Arkansas Times - September 18, 2014 by Arkansas Times

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

ATTN: Equipment Vendors ARKANSAS’S SOURCE FOR NEWS, POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 www.arktimes.com arktimes@arktimes.com @ArkTimes www.facebook.com/arkansastimes PUBLISHER Alan Leveritt

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EDITOR Lindsey Millar SENIOR EDITOR Max Brantley MANAGING EDITOR Leslie Newell Peacock CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Mara Leveritt ASSOCIATE EDITORS Benjamin Hardy, David Koon, David Ramsey COPY EDITOR Jim Harris

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Coldwell Banker Rector Phillips Morse A different name, the same local company

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Mike Spain ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Patrick Jones GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kevin Waltermire DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Phyllis A. Britton DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS Rebekah Hardin SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Tiffany Holland ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jo Garcia, Carrie Sublett, Brooke Wallace ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Roland R. Gladden ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Kelly Carr SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING DIRECTOR Kristi McKinnon SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Rose Gladner IT DIRECTOR Robert Curfman CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Susie Shelton CONTROLLER Weldon Wilson BILLING/COLLECTIONS Linda Phillips OFFICE MANAGER Kelly Lyles PRODUCTION MANAGER Ira Hocut (1954-2009)

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VOLUME 41, NUMBER 2 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. 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.

The name Coldwell Banker Rector Phillips Morse (CBRPM) is a mouthful, but it reflects the merging of two powerhouse real estate firms into one locally owned, yet globally connected company that can meet all of your residential real estate needs. “ lthough Coldwell Banker is part of our name and company, we’re still the same people who offer the same great personal service as when people knew us as Rector Phillips Morse,” Robin J. Miller, CBRPM owner and principal broker, said. “Nothing fundamental has changed – we’re still locally owned and operated – but now we also have the power and resources that Coldwell Banker brings to the table to make buying or selling your home an even better experience.”

position as Arkansas’s oldest and largest real estate agency. In 2008, RPM bought the Central Arkansas Coldwell Banker franchise, and has grown to offices in six locations.

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

COMMENT

Another dubious little war Have you been hearing a hollow clanging in the middle of the night? Faint, but growing louder in that gathering twilight before the fitful dreams of midnight’s slumber? Could it be the sound of the dark lord himself, Darth Cheney, frenzied with blood lust, beating his bionic breast like a reborn King-Kong as the indelicate stench of unrequited war teases his flared nostrils? It’s back to golden Babylon, boys! Black gold, that is. Bubbling crude and Blackwater mercenaries. Halliburton. Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, where our grand inquisitors and their neocon apologists once peddled tortured euphemisms for the enhanced terrible things we did to those ungrateful Muslim wretches. We are furiously revving up for yet another dubious little war. To ape the memorable mediocrity of Saint Ronald of Hollywood, here we go again. A chorus of screeching castrati is giddy at the prospect of a new, unholy crusade to the so-called holy land. Even our reluctant president is seduced by the siren call of the same “I told you so” liars of the last administration, warmongering ghouls urging him to reclaim lost machismo with his very own misadventure in the minefields of the Middle East. Have we learned nothing since that blue-sky day in September 13 long years ago? Are we still so easily terrorized by some really bad guys on the other side of the world, who butcher humans and share their butchery online? Are we so much like frightened sheep that we will eagerly shed a decade of war weariness and once again send our legions off to kill and die in some faraway, forsaken place? Perhaps we need some perspective on the (un)Islamic State’s admittedly gruesome tactic. Remember the Tower of London? The last beheading there was in 1747. The Swedes finally quit beheading in 1890. The Germans were chopping off heads as late as 1935. The French used Dr. Guillotin’s invention right up to 1977. And, of course, our dear friends in Saudi Arabia still do it for all sorts of crimes, including apostasy and sorcery. Even we civilized Americans, once upon a time before we managed to pry church and state apart (ever so slightly), had a penchant for calling people witches and burning them alive. But that was us then and this is them now. If nothing else, we Americans are very tolerant of our own double standards. It’s all part of being exceptional. God will be on our side, unless she’s not and 4

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

Matthew 5:9 is just a bunch of hokum. Have you heard that distant clanging in the middle of the night, from deep within our restless national nightmare of unanticipated consequences? We have sown the wind. What will we now reap in the harvest to come? In 1940, Ernest Hemingway famously borrowed a line from a 1624 poem by John Donne. “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” Ding. Ding. Ding. John Ragland Hot Springs

No representation I am not an ideologue aligned with either party. I study the facts on each public policy issue and make up my mind as to the best solution. Sometimes that is a “liberal” position, sometimes that is a “conservative” position, more often it is neither. Also more often than either party would like one to believe the two parties’ positions on issues are nearly indistinguishable. One of the larger problems facing the state of Arkansas is prison overcrowding. One obvious policy that would help to

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alleviate this problem would be to decriminalize/legalize marijuana. I would rather see one violent criminal in jail than 1,000 marijuana offenders. Tell me which candidate for governor or, for that matter, the federal candidates for Senate support this or, for that matter, even mention this? I am also a colon cancer survivor who would like medicinal marijuana available as a choice to me, especially given studies showing it can have a chemo-preventive effect (prevents recurrence). Who represents me? I am an atheist and don’t want my politicians making policy decisions based on an imaginary man in the sky. Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor told Bill Maher in his movie “Religulous” that he could believe in Young Earth Creationism, which is demonstrably and factually impossible. The Republican candidate for governor is a graduate of Bob Jones University and presumably is also a Young Earth Creationist, as that is a tenet of their teaching. After a Tom Cotton comment during the campaign, he and Pryor spent the better part of two weeks essentially arguing over who is more religious — it made me want to lose my lunch. Who represents me? One of the things that most concerns me is the unprecedented dismantling of the Fourth Amendment that began with the war on drugs and has accelerated with the war on terror. The Edward Snowden disclosures are shocking, yet I have not heard either candidate for the Senate pontificating on the need to rein in this surveillance. In fact I am quite certain both are just fine with it. Who represents me? I am 53 years old and the United States has been at war for just about my entire life. We spend more than the next 12 countries combined on defense and most of those countries are our allies, but neither senatorial candidate calls for significant military spending cuts. Who represents me? Our seeming need to control the internal affairs of other countries never fails to backfire (Iran, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan to name a few) but never seems to abate ,either. As of today both parties are rushing to support more military action in the Mideast against ISIS — because, you know, you can kill an ideology with bombs. Neither party dares state that the underlying problem is Muslim fundamentalism, too politically incorrect and may cause a tougher look at Christian fundamentalism in our midst. Mark Pryor is a member of “The Family,” an organization that was instrumental in pushing the Ugandan law that called for the death penalty for homosexuals. Who represents me? Dan McLaughlin Little Rock

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

The minimum wage shuffle, contd. We noted last week that, fingers to the wind, Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson and Republican Senate candidate Tom Cotton did some flip-flopping and decided they’ll support the initiative to raise the state minimum wage now that it has made the ballot (no wonder: More than 70 percent of Arkansans support the measure). Taking a different approach, French Hill, the millionaire banker running for Congress in the 2nd District, is apparently hoping to have it both ways. Back in June, Hill told KUAR FM, 89.1, that he opposed a state wage hike. After the measure qualified for the ballot, Hill told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he would support the proposal “if he can ensure it doesn’t negatively impact Arkansas jobs,” but Stephens Media, which interviewed him the same day, reported that Hill opposed the measure. Hmmm. Roby Brock got him on tape over the weekend. Hill’s final answer? Dithering. “I’d like to be able to vote for it,” he said. “I’m doing my due diligence to see if it will not have a material impact on jobs.” When will all that due diligence be completed? We’re betting right in time for Hill, a long-time opponent of raising the minimum wage, to vote NO in the voting booth. Will he share that decision with voters? How about a smartphone picture from the voting booth? Might be a good idea for Cotton and Hutchinson too.

Strictly business $1.2 million. That’s the amount Arkansas liquor stores have contributed — so far — to an effort to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment to allow retail alcohol sales in all 75 counties. Huh? Turns out the liquor stores are just trying to protect regional monopolies on alcohol sales. For example, Conway County Liquor Association was the leading contributor at $400,000. They can count on lots of customers thanks to the “dry” status of neighboring and populous Faulkner County. The Poinsett Package Store, which neighbors dry Craighead County, contributed $100,000 and Greene County liquor dealers, another neighbor to Craighead, contributed $60,000.

Reading the downward dog tea leaves The New York Times has a proud history of investigative journalism, but has the Gray Lady ever had a prouder 6

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

DELT IT: The East Texas Bombers employ the “SMELL IT” defense to slow down the Break Neck Brawlers jammer in roller derby played in Little Rock on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014. Jessi Couture, left, and Amber Ramsour, right.

of Pocahontas, a Tea Party-style Republican. The impetus is likely the Medicaid private option, which Carter and McLean support but Collins-Smith bitterly opposes.

Tweet of the week 2 You know you’re in Arkansas when your state rep sends out this on social media:

lede than this one, speculating that Hillary Clinton is running for president? “She is building stamina through tough new workouts with a personal trainer and yoga. She is talking about how to address income inequality without alienating corporate America. And she is reviewing who’s who in the Democratic Party in Iowa, a crucial early voting state in the presidential cycle.” The article is titled “Clinton Silent on 2016 Bid as Campaign-Style Actions Begin to Speak Volumes.” Speaking volumes indeed. No word on whether she’s doing Bikram hot yoga, the ultimate tell.

Tweet of the week @RepJamesMcClean is a leader who works across party aisles. A great public servant. The state needs him in the Senate. GOP House Speaker Davy Carter made a rare break with Republican Party discipline, giving a social media endorsement to Rep. James McLean (D-Batesville), running for an open state Senate seat against Linda Collins-Smith

40 years of the Arkansas Times, by the numbers

This week’s issue celebrates our 40th birthday. After 40 years in business, here’s the count:

1,382: Number of issues 10: Number of editors 2: Number of anthropomorphic catfish on the cover 1: Number of nude humans on the cover 3,362 (give or take): Number of times Max Brantley — on the Arkansas Blog, Week in Review podcast and in the pages of the Times — has lamented the impending total Republicanization of Arkansas.

Orange is the new black

May we contact your previous employer? “Do not re-hire.” That’s the label that the Department of Human Services put on Republican attorney general nominee Leslie Rutledge after she abruptly resigned from her job at DHS as a staff lawyer in 2007, according to documents acquired by the Times via Freedom of Information requests. The termination form had the word “voluntary” scratched out and was coded with a number indicating gross misconduct as a reason for termination. Thus far, neither DHS nor Rutledge has offered much by way of explanation.

Baxter County jailer Rose Gomez was fired for allowing Ryan Lindsey, on “parole” from the jail, to spend a night at her home. She also put money in his commissary account and passed him notes while he was in jail. Gomez wrote about the incident on her Facebook page: “Here it is everybody. I made a mistake. But I answer to God. And he knows my heart. I am NOT a crooked cop. Nor am I the kind of woman who lives an immoral lifestyle. I’m only sorry that my mistake brought shame to the sheriff’s department. I don’t regret caring for people. I’m only sorry people look at me as something I’m not. God knows my heart. Not perfect. But I am forgiven. It’s enough for me. Hopefully it’ll be enough for my friend.”

OPINION

Looking at 40

he Arkansas Times celebrates 40 years of publication this week. I feel a little like Jimmy Buffett’s pirate of song. Looking at 40, he muses on the switch from sails to steam. The cannons thunder no more, he laments. He’s a victim of fate, too late for the glory days of sail. I did see the glory days of newsprint in the Great Little Rock Newspaper War. And the gory ones, too, as an industry desperately searches for a survival manual. Times founder Alan Leveritt was an obit writer with marginal typing skills when I met him on his weekend shifts at the Arkansas Gazette, where I was a backline general assignment reporter in 1973. I admired his grandiose idea of starting a “New Journalism” magazine for Arkansas. You probably should put “magazine” in quotes. The first issues were not slick — on account of more than the rough paper. It was laughable that Gazette manage-

ment fired Leveritt for starting a “competing” publication. Compete with the Arkansas Gazette, the oldest business MAX in Arkansas? Who BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com could do that? I once agreed to write an article for Leveritt under a pseudonym. I produced hard-hitting journalism on eating barbecue at every joint listed in the Little Rock phone book. He still owes me $10. He also screwed up the layout of the article, a favor maybe, given the wannabe-Tom Wolfe prose. How far have we both come? The Arkansas Times is no longer a magazine, but a weekly newspaper and around-the-clock Internet publication. The Arkansas Gazette is defunct. I’ve worked for the Times since it closed, but now write mostly for the Arkansas Blog,

The judicial marketplace

hen the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the old maxim “money speaks” needed to be in the Constitution and, in fact, was already there hiding in the First Amendment, it took a while for the concept to root in remote Arkansas. It took a while for big money to realize that there could be payoffs from investing in Arkansas politicians as much as there were in Texas, California or Tennessee. So this year only one entity, the Kansas partnership of the Koch brothers, has spent more money to elect a few Arkansas politicians than would be spent on a whole Arkansas election in all races only 25 years ago. Most but not all of it was spent to elect Tom Cotton to the Senate. But, for a change, the Koch brothers and the U.S. Senate race are not the point but the effort, if not to own the judicial system, to shape prevailing legal doctrines in areas important to business. If we can lump the appellate courts and the attorney general together, most of the money for the campaigns has come from a handful of high rollers — principally two, the owner of the largest chain of eldercare facilities in the state and a dark-money PAC that has been associated with the National Rifle Association. So far it has paid off handsomely for them. You have followed the escapades of Mike Maggio, the Faulkner County judge who was finally defrocked last week by the Arkansas Supreme Court. The state Judicial Discipline

and Disability Commission and the state Ethics Commission had slapped his wrist for demeaning ERNEST the judiciary with DUMAS raunchy and unethical postings on a sports website under the pseudonym “Geauxjudge” and then trying to cover it up. His punishment was eight months of paid vacation and enhanced pension benefits, but the Supreme Court properly said no, he had to be fired immediately. But the blogger who exposed Maggio had more serious stuff to report than a satyr in robes. That is where we begin. Maggio was running for a seat on the Court of Appeals being vacated by Judge Rhonda Wood, who hoped to step up to the Supreme Court this year. Wood raised so much money last year that she got off without an opponent, but her colleague was not so lucky. The Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court are where big personal-injury cases like nursing-home negligence go for final judgment. Twice in recent years the Supreme Court struck down parts of a tort-reform law passed by the legislature to limit judgments for people injured by commercial negligence at, say, a nursing home or a chemical company. Twelve farmers sued a German chemical

our 10-year-old digital outlet. Little Rock no longer has a phone book. More barbecue joints than newspapers have survived since 1973, though barely. HB’s, Sims and White Pig Inn are still dishing. In the last week, it seems like I’ve read nothing but bad news about publishing. The Gannett Corp., which bought the old Gazette from the Patterson family for a handsome sum and then quit Little Rock in the face of Walter Hussman’s willingness to continue to lose millions competing with Gannett, is in the midst of a national bloodbath. Its once profitable newspapers are slashing staff and coverage to survive. Other newspaper chains with famous nameplates have suspended efforts to sell them. No buyers. One newspaper was reportedly shutting off power during the day to hold down costs. The Arkansas Times still keeps the lights on all day, I’m happy to say. A/C,

too. Arkansas Business and El Latino, to name two, continue as sister publications and monuments to founder Leveritt’s catholic publishing passion. We scrap, we reinvent, we sometimes take pay cuts and lay people off. But, for 40 years, we’ve survived. And we’ve done so despite unrivaled publishing courage on the part of Alan Leveritt. Time and again, if the price of an ad or continuing good relations was killing a story or backing off one already in print, Alan Leveritt declared — sometimes in profane terms — that the price was too high. Since I was hired as an out-of-work Gazette columnist in 1991, Alan Leveritt has given me something worth far more than my paycheck — freedom. He’s winced and argued more than once. And contributed plenty of good ideas. But we write what we want to write and Alan keeps selling, no matter how difficult our work might have made his. I’m happy to have been along for almost 23 years of his 40-year ride.

company because it mingled genetically modified rice seed with conventional seed, which made the farmers’ rice unsalable in many foreign markets. The jury awarded the farmers a few million dollars for their losses and $42 million in punitive damages. The company appealed, arguing that the law prohibited such judgments. The Supreme Court said we’re sorry but the state Constitution specifically prohibits the legislature from passing laws limiting the redress of grievances. So the appellate courts had to be changed. Judge Maggio, who was headed for Judge Wood’s seat on the Court of Appeals, presided this spring over a negligence suit by the family of a woman who died in one of the many nursing homes owned or affiliated with Michael Morton of Fort Smith. The jury returned a verdict of $5.2 million for gross negligence but Maggio reduced the award to $1 million. He had received $10,000 from Morton’s political action committees earlier in the year and three days before he reduced the jury award his friend Gilbert Baker, the former state senator and state Republican chairman, set up six political action committees, through which Morton channeled another $18,000 or so into the judge’s campaign account. It was money down the drain when Maggio had to withdraw from the race. But Morton and others in the nursing-home and medical-supplies industry were hitting pay dirt, so to speak, elsewhere. He pumped money into the campaigns of three Conway lawyers recommended by Baker who were

running for judge in Faulkner County. Wood, the freshly minted Court of Appeals judge seeking elevation to the Supreme Court, raised $154,800 last fall and winter, about $70,000 of it from Morton and nursing-home corporations which he owned fully or in part, and that discouraged anyone from running. When Wood got no opponent, she refunded half his money. Morton invested in both candidates for the other Supreme Court seat, but principally in Tim Cullen, who received $40,000, about a third of his campaign chest. But that investment went down the drain when a national superPAC, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, which is thought to be affiliated with the NRA, dumped $317,280 into last-minute TV ads attacking Cullen for being soft on sex predators. Cullen lost narrowly. Then there is the attorney general, who straddles the line between the executive and judicial branches. The AG runs the shop that hunts for people defrauding Medicaid, which, thanks to a big bed tax pushed through by Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2001, dispenses more than $800 million a year to Arkansas nursing homes. By the end of July, Morton and his businesses had kicked in $70,000 to the campaign of Leslie Rutledge, the former Mike Huckabee aide who won the Republican nomination and has a financial edge in November. But he probably is only interested in tough law enforcement. www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Reality sinks in: No answers in Middle East

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aybe next time, they’ll award the Nobel Peace Prize at the end of a politician’s tenure rather than the beginning. There was always something mildly farcical about the Swedish committee recognizing President Obama’s lofty rhetoric in advance of real achievements. It’s like awarding the Oscar before the movie’s released. But here’s the thing: If Obama can pull-off the three-cushion bank shot he’s attempting in the Middle East — fighting ISIS extremists to a standstill without committing U.S. ground troops in a futile quest to remake Iraq and Syria in the American image — he’ll definitely deserve some kind of prize. Odds would appear to be against him. Not that anybody’s got a better idea. Polls show that while strong majorities of Americans support taking the fight to ISIS fanatics, few expect a mighty victory. Only 18 percent in a recent Pew Poll believe that striking the jihadists will decrease the odds of a terrorist attack against the U.S. Thirtyfour percent think it’s apt to make things worse. The rest don’t know. Partisan differences are minimal. Reality seems to be sinking in. There’s never going to be another Middle Eastern “Mission Accomplished” aircraft carrier photo op. The kind of melodramatic Chicken Little rhetoric favored by hyperventilating cable TV hosts and utopian political fantasists finds few adherents. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, recently got downright panicky on “Fox News Sunday.” “This is a war we’re fighting! It is not a counter-terrorism operation!” Graham all but shouted. “This president needs to rise to the occasion before we all get killed back here at home.” He sounded like somebody in a zombie movie. Republicans more generally, Kevin Drum points out, share mutually contradictory opinions: U.S. ground troops should never have been withdrawn from Iraq in 2011, but they should also never go back. Georgia GOP Rep. Jack Kingston explains why Congress prefers not to vote on the president’s plans: “A lot of people would like to stay on the sideline and say, ‘Just bomb the place and tell us about it later.’ It’s an election year … We can denounce it if it goes bad, and praise it if it goes well and ask what took him so long.” The good news is that for all its murderous zeal ISIS may already have overplayed its hand. Writing in the Washington Post, Ramzy Mardini, a fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Center for the Middle East, argues that Americans overstate ISIS’s danger to U.S. interests. He writes that ISIS is hardly “in a position to topple the next city in its

sights. Rather, the borders of its territory have, more or less, reached their outer potential.” GENE Indeed, ISIS’ LYONS advances on Kurdistan and Baghdad went into reverse as soon as U.S. war planes showed up. Much of the territory it’s seized is vacant desert land of no strategic significance. The terrorists’ military success has been due to filling a vacuum created by Iraqi soldiers’ unwillingness to fight for a Baghdad regime almost universally seen as a Shiite protection racket, but finally unable even to protect its own territory. This then, the final legacy of “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” launched in 2003 with the enthusiastic support of journalists “embedded” with the troops as if they were off on a Boy Scout Jamboree. Mardini further argues that ISIS’ extreme zeal and ruthlessness make it stupid. “The Islamic State’s extreme ideology, spirit of subjugation and acts of barbarism prevent it from becoming a political venue for the masses. It has foolhardily managed to instill fear in everyone.” Filled with fanatical foreigners lacking a “deep connection” with local Sunni tribes, Mardini writes, “the Islamic State’s core fighters are certainly devoted and willing to die for the cause, but its potential support across the region ranges from limited to nonexistent.” This all sounds right. However, as President Obama clearly understands, the problem’s less military than political. Always was. But having recently argued that an army of “moderates” in a three-sided Syrian civil war was basically a fantasy, the president now finds himself needing to train one. Another fantasy he’s obliged to entertain is of America’s Middle Eastern “allies” sending ground troops to fight there. At best, they’ll maybe cut off ISIS funding and make it harder for foreign jihadists to enter Syria. Iran and its client Hezbollah are likelier to join the fight, so long as neither they nor we have to admit it. The U.S. cannot be seen as backing Shiites in a religious war. “Oh, it’s a shame when you have a wan, diffident, professorial president with no foreign policy other than ‘don’t do stupid things,’ ” the New York Times reports Obama mockingly telling White House visitors. “I do not make apologies for being careful in these areas, even if it doesn’t make for good theater.” However, all politics is partly theater, as Obama surely knows. And like it or not, commander-in-chief is the starring role.

Keeping Up With the Times for 40 Years.

Thanks for Keeping the Discussion Going.

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014, 2014

A turn in the right direction

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ith a yearlong winning drought now a bygone thing, Arkansas had to take a quick “next step” back toward respectability. Nicholls State was pure scheduling fodder and morale building. Texas Tech wasn’t any sort of juggernaut, either, but the Red Raiders won a bowl game to cap off an eight-win ’13, and slung it all over creation in Kliff Kingsbury’s first year as sideline Casanova or head coach or whatever title the dashing chap holds in Lubbock. There was no question that recent history made this an unusually pivotal contest for a Razorback program desperate to regain footing. Clad in an all-white ensemble that clearly but understandably befuddled once-venerable play-by-play guy Mike Patrick — he called the team “Wisconsin” multiple times during the ABC broadcast — the Hogs did, truly for the first time, look like one of Bret Bielema’s downhill monsters from Madison. They eschewed the pass almost completely in a debilitating second-half throttling of the Raiders, and when it ended 49-28 in the visitors’ favor, the Hogs’ general was the one who exited with the cool swagger that Kingsbury normally displays. Bielema smiled broadly at the end, and why not? This was a belated but decisive triumph of philosophy, and it occurred on the road against a power conference opponent that was itching to show it could beat the proverbial and literal brakes off an SEC squad with its brand of speedy dissection. Bielema fancies this as “normal American football” and when your quarterback operates in a heady fashion and the running plays show appropriate wrinkles of ingenuity, it all adds up to massive yardage output. More importantly it equates to ball control, the removal of the air from the pigskin, to the near-unthinkable tune of a 2-to-1 time of possession advantage. But for an episode of bad tackling and two rather intolerable giveaways, Arkansas pummeled Tech even more demonstratively than the score might lead you to infer. Was it all a turning point, though, or did Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams simply have career days at the expense of a truly terrible defense? Hard to figure. The cynic posits that piling up 122 points against Nicholls and T-Tech hardly shows what Arkansas could do against any uppertier league combatant. The Hogs still have noteworthy passing warts: receivers that underwhelm on one side, defensive backs that don’t get quite physical enough at the line on the other. That said, there are signs that those deficiencies are getting proper

redress, too. So two weeks removed from that second-half whitewashing at Auburn, the Hogs suddenly BEAU have the makings WILCOX of a moderate to severe pain in the rest of the SEC’s ass. And thankfully, there is yet another reasonably challenging out-of-conference game this weekend against mid-major darling Northern Illinois. These Huskies are a sharp 3-0 and the proud owners of the free world’s least celebrated but arguably most amazing run of dominance abroad, a 17-game road winning streak that dates back to 2012 and now includes consecutive hard-won battles against Northwestern and UNLV. Rod Carey helms one of the country’s quiet bastions of consistency and stability now, and there’s been no obvious regression yet with Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch gone. Fayetteville is not Evanston, Ill., or Sin City, however, and Arkansas has mojo it hasn’t had since the Harley went off-road. There was no audacious postgame scene in Lubbock because this relatively young group was so uncannily self-assured. That’s maybe the most uplifting part of it all, that even with almost no success to draw from, the Hogs are exuding a strangely businesslike vibe in a matter of days. The second half of the Auburn game felt so sadly familiar, and yet now there’s a pervading sense that it was a first-game aberration. But the Hogs cannot afford to get all entitled suddenly, as the Huskies are precisely the kind of opposition that preys on that. They’ve reeled off four straight 10-win seasons under three different head coaches, went to an Orange Bowl two seasons ago and played generally a competitive schedule from year to year. Some would contend that MAC football is superior to the Big Ten product at this point, and there’s certainly cause to believe that this Huskies team is a harder out than Tech was. They operate a varied offense and are masters of disrupting a team’s offensive rhythm, and Carey is off to a 15-3 start as head coach as a result. If pressed, Bielema would have probably said that a 3-1 start for his team through the first one-third of the season would be close to ideal. It’s within reach and it can feel especially good to the Fayetteville fans if they get to see a win over a truly high-caliber team for the first time in three years.

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

The time machine

he Observer and the rest of the editorial staff of the Arkansas Times spent the last couple of weeks flipping through the bound archives of the stick-it-to-the-man underground rag-turned-magazine-turned-weekly newspaper we work for, finding stories and tidbits of yesteryear to put on display for the Times’ big 40th anniversary extravaganzo, which you’re either holding in your hands right now in paper-and-ink form, or consuming via computer, tablet, smartphone and/or your Dick Tracy-style video watchommunicator. The Observer swears that the future is coming at us so gatdang fast these days that Wednesday arrived before Tuesday last week, and had to spend all day out on the stoop, tapping her foot and peeling leaves in half while waiting her turn to give us hell. Given the rocket ride to Tomorrowland we all seem to be strapped into these days, it’s been good to escape back into the past via the archives. Of all the things Yours Truly does for this job, digging through old newspapers has always been our favorite. Our profession’s tendency to award bronzed plaques attesting to past greatness notwithstanding, newspaperfolk usually have no illusions about the transience of what it is that we do. This morning’s brilliance is this afternoon’s dog-doo-shoe-wiper, and that is as it should be. The great human carnival trundles on, the moving spectacle, full of tragedy and comedy. Your roving reporter is there to document it, and the next day the fruits of her labor go out with the trash. But, as we’ve been heard to say many, many times over the years: Thank God for the libraries. That’s the one place where the daily sparkles of the gem of mankind live on forever. Down at the main branch of the Central Arkansas Library System, for instance, they’ve got a bunch of the old daily newspapers on microfiche. For flat nothing per hour, a person can walk in there, select a reel or two, slide into the driver’s seat of one of the wonderfully analog time machines and pop back to Jan. 30, 1947, or Dec. 6, 2004, or July 20, 1893. For a thin dime, you can even print out a story that catches your eye so you can hold it in your hand, just like Granddad.

