Arkansas Times

NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT / AUGUST 31, 2011 / ARKTIMES.COM

THEY OF

LITTLE

FAITH Atheists find their voices.

BY DOUG SMITH PAGE 10

ARKANSAS’S SOURCE FOR NEWS, POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT 201 East Markham Street 200 Heritage Center West P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203 www.arktimes.com arktimes@arktimes.com @ArkTimes www.facebook.com/arkansastimes PUBLISHER Alan Leveritt EDITOR Lindsey Millar SENIOR EDITOR Max Brantley MANAGING EDITOR Leslie Newell Peacock CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Mara Leveritt

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VOLUME 37, NUMBER 52 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.

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Little Rock Wastewater is currently performing smoke testing throughout the city of Little Rock. Smoke testing is a cost effective way to survey the condition of Sanitary Sewer Mains and Service Lines. Smoke is blown through the lines and seeps out of the ground through cracks in the sewer pipes thus pinpointing defects. The smoke is non-toxic and dissipates quickly. Wastewater crews will post fliers around neighborhoods to be affected so residents are notified of upcoming testing.

501-376-2903 www.lrwastewater.com www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 3

COMMENT

Bored by WM3 coverage The August 24th West Memphsi 3 edition was the most boring redundant piece of crap I’ve ever read. Where, oh where art thou Bob Lancaster, to at least administer comic relief? Hell, get back to politics.

Mike Graves Nashville

Immoral billboard Racism in ‘Front Porch’

I’m a native Arkansan with a longstanding interest in our prison system.

When I saw the cover of the latest issue of “Front Porch,” the official magazine of the Arkansas Farm Bureau, I thought it was a bad joke. The racist picture shows an African American inmate standing in the fields of one of the state’s prison farms. He holds a rusty, beat-up hoe, and his head is wrapped in a rag.

Behind him, a guard on horseback oversees the scene. The visual connections to the history of slavery and Jim Crow are obvious.

Historians like David Oshinsky, the author of “Worse than Slavery,” have worked hard to show how prison farms emerged as replacements for the plantations of the Old South. In the post-Reconstruction era, the criminal justice system was reinvented to serve the interests of wealthy planters and white supremacists. Legal scholars like Michelle Alexander, the author of “The New Jim Crow,” have shown how today’s prison system is working to resegregate America, pushing back against the advances of the Civil Rights era. I discussed some of these problems in my own book, “The Prison and the American Imagination.”

If anyone doubts these facts, I would encourage them to take a look at the numbers. According to The Sentencing Project, Arkansas imprisons African Americans at a rate four times higher than whites, and 9% of the state’s black population has been disenfranchised by our criminal justice system. These statistics only begin to tell the story of the many lives that have been disrupted and destroyed by the system of mass incarceration.

What makes the issue of “Front Porch” such a strange, startling document, though, is the way it presents our racist system as a normal, inoffensive reality. The headline cheerfully announces, “Ag[riculture] a big part of inmates’ lives.” Just below these words, the magazine promises “Cool watermelon recipes.” Is this 2011, I wonder, or 1861?

Caleb Smith Associate Professor of English and American Studies Yale University New Haven, Conn.

4 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

Heading east on I-40 just before the Hazen exit there is a billboard that proclaims in screamingly large letter-

ing: “Use the rod on your children ... And save their life”. Or in plain, unadulterated non-sanctimonious language: “Hit your child with a stick and do it regularly.” My question, naïve though it may be, is how can such a message be displayed along the public highways? That it is immoral is self-evident. It advocates violence against children. Hence, it is hate speech. And as such both the folks who’ve paid to have it displayed and those who took the money to display it should be held accountable.

Surely there is some civil remedy. Or perhaps it is against the law to display this message. One would hope so. If not, why

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not put up a billboard that said, “Take a two by four and whomp an ignorant, misguided fundamentalist Christian upside his or her head...and do it regularly...it just might knock some sense into them.” Do you think the billboard companies would run that one?

S.R. Patrick Little Rock

Healthy lunches for kids With the start of a new school year, parents’ attention is turning to school clothes, supplies, and lunches. Yes, school lunches.

Traditionally, USDA had used the National School Lunch Program as a dumping ground for surplus meat and dairy commodities. Not surprisingly, 90% of American children consume excessive amounts of fat, only 15% eat recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, and one-third have become overweight or obese. Their early dietary flaws become lifelong addictions, raising their risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

But the tide is turning. In recent years, Hawaii, California, New York, and Florida legislatures asked their schools to offer daily vegetarian options, and most U.S. school districts now do. The Baltimore public school system offers its 80,000 students a complete weekly break from meat.

Last December, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to replace junk food in school lunches and vending machines with more healthful options. In January, the USDA announced the first new school lunch guidelines in 15 years.

Parents should continue to insist on healthful plant-based school meals, snacks, and vending machine items. They can consult www.vrg.org/family, www. healthyschoollunches.org, and www.fns. usda.gov/cnd.

Luke Molina Little Rock

Thanks for the Cash bus My husband and I flew from Virginia to attend the Johnny Cash Musical Benefit in Jonesboro which was sponsored by the “Arkansas Times”. I just want to thank the editor and lady tour guide on our bus #2. She was wonderful, gracious and entertaining. I appreciate the extra effort they afforded me as I am slightly handicapped. We had a wonderful time and stayed an extra four days in Little Rock visiting. My daughter and granddaughter attended with us and agree: it was well planned, dinner was great, and concert seats very good. Thanks, for helping us make some great memories.

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www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 5

EDITORIAL

EYE ON ARKANSAS

For progress

6 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

I

t’s said that money can’t buy happiness, but it’s at least as true that lack of money can bring discontent. Whether one wants lunch or a firstclass city, one must pay.

Little Rock has its charms; the Arkansas Times celebrates them regularly. Yet Little Rock could be more charming if its residents invested more in it.

They can make such an investment by voting for a penny increase in the city sales tax. The Times recommends that they do. Early voting begins Tuesday, Sept. 6. Election Day is Sept. 13.

The proposition is not perfect. These things never are. But it is the only proposition before us, and there’s no point in comparing it to nonexistent alternatives.

The proposal from the Little Rock Board of Directors comes in two parts and requires separate votes. One part is a five-eighths-of-a-cent increase in the sales tax for operations. This would allow, among other things, the hiring of 52 new police officers and 36 new firefighters; an increased number of code enforcement officers and emergency-response staff; the creation of two new Central Arkansas Transit bus routes; continued maintenance of streets and sidewalks, and improved parks and recreational facilities.

The other vote is on a three-eighths-of-a cent tax increase for capital investment. This increase would expire after 10 years. It would allow for two new fire stations, one in West Little Rock and one in Southwest Little Rock; two new police substations, one on 12th Street and one in West Little Rock; the replacement of an antiquated public safety communications system; expansion of the Little Rock Port, with the intention of creating new jobs; a UAMS/UALR technology research park intended to attract hightech businesses; new ballfields for kids; improved streets, sidewalks and drainage.

Many of these needs are pressing, as anyone who’s driven around town on our battered streets can confirm. Little Rock has been cutting and postponing and laying off for some time now. There’ll be more cuts, and more public facilities will become less adequate, if the tax increase fails.

A city is not just police and fire protection, essential services though they are (and both addressed in the proposal on the ballot). Cities have parks, museums, zoos, public transportation, swimming pools, golf courses, an appreciation of history and the arts.

The Central Arkansas Library System is not funded by the city, but the library’s decision to put a new building in what had become a desolate part of town led to a remarkable revival in that area. CALS trustees support the tax increase. “We’re wedded to the well-being of the city,” the library’s director says. All of us who live here are.

THE WAIT IS OVER: Apple store employees greet customers Saturday during the store’s grand opening. The store, located in the Promenade at Chenal, is the first Apple retail store in Arkansas.

City Hall’s bias

E

lsewhere on this week’s editorial page, you’ll learn that the editorial board of the Arkansas Times decided after some debate to support the full penny worth of sales tax being sought by Little Rock City Hall.

I’m not likely to go so far, though I understand the sentiment for the full penny. I’ll support the operational millage (5/8ths of a cent). It’s excessive, but in due course we’ll need the money, particularly if suburbs and the Internet continue to shrink the local sales tax base. The so-called capital millage (3/8ths of a cent for 10 years) won’t enjoy my personal support.

City Hall hasn’t shot straight on its needs, for one thing. And I just can’t countenance the $38 million economic development slush fund for 1) a research park of dubious value 2) port land purchases that could be made as needed, not now, and a honey pot of money to pass out as insiders direct for corporate welfare, preferably to companies that hate unions, hate government health care, don’t care if their employees live in the suburbs and don’t fully support the local public schools.

You may think I exaggerate. But I’ve done no more than lay out the politics of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, which kept its unaccountable $200,000 city welfare subsidy despite hard times for city employees and whose leaders already have been designated to oversee the bulk of slush fund spending.

These fellows (and I do mostly mean fellows) have always called City Hall shots. Look at another small but telling example last week. Neighborhood groups and average citizens rose up to oppose a rule change to allow construction of five-story buildings across the street from the state Capitol. The existing three-story limit is meant to preserve views of the historic Capitol.

But a land speculator and business community powerhouse, John Burkhalter, bought land at Sixth and

Woodlane where he wants to build a five-story building. Since he’s a major supporter of Gov. Mike Beebe, many thought he’d have little trouble bringing around the Capitol Zoning District MAX Commission on the rule change, BRANTLEY max@arktimes.com since most commissioners are appointed by the governor.

But no. With the Commission set to vote last week, a head count indicated Burkhalter was going to lose. Up steps Little Rock city government with an urgent plea for more time for “study.” This has been studied to death.

City Hall just wanted to give Burkhalter more time to turn the screws on commission members. City Hall joined lobbying for Burkhalter by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated General Contractors for another. They give not a damn about historic preservation or the neighbors. Burkhalter is one of them and controls billions in spending as a highway commissioner.

There’s a nice wrinkle here. Secretary of State Mark Martin, a Republican whose opponent got Burkhalter support in 2010, may have the swing vote through a commission seat he controls. An engineer, he has the training to be able to question representations Burkhalter has made about whether his building will block views of the Capitol. (It will, in some places.)

Martin, of Prairie Grove, was strong-armed by a stream of special interest business lobbyists. But he and the Republican Party chair opposed the plan, making them more solicitous of neighborhood feelings than Little Rock City Hall.

Maybe if everybody in the Quapaw Quarter took out a Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce membership they’d get more attention.

OPINION

Perfidious poor

R

epublicans — well, everyone else, too — ought to be alarmed about the course of the Republican presidential race, where the goofiest whim quickly becomes party orthodoxy.

So it was that when U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann said the country should raise taxes on the poor, the elderly and the disabled, most of the other candidates leaped at the idea. Bachmann had signed a pledge never to vote for higher taxes, but collecting more income taxes from the poor apparently wouldn’t count against her.

This all started two years ago when the Tax Policy Center, a joint research project of the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, revealed that as a result of President Obama’s big stimulus program in 2009 about 47 percent of “taxing units” would owe no federal income taxes that year or in 2010.

About $245 billion of the stimulus was tax cuts, an effort to create demand by putting spending money into people’s pockets. All but the very rich got refundable tax credits of up to $800 a couple, the earned income tax credit was expanded, and middle-class families received tax credits for college tuition.

About 38 percent of households already had no income-tax liability because they were old or too poor, and the new credits would raise the untaxed share to 47 percent.

Fox News commentators have bandied the figure about regularly — rounding it off usually to “half the country” — and House Republican Leader Eric Cantor

began to employ it in the debt-ceiling battle as an antidote to Obama’s insistence that the deficit be reduced ERNEST partly by restorDUMAS ing the pre-Bush tax rates on people earning more than $250,000. Wealthier people already are carrying the tax burden, the Republicans said.

But Bachmann got specific about what should be done. Everyone in America, no matter how desperate their circumstances, should send something to the IRS to support the government that takes care of them, she said. It was a patriotic duty.

That apparently includes the disabled and elderly. Nearly half of the 47 percent who owed no income taxes — 22 percent to be exact — were seniors and the permanently disabled whose Social Security benefits are not taxed by the federal government. Congress could repeal the Social Security exemption for low-income retirees and reduce the untaxed share from 47 percent to 25 percent.

The rest are people who are unemployed or whose earnings are so puny that they owe no tax once they claim the individual exemptions and standard or itemized deductions that people with higher incomes claim.

Gov. Mitt Romney agreed that it was too bad that nearly half the population escaped taxes and left it to the rest to carry the burden.

A new civil rights struggle in LR?

G

iving poor children vouchers from public money to attend private, parochial or charter schools — could that possibly be the new civil rights struggle in American education?

Is this a movement that will put conservative ideology on the right side of history, where, alas, it was not the first time?

And will Little Rock again provide one of the famous battlegrounds?

There are conservatives answering “yes” to all of those questions.

First, here is the case for “school choice,” as the voucher movement’s advocates seek to brand it: Kids will learn if instilled with an education ethic and put in a positive environment, which are precisely the advantages so widely denied them in the regular public schools in the inner cities and poor areas.

Children will be better off if they, or their parents, get more choices, provided by scholarship money from public and/or pri-

vate sources. Those choices would include a more abundant array of charter schools with myriad specialties like perJOHN forming arts and BRUMMETT foreign language immersion.

Liberal groups, tending to stand with teacher unions and traditional public education, would be on the wrong side of history this time, you see.

This is a case that sometimes implies that the failure of our regular public schools is so abject that we need to give up on them, not work to reform them. That leads to a suspicion among traditional educators that the voucher movement is, in its logical conclusion, about privatizing education altogether, a frightful notion to those interested in universal and equitable opportunity.

Even the rational and sometimes thoughtful Jon Huntsman agreed with Bachman that all those people should not be allowed to escape taxes. Rick Santorum said that when people got away without paying any taxes, “there’s no end to the amount of government that people want.” Gov. Rick Perry thought it was deplorable to have so many tax scofflaws.

His solution — Herman Cain’s, too — was to scrap the income tax and impose a huge national sales tax on everything that people buy, which would finally put a solid tax obligation on all those freeloaders.

The tax freeloaders have taken the place of the welfare class, which was the Republican bogeyman until President Clinton’s welfare reform ended permanent entitlements.

But there is a giant fallacy in their argument, which most Americans must recognize. The 47 percent who had no federal income-tax liability are not tax scofflaws and freeloaders. A sizable percentage of them pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the richest Americans do. The income tax accounts for only a little more than half of federal revenues. Social insurance taxes — employment taxes that are recorded for oldage and survivors insurance, Medicare hospitalization and disability insurance — and excise taxes on gasoline, cigarettes and a variety of other products and services account for more than 40 percent of all the government revenues. Those taxes land more heavily on the poorest half of the population, at least those who are not on Social Security, than on the better-off half.

While the non-elderly poor and moderate-income families with children, who make up the 25 percent, owe no income tax, they

effectively pay a tax rate of 15.3 percent of all their income in payroll taxes.

People of low and moderate incomes also pay the lion’s share of state and local taxes, which are mainly sales, excise and property taxes. Most payroll taxes — all but the Medicare tax — are levied on only the first $106,800 of income so the effective tax rate gets smaller the higher a person’s earnings. The taxes are not collected on unearned income such as a rich investor’s interest, dividends and capital gains, but the average worker pays the taxes on every dime of his income. That is why Warren Buffett said his secretary paid a larger share of her income to support the government than he did.

When the politicians tell you how unfair it is that the richest 1, 2 or 5 percent pay such a large share of federal income taxes, consider these figures: If you divide the country into fifths, from the poorest fifth to the richest fifth, the share of the nation’s personal wealth breaks down this way: The poorest fifth of Americans own onetenth of 1 percent of the wealth, the next poorest fifth have two-tenths of 1 percent, the middle fifth own 3 percent, the next-to-richest fifth own 13 percent and the richest fifth own 83 percent. The average annual family income of the poorest fifth is $18,000, and of the richest fifth $200,000.

What Bachmann, Perry, Cantor and the rest should be lamenting is not the amount of taxes that the poorest 47 percent of Americans pay but the pitiful share of the nation’s great wealth that they own. That share has been sinking for 30 years, dramatically the past decade. Now there is an issue for a presidential candidate.

So now the conservative Heritage Foundation is moving into historic Little Rock, international symbol at Central High of the first civil rights struggle in education, to try to advance this new paradigm.

This is mostly about one African-American woman, Virginia Walden Ford, a native of Little Rock. The daughter of public educators, she was among the second wave of integration of Central High in Little Rock, where she graduated in 1969.

In the 1990s, living as a divorced mother of three in the deprived and deadly southeastern section of Washington, D. C., she saw her youngest son saved from the drug culture by an acquaintance who paid to send him to a Catholic school. So she made advocacy for school choice, and for funding from Congress for scholarships in D.C., her life’s work.

Now, months from her 60th birthday, she has come home to Little Rock. She has bought a house near her mother in the shadow of the state fairgrounds in south-central Little Rock.

On Monday, she had breakfast with me moments before the Heritage Foundation, where she is a fellow, put on a school-choice conference at the Statehouse Convention

Center featuring her and Rod Paige, the African-American former education secretary under George W. Bush.

Ford tells me we will be seeing and hearing from her as she, with “facilitation” from the Heritage Foundation, endeavors in Little Rock, and in Arkansas, to repeat her 15-year obsession — and success — in D.C. I told Ford that I hoped her efforts would be about providing new models for regular public schools to emulate, not about replacing regular public schools.

Ford assured me she shared those sentiments, but she made this clear: The first thing, and the primary thing, indeed the only thing, is not saving any existing school building or any adults’ turf, but making sure every parent has a wider choice and every child a better opportunity.

The idea is for choice to make regular public schools better, but for choice never to go away from some sort of declared victory at a finish line. Still, Ford and her conservative allies will fall short politically and educationally if they fail to make clear — if, in fact, they don’t truly believe — that the rescue and reform of universal and equitable public education, of traditional public schools, is the ultimate goal, indeed the point. www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 7

WORDS

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8 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

Skosh and soda, mud in your eye …

Stanley Johnson’s interest was piqued by a newspaper’s use of the word “scoch” in referring to a unit of measurement.

“I know that it means ‘a small amount,’ ” Johnson writes, “but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the word in print. ‘Scoch’ doesn’t look right. I would have guessed ‘scoche’ or maybe even ‘scauche,’ because I’m sure if it’s really a word, it’s probably some debased French thing.”

It’s not French, debased or upstanding, although it rhymes with gauche. Skosh is a slang term for “a bit, a little.” It was derived from the Japanese sukoshi, but it may have come to America by way of Korea. One source suggests that the Japanese word was adapted into pidgin Korean as “skoshi,” and that American servicemen who’d been stationed in Korea brought the word to America as skosh. Paul Dickson’s “War Slang” says the term came into its own in this country “in an ad for blue jeans that featured ‘a skosh more room’ for the postadolescent customer.”

“Still, the two most rightward judges on the 11th

Circuit … gave the foes of the law what they needed, a victory of some sort, even a pyrrhic one.”

Stuart Jay SilverDOUG man of Hot Springs SMITH writes: “Apparently, doug@arktimes.com Spell Check and the editors both missed the error in [Name Withheld]’s Aug. 17 column. The p in ‘Pyrrhic’ should always be capitalized.”

A couple of specialized uses of pyrrhic don’t require a capital, but Mr. Sherman is correct that the Pyrrhic of Pyrrhic victory is always capitalized, being derived from the name of the Greek general Pyrrhus, who said after a costly victory over the Romans that one more such and he would be undone.

It’s a poor workman that blames his tools.

I’m fairly sure that [Name Withheld] will eventually come forward, admit his mistake in public, and stop trying to blame Spell Check and editors. If he’s reading this, a round for the house would not be out of order.

WEEK THAT WAS

It was a good week for…

THE ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER. The museum’s foundation announced that it had raised $4 million — $2 million of it from two anonymous donors giving $1 million each — and would give the Arts Center $2.17 million to pay off debt linked to the financially disastrous World of the Pharaohs exhibit.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS IN FAYETTEVILLE. The state’s flagship announced that it had enrolled 23,153 students in its fall semester, 1,700 more than last year, with 25 percent more blacks and 28 percent more Latinos enrolling.

GEEKS. The much-hyped and long-awaited Apple store opened in West Little Rock with a crowd of 200 gathering in anticipation on Saturday.

THOSE INTERESTED IN THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE CASE. More than 1,000 attended a panel discussion on the case co-hosted by the Clinton School of Public Service and the Arkansas Times last Thursday at the Statehouse Convention Center.

Attorneys for the defendants, Jonesboro prosecutor Scott Ellington, journalist Mara Leveritt and advocate Capi Peck made up the panel. Ellington made news when he said the state crime lab would test so-far unidentified DNA evidence to see if it points to a suspect in the case. And Capi Peck said Damien Echols hopes to tell his life story.

It was a bad week for…

THE ENVIRONMENT. Instead of imposing fines or shutting down the mining company UMETCO, which has long exceeded state water pollution standards on discharges into a Hot Springs creek that feeds Lake Catherine, the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission changed its rules to permit the higher pollution levels.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued an official opinion agreeing that it was legal for the city of Little Rock to withhold hometowns when it released a list of employees. The city asked the opinion because someone sought the list of employees who live outside the city. The statute allows protection of “home addresses” of non-elected public employees and McDaniel’s opinion said this “encompasses all components parts of a ‘home address’; namely, a street address, zip code, city, and county.” A city or a county are far from a home address.

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Chasing children that lurk around Observer HQ, does not have children. The wisdom of this decision was never more plainly evident than this weekend when we dutifully accompanied our girlfriend to a birthday party, the invitee list of which counted nearly 50 8-year-olds and a contingent of stumbling cupcake-facestuffing toddlers. The oldest among this ilk contented themselves by tumbling down a giant inflatable water slide, surfacing to bother the adults only when injured or to quench a thirst not yet satisfied by inadvertent gulps of muddy, grass-flecked water pooled at the bottom of the play-thing.

We sat back in a folding lawn chair, sipping a cold bottle of water, delighting in the fact that we were not responsible for breaking up fights, holding soggy T-shirts or applying sunscreen slab-wise across bony shoulders.

It was then that we were enlisted to help watch our girlfriend’s niece, one of the aforementioned stumbling almost-2-year old toddlers. From that moment forward our afternoon became not one of sunny leisure, but one of chasing around a small person who could hardly walk and whose hierarchy of needs seemingly consisted of (in this order) sticking foreign objects in her mouth, picking up trash, stealing and playing with people’s phones, blurting out unintelligible garble and putting herself in constant danger of banging her head on something sharp. And we were only at it for about an hour.

