Arkansas Times - March 10, 2016 by Arkansas Times

NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT + FOOD / MARCH 10, 2016 / ARKTIMES.COM

THE HIGH PRICE OF CHICKEN Poultry is big business in Arkansas. Is the system fair to farmers? BY DAVID KOON

NORTH POINT

American Express® Presale 3/10 at 10am - 3/13 at 10pm. Visit Ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000. Supply is limited.

For a complete listing of all eligible and non-eligible Card products, visit us at americanexpress.com/entertainment. Tickets subject to applicable service charges. Oﬀer may be revoked at any time at sole discretion of American Express. Al l dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. Tickets are from limited inventory and subject to availability. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. ©2015 American Express.

3 DE MARZO 2016ARKANSAS TIMES • www.ellatinoarkansas.com 216 MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES ARKANSAS’S SOURCE FOR NEWS, POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 www.arktimes.com arktimes@arktimes.com Twitter: @ArkTimes Instagram: arktimes www.facebook.com/arkansastimes

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

LOCAL

RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA 2600 CANTRELL RD 5 0 1 . 2 9 6.9 955 | R I V E R DA LE1 0.CO M

ELECTRIC RECLINER SEATS AND RESERVED SEATING

45 YEARS R | 2:00 4:30 7:15 9:15 BROOKLYN PG13 | 1:45 4:00 6:45 9:30 THE WITCH R | 1:30 4:00 6:45 9:15

TUES, MARCH 15 7PM ARKANSAS TIMES FILM SERIES “TOUCH OF EVIL” A FILM BY ORSON WELLS $7.50

NOW SERVING BEER & WINE • FULL FOOD MENU • GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE

What else is different about the Jewish Sabbath other than how we break bread? ®

A TASTE OF JUDAISM …Are You Curious?

Three FREE weekly classes in Little Rock, AR about Jewish spirituality, values and community. Thursdays, March 31, April 7 and 14, 2016 All are welcome, Jewish or not! 501.225.9700 • templesecretary@bnai-israel.us To register go to:

www.reformjudaism.org/taste/little-rock

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Will Stephenson EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR Bryan Moats PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Chilson ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Mike Spain GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kevin Waltermire DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Phyllis A. Britton DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS Rebekah Hardin SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Tiffany Holland ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brooke Wallace, Lee Major, Ashley Gill ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Roland R. Gladden ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jim Hunnicutt SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING DIRECTOR Lauren Bucher IT DIRECTOR Robert Curfman CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Anitra Hickman CONTROLLER Weldon Wilson BILLING/COLLECTIONS Linda Phillips OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTS PAYABLE Kelly Lyles PRODUCTION MANAGER Ira Hocut (1954-2009)

association of alternative newsmedia

VOLUME 42, NUMBER 27 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, 201 EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $74 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

WEEKEND BRUNCH Mimosas & Bloody Mary Bar every Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

CacheRestaurant | 425 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock | 501-850-0265 | cachelittlerock.com | CacheLittleRock

FOR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE CALL: (501) 375-2985 www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

COMMENT

Legislators: Embrace home care for elderly Advice for Arkansas legislators: Never get old. If you ask an old person, What’s the worst thing about being old?, the answer may surprise you. It’s not the nagging pains of arthritis or neuralgia. It’s not the need for incontinence products or the forfeited driver’s license. It’s not the Post-it reminders all over the house, the pill-dispensing boxes in the kitchen, or the 5X magnifier next to the telephone. Rather, it’s the loss of choices — when to rise and shine, what to wear, what to eat and when to eat it, and — at the top of the list — where to live. Whoever said that when you reach old age, you suddenly don’t care whether you continue to live in your beloved home, surrounded by neighbors you know in a community as comfortable as an old shoe, or whether you share a tiny room in a hospital-like setting with a total stranger? AARP tells us you do care. We older folk overwhelmingly want to stay in our own homes, “aging in place.” So why isn’t anyone listening? Why did the state of Arkansas hire The Stephen Group, a nationally recognized health care consultant, to tell us to stop pouring long-term care dollars into nursing homes if we aren’t going to take its advice? In its first report to the legislature, The Stephen Group pointed out that almost 70 percent of the state’s long-term care spending is on nursing homes. Arkansas Medicaid paid private nursing homes $605 million in 2014 to care for an average of 11,544 residents per month. During the same timeframe, Medicaid spent $344 million to provide home and communitybased services to 18,963 individuals per month, including 775 residing in assisted living facilities. Clearly it is more cost-effective to give old people and people with disabilities what they want — more care options within their own communities. The Stephen Group says that reform of Arkansas’s long-term care system must be driven by an overall commitment to shift funds from institutional settings into “the least restrictive setting” that became the law of the land with the 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead Decision. But, as John Brummett said in his “Stuff and Nonsense” column on April 15, 2015, “that would alarm the nursing homes, the smart ones of which ought to quit spending money to buy 4

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

judges or lobby the Legislature to cap damages or build more old-people warehouses, and instead spend that money to open home-health and community-based programs as components of a modern full-service company. Everyone else is adapting these days. So should the nursing homes.” Speaking before the legislature on behalf of the Arkansas Health Care Association on Sept. 16, 2015, association president Jim Cooper implied that the financial bottom line of nursing home owners outweighs the wishes of consumers because, “We

have skin in the game.” The packed audience of consumers, self-advocates and families of elderly relatives and people with disabilities visibly cringed at the suggestion that the financial viability of a failed business model was more important than their own future and that of the people they love. Legislators who care about their parents and grandparents — and understand that they also will one day be old — can act now to give their family members and themselves down the line the peace of mind that comes

Free tools to quit smoking your own way.

from having choices. Rebalancing the long-term care system to equally fund institutional and home and community-based long-term care services will save Arkansas Medicaid a bundle while easing the minds of those of us who value our independence and hope to keep it as long as possible. Gloria Gordon North Little Rock

From the web In response to the March 4 Arkansas Blog post, “Auditor Lea caught not telling the truth”: It’s amazing, isn’t it, that the first thing officeholders do upon taking office is to try to figure out a way to get around the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act? My advice is to forget about it. You can’t do it. Arkansas’s FOIA is just about the best in the country. plainjim This situation is disappointing, since Lea was previously one of the more intelligent GOP legislators. But now she is in a legitimate scandal. I’ll guess that she got some bad advice. She can redeem herself be throwing her bad advisor under the bus. radical centrist “As I’ve learned through my years of public service, transparency should be the foundation of any public office, and that would be my foundation if Arkansans elect me to be their next State Auditor.” — andrealea.com. Richard Roe One consequence of the GOP’s rigid orthodoxy is that saying the right things is more important than competence. Who needs an actual “auditor” who is honest and knows anything about finance when the primary qualification for office in Arkansas is opposing Obama’s liberal agenda? An auditor who makes side deals with attorneys in secret so they can’t be audited is simply demonstrating freedom, I suppose. Paying Top Dollar for Legislators

STAMP OUT SMOKING 1-800-QUIT-NOW

StampOutSmoking.com • 1-800-QUIT-NOW

I’m not certain exactly where it is, but I think there may be an amendment to the Arkansas constitution that specifically exempts elected Teapublibans from telling the truth or acting in an ethical manner. Couldn’t

some of those researchers you have on staff help find that for us? RYD Her offered excuse is that she could not access her state account from home (dubious, to start with). But if that were the issue, then why direct her employees to send from a personal account? Why not simply send to her normally with a copy to her personal email? (Yes, the questions are rhetorical.) Theodosius People make mistakes, but this was no mistake. This was a concerted effort to create a communications channel among a constitutional office entrusted to honestly and fairly oversee the state’s business. It is clear now that Lea is more concerned about concealing what they’re doing than being open and transparent in the conduct of the office. She’s sorry now that she’s been caught. The honorable thing would be to resign. Lea can never again be trusted. HolyGuano

presents…

Trevor Gordon Hall Thursday March 17 7:30 p.m. The Joint

301 Main Street North Little Rock arkcatfish.com t-shirts, back issues and more

Tickets $20

Trevor leaves no physical aspect of the guitar untouched while weaving different textures into grand, yet intimate and lyrical compositions.

Available at the door or online at www.argentaartsacousticmusic.com

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

Quote of the Week 1 “This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss.” — Mitt Romney in a call to arms against Donald Trump, in which he also called the GOP frontrunner “a phony, a fraud.” Hours later, at a campaign rally in Maine, Trump said the former Massachusetts governor had “begged” for his endorsement in the 2012 presidential race. “I could have said, ‘Mitt, drop to your knees,’ ” Trump told the crowd. “He would have dropped to his knees.”

Quote of the Week 2

Improving prognosis for the private option One bright spot among the results of last week’s elections in Arkansas: In a number of key legislative races, incumbent Republicans fended off challengers from the right who had promised to undo the state’s Medicaid expansion. The private option (now rebranded as “Arkansas Works” by Gov. Hutchinson) provides insurance coverage for over 250,000 Arkansans and is projected to save the state budget a net $757 million over the next five years, according to a legislative consultant. The governor and his allies within the GOP (along with Democrats, of course) want to keep the program intact, but a bloc of diehard Republicans is determined to kill the private option — it’s made possible by Obamacare, after all. Smelling blood, right-wing groups like the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity poured money into three Senate contests and several House races that pitted pragmatic Republicans against antiPO insurgents. Most of them failed. That’s a victory for Asa, but also a victory for the hundreds of thousands of low-income Arkansans enrolled in Medicaid.

Victory for civil rights Circuit Judge Doug Martin of Fayetteville ruled last week that Arkansas cities are not prevented from passing local nondiscrimination ordinances protecting LGBT people, despite a state law passed last year that intended to do just that. 6

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

“As far as I’m concerned, Donald Trump is the pick of the litter.” — Thomas Robb of Boone County, the national director of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, when asked to weigh in on the 2016 election.

HAPPY AT THE START: Exuberant runners at their peppiest in Sunday’s 14th annual Little Rock Marathon.

That means Fayetteville’s Ordinance 5781, which voters ratified in a popular vote last fall, still stands. It’s a setback for plaintiffs Protect Arkansas, a conservative group, as well as the state attorney general’s office, which intervened on behalf of the plaintiffs. The decision is destined to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

March 1 primary results

Percentage of the vote: Democratic nominee for president 66% Hillary Clinton

30% Bernie Sanders

Republican nominee for president 33% Donald Trump 25% Marco Rubio

31% Ted Cruz 6% Ben Carson

Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice 57% Circuit Judge Dan Kemp

From the ledge to the pen Paul Bookout, the former Senate president pro tem, was sentenced last week to 18 months in federal prison on a count of felony mail fraud; U.S. District Judge Brian Miller also ordered the Jonesboro Democrat to pay $150,048 in restitution. He will report to prison May 2. Bookout entered a negotiated plea last year after an investigation revealed he’d used tens of thousands of dollars

43% Associate Justice Courtney Goodson

Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice 67.5% Circuit Judge Shawn Womack

32.5% Clark Mason

Pulaski County Transit Tax 56% Against in campaign money for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of a home entertainment system,

44% For alcohol, club dues, clothes for his wife and daughter, manicures, and sessions on a tanning bed.

OPINION

In judgment: Court elections

rkansas voters filled two seats on husband, John, the Arkansas Supreme Court last has been a major week in an exercise that again spender along made the case against election of judges. with class-action Circuit Judge Dan Kemp defeated lawyer friends to Associate Justice Courtney Goodson in Supreme Court MAX the race to fill the open chief justice seat. races. His gifts and BRANTLEY Circuit Judge Shawn Womack defeated ties to others makmaxbrantley@arktimes.com Clark Mason in the race to fill the seat ing lavish personal vacated by retiring Justice Paul Dan- gifts to Goodson further contributed to a damaging portrait of Goodson. Mason ielson. What’s not to like? First: At least $1.6 was smeared in fact-deficient ads by a million (and certainly a great deal more Republican group as, well, a liberal trial because this figure reflects only TV ad lawyer and Obama lover. purchases) was spent in these two races, Kemp’s appearances weren’t pristine. the majority by shadowy groups attack- His Republican campaign consultants ing either Goodson or Mason. — with strong ties to the business lobby Kemp did a marginally better job than working to strip the court of justices Womack in decrying the spending of friendly to damage lawsuits — sent a mesdark money, though he couldn’t help but sage, along with his campaign contribunote that at least some of the spending tors, about the kind of judge many hope against Goodson accurately linked her him to be. He also made the poor decision to embarrassing facts provided by public (if not a technical ethics code violation) financial and campaign filings. Goodson’s of reaching out to a prominent banker in

GOP takes aim at liberal Trump

onald Trump finds himself, in this season of marathons, where he never expected to be, running pell mell alongside the despised first black president, both quarries of the most relentless hunters in America: the Republican Party. Let’s narrow that a bit: the Republican establishment, which is distinct from rank-and-file voters. Trump is accustomed to being the hunter — no one has savaged Barack Obama more — but there are signs he may not be up to such a reversal of fortunes, being the chased instead of the chaser. He might take some lessons from Obama, who is in the climactic game of dodging the fearsome Republican pursuit. He is about to become the first president to be preemptively disallowed the constitutional prerogative to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. History must not record any successes or public good from his presidency. More about that in a minute, but

let’s finish the quarry metaphor for the Republican race, for it is the scent of Trump that now ERNEST excites the hunt. DUMAS Not until Trump’s Super Tuesday sweep across most of the South, where he bagged nearly the whole white-male vote, did the GOP elite realize that he would win the nomination even after the field narrowed to a couple of personally unlikable opponents. Except for Michigan’s distressed blue-collar workers, Trump’s appeal outside the South and New England is dicier, and the party’s corporate, business or elite division swung into battle. The lofty conservative journals and the commentariat, like the New York Times’ grief-stricken David Brooks and Ross Douthat, lamented that it would mean the corruption, if not the end, of

his hometown for political support the very day he signed off on the favorable disposition of a criminal case against the banker’s child. It was unseemly. The Womack race was more disheartening, particularly because Womack’s resume was full of unflattering material had only dark money materialized to use it. As a Republican senator, he supported making homosexual acts a felony and preventing gay people from adopting children, much less marrying. He carried the anti-damage suit agenda of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce. The Democrat-Gazette took Womack at his word that he was no longer a political creature, even as he RAN FOR OFFICE by making the rounds of Republican Party events and using a political consultant deeply identified with the Republican Party. The D-G editorialists, no doubt on account of Womack’s probusiness posture, also chose to ignore his politicking for a huge judicial pay raise on the specious ground that Arkansas’s already well-paid judges had a constitutional right to more money (unless, presumably, they happen to be gay). He was also on record in a misspelled letter as saying he was unqualified to hear a criminal case. Not a politician? He has been the judicial branch’s chief lob-

byist before the majority Republican legislature. Womack ran for a nonpartisan office by emphasizing Republican ties, a gimmick also used before by Justice Rhonda Wood (Goodson and Kemp, too, touted GOP pals). The irony — or hypocrisy — is that the Republican Party favored the end of partisan elections back when most candidates were Democrats and the filing fees helped the Democratic Party. Today, with the state in control of Republicans, they WANT a partisan Supreme Court. Gov. Hutchinson, a Republican, is now talking about ending dark money in court races by allowing gubernatorial appointment. Of course he’d like to appoint them all. Scoreboard: Beginning in 2017, there won’t be a single member of the Arkansas Supreme Court who doesn’t owe a debt of thanks to the corporate lobby, nursing homes, the Republican Party or class-action lawyers for either paying for their campaign directly or providing immense sums from unidentified sources to tear down their opponents. Every one of the not-so-magnificent seven — Rhonda Wood, Karen Baker, Jo Hart, Dan Kemp, Shawn Womack, Robin Wynne, Courtney Goodson. Appearances DO count.