Yes, that sounds boring as hell, but it ain’t. In the movies, whenever a character has to look through old newspapers on microfiche, it inevitably leads to the shot of them pushing up their glasses, squinting, and pinching the bridge of the nose, the universal movie gesture for “I’ve bored myself into an Excedrin 3 headache.” The Observer, however, finds it intoxicating. All that forgotten past spread out before you, glowing like fire! We give it our highest recommendation. Some days when we’ve got some time, we’ll slip off to the library and spend a lunch hour just browsing, picking reels at random, gawking at the old car ads and the high fashion and the stories about the troubles and triumphs of folks dead and gone. Try it sometime. You’ll find all kinds of stuff, as we have: The time an Air Force bomber broke up high over Little Rock, the time a buffalo escaped from the Little Rock Zoo only to be found calmly munching someone’s rosebush in Hillcrest, the time a man who’d been reported KIA in World War II showed back up in his hometown, said hello to a bunch of folks, then disappeared again. A thousand-thousand more things, made mysterious by the steady shuffle of time. The daily flotsam of these lives of ours can seem so disposable. Seen as a whole, however, it becomes something aweinspiring and precious: The knowledge that The Good Ol’ Days were neither as kind nor a cruel as we variously imagine them to be. They were just days, lived by people who wanted fundamentally the same things we Futuristas do: life, love, liberty, happiness, a decent salad, the occasional cheeseburger and a good-fitting pair of shoes. Speaking of the past, take a minute to browse through this week’s issue. The Observer is kinda proud of it, not least because our own voice shares column inches with several of our journalistic heroes. It’s the work of 40 years, celebrating all the people who birthed the Arkansas Times (born as The Union Station Times) and nurtured it, not without hardship and sacrifice, into something to be proud of. Happy birthday, old girl, and thanks for the memories.

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014, 2014

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Crittenden Judge: Criminal charges warranted Crittenden County Judge Woody Wheeless said that since he was elected almost two years ago, he has seen a pattern of neglect from the leadership of Crittenden Regional Hospital, which was forced to shut its doors last week after years of financial struggle. We reported last week on a lawsuit that has been filed alleging that the hospital withheld money from employees’ paychecks for health insurance premiums but never actually paid insurers, potentially leaving its employees on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in medical care they were told was covered by their health insurance. “If these allegations are true that they did this to these employees ... to me, these are criminal charges, in my opinion, if you’re taking money out of somebody’s check in good faith and you don’t follow through on your end,” Wheeless said. “I know from the county standpoint, I believe I would be in jail today if I did our county employees that way.” Asked whether the allegations undercut his confidence in the hospital board, Wheeless responded: “My confidence was lost in the hospital board 20 months ago when I became the county judge. The county has an agreement with the hospital board, because we own the property and we lease the property to Crittenden Hospital Association. In that agreement it states that they will provide financials to the county judge on a monthly basis. I’m in month 21 and have never received monthly financials. I’ve constantly asked the CEO [Gene Cashman] for them, and he’s always saying, ‘I’ll get those to you, I’ll get those to you next week.’ And next week never came.” Cashman has not responded to requests for comment. Wheeless said that the information that the hospital was closing came as a shock after he had been involved in efforts to push for a voter-approved 1-cent sales tax to try to save the hospital. “The hospital CEO, the board of directors, they’ve shared no information with me at all,” he said. “I’m the landlord, if you really want to call it that, and I get notified just like John Doe citizen that they’re closing.” State Sen. Keith Ingram, a past chairman of CRH, broke the news to Wheeless, along with current hospital board president David Raines. A devastating June fire that left the 12

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

ARK in Little Rock Business accelerator has teams scrambling for $150,000 investment. BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

former cop and his childhood friend Demo Day, Nov. 12, before ARK Challenge are in business to help you vote on sponsors at the Clinton Presidential Center. bills in committee in Congress. A Only one will win $150,000 but the others may win the interest of angel investors at nursing resident at CHI St. Vincent Health the event. Center is working to keep you from being The ARK Challenge provided $20,000 used like a pincushion the next time you’re in the hospital. A small-business consultant (in exchange for an equity share of 6 perwho has had to go to some lengths to get cent) to each of the seven teams, the 24-hour beauty advice may have just the thing for accessible co-working space, guidance by other women of color on her Angie’s Listbusiness “mentors” and connections to the like website. These and four other business startups are competing to take home the $150,000 grand prize in Central Arkansas’s first ARK Challenge, the business accelerator program introduced in Northwest Arkansas and being held for the first time in Little Rock. The seven businesses were chosen from 300 who applied for the 14-week “bootcamp” funded by Winrock International, Gravity Ventures, Fund AT WEEKLY MENTOR TALK: ARK Challenge participants. for Arkansas’ Future and the Arkansas Development Finance business community. (The third NorthAuthority. They stood out, said chalwest ARK Challenge just concluded with Demo Day at Crystal Bridges Museum of lenge director Warwick Sabin (who is also the head of the Innovation Hub in American Art. The Northwest challenge North Little Rock), because their busihas evolved from the initial model: It now ness plans were sound and they made provides $50,000 seed money to each of five it clear they were “committed to workbusinesses further along in their growth and ing hard.” no concluding award.) Six of the seven companies taking part The teams have been at it since Aug. 4, working in space leased from the Little in the Central Arkansas challenge are from Rock Technology Park Authority at 107 E. Arkansas; one is from Minneapolis (but may Markham St., a spare workspace that once relocate here). The idea for the competitors: housed a comedy club and other enterKeep the business plan lean and clean, make prises. They’ll present their businesses on sales and prove the company is viable. The

idea for Arkansas: Grow new companies that will stay in state.

Politapoll The team behind Politapoll defies the stereotype of tech entrepreneurs. Justyn Horner, 34, was an Army sergeant turned lobbyist turned software designer. His childhood friend, Tim Brasuell, 34, was a policeman for 13 years. They are of differing “political persuasions,” Horner said, but agree that individuals aren’t getting their voices heard in Washington in the way the special interest and the newly unfettered big-buck crowd is. It was Brasuell’s idea to do something about that. The non-partisan app will send out alerts, asking (free) registrants to say yay or nay on a particular bill under consideration in Congress and will push the tally to their representative (the initial focus is on the 2nd District). It will also be able to livestream televised events. The app will also use a dashboard to rate congressmen according to their votes vs. the polling, and will dock them points for skipping votes. It will, Horner said, “shine a spotlight on what [congressmen] are doing.” Users won’t be able to skew results by voting more than once. The beta app has been downloadable for several weeks; fine tuning of the software and business plan continues. “We are basically lobbyists for the people,” Horner said. He and Brasuell think legislators will appreciate the input Politapoll offers as well.

Mycolorofbeauty.com Eyona Mitchell, 34, is creating a web platform for women of color that will act as a clearinghouse for information on skin and hair care products, including products not normally marketed to non-Caucasian women. She was inspired by a large YouTube community of women and bloggers who share information about their beauty products. Companies will conCONTINUED ON PAGE 84

THE

BIG PICTURE

What were we thinking? A survey of Arkansas Times covers from yesteryear that make us say, “WTF?”

JULY 1975 A glimpse at your parents’ future. Sneak preview: They’re going to die, miserably.

OCTOBER 1978 You could have bought a strip of Little Rock from Main to Izard streets in 1978 for $7,600.

FEBRUARY 1979 This is from the episode of “Three’s Company” where Chrissy gets bitten so hard by a horse that she pees her pants.

AUGUST 1979 “Damn! Another boring photo shoot with a smoking hot model who has been on the cover of Vogue! See if we can get the dude from the Pepperidge Farm commercials for a little sex appeal.”

JANUARY 1980 “Peyote is a hell of a drug.”

MARCH 1982 “Cocaine is a hell of a drug.”

DECEMBER 3, 1999 “Meh. Henry Moore’s was bigger.”

FEB. 13, 1999 Black power, white fist. A bad photo and bad print job made a black cover model look white. The Times ran the model’s picture in the following week’s issue as proof he was black.

JUNE 1, 2001 Were we, as a nation, more innocent in those halcyon days of the early aughts? Our minds less coarse, less prone to jump to lewd suggestion? Or is it just that nobody at the Times noticed this says “Ass Vacation”?

SEPT. 23, 2004 Because nothing gets us in the mood to party like thinking, “Wonder what a catfish would look like with breasts?”

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INSIDER, CONT. hospital without revenue for six weeks was cited as the final nail in the coffin, but Wheeless said he was unsatisfied with that explanation. “I think everybody in this community was caught off guard [by the closing],” Wheeless said. “Nobody saw this coming. We all know without a doubt that the hospital has experienced financial issues for quite some time, but they sold this 1-cent sales tax to the public that this was going to be what was going to get them over that hump and get them back up and running again. I’m not sure what turned the tables. I know they’re saying the fire turned the tables, but they had insurance for that fire. They had loss-of-income insurance for the fire. So I’m kind of confused how the fire is what put them out of business.” Wheeless said many in the community have questions about the role of Memphis-based Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, which entered into an affiliation and consulting agreement with CRH in 2012. Cashman was recruited as CEO by Methodist, which was his direct employer. Wheeless said that “every day” he hears rumors that the hospital was being run into the ground so that Methodist could open a facility in the area without taking on CRH’s debts and liabilities. “I really believe there’s probably some merit to that,” he said. “That’s what the public feels like is going on today. The public was fed one story, and when the public fulfilled their part of the story [the sales tax], then the hospital didn’t fulfill theirs. They were very convincing to the public that if you passed this tax, we’re going to be good and we won’t have any more issues. Well, the public passed that tax, and they closed before they even collected a dollar. It’s mind-boggling.” Methodist was brought in to help right CRH’s financial ship, but Wheeless said he saw no evidence that it had helped. “I tried to ask the hospital board the first part of the year, help me understand what the benefit is to having Methodist over here,” he said. “Because I have yet to figure out what the benefit is. You’re paying a man [Gene Cashman] an ungodly amount of money to produce and he’s not producing. To be honest with you, the relationship with Methodist — just from the public on the outside looking in — it appears that this whole situation of bad finances was escalated with them being a partner.”

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — An oral history

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

40 YEARS — An oral history

Long and long The Arkansas Times reflects on 40 years.

orty years. Good God. Has it really been that long? Over a third of a century? Then again, you don’t want to oversell it. We haven’t always been right, nor always true to the spirit that moved us in the first place. We’d like to think, however, we’ve always been honest, and we’ve always had guts. As long as the inkwell stays full and the lights stay on, truth and guts are enough. We must admit that keeping the lights on has been, at times, a struggle.

et’s just call it a long time, then. “Long” is one of those adjectives like “little” or “old” that means something different to everybody, but we feel safe in saying that we’ve been at this long and long. The lifespan of most underground, stick-it-to-The-Man newspapers started by college kids in the 1970s was roughly that of a peeled peach on a hot windowsill, so we feel justified in saying Arkansas Times is a rarity. Four unbroken decades of anything these days is so much scarcer than you would imagine, a miracle brew of people and dedication, of folks whose enthusiasm kicked in as that of others waned, of id and ego, of bad news and good, of disasters both embarrassingly private and baldly public. Of fear. Of love. Of anger and joy. Of pride and shame. Of turncoats and thieves. That Arkansas Times has survived 40 years is kind of like mixing together all the chemicals in your garage, taking a slug of the resulting goop, and realizing you’ve discovered The Elixir of Life instead of Dow Chemical Presents: Insta-Death. To sink into the pale pink of sentimentality, this place has always been a labor of love. Love for this place we call home. We sure ain’t doing it for the money. We are a culture that has perfected the art of the discard, the dispose, the never-look-back. The cynic might say it’s fitting, then, that the main product of one of the longer running businesses in Little Rock is what has been not fondly referred to by those who hate us as: That Throwaway Tabloid. We have, for the

record, always liked it when people call us that rag, that fishwrapper, that liberal shill. It means they’re reading us. Too, in addition to the old saw about Follow the Money, we have learned this one over the years: Follow the Self-Righteous Indignation. Since you asked, here’s the secret of our success: Arkansas Times may be free these days, but the stuff inside has always come dear, paid for in sweat and tears, stewing over politics as the Thanksgiving turkey sat slowly cooling to vulcanized rubber, 10 million gallons of cold coffee, wrong turns in the darkest heart of Smackover and Delight and Pangburn on the way to an interview, second jobs, second mortgages, nights and weekends and dreams deferred. Not to get too inside baseball on you, but there’s a hell of a lot that goes into bringing all this something to you for nothing month to month and week to week. A lot of hands. A lot of people who worked themselves right over the edge or into the ground for a job that likely pays less than an assistant manager at the local Kroger. But don’t cry for us, Argentina and Augusta. We have won a few, and lost a few. But we — the royal we, even the ghosts of the dead that hover over this place, because we’ve lost some friends in 40 years — have loved it all, even when we cursed the job and the red editor’s marks, when we fought like cats and dogs over comma placement, when we despised the damn words, words, words that refused to line up and march

across the page in brilliant lines. We loved it, even when financial realities forced us to move on, even when we quit and came back, even when we quit and never did. We never cashed out in 40 years. That’s where the blade meets the hilt of the thing: we never cashed out. God willing, we never will.

recollection then, on four decades of Arkansas Times, whatever she was and whatever she became (we’ll leave “whatever she will be” to our descendants, if there’s anybody left to remember us 40 years from now). Part gripe session. Part history lesson. Class reunion and old soldier’s reunion and family reunion. Creased photos, passed hand to hand, and the long silences while trying to remember names. The best of us and the worst of us. The places we got it right, where we got it wrong, and where we managed to do the best thing writing can do, bar none: to move the needle even one thin degree in a positive direction. That’s all easier to see in retrospect. Harder are the questions we need to know the answer to in the now: Are we still carrying on the fine traditions of all the great writers who have been published in these pages? Are we getting it right or wrong? Are we still moving the needle? Answer unclear, traveler. Ask again later. For now, let’s just leave it at: And miles to go before we sleep. And miles to go before we sleep.

…that rag, that fishwrapper, that liberal shill.

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — An oral history

Still here How the Arkansas Times survived poverty, the Dixie Mafia, the U.S. Supreme Court and Mike Huckabee.

What follows is a compilation of quotes from an oral history project initiated by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and phone interviews. Quotes have been edited for length and clarity. Sept. 5, 1974 First issue.

lan Leveritt (founder, publisher): We printed the first issue with $200 that I got from Jim Bell, who owned Publisher’s Bookshop in Little Rock. The only requirement to work at the Times was that you had a night job or another means of support. I was a taxi driver. Jim Bell (investor): The investment was a crapshooter’s chance. Both Alan and I were very desirous of having the city grow and become a place of intellectual excellence. Alan would drive his taxicab up to the bookstore and come inside, and we’d drink coffee and talk about what could be done. Alan Leveritt: We thought there was a real lack of investigative reporting being done at the Gazette and the Democrat, so we wanted to get out there and save the world and uncover wrongdoing, and do right. Plus, we were fascinated by the culture of Arkansas. Mara Leveritt (contributing editor, former associate editor): At first we were the young, real alternative paper when there were two, big com16

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

peting papers throwing millions and millions of dollars at each other. Alan Leveritt: The main idea was that there was a group of us out of UALR and we just wanted to write. I got the UALR journalism department to let me use an electronic typewriter that would duplicate a letter over and over, and I sent out a pitch to come start a magazine to journalism schools all over the country. I got responses from someone in Virginia, New York, Boston and Wisconsin. So I hitchhiked across the country to interview them. I could tell the guy in Virginia really wanted to do it, but his parents were pretty well-to-do and wanted him to be a lawyer. The mother of the girl in Boston really didn’t like me, and wouldn’t let me spend the night. I convinced the girl to drive me to Walden Pond; we went skinnydipping in it, and I slept in the woods. David Glenn was at NYU. He was really suspicious of me, but I ended up convincing him to come to Arkansas. About five years ago, I got a letter from the guy from Virginia wanting to know whatever happened with the magazine. He was a lawyer in Richmond or something. Olivia Myers Farrell (former publisher, sales manager and account executive): We referred to the company as the University of the Arkansas Times. I was out of school for a month, not even a month, I think, when I went

to work at Arkansas Times. I remember in the early days, the median age of our staff was 23. We all basically learned the business while we were building it. I got my master’s and I think my doctorate in publishing at the Arkansas Times. Alan Leveritt: A TV station did a story on us after the first issue, and Ira [Hocut], who was then a maintenance supervisor at MM Cohn, saw it and hopped in a cab and came in and volunteered to do paste-up. He must have been the only legally blind production manager in the country. But because he had to get within an inch or so of the articles when he was pasting them up he never made a mistake. Alan Leveritt: Of course our $200 was gone in two weeks. We lived in the office. We had a little railroad house down on Second Street, and David and I slept in the back. Don Mehlburger was our landlord — sweet man. I was so embarrassed finally I stopped going to explain why I couldn’t pay the rent, and he just left us alone. The heat went out in the wintertime, so we had no heat in our office, nor in the house where we lived, and I was too embarrassed to ask Don if he could fix the heat since I wasn’t paying rent. Bill Terry (former editor): I had gotten fired at the Democrat for activities like throwing antique typewriters into wastebaskets and for, in general, not doing right. I came on part time

in the fall of 1974 and full time in July 1975 on the terms that I would receive no pay for at least a year and would not be allowed to take a pencil home. July 1975 Bill Terry becomes editor and Union Station Times becomes Arkansas Times. Alan Leveritt: Bill was out of work, and I said, “Bill, why don’t you be the editor, and I’ll be the salesman.” I didn’t know if I could do anything, but I went down to The Shack barbecue and sold a half-page ad on my first sales call, and I thought, “Shit, I can do this.” Bill Terry: I will never forget that first day at the office. Back then, Alan had one pair of pants, two shirts and a pair of shoes with one sole that flapped. He drove a 1961 black and white Ford that was scarred like a cueball and had tires slick as cannonballs, and he lived in the Terminal Hotel in a $10-a-week room with a warehouse view and neighbors down the hall who went to bed and got up in the morning thinking of muscatel. Alan had come into the office a few minutes before, and it was raining. The door wouldn’t shut tight, the rain was blowing in and there were two or three leaks in the roof that splattered on the floor making a sound like a very slow and half-crazy clock. A cat came in, looked around and went back out into the rain. The place was drafty: on the order of driving a car with the windows down, and it had a chain-pull toilet that flushed

VERNON TUCKER

40 YEARS — An oral history

AN EARLY STAFF MEETING AT THE SHACK: (From left) Alan Leveritt, Margaret Arnold (known today as Mara Leveritt) and David Glenn.

with a kind of wail and groan that reminded you of a boatload of people sinking. The furniture was what you would call gothic salvage, and included ripped chairs, leaning desks, a table made of unfinished plywood set on concrete blocks and a couple of typewriters with unreadable keys. Alan got up to shake my hand, and I said, looking around at everything: “We’re going to set the world on fire!” It was a way of saying we didn’t have a chance, and it seemed like a humorous way to put it. But Alan leaned forward a bit and looked into my eyes, deeper than my mother ever has, and said: “You bet your ass!” In 1975, Times staffers got wind of the existence of an audiotape made by

private investigator Larry Case of a conversation between him and Little Rock Police Department Inspector Kennith D. Pearson, in which Pearson asked Case to plant marijuana in the car of Jim Guy Tucker, who was prosecuting attorney for Pulaski and Perry counties at the time the tape was made and Attorney General when the Times learned of its existence. Arlin Fields, the first Times reporter to draw a salary ($50 a week, drawn from publisher Alan Leveritt’s cab fares), tracked down Case. Alan Leveritt: The good news was that the tape existed. The bad news was that Case wanted $500 for it. That might as well have been $500,000 for us in 1975. So I went to Dixon Bowles, founder of The Group, and I told him the whole

‘ … The big newspaper distributor of the day said we were communists and wouldn’t distribute us.’ story. He said, “Be at the Worthen Bank Branch at Cross Street at 9 a.m. in the morning and just stay in your car.” So I pull up in this piece-of-shit Pontiac, and this guy I don’t know gets out of his car, walks in the bank, comes out and, as he walks by my car, he just pitches a little envelope in with five $100 bills. Fields paid Case for the tape and wrote the story. But just before it went to press,

Fields showed the story to Tucker, who told him it would only increase interest in rumors of drug use by him that had circulated since he first ran for office in 1970. Tucker threatened to sue the printer if it was published. The printer stopped the press as the Times was printing and told Leveritt he would only start it up again if the Times promises to pay any legal bills he might incur. So Leveritt went to sevCONTINUED ON PAGE 18 www.arktimes.com

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40 YEARS — An oral history

the foyer of TGI Friday’s, across the street from The Shack barbecue, and a son a bitch stole one of our boxes right across the street from me! February 1976 Arkansas Times prints its first glossy cover. June 21, 1979 An arsonist burns Arkansas Times’ office at 1111 Second St. The culprit was never apprehended.

was asking me all these questions, and I realized, “He thinks I burned this down.” Then he asks, “How much insurance did you have?” And I said, “I don’t have any insurance.” Suddenly I went from being a perp to an idiot. Mara Leveritt: All the staff who’d showed up at the fire, which was just about everyone, came back to our apartment and we started fixing bacon and eggs and had a big breakfast. There was

Mara Leveritt: Alan and I were living together at the time and someone banged on the door and said the office was burning. We stepped out on our front porch and we could smell the smoke. Alan Leveritt: Our offices [had moved to] this big beautiful mansion. We were so proud of it. We were living high. Someone threw something through our picture window, like a Molotov cocktail. The fire chief said it was an accelerant. The fire marshal

OLIVIA MYERS FARRELL: Circa 1985.

never ever doubt that we would go on. Alan Leveritt: We had just gone to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

A SLICK, NUDE DEBUT: The first glossy cover starred Arkansas Arts Center director Townsend Wolfe (center), the magazine’s first (and only) nude model and artist Danny Morris.

eral local civil rights lawyers, who signed a contract saying they would defend the printer for free up to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. Alan Leveritt: So we got the thing printed. The story comes out, the police officer resigns, and Jim Guy Tucker leaves the state for two weeks, so he is not available for comment, and the Gazette runs the story on its front page with all kinds of caveats because they didn’t have all the details. Not long after we published, Case calls Bill Terry and says that a judge who’s friendly with the police chief is getting ready to subpoena the tape to erase it, so we needed to get the tape out of our safety deposit box at Worthen Bank. So Bill and Arlin go down there and walk in with Case to the safe deposit box and get the tape out. As soon as they do, Case grabs the tape, opens his jacket and he’s got a pistol, and he says, “Touch me and I’ll shoot you,” and he walks straight out of the bank 18

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ARKANSAS TIMES

with the damn tape and gets in his car. Bill jumps in front of the car and says, “You’re not leaving,” and Case says, “I’m going to run your ass over.” Case starts the car and guns it, and Bill leaps out from in front of the car just in time to avoid getting run over. So there we are. We have no tape, story’s out, a lot of people are denying shit although the police officer is gone, so we just waited. Fortunately, no one ever called. That story made people take us seriously. Alan Leveritt: The big newspaper distributor of the day said we were communists and wouldn’t distribute us. So I’d gotten attorneys Johnny Bilheimer and Phil Kaplan to loan me money, so I could buy pay boxes distributed around town. At the time we were doing a lot of reporting on organized crime, the Dixie Mafia. And our racks kept disappearing. They found 20 of them down by the river. They had been blown to pieces by highcaliber rifles. I sat with a crowbar one time in

STAYING ALIVE: The July 1979 issue had just been sent to the printer before a fire destroyed the Times’ offices.

40 YEARS — An oral history

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — An oral history

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ARKANSAS TIMES

40 YEARS — An oral history

went up there and won it. So we got our $10,000 back. May 1983 Bob Lancaster becomes editor. Bob Lancaster: I had a chance to get a real dream job with the New York Times, so I had to decide right then if that was going to be what I was. I finally decided that wasn’t what I wanted to do, so I came back

tion. Bob came in and was a little less interested in politics and more interested in Arkansas culture, Arkansas history and Arkansas traditions. And just good writing for the sake of good writing. Bob Lancaster: I decided to sort of change the character of the magazine from news tabloid journalism to do something that I thought was classy and beautiful. We got some good

‘One year I said the ugliest building in Arkansas was the Dillard’s headquarters. I said it’s the biggest mausoleum in Arkansas and the only one with a clock.’

DONKEYS AT THE LEDGE: Shortly after this issue hit newsstands, the Times was audited by the state.

printer that morning. So despite everything, we got the next issue out on time. Olivia Myers Farrell: I remember climbing on top of Alan’s shoulders to go in through a broken window after they put the fire out to try and recover as much of our accounting materials as could be saved. We lost everything really and just started over. We had to ask our advertisers what they owed us, which was hilarious. As far as we know, everybody was very understanding and forthcoming.

That was an existential threat. We were just absolutely sure that this was wrong, so we took it to chancery court. We said that you can’t discriminate among publications. We won. Then the state revenue department appealed it to the Arkansas Supreme Court, which upheld the department. Ann Owings, our attorney, said, “I want to take this to the U.S. Supreme Court. I’ll do it for free. I’m sure we can win this.” And damned if the U.S. Supreme Court didn’t agree to hear the case. And she

here to Arkansas without a job and without much of anything other than two kids to raise. I was here and not doing much of anything. Bill Terry got me to write a piece about the Arkansas diamond mine and the prospect for a big-money diamond industry here, which was a big topic at the time. At that same time, he was about to retire. Alan asked me to become the editor, so I did. It was just a matter of timing.

people to do historical pieces. We got some really good photographers to do photo features. Dee Brown did a lot of stuff for us, and people liked that. We changed it into a sort of semi-literary magazine instead of muckraking and that sort of thing. That worked.

Mel White (former editor, senior editor): Bill Terry was a talented guy and very quirky and kind of an iconoclast. He liked to shake up the tree. He liked to go after corrup-

Mike Trimble (former associate editor): I left the Arkansas Gazette to go to the Times. Bob was the editor. He had sent out feelers saying if

Mara Leveritt: Bob Lancaster has his own place in Arkansas literature that will never be filled by any other voice.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

June 1982 Alan Leveritt: We did an issue on the worst politicians in the state. About three weeks later, the revenue department shows up on our doorstep to audit us for sales tax. We tell them that the law says newspapers don’t have to pay sales tax. They say, you’re not a newspaper, you’re a magazine. They audit us and come up with $10,000 that we owe.

BOB LANCASTER: Turned down the N.Y. Times for the Arkansas Times.

MIKE TRIMBLE: His joke about Dillard’s cost the Times a major advertising contract. www.arktimes.com

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40 YEARS — An oral history

up and all that. He hired me to kind of come in and shake things up. Mel’s a good friend of mine and he’s a great journalist. He’s a naturalist by vocation. That’s what his passion is, so it was much more of a nature magazine when I came in. My charter was really to take it back and do some of the investigative reporting and bring some new energy. It was successful. We doubled the page count and increased circulation and won a couple of awards.

RICHARD MARTIN: Pushed for more investigative reporting and “bodacious ta-tas.”

