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COMMENT
Make America great Let’s make America great again. So, how are we going to do that? We will have to actually do something; that is, take some action other than simply saying America is great, really great, greater than anything you’ve ever seen, in order to make America great again, won’t we? If we do have to do something, how about we start with finding some enemies to hate and threaten. What about immigrants? I don’t mean your grandmother or great grandfather, I mean those scruffy-looking people we see on TV described as “aliens” or “illegals” or “Muslims.” Let’s hate them and threaten to send them back to where they came from or maybe lock them up in our vast number of free, unused jail cells. And let’s do even better than that and build a big wall between our country and that other country so they can’t get here in the first place. And if they fly over that wall or dig under it or make holes in it than we’ll just build another higher and deeper and less fragile wall and that’ll show ‘em! And if that doesn’t work, then we’ll all get a lot of guns and we’ll shoot ‘em! Well, maybe we’ll just make a law that says you can’t look all scruffy and alien and illegal or Muslim or Mexican
and if you do than we can lock you up — or shoot you. But that’s not all we need to do to make America great again. We need to beat China. I don’t mean in some wimpy kickball game or ping pong, I mean we need to outfox them inscrutable Asians and take all their money. Because if we don’t, they’re going to take all of ours. That’s right, they already own all our companies and our banks and our government but we know we’re smarter and can out think ‘em just like we did in WWII or Korea or Vietnam. Or maybe we’ll just drop some bombs on ‘em. Bet they’ll see how great we are then! And let’s stop all this pinko libtard yammering about the weather. God said there won’t be any more floods, so quit your whining. Besides, technology will fix everything before it gets broken anyway. Just stop the Environmental Prevention Agency from keeping the makers from making things and we’ll all have jobs and lots of stuff again. And we don’t need no “minimum wage” either. We need to reward the people who have made a lot of money by letting them keep it and make those lazy people who don’t have any money get jobs and work harder and they’ll have more, too. Then we can set our sights on those
terrorists. You know who they are with their towels and dresses and swishy walking. Yeah, I mean them. Our boys will show ‘em what real men do to sissies. Are you feeling great again? I bet you are now ’cause we’re taking our country back! Tomorrow belongs to me! David Stedman Damascus
From the web In response to the July 18 Arkansas Blog post, “LR police residency issue: Us vs. them”: We need the best officers serving on our force (and one of the “best” desired qualities is to see through clear and not tinted glasses), but there are lots of ways to create incentives to encourage residency. As well, these could also be strong carrots to encourage better hiring and retention policies in officer recruitment for the department. Clayton J As long as someone is willing to run to the shots that are being fired, as long as someone is running to the building that is on fire, I do not care where they live. Officers and firefighters should choose where they want to live. If the
city wants them in the city of Little Rock, provide incentives. Don’t force the men and women who choose to work in public safety to live in the city. In the two years where the city did have a residency requirement, it was when we expanded in the mid-’90s. And it included incentives for officers to locate in the city limits. Incentives such as no closing costs [on home purchases] and lower down payments. This can be done. And for the record, the last two officers that died in service to the citizens of Little Rock did not live in the city of Little Rock. It is an insult to their memory and to the current public safety officers of Little Rock to think that where they live could change their level of involvement or engagement. BeachHog BeachHog, where officers live impacts their understanding of the people who live where they work. Living in the communities where they work would improve the relationship between officers and their neighbors. You can deny that reality, but it’s real nonetheless. We’re not talking about a 9-to-5 desk job where your residency has no relationship to your work. There would be nothing wrong with requiring future hires to be city residents. If incentives are warranted, fine. Sound Policy The idea that Little Rock police officers can refuse to live in Little Rock, claim that living in Little Rock is somehow burdensome to their families, claim that the Little Rock School District provides educational opportunities for their families below what is available outside Little Rock, claim they cannot afford to live in Little Rock, and have their position echoed by the police chief, says a lot. But none of what it says speaks well for the police chief, the LR mayor, board of directors and city manager, and the officers. If police officers want to serve communities where they live, well and good. We should commend their commitment to be neighbors and know the people they are trusted to protect and serve. But if police officers refuse to serve communities where they live, we should not call them neighbors. We should have enough backbone to call them mercenaries. They are not committed to the people in Little Rock neighborhoods. They do not have an interest in Little Rock as a place to live, work, raise families, enjoy leisure and thrive. Their interest is financial. Thinking
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EYE ON ARKANSAS
WEEK THAT WAS
Quote of the week “Help is on the way.”
BRIAN CHILSON
— U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, employing John Kerry’s signature 2004 Democratic National Convention refrain, in his widely panned speech Monday at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Cotton mentioned Donald Trump’s name only once in his speech.
SELFIES WITH CLINTON: Members of the Rodney Block Collective at the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner of the Arkansas Democratic Party, including Little Rock trumpeter and band leader Block (right), crowd in for a photo with former president.
Quote of the week II “That was covered once in our history. We don’t need to cover it again.” — Gov. Hutchinson in response to the Washington Post asking if he wanted to revisit the Monica Lewinsky affair from the convention stage. Hutchinson, who was a House manager of President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, was to speak at the convention on Tuesday night after the Times went to press.
Us vs. them City Director Erma Hendrix has again called for a city residency requirement for the Little Rock Police Department. The Fraternal Order of Police has again taken umbrage. The proposal isn’t likely to go farther than the last unsuccessful vote on the issue. But the subject remains important — maybe even more important than ever in the current national turmoil about police-community relations and violence by and against police. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 6
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ARKANSAS TIMES
reported that only 183 of 528 officers live in Little Rock. Of the 528 officers, 343 are white. Last year, when Hendrix first proposed the residency requirement, the Arkansas Times found that 62 percent of the black LRPD officers lived in the city, while only 21 percent of white officers did. LRPD Chief Kenton Buckner cited the state of the Little Rock School District as a reason many of his officers don’t want to live in Little Rock. Thanks, chief, for buying into the propaganda and writing off the Little Rock School District.
Aiding segregation The question lingers from last week’s State Board of Education meeting at which the Board ignored federal court desegregation orders and allowed students to transfer out of Jacksonville and El Dorado school districts over the objections of the districts. Both Jacksonville and El Dorado are covered by federal court desegregation cases, still active, and both asked for an exemption from school choice as allowed for such districts under state law. With board member and charter school/choice advocate Diane Zook in the forefront — and aided by Governor
Hutchinson’s appointees — a majority of the board essentially told the courts to go to hell and allowed the transfers. Allen Roberts, attorney for El Dorado and the Pulaski County Special School District, which struck the no-transfer agreement with Jacksonville, called the Board action “radically segregationist.”
Friends with benefits The trial of Northeast Arkansas businessman Ted Suhl on federal bribery charges began last week. Over the years, the state has paid Suhl’s companies hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements to treat troubled children at his inpatient facility in Randolph County, the Lord’s Ranch (now renamed Trinity Behavioral Health) and his outpatient clinics. Now, prosecutors with the U.S. Department of Justice allege Suhl funneled cash payments to his “friend” Steven Jones, a top official at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, in return for inside information and favors. Jones has accepted a plea deal in exchange for
his cooperation and is now in prison. But the prosecution has its work cut out: Jones’ testimony on the witness stand wasn’t entirely clear, and Suhl’s legal team (drawn from a top-dollar Washington, D.C., firm seasoned in defending corruption cases) will try to paint the entire indictment as a fiction spun by overzealous government attorneys. This week, we’ll see if the jury buys it.
Rock on Dallas Oliver Bump, 98, of Bear (Garland County) died Saturday. His passing deserves a note because he was judged an Arkansas Living Treasure by the Arkansas Arts Council for his custommade rocking chairs, “the best oak rocking chairs ever made,” according to his obituary. One is on permanent display at the Smithsonian. Bump continued making chairs until he was 96.
OPINION
1957 all over again
A
t historic Central High School, two former presidents and a former British prime minister were in the audience last Thursday as three members of the Little Rock Nine talked about how they’d integrated the all-white high school 59 years ago with the help of federal troops after state officials resisted a federal court desegregation order. On the very same day a few blocks away, the State Board of Education voted to ignore federal courts and allow school district transfers that will encourage segregation. Diane Zook, an enemy of democratically controlled public schools in Little Rock, led the board defiance of federal courts. The bare facts: A black family in Jacksonville wanted to send a child to school in much whiter Cabot, which the family believed a better environment. The new Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, created by separation from the Pulaski County School District, did so under a federal court agreement that it would not participate in the state school choice law that allows interdistrict trans-
fers. That portion of Pulaski County remains under court supervision because it hasn’t been decla red desegregated and MAX fears free transfers BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com would add to segregation. Zook, who is no lawyer, said she didn’t care what the court agreement said. She wanted to side with parents. If there is to be further court action, let the school district (and state) bear the burden, she said. And it was done. Then came a request from a white family that lives in El Dorado, about 50-50 black/white, to go to the mostly white Parkers Chapel School District. The family already had used a dubious guardianship, through an aunt, for the child to flee El Dorado. El Dorado is under a federal desegregation order and, by the clear language of state law, chooses to opt out of the transfer law. It fears acceleration of the historic flight of whites to suburban districts in Union County.
Death penalty lives
B
arely clinging to its flagging life, the death penalty got a merciful reprieve last month from the unlikeliest quarter, the state Supreme Court. In what one normally indulgent justice called a completely nonsensical decision by his colleagues, the Supreme Court said the legislature, governor and attorney general, eager to start whacking down the list of 34 prisoners waiting to be executed, could simply ignore provisions of the state Constitution that seem to stand in the way of immediate executions. Although the numbers keep shrinking, capital punishment still has the support of most Arkansans, so the leaders of the executive, legislative and judicial branches are all trying to make it happen again — right away. Mike Huckabee, 11 years ago, was the last governor who had a chance to execute someone. In the preceding 90 years, Arkansas had electrocuted or hung 195 prisoners, 67 percent of them black men who had harmed whites. Killing by drugs has become increasingly problematic owing to the gruesome failure of some potions to kill people quickly and relatively painlessly and thus comply with consti-
tutional prohibitions against cruel punishment. Drug manufacturers, loath to have their products used to ERNEST kill people rather DUMAS than save them, refused to sell them to governments for executions and required retailers to agree not to sell or give their products to states intending to use them for executions. Gov. Hutchinson and the Republican legislature, with an assist from Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, came to the rescue last year with Act 1096, which prevents the state from disclosing the source of the drug cocktail used in executions. That way, a pharmacist or a middleman could violate an agreement with a pharmaceutical company and sell the company’s drugs for executions without anyone tracing it. So the law is premised upon a bit of dishonesty and achieves success by keeping the dishonesty secret. Capital punishment is the law in Arkansas and every poll shows that most voters still favor it, so you can understand how most legislators, the governor and
The Board of Education momentarily was discombobulated. New Board member Fitz Hill was particularly confused and at first joined a majority vote against the El Dorado transfer. But after a lunch break, the Hutchinson appointee reconsidered, perhaps refreshed by someone on what was expected of him. Hill and other members of the board were vetted before selection by Gov. Hutchinson. They are expected to support the choice/charter school agenda pushed by the Walton Family Foundation, its paid lobbyists and the Hutchinson administration. After the brief hiccup, the El Dorado transfers were approved, too, on a revote. Supporters included Brett Williamson of El Dorado, who owes his livelihood to the Murphy family fortune that is also part of the Billionaire Boys Club that backs school “choice.” Allen Roberts, a lawyer for El Dorado, called the state board vote “radically segregationist.” He and others will study the situation for a possible court appeal. Absent court intervention, the floodgates are now open to wholesale transfers in Jacksonville and El Dorado and in the other districts in the state that thought they were protected from statesanctioned white flight by past federal
court desegregation cases. In a larger sense, it’s only a loss on the margins. The State Board of Education has already demonstrated it will approve just about anything that calls itself a charter school, no matter the segregative effect — be it a school leaving the poor neighborhood it nominally was designed to serve to move to upscale western Little Rock or an elite quasi-private charter school in Northwest Little Rock short on enrollment of poor and minority students As long as Asa Hutchinson is governor, white privilege, income privilege and animus toward the majority black and poor Little Rock School District will continue. The Waltons’ former legislative tool, Johnny Key, is now education commissioner. He is expected to finish the job intended by 2015 legislation and eventually turn operation of the Little Rock district over to private operators. They’ll answer to no one and use corporate shields to further guard against accountability. Rich folks need not worry. If they can’t get a charter school tailored to their needs and neighborhood, they can transfer anywhere they want in post-racial Arkansas, federal courts and resegregation be damned.
attorney general want to please in spite istrative agency can hide or disguise the of their oaths to uphold the state and U.S. expenditure to thwart any public search constitutions. But that is not the role of the for the truth and that no one can force Supreme Court, which has the singular it to be divulged under the Freedom of duty to interpret the Constitution fear- Information Act. The Supreme Court majority said the lessly and insist that it be followed by the other branches regardless of public feel- authors of the Constitution didn’t really ings. I am not alone in believing that the mean what they said. Their theory was emerging majority on the court since 2010, that the legislature may some day — next when big money entered appellate court year or the next millennium — decide to races, is not dedicated to that principle. make the drug purchase public, so proCondemned prisoners who contested hibiting its publication now is OK. Justice Robin Wynne, the newest jusAct 1096 raised a host of issues about its constitutionality, several of which were tice, wrote: “That makes absolutely no embraced by the trial judge, Wendell sense whatever.” The act is clearly unconGriffen, all of which were rejected by a stitutional, he said. slim majority of the justices in an opinThe next thing you know, the legision written by Justice Courtney Goodson. lature may use the court’s precedent to One of those decisions stands out in bar publication of other spending details its absurdity. The prisoners’ attorneys — like the expense accounts of legislators claimed that the secrecy provisions of Act and executive officials like the attorney 1096 violated Article 19, Section 12, of the general. You may remember that searchstate Constitution, which says the state ing those spending records brought must publish the details of every expen- about the conviction and resignation of diture by every state agency, including the the attorney general in 1990 and a courtname of the person or company receiving approved halt to illegal expense vouchers the money and what it was for. All expen- of legislators three years ago. But what would that matter if we get ditures are filed with the state Finance and Administration Department, where to kill a half-dozen criminals now? Since the press or anyone can examine them. the Supreme Court upheld the secrecy The agency makes sure an expenditure law, the prison has laid its hands on an complies with appropriations. ample supply of killing drugs from an Act 1096 says the prison or the admin- unscrupulous supplier. arktimes.com
JULY 21, 2016
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Let’s talk about drinking
H
ere we go again. At the rate these campus sexual abuse sagas are making news, it’s reasonable to ask what college administrators can possibly be thinking about. Here’s the latest Washington Post headline from the University of Virginia, an institution for which I have enormous respect and affection: “He said it was consensual. She said she blacked out. U-Va. had to decide: Was it assault?” The school has always had a culture of gentlemanly dissipation I disliked even in my rugby-playing days when I was an undergrad there. Judging by the Post’s account of the bacchanalian “block party” that resulted in another hesaid, she-said dispute of the kind roiling campuses nationwide, things have only gotten worse on the drinking front. The Post’s T. Reese Shapiro summarizes events as follows: “To him, in that moment, it was a thrilling hookup at a party. To her — as she now sees it — it was a terrifying assault. To U-Va., it was another drunken mess with no good answers.” Partly because 19-year-old sophomore volleyball player Haley Lind was brave (or foolhardy) enough to go public with her anger at university authorities who failed to expel the freshman athlete with whom she ended up naked in a bathroom despite having no memory of the event, reporter Shapiro was able to piece together a persuasive account. To give you some idea, Lind’s evening began with a Smirnoff Ice, two shots of tequila and two more of vodka. For the record, that’s five drinks for the “petite blonde.” Then she and her girlfriends headed for the party, where — among other things—guys were circulating with backpack sprayers filled with liquor, randomly topping up people’s drinks. Lind remembers nothing after her first hit from the sprayer. No court in America, of course, would credit the testimony of somebody so drunk. Lind’s “assailant” also drank heavily, but not enough to become incapacitated. His story was that she was aggressively flirtatious. Witnesses saw them making out, and overheard her invite him back to her apartment. Instead, the couple adjourned to an upstairs bathroom, where the alleged indignities transpired. A friend found her there in a stupor, wearing nothing but shoes, barely able to speak or stand.
