Us! Waste Management in Little Rock is Hiring CDL Drivers and Technicians Techs: 1+ yrs. exp. working w/ diesel engines and heavy trucks, supply own tools, 21+ yrs. old Drivers: Valid CDL w/ Airbrakes, 1+ yrs. exp. driving w/ a CDL, 21+ yrs. old JUNE 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES 38June 22, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES 38

Employment

$$$HELP WANTED$$$ Extra Income!

Assembling CD cases from Home! No Experience Necessary! Call our Live Operators Now! 1-800-405-7619 EXT 2450 http://www.easywork-greatpay.com Paid In Advance! Make $1,000 a Week mailing brochures from home! Guaranteed Income!

FREE Supplies! No experience required. Start Immediately! www.homemailerprogram.net

Adoption & Services *Adoption* Adoring young educated outdoorsy couple (stay at home mom) yearn to cherish baby. Expenses paid.

David & Robyn 1-800-410-7542 Adoring Christian couple in 30’s, hugs&kisses. Fulltime mom,beaches, travel,loving extended family and happy home awaits your baby. Expenses paid.

800-521-8979\cf0 .http://www.paultara. com/ Paul and Tara

At Waste Management, each eligible employee receives a competitive total compensation package - Health Care Benefits, Life Insurance, Short Term Disability, Vacation, Personal Days, Stock Purchase Plan, Incredible 401k plan, Tuition, Reimbursement and more! Please note that benefits may vary by site.

Call or go online to apply!

1-877-220-JOBS (5627) www.wmcareers.com Media Code: AFT EOE M/F/D/V

FLIPSIDE

FREE

!

BOOK A SESSION, WE’LL DOUBLE THE TIME

LOOKING FOR MY FAMILY!

Found Jan 10 in Heights area

Ella

MENTION THIS AD AND GET ADDITIONAL PRINTS FREE

AND GET A FREE FACEBOOK DISC OF YOUR PHOTOS

NO GIMMICKS • NO SITTING FEES • NO HIDDEN CHARGES CALL OR EMAIL NOW FOR BEST STUDIO TIMES!

STUDIO1 P

H

O

T

501.650.1806

O

G

R

A

P

H

Y

www.studio-1-photo.com

Ella was spotted as she was walking down the street in the Heights area of Little Rock. She was being shooed away by a woman whom she was following. It was obvious that she was lost. Thankfully she was rescued and taken to a veterinary clinic where she still remains. Her rescuer has done all she can to find this girl’s original home, but after the time that has gone by, she needs to find a new home.

She is beautiful, playful and would love to be adopted or find a foster home so that she can get out of boarding. She is approximately 2 yrs. old and 60 lbs, heartworm free, up to date on shots and spayed. Wherever she came from, she must have been well cared for. She rides in a car very nicely. She loves to play with other dogs and people. She is quite smart and would make a great companion.

7301 Baseline Rd Little Rock AR 72209 (501) 565-3009

Beautiful Smiles makes Happy People!

For more information or to adopt, please contact Susan at susanejeter@yahoo.com

Children’s & Adults

8211 Geyes Springs Ste P-4 Little Rock AR 72209 (501) 562-1665

Out Of the WOOds

Animal Rescue Of Arkansas P.O. Box 7365 Little Rock, AR 72217 WWW.OOtWResCue.ORG

We accept: AR-KIDS, Medicaid and all types of insurance Payment Plans

Monday-Saturday

Happy Hour Genius.

Couch for sale. Beautiful stain-resistant ultra suede sectional, 4 piece. Purchased at Cantoni in Dallas for $3,000. Barely used, asking $1,200.

Call 501-607-3100 can send pictures upon request.

Download our free happy hour app.

Find the nearest happy hour any time.

Hundreds of places to choose from!

Search for “Arkansas Times” in the app store.

Macximize

Learn to get more from your Mac at home or office.

Restaurants with changes, corrections or for more information email cocktailcompass@arktimes.com Presented by your drinking buddies at

• Aid in choosing the right Mac for you and your budget • iMac, MacBook, iPad, iPhone • Troubleshooting • Wireless internet & backup

• Data Recovery • Hardware Installs • Hard drive installation & memory expansion • Organize photos, music, movies & email

Call Cindy Greene - Satisfaction Always Guaranteed

MOVING TO MAC

www.movingtomac.com

cindy@movingtomac.com • 501-681-5855

“Your Personal Cleaner” 501-223-5700 • 7616 T St. at Cantrell www.arktimes.com • June 22, 2011 39

Sav