I ever wanted to take a cut in pay and work longer hours that the Arkansas Times was there for me. Bob Lancaster: I had a lot of friendly battles with Alan over stuff. The Times was founded as a kind of political manifesto, and Alan wanted to continue to do that. I wasn’t much interested in it, so we battled over that. August 1985 Mel White becomes editor. Mel White: Bob’s a great, great writer. He was wasting a lot of his time doing editor duties. So he didn’t get to write as much as everybody wanted him to. We were wasting his talent. So we flipped positions. I became the editor and stopped doing so much writing. Mike Trimble: We were pretty smart-ass about our Best and Worst of Arkansas issues. One year I said the ugliest building in Arkansas was the Dillard’s headquarters. I said it’s the biggest mausoleum in Arkansas and the only one with a clock. Alan Leveritt: Dillard’s had three pages of advertising in the magazine then, and they canceled their contract. Maybe we could have done without that, but it was very funny. I really believe in letting editors edit. I’ve always said the Times has always had better talent than it could afford. I think one reason that we’ve always been able to attract such excellent people editorially is that the publisher stayed out of it. If they write something that destroys an advertis22

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ing contract, I hate that, but it’s the way it is. My job is to back them up, to find another source of income, and let them do what they do because ultimately it comes down to the readers. It comes down to journalism. It comes down to stories. Max Brantley (senior editor, former editor): We’ve had any number of issues over the years, where things we’ve written cost us advertising. I’ve never worked for a publisher or newspaper executive who takes it more in stride than he does. I mean, he hates to lose a customer, but he has never said, “Can’t you take it back? Can’t you do it differently?” March 1990 Richard Martin becomes editor. Mike Trimble: The magazine changed. The new editor was a guy named Richard Martin. Apparently, the idea was to goose up the magazine, make it more contemporary and appeal more to younger, hipper readers. I don’t know what. Richard had a lot of plans to make the magazine snappier and more relevant. More trend pieces. More 10 best this and more 10 worst that. Richard Martin (former editor, associate editor): I was in town in ’89, and heard that Alan was looking. That was during the Mel White period. It was basically Mel, Mike Trimble and Bob Lancaster, three of the best journalists in Arkansas history. But the place had gotten pretty moribund. They were losing money, and Alan wanted to spice it

Mike Trimble: I remember one of the first editorial conferences. Martin said, “We got to get readership up and we are going to do things that you might have thought were beneath us, but we’re really going to strive for new readers. So don’t be surprised if you see some bodacious ta-tas on the cover in the next few months. Mara was incensed at that remark, and I was just sort of, “Whoa! Don’t include me in that, pal!” Richard Martin: This was my first staff meeting. What I was trying to say was perfectly legitimate. We were kind of planning out issues and this was going to be the May or June issue, on Summer Fashion or whatever. What I was trying to say was, “This is the issue where you put an attractive woman on the cover and you drive newsstand sales.” There’s nothing mysterious about that. Unfortunately, the way I put it was, totally offhandedly, I said, “You know, on this cover, we need a pair of bodacious ta-tas.” To say the least, that was the wrong thing to say in front of Mara. She immediately walked out. That was my first major faux pas as the editor. I think she’s finally forgiven me. It took years, but I think she’s finally realized that I’m not a sexist pig. Bob Lancaster: Martin wanted to write stuff for people. He wanted to tell them how to write it and would pretty much change your stuff up. He was a real hands-on editor. I wasn’t real proud, but I wasn’t going to put up with that. God Almighty! So we had a parting of the ways there. Richard Martin: In my obituary, I’ll be The Guy Who Fired Mike Trimble and Bob Lancaster. That’s not completely true. I didn’t fire Bob. To Bob, I said, “Bob, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to just go hang out at the Capitol and do what you do best. Be our political reporter. Just

be the H.L. Mencken of the Arkansas Capitol.” He said, “Well, let me think about it.” Two days later, he came back and said, “I don’t think I can do that.” And he quit. Like a week later, he became the political correspondent for the Gazette. Mike Trimble: Rick Martin and I got along, but I could tell that he thought I was a little hidebound and conservative literarily, not politically, and he thought that I did not write enough stories. And I thought he was a little whiz-bang superficial. We each had a point, but he was in a better position to press his point than I was. Richard Martin: I love Mike, but he was, like, writing one story every two issues. He was writing six features a year. I said, “Mike, we’ve gotta have more productivity.” It just didn’t work out, and this is to my eternal shame. Finally, after a couple of weeks, he came in and said, “So, are you firing me or what?” I said, “Mike, I don’t want to fire you, but this is what I’ve gotta have.” It didn’t work, so essentially I did fire Mike.

MAX BRANTLEY: Took a 60 percent pay cut to join Arkansas Times.

John Brummett (former editor, senior editor, columnist): I came to the Arkansas Times in October of 1990. I came from the Arkansas Gazette, where I was writing a very popular six-days-aweek column. Front page of the Metro state section, a real newsy column. The Gannett company had made the mistake of inviting me to a planning retreat at the Red Apple Inn that summer, and what I got out of that planning retreat was that we were

40 YEARS — An oral history

going down the tubes, and I needed to find something else to do if I wanted to be in journalism in Arkansas. As it happened, Alan Leveritt had previously talked to me about becoming senior editor of both his publications at the time: Arkansas Times, which was a slick monthly magazine, and Arkansas Business, which was this still-young business weekly. I thought, OK, I’ll do that.

in town, Spectrum. They offered $26,000 a year. I was making about $64,000 at the Arkansas Gazette at the time. I knew it was a seller’s market, so I told Alan, “You’ve got to match Spectrum.” So he matched Spectrum at $26,000, and the die was cast.

Richard Martin: The word for me when I took over was “callow.” I was wet behind the ears. I did an OK job, but it was clear that the best thing I could do for the magazine was write for it. So [Alan] brought in Brummett as the editor. That was a short-lived, misguided experiment. John is great at some things, but he’s not a magazine editor.

Alan Leveritt: I went out and raised $680,000 to convert the monthly magazine into a weekly. We wanted to keep the Gazette’s voice alive in the community.

John Brummett: I loved being in charge, and I loved the assignment I had from the top, from Alan, to make it more topical. To make it more newsy. He kept telling me about Tina Brown and buzz. And I said, OK, let’s buzz this thing up. We had a first-person cover article about David Pryor writing about his heart attack. I went down to Dallas on the Monday after he won the Super Bowl and did an interview profile with Jerry Jones. We did a piece on John Daly. We were sort of trying to make it a Vanity Fair. Newsy. It was fun. … Charles Portis called me one day. I knew him from drinking at the Afterthought and the Faded Rose. He said, “You’re the editor now?” I said, “Yeah.” He said, “You want a piece?” He had driven along and explored the Ouachita River from its start up in the hills and he just did a cultural thing. He would show up at my desk about every other day to make sure I hadn’t changed a letter, and I hadn’t. But he wanted to make sure. Max Brantley: In 1991, when it became clear that the great Arkansas daily newspaper war was coming to an end, Alan, who I had known since I first came to town in 1973 and who tried to hire me several previous times, came to me and said he wanted to talk to me about going to work at the Times. His then wife, Mara Leveritt, was a chief advocate for converting the monthly magazine to a weekly newspaper, in large measure to fill the hole that was going to be left philosophically by the closure of the Arkansas Gazette, which had a reputation as a progressive newspaper. Alan offered me $25,000 a year. I also had a job offer from what was then another alternative weekly

John Brummett: I don’t know who had the idea first — I think Leveritt smartly let me think it was my idea that Max should be the editor and I shouldn’t.

May 7, 1992 Arkansas Times becomes a weekly with Max Brantley as editor. The Times hired much of the senior editorial staff of the Arkansas Gazette — Jim Bailey, Leslie Newell Peacock, and Doug Smith; columnists Ernest Dumas and Deborah Mathis, and political cartoonist George Fisher. Max Brantley: You had all these potential readers that you could add to your circulation base who were disaffected daily newspaper readers who were not particularly happy that all they had left was the Arkansas Democrat -Gazette to read. We hired a big staff and we went to work at it and we pretty rapidly over about a three-year period spent all the money up [laughs].

Leslie Newell Peacock (managing editor): On election night in 1992, we all stayed up all night and went to all the parties and got pictures of Bill and Hillary. The next morning, Mara and I went around downtown, exhausted and hung over, and hawked papers on the street: “Here’s the Times! Get your Times!” Then we went to Clinton headquarters and got James Carville to

‘A FORTUITOUS TIME’: For the launch of a newsweekly thanks to Bill Clinton’s ascent.

LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK: Sold copies of the Times election issue (left) on the street with Mara Leveritt (in background).

autograph our own copies. Max Brantley: It was fortuitous for us really when Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992 because at that point the surviving dominant daily newspaper in Arkansas was the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. It did not like Bill Clinton. The editorial page hated Bill Clinton. So

there we were, the alternative newspaper really, with more or less the mainstream outlook on Bill Clinton. I think we were particularly important in writing about abuses by the special prosecutor Kenneth Starr when he operated in Little Rock that helped create an atmosphere in Little Rock that CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 www.arktimes.com

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40 YEARS — An oral history

notices — we weren’t really a paper, see — we covered the Huckster like the dew. We didn’t need his OK to publish his gifts from Jennings Osborne or Huckabee’s sales to the Mansion gift shop of his own books. One of the great things about the Times is that it’s the kind of publication where Max could put at the end of The Week That Was column every week a countdown on how many more days were left in the Huckabee administration. Mara Leveritt: The Times was wonderful for me. I got to find my way into work that I found that I liked, which was reporting mostly on criminal justice issues. I had a foot in the stories I wrote books about because of reporting I had gotten to do for the Times. I don’t know if anyone at the paper got tired of me saying, “Well, I’ve got something else on West Memphis.” Max Brantley: Philosophically and spiritually I think Mara is the mother of the Arkansas Times and deserves a tremendous amount of credit. She has passion for social justice that really undergirded a lot of what the Times did.

STARR-ON-A-STICK: The Times’ send-up of the special “persecutor.”

the town was being picked on and being abused and people’s lives were being ruined in pursuit of a political vendetta. Alan Leveritt: During Ken Starr’s persecution of Clinton, we made “Starr-On-A-Stick,” a funeral fan with his face on it. He was teaching law school in New York at the time, and some of his students heard about it and ordered 100 of them from us. One morning he came into the classroom, and they all raised the fan over their faces. We heard he was not amused. Alan Leveritt: We were doing 30,000 copies a week selling them, mostly through subscription statewide, which is hard because your advertisers aren’t statewide, they’re mostly in Little Rock. We were down to about $20,000 in the bank. I was losing $220,000 in circulation annually, and I talked to the publisher of the Memphis Flyer, who was distributing a free weekly, and he was making money. So we went free, we moved our circulation more into Little Rock, and we bought news racks and suddenly we were visible all over the city. Advertisers started seeing results. We hit the mountain and got the nose back up and started making money again. 24

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David Koon (associate editor): I went to school at UALR and while I was there I started caring about news and current events. As a teenager growing up in Paron, Ark., you don’t really care

The funny thing is that though the Huckabee administration wouldn’t include us in press notices — we weren’t really a paper, see — we covered the Huckster like the dew. Max Brantley: Mike Huckabee once gave me the biggest compliment anybody could ever give somebody. He got really mad at an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter who’d raised a question on some ethical matter that we’d first reported, and he said something to this reporter like, “What, is Max Brantley the puppet master of the Arkansas media? You’re just asking this because they wrote about it.” To the extent you can ever contribute to the public discourse and the shape of the debate and you hope people come to your point of view, well, it’s great. Leslie Newell Peacock: The funny thing is that though the Huckabee administration wouldn’t include us in press

what’s going on, none of it’s ever going to matter. The Arkansas Times was handed out on the UALR campus, and I start reading some of the early stuff about the West Memphis Three. Mara’s stuff, and I believe I even read Bob Lancaster’s original story back when they were convicted. It all had a resonance for me, because there were 17 people in my graduating class. It’s not like there were cliques of weirdos, there was only one weirdo there and it was me. I was the dude wearing the black T-shirt and listening to the crazy music. Reading the stuff about the West Memphis Three you really got a sense that this is another town so small that the weirdos don’t have a pack, they just cling to each

other. I think I saw a lot of myself in that story. And that was my entree into this idea that A) you can do good journalism in Arkansas, and B) horrible shit happens in the name of the law and justice in this state. One day I was looking through the Arkansas Times and saw they were looking for a writer, there was just an ad in the back of the paper, and I remembered those West Memphis Three stories. So I applied for it. I was shocked as hell when I got the job. I was so stoked to be here on my first day that I got dressed in the dark. I put on my one suit — which Max later told me made me look like Frankenstein — and came to the office and realized I’d put on two different shoes. They weren’t even close. I went into Michael Haddigan’s office, and I showed him the shoes, and he said, “You’re going to fit in fine, kid.” Max Brantley: I think our biggest value is that we say things that sometimes other people are afraid to say. And I don’t expect Arkansas to wake up tomorrow and say, “Gee, you know, Max Brantley has been right all along. We ought to be liberals.” But I do think there’s a real value in challenging the conventional wisdom. Oct. 14, 2004 The Arkansas Blog debuts. Alan Leveritt: Max wanted to get back into the daily newspaper business, and he saw he could do that with a blog. He’s absolutely obsessive about it. He starts at 5 a.m. and quits at 10 p.m. Max knows everybody in town and has great contacts, so he knows where all the skeletons are hanging. Max Brantley: We were an early adopter of blogging in Little Rock, and it served us very well. It was cheap. I just started doing it on top of everything else

DAVID KOON: Times inspired him to become a journalist.

40 YEARS — An oral history

HOW HIGH CAN ARKANSAS TIMES JUMP? As High As They Want! Congratulations on

GEORGE FISHER: The long-time Arkansas Gazette political cartoonist was the biggest name to join the weekly Arkansas Times in 1992. He drew a weekly cartoon until he died in 2003.

I was doing. That’s kind of the Arkansas Times model: Do more without spending any money to do it. David Koon: I see this place as a little family. The very few people not withstanding who were complete and utter shitheads, I’m always sad to see people leave here. It’s a small enough endeavor that it sort of forms into this family reunion every day at work. July 2011 Lindsey Millar becomes editor. Lindsey Millar (editor, former entertainment editor): To a potential hire, I once described the editorial staff as a family, where Max and Leslie were the parents, who know everything, and David Koon, [former entertainment editor] Robert Bell and I were the sons, and Max and Leslie had given me power of attorney to make decisions in case they slipped into their dotage. But really I became editor in 2011 so Max could “retire” to blogging. That just means he takes a couple more trips than he did before. He still works 60 hours a week or more. John Brummett: I don’t see the news print product every week. But I check the Arkansas Blog an average of a half dozen or more times a day. And it’s a tour de force. That’s all I can say. For one guy to sit there — and of course I know him because I’ve seen him do it for decades — but for one guy to sit there and cover as much as he covers. It’s wild! It needs to be remembered for some sort of journalism museum some day. It’s remarkable.

Lindsey Millar: Several years ago, before the West Memphis Three were freed, we broke the news thanks to Mara’s years of reporting on the case. We broke it online on the Arkansas Blog and pushed it out on Facebook and Twitter. We covered the story live from the court proceedings from the blog and then wrapped all of our knowledge from years covering the case, good sourcing and on-theground reporting into a cover package. At the end of the week, Max and I talked about it on our weekly podcast. That kind of encapsulates where I think we are as a paper: We have a wealth of institutional knowledge paired with some young, talented writers who’ve really hustled. We go after stories that, for one reason or another, others ignore. And we use all media available to do our reporting. In fact, we’ve really gotten into video this year.

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Alan Leveritt: I think the future of the Times is very bright. We’ve got some good people. I think print is going to be around for a long time, and the web is going to become more and more important. But who knows? In 10 years the company might not be recognizable because of new technology. I’m just running as fast as I can to keep up. Interviewers for UALR’s “Arkansas Times: Product of our Experience” were by Courtney Bradford, Anne Frymark, Victoria Garrett, Jessica Goodman, John Jones and Jim Stalling, students in a public history master’s program led by Deborah Baldwin. Bill Terry’s quotes come from a sixth anniversary edition of Arkansas Times (September 1980). www.arktimes.com

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40 YEARS — The best and worst

The best and worst of Arkansas Times’ first 40 years From sexy camping to horseradish souffle. BY BENJAMIN HARDY, DAVID KOON, LINDSEY MILLAR, LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK AND DAVID RAMSEY

est excuse to use the catfish as an icon for a newspaper “It’s Arkansas’s answer to the sophisticated bunny, and we think a more appropriate symbol for Arkansas than the Razorback. Watch for the catfish, he’s strong, keeps his ponds and rivers picked up, and as you will see, has some very interesting things to say about Arkansas.” Haters, form a line to the right to make “bottomfeeder” jokes. (January 1977)

pen.” Proposed new names for the district: East End, East Markham, Entertainment district, Water Street. (July 6, 1994) Best assignment given to a young male reporter David Glenn, in researching a story on massage parlors in Little Rock, finds one where a sweet lady he calls “Louise” includes what’s called “a local” in her rubdown. Louise tells him she believes in the Bible and that her type of massage is important to her customers. “They need relief.” (October 1974)

Worst culinary pandering to a political candidate Cotham’s, home of the Hubcap hamburger, serves Joe Lieberman lox and bagels when he campaigns in Arkansas with presidential hopeful Al Gore. (September 2000)

Worst result for a citizen trying to report child pornography A doctor who tries to report to the FBI the sender of unsolicited emailed pornography ends up being charged with a felony and convicted. Bottom line: Don’t let the government know if you’re being emailed stuff you don’t want and know is illegal. (September 2000)

Best prediction “Huckabee ... could be the Baptist ministry’s answer to David Pryor. He’s the kind of young man who might succeed in secular politics,” writes John Brummett in a story about a schism in the Southern Baptist Convention. (March 1991) Best vision In a story by Judith Gallman about the idea to revitalize East Markham, future River Market godfather Jimmy Moses says, “It will work. I swear to God it will hap26

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B est hippie collaboration

BEST WAY TO CLOSE A DEAL: In order to sell an ad to Moses music store, publisher Alan Leveritt agrees to pose nude on the toilet in an ad. (February 1976)

“I think an important part of starting the Times was Alan’s synergy with the Art Farm, which at that time was not only the hippie commercial art agency for First Federal Savings and Loan but also the Little Rock home of Greasy Greens,” remembers Vernon Tucker in an email to the Times. “The band wasn’t just a band and the Art Farm wasn’t just another ad agency. This was hard to

VERNON TUCKER

CATFISH CREATOR: Artist Danny Morris, of Art Farm, created the Times’ catfish logo.

explain to the 4H member from Lonoke who was writing an essay on agriculture in Arkansas, saw Art Farm in the telephone directory and listened patiently while I tried earnestly to explain our contribution. The Greens, or Greasy Greens were more of a performance

art collective than a traditional music group. Most of us were artists of one kind or another with little musical background.” Tucker was co-editor with Alan Leveritt in the early ’70s. Art Farm leader Patrick McKelvey illustrated often in the early days, including the

first cover of Union Station Times. And Danny Morris created the catfish logo. Best pinball parlor in Little Rock in 1974 The Little Rock Municipal Airport, reported in the Times to

have the widest selection of pinball machines in the city. (Sept. 19, 1974) Best low bar for measuring success for Arkansas Times in 1976 CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 www.arktimes.com

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40 YEARS — The best and worst

“Two years is not a very long time of life; but it is a milestone of large importance for a new publication. We think the magazine has improved, in the quality of writing and appearance, but there are other ways to measure improvement: They don’t cut off the lights any more and we pay the rent nearly on time.” (September 1976) Worst “It’s OK when we do it” moment In the Sept. 22, 1994, issue, the Times pokes fun at the Demo-

crat-Gazette for bringing back the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” feature, writing, “Once again, Arkansas readers have access to valuable and provocative knowledge: ‘Beavers can completely close their nostrils and ears!’” A year later, on Oct. 27, 1995, the Times does a cover story “Believe it Or Not,” focusing on Arkansans whose achievements won them a place in the column (but failing to note that Times freelancer Stephen Steed and his three brothers were once in Ripley’s, because all four were born on

the same date in different years). Best branding Columnist Graham Gordy proposes new slogans for Arkansas cities. Among the most memorable: Ash Flat: “Kick-ass name for a town or a baby.” Bryant: “Because Benton was getting all uppity.” Eureka Springs: “If you’re into UFOs, dulcimers and Jesus, look no further.” Fayetteville: “Your daughter had a lot of sex here.” Fairfield Bay/Heber Springs: “Sure, you

HAPPY 40 YEARS TO OUR PARTNER IN CHANGE.

can drive your golf cart on a state highway.” Maumelle: “French for ‘small breasts,’ Arkansan for ‘MILF MOUNTAIN’!!” North Little Rock: “We see your palatial Presidential Library and raise you a concrete RV park.” Texarkana: “Two cities. One fantastic Bennigan’s.” West Memphis: “If you’ll eat crab legs from a dog track, you won’t mind all the other terrible shit that goes on here.” (Aug. 10, 2011) Best follow-up comment On the online version of Graham Gordy’s column, a reader reports the Bennigan’s in Texarkana has been closed for three years. Worst timing About three weeks before Viagra was approved by the FDA, the Times ran a story on a Van Buren doctor who was treating his impotent patients with inflatable prosthesis implants, which cost around $20,000. The doctor had done 570 over the previous three years, the most in the world. “This is a happy business,” he said. (March 6, 1998) Best is that how it really was? In an advance article on Jimmy Buffett coming to Little Rock to play Robinson Auditorium (for “an older and more discerning crowd that often turns up for rock concerts at Barton Coliseum”), the Times writes, “But the obvious question is whether Little Rock is ready for anything but wild hippie acid music.” (March 30, 1975) Worst contest idea The Times sponsors a contest for folks wanting to have dinner with groupie Connie Hamzy. (July 4, 1997) Best advice from the Times That Keith Moyer, the editor of the Arkansas Gazette, call John Robert Starr, editor of the Arkansas Democrat, “Boo’s Belching Buttboy.” And in return, Starr should call Moyer “Gaseous Gannett Goon.” The advice came after emails between the two surfaced that showed similar puerile insults. (June 1991)

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BEST LAMPSHADE: Why is there an otherwise naked man (with a naked woman behind him) in an advertisement for a furniture store called Contemporary Design? (July 1977)

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 29

40 YEARS — The best and worst

BEST BEEFCAKE: Our expose’ on Le Dare, an all-male stripclub near Geyer Springs Road. The longish piece includes minutely detailed descriptions of each dancer, including the featured dancer “Elliot,” who is described as, “Our favorite. Is black, a doll in a cowboy outfit. Struts like a prince. Boots, thonged jeans. Was cheerleader at SMU. Knows how to strip with style. Jeweled G[-string] with silver straps. Flowing, sexy dancer. Looks like Richard Pryor.” (March 1980)

the story was full of “trashy and gutter language.” Best observation by an architect about a building In a cover story about Arkansas architect Fay Jones, Jones recalls meeting Frank Lloyd Wright in a new Houston hotel and hearing him say when he looked at circular holes in a light cove, “Now Jones, here you see the effect of venereal disease in architecture.” (October 1983) Worst recipe to appear in the Times. Or maybe in history 30

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ARKANSAS TIMES

Horseradish souffle. Main ingredients: horseradish, lemon gelatin, whipping cream. (April 1982) Worst moment of temporary insanity “Paul Greenberg’s voice may be Arkansas’s best voice.” (November 1987). Worst metamorphosis of an Arkansas legislator In a 1987 profile of powerful state Sen. Nick Wilson, Bob Lancaster writes that Wilson started out as “an idealist young liberal in the David Pryor mold,” and that he,

40 YEARS — The best and worst

along with three other legislators, “helped change the Senate’s image from that of a smoky lair filled with fat old stogie-smoking crooks and buffoons to that of the more progressive and more promising of the two houses of the legislature.” But 10 years later, Doug Smith breaks the news that little-understood legislation steered $3 million in state grants to three lawyers, the tip of the iceberg that would eventually bring down Wilson. In 1999, the plump, stogie-smoking Wilson was convicted of conspiring to divert funds from state programs and tax evasion and sent to prison. Best scent in the Times Former editor Bill Terry writes for the 15th anniversary of the Times that contributing writer Miller Williams advised the young Times to keep a certain possum scent about it, since Little Rock didn’t “need another New Yorker.” Terry writes, “So we had a little sex in the magazine, including a nude on the cover once. A little sex and a little of this and that; one issue, for example, bashing doctors and exploring the value of whores, a cover on the stupidest (and the smartest) Arkansas legislators and some cops and robbers stuff.” (September 1989)

ing in Burt Reynolds’ pool house for over a decade. (June 1, 2011) Worst review Our smackdown on “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” in which we like the first reel, but say that by the end (the part, as you’ll remember, with all the Nazi face melting, pits full of snakes and Wrath of God stuff) “they had run out of ideas.” (August 1981) Worst ad in history, ever, which probably killed some people Just in time for the suicide season, the Times runs a double-page ad featuring a little old lady bundled up and alone, sitting beside her Charlie Brown Christmas tree and frowning sadly out the window, clearly lost in thought about how she just wishes sometimes that The Lord would take her now. The headline: “You don’t have to be alone at Christmas.” Why? Because COMPUTERS! A computer store on Kavanaugh has a 24-hour helpline to help you with any issue you have with your new computer! No, really. We ran that. (December 1983)

Worst pioneer tale Bob Lancaster’s characteristically brilliant writBest sequel ing about the to “Babe” Mountain A story about an old hunter Meadows Maswho raised sacre of 1857, an orphaned in which a razorback hog mob of pissedwith his hounds off Mormons descended on and taught it a wagon train to tree ’coons full of Arkanwith the best of sans travelthem. (NovemBest graffiti: Arkansas Times hires ing through ber 1983) Jose Hernandez to create a graffiti Southern Utah mural for our 2012 Best of Arkansas cover. (July 25, 2012) and slaughBest life That of the tered anybody late Arkansasold enough to born stuntman Hal Needham. It speak. (March 1984) included once jumping from an airplane onto the back of a galloping Best viscous/vicious pairing In a short blurb, we note Philip horse, directing “Smokey and the Martin’s erotic novel “The EavesBandit,” stunt-doubling for Captain Kirk in some early episodes of dropper,” excerpted in Nerve maga“Star Trek,” owning the Budweiser zine. We’re no prudes, but almost the only part of the Nerve excerpt rocket car, driving cross-country in a souped-up ambulance in the we can print here is: “... viscous, famous “Cannonball Run,” and livvicious milk. Spoonful, spoonful, CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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Mena man who as a boy found the only money recovered from the 1971 D.B. Cooper plane hijacking and robbery. Brian Ingram, 8 years old at the time, came across a buried bundle of $20 bills in 1980 while camping with his family on the banks of the Columbia River in Washington state. The money was turned over to the FBI, but Ingram was eventually allowed to keep $3,000 of the $5,800 he found, which he planned to sell for big bucks as a souvenir. (Jan. 26, 2006)

BEST DESCRIPTION OF LITTLE ROCK’S BURGEONING NEW WAVE SCENE, MAN: “Michael McConnell is a long, pale drink of water with a slow, sardonic speech, whose hair was once as pale as Andy Warhol’s but some weeks ago suffused a rufous and startling transformation for reasons that have not been fully explained,” writes novelist Jack Butler (“Living in Little Rock with Miss Little Rock”) from his article, “All punked out and someplace to go,” on Urbi et Orbi, the art gallery and hangout spot which opened in the 1980s where Vino’s is now located. Butler finds that it has the most complete collection of alternative haircuts in town and calls it “Little Rock’s little Soho.” (July 1987)

of a family taken hostage by a gunman in the Ozarks. A nail-biting thriller from start to bloody finish. (May 1983) Best reporting in the field coming up empty Bob Lancaster goes to Southwest Arkansas after multiple reports of UFO

sightings. “I saw a shooting star in the southern sky, and imagined that a UFO doing dipsy doodles wouldn’t be halfway as remarkable,” he writes. “The ordinary can be more amazing than what we can conjure or suppose.” (June 1988)

as revealed in a story by David Koon, by Westside School shooter Andrew Golden to obtain a concealed handgun permit. Golden, who filed for the permit under his new name, Drew Douglas Grant, was denied a permit by the State Police. Though Golden’s record was officially clear due to his being only 11 years old at the time of the March 1998 shooting which took the lives of four of his classmates and a teacher, the State Police had an old set of his fingerprints on file. (Dec. 11, 2008)

Best catch The unsuccessful 2008 attempt,

Best A Simple Plan Warwick Sabin reports on a

Worst credit check A 1974 exclusive reveals that two insurance companies had denied a Eureka Springs woman auto insurance because a credit report alleged that she was sexually promiscuous. Then-editor Alan Leveritt writes, “Occasionally a story crosses an editor’s desk describing an act so outrageous that simply printing it and getting the word out isn’t enough. Newsprint is too thin and flimsy. You want to pick up the typewriter and use it on someone.” The report from Retail Credit says “she is sexually promiscuous, she uses language not normally used by females in mixed company, and she has a reputation in the community for having bad morals. Equity Mutual and State Farm both decline to insure her based on the report. A representative from State Farm says that if a woman was reported to be sexually promiscuous, the company would refuse insurance “not on moral grounds, but because it would be impossible to predict CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

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ARKANSAS TIMES

40 YEARS — The best and worst

September 1 – October 10, 2014 Made possible through NEH on the Road, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Organized by the National Building Museum, Washington DC. Curated by Sarah Leavitt. Support provided by the Home Depot Foundation.

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Best staff spends way too long on an inside-joke gimmick In honor of the first House-Senate charity basketball game, we made basketball cards featuring key legislative players and their “scouting reports” (“Controversy erupted when Jeremy ‘the Round Mound’ Hutchinson, currently pushing legislation to test beneficiaries of public assistance for PEDs, was found with deer-antler spray.”). The cards were a hit (lawmakers themselves were the main collectors), though most of the jokes were so topical as not to have aged well even fewer than two years later. That said, one of our nicknames, dubbing House Speaker Davy Carter “The BabyFaced Killah,” has caught on so well that only squares still call him Davy. (March 14, 2013).