The whole affair completely wore us out. It also had the unexpected effect of making us look forward to the day when we had someone so cute and precious in our lives that to spend a day wiping, chasing, protecting, feeding, cleaning, wrangling and entertaining would be thought of not as a burden but a pleasure.

THIS OBSERVER, UNLIKE OTHERS

THEN THERE COMES THE DAY when the danger-seeking 2-year-old turns 20. It was a tough day for this Observer, who never listened to all those people who warned that childhood would be over before we knew it. You may think the days of dogging the toddler to keep her off the ladder, out of the trash, from smearing her banana into the rug and refusing to put on her clothes will never end. But they do, and damned if

you don’t miss them a little bit.

LAST

THURSDAY,

THE CLINTON

SCHOOL of Public Service set up more than 1,100 chairs for a joint program with the Arkansas Times on the West Memphis Three case. Every single one, including the one accommodating your humble Observer, was filled.

It was an informative, educational and civil gathering. All Little Rock attorneys for the three were in attendance and ready to answer questions. The rest of the panel was made up of Arkansas Take Action founder Capi Peck, Times Contributing Editor Mara Leveritt and Jonesboro Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington. Here are a few memorable moments: • Ellington, who signed off on the release deal, walked into a lion’s den of WM3 supporters. He defended the deal.

He continued to assert his belief in their guilt. But, he said the state crime lab would analyze so-far unidentified DNA evidence to see if it points to a suspect in the case. He encouraged those with evidence to see the defense team and said he’d consider “compelling” evidence. He made a persuasive case (to us, anyway) that the deal was the best way to serve the interests of those who believed in either guilt or innocence of the WM3. He acknowledged this was not the smartest decision if politics was your only objective. In other words, we fear this good man may not run for Congress after all.

• Peck said that Son of Sam Law or no, Damien Echols hopes to write about his life story.

• In a post-panel wind-down at the River Market wine bar, Zin, two possible movie moments were suggested to the Observer. 1) That meeting in Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s office, with 15 or so legal eagles, when the decision was made to move forward on a plea deal and 2) that prison van ride last Thursday, when Misskelley, Baldwin and Echols were together for the first time in 17 years.

Misskelley told his lawyer, Jeff Rosenzweig, they talked a little about sports.

• Rosenzweig also relayed a bittersweet moment to the Observer about informing Misskelley’s father that his son would be coming home: “For the weekend?” his father asked.

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Arkansas Reporter

THE

INSIDER

At the end of the Aug. 19 hearing that allowed the West Memphis Three to walk out of the courtroom as free men, families of the victims and defendants, supporters and others started to file out of the packed courtroom. The designated pool camera continued to roll on Circuit Judge David Laser as he sat behind the bench, filing away papers and signing documents.

With approximately 20 seconds left on the tape, Judge Laser, addressing his daughter Laura, who was in court, seems to say: “Laura, he’s serious. Soury says he thinks he can get Mom a short one-on-one with Johnny in Santa Fe.” Soury is presumably Lonnie Soury, a media spokesman for the group formed to advocate freedom for the West Memphis Three. Johnny is presumably Johnny Depp, a long time advocate for the West Memphis Three who was set to begin filming “The Lone Ranger” in Santa Fe this October until production was delayed.

Judge Laser’s wife, Ann Laser, lives in Santa Fe part-time, according to her website.

Soury says he met with the judge and other officials the afternoon before the hearing Aug. 19, but that no offer for an introduction was made or accepted. “[Arkansas Supreme Court Communications Counsel] Stephanie Harris and I met with court officers and Judge Laser to discuss security and orderliness in the courtroom, both inside and outside the courthouse, as we expected a large contingent of media and interested parties. Nothing improper was discussed at any point,” Soury said in an e-mail.

When asked if there was any talk about arranging a meeting between the judge or his wife and the famous actor, Soury said, “No.” Harris says she would have been “very concerned” if a conversation of that nature had occurred, but says that it did not.

“I remember that discussion and the discussion was not, ‘Hey, I’ll hook you up.’ We were talking about security and where everything was going to be. I asked if the celebrities were going to be there and Lonnie mentioned Eddie Vedder and Natalie Maines. I asked if Johnny Depp was going to be there. That led to a discussion about how he’s shooting a movie. I remember the judge saying his wife was in Santa Fe. My recollection is that it was kind of jokey — ‘Oh, my wife would love to meet him,’ or something like that. But there was never any serious discussion about making any arrangements,” Harris said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 10 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

What did he say?

PLANNING A SPOTLIGHT: Ben Muldrow (left rear) and Tee Coker.

What’s in a name?

Effort seeks to ‘brand’ the Quapaw Quarter.

BY DAVID KOON

O

n a recent, rainy morning, as thunder boomed outside, a group of people sat in a circle at Little Rock’s historic Curran Hall and told two visiting consultants specializing in neighborhood branding what they’d like to see happen in the Quapaw Quarter. The meeting was one of several held in Little Rock the week of Aug. 22-25 with representatives of consultants Arnett Muldrow and Associates on how best to get the word out that the Quapaw Quarter is more than just a collection of historic mansions downtown.

Originally a 16-square-block area bounded by Capitol Avenue on the north, Ninth Street on the south, Scott Street on the west and Bond Avenue on the east, the Quapaw Quarter was established in 1968

by a group of historically-minded residents seeking to save the mansions near MacArthur Park from urban renewal. In the 1980s, the borders were expanded to include nine square miles at the city center, including the Little Rock skyline, Central High School and the State Capitol. It now includes the River Market district and the Clinton Library. The goal of Arnett Muldrow’s meetings last week was, first: figure out how to get the word out about that. Second (and harder): how to express points of pride.

One of the residents at the Curran Hall meeting was Jennifer Carman, who bought her historic home near Wright Avenue in 2004. Carman told the Greenville, S.C., consultants that her neighborhood is at a “make or break” point in its history, with the lack of

The Times’ new look After nearly two decades, a design change.

BY LINDSEY MILLAR

T

hat’s right, your eyes aren’t failing you, your memory isn’t fading: The paper looks different this week. For the first time in nearly 20 years, we’ve redesigned it. Not merely for the sake of change, which happened fairly regularly in the Times’ first 15 years of existence. But also because, as the Arkansas Times continues to evolve into a multi-faceted media outlet with daily reporting, we’re more conscious than ever about how we present our content, of how we take

advantage of all the very different mediums through which we reach readers.

If you’re only a print reader, you may be scratching your head. But consider our coverage of this recent news story. Two weeks ago, arktimes.com and the Arkansas Blog broke the news of the momentous West Memphis Three hearing before any other outlet. When the WM3 were officially freed, subscribers to our e-mail newsletter got an immediate alert, as did our thousands

city services, crumbling infrastructure and crime there causing those with the will and finances to restore older homes to buy elsewhere. That reluctance to restore results in more deteriorating houses, which the city is often eager to demolish as nuisance properties, she said. She said the branding project might help turn that around.

“There’s a reason that South Main Street looks beautiful and Wright Avenue looks like a train wreck,” she said. “That’s our namesake, and I find it appalling. I feel like this [the rebranding project] is exactly the sort of project that might bring attention from the eyes of the city, who funnels the money … We’ve got dilapidated streetlights, crumbling sidewalks that I wouldn’t walk my dog on, or no sidewalks, and it’s a complete atrocity. It would not happen in The Quapaw Quarter as people think of it.”

Another resident at the meeting was Kwendeche, a single-named restoration architect. Kwendeche, who lives on Rice Street in a house his grandfather built in 1925, supports the branding efforts, but told the consultants that that until the city addresses the issue of crime and businesses that attract a bad element, negative perceptions about the neighborhoods south of Interstate 630 will persist.

“I really think that the stumbling block,” he said, “no matter what you come up with — and you’ll probably come up with a great plan, and a great branding product — but unless you deal with the negative perceptions and the negativity … it’s not going to happen. We have real issues, and it goes beyond architecture and historic things.

People are not wanting to come to the neighborhood.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

of Twitter followers and Facebook fans; Max Brantley and I offered commentary on the developments on our weekly podcast; those who weren’t able to attend the panel discussion of participants in the case that we co-hosted with the Clinton School last week could follow it live on Twitter at @ArkTimes, where we posted several hundred updates; the day after the panel, readers could watch video of the discussion on our Facebook page.

As publisher/founder Alan Leveritt is fond of saying, the Times is platform agnostic. We don’t care if you access us through our mobile-optimized website, our Facebook page or the print addition — as long as you’re reading.

Despite our embrace of technology, CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

LISTEN UP

“I agree with that. We were paying for non-ignorance.”

Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, in response to Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue (and his $324,000 salary), who conceded to the Lottery Oversight Committee on Aug. 24 that his own ignorance was no excuse for the lottery failing to make payments to the IRS on time.

Tune in to the Times’ “Week-In-Review“ podcast each Friday.

Available on iTunes & arktimes.com

INSIDER, CONT.

BUGGED

OUT

If the spring flooding, summer triple-digit heat and drought we’ve seen this summer weren’t enough to convince gardeners to turn in their thumbs, consider these terrifying bug invasions: According to the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, voracious grasshoppers and fall armyworms are on the rise. We can thank the drought for the increase in grasshoppers, since the fungi that normally keep their numbers down don’t thrive in dry heat. Grasshoppers — which can consume as much as 50 percent of their body weight in forage a day — have been wreaking havoc on pastures and home gardens alike. (U of A fact: 50 pounds of grasshoppers can eat as much as a full-grown cow.)

We can thank the recent rains for the jackboot march of armyworms (above) through irrigated fields. Armyworms are denser and causing more damage this year, UA entomologist Kelly Loftin says. Armyworms move quickly and in large numbers (hence the name); you can find up to 20 per 25 per square foot of vegetation. Vigilance is key, Loftin said: The only way to mitigate damage is to spot them early and disarm them with insecticide (including something relatively environmentallyfriendly like Spinosad).

SMALLEST PERCENTAGE FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE Benton County, with 13.6%, followed closely by Saline and Grant, at near 14%.

HUNGER IN ARKANSAS The national non-profit Feeding America, with support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Nielsen Company, recently released an interactive map of food insecurity — a lack of or limited access to adequate nutrition — across the country.

Arkansas last year had the highest hunger in the nation among children under 18, according to Feeding America. This year, though the percentage of hungry children has grown — from 24.4 percent last year to 28.6 percent this year — in Arkansas, other states have outpaced that rate, leaving Arkansas the third highest behind Oregon and Arizona (and the District of Columbia).

The interactive map is available at feedingamerica.org/mapthegap.

HIGHEST NUMBER OF FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE Pulaski County, with 65,100.

17.8%

506,600

No more Lynch The Arkansas DemocratGazette recently dropped Pat Lynch from its op-ed columnists lineup. His last weekly contribution appeared on Monday.

Lynch was frequently a progressive voice in a space not distinguished by many. He’ll surely continue to fulminate on his blog and on his weekly appearance on Channel 4 opposite conservative commentator Bill Vickery.

Lynch tells us the split was as amicable as could be expected.

“I am not angry with [Editorial Page Editor] Paul [Greenberg] or anybody else,” Lynch said in an e-mail.

Greenberg said Lynch’s column had been “discontinued,” and that word of any replacement would be shared with Democrat-Gazette readers first.

“That’s our policy,” Greenberg said. “We let our readers know first. From time to time we change columnists. This is about the second or third time that Pat has rotated off.

But that’s how we work. Our readers should always be the first to know.”

When asked about what Lynch’s departure would mean for the ideological balance of that section, Greenberg said that as editor he tries to maintain a balance.

“It is a concern,” he said. “We have a couple of columnists, notably Gene Lyons, who could be said to be reliably on the left. We try to maintain some balance on the editorial page which is why we run Paul Krugman once a week, I think.”

We’re No. 1 in D-I-V-O-R-C-E

Counties with a food insecurity percentage over 19%.

OVERALL

Judge Laser returned a call about the incident Monday afternoon. His only on-the-record comment: “No comment.”

CHILDREN UNDER 18

28.6%

200,290

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE Chicot County, with 28.5%, followed closely by Phillips (27%) and Desha (26.1%).

Arkansas’s divorce rate for men is the highest in the nation, according to the Census Bureau, and the rate for women is well above the national average. Using data from 2009, the latest available, the bureau said that the divorce rate per 1,000 Arkansas men over the age of 15 was 13.5. For women, the figure was 12.8. The national averages were 9.2 for men and 9.7 for women.

But Arkansas’s high divorce rates were not out of line with its Southern neighbors. Fourteen states had divorce rates for men that were significantly above the U.S. average and nine of those were in the South — Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The picture was essentially the same for women — 14 states had divorce rates above the national average, 9 of them were in the South. www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 11

FullPage_Layout 1 9/14/10 11:51 AM Page 3

QUAPAW, CONT. Ben Muldrow, who was running the meeting, said that he hopes to develop a plan that will spotlight the Quapaw Quarter and make people proud to live there. A group of preliminary designs that his firm worked up a few days later shows colorful streetlamp banners and other signage proclaiming each area as one of “the neighborhoods of the Quapaw Quarter.” Sample ads show examples of the stately Victorian homes the Quapaw Quarter is traditionally known for beside inset pictures of smaller or more modern homes over the tagline: “This is the Quapaw Quarter ... and so is this.”

The eventually branding plan, Muldrow said, “has to be broad. It has to be diverse. It has to be strong enough to help those neighborhoods that don’t have anything going yet, and nimble enough to allow neighborhoods that are established and moving forward to be able to maintain that strong personality while attaching themselves to something larger that’s moving in the right direction.”

The QQA, along with the City of Little Rock, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the Little Rock Visitor Foundation and other groups, paid Arnett Muldrow and Associates $10,000 for the branding project.

QQA director Rhea Roberts said the company has developed rebranding proposFullPage_Layout 9/14/10than 11:51250 AM Page 3 als for 1more communities in 27 states. Roberts said she hopes that institutions within the Quarter, like Arkansas Baptist College, Philander Smith College and

NEW LOOK, CONT.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital, will help surnew Insider and we’re still big believers in print here. We’ll be FullPage_Layout 1 9/14/10 11:51 AM Page 3 rounding neighborhoods with the purchase illustrate them in a committed to the weekly edition as long as of new signage and streetlamp banners, and way that hopefully our readers and advertisers are. that neighborhood groups will start using “a will make you As a means for finding out what neighborhood of the Quapaw Quarter” on pause as you’re happened last week and what’s happening letterheads and newsletters. furiously flipping in the coming weekend, an alt-weekly “Throughout the process, we realized through the paper tabloid is hard to beat. But our old design that we really hadn’t promoted [the Quatrying to find out was cluttered, with styles rooted in daily Caddy paw Quarter] at all,” Roberts said. “It was what movies are newspaper design. For our new look, we’ve There are many beef, but only one clean Angus all about what people outside of the brands Quar- of aimed opening on Friday. for something andbrand more exceeds in the expectations.

Certified Angus Beef ®about brandit.is a cut USDA Prime, Choice Select. TenA quality ter andThe maybe Little Rock thought lot of standards publications that undertake spiritabove of a magazine.

On the cover,and we’ve We’d never really done anything brandIt’s abundantly significant redesigns employ outside updated our flavorful, logo — byincredibly which I mean the naturally set the brandtoapart. tender, juicy.

There are many brands of beef, but only one A ourselves in the first place. That’s how this consultants. We didn’t need to do that. Our words Arkansas Times — in a way that we The Certified Angus Beef ® brand is a cut above USDA Pri came about: to really start to do that, rather supremely talented editorial art director Kai think better complements our new cover set knocked the brand apart. than let other people say what they might Caddy it out overIt’s theabundantly last several flavorful design philosophy. Inside, we’ve freed up think, whether it’s right or wrong.” months in whatever small spare time he more space for art and pictures and tried to One of the things many people get had between putting out the weekly issue. improve readability. wrong, she said, is the idea that living in the Kai’s already put his deft touch on the None of these changes mean we’re Quapaw Quarter will mean extra restrictions look of our covers and cover stories since running fewer words anywhere. Aside from on what homeowners can do to their houses. assuming his position last year, and he’s moving our opinion spread forward, shifting For most in the Quarter, she said, that’s not received accolades. In July, the Association a few other features around in the front of the the case, and the QQA hasn’t done as much of Alternative Newsweeklies gave him first paper and jettisoning the table of contents, as they should have to quash that idea. prize for his cover-story design for our “Big the biggest substantive change is on page “As an organization, we haven’t done Ideas” issue last year. We’re confident that, 11. We’ve retired our Smart Talk feature as good of a job as we could have in that with this new design, it’s merely the first and reconsidered The Insider, which began regard,” she said. “It’s only Capitol Zonamong many awards to come for Kai. We its life as a space for breaking news briefs. ing District or the MacArthur Park District hope you agree.* We break news every day at arktimes.com where there are guidelines you have to folThanks for reading. and aren’t interested in holding it back for low ... Otherwise, there are no restrictions, our weekly edition. Look for The Insider to unless you want to take advantage of the tax *But let me know if you don’t. We’re still advance the news we develop online as well credit, and then there are some commoncommitted to constantly looking for ways to as deal in the facts, figures and commentary sense things the [National] Park Service improve our design and reporting and will be as previously found in Smart Talk. On the wants you to do, like repair old windows long as I’m editor. E-mail me at lindseymillar@ same page, we aim to take a couple of rather than replace them.” arktimes.com with your thoughts. items that might otherwise appear in the

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THINKING

FREELY IN LITTLE ROCK The atheists are coming out.

BY D O U G S M I T H

I

t’s said there are no atheists in foxholes, and that’s baloney, according to a military man we’ll call “Brad.” At an atheists’ social gathering in Little Rock, Brad told a reporter that as an Air Force pilot, he’d been in situations where his life was in danger, and on those occasions, the farthest thing from his mind was seeking assistance from an omnipotent Santa Claus.

“In an emergency, you do what you’ve been trained to do,” he said. “If you’re praying, you’re not doing the very thing you need to be doing, your job.”

Brad recalled that when the airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger was asked if he’d prayed while facing great hazard during a memorable incident over New York in 2009, Sullenberger had replied that passengers were probably taking care of the praying; he personally had been too busy setting his airplane down safely in the Hudson River.

It may be another indication of keeping a cool head under fire that although Brad mixed freely with fellow freethinkers in a beer-and-pizza get-together at Vino’s, and answered questions for a reporter, he didn’t 14 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

want his real name or photograph used in a newspaper article. “The military is a conservative culture,” he said. “One ultra-religious commander could ruin your career.” Don’t ask, don’t tell, applies to more than sexual preference in the military.

But a retired Air Force officer can step boldly from the religious closet and David Bentley has. He’s now the president of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, the largest group in a coalition of nontheists who’ve won a couple of legal battles for nonbelievers in Arkansas. First they gained the right, through federal court, to have a nonreligious, wintersolstice exhibit at the state Capitol at the same time a Nativity scene was on display. More recently, a federal judge ordered the public bus company Central Arkansas Transit Authority to sell advertising to the atheists if it sells advertising to Christian churches, as CATA does.

Until recently, atheists hadn’t won many fights in Arkansas. The state Constitution still contains a prohibition against atheists holding public office. A flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution, the provision is unen-

forced, but the atheists haven’t been able to gather the political strength needed to remove it, as other unlawful provisions have been. Admitted atheists don’t run for office in Arkansas, anyway. Occasionally, a politician will leave blank the line that asks for “religious preference,” but that’s as far as they dare go.

S

usan Kent, the vice president of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers (ASF), is a nurse who grew up going to church, although she remembers that even as a child she’d asked doubting questions about biblical stories like the Tower of Babel. “People said ‘Don’t ask.’ ” As an adult, she’d sung in the choir and taught Sunday School. Then a younger sister lost a baby, two weeks before it was to be born. She asked, “How could God let that baby die when so many people were looking forward to it?” Soon afterward, she met a “significant other” who was an atheist, and explained the world to her in scientific, non-miraculous terms. She read books: “The Case Against God” and “The DemonHaunted World.” “Once my eyes were opened, I couldn’t go back.”

B

efore you can take up the question of whether the godless are gaining in numbers and acceptance, one must first identify them, and that’s not as easy as it sounds. The word “atheist” is used most often in this article because it’s common and comparatively well understood, but people in the no-god movement designate themselves in many different ways: freethinker, skeptic, agnostic, humanist, nontheist ... At Vino’s, a reporter met a deist. He’d thought Thomas Jefferson was the last deist.

Whatever name they use, the unfaith-

BRIAN CHILSON

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

CENTRALARKANSASCOR.ORG

ful generally don’t believe in an afterlife, they don’t believe in miracles of the biblical sort, they don’t believe in an all-seeing, all-knowing power that runs everything and has its eye on you every minute.

Even Kirk Dixon, a retired banker and one of the more assertive of the local atheists, points out that “atheist” only says what he doesn’t believe in, not what he does. The things he does believe are found in a paper he carries in his billfold, called “The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles.”

MISSED THE BUS: The ad atheists wanted to run.

www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 15

“I don’t hold anything against anybody who has some sort of religion. I just want separation of church and state.

No Ten Commandments on public property.”

HIGGINS: Believers and nonbelievers should be allowed to advertise.

THE ETHICIST AND THE ATHEISTS

AT: Are you offended by atheistic advertising on buses or anywhere else?

RH: I might be offended by some atheistic advertising. I am not offended by the fact that some people don’t believe in God. I would be offended if they mischaracterized people who believe in God. I am offended by some religious advertising.

AT: Do you think atheists have as much right to advertise as churches?

RH: Absolutely. People who believe in God and people who don’t believe in God should be able to advertise their ideas. If a public forum offers a religious group free or paid advertisement, the 16 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

same right should exist for non-religious people.

AT: Do you think the number of atheists is growing, as might be indicated by the recent activity here in Little Rock? If so, why?

RH: It seems to be true. It may be that more people are willing to admit that they don’t believe in God. Also, as our world shrinks, our culture is less dominated by the old-time religion. We are exposed to global expressions of faith, philosophy and spirituality. In the past I think more people called themselves followers of the dominant, cultural faith because that’s how they grew up, and that’s what their culture promoted, and that’s what the majority believed.

on the back side of American currency, but it didn’t prohibit editing. On his bills, Dixon puts a big “X” in red ink through “God,” and just below that he writes “separation of church and state.”

One wondered if Dixon, in reality or pretense, was the classic Republican banker during his working days? No, he says. He worked for First Commercial Bank, run by Bill Bowen, the prominent banker/lawyer/Democrat, so Dixon was allowed to be openly Democratic. He was not open about his religious beliefs, however. That candor came with retirement.