the Republican Party if Trump and the ignorant whom he mesmerizes took over. Senators, with the notable exception of Alabama’s racist J. Beauregard Sessions, let it be known that anyone but Trump would be OK. Mitt Romney, the last GOP nominee, made a celebrated speech calling on Republicans everywhere to repudiate this fake Republican. Sen. John McCain, the 2008 candidate, averred. The once-Republican mayor of New York, super-rich Michael Bloomberg, said he might run as an independent to save the country from his neighbor Trump or Ted Cruz, before concluding this week that it would merely make one of them president by throwing the election into the Republican House of Representatives. Trump can handle all that, but not the rage of the corporatists. That segment of the party won’t be denied. By suggesting that he might tax the rich, punish corporations that open shops in Mexico or overseas or refuse to bring them back, impose heavy tariffs on foreign-made goods, start trade wars, deport 11 million immigrants and protect or maybe expand the big socialwelfare programs, Trump convinced them that he was not a Republican, a

conservative, or even a bona-fide businessman. So by next Tuesday, when Republicans will vote in Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri — three of them winnertake-all states — they will have spent tens of millions of dollars on ominous ads that paint a much darker picture of the happy provocateur: a crooked and failed businessman, a draft dodger, a liar, a libertine and, yes, a liberal! Outside groups bought more than $10 million in ads to run this week in Florida to overcome Trump’s big polling lead over Marco Rubio. The Club for Growth is sinking $2 million into Illinois commercials this week. The Koch brothers and their corporate allies are swinging into action, having already denied him access to the forums of Americans for Prosperity and other groups. Look, this stuff works. The same outfits spent fortunes in 2010 persuading the elderly that the formerly Republican health plan they called Obamacare was going to swipe their Medicare benefits and blue-collar workers that it was going to abolish their jobs and not let them see their favorite doctor. Nearly all of them still believe it today even though none of it ever happened. It will work on Donald, too. www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

021116-VOV-ArkTimes.pdf

2/11/16

3:44 PM

A tale of three parties

I C

CMY

PARTY WITH A HEART Girls’ Night Out Dance Party

Saturday, April 16, 2016, 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Cocktail Attire, Argenta Community Theatre in downtown NLR $75.00 (includes full bar and food)

To purchase tickets, visit: http://partywithaheart.org/tickets

Come party with all your heart!

Proceeds benefit our annual non-profit partner, P.A.T.H. (Partners Against Trafficking Humans @ pathsaves.org)

For more information, email us @ info@partywithaheart.org Thank you to our sponsors! Arvest Bank, Arkansas Times, Ben E. Keith Foods, Hadidi Rug Gallery, HOWSE, Inviting Arkansas, Legacy Termite & Pest Control, Maddox, Simmons First Bank Party with a Heart, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization. 8

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

n a column previewing the Super Tuesday GOP primary in Arkansas two weeks ago, I linked the three presidential candidates on a collision course in the state to somewhat amorphous factions emerging in the state’s Republican Party. Before the primary is too far in the rearview mirror, it is important to ponder the longer-term meaning of its results for Arkansas politics. An analysis of the voting patterns from the March 1 contest — with turnout numbers showing the new dominance of the Republican Party in Arkansas — shows just how starkly different the three factions are and indicates the complexity of policymaking and internal GOP politics in a state now (and for the foreseeable future) decidedly Republican. A key story of the GOP primary in Arkansas in 2016 was, indeed, the dramatic uptick in turnout for the traditional minority party in the state, nearly doubling that in the Democratic primary. Many pointed to Trump as the key driver of that turnout increase. However, Trump actually underperformed in those counties where Republican turnout in the 2016 went up disproportionately as compared to the 2008 presidential primary. Thus, while Trump’s presence in the race unquestionably enhanced the salience of the GOP primary, new Trump voters did not seem to directly drive up turnout. Instead, it seems the perceived closeness of the race, the rare significance of the Arkansas primary because of its timing, and the general pro-GOP trend in Arkansas were more important forces in jolting the GOP turnout to record levels than Trumpmania itself. That said, Trump’s victory in the state was impressive as he won pluralities in 58 of Arkansas’s 75 counties. Across those counties, Trump’s support was driven by three key factors. As has been shown across the South, the GOP frontrunner did better in locales with large nonwhite populations, showing signs of the discomfort of the “Trump voter” with the diversity that is a hallmark of contemporary American life. Second, Trump did particularly well in those counties with the lowest education levels: the lower the percentage of a county’s residents lacking a college degree, the higher the percentage of the vote for Trump. Finally, the New Yorker

did best in rural counties shrinking in population or with exceedingly low population growth. JAY In short, Trump BARTH did best in those counties where white voters feel their communities slipping away as their kids move away to the cities and suburbs, their jobs slipping away in an economy that mandates advanced skills, and their vision of America slipping away in a country on its way to being majorityminority. These nonideological voters “want their country back,” and, to them, Trump reflects their last, best hope of bringing that to fruition. The third-place finisher in the state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, was the antithesis to Trump in terms of his voting patterns and of the worldview of his voters. Rubio did best in exactly those places where Trump did worst: the highest-educated and fastest growing counties in the state. The correlation between support for the Florida senator in a county and the percentage of the county’s population with a college degree was +.75 (a perfect correlation is +1.0). These are voters most comfortable with a new economy driven by technological change and most optimistic about their futures. They are also the voters least tied to a sense of place, as Rubio also did quite well in those counties growing fastest in population in recent years. (It was relevant that the majority of the key state legislative primaries in which Gov. Hutchinson successfully engaged on behalf of candidates supportive of the continuation of Medicaid expansion were in parts of the state where Rubio over-performed.) Finally, in addition to winning counties in the Monroe/El Dorado media market that also covers the eastern part of his state, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz performed best in those predominantly white and racially homogenous counties in Arkansas where President Obama has performed the worst in his two elections and that are the backbone of the new GOP dominance in the state. This explains Trump’s especially strong performance in the donut of counties around Pulaski County and in the more suburbanized parts of Northwest Arkansas.

Cats and dogs

n the popular imagination, there are dog people and cat people, although one rarely encounters them in real life. Me, I’m leery of anybody who dislikes dogs, although it’s necessary to make allowances for people with bad childhood experiences. Cat haters are almost invariably men. Probably cats are properly spooked around them. But do domestic animals love us back? Most pet owners find it an absurd question. What could be more obvious than a dog’s joy at welcoming us home after an absence? Than a cat’s curling up and purring in our laps? For the longest time, strict behaviorists clung to pseudoscientific fundamentalism claiming that talking about animals’ emotions was sentimental nonsense. Pseudoscience, as Carl Safina points out in his wonderful book “Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel,” precisely because it required ignoring almost everything we know about their anatomy, evolutionary history and observed behavior. “So, do other animals have human emotions?” he asks. “Yes, they do. Do humans have animal emotions? Yes; they’re largely the same. Fear, aggression, well-being, anxiety, and pleasure are the emotions of shared brain structures and shared chemistries, originated in shared ancestry.” Enter now one Professor Paul Zak, advertised as something called a “neuroeconomist” — a term hinting at mumbojumbo to me, who recently undertook an experiment to determine which domestic animal loves us best. Dogs? Or cats? Judging by his Wikipedia profile, Zak is a handsome rascal who makes a handsome living advising corporate clients that we’d be better off if we went around acting like a bunch of Italians, with lots of hugging and kissing each other’s cheeks. He’s probably right, too, although your mileage may differ. Zak’s book, “The Moral Molecule,” expounds upon the wonders of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that gives people the warm fuzzies when people they love (or attractive Italians) embrace them. He goes on TV a lot. Anyway, at the request of BBC-TV, the professor set out to determine which species got the biggest oxytocin boost after 10 minutes of being dandled by their owners, dogs or cats. So he assembled 10 of each at his laboratory, took saliva samples, instructed their owners to play with them, and then took more saliva samples, which he analyzed for the happy

hormone. According to Elyse Wanshel’s summary in the Huffington Post, “Canines were GENE proven to love us LYONS Homo sapiens five times more than their feline counterparts.” That’s right, cat lovers, dogs rule! Except, you know what? I don’t have a Ph.D. in neuroeconomics but I do have an unusual orange tabby cat named Albert. His nickname is “The Orange Dog,” on account of how he’s the smallest member of our security team — consisting of two Great Pyrenees, a German shepherd and Albert. Albert has many unusual personality traits. Besides preferring canine company, he’s been known to sit atop fence posts to let Mount Nebo the horse nuzzle him. The other horses, no. He wanders among cows as if they were as inert as hay bales. He’s totally devoted to me, perching on the arm of my chair watching ballgames, and lying on my chest at bedtime purring. Then he retires to the bathroom towel closet, fishes open the spring-loaded door and lets it thump shut behind him. Around 5 a.m. — thump — he’s up and out the door. Many afternoons he accompanies my wife, five dogs and me on an hour long walk around the pastures to my neighbor’s hay barn, rubbing on the dogs’ legs and panting like a little lion. Sometimes he stays the night out there hunting mice. A country cat, Albert’s wise to coyotes. I’m absurdly fond of him, and the feeling’s clearly mutual. However, Albert has two significant phobias: cars and strangers. He vanishes when company comes, keeps the house under surveillance from an undisclosed location, and materializes after they’ve gone. So carry him to a laboratory, let a stranger take a saliva sample, play with him for 10 minutes and then let the stranger mess with him again? Our basset hound, Daisy, would be fine with that. She loves riding in the car, has never met a stranger and pretty much drools all day anyway. Elevated oxytocin levels? Albert would be a week forgiving such an indignity. He might bite. So would most cats. What a farcical experiment. The moral molecule indeed! So what does Albert feel when he’s lying there on my chest? I think basically what I feel: security, contentment and deep affection.

Bart Calhoun

Dustin McDaniel

Scott Richardson

Attorneys at Law 1020 W. Fourth St., Suite 410 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 235-8336

mrcfirm.com

Business Law Family Law Criminal Defense Public Policy Advocacy Personal Injury Law Education Law Administrative Law

April 2, 2016 Little Rock, AR

GRAB THE KIDS & COME OUT TO PLAY!

SPRINGFEST IS A FREE FAMILY FESTIVAL PACKED WITH FOOD, FUN AND SUN ON THE BANKS OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER.

You’ll find everything from acrobats and art projects to food trucks and flying dogs. Plus, your favorite band, Trout Fishing in America! BROUGHT T O Y O U B Y:

For more information, visit riverfestarkansas.com. www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

PEARLS ABOUT SWINE

31 flavors of Hog From TV’s

How I Met Your Mother

Text AETN to

313131 for

important updates.

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

he Arkansas Razorbacks’ 31 games of basketball in 2015-16 have paralleled, appropriately enough, Baskin-Robbins’ 31 flavors. Just about every tasty one is offset by a nasty one, and the last two samples of the regular season were a pretty fair representation of the duality. The Hogs had put up a modest three-game winning streak and headed to Alabama with very few people realistically believing they had a shot at knocking off the Crimson Tide, which had surged under Avery Johnson’s coaching and Retin Obasohan’s floor leadership to the periphery of NCAA Tournament consideration. Arkansas did its part to wreck that, just as it had done the week before in a thrashing of LSU’s talented but rudderless bubble team. The 62-61 win at Coleman Coliseum was anything but aesthetically pleasing. Moses Kingsley’s 19 points led the way, and most importantly, the Hogs finally showed some gumption on the glass with a 36-30 rebounding edge. In addition, the Hogs didn’t seem too fazed by the conventionally home-cooked officiating, making the most of their free throw tries while Bama struggled at the stripe. Anthlon Bell’s two free throws with four seconds remaining iced it, and made the last three of Obasohan’s 32 points on a buzzer-beater harmless in the process. As has been the case all season, the Hogs’ triumph was built on a rather atypical foundation. In keeping with the bipolar tradition of the season, it was also followed by a bizarre clunker. South Carolina has been the unquestioned surprise of the conference all year, finally turning the corner under the guidance of the menacing but effective Frank Martin, and yet it entered Bud Walton Arena with a paucity of quality wins among its 23 thus far. And Michael Carrera, the team’s heart-and-soul senior swingman who evolved from role player to All-SEC catalyst, was sidelined with a bum hip. With the Hogs streaking and the Gamecocks floundering after a couple of bad losses, obviously the stage would be set for Arkansas to finish a ragged slate in style. Naturally, nastily, no. Carolina blistered its way to a large first-half lead, and stretched it as far as 27 points in the second half. Bud Walton rarely has felt so cavernous in March, even when

the stakes were low. The Hogs got feisty around the 10-minute mark and demonstrated the BEAU same won’t-quit WILCOX panache that’s gotten them in and out of binds all year. Dusty Hannahs popped a couple of treys, the lead shrunk to nine, and what remained of the crowd got lathered up. Kingsley, though, had a horrific day at the line (3 for 10) and all the misses were ill-timed. And the bench went back to being punchless after several productive games. Jabril Durham’s only basket of the game made it 70-61 with just under four minutes left, but the Gamecocks snuffed out the Hogs from there and ended up winning by 15. In many ways, it mirrored the Kentucky loss, not just in margin, but in the sense that even the best efforts of the Hogs’ unlikely Big Three of Bell, Kingsley and Hannahs in the second half couldn’t outpace a much deeper squad on the other side. Sixteen up, 15 down. Pretty in victory, ugly in defeat, and sometimes completely operating in contradiction to convention. This column has been used as a sounding board for criticisms of Mike Anderson to extensive extent this year, yet it may be among the better coaching jobs he’s authored, even if the shortfall of talent also falls at his feet. Oddly enough, for the most part, it’s been a fun team to watch in spite of its glaring shortcomings, because as it demonstrated in the final 10 minutes of the South Carolina debacle, no deficit is too big to knock this bunch off its heels. No lead can be deemed secure, either. The Hogs did well enough on this rickety ride to get the single-bye and draw a matchup with Florida in the SEC Tournament opener. Like many of the middling teams in the conference, Florida is capable of being transcendent one night and terrible the next. Arkansas knows and embodies that same inconsistency, but has a slightly narrower margin of error when it comes to securing a postseason invitation. Anderson therefore steers his fifth Hog team into the fray having no real idea if the contender will emerge, or if it used all of its fuel just to get to .500.