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — The best and worst

Best and worst: Clinton chronicles Best kicking a Big Dog when he’s down Betsey Wright, former chief of staff to Gov. Bill Clinton, pens a cover story for the Times titled “Musings and Rantings from the far (Arkansas) North.” On the “ridiculous distraction” of the Lewinsky scandal, Wright writes, “The only other thing I am sure of is that if Bill Clinton were in my reach I would be mightily tempted to bash him on his head and kick him in the shins.” (Aug. 14, 1998) Worst where have I heard that before? “Public support for the president’s voluminous plan plummeted even as polls showed that people continued to like all its major ideas.” That’s Ernie Dumas writing about a health care plan 20 years ago, in a column on the 42

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ARKANSAS TIMES

eventually doomed Clinton plan for universal health insurance. (Aug. 18, 1994) Best 15-year-old sentiment to reuse for headline next year “Hillary Clinton ... is beginning to benefit from the residual modernday Democratic advantage, which is the buffoonery of Republicans.” — John Brummett (Sept. 22, 2000) Best new history Bill Clinton’s victory in 1992 changed everything, writes Max Brantley. “An exorcism was what it was. Of hillbilly jokes. Of decades when we had only Mississippi to thank … Arkansas is no longer, first, the home of Lum and Abner and Orval Faubus. It is the home of Bill Clinton. History now begins in 1992, not 1957.” (Nov. 5, 1992)

Best copy and replace statement “People ask me all the time, ‘What do you want to be doing five years from now?’ … And I always tell them, ‘I don’t think like that. I don’t see my life that way,” Arkansas First Lady Hillary Clinton tells Mara Leveritt. (October 1989) Best improvement “I mean, back in the late ’70s, if you remember, people were saying, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s going to keep working. I can’t believe it.’ … This issue has been played out at every level except the presidential one. I haven’t had questions like this in Bill’s last three campaigns … so in a funny kind of way, the presidency is the last step to recognize the transition that has already occurred in both our private and public lives,” Hillary Clinton tells Mara Leveritt.

(Aug. 27, 1992) Best lookalike Leslie Newell Peacock profiles a local Clinton lookalike, North Little Rock bolt and screw sales rep Terry Kent. “Thick white hair is combed neatly back, blue eyes peeking out of crinkled bags. His head waggles when he laughs; pride turns his mouth into an upside down U. When he waves to the crowd, he rejects Nixon’s V signs for hitchhiker thumbs. ‘Thank youuuu,’ he chokes, ‘thank youuuuuuu.’ ” Reception is as sharply divided for Kent as it is for the president: “When he entered a Batesville restaurant recently, a woman told him he looked like Bill Clinton and then added, ‘If I had a gun I’d kill you on the spot.’ ‘She wasn’t smiling,’ Kent grimaced.” (Nov. 25, 1994)

40 YEARS — The best and worst

who might be driving the car.” (Nov. 28, 1974) Worst truth The Observer, writing in the June 13, 2003 issue about things learned since becoming a father: “As long as it issued from your kid, you can clean up vomit and then go back to eating your chili.” Best headline “Fingering the Federalist Society” (July 11, 2003) Best lonely lede “They’re poor, or affluent. They live across town, or next door. Or, they’re you. They’re lonely.” David Glenn’s examination of loneliness in Little Rock in 1974 is well-reported and unapologetically sad. Glenn speaks with dozens of lonely people and catalogues the results. “I usually cry at night,” says one. A worker for Central Services for the Elderly describes a client: “Mrs. A, early to mid-nineties, is a very remarkably lady. … I have called her ... to inquire how she was feeling. She is very alone and quite sad.” Glenn never divulges whether he himself is lonely. It is implied. (Nov. 28, 1974) Best complaint “Let’s face it: Arkansas doesn’t have any real bars. … What we’ve got — the result of a half-Baptist, half-hellraiser heritage that causes us to drink wet and vote dry — is a weird assortment of hotels with bars attached (in some parts of the state), restaurants with bars attached (in some parts of the state), country clubs, honky-tonks, and ‘private clubs’ that are such a sham you couldn’t pry the quotation marks off with a crowbar.” (July 1987) Best yesterday feels like today From a 1987 bar guide: “Having survived all that, people say [the White Water Tavern] is just not the same as the old days, before it served mixed drinks, when it was darker … . Despite its slight slicking up, the White Water still has that good neighborhood blend of older folks and college kids, dating couples, married couples, businesspeople, cowboys, and unisex tables of singles who wouldn’t be averse

to meeting somebody cute who also likes to dance to “Hand Jive” or “Mr. Union Man.” (July 1987). Bonus same-as-it-ever-was: “The nice thing about the Capital Bar in Little Rock is that you can pretend you’re a big shot and nobody will call your hand.” Best pulp lede “He used to wear rings on his fingers made of twenty-dollar gold pieces crested with diamonds that glistened on his fat bronzed hands like pineapple rings on a ham.”

From Bill Terry’s dazzling profile of “Big Man,” the 300-pound con man and police informant who played both sides of the street. (March 1978) Best proof the Times is up on the trends “Crystals run computers and keep watches in time, but will they cure diseases and bring about world peace?” (April 1986) “Tattoos aren’t just for bikers anymore. Some dare call them art.” (April 26, 2007)

Worst news that doesn’t change A sampling from 1998: Senate candidate gets in hot water for stating rape doesn’t produce pregnancy because of a peculiarity of female body chemistry. Ugh. Fay Boozman in 1998 (Oct. 23, 1998; great caption: “Boozman: His theory debunked in 1820”). “We have the worst roads of any state,” writes Bob Lancaster (May 22, 1998). “Legal yes; available no: Fewer CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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40 YEARS — The best and worst

BEST GOOF: Arkansas Enquirer (April 1988)

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ARKANSAS TIMES

40 YEARS — The best and worst

BEST WE KNEW THEM WAY BACK WHEN: “Is this Arkansas’s Next Bill Clinton?” asks our headline in Mike Trimble’s 1987 story. Subhed: “No. I’m the first Mike Beebe.” Beebe is a “comer,” reports Trimble. “He’s got the equipment,” Trimble writes. “Good-looking and fit at forty, Beebe need not worry over the fact that the day is probably past when a homely man can be elected to statewide public office in Arkansas.” The look, Trimble adds, is aided by “a haircut of a kind you don’t get in barbershops where the barbers are named Otis.” (January 1987)

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — The best and worst

abortion doctors threaten choice.” (Feb. 13, 1998) The outlook on Mara Leveritt’s hobby horses haven’t improved much in the last 15 years. “As always, the explanation offered for the drive to increase surveillance of citizens is safety,” she wrote (March 6, 1998). And on the “abominable war on drugs,” she wrote, “We are seeing the failure of that meddlesome approach. ... Our prisons are bursting. Families have been shattered. Drug use has not been stopped.” (March 27, 1998).

Best Portis being Portis Some favorite bits from “The Forgotten River,” Charles Portis’ long-form piece for the Times on journeying along the Ouchita River: “The girl behind the bar knew nothing, which was all right. You don’t expect young people to know river lore.” “At lunch one day he found a split avocado on his plate, or ‘alligator pear,’ as it was called on the menu. ‘I had never seen one before. I wouldn’t eat it.’ ”

“[DeSoto] was looking for another Peru, out of which he had taken a fortune in gold. … What he found was catfish.” “Those earnest enunciators who say ‘bean’ for ‘been’ should know that Hakluyt, the Oxford scholar, spelled it ‘bin,’ as did, off and on, the poet John Donne.” “Did they know of any songs about the Ouachita? Well, no. They tried hard, too, to think of a song. Everybody was very obliging.” “My motel room cost only $21, and, as a bonus, a man was practic-

ing law in the next room.” (August 1991) Best description James Carville looks like a combination of “Walter Hussman and E.T.” writes John Brummett from the campaign trail. (May 7, 1992) Best 40-year crusade The Times’ first story on gay marriage comes in 1974 (theneditor Alan Leveritt opens the issue by comparing the struggle

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40 YEARS — The best and worst

for equality for gay people to the Civil Rights movement). From that issue, “Like Any Other Marriage”: After 15 years, Roy and David know that this has worked.” What does a gay couple argue about, we ask? “I argue about the telephone bill being too high and such things as that,” Roy says. We note that Roy and David live “in a society that does not yet fully accept their ideas and actions.” Says Roy, the public is “learning more about it and the more you learn about anything, the less afraid you are of it.” In 2014, the Times cover story on the first legal gay marriages (before a stay in the legal case put the brakes on for now) is headlined “At Last.” We interview dozens of newlyweds. “This is something we’ve waited a long time for and never thought we’d see in this lifetime,” says one new husband, James Paulus. “We just never thought we’d see the day.”

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Best fortune telling A 1974 story makes predictions about what Little Rock would look like in 1990. “There are apparently conflicting ideas about what the city of Little Rock will look like in the year 1990 and what function it will perform. They vary from space odyssey visions of a towering futuristic metropolis where people are clustered like thriving aphids to far more modest projections of an inner-city with pretty, traffic-less streets, quiet parks and cultural areas.” Amazingly, we also predict the precise timing of the rise and fall and rise and fall of Hot Dog Mike decades later. (Dec. 12, 1974)

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SYSTEM ALLOWED GREAT FLEXIBILITY NOT SEEN IN OTHER ARENAS , A LOT OF IT THANKS TO THE ARENA DESIGN BY T AGGART , F OSTER , C URRENCE , G RAY . “W E CAN BE SET UP FOR 4,000; 6,000, 9,000, OR WE CAN BE 18,000, AND THAT ALLOWS US TO DO SHOWS SUCH AS J AMES T AYLOR , WHOSE TOUR BEFORE LAST WAS GEARED JUST FOR THEATERS , OR WHEN

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HAVE BEEN SO MANY HIGHLIGHTS , IT ’ S HARD TO GET

CONFINES .

T HERE

THE ARENA STAFF TO

PICK JUST ONE FAVORITE .

M ICHAEL M ARION , THE ARENA GM, SAID , “T HE ONES R OLLING S TONES STAND OUT . B OOKING E RIC CLAPTON BECAUSE HE ’ D NEVER PLAYED HERE BEFORE AND I’ M AN E RIC C LAPTON FAN . O F COURSE GETTING B RUCE S PRINGSTEEN , THAT ’ S A GIVEN . T HE E AGLES , WE ’ VE DONE THAT SHOW THREE TIMES . I’ D GIVEN UP ON GETTING J IMMY B UFFETT AND THEN WE GOT HIM .” J ANA D E G EORGE , THE ARENA ’ S DIRECTOR OF MARKETING , IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE BACKSTAGE WORK WITH THE ACTS , GETTING THE PERFORMERS WHAT THEY REQUEST . H ER FAVORITE BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCE : “J AMES T AYLOR , HANDS DOWN . H E WAS SO SWEET AND PERSONABLE . H E TOOK MORE TIME WITH US THAN OTHER PEOPLE DID , ALL THREE TIMES HE ’ S PLAYED HERE .” R IDICULOUS REQUESTS FROM TOURING ACTS ARE A THING OF THE PAST IN THE ALL - BUSINESS WORLD OF SHOWS , BUT D E G EORGE HAS STILL SEEN SOME UNUSUAL BACKSTAGE MOMENTS . “T HE DIXIE C HICKS , THEY HAD US MOVE ALL OF OUR FURNITURE OUT OF THE DRESSING ROOMS BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT ALL OF THEIR OWN STUFF . T HEY SET UP , LIKE , SIX LIVING ROOMS IN OUR DRESSING ROOM AREA WITH THEIR OWN STUFF ,” SHE SAID . “A ND F AITH H ILL AND T IM M C G RAW , WE HAD TO MAKE A DAYCARE ROOM FOR THEM FOR THEIR LITTLE KIDS .” T O KEEP ACTS HAPPY , D E G EORGE PUT IN A GAME ROOM BACKSTAGE WITH THE USUAL DISTRACTIONS OF P ING -P ONG , P LAYSTATION , BOARD GAMES AND THE LIKE . “I T ’ S ALL ABOUT THE HOSPITALITY ,” SAID M ARION ABOUT KEEPING TOURING ACTS HAPPY AND WANTING TO RETURN . F OR 15 YEARS , C ENTRAL A RKANSAS ’ LIKES HAVE MIRRORED THE NATIONAL TRENDS , HE SAID . “P OP IS BIG NOW . C OUNTRY IS REAL BIG , IT ’ S ALWAYS BEEN BIG . T HE ROCK OFFERINGS HAVE CERTAINLY GONE DOWN , THAT STAND OUT , WELL , THE

BUT THEN THERE IS THE WHOLE CLASSIC ROCK THING .

W E STILL DO GREAT WITH T OM P ETTY , F LEETWOOD M AC , B ON J OVI AND A LOT OF THOSE ACTS .”

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — Classic stories

40 years, a lot of ink Some of it left a permanent mark.

here have been around 1,300 issues of the Arkansas Times by now, which means our genetic code includes, say, 20,000 stories in print and another 30,000 online. We’d like to think we share some of that code with the great magazines and newspapers of our time. Are we as close to the New Yorker as humans are to chimps? Or are we more like the News of the World? Or the leftist Dissent? The neoconservative Commentary? Or, as Woody Allen would say, their JOA, Dysentery? Whatever, there are a few stories that we think are forever bound up in our history, the ones we free associate with the words Arkansas Times. They’re political stories, crime stories, sometimes political crimes stories. There’s government and guns. Issues of gender and immigration. These bits of our genetic code changed Arkansas’s makeup in one way or another. Among them:

ur 1975 story about a police officer’s scheme to plant marijuana in the car of thenProsecuting Attorney Jim Guy Tucker. Check out the oral history story to get the details on this story, which got a cop fired and almost got an editor shot.

Our 1978 stories on a police sting set up to catch liquor distributor Harry Hastings, an action later ruled by a federal judge as tantamount to entrapment, and our transcriptions of incriminating tapes never put into evidence.

PUT THE TIMES ON THE MAP: A cover story about a Little Rock Police Officer’s scheme to plant marijuana in Jim Guy Tucker’s car.

Our no-holds-barred coverage of the antics of the Arkansas legislature, including the story that brought Sen. Nick Wilson down, about legislators getting million-dollar contracts from legislation they created. Our series of stories in the 1990s during the Clinton administration, sto-

ries less about cigars and more about the political motivation behind Whitewater and Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr, and the collateral damage done to partisan targets in Arkansas. CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

40 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Classic stories

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — Classic stories

Our stories on the crisis at the state’s juvenile holding center (1998), where one teenager hanged himself and others suffered abuse, including sodomy, from older inmates and staff. Part of our reporting was on the DemocratGazette’s decision not to report what it knew about the abuses, withholding the news for packaging later in prizeentry form.

Our stories on the abuse of the Mansion Fund by Gov. Mike Huckabee (1998), who on the advice of his chief of staff used the account meant to operate the public mansion on things such as Velveeta, laundering of jeans, dinners out and the like. Huckabee survived a suit over the use, but the account was no longer used for cheese dip.

Our Arkansas Blog, which has broken stories as diverse as Frank Broyles’ retirement as athletic director at the

Meet the Funders Sponsored by the Arkansas Humanities Council Wednesday, October 22, 2014 • 10 am - 12 noon Ron Robinson Theater 100 River Market Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas

Join the Arkansas Humanities Council for “Meet the Funders” panel discussion to find out what’s trending in local grant making. Discussion will include specifics as they relate to each organization, types of projects funded, best practices, national trends in grant making and more. The event is FREE and nonprofits (museums, schools, not-for-profit organizations, colleges, universities, etc.) statewide are encouraged to attend. The panel includes representatives from: • Arkansas Arts Council • Arkansas Community Foundation • Arkansas Historic Preservation Program • Arkansas Humanities Council • Walmart Foundation • Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Following the 90-minute panel discussion, there will be a 30-minute “Q & A”. Representatives from the Arkansas Nonprofit Alliance will be on hand with resources and information for nonprofits. Resources from the Fayetteville Public Library Nonprofit Resource Center and all of the above organizations will be available as well. The Ron Robinson Theater is accessible. Listening devices for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are available upon request. Sign language interpreters will be provided. For more information, please contact Jama Best, Senior Program Officer, Arkansas Humanities Council at 501.320.5761 or by email at jamabest@sbcglobal.net. Registration is not required but is encouraged. To register, please go to the following link: www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1753144/Meet-the-Funders

CHARGING CHEESE DIP: Mike Huckabee got caught dipping his chip on the public’s dime.

University of Arkansas, to news that the West Memphis Three would be released from prison, to the news that the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences was considering merging with St. Vincent Health, to the private option compromise to expand health care in Arkansas, to Bobby Petrino’s female company on his motorcycle ride, to the intemperate postings about women and cases by Faulkner County Judge Mike Maggio, who has now been banned from the bench, to the list of concealed gun owners (earned a few death threats with that one) …

Our ongoing stories … on the struggles of undocumented Hispanics against bigotry and the ways in which their culture, intelligence and work ethic have enriched our state. Our coverage of inequality of education in the schools. Our longtime advocacy journalism on gay rights, starting our first year in print with an editorial by Alan Leveritt on gay rights as human rights and continuing with our work on gays as loving couples, gays in church, gays in the military, gays battling for their CONTINUED ON PAGE 55

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

40 YEARS — Classic stories

Our newest addition, The Cottages

Excellence Within Reach!

ur mission is to provide a quality, affordable living experience to the elderly in a faith-based community committed to the dignity of our residents. Good Shepherd sits on a 145-acre campus located off Aldersgate Road in the heart of West Little Rock and provides convenient access to West Little Rock’s medical, financial and retail business districts. Over four hundred and fifty elderly residents live in five apartment facilities surrounded by tree-covered landscape that includes an 8-acre lake.

• Affordable housing with no sacrifice to service • Five living facilities – the Moore, the Rhinehart, Shepherd’s Cove, and our latest addition, the Cottages, which all cater to independent living and then the Roberts Building, a Residential Care Facility • 24-hour Security and/or Staff on duty • On-site exercise facilities • On-site beauty salons • Personal emergency alert pendant systems

• Three full-service dining rooms offering home-cooked meals • Transportation with fully equipped wheelchair lift vans • An award-winning wellness program • A family atmosphere in a faith-based community • Now featuring The Cottages

Call TOday FOr MOre InFOrMaTIOn! 501-224-7200 www.goodshepherdcommunity.com

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www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — Classic stories

Drivers Please be aWare, it’s arkansas state laW: Use of bicycles or animals

Every person riding a bicycle or an animal, or driving any animal drawing a vehicle upon a highway, shall have all the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions of this act which by their nature can have no applicability.

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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.

get it

iPhone

anD cyclists, Please remember...

You’re vehicles on the road, just like cars and motorcycles and must obey all traffic laws— signal, ride on the right side of the road and yield to traffic normally. Make eye contact with motorists. Be visible. Be predictable. Heads up, think ahead.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

Presented by your drinking buddies at

www.arktimes.com

JULY 31, 2014

Android

40 YEARS — Classic stories

right to foster children, their battle to marry. We hope to continue to write until all the battles are won.

SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY.

EAT LOCAL

Our clear-eyed reporting of the West Memphis Three case, from Bob Lancaster’s reporting on the trial of Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin in the deaths of three little boys in West Memphis — “The Devil on Trial” — to Mara Leveritt’s continuing crucial investigative stories on the crime, the judicial system and efforts to free the men. www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40 YEARS — An oral history

NEED A RIDE? YOU’LL BE IN GOOD COMPANY!

Providing bus service for the Arkansas Travelers Baseball Club, Arkansas Times Blues Bus trips to Helena, UALR functions, National Guard deployments and more!

ARROW COACH LINES

Family-owned and operated since 1944.

CALL US FOR A QUOTE! 501.663.6002 800.632.3679 arrowcoachlines.com

CONGRATULATIONS

Arkansas Times!

IT’S OUR ANNIVERSARY TOO! Come help us celebrate with great deals!

Mark your calendars for our

Warehouse Sale:

Saturday, September 27 • 9am-5pm

Oliver’s Antiques

501.982.0064 1101 Burman Dr. • Jacksonville Take Main St. Exit, East on Main, Right on S. Hospital & First Left to Burman.

TUES-FRI 10-5. SAT 10-3 OR BY APPOINTMENT

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 Come Have Birthday Cake! We’re Celebrating 5 Years At Our Heights Location!

STUME CONTEST

n The Heights

For All Ages pm tte’s Porch

JOIN US FOR HAPPY HOUR 5-7PM

In 1974, our slogan was “Arkansas is a Natural.” We’ve evolved a bit, and so have you, but you’re still a great vehicle to reach out to educated, hip travelers. Congratulations to Arkansas Times on its 40th Anniversary!

When We Style Your Art, Your Walls Will Love You. Stephano’S

Fine Art GAllery CUSTOM FRAMING – 1813 N. GRANT · 661.0687 56

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

ARKANSAS.COM

DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB © TY - FOTOLIA

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES B

usiness is a part of our everyday life, whether it be for the company we work for or the merchant around the corner. From the rich mix of cultures and backgrounds that we call Arkansas, independent people have pursued their dreams in the business world throughout history. Almost all Arkansas businesses have fought hard for success. From the family-owned to the internationally known, there is something all of these enterprises have in common: sheer Arkansas gumption and a fierce will to survive.

n the following business profiles, pioneer Arka Arkansas businesses stand shoulder-toshould shoulder with young newcomers. What they share is a sense of vitality and an integral place in the fabric of Arkansas. Here are their stories.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER ............................................................. 58 THE BRIDGEWAY .................................................................................... 60 CREWS & ASSOCIATES ......................................................................... 62 GOOD EARTH GARDEN CENTER ......................................................... 64 ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH .............................................. 66 ARKANSAS ONE CALL .......................................................................... 67 CAJUNS WHARF .................................................................................... 68 CENTENNIAL BANK ............................................................................... 69 COLONIAL WINES & SPIRITS................................................................ 70 CONGER WEALTH MANAGEMENT .......................................................71 SNELL PROSTHETIC AND ORTHOTIC LABORATORY ...................... 72 THE WINTHROP ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION ................................ 73 ARKANSAS VOICES FOR THE CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND..................74 CENTRAL ARKANSAS TRANSIT AUTHORITY .....................................74 THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NORTH LITTLE ROCK ................... 75 CYNTHIA EAST FABRICS ...................................................................... 75 KREBS BROTHERS RESTAURANT STORE ..........................................76 THE RIVIERA CONDOMINIUMS .............................................................76 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

Formed in 2001 through the merger of Little Rock Municipal Water Works

PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL VALUE WITH EVERY DROP

CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER

and North Little Rock Water Department, Central Arkansas Water continues to deliver high quality water and dependable service to 400,000 Arkansans throughout the region.

CAW’s work to protect Lake Maumelle helps ensure a reliable and high quality supply of water for current and future generations of Central Arkansans.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

hen Arkansans in Central Arkansas wake up in the morning, many brew a pot of coffee, turn on their sprinklers, and take showers using the high quality and dependable water service that Central Arkansas Water (CAW) delivers to their tap all day, every day. Officials at Central Arkansas Water are keenly aware of the importance of the services they provide to the quality of life and economic vitality of the Central Arkansas region. “We seek to continuously exceed our customers’ expectations while serving as responsible stewards of public health, utility resources, and the environment,” noted Graham W. Rich, CEO of Central Arkansas Water. Formed in 2001 through the merger of Little Rock Municipal Water Works and

North Little Rock Water Department, Central Arkansas Water continues to deliver high quality water and dependable service to 400,000 Arkansans throughout the region. The utility has taken great steps in its 13 year history to build upon and continue its legacy of exceptional service and providing exceptional value in every drop of its clean, refreshing water. “From our leading-edge watershed protection programs, the thousands of water quality monitoring tests we complete

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each year, our use of advanced treatment technologies, and by employing emerging technologies to maintain our distribution system, we take seriously our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for Central Arkansas,” said Rich.

WATERSHED PROTECTION Soon after the formation of CAW, a number of large residential developments threatened water quality in the Lake Maumelle Watershed, the primary drinking water supply for CAW. Though the threats from these developments were quickly addressed, the events led CAW to further enhance its watershed protection efforts. “We completed one of the nation’s most robust and comprehensive watershed protection plans in 2007 with the input of a wide variety of stakeholders from across the region,” indicated John Tynan, Director of Customer Relations & Public Affairs and former Watershed Protection Manager. Early successes stemming from the plan’s implementation include the prohibition of wastewater discharges into the watershed and the establishment of pollutant caps for development. The most recent accomplishment – the adoption of a zoning code for the Pulaski County portion of the watershed – represents a historic achievement for watershed protection. “The unanimous adoption of zoning in the Pulaski County portion of the watershed strikes a unique balance between water quality protection and providing flexibility to landowners in the watershed. It is also the first time zoning has been adopted for water quality protection in the state of Arkansas,” said Tynan. In addition, CAW is a national leader in watershed protection funding mechanisms. The utility established a dedicated watershed protection fee of $0.45 per meter to

fund conservation acquisitions and other protection work in the Maumelle Watershed, serving as an example for other utilities across the nation. This funding source has led to the purchase of over 2,470 acres in the watershed that will be forever protected from development. These purchases include the nearly 1,000 acre Winrock Grass Farm that was acquired in 2012. In addition, the water quality at the grass farm and, in turn, Lake Maumelle has already been improved from streambank restoration activities and will be further improved through an extensive reforestation project on this property in the near future.

WATER QUALITY MONITORING Central Arkansas Water performs over 155,000 water quality tests each year to ensure the safety and quality of water that it provides to its 400,000 consumers throughout the region. The utility’s monitoring efforts occur at every stage of the water treatment and distribution process, from the sources of Lake Maumelle and Winona, through the two treatment plants and distribution system, and continuing all the way to the customers’ taps. “Our utility monitors and tests our drinking water every single day to ensure that we provide our customers the safe, great tasting water that they’ve come to depend on,” says Randy Easley, Director of Water Quality and Operations. “Our monitoring staff doesn’t just look at the numbers – we are committed to service. We respond quickly to all water quality questions and respond to numerous customer requests for sampling each year.” In addition, CAW is constantly adding to its monitoring capabilities in order to inform operational changes with sound science. In 2014, CAW acquired two additional analytical instruments that will significantly increase the number of water quality tests that

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

areas and pulled the new pipe through an existing 115 year old main. In addition to avoiding traffic impacts and minimizing work time, the use of this new technique allowed CAW to complete work under the River Rail Trolley tracks without having to close the trolley down a single time. “Our pipeline replacement and rehabilitation WATER TREATMENT efforts are a critical comCAW treats and distributes ponent of our continuing over 60 million gallons of commitment to provide water per day, enough to exceptional service to our fill over 1 million bathtubs. customers,” said Rich. “A Through the use of both well maintained distribuconventional and innovative tion system ensures that treatment mechanisms Distribution crews at CAW work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to maintain the utility’s we can reliably deliver at its Jack H. Wilson and 2,300 miles of pipelines. our water to your tap Ozark Water Treatment when you need it. We intend to do everything we than in the past. “These treatment plant enhancePlants, CAW has continued to provide a safe, reliable can to provide our customers the reliability of water ments represent a significant milestone for CAW,” source of drinking water to their customers for its service that they have come to depend upon.” With said Robert Hart, Technical Services Officer for the entire existence. aging pipeline infrastructure, the utility estimates utility. “Not only were these enhancements the single CAW installed a number of treatment enhancethat it will need to significantly increase the amount largest treatment project that CAW has completed, ments in 2013 and 2014 to ensure that the quality of replacements and rehabilitations in coming years. but they also provide CAW the ability to meet some of its water continues to meet or exceed all state But with the use of new and emerging technologies of the strongest regulations regarding drinking water and federal standards. CAW began adding chlorine to reduce the impact of these projects on the comquality that have been implemented in recent years.” dioxide as a pre-treatment to its water to reduce the munity and CAW’s history of providing high quality chance of creating disinfection by-products, newly service, these projects will be a sound investment in regulated compounds that can be present in drinkDISTRIBUTION the community’s future. ing water and that are a potential health concern. Over 2,300 miles of drinking water pipelines traverse In addition, CAW rehabilitated all of the filters at the CAW’s service territory. From new pipes to 115 year Ozark Treatment Plant, its oldest treatment plant, old pipes, CAW must continuously maintain its distriESSENTIAL & EXCEPTIONAL and added an additional filtration component to bution system to ensure that it can safely and reliably Clean and refreshing water is essential to sustainthis plant to provide an even higher quality of water deliver its clean, refreshing water to its consumers. ing life and the environment. It is necessary for Over the utility’s 13 the simple, everyday activities of bathing, drinking, year history, it has cooking, and even recreation. In addition, water is averaged 4.1 miles indispensable to the quality of life and economic of main replacements vitality of our metropolitan community. each year at an average CAW works vigilantly and diligently to ensure the cost of approximately high quality of water service that its customers en$1.7 million per year. joy. Their primary focus is on sustaining the quality Recent pipe repair and quantity of this critical resource for current and and replacement work future generations. From the source to the tap, CAW has been completed is well prepared to meet the challenges of the future more efficiently usand provide an essential and exceptional product for ing new technologies generations to come. that allow the utility to reduce traffic impacts and decrease work time on these projects. In 2013, CAW rehabilitated a 115 year old water main in downtown Little Rock using a slipline technique. Rather than excavate entire blocks of the downtown area, CAW averages over 400 water quality tests per day in its efforts to ensure the 221 EAST CAPITOL AVENUE CAW dug in strategic safety and quality of its water. LITTLE ROCK 372-5161 • CARKW.COM can be completed as well as reduce the cost per test. “These and other improvements to our monitoring will provide us more data with which we can modify our operations. Improved operations allow us to continue to provide high quality service at affordable costs to our customers,” notes Easley.