A

nne Orsi, the secretary of ASF, is a lawyer, a native Arkansan who’d left the state for a time and when she returned couldn’t find the intelligent conversation she’d known elsewhere — about science, philosophy and such. She discovered ASF — while driving, she saw a sign about a portion of highway that ASF cleans up — got in touch with members, and found the stimulating conversation she’d missed. (At atheist meetings, as at church, some people are there mainly for the socializing.) Orsi had been forced to go to church as a child, but she rebelled. After she announced that the Bible was a horrible book and God a mean person, church attendance was seldom required.

“People ask us ‘Why do you not believe?’

We’d ask them the same thing: ‘Why do you believe?’ There’s bewilderment on both sides.

But nobody hates their god. Their belief is not a problem. It’s what they do with it, the imposition of their beliefs on others.”

AT: Have you ever debated an atheist on the question of whether there is a God? What were the circumstances?

RH: No. I have had conversations. I am interested in their philosophical perspectives and experiences. There are very understandable reasons for a person’s beliefs and feelings which make sense in light of their personal stories.

AT: Do you feel obliged to try to convert atheists?

RH: It’s not my style to confront people and show them where they are wrong. I prefer to get to know people, understand them, and respect them, and hope that by sharing life experiences and living the most Christ-like life I possibly can, I can both learn from them and be a positive influence.

BRIAN CHILSON

R

ay Higgins is the executive director of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas. He earned a Ph.D. at Baylor University in religion and ethics, then taught ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth until fundamentalists took the seminary over “and ruined it.”

He was pastor of Second Baptist Church in Little Rock before accepting his present job. We wanted to talk about atheism with a Christian clergyman of some standing, and Higgins seemed a good choice.

(For non-Baptists, the Cooperative Fellowship is an organization of moderate-to-liberal Baptists who left the bigger Baptist group, the Southern Baptist Convention, after conservatives seized full control of the SBC some 20 years ago. Cooperative Baptists uphold the old Baptist belief in separation of church and state. Convention Baptists do not.)

“We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems.

“We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.

“We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities.

“We are committed to the principle of the separation of church and state.” ...

The well-prepared Dixon also carries a billfold-sized pamphlet “Ten Common Myths About Atheists.” No. 8 is one that will be familiar to anyone old enough to remember the McCarthy era: “Atheists Are All Communists.”

“Although red-baiting has thankfully died down since the end of the Cold War, this assumption was common throughout the 20th century,” the pamphlet says. “It fueled theopolitics and was largely responsible for such troubling Congressional acts as the adoption of ‘In God We Trust’ as the United States national motto, and the insertion of ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance. Atheism existed long before capitalist or communist theory. It is a philosophical position about religion, not a political-economic belief. Karl Marx was not religious but neither was the great capitalist Adam Smith; the New Testament Jesus advocated a form of communistic living.”

Congress required “In God We Trust”

KENT: “Once my eyes were opened, I couldn’t go back.”

BRIAN CHILSON

RELIGIOUS STANDOFF O

BRIAN CHILSON

FREETHINKERS: Dixon (left), Bentley; Orsi (below).

about logic, and applied logic to religion. “It didn’t add up.” The Internet has been wonderful for people who are beginning to have doubts about religion, Thomas said. Now they can have instantaneous communication with others in the same boat.

While some of the atheists at the Vino’s gathering wanted to remain anonymous, those who were openly atheistic were virtually unanimous in saying they’d experienced little if any negative reaction. Since Thomas has been the face of the local group, he’s heard from a number of people about his activities, he said. “By and large, it’s all been positive. I’ve had people come up and thank me.”

That’s not what you’d expect, considering that Central Arkansas Transit Authority expressed great fear of vandalism if atheistic advertising was permitted on buses — and vandalism has in fact occurred in a few places, not most, where such advertising has appeared. The Fellowship of Christian Vandals, perhaps. But atheistic ads in Fayetteville didn’t result in vandalism.

D

avid Bentley retired from the Air Force in 2005 after 20 years of service. A navigator, he’d been stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, among other places. Originally from Dal18 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

las, he grew up in a Church of Christ family, and later found it convenient to keep “Church of Christ” on his Air Force dog tags, though he’d left the faith.

“There was no big eruption,” he said. “It [religion] just didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I’d think ‘Am I the only one?’ In college, I decided I’d had enough of this. That’s when I learned about evolution. In Texas public schools, you don’t hear about that.”

“You’re indoctrinated [with religion] at an early age,” he said. When he began to have doubts, he thought “Oh my gosh, I’m going to hell. Once I got over that, I got angry that people had screwed with my head for so long.”

(The membership of active Air Force officers — there’s another one besides Brad — and a retired officer in the Freethinkers group suggests only that there’s an Air Force base nearby, not that the Air Force is particularly susceptible to atheists. The Air Force Academy, in fact, has been sued and harshly criticized for alleged domination by Christian fundamentalists.)

A

couple of years back, Dixon said, Little Rock atheists debated members of a church at Russellville — “I don’t remember which one, but it was a big one” — on the question “Is there a God?” His side was victorious, Dixon said. (Does anybody ever remember an argument they didn’t win?) “The Bible is so nonsensical it’s easy to refute.”

Dixon wanted more competition, but hasn’t gotten it. “I’ve called 15 or 20 churches trying to arrange a debate. But they want to debate Muslims, not atheists.”

The Arkansas Times called Jerry Cox, president of the Arkansas Family Council, hoping to talk about atheists, but he didn’t return our calls. Cox is sort of the top gunslinger for the religious right in Arkansas.

According to Dixon, Cox was present and watching closely while the atheists installed their winter solstice exhibit at the Capitol.

n Nov. 3, 1930, a debate was held in Little Rock between Rabbi Ira E. Sanders of Temple B’Nai Israel and Clarence Darrow, the famous lawyer and agnostic, on the question “Is Man Immortal?” This was five years after Darrow had argued for evolution — against William Jennings Bryan — in the Scopes trial in Tennessee.

That such a debate was even permitted in Little Rock might be considered a moral victory for the freethinkers, but no more than that. The Arkansas Gazette account of the event

“He was almost stalking us.”

Some of Cox’s views on atheism and atheists can be found on the Family Council website. He says of the atheist display at the Capitol, “Far from being a harmless holiday exhibit, the group has devoted their entire display to an underhanded portrayal of Christmas as the pagan celebration of Winter Solstice, books that propagate atheism (such as God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens), human evolutionary theory, and famous past and current ‘freethinkers.’ ” Cox writes that freethinkers, including the Arkansas branch, “are not simply a social group of people who happen to believe there is no God. They actively work to convert others to their worldview. They are essentially evangelists for atheism, and they are convincing people that the ridiculous statements they preach about Christianity are true. When it comes to religion, freethinkers aren’t just atheists; they are atheists with dogma. They hold the belief that religion should be actively rooted out from society. ... When taken to this extreme, atheism becomes a religion unto itself. The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers hold regular meetings for fellowship and discourse; they openly discuss and advocate their worldview; and they elevate reason and knowledge to a virtually god-like level. In other words, the format is similar to many religious services, with the exception that the worship of God has been replaced with the worship of science and the human mind. ... The danger here is that Freethought ultimately censors religious thought. It seeks to convert religious people of all faiths to atheism, and it actively tries to shape public policy to reflect atheistic ideals ... This is more than college philosophy professors teaching that God is dead. This is organized, wellfinanced work that has been gaining ground

Sanders

Darrow

says “No decision was rendered,” and the Baptists predominant in the region probably didn’t recognize the rabbi as a legitimate champion for God’s side anyway.

across our nation for years, and has only recently become apparent to Arkansans.”

The atheists’ latest success began with the United Coalition of Reason, a national group headquartered in Washington, trying to buy $5,260 worth of bus ads in Little Rock. The Coalition has bought bus and billboard advertising in many cities. The proposed ad said “Are you good without God? Millions are.” A blue sky with clouds was the background. The ad would have included the website address of the Central Arkansas Coalition of Reason.

Central Arkansas Transit and its advertising agency, On the Move, said the Coalition would have to put up a $36,000 deposit to cover any vandalism that might occur, a restriction not placed on other advertisers, including churches. The Coalition sued, and hired J.G. “Gerry” Schulze of Little Rock as its lawyer. It happens that Schulze is a member of the Arkansas Freethinkers, but he doesn’t believe that’s why he was hired.

More likely, the Coalition knew that he’d handled civil rights cases, he said. (Atheists pop up in all sorts of places. Bentley said a television cameraman who came to cover a Freethinkers meeting joined the group.)

Federal Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that the First Amendment required the bus company to sell ads to the atheists under the same terms it used for other advertisers. Wright also ruled in favor of the atheists in the 2009 lawsuit over the wintersolstice display at the Capitol.

The Jerry Coxes are right to fear the atheists’ ads. Advertising works; a familiar, friendly kind of atheism will almost certainly produce more atheists, when combined with all the other reasons that people lose faith. The Arkansas Razorbacks have lost their best running back before the season’s even started.

Would a merciful God let that happen?

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Arts Entertainment

BRIAN CHILSON

AND

PASSION PLAY Mara Leveritt and producer talk ‘Devil’s Knot’ on the big screen.

BY DAVID KOON

S

ince it first appeared in 2003, “Devil’s Knot” — the book by Arkansas Times contributing editor Mara Leveritt — has served as a kind of primer to the West Memphis Three case. Encyclopedic, exhaustive, scouring every corner of the case where evidence of the guilt or innocence of Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin might hide, it’s easily one of the most popular and best-selling non-fiction books produced by an Arkansas author.

A project to make the book into a movie has long been in the works, but with the release of the WM3 on Aug. 19, that effort is sure to pick up steam. Atom Egoyan, Oscarnominated director of 1997’s “The Sweet Hereafter,” is attached now. He hopes to start shooting — on a $20 million dollar budget — beginning this spring, with the goal of a late 2012 release.

Egoyan was reportedly traveling in Europe and couldn’t be reached by press time, but he told the Hollywood Reporter last week that the “Devil’s Knot” film will focus on the “rush to justice” before and during the trials, which he called “a contemporary Salem witchhunt.” Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley won’t be the protagonists of the film, Egoyan said, with screenwriters instead focusing on others in the community to create an ensemble drama giving the big picture of what happened and why. Asked if the script will have to be changed now that Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley have been released, he said that the film will

20 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

“absorb” those facts.

Producer Elizabeth Fowler first read Leveritt’s book eight years ago, and optioned it for a film soon after. She said she always starts any conversation about the book by telling people the case is “a modern-day ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’,” though she said the courtroom drama in the completed movie is likely to be minimal.

“I felt that this was a story worthy from both an emotional point of view and a substantive point of view that the entire world should know about,” Fowler said. “I know first hand the power of film and what a voice it gives to stories, so I became committed to getting ‘Devil’s Knot’ the movie made, and telling this story in a way that people could understand. That’s what Mara’s book so beautifully and powerfully does.”

Fowler said the story is perfect for film because it “organically operates” on so many levels. She said that the project has been in several different forms with several different artists attached over the years, but things always got put on hold. When they did, Fowler said, she’d always tell Leveritt “there’s a reason it hasn’t gotten made yet.

We have to keep going.” With Egoyan agreeing to direct, Fowler said, they finally have the right team in place to do the story justice.

Seeing “Devil’s Knot” on the big screen has been a long time coming for Mara Leveritt as well. She said she heard Egoyan had agreed to direct the day after Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were released, and got the news from the director of a documentary who was interviewing

her about the case. Leveritt won’t say how much she was paid to option the film for Hollywood, but hopes it will pay off in other ways.

“I’ll tell you that, all things considered, it wasn’t a lot,” she said. “Where I hope that this will really repay me is that it will awaken a lot of people to the problems in the justice system, not just in Arkansas, but everywhere. That will be great.”

Leveritt said she thinks Egoyan will be able to do well with the material in her book, given the film-noir style seen in “The Sweet Hereafter.”

“I think it’ll make a very good movie. I’ve seen a few drafts of the script, and they keep getting better. I think that, in his hands, I’m really happy.”

Right now, Leveritt is working on a follow-up to “Devil’s Knot” called “Justice Knot,” which she said should hit the shelves about the same time as the film. Eventually, our interview gets around to the question that’s been on my mind since I first heard they were making a film of her book: Who will play her in the movie?

Leveritt’s answer is surprising at first, but undeniably the right one in hindsight: No one, she hopes.

“I was in one [draft of the script] early on that everyone rejected, and that’s absolutely fine with me. I prefer it that way,” she said. “I’m a reporter, and I liked writing ‘Devil’s Knot’ as a reporter. I didn’t have a role anywhere in that story, except being the storyteller, and that’s exactly where I should be. Now it’s in the hands of other storytellers, and, I think, good hands.”

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY ROBERT BELL

THURSDAY 9/1

DAVID ALLAN COE

9 p.m. Electric Cowboy.

LONGHAIRED REDNECK: David Allan Coe is back in town, taking to the Electric Cowboy’s stage Thursday night.

A few years ago, The Onion published a standalone with this headline: “David Allan Coe waiting outside to kick your ass.” Below was a grainy shot of Coe in his tattooed, trash-talking, long-haired redneck splendor, looking like George Clinton by way of the San Quentin beauty salon. The former inmate and Outlaw country pioneer turns 72 next week, and while it might seem logical to presume he’s not cracking too many skulls these days, why take that chance? Everybody knows Coe’s massive country hits — “Take This Job and Shove It,” “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)?” and others. But you’ve got to check out his second album, “Requiem for a Harlequin.” Country it ain’t. It’s one of the most out-there albums ever put to wax — an acid-fried, paranoia-soaked, spoken-word freak-out in two acts. Then, of course, there are the notorious “unofficial” albums — inspired by Shel Silverstein no less, and filled with ditties that could charitably be described as extremely un-PC — that were sold exclusively (where else?) in the back pages of Easyrider. All of this is to say that they just don’t make ’em like Coe anymore. And he’s playing at the Electric Cowboy for Christ’s sake. Cody McCarver opens.

FRIDAY 9/2

MUTANTS OF THE MONSTER MUSIC FESTIVAL

While this festival’s name is a nod to Black Oak Arkansas, most of the bands on the bill draw more from the murkiness of the almighty Black Sabbath and the fury of Black Flag than the libidinous, three-guitar chooglin’ of Jim Dandy and the boys. That said, there are sure to be some Southern-fried sounds in the mix. But the Natural State connection alone isn’t what makes it an appropriate title for this three-day shindig. It’s a great title because the folks who make up Arkansas’s thriving, diverse underground metal scene take a major cue from Dandy’s wild-eyed, not-carin’-what-the-squaresthink attitude in their approach to making music. They do it for the love of music and friendship and nothing else. About half the bands playing the inaugural MotM fest are from Arkansas, including headliners Rwake and Deadbird, which will play its album “The Head and the Heart” from start to finish Friday night. This festival was organized

by CT from Rwake and Samantha from Downtown Music Hall, and it will hopefully be first of many, according to CT. Friday night’s lineup includes headliner Deadbird, Junior Bruce, Snakedriver, Laser Flames on the Great Big News, Placid Eclipse and Crankbait. Saturday night is headlined by Rwake, Rebreather, Sports/Pallbearer, Demonaut, Zucura, Mailbomber, The Currents, Dead I On and Holy Angell. Sunday night is Suplecs headlining, with Seahag, Rue, Hellbender, Brother Andy, Sound of the Mountain, John Calvin, Fallen Empire and Sheeple. The Saturday and Sunday shows start at 1:30 p.m.

22 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

C.E. NELSON

6 p.m. Downtown Music Hall. $8 Fri., $10 Sat. and Sun., $20 pass.

‘RECKON WE’RE JUST MUTANTS OF THIS HERE MONSTER’: The inaugural Mutants of the Monster Music Festival features more metal than you can probably even handle, though you should give it the old college try. Deadbird, above, headlines Friday night.

C.E. NELSON

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 9/1

15TH ANNUAL HOT SPRINGS BLUES FESTIVAL 5 p.m. Hill Wheatley Plaza. $5.

Blues lovers have it pretty good here in the Natural State.

With the long-running King Biscuit Blues Festival, we’ve got one of the most high-profile blues festivals anywhere, but there is no shortage of quality smaller festivals. That’s not to say that the Hot Springs Blues Festival is in any way slight.

The two-day event is packed with performers both national and international, including Saturday night headliner Lee Oskar, who was a co-founder of the omnivorous, long-running funk-blues-R&B-soul-rock-reggae outfit War. In addition to being a renowned harmonica player, Oskar started Lee Oskar Harmonicas back in the early ’80s. Other performers include Salt & Pepper, Schroeter and Breitfelder, Trampled Under Foot, The Lionel Young Band, E.G. Knight, Joe Pitts Band and more. The whole shebang is bookended with performances by Stella Vees at the Ohio Club — one of the best bars in Hot Springs or, really anywhere. Vees plays Thursday night at 8 p.m. and plays the after party Saturday, which runs from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

SATURDAY 9/3

SET THE CONTROLS

9:30 p.m. Revolution. $10.

Tribute bands tend to fall into two camps: those that aim to capture a band’s look and those that are more concerned with recreating their source’s sound. A scant few manage to do both at once. Any Pink Floyd tribute act certainly has its work cut out for it, but Ohio’s Set The Controls — formerly called Eclipse — has the chops to pull it off. Nobody’s going to mistake this six-piece for Dave and Rick and Roger and Nick, but impersonation isn’t what they’re going for. Every member plays multiple instruments and if online clips are any indication, Set The Controls is doing Pink Floyd as well or better than anybody else out there. It’s telling that the band didn’t pick the most obvious reference or song title for its name, instead going for a deep track, a long, brooding number that’s one of the post-Syd Barrett Floyd’s best. Sure, you could opt to just sit at home with the headphones and beanbag and burn one with that scratchy old “Live at Pompeii” bootleg on the turntable for the umpteenth time, but this seems like a better pick.

SUNDAY 9/4

38 SPECIAL

8 p.m. Magic Springs’ Timberwood Amphitheater. $22.50-$55.

OLD SKOOL R&B: The Delta Classic 4 Literacy Old Skool Concert includes En Vogue (above), SWV and Silk, playing Friday night at Riverfest Amphitheatre.

EN VOGUE, SWV, SILK

7 p.m. Riverfest Amphitheatre. $20-$75.

If ever there was a lineup guaranteed to be a prelude to an evening of nonstop lovemaking, this would be it. En Vogue is one of the biggest female R&B acts of all time, whose 1992 album “Funky Divas” launched the band into the pop stratosphere. “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” and “Free Your Mind” were massive hits, as was 1993’s collaboration with Salt-N-Pepa “Whatta Man.” Even if R&B wasn’t your thing, if you were born between, say, 1960 and 1980 and you grew up in America and listened to the radio, those three songs are probably permanently seared into your mental jukebox. SWV was also huge, with the band’s debut “It’s About Time” going double platinum in its first year. The Sisters With Voices had several Top 20 R&B hits, including “Right Here,” “I’m So Into You,” “Weak,” “Always on My Mind” and more. And if you can find a more getting-it-on-obsessed ’90s R&B act (whose name isn’t R. Kelly) than Silk, then I’ll buy you a cassingle of the group’s smash hit “Freak Me.”

Back in ’74 or so, a gang of Florida boys, including Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant — brother of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Van Zants — started a little boogie rock outfit called 38 Special and signed to A&M a couple years later. Those first few albums were fairly well received, but it wasn’t until 1981’s “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys,” when the band began weaving some arena-rock polish into its sound, that 38 Special started really blowing up. Like the pistol from which the band derives its name, 38 Special proved to be a classic and deadly machine. Maybe it’s been a while since you listened to “Rockin’ Into The Night” or “Rough Housin’ ” or “Hold on Loosely.” But these songs sound just as good coming through your iPod earbuds here in 2011 as they did back in high school, rattling out of the speakers of your dusty ’81 Silverado as you made out with Carla in the Sonic parking lot, the both of you lit off cheap weed and a quart of Wild Irish Rose. Well, maybe not quite that good.

TIM KASHER

8:30 p.m. Stickyz. $8 adv., $10 d.o.s.

With the exception of the The Faint — that irritating, albeit ahead-of-the-curve, ’80s-biting outfit — I gotta plead damn near total ignorance of that whole Omaha, Neb., Saddle Creek Records scene. Before a few minutes ago, I’d never listened to note one of Bright Eyes or Azure Ray or Son, Ambulance or Rilo Kiley or Tilly and the Wall (ugh!) or Desaparecidos or Cursive or The Good Life, the latter two featuring the prolific Tim Kasher. While Cursive had legions of adoring fans, the band was also known for its onagain, off-again, on-again, off-again, on-a ... no wait, off-again, onagain, off-again status. Kasher’s more recent outings — Cursive’s 2009 album “Mama, I’m Swollen” or his 2010 solo effort “The Game of Monogamy” — are still strident, heart-on-sleeve affairs, but aren’t nearly as tiresomely precious as much of the rest of his label peers’ work. Cursive has proven to be one of the most enduring bands of its scene and era, and the smart money says Kasher will probably pack out Stickyz. Aficionado opens the show.

From Chapel Hill comes The Moaners, a well-traveled female duo who specialize in moody, punked-up Delta blues. The band gets compared to the White Stripes a lot, but that’s a useful analogue only if you chopped and screwed the Stripes and gave Jack White a little more bass in his voice. Potluck opens the show at White Water, 10 p.m., $5. It’s a night of energetic local rock as Free Micah, Don’t Stop Please and Catskill Kids share the bill at Sticky Fingerz, 9 p.m., $5. For the club crowd, “BLISS” returns to Deep, 10 p.m., while “ONE” continues at Sway, 9 p.m., $1 cover before 11 p.m. It’s Shop & Sip in Hillcrest, too, starting at 5 p.m.

FRIDAY 9/2 Florida-based reggae act Rising Lion brings almost two decades of touring experience to Stickyz; according to the group’s official bio, it has “a reputation for bringing good vibes to every show,” 9 p.m., $5. At the Afterthought, Josh the Devil plays good-time rockabilly with the latest incarnation of The Sinners, 9 p.m., $7. In Hot Springs at Maxine’s, John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives similarly mine from the past, though their sound is more in the vein of Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, 8 p.m., $5. If you’re in the mood for songs you know and know how to dance to, The Gettys return to Denton’s Trotline, 9:30 p.m. and Big Stack is at West End, 9 p.m., $5. If you’ve never seen Two Cow Garage perform and you’re a fan of Lucerostyle barroom rock, remember the band’s name for next time. The group sold-out a two-night stand celebrating its 10th anniversary at White Water Tavern this weekend.