She awoke in her own apartment with no memory how she got there. After friends GENE arranged a meetLYONS ing, he apologized that she was upset, but insisted she’d been eager. But hadn’t she been too drunk to consent, she asked? “The freshman athlete responded: ‘I mean, I was so drunk myself.’ ” After months of investigation and a 96-page report, university authorities concluded he’d violated no school rules. For one Virginia graduate married to another, this seemingly endless succession of tragedies and scandals involving the university’s party culture can’t help but be disheartening. Even if you exclude the 2014 Rolling Stone hoax about a frat house gang rape that never happened. People who’d attended University of Virginia block parties thought it could have. However, the Post’s account also allows me to clarify an important point many readers misunderstood in a recent column concerning a Stanford University rape case. Sarah Hepola’s terrific memoir “Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget” makes a crucial point. “In a blackout, a person is anything but silent and immobile,” she writes. “You can talk and laugh and charm people at the bar with funny stories of your past.” Or seduce total strangers. Hepola woke up with a lot of them. Blackout drinkers who steadfastly deny that their actions could possibly be as witnesses describe them have no idea how they acted. Nor is it obvious to fellow drinkers that somebody’s about to enter the zombie stage of unconsciousness. So spare me the foolish rhetoric about “slut-shaming.” One expert Hepola consulted said this: “When men are in a blackout, they do things to the world. When women are in a blackout, things are done to them.” If they really want to protect young women, why do administrators pretend they’re helpless to control binge drinking? Public intoxication is a Class 4 misdemeanor in Virginia. Why not suspend offenders from college? Any bar or liquor store that served booze to underage drunks would lose its license or worse. People can party without getting paralyzed.
Winging it
A
talented politician with the confidence to be unpredictable can produce authentic moments that connect with voters and move them, but at the end of the day an entire campaign that is built upon improvisation is bound for trouble. On matters ranging from the high profile to the least visible components of campaigning, Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign has become a case study in winging it. And, while the atmospherics in which this “slightly unusual election year” (in the understated words of Bill Clinton at the Democratic Party of Arkansas’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner last week) is taking place favor a Trump-like candidate who personifies fundamental change, his conscious unpredictability is likely to ultimately undermine his candidacy in 2016 and to do real harm for cycles to come to the national party of which he officially takes control this week. On the first night of the Cleveland Republican National Convention that marked Trump’s takeover of the GOP, a lack of attention to details showed itself across the evening. The ordering of speeches created a tonal herky-jerkiness to the evening. It also left delegates without any reason to stay in the hall for the closing 45 minutes of the session, creating an empty room for cameras during prime time, subliminally suggesting a lack of enthusiasm during a period of peak viewership. Most discussed in the aftermath, of course, was the fact that sections of Melania Trump’s speech were plagiarized (ironically, from Michelle Obama). Sloppiness by speechwriters and an absence of care for producers of the convention tasked with being sure such mistakes are avoided turned an otherwise well-delivered but forgettable speech into mini-scandal readymade for Twitter. While any plagiarism is troubling, the takeaway here is not so much the offense itself but what it tells us about the Trump campaign. Even more important than such visible unforced errors created by inattention to detail is what is not going on behind the scenes. Increasingly, the coin of the realm in American politics is voters’ data. What issues motivate them? Where do they get their political information? What compels them to contribute money? We know well the role of data (which is all about the details) in driving President Obama’s political success, particularly in the challenging electoral climate
of 2012. In that election, his team of five dozen data analysts operating out of “The Cave” in the ChiJAY cago headquarBARTH ters were crucial to creating an electorate — particularly in the swing states — that was favorable to the president’s reelection. Veterans of the Obama campaigns, working with younger staffers who have come of age in data-driven elections, are now in charge of the Democratic National Committee operation and also of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. In contrast, from the start, Trump has run a “data-light” campaign with the candidate, arguing that his personality is more important in shaping election outcomes than any benefits that can be derived from the smart use of data. While Trump makes a point that a candidate’s being in sync with his times is the more potent force in politics, data can be the deciding force in close elections. Other GOP candidates (especially Ted Cruz, who over-performed in several nomination contests because of his campaign’s investment in data) were ready to go all-in on data operations to their own benefit and that of the GOP of the future. No matter how distinctive a candidate Trump is, this key structural advantage for the Democrats promises to grow, with ramifications across election cycles to come. This is particularly important because most signs point to a close election once again in 2016 with the states that have been determinative in recent cycles. Despite the antipathy toward Trump and the demographic and Electoral College advantages any Democrat has, Hillary Clinton’s own flaws and “legitimate resentment” on the part of many traditional Democratic constituencies have created an unpredictable “road rage election” (as Bill Clinton phrased it last week). Clinton, who played more the role of societal analyst than advocate for his wife in his winding remarks, hinted at a close outcome, with a major burden on his wife to make the case to enough voters “that we’re in it for them and that anybody that spends all their time trying to keep you mad at somebody else is not really your friend.” Aiding the Democratic nominee in this challenging work is an opponent whose winging it enhances his authenticity but also his campaign’s basic incompetence.
Join Central Arkansas’s BEST bartenders for the Second ANNUAL MASTER MIX-OFF bartending competition, a rip-roaring good time celebrating Prohibition-era mixology! Local bartenders will compete for Master Mixologist & People’s Choice Awards
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JULY 21, 2016
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presents‌
Finger Food Thursday, July 21 7:30 p.m.
The Joint
Micky Rigby, Danny Dozier, and Steve Davison bring a cavalcade 301 Main Street of guitars and styles to the stage North Little Rock for an evening of great American Tickets $20 string music. Available at the door or online at www.argentaartsacousticmusic.com
ORIGINAL ART benefiting an ORIGINAL PUBLICATION Until funding goal is met, 100% of profits from pieces purchased from bit.ly/no_sorrow featuring "No sorrow ever chokes their throats," a piece designed by MOATS to honor the victims of the Orlando night club shooting, will be donated to Out in Arkansas, a new publication by Arkansas Times that aims to cover news and culture relevant to the area's LBGTQ community.
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THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE
The fall
W
hen The Observer was a lad, our swimming spot of choice was the Round Hole, a geographical oddity where the Saline River made a hard turn to the left. The result was a vast eddy that had cut an almost perfectly round pool, the bottom scoured straight down to bedrock. The depth of the Round Hole made it perfect for rope swings and, if you had the cojones, Tarzan-worthy leaps from the giant cottonwoods that leaned out over the water. This Round Hole story concerns, in turn, a young man we will call C to spare him further humiliation. C was always a little crazy as a kid, always jockeying to be the center of attention. That’s what he was doing at the Round Hole that day. Specifically, he was trying to catch the eyes of a group of teenage girls, a little gaggle of them in their cute swimsuits and river-smelling mermaid hair, voices tittering like piccolos. To that end, C hatched a scheme. He was always a climber, and soon he had scaled one of the leaning cottonwoods that shaded the Round Hole. Up and up he went, us egging him on, until finally he got up to the finest web of branches, so high that each seemed, from far below, to be no wider than a hair. Surely, this day, we were witnessing a tale that would live for the ages! Would he just keep going, until he disappeared into the hazy summer sky, like a sorcerer climbing an enchanted rope? Then, C reached out, took one last handhold to climb even higher, and there came the sharp “crack!” There are seconds in a every life that seem to stretch out to hours, even days. The moment when C pinwheeled away from the narrow trunk of the cottonwood over the Round Hole — already gathering speed on the way to his destiny at near terminal velocity — was one of those moments. Worse for his prospects with the young ladies he’d been trying to impress, he shrieked as he fell, making the noise a cartoon villain might when Bugs Bunny secretly lit his pants on fire: “Ahhhhheeeeeeeooooooooooaaaaaah-
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hhh!” Though it clearly wasn’t high enough to kill him, in The Observer’s mind as we write this, we see him falling from a height so great that he might have been dropped from a passing plane, possibly from a geostationary satellite. After the great spectacle of watching C fall — Icarus, having flown too close to the sun on waxen wings, being punished by the gods — the moment when he hit the water was a bit anticlimactic. Though we’d kind of expected him to explode in a ball of flame like a downed helicopter in a Chuck Norris movie, what we got was totally predictable: a spray of water and a gargantuan slap of flesh on surface tension, loud enough that it made several of those standing around say, “Oh, Jesus!” and cringe, as if we’d just watched somebody get their tongue pierced. The silent look that passed between The Observer and a friend showed that we were in agreement that he was probably dead. But then C bobbed up in the middle of the pool on his back, floating limply, then loosed a weak, woundedcow sound: “Oooohhhhggggggggghhhhhhhhh.” Eventually, one of us finally stopped laughing long enough to swim out and tow him back to shore by one wrist, a young god turned into a piece of driftwood by his hubris. For added hilarity, we found that the impact had been so great that his swim trunks had blown apart, leaving him wearing something like a shredded tutu over a set of seethough net underpants. We can’t quite remember how we got him dressed enough to get out of the water and past the girls who were there that day. That part, perhaps thankfully, has disappeared from The Observer’s noggin. So much has these days. Which makes us think: Before the summer’s over, we may have to go back and seek out the Round Hole. If we’re lucky, the boy we once were will still be there in the sun, sitting in damp shorts on a tree root, shooting the shit with the best friends he ever had in his life.
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WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD KIDS... SAVVY IS LAUNCHING ITS FIRST READER NOMINATION-BASED FEATURE HIGHLIGHTING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ARKANSAS’S YOUTH. DOES YOUR CHILD EXCEL IN SCHOOL? IS YOUR TROPHY CASE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS? DOES HE OR SHE ALWAYS DO CHORES THE FIRST TIME YOU ASK? DID YOUR BABY FINALLY START SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT? ALL THESE THINGS MAKE YOUR KIDS EXCEPTIONAL, AND WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT! NOMINATE YOUR CHILD OR GRANDCHILD TO BE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PAGES OF SAVVY’S “18 UNDER 18,” “10 UNDER 10” OR “5 UNDER 5” FEATURES. GUIDELINES AND SUBMISSION FORM CAN BE FOUND AT THESAVVYMOMS.COM. arktimes.com
JULY 21, 2016
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Arkansas Reporter
THE
An anchor for 72204 Mosaic Church celebrates its 15th anniversary. BY TOM COULTER
largest branches of the fitness chain in Arkansas. A gas station and restaurant have moved next door. Jan Jeffrey, who previously attended predominantly African-American churches, came to Mosaic nine years ago when it was still located in the former Walmart. “It used to be kinda dead in this area, but everything seems to have started building up since we’ve been here,” Jeffrey said.
nomics of the community,” DeYmaz said. The programs within Vine and Village primarily serve the people of 72204. One of them, the Orchard, which Mosaic began in 2004, provides free food, employment counseling and health care screenings to the residents of 72204. The program draws roughly 18,500 people each year — 59 percent of the entire ZIP code. According to DeYmaz, the Orchard is the largest food distribution center in
L
ittle Rock is often defined by its divisions. Discriminatory housing policies, urban sprawl and poor planning caused the city to develop in such a way that kept its residents separated by race and class, and these disparities are reflected in Little Rock’s schools and churches. The racial segregation of churches extends far beyond Little Rock. In April 1960, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said 11 o’clock on Sunday morning was the most segregated hour in America, and things haven’t improved much since. According to the National Congregations Study, 86 percent of religious Americans attend churches in which one race makes up more than 80 percent of the congregation. While working as a youth pastor in the mid-1990s at Little Rock’s Fellowship Bible Church, Mark DeYmaz began to notice segregation within his own congregation. “We had this otherwise really great church, but the only minorities in significant number all worked as janitors,” DeYmaz said. “That began to bother me.” In September 1997, DeYmaz helped organize the Racial Reconciliation Rally, which commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine. DeYmaz says the rally allowed him to talk with black churches and communities about the systemic segregation of Little Rock’s churches. Those talks helped fuel his desire to create a multiethnic church. “How realistically do you think you’re going to change the community if your church doesn’t reflect it?” he asked. In the summer of 2001, he decided to create the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas. In June 2003, the church subleased the former home of an empty Walmart at 6420 Colonel Glenn Road. Knowing Mosaic needed a permanent place to call its own, church leaders decided in 2006 to purchase an aban12
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DIVERSE WORSHIP: Mark DeYmaz often leads praise music for the multiethnic congregation of Mosaic Church, which held the first service in its new building in January.