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40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

anniversary celebrations aren’t just about marking time. Instead,

MAKING TIME FOR ARKANSANS

THE BRIDGEWAY

they are about making time for Arkansans.

n 1974, the vision for Arkansas Times was established by an innovative publisher in Alan Leveritt who sought to create a publication that would speak to and for Arkansans. Then, in 1983, in yet another ground breaking move, the first free-standing psychiatric hospital opened its doors to Arkansans. The BridgeWay celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2013, while the Arkansas Times now celebrates its fortieth anniversary. However, anniversary celebrations aren’t just about marking time. Instead, they are about making time for Arkansans.

MAKING TIME FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS Since we began providing quality behavioral healthcare, we have made time for children and adolescents by developing a variety of services to include inpatient care, outpatient services, residential treatment and special education. Through a partnership with THEA Foundation, the hospital recently implemented an exciting, proven way of thinking and teaching designed to nurture the creativity of each student. The BridgeWay Special Education Program, which is certified by the Arkansas Department of Education, is among a small group of schools accepted in the Arkansas A+ Schools Program-the nation’s most successful arts-based, whole-school reform model. The A+ Schools program inspires students to learn by emphasizing the role that arts plays in education. This is accomplished by incorporating the arts into various aspects of learning

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

and providing teachers with resources so that students are engaged in learning. In addition to fostering a more creative and joyful educational environment, student achievement is increased, attendance is improved, discipline problems are reduced, community involvement is enlarged, and parent involvement is strengthened. By making time for the children and adolescents of Arkansas, we are investing in their future.

true for those seniors who are resistant to care. In 2015, services for Arkansas’s growing geriatric population will be expanded to include a new, contemporary wing located on The BridgeWay campus. The program will allow seniors from across the state to receive quality behavioral healthcare in a setting suitable to the Natural State. By making time for the seniors of Arkansas, we are honoring their legacy.

MAKING TIME FOR ADULTS The adults of today are facing challenges not encountered by previous generations. We have learned about those issues and how to treat them by making time for the adults of Arkansas. For both behavioral health and chemical dependency, we offer inpatient treatment, outpatient services, and partial hospitalization to adults. By making time for adults, we are strengthening the families of Arkansas.

MAKING TIME FOR SENIORS Providing quality care for the elderly can be demanding and this is especially

LOCALLY MANAGED AND PUBLICALLY OWNED

SECLUDED AND CONVENIENT

NATURAL AND CONTEMPORARY

Co-founded by a group of communitybased psychiatrists and Universal Health Services (a Fortune 500 company) in 1983, the mission of The BridgeWay is to provide quality healthcare. Through local leaderships and with the support of corporate resources, the mission is upheld today.

Nestled within the wooded hills of Central Arkansas, the location is private and serene. While the setting is secluded, it is located just a few miles from the highways that connect Arkansans, which facilitates admissions and visitation.

Perched atop a forested ridge overlooking the Arkansas River Valley, The BridgeWay affords the scenic views, natural surroundings and wildlife common to the Natural State. With the addition of new units and renovated areas, the hospital blends nostalgic charm with contemporary design.

ARKANSAS TIMES

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40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

MAKING TIME FOR ARKANSANS The success of The BridgeWay stems from our ability to respond to the needs of the community and adapt to an evolving healthcare landscape. Over the years, we have added programs and services based upon the needs of people from every county in the state. By making time for our children, adolescents and adults including seniors, we have been able to provide quality healthcare to over 20,000 Arkansans.

At the groundbreaking for The BridgeWay’s new Senior Psychiatric Center and ECT suites. From left to right: The Honorable Mike Beebe, Governor of Arkansas, and Jason Miller, CEO, The BridgeWay

OPEN AND PRIVATE

LARGE YET SMALL

Stretched across 18 acres, the campus includes vast open areas that invite reflection. Yet those same natural surroundings provide for privacy among patients and visitors, which is essential to improving one’s mental health.

Since 1983, the hospital has grown from a capacity of 66 to 103, and will grow to more than 125 in 2015. Although the facility stands as one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the state, the patients receive individualized care in small yet comfortable settings, which allows for greater care.

THE BRIDGEWAY IS ACCREDITED BY THE JOINT COMMISSION

21 BRIDGEWAY ROAD • NORTH LITTLE ROCK 771-1500 THEBRIDGEWAY.COM ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

The experience, integrity and commitment those seven founders first

WHERE VALUES GO BEYOND ASSETS

CREWS & ASSOCIATES

brought to the table have served the firm and its clients very well, inspiring confidence and positioning Crews & Associates as an industry leader.

hen Crews & Associates Inc. was formed in 1979, the capital base was modest but the vision was bold: to build a solid foundation of long-term client relationships. How? By using a unique combination of product experience, work ethic, integrity and extraordinary service. There were seven visionaries gathered around a makeshift trading table then – John Bailey, Rick Chitwood, Adron Crews, Rush Harding, Jim Jones, Rob Owens and Jim Lake – and together they made a pact to serve Little Rock with expertise and plenty of elbow grease. “When we started, it was one of the worst times to start a fixed-income firm,” Jim Jones, president and chief compliance officer, said. “A dramatic rise in interest rates during our early years produced a

historically high 21% prime rate. It was a difficult environment, but one in which we learned valuable lessons that serve us well today.” Each of the founders had to be willing to wear multiple hats, sharing responsibilities for institutional and municipal sales, general market underwriting and back-office duties. Yet Crews & Associates did more than survive in those early years – the firm thrived, displaying steady growth through even the most challenging economic conditions. In fact, in an industry that is often battered by the rise and fall of financial outlooks, Crews & Associates has remained stable throughout its history by providing distribution for its issuer clients, as well as access and liquidity for investors. Since it opened 35 years ago, Crews &

The Founders Today: Rob Owens, John Bailey, Rush Harding and Jim Jones. 62

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

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Associates has transitioned from a boutique municipal bond shop with just seven employees to a full-service investment banking firm that last year had a trading volume exceeding $20 billion, and now has 204 employees. They include about 154 registered representatives, 39 of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years. The experience, integrity and commitment those seven founders first brought to the table have served the firm and its clients very well, inspiring confidence and positioning Crews & Associates as an industry leader. The resulting growth can be measured in the firm’s size, as well as its stability. Crews & Associates opened its first public finance office in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1994. It currently handles competitive and negotiated underwriting as a senior and co-manager from its 12 public finance offices in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas,

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

of strength and expertise. Louisiana, Maryland, Missis“We are committed to sippi, Tennessee, Texas and continuing the Crews legacy,” West Virginia. Staying abreast of governHarding said, “and to upholdmental and regulatory maning a standard of unmatched service.” dates, as well as streamlining They do that through its business and building conservative management, long-term public finance relationships with its issuer catering to the needs of its clients, has contributed to issuer clients as well as its Crews’ lengthy run, accordinstitutional and retail invesing to Jones. tors, and instituting simple “In the last 30 years, over “back to the basics” business 50 firms have opened and techniques. These include a diligent work ethic, maintainclosed locally,” he said. “Since ing face-to-face interaction, 2008, you had a lot of firms relationships with issuers and with liquidity problems, and investors, hiring and trainlayoffs. We were not highly ing local college graduates, leveraged at all, so we managed and encouraging staff to be to avoid these quantitative generalists in all aspects of pitfalls. We have been a firm the business, such as sales with little turnover and have and trading, and evolving always been nimble without into operations, compliance layers of bureaucracy.” and public finance. Throughout it all, the First Security Center, opened in 2004, is located in the thriving River Market District. Crews’ capital markets original guiding principles – The 14-story mixed-use facility is home to Crews & Associates, a First Security Bank, group has increased the experience, ethics, integrity Courtyard Marriott, and several luxury condominiums. firm’s presence in municipal and service – have remained underwriting, trading and sales, both regionally and firmly in place. And that strong foundation has proven day-to-day management of the firm. nationally. Its municipal inventories typically range invaluable professionally, as well as personally. From In addition to Jones, Crews & Associates is guided 1996 to 2007, three of the original seven founders of anywhere from $15 million to $40 million. by Rush Harding, chief executive officer; John Bailey, While external success is certainly an indication first vice president and equity supervisor; and Rob Crews & Associates – Adron Crews, Rick Chitwood of a healthy firm, internal consistency is also a key Owens, first vice president of corporate trading. This and Jim Lake – passed away. Each of these losses was leadership is backed by a proven team of carefully a significant event, but the remaining four founders component. The financial services industry is recogselected professionals, providing an outstanding level continue to be active in the planning, direction and nized for frequent changes and upheavals when it comes to team members. These changes in personnel can have a negative impact on client relationships, as well as firm efficiency and day-to-day operations. But Crews & Associates has an impressive record of staff continuity, which contributes to high customer satisfaction and the longevity of customer relationships. Today, the Crews & Associates team has even more experience, expertise and practical knowledge to bring to the table. Crews & Associates, a member of First Security Bancorp since 2000, is stronger than at any point in the company’s history, and just as eager to provide the very best advice, tools and service to every client. The firm continues to deliver on its original founding promises – first developed 35 years ago – and looks forward to fueling an even more prosperous future for its clients.

MEMBER FINRA & SIPC

Crews & Associates: Fully invested in Arkansas since 1979.

521 PRESIDENT CLINTON AVENUE, SUITE 800 LITTLE ROCK 1-800-766-2000 CREWSFS.COM ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

The Good Earth Garden Center has its roots firmly established in its long-

THANK YOU FOR GROWING WITH US FOR 40 YEARS!

THE GOOD EARTH GARDEN CENTER

standing tradition of innovation, change and constant growth. As with most great things in life, the development of this locally owned gem has been organic; a result of creative thinking, open thinking and heart...lots of it.

owering pine trees set the stage for the curious mix of vintage finds, garden delights and yes, a sasquatch, at Arkansas’s most notable garden center, The Good Earth. Currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, The Good Earth Garden Center has its roots firmly established in its long-standing tradition of innovation, change and constant growth. As with most great things in life, the development of this locally owned gem has been organic; a result of creative thinking, open thinking and heart...lots of it. The original owners Stan and Betsy Gray began carving The Good Earth Garden Center out of an overgrown, abandoned park in 1974. At that time, Little Rock’s expansion west had not yet begun; Highway 10 was just a highway heading west to outlying country homes. A small staff of five tended the retail garden center and growing facility, and the company’s longstanding dedication to quality and customer service began.

The Good Earth caught the attention of Little Rock natives, Gregg and Julie Curtis; at the time, Julie was a public school teacher and Gregg was in the agriculture and wholesale distribution industry. Gregg’s career had allowed him the opportunity to call on hundreds of garden centers in the tri-state area, and to see first-hand what did and didn’t work. For Gregg, the elements were there; it was just a matter of putting them together in a way that worked. He saw The Good Earth Garden Center as a diamond in the rough with endless possibilities. When the Curtis’s bought The Good Earth in 1998, the term ‘destination business’ wasn’t broadly used, but without realizing it, that was what Gregg and Julie were reaching for… to be the place people wanted to visit. Their journey has been based on how to get there. Understanding that The Good Earth is graded not only by customers’ experiences at other garden centers, but also by every shopping and entertainment experience

The Good Earth’s 13 acre garden center in West Little Rock on Cantrell Road. 64

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

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that their customers have has been crucial to the company’s development. “Customers are our life. And there is no guarantee that they will be present when the gates open. Our goal is to provide the best customer experience every day so we can all help each other earn a living,” says Gregg. “At our core, we all (co-workers) have the same DNA; we are all striving to make the work experience better; to provide the best customer experience possible. We have worked hard to provide the kind of workplace that invites and rewards creative thought process and problem solving.” From the beginning, one major focus has been community involvement. The Good Earth has had a strong focus on the local community, helping local schools, non-profit organizations, fundraising events and volunteer organizations. On their Facebook page, their timeline is filled with mentions of donations and invitations to join in support of local organizations and charities. A more complete list of organizations they have partnered with is available on The Good Earth website: www. thegoodearthgarden.com In the spring of 2011, Gregg and Julie purchased neighboring Arkansas Garden Center-West, expanding the garden center to its current 13-acres. The expansion opened up new opportunities, like an Outdoor Living area and enlarged gift shop. Educational display gardens dot the natural landscape of The Good Earth and free educational seminars are often offered. The Good Earth Garden Center was chosen as the national award winner of Today’s Garden Center magazine’s “Revolutionary 100 Garden Centers” in 2012. In layman’s terms, The Good Earth was selected as the most revolutionary garden center in the nation from a program that recognizes the most innovative, progressive, independent garden retailers

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

Display gardens like these hanging planters create a ‘Good Earth’ experience for visitors throughout the garden center. in the country. When accepting the award at the Atlanta banquet, Gregg said, “We’re here because of a lot of other people. We have such a great team. Julie and I are just the coaches. We work with our staff to develop our company values and also to encourage them personally. We understand that a successful

employee emits an air of joy, ease and confidence to which our customers respond positively. And beyond that, together we make a family and support and celebrate each other as such.” The Curtis’ early goal of being a destination still stands… to be the place people come to for the best

Quirky features like this Sasquatch dot the park-like grounds of The Good Earth.

advice, the natural beauty, and the fun. The small garden center with a staff of five has grown into a full service garden center with a staff of close to 80, complete with an award-winning landscape design/ build team, and other services such as irrigation installation and repair, lawn and landscape maintenance, and mosquito misting system design and installation. The garden center includes an Outdoor Living showroom, complete with an outdoor kitchen and lighting room for customers to experience. The original retail building houses a wide range of expected garden accessories in addition to a unique gift shop, containing everything from scarves, purses and locally handcrafted jewelry to home décor items. Looking around The Good Earth, some unique elements stand out; a 1940’s truck turned garden, a red antique English telephone booth, and a ten foot resin gorilla to name a few. But even without these quirky features, the energy and sales staff emit a welcoming, fun atmosphere that invites a long stay. The pace is friendly and fast; questions are answered with a casual confidence that speaks to the experience of the team. Gregg attributes the atmosphere to the creative freedom co-workers feel, as well as the natural setting, the playground, the one-of-a-kind items and the overall attitude of co-workers and customers alike. This unusual take on a garden center was recently recognized by HGTV Gardens which named The Good Earth as one of the top 13 garden centers in the nation to visit. This special brand of The Good Earth experience is available away from the store as well; The Good Earth has a lively presence on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and You Tube to further develop personal connections with customers. Educational opportunities are offered regularly as are family friendly events like Pooches & Pumpkins, their annual fall festival, complete with a pet costume contest. Gregg says, “We appreciate every one of you that chooses to shop at The Good Earth and helps it to be the success that it is. Every day we strive to be better; every day we strive to provide the best experience possible.”

15601 CANTRELL ROAD LITTLE ROCK 868-4666 THEGOODEARTHGARDEN.COM ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

40 years ago, a Surgeon General’s report—from 10 years earlier—had

TOBACCO IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR: NOSTALGIA MEETS PROGRESS

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

linked smoking to lung cancer. Little action had been taken to reduce smoking rates in those 10 years, but change was on the way.

t’s 1974. You enter a hospital, restaurant, or work place. Half of those in your line of sight are smoking: doctors, nurses, patients, visitors, even a pregnant woman. Through the haze of secondhand smoke, you notice ash trays, cigarette vending machines, and nothing to stop a kid from putting in a few coins and getting a pack of smokes. You sit down and the man sitting beside you offers you a cigarette. Maybe you accept, or maybe you decline. Either way, smoking is socially acceptable and practically encouraged. 40 years ago, a Surgeon General’s Report

Just the right mix of bold stripes and pinup girl to distract you from the

What if cigarette ads told you the way things really were? Like the fact that tobacco smoke contains arsenic, and 68 other toxins that cause cancer. Don’t fall for Big Tobacco’s pack of lies. If you’re ready to quit, we can help. Just call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

(SGR)—from 10 years earlier—had linked smoking to lung cancer. Little action had been taken to reduce smoking rates in those 10 years, but change was approaching. The 1970s saw the end of cigarette advertising on TV and radio, and anyone buying cigarettes was greeted by a written reminder on the pack that smoking was dangerous to your health. In 1988, a SGR declared that nicotine was highly addictive. The 1990s saw policy and systems change, including higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free indoor air laws, and access to cessation treatments. To date, the biggest turning point in the battle against the tobacco industry was the Congressional hearings that found the industry lied about the addictive qualities of nicotine. The industry’s cover up of tobacco’s addictive potential and predatory actions involving children led to the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) in 1999, in which Arkansas was awarded $50-60 million annually to reduce the burden of tobacco. The new millennium brought reductions in smoking rates for youth and adults. The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program (TPCP) works to carry out the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)guidelines. Activities have focused on grassroots education at the state and community level, mass media education, cessation interventions, surveillance and evaluation, and programs for groups harmed by the tobacco industry. TPCP aims to reduce the use of products containing, made, or derived from tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, smokeless, e-cigarettes,

STAMP OUT SMOKING 1-800-QUIT-NOW

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

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Arkansas Department of Health

electronic nicotine delivery systems, and vaporizers. Since the beginning of TPCP, a combined total of 87 smoke free and tobacco free policies have been implemented throughout the state. Despite 40 years of progress, tobacco companies still have a grip on the health of Arkansans. Arkansas ranks 49th in the adult smoking rate and next to last in the youth smoking rate in the country. In 2014, around 5,100 Arkansans will die prematurely from illnesses caused by tobacco. Approximately 69,000 Arkansas children currently under 18 years of age will die prematurely from smoking related diseases without further action to reduce the number of youth who begin using tobacco products. Tobacco use continues to be the number one cause of preventable death in the U.S. and Arkansas. The economic burden is equally alarming: each year tobacco use costs Arkansans upwards of $1.2 billion. As the popularity of e-cigarettes, or vapes, increases, TPCP is addressing the facts and uncertainties around these products. A concern is that these devices are normalizing smoking in today’s society, specifically among youth. Currently, there are no laws prohibiting the use of these devices in public places. The CDC reported that in 2013, 263,000 youth who had never smoked a cigarette used an e-cigarette. The fear is that youth will become addicted to nicotine, which could harm adolescent brain development, cause deficits in cognitive function, and be a gateway to using other tobacco products. Next time you walk into a hospital or restaurant, appreciate the smoke-free air and the absence of ash trays. Value the progress made during the last 40 years to help you live a smoke-free life, as TPCP continues to work toward a tobacco-free Arkansas. If you are a smoker, take steps to quit by calling the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free counseling sessions and nicotine replacement therapy.

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

“We’re the only state that provides a call center and line locators under one roof.”

DRAWING THE LINE: ARKANSAS ONE CALL LOCATES UTILITY LINES BEFORE EXCAVATION

ARKANSAS ONE CALL A

Underground utility lines are being located (above) and marked (below) making digging safer.

lmost anyone who’s had to do major landscaping or building projects that require digging has had to call 811 to schedule someone to come out and mark where buried utility lines are placed. It’s a necessary step required by law in order to save time, money and potentially lives. Here in Arkansas, the company that handles utility location requests is Arkansas One Call (AOC). The efficient system of today – everyone in the country can call 811 and be automatically connected to the right call center in each state – evolved from a much more difficult – and sometimes confusing process. Before AOC was founded in 1978, a person preparing to dig near utility lines had to locate all of the utility companies involved and call them individually. “It was a tedious process,” Bob McArthur, CEO of AOC, said. The major utilities at the time, such as Arkla Gas and Southwestern Bell, decided it would be better to fund a central call center, which became AOC. The new, nonprofit company was incorporated in 1981, and the office contained paper maps of all of the participating utilities’ lines and only about six phones. McArthur said it was hard to recruit utility companies to join, but legislation was

WHY CALL BEFORE YOU DIG?

later passed in Arkansas that required any utility operating the in the public right-ofway to join. Now there are more than 800 members and phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In 1997, AOC joined with call centers in Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi to form Progressive Partnering Inc., a nonprofit that developed a ticketing software named Geocall. Today, 13 states are using Geocall. After proving that outsourcing the call center was effective, in the early 1990s utility companies saw a need to outsource the line location services, which is time-consuming and took workers away from other duties. The utilities weren’t satisfied with the level of service from their location service contractors, McArthur said, so Arkansas Utility Protection Services (ARKUPS) was founded in 1998 as a nonprofit organization to locate lines for 13 utilities. That number has grown to 74 utilities today. ARKUPS also grew from 60 employees to 130. “We’re the only state that provides a call center and line locators under one roof,” McArthur said. ARKUPS and AOC generate $15 million in revenue annually and they continue to grow: The companies will hire 20 new employees in the next year. Three years ago, ARKUPS expanded its business line to include mapping utility lines for private businesses such as hospitals and universities. Businesses and organizations adding to their existing buildings or adding new buildings find that they need to locate the utility lines leading from the right-of-way onto their property in order not to damage them as well, McArthur said. He said it’s an inexpensive service that’s generated $400,000 in revenue this year. “There’s such a demand and it continues to grow,” he said.

Know whatʼs below. Call before you dig.

2120 MAPLE RIDGE CIRCLE CONWAY 328-2555 ARKUPS.COM

he landscape plan is done, the plants and trees are purchased, and the great planting is about to begin. Before a shovel is picked up, though, you better call 811, the number for Arkansas One Call (AOC), the state-wide call before you dig center. AOC allows excavators of all types, including homeowners, to notify multiple utilities of their intent to excavate with a single submission of a locate request, which can be done either by phone or online. The request must be made at least 48 hours and not more than 10 days before the planned excavation. State law requires this request, and once made, professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or spray paint. The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, putting in a fence, building a deck and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting. Striking a single line while digging can cause injury, repair costs, fines that range between $2,500 and $25,000 per violation, and inconvenient outages. “[W]e remind homeowners and contractors alike to call 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said Bob McArthur, CEO Arkansas One Call and ARKUPS. “Failure to call before digging results in more than 250,000 unintentional hits annually, and we do not want anyone’s project to become part of the statistic.” In addition to calling 811, homeowners can contact AOC by calling 800-4828998 or visiting www.arkonecall.com. AOC takes calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making a customer service representative available to you when you need one. To ensure after-hours emergencies are handled as quickly as possible, call in all normal utility line location requests between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

“I believe that great food and service and a genuine desire to make regular

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT 40 YEARS

CAJUN’S WHARF

customers of every guest has been the combination that keeps our guests coming back.”

Chef Mary Beth Ringgold

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ext March, Cajun’s Wharf will have its own 40th anniversary, and Mary Beth Ringgold, one of the partners who owns Cajun’s, attributes the restaurant’s success to never losing sight of its core values. “First and foremost, the customer comes first,” she said. “We focus on exceeding the expectations of our guests. So where our food is concerned, we use the very freshest ingredients in our recipes and our menu is comprised of made from scratch items. I believe that great food and service and a genuine desire to make regular customers of every guest has been the combination that keeps our guests coming back.” These are values that started with Cajun’s original owner, Bruce Anderson, a Beebe restaurateur that decided to try his hand in the Little Rock market back in 1975. Anderson introduced a new style of cooking to Little Rock that included rarely used touches for a volume operation, like hand-breading shrimp. The restaurant was able to go the extra mile in the kitchen and still meet demand through the organizational wizardry of Mike Warr, the first general manager. Ringgold started her career at Cajun’s working in the office of the now-closed Knoxville, Tenn., franchise in 1981, and under Anderson and Warr’s tutelage worked her way up to general manager here in Little Rock and then on to partner in 1988. The restaurant was sold to the Texas-based Landry group in 1993, but Ringgold and her partners bought Cajun’s back in 1999 and did a major renovation that year and another in 2003. Cajun’s owners have obviously hit on a winning formula, but they’re not content to keep things the same. After nearly 40 years of being a dinner-only establishment, Cajun’s recently started serving lunch. Ringgold said several factors played into the decision, starting with the fact that people have changed the way they think about sit-down restaurants.

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“By original design, Cajun’s was considered as a special destination restaurant,” she said. “That was at a time when consumers ate at restaurants much less frequently than they do today. As of recently, I have had many people tell me they eat their main meal out at a restaurant at lunch during the week and they are less likely to venture back out for dinner. So, with dinner service only, we were totally missing that consumer.” “We are perfectly suited for lunch business,” she said. “We are skilled at kitchen efficiencies and have chosen a great lunch menu that can be produced quickly for people who are on a tight time schedules. Additionally, we have abundant parking, private rooms and the ability to seat large parties.” The decision to serve lunch has turned out to be a good one so far. “The response and the feedback have been very good,” she said. “We are developing a lot of repeat customers and making more reservations for larger groups. People like the diversity of the menu and we are seeing growth. The biggest challenge is getting the word out and getting people to remember us as one of their everyday lunch options. We have such a long history of being a dinner house only.” After nearly three decades at Cajun’s, Ringgold said she’s racked up a lot of great memories and stories, from being almost knocked off the roof while in the process of filling a giant -- “and I mean giant,” she said -- inflatable crab to going through the dumpster numerous times to find lost items like false teeth and wedding rings for customers. “Cajun’s truly is a landmark restaurant,” she said. “I am thankful I have had the opportunity to see it through so much of its history. I look forward to our future.” When asked what’s in store for Cajun’s

in the next 40 years, Ringgold said: “I am pretty sure that I won’t make the entire next 40. But I hope that Cajun’s lives long into the future. We have created a business culture of which I am very proud. My goal would be for the current management to take it successfully into the next phases of its development. They will have to be responsive to dining and entertainment trends and a changing landscape of guest expectations. “It is hard to imagine all the advances in technology and lifestyle changes that we have seen in the last 40 years. Regardless of how we advance going forward, I hope that our society will forever enjoy dining out. I hope the idea of sitting down with friends and having a great food and wine experience never grows old.”

2400 CANTRELL ROAD LITTLE ROCK 375-5351 CAJUNSWHARF.COM

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

“We give back to the community, not just with money, but our time

ARKANSAS’S BIG LITTLE BANK

CENTENNIAL BANK

and talent. We are all about people, our customers.”

Randy Sims CEO , John W. Allison, Chairman of the Board and Robert Bunny Adcock, Vice-Chairman

entennial Bank was founded in the late 1990s on the mission to provide customer-focused banking services with a hometown feel, and it’s a mission the bank upholds today as it rapidly expands its footprint across the Southeast. “We’re the regional bank with a heart,” Randy Sims, CEO of Home BancShares, Centennial Bank’s parent company, said. And it shows, with the Centennial Bank logo appearing on football and soccer fields, as well as at other community events or programs. “We give back to the community, not just with money, but our time and talent. We are all about people, our customers,” he said. The seed for Centennial Bank was planted in 1998 when John W. Allison, Home BancShares chairman, and Robert H. “Bunny” Adcock, Jr., vice chairman, formed Home BancShares, which is headquartered in Conway. “At the time, a lot of banks in Arkansas were being bought by national banks,” Sims said. “[Allison and Adcock] saw that

customers weren’t being served like they were used to and decided it would be a great idea to bring back a community bank.” Home BancShares established First State Bank in Conway in 1999. Within the next 10 years, Home BancShares acquired Community Bank, Bank of Mountain View and Centennial Bank in 2003, 2005 and

2008, respectively. Home BancShares and its founders were also involved in the formation of Twin City Bank of Little Rock and North Little Rock, and Marine Bank of Florida. Both of these banks were acquired in 2005. In 2009, all of the banks held by Home BancShares were merged into the same bank charter and became Centennial Bank. Over the next five years, banks in Alabama and Florida, along with Liberty Bank in Arkansas, were brought into the Centennial Bank Centennial Bank branch on Chenal fold, and the company sorts of customers – some who still want now has $7 billion in assets. to come in and visit with the staff, others “During a time of failed [banking] instiwho want it done, and quickly. We offer tutions, we saw opportunity,” Sims said, the full range of services, no matter how adding that banks in Arkansas have bought you prefer to get them.” more floundering banks recently than any Branching out other state, which shows the strength of With locations across Arkansas, Florida the state’s banking industry. and the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Centennial Sims credits Centennial Bank’s success Bank is holding true to its roots and still to that founding principle of serving the looking to grow. community and the customer. He tells “While other banks are saying they’re the story of how a loan officer helped only in Arkansas, we’re glad to be across one customer obtain a home equity line the Southeast,” Sims said. “How many of credit to pay for an overseas adoption. people in Arkansas go to the Gulf Coast of The line of credit allowed the customer to Alabama and Florida on vacation? Now borrow money when he needed it, which they have their hometown bank right there was advantageous, since the adoption took when they need it.” several years to complete. Sims said even as the bank has grown “[The customer] said to me, ‘You don’t larger, it’s managed to keep its “community understand the pressure it took off of me flavor”, something other banks find attracto let me concentrate on adopting my tive when looking for a buyer. daughter,’” Sims said. “They don’t want to lose what they’ve Keeping up with technology worked for in their communities,” Sims said. One part of serving their customers that “Our reputation has helped us expand.” Centennial Bank has embraced is staying on the cutting edge of banking technology. Sims said Centennial Bank was one of the first in Arkansas to embrace full capability mobile banking, which includes making deposits by taking a picture of a check with a mobile phone. It allows the bank to keep customers who move out of the brick-and-mortar service area. “We have customers who moved out of state who are still banking with us and using mobile banking,” he said. “We have all ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

One thing that will never change is Colonial’s philosophy. Our priority

CELEBRATING THE SPIRITS OF LITTLE ROCK WITH CLARK TRIM, PRESIDENT,

COLONIAL WINES & SPIRITS

is superior customer service, always has been. It’s a philosophy we’ll carry forward well into the future.