11200 W. Markham 501-223-3120 www.colonialwineshop.com facebook.com/colonialwines

3/9 – 3/15

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

w4m

he Observer, the storied old eavesdropper of Maple Street, is an incorrigible cruiser of the “Missed Connections” section of Little Rock Craigslist, that great wrecking yard of relationships both real and imagined, full of folks casting their paper airplanes into the dark in the near-impossible hope they’ll poke just the right person in the eye. You see all kinds of stuff on there, from the pathetic to the heartrending to the per verted enough to make you consider to alerting the proper authorities. It’s the great human carnival of lust, lewdness and loss, in all its whirl and gaudy splash. Though there are some rather obscure categories of Missed Connections — w4ww, mm4m, t4w (“w” being “woman,” “t” being “transgender,” and so forth), and good luck and Godspeed to all those — The Observer’s regular haunt is w4m, and not because we’re hoping to find some lass on there pining for Yours Truly from afar. Women, in general, are much better at putting their feelings on paper. Often what winds up posted there are anonymous letters that will never be sent, cast into the digital sea like virtual notes in an electric bottle, in the dreaming hope the words there might fall under the gaze of The One, or — in many cases — The Used to Be The One. This note titled “Almost a Year Without You,” for instance, recently caught our eye. We present a found object this week, then, so full of sad, lovely, near-poetic longing that its cup doth runneth over. An excerpt appears below. What’s that old saw about being kind, because everybody is fighting a hard fight? Case in point: “I’m not in your arms at night and where I should be, and I can only wonder if you know that feeling. “Do you remember how I would wake up in a panic at times because I was afraid you were not there? I

Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch $33.97 Everyday $41.99

Tora Bay 2014 Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc $9.99 Everyday $13.99

Jim Beam Bourbon $24.97 Everyday $28.99 Stoli Vodka $29.97 Everyday $34.99

know I woke you once doing it, but I did it more than that and you never knew. I dream about being in your arms and making love to you. But it should be more than a dream that I wake to in pain… . “I don’t expect you to see this, read this or contact me. But it does not hurt to try, because I feel like I have no other way to contact you considering how life has gone for us. I do really love you, and if that does not speak volumes after all this time I have had to heal, then I do not know what will. It is proof positive my love was not pretend or a lie … . You thought I would want to trade up from you or find someone else in time. But that was never the case with me. “I don’t fear being alone, I live how I do, but I do not fear loneliness. I embrace times I can be alone and I’m happy with me. I don’t just want someone I do not have a deep connection with or to be with someone just for their looks or what they could offer me otherwise. Because they are not you. I will continue to live the life I have now because I have to, and I have learned so much in all this time. I love who I am. I love what I do, and I have grown as a person. I know everything I want in life, but I take it day by day. I do not live in a dream. Even though I think of you, I still live my life. “If I never hear from you again, just know I will probably always love you. But I will move on and try to be happy, because I would think if you truly loved me, you would wish this. I will live the life I have always led, but for the better. And it has been better lately. But I can’t help I truly love you and what I want. “If we can’t be together and I do not hear a word from you, I will be faithful, loving and always there for just one person in my life. They would deserve it and that is truly how I am. I just wish it was with you.”

Bacardi Superior, Black & Gold Rum $19.98 Everyday $22.99

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or Single Malt Scotch $59.98 Everyday $75.99 Jameson Irish Whiskey $20.98 Everyday $26.99

La Crema 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $20.98 Everyday $25.99 La Crema 2014 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay $18.98 Everyday $23.99

Clos Pons 2011 Alges Costers de Segre $18.98 Everyday $23.99 Villa Maria 2015 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc $12.97 Everyday $16.99

Basil Hayden’s Bourbon $33.98 Everyday $43.69

Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum $23.98 Everyday $31.99

Fetzer Anthony’s Hill Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Grigio & Pinot Noir $10.99 Everyday $13.99

Knob Creek Small-Batch Bourbon $23.97 Everyday $34.99

BEST LIQUOR STORE

The Argenta Irish Festival follows the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which starts at 1PM in Little Rock at 3rd & Rock Streets, ending at 6th & Main in Argenta with clowns, floats, antique cars, Irish Wolfhounds and more!

March 12, 2-5PM

at the Argenta Plaza, 520 Main Street Benefiting the Argenta Downtown Council

Free to the Public

Beer Garden including Diamond Bear, Lost Forty, Stones Throw, Bubba Brews, Flyway and more! Live Music, Food Trucks and Kids Activities Food trucks: Loblolly, Agrilla The Bun and Black Hound Bar-B-Q Diamond Bear Pipe & Drum, sponsored by Diamond Bear Brewing Co.

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

Arkansas Reporter

THE

Party on Arkansas Republican leaders are wary of Trump, but few reject him outright. BY BENJAMIN HARDY

n the evening of March 1, as polls began to close in the Super Tuesday primaries, I drifted over to the GOP watch party at the Embassy Suites in West Little Rock to ask Arkansas Republicans about the future of their party. I arrived in time to catch a couple of brief victory speeches from U.S. Sen. John Boozman and Rep. French Hill, both of whom had faced lightweight opponents from the rightward fringe. The material was pro forma D.C. Republican: Boozman promised that President Obama would be denied the chance to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Antonin Scalia, and Hill inveighed against Obamacare. Yet the scene was backdropped, literally, by the grassroots phenomenon bubbling up inside the GOP around the nation: Two projectors tuned to cable news, the sound muted, illuminated the wall behind the stage with proclamations of Donald Trump’s victories in state after state. Neither man mentioned Trump by name, though Hill began his remarks by observing that “voters tonight are telling elected officials all over the country, ‘Hey! You’re not listening to us!’” Not long after Hill began speaking, the networks switched to a live stream of Donald Trump’s victory speech from Palm Beach, Fla., which made it difficult to focus on what the congressman was saying. One projector was off-color, and its beam of light was aimed too close to the lectern, and I watched as Trump’s huge head, distorted and yellowed, played like a hallucination across the faces of French Hill and his family. Despite a great deal of talk nationally about the chasm Trump has opened within the Republican Party, it didn’t feel like a crisis was unfolding at the Embassy Suites hotel bar. The mood of the room was subdued and rueful, perhaps a little bewildered. Most Arkansas Republicans are still coming to terms with the 12

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

fact of Donald Trump’s dominance but seem prepared to digest it. Most are leery rather than horrified. Unsurprisingly, Doyle Webb, the chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, emphasized the positive for the GOP: About 62 percent of Arkansans who cast a ballot in this primary chose to vote Republican. “That is unprecedented in our history,” Webb told me. “Normally, the Democrats have voted 2-to-1 over Republicans, or 3-to-1, or 4-to-1. The enthusiasm is on our side; the voters are on our side. The voters are conservative and they want to see a Republican nomination.” (Primary turnout isn’t a great predictor of general election success, though: In 1988, Democratic primary turnout nationally was at its second-highest ever. Michael Dukakis lost.) What about the fact that Arkansas Republican leaders lined up so solidly in favor of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (and a smaller contingent for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz)? Trump’s only endorsement came from Sen. Jon Woods (R-Springdale), a lame-duck legislator who, weirdly, proclaimed his support at around 3 p.m. on Election Day. And yet Trump carried 33 percent of the Arkansas vote, Cruz took 31 percent and Rubio, who was endorsed by Gov. Hutchinson, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, two Arkansas congressmen and dozens of legislators, captured only 25 percent. “I think it’s up to the voters to decide who they want to represent the party, and should it be Donald Trump, I know that our party will be behind him,” Webb said. “I know our governor and I know our other elected officials — I can’t speak on their behalf, but I know in my heart they’ll support the Republican nominee.” Rep. Charlotte Douglas (R-Alma) told me she would “support whoever our Republican nominee is,” but expressed a hope that I’ve heard from many others: that President Trump will be mellower than candidate Trump. “When you step

TRUMP TRIUMPHANT: Bill Kerr of Maumelle watches the primary results roll in on Super Tuesday.

into office it gives you some perspective that you didn’t have when you were running. I hope that brings a soberness to him, to be more reflective of some of the things that he thought would be so easy.” Still, Douglas didn’t seem terribly enthusiastic about the Trump train. “People are mad, and they’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” she said. Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Benton), an early supporter of Marco Rubio, said Trump’s rise was fueled by “anger at Washington, which is clearly justified.” But he pointed out that Arkansas voters also returned Republican incumbents to office in down-ballot races, including several key legislative primaries. “I think in Arkansas we’re doing a good job of governing and trying to work together and bring about conservative policy, so I think it shows the anger only extends to Washington — it doesn’t extend beyond that to legislative races.” “It’s not a done deal, but it’s looking like in all probability [Trump] will be the nominee,” the senator acknowledged. And what happens then? “He’s such an unknown that it’s impossible to predict. Time will tell. There’s moments when you can see Reagan in him, and there’s moments that are … scary.”

Dan Greenberg, a former Republican legislator who now runs Advance Arkansas, a free market think tank, offered harsher words when I asked him what Trump’s rise meant for the future of the Republican Party. “I guess it means … we’ll have a lot more crassness and rudeness in American public life due to the example of the nominee,” he said. “On the other hand, on the Democratic side, I think we’re going to have a lot more tolerance of extremely clever, straight-faced lying. ... A lot of people think that both parties are pretty awful, and it’s hard to avoid the thought that there’s a lot of evidence to come to that conclusion this evening.” I said that sounded somewhat bitter. “I don’t know if ‘bitterness’ is really correct. Utter, abject fear,” Greenberg replied. “Maybe it’s a healthy wakeup call that politics as such is sometimes so grotesque that it really doesn’t, and shouldn’t, have a lot to do with people’s real lives. I just can’t see how either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump represents anything like America’s best self.” Many Republicans oppose Trump. But there’s a distinction to be made between the skepticism of establishment party officials like Jeremy Hutchinson

Tune in to our “Week In Review” podcast each Friday.

BRIAN CHILSON

Available on iTunes & arktimes.com

and the revulsion of dedicated movement conservatives like Greenberg. To Greenberg, the most disturbing thing about Trump’s hijacking of the GOP isn’t the threat it poses to the party’s electoral future, but how the billionaire threatens to corrupt the very idea of what “conservative” means. This is why National Review, the magazine that aims to be the intellectual flagship of American conservatism, devoted an entire issue to making the case against him. It’s why right-wing outlets like The Federalist have run articles with headlines like “I’ll Take Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump,” where writer Tom Nichols fumed that a President Trump “will be every bit as liberal as Hillary … . He is by reflex and instinct a New York Democrat whose formal party affiliation is negotiable, as is everything about him.” “More to the point,” Nichols continued, “after four years of thrashing around in the Oval Office like the ignorant boor he is, voters will no longer be able to distinguish between the words ‘Trump,’ ‘Republican,’ ‘conservative,’ and ‘buffoon.’ He will obliterate Republicans further down the ticket in 2016 and 2020, smear conservatism as nothing more than his own brand of narcissism, and destroy decades of hard

work, including Ronald Reagan’s legacy.” Earlier in the evening, when I spoke with Bill Kerr, a Maumelle man with two Trump bumper stickers plastered onto his cowboy hat, I asked about concerns that Trump was insufficiently conservative. “Oh, horseshit,” he replied. “Listen, I’m right of Atilla the Hun, and he’s right of me on certain issues. … These guys that define themselves as conservative by defining themselves in their own mind — that, that doesn’t cut it. This guy is Hillary’s worst nightmare, and he’s going to run a great race against her, and I think he’ll be the next president in January.” As an open Trump supporter, Kerr was a lonely figure at the Embassy Suites. “I don’t know if you noticed this or not, but I’m the only one here in visible support of Donald Trump — and yet he carried the damn state,” Kerr said. “You see where I’m going with this? In this room, these are the Republicans who didn’t support him — they need to coalesce around him now. This party needs to come and be united and not divided, or they’re not going to beat Hillary. “The problem with the old established Republicans is that … you’ve got to start at the city alderman level, then become the mayor, then go to the legislature, then maybe run for a constitutional office. As you go up that ladder of progression, you have baggage and things that you owe to all these people, and that’s why when they get up there, these people are all indebted to people. And they just can’t see through the fog to endorse someone like Donald Trump. They have to endorse an establishment Republican, and Donald’s not that. They’re obligated. Everyone here is obligated.” “I’ve worked for him six months, real hard, and I’m tickled to death that he won tonight,” Kerr said. The night’s returns weren’t surprising to him; he’s seen the momentum in Arkansas firsthand. “[The campaign] has been sending out emails saying you can come to Maumelle on Friday, between 5 and 7 p.m., and pick up a yard sign. We had thousands of yard signs picked up. Listen. They came from Texarkana. They came from El Dorado. McGehee. Jonesboro. Russellville. Morrilton. Hot Springs. Pine Bluff. I haven’t seen that kind of enthusiasm since Tommy Robinson, back in the ’90s.”

THE

BIG PICTURE

Inconsequential News Quiz: Trump University Edition Play at home, or you’re a weak and pathetic loser!

1) Researchers at the University of Arkansas recently released information about a discovery that could change our understanding of the natural world. What was the discovery? A) That Rose City in North Little Rock is actually a highly detailed computer simulation, much like “The Matrix,” created by particularly sadistic and methed-out robot overlords. B) That six subspecies of Western rattlesnake are, in fact, unique and separate species. C) That CT scans have found that the head of Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) contains only dryer lint and methane gas. D) That “Feeling the Bern” can be alleviated by applying cold compresses and imagining the U.S. Supreme Court stocked with three to five President Trump nominees for the next 20 years.