Football fans, catch your first taste of pigskin at the 2011 Salt Bowl, where Benton and Bryant square off at War Memorial, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY 9/3 Local standout indie rockers Year of the Tiger headline at Stickyz with Mainland Divide and War Chief opening, 9 p.m., $5. Little Rock soul diva Nikki Parish belts it out with her backing band at Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. Local rockers NeverTrain perform at West End, which is also showing the Razorback game; music starts at 9 p.m., $10. At War Memorial, UAPB takes on Langston University in the Delta Classic, 5 p.m., $20-$35. The UAPB drumline kills.

www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 23

DARK AFTER DARK

X

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.

EVENTS

Delta Classic Black on Black Crime Action Summit. Arkansas Baptist College, 5 and 7 p.m. 1621 Martin Luther King Drive. 501-2445110.

Director for play sought. See Aug. 31.

Hillcrest Shop & Sip. Shops and restaurants offer discounts, later hours, and live music.

Hillcrest, first Thursday of every month, 5-10 p.m. P.O.Box 251522. 501-666-3600. www. hillcrestmerchants.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

Alternative Wednesdays. Features alternative bands from Little Rock and the surrounding areas. Mediums Art Lounge, 6:30 p.m., $5. 521 Center St. 501-374-4495.

Ben & Doug. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.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.

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

G r i m M u z i k p r e s e n t s Wa y B a c k Wednesdays. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, $5.

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

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Sept. 1, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

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

Karaoke. 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.

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

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG.

EVENTS

Delta Classic Economic Development Symposium and Forum. Arkansas Baptist College, 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. 1621 Martin Luther King Drive. 501-370-4000.

Director for play sought. The South Arkansas Arts Center theater committee is accepting director applications for the upcoming holiday production of “It’s A Wonderful Life,”

by James W. Rodgers, based on the film by Frank Capra. The play will be produced Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 1-4. Auditions for the production are scheduled for the first week of October. Deadline for applying is Sept.

2. Send a resume and brief production plan to South Arkansas Arts Center, Attn: Jack Wilson, 110 E. 5th St., El Dorado, 71730. through Sept. 2.

Savor the City. Throughout August, dozens of Little Rock restaurants are offering deals such as discounts and special prix fixe menus. Details are available at www.dinelr. com. Little Rock, 11 a.m. 200 E. Markham St. 501-376-4781.

24 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

MUSIC ‘THE MAN THAT TIME FORGOT’: Returns to Arkansas for a show at Maxine’s in Hot Springs. The Memphis-based outfit John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives are one of the best of the retro-inspired rockers. The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday, cover is $5.

CLASSES

Altered book workshop. An altered book is a form of mixed media artwork that changes a book from its original form into a different form, altering its appearance and/ or meaning. Using an old book as a starting point, the class will explore techniques to create a meaningful work of art. For beginners as well as experienced artists. Faulkner County Library, 5:30 p.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

MUSIC

15th Annual Hot Springs Blues Festival. Acts include Salt & Pepper, Georg Schroeter and Bart Breitfelder, Lionel Young Band, Trampled Under Foot, Zak & Big Papa Binns, Blues Fusion, John Calvin Brewer Band, Joe Pitts Band, E.G. Knight and Lee Oskar. Lawn chairs and blankets encouraged, but no coolers allowed. Hill Wheatley Plaza, Sept. 1, 5 p.m.; Sept. 3, 2 p.m., $5. Central Avenue downtown, Hot Springs. 501-815-2939.

Andy Tanas. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-3755351. www.cajunswharf.com.

“BLISS.” Music by DJ Greyhound. Deep Ultra Lounge, 10 p.m. 322 President Clinton Ave. David Allan Coe, Cody McCarver. Electric

Cowboy, 7:30 p.m. 9515 Interstate 30.

501-562-6000. www.electriccowboy.com/ littlerock.

Free Micah, Don’t Stop Please, Catskill Kids.

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

Jeff Coleman. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free.

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

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

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

The Moaners, Potluck. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com.

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

14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www. thirst-n-howl.com.

“ONE.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-9072582.

Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m.

9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Writers in the Round. Denton’s Trotline, 7 p.m.

2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

20th Annual Hot Springs JazzFest September 13-18, 2011

Tuesday, sepTember 13 “Joy of Jazz: Vegas in the 60’s” saTurday, sepTember 17 “Jazz in the Streets” Free Outdoor Concert Free Workshops Discount Ticket Package of $50 for Piano-Rama (Wed) • S’Wonderful (Thur) • Nova NOLA (Fri) 501-767-0211 • www.hotspringsjazzfest.org

Big Stack. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 9 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net.

Brian & Nick. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock.

Charlie Daniels Band, Mountain Sprout.

Arkansas Music Pavilion, 7 p.m., $22-$77.

4201 N. Shiloh Drive, Fayetteville. www.arkansasmusicpavilion.com.

Delta Classic 4 Literacy “Old Skool Concert.”

Performances from En Vogue, SWV and Silk.

Riverfest Amphitheatre, 7 p.m., $20-$75. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-492-4900.

DJ Silky Slim. Top 40 and dance music. Sway, 9 p.m., $5. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Funky Motif. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9 p.m., free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-2242010. www.markhamst.com.

John Calvin Brewer. Dugan’s Pub, 8:30 p.m., Free. 403 E. 3rd St. 501-244-0542. www. duganspublr.com.

John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives.

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

Josh the Devil and the Sinners. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar. com.

Mutants of the Monster Music Festival.

Rwake, Deadbird (performing “The Head and the Heart”), Seahag, Zucura, Crankbait and many others. Downtown Music Hall, Sept. 2, 6 p.m.; Sept. 3, 1:30 p.m.; Sept. 4, 1:30 p.m., $20 (three-day pass), $8 (Fri.), $10 (Sat. or Sun.). 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.

PG-13. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www. foxandhound.com/locations/north-little-rock. aspx.

Raising Grey (headliner), Chris DeClerk (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-3755351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Rising Lion. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-3727707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. The Gettys. Denton’s Trotline, 9:30 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

Tribute to Grandpa Jones. Includes performances from The Whites and The Quebe Sisters Band Ozark Folk Center State Park, Sept. 2-3, 7 p.m., $20. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.

Two Cow Garage 10th Anniversary Weekend. This event is sold out. White

Delta Cultural Center’s special King Biscuit Blues Festival programming for Oct. 6-8 Water Tavern, Sept. 2-3, 8 p.m. 2500 W. 7th.

501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

DANCE

Fast Times ‘80s Dance Party. This dance party is a fundraiser for Arkansas Food Bank, with prizes for best dressed, dance competitions and more. Revolution, 9 p.m., $5 with at least two non-perishable food items.

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

EVENTS

48th Annual Arkansas State Horse Show.

Barton Coliseum, Sept. 2, 3 p.m.; Sept. 3-4, 8 a.m.; Sept. 5, 8 a.m., $10. 2600 Howard St. 501-372-8341. www.arkansasstatefair.com.

Delta Classic “After Party 4 Literacy.” The Peabody Little Rock, 9 p.m. 3 Statehouse Plaza. 501-244-5110. www.peabodylittlerock. com.

Director for play sought. See Aug. 31.

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.

SPORTS

2011 Salt Bowl. Benton and Bryant face off in this annual high school football game.

War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m. 1 Stadium Dr. 501-663-0775.

Delta Classic Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame Reception and Awards Ceremony.

Holiday Inn Presidential, 6 p.m. 600 I-30.

501-224-7710.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

MUSIC

15th Annual Hot Springs Blues Festival. See Sept. 1.

Big Shane Thornton. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. www.foxandhound.com/locations/north-little-rock.aspx.

Big Stack. Denton’s Trotline, 9:30 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

Brian & Nick. Markham Street Grill And Pub, 9 p.m., free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-2242010. www.markhamst.com.

Covershot (headliner), Greg Madden (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-3755351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Grace Askew, Davis Coen. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

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

501-907-2582.

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

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

Mutants of the Monster Music Festival. See Sept. 2.

NeverTrain. West End will also be playing the Razorbacks opener against Missouri State.

West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 9 p.m., $10. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.

westendsmokehouse.net.

Nikki Parrish & Co. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

Set the Controls (Pink Floyd tribute).

Revolution, 9:30 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

Shannon Boshears. Dugan’s Pub, 8:30 p.m., Free. 403 E. 3rd St. 501-244-0542. www. duganspublr.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Tribute to Grandpa Jones. Includes performances from The Whites and The Quebe Sisters Band Ozark Folk Center State Park, 7 p.m., $20. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.

Two Cow Garage 10th Anniversary Weekend. This event is sold out. White Water Tavern, 8 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

The Year of the Tiger, Mainland Divide, War Chief. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

EVENTS

48th Annual Arkansas State Horse Show.

Barton Coliseum, through Sept. 4, 8 a.m.; Sept.

5, 8 a.m., $10. 2600 Howard St. 501-372-8341. www.arkansasstatefair.com.

Arkansas Farmers Market. Locally grown produce. Certified Farmers Market, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. 6th and Main, NLR. Delta Classic 4 Literacy Community Parade.

Central High School, 9 a.m. 2120 West Daisy L Gatson Bates Drive. 501-244-5110.

Delta Classic 4 Literacy Health Fair & Wellness Expo. Health screenings and wellness information, as well as information regarding health and community wellness services will be offered. War Memorial Stadium, 11 a.m., free. 1 Stadium Dr. 501-663-0775.

Delta Classic Tailgate Party. War Memorial Stadium, 9:30 a.m. 1 Stadium Dr. 501-663-0775.

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.

Girl Scouts - Diamonds Heritage Day. Old State House Museum, 10 a.m. 500 Clinton Ave. 800-632-6894. www.girlscoutsdiamonds.org.

Hands On in the Craft Village. Get your hands dirty with a variety of fun arts and crafts activities. Ozark Folk Center State Park, Sept. 3-5, 10 a.m., $6-$10. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.

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

• “the biscuit is back” – new exhibit!

• 2011 blues heritage youth art Competition exhibit!

• live radio broadcasts of “king biscuit time” (all three days!) and “delta Sounds” (oct. 7) • Presentation of the “Sonny award” of lifetime achievement to James Cotton (oct. 6) • a tribute to robert Johnson (1911-2011)” featuring music by marcus Cartwright (oct. 7) • blues Symposium: “Pass the biscuits: king biscuit time radio’s 70th anniversary, 1941-2011,” oct 8, 10:30 a.m. a discussion of “king biscuit time” radio’s history, personalities, and legacy, featuring speakers, audio-visual components, and live music, with dCC assistant director terry buckalew and an appearance by Sonny Payne.

LIVe music! oCt. 7 • bob Corritore with bob margolin and willie Smith, noon • earnest roy, 2 p.m.

• live wire band, 3 p.m.

oCt. 8 • donna herula, 1 p.m.

• dave riley with bob Corritore, 2:30 p.m.

141 Cherry Street • helena, ar.

For more inFormation, Call (800) 358-0972 or visiT www.deltaCulturalCenter.Com www.FaCebook.Com/deltaCulturalCenter The DelTa CulTural CenTer is a museum of The DeparTmenT of arkansas heriTaGe

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SPORTS

Arkansas vs. Missouri State. The Razorback football team takes on Missouri State in the season opener, available on pay-per-view.

University of Arkansas, 6 p.m. Fayetteville.

Delta Classic. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff takes on Langston University.

War Memorial Stadium, 5 p.m., $20-$35. 1 Stadium Dr. 501-663-0775.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

MUSIC

2011 Reggae on the Riverfront. Tickets are available at Abby Road on South University CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 25

AFTER DARK, CONT.

PEARLS ABOUT SWINE

We’ve been through this before, right?

A survey of the Hogs’ strengths and weaknesses.

BY BEAU WILCOX

A

pril 1997. All-SEC tailback Madre Hill was to return from a shredded knee he suffered in the 1995 SEC championship game, itself an exercise in suffering. Hill missed 1996 after that knee was reconstructed, and the team limped to a 4-7 season. Optimism trickled again during spring ball...and Hill’s other knee gave out. Months later, the Hogs were 4-7 again, Danny Ford got canned, and Tommy Tuberville was hired after...wait, no, that didn’t happen.

Or maybe you’ll recall July 2006. Coming off a 4-7 season (emerging pattern, huh?), the Razorbacks nearly lost Darren McFadden when he headed to a club called The Palace and, commensurate with the royal stature of the establishment, committed a royal mistake. Doctors managed to reattach the Captain of D-Mac’s Toes, and he thankfully rehabbed his way to a recordsmashing, Doak Walker Award-winning sophomore season.

Perhaps August 2007 comes to mind.

There was that macabre offseason full of textgate and Malzahn- and Mustain-related drama, and then the Hogs lost their best — nay, their only — receiving threat when Marcus Monk got popped on the knee in practice. He was ineffective when he returned in October and by then Arkansas was sputtering to a forgettable five-loss campaign.

Knile Davis’ fractured ankle appears to be a fine act to add to this horror-show production. He was, after all, a 1,300-yard rusher, the vital cog in the machine that blistered a path to New Orleans, and a Heisman Trophy candidate this year. Losing one of the rare big backs with burst and uncanny stamina (see, e.g., his fourth-quarter evisceration of LSU) is a withering blow to any team.

Yes, we’ve seen this script before. I’m not sure the director is all that perturbed, though.

Bobby Petrino’s brief tenure as head Hog has been a cultural oddity. Fans accustomed to failure (or at least success in fits and starts) are more mellowed these days.

No particular figurehead is lording over the program as if it’s a personal asset. Scandal?

That’s for Miami. And Ohio State. And on and on, ad nauseam.

This is an era of equilibrium up on the Hill, and that is why an injury like Davis’ does not spell despair. This team is not 26 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

PETRINO: An era of equilibrium.

without proven backs in the stable (Ronnie Wingo and Dennis Johnson have 1,200plus rushing yards combined, and both are capable pass catchers). At last count, there are 73 wide receivers on the roster capable of playing at the next level or being damned productive at this one. The offensive line is generally light on experience but that seems to be the only thing light about it: nearly everyone on the two-deep clocks in at three bills. If Tyler Wilson and Chris Gragg can do suitable imitations of their predecessors, this will be the Petrino archetype: surgically precise, remarkably balanced and murder on a tiring defense.

As for our own defense? That lean 2008 season is a hazy memory now. Willy Robinson has taken unjustifiable grief but he is the architect of what has morphed into a sound defense, starting with a line that finally (FINALLY!) strikes an SEC-level posture. There is girth up front, but as with the offensive line, it is also an athletic bunch. Jake Bequette and Tenarius Wright are hell on quarterbacks; the hope is that Robert Thomas will dole out the same degree of punishment on running backs or draw double-teams. The second level of the defense is not flashy, but Jerry Franklin, Jerico Nelson and Tramain Thomas are undeniably productive, and Darius Winston seems ready to assert himself as a lockdown corner. This is a year where, hopefully, Robinson finally earns his redemption.

Even those chronic special teams pains have ebbed. Zach Hocker had a brilliant debut as placekicker and Dylan Breeding earned a scholarship as one of the confer-

ence’s most consistent punters. Johnson returns from last year’s bowel injury (I cannot type that phrase without squirming) to give the kickoff return unit the threat it sorely missed last year, and Joe Adams is an electric punt returner. Coverage teams should be greatly improved.

In taking stock of all this, then, have we really been through this before?

The familiar, sickening apprehension just isn’t there. On balance, the roster has never had such quality and quantity, a proverbial embarrassment of riches. We are unaccustomed to that after years (decades, even) of slipshod player recruitment and retention. This coaching staff pinpoints needs and labors to fill them.

What all this means for the 2011 season is unknown, but is obviously encouraging. One troubling trend is that sewing up wins has been an iffy proposition. The Hogs have lost 15 games under Petrino; in nine of those losses, Arkansas either surrendered a fourth-quarter lead or failed to cash in on chances to take the lead late. Even in triumph (last year’s Georgia and Mississippi State contests), the Hogs have ceded late leads but managed to triumph.

Success this year is predicated on attaining that coveted, “Glengarry Glen Ross”— inspired ability to close. That die has been cast, though. This team has all the elements of another BCS contender, if not something greater. Winning 10 again should be more than manageable; taking aim at a national title will require the team to apply the lessons it has learned from the narrow defeats of the past couple of years.

and Exxon on the Run on Broadway in North Little Rock. North Shore Riverwalk, 2 p.m., $20. Riverwalk Drive, NLR. 501-744-8842. www.northlittlerock.org.

38 Special. Magic Springs’ Timberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., $22.50-$55. 1701 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs.

DevilDriver, Skeletonwitch, Sychosys.

Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $16 adv., $20 door.

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

Dry County. Revolution, 8 p.m., $5 over 21, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. revroom.com.

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

Labor Day Weekend Sunset Jazz Cruise.

Features Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers and Jonathan White. Arkansas Queen, 6:30 p.m., $25-$50. 100 Riverfront Park Drive, NLR. 501-372-5777. www.arkansasqueen. com.

Mutants of the Monster Music Festival. See Sept. 2.

The OD-5 hosted by Epiphany. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8:30 p.m., $5. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com.

Successful Sunday featuring Rodney Block and more. This official after party for the Sunset Cruise includes a free Jamaican buffet with jerk chicken, curried chicken and rice and veggies. Rodney Block, Tawanna Campbell, Jeron, Dell Smith and The Crew, Chris B and the Onestone Reggae Band, J. White and Terreigh Barnett will perform, as well as DJs Deja Blu adn Fatality. Ernie Biggs, 8:30 p.m., $10 before 8:30. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-952-6029. littlerock. erniebiggs.com.

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

Tim Kasher, Aficionado. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s.

107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

Tragikly White. Denton’s Trotline, 9:30 p.m.

2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717.

EVENTS

48th Annual Arkansas State Horse Show.

Barton Coliseum, through Sept. 4, 8 a.m.; Sept. 5, 8 a.m., $10. 2600 Howard St. 501-3728341. www.arkansasstatefair.com.

Hands On in the Craft Village. See Sept. 3.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

MUSIC

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

Touch — Grateful Dead Tribute. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.

EVENTS

48th Annual Arkansas State Horse Show.

Barton Coliseum, 8 a.m., $10. 2600 Howard St. 501-372-8341. www.arkansasstatefair. com.

Hands On in the Craft Village. See Sept. 3.

SPORTS

2011 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

This official LPGA Tour event returns to Northwest Arkansas, with ticket sales benefiting 12 regional charities. Pinnacle Country CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

MEDIA

The unbreakable cycle Coverage of wrongful convictions shows distinct pattern.

BY GERARD MATTHEWS

T

m at t.co us e it rk is a V tam n

ge

“There will be yet another case tomorrow where there’s a horrific murder and people will jump to the same conclusions because we need a scapegoat. We need resolution.

The idea that these three young boys could have been killed by an unknown person or persons is almost as awful as the deaths themselves, because the entire community is petrified by the idea of the killers roaming loose,” Protess says.

In the case of the West Memphis Three, early media coverage was buoyed by Jessie Misskelley’s confession. Misskelley gave a confession to police after hours of questioning, with no lawyer present.

Misskelley’s statements didn’t match up with evidence and his low IQ called into question police interrogation tactics.

“At that point in time, when the authorities announced they had a confession, journalists and the public are going to believe it,” Protess says. “In a small town, that’s particularly true because journalists often have a close working relationship with law enforcement officials.

That’s how they get their stories. And the people in the community want to hear that, because then their fear of the horrible crime that’s been committed goes away and it’s tied up nice and neat with a bow. Also, the public doesn’t understand how people confess to crimes they didn’t commit.

So when journalists write that story, ‘Confession in West Memphis Three Case,’ the public breathes a sigh of relief.”

But that’s just the first stage of the cycle. After some time, and with the help of outsider involvement — in this case the “Paradise Lost” documentaries and celebrity advocacy — public opinion starts to change and mainstream media coverage follows.

Protess says that happens everywhere, from small towns like West Memphis to larger cities like Chicago.

“When we go into the second cycle of investigative reporting, the public begins to revisit its original assumptions,” he says.

“That forces police and prosecutors to often reinvestigate the case. It brings to bear high-powered criminal defense lawyers.

There’s distance from the original crime and then you get nationally prominent criminal defense lawyers and experts coming forward. You get celebrities coming forward.”

When it comes to wrongful conviction cases, time is a defendant’s best friend and worst enemy, Protess says. On one hand, the truth has a tendency to surface over time. On the other, the clock is ticking on an execution.

ar

he West Memphis Three case was one of the most extraordinary in Arkansas history, if only for the amount of international attention it commanded and the events leading up to its bizarre conclusion — the now infamous Alford plea that allowed Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley and Damien Echols to walk free after simultaneously pleading guilty and maintaining their innocence. But the details of the case, the events surrounding it and the media coverage of it all, from beginning to end, was very ordinary indeed.

Lonnie Soury knows a thing or two about wrongful convictions. Before signing on as a spokesman for Damien Echols, and now the rest of the WM3, Soury created the website falseconfessions.org and worked to free a New York man who spent 17 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

He says media coverage usually comes “fullcircle” on these types of cases.

“My experience with two major wrongful convictions that I have worked on is that the media contributed to their wrongful convictions early on,” Soury says.

“Then the media and the public came to look at the evidence like they hadn’t before and the reporting changed. The objectivity of the press changed and it made all the difference in the world. [In this case] it helped convince the people of Arkansas that maybe they needed to look at this case again.

Once the people started doing that, then elected officials started doing it.”

David Protess says that’s typical. Protess is a professor of journalism at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and the president of the Chicago Innocence Project, a nonprofit investigative reporting group that looks into wrongful convictions. His reporting over the last 25 years has led to the exoneration of 12 innocent men, five of whom were on death row.

“There’s a predictable cycle and it happens in virtually every case, and it certainly happened in the West Memphis Three case,” Protess says. “It starts off with media hysteria. A horrific crime has been committed. Three young boys are slain and the story shocks the sensibility of the community. Often, journalists, who are part of that community, will report the most lurid details of the crime and the information presented to them by police and prosecutors, who are under tremendous pressure to solve the crime and solve it quickly.”

And that “predictable cycle” is inevitable, Protess says. No matter how many similar cases surface, it always turns out the same.

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www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 27

AFTER DARK, CONT. Club, Free from Sept. 5-8, $25 daily ticket, $50 week-long pass. 3 Clubhouse Drive, Rogers. (479) 715-6100. www.nwachampionship.com.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

MUSIC

Adam Faucett. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., free. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Anthony David. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $17 adv., $20 d.o.s. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-3721228. www.juanitas.com.