doned Kmart near the intersection of University and Asher avenues, seeing potential in the rundown building. They completed the purchase of the $1.7 million space in 2012, and held their first service in the new location in January of this year. Mosaic is located in the 72204 ZIP code, which is south of Interstate 630 and encompasses some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. DeYmaz, the directional leader of Mosaic, chose 72204 because he wanted to create a “point of destination” within the community. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Mosaic has become an anchor in the community. After purchasing the church’s new space, DeYmaz and his church staff rented out part of it to 10 Fitness. The fitness center, which opened in 2015, now has 6,000 members, making it one of the
Fifteen years ago, DeYmaz says the 72204 ZIP code had 335,000 square feet of empty business space, vulnerable to disrepair and attracting crime. According to DeYmaz, the empty Walmart and Kmart stores taken over by Mosaic made up half of that space. “Today in those spaces, at least 45,000 to 50,000 square feet of that Walmart has three commercial businesses,” he said. “The parking lot’s full. People are coming and going. Crime’s been reduced in that building by 10 percent since we went there.” The church has three different areas of focus: spiritual growth, social justice and economic development. Vine and Village, a separate nonprofit group, supports Mosaic’s numerous programs. “If you’re going to transform a community, you have to deal with the eco-
Little Rock and the third largest in Central Arkansas. Mosaic also has programs for teenage mothers and foster kids transitioning to adulthood. The church recently partnered with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and the city of Little Rock for a mobile farmers market called Fresh2You. Rock Region Metro donated a soon-to-be retired bus for Fresh2You; it will bring fresh produce to food deserts, areas distant from affordable fresh food. “There’s a lot of synergy in these programs,” DeYmaz said. “The same kids who are in your after-school program, their families are getting food from us, and so you end up knowing the people and having real relationships with them.” On a recent Sunday, Mosaic was humming with life. Church staff attempted to herd kids into the children’s area,
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part of which the church shares with 10 Fitness. Inside Mosaic’s main sanctuary was a service you would expect at a megachurch, save for the smaller congregation and Spanish translations of song on the projection screen. An impassioned sermon was received with cries of “Amen!” and heads nodded with approval. Mosaic’s members moved together to the percussion of the praise band. “I like the diversity and the idea that all these different nationalities come together to strive and love each other,” Jeffrey said. Mosaic’s 500-member congregation includes a substantial Latino population. One of the church’s main programs, the Evangelical Alliance for Immigration Services, works with those needing to confirm their legal status or locate family members. Joaquin Hernandez, a native of southern Mexico, has lived in Arkansas since 1997, but didn’t learn how to speak English until coming to Mosaic in 2009. “Before, my Latino community and church was just Spanish speakers,” he said. “I was part of the people who stay segregated. I feel very welcome here. They make you feel important by who you are and what you mean for God.” Hernandez, who lives in Bryant, is one of many who make long commutes to attend service at Mosaic every Sunday. After gas prices skyrocketed in the mid-2000s, the church opened another campus in Conway, which operates under the wing of the Little Rock location. Three years ago, Mosaic sent one of its pastors to a struggling church in Durham, N.C., to guide its vision and direction. Five years ago, a staff member discovered the website of a church in Coruña, Spain, that copied nearly everything about Mosaic: its name, its message and its goals. Mosaic’s leadership team got in touch with the church, and the two decided to merge into the same franchise. DeYmaz visited the church a couple of years ago. Continuing the familial comparisons, he likens it to a distant cousin. There has been notable improvement in church diversity over the past 20 years. From 1998 to 2012, the National Congregations Study found the percentage of churches with no dominant ethnic group rose from 15 to 20 percent.
THE
BIG PICTURE
ARKANSAS TIMES RECOMMENDS: THE WATER EDITION Arkansas Times Recommends is a regular series on our entertainment blog, Rock Candy, in which Times staff members (or whoever happens to be around at the time) highlight things we’ve been enjoying this week. To get folks in the right frame of mind, sometimes we do themes. Amid scorching temperatures, water was on our mind this week.
CHECK OUT THE PICTURES and video from the just-c o n c l u d e d 69-day Deepwater Exploration voyage to the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the world’s oceans, on oceanexplorer.noaa.gov. They’re under the link to the Okeanos Explorer, the oceanic research vessel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. You’ll see bottom fish, bubblegum coral, frogfish, hydrothermal vents and all manner of echinoderms and cnidarians and other benthic delights. The deepest part of the Marianas Trench, the Challenger Deep, lies about 6.8 miles beneath the surface of the ocean. That’s about the same distance between the state Capitol and the Walmart on Chenal and Bowman in West Little Rock. — Benjamin Hardy AROUND THIS POINT in the summertime, I start pondering redemption. Maybe it’s the heat and humidity, the sweat weighing me down; maybe it’s the untold quantities of tequila I’ve inevitably consumed by now in the form of frozen margaritas; maybe it’s the voluptuousness of summer produce, the tempting clefts of peaches and tomatoes, the throbbing purples of blackberries. Whatever makes it so, perhaps you’ll agree that July is the sinfullest month, a good time to repent and to remember Arkansas’s own Greg Alan Brownderville, who will lead to you to the Lord and back with his first poetry collection “Gust,” published in 2011. “Gust” has it all: oldtime religion, Delta hoodoo, plenty of sweaty Southern nights, Heavenly Highway Hymns, tamales, grills, turkeys … even a tornado. Highlights for me include “Lord, Make Me a Sheep,” which details a Pentecostal
conversion experience, and “Holy Ghost Man,” a tribute to a charismatic preacher/chronicle of gradually shifting faith, but if you get your hands on “Gust,” you’ll have to read the whole thing, gripped as you’ll be by the spirit of it. I’ve been variously baptized in my lifetime — sprinkled by Presbyterians, dunked by Baptists — but neither compares to “Gust” as a religious experience. — Megan Blankenship I’M PERSNICKETY ABOUT cooking eggs. And, no, I’m not just a fussy cook in general; I am slapdash about plenty of culinary exercises (vegetable handling, in particular, comes to mind). But with eggs, the line between repulsive and resplendent is just so very fine. So, I’ve worked long and hard to perfect (yes, I said perfect) my process for boiling eggs so that the white is solid and the yolk is melted gold. Some people call this preparation “softboiled,” but for some that means that the white is also not completely solidified. Are they therefore “mediumboiled”? I’ve also heard them called “ramen eggs.” Call them what you want, these are The Goods. And, unlike other “perfect soft-boiled egg” recipes, this one involves no steamer baskets, thermometers, etc. (This process was described — complete with scientific exposition — in a life-changing article I read online, but I’ve lost the link and adjusted through trial and error.) 1.
2.
3.
Begin with an egg laid by a happy hen. The eggs I use are typically refrigerated (for shame!), which I confess only because it does affect the timing. Fill a medium saucepan a finger -width deeper than egg-deep. Bring water to a hearty
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12.
boil. Gently submerge your egg(s), one at a time. Set a timer for one-and-a-half minutes. At the end of one-and-a-half minutes drop several ice cubes into the boiling water. Wait for the water to return to a full boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Set a timer for five minutes. At the end of five minutes hold your saucepan under cool, running water until the hot is replaced with room-temperature water. Peel your perfect eggs. Consume your perfect eggs. — Ashley Gill
WATER IS AT THE HEART of Roman Polanski’s classic “Chinatown.” Despite being made in 1974, it belongs among the best noir films of the ’40s and ‘50s. The main thing separating it from the likes of “The Third Man” and “Sunset Boulevard” is Jack Nicholson, who plays the detective role with a few more loose screws than Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant. In many ways, “Chinatown” conveys the same spirit of Los Angeles that Paul Thomas Anderson’s brilliantly unruly movies do today. Polanski’s film, which takes place in the 1930s, falls neatly in the time between “There Will Be Blood” and “Boogie Nights,” capturing the city after it was barren wilderness but before it became a hotspot for celebrities. What remained consistent throughout that timeline is a tendency toward deviance. As critic Roger Ebert wrote in his review, “the crimes in ‘Chinatown’ include incest and murder, but the biggest crime is against the city’s own future, by men who see that to control the water is to control the wealth.” Those men certainly made a profit, but I doubt they had any idea of what Los Angeles would become. — Tom Coulter
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HAPPY IN THE SURF: Christian Chenault plays in the waves during a vacation in Florida.
Autisms An Arkansas Children’s Hospital doctor is testing a new drug that targets one of a host of ailments the highly individual disorder can cause. BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK
B
rennan Fieldler, 12, is gabby and a bit quirky, so her family calls her “Shelly” after the character Sheldon on the hit television show “The Big Bang Theory.” Aiden Coble, 6, started reading at
age 3. Christian Chenault, 8, in his typically creative way, said something
NELSON CHENAULT
he ate recently tasted like “mustache.” Londyn Smith, 4, is so sociable that people thought she didn’t fit into the autism spectrum. “When you’ve met one child with autism,” Aiden’s mother, Sally Coble, told a reporter, “you’ve met one child with autism.” The condition, defined as a disorder of social communication combined with certain behaviors, should be known as “autisms” plural, Dr. Richard Frye of Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute said. Autism Spectrum Disorder — which now includes Asperger syndrome — is not simply a matter of a misfiring or tangled brain. It is a systemic condition, affecting the immune system, the metabolic system and the gut. Children with autism have problems relating to people around them. They exhibit behaviors that look like obsessive-compulsive disorder, like hand-flapping. They may be allergic to many foods, have trouble sleeping and be unable to speak. Serious gastrointestinal problems, like chronic
constipation, are common. Or they may be garrulous, like Brennan, or read early, or be able to tell you the make and model of every sort of truck, or make jokes. Autism “is not a disorder,” Arkansas Children’s Hospital geneticist Dr. Stephen Kahler said. “It’s a description of how somebody looks to us, how they behave. They don’t relate to other people very well, they’re not good at communication. But those are descriptions about how somebody behaves. The only thing measureable is how old you are. If you are 2 months old, you can’t diagnose autism. If you are 50 with these characteristics, you wouldn’t call it autism. Everything else is a description of how you behave.” And so there is no one treatment for autism. Now, however, Frye, who directs autism research at ACHRI and Children’s Hospital’s Autism Multi-
specialty Clinic and is associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, is enlisting subjects to take part in a phase-three clinical trial of what could be the first FDA-approved drug treatment for autism that directly addresses gastrointestinal abnormalities. The drug, CM-AT, under development by the biotech company Curemark, is an enzyme that some individuals with autism are lacking, one that breaks down proteins into amino acids necessary to make neurotransmitters that affect such things as mood, learning, attention, memory and other health factors. The clinics at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and at UAMS’ Dennis Developmental Center on the ACH campus are the state’s vanguard in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. The Dennis clinic is the primary diagnostic center for the COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY NELSON CHENAULT
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AIDEN COBLE: A participant in Dr. Richard Frye’s clinical trials of reduced folate, Aiden regained words he’d lost, including “mama.”
state and helps families find services; at the multispecialty clinic neurologists, geneticists, gastroenterologists, sleep specialists and other specialists treat patients and conduct research to identify and target some of the dysfunctions that afflict them. There is a two-year waiting list to be seen in Children’s autism clinic. The wait for the diagnostic clinic has improved over the past three years to only four or five months. But the number of children being diagnosed with autism in Arkansas has increased exponentially in the past three decades. In the 1980s, one in 2,000 children nationally was diagnosed with autism. Now, that number is one in 68 nationally and one in 65 in Arkansas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state has a lot of catching up to do. CHRISTIAN CHENAULT, who appears on the cover of this issue of the Arkansas Times, was “100 percent,” his mother, Heather, said, talking and hitting all the developmental milestones, until after a year of antibiotic treatments for intractable ear infections (which his mother believes played a role in his condition), his personality changed. He 16
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was just shy of his second birthday. “All of a sudden he stopped making eye contact,” Heather Chenault said. “He started banging his head on the back of his high chair and on the tile floor.” The family pediatrician told her he was probably teething, which didn’t sound right to Heather; she had not seen her daughter, Abby, who is two years older than Christian, bang her head while teething. Then Christian quit talking. He quit playing with his toys, though he would watch the wheels on his cars spin. It scared Heather and her husband, Nelson Chenault, “to death.” (Nelson Chenault, a professional photographer, took the photograph of his son that appears on the cover as well as another photograph for this article.) Heather knew about autism; she had a family member diagnosed with the dis-
order, but that child’s symptoms were “completely different” from Christian’s. Finally, though, the Chenaults raised their concerns about autism with their pediatrician. A checklist of behaviors suggested he fit into the spectrum. After a five-month wait to get into the Dennis Developmental Clinic and another six-month wait for a hearing test the clinic ordered, the Chenaults finally got the diagnosis: autism and sensory processing disorder. Christian was 2 years and 8 months old. The Dennis clinic referred the Chenaults to a therapist at an early-intervention day school, but when the Chenaults called, they discovered the person had left the school. The autism clinic had not yet been created at Children’s. They felt “thrown to the wolves,” Heather said, though they were able to begin
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seeing geneticist Kahler. Christian, at that point, quit sleeping, began crying and started running “like a track star” through the house. He quit eating most foods, accepting only crunchy carbohydrates, like pretzels. “At that point I got Nelson’s credit card — as any wife and good mother would do [Heather still has a sense of humor] — and, honest to God, went to Barnes and Noble and Books-AMillion and bought every book on the shelves about autism.” With Christian in one arm and pumped up on Mountain Dew to stay awake, Heather plowed through 40 books. In this way, the Chenaults forged their own path based on what they read. Step one: They changed Christian’s diet, removing gluten and dairy products. In three days the crying lessened. They added in cod liver oil. “At least he wasn’t hurting as much,” Heather said. But Christian was one sick little boy. He began to vomit often. He lost so much weight that the Chenaults had to consider putting him on a feeding tube. Heather Chenault kept researching, eventually finding Dr. Julie Buckley, a Florida pediatrician who devoted her career to the study of autism because her daughter had the condition. But Buckley had a five-year waiting list. Undaunted, Heather called the clinic constantly, until she finally got lucky: A canceled appointment made room for the Chenaults, who hurriedly drove from North Little Rock to Florida to get to the suddenly available appointment with the doctor. Blood tests showed that the toddler had such low cholesterol — crucial for brain function — that Buckley was shocked he was functioning as well as he was, Heather said. “His zinc had bottomed out” as well, and he was deficient in selenium. Buckley was impressed with what the Chenaults had done for their son up to that point — it was just what she would have advised. Heather and Nelson Chenault both said meeting Buckley allowed them to breathe again; Buckley began to work with Kahler at Children’s to monitor Christian’s health. The Chenaults had even more luck: At a conference on autism that Heather attended, Frye was a presenter. I “fell in love with his brain,” she said. Frye was not in Arkansas at the time, “but I was on a mission to add him to our team. He was my next
RIGHT: Dr. Richard Frye, shown here in the lab in Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute where mitochondrial function is studied, says he’s “working backward,” from function to genes, to develop autism drugs.
target,” Heather said. “I called Nelson and said I met the most amazing guy and he’s so smart and he understands mitochondrial dysfunction,” Heather said. He was unlike other doctors she’d met who “didn’t know what the hell I was talking about.” Imagine their delight when they discovered that Frye had been recruited to come to Children’s autism clinic. Christian’s brain is also amazing. He can read, his therapists realized when he began following written instructions before they were read aloud to him. He’s artistic, and his drawings reveal a fascination with transportation. Earlier, before he began to speak again, he built an intricate object out of Tinkertoys. Heather posted it on Facebook, writing, “Just because someone can’t speak doesn’t mean he doesn’t have anything to say.”
NELSON CHENAULT
BELOW: Christian Chenault’s drawings reveal a fascination with ships and trains.
CHILDREN’S IS ONE of 20 sites conducting the phase-three clinical trial of CM-AT. The trial will test the drug for safety, efficacy and dosage in a wider population of autistic children than the preceding trials. Candidates for the trial must be diagnosed, have a moderate “irritability score” — showing some mild aberrant behavior — and cannot be on other medications for a period of time until the trial. Though the drug is designed to replace an enzyme that some children do not have, it is being tested on all kids, whether they are lacking the enzyme or not. Frye has completed the first two phases of a clinical trial on another therapy: folinic acid. “The folate story is the great story,” Frye said. Folate is a vitamin so important to the neurological system that folic acid is added to our food, and pregnant women take folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, like spina bifida, in their newborns. However, folic acid is the oxidized form of folate, which is not as fully accepted by the body as other types of what are called “reduced folates,” like folinic arktimes.com
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acid. Some people have trouble converting folic acid to reduced forms of folate. In 2004, researchers discovered a link between a deficiency in folate and autism: By way of lumbar punctures, they found that while folate was present in the bloodstream of autism patients, it was not always present in the brain. Receptors for folates can be rendered dysfunctional by disorders in our cells’ mitochondria, where energy is generated. It can also be blocked from crossing the blood-brain barrier by antibodies that bind to or block the receptors. There is, however a backdoor route for folate to get to the brain, by way of a “reduced folate carrier,” which admits folinic acid. Because folinic acid is used as a cell protectant in chemotherapy, doctors knew it was safe to give in high doses. Autistic children given folinic acid in high amounts, doctors discovered, “sometimes completely normalized, according to early case reports,” Frye said. Patients at Frye’s clinic get blood tests to determine both mitochondrial disorders and whether or not there are folate antibodies present. Brooklyn Fiedler, 18, who is both autistic and has Down Syndrome (about one in three children with Down Syndrome is autistic), was diagnosed at age 6 with leukemia. She was treated with the cancer-fighting drug methotrexate and the cell rescue drug leucovorin, a reduced folic acid. “Here’s my daughter, lying on her deathbed, lifeless — you can’t imagine — and they come in and give her this rescue drug … and a few hours later she is sitting up asking for food and wanting to communicate,” Dana Fiedler said. After six years of silence, Brooklyn was making sounds, and Fiedler wanted doctors to keep giving her daughter leucovorin. She got the “brush off,” she said, because at that time physicians were unaware of the connection between folate deficiency and autism. Like Heather Chenault, Fiedler, who has another autistic daughter as well, also did her own research into autism. (In fact, all the mothers interviewed for this article have done mountains of study — Kahler described it as “the heavy lifting” — on their own into Autism Spectrum Disorder.) Like Chenault, Fiedler was at a conference when she heard about Frye. Another researcher whose daughter had a dual diagnosis like Brooklyn told Fiedler 18
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“you need to get into that clinic as soon as possible.” It took Fiedler a year, but she did get Brooklyn and her youngest daughter, Brennan, into Frye’s clinic. Brooklyn’s workup showed signs of oxidative stress that was suppressing the antioxidant glutathione, which manufactures vitamin B12 and is vital to cell health and folate absorption. Now, both she and Brennan get what Frye calls the “triple shot”: leucovorin, methyl B12 and the medication NAC (N-acetylcysteine), which boosts glutathione. Brooklyn’s speech “started to blossom,” Fiedler said. “She doesn’t talk in complete sentences. … But what happened was she started to care, started to want to try. … It was unbelievable.” Brooklyn’s occupational and speech therapists noticed, calling Fiedler and asking if “we were doing something different. They said, ‘Something is going on here.’ ” Youngest daughter Brennan’s symptoms were so atypical she went undiagnosed for some time, Fiedler said. She’s a straight A student, started reading at 3, is big on math. What her teachers did not see at school was her abnormal need for control and order. For example, if she observed that someone at school was not following a rule, she would wait until she got home to “lose it,” Fiedler said, and could be upset for days. The doctor who diagnosed Brennan told Fiedler she believed many girls with autism weren’t being diagnosed. AIDEN COBLE, 6, of Alma, also spoke until he was around 2 years old. Then he regressed, stopping speaking almost entirely. His mother, Sally, took him in for an evaluation, and he was diagnosed as autistic. Sally Coble did her research, and found out about Frye’s clinical trials of folinic acid. Once she was reassured that folinic acid was without potential side effects, she signed up Aiden to join the study. The study was double-blind, meaning Sally did not know whether Aiden was being given the drug or placebo. But a month and a half into the trial, “I got ‘Mama’ back for the first time in a year. He came home and he said, ‘Hi, Mama,’ and I cried. This trial was giving ‘Mama’ back to Mama.” At the end of the six-month trial, Dr. Frye started Aiden on the “triple shot.” Now, his mother said, while he may not converse, “his peers can understand him.” He will start first grade in the fall.
GRATEFUL: Sarah Smith says the Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy that her daughter Londyn is receiving is an “answer to a prayer.”
Aiden also likes to cuddle. “He’s very loving,” his mother said. “You don’t always see that.”
genes. How is the biological system broken? How can we fix this one piece?”
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM may also have epilepsy, though their seizures are “subclinical” and go undetected except by electroencephalogram. Frye tests all patients in the clinic for these subclinical seizures. Frye related a story about a 17-yearold patient he saw in Houston, where Frye was on faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center. An electroencephalogram showed the nonverbal patient had “epileptic-form discharges,” Frye said. Frye put him on an anti-epileptic drug and the 17-yearold started talking. “Now, about five years later, he’s not normal, but he makes jokes and speaks in sentences. He’s a functional part of the family. That’s a major thing for the family.” You might think that at 17, a child would have endured so many insults to his complex, intertwined biological systems that nothing could help him. But Frye said no. “I would never say it’s too late for anybody.” There is no single genetic defect, no single cause of autism. So, rather than try to solve the entire riddle, Frye and his clinic are looking at particular problems. “We are working backward,” Frye said, “from function to
LITTLE BLONDE LONDYN Smith, 4, is one of the fortunate 100 to take part in a state Medicaid pilot program to see how well applied behavioral analysis (ABA) works to help improve the lives of children with autism. Londyn was sociable; to the untrained eye, she did not fall into the autism spectrum. But Londyn did not speak and she did not play. She was hyperactive. Her mother, Sarah Smith, said Londyn could not slow herself down to fully connect with activities or people. She started going to an Easter Seals daycare starting at 10 months. She did not walk until she was 2; her muscle tone was poor, which is not typical for autistic children. At 3 and a half, she was formally diagnosed by specialists in speech, physiology and a doctor (required for the program) and found eligible for the ABA program through Medicaid. ABA is intensive, a serious commitment for therapists and families. The three-year program includes up to 30 hours a week of therapy; right now, Londyn spends 20 hours Monday through Thursday with therapists. Sarah Smith said the day starts with 15 minutes of “functional play,” in which Londyn chooses a toy and
LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK
But, Dennis Developmental Center medical director Dr. Jill Fussell said, ABA could be answering more prayers. The legislature has not approved a Medicaid waiver for the program beyond 100 participants; the waiver is considered a pilot to show its worth. Though private Arkansas insurance companies cover some autism services, few cover ABA therapy. Because reimbursement is infrequent, so is the number of ABA providers. It’s a Catch-22 for expansion of the program, which has been shown to be effective.
learns what to do with it. “As a mom, you don’t think of having to teach a child to play,” Smith said. Like the problems that can arise when parents and teenagers try to do homework together, Smith said when she tried to get Londyn to play, “it ended up in a battle.” Not so with the three women who come to the Smith home in Stuttgart to help Londyn. Hearing “Pop Goes the Weasel” coming from a playroom might not mean much to many parents, but it was significant for the Smiths. Londyn was playing with her Jack in the Box. The experience of raising an autistic child is “both fascinating and heartbreaking,” Smith said. Londyn is also learning to follow directions. During “table time,” her therapists will ask her to do something — clap, for example — that will earn her a reward, like a gummy bear or 15 seconds on her iPad. (Londyn’s parents used to prop the iPad up on salt shakers when they went out to dinner to amuse her; now she can use a drop down menu with pictures to communicate what she needs. “It’s opened a whole new world,” Smith said.) The analysis part of ABA means that therapists keep a record of daily interventions and how well they work. ABA is “an answer to a prayer,” Smith said. Londyn also takes medication to help her focus.
WHETHER DIET IS LINKED to autism is a subject of controversy. “There are certainly kids who benefit from dietary interventions,” Fussell said, but the scientific evidence is spotty, and a gluten-free diet, which many parents say is essential, can be expensive. She talks to patients about the various studies and what they’ve shown. Children’s Hospital geneticist Kahler, however, believes the studies are flawed, not the notion that diet plays a big role. “Here’s my take on this,” Kahler said. “Almost 25 years ago, I saw a patient who had autism. I knew nothing about autism.” The child, Evan, was frantic, not making eye contact. Genetic tests showed nothing extraordinary. But when Kahler saw Evan again, “he was worlds better.” The mother told him she had taken Evan off milk and wheat and was giving him digestive enzymes, vitamin B6 and magnesium. “I said, ‘Tell me more.’ That’s when we began to learn about food” and its role in autism. A year after Evan’s second visit, his parents asked how long he would have to be on the diet. They decided to give him a slice of pizza. In two hours, “he was flopping around like a chicken, doubled over on the floor. He was in absolute misery and that lasted for 18 hours.” Heather Chenault doesn’t need convincing that her child’s diet must be limited to keep him healthy, even if some doctors do. She in fact once told a skeptical gastroenterologist to go get a saltine cracker and give it to her son “and see what’s going to happen.” She said if he had, Christian “would within 30 minutes begin kicking and screaming and having fits.” The doctor declined to take her up on the suggestion.
Kahler came to Arkansas in 2005, where he has worked with biochemist Dr. Jill S. James, who has studied the biomarkers and genetic factors of autism for more than 20 years; her research has shown a link between deficiencies in metabolic factors and oxidative stress. The autism clinic has taken shape since Kahler came, as specialists were added. Kahler said after he recruited Frye five years ago the clinic has become a “really fantastic operation.” Depending on who you ask, Kahler said, genes play a picture in 20 percent to 40 percent of cases. Boys are far more likely to be diagnosed, so there is that genetic factor. “Twenty years ago, if you tried to convince that this is a systemic illness with brain problems, they would say no, this is a brain disease,” Kahler said. “Now, I read something last month that said everybody knows intestinal problems are a major component of autism.” Doctors would like to know the cause, but they are more concerned with the question, “What are we going to do with this patient here today?” he said. CHRISTIAN CHENAULT NOW talks; he even converses, which is a new thing, his mother said. He gets physical, speech and occupational therapy at the private All Children’s Therapy clinic, and sees Children’s Hospital allergist Dr. Stacie Jones, who is helping to expand his diet. He also has “an emerging sense of self,” Heather said; recently he was reluctant to put on the headphones he sometimes wears in public to keep out stimulus, telling his mother, “Everyone will laugh at me.” He’s made great strides since he was a silent little boy who would throw a tantrum if one of the trucks he’d lined up through the entire house was moved out of place. (Though, don’t mess with his Tinkertoys, his mother says.) For more information about autism interventions and the Medicaid waiver program, go to arkansasautism.org. To apply to enroll in the CM-AT study, contact Robin Gibson, RN, at 501-364-1542. Children between the ages of 3 and 8 and who meet other criteria are eligible; participants will get the enzyme sprinkled on their food three times a day, and will be followed by study visits every two weeks. Subjects will receive a stipend for their time.
STAY UP LATE! PLAYIN 4TH FRIDAYS
FRIDAY JULY 22
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Arts Entertainment AND
P
atrons of Tony Roma’s in Nashville or Pigeon Forge’s “Dollywood” in the 1980s may very well have been entertained by a young Suzy Bogguss. She was a student of the classic country music canon even then. Now, with 4 million records and a Grammy behind her, she’s turned her eye to the musicological, creating a jazz album with producer Jason Miles, a Western swing album with Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, an anthology of early American folk music, and a tribute to her longtime role model and collaborator, the late Merle Haggard. We spoke with Bogguss in advance of this Friday’s show at the Ron Robinson Theater, part of the Butler Center’s Arkansas Sounds series.
“Shenandoah” gets me every time, no matter the arrangement. 20
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You’ve had this career that’s spanned some pretty huge shifts in the record industry. Do you think it’s changed for the better or worse? Here’s what’s good for me. I started out making recordings with a vinyl record in 1981. I borrowed money from my friends and sold them out of the back of my car. So, it’s not a new world for me; I didn’t always have the huge machine finding a way to distribute it and promote it. I’ve done all that before, I’m doing it again, and I’m just comfortable with it.
‘BACK, SOMEHOW’ A Q&A with Suzy Bogguss. BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE
AMY DICKERSON
I want to ask you first about “American Folk Songbook,” an album you did a few years back. So many of these types of songs get characterized as children’s songs — like “A Froggy Went A Courtin’,” but there’s a real darkness to some of them, like “Wayfaring Stranger.” Yeah! In a way, it’s like, “No matter what happens to me, when all this bad stuff is over, I’m going to the right place,” which made me think it’s more of a worker’s song. There’s a book that goes along with the album and I found that background information very helpful. It hearkens back to the shape-note singing people were doing on the East Coast, building churches. They started out with these camp meetings and didn’t have hymnals or anything. Not everyone could read music, so the shape notes could tell them how the form of the song would go. I mean, it’s a real American song. We sang it in church, we sang it at Girl Scout camp, and because it starts in that minor key, it feels dark. I remember when my son was 4 or 5 and we would sing it in our little Nashville church, he would just cuddle up next to me like it was terrifying.
from Google for one cent. I mean, it’s so insane — there’s postage on it, and several pieces of paper inside, and they went to all this trouble, and it’s for one cent.
LUCKY: Suzy Bogguss and her trio pay homage to jazz, Western swing, Merle Haggard and Bogguss’ own country music repertoire at the Ron Robinson Theater on Friday evening as part of the Butler Center’s Arkansas Sounds series, 7 p.m., $20.
Yes! I grew up on the Mississippi River, so I think it’s common for anybody who’s attached to the river. You guys have sort of the same landscape. The river was a very central figure to me in my small-town life, and I think there’s something in that melody that triggers the longing feeling we might have, that just says, “I’m going back, somehow.”
I was reading about the song you did for the Stephen Foster tribute, “Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway,” and discovered that Stephen Foster made $8.12 over 7 years on that song. It’s just wild. There was this glorious period where songwriters were rewarded with royalties, and now, you know, every quarter I get a statement
I was watching the video for “Outbound Plane,” and thinking about how you’ve always had this style that was so different from the women the industry was pushing at the time, like Faith Hill. You’re standing there in this black hat and this longsleeved black dress and I thought, “She looks more like Johnny Cash than, say, Shania Twain.” (Laughs.) Well, I’ve always had this sort of infatuation with cowboys. That comes from my age, partially; all the TV shows on Saturday morning were cowboy shows. Believe it or not, my grandparents lived on the same block as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. In fact, one of your Arkansas natives, Patsy Montana, was a big influence on me. I still yodel her song “I Wanna Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” The first time I met her, I started crying. It was like a fantasy. She was the cutest thing in the whole wide world, with her little cowboy hat cocked in just the right way, and her little fringe vest. I was broke as a spoke, so I’d buy those hand-painted fiesta skirts and have them cut a different way, so it was a cheap way for me to have an actual costume, to become an image. I do want to ask you about a specific cowboy — Merle Haggard. He may not be a native, but we take our Merle Haggard pretty seriously around here. For you, there’s “Somewhere Between,” and then there’s “Lucky.”
ROCK CANDY
Check out the Times’ A&E blog arktimes.com
A&E NEWS And before that, it was listening to eight-tracks of Merle in my old car, because when my dad handed down the car to me, the car still had all those eight-tracks. I didn’t have a whole bunch of money to be buying records, so I listened to what we had: a lot of Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins, Buck Owens, Eddy Arnold. … It was good just getting serious with Merle’s songwriting, how he crafted these songs. He makes it sound so effortless, as if he sat down and wrote stream-of-consciousness, but when you start seeing how they’re arranged, you realize he’s cut out every extra word, every extra note. He’s honed it down to where it’s gonna get to your gut. You’re moved, and you don’t even know how you’re moved. I understand that he got to hear “Lucky” before he died. Yeah, he did. He was so sweet. I don’t want to push that, or make it seem like I made the record because he was faltering. I mean, when I made the record, he was touring like a banshee. Well, if anyone were ever inclined to think that way, you could point them to the old video of you and Merle singing “Somewhere Between.” His music was not a new thing for you. Yeah. When he got the record, I basically paced around the house hyperventilating while he talked to me about it, and he said one of the most amazing things to me. He said, “I’ve always felt that we were kind of alike.” I was feeling the same thing, not that I compare my songwriting to his at all, but as a singer, I do feel that connection. We both love to let our voices do what they naturally want to do. It was the ultimate compliment to me.
Suzy Bogguss and her trio perform at the Ron Robinson Theater at 7 p.m. Friday, July 22, $20. For tickets, visit arkansassounds.org.
LIKE THE POMPEII WORM or the heatloving cockscomb, late summer festivals are undeterred by the blistering sun. We’re gifted with our fair share of summer arts celebrations here in central Arkansas; here are four festivals from around the state you might want to attend: Faulkner Chamber Music Festival. This year marks the 10th Annual FCMF, an educational festival hosted by the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and dedicated to the young chamber musician. Faculty include the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Geoffrey Robson, the Quapaw Quartet’s Meredith Maddox Hicks, the Kontras Quartet’s Francois Henkins, among others. The festival opens with a free recital at 1 p.m. July 23 at Garvan Woodland Gardens’ Anthony Chapel, followed by a free carnival at the River Market pavilions at 10 a.m. July 24. It continues through Aug. 6. Human Rights Arts and Film Festival. As part of Eureka Springs’ Diversity Week and in artistic partnership with Low Key Arts’ “Arkansas Shorts” and the Kaleidoscope Film Festival, this 2nd annual film festival highlights women in film, LGBT films and filmmakers, student films and feature-length documentaries. Opening the festival on Aug. 5 is “Not Without Us,” a documentary on climate change. The festival concludes Saturday, Aug. 6, evening with an “Indie Awards” ceremony. Admision is free. For details, visit esfilmfest.org. Valley Music Festival. This new iteration of Valley Fest at the Pope County Fairgrounds in Russellville includes an Official State Barbecue Championship, hot air balloons and “Band Wars,” in which 20 bands from the likes of Fountain Lake, Etna and Bald Knob play 20-minute sets in competition for cash and to open for headliners The Marshall Tucker Band and The Kentucky Headhunters, Aug. 13-14, $25-$60. See valleymusicfest.com for tickets. Fayetteville Roots Festival. A one-day event at Fayetteville’s Greenhouse Grille in 2010 has blossomed into a four-day happening that features intimate shows from Amy Helm (in a special appearance with Earl & Them), The Shook Twins, Shovels and Rope, John Moreland and Old Crow Medicine Show, thanks to the diligent leadership of co-founders Bryan Hembree and Jeremy Gawthrop. The sustainabilityfocused festival donates liberally to Feed Fayetteville, an organization that bridges local farmers with underserved populations, and stretches across eight venues in downtown Fayetteville, Aug. 25-28, $59$139. For tickets and details, see fayettevilleroots.com.
GROW grow LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES
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THE TO-DO
LIST
BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE
THURSDAY 7/21
FINGER FOOD
7:30 p.m. The Joint. $20.
Take out the tabla in Led Zeppelin’s Irish folk tune adaptation “Black Mountain Side” and replace it with an ounce of Merle Travis’ “Cannonball Rag” and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what
Finger Food sounds like. Steve Davison, Danny Dozier and Micky Rigby will spend a Thursday evening at The Joint, likely surrounded by a range of picks, slides and custom-built and historic guitars and banjos, trading turns at tunes with watery names like “Down-
stream People” and “White River Suite.” In the absence of lyrics to do the job, they’ll tell the Ozark-born tales that prompted the band’s genius, like the historic rabbit hole Steve Davison went down before composing “Last Steamboat to Calico Rock.” The three pickers,
all of whom have been finalists or winners in Ozark Folk Center’s Merle Travis Fingerstyle Guitar Championship, show off their highly polished techniques in solos, duets and as a trio in a space that’s acoustically sophisticated enough to let those delicate sounds resonate.
ing stations. Headlining the festival are Leftover Salmon, masters of the banjo and mandolin who have been peddling their self-described “slamgrass” for over 25 years, and The Wood Brothers, complete with onethird of Medeski, Martin and Wood. Also on the bill are Town Mountain, Earphunk, Henhouse Prowlers, Taark, Arkansauce and Grandpa’s Cough Medicine. Off the main stage
is a “picking tent,” where off-duty bands will do interviews and mixand-match musicians in impromptu jams and themed music sets. Children are admitted free (under 12), have a dedicated dance floor and there’s a family camping site with earlier quiet hours. Ticket price includes primitive camping, but for an additional $60, Byrd’s will set you up with an electric campsite; call 479-667-4066.
THURSDAY 7/21-SATURDAY 7/23
HOMEGROWN MUSIC FESTIVAL 4 p.m. Thu.-1 a.m. Sun. Byrd’s Adventure Center, Mulberry Mountain. $90-$125.
Summers on Mulberry Mountain didn’t go dark when Wakarusa pulled out in 2016. In fact, the change of plans seems to have turned some attention to more minor festivals that might have gotten lost somewhere in all the String Cheese that Waka’s
been putting down in the past several years. New to that mix is the Homegrown Music Festival, with an intense focus on sustainability; festivalgoers will be outfitted with stainless steel pint glasses from which to sip Fossil Cove and Ozark Beer Company brews, collectible plates on which to gnosh and festival-branded bamboo utensils, all of which are to be washed at one of the fest’s on-demand dishwash-
FRIDAY 7/22
SEAN FRESH & THE NASTYFRESH CREW
BRANDON MARKIN
9 p.m. South on Main. $15.
TESHUVAH: Sean Fresh brings the NastyFresh Crew to South on Main Friday night, with some afterparty spinning from DJ Nick Hud, 9 p.m., $15.
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The first time I saw Sean Fresh was at an intimate house show, and despite the fact that his huge band occupied most of the living room, he managed to strut around anyway, animating his lyrics with expressions of faux surprise, serenading many lovely women perched on arms of couches with velvety vocals and generally cracking everyone up. He’s genuinely charming on stage (or, in this case, on the hardwood floor) when he’s crooning about romance and roses, and when he’s not, he’s genuinely riveting, as on “Kill ’Em All” (featuring rapper 607) from 2015’s “Teshuvah Project I: FreshSeason.” Asked about the motivation behind those more sociopolitically-leaning tracks, Sean says, “Social injustice is just as real as the pen that I used to write those lyrics. I know that God continues to heighten our platform so that we can speak up for those that don’t have a voice.” He’s joined at South on Main by Lucas “Cool Hand” Murray on lead guitar, Gavin Le’nard on bass, Rafael “2 Curls” on saxophone and flute, Travis Nelson on drums, Rickardo on keyboard and DJ Nick Hud on overall vibe creation. Hud holds down the afterparty, spinning ’90s hip-hop and R&B until 2 a.m.
IN BRIEF
THURSDAY 7/21
SATURDAY 7/23
FRIDAY 7/22
UPSTATE RUBDOWN
8:30 p.m. King’s Live Music, Conway. $5.
AUBREY EDWARDS
If there’s a septet with grooves infectious enough to counter a native Arkansan’s skepticism about residents of New Paltz, N.Y., performing music steeped in elements of old-time mountain music, it’s this one. In the vein of beloved local groups like Late Romantics and Don’t Stop Please, Upstate Rubdown is, at its core, an a cappella harmony group that uses percussion, winds and strings as accents, rather than as its foundation. As a result, the pauses between phrases can breathe as they do
with the greatest military or college choirs and other such groups who have a schedule that generally facilitates daily practice. Mary Kenney, Melanie Glenn and Kate Scarlet slip and slide around in threepart harmony, which sometimes becomes six-part harmony when the innovative rhythm section chimes in: cajon (Dean Mahoney), mandolin (Ryan Chappell), saxophone (Christian Joao) and upright bass (Harry D’Agostino) in detailed arrangements that borrow as much from Appalachia as they do from Marvin Gaye. Vilonia singer-songwriter Taylor Nealey opens the show.
HEAVY HEARTS HARD FISTS: Nikki Hill, a North Carolina belter and blues shouter of the highest order, brings her band to the White Water Tavern Saturday night, 9:30 p.m., $10.
SATURDAY 7/23
NIKKI HILL
9:30 p.m. White Water Tavern. $10.
If you’ve never heard Nikki Hill sing, I implore you not to start with her studio albums. It’s not that “Struttin” or “Heavy Hearts Hard Fists” aren’t killer tracks, but they fall prey to the impossibility of catching her unadulterated, unmastered lightning in a bottle, to trying to reign in an energy that’s better left in raw form. Instead, try her mash-up of AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood” and Springsteen’s “I’m a Rocker,” or live versions of any of her original tunes. She’s a North Carolina belter and a blues shouter of the highest degree, keeper of the seldom-kept promises that
adorn her collection of T-shirts — “Rock N Roll,” “Born to Boogie” — with the deepseated contralto of Thelma Houston and the gritty howl of Bon Scott or Big Maybelle. She’s backed by a steady band that includes her husband, Matt, a fierce electric guitar player who manages to steal the show for a few bars despite the fact that the fireball vocalist is channeling Little Richard a few feet away. This is one not to miss. (Hill and her crew are apparently playing a free show at a custard shop in Maryville, Ill., about a week after they play at White Water Tavern; for the sake of the inventory, I sincerely hope there’s still a roof on the place after they leave.)
GAWDDAUGHTER: CHAPTER 2
9 p.m. Club Sway. $10-$12.
If your weekend spiritual ritual includes worshipping at the altar of Britney or Madonna, you probably already know about House of Avalon’s dance parties at Club Sway. “Last month was the premiere,” Sway owner Jason Wiest said. “The queens did any type of off-the-wall performance they wanted, and there was a wide variety of looks among the audience.” House of Avalon’s anything-and-everything dance parties are a chance to deck yourself out and check yourself into a #GLITTERROCK bacchanal of DIY fashion, top-notch drag performances, the occasional campy skit, tributes to pop music matriarchs and an overall abiding sense of body positivity. “Being a part of #GLITTERROCK and going to the House of Avalon parties at Sway is one of the greatest highlights in my life,” Genevieve Adele Bruno told us. “It’s like going to Neverland, Oz and Wonderland all at once. It’s a free pass to be whoever you wanna be.” That might seem like high praise for a Saturday night party, but House of Avalon’s Hunter Crenshaw and Mark Monroe started with irreverent celebrations of Little Rock’s gay community and ended up with what regular partygoers say feels like family. “They not only throw some of the most outrageous, decadent, unparalleled parties that anyone has ever been to, but they’ve also created a movement,” Cody Dunbar told us. “It’s no secret that growing up gay in the Deep South can be a stifling experience. You can reclaim those childhood taunts and wear them across your chest like a red badge of courage. Or you can just wear your underwear and a poodle head. It’s up to you. As a 30-year-old man, I’ve never felt more unabashedly myself as I have since being a part of this community. Thank #GAWDDAUGHTER.”
SOULution plays its buttery smooth neo-soul at Next Bistro and Bar, 9 p.m., $7. Buddy Case takes the stage at the revived “Live at Laman” series, 7 p.m., Laman Library, free. The Arkansas Travelers take on the rising Tulsa Drillers, Dickey-Stephens Field, 7:10 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 6:10 p.m. Sun., $7-$13. “La Cage aux Folles,” the French farce that inspired “The Birdcage,” continues its run at Argenta Community Theater through July 30, 7 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 8 p.m. Fri-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., $30-$50. “Jukebox musical” “Rock of Ages” concludes its run at The Studio Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2:30 p.m. Sun., $20-$25. John Morgan (a.k.a. “The Ragin’ Cajun”) riffs on Louisiana culture and parental life at The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat. and 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., $10-$15. Double banjo duo The Lowest Pair plays a free show at Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY 7/22 Hard Pass releases its debut album at The White Water Tavern, with Isaac Alexander and Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth, 9 p.m. Mountain Sprout plucks its rowdy string-band tunes at Maxine’s, Hot Springs, 9 p.m., $10. Boom! Kinetic takes the stage at George’s Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville, 9:30 p.m., $10.
SATURDAY 7/23 Oklahoma City’s piano-centric Space 4 Lease lands at Maxine’s with Marshall Poole and The Talking Liberties, 9 p.m., $5. Revolution Room hosts Indie Music Night, a night of hip-hop, 9 p.m., $10. Dance band CosmOcean plays a set at Next Bar and Bistro, 9 p.m., $7. The UhHuhs share a bill with Jared Leibowich (The Zoltars, Sea Nanners) at Stickyz, 9 p.m., $6.
SUNDAY 7/24 High-octane rockers Crobot play the Rev Room with The Virginmarys and AEGIS, 8 p.m., $10-$15.
MONDAY 7/25 The Little Rock Film Society presents “Monday Night Shorts” at The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $8.
TUESDAY 7/26 Brain Stems, Bombay Harambee and Pagiins hold down the tradition of weird Tuesday nights at the White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., donations. Detroit rockers I Prevail play The Clear Channel Metroplex with The White Noise and My Enemies & I, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Brian Nahlen and Nick Devlin duo at Cajun’s Wharf for happy hour, 5:30 p.m., free. arktimes.com
JULY 21, 2016
23
AFTER DARK All events are in the Greater Little Rock area unless otherwise noted. To place an event in the Arkansas Times calendar, please email the listing and all pertinent information, including date, time, location, price and contact information, to calendar@arktimes.com.
THURSDAY, JULY 21
MUSIC
Andrew Raines and The Paradigms. Kings Live Music, 8 p.m., free. 1020 Front St., No. 102, Conway. kingslivemusic.com. Buddy Case. Live at Laman concert series. Laman Library, 7 p.m., free. 2801 Orange St., NLR. 501758-1720. lamanlibrary.org. DeFrance (acoustic). Markham Street Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m., free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501224-2010. markhamstreetpub.com. The Dexateens. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. whitewatertavern.com. Drageoke. Drag show followed by karaoke, hosted by Queen Anthony James Gerard. Sway, 8 p.m. 412 Louisiana St. clubsway.com. Finger Food. The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $20. 301 Main St., No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointargenta.com. Fitz and the Tantrums. With Zella Day. George’s Majestic Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $25. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. georgesmajesticlounge.com. Homegrown Music Festival. Featuring Leftover Salmon and the Wood Brothers. Byrd’s Adventure Center, $90-$185. 7037 Cass Oark Road, Ozark. homegrownfestival-ar.com. Horrors of Space Island. Vino’s, 7 p.m., free. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. vinosbrewpub.com. Hotbed, Open Fields. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxineslive.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Live music. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. 501372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. The Lowest Pair. Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. fcl.org. 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. RockUsaurus. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. SOULution. Next Bistro and Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-6398. www.facebook. com/LRnextbar/timeline. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com. Tragikly White. Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m., $5. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com.
HEY, HEY, IT’S THE MONKEES: In celebration of their hit TV show’s 50th anniversary and debut single “Last Train to Clarksville,” Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork play Oaklawn’s Park’s Finish Line Theater on Friday, July 22, 7 p.m., $55-$65.
ArkiePub Trivia. Stone’s Throw, 6:30 p.m., free. 402 E. Ninth St. 501-244-9154. stonesthrowbeer.com.
FILM
48-Hour Film Project Screening. View (and vote on) films created from scratch in 48 hours. Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m. 1 Pulaski Way. 501320-5703. 48hourfilm.com. Movies at the Market: Top Gun. Hot Springs Farmers and Artisans Market, 8:30 p.m., free. 121 Orange St., Hot Springs. 501-321-2277.
POETRY
POETluck. Literary salon and potluck. The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow, third Thursday of every month, 6 p.m. 515 Spring St., Eureka Springs. 479-253-7444.
SPORTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com.
KIDS
Garden Club. A project of the Faulkner County Urban Farm Project. Ages 7 and up or with supervision. Faulkner County Library, 3:30 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www. fcl.org.
FRIDAY, JULY 22
NOW TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS LITTLE ROCK • NORTH LITTLE ROCK
COMEDY
John Morgan. “The Rajun Cajun.” The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. loonybincomedy.com.
EVENTS
Antique/Boutique Walk. Shopping and live entertainment, 4 p.m., free. 100 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 24
JULY 21, 2016
MUSIC
All In Fridays. Envy. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Almost Infamous. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf. com. Boom! Kinetic. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9:30 p.m., $10. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479442-4226. georgesmajesticlounge.com. Brian Nahlen. Flying Saucer, 8 p.m., free. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. beerknurd.com. Dirty White Boys. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $7. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-2247665. westendsmokehouse.net. Flummox, Junkhead, Between Us Heretics, Mountains of the Dead. Vino’s, 8:30 p.m., $5. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. vinosbrewpub.com. Hard Pass, Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth, Isaac Alexander. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. whitewatertavern.com. Homegrown Music Festival. Featuring Leftover Salmon and the Wood Brothers. Byrd’s Adventure Center, $90-$185. 7037 Cass Oark Road, Ozark. homegrownfestival-ar.com. Jason D. Williams. With The Mallett Brothers. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $10-$25. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.
ARKANSAS TIMES
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Every Day $18.99 $18.99 $24.99 $10.49
SALE! $15.99 $15.99 $22.99 $8.99
• WE GLADLY MATCH ANY LOCAL ADS HURRY IN! THIS SALE EXPIRES JULY 27, 2016
WEDNESDAY IS WINE DAY 15% OFF • WINE CASE DISCOUNTS EVERY DAY
LITTLE ROCK: 10TH & MAIN • 501.374.0410 | NORTH LITTLE ROCK: 860 EAST BROADWAY • 501.374.2405 HOURS: LR • 8AM-10PM MON-THUR • 8AM-12PM FRI-SAT •NLR • MON-SAT 8AM-12PM
Markham Street Allstars. Markham Street Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m., free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. markhamstreetpub.com. Mayday by Midnight. Silk’s Bar and Grill, 10 p.m., free. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. oaklawn.com. The Monkees. Finish Line Theater, 7 p.m., $55-$65. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. oaklawn.com. Mountain Sprout. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $10. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxineslive.com. Open Fields. With Hotbed and Peoples Republic of Casio Tones. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 River Market Ave. 501372-7707. stickyz.com. Rat Brats, Party Static. Smoke and Barrel Tavern, 10 p.m., $3. 324 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479521-6880. smokeandbarrel.com. Ricky Stein. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m., free. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. cregeens.com. Salsa Dancing. Clear Channel Metroplex, 9 p.m., $5-$10. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-217-5113. www.littlerocksalsa.com. Susan Erwin. Pop’s Lounge, 5 p.m., free. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411. oaklawn.com. Suzy Bogguss. Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $20. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. arkansassounds.org. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com. Third Degree. Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m., $5. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com. Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W. Capitol Ave. Upstate Rubdown. With Taylor Nealey. Kings Live Music, 8:30 p.m., $5. 1020 Front St., No. 102, Conway. kingslivemusic.com.
COMEDY
“Forever Hold Your Peace.” By comedy trio The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointargenta.com. John Morgan. “The Rajun Cajun.” The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $15. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. loonybincomedy.com.
DANCE
Ballroom dancing. Free lessons begin at 7 p.m. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 8-11 p.m., $7-$13. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501221-7568. www.blsdance.org. Contra dance. Park Hill Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., $5. 3520 JFK Blvd., NLR. arkansascountrydance.org.
EVENTS
Fantastic Friday. Literary and music event, refreshments included. For reservations, call 479-968-2452 or email artscenter@centurytel. net. River Valley Arts Center, every third Friday, 7 p.m., $10 suggested donation. 1001 E. B St., Russellville. 479-968-2452. www.arvartscenter.org. 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 501-244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. First Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St.
SPORTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com.
SATURDAY, JULY 23
MUSIC
38 Special. Magic Springs’ Timberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., $55-$65. 1701 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs. magicsprings.com. Brian Ramsey. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com. CosmOcean. Next Bistro and Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-6398. www.facebook. com/LRnextbar/timeline. Critical Mass. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $7. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. westendsmokehouse.net. DJ M. Bolez. Smoke and Barrel Tavern, 10 p.m., free. 324 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-5216880. smokeandbarrel.com. Homegrown Music Festival. Featuring Leftover Salmon and the Wood Brothers. Byrd’s Adventure Center, $90-$185. 7037 Cass Oark Road, Ozark. homegrownfestival-ar.com. Indie Music Night. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom. com. Just Sayin. Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m., $5. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. All ages, on the restaurant side. Revolution, 9 p.m.-12:45 a.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new. Little Texas. Downtown El Dorado, 7 p.m., free. Main Street and Northwest Avenue, El Dorado. 870-862-4747. mainstreeteldorado.org. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Mayday by Midnight. Silk’s Bar and Grill, 10 p.m., free. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6234411. oaklawn.com. Nikki Hill. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $10. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. whitewatertavern.com. Pickin’ Porch. Bring your instrument. All ages welcome. Faulkner County Library, 9:30 a.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org. RockUsaurus. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 7:30 p.m., free. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2464340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. The Roomsounds. With Caleb Ryan Martin. Kings Live Music, 8:30 p.m., $5. 1020 Front St. No. 102, Conway. kingslivemusic.com. Space 4 Lease, Marshall Poole, Talking Liberties. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxineslive.com. Susan Erwin. Pop’s Lounge, 5 p.m., free. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411. oaklawn.com. System Avenue, Sibling Rivalry. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $6. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. vinosbrewpub.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com. The Uh-Huhs. With Jared Leibowich of The Zoltars and Sea Nanners. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $6. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. stickyz.com.
COMEDY
“Forever Hold Your Peace.” By comedy trio
The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointargenta.com. John Morgan. “The Rajun Cajun.” The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $15. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. loonybincomedy.com.
EVENTS
Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell and Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Historic Neighborhoods Tour. Bike tour of historic neighborhoods includes bike, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001. Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. Pork & Bourbon Tour. Bike tour includes bicycle, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 11:30 a.m., $35-$45. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001.
SPORTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. DickeyStephens Park, through July 23, 7:10 p.m.; July 24, 6:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com.
SUNDAY, JULY 24
MUSIC
North Little Rock 501-945-8010 Russellville 479-890-2550 Little Rock 501-455-8500 Conway 501-329-5010
laspalmasarkansas.com www.facebook.com/laspalmasarkansas
Crobot. With Aegis and the Virginmarys. Revolution, 8 p.m., $10-$15. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. John Murphy. Part of Faulkner County Library’s Summer Music Series. Faulkner County Library, 2 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-3277482. fcl.org. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.
Notice of NoNdiscrimiNatory Policy to studeNts
Pinnacle
EVENTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. Tulsa Drillers. DickeyStephens Park, 6:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com.
MONDAY, JULY 25
MUSIC
Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. A Night at the Circus. An outdoor performance from the Hot Springs Concert Band. Whittington Park, Hot Springs, 6:30 p.m., free. hotspringsCONTINUED ON PAGE 38
Academy
admits students of any race,
Artists for Recovery. A secular recovery group for people with addictions, open to the public, in the church parlor. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana. Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market. Bernice Garden, 10 a.m. 1401 S. Main St. www.thebernicegarden.org. Soul Food Sundays. Free buffet with $10 bar purchase, and live music from DJ Paul of KOKY. Se7en Social Lounge, 4 p.m. 824 W. Capitol Ave. 501-803-8519.
SPORTS
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color, national and ethnic origin
to all the rights, privileges, programs,
and
activities
generally accorded or made
available to students at the school. It does not discriminate
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on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in
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JULY 21, 2016
25
FLICKR USER FABIO VENNI
BOOK REVIEW
PULLING: Tom Graves’ novel tells a bawdy tale of competitive arm wrestling, like the fun seen above.
A forgotten classic Tom Graves’ comic novel ‘Pullers’ is set in the world of competitive arm wrestling. BY MATT BAKER
W
henever the topic of favorite books comes up in conversation, there are usually an obscure pick or two that get mentioned — forgotten books published decades ago, foreign writers whose poorly translated volumes sit lonely on library shelves. But sometimes an unfamiliar beloved novel is by a writer in your own backyard and isn’t even all that old, which is the case for one of my favorites, a book that I mention frequently and is usually met with a blank, unknowing look: “Never heard of that one.” Well, you should have heard of it. The book is “Pullers” by Tom Graves. Probably the only novel ever written about the sport of arm wrestling (participants refer to themselves as “pullers,”), Graves’ book is a written with a perceptive satirical eye that winks and draws our attention to everything we 26
JULY 21, 2016
ARKANSAS TIMES
love and despise about combat sports, especially third-tier barroom varieties like arm wrestling, so often promoted by small town cons and greedy venue owners. Graves is a Memphis writer who is best known for his biography of blues legend Robert Johnson and his interview and photographs of Harry Crews in the late 1970s. I can’t help but wonder whether — if he were writing “Pullers” today — his milieu would be the lower regional ranks of mixed martial arts. The success of a comic novel is not found in the jokes and gags the writer is able to pull off, but the ability of the writer to carve out an exaggerated, bloated and asymmetric universe that is wholly believable and that we can — despite the endless folly that’s so often the fate of comedic characters — recognize our own culpability and recklessness. The novel opens with an arm wres-
tling contest at Bad Bill’s Hawg Trawf in Pine Bluff. It’s won by Scud Matthews, who makes his grand entrance at the event pulling a much smaller man on a leash, both wearing T-shirts that read: “We’re Queer Dear.” Carroll Thurston, the main character, gave up a promising career in advertising for a bartending gig to pay the bills so he could pursue his dream to be a championship puller. Graves does an admirable job of describing the intricacies at play in an arm wrestling contest: the various grips, the use of leverage, the different strategies. As the novel plays out, we meet other pullers, each with his own gimmick or memorable quirk, as they compete and make their way to the world competition in St. Louis. Thurston falls in love, befriends a wheelchair sprinter, and the competitors exact various shenanigans on each other in order to gain advantage. The raw materials of the novel are dipped straight from the Southern gothic well. Thurston states it plainly: “The champions you see here today have a lot more in common with a three-legged man than the guy at home watching this on TV. See, we’re all freaks. Freaks of nature.” At times, though, there’s a lighter
touch at work. When Steve Strong, a burned out physical wreck suffering from the effects of years of heavy steroid abuse, attempts a comeback by using a new steroid drug, he ends up drowning in his bathtub while suffering a stroke. The scene, horrendous on its surface, is written in a detached, deadpanned way reminiscent of Donald Westlake, especially when you consider Strong’s last earthly thought: remembering an erotic drug encounter. People often get what they deserve, and like it or not, sometimes it’s hilarious. There are no central crimes at play that would make this a bona fide crime novel, though like many works of fiction, “Pullers” contains a criminal subtext — intentional mismanagement of prize money, questionable characters sponsoring events. In the end, though, it’s a novel about everyday characters with singular gifts and not much else. It’s written from their eye level, and no trick is too unsavory, no character too loathsome. I can’t think of a better ending for such a volatile and hazardous novel than this famous TV clip — a chair flying across a television screen busting Geraldo Rivera’s nose, the book’s chief players laughing their asses off.
PROTECTING
M E N TA L H EA LT H OVER A LIFETIME
O
ur healthcare needs change throughout our lives, none more drastically than our mental health needs, which are often grievously overlooked when it comes
to personal well-being. From the developmental stages of childhood and adolescence, through adulthood and into planning for our later years, maintenance of good mental health is as paramount as physical. Research sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health has found that more than half of Americans will deal with a mental illness in their lifetimes, and according to the CDC, 12.5 percent of Arkansans reported experiencing “frequent mental distress” in 2010. It’s vital, therefore, that every person have access to excellent mental health services close to home. Arkansas Times consults area experts to bring you the information most pertinent to you and your loved ones’ daily lives. Childhood and adolescence are a particularly sensitive period, both because these are developmental stages and because children may
not know how—or have the power to—advocate for themselves. This is where family and trusted community members come in. To keep kids men-
LAITH ABUABDU
Area experts bring you the information most pertinent to you and your loved ones’ daily lives.
tally healthy, Angela Essary, MS, LPC, Child Program Manager at the Mississippi office of Psycamore Psychiatric Programs, recommended reserving time every day for movement and fun, though not necessarily with electronic devices. “We are assigning kids more work and allowing them less time for play and movement and socialization. Those skills are dying off and that’s causing behavioral problems that look like mental illness,” said Essary. The same goes for excessive time spent in front of screens, according to Essary: “The official recommendation is no more than two hours a day.”
Protecting Children from Abuse “Some of the more common disorders for childhood diagnosis include ADHD, Tourette syndrome, behavior, mood and anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders, and substance abuse among teens,” said Megan Holt, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services at The BridgeWay. A proactive adult will be tuned in to what constitutes normal behavior or temperament for the kid in their life, said Joy Gray, Suicide Prevention Program Manager at
the Arkansas Department of Health. “You need to know your child’s normal, so when something’s out of the ordinary, you’ll notice it,” she said. Dr. Karen Farst, child abuse expert and medical director of the soon-toopen David M. Clark Center for Safe & Healthy Families at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, gave similar advice: “If you see a drastic personality change, that’s often a child’s way of telling you they’ve experienced something that traumatized them.” Both specialists added that a change in appetite or school performance can be indicators of psychological distress. The best way to combat that distress, said Gray, is to “have an open dialogue with your kid. Make sure they know whatever they’re feeling, they can talk to you about it, and you’re not going to judge them.” Farst added that “a lot of times kids don’t disclose because they think they’ll be in trouble for it.” For example, “kids being sexually abused are more likely to disclose if somebody just directly asks them in a supportive and open-ended way.” Besides maintaining an atmosphere of openness, Gray reminds adults not to be upset if a child doesn’t want to open up to them: “That’s very normal. You might not be the adult they want
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to talk to. You have to let them know you’re willing to get them the help they need.” Staying calm, according to Farst, is key: “If you do find out, thank them for telling you and tell them you’re going to try to help.” According to the Arkansas Department of Health, there were 9,543 confirmed incidents of child abuse or maltreatment in 2015. The David M. Clark Center for Safe and Healthy Families, on the campus of Arkansas Children’s Hospital set to open in late August,
will provide resources for abused and neglected children by bringing medical, advocacy, and mental health services under one roof. Of the center, Farst said, “This building project has given us a chance just to talk about this problem. It really gives us a chance to say, this is in our community and we need to face it. We need to have a good response.” The Arkansas CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, Association is another organization looking
out for maltreated children. According to its website, CASA “promotes and supports local programs providing qualified volunteer advocates to help abused and neglected children in juvenile dependency-neglect proceedings reach safe, permanent homes.”
Keeping an Eye Out Megan Holt of The BridgeWay addressed other issues children and adolescents may face, including substance
Opening August 2016
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abuse and eating disorders. In the first case, parents may notice changes in attendance at work or school, decrease in normal capabilities, neglect of dress or hygiene, or the need to steal. “Parents should intervene as soon as they see the warning signs,” Holt said. “Ask questions about their feelings and appearance. If symptoms persist, reach out to an outpatient therapy provider.” Among the many services it offers to both children and adults, Rivendell Behavioral Health Services of Arkansas offers comprehensive youth substance abuse treatment. “Our staff takes into account the social, education and medical ramifications of chemical dependence,” said a Rivendell clinician. “These services are provided to patients in a structured, safe environment.” Eating disorders, Megan Holt said, “have significant complications, some of them life-threatening.” Signs of an eating disorder include skipping meals or making excuses not to eat, adopting an overly restrictive diet, eating in secret, excessive exercise, or leaving meals to use the toilet frequently. If you observe these symptoms in your child, “request an appointment with your primary care physician for input about treatment options.” Pinnacle Pointe Behavioral Healthcare System treats children ages 5 to 17, offering acute and residential inpatient
nutritious diet” rich in beta-carotenes and low in caffeine and alcohol. Depression is characterized by “sadness, excessive worry, and intrusive thoughts,” said Joy Gray, and can share a lot of overlapping symptoms with anxiety. “People need to be aware that no matter the age, these can look a little different for everyone.” Gray emphasized the importance of recognizing depression as a serious concern. “It’s not just a case of being ‘a little sad,’ not something you get over in a weekend,” she said. (For a
more detailed breakdown of depression symptoms, see sidebar.) As Suicide Prevention Program Manager at Arkansas Department of Health, Gray is invested in letting the public know there are immediate resources available for people experiencing severe depression. “If your depression and anxiety are leading to thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK. This is a national lifeline number live 24/7 available anywhere in the U.S.” said Gray. Never hesitate to reach out if you’re
ALEXIS BROWN
pital, say depression affects more than 18 million adults, while anxiety affects about 40 million. These disorders, said Joy Gray of the Arkansas Department of Health, “are the two big ones we worry about as the most common risk factors when we talk about suicide.” Megan Holt advised vigilance in personal habits as the first step in preventing anxiety and depression, highlighting the importance of “the right amount of sleep, not too much or too little,” “a regular exercise routine,” and “a balanced and
treatment through diverse teams of experienced mental health professionals and attention to children’s entire well-being. Outpatient services are available all over Arkansas through The Pointe Outpatient Behavioral Services, which includes an Alternative Learning Center. Said CEO Shane Frazier, “Families should talk openly about concerns or behavioral changes they observe. No one should be afraid to ask for help for their family when they feel uncertain how to handle an issue that arises. It takes strength and courage to reach out for help. At Pinnacle, we strive to meet families no matter where they are or what they are facing with a promise to provide a compassionate, hope-filled environment, and tools to equip them to handle the problems they are facing. Taking that first step and reaching out is the most vital step of all – we will help you with every one of the following steps on your journey.”
Dealing with Depression Whether we’re talking about children or adults, depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health issues Americans face. Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health provided by James Scoggins, JD, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at Arkansas State HosSpecial advertising supplement to the Arkansas Times arktimes.com
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ARKANSAS TIMES
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experiencing acute symptoms, but even if not, both Gray and Angela Essary of Psycamore Psychiatric Programs emphasized that help is available for anyone experiencing distress. The first question to ask when considering therapy is “Are you happy with how this is going?” said Essary. “If not, it’s still fine to see someone. People think they have to have major symptoms in order to go talk with someone, but that’s just not the case. The first step is giving yourself permission to seek help.” The next step, she said, is finding a therapist in your area that fits your needs, which can be done through online research using websites like PsychologyToday.com or your general practitioner. According to Veronica McClane, LCSW, of the new Little Rock office of Psycamore, the National Institute of Mental Health has some really hopeful numbers, reporting that 80% of people who struggle with mental illness recover with treatment. “Most people who are symptomatic— usually depressed or anxious or ‘stressed out’—require both medicines and psychotherapy,” said Dr. Richard Owings of Psychiatric Associates of Arkansas. Dr. Owings shed light on a few myths about psychotherapy, one of which is that medicines can change the sort of person you are or the sort of life you lead. “Medicines treat symptoms. Psychotherapy
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JAMES SCOGGINS, JD, RN, CHIEF NURSING OFFICER AT ARKANSAS STATE HOSPITAL WE ALL EXPERIENCE feeling down due to various life situations, but these generally resolve in a timely manner and we go through normal grieving processes. For those with a depressive disorder, that is not the case. Our family and friends are often the first line of defense in the fight against depression. They may notice the problem in a depressed loved one before he or she does, and their influence and concern can motivate that person to seek help. There is a tendency for depressed individuals to withdraw, so one conversation is not usually enough. It is important to maintain a consistent and persistent approach with them to seek help. Understanding signs and symptoms of depression can be very helpful in determining whether an individual needs to seek outside assistance: • Doesn’t seem to care about anything anymore. • Is uncharacteristically sad, irritable, short-tempered, critical or moody. • Has lost interest in work, sex, hobbies and other pleasurable activities. • Talks about feeling “helpless” or “hopeless.” • Expresses a bleak or negative outlook on life. • Frequently complains of aches and
pains such as headaches, stomach problems and back pain. • Complains of feeling tired and drained all the time. • Has withdrawn from friends, family and other social activities. • Sleeps less than usual or oversleeps. • Eats more or less than usual, and has recently gained or lost weight. • Has become indecisive, forgetful, disorganized and “out of it.” • Drinks more or abuses drugs, including prescription sleeping pills and painkillers. THERE ARE SEVERAL options for seeking help with managing depression for individuals. It can start with seeing a family doctor, or many jobs offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) that include counseling that is private and confidential. Local Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC’s) can also be a great place for learning what resources are available in their area. In some cases, where the symptoms are serious enough that individuals think suicide is possible, but the individual will not seek help, the CMHC or local ER can screen the individual to determine the possible need for involuntary treatment at a mental health hospital.
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Board Certified Psychiatrists & Licensed Psychotherapists Located on the 10th Floor of Baptist Health Med Towers 1 • 501.228.7400 • psychiatricassoc.com /PsychiatricAssociatesAR 32 JULY 21, 2016 Special advertising supplement to the Arkansas Times 32 JULY 21, 2016 ARKANSAS TIMES
helps you to examine yourself and your problems and your characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving and gives you an opportunity to change.” Dr. Owings also dispelled the perception of a therapist as a “hired friend.” Whereas friends and family are often too close to be objective, “the therapist helps you to see things from a different point of view.”
Treating Addiction Another issue adults may struggle with is substance abuse. Mindy Moore, counselor and marketing director at Oasis Renewal Center, said drug abuse is on the rise in the U.S., particularly non-medical prescription drug and opioid use, constituting what Moore called a “huge epidemic.” Part of the problem is what’s known as a treatment gap, with less than one percent of people in need of specialty treatment actually receiving it, due in huge part to lack of healthcare coverage. Christopher Gerhart, MAC, licensed addiction and substance abuse counselor, offered a diagnostic tool he calls “The 4 L’s” to help individuals determine if they have a problem with their use of substances. The 4 L’s are Liver, Lover, Livelihood, and Legal problems, and if substance use interferes with any of these (health, relationships, work, or legal issues), then it may be time to seek professional help, or, if it’s a loved one experiencing these issues, time for an intervention. Kristin Agar, LCSW, a certified clinical interventionist in the area and cofounder of the Eating Disorder Coalition of Arkansas who specializes in alcohol, drug and eating disorders, as well as illness, grief and loss, defined intervention as “a pretreatment engagement approach” by a person’s entire support network with the goals of “helping the person accept the reality of the problem and get treatment and sustainable recovery and healing for the entire family.” It’s a myth that you have to hit rock bottom before seeking treatment, said Agar, as is the idea that a person has to want treatment for it to work. “The earlier the better for treatment: DON’T wait until it’s too late!” “People with substance use disorders deserve and respond to empathy, respect, compassion, optimism, and insurance coverage without proving medical necessity,” said Mindy Moore of Oasis Renewal Center, whose mission statement is “to enable individuals to live free from the abuse of alcohol and/ or other drugs by providing treatment programming and other professional services within an atmosphere of dig-
nity and respect.” Rivendell Behavioral Health Services also offers services for adults coping with chemical dependency along with emotional and behavioral disorders.
Staying on Top of Memory Care As the U.S. population ages, Alzheimer’s and dementia are becoming larger concerns. According to the National Institute on Aging, more than 5 million Americans are deal-
ing with Alzheimer’s as of 2016. “The most recognized risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is advancing age,” said Megan Holt of The BridgeWay. “Another strong risk factor is family history. Other warning signs to look for in those you care about are: difficulty completing tasks that were previously easy, memory loss that disrupts their daily life, sudden problems with words, speaking, or writing, poor judgment, easily confused about where they are, time of day, or the season. If you notice these warning signs, you should consult your
primary care physician. Early intervention can help slow the disease’s progression and help your loved one’s quality of life.” No matter what issues you or your loved one may be facing, Arkansas professionals are here to help individuals and families maintain excellent mental and emotional health. Sometimes, seeking assistance is the most courageous choice. “Getting help doesn’t mean that you’re weak or giving in,” said Joy Gray of the Arkansas Department of Health. “Everybody needs help at some point in their lives. Go get it.”
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A r e m Sum SALES!
ool time, lots of shops s we close in on back-to-sch the goodies they are are offering huge savings on e deals, from some thes best known for. Check out rs! of your favorite local retaile
Ken Rash’s has a Winston Furniture summer sale going on until July 31st! Come check out the Palazzo Collection. You can get 30% off of any in-stock or online piece! Ken Rash’s always has what you need to stay comfortable in the outdoors year round!
Come see what the fuss is all about! Featured on ABC’s The Chew, the i Genietti watermelon tool will make you the household expert in the art of slicing and dicing! Check out these and other kitchen gadgets at Kreb’s Brothers Restaurant Supply.
Maddox is your go-to place for sale items! Walk by and check out her sidewalk sale, which is always displayed on a rack outside. Find items like this cute Faux Leather Shingle Top and more at Maddox.
Find great deals and low-priced delivery every day at Tanglewood Drug Store.
Come to Flag and Banner or shop online to buy the 50 States Flag Set –great for US history teachers—or Flags of Our Country. Choose from several different miniature flag collection sets which can be used as teaching aids when discussing the American Revolution and the early settlement of America. Indoor and Parade Presentation sets are great for auditoriums, bands and ROTC. We also carry parade belts, gloves and rain/dust covers.
Remember The Southern Fox in North Little Rock? She has moved to Conway and now has The Grand Finale, which has new clothes at wholesale prices, as well consignment items. And better yet, if you consign with her—you get 70% of the sale price!
From The Community. For The Community. DELIVERY AVAILABLE COMPETITIVE PRICES GOOD NEIGHBOR PHARMACY MOST INSURANCE ACCEPTED GIFTS • GREETING CARDS VITAMINS & HERBAL PRODUCTS VACCINATIONS AVAILABLE 34
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Grand Finale CONSIGNMENT & NEW CLOTHES BELOW WHOLESALE. CONSIGNERS GET PAID 70%! FAULKNER PLAZA ON CORNER OF OAK AND HARKRIDER • (501) 454-4570 Ten Thousand Villages is having a huge sale on table linens. Tablecloths and table runners are 25% off, and napkins and napkin rings are buy three get one free!
Meditation Time Let the soothing sound of water lull you into a state of relaxation. Set up your very own meditation space with a fair trade fountain, a singing bowl, and incense.
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Eggshells Kitchen Co. is having a smorgasbord sidewalk sale! Come and browse sale items pulled from all parts of our inventory, from kitchen tools to sauces to pretty tableware—all at least 40% off. Our American Flags are made in USA!
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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT ARKANSAS TIMES You may reduce the logo to 30% without TO the tag and strap lines. Color of Wood Block Motif critical match to Pantone 1805. Letters print Pantone Process Black.
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35
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’ DRINKS OF THE ROARING ’20s will be bottoms up as Preserve Arkansas hosts its second annual Preservation Libations Master Mix-Off starting at 6 p.m. Friday, July 22, in the Albert Pike Masonic Temple. In the auditorium of the grand 1924 structure, guests will imbibe and vote on competing bartenders’ twists on historic cocktails, all of them delightfully quirky and plenty stiff. Mixologists Summer Blake of Boulevard Bistro, Dillon Garcia of the Pizzeria at Terry’s Finer Foods, Merrick Fagan of Trio’s, Sarah Harrington of South on Main, Rob Armstrong of the Fold and Alejandro Fierro of Cache will create their own high-octane potables with such ingredients as rhubarb tea, various bitters and infused vodkas. Persons who attended last year’s fundraiser will recall — maybe — Luiggi Uzcategui’s “Bristol Fashion,” made of 12-year-old rum, a Netherlandish sugar cane spirit, curacao, mescal, chocolate bitters, angostura bitters, orange blossom water, coconut sugar syrup, orange juice and lime juice. That’s the kind of alcoholic shenanigans you can expect at the event; imagine being a judge. Tickets are $50; for $75 you get a tour of the Masonic emple thrown in. There is a $5 discount for members of Preserve Arkansas. Two votes come with each ticket, but $2 will buy you another vote. For more information, call 372-4757 or go to Preserve Arkansas on Facebook. THE VEG, THE VEGAN restaurant formerly operated in the River Market, will reopen in 3,000 square feet at 801 Markham St., possibly by Sept. 1, owner and chef Shiem Swift says. (You can see a video of him signing a lease on the new space on The Veg’s Facebook page.) Swift said the new Veg will serve both lunch and dinner at the new location, and he hopes to someday put a vegan ice cream factory in the building so he can start churning out products under The Veg label. Swift is a selftaught chef who learned the hard way — by having the original chef go AWOL on opening day at the River Market in 2014. (It took him two years to learn to make a vegan donut, Swift says.) The lunch menu will include The Veg’s gluten- and dairy-free pizzas, salads, gumbo, sweet potato fries and black bean burgers and such, but Swift plans to branch out for the dinner menu, with such items as fried watermelon, hot on the outside and cold on the inside. Swift said he’s unsure the restaurant will resume its “Sketchy Ass Pizza Program” delivery. Veg, by the way, is pronounced to rhyme 36
JULY 21, 2016
ARKANSAS TIMES
ONE OF THE LIGHTER OPTIONS: Blackened shrimp scampi and pasta.
Packed at Pasta Grill Conway hot spot’s food is tasty, but rich to a fault.
T
here’s something familiar about Pasta Grill in Conway. The dim lighting, exposed brick and the view of downtown through tall front windows give the restaurant a welcoming, cozy feel. It would be a good spot to hang out with friends, as we did, or take a date. A fellow diner was even bold enough to propose to his girlfriend at a nearby booth. All indications are that she replied in the affirmative. Despite how busy the restaurant was on the Friday night we went, the service was top-notch. Our server took the time to explain menu items and narrow down our choices since there is no shortage of offerings — pastas, sandwiches, steak, chicken and seafood. Skip the meatballs as an appetizer, he said. He did, however, recommend the Pasta Grill Sampler ($12.99), which really is the way to go if you’re feeding a table of friends. It comes with healthy portions of mozzarella sticks and fried ravioli, along with spinach and artichoke dip. The mozzarella
sticks and fried ravioli were good — nothing unique or exceptional — but enjoyable. If you’re wondering, the fried ravioli probably isn’t the same as you’ve had at other places. These are round, ricotta-filled and good sized. We liked everything here but the spinach and artichoke dip, which is served with tortilla chips a little too flimsy to handle the dense concoction. It was a bit too heavy on the cream cheese (or sour cream) and had a bit of a sour/bitter taste. The complimentary garlic bread was better for dipping than the chips. For dinner, we ordered the Shrimp New Orleans ($15.99) and the Blackened Shrimp Scampi Pasta ($16.99), one of only a few non-cream based-pasta dishes on the menu. The serving of shrimp was generous, cooked just right, and well-seasoned, just a bit heavy on the salt. The roasted tomatoes lightened things up a bit, and the flavor of the lemon butter sauce was balanced. There was a lot of it, too. After eating half of the order, the remainder of the
pasta was swimming in a pool of oil and butter. Overall, it was a nice dish, but a theme of overdoing it was starting to emerge. The Shrimp New Orleans knocks you back with some nice seasoning (from the pan-fried shrimp), some richness (due to a creamy sauce and a smattering of parmesan), and then smacks you with bacon, baby. You brag about it to your friends. You’re happy you ordered this dish because you were hungry, and it’s delivering the goods. And then you get five bites in and realize it’s heavy. Like, really heavy. The sauce is dense and there’s lots of it. What started out as a nice touch of bacon starts to overwhelm. There is, you now understand, such a thing as too much bacon. We defi-
Pasta Grill
915 Front St. Conway 501-205-8751 pastagrillrestaurant.com QUICK BITE The Creamy Crawfish Dip appetizer ($10.99) is exactly that, but if you don’t mind that creamy tang, it’s good. The crawfish are nice and plump and the dip itself is very satisfying. Sidestep the chips and put it on top of the gratis garlic bread instead. You’ll be glad you did. HOURS 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. OTHER INFO Beer and wine, credit cards accepted.
BELLY UP
Check out the Times’ food blog, Eat Arkansas arktimes.com
SMACKS YOU WITH BACON, BABY: The Shrimp New Orleans lays it on thick.
nitely didn’t leave hungry, but that’s about all we can say. For dessert, we ordered Pasta Grill’s take on a cannoli ($5.99). Some dishes should not be tinkered with. This monster comes out with two fried flour tortillas filled with sweetened cream, topped with brown sugar and caramel and served with vanilla ice cream. A smallish cannoli with a crispy, flaky crust would have been welcome. But fried flour tortillas? Come on. The cream was too sweet, and the “shell” tasted like a chimichanga. It just doesn’t work. The dessert round was redeemed by the lemon tart ($5.99), a crust made with vanilla wafers, brown sugar and butter topped with a creamy fresh lemon curd, homemade whipped cream and a little powdered sugar. It was just sweet enough. The buttery crust was perfectly complemented by
the slightly tangy curd. We passed this dessert around our table of six a couple of times, and the verdict was unanimous — this is the dessert to order. Those who visit Pasta Grill will probably leave full and satisfied. The portions are large and the food is better than what you would get at, say, Olive Garden, but it’s just a bit much. Just about every dish we had could’ve been walked back a notch. The place was packed, though. And the service was outstanding, some of the best we’ve had. Conwegians definitely love it, as did four out of six at our table. We were warned by friends to get there early and barely beat the masses who started to gather on benches outside the crowded eatery. It’s familiar. The dishes are hearty, and loaded. But don’t mistake it for great food.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW www.argentacommunitytheater.com
JULY 20th through JULY 30th, 2016 Director: Raphael Castanera Producer: Vincent Insalaco
405 Main Street, North Little Rock
WHAT’S COOKIN’, CONT. with egg, but Swift said he doesn’t care how folks say it, just as long as they come to restaurant and enjoy the food. EAT MY CATFISH, WHICH has locations in Benton and Conway, held its grand opening Tuesday in a jazzy new spot at 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. The Arkansas Times’ Readers Choice Award winner serves never-frozen crawfish, shrimp and fried catfish; its slogan is “Get some tail here.” If you’re
not a fan of the gifts of river, mud and sea, you can get chicken tenders, too, with all the fixings. You can also buy live or cooked crawfish in bulk at Eat My Catfish, and the restaurant caters, too. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sun. Call 222-8055 for more information. NOTE: CHIP’S BARBECUE at 9801 W. Markham St. has gone out of business.
4310 Landers Road • North Little Rock, AR 72117 (501) 687-1331 • www.krebsbrothers.com • M-F 8-5 Sat. 9-5 arktimes.com
JULY 21, 2016
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AFTER DARK, CONT.
The Arkansas Times is launching its third annual Women Entrepreneurs issue in October, and we want to know who you think we should feature. Here is what to keep in mind: • Your nominee must be a woman who started her own business or took over a business and is still the owner/operator. • She must be an Arkansan. • She must be in business currently and have at least one year in business by the time of your nomination. • We welcome nominees who are LGBTQ. • She must fit in one of these industry categories: food, professions (teachers, doctors, attorneys, financial advisors, etc.), nontraditional, retail and design, and two new categories - trailblazers (women who do not have their own business but have led their profession to success – pastors, teachers, CEOs, writers, etc.), and those women entrepreneurs outside of Pulaski County.
NOMINEES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2, 2016. Submit your nominee and her contact info to Kelly Lyles, kelly@ arktimes.com and we will announce those selected in September. A panel of judges will determine the finalists and they will be announced by industries in the following issues:
SEPT 29, OCT 6, 13, 20 AND 27 WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR CLASS OF 2015 RESTAURATEURS
Suzanne Boscarolo, Carolyn Franke, Christine Basham Sonia Schaefer, Endia Veerman, Yolanda Hughes, Rosalia Monroe, Sally Mengel, Kelley Smith, Marie Amaya
NON TRADITIONAL
Kameelah Harris, Jamileh Kamran, Mary Bray Kelley, Kimberlyn Blann-Anderson, Rhea Lana Riner, Stacey Faught, Cassandra Benning, Maura Lozanoyancy
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Dr. Beverly Foster, Dayna Gober, Julie Dewoody Greathouse, Marcia Barnes, Lynn Mcmahon, Dr. Melanie Prince, Elizabeth Small, Karen Reynolds
RETAIL & DESIGN
Theresa Allred, Emily Brown, Jamie Darling, Erin Taylor, Mona Thompson Talena Ray, Lawrie Rash, Mary Adkins, Emese Boone
TRAILBLAZERS
Rhonda Aaron, Traci Berry, Jan Hearn Davenport, Dr. Monica Verma, Cathy Cunningham, Donna Hardcastle, Carole Baxter, Dr. Robin Bowen
NO AGE LIMIT
band.org. Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.
FILM
Monday Night Shorts. Presented by Little Rock Film Society. The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $8. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointargenta. com.
SPORTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. NWA Naturals. DickeyStephens Park, July 25-27, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com.
TUESDAY, JULY 26
MUSIC
Ben Byers. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com. Brain Stems, Bombay Harambee, Pagiins. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. whitewatertavern.com. Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Brothers + Company. With Brother Moses. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. stickyz. com. I Prevail. With The White Noise and My Enemies & I. Clear Channel Metroplex, 8 p.m., $15-$18. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501217-5113. metroplexlive.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. Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 322 President Clinton Blvd. 501-244-9550. willydspianobar.com/prost-2. Karaoke Tuesdays. On the patio. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 7:30 p.m., free. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz. com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.
COMEDY
Stand-Up Tuesday. Hosted by Brett Ihler. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.
EVENTS
Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock.
SPORTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. NWA Naturals. DickeyStephens Park, through July 27, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com.
CLASSES
Garden Sketch Hour. Through August. Faulkner County Library, free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501327-7482. fcurbanfarmproject.org.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 38
JULY 21, 2016
ARKANSAS TIMES
MUSIC
Forevermore. With Kingdom of Giants and Darkness Divided. Revolution, 8 p.m., $7. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom. com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. MUSE Ultra Lounge, 8:30 p.m., free. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-6398. Lawrence. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $10. 107 River Market Ave. 501-3727707. stickyz.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.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. RockUsaurus. Senor Tequila, 7 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505.
COMEDY
Ben Creed. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $8. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. loonybincomedy.com. The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $8. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.
DANCE
Little Rock Bop Club. Beginning dance lessons for ages 10 and older. Singles welcome. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 7 p.m., $4 for members, $7 for guests. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501-350-4712. www.littlerockbopclub.
FILM
Movies in the Park: “Captain America: The First Avenger.” River Market, 8:30 p.m., free. 400 President Clinton Ave.
POETRY
Wednesday Night Poetry. 21-and-older show. Kollective Coffee & Tea, 7 p.m., free. 110 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909. maxineslive. com/shows.html.
SPORTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. NWA Naturals. DickeyStephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com.
BOOKS
“Dear County Agent Guy.” A book-signing by author Jerry Nelson. Statehouse Convention Center, 10 a.m., free. 7 Statehouse Plaza.
ARTS
THEATER
“The Drowsy Chaperone.” A Tony Awardwinning “musical within a comedy.” The Weekend Theater, through July 23, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., July 24, 2:30 p.m.; through July 30, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., July 31, 2:30 p.m., $16-$20. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. weekendtheater.org. “La Cage aux Folles.” Argenta Community Theater, through July 24; through July 30, $30$50. 405 Main St., NLR. 501-353-1443. argentacommunitytheater.com. “Rock of Ages.” Studio Theatre, through July 23, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., July 24, 2:30 p.m., $20-$25. 320 W. 7th St. 501-374-2615. thestudiotheatre-lr.org.
Can ARKANSAS TIMES ihelp you? MARKETPLACE
Learn to get the most from your Apple products at home or your office. • Show how to build and maintain your own websites and social media. • Guide you to the perfect Mac or device for your needs and budget. • Everything Apple: Macs, iPads, iPhones, Apple TV and Apple Watch
• Data Recovery & troubleshooting • Hardware & software installations • Computer upgrades • Organize and backup all your documents, photos, music, movies and email on all your devices with iCloud.
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MOVING TO MAC
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cindy@movingtomac.com • 501-681-5855
Presents
TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, CALL LUIS AT 501.375.2985
Directed by Matthew Mentgen Music Direction by Lori Isner
July 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 2016
July 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 2016 Fridays & Saturdays // 7:30 pm and Sundays // 2:30 pm $20 Adults, $16 Students & Seniors
The Weekend Theater // 501.374.3761 // www.weekendtheater.org
Thu, Fri, Sat 7:30PM • Sun 2:30PM
1001 W. 7th St., LR, AR 72201 On the corner of 7th and Chester, across from Vino's.
Original Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman. The Drowsy Chaperone is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Tel.: (212) 541-4684 Fax: (212) 397-4684 www.MTIShows.com
$20 Adults • $16 Students & Seniors $2 Off Thursday Discount
sip LOCAL
Join us after the show every Fri & Sat for “Drowsy After Dark – A Cabaret” for only $5!
ARKANSAS TIMES
For more information contact us at 501.374.3761 or www.weekendtheater.org
SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING
DOT SAP Evaluations Christopher Gerhart, LLC
(501) 478-0182
1001 W. 7th St., LR, AR 72201 On the corner of 7th and Chester, across from Vino’s.
Support for TWT is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the DAH, and the NEA.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Bridge of Faith Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC is seeking caring and compassionate volunteers to provide “A Special Kind of Caring” for terminally ill patients and their families.
For orientation and training, please call today. Bridge of Faith Hospice 657 Oakland Avenue, Helena AR (870) 572-4333
eStem PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS announces the following positions available for the 2016-2017 School Year: HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHERS We are looking for highly qualified High School Math Teachers with experience teaching higher level mathematics, as well as basic math. We are seeking candidates who possess strong interpersonal skills, excellent classroom management and a desire to work with high school students and their parents to ensure success in the classroom. Qualified candidates should complete the application process on-line through the eStem Website or you can also mail/e-mail a cover letter and resume to: eStem High Public Charter School Attn: Dr. Cindy Barton 112 W 3rd Street Little Rock, AR 72201 CBarton@estemlr.net and Johnecia.Howard@estemlr.net eStem is an Equal Opportunity Employer
BE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT...TEACH AT ESTEM arktimes.com
JULY 21, 2016
39
This ad was developed under grant number 1U79SM061722-01 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies, and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.
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ARKANSAS TIMES