2) In a trailer recently released for the documentary “Being Bret Bielema,” University of Arkansas football coach Bret Bielema speaks of the lengths he’s gone to recruit players. Which of the following is a real quote from the trailer? A) “Ever seen an 80-year-old woman wearing only X’s of electrical tape on her nipples? I have.” B) “Yeah, I kissed him. I’m not ashamed, either. Sumbitch could run the 40 in four-point-three!” C) “His momma’s cooking give me diarrhea so bad I swear I went blind for a minute. True story.” D) “I’ve had to have dinner with a parrot. I’ve had dinner with a monkey.” 3) Recently, a teacher at a public school in Warren was the

subject of parents’ complaints that they’d seen him on a TV program discussing something about himself. What was the issue? A) He revealed he is a “looner,” someone who derives sensual pleasure from touching latex balloons. B) That he had made $100 million by using his knowledge of chemistry to cook blue supermeth, but didn’t split the money with the thousands who want to get the hell out of Warren, Ark. C) That his installation art piece titled “Wooden Stepladder Beside the Window of the Girl’s Locker Room (Stairway to Heaven)” isn’t actually about “humanity’s yearning for spiritual solace in an ever-changing sociopolitical landscape.” D) That — as is the custom in most American high schools — the most recently hired teacher is responsible for keeping the teachers’ lounge stocked with vodka and anti-depressants. 4) Some people stepped in to object last month over a controversial student assembly held at Maumelle High School. What was the issue with the assembly? A) “Trump University Presents: Nerds, Geeks and Dorks, the Weakest Menace.” B) Safe sex presentation that consisted entirely of a portly vice principal demonstrating how to roll on a condom with his mouth. C) The assembly was on the topic of gang violence, and only the school’s African-American students were required to attend. D) The Stamp Out Smoking AllStar Hip-Hop Jamstravaganza! turned out to be a 61-year-old divorcee screaming through a bullhorn about how Pall Malls “took the lead out of my pencil” and gave him the gatdamn cancer. Answers: B, D, A, C, B

LISTEN UP

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

CHICKEN AND EGG COME FIRST Is Big Poultry fair to farmers? BY DAVID KOON

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

them since they were chicks, the birds will be trucked to company-owned processing plants for slaughter and packaging. It’s a vertically integrated system that allows poultry companies to control almost every aspect of a chicken’s lifespan, with the goal of converting the smallest cash outlay into the largest and most uniform pound of meat in the shortest possible time. Over the past 100 years, the American poultry industry has become exceedingly good at accomplishing that goal. According to the National Chicken Council, in 1925 it took 4.7 pounds of feed and 112 days to bring a 2.5 pound chicken to market. By 2010, farmers were growing a 5.7 pound hen in just 47 days, utilizing only 1.9 pounds of feed. There are currently around 25,000 contract chicken growers in the United States, with those growers producing 95 percent of the broilers in the United States. Starting out, a poultry grower must build the chicken houses, often putting up everything they own and going into an enormous amount of debt to do so (modern houses cost around $250,000 each to build, up from around $80,000 20 years ago). Once the houses are constructed, the grower services their debt — hopefully with some left over to live on — by supplying the upkeep and labor on the farm, under contact to a poultry producer. As is the industry standard, most growers’ pay is decided by what is called the tournament system. In that system, a group of growers in a set area compete to see who can turn the smallest amount of feed into one pound of chicken by the time the broilers head to the processing plant. Once the chickens are delivered to the integrator, the growers whose feed-to-weight ratio is at the top of the list for their group are paid more per bird than those at the bottom — some-

times significantly more. Growers we talked to said it can be the difference between making 34 cents per chicken vs. 22 cents. Once you start talking about the hundreds of thousands of chickens on your average modern poultry farm, the numbers — and the losses for those whose flocks weigh in at the bottom of the rankings — add up quickly. Though supporters of the tournament system say it incentivizes growers to do a good job and perform upkeep and improvements on their houses so they can stay at the top of the rankings, critics of tournament pay say it’s a system that links grower pay to issues outside of the farmer’s control, such as heat, cold and the quality of the chicks they are delivered. It shifts much of the risk onto the growers, who never know how much or how little they stand to make off a batch of chickens until the birds are delivered. Some of the growers we talked to said that after figuring in expenses and where they land in the rankings, their profit can be less than 5 cents per chicken. No wonder, then, that most growers seek diversified sources of income to make ends meet. A 2001 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Contract Poultry Growers Association found that 71 percent of those who made their living solely from chicken farming lived below the poverty line. A farmer advocacy group this reporter talked to claimed that because poultry companies hold so much sway over growers’ lives and livelihoods, a “culture of retaliation” has arisen, with those who speak out against the poultry companies or the tournament system being secretly penalized by being given substandard chicks or feed, or having their contracts canceled. The poultry industry denies these claims. Whatever the case, given that contact

growers are a vital link in a chain that supplies an appetite for chicken worth an estimated $90 billion per year, the question of fairness is bound to arise. *** When it comes to the risks modern contract growers are asked to shoulder, it’s hard to think of a more catastrophic example than the sudden announcement that the Pilgrim’s Pride chicken processing plant in El Dorado would close on Feb. 27, 2009. It was a blow that has rippled through the local economy since that day, destroying lives and farms. The facility was one of three processing plants the Texasbased poultry giant shuttered in the wake of its December 2008 bankruptcy filing, the others in Douglas, Ga., and Farmerville, La. Overnight, dozens of chicken growers in South Arkansas, a lot of them still deep in debt on their chicken houses and most with everything they owned in hock to the bank as collateral on those loans, were told by Pilgrim’s that they’d received their last batch of chicks. In the wake of the closure, many farm families in South Arkansas lost everything they had. Those growers who were able to hold on until other integrators returned to the area in the last year — OK Foods and Foster Farms at this writing — had empty chicken houses generating no income for five years or more, even as the notes on those houses rolled on and on. To add insult to injury, in October 2011, a U.S. magistrate — citing an internal Pilgrim’s email in which the company’s chief restructuring officer wrote of the need “to restrict the chicken in the area and allow prices to rise” — ruled that Pilgrim’s had closed the El Dorado plant as part of a plan to raise the price

BRIAN CHILSON

ince the first hunter-gatherer got tired of hunting and gathering and poked a seed into the ground, risk has been a part of farming. And soon after that first crop pushed its way out of the soil, no doubt, our proto-farmer started trying to figure out how to lay a little of that risk off on someone else, while continuing to reap the maximum reward. Such is human nature. Anybody who tells you we’re an altruistic species is lying to you. One corner of farming that has turned shifting risk to the other guy into a kind of art form is the modern poultry industry. Poultry is, of course, huge business in Arkansas, with chicken houses — carefully controlled tin tunnels, some over 500 feet long, where tens of thousands of chickens live almost their entire lives in dim warmth — scattered all over the state. Arkansas ranks behind only Georgia in the number of broiler hens produced annually. Tyson Foods alone brings over 35 million broilers to market every year, part of the vast supply chain feeding the country’s nearbottomless demand for chicken. What most people who see (and smell) Arkansas’s chicken houses from a passing car might not know, however, is that while the houses and the equipment to keep the houses clean and maintained are owned and paid for by the farmers who work there, every chicken inside those houses is the property of a corporate poultry company — an “integrator,” in the parlance of the industry. The “integration” part comes in because the company owns not only every chicken on those farms from egg to plate, but also supplies every crumb of grain those chickens will eat in between, moving it in by the trailer-truck load, usually from company-owned feed mills. Once the grown chickens are picked up from the growers, who have watched over

BRIAN CHILSON

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

/ &87" $ 1 , ) ( $.( 7+ ) DQG ĂŁQG RXW 0 / / , :+2 : 21' &+( U ',$0

IR MRLQ XV

/ / $ 6 ( . 7$ ( 7 ( 3 0 2 & 6 ) &+(

0 3 ( / 167,787 6 $35, (0(17 ,

7+85

$1$* $/,7< 0 ,7 3 6 2 + < $576 H URFN 5,1.6 Ă&#x201C; OLWWO &8/,1$5 ( 7 &+() ' $ ( 7 5 6 8 5 7 ( $ 7 1 1 , 16 6,* 67$7,2 ' 2 2 ) < 5 &8/,1$

0$67(5 &+() 63216256

0(',$ 63216256

&+() de &8,6,1( 63216256 +,/$1' '$,5< 8 6 )22'6 $//(*5$ 35,17,1* */$=(5Ă&#x152;6 &:3 352'8&7,216 :,1( 38// 6321625 2Ă&#x152;/221(<Ă&#x152;6 &8/,1$5,$1 63216256 8$06 &2&$ &2/$

$5.$16$6 62<%($1 %2$5' :(6752&. &2))(( &21*(5 :($/7+ 0$1$*(0(17 <$<$Ă&#x152;6 (852 %,6752 6,00216 %$1. ),567 $5.$16$6 %$1. $1' 75867 0$5. )219,//( 3+272*5$3+< &$3,7$/ +27(/ +$1.Ă&#x152;6 ),1( )851,785( /(*$&< 7(50,7( $1' 3(67 &21752/

3URFHHGV EHQHĂŁW WKH SURJUDPV DQG VWXGHQWV RI 37& )RU GHWDLOV DQG WLFNHWV PJUDLQJHU#SXODVNLWHFK HGX ZZZ SXODVNLWHFK HGX GLDPRQGFKHI 16

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

of chicken by limiting the national supply. A $26 million award to growers in the area was later reversed by a threejudge panel on appeal. Arkansas Times spoke with several contract chicken growers who were caught up in the aftermath of the sudden closure of the Pilgrimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pride plant. Back to growing chickens for a different poultry company for the first time since 2009, those we spoke to all requested anonymity, saying they worried that talking to a reporter about their operations might jeopardize their current contracts and their livelihoods. Over the past month, the Times attempted to contact a half-dozen growers across the state through intermediaries. Citing the same concerns over their contracts, the others we contacted refused to talk on the record, even anonymously. Henry (not his real name) has been a contract chicken grower since the early 1990s. He said he got into it to make a living and work his own hours, which, he said with a laugh, turned out to be 24 hours a day. Recently, he got the first new batch of chickens in his houses in over five years, having hung on through the drought, unlike many local growers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve told people a lot,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;on Feb. 26, [2009] these houses of mine were worth a half million dollars, no problem. Two days later, they were worth nothing. Zero. You couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give them away.â&#x20AC;? He said that right up until the processing plant in El Dorado was shuttered, the company was encouraging growers to go into debt to make costly upgrades to their houses. One young grower he knew had gone into over $1 million in debt to build four houses a year and a half before the closure of the plant, putting up a farm that had been in his family for three generations as collateral on a loan that required payments of over $7,000 a month. After Pilgrimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closed the plant and the chickens stopped coming, the bank eventually foreclosed on the farm. The young man has since found work out of state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about $15,000 every two months,â&#x20AC;? Henry said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work for nobody else for a job and pay that kind of note, unless youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a law degree or something.â&#x20AC;? Asked about the tournament pay system, Henry says poultry companies often sell prospective growers on the idea that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always receive â&#x20AC;&#x153;top payâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at the top of the tournament every batch. He hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been disappointed in the living heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made as a chicken grower, he said, because he figured on making aver-

age pay from the start. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to be on the bottom,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care how hard you try or what kind of birds you get. And a lot depends on the kind of birds you get. Chicken companies donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to hear that, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facts.â&#x20AC;? Asked how much he is able to profit from a single batch of chickens, Henry said there are a lot of factors that come into play when it comes to answering that question. To prove his point, he held up a 10-inch tractor fuel line heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d picked up that morning from the parts store; just shy of $75, he said, but vital to keeping the farm going. For want of a nail, and all that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the things that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really understand [about chicken growing] is how much it costs and how much youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to spend,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Keeping up tractors, keeping up generators, keeping up all the equipment.â&#x20AC;? In order to clean out the chicken houses after each batch requires a $30,000 machine and a $50,000 tractor to pull it, he said, plus chains, tractor draw bars, tires, diesel fuel, oil, filters and everything else. In the summertime, keeping the houses cool requires a series of â&#x20AC;&#x153;cool cellsâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; foot-wide cardboard honeycombs kept constantly moist, which cool the air entering the houses by as much as 20 degrees. Each cool cell lasts for two to three years and costs $20. Each house requires 120 of them. Have an extended cold snap in the winter, Henry said, and he might wind up burning twice as much propane growing one batch of birds as he might another. Lightning strikes. Disease. A bad batch of chicks from the get-go. All just one of the hundreds of ways Mother Nature can tap dance on his bottom line. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have paid $1,000 a batch for [heating] fuel,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and I have paid $6,000 a batch for fuel, depending on how cold it is when you get those birds.â&#x20AC;? Asked about some growersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reports â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as seen in the documentary short â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Sharecroppers,â&#x20AC;? which formed the core of a segment on contact chicken farming last year on HBOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last Week Tonight With John Oliverâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that those growers who spoke out against poultry companies were retaliated against by being purposely given bad chicks, Henry said that there is a large percentage of growers who genuinely hate the chicken business and love to gripe about it. He said that while getting a batch of bad chicks is a reality of life as a grower, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible for a company to purposely select a batch of substandard chicks to send to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;problemâ&#x20AC;? grower.

truck full of new chicks rolled through the gates [O]n Feb. 26, [2009] these earlier this year for the first time since the clohouses of mine were worth a sure of the Pilgrim’s half million dollars, no problem. Pride plant, James said, Two days later, they were worth it felt like Christmas. James said that the nothing. Zero. You couldn’t give tournament pay system, them away. even though it allows top growers to make more than those at the bottom, effectively allows the chicken “I basically don’t see how they could do it,” he said. “It would be extremely company’s labor costs to be fixed. “They hard for them to pick out bad chicks and know exactly how much their costs are send them to me. … I don’t think they going to be,” he said. “Whereas in the could do it. It would be more trouble wintertime, if I get a cold snap and it than it would be worth for them.” stays cold for three or four weeks, and we have to burn extra gas like we have James (not his real name) is another contract chicken grower from South this time, we just have to budget that in. Arkansas. Unlike Henry, whose houses Their costs are fixed to a certain extent. were paid off by the time the processCorn fluctuates, diesel and things like ing plant closed, James still owed sevthat. But they know what they’re going eral years on his note when Pilgrim’s to pay us for a bird.” shut down. He’d never been behind Like Henry, James questioned on a bill in his life, he said, but when a whether the chicken companies could bill that big comes in the mail and you or would actually retaliate against a have no way to pay it, there’s not much grower. “Whatever chicken company it you can do. is, they’re not going to try to put out bad “I restructured,” James said. “Made birds,” he said. “They’re going to try to put out the best bird they can, because [the payment period] longer. I didn’t lack but about five years, but I turned it they’re in this deal to make money. And into about 25 years so I could pay it out. they can’t make money if all the growers ain’t doing the best that they can.” When you finance one of these things, While James said he knows there’s they want everything put up against it. So everything I had, a lot of it paid for; the possibility that the rug could be pulled out from under them again — if I didn’t pay for these houses, they got he’s particularly scared, he said, of everything I had.” His wife got an office job in El Dorado, and he found work in avian influenza, which can result in the the oil fields. They kept paying for their USDA quarantining a farm for up to empty chicken houses, hung on and eight months — he doesn’t regret going hoped for something better. When a into the chicken business, and said he

would do it again, even if he knew there would be a five-year drought. “I’d do it again,” he said. “No question. If you told me I had five years — you wouldn’t tell nobody that — but I’d go right back and do the same thing. Even with the five years. It made me a lot stronger person than I was before. I can make it through just about anything now. I guarantee you.” Ted (not his real name) was another who stuck with it, refinancing his debt to a much longer term and getting a job elsewhere in order to keep his houses and the possibility of getting back into chicken growing. In the intervening years, he said, he lay awake many nights and tried to think of anything he could do with a chicken house besides grow chickens in it, including raising goats, tilapia or mushrooms. He soon came to realize what a lot of growers did. Without chicks to put in it, a chicken house is only good for keeping a farmer out of the rain. “It was a roller coaster ride,” he said. “We’d get a little bit of hope, just reaching out for anything. Just when you’d think you were gonna get back in, there it would go, and you’d have no hope. ... You don’t want to throw in the towel. But it’s up and down, up and down.” Even so, Ted said he’s not the one to talk to if you want to hear negativity about chicken growing. There’s freedom to work his own hours, he said, and that’s what he likes. Still, the possibility that he might be without chickens in his houses again is always on his mind. “It ain’t like I’m 18 years old and I can move back in with mom and dad,” he said. “You’ve got your bills established,

and one day you’re working and the next day you’re not.” *** Sally Lee is the program director for contract agriculture reform with RAFI, the Rural Advancement Foundation International, a North Carolina-based nonprofit that works with and advocates for small farmers. Lee, who often works with contract chicken farmers, said she has heard from those who said they’ve been retaliated against by poultry companies for speaking out against their contracts or tournament pay. “We hear about it from farmers here and there as they come to us, but some have also taken their cases to court,” she said. “For a farmer to take their case to court, they have to have the money to retain a lawyer or they have to have a pro-bono lawyer. Then they’re going up against a massive institution with fivestar lawyers, and it doesn’t usually end well. I can say that.” A lot of chicken growers, Lee said, have told RAFI personnel that for the first four or five years growing chickens, things go fine. “But then those points of risk that aren’t illuminated at the moment of signing and the contract starts to come into play, like the fact that you have to make very expensive upgrades to your houses in order to keep your contract, or the fact that the company can change suddenly the size of the bird or the number of birds they provide to you. If they get a bad deal with a feed provider, that’s actually coming out of your pay in the end, because that has an impact on your feed/cost ratio. These

SPRING 2016 Creative Non-fiction Writing for Veterans Class

SURVEY: SPACE AND FORM

The free class is designed to provide a creative community for veterans and their spouses who are interested in writing about personal experiences stemming from military services.