Brian Martin. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., Free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, Sept. 6-8, 7 p.m.; Sept. 13-15, 7 p.m.; Sept.

20-22, 7 p.m.; Sept. 27-29, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www. sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

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

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

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

501-315-1717.

Lucious Spiller Band. Copeland’s, 6-9 p.m.

2602 S. Shackleford Road. 501-312-1616. www.copelandsofneworleans.com.

Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar. com.

DANCE

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

EVENTS

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

Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock.

LECTURES

Little Rock Sales Tax Election Panel. Panelists Molly McGowan, Bobby Roberts, Bill Vickery and Carol Willis will discuss the proposed 1 percent sales tax on the ballot for Sept. 13.

Clinton School of Public Service, 12 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

CLASSES

SeniorNet: Basic Spreadsheet/Excel.

Computer course for seniors ages 50 and older. UAMS, through Sept. 29: 1 p.m., free.

4301 W. Markham St. 501-603-1262.

SeniorNet: File Management. UAMS, through Sept. 29: 10 a.m., free. 4301 W. Markham St. 501-603-1262.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.

Alternative Wednesdays. Features alternative bands from Little Rock and the surrounding areas. Mediums Art Lounge, 6:30 p.m., $5.

521 Center St. 501-374-4495.

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.

28 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-3755351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Evolve Thru Scars, Land of Mines, Rehab Superstar. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $3. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas. com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Sept. 8, 7 p.m.; through Sept. 15, 7 p.m.; through Sept. 22, 7 p.m.; through Sept.

29, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-3242999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.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.

“New Music Test” with Sol Inertia, The Sesh, Found Fearless, Poet Fury. Revolution, 8 p.m., $5-$10. 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.

EVENTS

Heart of Arkansas United Way Campaign Kick-Off. Includes booths with games and information on services and volunteer opportunities as well as entertainment by Lyle Dudley and a free lunch. Dickey-Stephens Park, 11:30 a.m., free. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-376-4567. www.heartaruw.org.

Rally to Defeat Turk. Enjoy free pizza and rally in support of clean air and to stop construction of the Turk coal-fired power plant in Hempstead County. Pulaski County Courthouse, 12 p.m. 401 W. Markham.

501-301-8280. www.sierraclub.org/coal/ar.

SPORTS

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

BOOKS

“Legacies and Lunch.” Stephanie Bayless will discuss “Obliged to Help,” her biography of pioneering Arkansas progressive Adolphine Fletcher Terry. Butler Galleries, Arkansas Studies Institute, 12 p.m., free. 401 President Clinton Ave. 501-320-5792. www. arstudies.org.

That Bookstore in Blytheville 35th anniversary party. That Bookstore in Blytheville, 4 p.m. 316 W. Main St.

CLASSES

SeniorNet: Fundamentals for Beginners.

Computer class for seniors ages 50 and older.

UAMS, through Sept. 28: 10 a.m., free. 4301 W. Markham St. 501-603-1262.

SeniorNet: Word Processing. Computer course for seniors ages 50 and older. UAMS, through Sept. 23: 1 p.m., free. 4301 W. Markham St. 501-603-1262.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER

“Boeing-Boeing.” TheatreSquared presents this update of the “seven-door” farce, about a 1960s Parisian architect who’s simultaneously dating three airline attendants who all have different schedules until the advent of a faster jet engine brings them all together. Walton Arts Center - Nadine Baum Studios, Thu., Sept. 1, $10 (under 30), $22-$28. 505 West Spring St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. theatre2.org.

“The Guys.” In commemoration of the 10th

anniversary of 9/11, The Weekend Theater presents this tribute — based on a true story — to the firefighters and other heroes who lost their lives trying to rescue others. A special preview benefiting the Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Fund will be hosted Sept.

7. Admission is $25 and includes catering and refreshments. The Weekend Theater, through Sept. 24: Wed., Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m., $12-$16. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org.

“The Music Man.” A charming huckster posing as a bandleader cons the residents of a small Iowa town, only to fall in love with the town’s librarian and risk being caught to win her over in Meredith Willson’s classic Broadway musical. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through Sept. 3: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m., $23-$33. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

“Purlie.” Purlie Victorious Judson returns to his hometown as a preacher, with a plan to save the town, its church and its people, in this Tony Award-winning musical. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through Oct. 2: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m.; Sun., 11 a.m., $23-$33. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

“Smoke on the Mountain.” This gospel music comedy set in 1938 includes 18 old-time and gospel tunes. Center on the Square, Thu., Sept. 1, 6:30 p.m.; through Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m.; through Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 11, 12:30 p.m., $10-$27. 111 W. Arch Ave., Searcy.

501-368-0111. www.centeronthesquare.org.

GALLERIES, MUSEUMS

NEW EXHIBITS, EVENTS

ARKANSAS STATE HOSPITAL: 3rd annual “Odyssey of Art,” exhibition and silent auction to benefit Creative Expressions art program, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in the lobby, live music, hors d’oeuvres, free.

LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St., NLR: “Expressing Ourselves: Original Works by the Artists of Birch Tree Communities and the Arkansas State Hospital,” by persons with mental illness, Sept. 1-Oct. 20. 758-1720.

L&L BECK GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “14 Holes of Golf,” paintings by Louis Beck, through September. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 660-4006.

BENTON HERZFELD LIBRARY, 1800 Smithers Drive: Alisa McConnell, photographs, through September. 501-778-4766.

FAYETTEVILLE FAYETTEVILLE UNDERGROUND, One E. Center St.: Steven Heaton, Linda Sheets, Megan Chapman, paintings; Martha Molina, photographs; First Thursday opening 5-8 p.m.

Sept. 1, through September. fayettevilleunderground.blogspot.com.

HARDY SPRING RIVER ART GALLERY, 112 B Main St.: Annual art show, sponsored by Spring River Artists’ Guild, noon-4 p.m. Sept. 2-4, 9-11.

HOT SPRINGS ALISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: “Lavendar Fields: Fresh, Fragrant, Fabulous,” work by Alison Parsons and Lori Arnold, Gallery Walk reception 5-9 p.m. Sept.

2. 501-625-3001.

AMERICAN ART GALLERY, 724 Central Ave.: Paintings by Jimmy Leach, Jamie Carter, Ersele Hiemstra, Margaret Kipp, Kim Thornton, Sue Coon, Virgil Barksdale and others, Gallery Walk

reception 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2. 501-624-055.

BLUE MOON GALLERY, 718 Central Ave.: Lee Oskar, landscapes and limited edition prints, Gallery Walk reception 5-9 p.m. Sept.

2. 501-318-2787.

GALLERY 726, 726 Central Ave.: Shirley Anderson, Barbara Seibel, Caryl Joy Young, Sue Shields, Becky Barnett, Janet Donnangelo, Marlene Gremillion and others, Gallery Walk reception 5-9 p.m. Sept.

2. 501-915-8912.

GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Houston Llew, glass on copper, Gallery Walk reception 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2. 501-318-4278.

JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: Work

by Dolores Justus, Steve Griffith, Cynthia Bowers, Robyn Horn, through September, Gallery Walk reception 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-321-2335.

ONGOING EXHIBITS

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “In Search of Norman Rockwell’s America,” paintings by Rockwell paired with photographs

by Kevin Rivoli, through Sept. 18, “Building the Collection: Art Acquired in the 1980s,” through Oct. 9; “Texting: Selections from the Permanent Collection,” through Sept.

11, Strauss Gallery. 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.: “Shep Miers: now & then,” wood sculpture; “Renee Williams: New Works,” acrylic on paper; “The Art of Robin Tucker,” Atrium Gallery. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5791.

CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “Arkansas and the Range of Light,” photographs by Paul Caldwell, through Sept. 3. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335.

CHRIST CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Studio 8 Exhibit,” work by students of the Arkansas Arts Center Museum. 375-2342.

CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sat. 664-0880.

COMMUNITY BAKERY, 1200 S. Main St.: Susie Henley, paintings, through August.

GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: John Bridges, photographs; Baxter Knowlton, paintings, through Sept. 10. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996.

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Charles Harrington: A Sense of Place,” also work by J.O. Buckley, Robert Rector and Robyn Horn. 664-2787.

HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Kaleidoscope, Remembering the Past,” stained glass window series by Charly Palmer, through Oct. 10. Reception 5-8 p.m. Sept. 9.

372-6822.

HEIGHTS GALLERY, 5801 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Summer Birds,” recent work by Rene Hein, through Sept. 3. 664-2772.

KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St., NLR: “Matthew Castellano’s Tour de World,” historical photographs combined with drawings and foreign stamps, also new artwork by Caren Garner, through mid-September. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

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

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

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 CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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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.: New work by Stephano, Thom Bierdz, Tony Dow, Kelley Naylor-Wise, Michael A. Darr, Mike Gaines, G. Peebles, Steven Thomas, Alexis Silk, Paula Wallace and Ron Logan. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 563-4218.

THE ART LOFT, 1525 Merrill Drive: Studios and art gallery. 251-1131.

THEA FOUNDATION, 401 E. Main St., NLR: Works from the permanent collection in celebration of 10-year anniversary, including work by Henri Linton, V.L. Cox, Light and Time Design Studio sculptors, George Rodrigue and others. 379-9512.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “ROUX,” printmaking by Rabea Ballin, Ann “Sole Sister” Johnson, Delita Martin and Lovie Olivia, Gallery III, through Oct. 2, Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall; “Thoughts from China,” ceramic figurative sculpture by James Tisdale, Gallery II, through Oct. 2; “Advancing Tradition: 20 Years of Printmaking at Flatbed Press,” through Oct. 2, Gallery I, Fine Arts Building. 569-8977.

BENTON DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND

GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Chad Oppenhuizen, Dan McRaven, Gretchen Hendricks, Rachel Carroccio, Kenny Roberts, Taylor Bellot, Jim Cooper and Sue Moore.

10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467.

HERZFELD LIBRARY, 1800 Smithers Drive: Paintings and drawings by Carolyn Voss, through August. 501-778-4766.

Calico Rock CALICO ROCK ARTISTS COOPERATIVE, Hwy. 5 at White River Bridge: Paintings, photographs, jewelry, fiber art, wood, ceramics and other crafts. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. calicorocket. org/artists.

EL DORADO SOUTH ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, 110 E. 5th St.: Annual Juried Art Competition, featuring work by 23 American artists, including Arkansans Karlyn Holloway, Kelly Campbell, Marlene Gremillion, Bryan W. Massey Sr. and Kenna Westerman. 870-862-5474.

HEBER SPRINGS BOTTLE TREE GALLERY, 514 W. Main St.: Work

by Maeve Croghan, Jonathan Harris, George Wittenberg. 501-590-8840.

HOT SPRINGS TAYLOR BELLOTT NATURE GALLERY AND COFFEE SHOP, 4238 Central Ave., Suite J: Featuring photographs by Taylor Bellott.

501-520-4576.

JONESBORO ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY: “paper,” work by Willie Cole, Lesley Dill, Trenton Doyle

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Hancock, Mona Hatoum, William Kentridge, Duke Riley, Faith Ringgold, Kiki Smith, Richard Tuttle, Mike Waugh, Fred Wilson and others, on loan from the Brodsky Center at Rutgers University, through Sept. 28, Bradbury Gallery.

Noon-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 870-9722567.

PERRYVILLE SUDS GALLERY, Courthouse Square: Paintings

by Dottie Morrissey, Alma Gipson, Al Garrett Jr., Phyllis Loftin, Alene Otts, Mauretta Frantz, Raylene Finkbeiner, Kathy Williams and Evelyn Garrett. Noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri, noon-4 p.m.

Sat. 501-766-7584.

MEMPHIS DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 Park Ave.: “Jean-Louis Forain: La Comedie Parisienne,” through Oct. 9. $7 adults, $5 seniors and students. 901-761-5250, www.dixon.org.

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 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.: “The J.V. Double: Jorge Villegas and Jim Volkert,” drawings and sculpture; through Nov. 6; “Digital Exposure: Ross Burnham and Brittany McDonald,” through Oct. 9; “Playing at War: Children’s Civil War Era Toys,” from the collection of Greg McMahon, through Jan. 10; “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.

324-9351.

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.

MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, Ninth and Broadway: Exhibits on AfricanAmericans in Arkansas, including one on the Ninth Street business district, the Mosaic Templars business and more. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tue.-Sat. 683–3593.

OLD STATE HOUSE, 300 W. Markham St.: “An Enduring Union,” artifacts documenting the post-war Confederate and Union veteran reunions in the state; “Arkansas/Arkansaw: A State and Its Reputation,” the evolution of the state’s hillbilly image. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685.

WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER, Riverfront Park: Exhibits on wildlife and the state Game and Fish Commission.

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Use of bicycles or animals

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overtaking a bicycle

The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a roadway shall exercise due care and pass to the left at a safe distance of not less than three feet (3’) and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken bicycle.

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MOVIE LISTINGS

SEPT. 2-3

Showtimes for Lakewood 8 and Movies 10 were not available by press deadline. Market Street Cinema showtimes at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only.

NEW MOVIES Another Earth (PG-13) – A young astrophysics student’s life become irrevocably intertwined with a young composer’s after she sees new planet on the horizon that is a mirror image of Earth. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 6:45, 9:15.

Apollo 18 (PG-13) – “The Blair Witch Project” goes to the moon. Breckenridge: 1:00, 4:00, 7:25, 10:10. Rave: 11:30 a.m., 1:45, 4:45, 5:45, 7:30, 8:30, 10:00, 11:00. Riverdale: 11:30 a.m., 1:30, 3:35, 5:30, 7:40, 9:35.

Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (R) – This documentary, directed by Michael Rapaport, explores one of the most successful and critically respected hip-hop groups ever. Market Street: 2:00, 4:15, 7:15, 9:15.

The Debt (R) – Two retired Mossad secret agents learn a dark secret about their former colleague and the mission they undertook back in the 1960s. Breckenridge: 1:20, 4:10, 7:10, 9:45. Rave: 10:45 a.m., 1:30, 5:30, 7:15, 10:15. Riverdale: 11:25 a.m., 2:00, 4:35, 7:05, 9:55.

Sarah’s Key (PG-13) – An American journalist stumbles upon a family secret while researching a notorious Nazi roundup of Jews in Paris. Market Street: 1:45, 4:20, 7:00, 9:15. Rave: 11:10 a.m., 2:05, 5:05, 7:50, 10:50.

Seven Days in Utopia (G) – After a talented young golfer blows his first big shot, he learns the true meaning of life from an eccentric Texas rancher who bears a striking resemblance to Robert Duvall. Rave: 10:30 a.m., 1:15, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45.

Shark Night 3D (PG-13) – A “salt-water lake” in Louisiana? That just happens to be filled with sharks? Sure, Hollywood. Whatever you say. Breckenridge: 4:35 (2D), 1:30, 7:45, 10:00.

Rave: 12:30, 2:10, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:45, 10:30.

Riverdale: 11:35 a.m., 2:20, 5:20, 7:40, 10:10.

RETURNING THIS WEEK 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. Rave: 9:40.

Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13) – The Marvel Comics patriotic superhero defends American values from the forces of something or other; starring Chris Evans and Tommy Lee Jones. Rave: 2:35, 8:35.

Cars 2 (G) – A group of animated talking cars travel abroad for the inaugural World Grand Prix in this Pixar sequel. Rave: 12:20, 3:05.

Colombiana (PG-13) – A Colombian girl witnesses the murder of her parents and grows up to become a killer herself, as a hired assassin working for her uncle’s criminal enterprise. Breckenridge: 1:50, 4:50, 7:45, 10:15. Rave: 11:35 a.m., 2:15, 5:00, 5:50, 7:45, 8:50, 10:40, 11:30. Riverdale: 11:20 a.m., 2:15, 4:55, 7:20, 10:00.

Conan the Barbarian (R) – In art, as in life, all things must pass. Except for lucrative film franchises, which apparently must be rehashed every couple decades until time itself ceases. Rave: 11:25 a.m., 5:15, 11:15 (3D).

Cowboys & Aliens (PG-13) — Exactly what it sounds like, from director Jon Favreau.

‘APOLLO 18’ (THE DUMBENING): Well everyone knows that Apollo 17 was the last manned mission to the moon. What this movie presupposes is: Maybe it wasn’t?

Breckenridge: 7:00, 9:55. Rave: 11:15 a.m., 5:25, 11:30.

The Devil’s Double (R) – An Iraqi army officer is ordered to become a body double for Saddam Hussein’s son Uday and must emulate the sadistic son of the dictator.

Market Street: 4:15, 9:00.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (R) – If you hear sinister voices begging to be released from the basement of your creepy Gothic mansion, probably don’t open the door to find out what’s in there. Breckenridge: 1:25, 4:15, 7:00, 9:45. Rave: 12:05, 2:45, 5:35, 8:25, 11:05. Riverdale: 11:15 a.m., 1:55, 5:35, 8:00, 10:15.

Final Destination 5 3D (R) — The fight for teen-agers’ precious, precious disposable income continues. Breckenridge: 1:40, 4:40, 7:15, 9:35. Rave: 12:15, 3:10, 5:40, 8:40, 11:10.

Fright Night (R) – The remakes never end.

Rave: 9:30.

The Help (PG-13) — Emma Stone and Viola Davis star in this adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel about the African-American maids who work in white households in 1960s Mississippi. Breckenridge: 12:50 (opencaptioned, descriptive audio), 4:00, 7:05, 10:05. Rave: 12:25, 1:05, 3:50, 4:40, 7:20, 8:10, 10:30, 10:35, 11:35. Riverdale: 11:05 a.m., 1:45, 4:30, 7:25, 10:15.

Midnight in Paris (PG-13) — Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams hang out with literary heavyweights of the 1920s in Paris. Market Street: 1:45, 4:00, 7:00, 9:15.

One Day (PG-13) – Life and love have a funny way of working out when you’re incredibly attractive and also when it’s just a movie, and not actually real life. Breckenridge: 1:35, 4:30, 7:30, 10:00 Rave: 11:55 a.m., 2:30.

Our Idiot Brother (R) – You know, these people are supposed to be all exasperated with their stoner moron brother, but the trailer makes him seem really likeable.

Breckenridge: 1:05, 4:45, 7:40, 10:05. Rave:

12:50, 3:20, 5:55, 8:20, 10:45. Riverdale: 11:40 a.m., 2:10, 4:50, 7:15, 9:50.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13) — The resurrected ’70s sci-fi franchise continues in this origin story of just how those primates got to be so smart. Breckenridge: 1:10, 4:25, 7:20, 9:50. Riverdale: 11:50 a.m., 2:30, 5:10, 7:30, 9:45.

The Smurfs (PG) — The venerable Dr. Doogie Howser must aid a cadre of tiny blue communists as they flee from an evil plutocrat who seeks to control their means of production.

Breckenridge: 1:15, 4:05. Rave: 1:35, 6:45 (2D), 11:05 a.m., 4:15 (3D).

Spy Kids: All The Time In The World 3D (PG) – Jessica Alba and Jeremy Piven – a.k.a. The Pivert – star in this family friendly romp about … wait, what? This was directed by Robert Rodriguez? Seriously? God, his alimony payments must be crippling. Breckenridge: 4:45, 9:40 (2D), 1:45, 7:35 (3D). Rave: 10:35 a.m., 1:50, 4:10, 6:40. Riverdale: 11:00 a.m., 1:20, 4:40, 6:55, 9:00.

The Trip (NR) — Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, who are actors and British, travel ye olde English countryside, impersonating famous actors and eating food and generally being irascibly hilarious. Market Street: 2:15, 6:45.

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

Cinemark Movies 10: 4188 E. McCain Blvd., 945-7400, www.cinemark.com.

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

Lakewood 8: 2939 Lakewood Village Drive, 758-5354, www.fandango.com.

Market Street Cinema: 1521 Merrill Drive, 312-8900, www.marketstreetcinema.net.

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

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

MOVIE REVIEW

Little monsters ‘Dark’ is fun, but low on scares.

BY DAVID KOON

I

his young son. From there, you can proban recent years, Mexican writer/direcbly guess how it goes: a series of dangerous tor Guillermo del Toro has kind of mishaps and destructions that get blamed cornered the market on what might be on Sally, which she denies, until a final showcalled “Dark Magical” cinema. A lot of the down where the truth is finally, horribly projects he’s associated with — including his revealed. two “Hellboy” films, “Pan’s Labyrinth” and A few years back, I heard another critic his low-budget vampire feature “Cronos” (it say of “The Amityville Horror” that it’s really was on Netflix Instant last time we checked) a film about financial terror: A couple moves — seem be about the Twilight Zonish idea into a house, sinks their life savings into it, that just below the surface of our rational and then finds out that it’s got something wrong orderly world, there are mystic caverns full of with it that’s a lot more sinister than a cranky monsters, fairies and demons, just waiting for hot water heater and some termite damage all of us to take a wrong turn on the way to in the attic. A lot of “haunted house” movies the bathroom and stumble into them. are like that (“Poltergeist” comes to mind), So it is as well in the latest movie with Del playing on the generalized fear that — as Toro’s fingerprints on it: “Don’t Be Afraid of homeowners worried about our credit score the Dark,” which he co-wrote. A remake of — we’re going to be faced with the choice a 1973 television movie of the same name, of filing for bankruptcy or living in fear while seen by almost nobody outside of cult-filmthe kids are being sucked into the TV set. buff circles, the new “Don’t Be Afraid” benefits heavily from excellent set design, pretty good acting on the part of the cast, and the all-important CGI it took to bring its monsters to life. It’s an old-timey kind of scary, mostly getting its juice from a generalized sense of dread. That said, the central premise is fun, but almost ‘DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK’: Katie Holmes stars. too corny to invest “Don’t Be Afraid” is squarely in that catmuch time in. egory, with Alex even saying as much at least In the film, Guy Pearce plays Alex, an once: that he can’t entertain his daughter’s architect in the process of restoring a raminsistence that there might be little monsters bling Victorian mansion designed by a hisin the walls because he’s sunk a million bucks torically-significant designer, with hopes of into restoring the joint. Will it ruin it for you making a splash in “Architectural Digest” if I tell you that one of the last scenes in the and eventually selling the joint at a profit. movie is of a “For Sale” sign in front of the When the house is finally cleaned up enough house? I’d bet Alex didn’t write “tiny, ancient, to live in, Alex moves in with his fiance Kim evil monsters living in the basement” any(Katie Holmes) and his 8-year-old daughwhere on the disclosure forms for that sale. ter Sally (Bailee Madison). Sally has recently While Pearce, Holmes and Madison do been dumped on Alex and Kim by Alex’s some solid work here, in the end “Don’t Be semi-flaky ex-wife, and doesn’t like the idea Afraid” feels a lot like an overly-gory kid’s of living in the old house. movie, or an astronomically big-budget TV While playing in the garden, the girl movie — which isn’t surprising, given that’s comes across a basement window where where it came from in the first place. While there shouldn’t be one, leading to the disthe CGI trolls are well done and surpriscovery of a walled off room containing what ingly creepy to look at, seeing them skitterlooks suspiciously like a pagan altar. Hearing around stabbing people in the shin with ing whispered voices from a bolted-down screwdrivers really becomes more laughfurnace grate, Sally gets curious, unbolts the able than anything else after awhile. In short: metal straps holding the grate, and unwit“Don’t Be Afraid” is worth a look for fans of tingly releases a swarm of tiny, evil creatures the horror genre, but our advice is to wait for that have been trapped there since they (litit on Netflix. erally) ate the last owner of the house and

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WE’RE COUNTING DOWN the days until the first Main Street Food Truck Festival. Scheduled for 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Oct. 1, the festival aims to bring as many area food trucks to downtown Little Rock as possible. Main Street from Third St. to Seventh St. will be blocked off and there’ll be music, a beer garden, live art and a costume sale at The Rep. Admission is free.

So far the festival has confirmed Hot Dog Mike, Louis and Edna’s Mobile Kitchen, Dream Eats Cafe, Papa’s Burgers and Dogs, Green Cuisine, Christian’s Take-out Too and Grills on Wheels (a new truck making its debut at the festival) and expects Pierre’s Gourmet Pizza, Banana Leaf, Peace Hog Mobile Cafe and Luncheria Mexicana Alicia to also participate. Becky Falkowski of main-presenter Downtown Little Rock Partnership said that she’s working to reach out to more taco trucks.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

65TH STREET DINER Blue collar, meat-and-two-veg lunch spot with cheap desserts and a breakfast buffet.

But hurry — breakfast closes down at 9 a.m. on the dot, and the restaurant doesn’t reopen until 10 a.m. for lunch.

3201 West 65th St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-562-7800. BL Mon.-Fri. ACADIA A jewel of a restaurant in Hillcrest. Unbelievable fixed-price, three-course dinners on Mondays and Tuesday, but food is certainly worth full price. 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-603-9630. D Mon.-Sat. BIG ROCK BISTRO Students of the Arkansas Culinary School run this restaurant at Pulaski Tech under the direction of Chef Jason Knapp. Pizza, pasta, Asian-inspired dishes and diner food, all in one stop. 3000 W. Scenic Drive. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $.

501-812-2200. BL Mon.-Fri. BOBBY’S CAFE Delicious, humungo burgers and tasty homemade deserts at this Levy diner. 12230 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $.

501-851-7888. BL Tue.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri. BOUDREAUX’S GRILL & BAR A homey, seat-yourself Cajun joint in Maumelle that serves up all sorts of variations of shrimp and catfish. With particularly tasty red beans and rice, jambalaya and bread pudding. 9811 Maumelle Blvd.

NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-753-6860.

L Sat., D Mon.-Sat. BOULEVARD BREAD CO. Fresh bread, fresh pastries, wide selection of cheeses, meats, side dishes; all superb.

Good coffee, too. 1920 N. Grant

34 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

GRAV WELDON

WHAT’S COOKIN’

WITH A CHERRY ON TOP: Strawberry jalapeno rose petal sundae from Nom Noms.

Nom nom nom This Mexican Grill and Chill is all about the ice cream.

L

ike most Arkansawyers, we’ve been searching for good places to escape the pervasive summer heat. Our thought on the matter is, if the air conditioning works and the desserts are frosty, we might forget for just a few moments the oppressive swelter of this record-breaking summer.

We were overjoyed when we discovered a joint in Hot Springs where the ice cream wasn’t just cold, plentiful and widely varied — it could be spicy hot, too. That place: Nom Noms Mexican Grill and Chill, a year-old establishment that marries the simple goodness of a taco truck with the sort of gourmet ice cream shop that brings out the kid in us.

Our first visit was on a whim; we saw the name Nom Noms while driving up Central Avenue south of Oaklawn and were curious. We’d already eaten lunch, but there’s always room for ice cream, and we found it in spades: 54 different ice cream flavors and several dozen flavors of Nom Bars (molded ice cream bars) offered in a center island of cold cases. We were so overcome by the range of flavors we found that we didn’t notice the walk-up counter at the back of the restaurant offering Mexican fare. Instead, we were taken by a plethora of flavors to sample — Avocado Cream, Tamarind Sorbet, Coconut. Our

Nom Noms Mexican Grill and Chill 3371 Central Ave. Hot Springs 501-623-8588

QUICK BITE The best ice cream deal is the takehome quart ($7.98). Choose any two flavors to be packed hard and sent home with you. We discovered that if purchased right before leaving for Little Rock, the ice cream just begins to soften by the time you get it home.

HOURS 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

OTHER INFO Credit cards accepted. No alcohol.

traveling companion chose a sundae ($4.85 for two scoops, two toppings and whipped cream) of Pine Nut and Pistachio, which made for an interesting sweet-and-savory nut combination. The Pine Nut was an instant hit with both of us, with its woody flavor a good match for the caramel and coconut that we picked for toppings.

We also selected a sundae, pairing the pink Strawberry Jalapeno with the equally

pink Rose Petal (with aesthetically pleasing sprinkles and coconut under its whipped cream cap). Strawberry Jalapeno was a happy surprise — not too hot but with a nice sting of spicy flavor, the jalapeno unmistakable even though it didn’t burn. The Rose Petal was a smooth symphony in the opposite direction: sweet cream and fragrant, the perfect antidote to its hot partner.

We don’t often return for multiple meals in a short span at any restaurant, but the desserts we tried were so good we had to come see if the full-meal options were just as acceptable. On our second visit the next day we ordered a selection of different items from the back end of the store.

First up, the Mexican Pizza. First you choose an edible vessel for your construction — be it taco, burrito, burrito bowl, Mexican pizza, nachos or salad. Then you choose your protein (ham, ground beef, grilled chicken, chorizo, carne asada steak, al pastor pork or vegetarian guacamole) and add your choice of beans and toppings. For our Mexican Pizza ($6.35 with chicken), we chose black beans, queso cheese, cactus, black olives, tomatoes and a mango-habanero salsa. The cactus was fresh, the salsa sweet and hot and the pizza itself a plate-sized quesadilla that was packed an inch thick right across.

We also tried the tamale ($1.59), a single fat five-inch-long, corn-husk-wrapped mesa cylinder topped with hot sauce and a little cheese and packed with long cut shredded pork. Bigger than the average tamale, this and a side would make an excellent dinner.

We also tried a cup of Elote ($3.25), which turned out to be fresh barely-cooked corn right off the cob, topped with hot sauce and cheese and sour cream (mayo was also offered; we turned that right down). A cup of corn is actually quite a bit of corn, at least two large servings, but we enjoyed it.

To drink, we sampled the Agua Fresca, strawberry flavor ($2.25), which is fresh water with pureed strawberry. And of course there was ice cream, shared this time in the form of a Waffle Bowl Sundae ($5.25), three scoops and three toppings of our choice of ice cream. We went ahead and tried a traditional flavor, chocolate, which tasted like Wendy’s original Frosty dessert. Better loved was the Almond Cappuccino, with a strong smack of coffee-flavored goodness.

The third and most unusual was Cotija Blackberry, a blend of fresh Arkansas blackberries, cream and queso cheese. Though skeptical at first, we dug into it with abandon at the first taste. It was an incredible blend of sweet and salty that emptied said waffle bowl in a jiffy.

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

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

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St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-5951.

BLD Mon.-Sat. 400 President Clinton Ave. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-374-1232. BL Mon.-Sat. 401 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-526-6661. BL Mon.-Fri. 1417 Main St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-375-5100. BL Mon.-Fri., BL Sat. BUTCHER SHOP The cook-your-own-steak option has been downplayed, and several menu additions complement the calling card: large, fabulous cuts of prime beef, cooked to perfection. 10825 Hermitage Road. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-312-2748.

D daily.

CAJUN’S WHARF The venerable seafood restaurant serves up great gumbo and oysters Bienville, and options such as fine steaks for the non-seafood eater. In the citified bar, you’ll find nightly entertainment, too. 2400 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5351. D Mon.-Sat. CAMP DAVID Inside the Holiday Inn Presidential Conference Center, Camp David particularly pleases with its breakfast and themed buffets each day of the week.

Wonderful Sunday brunch. 600 Interstate 30. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-975-2267.

BLD daily.

CAPERS It’s never been better, with as good a wine list as any in the area, and a menu that covers a lot of ground — seafood, steaks, pasta — and does it all well. 4502 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-868-7600. LD Mon.-Sat. COAST CAFE A variety of salads, smoothies, sandwiches and pizzas, and there’s breakfast and coffee, too. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-371-0164. BL Mon.-Sat. COMMUNITY BAKERY This sunny downtown bakery is the place to linger over a latte, bagels and the New York Times. But a lunchtime dash for sandwiches is OK, too, though it’s often packed. 1200 S. Main St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-7105. BLD daily. 270 S. Shackleford. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-1656. BD Mon.-Sat. B Sun. COPPER GRILL Comfort food, burgers and more sophisticated fare at this River Marketarea hotspot. 300 W. Third St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3333. LD Mon.-Sat. DAVE’S PLACE Downtown’s premier soupand-sandwich stop at lunch, and a set dinner spot on Friday night to give a little creative outlet to chef supreme David Williams.

Beef, chicken and fish are served with continental flair. 201 Center St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-3283. L Mon.-Fri., D Fri. DAVID FAMILY KITCHEN Call it soul food or call it down-home country cooking. Just be sure to call us for breakfast or lunch when you go. Neckbones, ribs, sturdy cornbread, salmon croquettes, mustard greens and the like. Desserts are exceptionally good.

2301 Broadway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-371-0141. BL Sun.-Fri. DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO Interesting bistro fare, served in massive portions at this River Market favorite. 200 River Market Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3500. LD Tue.-Sat. THE FADED ROSE The Cajun-inspired menu seldom disappoints. Steaks and soaked

salads are legendary. Also at Bowman Curve. 1615 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9734. LD daily. 400 N. Bowman Rd. Full bar. $$-$$$. 501-2243377. LD daily.

FERNEAU Great seafood, among other things, is served at the Ice House Revival in Hillcrest. With a late night menu Thu.-Sat. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-603-9208. D Tue.-Sat. FLYING SAUCER Beer, with dozens on tap, is the big draw at this popular River Market venue, but the food’s good, too.

Sandwiches, including a great Reuben, salads, quesadillas and the bratwurst are dependable. 323 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-7468. LD daily.

FRANKE’S CAFETERIA Plate lunch spot strong on salads and vegetables, and perfect fried chicken on Sundays. Arkansas’ oldest continually operating restaurant.

11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-225-4487. LD daily. 400 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-3721919. L Mon.-Fri. FRONTIER DINER The traditional all-American roadside diner, complete with a nice selection of man-friendly breakfasts and lunch specials. The half pound burger is a two-hander for the average working Joe. 10424 Interstate 30. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-6414. BL Mon.-Sat. FROSTOP A ‘50s-style drive-in has been resurrected, with big and juicy burgers and great irregularly cut fries. Superb service, too. 4131 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-4535. BLD daily.

GADWALL’S GRILL & PIZZA Once two separate restaurants, a fire forced the grill into the pizza joint. Now, under one roof, there’s mouth-watering burgers and specialty sandwiches, plus zesty pizzas with cracker-thin crust and plenty of toppings.

12 North Hills Shopping Center. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-834-1840. LD daily.

GRAMPA’S CATFISH HOUSE A longtime local favorite for fried fish, hush puppies and good sides. 9219 Stagecoach Road.

501-407-0000. LD. HAYESTACK CAFE Southern cooking, po’boys and hearty breakfasts with an emphasis on family recipes. 27024 Kanis Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-8210070. BLD Tue.-Sun. HONEYBAKED HAM CO. The trademark ham is available by the sandwich, as is great smoked turkey and lots of inexpensive side items and desserts. 9112 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. 501-227-5555. LD Mon.-Sat. HUNKA PIE A drive-up diner with burgers, other sandwiches, onion rings and a number of different pies, available whole or by the slice, fresh baked daily. 7706 Cantrell Road.

No alcohol, No CC. $-$$. 501-612-4754. LD Mon.-Sat. (closes at 7 p.m.).

KIERRE’S KOUNTRY KITCHEN Excellent home-cooking joint for huge helpings of meat loaf and chicken-fried steak, cookeddown vegetables and wonderful homemade pies and cakes. Breakfasts feature omelets, pancakes, French toast and more.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

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www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 35

DINING CAPSULES, CONT.

Downtown Little Rock Partnership & the Main Street Revitalization Committee Present

Saturday, October 1 • 11am – 7pm Everyone’s favorite Food Truck Vendors, Live Entertainment, Cold Beer and an Arts & Crafts Main Street will be blocked from 3rd to 7th Streets – Loads of free parking Free entrance and $1 Food Ticket Certificates will be sold.

Call 501.375.0121 or follow us on Facebook Main Street Food Truck Festival - Little Rock Free Parking • Free Admission

“My name is Liam. I’m five years old. I don’t talk yet, but with the help of organizations like Autism Speaks, me and other kids like me have a much better chance at a normal life. You can help by making a donation or supporting the cause by walking in October.

Want to join my team or make a donation? Or get more information? Go to: www.WalkNowForAutismSpeaks.org/Arkansas/LiamsLittleLeague.

In advance, thanks for giving us continued hope for the best tomorrow!”

Proud sponsor: Arkansas Times 36 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

6 Collins Place. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$.

501-758-0923. BLD Tue.-Fri., BL Sat. MARKHAM STREET GRILL AND PUB The menu has something for everyone. Try the burgers, which are juicy, big and fine.

11321 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$.

501-224-2010. LD daily.

RED DOOR Fresh seafood, steaks, chops and sandwiches from restaurateur Mark Abernathy. Smart wine list. 3701 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-8482.

BL Mon.-Fri. D daily.

RENO’S ARGENTA CAFE Sandwiches, gyros and gourmet pizzas by day and music and drinks by night in downtown Argenta. 312 N. Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-3762900.

RIVERFRONT STEAKHOUSE Steaks are the draw here — nice cuts heavily salted and peppered, cooked quickly and accurately to your specifications, finished with butter and served sizzling hot. 2 Riverfront Place.

NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-7825.

D Mon.-Sat. RUDY’S OYSTER BAR Good boiled shrimp and oysters on the half shell. Quesadillas and chili cheese dip are tasty and ultra-hearty.

2695 Pike Ave. NLR. Full bar. 501-771-0808.

LD Mon.-Sat. SO RESTAURANT BAR Call it a French brasserie with a sleek, but not fussy American finish. The wine selection is broad and choice. Free valet parking. Use it and save yourself a headache. 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1464.

TRIO’S Fresh, creative and satisfying lunches; even better at night, when the chefs take flight. Best array of fresh desserts in town.

8201 Cantrell Road. Full bar. $$-$$$. 501-2213330. LD Mon.-Sat. VIEUX CARRE A pleasant spot in Hillcrest with specialty salads, steak and seafood.

The soup of the day is a good bet. At lunch, the menu includes an all-vegetable sandwich and a half-pound cheeseburger. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-663-1196. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat., BR Sun. YOUR MAMA’S GOOD FOOD Offering simple and satisfying cafeteria food, with burgers and more hot off the grill, plate lunches and pies. 220 W. 4th St. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-372-1811. BL Mon.-Fri. ZACK’S PLACE Expertly prepared home cooking and huge, smoky burgers. 1400 S. University Ave. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-6646444. LD Mon.-Sat.

ASIAN

CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE No longer owned

by Chi’s founder Lulu Chi, this Chinese mainstay still offers a broad menu that spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings. 5110 W. Markham St. All CC. $-$$. 501-604-7777.

CRAZY HIBACHI GRILL The folks that own Chi’s and Sekisui offer their best in a threein-one: tapanaki cooking, sushi bar and sitdown dining with a Mongolian grill. 2907 Lakewood Village. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-812-9888. LD daily.

FANTASTIC CHINA The food is delicious, the presentation beautiful, the menu distinctive, the service perfect, the decor bright. 1900 N. Grant St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-663-8999.

LD daily.

LILLY’S DIMSUM THEN SOME Innovative dishes inspired by Asian cuisine, utilizing local and fresh ingredients. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-716-2700. LD daily.

MT. FUJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT The dean of Little Rock sushi bars offers a

fabulous lunch special and great Monday night deals. 10301 Rodney Parham Road.

Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-227-6498.

LD daily. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road.

501-227-6498.

OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT Veteran operator of several local Asian buffets has brought fine-dining Japanese dishes and a well-stocked sushi bar to way-out-west Little Rock, near Chenal off Highway 10.

5501 Ranch Drive, Suite 1. $$-$$$. 501-8683688. LD. PAPA SUSHI Hibachi grill with large sushi menu and Korean specialties. 17200 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-8217272.

SAIGON CUISINE Traditional Vietnamese with Thai and Chinese selections. Be sure to try the authentic pho soups and spring rolls. 6805 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4000. L Tue.-Fri., D Tue.-Sun. SEOUL A full line of sushi and soft tofu stews plus a variety of Korean dishes, mainly marinated and grilled meats teamed with vegetables served with rice in bibimbap style in a sizzling-hot bowl. 5923 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Beer, Wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-227-7222.

LD Mon.-Sat. SUSHI CAFE Impressive, upscale sushi menu with other delectable house specialties like tuna tataki, fried soft shell crab, Kobe beef and, believe it or not, the Tokyo cowboy burger. 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9888. L Mon.-Sat. D daily.

BARBECUE

CHATZ CAFE ‘Cue and catfish joint that does heavy catering business. Try the slowsmoked, meaty ribs. 8801 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-5624949. LD Mon.-Sat. CORKY’S RIBS & BBQ The pulled pork is extremely tender and juicy, and the sauce is sweet and tangy without a hint of heat.

Maybe the best dry ribs in the area. 12005 Westhaven Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-954-7427. LD daily. 2947 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-753-3737. LD daily, B Sat.-Sun. WHITE PIG INN Go for the sliced rather than chopped meats at this working-class barbecue cafe. Side orders — from fries to potato salad to beans and slaw — are superb, as are the fried pies. 5231 E. Broadway. NLR. Beer. $-$$. 501-945-5551. LD Mon.-Fri., L Sat. WHOLE HOG CAFE The pulled pork shoulder is a classic, the back ribs are worthy of their many blue ribbons, and there’s a sixpack of sauces for all tastes. A real find is the beef brisket, cooked the way Texans like it. 516 Cantrell Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-664-5025. LD Mon.-Sat. 12111 W. Markham. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-9076124. LD daily 150 E. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-513-0600. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. 5107 Warden Road. NLR. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-753-9227.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

AMRUTH AUTHENTIC INDIAN CUISINE Indian restaurant with numerous spicy, vegetarian dishes. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-2244567. LD daily.

CAFE BOSSA NOVA A South American approach to sandwiches, salads and desserts, all quite good, as well as an array of refreshing South American teas and coffees. 701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-614-6682. LD Tue.-Sat., BR Sun.

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. DUGAN’S PUB The atmosphere is great, complete with plenty of bar seating and tables. There’s also a fireplace to warm you up on a cold day. The fried stuff is good. Try the mozzarella sticks. 403 E. 3rd St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-0542.

GEORGIA’S GYROS Good gyros, Greek salads and fragrant grilled pita bread highlight a large Mediterranean food selection, plus burgers and the like. 2933 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-5090. LD Mon.-Sat. HIBERNIA IRISH TAVERN This traditional Irish pub has its own traditional Irish cook from, where else, Ireland. Broad beverage menu, Irish and Southern food favorites and a crowd that likes to sing. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-246-4340.

TAJ MAHAL The third Indian restaurant in a one-mile span of West Little Rock, Taj Mahal offers upscale versions of traditional dishes and an extensive menu. Dishes range on the spicy side. 1520 Market Street. Beer, All CC. $$$. (501) 881-4796. LD daily.

YA YA’S EURO BISTRO The first eatery to open in the Promenade at Chenal is a date-night affair, translating comfort food into beautiful cuisine. Best bet is lunch, where you can explore the menu through soup, salad or half a sandwich. 17711 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1144. LD daily, BR Sun.

ITALIAN

BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA This upscale Italian chain offers delicious and sometimes inventive dishes. 17815 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-821-2485. LD daily. BR Sun. BRUNO’S LITTLE ITALY This more-than-half-century-old establishment balances continuity with innovation in delicious traditional and original fare. The pizza remains outstanding. 315 N. Bowman Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-224-4700. D Mon.-Sat. GRAFFITI’S The casually chic and ever-popular Italian-flavored bistro avoids the rut with daily specials and careful menu tinkering.

7811 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-224-9079. D Mon.-Sat. PIZZA CAFE Thin, crunchy pizza with just a dab of tomato sauce but plenty of chunks of stuff, topped with gooey cheese. Draft beer is appealing on the open-air deck — frosty and generous.

1517 Rebsamen Park Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-6646133. LD daily.

PIZZA D’ACTION Some of the best pizza in town, a marriage of thin, crispy crust with a hefty ingredient load. Also, good appetizers and salads, pasta, sandwiches and killer plate lunches. 2919 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-5403. LD daily.

RISTORANTE CAPEO Authentic cooking from the boot of Italy is the draw at this cozy, brick-walled restaurant on a reviving North Little Rock’s Main Street. Familiar pasta dishes will comfort most diners, but let the chef, who works in an open kitchen, entertain you with some more exotic stuff, too, like crispy veal sweetbreads.

They make their own mozzarella fresh daily. 425 Main St. NLR. Full bar. $$-$$$. 501-376-3463. D Mon.-Sat. ROCKY’S PUB Rocking sandwiches an Arkie used to have to head way northeast to find and a fine selection of homemade Italian entrees, including as fine a lasagna as there is. 6909 JFK Blvd. NLR. Beer, Wine. $$. 501-833-1077. LD Mon.-Sat. SHOTGUN DAN’S Hearty pizza and sandwiches with a decent salad bar. Multiple locations, at 4020 E. Broadway, NLR, 945-0606; 4203 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, 835-0606, and 10923 W. Markham St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-9519. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. VINO’S Great rock ‘n’ roll club also is a fantastic pizzeria with huge calzones and always improving home-brewed beers. 923 W. 7th St. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-8466. LD daily.

CROSSWORD EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ Across 1 Univ. with the cheer “Roll Tide!”

5 Indiana Jones accouterment 11 Rachael on the Food Network 14 “Ars Amatoria” poet 15 Draws out 16 Like 17 Groom?

19 Rocky peak 20 “___ is nothing but perception”: Plato 21 Will-oʼ-the-wisp feature 23 “Captain! The engines canna take ___ more!” (line from Scotty on “Star Trek”) 24 Installs new thatch on, maybe 25 Verbal exchange about a harsh review?

30 Bottle marked “XXX” in the comics

31 Separation 32 Homes for some colonies 35 Water-resistant wood 37 Seasonal songs … or a hint to 17-, 25-, 46- and 59-Across 40 City at the confluence of the Ouse and Foss 41 Skinny sort 43 Muckraker Jacob 45 One-eighty 46 Demand during a roadside negotiation?

50 “Fa-a-ancy!”

52 “My gal” of song 53 Eerie 1976 movie with an Oscar-winning score 54 Biblical name meaning “father of many” 58 “I tawt I taw a putty ___” 59 Stylish Lionel?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE R A B B I O T I C A J A R

O R B I T

Y E G G S

A N U T

L A N E N A B I D R G A N I H E A F R E R O M B A T A S H L A N K I U N K R C T I S E I N T

A G E S S A M E A F A R F L A D E L P E H S M S I C A N S I G O E R A N T I N G A O A M U I T K O S

H A J P J H I I S

A R E A

I M A C

R A N K

S E Q U E U R N I N B I R A S E N O A T F L U

A G E E

T O N Y

A C N E S

L E A S H

61 Leandroʼs love, in a Handel cantata 62 Visigoth king who sacked Rome 63 “Runaround Sue” singer, 1961 64 Grandmaster Flashʼs music 65 Pursue again, as an elected position 66 French word whose opposite is 2-Down Down 1 Things to draw 2 French word whose opposite is 66-Across 3 Certain skirt 4 Number next to a+ 5 Encloses 6 Nose (out) 7 French nobleman 8 Autumn colors 9 Old Spanish silver coins 10 Trademark forfeited by Bayer under the Treaty of Versailles 11 Distributes stingily 12 Detached 13 Paul Bunyan tales, e.g.

18 Where Francis Scott Key saw bombs bursting 22 “Here, piggies!”

25 Super Bowl XXXVI champs, to fans 26 Actor Guinness 27 In second place, say

1

2

3

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5

14

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11

23 28

36

41

34

56

57

29

31

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33

22

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30

13

19 21

26

12

16

18

20

32 37

38

42 46

50

9

15

17

25

8

39

43 47

40 44

48

45 49

51

52

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54

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58

59

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61

62

63

64

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66

Puzzle by Bill Thompson

28 Overseer of corp. accts.

29 Gestation locations 33 Wynken, Blynken and Nod, e.g.

34 Slant 36 Mexican artist Frida 38 Architect Maya

39 Relaxes, in a way 42 The problem with these clue?

44 Emmy-winning Lewis 47 Flamenco cheer 48 Stand-up comic Sykes and others 49 Safari antelopes

50 Boonʼs “Animal House” buddy 51 Maureen of “Miracle on 34th Street” 54 Singer India.___ 55 First Chinese dynasty 56 Very long time 57 The Dolomites, e.g.: Abbr.

60 Uno + due

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.

THIS MODERN WORLD

MEXICAN

CANTINA LAREDO This is gourmet Mexican food, a step up from what you’d expect from a real cantina, from the modern minimal decor to the well-prepared entrees. We can vouch for the enchilada Veracruz and the carne asada y huevos, both with tasty sauces and high quality ingredients perfectly cooked. 207 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-280-0407. LD daily.

JUANITA’S Menu includes a variety of combination entree choices — enchiladas, tacos, flautas, shrimp burritos and such — plus creative salads and other dishes. And of course the “Blue Mesa” cheese dip. 614 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$.

501-372-1228. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. RUMBA Mexi-Cuban spot in the River Market area, this restaurant and bar has a broad menu that includes tacos and enchiladas, tapas, Cuban-style sandwiches. Specialty drinks are available also.

300 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-823-0090.

TACO MEXICO Tacos have to be ordered at least two at a time, but that’s not an impediment. These are some of the best and some of the cheapest tacos in Little Rock. 7101 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-416-7002. LD Wed.-Sun.

www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 37

The 2nd Friday Of Each Month Ride the September 9, 5-8 pm free trolley!

Charly Palmer

Food Drive P

“KALEIDOSCOPE: REMEMBERING THE PAST” August 19, 2011 – October 10, 2011

Artist Reception Friday, September 9, 2011 5pm - 8pm DRINK MOCHA/TALK ART

lay a role in ending hunger in Arkansas during September’s Hunger Action Month. Bring a non-perishable food item and drop it off at one of our collection stations. Your donation helps the Arkansas Foodbank feed more than 23,000 people a week through our 300 statewide member agencies.

Food Drive drop off sites are: Historic Arkansas Museum Arkansas Studies Institute Courtyard Marriott Christ Church

Top 10 Items Needed During Food Drives Canned Meats/Fish/Poultry Canned/Packaged Meals Peanut Butter Cereal Soups Canned Vegetables Canned Fruits 100% Juices Pasta and Pasta Sauces Diapers Non-perishable items only-No glass bottles or jars

Have coffee with the artist as he discusses “Kaleidoscope, Remembering the Past” Saturday,

“Heaven,” Oil on Canvas, 18” x 24”

Live music, refreshments, Museum Store shopping and seven galleries.

Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm • Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday (By Appointment)

200 E. Third Street 501-324-9351 www.HistoricArkansas.org

A museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage 2FAN Sept 11 press.pdf 1 8/24/2011 4:43:33 PM

The Butler Center presents

The Art of Living: Japanese American Creative Experience at Rohwer

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September 10, 2011 10am

1001 Wright Ave. Suite C Little Rock, AR 501-372-6822 www.hearnefineart.com

Join Us For Razorback Happy Hour at 2nd Friday Art Night! at Courtyard by Marriott Downtown

Friday, Sept 9th • 5-8pm

Live painting DEMO and loads of ART! DRAWING for a Razorback painting!

LIVE MUSIC! Food! Hog PUNCH! River Market District • (501) 975-9800

Concordia Hall, Arkansas Studies Institute 401 President Clinton Ave.

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The Butler Center Galleries are located in the Arkansas Studies !"#$%&%'()*+,(-.'#/0'"%(12/"%3"(45'678(3"(%9'(:;/"(</=.;.>( 1;?@&#(/"(</A2'(B3CDE#(03F"%3F"(B/5'.(:;.D'%(G/#%./C%6( 1'"%.;2(4.D;"#;#(</=.;.>(H>#%'?((I(J9'(K&%2'.(1'"%'.(L3.(4.D;"#;#(H%&0/'#( FFF6=&%2'.C'"%'.63.MN.39F'.

BUTLER CENTER

FOR ARKANSAS STUDIES

2011 Summer Series

More Studio 8!

2011month Summer a three series Series of exhibits Artists’ featuring work series by students of the pm a three month of exhibits Reception, 5-8 featuring work School by students The of final theof a threeAAC Museum part series featuring AAC Museum School

work by the students of Studio 8 of the Arkansas Arts Center July 10, 5-8pm Museum School. mark you calendars now for mark you calendars now for Refreshments and August 12 & September 9 2FAN August 12 & September 9 2FAN wine.

Artists’ Reception Artists’ Reception July 10, 5-8pm “No Blues Here” by Suzie Henley

501.374.5100 220 West 6th Street Little Rock www.lulaveatery.com

Christ Church Christ Church

509Scott Scott Street 509 Street||375-2342 375-2342 www.christchurchlr.org www.christchurchlr.org

Little Rock’s Downtown Episcopal Church

Little Rock’s Downtown Episcopal Church

300 Third Tower • 501-375-3333 coppergrillandgrocery.com

Gypsy Bistro 501.375.3500

200 S. Commerce, Ste. 150 River Market District (Old Vermillion Location)

2ND FRIDAY SEPT. 9: TAKE THE TROLLEY

TO DO:

TO THE SCULPTURE GARDEN FOR A DOCENT TOUR

ORDER TICKETS TODAY FOR THE SCULPTURE AT THE RIVER MARKET PREVIEW PARTY ON OCT. 14

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AUGUST 31, 2011

Eric Coleman and Kelley Naylor Wise launch Hillcrest Designer Jewelry (see story on pg. 40).

hearsay ➥ Don’t Miss-oni this! We haven’t been this excited about a collaboration since Jack White and Loretta Lynn got together. On Tuesday, September 13, TARGET will launch the Target Missoni collection, which will stay in stores through October 22. (Though we predict it will sell out long before that date.) The collection is 400 pieces strong with maxi skirts, clutches, cardigans, shoes, shift dresses, shorts and much more in Missoni’s trademark ziz-zag print. ➥ Art, friends, fun. We’re very excited about a newly launched local business that brings people together in a creative, unique way. In addition to art workshops for kids, BOTTLETREE offers a Craft and a Cocktail series for adults which kicks off with a painting party on Saturday, September 3. Founders Angela Simon and artist Tanya Fitzgerald issue the following imperative: “Get off the hamster wheel. Come make something.

Bring a friend, make a friend, have a drink, enjoy yourself.” What a great idea! To register visit bottletreeinhillcrest.com. ➥ PAINTING WITH A TWIST (North Little Rock), is a national franchise that has the same concept as Bottletree but has a different style and feel. For more information, visit www.paintingwithatwist.com. ➥ Head into the woods. Wine and dine at WILDWOOD PARK’S 14th Annual Wine and

Food Festival, Friday, September 9, 6:30 p.m., $75 per person. (Meet Wildwood’s “shop dog” in this issue!) ➥ Stock up! KITCHEN CO.’S sale runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 5. Go into the store and sign up for their e-newsletter, and you’ll receive a coupon for 20% off your total purchase. ➥ Go there. Don’t miss the opening of Samuel Gray’s show, “Here and There,” at BOSWELL MOUROT FINE ART. Show runs September 9-30; opening reception Friday, September 9, 6-9 p.m. ➥ CORRECTION: Last week we reported that the new children’s boutique in the Heights, located in the space formerly occupied by Sabb’s Oriental Rugs, was called Bonjour. Not so says owner Laurie Miller.

Apparently, others made the same mistake due to a chalkboard out front that welcomed customers with “Bonjour”! Signage was put in place last weekend so there’s little chance of further confusion. The store is actually called Krumphet Buttons, a reference to a treat in a series of storybooks that the store will eventually produce. Krumphet Buttons specializes in European children’s clothing. They now carry clothing for girls in sizes 12 months to 6x, but, due to overwhelming interest, will introduce boy’s clothing—sizes 6 months to 8 years—in the spring. At that time, they’ll also expand their girls’ line to include sizes up to 10.

Soaring gold prices make appraisals imperative say local jewelers

BY KATHERINE WYRICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

W

ith gold prices at an all time high, local jewelers stress that it’s more important than ever to get your jewelry appraised and insured. The average price of gold jewelry has more than tripled in the past 10 years, so if you haven’t reappraised that Rolex watch or 18K gold necklace you inherited years ago, there’s a good chance it’s underinsured. Fortunately, greater Little Rock abounds with respected jewelers who can help.

Harold Murchison, owner of Kyle-Rochelle Jewelers, located in the historic Lafayette Building downtown, says, “It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Check with your local insurance agent to make sure you have the correct policy that includes full coverage. There are several ways to write a policy that has the correct coverage for you. ... Not only is theft a big concern, as police records attest, but so is natural loss. This includes losing an earring, leaving your ring in the restroom of your favorite restaurant, or losing a diamond from your wedding ring or favorite necklace. Make sure you are protected from theft and natural loss today!”

Continued on page 40 www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 39

NEW SHOP ON THE BLOCK

Hillcrest Designer Jewelry, located in the complex that includes Acadia and a number of salons, will host their First Annual September Showcase, September 1-3, 5-9 p.m. with an Artists Reception on September 2.

Owner Eric Coleman, a Certified Gemologist and jewelry designer with over 30 years of experience, moved into this space in April and partnered with artist Kelley Naylor Wise, Assistant Jeweler/Business Manager. Both Coleman and Wise create unique jewelry designs, working with unusual stones and natural materials to design one-of-akind pieces of wearable art.

The two forged their connection through painter and gallery owner Stephano Sutherland and soon began brainstorming about a place that would serve as a studio, gallery and full-service jewelry business all in one. (Coleman has worked in every aspect of the jewelry industry and is also a jewelry contractor and wholesaler.) Their September Showcase realizes their shared vision and brings together the works of local painters, sculptors and jewelry designers.

Hillcrest Designer Jewelry 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd., Suite E (501) 246-3655

Eric Coleman of Hillcrest Designer Jewelry at the bench.

THE ENDURING APPEAL OF ESTATE JEWELRY

Masriera, made in Barcelona, Spain as numbered, wearable, pieces of artwork; 18 karat yellow gold and enamel ring accented with round brilliant cut diamonds. CECIL’S FINE JEWELRY

William Schraft necklace made of Sterling Silver with 18 karat yellow gold filigree, featuring a lemon quartz center stone with pink tourmaline cabochon accents. CECIL’S FINE JEWELRY

IN OTHER JEWELRY NEWS

•Kenneth Edwards Fine Jewelers will open a second location in the Promenade at Chenal in October.

•Bill Jones of Sissy’s Log Cabin recently won retailer of the year award at the Arkansas Jewelers Association convention. The store took home 40 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

Antique French ring, from Paris c.

1900, with two old mine-cut diamonds weighing approximately 2 3/4 carats total. STANLEY JEWELERS

seven awards in all.

•Sissy’s Log Cabin officially announced plans to open a third location in Jonesboro on the corner of Stadium and Parkwood; the opening is set for spring 2012.

•Get in on the gold rush! Did you know you can host a gold party in your home with Braswell

Whether an engagement ring or strand of pearls, estate jewelry holds a certain allure. Not only does it offer a glimpse into a bygone era, it never goes out of fashion.

The other great thing about antique/vintage jewelry is that its value only appreciates with time. Antique jewelry also beautifully complements contemporary pieces when worn together. Many jewelers in the area offer quality estate jewelry. Here, Cecil’s and Stanley’s share their current favorites. (And, of course, should you choose to buy estate jewelry, have it appraised and insured!)

& Sons and earn extra cash? Contact them to find out more. Sure beats Tupperware!

•Cecil’s will host a Marco Biecgo Trunk Show, Thursday, September 8.

•On November 11 (11/11/11!), Stanley Jewelers will celebrate its 75th birthday! There will be a party in the store from 5-8 p.m.

LOVE!

BY KATHERINE WYRICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

shop dogs (n.) A feature profiling our canine friends in retail. (Not just limited to dogs. Other species—cats, canaries, lizards—will appear here, too.)

2616 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Little Rock 501.661.1167 www.shopboxturtle.com

Ellie in the Lucy Lockett Cabe Theatre.

Wildwood Bark

Have a Worry Free vacatioN!

Ellie takes center stage at park for performing arts

W

hen we arrive at Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, a light rain is just beginning to fall, leaving the grounds lush and verdant. Ellie, a threeyear-old Australian Shepherd, looks ill-at-ease, and, as thunder rolls in the distance, she casts a sidelong glance at her owner Guy Couch.

“She’s scared of storms. She really doesn’t like them,” he explains. On a clear day, Ellie would be out surveying the 105-acres at her disposal or tending the gardens with Couch. Instead, he asks her if she’d rather go to the office, at which her ears perk up and she makes a beeline for the building. She stops first at Cliff’s Baker’s door where she waits expectantly, shifting her weight from side to side, but Baker—Ellie’s other owner, Couch’s partner, and Director and CEO of Wildwood—isn’t in at the moment.

She then leads us to the main office where she’s roundly greeted by co-workers, and heads to Benny Cagle’s door, where she’s always assured of a treat. “Oh, Benny is her favorite!” says the soft-spoken Couch, giving Ellie a scratch behind her silky ears.

Ellie is obviously at home here, whether in the office or on the expansive grounds. “She runs the place,” laughs Kristen Vandaveer, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator.

And she does—literally. “They say these dogs can run up to 16 hours a day. It doesn’t even faze her,” marvels Couch.

We then head to the auditorium—that place where countless audiences have enjoyed Wildwood’s many stellar shows over the years—for Ellie’s close-up. (There, she proceeds to perform a few show tunes from Cats.

Kidding. ... She doesn’t like Cats. ) With her lustrous coat, gentle and intelligent eyes and sweet disposition, Ellie is a real scene stealer, though she sometimes does “share the stage” so to speak with her other canine co-workers—a Westie, German

try Gel PolisH sHellac

14 Day Wear • No Chipping No Smudge •Zero Dry Time Mirror Finish Mon-Sat 9am-6:30pm • Sun 12pm-5pm

Ellie’s Top 5 Peanut butter

Running alongside the golfcart at the Park

Co-worker Benny Cagle who gives her treats and scratches her back

The cats. “We have four now, and she is very protective of them.”

Bonies. “She has to have one before she eats her real food.”

Shepherd mix and, on occasion, a Standard Poodle. It goes without saying that this is a dogfriendly office.

On any given day, barring bad weather, Ellie can be found chasing after Couch in a golf cart or keeping Baker company in his office. A natural born herder, she will try to corral anything—from children to golf carts—and nips at the tires as Couch drives.

Couch says that Ellie is the first full-bred dog he and Baker have ever had and describes their first meeting: “She was the runt, and she came over to Cliff and stayed right by his foot the whole time ... He just picked her up and said, ‘This is the one.’” He adds adoringly, with a shake of his head, “She’s just such a dog. Such a perfect dog.”

Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts 20919 County Road 40 (501) 821-7275 www.wildwoodpark.org

501-225-M2LR M2LR.COM

Nail Paradise 11321 W. Markham, Ste. 5 Little Rock, AR 72211 501.225.2228

The Value Of Gold Is At Its All Time High!

Is Your Jewelry Underinsured?

Written ApprAisAls

$45 For The First Piece • $15 For Each Additional Piece All appraisals are confidential and fully insured. Appraisals are completed onsite.

Includes free cleaning and checkup. $25 for on-site evaluation.

Kyle-Rochelle Jewelers 501-375-3335

HAROLD MURCHISON, Owner Located In The Historic Lafayette Building at 6th And Louisiana Monday- Friday 10am-6pm www.arktimes.com AUGUST 31, 2011 41

Hey, do this!

september F UN!

Food, Music, Entertainment and everything else that’s FRI 2 THUR 1

Every first Thursday of the month, Shop & Sip takes place in Hillcrest. Local shops, galleries, restaurants and other venues stay open after hours and offer special discounts plus live music, hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

Open seven days a week, every day is an opportunity to tour the Gangster Museum of America where you can relive the days when the rich, famous and notorious vacationed in the Spa City. The museum is located at 510 Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs. Don’t miss The Hatterie gift shop offering a variety of hats in the style of the era. Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Visit tgmoa. com for more information.

FRI 9

TUES 13

Wildwood Park for the Arts hosts its

UCA welcomes Dionne Warwick in concert at Reynolds Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. Her musical career spans four decades and includes a dozen Top 100 hit singles from 19631966. Purchase tickets online at uca.edu/publicappearances.

14th Annual Wine & Food Festival from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Choose from over 150 specialty wines, and enjoy hors d’oeuvres prepared by chefs from your favorite restaurants. The festival also includes live music, grape stomping and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 and are available at tickets.wildwoodpark.org.

WED 14

The Arkansas Repertory Theatre rolls out the red carpet for the Grand Reopening Gala Preview. Be the first to see Ring of Fire, the Music of Johnny Cash, in the newly renovated space. The preview reception begins at 6 p.m.; the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100 and are available by phone at 501-378-0405 or online at tickets.therep.org.

The Arkansas Arts Center hosts Rock Town Slam at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door. Call 501-541-0681, www.arkarts.com for more information.

SUN 18

The River City Men’s Chorus presents their first concert of the season, “In The Spirit,” at Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock.

Performances are free and open to the public. Show times are 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18; 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19; and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22. www. rivercitymenschorus.com. 501-377-1080.

FRI 23

The Arkansas Governor’s Mansion hosts the 6th Annual Gallery of Hope from 6-8:30 p.m. The event benefits the American Childhood Cancer Organization of Arkansas. Tickets are $50 and include heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. There will also be an art auction featuring works by Arkansas artists and Arkansas Children’s Hospital cancer patients.

For tickets, visit www.acco.org/arkansas.

THUR 15

The University of Central Arkansas’ Baum Gallery presents an opening night reception for the Fall Season of Exhibitions from 4-6 p.m. Exhibitions include Connections: The Fifteenth Year, featuring works by 27 artists; More than a Mold: Contemporary Slip Cast Ceramics; and Cloud Control: The Devastation of an Anchor, a multimedia installation by Carrie A. Dyer. For more info, visit www.uca.edu/art/news.

MON 19

Erin Brockovich comes

to UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall as part of its 2011-2012 lecture series, which also brings James Carville, James Earl Jones and Dan Abrams to UCA. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit uca.edu/publicappearances.

THU 29

101 Years of Broadway, the most successful touring Broadway concert in the country, returns to UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall.

Enjoy brilliantly revived arrangements of your favorite Broadway classics and thrilling songs from Broadway’s newest hit shows. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit uca.edu/ publicappearances.

TUES 6

The Tony Award-winning musical Purlie opens at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse and promises a mix of comedy, romance and wisdom with a soul-soaring, foottapping score. The show runs through Oct. 9. For show times and ticket information, visit www.murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

Come experience how fashion influences interior design at Fashion Night Out from 6-9 p.m. at Yves Delorme Paris at 5717 Kavanaugh Boulevard in the Heights. This event is sponsored by Yves Delorme Paris and B. Barnett. For more information, call 501-663-7344.

TUES 13-SUN 18

Mark your calendars for the 20th Annual Hot Springs JazzFest. Hot tickets include “The Joy of Jazz: Vegas in the 60s,” a night club-style gala on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Arlington; Piano-Rama, a showcase of pianists on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington; and a performance by Nova NOLA at the Ray Lynn Theater on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The FREE event “Jazz in the Streets” takes place on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. under the Broadway Street Sky Bridge. For more info, www.hotspringsjazzfest.org.

FRI 16

FRI 16-SUN 18

Road to Equality”

opportunity to tour Arkansas artists’ private studios in and around Mountain View. Register online at www.offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com/registration, and receive a printed copy of the 2011 Guide to Artists’ Studios. For more information, visit www. offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com.

Join the Human Rights Campaign “On the

bus tour, which makes a stop at Boswell Mourot Fine Art from 5:30-9 p.m.

Enjoy great food, music and conversation amidst the gallery’s impressive artwork. www.hrc.org/roadtoequality.

The 10th Annual Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour offers a unique

THUR 22

The Arkansas Arts Center’s Contemporaries host Culture Shock – the 80’s, a “totally awesome” night of 80s hits (and misses) spun by DJ Poebot from 7-10 p.m. Features Building the Collection: Art Acquired in the 80’s. The event is free for Contemporaries. Tickets for AAC members are $10. Tickets for nonmembers are $19.80. Sponsored by Arkansas Times. Call 501-372-4000 for more information.

Sample great beers while listening to the rockin’ sounds of the Shannon Boshears Band at the annual Zoo Brew at the Little Rock Zoo. This year, Hot Dog Mike will be on hand, selling your favorite dogs. Tickets are $20.

Visit www.littlerockzoo.com for more information.

Neighborhood ART and Shopping late Nights! Make plans to hit 2nd Friday Art Night

in downtown Little Rock Friday, SEPT 9; heights happy hour, thursday, Sept 15 and Argenta Art Walk on Friday, SEPT 16. Shops and galleries stay open late. Plus—enjoy street art, entertainment and all around fun! All sponsored by Arkansas Times!

12 01 11

Step ba whe Mo

City Wide Night Of ShOppiNg Attention retailers and restaurants. If you’d like to participate, there is still time! Call 501.375.2985 and ask for Phyllis today!

IT'S E

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BRIAN CHILSON

Natives Guide

ARKANSAS RECORD & CD EXCHANGE

Record stores

L

istening to vinyl has long since gone past the point of being perceived as a quirky, Wes-Andersonian retro affectation. The good old LP has once again become the primary way of purchasing music in a physical format. Sure, Walmart and Target still sell CDs, probably by the tens of dozens a day, across their respective corporate empires. But sales of new vinyl albums has shot up in recent years as more people realize just how empty a listening experience MP3s and streaming and whatnot are compared to putting a record on the turntable. Of course, if you were into underground hip-hop, metal, reggae or punk, vinyl never went away. All those independent labels have been pressing up wax slabs this whole time and independent record stores have been a vital community space for music lovers. And while Record Store Day (the third Saturday of every April) is a blast, don’t let that be your only visit of the year. That’s like only going to church on Easter.

Arkansas Record & CD Exchange By far, the Record Exchange stocks more new vinyl than anywhere else in the state. Bill Eginton has been running this treasure trove for decades, and whether you just need to pick up the new Bon Iver or Radiohead album or you’ve got seven bills to drop on an original Sun copy of “That’s Alright” b/w “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” this is the place to go. Give Bill a call before 44 AUGUST 31, 2011 ARKANSAS TIMES

you log onto Amazon to order that “Pet Sounds” repress. Odds are good that whatever you’re after, he already has it in stock and it can be in your grubby mitts within the hour. If not, he can order anything you can get on the web, probably in the same amount of time and for around the same price, but with the added benefit of supporting the local economy and maybe even having an honest-to-God human interaction. Heck, you might even learn something, and if you hang around long enough you might have the good fortune of forgetting what eBay is. In addition to the pricey rarities and imports, Bill also has an excellent selection of $2 records, which are a great way for newbies to fill out their collections with less-than-perfect yet completely playable classics. Even the battle-scarred, dusty-fingered old hands can find some goodies in these bins, which line the floor beneath one of the glass display cases. And it’s not just vinyl junkies that can get a fix at the Record Exchange. The place is also packed with CDs, cassettes, 8-Track tapes, reel-to-reels, posters, memorabilia, toys, comic books, magazines, movies on every format and more. Oh yeah, don’t forget to take your jacket off. But if you do, Bill will remind you, whether it’s your first visit or your 500th. 4212 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 753-7877. www.arcd.com. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Tue.-Sat.

Been Around Records Another long-running Central Arkan-

sas institution, Been Around is heaven on Earth for the true crate-digger, an analog goldmine packed from floor to ceiling with albums. The walls are organized by genre and alphabetical order, but most of the records aren’t priced, so when you’ve made your selections, hand them over to owner John Harris and he’ll be happy to price them for you. The line on Been Around is that it’s not for the casual browser, but that’s not really the case. If you’re willing to look around for even a few minutes, you’ll probably pick up something worthwhile, and the truly dedicated will be rewarded with awesome finds every time. Nearly all of the stock is used, and a few were well-loved.

John is a stickler about condition, though, so while a flawless original pressing of “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” might set you back a pretty penny, a copy that’s listenable but a few bumps short of mint will probably cost less than a used Stone Temple Pilots CD. Recent example: an ever-so-slightly crackly sounding copy of Miles Davis’ “On the Corner” – a stone-cold nasty slab of paranoid nightmare-funk that had long proved elusive to a certain collector – was purchased for the bargain price of $4. John gets new (used) stuff in all the time and you never know what you’ll find. Been Around also stocks tons of CDs, cassettes and movies. 1216 S. University Ave. 663-8767. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Blue Suede Shoes Specifically, the Tim’s Weird World booth, which is located near the middle of the enormous flea market. This little cubicle has more quality per square foot than any other you’re likely to find amongst the

antique malls of Central Arkansas, and the prices aren’t too bad either. That said, if something is relatively rare, it won’t come cheap, such as a $45 mono copy of “Blonde on Blonde” with the original sleeve that had a photo of Italian actress Claudia Cardinale and was recalled because it was used without permission. Tim also stocks lots of bootlegs, if that’s your jam. He has a store in Paragould, and judging by the stuff he sells at Blue Suede Shoes, it must be awesome and no doubt warrants a road trip some Saturday. Blue Suede Shoes, 22460 I-30 N., Bryant. 653-2777. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Tim’s Weird World, 1154 Greene CR 907, Paragould.

870-236-2928. noon-8 p.m. Thu.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Savers, Goodwill, et al In all honesty, the days of the awesome thrift store record find are probably over. Nine times out of 10, you’re going to come up totally empty-handed when you hit Savers or Goodwill, but every once in a while you’ll hit the jackpot. Legend has it that one local DJ found a grip of True Soul 45s at the Savers in North Little Rock. It’s at the very least worth a look when you’re trying to find a cheap end table or a Halloween costume. Savers, 801 S. Bowman Road A, 217-9417. 9 a.m-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun.; 4135 John F. Kennedy Blvd., NLR. 603-9831.

9 a.m-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun. Goodwill, 9700 Rodney Parham Road.

224-6221. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.; 109 W. Markham Park Drive. 221-1018. Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.

CULINARY CAMP

Congratulations, Chefs!

July 18-22, 2011 Class Chef Decatur Austin Chef Ethan Ball Chef Raven Bankhead Chef Brittain Carlisle Chef Elisabeth Clary Chef Kenan Cooper Chef Ashley Courtois Chef Hannah Cranford Chef Katherine Erbach Chef Natalie Fisken Chef Keelin Fullen Chef Garrett Hatfield Chef Meredith Hatfield Chef Ava Horton Chef Gaby Jenkins Chef Emma Johnson Chef Patrick Lovegrove

Chef JC Mayfield Chef Katie McLaurin Chef Alondra Morales Chef Olivia Parker Chef Peyton Perry Chef Rachel Pinter Chef Lanie Pray Chef Andie Priest Chef Ann Riales Rayburn Chef Daniel Rogers Chef Marin Selig Chef Wyatt Snowden Chef Lindsey Taylor Chef Claire Tebbutt Chef Sarah Tennille Chef Lauren Underwood

July 25-29, 2011 Class Chef Bradley Allinder Chef Alexis Antunes Chef Olivia Bice Chef Kelton Bowers Chef McKenna Carter Chef Joshua Cole Chef Matthew Cole Chef Sarabeth DeVore Chef Calvin Dudley Chef Whitney Goff Chef Madeline Hiegel Chef Jake Horton Chef Hannah Hubbard Chef Rebekah Kiger Chef Morganne Jumper

Chef Marret Lineberry Chef Brittany Martin Chef Gisele Martin Chef Kara Martin Chef McCall Mayhair Chef Hannah McClendon Chef Carey McKay Chef Kolby McNeal Chef Chad Miller Chef Anna Grace Mills Chef John Ostermueller Chef Madison Raeke Chef Daniel Rosson Chef Sydney Stewart Chef Claire Schallenberg

New FREE Program for Schools! The Clinton Presidential Center will bring a one hour culinary class to your school with the Student Chef Series. Have your school’s principal call us at 501-748-0454 to enroll today!

1200 President Clinton Avenue • Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 501.374.4242 • clintonpresidentialcenter.org

Meet me there

I

was just getting my entries ready for the county fair, only three weeks away.

I’m pinning most of my ribbon hopes this year on my show chickens. I got tired of my old friend Billy Attwood taking just about all the ribbons in just about all the show-chicken categories. How hard could it be, I thought.

A right smart hard, I discovered.

There’s a breed of show chicken that looks like Sideshow Bob, and one that looks like a sumo rassler, and one that looks like a storm cloud coming up — I’m going with a gaggle of beautiful Italian anconas that look like snow falling on devil’s-food cake — but however exotic in the end they’re all just stupid-ass chickens. You can’t train them. They’re incapable of taking instruction or even suggestion. They’re not divas; they’re just idiots.

I know there were chickens at the IQ Zoo in Hot Springs that could beat Albert Einstein at tic-tac-toe, but I assumed that was just a freak of nature, if not some sort of barnyard-devised scam, or at best merely a rare exception to the general rule of utter chicken chuckleheadedness. There’s not a one of them anywhere that’s one bit smarter than Mark Darr or Loy Mauch. Or that performs any better

come showtime.

It’s hard to get a chicken to preen — even those that were bred to preen.

They just won’t BOB do it. They won’t LANCASTER strut and fret their hour upon the stage. That’s why words like “cocky” and expressions like “cock of the walk” are poor metaphors; because chickens aren’t cocky whether they’re walking or not. At least they’re not cocky in the strutty, preeny sense that Republican politicians are. Even their crowing is not exhibitionistic as it is when humans do it; it isn’t a bold shout-out to the morning sun; it’s just pointless noise. They exhibit no pride in their bearing, or in anything else.

Also, you can’t keep a chicken focused, as you can say a dog at Westminster, or a cat when it’s watching a bird or squirrel in the high branches of a distant tree. Show rabbits are so focused it’s almost scary, and show sheep and show cattle are nearly always impressively impassively zoned.

Not chickens.

Chickens don’t have short attention spans; they have no attention spans. You could start a chicken down the runway of

a show-chicken pageant, but not two seconds would pass — not one second would — before it noticed a dropping from an earlier contestant and ran over to peck up a sample of it. That’s just the nature of chickens. They can’t help it. They know the importance of discipline; of showing your stuff in a winning dignified way; of radiating girl-next-door while intimating tart; of nattering about world peace; but when the time comes they fall back on being morons, yard fowl, dorks.

You can teach a six-year-old baby girl made up like a painted harlot to walk that pageant walk with a sense of style and purpose, but you can’t get a chicken to do it.

Something I learnt the hard way. When I determined to concentrate on show chickens at this year’s fair, I built me a glitzy scale-model runway out in the old tractor shed, took my old record player and the Gypsy Rose Lee vinyl discs out there, and spent most of the summer trying to teach nitwit chickens how to perform at a county-fair show-chicken raree. I got them little sequin outfits and everything.

Hats. And through all that hot weather I was out there sweating and tearing my hair out, threatening and cajoling, working on tempo and high-stepping and tush-thrusts like Dom DeLuise in “Blazing Saddles,” over and over, once again from the top.

If I’d known at the start of the summer what I know now, I’d have gone with emus.

C

But it’s too late now, and my best hope is that the fair board recruits a set of judges that have a sense of humor.

No quilts this year.

No goats — never again after what that LaMancha did to the Last Supper gourd.

Note to myself — Be sure to ask the perennial chowchow winner if she’ll sell me a quart. Pay whatever she asks, up to a king’s ransom.

For the art competition, I’ve been working on a poster portrait of Rick Perry, made of purplehull peas glued artfully to a piece of weathered planking that used to be the bottom of a hog trough. I’ve about decided to abandon the project, though, not because it lacked artistic integrity, but because it became just too depressing. The more peas I glued on, the more the Texas governor came to look like Goober Pyle.

I thought this was unfair — to Goober.

Maybe even insulting to him. And uncalled for. He was a goober, all right, but not a peckerwood.

I’ve heard there’s to be a Liar’s Contest this year, guaranteed to have fairgoers slapping their thighs, but I reckon I’ll have to skip it. Competition too stiff from all these Pekoe Party prevaricators who’ve swarmed out like the cicadas and have the advantage of believing their guff. Also from the large crop of homegrown trailer yahoos home-schooled in advanced lying-liardom

by Fox News.

S

LASSIFIED LASSIFIED

Employment

ACTORS/MOVIE EXTRAS Needed immediately for upcoming roles $150-$300/day depending on job requirements. No experience, all looks. 1-800-560-8672 A-109 for casting times/locations. (AAN CAN)

PUBLIC NOTICE The edward Byrne MeMorial JusTice assisTance GranT (JAG)

Recovery Program allows states and local governments to support a broad range of activities to create and preserve jobs and promote economic recovery through the prevention and control of crime to improve the criminal justice system. JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment and justice information sharing initiatives. JAG funded projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice systems, processes, and procedures. For information regarding the Recovery Program, see: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/recovery/. To get information regarding the purpose areas for JAG grants, see: see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/programs/jag-allowable.html. eliGiBle applicanTs: Applicants may be national, regional, state, or local public and private entities, including forprofit (commercial) and nonprofit organizations, faith-based and community organizations, institutions of higher education, tribal jurisdictions, and units of local government that support the purpose areas of this grant program. Applications must be made by the chief administrative officer of the governmental entity (mayor, county judge, city manager, executive officer, etc).

There will be a funding cap of $50,000.00 on this solicitation. deadline: Contact Sonny Scott at Sonny.Scott@dfa.arkansas.gov to obtain application forms. The completed forms may be submitted by mail, email, faxed or hand delivered. Completed applications must be received no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday september 16, 2011 If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Intergovernmental Services at (501) 682-1074 and request a JAG staff member to assist you.

2011 ARKANSAS TIMES 46 AUGUST 31, 201131, • ARKANSAS TIMES 46 AUGUST

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We have fun, but we work hard. If you have a dynamic energetic personality - we would like to talk to you.

Please send your resume and cover letter to Heather Baker - HBaker@arktimes.com

Legal Notices

Notice of Filing Application for permit to sell alcoholic Beverages for Consumption on the premises. Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has filed with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the State of Arkansas applications for a permit to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on premises described as:722 N. Palm St., Little Rock, Pulaski County. Said application was filed on August 19, 2011. The undersigned states that he is a resident of Arkansas, of good moral character; that he has never been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude; that no license to sell alcoholic beverages by the undersigned has ever been revoked within five (5)years last past; and, that the undersigned has never been convicted of violating the laws of this State, or any other State, relative to the sale of controlled beverages. Joshua Blevins for The House.

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The course includes; lectures, tours of private homes, guest speakers, and lots of hands-on work!

Learn about topics ranging from blueprints to consultation on construction and renovation. Also included will be selection of paint, wallpaper, flooring, window treatments, furniture, lighting and accessories. Decorating for special occasions will be a “fun” topic.

Mac at home or office.

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In concert Thursday Sept.1st.

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The Dare 2B DOPE workshop is open to all students and all studios.

COME AND WORK WITH PROFESSIONAL DANCERS DION WATSON AND TORRI COUNTS IN THIS SPECIAL DANCE EVENT! September 3 from 10am until 4pm for ages 8-13 and September 4 from 10am until 4pm for ages 13-professional at Shuffles Ballet located at 1521 Merrill Dr, Little Rock, AR 72211.

Hope to see you tHere!!

PUBLIC NOTICE The Arkansas Department of Finance and

Administration, Office of Intergovernmental Services is seeking proposals for funding under the FY 2011 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program. The RSAT Program assists state and local governments to develop and implement substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities and to create and maintain community-based aftercare services for offenders. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/ grant/11RSATsol.pdf ELIgIBLE APPLICANTs: Applicants may be state agencies, faith based or non-profit organizations, and units of local government. Application must be made by the chief administrative officer of the entity (mayor, director, county judge, city manager, etc).

DEADLINE: Completed applications must be received no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday September 30, 2011.

CONTACT: Eligible applicants may receive further information or an application packet by contacting James Lawson at the Office of Intergovernmental Services by phone at (501) 682-1074 or by email, james.lawson@ dfa.arkansas.gov.

dare2bdope@yahoo.com

Notice from the Circuit Court of Pulaski County, Arkansas IF YOU WERE CHARGED A DOCUMENT PREPARATION FEE OR A FEE FOR ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING FINANCING BY THE FOLLOWING DEALERSHIPS: NORTH POINT TOYOTA AND SCION, NORTH POINT VOLKSWAGEN, NORTH POINT MAZDA, NORTH POINT FORD LINCOLN, NORTH POINT NISSAN, NORTH POINT VOLVO, PREMIER AUTOPLAZA, AND BMW OF LITTLE ROCK, BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1, 2000, AND NOVEMBER 22, 2006, A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT COULD AFFECT YOUR RIGHTS A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit alleging that Asbury’s document preparation fees and assisted financing fees charged to its Arkansas customers were illegal. The settlement will provide benefits for claims of customers who paid and/or were charged such fees. If you qualify, you may submit a claim form to get benefits, or exclude yourself from the settlement, or object to it. The Circuit Court of Pulaski County, Arkansas, authorized this notice. The Court will have a hearing on November 7, 2011, to decide whether to approve the settlement. Any request to be excluded from the settlement, or any objection to the settlement, must be received by October 27, 2011. The following is a summary of the settlement. You can get more information, including a detailed notice, at www.asburyautosettlement.com.

WHO’S INCLUDED? The Settlement Class consists of customers of the Asbury dealerships listed above who were charged a Document Preparation Fee or a fee for assistance in obtaining financing by Asbury between November 1, 2000, and November 22, 2006.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT? Mr. Campbell claims that Asbury was engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act in charging a Document Preparation Fee. He also claims that Asbury did not properly disclose that it received a fee when it assisted its customers in obtaining f inancing for the purchase or lease of a vehicle from a third-party lender.

Asbury contends that it was not engaged in the practice of law when it assisted its customers in completing documents that were required to be signed before the sale or lease of a vehicle could be finalized. Asbury also contends that it properly disclosed its participation when it assisted its customers in obtaining financing, and that its customers were not charged a higher interest rate when it obtained the financing through Asbury rather than directly from the third-party lender.

Based on the information available to both sides, and the risks involved in a trial, both sides have concluded that the proposed settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate, and that it serves the best interests of all parties involved.

WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE? The Settlement, if finally approved by the Court, provides the following compensation to those Settlement Class Members who submit an Approved Claim as described below: a. EachSettlementClassMemberwillreceivea$175cashpaymentandvouchershavingatotalvalueof seventy-five dollars ($75.00) that can be used toward the purchase of goods and services purchased at any of the participating Asbury Arkansas dealerships. Vouchers will be provided to Settlement Class Members in three (3) separate twenty five dollar ($25) increments. b. In addition to the payments described below, each Settlement Class Member who obtained financing for their vehicle with Asbury’s assistance will receive vouchers having a total value of fifty dollars ($50) that can be used toward the purchase of goods and services offered at any of the participating Asbury Dealerships. Vouchers will be provided to Settlement Class Members in two (2) separate twenty five dollar ($25) increments. c. Participating Asbury Dealerships include: North Point Toyota and Scion, North Point Volkswagen, North Point Mazda, North Point Ford Lincoln, North Point Nissan, North Point Volvo, North Little Rock Nissan, and BMW of Little Rock.

NOTE: If you are a member of the class, and you do not file a claim, an objection or a request for exclusion as explained below, you will not be entitled to receive any benefits for the claims that are the subject of this Action but will be bound by the Settlement.

WHAT ARE MY LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS? Submit A Claim Form

You can obtain a detailed notice and claim form at www.asburyautosettlement.com. To qualify for a payment or other relief, you must send in a claim form. A claim form must be submitted by January 6, 2012.

Exclude Yourself

Get no payment or other relief. You may exclude yourself from the class by submitting a written exclusion request addressed to Campbell v. Asbury Settlement, P.O. Box 2571, Faribault, MN 55021-9571 by October 27, 2011. You may exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, which means you will not participate in any of the financial benefits from the Settlement, will not be bound by the releases made or judgment entered in connection with the Settlement, and will not be permitted to object to any part of the Settlement. The detailed notice at the website provides more information about how to exclude yourself.

Object

Write to the Court about why you don’t like the settlement. The Court will hold a hearing in this case (Campbell vs. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., et al., Third Division, Pulaski County Circuit Court, Case No. 2002-012712) on November 7, 2011 at 11:00 a.m., to consider to approve the settlement and the request by the lawyers representing Settlement Class Members for attorneys’ fees and costs and incentive awards for the class representatives. Unless you request to be excluded from the class, you may appear at the hearing to object to the settlement and the applications for attorneys’ fees and costs and incentive awards. To do so, you must file a written notice of objection, together with a statement of your reasons with the Court, at the above address with a copy to class counsel listed below and to: Edwin L. Lowther, Jr. Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP 200 W. Capitol Ave., Ste. 2300 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 no later than October 27, 2011.

Do Nothing

Get no payment or other relief. Give up rights regarding fees sought in this action.

The proposed class is being represented by lawyers who have been appointed by the Court. As part of the settlement, class counsel will request an award of attorneys’ fees and costs of up to $5,385,000 as compensation for representing the class and to reimburse incurred costs. In addition, the class representative will ask the Court to award up to $15,000 in recognition of his service to the class. These requests are not opposed by Asbury and will be decided by the Court at the final approval hearing. Asbury has agreed to pay any such awards approved by the Court. Payment of attorneys’ fees and costs and incentive awards is separate from, and in addition to, the payment of benefits to class members.

You may obtain more information about the settlement, including the settlement agreement and the Court’s orders, by visiting www.asburyautosettlement.com, or by contacting counsel for the class, who are:

H. Gregory Campbell Campbell Law Firm, P.A. 212 Center Street, Suite 700 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

Mike L. Roberts Roberts Law Firm, P.A. 20 Rahling Circle Little Rock, AR 72223

Brian W. Warwick Varnell & Warwick, P.A. 20 La Grande Blvd. The Villages, FL 32159

Please do not contact the Court or Asbury. www.arktimes.com • AUGUST 31, 2011 47