Q: Give a little background on Colonial. A: The store started fifty years ago as Colonial Bottle Shop in the old Park Plaza, which at that time was an open air shopping center with a central courtyard, goldfish ponds and a bowling alley. When we came on board in 1992, Colonial was at Markham and Bowman. For the next 15 years we grew until running out of room. In 2007 we moved into our current location a block west of Shackleford on Markham. Q: How has the beverage industry changed in that time? A: It’s been dramatic. In 1992 you could count the number of wine, beer and spirits brands available in Little Rock on one hand, with a few exceptions. The big names in wine, for example, were Kendall-Jackson and Robert Mondavi and that was what most people bought. Those brands have been joined by other vineyards in California,

Retro cocktails are more popular than ever. Formerly, the customer went into a store and had to settle for the limited selection that was on the shelf. The range of brands, choices and service available now make this a golden age of spirits for customers.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Washington, Oregon, Europe and South America. Premium spirits, like small batch bourbon, vodka, tequila, gin and scotch are popular to the point of shortage now. Domestic craft beer has become a huge market too. Classic cocktails are more in style than ever, and that’s created a big demand for aperitif and cordial spirits. Q: What’s Colonial’s average customer like? A: Our customers come from all over the Little Rock area. Many of them are planning special occasions, wedding receptions, watch

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Special events elevate shoppers’ spirits, knowledge parties and other celebrations. Colonial’s customers are more educated than ever about the choices they have when shopping for spirits. And they look to Colonial for our customer service, the knowledge of our staff, our selection and our prices. Q: What makes Colonial more than just a liquor store? A: Easy answer: people. Our customers range from a fan picking up a six pack for a tailgate party to a nervous couple registering for their wedding reception. Each of those customers is our boss, and we know very well that our customers are the driving force behind Colonial’s longevity. Then there’s our staff. They’re industry specialists whose knowledge and dedication to service help our customers make an ideal wine pairing, beer choice or spirits selection. Colonial is continually training and educating our people. Many of them have travelled to the vineyards of Napa, the distilleries of Kentucky, the highlands of Scotland or the rice fields of Asia. They know what it really takes to bring the harvest of the good earth into a bottle, and that knowledge is at our customers’ disposal each time they call on us. Q: What do you think the future holds for Colonial? A: This is an exciting time for our industry, and for Colonial in particular. We’ll continue to be a celebration destination. New ways of dispensing beverages—our Growler

Station is one example—bring flavor and freshness enhancements across the board. Our website has undergone a huge upgrade; it’s now possible to go to colonialwineshop. com, build an order using our Concierge feature, and have your selections ready to pick up when you come in the door. That convenience didn’t exist just a few short years ago. The growing interest in locally sourced food and ingredients has already had an impact. Little Rock is home to several breweries and a distillery, all of whom get their ingredients from local farmers when possible. It makes a huge difference in the artisinal quality and flavor of their libations. One thing that will never change is Colonial’s philosophy. Our priority is superior customer service, always has been. It’s a philosophy we’ll carry forward well into the future. Clark Trim is president of Colonial Wines & Spirits in Little Rock: clark@colonialwineshop.com.

11200 W. MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK 223-3120 COLONIALWINESHOP.COM

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

“We take clients from where they are to where they want to be. We don’t

FOCUSING CLIENT PASSIONS TO ACHIEVE LIFE GOALS

CONGER WEALTH MANAGEMENT

sell products or receive commissions from any third parties. This allows us to be objective in strategies and recommendations for each client.”

Live your life the way you want.

onger Wealth Management is a feeonly wealth management firm offering financial planning, tax preparation and asset management located in west Little Rock since 2005. President Cindy Conger, CPA/PFS, CFP®, and her team empower individual clients to make financial choices with confidence, allowing them to focus their passions and achieve live goals. Clients choose Conger Wealth Management team for their competence and the confidence they inspire. They stay with Conger Wealth Management because CWM team members get to know the clients, their families, their businesses and their preferences. “We take clients from where they are to where they want to be,” said Conger. “We don’t sell products or receive commissions from any third parties. This allows us to be

objective in strategies and recommendations for each client.” The secret to CWM success? It’s listening to their clients. Conger said that listening is the most important part of a client relationship. Her team’s ability to get clients to communicate their dreams and life goals is at least as important as their proven ability to write financial plans, prepare tax returns and manage assets. Prior to 2005, Conger was a part of another wealth management firm and

about each other. One had a tax preparaof our core values is to tion company as a nurture our relationships part of that firm for as co-workers so that we more than 20 years. can take the best care of After the partners our clients.” decided to split, One hallmark of the she determined that CWM brand of customer her tax preparation service is the homemade firm would broaden “Southern Baklava,” a to wealth managetwist on the Greek treat ment services with made with pecans that a specific niche. team members cook for “I was divorced their clients during the when my children holidays. These homewere teenagers after baked goodies send a putting my husband loud and clear message through veterinary about the importance school and another Cindy Conger, CPA/PFS, CFP® team members place on graduate degree,” personal relationships. said Conger. “Having been a woman in For each client, Conger Wealth Managetransition, I understand that women ment uses a proven planning process that often lose their decision making involves working closely with the client and partner. I’ve built CWM into a firm her other advisors to identify issues and that can become a woman’s decision review alternatives. CWM team members making partner. What we offer is not assess client situations, articulate their vijust a different level of service; it’s a sions, develop a strategy to achieve their different level of empathy.” goals and help them stay on track. Though not all her clients are Investments are the implementation of women, they make up about 80 pera portion of a financial plan, and Conger cent of her client mix. Conger Wealth Wealth Management believes in setting Management has a reputation for personalized investment guidelines, then financial excellence that gained Conger following those guidelines as a part of recognition by Worth Magazine for the overall plan. All CWM clients have a a more than a decade as one of the personalized investment policy statement top practitioners in the nation. She that guides how their money is invested. was also named to Wealth Manager “Having the financial plan gives us conMagazine’s “50 Distinguished Women text to help with what is going on for our in Wealth Management.” clients, what keeps them awake at night,” The CWM team includes Abigail Conger said. “We help implement the plan Hollar, a Certified Financial Planner®, in such a way that their anxiety is relieved and Melissa McCauley, a Certified and they can rest comfortably because they Paraplanner and the Office Manager. have a financial framework for the tough Another experienced financial plandecisions that lie ahead.” ner will be joining the team in 2015 as a potential firm leader. Hollar has taken the lead in the new MillennialGen option for clients ages 2235 with guidance on establishing a solid financial foundation. It features a low annual fee that includes financial planning, tax returns and asset management to help bring clients’ children into the fold of makPAVILION WOODS BUILDING ing smart financial decisions. 2300 ANDOVER COURT, SUITE 560 “Our team is like a family in its most LITTLE ROCK 374-1174 positive sense,” said Conger. “We care CONGERWEALTHMANAGEMENT.COM ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

From its earliest days—when Babe Ruth was slamming them out of the park, and even before the Titanic sank—Snell Lab has remained steadfast to the visionary philosophy founder R. W. “Pop” Snell lived by, and which is still reflected today in the company’s motto: “The latest in technology and the best in care.”

Snell Laboratory client Shawn Fallin continues to set and achieve performance goals that inspire other amputees and impress the ablebodied—thanks to his high-tech prosthesis.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

SNELL KEEPS ARKANSAS O&P ON TOP OF TECH

SNELL PROSTHETIC AND ORTHOTIC LABORATORY BY JUDY OTTO

company’s longevity is usually a reliable indicator of both its quality and its ability to serve its clients, customers and patients effectively. So when, in 2011, Snell Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory marked its 100th year of serving Arkansas patients, they were justly proud of the reputation those years had helped them build. From its earliest days—in an era when Carrier was still inventing the first air conditioner, Babe Ruth was slamming them out of the park, and even before the Titanic sank and Arizona became our 48th state—Snell Lab has remained steadfast to the visionary philosophy founder R. W. “Pop” Snell lived by, and which is still reflected today in the company’s motto: “The latest in technology and the best in care.” In Pop’s day, rawhide and red willow wood, painstakingly crafted and carved by hand to create individual prostheses, represented the latest technology and materials—but his bold example in devising innovative, insightful solutions has guided the growing company in continuing its leadership role through the years by adopting the most progressive techniques and technology for the benefit of its patients. Over the years, the family has remained committed to that role, creating the benchmark for quality and service in the fields of prosthetics and orthotics by pioneering a list of firsts that includes: • Being the first and oldest O&P business in Arkansas, • the first private sector provider to utilize CAD/CAM (computer-assisted design/ computer-assisted manufacturing) technology, • first to achieve ABC accreditation and certification, • first to establish a statewide network of O&P offices—still the largest in the state, with 10 locations, • and first to establish and join regional and national contracting O&P networks to

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help control patient costs. Snell Laboratory continues to be first to bring many new products and technologies to the state, from the latest in lightweight materials used to create more comfortable prosthetics and orthotics with vastly improved strength and durability, to the most recent advances in computer technology, including microprocessor knees that The first Snell Laboratory-sponsored amputee automatically assess and adjust baseball team, circa 1929—all of them winners! each stride within microseconds, offices to share live observation and evaluallowing amputees to walk normally over ation of a patient’s gait—without delay or varied terrain, and even up and down inconvenience to the patient. State-of-the-art stairs, without conscious thought. VTel equipment allows not only recording Snell was first to introduce Arkansas paand playback to help identify and assess tients to the newest generation of “bionic” gait anomalies, but zooming in for closer upper limb prosthetic technology—the study of detail. first system to employ five myoelectric Five outlying Snell satellites are already sensors that control elbow flexion, elbow connected to the Little Rock home office; extension, wrist rotation, and hand openthe remaining four facilities are scheduled to ing and closing. be video-operational well before year’s end. Snell Lab leads in the field of orthotics, That statewide network of facilities also too, bringing patients an array of exciting reflects Snell-typical growth and progress: possibilities: The computerized knees that In 2012, new offices were added in Pine allow wounded warriors to return to active Bluff and Conway, while the 15-year-old and even competitive athletic lives are now North Little Rock office relocated to handbeing introduced into knee braces, with somely renovated and conveniently acexcellent results. Functional electrical stimucessible quarters across Highway 67 from lation (FES) devices not only help to correct McCain Mall. drop foot conditions, but can sometimes Today, Snell Laboratory continues to lead effectively retrain post-stroke nerves and the way in applying innovation and science enable patients to walk normally—even to provide its clients with the latest and without a brace. the best in communication, design, and Snell Laboratory continues to enthusifabrication to help them enjoy more active, astically investigate and implement new mobile, and independent lives. procedures and methods that keep them in A Little Rock-based company with a the forefront of developing new technolo103-year history, Snell Laboratory has ofgies—through beta testing of new products fices in Little Rock, Russellville, Fort Smith, developed by leading manufacturers; through Mountain Home, Fayetteville, Hot Springs, rapid adaptation of the newest measureNorth Little Rock, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff ment, fitting, and fabrication technologies; and Conway. and through evolving O&P administrative software programs and communications. Snell’s latest strides make them the first provider in the state to adopt video communication technology that will soon link all ten of its Arkansas facilities, providing immediate, interactive, real-time patient consultations and professional videoconferencing across the miles. The system 1-800-342-5541 enables Snell practitioners in different SNELLPANDO.COM

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

The Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of all Arkansans in three interrelated areas — education, economic development and racial, social and economic justice.

Rockefeller served as Governor from 1967 to 1971. He passed away in 1973, leaving the bulk of his estate to benefit Arkansas.

THE WINTHROP ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION

overnor Winthrop Rockefeller was a leader who embraced change. Credited with bringing over 90,000 jobs to what was then an impoverished state, picking up the push to desegregate public schools in the late 1960’s, serving on the board of the National Urban League for nearly 20 years and paving the way for prison reform in Arkansas and across the country, he didn’t shy away from the issues that were important to struggling families and communities. The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, celebrating 40 years of grantmaking this year, is the vehicle through which his legacy continues to be realized. Governor Rockefeller’s ambitious vision of dignity, equity, education and prosperity for all Arkansans transformed the state. Through his own activism as a private citizen and through his work later as Governor, he brought about a change for the better

in Arkansas - in politics; education; race relations; economic development; prison reform; culture, and in the very way Arkansans live and regard themselves. “The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation is the late Governor’s perpetual gift to the state he loved,” said Dr. Sherece Y. WestScantlebury, CEO of the Foundation. “He left instructions to be bold, creative and devoted to a more comprehensive approach to balanced economic growth and human resource development in Arkansas and the

community developimmediate region.” ment, and non-profit The Foundation’s infrastructure, are tied mission is to improve inextricably to the the lives of all Arkansans Foundation’s original in three inter-related mission. areas — education, “If the needle is economic developgoing to move on ment and racial, social prosperity and ecoand economic justice. nomic opportunity Started with a generous in Arkansas, we must gift from the Winthrop have a coordinated Rockefeller Charitable approach that starts Trust, the Foundation in communities and has granted more is inclusive of the than $150 million to business sector and Arkansas nonprofits, public policy makers,” communities and local said West-Scantlebury. and state government “The Foundation’s entities.. Governor Winthrop Rockefeller role is to serve as a In its early years, the catalyst for change and advocate for policy Foundation was instrumental in establishing reform to make possible a brighter future many of the state’s most prominent public for all Arkansans.” institutions such as the Arkansas Arts CenIn recognition of its 40th anniversary, the ter, the Arkansas Community Foundation, Foundation has declared the Year of the Nonwhat would become the Arkansas Rice Profit Leader and in December will honor Depot and the Repertory Theater. There 40 individuals who have demonstrated a were also gifts to establish organizations concern for social justice, educational atsuch as Arkansas Advocates for Children tainment and community change in their and Families and Southern Bancorp that own unique ways. laid that groundwork for the Foundation’s “We’re proud to have had so many continued role in public policy and economic past and current grantee partners through development. which the Foundation has been able to To support his dreams for his state, make tangible impact on the state,” said Governor Rockefeller made sure there was Dr. West-Scantlebury. “Using the occasion no doubt as to what his foundation was to recognize a small segment of those intended to do. leaders is our way of both honoring their “Built into the DNA of this foundation is work and also reminding everyone else an imperative around positive change,” said of the importance of the non-profit sector West-Scantlebury. “The Governor realized and how critical it is that we have strong that lasting impact would only be achieved leaders in the sector.” by building just and caring communities that nurture people spur enterprise, bridge differences and foster fairness.” Having evolved from this legacy, the Foundation is currently in the 1st year of its new 5-year “Moving the Needle 2.0-” strategic plan. Developed in consultation with public and private leaders from around the state, the strategic plan was formulated to concentrate the Foundation’s grantmaking, communications, and other support strategies on a set of outcomes to move 225 EAST MARKHAM STREET, Arkansas from poverty to prosperity. SUITE 200 Each of those outcomes, in the areas LITTLE ROCK 376-6854 of prosperity, educational attainment, WRFOUNDATION.ORG ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

STRENGTHENING AND EMPOWERING THE FAMILY UNIT

ARKANSAS VOICES FOR THE CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND

EVERY GREAT CITY HAS A HEALTHY TRANSIT SYSTEM.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS TRANSIT AUTHORITY

jails since 1991, and are recognized nationally for our work on behalf of the children by the White House, HHS Commissioners, the National Resource Center for Children and Families of the Incarcerated, Rutgers University, and the Open Society of the Soros Foundation. Arkansas Voices provides advocacy for improved policy initiatives to keep these children and families secure and connected during the parent’s absence, with public awareness events, including the annual event, Mothers in Prison, Children in Crisis; Dads in Prison, Children Need Their Dads, the Kinship Caregiver annual conference, and Justice Week for Children of Prisoners. We make presentations and trainings at national and statewide conferences, and hold the annual Southern Summit Conference on Children and Families of the Incarcerated. We have several research publications in national journals concerning our outcomes for the children and families, research on mental and physical health issues for these families, and track juvenile adjudications (0 percent) and recidivism rates Mass incarceration in the US is considamong our parents (8 percent). ered the greatest threat to our children Mass incarceration in the US is in this country. considered the greatest threat to our children in this country. The children of the incarcerated and their families, are unconsidered in the criminal justice and is the third oldest organization in system. Stigma, shame, and trauma the nation to provide these services. A are some of the wounds we inflict on menu of services is offered, including these children who are seldom asked counseling; peer support groups for about in any meaningful way. Please youths, caregivers, and homecoming help us do this important work. parents, community-based and schoolbased groups. Family mentoring, family literacy and home visiting are available from arrest to one year post-release or longer. Parenting after Release, a reunification program, includes support for employment, resumes, clothing, and 1818 N. TAYLOR STREET, #140 household items. We have provided LITTLE ROCK 366-3647 parenting classes in the prisons and ARKANSASVOICES.ORG DON USNER

rkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind is celebrating its 20th anniversary of providing services for children of prisoners, incarcerated parents, and their caregivers from arrest through at least one year postrelease. Arkansas Voices is the only stand-alone, statewide organization in Arkansas with the mission of protecting, stabilizing, and supporting the children

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

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CATA historic streetcar.

entral Arkansas Transit Authority is proud to connect the people of Central Arkansas to their places by bus, historic streetcar and paratransit. We connect people with their places seven days a week. Every day, CATA buses get thousands of people from Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Jacksonville, Sherwood and unincorporated areas of Pulaski County to work, home and school. CATA connects people to their places-26 routes and 49 buses per hour. One CATA bus connects 100’s of people with their places every day. CATA cuts congestion - One CATA bus can move the same number of people that would take 20 cars to move. CATA equals cost efficiency - Buses reduce pollution and enhance air quality. Compressed Natural Gas converted buses are part of the community’s

sustainability solution and will reduce fuel costs by 50% and emissions by more than 60%. CATA contributes economically CATA Rail has had a documented $840 million value for real estate developers according to a 2013 study. Every great city has a healthy transit system. A thriving transit system is vital to a growing city. Our passengers are our top priority. CATA is a reliable, dependable, cost-effective, safe way to connect Central Arkansans to their places.

901 MAPLE STREET NORTH LITTLE ROCK 375-6717 CAT.ORG

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU!

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NORTH LITTLE ROCK

OVER 37 YEARS OF EXPERTISE, CREATIVITY ... AND SHOPPING FUN!

CYNTHIA EAST FABRICS

ongratulations to Arkansas Times for celebrating 40 years reporting in Arkansas! This year also marks a milestone anniversary of 30 years for The North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. After being reformed in 1984, The Chamber has grown to be the 3rd largest Chamber in the state. For thirty years, it has served as an advocate for the City of North Little Rock, working to insure the area has the best chance to attract quality companies. As their first project in 1985, The Chamber led an effort to move utility poles away from the street on East Broadway to improve safety for drivers. The next year, they took an active role in making the city more energy efficient with the construction of the Murray Hydroelectric Plant. The Chamber is also very proud of its relationship with Camp Robinson and Camp Pike. They have helped promote events such as Minuteman Days and have formed a strong partnership with the North Little Rock “Looking North base through a Commuis Looking Good” nity Council. In 2002, The developments in Central Arkansas over Chamber was instrumental in getting the past 30 years, and looks forward the state high school basketball finals to many more. returned to Verizon Arena, formerly known as Alltel Arena. In 2003, they made a stake in revitalizing downtown when they purchased and renovated “Commerce Corner.” In 2007, they worked closely with the city of North Little Rock to move the Arkansas Travelers baseball team to Dickey Stephens 100 MAIN STREET Park across the river. The Chamber is NORTH LITTLE ROCK 372-5959 honored to have been a part of countless NLRCHAMBER.ORG

In addition to one of Little Rock’s largest collections of contemporary fabrics, the Cynthia East showroom is filled with creative gifts and home accessories.

or 37 years, Cynthia East Fabrics has provided world-class decorator fabrics from the same location in Little Rock. With a passion for design and a desire to make quality fabrics in designer colors, prints and textures available to clients without having to drive to Memphis or Dallas, Cynthia East established her store at 1523 Rebsamen Park Road to meet the needs of customers right in her own state. Because nothing rejuvenates a room like new upholstery, Cynthia East Fabrics can help you choose from classically formal to colorfully cool fabrics in solids, prints and endless textures and materials. Whether it’s for inside or outside of your home or business, Cynthia East Fabrics will work with you to put your own personal statement of style throughout your space. The newest trend to take hold in interior design is wallpaper, and Cynthia East has a wide selection of decorator styles from which to choose and base a room. Wallpaper gives a room character, dimension and pattern, and today, they come in sophisticated designs and improved materials. The professionals at Cynthia East Fabrics can help you determine the right type of wallpaper for your project, one that will work with the overall design and feel you want to achieve. Today, Cynthia East Fabrics stocks

hundreds of fabric bolts and has more arriving each day. In addition to in-stock fabric, Cynthia East Fabrics provides labor as well as trim, accessories, ready-made drapery panels – even gifts. As the professionals at the store like to say, they have years of experience but are well known for being a whole lot of fun, too. Whether you are looking for a unique gift, just the right accessory to accent your home, a particular piece of furniture to finish a room or a particular fabric to tie it all together, Cynthia East Fabrics has all of this in-store for you. To see how Cynthia East Fabrics can help you make your home, office or outdoor living area the most beautiful and comfortable place possible, visit the store at 1523 Rebsamen Park Road in Little Rock, online www.cynthiaeastfabrics.com, like on Facebook at www. facebook.com/CynthiaEastFabrics.

1523 REBSAMEN PARK ROAD LITTLE ROCK 663-0460 CYNTHIAEASTFABRICS.COM

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

40TH ANNIVERSARY BUSINESS PROFILES

COOK LIKE A PRO

KREBS BROTHERS RESTAURANT STORE

LIFE IS BETTER AT THE TOP

THE RIVIERA CONDOMINIUMS

“Outfitting your kitchen like a professional is a piece of cake at the Restaurant Store.”

or more than 80 years, Krebs Brothers has supplied equipment and supplies to Arkansas restaurants, hotels, hospitals and schools. Founded in 1933 as Krebs Brothers Supply Company, the company was originally more of a hardware store, selling Sargent Locks and Sterling paint. When it moved from W. Capitol St. in downtown Little Rock to Westpark Ave. in midtown, Krebs Brothers expanded into a restaurant equipment and supply company, completing its evolution and establishing it as the premier supplier for all things food service related in Arkansas. In 2006, Krebs Brothers expanded again to a new and larger location in North Little Rock, which allowed the company to open The Restaurant Store, a retail outlet and cooking supplies store serving central Arkansas. Today, Krebs Brothers Restaurant Supply helps food industry customers find solutions for new restaurant design, reconfiguring and installing kitchen equipment, and providing options in new and used equipment. For the home chef, Krebs Brothers’ Restaurant Store is a haven of top-of-the-line cook and bakeware. The Restaurant Store stocks cutlery from brands such as Dexter, 76

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

Shun, Wusthof and Kyocera, and it offers a wide range of bakeware from Vollrath, Thermalloy, Mauviel, USA Pan and Nordicware as well as cutting boards, kitchen utensils and gadgets. Leo Krebs may not have realized just how far his company would go in almost a century, but Krebs Brothers is taking central Arkansas by storm. Whether you are a professional chef or aspire to be, Krebs Brothers can help you make the most of your kitchen equipment. For specials, promotions and featured sales, visit us online or in person. For more information about how Krebs Brothers can help outfit your professional kitchen, 501-687-1331, toll free 800-632-4548 or e-mail jill@ krebsbrothers.com.

4310 LANDERS ROADS NORTH LITTLE ROCK 687-1331 KREBSBROTHERS.COM

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The Riviera Condominiums can be viewed 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; Saturday and Sunday by appointment. For more information, visit our website or call Nina DuBois at 501-349-2383, Riviera Real Estate.

rom sophisticated and elegant homes to the best urban life has to offer, the Riviera Condominiums has it all. Located in Riverdale – an area with a number of premiere restaurants, hot dance music spots and boutiques — the Riviera offers convenience and quick access to downtown, the Heights, Hillcrest and North Little Rock, as well as major interstates and the airport to get you to your next travel destination. Riviera is located next to several spacious recreational areas, with golf courses at Rebsamen and Burns parks, hiking/biking trails at Two Rivers Park and the Big Dam Bridge, where you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Arkansas River. The high rise tower affords some of the most scenic and breathtaking views of the Arkansas River and downtown Little Rock. There are a number of condominium configurations available, ranging from 832 square-foot one-bedroom units to spacious 1,700 square-foot three-bedroom units. In addition, the penthouse suites

are an incredible 2,850 square feet. Also, there are a number of financing options available, from a lease-topurchase plans to 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, and unfinished units can be customized to fit your decorating style. Each home has its own private balcony, and owners enjoy quite a few perks, including onsite security and maintenance, covered parking, storage, a fitness center, and a swimming pool. If you are thinking of simplifying your lifestyle, maximizing your time to enjoy family and friends and experiencing more of the world around you, schedule a visit to visit Riviera Condominiums, a community we call home.

3700 OLD CANTRELL ROAD LITTLE ROCK 747-1234 RIVIERALITTLEROCK.COM

Celebrate Arkansas Artisans! Beautiful handmade quality products by Arkansas artists!

DIY Scrimshaw Knife Kit

No Place Like Home Tee

WooHoo! Snacks

Boxley Buffalo River Shirt

Mollyjogger Fayetteville, AR

ShopELL Little Rock, AR

Woo Hoo! Little Rock, AR

Mollyjogger Fayetteville, AR

Build something practical with this DIY Scrimshaw Knife Kit. The kit includes everything you need to create a one-of-a-kind pocket knife. It’s a perfect starter introduction for scrimshaw. Add a family name, original design or an organization’s symbols to the classic trapper-style pocket knife.

No matter where you go, your home town is always close to your heart. The No Place Like Home Tee is a super soft, relaxed fit grey tee, with “there’s no place like home” boldly printed in black letters. This unisex shirt is perfectly low-key and begging to be your new go-to shirt.

A perfect afternoon pick-me-up. An accompaniment to your favorite adult beverages. A near-sinful pleasure for any time of the day. Blah tasting snacks chock full of unhealthy ingredients are being overtaken by by this salivating recipe made with incredible ingredients. WooHoo!

The Boxley Buffalo River Shirt has been appropriately named after the scenic Boxley Valley, also known as “The Big Buffalo Valley Historic District,” in the Buffalo River National Park. The vintage charcoal print on green was designed by Arkansas native Bryce Parker Harrison and we think it makes for the perfect summer shirt.

Handmade Girls Dress

PK Grills – The King Of Charcoal Cooking

Junior League Cookbook

Tea Cookies in Lemon, Key Lime and Raspberry

Kayla J. Rose Designs Jonesboro, AR

PK Grills Little Rock, AR

These beautiful, expertly-crafted Handmade Girls Dresses are the perfect, easy go-to summer outfit for your favorite southern girl. She’ll love putting on either of these fun numbers from Kayla J. Rose. This Handmade Girls Dress is full of color and complete with ruffle sleeves and a simple and stylish drawstring waist.

PK Grills are the shizzz. Smokes as well as it grills. Superb temperature control, 4 vents. Heavy cast aluminum construction that will never rust. Reflected heat allows for more even cooking. Hinged grid allows easy refueling, without removing food.

More at:

ArtisanArkansas.com Order online today!