New works by Arkansas artists Sheila Cotton, Winston Taylor and LaDawna Whiteside.

The six week class will meet on Thursdays from 6 -7:30 p.m. at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History: 503 E. 9th St, LR, 72202, beginning on April 7, 2016.

Opening Reception Saturday, March 19 6 to 9 pm

Sheila Cotton / Antique Shop / 36”x 60” oil on canvas

JOIN THE HERD! LET US HELP YOU MAKE YOUR HOBBY MORE FUN!

Through April 9

• Beer, wine, cider and mead making supplies • Cheese making supplies • Pickling supplies • Hydroponic, indoor, organic and aquaponic gardening supplies • New and used items

BOSWELL MOUROT FI N E A RT 501.664.0030 boswellmourot.com

To register for the class, please email Dr. Rachel Miller rmmiler@littlerock.org or call 501.376.4602.

LaDawna Whiteside Formation – River Basin 48” x 36” acrylic on canvas

Winston Taylor / Raku

501-725-5296 • Fax: 501-725-5298 • www.thewaterbuffalo.com 106 S Rodney Parham Rd., Little Rock, AR 72205 www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

BRIAN CHILSON

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

things start to happen after a few years, then the American Dream scenario that the farmers bought into doesn’t actually pan out.” Of tournament pay, Lee said that while it’s often spoken of as an incentive system, “there have been some interesting studies that have definitely shown that this is a cost-controlling mechanism [for] the companies. They’re essentially using the same-sized pie each time for the farmers to compete within. … It displaces the variability in the cost of labor onto the farmers. The company knows exactly how much they’re going to pay out each flock.” While the costs for the poultry companies are fixed, Lee said, the costs for the chicken growers are often so fluid that it makes it almost impossible for them to determine how much they’ll make batch to batch. The cost of heating fuel like propane, she said, is a prime example. “It used to be that most poultry companies would include a fuel subsidy or a per-pound or per-month increase in pay for fuel,” she said. “Now we’re increasingly seeing the contracts drop that completely, or go to something that’s specifically [a fuel subsidy] per pound, which ties them to where they come out in the tournament, which is essentially not fair. That is, again, displacing the risk of fluctuating fuel prices onto the farmer, and thus increasing the controlled cost mechanism through tournament.” Part of what has worked against efforts to reform contract agriculture, Lee said, is the millions of dollars poured into lobbying for chicken producers, and a climate of fear, with chicken growers afraid to come forward and talk about their experiences. “There has been a culture created in the industry which is very destructive, a culture of retaliation. … Currently we don’t have legislation that says it’s illegal for a company to retaliate against a farmer. It’s incredibly difficult for a farmer to prove [retaliation] or to even take the company to court. So we have this culture of retaliation that farmers are reporting to us, and that makes it very difficult to bring the farmers together to help them help themselves in improving their situations.” Marvin Childers is the president and chief lobbyist for the Poultry Federation, an organization that promotes the poultry industry in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Childers said that poultry companies will often step in to help growers if they run into an unforeseen expense. For example, he said,

companies make a supplemental payment to growers for fuel when there’s a cost spike or an extended cold period. “When [the price of] propane spiked a couple years ago, that was a significant expense to the growers,” he said. “So when propane spiked, every company that I know of that operates in Arkansas, Oklahoma or Missouri, picked up a portion of that spike.” While Childers said the shutdown of the Pilgrim’s Pride plant was “a disaster,” the situation was unique. Poultry companies, he said, have no reason to “set a grower up to fail.” He said he doesn’t believe that a poultry integrator would retaliate against a grower, including for speaking to the press or criticizing the company. “If a grower is not producing the best quality bird, then who stands to lose the most is the integrator,” he said. “Take, for example, any customer of a poultry company. … Whether it’s fast food or fine dining, the requirements to the company are specs. That meat has to meet those specs. So for a company to retaliate or to provide — and I’m not even sure how you’d determine how they were quote ‘bad chicks’ — they’re the one who is going to lose the most if the poultry company can’t meet the specs when those birds come to the poultry plant. They’ve got nothing to sell to their customer. It just defies logic to me.” Speaking of the tournament pay, Childers said that though the system has been around for years, over the last few years some poultry integrators have experimented with alternative pay methods with fixed prices and no competition with other growers. “Ninety percent of the growers who tried the new system, in less than a year, went back to the tournament system,” he said. Meanwhile, in South Arkansas, Ted is back growing chickens, but still worries about maybes. The youngest of the growers we spoke to, he said he learned quite a bit in the lean years, including the need for a backup plan. Just how to get far enough ahead to pay for that backup plan, however, is proving elusive. “It’s always in the back of your mind, that that can happen,” he said. “You look at things a lot different. But yeah, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say I never thought about it. … You know you can get everything ripped out from under you. I don’t have a college degree. And it ain’t the easiest thing in the world to go out and get a job that makes decent money, especially when you got a family.”

DOGS OF WAR THE FIGHT BACK HOME A Film by Kristen Kiraly

FREE DOCUMENTARY

MOVIES AT MAC ARTHUR MAR. 16, 6:30-8:30 P.M.

503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock 501-376-4602 • ArkMilitaryHeritage.com

AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

Train For A New Career In Less Than A Year! Arkansas College of Barbering & Hair Design is one of the leading accredited Barber/Hair Stylist schools in the area. Our school has flexible schedules that allow students to graduate in as little as 9 months.

Classes Start Weekly Call Today! 1-844-316-hair Central Arkansas UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY.

WORK OUT WITH AN EXPERT Kathleen Rea specializes in helping men and women realize their physical potential, especially when injuries or just the aches and pains of middle age and more discourage a good work out. With a PH.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Kathleen understands how your body works and how to apply the right exercise and weight training to keep you fit and injury free. Workout in the privacy of a small, well equipped gym conveniently located in Argenta with one of the state’s best private trainers. For more information call Kathleen at 501-324-1414.

REGENERATION FITNESS KATHLEEN L. REA, PH.D.

(501) 324-1414 117 East Broadway, North Little Rock www.regenerationfitnessar.com Email: regfit@att.net www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

Arts Entertainment AND

o McDougall, born and raised near DeWitt and now based in Little Rock, has published six acclaimed poetry collections, many of them navigating the milieus of the Arkansas Delta. Her work has appeared in the Kenyon Review, the Hudson Review and the Georgia Review, and she’s the recipient of a Porter Prize. Her work has been adapted into short films, stage presentations and song cycles, and she is also the author of a memoir, “Daddy’s Money: A Memoir of Farm and Family.” Her new collection, “The Undiscovered Room,” ranges from meditations on loss (personal and regional) to prismatic meditations on artists like Flannery O’Connor and Lucinda Williams.

Those flimmering creatures on the screen are dead, the town at this hour is dead, the vapor of that river rises to touch my feet. Now the early morning train clangoring through Arkadelphia I stumble toward my coat and my valise. I must be gone before the Germans, the closed borders, the informant sun. O Ingrid, Humphrey, Sydney, Paul, shadows on the banks of my life, I point the remote and exile you all

ALONE AT FLANNERY O’CONNOR’S GRAVE ON A NIGHT IN APRIL, A WOMAN HEARS A VOICE

I had heard of Hemingway’s time in Piggott, Arkansas — a studio in a barn, a famous manuscript. Now, invited to these grounds, I enter the studio. November niggles the grass, the trees as Hemingway stands at his typewriter, his back to me, papers scattered like lilies across a pond. As he walks toward a wall where the heads of animals have come to die again, one, an impala, finds the rest of its body and slips it on, kicking the studio into a maelstrom of dust that moves like a gasp to slather Piggott, erasing the town square and the last evening train.

You there — stand back. If the wind’s right, I probably smell, even after all these years. Don’t give me that simpering look. You think I made my single bed and every day sat down to those mad voices in my head so you could come around and gawk? Go away. And take that maudlin moonlight with you. Those whippoorwills, too, sing-sawing like blind men on their way to the john. These coins on my grave — somebody figures how I’m running out of money here? Get them out of my sight. And one more thing — I’m not hankering to see you, but if you do come back, bring a sign for the foot of my grave: “Spitting Permitted.” Make sure you get the spelling right. HER HUSBAND AWAY ON A BUSINESS TRIP, SHE TAKES THE OLD PONTIAC IN FOR REPAIRS The young service manager comes round to explain, as if someone were dying, what will have to be done. “It’s more,” he says, “than we thought.” 20

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

THE STUDIO

Six poems by Jo McDougall Excerpted from her new collection, ‘The Undiscovered Room.’ I want to tell him it’s all right, I’ve heard worse; we’re all orphans here. Live long enough, you might as well be a spider in a corner of the basement, year in, year out, marvelously disguised. But I like this young man trying to help me understand that the car is on its last breath. “Another hour or so, Ma’am,” he says. “I’m sorry for the wait.” It’s all right; I’ll be home soon, perhaps to find you unpacking, the cat murmuring to himself like a contented chicken, the radio waffling through its noise, the replenished Pontiac exhaling slowly in the drive.

AT THE WORKING-CLASS HERO, LUCINDA WILLIAMS GETS HER START The cafe’s screen door slammed after each customer and every dog in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her props: cigarette smoke and a beat-up guitar. Seventeen — eighteen, maybe — she wandered among us, her voice fetching and uneasy, singing for dollars and nickels as I passed the hat. In that camouflage of grease and smoke, we waited for our futures — safe, we thought, the screen door between us and the trolling dark. WATCHING ‘CASABLANCA’ IN ARKADELPHIA, ARKANSAS It’s 3 a.m. Fog permeates Casablanca as fog floats above the Ouachita, the river this town lies ragtag along.

The next morning, I ask around. No one has noticed an impala on the loose or extra dust. Folks ply the square idly and complain of the train last night splitting their sleep as usual, the lunch special at Donna’s, the threat of rain. I make my way to the studio. The windows are there, the door, the roof. An old lion in a stutter of sun, it sits glinting and implacable.

ROCK CANDY

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

A&E NEWS PAUL MCCARTNEY IS COMING to Verizon Arena on Saturday, April 30. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. March 14 via Ticketmaster. American Express cardholders can purchase tickets early — from 10 a.m. March 10 until 10 p.m. March 13. In case this isn’t obvious, this is going to sell out quickly, y’all. FORT SMITH NATIVE BRAD NEELY, the creator of Adult Swim “China, IL,” and the web series “The Professor Brothers” and “Baby Cakes,” has a new animated show coming this summer on Adult Swim, which shares channel space with Cartoon Network. It’s called “Brad Neely’s Harg Nailin Sclopio Peepio” and is being billed as sketch comedy and songs. See a Donald Trump-themed promo on Rock Candy.

LENNY, THE NEWSLETTER and website from Lena Dunham and others, recently interviewed Judsonia native Beth Ditto about her new Beth Ditto clothing line for plus-size women and her music. Ditto says she’s prepping for a new solo record. It also sounded like Gossip, the band she and Searcy native Nathan Howdeshell (as Brace Paine) founded in 1999, is over. Said Ditto: “I’m turning 35 now. I turned 19 being in Gossip. It was like marriage. It was the longest relationship of my life. It was the longest job I’d ever had. It was the longest period of partnership of anything at the time. It’s like being a mom, like you’ve already had seven kids or whatever, those are your albums, you know? You already made these babies and they’re grown and now they’re out of the house. Now you tend to go on and do something else. I’ve been doing that. It’s not necessarily like “after fashion” or “before makeup.” It’s not like that. All that stuff has been in my life anyway. It’s more ending the relationship with the band and starting over has been the hardest thing to do.”

ROCKEFELLER DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES

“The Art of Leadership: Lessons from the American Presidency” Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham

Tuesday, April 5

4:30 p.m. Lecture and Q&A 6 p.m. Reception and book signing

RSVP: 501.569.8803 UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

Thinking big picture starts right here. With smarter solutions for your growing business.

» Business Lending » Merchant Services

» Remote Deposit Scanners » Payroll Management

Rhnk [nlbg^ll bl ngbjn^ Zg] lh Zk^ bml g^^]l' MaZm l par p^ provide financial tools and solutions that make it easier to manage your day-to-day and give you the flexibility you need to reach your goals.

Let’s get started today! Federally insured by NCUA

Call 501-457-0250 or visit AFCU.org/business to learn more!

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY DAVID KOON, LINDSEY MILLAR, LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK AND WILL STEPHENSO

FRIDAY 3/11

SECOND FRIDAY ART NIGHT

MTCC AFTER DARK: DELITA MARTIN

There’s a lot going on for the March edition of the monthly gallery stroll and troll (via rubber-wheeled trolley), most historically at the Historic Arkansas Museum, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary with the opening of “Diamond in the Rough: 75 years of the Historic Arkansas Museum,” works from the permanent collection. The Delta Brass Combo will toot HAM’s horn and a vintage mid-century cocktail, Millionaire No. 1, will be served. The Old State House celebrates an anniversary as well: The 800th of the Magna Carta, an exhibit from the Library of Congress sponsored by the Arkansas Bar Association; the museum will also have music, by Erin Enderlin, and refreshments. Arkansas Capital Corp.’s gallery opens “Complete Spaces,” panoramic paintings by Matthew Lopas, and the Butler Center opens two shows: “Twists and Strands: Exploring the Edges,” ceramics by Barbara Satterfield and jewelry by Michele Fox, and “Jeanfo: We Belong to Nature,” sculpture by the former Hot Springs artist. Lark in the Morning will perform at the Butler Center, which also features ongoing exhibits “Painting 360: A Look at Contemporary Panoramic Painting,” curated by Lopas, and “Photographic Arts: African American Studio Photography.” Gallery 221 & Art Studios 221 features “80/20,” a retrospective of work by George Chlebak, work by Salvador Dali in the Collector’s Gallery, and works by gallery artists. Rock Region Metro’s rubber-wheeled trolley will ferry folks from gallery to gallery. LNP

Delita Martin, whose exhibit “I Walked on Water to My Homeland” is on view

5 p.m.-8 p.m. Galleries downtown. Free.

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

6 p.m. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Free.

at the Mosaic Templars, will talk about her work in this new evening series at the museum. The Little Rock artist combines printmaking with stitched fabric and other media to make larger-than-life narrative portraits of African-American women; she was one of just a handful of Arkansas artists

selected to show work in Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s contemporary show “State of the Art: Discovering American Art.” The exhibition runs through March 26. The MTCC After Dark series will feature persons working in all forms of art, from poetry to music to film. LNP

name it, movies about science gone wrong inevitably have the same basic plot: “Don’t dick around in God’s sandbox, mortal!” Stir a heaping gruel ladle of director David Cronenberg’s trademark body horror (and an R-rating) into that basic bouillon, and you wind up with the 1986 sci-fi instaclassic “The Fly.” Jeff Goldblum (at his Goldblumiest) stars as Seth Brundle, a brilliant scientist who achieves the dream of anyone who

has ever flown coach: linked pods that can instantly teleport animal, vegetable or mineral across space. After a common housefly gets in the chamber during a test, however, Brundle’s DNA gets a little wonky, and he soon finds himself transforming into something a lot more interesting than the douchiest guy in “Jurassic Park,” with plenty of gross shit ensuing. Like the woman said: Be afraid. Be very afraid. DK

SATURDAY 3/12

‘THE FLY’

7 p.m. Ron Robinson Theater. $5

Tales of scientific overreach and mortal hubris are as old as the story of Icarus and Daedalus: Man creates wings for a noble purpose! Wings get misused for selfish ends! The selfish misuser dies, horribly. The end. “Frankenstein,” “Blade Runner,” “The Matrix,” “The Terminator,” you

SATURDAY 3/12

NICK LOWE AND MAVIS STAPLES

8 p.m. Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. $33-$53.

STILL COOL: Nick Lowe shares a bill with Mavis Staples at Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center on Saturday.

Nick Lowe’s debut solo album had two perfect names: “Jesus of Cool” and, because his U.S. distributor didn’t think that such blasphemy would fly stateside, “Pure Pop for Now People.” Both were apt. A veteran of the boy-band turned seminal pub-rock group Brinsley Schwarz, Lowe became the flagship artist and in-house producer for Stiff Records in the late ’70s, producing The Damned’s “New Rose” (perhaps the first British punk record; The Damned called Lowe “granddad” during the recording; he was 26) and Elvis Costello’s debut, “My Aim Is True.” Lowe’s own debut was sardonic and playful and weird and deeply infectious. It’s filled with jokes that are easy to miss because the music is so damned tuneful — I listened to “Marie Provost,” a song inspired by Kenneth Anger’s apocryphal story about the grisly fate of an early silent film actress, about 1,000 times before I realized the hook was “She was a winner/Who became a doggie’s dinner.” Later, Lowe married Carlene Carter (and became son-in-law to June Carter and Johnny Cash), played in the great cult pop-rock band Rockpile, divorced Carlene Carter, got stuck on alcohol, and licensed his song “What’s So Funny ’Bout Peace, Love And Understanding” to be covered on the soundtrack to “The Bodyguard.” It sold a kajillion copies, and with his sizable royalties, Lowe staged a late-career resurgence with a series of well-received albums from the label Yep Roc. He’s less of a prankster these days, but he still knows his way around a hook. Mavis Staples is one of the greatest Stax-era soul singers ever. My wife saw her when she was at Pulaski Tech and said, even at 76, her voice was still strong. Look for her and Lowe to share the stage on at least one number. LM

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

PHENSON

SATURDAY 3/12

‘THE CARAVAN’

6-9 p.m. Audubon Arkansas. $25.

Hearts & Hooves Therapeutic Riding Center in Sherwood, where children and adults with disabilities gain physically, emotionally and cognitively thanks to horse-related activities, is hosting the documentary “The Caravan” at Audubon Arkansas, 4500

Springer Blvd., as a fundraiser. The documentary is about a group led by Michael Muir, great-grandson of naturalist John Muir and a sufferer from multiple sclerosis, that journeys on horseback and by horse-drawn carriage across the United States. The trip is a challenge to its participants, a reviewer said, “to take chances, look

ahead, live life to the fullest. … Hard roads, worn horseshoes, traffic, personality conflicts, weather, make the audience wonder if they will succeed past the first week.” The film won best of festival at the 2015 Equus Film Festival in New York. There will also be a silent auction; all proceeds will go toward facility repairs. LNP

The Fairfield Four, a Nashvillebased a capella gospel group that’s been around in various incarnations for more than 90 years, comes to South on Main, 8 p.m., $20-$30. The White Water Tavern hosts a benefit for Planned Parenthood, featuring music by Heels and comedy by Dave Heti, Kristofer Pierce, Will Ehrle and more, 9 p.m., donations. Honky-tonk kings The Salty Dogs are at The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $10. Singer/songwriter Howie Day comes to Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $12 adv., $15 d.o.s. Anne Ream, the founder and creative director of The Voices and Faces Project, will talk about how important messaging and marketing are to social justice movements, Clinton School of Public Service’s Sturgis Hall, 5 p.m., reservations encouraged.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11

ORSON WELLES: Directed and starred in “Touch of Evil,” the latest in our monthly film series at Riverdale on Tuesday.

TUESDAY 3/15

‘TOUCH OF EVIL’

7 p.m. Riverdale 10 Cinema. $7.50.

The Arkansas Times Film Series returns Tuesday with a screening of Orson Welles’ 1958 film noir classic “Touch of Evil” at Riverdale 10 Cinema on Cantrell. Starring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich and Welles himself, the film is a fast-paced and suspenseful thriller set on the Mexican border, and is one of Welles’ best

and most beloved late-career achievements. It has been called “the apotheosis of pulp” by the New Yorker’s Anthony Lane, and it claims one of the all-time great opening sequences in the history of film, a bravura tracking shot following a car with a bomb in its trunk (unbeknownst to its drivers) — a shot that’s been consciously imitated by directors from Martin Scorsese to Paul Thomas Anderson. If nothing else, the film definitively puts to rest the lame nar-

rative that Welles’ career peaked with “Citizen Kane.” Like “Chimes at Midnight,” “F for Fake” and others, “Touch of Evil” proves that far from losing his touch, Welles only matured as a filmmaker as he aged. “Expressionistic in the extreme, filled with shadows, angles and cinematic flourishes,” wrote the Los Angeles Times, “the film raises the usual brooding nightmare ambiance of film noir to a level few other pictures have attempted.” WS

Interstate 30 and further alienate the east side of downtown, the Clinton School presents Alana Semuels, who will talk about the devastating impact of elevated I-81 in downtown Syracuse that she called attention to in an article in The Atlantic. Interstate 81 is of the same vintage as I-30 and, also like I-30,

highway builders blew away a neighborhood to build it, thinking the neighborhood was of no consequence. Now, Syracuse’s City Council and the New York Transportation Commissioner are thinking of I-81 with a boulevard. The AHTD has rejected such a plan here. LNP

WEDNESDAY 3/16

‘HOW TO DECIMATE A CITY’

6 p.m. Sturgis Hall, Clinton School for Public Service. Free.

As Little Rock prepares to bow to the will of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to widen

Longtime White Water favorite Patrick Sweany plays the tavern en route to SXSW, 10 p.m., $10. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” vet Trixie Mattel comes to Club Sway for Club Camp, 9 p.m., $20-$45. Eureka Springs-based acoustic jam band Mountain Sprout plays Maxine’s in Hot Springs with Shivering Timbers, 9 p.m., $10. Arkansas party band The Big Damn Horns returns to Revolution, 9 p.m., $7. At Afterthought, jam band The Whole Famn Damily of Conway plays with The Matchsellers, 9 p.m., $7. Texas alt-country act Mickey & The Motorcars comes to Stickyz, 9 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. “Little Rock and a Hard Place,” an original production from The Main Thing, continues at The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. So, too, does “Schoolhouse Rock” at the Arkansas Arts Center, 7 p.m., $12.50, with performances at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, too. The Ron Robinson Theater screens the Ridley Scott classic “Alien,” 7 p.m., $5. Rwake’s Jeff Morgan performs as Madman Morgan at Vino’s with Crankbait and Murkryth, 8 p.m., $6.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12 Memphis’ Blac Youngsta, of “Heavy” fame, comes to Power Ultra Lounge, 9:30 p.m., $25. Ryan Koenig, of Pokey LaFarge’s band, returns to South on Main with Jack Grelle, 10 p.m., $10. Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase finalist Sean Fresh & The Nasty Fresh Crew share the stage at White Water with last year’s Showcase winner, Ghost Bones, 9 p.m. This year’s winner, The Uh Huhs, shares a bill at Stickyz with Swampbird, Dylan Earl & The PostCountry Westerns and Kacy & Clayton, 9 p.m., $7. MacArthur genius grant-winning violinist Regina Carter plays Christ Episcopal Church, 7:30 p.m., $25. www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

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.

$5-$10. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-217-5113. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

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 501-2449690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. LGBTQ/ SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. “PostSecret: The Show.” Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, 7:30 p.m., $10. 350 S. Donaghey, Conway. Trixie Mattel at Club Camp. She’s the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 7 fan favorite. Sway, 9 p.m., $20-$45. 412 Louisiana.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

MUSIC

Ace’s Wild (headliner), Smokey (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. AMFMS. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. The Fairfield Four. South on Main, 8 p.m., $20$30. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain. com. Howie Day. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 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. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Open Jam. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. The Salty Dogs. The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $10. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com/.

COMEDY

Dave Landau. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $8. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www. loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

#ArkiePubTrivia. Stone’s Throw Brewing, 6:30 p.m. 402 E. 9th St. 501-244-9154.

LECTURES

Anne Ream, “Marketing the Movement.” A talk by the founder and creative director of The Voices and Faces Project Sturgis Hall, 5 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu. Blake Wintory, “The Life of Edward Allen Fulton.” Old State House Museum, noon, free. 300 W. Markham St. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse.com.

SPORTS

Horse racing. Oaklawn Park, 1:30 p.m. post time, $2.50-$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501623-4411. www.oaklawn.com.

BENEFITS

Comedy & Music for Planned Parenthood. With live music by Heels and comedy by Dave Heti, Kristofer Pierce, Will Ehrle and more. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-37524

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

FILM

“Alien.” Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ ron-robinson-theater.aspx.

LECTURES

LITTLE RED RAPUNZEL, ETC.: The Stephen Sondheim musical fairy-tale melange “Into the Woods,” which explores the consequences of fulfilled wishes, opens Friday, March 11, at the Studio Theatre, 320 W. Seventh St. A gala reception will follow the 7 p.m. performance. The show will run March 12-13, March 17-20 and March 24-26; curtain is at 7 p.m. except for the 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. Rafael Castanera directs and Bob Bidewall is musical director. Tickets are $20 (seniors, students and military) and $25. 8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Envy. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. The Big Dam Horns. Revolution, 9 p.m., $7. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Madman Morgan, Crankbait, Murkryth. Vino’s, $6. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Mickey & The Motorcars. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz. com. Mountain Sprout, Shivering Timbers. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $10. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www. maxinespub.com. Patrick Sweany. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $10. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway.

MTCC After Dark: Delita Martin. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 6 p.m. 501 W. 9th St. 501-683-3593. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com. Anne Ream, “New Rules for Radicals: How Storytellers, Opinion Shapers and Subversives Are Changing the Movement to End Genderbased Violence.” A talk by the founder and creative director of The Voices and Faces Project. Sturgis Hall, noon. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Shannon Boshears (headliner), Richie Johnson (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com. Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W. Capitol Ave. Whole Famn Damily, The Matchsellers. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

“Schoolhouse Rock.” Arkansas Arts Center, through March 20: 7 p.m., $12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

COMEDY

SATURDAY, MARCH 12

Dave Landau. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com. “Little Rock and a Hard Place.” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.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. Salsa Dancing. Clear Channel Metroplex, 9 p.m.,

TUESDAY WINE DAY

15% OFF

Excluding wines already on sale!

2516 Cantrell Road Riverdale Shopping Center

366-4406

SPORTS

Horse racing. Oaklawn Park, 1:30 p.m. post time, $2.50-$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501623-4411. www.oaklawn.com.

KIDS

MUSIC

Blac Youngsta. Power Ultra Lounge, 9:30 p.m., $25. 220 W 6th St. 501-374-5100. Canopy Climbers. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $8. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www. rumbarevolution.com/new. Cosmotion. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Elephant Stone, John McAteer and the Gentlemen Firesnakes. Vino’s, $6. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Go!Zilla, The Roaring 420s. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $7. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Jack Grelle and Ryan Koenig. South on Main, 10 p.m., $10. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Just Sayin (headliner), Greg Madden (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.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,

COMEDY

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.

FILM

“The Fly” (1986). Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib. ar.us/ron-robinson-theater.aspx. “Little Monsters.” Ron Robinson Theater, 2 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib. ar.us/ron-robinson-theater.aspx.

SPORTS

Horse racing. Oaklawn Park, 1 p.m. post time, $2.50-$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411. www.oaklawn.com.

KIDS

“Schoolhouse Rock.” Arkansas Arts Center, 2 p.m., $12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www. arkarts.com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 13

MUSIC

Andy Frasco & The UN, Goodfoot. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 7:30 p.m., $10. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Danú’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. Walton Arts Center, 4 p.m., $10. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600.

QC:

Live: 1.875" x 5.25"

SPORTS

Brand: Bud Not Ponies Item #: PBW20167305

Horse racing. Oaklawn Park, 1:30 p.m. post time, $2.50-$4.50. 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501623-4411. www.oaklawn.com.

KIDS

“Schoolhouse Rock.” Arkansas Arts Center, 2 p.m., $12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501-372-4000. www. arkarts.com.

CD: AD: PO:

Job/Order #: 279609 QC: cs

PM:

AM:

Closing Date: 3/18/16

EVENTS

Artists for Recovery. Located in the Wesley Room, a secular recovery group for people with addictions, open to the public. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana.

Pub: Arkansas Times

Trim: 2.125" x 5.5" Bleed: none

CW:

Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Sharkmuffin, Guerilla Toss, Bombay Harambee. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

MUST INITIAL FOR APPROVAL

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. K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Mavis Staples and Nick Lowe. Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $33-$53. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. 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. Regina Carter. A performance by the MacArthur genius grant-winning jazz violinist. Christ Episcopal Church, 7:30 p.m., $25. 509 Scott St. 501-375-2342. Sean Fresh & The Nasty Fresh Crew, Ghost Bones. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Swampbird, The Uh Huhs, Dylan Earl & The Post-Country Westerns, Kacy & Clayton. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $7. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www. stickyz.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com/.