Junior League of Little Rock Little Rock, AR

The Junior League of Little Rock’s newest fundraising cookbook, “Big Taste of Little Rock” received high praise. You’re sure to find something to tempt your taste buds with over 250 recipes in six chapters, and filled with gorgeous photography, it’s a treat for the eyes as well. It is sure to be a treasured kitchen companion.

ARTISAN ARKANSAS By

J&M Foods Little Rock, AR Delicate and sweet, these tea cookies are the perfect way to satisf y your inner sweet tooth. Made with only the finest natural ingredients like creamer y butter, chocolate, raspberries, real lemon and lime juices, cinnamon and nutmeg. Enjoy them with your favorite cup of tea, cof fee, ice cream or all by themselves!

arkansas times

Arkansas Grown Products www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

CELEBRATING

Arkansas Times PROFILES ARE INTENDED FOR INDIVIDUAL AGENTS.

Quarter Page Profile: $495 One agent photo with a maximum of 150 words of copy. A logo will be included.

NINA DUBOIS

ina is Principal Broker of Riviera Real Estate, as well as property manager at Riviera Condominiums. She brings 10 years of real estate experience as well as over 20 years in sales and customer service. Her real estate experience began with residential properties, then shifted to include, condominiums sales, specifically the sales and management of Riviera Condominiums. Nina excels in assisting and guiding buyers in the condominium lifestyle experience. Not only is Nina selling the lifestyle, she is living it as well. She can help make your condo living dreams a reality. For more information on having a simpler, worry-free living experience, call Nina today.

501.349.2383

www.RivieraLittleRock.com

real estate broker

MARIE STACKS

aving grown up around the world and moving to Little Rock more than a decade ago, Marie knows how to make a new city become home. As the founder of the Rotaract Club of Little Rock, Marie knows that building a career is about helping build the community in which you live through service and professional development. Marie knows what it takes to call Central Arkansas home, and is dedicated to helping her clients find the perfect home that connects them to what they love about their city. After living abroad in Argentina, Marie renewed her second language of Spanish and earned her B.A. in Spanish as a Donaghey Scholar from UALR, along with a Master’s in Health Service Administration from UAMS. In her leisure time, Marie enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and training for half marathons with her Belgian Malinois, Apollo.

real estate agent

501.944.5120

marie@ThePropertyGroupAR.com

MICHELE PHILLIPS C

Who’s Who in Real Estate CATHY TUGGLE W real estate agent

ith over 23 years of experience in Real Estate and Relocation Services, as well as 15 years as a business owner and principal broker of Apartment Hunters and Arkansas Suites, Cathy Tuggle has all the insight on all your relocation needs. Cathy is from the Central Arkansas area and thrives on the success of our city, and sincerely cares for the people who live here. She believes in providing the best pricing as well as the best customer service in short- and longterm options throughout the Central Arkansas area. Whether you are looking for an apartment, condo, rental home or corporate suite, Cathy and her team are the professionals to call. Involved with many organizations and nonprofits in the area, Cathy believes in giving back! She’s a huge advocate of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and has held the Membership Chair position for the past two years. Also serves as the Chair for Make-A -Wish Mid South and has been involved in making the wishes of local children with life-threatening illnesses come true. Being a part of the community and doing whatever it takes to give back is what it is all about! “Pay it forward and you will see miracles happen!” 501.219.APTS

Tuggle Services, Inc. A Real Estate and Relocation Service dba Apartment Hunters and Arkansas Suites

cathy@lrapartments.com

an you believe we have been open 3 years? Opened the doors with only one… and we now have 22 Licensed Agents and Brokers ready to assist you! Total sales to date… 493! That is an average of selling a house every 2.22 days!! For all of your Central Arkansas Real Estate needs… We are right here for you! Locally owned! Tons of experience! Very knowledgeable about this market area! We now do property management! Give us a call or come by for a visit! We are located at 8700 Hwy. 107, Suite A in Sherwood. Visit us on the web or on Facebook at Michele Phillips & Company Realtors. We continue to be “The Realtors Your Friends Recommend!”

Principal Broker

501.834.3433

www.michelephillipsrealtor.com

MARVA CALDWELL

arva Caldwell is a full-time real estate professional with over 16 years of experience in the industry. Marva’s knowledge and expertise of the real estate market in the metropolitan area is how she is able to provide “Top Quality” service to her clients. Marva’s ability to work West Little Rock, Chenal Valley, Maumelle, Benton/Bryant, NLR/Sherwood and Cabot helps clients to relocate to the area that most meets their needs.

501.944.5115

mcaldwell@cbrpm.com

real estate agent

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50 Breweries & Over 250 Beers The Arkansas Times along with the Argenta Arts District is excited to announce their third annual craft beer festival. We want to share the celebration of the fine art of craft brewing in America by showcasing over 250 beers.

One big night of fun, food, entertainment & tasting fine beer!

Local Live Music!

Restaurants

Arkansas Ale House (Diamond Bear Beer), Cregeen’s Irish Pub, Crush Wine Bar, The Fold Botanas & Bar, Reno’s Argenta Cafe, Whole Hog North Little Rock, and

(included in ticket price)

October 24 - 6 to 9 pm th

RAIN OR SHINE!

Argenta Farmer’s Market Grounds 6th & Main Street, Downtown North Little Rock

TICKETS, BREWER DETAILS & MORE AT:

arktimes.com/craftbeerfest Buy Tickets Early - Admission is Limited

$35 early purchase - $40 at the door

Presented by

Participants must be 21 years or older. Please bring ID.

Participating Breweries

PLUS!

Abita, Anchor, Bayou Teche, Boulevard, Breckenridge, Charleville, Choc, Core, Crown Valley, Diamond Bear, Evil Twin, Finch’s, Flyway, Fossil Cove, Goose Island, Green Flash, Lazy Magnolia, #arkcraftbeer Marshall, New Belgium, North Coast, O’Fallon, Ommegang, Ozark Beer Company, Piney River, Prairie Artisan Ales, Saddlebock, Samuel Adams, Shiner, Shocktop, Sierra Like us at Nevada, Stone’s Throw, Tallgrass, The Saint Louis facebook.com/arktimescraftbeerfestival Brewery, Tommyknocker, Vino’s www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Arts Entertainment AND

Seth Pratt: A star is made How a stylist and designer from smalltown Arkansas helped create the next big thing in pop. BY ERIKA JARVIS

n Los Angeles, stars are not so much born as handcrafted, in Seth Pratt’s case out of body stocking, milliner’s mesh and industrial-strength spray glue. The 28-year-old stylist from Paragould is gaining a reputation among ascending pop stars for outfits with viral appeal, such as the “Barbarella”-inspired twopiece worn by Ariana Grande in her latest video, “Break Free.” Pratt came to L.A.’s attention in particular for his work with Brooke Candy, the 25-year-old former stripper who at this point seems primed to out-do Lady Gaga as leader of the pop avant-garde. Among Candy’s most memorable outfits are the futuristic, full-body metallic suits created for her by Pratt, which Candy made famous in fashion magazines and music videos. Or perhaps it was the other way around? By L.A. standards, Pratt is probably a bit too pale and a bit too skinny, but he is also darkly handsome, with a ring through his septum like a bull. He moved to L.A. from Paragould in 2007, after scoring an internship over MySpace with designer Brian Lichtenberg. “It was exciting for a kid from Arkansas,” he told me over the phone from his Boyle Heights studio in downtown Los Angeles. “I kind of got lucky. I dropped right into what was cool and, like, the underground scene.” One of his first tasks as an intern was making stage wear for M.I.A., the art82

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ARKANSAS TIMES

FINDING HIS WAY IN L.A.: Paragould native Seth Pratt designs for the likes of M.I.A. and Brooke Candy.

ist perhaps best known to mainstream America for raising her middle finger at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012. Back then she was a little-known artschool graduate from England, and the most refreshing thing in pop after Britney burned out. Pratt says they made “all this hologram, futuristic stuff,” for M.I.A. to wear on stage, adopting early the move away from bare midriffs and pierced belly buttons toward pop music as high art. After finishing with Lichtenberg’s studio, Pratt fell into a variety of hustles: lingerie, retouching — filling in the time until his big break would come. She arrived wearing a studded vest

and from certain angles looked like a young Madonna. Her name was Brooke Candy, and Pratt met her through his firstever boyfriend. (Growing up Church of Christ in Paragould, Pratt didn’t come out until he was 23. Of growing up religious, he says, “I am a better person for it.”) If Pratt’s talent was to make the kinds of outfits that established an artist as a trailblazer, Candy’s was that she was utterly fearless when it came to what she would wear. She had broken down any hang-ups as an exotic dancer in strip clubs, and Pratt made her the most fashion-forward stripper wear in Los Angeles, “skimpy little thong-bikinis out of repur-

posed Louis Vuitton handbags and things like that,” he said. But Candy had decided she wanted a career in music — as a rapper, to be precise (Brooke Candy is not a stage name, but her birth name), so Pratt made her outfits for that, too. Sometimes he would perform backup for her on stage, as a persona he created called “Closet Boy.” Speaking to Pratt on the phone, it’s very hard to imagine, since he comes across as very shy. Nevertheless, in the background of some of Candy’s older videos you can sometimes spot “Closet Boy,” wearing little dark glasses and nodding along to the beat. They were incredibly close, living together in a run-down artist’s loft in Echo Park, and later in Candy’s apartment. Sometimes, she would get the urge to get tattoos, and she would pay for Pratt to come with her and get tattooed as well. Today he has an “Arkansas” tattoo on his neck, “Now We’re Talkin” on one pec, and a quote from Valeria Lukyanova, sometimes known as “Russian Barbie,” on his arm. (“People aren’t going to want to listen to a nun talk about spirituality, but they will the Russian Barbie,” he told me. “They’ll look and listen. And that’s the idea.”) He also has BROOKE CANDY spelled out in neat block letters on his left bicep, surrounded by a simple heart outline. “My best friend proved his undying love for me @sethpratt” Candy posted on Instagram. “You are my baby angel lover girl.” Because their lives were intertwined, their breakthrough was a shared affair also. It came after Canadian musician Grimes contacted Candy about starring in her upcoming music video. For costume inspiration, Grimes sent Pratt a Google image of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. The resulting video, “Genesis,” was released in 2012 and is now considered an indie-music classic, largely because of Candy. Or perhaps because of the metallic silver Seth Pratt suit he created for her. Either way, it winked as brightly as freshly polished rims under the California sun as she writhed and gyrated for the camera. Later, Grimes emailed Pratt to tell him, “Your outfit made the video.” More videos followed, with both Pratt and Candy shredding the fashion envelope. Pratt began to receive commissions from other musicians, like the rapper CONTINUED ON PAGE 84

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

A&E NEWS LAST WEEK, GET HIP RECORDS in Pittsburgh re-released the Arkansas psych and garage rock compilation “Lost Souls Volume 1” (previously available on CD) on 180-gram vinyl. The compilation, assembled by the Arkansas label Psych of the South, founded and supervised by researcher and occasional Rock Candy contributor Harold Ott, is a classic glimpse into a nowvanished Natural State ‘60s rock scene, featuring groups like The Blue and The Gray, The Yardleys, The Problems of Tyme and The Barefacts. Order a copy at gethip.com, and read more about The Barefacts (and other lost Arkansas garage bands) at the Times culture blog, Rock Candy.

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ON TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, THE LITTLE ROCK-BASED OXFORD AMERICAN magazine will host a screening of “The 78 Project.” The documentary focuses on the efforts of producers Alex Steyermark and Lavinia Jones Wright, who “record today’s musicians with yesterday’s technology,” in this case, a 1930s PRESTO direct-to-disc 78 recorder. Local favorite Adam Faucett will be on hand to cut a record live onstage, and Oxford American Associate Editor Maxwell George will moderate a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening. COMING UP IN OCTOBER: SEMINAL HARDCORE BAND 7 SECONDS will play a rare show at the White Water Tavern on Wednesday, Oct. 29; jazz group The Bad Plus will be at South on Main on Thursday, Oct. 2; Bret Michaels will be at Juanita’s on Friday, Oct. 3; R&B singer (and former Gap Band frontman) Charlie Wilson will be at Verizon Arena on Saturday, Oct. 4; the Drive-By Truckers will be at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville on Tuesday, Oct. 28; Foster the People will be at the Walmart AMP in Rogers on Thursday, Oct. 9; rapper Kool Keith will be at The Joint on Thursday, Oct. 9; Ty Dolla $ign will be at Juanita’s on Sunday, Oct. 5, and Yelawolf will be at Juanita’s on Sunday, Oct. 26.

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SETH PRATT: A STAR IS MADE, CONT. Azealia Banks, who That included got him to create an working on his outfit for her perforown menswear line, mance at an affair Pratt, which unlike called the “Merhis costume line is maid Ball,” and a more wearable (relloopy Estonian pop ative to which part of the country you star named Kerli. Yet another of his get dressed in). One designs was modof “fanciest” pieces eled by the British STYLED BY PRATT: Brooke Candy. in the collection is a supermodel AgyT-shirt with handness Deyn. sewn muscles, a literal “muscle T” that Meanwhile, Candy was approached he wants girls to wear, too. He doesn’t by Nicola Formichetti, who as Lady have a women’s range yet, but when Gaga’s chief stylist was behind such he does he probably won’t get Candy looks as the infamous and terrifying to model it. Which is not to say that they’re not meat dress of 2010. Pratt says that Formichetti was very respectful; he still very close. When I spoke to Pratt wanted to style for Candy but he didn’t on the phone, Candy had just texted him want to step on anyone’s toes. But Pratt about coming to her video shoot the next was fine with it. “I was living with day. “She wants to make me ‘albino,’” he her and working for her and it all got said, sounding a little bit reluctant but so much and I was not doing what I also resigned to it. “I don’t really want needed to be doing for myself, you to get my eyebrows bleached and dyed back again, but I guess I will ...” know?” he told me. ARK IN LITTLE ROCK, CONT. tribute product information — including videos — to the website and, once published, the website will direct that information to linked social media. The company will also invite beauty bloggers to come on to the site — Mitchell said there are 300 so far she knows she’ll invite. Beauty product companies, Mitchell said, “want more exposure. … This will be a centralized place for them to advertise” to women of color. Mitchell, who worked with the Downtown Little Rock Partnership and a small business consulting firm, came up with the idea for the company in her last semester at UCA, where she earned a master’s degree in community and economic development. She has contracted with a web developer and four content producers for the initial rollout, which should be in a couple of weeks.

Linked Cause David Woodbury, 33, of Minneapolis, a member of the online founders collaborative F6S.com, has developed Linked Cause, a company whose platforms offer mutually beneficial opportunities for non-profits and businesses. Already online is Eatiply, which has 100 accounts in the United States, including 20 in Arkansas. Here’s how Eatiply works: Restaurants feature a separate menu that diners can order from and part of the charge goes to a 84

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ARKANSAS TIMES

food-related nonprofit — “eat a meal, give a meal” is the slogan. In Arkansas, the nonprofit that benefits is the Arkansas Rice Depot. The diners know they’re contributing to a good cause and the restaurant gets business. Now Woodbury is working on Drinkaply: The cause is global access to clean water. Through Drinkiply, when someone purchases a drink, the participating restaurant will donate to a nonprofit an amount of money equal to one person’s water needs for a day. Woodbury, a former businessman and food truck owner, launched Eatiply in 2013; he said he was inspired to do cause-related work by Blake Mycoskie’s business model for Toms Shoes (buy a pair to give a pair).

tagless.com Like Linked Cause, tagless.com combines philanthropy with business. Gabe Couch, 29, of the tech design collaborative Few, is creating a website where users can hook up with a personal stylist to shop for clothing bought from philanthropic non-profits. Unlike other online shopping-forcharity companies, tagless.com buyers will shop at used clothing stores, making buying from tagless cheaper than the fairly expensive charity companies now in business. Users will sign up with the stylist, who’ll find out what sorts of clothes they like and shop for them. Users can choose

when the shopper should send things Shellabarger of NovaSys Health. The to them, and can keep what they want company also employs a team of develand return what they don’t. opers that includes freelancers in Italy, “We’re focusing on men right now,” Lithuania and Bangladesh. Not only will Couch said; “there’s a big boom in the software help students and schools [online] men’s shopping.” verify hours, but Acorn will have a webThe slogan for tagless.com: “The site where students can post about the best dressed for the right reason.” places they served and the work they did, Couch said the business model — which information useful to nonprofits looking benefits the needy as well as the com- for good volunteers. pany — is a “millennials” model: “We Allan said that research shows that look at ways to give back. That’s the doing volunteer work reinforces the way we’re wired.” desire to do more, so it’s not all about the money, which will come from the sales The BVAD of software. Allan has got five schools Spencer Jones, 23, was in nursing signed up so far; he wants to have sold school at the University of Arkansas the software to several times that number when he was asked at his job to draw by Demo Day. blood on a patient. “They had an IV site, and I said, ‘Can I stop the infu- Fair Share sion and pull blood?’ They said no.” You may have seen the YouTube Jones thought that was silly. “We’ve got introduction to Fair Share’s Matt Bakke, DaVinci [surgical] robots and we can’t Matt Seubert and Chad Hood (the one create an IV site where we can pull out with “the prettiest face”). The Bentonwhile pushing in?” Jones said the need ville High School alums, all 23, who for the idea will be clear “if you’ve had reconnected at the Walton School of family in the hospital recently,” and Business at the University of Arkanthey’ve suffered multiple needle pricks. sas, have pooled their various talents Especially if the patient is a diabetic, to come up with a way to track buying who needs blood draws four times a patterns so companies can compete for day, often starting at 4 a.m. “A lot of business. “We were informed by our people say they can’t go to sleep after experience in the Walmart culture,” that,” Jones said. Bakke said. Jones, now in residency at St. VinHere’s the idea: You share your cent Infirmary Medical Center, decided banking information (via a secure form, to develop his idea — the only hard- through what is called an aggregator ware in the Challenge — after an inspi- API) with Fair Share and once your bank rational talk in a cab ride home from approves the transaction, it sends future a wedding. He said his device — the credit card charges to Fair Share’s databifurcated venous access device, or base. All information is stored anonyBVAD — is intricate “but the concept mously; “we’ll never know who you are is simple.” Thanks to its two-channel as a person,” Bakke said. The informaconfiguration, the device will allow tion is sold to companies looking for new blood draws a bit upstream from the buyers. For example: If Target sees an delivery IV, “and the great thing is account that is spending a lot on widgets it’s all painless. It’s just a much bet- at Walmart, it could offer that account ter option for patients.” Jones is in through Fair Share a gift card to draw talks with a manufacturer, though that account’s business to Target. Fair the “design specs aren’t nailed to the Share users access deals information floor yet.” He hopes to have a prototype through an app; that way companies are ready by Demo Day; FDA approval will not directly contacting account holders. have to come next. Bakke said it’s not just retailers, but other entities — like hedge funds and Acorn Metrics banks — that will be interested in seeDavid Allan, 23, took a year off from ing the buying trends of Fair Share’s Hendrix to do community service in Chi- transaction pool to make decisions on cago through City Year. It was an experi- investments and lending. “There’s an ence “that helped me get myself together,” entire shadow world of data out there,” he said, and got him thinking about service Bakke said, with company cookies trackhours, and how software could help stu- ing what products you’re buying and dents and schools keep track. He came up shooting advertisements to you on, for with Acorn Metrics, took park in the Start example, Facebook. “We want conUp Weekend 2013, and is now an Innovate sumers to get their fair share,” Bakke Arkansas firm. His partners are Josiah said. “It’s a rather involved technology,” Brann, 20, a student at UALR and the Bakke said, “but we’re making awesome youngest member of any team, and Scott progress.”

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69 85

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY LESLIE NEWLL PEACOCK AND WILL STEPHENSON

TUESDAY 9/23

WWE SMACKDOWN

6:45 p.m. Verizon Arena. $17.50$97.50.

LOW-DOWN FREEDOM: Billy Joe Shaver will be at White Water Tavern 9 p.m. Thursday, $30.

THURSDAY 9/18

BILLY JOE SHAVER

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

I quit my last job in Atlanta the day after George Duke died — I remember that because the radio stations played tributes while my roommate and I drove up into Appalachia and later down to South Georgia, where I’m from, and where we spent a few days staying at my uncle’s farm near Pelham. Aside from George Duke, we listened mostly to Billy Joe Shaver, the outlaw country legend who got his breakthrough writ-

ing songs for Waylon Jennings’ “Honky Tonk Heroes” album in 1973. I was leaving Georgia in a few weeks, so I especially latched onto Shaver’s “I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train.” My roommate’s dog, Fletch, sat in the backseat of the car with his head resting on my shoulder, panting and dripping saliva down the front of my shirt. Here in Little Rock, about this time last year, I saw Shaver at the White Water Tavern. He played “Georgia on a Fast Train” twice and sang, a cappella, something called “Wild Cow Gravy,”

which he insisted had some connection to Arkansas, though it wasn’t obvious. He told LSD stories and jokes and was full of an energy I wouldn’t have expected (he’s 75 years old). He went upstairs after the set and the crowd begged for an encore, which began to seem like it wasn’t going to happen. He came back, though, trailing his band, and sang a few more. Later, I found out he’d been up there busy with a fan who’d been through some recent tragedy or hardship. They prayed together, then he came right back and finished the show. WS

Academy and the Central High School Memory Project (followed by a performance by the Memory Project’s Readers Theater and a panel discussion with the student directors and AETN producer Casey Sanders). On Saturday, Heather MacDonald’s “Been Rich All My Life” (about the “Silver Belles,” a troupe of tap dancers) will screen at noon, and “Ending the Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Project” will screen at 2:30 p.m. (followed by a discussion with Dr. Joseph Jones, director of Philander Smith’s Social Justice Initiative, and Ivan Juzang,

founder of Motivational Education Entertainment). Saturday at 6 p.m., Central High School will host filmmaker Oliver Stone in the Roosevelt L. Thompson Auditorium for a partial screening of his new documentary “The Untold History of the United States,” followed by a moderated discussion and Q&A. On Sunday, Byron Hurt’s “Soul Food Junkies” will screen at 1 p.m., Mark Landsman’s “Thunder Soul” will screen at 3 p.m. (followed by a performance by Rodney Block) and Rachel Goslins’ “Besa: The Promise” will screen

WWE Smackdown will return to Verizon Arena Tuesday with a lineup that includes Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Kane, Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins, who, I’m told, now goes by “Mr. Money in the Bank.” Back before his name change, motivated by a Money in the Bank ladder match triumph (a WrestleMania tradition since 2005), I spent about an hour on the phone with Rollins, who was thoughtful and generally cool. He’s from Iowa, and was back home the day we spoke. “I grew up in a real small town here,” he said. “It’s nice, not too overcrowded.” His upbringing was uneventful: “I never got in fights,” he said. “I was a model student, got good grades. I wasn’t much of an extracurricular participant; I didn’t play sports or anything like that. I was too busy playing around with my friends and wrestling in my back yard. But I was a good kid, I didn’t drink or smoke.” The only time he seemed at all agitated was when I asked if he’s ever still pestered about the authenticity of what he does. “What is fake? It’s a television show, and a live performance,” he said. “We’re going out there to entertain you.” And for Rollins, it’s an art form: “I take a cerebral approach to the tactical side of what we do,” he told me. “I come up with the blueprints.” That’s why he’s Mr. Money in the Bank, and we are not. WS

FRIDAY 9/19-THURSDAY 9/25

REEL CIVIL RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL

Riverdale 10, Central High School and Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Free.

This year’s Reel Civil Rights Film Festival will also serve to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the integration of Central High School and will feature panel discussions, film screenings and special guests. The first few days of screenings will be held at Riverdale 10 and will kick off 6 p.m. Friday with student films presented by the Youth Leadership 86

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ARKANSAS TIMES

at 6 p.m. (followed by a discussion with Skip Rutherford, dean of the Clinton School of Public Service). Charlie Soap’s “The Cherokee Word for Water” will show at 6 p.m. Monday (followed by a discussion with the director) and Yoruba Richen’s “The New Black” will screen at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will host an event at 6 p.m. Wednesday, “Honoring Liberators of a Collective Conscious Community,” and will screen Paola di Florio’s “Home of the Brave” at 6 p.m. Thursday, the close of the event. WS

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 9/18 TUESDAY 9/23-SUNDAY 9/28

ACANSA ARTS FESTIVAL

Various venues. Tickets at www. acansaartsfestival.org.

The ACANSA Arts Festival has been in the works for a couple of years now, and held its first event last September, a fundraiser and announcement party. Finally, the festival itself is here, starting Tuesday at the Governor’s Mansion, when ACANSA kicks off in style with a fancy, $75-a-head cocktail reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with First Lady Ginger Beebe and a painting demonstration by Matt McLeod, whose work will be auctioned during the event. On Wednesday, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the Arkansas Chamber Singers, Opera in the Rock and The Muses will perform in the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center. Opera in the Rock is Arkansas’s newest opera

company and the Muses are with the Creative Artistry Project, performing music from the Baroque period to the present. Tickets are $20. Or, you can attend “It Goes Without Saying,” a performance by actor and mime Bill Bowers in which he talks about his life and career, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Scottish Rite Temple Auditorium on Scott Street between Fifth and Sixth streets. Tickets are $20; for $50 you can get priority seating and attend a reception with Bowers after the show. Or head over to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral at 7 p.m. Wednesday for “Keeping on the Southern Side” to hear the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra small ensembles perform. Tickets are $30; VIP reception tickets are $50. There will also be a “Lunch and Learn” talk by spoken word poet Chris

James at noon Wednesday at the Central Arkansas Library (free) and a reception at 5:30 that evening at the Arkansas Arts Center for “Poet in Copper: Engravings by Evan Lindquist,” where the artist, the state’s artist laureate, will talk about his works ($20). Also Wednesday, the Museum of Discovery will host “Science After Dark” (6:30-8 p.m.), where dance companies will talk about the science of dance. ACANSA pass holders (silver, $250; gold, $350) will get in free; otherwise tickets are $5. Thursday’s events include Werner Trieschmann’s play “Disfarmer” at the Argenta Community Theater, a Gallery Hop (see arts calendar), an organ recital by Hector Olivera and another “Lunch and Learn” talk. More details and events to come next week. LNP

WEDNESDAY 9/24

FRITZ LANG’S ‘M’

8 p.m. Few. $5 suggested donation.

WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS: Splice Microcinema will screen Fritz Lang’s “M” at Few at 8 p.m. Wednesday, $5 suggested donation.

A German-Austrian veteran of World War I, Fritz Lang began making films at the outset of the German Expressionist era (think stark shadows, bleak fates, horrors real and imagined, tension between man and machine). Lang was a monocle-wearing snob and an aesthete, and also sort of the James Cameron of his era, the maker of crowd-pleasing genre classics, like his Dr. Mabuse trilogy, and big-budget special effects spectacles, like “Metropolis” and the lesser-known “Woman in the Moon.” It was after the latter film’s release that he scaled things back and opted for a psychological (or psychosexual) drama, “M” (1931). Lang’s first sound film, it’s both a police procedural and a creepy, probing thriller about a serial killer who whistles “In the Hall of the Mountain King” (Peter Lorre, the lead actor, couldn’t whistle, so Lang overdubbed himself, tellingly). It’s also a social indictment, something that would have been more obvious had the Nazi party allowed Lang to keep his original title: “The Murderer Among Us.” WS

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will celebrate its birthday with live music and refreshments at 5:30 p.m. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor John Hibbing will give a lecture titled “Predisposed: Liberals, Conservatives and the Biology of Political Differences” at the Clinton School at 6 p.m. Osyrus Bolly, Sean Fresh and The Off The Cuff Band, Rodney Block and Nick Broadway will be at Stickyz at 9 p.m., $5. Midwest Caravan will be at The Joint, 9:30 p.m., and rapper Julius Czr will be at Club Elevations with D-Dirt, Black Sand, PBN and Freeway Bookey.

FRIDAY 9/19 The Ron Robinson Theater will present a screening of “Hook,” preceded by a “Talk Like a Pirate Day” party beginning at 6 p.m., $5.The Conway Symphony Orchestra will give a free performance at Simon Park, 7:30 p.m. UALR Music Department duo Mariposa will present “International Treasures” at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. Bonnie Montgomery will be at the Afterthought at 9 p.m., $7. Austin group Leopold and His Fiction will be at Stickyz at 9 p.m., $7. Memphis rapper Muck Sticky (often compared to both Carrot Top and Sublime) will be at Revolution with Taco and Da Mofos, 9 p.m., $10. Redefined Reflection will be at Vino’s with Roses Unread and The Machete With Love, 9 p.m., $6. Denton, Texas, garage rock duo R2B2 will be at the White Water Tavern with The See, 10 p.m. Woody and Sunshine will be at the Lightbulb Club in Fayetteville with Ozark Travelers.

SATURDAY 9/20 The 2nd Annual Urban Raw Festival, sponsored by Sol Food Catering, will be held on South Main Street (from 13th to 16th streets) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with performances by 9th Scientist, Sick Numbles, JLR, OutLoud Artistry and more, plus yoga workshops, film screenings and vegetarian food, $5 adv., $8 day of. The Third Annual TinkerFest, part of the “Maker Movement,” in which children and adults can learn about engineering and science, will be held at the Museum of Discovery beginning at 9 a.m., $8-$10. Locals The Casual Pleasures and Jumbo Jet will play a benefit for Habitat for Humanity at Vino’s, 9 p.m., $7. Canadian blues-rock musician Anthony Gomes will be at Stickyz with Steve Hester and DeJaVooDoo, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. Platinum-selling rock group Big Head Todd and The Monsters will be at Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $35 adv., $40 day of. Nashville electro-pop group Cherub will be at Revolution with Ghost Beach and Gibbz, 9 p.m., $15 adv., $18 day of. www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

AFTER DARK Woody and Sunshine, Ozark Travelers. The Lightbulb Club, 10 p.m. 21 N. Block Ave., Fayetteville. 479-444-6100.

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

COMEDY

The Main Thing’s “Whatshisname?”. The Joint, through Oct. 25: 8 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. The Tennessee Tramp. The Loony Bin, 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18

MUSIC

Ace’s Wild (headliner), Chris Henry (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Billy Joe Shaver, The Wildflowers, Kevin Kerby. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $25 adv., $30 day of. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Julius Czr, D-Dirt, Black Sand, PBN, Freeway Bookey. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Kristen Arian, Jamie Lou. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Krush Thursdays with DJ Kavaleer. Club Climax, free before 11 p.m. 824 W. Capitol. 501-554-3437. Midwest Caravan. The Joint, 9:30 p.m. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Michael Eubanks. Newk’s Express Cafe, 6:30 p.m. 4317 Warden Road, NLR. 501-753-8559. newks.com. Open Jam. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. Osyrus Bolly, Sean Fresh and the Off the Cuff Band, Rodney Block, Nick Broadway, S.A.. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz. com. River City Men’s Chorus. “Heart and Soul: Music of the 50s” Trinity United Methodist Church, 7 p.m., free. 1101 North Mississippi St. 501-6662813. www.tumclr.org.

COMEDY

The Tennessee Tramp. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Antique/Boutique Walk. Shopping and live entertainment. Downtown Hot Springs, third Thursday of every month, 4 p.m., free. 100 Central Ave., Hot Springs. Around the World Thursday: Southern Renaissance. Forty Two, 6:30 p.m., $27.95. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-537-0042. www.dineatfortytwo.com. Girls Night Out with Local Boutique Beehive. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 6 p.m., free. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.therep.org. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Birthday Party. With live music and refreshments. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 5:30 p.m., free. 501 W. 9th St. 501-683-3593. www.mosaictemplarscen88

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

DANCE

“Salsa Night.” Begins with a one-hour salsa lesson. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

TAKE ME OR LEAVE ME: Bonnie Montgomery will be at The Afterthought 9 p.m. Friday, $7. ter.com.

LECTURES

“Predisposed: Liberals, Conservatives, and the Biology of Political Differences.” With professor John Hibbing. Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

BENEFITS

A Fair to Remember. All proceeds benefit Arkansas Hospice. 6:30 p.m., $40.

CAMPS

Arkansas State Fiddle Championships. With Aarun Carter and Jonathan Trawick, through Sept. 20. The 2013 Arkansas State and National Fiddle Champion. Ozark Folk Center State Park. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. All White Party. Featuring DJ Fatality. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501562-3317. Bonnie Montgomery. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Busch League. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 6 p.m., free. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.

M E S

therep.org. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. Dance night, with DJs, drink specials and bar menu, until 2 a.m. 1620 Savoy, 10 p.m. 1620 Market St. 501-2211620. www.1620savoy.com. Conway Symphony Orchestra. Simon Park, 7:30 p.m., free. Front and Main, Conway. Gas Station Disco. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, Sept. 19-20, $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Jet 430 (headliner), Richie Johnson (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Leopold and His Fiction. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $7. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Mariposa and Friends, “International Treasures.” UALR, Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m., free. 2801 S. University Ave. 501569-8977. Muck Sticky, Taco and Da Mofos. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. revroom.com. R2B2, The See. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Redefined Reflection, Roses Unread, The Machete With Love. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $6. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway.

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LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. 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. LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St.

FILM

“Hook.” Preceded by a “Talk Like A Pirate Day” party beginning at 6 p.m. Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals. lib.ar.us/ron-robinson-theater.aspx. Reel Civil Rights Film Festival. Films include “The Cherokee Word for Water,” “The New Black,” “BESA: The Promise,” “Soul Food Junkies” and others. Riverdale 10 Cinema, Sept. 19-23. 2600 Cantrell Road. 501-296-9955.

LECTURES

“What’s Going On In the Middle East.” With Dr. Gokhan Bacik. Sturgis Hall, 12 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

CAMPS

Arkansas State Fiddle Championships. With Aarun Carter and Jonathan Trawick. Ozark Folk Center State Park, through Sept. 20. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.

KIDS

Bear State of Mind. Recommended for ages 5+ Walton Arts Center, 6:30 p.m., $12, $10 kids. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Disney Junior Live, “Pirate and Princess Adventure.” Verizon Arena, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. “Go, Dog! Go!” Arkansas Arts Center, through Oct. 5: 7 p.m., $10-$12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20

MUSIC

Anthony Gomes, Steve Hester, DeJaVooDoo. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 107 Commerce St. 501-3727707. www.stickyz.com. Big Head Todd and The Monsters. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $35 adv., $40 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. The Casual Pleasures, Jumbo Jet. Benefit for Habitat for Humanity. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $7. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Cherub, Ghost Beach, Gibbz. Revolution, 9 p.m., $15 adv., $18 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave.

PARTY AT OUR PLACE!

501-823-0090. revroom.com. Darill “Harp” Edwards. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Down to Five (headliner), R and R (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Gas Station Disco. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Jeff Coleman and The Feeders. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Singer/Songwriters Showcase. Parrot Beach Cafe, 2-7 p.m., free. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. The Sour Notes, Witchsister. The Lightbulb Club, 10 p.m. 21 N. Block Ave., Fayetteville. 479-444-6100.

COMEDY

The Main Thing’s “Whatshisname?”. The Joint, through Oct. 25: 8 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. The Tennessee Tramp. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

2nd Annual Urban Raw Festival. South Main Street, Little Rock, 9 a.m. p.m., $5 adv., $8 day of. South Main Street. 40th Annual Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 25: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. 4th Annual Arkansas Paranormal Expo. MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 9 a.m., $5. 503 E. 9th St. 376-4602. www.arkmilitaryheritage.com. Argenta Farmers Market. Argenta Farmers Market, 7 a.m. 6th and Main St., NLR. 501-8317881. www.argentaartsdistrict.org/argenta-farmers-market. Corner Store Country Run. Followed by a free, family-friendly country fair with live music and food. War Memorial Stadium, 7:30 a.m. 1 Stadium Drive. 501-663-0775. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Third Annual TinkerFest. Museum of Discovery, 9 a.m., $10. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050, 1-800880-6475. www.amod.org.

Book Our Party Room Today! CLASSES SATURDAY, SEPT. 20

Learn Bridge in a Day. Curtis Finch Bridge House, 12 p.m., $19.99. 7415 Indiana St. 501-666-9841.

KIDS

Bear State of Mind. Recommended for ages 5+ Walton Arts Center, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., $12, $10 kids. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479443-5600. “Go, Dog! Go!” Arkansas Arts Center, through Oct. 5: 7 p.m., $10-$12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21

MUSIC

Aaron Behrens and The Midnight Stroll, Ranch Ghost. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com. Black Taxi. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Carolyn Martin. Faulkner County Library, 2 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www. fcl.org. Cypress Creek Park Fall Bluegrass Festival. Cypress Creek Park. Cypress Creek Avenue, Adona. 501-662-4918. www.cypresscreekpark. com/. Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, first and third Sunday of every month, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Undesirable People, Oh Cathy, The Consumers, My Brother My Friend. Vino’s, 7 p.m., $5. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

EVENTS

Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market. Bernice Garden, 10 a.m. 1401 S. Main St. www.thebernicegarden.org.

FILM

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KIDS

“Go, Dog! Go! Arkansas Arts Center, through Oct. 5: 7 p.m., $10-$12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

MONDAY, SEPT. 22

SPORTS

Monday Night Jazz. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

MUSIC

Corner Store Country Run. War Memorial Stadium, 7:30 a.m. 1 Stadium Drive. 501-6630775.

Reel Civil Rights Film Festival. See Sep. 19

CAMPS

TUESDAY, SEPT. 23

Arkansas State Fiddle Championships. With Aarun Carter and Jonathan Trawick, through Sept. 20. Ozark Folk Center State Park, through. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.

Rockin’ Mondays! $2 Off all Rock Town products after 6pm

“Besa: The Promise.” Reel Civil Rights Film Festival Riverdale 10 Cinema, 6 p.m. 2600 Cantrell Road. 501-296-9955.

FILM

Oliver Stone. A screening of his new documentary “The Untold History of the United States,” followed by a moderated discussion and Q&A. Central High School, 6 p.m., free. 2120 West Daisy L Gatson Bates Drive. Reel Civil Rights Film Festival. See Sep. 19.

All American Food & Great Place to Watch Your Favorite Event

FILM

MUSIC

Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. CONTINUED ON PAGE 90

A Chicago style Speakeasy & Dueling Piano Bar. This is THE premier place to party in Little Rock. “Dueling Pianos” runs seven days a week. Dance & Club music upstairs on Wed, Fri & Sat. Drink specials and more!

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Located in the Heart of the River Market District 307 President Clinton Avenue 501.372.4782 www.erniebiggs.com www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

hearsay ➥ THE RACE FOR THE CURE BOUTIQUE AND REGISTRATION STORE will open Sept. 19 to Oct. 3 at the old Pleasant Ridge Post Office, 11619 Pleasant Ridge Drive, near Pleasant Ridge Town Center. Participants can register for the race, pick up a T-shirt and shop for items all in one shop. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. 10am- 6pm and Sundays noon- 6pm. On Oct. 3, the day before the Race for the Cure, the shop will close at 2 p.m. ➥ If you’ve seen the yarn logo for Moxy Mercantile or the wood sculpture hanging in South on Main, then you’re familiar with the work of MORGAN HILL CREATIVE, and now the brand is getting recognition on a national level. Morgan Hill Creative has been selected at the 2014 Wildcard Finalist in Martha Stewart American Made awards. Hill, a UALR graduate with a degree in woodworking and furniture design, has been making jewelry, furniture and other art pieces professionally since 2011. You can vote for Morgan Hill Creative at www.marthastewart.com from now until Oct. 13. To shop for Morgan Hill Creative items, visit www.morganhillcreative.com. ➥ The ESSE PURSE MUSEUM, located on South Main Street in downtown, has launched an online store at essepursemuseum.com. The wonderful, artisan-made purses and jewelry featured in our brickand-mortar boutique at ESSE are now just a click away for customers not in Little Rock. ➥ Little Rock artist and product designer Ashley Childers is bringing her home furnishings line, Emporium Home, to Little Rock. After three years of designing products strictly for the trade, Childers has decided to make her line as well as other favorite product lines available through a retail showroom. The store, EMPORIUM HOME HEIGHTS, will be located at 5801 Kavanaugh Bvld., next to Starbucks. The grand opening is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

A long-time member of the staff suggested I reflect a bit on my history with Alan and the Arkansas Times. In 1986, I returned to Little Rock, after 14 years in the restaurant business in Texas. I wanted to bring authentic Mexican food to my hometown. I bought a burned out shell on S. Main Street, and with two partners proceeded to open Juanita’s Mexican Cantina. Our friends thought we were nuts, but it was a huge success. I also started a vibrant live music program. About that time an Arkansas Times’ rep named Mark Cartwright came sniffing around. It turned out, we had mutual friends in Austin and the same bad habits. We quickly became friends and he introduced me to Alan Leveritt. We three amigos, and our wives, became close friends. By 1996, we closed Blue Mesa Grill and I transferred my ownership in Juanita’s. About this time we lost our buddy Cartwright to cancer. I went on to open Loca Luna, Bene Vita and Red Door. I’m proud of what we’ve done. This publication has been very kind to me, my restaurants and our industry. I sincerely appreciate that! Sure, I’ve suffered an occasional dig, but it was usually fair, you can’t get everything right all the time. I have considerable respect for Alan, and the Arkansas Times, which is often a brave and critical voice that we desperately need. I know of numerous occasions where Alan stood by his editorial staff when he knew it would create an enemy and would cost him ad revenue. He let transparency and the truth rule the day.

It’s been an honor and quite a trip, 30 years of divorces, new marriages, kids, personal and business ups and downs, life and death and more than a few adventures together. Fortunately, Alan and I are not quite ready to be put out to pasture and we still have a few tricks up our sleeves. Here’s to you amigo, and my friends at the Times……thanks for a job well done, and here’s to another forty years. MARK ABERNATHY Owner & Executive Chef Loca Luna and Red Door Restaurants

com. Irish Traditional Music Sessions. Hibernia Irish Tavern, second and Fourth Tuesday of every month, 7-9 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Jeff Ling. Khalil’s Pub, 6 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Music Jam. Hosted by Elliott Griffen and Joseph Fuller. The Joint, 8-11 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Turbogeist. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com.

COMEDY

Stand-Up Tuesday. Hosted by Adam Hogg. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

DANCE

“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7:30 p.m., $5 regular, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

Tales from the South. With Mark Simpson. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 6:30 p.m., $10. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com.

FILM

“Metropolis.” Vino’s, 7:30 p.m., free. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Reel Civil Rights Film Festival. See Sep. 19.

LECTURES

Public Forum: “Bacteria, Viruses and Yeast – Oh My!” Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 7 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. “Theodore Roosevelt: The Man in the Arena.” A presentation by Derek Evans. Arkansas State University at Mountain Home, 7 p.m., free. 1600 S. College Ave., Mountain Home.

SPORTS

WWE Smackdown. Verizon Arena, 6:45 p.m., $17.50-$97.50. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-9759001. verizonarena.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Andy McKee. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $20 adv., $25 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. The Apache Relay. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. The Brandon Dorris Quintet. Riverfront Park, 6 p.m., Free. 400 President Clinton Avenue. Dohse. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. John Burnette Band. Local Live. South on Main, 7:30 p.m., free. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Steve Hirst. The Loony Bin, Sept. 24-27, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 26-27, 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

ACANSA Arts Festival. With art events, theater and live music, including performances by St. Paul and the Broken Bones and the Arkansas Chamber Singers, photographs by Disfarmer (and a new production by playwright Werner Trischman based on the photographer’s life) and more. Little Rock, various locations, Sept. 24-28, $250-$350. Markham Street. Hispanic Heritage Month Event. MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 11:30 a.m., free. 503 E. 9th St. 376-4602. www.arkmilitaryheritage.com.

FILM

Fritz Lang’s “M.” Splice Microcinema Few, 8 p.m., donations. 220 W. 6th St., Suite A. 501-628-9270. Reel Civil Rights Film Festival. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Sept. 24-25, 6 p.m. 501 W. 9th St. 501-683-3593. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com.

LECTURES

Bill Basl. Director of AmeriCorps at the Corporation for National Service Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu. “Building a Space for Learning and Play.” Architecture Speaker Series Crystal Bridges At The Massey, 7 p.m., $10. 406 NW 2nd St., Bentonville. 479-418-5700.

POETRY

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

NEW ART EXHIBITS

ARGENTA GALLERY, 413A-B Main St.: Works by George Dombek, through Oct. 1, open 5-8 p.m. Sept. 18, Third Friday Argenta ArtWalk; “Disfarmer,” photographs, 4-8 p.m. Sept. 25-27 (ACANSA Gallery Hop venue, $20). 225-5600. ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “12th national Drawing Invitational: Outside the Lines,” through Oct. 5, talk by curator Ann Wagner, “New Lines: the 12th National Drawing Invitational,” 5:30 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. talk Sept. 18. 372-4000. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Paintings and drawings by Diane Harper, Dominique Simmons and Emily Wood, Sept. 20-Oct. 25, reception 7-10 p.m. Sept. 20. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996. GALLERY 360, 900 S. Rodney Parham Road: “Artists Scrounging,” assemblages of found objects, opens with reception 7-10 p.m. Sept. 20, show through Nov. 1. 663-2222. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St.: “Summer Show” and sneak preview of “Best of the South” show, reception 5-8 p.m. Sept. 18, Third Friday Argenta ArtWalk. 664-2787. LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA BRANCH, 420 Main St.: Painting demonstration by John Deering, 5-8 p.m. Sept. 19, Argenta ArtWalk. 687-1061. MUGS CAFÉ GALLERY, 515 Main St.: “Puzzling Juxtapositions,” paintings and drawings by Patrick Fleming, Fran Austin and v Denise White, opening reception 5-8 p.m. Sept. 19, Third Friday Argenta ArtWalk, show through Oct. 21.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘THE DROP’: Tom Hardy stars.

Hard-boiled, slow going ‘The Drop’ rewards patient audience. BY SAM EIFLING

n “The Drop,” director Michael R. Roskam follows the old “Jaws” adage to hide the shark as long as possible. Guns permeate this crime thriller set largely in a Brooklyn “drop bar,” a collection point for enough small-time gambling and prostitution cash that it becomes a big-time operation for its gangster owners. But count the number of gunshots in the first, oh, 90-plus minutes — there are none. Violence is meted out in tight parcels, and it swirls around the bartender, Bob, played with cool, seemingly guileless reserve by Tom Hardy. He just tends bar, he insists, though that includes slipping pudgy envelopes through a hidden slot in the

bar into a safe, and taking sour orders from his older cousin, Marv, the bar’s one-time owner. That’s James Gandolfini in his final cinematic performance before he faded to black at 51. He’s all coiled rage here, another explosion on a delayed trigger. Two things happen to disrupt Bob’s routine of late nights, passive money laundering and early morning mass. The bar gets held up: Two men in masks and hoodies burst in after closing, wave shotguns around and make off with a healthy take. Bob notices a detail about them that interests the detective on the case (John Ortiz) and the Chechen mobster (Michael Aronov) who sets

about trying to locate the culprits. Also, Bob finds a roughed-up pit bull puppy in a garbage can that he reluctantly, then wholeheartedly, adopts, with the guidance of a new friend, Nadia (Noomi Rapace, a highlight as always). Adapted for the screen by Dennis Lehane from his own short story, “The Drop” is that rare outer-borough New York film that has zero interest in Manhattan. It tries to paint a Brooklyn of the increasingly old school; the only nod to gentrification is the sale of the church that the detective complains will be carved into condos with stained-glass windows. This sub-section of the city moves slowly and has long memories — witness the rounds of shots guys at the bar hoist to send off a departed buddy, 10 years after he went missing. Or Marv’s ire at not being able to sit in his stool — his stool — at the bar. The only character who evinces a trace of ambition for something greater is Marv’s suffering sister, and even she resigns to waiting until her next life to see Europe. The tone of the town sets a pace

that “The Drop” at times struggles to keep lively. The small cast and the human scale of the setting make this an uncommonly intimate crime drama. But the story dotes too long on Bob’s foray into puppy fatherhood and buckles somewhat under his very inscrutability. Hardy’s performance, while fantastic, has to carry more weight than might be strictly possible. Bob is quiet and earnest to the point of seeming almost simple, in the euphemistic sense. Roskam allots him a couple of partial smiles that might in fact add up to half a grin through the entire film. How much you let yourself fall for Hardy’s stern turn here will determine how much you enjoy “The Drop,” because as it strolls forward, biding its time, the film puts increasing strain on a revelatory ending — one that, as it turns out, does make for a solid payoff. Still, you’re going to spend a lot of time with this bartender, his cousin and his lady friend. It will take more patience than you might expect to reap the rewards from what could be the sharpest crime flick of the year so far. www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Dining

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

WHAT’S COOKIN’ THE OWNERS OF SUSHI CAFE ARE OPENING A WEST LITTLE ROCK LOCATION, on the second floor of Eleven Two Eleven Cantrell Center at Cantrell and Woodland Heights roads, just east of the Pleasant Ridge Town Center. Manager and partner Robert Tju said the western Sushi Cafe will be a bit smaller than the original at 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd., with seating for about 100 people, but the menu will be the same. The new cafe should open mid-December, he said. Tju also said that Oishi Hibachi and Thai at 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd., which opened Aug. 25, is now using its full menu. The family restaurant features smokeless grills for teppanyaki-style cooking.

DINING CAPSULES

LITTLE ROCK/ NORTH LITTLE ROCK

AMERICAN

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 ORANGE: BURGERS SALADS SHAKES Gourmet burgers manufactured according to exacting specs (humanely raised beef!) and properly fried Kennebec potatoes are the big draws, but you can get a veggie burger as well as fried chicken, curried falafel and blackened tilapia sandwiches, plus creative meal-sized salads. Shakes and floats are indulgences for all ages. 17809 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1515. LD daily. 207 N. University Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-379-8715. LD daily. BIG ROCK BISTRO Students of the Arkansas Culinary School run this restaurant at Pulaski Tech under the direction of Chef Jason Knapp. Pizza, pasta, Asian-inspired dishes and diner food, all in one stop. 3000 W. Scenic Drive. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-812-2200. BL Mon.-Fri. BLACK ANGUS CAFE Charcoal-grilled burgers, hamburger steaks and steaks proper are the big draws at this local institution. 10907 N. Rodney Parham. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-228-7800. LD Mon.-Sat. BOBBY’S CAFE Delicious, humungo burgers and tasty homemade desserts at this Levy diner. 12230 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-851-7888. BL Tue.-Fri., D Fri. BOSCOS RESTAURANT & BREWERY CO. This River Market brewery does food well, too. Along with the tried and true, like sandwiches, burgers, steaks and big salads, it has entrees like black bean and goat cheese tamales, open hearth pizza ovens and muffalettas. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-907-1881. LD daily. BOSTON’S Ribs and gourmet pizza star at this restaurant/sports bar located at the Holiday Inn by the airport. TVs in separate sports bar 92

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

THE SOUTHERN SALAD: Not a success at The Afterthought.

Reboot needed Afterthought menu needs a rethink.

hen last we checked in with the Afterthought Bistro and Bar, the restaurant portion of the shared dining/bar space was still called Vieux Carre, and a promising young chef named Greg Wallis had just come from a stint at Ya-Ya’s Eurobistro to take the helm after a change in ownership. Fast-forward a year and a half, and Vieux Carre is no more — and neither

is Wallis, who took over chefing duties down the street at the newly opened Kemuri. Now, both bar and restaurant are called the Afterthought, an unfortunate choice, because the biggest afterthought here is the food. Warning sign number one: It’s 6:30 p.m. in Hillcrest, and we’re struggling to find a parking spot. All around us, people are walking (often being towed by dogs),

and the neighborhood’s nightlife is gearing up. Having finally found a spot to park, we enter the Afterthought’s dining room, sure that there will be a wait for a table ... only to find that we are the only diners there, and although a group of about a dozen people showed up soon after for an event in the private dining room, we remain the only diners in a quiet and empty space for the entirety of our meal. Worry begins to set in. Warning sign number two: We take a look at the menu, which used to be a small selection of Creole dishes and bistro sandwiches, but has now swelled into a bloated, unfocused mish-mash of things that no one kitchen could ever pull off well. There are burgers and sandwiches, flat bread pizzas, a selection of tacos, and a few entrees that seem to be sad, forlorn holdouts from the previous regime’s repertoire. Generally, when a place has this sort of random, hodge-podge menu, it means the kitchen has no real focus, something that was soon to be proven woefully correct. Our troubles begin right at the start, with an order of Salmon Bruschetta ($8). Good points: decent bread, some flavorful pickled onions, and a thin layer of dill-scented cream cheese. Bad points: all those good points were knocked to the curb by a layer of fishy, funky smoked salmon that left a taste in our mouths that would stick with us for most of the meal. When fish is this fishy, it’s a sure sign that freshness went the way of the dodo sometime back. Our other starter, the Southern Salad ($8) isn’t much better. Described on the menu as containing “roasted peaches,” we find ours to be closer in consistency to chewy rubber without any of the caramelized flavor that normally comes with a roasted fruit or vegetable item. A spattering of spiced walnuts does little to help out this dreary plate, nor do the globs of bland goat cheese. Top all of this off with a vinaigrette that was supposed to be “champagne” but was over-flavored with garlic and what’s left is a salad doomed from the beginning. Entrees follow the same uninspired theme. An order of crabcake sliders ($13) manages to be an insult to crabs, cake and sliders all at once: mushy, fishy, and bland, these crab patties aren’t even worth the bread

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

T they were served on. The Farmhouse Burger ($9), ordered medium, comes out cooked so well done that we joked that the kitchen must have misunderstood our request and sent us a burger that could talk to the dead. Doubly well-done is the egg atop the chewy patty, and the whole sad affair is sealed by the greatest of Arkansas sins: a bland, soggy, store-bought tomato — and this, during the season of abundance. We finish this farce with the only reasonably well-prepared dish of the night, the Shrimp and Grits ($16). The grits are nicely cooked, and have a good texture and flavor, but the shrimp is overcooked, underseasoned — just hopelessly dreadful. When the best that can be said after a meal is that the grits were decent, it’s a sign that significant problems exist. We say all this not as a rant, but rather a lament. The Afterthought is located on some prime real estate in one of the most popular parts of town. It’s clear that the bar business has been keeping the restaurant side afloat for some time, but that’s no excuse for a menu that reads like Applebee’s and tastes worse. Our advice to the Afterthought would be this: Spend some coin to hire another good chef, and give him or her completely free rein to do whatever he or she wants. Barring that, at least pick a theme and move away from pizza, tacos and Southern food all on one huge menu. This restaurant has been great and the past, and perhaps it will be again, but for now: Don’t get the fish.

The Afterthought Bistro and Bar 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-1196 afterthoughtbistroandbar.com

QUICK BITE Although both establishments are operating under the name “Afterthought,” the bar and main dining rooms are still separate. The bar has live music after 9 p.m. — check the calendar located on the website. HOURS 4:30 p.m. until midnight Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 4:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Friday. OTHER INFO Full bar, all credit cards accepted.

area. 3201 Bankhead Dr. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-235-2000. LD daily. BOUDREAUX’S GRILL & BAR A homey, seat-yourself Cajun joint in Maumelle that serves up all sorts of variations of shrimp and catfish. With particularly tasty red beans and rice, jambalaya and bread pudding. 9811 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 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 St. Beer and wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-5951. BLD Mon.-Sat. 400 President Clinton Ave. Beer and wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1232. BL Mon.-Sat. 4301 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-526-6661. BL Mon.-Fri. 1417 Main St. Beer and wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5100. BL Mon.-Sat.; 4301 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-5266661. BL Mon.-Fri. BREWSTERS 2 CAFE & LOUNGE Downhome done right. Check out the yams, mac-and-cheese, greens, purple-hull peas, cornbread, wings, catfish and all the rest. 2725 S. Arch St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-301-7728. LD Mon.-Sat. BROWN SUGAR BAKESHOP Fabulous cupcakes, brownies and cakes offered five days a week until they’re sold out. 419 E. 3rd St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-4009. LD Tue.-Sat. (close at 5:30 p.m.). 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. $$$. 501-312-2748. D daily. CACHE RESTAURANT Cache provides a stunning experience on the well-presented plates and in terms of atmosphere, glitz and general feel. It doesn’t feel like anyplace else in Little Rock, and it’s not priced like much of anywhere else in Little Rock, either. But there are options to keep the tab in the reasonable range. 425 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-850-0265. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. 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, BR Sun. 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. 14502 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-868-7600. LD Mon.-Sat. CHEDDAR’S Large selection of somewhat standard American casual cafe choices, many of which are made from scratch. Portions are large and prices are very reasonable. 400 South University. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-614-7578. LD daily.

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The University of Tennessee-Division of Facilities Planning is seeking a Staff Associate with professional credentials as an Architect and project manager for facilities design and construction. This position will assist division management and University administrators with the planning and administration of the University’s Capital Improvement Program. Full-time position/Paygrade 42/Salary DOE&Q. For complete position information and to access the online application, please visit the following https://ut.taleo.net/careersection/ut_knoxville/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=14000000WP The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.

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ARKANSAS TIMES

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