MONDAY, MARCH 14

MUSIC

Black Crown Initiate, Black Fast, Abandon the Artifice. Vino’s, $8. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Monday Night Jazz. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

TUESDAY, MARCH 15

MUSIC

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. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Music Jam. Hosted by Elliott Griffen and Joseph Fuller. The Joint, 8-11 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. The Speedbumps. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Toranavox, Mean Ends, Atta Girl. Vino’s, $5. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.after-

NOW TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS Every Day KRAKEN RUM $30.99 CROWN ROYAL $24.99 AVION SILVER $43.99 GLENFARCLAS 12 YEAR OLD $50.99 WOODBRIDGE WHITE ZINFANDEL, MOSCATO $9.99 KORBEL BRUT, EXTRA DRY $13.99

LITTLE ROCK • NORTH LITTLE ROCK

Every Day SALE! 1.75ML 1800 ULTIMATE RTD ALL FLV $19.99 $16.99 750ML SMIRNOFF SOURCED FLAVOR $12.99 $10.99 6PK CONEY ISLAND ALC ALL $10.49 $8.99 JOIN US WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY TASTING SMIRNOFF SOURCED FLAVOR AND COPA DI VINO WINE. WEDNESDAY IS WINE DAY 15% OFF • WINE CASE DISCOUNTS EVERY DAY • WE GLADLY MATCH ANY LOCAL ADS HURRY IN! THIS SALE EXPIRES MARCH 16, 2016

175ML 750ML 750ML 750ML 1.5ML 750ML

SALE! $23.99 $22.99 $34.99 $45.99 $8.99 $10.99

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

GROW grow LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

AFTER DARK, CONT. thoughtbistroandbar.com.

COMEDY

k n i r D , t ! a E y r a r & Be Lite

Pub ! h s i r Pe

It’s

with:

Poetry, fiction and memoir readings, live in the big room at Stickyz Rock-N-Roll Chicken Shack.

Sharon Gariepy Frye, R.J. Looney, Ayara Stien Silva Zanoyan M , erjanian, Michael Clay, Donnie Lamon and more!

Hosted by: Little Rock Poet Justin Booth!

Saturday, April 16 7-9 pm

EVENTS

Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock.

LECTURES

Dan MacCombie. A talk by the co-founder of RUNA Tea. Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys. edu.

BOOKS

Poetry reading by Terry Wright and Marck L. Beggs. Wright is the author of seven poetry books and chapbooks, including “Fractal CutUps” and “Graphs.” Beggs is the author of four books of poetry, including “Blind Verse and “Catastrophic Chords.” UCA Downtown, 7:30 p.m., Free. 1105 W. Oak St., Conway.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Drageoke with Chi Chi Valdez. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 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. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Mark Currey. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 5:30 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

ÀStickyz AT

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

LECTURES

Alana Semuels, “How to Decimate a City.” Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Shack. Rock-N-Roll Chicken

ARTS

THEATER

“Into The Woods.” The Studio Theatre, through March 26: Thu.-Sat., 7 p.m.; Sun., March 13, 2 p.m., $20-$25. 320 W. 7th St.

arktimes.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT DAVID KOON AT DAVIDKOON@ARKTIMES.COM

Pub or Perish is a related event of the Arkansas Literary Festival.

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS ARKANSAS CAPITAL CORP., 200 River

Market Ave., Suite 400: “Complete Spaces,” paintings by Matthew Lopas, reception 5-8 p.m. March 11, 2nd Friday Art Night. www.arcapital.com. BOSWELL MOUROT FINE ART, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Survey: Space and Form,” new work by Sheila Cotton, Winston Taylor and LaDawna Whiteside, through April 9, reception 6-9 p.m. March 19. 664-0030. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Twists and Strands: Exploring the Edges,” ceramics by Barbara Satterfield and jewelry by Michele Fox; “Jeanfo: We Belong to Nature,” sculpture; “Painting 360: A Look at Contemporary Panoramic Painting,” Underground Gallery, through April 30; “Photographic Arts: African American Studio Photography,” from the Joshua and Mary Swift Collection, through March 26. Reception 5-8 p.m. March 11, 2nd Friday Art Night, with music by Lark in the Morning. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “Beyond the Photographs,” paintings by Daniel Coston, opening reception 6-8 p.m. March 11, show through May 7. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: Staff art in “A Thousand Words” gallery. Reception 5-8 p.m. March 11, 2nd Friday Art Night. 918-3093. DRAWL, 5208 Kavanaugh Blvd.: New work by Emily Galusha. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tue.Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 240-7446. GALLERY 221 & ART STUDIOS 221, Second and Center streets: “80/20,” retrospective of work by George Chlebak, through March 18; also Salvador Dali in the Collector’s Gallery and work by area artists. Reception 5-8 p.m. March 11, 2nd Friday Art Night. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 801-0211. GALLERY 360, 900 S. Rodney Parham: “Conception,” collage by Vaughn Mims, March 15-April 2. 663-2222. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Colored Porches: Views from Within a Cultural Icon,” work by Arkansas artist Rex DeLoney, through March 19, reception 3-6 p.m. March 12. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 372-6822. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM GALLERIES, 200 E. 3rd St.: “A Diamond in the Rough: 75 Years of the Historic Arkansas Museum,” works from the permanent collection, reception 5-8 p.m. March 11, 2nd Friday Art Night, with music by the Delta Brass Combo, living history performances and a vintage cocktail, Millionaire No. 1, popular during the museum’s founding in 1941; “Arkansas Contemporaries: Then, Now and Next,” work by Arkansas artists, through May 8; “Joe Barry Carroll: Growing Up … In Words and Images,” through April 17; “Maps of Arkansas,” through April 3; “Niloak Pottery Figurines,” through April 3. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. NEW DEAL STUDIOS AND GALLERY, 2001 Louisiana St.: “A Murder of Crows,” installation by V.L. Cox, closing reception 5-9 p.m. March 12. 680-0201. OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham: “Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy 1215-2015,” from the Library of Congress, March 11-25, reception 5-8 p.m. March 11, 2nd Friday Art Night, with refreshments and music by Erin Enderlin. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun.

324-9685. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK, 2801 S. University Ave.: Student competitive show, Gallery I, juror Katherine Strause, reception 12:15 p.m. March 17, show through April 19; scholarship exhibition, through March 19, Gallery III. Fine Arts Building. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-3182. FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM, 1601 Rogers Ave.: “Beverly Conley: Photographic Journeys,” March 13-June 26, closing reception June 24. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787.

7 P.M. TUESDAY, MARCH 15

$7. 5 0

RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA 2600 CANTRELL RD

HOT SPRINGS JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: Work by Donnie Copeland, Virmarie DePoyster, Robert Fogel, Robyn Horn, Gene Sparling and others. 501-321-2335.

CALL FOR ENTRIES Gallery 221, 221 W. 2nd St., is accepting entries for its upcoming exhibition “The Literary Muse,” artwork inspired by novels, poems, etc. Work should be submitted March 15-19; work will be on exhibit March 26-May 31. The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the Arkansas Humanities Council are sponsoring “Student Selects: A Young Filmmakers Showcase,” a contest for high school students. Winning films will be screened in May at the Ron Robinson Theater. Deadline is March 18. Find more information at www. aetn.org/studentselects. The Historic Arkansas Museum will hold a log cabin repair and restoration workshop March 14-18 with Joseph Gallagher of the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies. Tuition is $985. Register online at www.campbellcenter. org, at the course list link. Drawl Southern Contemporary Art and Oxford American magazine are seeking entries of art and literature for “The Gun Show,” a juried regional competition and exhibition of work about the roles that guns play in Southern life to run May 20 to June 17. Deadline is March 25. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Chad Alligood will be juror. To enter and for more information, go to www.drawlgallery. com/the-gun-show The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is seeking submissions for its “Creativity Arkansas” exhibition of work by African-American artists from Arkansas or with a connection to Arkansas. The theme of this year’s exhibition is “Treasured Memories: My Life, My Story.” Submission deadline is March 29; selected artists will be notified the week of April 10. For more information, call 683-3615. Gallery 360 is taking entries of miniature works for “Shrunken,” a group show scheduled for mid-April. Two-dimensional submissions should be no more than 50 square inches, small 3D sought as well. Further info at Facebook/360Gallery, or call 993-0012. Deadline is April 5. The Arkansas Arts Council is taking applications for artist fellowships to be awarded in poetry, music composition and painting. Deadline to apply is April 15. Artists must be 25 years old and a resident of Arkansas for a least one year to be eligible. Applications are available at www.arkansasarts.org. For more information, call the Arts Council at 501-324-9348 or email robinm@arkansasheritage.org.

501.296.9955 | RIVERDALE10.COM ELECTRIC RECLINER SEATS AND RESERVED SEATING

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

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’ SEVERAL BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS this week for The Clean Eatery, the grab-and-go meal service and food truck: First up is that The Clean Eatery has moved its food prep operation out of the kitchen at Stratton’s Market on Fourth Street to the former Damgoode Pies location in Trellis Square on Rodney Parham. Owner Ryan MerrittMcGehee says that while there will be no sit-down dining at the new space, the location will allow food order pickups, and the bigger kitchen will let the eatery continue to expand its grab-andgo prepared meal program, which he said has seen over 700 enrollments in the past six months. Under the basic meal plan from Clean Eatery, enrolled customers pay $125 for 15 meals from a constantly changing menu, with the option to add on family members at reduced rates. Also: Merritt-McGehee says the company will open five new locations by the summer, four in Central Arkansas and offering sit-down dining and the fifth in Northwest Arkansas. The company is also outfitting a second food truck. For more information about The Clean Eatery, visit cleaneaterylr. com.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

ADAMS CATFISH & CATERING Catering company in Little Rock with carry-out trailers in Russellville and Perryville. 215 N. Cross St. All CC. $-$$. 501-336-4399. LD Tue.-Fri. MADDIE’S PL ACE Owner/chef Brian Deloney has built quite a thriving business with a pretty simple formula: making almost everything from scratch and matching hefty portions of Cajun and Creole with reasonable prices in a fun, upbeat atmosphere. Maddie’s offers a stellar selection of draft beers and a larger, better wine list than you might expect. 1615 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4040. LD Tue.-Sat. MARIE’S MILFORD TRACK II Healthy and tasty are the key words at this deli/grill, featuring hot entrees, soups, sandwiches, salads and killer desserts. 1428 Merrell Drive. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-225-4500. BL Mon.-Sat. MARKETPLACE GRILLE Big servings of steak, seafood, chicken, pasta, pizza and other rich comfort-style foods. 11600 Pleasant Ridge Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3939. LD daily. MASON’S DELI AND GRILL Burgers, grilled sandwiches, hot dogs, Cannolis, floats and more. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-376-3354. LD Mon.-Sat. MIDTOWN BILLIARDS You’ll find perhaps the city’s finest burgers in this all-night dive. But be prepared to smell like stale cigarette 28

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

NEW AT LOCA LUNA: Lobster- and crab-stuffed tilapia with roasted red potatoes.

Better than ever Tuned up for its 20th anniversary, Loca Luna still impresses.

ince owner/chef Mark Abernathy opened Loca Luna in 1996, it’s been one of our favorite spots for the same reasons any restaurant is endearing: a large, diverse menu; consistent work in the kitchen; and friendly, efficient service. But we must admit we’d gotten in a bit of a rut — albeit a pleasant, tasty rut — at Loca Luna. At lunch, it was always the tortilla soup (mammoth and the best we’ve ever had) or the four-vegetable plate. At dinner, the Voodoo Stew or the Pork Osso Bucco. So when we heard Abernathy had spruced up the place a bit and added some new menu items as Loca Luna’s 20th anniversary approached, we decided to shake things up. As we sat down to dinner we noticed the new dining room lights and the new glass block and stacked stonewall where painted sheetrock had been. When we hopped up to take a closer look around we saw couches on the covered part of the patio and the ability to drop a wind break for cold weather. There’s also an overhang that covers the row of patio tables closest to the restaurant wall, and even mascot Sally who greets folks as they arrive has a new dress. The additions to the menu are most obvious in the “bites” and “appetizers” sections. Among the bites are homemade pork cracklings ($6) and potato chips ($4) and blistered Sishito peppers with Canadian bacon ($6), but we went for the crispy fried portabella slices ($5).

The silver bucket was teeming with thin strips of hearty mushrooms in a light batter that clings nicely. They weren’t at all greasy, and Barry — one of our favorite waiters, who has been at Loca Luna for 18 of its almost 20 years — was happy to get us a second cup of the zingy pepper ranch. Appealing new appetizers include grilled steak sliders ($9); spicy bacon “pigmento” cheese ($8); super bacon savory shortcake ($9); and our choice, creole-smothered corn bread ($9), a large square of crumbly Southern, notthe-least-bit-sweet cornbread topped with a nice ladle full of crawfish-shrimp etoufee. It was tasty, rib-sticking and hearty. Sticking to our rut-busting strategy, we went for two new dinner entrees — stuffed tilapia ($20) and crispy garlic shrimp with four-cheese ravioli ($19). We adored the pan-seared tilapia, a slightly crisped-up, delicate white fish stuffed with what is billed as “deviled lobster-crab.” When we hear “deviled” we think about those bready deviled crabs that were the least appealing thing on the “captain’s platters” at seafood spots, but this was nothing like that. This stuffing was like a deconstructed crab-and-lobster cake with seafood the predominant taste. We enjoyed the accompanying wild rice and sauteed green beans, broccoli, red pepper, carrots, asparagus and squash. Our other entree featured five slightly crisped shrimp (as in pan sauteed, not

fried) and five large, perfectly al dente raviolis doused with just enough rich garlic cream sauce. The shrimp were large and tender; ricotta seemed to be the primary cheese. Loca Luna makes all its desserts, and we hit a home run with the turtle pie ($7.45 with a side of Loblolly ice cream). Served on an Oreo crust, the pie featured lots of chocolate and pecans with a caramel drizzle. The rich, nutty ice cream was perfect with it. When we returned for lunch, we were committed to try another new item. But we couldn’t resist the Friday special — fried catfish with hushpuppies and two sides. In fact, the daily special is the only thing that has swayed us from tortilla soup or the veggie plate the last couple of years — the pork tamales (served on Wednesday) are the best we’ve had in town, and there’s no comfort food much more comfortable than the chicken, broccoli and cheese casserole (served on Thursday. Generally, catfish fillets come as several small, curled-up pieces, but Loca Luna serves a huge single fillet. It was both crispy and tender, and not at all fishy. The three hushpuppies included flecks of jalapeno that gave them some zing. For our two sides, we chose the scrumptious mashed potatoes with cream gravy and the squash casserole, knowing we were cheating on our new-dish pledge as those are two of our veggie plate standbys. And now we remember why. We’ll be back soon to Loca Luna — we always are — and now we’ve got some new favorites to add to the dishes we’ve loved for decades (almost).

Loca Luna

3519 Old Cantrell Road Little Rock, 72202 501-663-4666 localuna.com QUICK BITE Loca Luna has some of the best wine prices in town. Sonoma Cutrer’s chardonnay from the Russian River Valley is more than $33 most places. At $8.25 a glass, that’s a bargain. HOURS 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. OTHER INFO Full bar, credit cards accepted.

BELLY UP

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

DINING CAPSULES, CONT.

LIVE MUSIC

99¢ BEER

EVERYDAY!*

✁

OYSTERS NOW AVAILABLE!

STEAK BBQ CATFISH OPEN

SEVEN DAYS A WEEK 11am - till

✁

LATINO

CANTINA CINCO DE MAYO Friendly, tasty American-ized Mex. 3 Rahling Circle. Full bar, CC. $$. 501-821-2740. LD daily. CASA MEXICANA Familiar Tex-Mex style items all shine, in ample portions, and the steak-centered dishes are uniformly excellent. 7111 JFK Blvd. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-835-7876. LD daily. TAQUERIA SAMANTHA On Friday and Saturday nights, this mobile taqueria parks outside of Jose’s Club Latino in a parking lot on the corner of Third and Broadway. 300 Broadway Ave. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-568-5264. D Fri.-Sat. (sporadic hours beyond that). TAQUERIA Y CARNICERIA GUADALAJARA Cheap, delicious tacos, tamales and more. Always bustling. 3811 Camp Robinson Road. NLR. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-753-9991. BLD daily.

✁

CAPITOL SMOKEHOUSE AND GRILL Beef, pork and chicken, all smoked to melting tenderness and doused with a choice of sauces. The crusty but tender backribs star. Side dishes are top quality. A plate lunch special is now available. 915 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-4227. L Mon.-Fri. FATBOY’S KILLER BAR-B-Q This Landmark neighborhood strip center restaurant in the far southern reaches of Pulaski County features tender ribs and pork by a contest pitmaster. Skip the regular sauce and risk the hot variety, it’s far better. 14611 Arch St. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-888-4998. L Mon.-Fri. HB’S BBQ Great slabs of meat with a vinegarbased barbecue sauce, but ribs are served on Tuesday only. Other days, try the tasty pork sandwich. 6010 Lancaster. No alcohol,

ITALIAN

CHUCK E. CHEESE’S Games, rides, prizes, food and entertainment for kids, big and small. 2706 S. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-225-2200. LD daily. NYPD PIZZA Plenty of tasty choices in the obvious New York police-like setting, but it’s fun. Only the pizza is cheesy. Even the personal pizzas come in impressive combinations, and baked ziti, salads and more also are available. Cheap slice specials at lunch. 6015 Chenonceau Blvd., Suite 1. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-868-3911. LD daily. VESUVIO Arguably Little Rock’s best Italian restaurant. The cheesy pasta bowls are sensational, but don’t ignore the beef offerings. 1315 Breckenridge Drive. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-246-5422. D daily.

99 LUNCH

✁

BARBECUE

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

ALI BABA A Middle Eastern restaurant, butcher shop and grocery. 3400 S University Ave. No alcohol, all CC. 501-379-8011. BLD Mon.-Sat. STAR OF INDIA Maybe the best Indian restaurant in the region, with a unique buffet at lunch and some fabulous dishes at night (spicy curried dishes, tandoori chicken, lamb and veal, vegetarian). 301 N. Shackleford. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-227-9900. LD daily.

11am - 2pm

FREE CRAWFISH SATURDAY! RULES APPLY.

✁

ASIAN

BENIHANA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Enjoy the cooking show, make sure you get a little filet with your meal, and do plenty of dunking in that fabulous ginger sauce. 2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-8081. LD Sun.-Fri., D Sat. KIYEN’S SEAFOOD STEAK AND SUSHI Sushi, steak and other Japanese fare. 17200 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-7272. LD daily. P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO Nuevo Chinese chain food in swank surroundings. 317 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-225-4424. LD daily. VAN LANG CUISINE Terrific Vietnamese cuisine, particularly the way the pork dishes and the assortment of rolls are presented. Great prices, too. Massive menu, but it’s user-friendly for locals with full English descriptions and numbers for easy ordering. 3600 S. University Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-570-7700. LD daily.

No CC. $-$$. 501-565-1930. LD Mon.-Fri. MICK’S BBQ, CATFISH AND GRILL Good burgers, picnic-worth deviled eggs and heaping barbecue sandwiches topped with sweet sauce. 3609 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-791-2773. LD Mon.-Sun. SIMS BAR-B-QUE Great spare ribs, sandwiches, beef, half and whole chicken and an addictive vinegar-mustard-brown sugar sauce unique for this part of the country. 2415 Broadway. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-3726868. LD Mon.-Sat. 1307 John Barrow Road. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-224-2057. LD Mon.-Sat. 7601 Geyer Springs Road. Beer, all CC. $$. 501-562-8844. LD Mon.-Sat.

✁

smoke and grease once you’re finished. 1316 Main St. Full bar, CC. $-$$. 501-372-9990. D daily. MIMI’S CAFE Breakfast is our meal of choice here at this upscale West Coast chain. Portions are plenty to last you through the afternoon, especially if you get a muffin on the side. Middle-America comfort-style entrees make up other meals, from pot roast to pasta dishes. 11725 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3883. BLD daily, BR Sun. MORNINGSIDE BAGELS Tasty New Yorkstyle boiled bagels, made daily. 10848 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-753-6960. BL daily. VICTORIAN GARDEN We’ve found the fare quite tasty and somewhat daring and different with its healthy, balanced entrees and crepes. 4801 North Hills Blvd. NLR. $-$$. 501-758-4299. L Mon.-Sat. WHITE WATER TAVERN Good locally sourced bar food. 2500 W. 7th St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-375-8400. D Tue., Thu., Fri., Sat.

North Little Rock • 10840 Maumelle Blvd. (501) 812-0095 • nashvillerockingrill.com *SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY

✁

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

st pats 2016 version 2.pdf 1 3/8/2016 4:49:22 AM

Join us for

y a D s ’ k c i r t St. Pa 3.17.2016 C

$3.17

CMY

/ pin

Specials on Irish Cocktails!

Old Chicago North Little Rock

*Tapping at 4 PM!

Photo booth op!

4305 Warden Rd

501.812.6262

STAR TURN: Larson (right) may have won an Oscar for Best Actress, but Tremblay’s performance was magic.

‘Room’ stuns

Thanks to strong performance by Jacob Tremblay. BY RACHEL HOGE

U WORK DOWNTOWN? TRY SNAP FITNESS.

Easy access to I-630 • Free parking • Personal Trainers • 24/7 member access

VICTORY BUILDING • 1401 W. CAPITOL • 501-246-8266

AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

Train For A New Career In Less Than A Year! We provide a quality Cosmetology, Nail Technology, Instructor Training and Esthetics education to our students so that they are able to pass their State Board Exam and be a success in their prospective fields.

Classes Start Weekly Call Today! 1-844-901-HAIR Little Rock

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY. 30

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

nless you’ve been held captive inside a shed for seven years, you’ve likely heard that Brie Larson (known for indie films like “Short Term 12” and “The Spectacular Now,” and blockbusters like “21 Jump Street” and “Trainwreck”) recently won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the film “Room.” Despite this win, I was skeptical before seeing the film. Hollywood’s fascination with kidnapping and abduction left me wondering if any performance in the genre could really surprise me. “Room” is a 2010 novel by Emma Donoghue that was adapted by director Lenny Abrahamson. As the title suggests, the film follows a 24-year-old captive, Joy Newsome, who was abducted at the age of 17 and forcibly held inside a shed secured by a metal door, electronic key code and only given the most basic amenities. Joy is raped often by her captor, a man she calls “Old Nick,” and quickly becomes pregnant with the film’s narrator, Jack (Jacob Tremblay). The film opens on Jack’s fifth birthday, where Joy, or “Ma,” has a surprise: Today, they’ll be baking a birthday cake. “A real birthday cake?” Jack exclaims, with his grungy pajamas and shoulderlength hair. “Like in TV?” That morning Jack greets the chairs, his toys shaped from tinfoil, the television set. These objects are his friends and Ma is his family. Almost daily they

take vitamins, do exercises and read stories. Ma does such a good job raising Jack that he believes Room is where they belong. With this opening scene, the audience realizes Jack’s reality is not one of dismay. The word “abducted” is not in his vocabulary. In fact, placing Jack as the narrator is one of the novel’s many strengths that inspired Abrahamson’s film adaptation. “The territory explored in ‘Room’ should have made for a relentlessly bleak novel,” Abrahamson has written. “The author’s brilliant choice of Jack as narrator is what prevents this.” Where Ma sees darkness, Jack sees light. The audience is aware of both perspectives, creating a contrast that is ominous and captivating. The clear magic of this film is found in Jack, both in his written character and Tremblay’s performance. Despite the circumstances, Jack maintains a naive sense of joy and discovery from beginning to end. His belief in the world is equally intriguing and crushing: Jack believes Room — the shed he was born in, lives in, which has nothing more than a skylight of the outside world — is his home. When Ma tells him the world is filled with people and animals, and that his grandparents have a house with a hammock where they could eat ice cream, Jack is in angry disbelief. “There’s Room, then outer space, then

NETWORK ANALYST Responsible for implementing, managing, and optimizing computer software and hardware systems. Full details available at www.lrwu.com. Deadline to apply, Friday, March 18, 2016. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

ARKANSAS TIMES MARKETPLACE ACXIOM CORP. – CONWAY, AR

Associate Software Engineer in Test (#JR002051) Solutions Developer (#JR002045) Apply online w/ job code above www.acxiom.com EEO/AA/W/M/Disability/Vet

WELSPUN PIPES, INC. POSITION: METALLURGIST SUPERVISOR QUALITY DEPARTMENT

Heaven,” he argues. Jack’s perspective is astounding and devastating. Like Ma, we begin to believe Jack could never survive in the outside world. Thankfully, the history of childhood trauma tells us not to underestimate Jack’s potential for healing. Another exceptional approach is found in the film’s focus, which is not centered on the cruelty of “Old Nick,” but rather the beautiful and bizarre relationship between mother and son. Though there are heartwarming moments, the connection between Ma and Jack is purposefully unsettling. During their first separation, Jack puts Ma’s dislocated, rotten tooth inside his mouth to help him feel courageous. And later, when Ma needs strength, Jack cuts his hair and presents it to her like a gift. These two people are so dependent on one another, they require physical, bodily proof of their connection. The psychological effects of their years alone together becomes a much more interesting storyline than any focus on the villainous “Old Nick.” Donoghue should be applauded for this choice, as should Abrahamson, for bringing such a complex exploration to life. In her Oscar acceptance speech, Larson thanks her 9-year-old co-star, Tremblay, by defining him as “half of this award” and “half of my performance.” But if Larson is the foundation of the film, Tremblay is the pillar. His performance raises the film to new heights. Without him, the film would likely be just another attempt of devastation in the abduction genre. So, to answer my initial question: Yes, a performance in “Room” did surprise me. But it wasn’t the one I expected.

Responsibilities: Metallurgical evaluation of incoming raw material, process, and finished products. Investigate metallurgical issues with various materials/machinery, determine the root cause and provide a suitable corrective action plan. Preparation of sampling plan, review raw material test certificate, inspect raw material, perform and oversee all testing activities, and develop material test certificates for the finished product. Calibrate, repair, and maintain traceability of calibration of measuring instruments and gauges. Create service requests and service entries. Directly supervise lab technicians/lab assistants and lab engineer, including interview and train employees; plan, assign, and direct work; appraise performance and discipline employees; address complaints and resolve problems. Education, experience, and special requirements: M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering or closely related field with minimum 1 year research experience; alternatively, a B.S in Metallurgy Engineering with 5 years’ experience of testing and quality control activities in pipe/ steel/heavy metal industries. Must be able to read and interpret API, ISO, ASME code/ standard and customer specifications. To apply, mail resume to: Welspun Pipes, Inc., ATTN: Scott Carnes, 9301 Frazier Pike, Little Rock, Arkansas 72206.

CORPORATE MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS SENIOR SPECIALIST Little Rock-based international NGO seeking candidates to develop and manage small business partnerships and provide support on larger corporate cause marketing initiatives. Min qual. Bach. degree plus 5 yrs relevant work exp in marketing, communication. To apply, visit

HEIFER.ORG/ CAREERS. Heifer Tnternational is an EEO AA employer and participates in E-verify.

HIRING MAUMELLE ENTRY LEVEL POLICE OFFICERS The CITY OF MAUMELLE is hiring entry level Police Officers. The first step in joining this team is to take and pass the Civil Service examination. The next scheduled examination is Saturday, March 26, 2016. Qualifications for taking the exam are: 1. Be a United States Citizen 2. Be the age of 21 on date of the exam (Police Exam) 3. Be able to pass a background check, a drug test, and/or physical examination 4. Possess a high school diploma or equivalent 5. Possess a valid Arkansas driver’s license Starting salary is $32,500.00 per year; the City offers an excellent employee benefit package which includes employee paid health and dental insurance, life and AD&D insurance, generous retirement program and many more benefits.

LEASING CONSULTANT Opportunities For Growth Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm. Applicant must be dependable and motivated. Send resume to: riverdale@sbcglobal.net Call 501-663-2000 Apply in person.

APPLICANTS may order the “NPST Candidate Orientation Guide” by going to http://www.fpsi.com/police-orientation-guidedownload-disclaimer/. The NPST Candidate Orientation Guide can be downloaded on the page following the instruction and disclaimer page that applicants must read and agree to. This will ensure the orientation guide is downloaded successfully. Once the guide is in the FPSI shopping cart, applicants will be given the option to pay with a PayPal account or as a PayPal guest with credit card. The download link will be located on the Order Received-Checkout Page that appears on the FPSI website as soon as payment is submitted and applicants are redirected from PayPal back to FPSI. Applicants must pay close attention to ALL instructions on both FPSI and PayPal’s websites in order to download GUIDE properly.

The application process will begin immediately. For additional information visit www.maumelle.org. “EOE – Minority, Women, and disabled individuals are encouraged to apply.” This ad is available from the Title VI Coordinator in large print, on audio, and in Braille at (501) 851-2784, ext. 233 or at vernon@maumelle.org.

YOU LOVE GEORGE JONES …

CONSIDER THIS PILLOW BIT.LY/GJONESPILLUH MOATS

www.arktimes.com

MARCH 10, 2016

Ride the ARKANSAS TIMES

BLUES BUS

APRIL 16, 2016

TO THE JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL IN CLARKSDALE, MS

IT'S ALL ABOUT

THE DELTA!

Enjoy small stages with authentic blues during the day and at night venture into the surviving juke joints, blues clubs and other indoor stages. Reserve your seat by calling 501.375.2985 or emailing Kelly Lyles at kellylyles@arktimes.com

$125

PRICE INCLUDES: + + + + +

Round-trip bus transportation Live blues performances en route Adult beverages on board Lunch at a Delta favorite Wristband for the nighttime events

BUS TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY ARROW COACH LINES BUS LEAVES AT 9 A.M. FROM IN FRONT OF THE PARKING DECK AT 2ND & MAIN STREETS IN DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK AND RETURNS LATE NIGHT. The Arkansas Times Blues Bus is a related event and not affiliated with Juke Joint Festival or the non-profit Clarksdale Downtown Development Association. 32

MARCH 10, 2016

ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES