Arkansas Times - September 1, 2016 by Arkansas Times

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BLOOD FROM A STONE A lawsuit says poor defendants in Sherwood's hot check court are routinely fleeced for thousands in fines and fees, threatened with jail to keep them on a treadmill of debt for decades BY DAVID KOON

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COMMENT

Jiggery-pokery I call jiggery-pokery on the latest column from Sen. John Boozman to constituents entitled “Combating Zika.” This term was famously used by the late Justice Antonin Scalia to express his frustrations with the Affordable Care Act, and I believe that it more aptly describes the Republican’s explanation for the failure of Congress to pass the Zika Spending Bill. Just what is jiggerypokery? Jiggery-pokery is deceitful or dishonest behavior. In his latest bit of crafted propaganda aimed at the Arkansas voter, Sen. Boozman denies any culpability for the failure of this bill to pass. He excuses himself and his beloved Republican Party from any of the devastating effects that a lack of government action in the form of much need federal funding will have on potentially countless unborn American babies. According to the senator, “Senate Democrats played politics with this bill, putting Americans at risk.” Who is really playing politics, though, and why was the Zika Spending Bill blocked by Senate Democrats? Could it be that Senate Republicans insisted on excluding funding for women’s health providers such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America? If Republicans really wanted to stop the Zika threat in its tracks, wouldn’t they want to provide access to Zika prevention to as many women in as many venues as possible? If politics weren’t involved, that would surely be the case. But, no, the Republican Party is so blinded by its hatred of Planned Parenthood that it decided to put this cut-throat animosity above the wellbeing of American women and babies. Senator Boozman also seems to miss the fact that he and his Republican colleagues are so blinded by rightwing dogma that they can no longer effectively work with their congressional counterparts to do something useful for the American people. They play an all-or-nothing game where no one but a select few seems to come out ahead. It is extremely clear to me that it is not Democrats but rather Republicans who are playing a dangerous political game. Sen. Boozman, you need to grow up, get serious about doing your job and quit blaming others for your failure and your party’s failure to make effective compromises and sponsor realistic and substantive legislation that will help Americans. Enough is 4

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ARKANSAS TIMES

enough. Senator, you are the one playing politics along with your Republican colleagues. It needs to stop. How about taking the lead? Lynn Calhoun Morrilton

From the web In response to the Aug. 25 article, ‘This is not your grandfather’s America’: a Q&A with Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner:

Let’s see: Two officers are working off-duty on private property. Something goes wrong, very wrong. The two officers, working off-duty, have no liability coverage, and therefore have no money for legal counsel in the subsequent federal lawsuit. So the city attorney represents both officers “on his own time,” and negotiates a $900,000 payment from the city to clear these off-duty officers in the matter. The city is operating a private security company, taking all the legal

liability risks, and collecting not one cent in fees. That’s one hell of a business — for the off-duty officers. Tom Honeycutt Well Chief, let me attempt an intelligent answer for why you and your officers are wrongheaded about the LRSD. You say, “The underlying issues that are driving the crime in our city are poverty, low academic achievement, single-parent homes, absentee fathers, substance abuse, mental illness, high unemployment. Now, you tell me, of those things that I just gave you, an officer living in Little Rock, how would it impact that?” I would respond with only a slight paraphrase: “The underlying issues that are driving the education gap in our city are poverty, high crime homelife, single-parent homes, absentee fathers, substance abuse, mental illness, high unemployment. Now, you tell me, of those things that I just gave you, a different school, how would it impact that?” He offers a few false-equivalences here. You can say we have a crime problem, but no one is blaming the police for the crime. We have an educational attainment problem, and no one will blame anything BUT the school. Also, to say, “I support the Second Amendment” to a question about military-style weapons is laughable. That’s actually the example one of our textbooks uses to describe the “straw-man” fallacy. I wish you had asked him about civilians having f lame-throwers, hand-grenades, etc., and see if there were any lines he would cross on that issue. I don’t mean to be unkind, but this is also from a man who couldn’t secure his weapons — even with all of his professional training. Morris An AR-15 will cut through a bulletproof vest and slice a car like Swiss cheese? Forrest Gump your father? Ignorant Democrat. Typical. Fred Sanders Do we have a mass-incarceration problem in this state? Well, there is a woman’s family in Chicago and family of the two nuns in Mississippi who might want more violent criminals locked up, instead on the street. Runner55k

arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

WEEK THAT WAS

Quote of the Week 1 “You can’t presume cars will be the preferred choice of transportation 20 years from now, you can’t presume no one wants to wants to invest in public transit just because we Central Arkansans are essentially forced to drive cars today in our unbalanced, car-culture infrastructure, and you can’t presume Rock Region METRO won’t be successful in gaining more funding.” — Becca Green of Rock Region METRO, expressing the public transit system’s opposition to the proposed expansion of Interstate 30 in downtown Little Rock. On Aug. 24, Green was in the majority of those on Metroplan’s Regional Planning Advisory Council who voted 20-3 against the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department’s request to waive a Metroplan policy limiting freeways to six lanes. (The proposed “30 Crossing” project would expand I-30 to a minimum of 10 lanes.) The full Metroplan board is expected to approve the waiver nonetheless.

Quote of the Week 2: “Barry, Joe and I discussed it and agreed this is the appropriate direction.” — Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, stating his support for the 30 Crossing plan. Stodola, along with North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith and Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, sent a letter to their fellow Metroplan board members endorsing the highway department’s waiver request.

Not the ideal candidate Republican James Hall of Monticello, who is running for a legislative seat left open by the death of Democratic Rep. Sheila Lampkin in July, is facing jail time for three counts of harassment regarding his ex-wife, her lawyer and her pastor via phone calls and Facebook. Last week, the state Court of Appeals upheld Hall’s 2015 conviction and sen6

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Correcting corrections, by the numbers

tence (90 days to a year in the Drew County jail). Democrats have also questioned Hall’s eligibility to hold elected office based on a separate conviction for writing a hot check, and state Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb has said Hall should quit the race. He’s vowed to keep running. On the Democratic side is LeAnne Burch, a retired Army brigadier general.

Battle for the ballot At least two ballot initiatives slated to appear before voters in November will first be challenged at the Arkansas Supreme Court. A committee of the Arkansas Bar Association is suing over a proposed constitutional amendment to cap damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, with the attorneys’ group saying the measure would abridge the constitutional right to a trial by jury. And a group opposing medical marijuana has filed a challenge of the Arkansas Medi-

cal Cannabis Act on the grounds that its ballot title is misleading on several details. (Another, competing attempt to allow medical marijuana is still awaiting clearance to appear on the ballot.)

Broadway Bridge is closing down It’s finally happening. One of two main thoroughfares linking downtown Little Rock and downtown North Little Rock will close on Sept. 28 for an estimated six months of construction. If the contractor hired to replace the 93-yearold bridge completes the job early, it will receive an incentive of $80,000 per day ahead of schedule; it will be penalized for a longer-than-expected closure. The 25,000 cars that cross the Broadway Bridge each day have to go somewhere, so expect severe rush hour bottlenecks downtown until springtime. You can find those Rock Region bus schedules at rrmetro.org.

Arkansas’s prison population is among the fastest growing in the country. Last week, after a year of analysis, the Council of State Governments Justice Center presented its recommendations for reforms to a legislative task force. Among the figures:

$512 million

The approximate amount Arkansas spent on state corrections, probation and parole in fiscal year 2015.

68 percent

The increase in spending from 2004 to 2015.

18,965

The number of prisoners under Department of Corrections supervision in 2015.

21 percent The increase in prison population between 2012 and 2016.

1,800

The number of prison beds that the Justice Center says would be freed up if the state imposed time limits on the re-incarceration of parolees and probationers who commit technical violations (that is, those who did not commit a new crime).

$100 million The projected savings such a change would produce over a six-year period.

OPINION

News for the digital era

rkansas news, clipped and spun to drop 7,000 susfor the short-attention-span era. pected felons from Q: STATUS? A: QUO. To no voting rolls while one one’s surprise, Little Rock Mayor knowing the list Mark Stodola, North Little Rock Mayor he supplied them Joe Smith and Pulaski County Judge was highly suspect MAX Barry Hyde threw in with the road build- — two-thirds erroBRANTLEY ers’ lobby and said they liked the idea to neous in Pulaski maxbrantley@arktimes.com build Interstate 30 as a 10-lane concrete County. Martin is gulch through the cities’ downtowns. also conniving — serving as computer More vibrant cities are tearing down host even — for a multi-state crosscheckfreeways for the neighborhood blight and ing venture. It’s nominally aimed at sniffincreasing congestion they engender. If ing out double voters. They’ve found no you believe freeways are good for cities, more than four nationally in millions of walk alongside the existing six-lane cor- records searched over four years. More ridor through North Little Rock and try important is a reporter’s finding that to imagine why Mayor Joe thinks even the operation’s list of suspects is wildly more concrete will make it better. inaccurate and biased against minorHIGH CRIMES AND MISDE- ity groups that tend to vote Democratic. MEANORS. The Arkansas Constitu- Russian hackers are supposedly infiltrattion allows impeachment of the sec- ing the U.S. voter system. Could they do retary of state for gross misconduct in worse than Mark Martin, who just added office. You could make a case against another long-time GOP patronage benefiMark Martin. He expected county clerks ciary, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie

Obamacare works

f you read only the headlines you would think that Obamacare is on its last leg, a national train wreck even in Arkansas, where Republicans and Democrats preserved its biggest feature, assured medical care for the working poor. A few insurance companies aren’t making enough, or any, money off the policies sold on some Obamacare exchanges, because too many sick people and too few healthy people are buying policies. They are pulling out, leaving less competition in many places. The latest news about the astonishing success of Arkansas’s novel twist on Obamacare’s Medicaid for the poor — once known as the private option — translated into bad news, because, its critics say, so many Arkansans have signed up for subsidized insurance that it will bankrupt the treasury when the state starts paying a share. Because the program seems unsalvageable, maybe prayers for the death of Obamacare will be answered after all come January, when a new president and Congress take over. Alas, it won’t happen, even under the

unlikeliest circumstance: President Donald Trump and sizable Republican majorities in both houses. They ERNEST would nominally DUMAS repeal the law and replace insurance for 17 million Americans with — what? Like Bernie Sanders, Trump promised guaranteed insurance for everyone, adding 27 million more people to the 17 million insured by Obamacare. But changes are coming, principally in nomenclature if the Republicans prevail. If Hillary Clinton and Democrats win, there will be changes to expand coverage and stimulate competition, perhaps by allowing the federal government to offer policies and other features that were in the U.S. House of Representatives bill that would have passed in 2010 had a death in the U.S. Senate not forced Congress to take the Senate bill. The House bill had higher subsidies for the poor, direct premium subsidies rather than complex tax credits, and provision for a public option to compete with com-

Rutledge’s daddy, to election oversight machinery in Arkansas? GOPOCRISY I: Rutledge is a purported federalist. But what did she do last week? She asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Arkansas law and throw a shield of secrecy over State Police vehicle accident reports. States’ righter Rutledge, in this case, thinks federal judges know better than the Arkansas legislature and courts. GOPOCRISY II: Gilbert Baker, the former senator and Republican Party chairman who’s hip deep in the bribery investigation of his hometown ex-judge Mike Maggio, got arrested in Conway early last Saturday for a DWI. Sounds from police reports like he attempted the “do you know who I am?” routine in the process. Baker is a “family values” Republican who has fought alcohol sales in Faulkner County and elsewhere. More quietly, he’s been an ally of liquor monopolists in Conway County and was viewed as the go-to political guy by Faulkner County applicants for the now-ubiquitous “private club” permits in Conway. Cheers! GOPOCRISY III: State Rep. Dave Wallace (R-Leachville) has made a fortune using his veteran status to get a preference on federal contracts to supply

labor for disaster cleanups. This affirmative action beneficiary of federal money turned up in the news this week after workers he’d rounded up for a federal project in flood-ravaged Louisiana were involved in a fatal bus crash. The workers and the bus driver, who had terrible driving record, were illegal immigrants. Wallace said an intermediary hired the workers. He said he’d never hire an illegal immigrant. You wonder if he’d join U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton in voting against federal disaster relief as well as for speedy deportation of all people who work at hard jobs for less money. THEY SAID WHAT?: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the city and state’s biggest newspaper, commented favorably in an editorial on the suggestion that the Clinton Foundation should be closed immediately. You’d think a rational editorial writer would recognize a positive contribution to the newspaper’s hometown by the foundation programs centered at that big presidential library across the street from the newspaper printing plant. Shut it all down? Really? The smug writer can take comfort: Much of the foundation’s work IS going to end if Hillary Clinton is elected, if not before. And if fewer people in Africa get HIV medication, well, tough.

mercial companies. Let’s look at the state and national developments separately. Arkansas’s private option — letting the poor get commercial insurance on the Obamacare exchange instead of directly from Medicaid — was a Republican idea, but by 2015, when Governor Hutchinson took office, it had been branded as socialism like Obamacare itself. So he tinkered to make it a little harder and costlier for the very poor to get coverage and renamed it Arkansas Works. The Obama administration will soon give him a waiver to do several of those things, but it demands that if the state is going to run the exchange, as Hutchinson is asking, it must use some federal money to help people navigate the daunting signup process, which the legislature in 2013 prohibited. Last week, a few Republican legislators complained that the huge success of the Medicaid expansion — more than 325,000 Arkansans whose earnings are below or barely above the poverty line are covered — would break the treasury after the state starts paying part of the premiums. Instead of helping more people get medical care, one leading Republican legislator said, Arkansas should find ways to get them off the rolls and eliminate some of their coverage. Even

the governor feared rising costs. What no one dared explain was that, as far as the state treasury and Arkansas taxpayers are concerned, the wider coverage the better. After the state starts paying 10 percent of Medicaid in 2020, the treasury will be fatter and Arkansas taxpayers far better off than if the program had never started. The legislature’s business consultants told it so. Nationally, the insurance industry was prophetic when it warned Congress in 2010 that the law’s subsidies and tax penalties for people who insist on not being insured were not big enough to guarantee a healthy market. It predicted that younger, healthier people would wait until they got sick before buying the policies. The administration helped some by making it harder for people to buy insurance midyear when they got sick. The problems obscure Obamacare’s benefits — a shrunken federal deficit, medical protection for 17 million more people and vastly improved health, especially in the 31 states that expanded Medicaid to all the working poor. A check on current disability rolls shows that the decline in disability enrollments since the law was passed continues, nationally and in Arkansas — way down even from the prosperity peak of the George Bush presidency in 2006. arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Boris and Natasha

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et’s see now: One presidential candidate’s campaign director resigns after being outed as a Russian stooge, allegedly accepting millions in cash under the table. The other candidate meets with a Nobel Prizewinning economist who once donated to her husband’s charity — dedicated to providing HIV/AIDS medication to millions of victims in the developing world. Quick now, which of these two situations registers higher on the news media’s scandal meter? Which candidate has portentous “questions” to answer about troubling appearances? Look, it’s all about the horse race and the ratings. But things are getting ridiculous. Trump’s right: He could say he’d been an All-Star third baseman for the Yankees or shoot somebody dead on national TV, and the next item on the evening news would involve Hillary Clinton’s damn emails. Has the press ever given such scrutiny to any other politician’s communications? Wouldn’t you love to see Gen. Colin Powell’s emails from the time of his infamous 2003 United Nations speech about Saddam Hussein’s phantom “weapons of mass destruction?” Oops! All deleted. Sorry. On TV in particular, the concept of “balance” requires solemnly equating the truly consequential with the utterly absurd. Paul Manafort has essentially vanished from media radar screens. OK, so Trump’s campaign manager appears to have been a covert lobbyist for Vladimir Putin. Old news. Ho hum. Manafort may have exited stage right, but Boris and Natasha remain. Named for the bungling Soviet spies in the old “Rocky and Bullwinkle” cartoons (“Must capture moose and squirrel”), that’s my pet name for Russian emailers who began sending me unintentionally funny messages a while back. At first hiding behind the pseudonyms “Jason” and “Karyn,” they pretended to be angry Americans disgusted by my pointing out that candidate Trump had adopted an oddly pro-Putin foreign policy agenda — conceding that Russia had stolen Crimea fair and square and hinting that NATO should basically be a protection racket, defending only nations whose “premiums” are paid up. Being outed really annoyed them. They reacted with scatological insults and implied threats. Addressing me as “Jeanie” — that’s “Evgeni” to you, sweetheart — Natasha (now signing as “Natasha Nabo-

kov”) wanted to know, “How are things at the Market & Grill in the one horse town of Houston? [ArkanGENE sas] Maybe we’ll LYONS bump into you there sometime. The owner told us that you might stop by to celebrate your birthday in September. You are one old degenerate c********r that’s for sure. You are described by everyone as being a long time leftist. A massive understatement to be sure.” Nice try, Natasha, but I’ve never been there. Boris (calling himself “Ilya”) asked after my wife by name, and wondered, “Who radicalized who in the ways of leftism in the marriage.” The same joker claimed to have been to Louisiana, observing “23 semi-trucks loaded with food and supplies that were delivered by President Trump. … Your commie buddy Barry Soetoro was on a golf course seen getting an anal injection from one of his homo friends but promised to show up there to drop off a supply of condoms for everyone.” In short, Russian operatives are even more witless and coarse than their American counterparts. Does “Ilya” actually believe that Trump delivered relief supplies? Or does he imagine I’d believe it? Both, probably. Russian “news” reports are even more assiduously pro-Trump than Sean Hannity. In reality, Trump spent a reported 49 seconds unloading children’s toys for the TV cameras. Anyway, Putin’s definitely not getting his money’s worth. I’m not real scared. Boris and Natasha resemble minor characters from Dostoyevsky’s prophetic novel “The Possessed” — all buffoonery and half-baked ideology. They could have gleaned more accurate information from my Facebook page, and have no clue how rural America works. Anybody who came sniffing around the country store where I do trade would result in my being tipped off at once. But nobody’s coming. What would be the point? Even in a gangster state like Russia, journalists get murdered for knowing specific secrets, not for being smart-alecks. The larger question of Russian covert influence in European and American politics, however, isn’t so easily laughed off. However, I do think I’ll postpone that trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

One person, one vote

rkansas Secretary of State Mark race relations. The ultimate Martin’s recent stumbles have goal was univerrevealed quite a story. sal suffrage; the Thanks to the dogged reporting of the now iconic call Arkansas Times, the public now knows for “One Man, that as many as 7,000 Arkansas voters CHRIS were unlawfully purged from the voter One Vote.” BURKS rolls this summer. Moses called To date, Martin has not expressed for nothing short of a political revolution any concern about the cost he is put- — words familiar to progressives and libting on county governments to fix his erals of today. The essence of Moses’ reverrors. His office’s failure to fix the votolution then was that bad public policy ing rolls and his would not and could refusal to provide In one of those now not change unless to the public all of and until everybody beautiful accidents of the records related voted. to the purge are not, history, the constitution Symbolic and marginal improvehowever, the most revealing stories of enshrined strong ments were possible, this ordeal. but only those comfortably involved in Instead, Mar- protection for voting tin’s stumbles have the political and ecorights and placed revealed a broader nomic system benstory at the heart political power more efited. Moses knew of the long strugthat even when de jure racism was gle for voting rights. directly with the people defeated, all too To understand this broader story, we first have to step often the benefits flowed disproportionback in time to the 1874 Arkansas Conately to those higher up the economic stitution. The constitution places priscale, regardless of race. vate property as the most important of Moses connected voting rights to race all rights under our state Constitution. and economics in a way that Mark Martin Not life, liberty or security, but property. reveals still applies today: Voting rights are about political and economic power. This emphasis on property, which was the source of economic power, was Martin’s purge of today is a violation of a product of the times. The constitution the strong voter protection language of the was a reaction to Reconstruction and the Arkansas Constitution. The same constibattle over who could vote, especially tution that sanctions no higher right than the right of ex-Confederates to vote. It property also strongly protects the right placed political power away from a cento vote of those on the margins of society. tral authority that could seize property In theory, Martin’s purge affected — a not unfamiliar scenario for some at felons who had not yet regained the the time. right to vote. What if Martin’s purge In one of those now beautiful acciwere to have occurred only in wealthy dents of history, the constitution ZIP codes? Would Martin have fixed enshrined strong protection for voting the errors already? Abstract thought rights and placed political power more experiments aside, the good news is directly with the people. Of course, votthat Moses’ actual insight is timeless: ing and property rights did not apply When everyone can and does vote, then to everyone equally at first. They were everyone will benefit. intended to benefit the economic elite Today’s battle to fix Martin’s voter and ex-Confederates of the time. But purge may be a rear-guard action compared to past battles. But the stakes are these protections were strong nonethethe same: power for all the people. Not less. Fast-forward some 90-odd years to symbolic spare change for a few, but another battle over voting rights. Bob power for everyone — especially the least, Moses, an oft-unsung hero of the civil last and lost. Government of, by and for, all the people. rights movement, said the key to the emerging movement was not changing national economic and social policy. Chris Burks is general counsel for the Democratic Party of Arkansas. Nor was it promoting just and peaceable

Fayetteville’s missed opportunity BY EBONY BUCKLEY

n today’s polarized political climate, it’s rare that any measure gets public bipartisan support. But I thought the University of Arkansas Associated Student Government’s proposal to establish an on-campus early voting center would be uncontroversial and easily approved: The university’s chapters of the College Republicans and Young Democrats both had a hand in drafting the proposal and threw their support behind it. So, along with thousands of other faculty, staff and students, I was surprised and disappointed when the Washington County Election Commission voted Aug. 19 to turn it down. (The 2-1 vote fell along party lines, with Republican Commissioners Renee Oelschlaeger and Bill Ackerman voting against the measure and Democratic Commissioner Max Deitchler supporting it.) Oelschlaeger explained the commission felt the proposal didn’t adequately explain the need for a new polling station, as six stations are already located within a mile of the university. This is true, but it misses the spirit of the measure, which wasn’t trying to address disenfranchisement, but promote engagement — something that is badly needed in Fayetteville and around the country. I suspect for many traditional students at UA-Fayetteville, the world outside of campus and Dickson Street might as well not exist. Life consists of going to class, possibly working a part-time job and then hanging out with friends. Yes, students enjoy Fayetteville’s beautiful green spaces, growing number of bike lanes and walkability projects, programs at the Walton Arts Center, etc. But most don’t actively think about the civic life behind all this development as a process that needs their votes, their involvement and their input (despite active solicitations for such from our planning committees). Many people remain detached from local politics until they become part of the middle-aged, landed gentry. On the other hand, when they’re young and establishing themselves, they complain that there’s no one in government who represents the interests of the politically unentrenched. The early voting center proposal presented an opportunity to help break this cycle of disengagement through outreach. This was a chance to advertise to the student body what our city officials are doing to Keep Fayetteville Funky and make it a great place to

stay after one graduates. For nontraditional students, faculty and staff, the convenience would be a nice amenity. Yes, the 5,000 of us who work at the university can go off-campus to vote — but we’re already here on campus, and we all have families or other responsibilities to attend to. Having a voting center right by a bus stop could save the thousands who pass through the campus 30 minutes to an hour out of a busy day. There is also the fact that many of our polling places are churches. It would be nice to have a secular polling station on campus. I am not accusing any particular church of impropriety or failing to keep the premises free of political advertising as required by law. But students and staff who aren’t of that particular faith might feel a governmental building is more neutral ground (and the campus is much closer than the county clerk’s office). Despite the fact that the Associated Student Government offered to pay the estimated $6,000 to $7,000 required to establish a new voting center, Commissioner Ackerman said he was leery of its potential fiscal impact. However, the proposal’s supporters always emphasized its experimental nature. We don’t really know if the projected 81 percent of the 27,000 students at the university would actually turn out and vote if the proposal was implemented — but we could find out. This is a revocable decision that would have provided invaluable data on how a polling center at the state’s flagship university affects student voter engagement. The proposal for an early voting center wasn’t simply about improving the logistics of voting. It was about civic education and outreach. I hope that despite the setback, the ASG will develop the outreach rung of the proposal and bring it back before the commission next year. If more students were at least passingly aware of our local politics, they might prepare to engage more deeply as they decide to become permanent residents of our community. At the Aug. 19 meeting, Commissioner Oelschlaeger made the remark that “democracy is not convenient always.” Perhaps — but that doesn’t make inconvenience a virtue worthy of preservation. Ebony Buckley is an employee at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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La. Tech depleted

wo seasons ago, coming off a bitterly disappointing 3-9, 0-8 debut campaign, Arkansas was saddled with the ignominy of actually opening SEC play on the road in late August, against an Auburn team fresh off a Cinderella run to glory that fell seconds short of materializing. That wasn’t fair to the Hogs, and fortunately, that oddity didn’t repeat itself last fall. Arkansas opened more conventionally, with UTEP, and dispatched with the Miners by 35 points on a sunny Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The Hogs will be charged with again taking on a foe from the Conference USA West Division this weekend, namely the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, a team that put it all together for Coach Skip Holtz in a 9-4, 6-2 campaign that ended with a commanding win over Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl. Bulldog backers have to be feeling quite good about the program. The mercurial, younger Holtz finally seems settled in a place like Ruston, where he can orchestrate a productive and showy offense without the pressure he had at prior stops. He’s authored back-to-back nine-win seasons after a 4-8 go in his first season, so ironically he and Hog Coach Bret Bielema have some common ground: Both are beginning their fourth years at their respective programs with a healthy ideal of long-term program development in mind, but with some unknowns to address. Right up under center, both teams are trying to replace seasoned, and oftmaligned quarterbacks. Both Brandon Allen and Jeff Driskel, ironically, were taken in the back end of the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and both had tumultuous but satisfying rises to that stature. Allen toughed it out over five years in Fayetteville; Driskel, on the other hand, sought out Louisiana Tech after some unsettling times in Florida playing for the ebullient and psychotic Will Muschamp. Both guys produced well in their final collegiate bows, and now it appears that while Austin Allen is going to take over for big bro for the Hogs, Ryan Higgins will return to the starting job for the Bulldogs. Only trouble is, he’ll do so after the first game. Higgins’ preseason DWI left him suspended for the opener, so it’s possible that stocky (6-1, 240) backup Price Wilson, who has thrown all of three passes for the Bulldogs, or another redshirt sophomore, J’Mar Smith, will get the bulk of the snaps. Either way, it’s

not encouraging for Holtz, who had the benefit of transfers Driskel and Cody Sokol the past two years. BEAU Higgins played WILCOX extensively in 2013 but was turnover-prone, and then spent the past two years holding the clipboard. Where Louisiana Tech had hoped to thrive, accordingly, was in the backfield. Former Strong High School (Union County) standout Kenneth Dixon just completed a record-setting career at tailback, though, and the second-leading rusher behind him last fall was Driskel, so the load will be shouldered by Boston Scott and Jerrad Craft, a speed-power tandem that will need to help unburden the quarterback of choice with productive early-down runs. Assuming the Bulldogs can sustain a passing offense with such inexperience at the helm, there’s a proven weapon outside in Trent Taylor. The diminutive flanker from Shreveport had 153 catches the past two seasons, and accounted for nine touchdown grabs in each of those campaigns. He’s a deep threat and uncannily tough for his stature, but he may be asked to do a lot more than run drags and fly routes Saturday. On the defensive side, Louisiana Tech also got burned by exhausted eligibility. Defensive tackle Vernon Butler had a steady four-year run and was rewarded by being picked in the first round by Carolina, the first Bulldog taken in the top round of the draft in 17 years. But he wasn’t the only loss; there will likely be eight new starters on that side when the Hog offense takes the field Saturday afternoon, and the youthful replacements will have their conditioning tested immediately. The combination of Dan Enos’ clock-bleeding offense and a large offensive line, on a sweltering late summer day in the Ozarks, doesn’t bode well for the unit that only returns two players with significant experience. Tech’s best chance is for the twoheaded monster at quarterback to keep an overexcited Hog defense unstable. Tennessee-Martin did a fine job of exposing holes in the Hog secondary last fall, but there’s no question that Robb Smith is going to try to inflict substantial heat on Smith and Wilson this weekend. Arkansas needs a firm, efficient opener to take a degree of swagger to Fort Worth the following weekend.

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THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

The Grand Old Flag

he Observer, like nearly everyone else with access to an internet connection, routinely sees our personal lighthouse battered by Hurricane Outrage, which — on a planet where billions of people struggle to find water and a crumb of daily bread — seems more like a tempest in a teapot inside a series of other, progressively larger teapots the longer we weather it. We have, however, paid attention to the growing debate over San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the national anthem before games. Kaepernick, who is black, says it’s a protest against the way African-Americans are treated in America, including instances of police use of force and brutality. Kaepernick says he’ll sit through the anthem until things change, even if it costs him his NFL career. Given the way the wind has blown on that issue in recent years, The Observer is sorry to say he may be sitting for a looooong time. It is proving to be a stubborn stone. Yeah, Kaepernick is a guy getting paid millions to throw a ball. But The Observer stands with him. Or, in this case, sits. Yours Truly is, of course, all about some free speech. We are especially admiring of those in the limelight who use their time there not just to see how many rockhard bods they can get up next to or how many crummy French chateau clones they can own or how much Monopoly money they can amass without Going Directly to Jail, but to try to make a statement. If The Observer was ever elevated to the status of rich and famous by our Fairy Godmother, that’s likely what we’d try to do with it, once we paid off the credit cards and did a few sweet burnouts in front of the police station in our Bugatti Veyron. We’d attempt to move the needle for folks who have nothing, or at least try to make people think deeper about an issue. That’s what Kaepernick is doing, and why it’s important. The Observer, who might be the only male in America

who doesn’t give two cis-het damns about football, now knows there’s a guy named Colin Kaepernick. Because of him, we’ve spent two days thinking about the flag — about why a multi-millionaire sitting through the anthem is, in its own way, a more powerful testament to those who sacrificed for that flag than rising with the obedient masses and going through the motions of respect. I’m sure many of you reading this will disagree with that that statement. And that’s a testament to the flag as well. The situation got The Observer in mind of our old friend Will Phillips. You may remember him. Way back in 2009, as a 10-year-old up in West Fork in Northwest Arkansas, Will decided one day that he would no longer pledge allegiance to the American flag in his classroom until LGBT people could marry whoever they wanted. His teacher argued with him. School administrators argued with him. The bullies descended. But Will hung tough, a little boy with a lion’s heart. The Observer eventually wrote a story about Will. That piece got picked up by news outlets coast to coast, including “The Daily Show.” Will got himself a signed letter from Sir Ian McKellen over it. That’s Gandalf, to all you who don’t follow the tabloids. And when LGBT folks finally won the right to marry a while back, Will put his hand on his heart and he pledged. Just as he said he would. Will is no quarterback throwing a ball under the bright lights. Nobody was patting him on the back for his courage when the bullies came smirking after him with convictions of their own. But he was moved to make a statement about injustice, hell or high water, and he saw it through. And in that, he and Mr. Kaepernick are kind of brothers. It’s also why Will remains a personal hero of The Observer. We don’t have many of those. Depending on how this all shakes out, Colin Kaepernick may yet wind up one, too.

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Arkansas Reporter

THE

THE NEW SEGMENT OF THE RIVER TRAIL: The picture on the left shows the 14-foot-wide trail dead ending at the Dillard’s headquarters property; a small path at the right connects it to Cantrell Road. The picture on the right shows the trail, looking west.

A tiny bit of trail Mile-long path stops at Dillard’s. BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK

onstruction is nearly complete on a paved and lit stretch of the Arkansas River Trail between the Cantrell Road viaduct and the property line of Dillard’s headquarters, where the city once envisioned that it would continue along the Arkansas River bluff line behind the Dillard’s campus. Dillard’s nixed that plan, and there’s no money to build a scenic but costly trail that would hug the bluff line past Dillard’s property, so for now, the trail stops at Dillard’s and a narrow, temporary path comes off it at a right angle to connect to Cantrell Road. Bike enthusiasts, however, hope to work something out with the company that would allow the trail to continue not along Cantrell but higher up the hill in front of the building. 12

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

The 14-foot-wide trail, fenced off for now, cost $763,500 to build, said Mike Hood, manager of the civil engineering division of the Little Rock Public Works Department. A city resolution approved an expenditure of $958,287 to take care of contingencies. The trail was expensive, Hood said, because of work to stabilize the riverbank it’s built on. Funding came from a $590,000 Transportation Alternatives Program grant from Metroplan, which requires a 20 percent local match. The city’s contribution came from designated funds and state tax turn-back dollars to the street fund. The trail is another tiny step to make the Little Rock portion of the 16-mile loop between Little Rock and North Little Rock more or less seamless and

safer. Unlike the North Little Rock portion of the trail, which is located mostly on parkland, Little Rock’s trail passes through developed property between city-owned land on the east (Riverfront Park) and on the west (Murray Park and the Big Dam Bridge). The Dillard’s property and the Episcopal College School directly across Cantrell have been major roadblocks on that segment of the River Trail. River Trail cyclists now have to ride in Cantrell Road traffic or along a narrow sidewalk in front of Episcopal Collegiate School. (A sidewalk in front of Dillard’s is narrow, and blocked in one place by utility pole guy-wires.) Dillard’s owners and the private school have expressed security concerns in refusing to allow the trail to cross their land. Mason Ellis, president of Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas, said his group expects to meet in mid-September with Dillard’s Vice President of Real Estate Chris Johnson to present plans for various ways the trail could cross in front of the headquarters, which has parking on three sides and two two-lane

access roads to Cantrell. BACA’s meeting will be the second with Johnson; after receiving letters from 40 companies, including Dassault Falcon Jet and CHI St. Vincent Infirmary, advocating for a trail in February, Johnson asked to meet with BACA members, Ellis said. At the meeting, Johnson told the BACA members that Dillard’s did not believe that building the trail in back of its headquarters atop the bluff was “the best use of taxpayer money.” BACA members and Johnson walked the property in front and talked about how to mitigate the “conflict areas” where the trail would intersect with car traffic from Dillard’s thousands of employees. BACA members support a bridge of some kind. Ellis, an architect with Witsell Evans Rasco, said BACA is drafting its ideas for Johnson and will release them after Dillard’s takes a look. East of Dillard’s, the trail will use a 900-foot pedestrian overpass to cross the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Little Rock has completed the engineering and has a $1 million state grant to build the pedestrian overpass, which will be

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ARKANSAS TIMES RECOMMENDS: DIY EDITION

PICTURE

Arkansas Times Recommends is a regular series on our entertainment blog, Rock Candy, in which Times staff members (or whoever happens to be around at the time) highlight things we’ve been enjoying this week. To get folks in the right frame of mind, sometimes we do themes. This one is for the do-it-yourselfers.

BIG

You’ll end up leaving seven hours later with a trunkload of cotton balls and PVC scrap, aimless and dazed and self-loathing.

between the Lincoln Avenue arch and the river. The approach to the overpass, as of now, would be in front of Dillard’s data center, the windowless building east of the headquarters. Mayor Mark Stodola thinks that’s unsafe and wants Dillard’s owners to allow the trail to use a road in back of the data center, but the company is resistant to the idea. East of the overpass, the trail would continue to North Street, which runs parallel to the river, north of LaHarpe Boulevard. (The master plan for the trail calls for it to descend to follow the old railroad tracks along the river.) Plans to connect to Riverfront Park’s Medical Mile must wait until the new Broadway Bridge construction is complete. The city has received another Transportation Alternatives Program grant from Metroplan, for $325,000, to make improvements to a segment along Riverfront Drive. In April, Metroplan’s TAP awarded Pulaski County $400,000 to improve the western extension of the River Trail on Pinnacle Valley Road from County Farm Road to Hidden Valley Road.

IF YOU SHOULD ever happen to find yourself in Durham, N.C., stop by the Scrap Exchange. Somewhere between a thrift store and a junkyard and a Habitat ReStore and a communal art space, it’s a catalog of all the bits of sundry refuse that human civilization can generate, meticulously sorted into its component parts: Barrels and buckets filled with old cassette tapes, dowel rods, binder clips, knee pads, pipe fittings, medical equipment, spatulas, Christmas ornaments, key rings, lumber, paper dolls, Rolodexes, googly eyes, baronies of strange and scratchy fabrics. It’s a place like nothing I’ve seen before or since, a stopover occupying the otherwise ignored commercial real estate between the Goodwill and the dump. It’s a beautiful place, but also a dangerous one. Going after a DIY project without any sense of how to accomplish it can open up a deadly time sinkhole, utterly destroying an afternoon or a weekend, and the Scrap Exchange is uniquely situated to deal ruin to those with such a mindset. Walk inside and an infinity of paralyzing, open-ended potentialities unfolds in front of you. You’ll end up leaving seven hours later with a trunkload of cotton balls and PVC scrap, aimless and dazed and self-loathing. (There should be a sort of serenity prayer for DIYing: Grant me the courage to build the things I can manage to do myself, the serenity and disposable income to purchase the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference. And the time management skills to not waste a whole goddamn afternoon

poking at things I don’t understand.) —Benjamin Hardy FOR A COUPLE of years in grad school, I kept chickens in my backyard in a refurbished rabbit hutch. In terrifying disparity with the happy-hippy organic urban farming visions I set out with, the entire experiment was a bloody drama from which I have still not recovered.

and immoderate expenditures on chicken antibiotics, cold medicine and various other remedies, she soon departed our flock for a heavenly one. My heart frozen at this point, I did not name her replacement. Then, the final humiliation: A possum started sneaking into the coop. Alerted by nervous clucks and rustlings, I would brandish the fencepost that leaned against my house, poking around through the coop door until the dog could get at the possum and paralyze it, then use a shovel to toss it over the fence. Understandably, the hens refused to re-enter the coop of their own accord after that and became a kind of chicken street gang, sleeping in the trees and fending for themselves when they eluded me. Eventually I rounded them up and returned them to the farm from whence they came, where they are no doubt happier (as am I, my chickenburying and possum-shoveling days behind me). — Megan Blankenship FIND A STEP-BY-STEP album of photos at arktimes.com/camper in which a dude with very basic tools builds a classic teardrop-style camper out of ¼-inch plywood, 2-inch rigid foam insulation and sealed duck canvas. Don’t laugh about the canvas. Most of the airplanes made before World War II were covered in doped canvas. The result here is sturdy, quirky, cool and fairly cheap. If you started with a small flatbed trailer purchased off Craigslist (instead of starting from scratch the way he did), and kept the inside very minimalist (his has amenities like a chemical toilet, sink, a raised platform bed, fold-down table and cabinetry), I bet you could get the cost of this way, way down. A weekend project it ain’t, but a basic version of this is very, very doable for an experienced maker, and much preferable to sleeping in a tent. —David Koon

The first couple of flocks, brutally murdered by a poultry-hungry cattle dog with no more regard for a fence than Jesus for a stone tomb, dampened but did not extinguish my ideal, and I came to love my third-time’sa-charm flock, Patsy, Loretta and Tammy, like my own chicken triplets. But our serenity was short-lived, for Patsy took ill, and despite my efforts

arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

‘Million-dollar Thursday’ Ever bounced a check? Pray you don’t end up in Sherwood District Court, where a lawsuit says misdemeanor hot check defendants are hounded to the edge of ruin, repeatedly jailed and forced to pay thousands on original checks of less than $100. BY DAVID KOON

ASSEMBLY LINE JUSTICE: People wait to see Judge Milas “Butch” Hale III in Sherwood in front of a portrait of former Judge Milas Hale II, the current judge’s father.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

hey started lining up for Sherwood District Court at 7 a.m. last Thursday morning, Aug. 25. By 8, the line snaked from the door of Judge Milas “Butch” Hale III’s courtroom, down the hallway, through the atrium, and halfway down another hallway. Everyone in attendance was there for either a new misdemeanor hot check charge, or for a periodic assessment related to a hot check. It’s like that every Thursday morning in Sherwood, the halls packed with people there to see Hale. Many of those who line the hallways on Thursdays in Sherwood are well into their second decade of paying fines and fees to the court, often on original checks that totaled less than $100, having paid thousands of dollars in fees and fines over the years. Some we spoke

to broke down in tears describing the hamster wheel of debt and incarceration they had found themselves on, with any failure to appear or pay resulting in additional fines, court costs, warrants and months-long stints in jail. They described losing jobs, cars, homes, relationships and their hope for the future because of spiraling debt and repeated incarcerations by the court. Last week, the ACLU of Arkansas, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Morrison and Foerster, an international law firm with offices across the United States, Asia and Europe, filed a class action federal lawsuit against Pulaski County, the city of Sherwood and Hale on behalf of five plaintiffs, who, according to the suit, were jailed “for their inability to pay court fines and

fees in violation of longstanding law forbidding the incarceration of people for their failure to pay debts.” Hale has since recused himself from sitting in judgment over the plaintiffs in that lawsuit. For every other defendant caught in a system the ACLU likens to a modern-day debtor’s prison, the wheel grinds on. Inside the courtroom, decorated in shades of beige and brown save for a large portrait of Judge Milas Hale II, the current judge’s father and predecessor, it is justice on an assemblyline scale, with defendants queued up behind a rope line before being called to stand before the judge. The longest the reporter saw a defendant talk to Hale — from “good morning” to being dismissed to talk to the clerk — was approximately 45 seconds, with many defendants spending less than

BRIAN CHILSON

15 seconds before the bench before being shuffled on. When one considers that some of those people rose before dawn and sweated multiple bus transfers from all over Pulaski County to make it to Sherwood for an over-in-a-blink conversation with Hale, it seems like a colossal waste of their time. Nonetheless, defendants told us, if they don’t show up for these cursory appearances before the judge, they are slapped with hundreds in additional fines and fees, along with warrants for failure to appear that can land them in jail. That often leads to nonviolent offenders taking up beds in the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center for months on end, solely because they can’t make it to Sherwood or pay their fines and fees on time. Given some of the stories we heard,

it’s hard to see what goes on in Sherwood on Thursday mornings as anything other than what more than one of those we talked to said it is: extortion under color of law, with the threat of humiliating arrest and incarceration keeping the money flowing. There’s two sides to every lawsuit, but a conversation with a handful of the defendants exiting Hale’s courtroom on any Thursday morning will likely convince even the hardest-hearted among us that Sherwood’s hot check court is a machine that destroys the lives and livelihoods of poor people whose debt to both those they wronged and society has long since been paid in full. Talk to enough of them, and you might even get the distinct impression that it’s a system set up to make people fail. Why? Because, in this case at least, failure is where

the money is.

Inside the machine

To understand how the system in Sherwood was allowed to thrive for so long, you have to go all the way back to the mid-’70s, when cities within Pulaski County informally agreed that all of the county’s bounced check cases would go through Sherwood. As outlined in the ACLU lawsuit, hot checks have long been big business in Sherwood, and an ongoing cash cow for Pulaski County in general. That has continued even after most Americans switched from a checkbook to a debit card. Sherwood handles between 22,000 to 25,000 hot check cases per year, and has collected over $12 million in fines, fees and court costs in the past five years. In 2015, the total of fines collected was $2.3 mil-

lion, which amounts to over 11 percent of Sherwood’s total revenue. In Sherwood, hot checks are a moneymaker second only to sales taxes. Reached at his law office, Hale refused to answer questions about the allegations in the lawsuit or about his courtroom procedures, citing the pending litigation. According to the ACLU lawsuit, the hot check cases in Sherwood result in what the complaint calls “an astounding number” of criminal cases and warrants. “For example… as of March 2011,” the complaint reads, “there were over 49,000 active hot check cases in the Sherwood District Court’s criminal division, which is approximately one hot check related criminal case for every eight citizens — men, women and children — living in Pulaski County at that time.” As arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

BRIAN CHILSON

‘Million-dollar Thursday’

‘THIS IS ALL ABOUT MONEY’: Attorney Reggie Koch, a former Sherwood police officer, is part of the legal team that filed the federal civil rights lawsuit.

further noted in the lawsuit, the Sherwood Hot Check Division issues over 35,000 warrants related to hot checks every year. That’s 96 per day, every day of the year. Four plaintiffs in the ACLU lawsuit are either incarcerated in the Pulaski County Jail now or have been jailed for debts owed the Sherwood court. Nikki Rachelle Petree, 40, wrote a check for $26.93 in September 2011; though she has paid $640, a sum the suit said she could ill afford. Her current debt of $2,656.93 in court costs, fines and fees has landed her in the Pulaski County Jail. Charles Dade, 58, is in the Pulaski County Jail because he is unable to pay the estimated $4,000 in court costs, fines and fees imposed by the Sherwood court for six checks totaling about $360 that were returned for insufficient funds in 2008 and 2009. Plaintiff Nikita Rochelle Lewis, 36, was convicted for hot check misdemeanors by Hale in 2006. Since then, she has paid hundreds of dollars, the suit says, to cover court costs, fines and fees and has been jailed for almost 80 days in the past. Because she was unable to pay the $4,892.80 Hale’s court said she owes, she was recently incarcerated in the Pulaski County Jail. Lee Andrew Robertson, 44, wrote 11 checks totaling $200 over a two-week period in 2009; he was recently jailed because he cannot pay his $3,054 debt. The fifth plaintiff is taxpayer Philip 16

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ARKANSAS TIMES

“This isn’t about justice. It’s just about money. This building here? The buildings across the way? All this you see? They’ve paid for it with this right here. They didn’t pay for it with traffic tickets or taxes. Just this.” — Reggie Koch

Axelrod, 68, who is bringing an illegal exaction claim on behalf of the class against the court, charging it misused and misapplied tax funds by its unconstitutional actions. When a person bounces a check and is referred to Sherwood District Court, Hale generally sentences the offender to probation, in addition to a number of fines and fees. These include restitution of the original check amount, a $165 fine, $100 in court costs, a $25 prosecutor’s fee, a $50 warrant fee, a $20 Sherwood jail fee and a $20 county jail fee. “Thus,” the complaint says, “the

court costs, fines and fees associated with a hot check conviction, regardless of the amount of the unpaid check, exceed $400.” This amount is due immediately. If the person can’t pay, they’re put on a payment plan, with defendants assigned a court date for a “review hearing” one to three months out. When defendants are unable to pay on time or make their court dates, fees and fines can begin to spiral out of control. “Following a hot check conviction,” the complaint says, “[Sherwood District Court] treats each review hearing based on this prior conviction as an opportunity to open a new, separate, stand-alone case, thereby purportedly authorizing the court to impose new and duplicative court costs, fines and fees on the same hot check defendants.” Every time there’s a failure to pay or failure to appear, a new arrest warrant is issued, and the defendant is charged with “a new, stand-alone criminal matter under a separate case number, with a whole new set of associated court costs, fines and fees,” even though the warrants don’t include information to establish that a crime has been committed. “By treating each of these proceedings as a new criminal proceeding,” the complaint reads, “the Sherwood District Court can circumvent the limits on court costs, fines and fees that

can be imposed on a single hot check defendant.” Several defendants we talked to said $370 is added to their debt every time they fail to appear or make a payment. According to the lawsuit, Hale acts as both judge and prosecutor in the new hot check cases that come before him, with Pulaski County deputy prosecutors assigned to the court sitting by passively as Hale asks defendants questions. In most instances, according to the lawsuit, Hale personally presents those who come before him on new charges with a copy of the check they allegedly wrote. “If the individual admits to writing the check,” the complaint says, “Defendant Judge Hale records that the hot check defendant pled guilty to the charge.” If the charge is denied, Hale will personally compare the signature on the check with the signature on forms signed by the defendant to determine if they match. Several of the people we talked to deny that they wrote the checks they were accused of passing, saying that their checks were stolen and forged. In one case, a woman we talked to said

her checks were filled out and signed in cursive, even though she only prints. She said her contentions were disregarded by Hale. According to the lawsuit, those waiting in line outside the court on new hot check charges are usually given a “waiver of counsel” form along with a form asking for basic information, then told that they must fill out and sign both before their hearing can proceed. Though Hale was allowing spectators into the gallery of his court, including reporters and a camera crew, when Arkansas Times visited two days after the ACLU lawsuit was filed, the lawsuit claims that the courtroom is normally closed to all but defendants, prosecutors and court staff. “Although the ‘Waiver of Counsel’ form refers only to hot check charges,” the lawsuit states, “court officials will often proceed as if anyone who fills out the form has waived his or her right to counsel for all purposes, even if the person is appearing on other types of charges or for other purposes.” The Pulaski County Public Defender’s Office doesn’t represent defendants in the court. Instead, a private

attorney working on contract does the job, though the lawsuit says because of the waivers of counsel, the public defender represents few clients. For those defendants who repeatedly fail to appear or can’t make their payments, many wind up in the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center. Some of those we spoke to had been incarcerated multiple times, for as long as 120 days. According to the lawsuit, Hale and the Sherwood Police Department often use the threat of jail or actual stints in jail to force poor defendants to pay, with Sherwood police officers acting as collection agents for the court. As spelled out the lawsuit, what occurs when Sherwood cops make contact with a defendant who is behind on his or her payments sounds less like justice and more like a shake-down. “The officers tell the individual that they will arrest them on a warrant issued by the Sherwood District Court unless the individual can make a payment, in amounts ranging from $50 to hundreds of dollars, on the spot,” the lawsuit says. “If the individual can afford to pay, the officers will give them a court date instead of arrest-

ing the individual. An individual who does not have enough cash to pay is given the opportunity to call the Hot Check Division directly and give a credit card number over the phone. The poorest individuals, who cannot pay, are arrested and brought to jail.” According to the lawsuit, Sherwood police records say their arrests on “failure to pay” warrants are conducted under a state statute that was repealed in 2009.

‘Million-Dollar Thursday’

Last Thursday, we caught Richard Green Sr. coming out of the courtroom after a brief appearance before Hale. Since passing a hot check for less than $100 in 1998, Green has been trapped in a spiraling web of debt and jail. He pays $200 a month. Green said he has been sent to jail five times on warrants related to his 1998 hot check charge, spending a total, he claims, of 405 days behind bars over the years. Disabled because of a bad back, Green said the payments to the court make life hard. “I’ve probably paid thousands and thousands of dollars. I have lost

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everything because of this … . It’s just a revolving cycle I’m on. You never know when you’re going to get it paid off. It’ll seem like you’re going to get it paid off, but you don’t get it paid off. You think it’s going down, but then it’s going back up on you. You never get through paying.” Another person there on Thursday was Tamatrice Williams. She has been paying fees and fines to Sherwood for 16 years on bounced checks she said totaled no more than $300. She has

to go after 16 years. She stood outside the Sherwood municipal complex and cried with others there for hot check court, some of whom she had become acquainted with after seeing them every few months for years. “Oh my God,” Williams said. “I feel so free now. I’ve never been in trouble before, never been in jail before. This is it. I haven’t even had a traffic ticket before.” Asked why she thought Hale had decided to nullify all of her remaining fines and fees, she said she

paying? … He’s got all the proof in there in front of him. So why are we steady coming to court if we’re paying? We’re paying you to not pick us up. We’re steady losing jobs, we have to get out, still support our family, but we’re still being faulted for the same charge.” Kirklin said she had been to jail six times on warrants related to fines and fees associated with the 1997 charges, with each incarceration causing her to lose a job. “We ain’t robbing and stealing and killing, and we’re in jail?”

BRIAN CHILSON

‘Million-dollar Thursday’

‘I FEEL SO FREE’: Tamatrice Williams (left) hugs a security guard after learning Judge Hale had unexpectedly wiped her debts to Sherwood after 16 years.

also paid thousands in fees and fines over the years. “I had maybe three checks that were insufficient funds,” she said. “I didn’t realize it, and I had to come to court here. I tried to go buy the checks back, but they wouldn’t let me do it. I had to come here. Basically, it’s just been ongoing ever since. It went from $35 to $40 all the way up to thousands of dollars. I’ve been jailed seven to eight times. I lost my home, cars, jobs, everything over the situation.” The first time she’d ever been to jail came after she couldn’t pay in hot check court; she stayed there for three months. After Williams went before Hale last Thursday, she came out weeping and clearly shell-shocked, saying that the judge had inexplicably wiped her slate clean and told her she was free 18

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

didn’t know. “I have no idea, but I’m thankful right now, and I’m definitely grateful now because I feel like I can do whatever I want to do right now,” she said. “I’ve got my freedom back. I’ve finally got my freedom back. I can finally live my life with my husband and my kids.” One of those who embraced Williams was Shirley Ann Kirklin. Her original charges stem from checks written in 1997. She said she has paid almost $7,000 to the court, but her paperwork shows she still owes $904.98. She questioned why Hale asks people to come to court even if they’re up to date on their payments. “Even when you’re paying the fine, he wants to see you in front of him,” she said. “Why do you have to leave your job to come in and you’re steady

Kirklin said. “We’re paying a life fee for nothing. It’s devastating. This has really caused hurt to relationships. We don’t know if we’re coming or going. We don’t know what’s right anymore. … I think it’s legalized extortion. Seems like there’s something going on up under the table. I can’t put my finger on it, but paying the fine for the same crime over and over again and you’re still paying? I’m going to be paying this for the rest of my life.” Also appearing before Hale last Thursday was a young woman we’ll call J, who asked that her name not be used for fear of retribution from the court. She said she had driven in from seeing her family in Oklahoma the night before specifically to appear before Hale the following morning. Her conversation with Hale lasted less

BRIAN CHILSON

than 30 seconds. J said her original charges stemmed from a 2010 incident in which she claims her purse was stolen. She denies writing the hot checks for which she was later charged, but said Hale didn’t believe her claims when she brought them up during her first appearance before him. J said she’s paid almost $5,000 to the court in fines and fees and still owes almost $3,500. J, who said she’s heard Sherwood court staff and cashiers refer to hot check court as “Million Dollar Thursday,” said she’s been in jail three times on warrants out of Sherwood, the longest stint 120 days. The last time she went to jail, J said, sheriff’s deputies came to the college class she was taking at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, handcuffed her in front of her classmates, and marched her to a waiting patrol car. After being held for six hours without being allowed to call her family to tell them where she was, she was transported to the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center. She said she moved to Little Rock from Fort Smith specifically to make sure she made her court dates in Sherwood, for fear of going to jail again. “I think once you’re on their radar, you have a target on your back,” she said. “They want you to fail, because they see you as money. You’re a price tag to them. That’s the only way to see it. ... If you miss anything, he charges either $340 or $370, but he hits you every month for it. I was actually reading the other night in my paperwork, because I was confused. I didn’t remember when I went to court. And it actually says that once he sentences you to jail time, you actually have to pay a fee for going to jail. You’re charged for him sentencing you. With him, the restitution, until you’ve paid off the original balance of the check and the money to the court or to the state, you don’t get your $40 a day [subtracted from fines] for being in the county [jail]. You’re just in time out. You lose your job, you lose money, you lose cars. It’s really a hassle.” While J says she believes Hale to be a good man who wants people to avoid re-offending, she doesn’t believe he understands the hardships he’s putting on people with the spiraling fines and fees from the court. She hopes the ACLU lawsuit will change things. “I was standing in that line, and everybody was talking about it,” she said. “I think the root of the problem is that we shouldn’t have done it in the first place. But we should be treated like

humans. Once you get in over your head, you can’t keep above water.”

Twenty-three dollars

Another story we heard came from John Bowman, a former Little Rock resident we reached through an acquaintance who saw a version of this story on the Arkansas Blog. Bowman, who has been completely blind since 1968, said he is currently in hiding outside Pulaski County because he owes over $4,200 in fines and fees to Sherwood District Court, stemming from a check for $23 written to Little Rock’s Cork and Bottle liquor store in 2010. Bowman said he has paid between $700 and $800 in fines and fees, but couldn’t make his court appearances or pay his payments regularly because of his disability. That resulted in his debt to the court growing out of control. Bowman said that because of his blindness, he signs checks for others to fill out and pay his bills. He believes the check eventually written to the liquor store was stolen from him after he signed it, but he accepted responsibility for it because he couldn’t prove it. Bowman, who claims he was gravely ill at the time the check was written, says he didn’t learn about the warrant out for him from Sherwood until he had someone open his mail in February 2011. Bowman said that once he learned of the warrant, he tried to make his court dates, but often had a hard time doing so because he takes the bus. He said even light rain makes it hard for him to hear oncoming traffic, which makes it dangerous for him to cross streets and intersections during storms, especially those streets which are unfamiliar to him. He said even on days when it wasn’t raining, bus schedules in the morning made it impossible for him to get to court on time. “At the time this check was written, I was living [on Markham Street], and in 2012, I moved to my son’s over on Reservoir,” he said. “My bus leaves at 6:38 in the morning. By the time I got downtown, it was 7:04, and I’d already missed the bus to Sherwood.” Bowman tried to stay above water, but found himself getting deeper and deeper into debt. “When I could make it, I would pay $50 a month like it says in my instructions,” he said. “But when I tried to pay the fourth month, they said, no, you can’t pay again. They said it was because I’d missed my date. Excuse me, but I said, ‘This is horseshit.’ Not to them. I didn’t know what to do.” On the occasions when he could

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‘Million-dollar Thursday’

make his court appearances in Sherwood, Bowman said, he never talked to Hale more than 30 seconds. “He takes a look and says, ‘OK, make sure you make your payments.’ Boom! I’m out of there. I said, ‘Damn, I went through all of this for 15 seconds?’ “ Bowman said. “He’s moving too fast. We’re in and out of there like cordwood, like wood going through a lumber mill. Boom, boom, boom! It’s not justice. They say this isn’t debtor’s prison? Bull.” Bowman says he fled Pulaski County after being repeatedly “picked up” on warrants out of Sherwood while out walking in his neighborhood. Because he’s blind, concerned motorists often call police requesting a check on him when he’s walking near highways. When police respond, they run his warrants. Bowman said he’s been transported to Sherwood five to eight times since 2011, where he was locked in Sherwood’s holding cells for more than three hours while his paperwork was prepared. After his release, he said, he had to catch rides back to Little Rock. He says he’s currently trying to save up the money he owes to Sherwood so he can pay the district court off and move back to Pulaski County. “I’m in hiding now, hiding from them, so they can’t come and get me and serve me another warrant,” he said. “I’m in hiding until I can get $4,800 saved up. Then I’m going to turn myself in. I don’t dare call.”

Inertia

North Little Rock attorney Reggie Koch, a former Sherwood police officer himself before going to law school, is helping represent plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed over Sherwood’s hot check court and its practices. Walking along the line snaking away from Sherwood District Court last Thursday, he said that in his experience, it was “a light day.” Some Thursdays, he said, the hallways can be standing room only. Koch said that during his time there, he often heard Sherwood warrant officers refer to themselves as “bill collectors with guns.” Koch quit the department in 2002 and later became a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against Sherwood, in which he alleged that the Sherwood Police Department retaliated against him for speaking out about racial discrimination. That suit was eventually settled out of court. Koch has since successfully sued Sherwood on behalf of other employees. “This is all about money,” Koch said, 20

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

“I don’t think that Judge Hale should be a judge anymore. I think he’s really forfeited any credibility that he might have." — Bettina Brownstein motioning to the long line outside Hale’s court. “This isn’t about justice. It’s just about money. This building here? The buildings across the way? All this you see? They’ve paid for it with this right here. They didn’t pay for it with traffic tickets or taxes. Just this.” Koch said the system at Sherwood unfairly victimizes the poor. “You cannot put people in jail just because they don’t have money. That’s what this amounts to,” he said. “If you have a business and you’re going to give me your widgets and take my piece of paper [in exchange], that should be between us. It’s a civil matter. What if I go to you and say, ‘Can I borrow $50 or pay you for this stuff later?’ That’s called credit, and we handle it through the civil courts. We don’t go with guns and handcuffs. That’s what this ought to be. This still being a crime is just resulting in debtor’s prison. That’s all this is. These people owe a debt and they’re going to jail for it.” Though some will liken writing a hot check to shoplifting or other theft, Koch says that the comparison isn’t valid. “If I go in and steal something, the [store owner] didn’t have a chance to be part of the bargain,” he said. “If I walk in and shove something under my coat and walk out with it, they’re not part of the bargain. But here, I say, ‘I’m going to take this coffeemaker, and I’m going to give you this piece of paper and it’s good. I’ll make this right with this piece of paper, and you agree to that. That’s arm’s length bargaining. It’s not like stealing.” Koch also disagrees with Sherwood District Court’s waivers of counsel for hot check clients. In most other courts, he said, waiving the right to counsel isn’t as easy as signing a form. “Over in circuit court, you have to stand up in front of the judge and let him ask you some pointed questions,” he said. “It’s not some piece of paper you sign when you walk in.” Several people approached Koch last Thursday morning, sharing their sto-

ries and contact information with him in hopes of getting some help. He said when he worked there as a cop, he barely even noticed the people who came for Thursday court. He sees things differently now. “When I was a police officer, I used to come through here and look at these people and just thought they were scum. I thought, ‘Just get a job.’ Life taught me different.” Bettina Brownstein, another Little Rock attorney working on the case on behalf of ACLU of Arkansas, said the Sherwood hot check court and its procedures were an open secret among the local legal profession for years. She said the number of people who knew what was going on there but did nothing is what bothers her the most. “I’m just horrified and saddened by the fact that we all let this go on,” she said. “Believe me, we knew more or less, about it. Maybe some of us knew it to a greater degree than others, but so many people knew: lawyers, judges, citizens. And we didn’t do anything to stop it.” She called that fact an “indictment” of the community. “I’ve heard about lawyers in Pakistan going to the streets to protest crackdowns on civil rights,” she said. “Where are we? Where’s our profession? Where’s the Judicial Commission on Professional Conduct? To me, that’s one of the most telling things.” Brownstein said there existed “an inertia to not do anything” that kept people from acting, along with a fear that crossing a judge might affect their livelihood. Now that the stone is moving, Brownstein said that people have been calling and stopping her in coffee shops to tell her about their experiences in Sherwood District Court after bouncing a check. She said the best case scenario would be for the federal court to immediately step in and stop Sherwood’s practices related to hot checks. She also said she believes Hale should be removed from the bench. “I don’t think that Judge Hale should be a judge anymore,” she said. “I think he’s really forfeited any credibility that he might have. The other thing is I think the city of Sherwood should have to pay back lots of money. That would really be the best. That would be some justice in my view. Brownstein said that now the case in Sherwood has been brought to light, it should put other courts around the state on notice if they’re doing similar things. “I’d like them to know we’re going to start looking at them, too,” Brownstein said. “We’re not going to rest until we get all of them.”

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Arts Entertainment AND

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ARTHURIAN ABSURDITY The Rep goes big with Python parody ‘Spamalot.’ BY JAMES SZENHER

JOHN DAVID PITTMAN

hether you can quote verbatim the Holy Hand Grenade passage from the “Book of Armaments” or you just enjoy great musical theater, get ready: The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s 2016-17 season is kicking off with “Spamalot,” a resounding explosion of irreverent humor, massive medieval sets, ridiculous dance numbers and catchy, silly songs. Love it or not, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” has become a permanent fixture in popular culture, inspiring countless re-enactments and recitations of scenes that bring together like-minded fans of the British comedy troupe’s irreverent and absurdist style of comedy. Former Python member Eric Idle penned the book and script for “Spamalot,” which successfully adapted the largely nerdinhabited cult for a larger Broadway audience, taking three Tony Awards in 2005. “All your favorite characters are here, from the Black Knight to the French taunters,” director Melissa Rain Anderson said in a recent interview. “The [Python] rhythm and tone are so specific, but here it’s perfectly calibrated for a musical comedy,” she said, expressing a real love for working out the “math” of Python comedy by fine-tuning the pace and feel. Anderson, who also helmed the fantastic production of “The Little Mermaid” last year, has directed productions of “Spamalot” before. She has assembled what she refers to as a “family” of cast and crew, many of whom have worked together on other productions. “This is an ensemble show, where everyone finds joy in each other’s gifts and makes room for each other to succeed,” Anderson said. “I like to make sure everyone enjoys each other’s company, so onstage we can create the best party anyone would want to go to.” This kind of camaraderie mirrors that of the original Python crew, whose off-the-cuff rapport made their comedy work so well. Erik Keiser (Sir Robin) has been reciting the “swallows & coconuts” scene by heart. Mike DiSalvo (Lancelot) generally doesn’t take musical roles but made an exception for the

CULT COMEDY: (L to R) Adam Kemmerer (Sir Dennis Galahad), Mike DiSalvo (Sir Lancelot), James Lloyd Reynolds (King Arthur), Darryl Winslow (Sir Bedevere), Ben Leibert (Patsy) and Erik Kaiser (Sir Robin) star in “Spamalot.”

chance to perform the Python scenes. Jacob Hoffman (Historian) didn’t grow up with Python, but has plenty of experience in musical comedy and has worked with Anderson on previ-

ous productions of “Spamalot.” The adaptation works in part because there were already plenty of nods to musical theater in the original film, from Prince Herbert’s constantly

interrupted attempts at singing to the full-on Broadway of “Knights of the Round Table,” with the line that gave “Spamalot” its name. The show takes the silliness of the film and dresses it up in maxed-out, tongue-in-cheek extravagance. Even the Terry Gilliam animations make an appearance through the magic of dioramas. “There’s always so much going on across the stage at every moment, and everyone is playing so many characters,” Keiser said. “You really need to see it more than once to pick up on everything because it’s so visually stimulating.” Hoffman chipped in: “This show begs to be done in a certain way, and there’s a real artistry in our group taking what’s already great, being true to that, and use a little license to have fun with it.” For those who have the script from “Holy Grail” memorized forward and backward, there’s plenty here that’s new. Cast and crew were quick to heap on praise on Madeleine Corliss’ vocal performance as the Lady of the Lake. “There’s a fun, surprising turn for Lancelot, after the buildup to his rescue of the maiden in the castle, and the show just blows up in an unexpected and hilarious way,” DiSalvo said. (Purists can rest assured that the changes stay true to the Python spirit.) A few bits are pulled in from the troupe’s other works, such as “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.” The production is one of the Rep’s biggest ever, and they haven’t skimped on the bells and whistles for even the audience, which will be given props. There will also be Python-themed concessions from Loblolly Creamery (coconut, of course) and Stone’s Throw Brewery (elderberry beer). The theater rents costumes to the public to help support productions, so anyone who wants to dress up as his or her favorite “Spamalot” character for Halloween might have a chance to wear the real deal. “Spamalot” opens Friday, Sept. 2, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 2. Special events include “Pay Your Age Night” on Sept. 4 and “Sign Interpreter Night” Sept. 14. More info is available at therep. org.

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A&E NEWS IN CELEBRATION OF Banned Books Week (Sept. 25-Oct. 1), the Central Arkansas Library System announced a writing contest based on “A Thousand and One Nights” (or, “Arabian Knights”), a collection of South Asian and Middle Eastern tales collected between the 8th and 13th centuries that’s prompted debates over freedom of speech as recently as 2010, when a group in Egypt, Lawyers Without Restrictions, called for the book to be banned based on its eroticism. The contest is open to residents of Perry and Pulaski counties, and stories must contain either Sindbad the Sailor or Scheherazade, the storyteller of legend who kept herself alive by relating the 1,001 tales to which the title alludes. For more details, visit cals.org.

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THE HOT SPRINGS Documentary Film Festival (Oct. 7-16) has made some early announcements of guest appearances, including Barry Bostwick, the original “Brad” of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and Ed Asner, the seven-time Emmy recipient who played the title character in “Lou Grant,” the spin-off from CBS’ “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” ANYONE WHO’S DABBLED in the inkstained, cut-and-paste world of fanzines knows it’s a labor of love, one that’s gone on for 25 years for former North Little Rock resident Matthew Thompson. Thompson is celebrating the silver anniversary of Fluke, a fanzine that was instrumental in giving voice to Little Rock’s punk scene during the 1990s “7th-and-Chester-style,” as Thompson says (a reference to Vino’s Brewpub shows). Originally conceived by Thompson, Steve Schmidt and Jason White (of Green Day fame), Thompson’s published Fluke at irregular intervals from a new headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz., and calls the anniversary edition his “love letter to Little Rock.” The edition highlights Tav Falco, along with a few of those whose elbow grease kept Little Rock’s punk scene alive: Fletcher Clement, Colette Tucker, Mitchell Crisp, Andy Conrad, James Brady and Colin Brooks, and comes with one of two variant covers: a tattoo flash-style art cover from Crisp, and another featuring Ben Sizemore of Econochrist, politico-punk rockers who got their start in Little Rock before gravitating to the Bay Area punk scene. Nate Powell — Eisner Award winner, artist of the “March” comic book trilogy and former member of Soophie Nun Squad — designed a T-shirt to commemorate the anniversary, available at Fluke’s Tumblr website. Get the anniversary edition of Fluke at fluke.bigcartel.com or, if you’re waxing nostalgic, send $4 to: Fluke, P.O. Box 1547, Phoenix, AZ, 85001.

A Fascinating History of Arkansas’s 200 Year Battle Against Disease and Pestilence This is a great history of Arkansas that tells how public attitudes toward medicine, politics and race have shaped the public health battle against deadly and debilitating disease in the state. From the illnesses that plagued the state’s earliest residents to the creation of what became the Arkansas Department of Health, Sam Taggart’s “The Public’s Health: A Narrative History of Health and Disease in Arkansas” tells the fascinating medical history of Arkansas. Published by the Arkansas Times.

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BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE

THURSDAY 9/1

Esther D. Nixon Library, Jacksonville. 6:30 p.m., free.

Four of Central Arkansas’s libraries will be home to Arkansas Sounds’ “Sounds in the Stacks,” a fall concert series in which Pianokraft plops down a 7-foot Yamaha Semi-Concert Grand Piano in the middle of a library and invites a local ivory tickler to play a free show. This month, it’s Michael Heavner, a Hendrix graduate who currently works as an instructor, dance accompanist, musical director and social media manager for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s theater and

dance department, at the Esther D. Nixon Library in Jacksonville. Heavner is as comfortable playing an impressionistic improvisation (check out on YouTube “Improvisation with Michael Heavner and A Thunderstorm” he made with a UALR dance student) as he is playing a boogie-woogie on keyboards at Jimmy Doyle’s Country Club. He’s performed with Charley Pride and Percy Sledge, is a composer, audio editor and sound engineer, and he created “Country Loops,” a drum loop software collection to accompany homemade waltzes and shuffles. If you’re in the Jacksonville area, stop by for a concert from this eclectic talent.

KATIE OSBORNE

SOUNDS IN THE STACKS: MICHAEL HEAVNER

TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Melanie King, Correne Spero and Jordan Wolf of Daughters of Triton.

THURSDAY 9/1-SUNDAY 9/4

HOT SPRINGS JAZZ FESTIVAL

7 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon Sat., 10:45 a.m. Sun. Downtown Hot Springs. Free-$35.

The 25th annual Hot Springs Jazz Festival is piping the distinctly American art form into every nook and cranny in Spa City this weekend, from the church house to the old gangster hangout — that is, every nook and cranny not already occupied by the concurrent Hot Springs Blues Festival. Following Wednesday night’s kickoff, the Clyde Pound Trio takes the cozy second-floor stage at notorious gangster hideaway the Ohio Club, home of reliable burgers, strong cocktails and a towering mahogany bar back that the original owners had shipped in by barge down the Mississippi. The trio (Clyde Pound on piano, David Higginbotham on bass, Paul Stivitts on drums) accompanies “The Diva Chicks” (Fedette “Lady J” Johnson, Shirley Chauvin and Dona Petty). Friday night at the FiveStar Theater, there’s a “Classical and Jazz Blowout” featuring the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet, saxophonist Earl Hesse with the Anything That Moves combo, emceed by Don 24

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

Gooch and powerhouse mezzosoprano Diane Kesling. Saturday, Bill Solleder, special events manager for Visit Hot Springs, emcees “Jazz In the Streets” under the Broadway Street Sky-Bridge starting at noon. It will feature sets from trombone sextet Great American Slide Show (GASS), the Subiaco Academy High School Jazz Band, Henderson State University’s NuFusion, the University of Arkansas at Monticello Jazz Band and the Brass-A-Holics of New Orleans. If you stay out too late and need to repent, you can do so at the Jazz Mass at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, with Chris Parker on piano, Bill Huntington on bass, Jay Payette on drums, Shelley Martin on flute, alto and soprano saxophone, and Matt Dickson on tenor saxophone, followed by “Jazz After Church” at Grand Avenue United Methodist, with performances from saxophonist Gary Meggs, keyboardist Ron Hall, bassist Bill Hickman, percussionist Paul Stivitts and vocalists Ron Hall and Gary Meggs. The 17-piece Stardust Big Band caps off the weekend with a “tea dance” in the Arlington Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom, with free admission for students 18 and under. For tickets, visit hsjazzsociety.org.

FRIDAY 9/2

KABF-FM, 88.3, KARAOKE BIRTHDAY BASH

9 p.m. White Water Tavern. $5.

Little Rock’s 100,000-watt KABF-FM, 88.3, turns 32 this year, and the program “Girls!” is hosting a karaoke night fundraiser for the station. “Girls!” is the “radio show about girls, for girls and by girls” broadcast at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, when host Alex Flanders helps us all to be ever-so-slightly more

hip by elevating our knowledge of kickass music made by women. The shindig kicks off with a set from Correne Spero’s Daughters of Triton, and is followed by karaoke from Jeremy Brasher’s collection. If you’ve been listening to Flanders’ karaoke recommendations on “Girls!” the last couple of weeks, you should already have a girl group tune or six to belt out with reckless abandon.

FRIDAY 9/2

KUHS-FM, 97.9, FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY FUNDRAISER

5 p.m. KUHS Studios, 240 Ouachita Ave., Hot Springs. Donations.

Did you know Hot Springs has a volunteer-run, solar-powered community radio station? It’s called KUHS-FM, 97.9, and it’s spearheaded by Zac Smith, whom you may have caught playing tuba in polka-inspired duo Itinerant Locals. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the station’s airwave presence and, to celebrate, the crew is holding a party to raise funds to help sustain its broadcasts and cover costs for a soundboard that had to be replaced after overheating. Visitors can tour the station, record a promotional station ID, learn about the Grassroots Radio Conference (an annual gathering of community radio types from all over the U.S., led by

Marty Durlin of KGNU-FM, 88.5, in Boulder, Colo., and Cathy Melio of WERU-FM, 89.9, in Blue Hill, Maine) to be held in Hot Springs in October, eat birthday cake and preview the location of the station’s future “pizza palace” and microbrewery, to be called SQZBX (“Squeezebox”). Cheryl Roorda, KUHS crew member and the accordion half of Itinerant Locals, says the spot was home to the Royal Lions Club in the 1970s. “There are all sorts of relics that I found in the building as we were unpacking it. There was a sign on the bathroom door (which was hot pink and black) that said, “Yield, it’s more fun.” Emergent Arts (341 Whittington) is holding a Gallery Walk reception from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for “More Than Just a Pretty Face,” an exhibit of narrative portrait photography. Prohibition Press (761 Park Ave.) and the Red Light Roastery (1003 Park Ave.) will also be open.

volun brate in ad micro Solle and J

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 9/1

SATURDAY 9/3

JOINTSTOCK

1 p.m. The Joint. $10.

Main Street Argenta has become home to all manner of fall music gatherings, including Jointstock, which the comedy/coffee club The Joint added to the mix. The 3rd annual Jointstock will feature craft beer specials all day and

music from The Big Dam Horns; R&B crooner SeanFresh; the guitar-forward rock group DeFrance; psychedelica from Space Mother; Slade Wright; Anna Jordan (Moonshine Mafia); mentalist and magician Paul Prater; the comedian-fronted Jay Jackson Band; as well as improv comedy from The

Joint Venture and stand-up comedy from Jason Thompson, Aldrich Teruel, Ashley Wright Ihler, Geoffrey Eggleston, Jared Lowry and Josh Ogle. Jointstock benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Doors open at noon.

Revolution hosts a heavy “Local Love Showcase” with performances from Levels, Throne of Pestilence, Smoke Signals, All Is at an End and K. Toomer, 8:30 p.m., free. Cruise ship favorite Marvin Todd lands at the Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat. ($8), 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. ($12). The Clinton School presents a panel discussion on The Rep’s upcoming production of “Spamalot,” noon, Sturgis Hall, free. One-man band Paul Morphis plays a set at Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, 6 p.m., free. Styx takes the stage at the Walmart AMP in Rogers with Honeyjack, 7:30 p.m., $31-$51.

FRIDAY 9/2 Little Rock’s own under-sung blues legend Charles Woods plays with his full band at Markham Street Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m. Mountain Sprout brings its rowdy bluegrass mix to Stickyz, 9 p.m., $5. Rodney Block hosts a listening party and cigar social to preview his upcoming EP, “Eyes Haven’t Seen/Ears Haven’t Heard” at Crush Wine Bar, 8 p.m., free. Hot Springs’ Landrest shares an all-local bill with Hawtmess and Notice to Quit, 8 p.m., $5. Party band Liquid Kitty lands at Thirst N’ Howl, 8:30 p.m. UALR Trojans women’s volleyball wraps up the Little Rock Invitational with a game against the University of Tennessee at Martin, 5 p.m. Naturalist Tom Frothingham hosts “Plant Walk: Know Your Natives” at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library, 4 p.m., free. Verizon Arena hosts a collaboration between the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey in “Circus Xtreme,” 7 p.m. Fri., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. Sun., $15-$45. Brothers + Company plays its brand of upbeat rock at Revolution with The Band Camino, Rock Europa and Kyle Jackson, 8 p.m., $10. DELTA BLUES IN SPA CITY: The legendary CeDell Davis plays the Hot Springs Blues Festival with his longtime backing band Brethren at Hill Wheatley Plaza, 7:15 p.m., Sept. 3, $20-$25.

SATURDAY 9/3-SUNDAY 9/4

HOT SPRINGS BLUES FESTIVAL

4 p.m. Hill Wheatley Plaza. $20-$25.

Should the bebop and big band of the concurrent jazz festival leave you needing a respite, historic Hot Springs is also the backdrop to the 21st annual Hot Springs Blues Fest, the Spa City Blues Society’s concert series. If you can get there for the kickoff at 4 p.m. Saturday, you’ll hear the Spa City Youngbloods, the ambassadors of the

Society’s BITS (“Blues in the Schools”) program. The group is open to any young aspiring blues musicians in grades 7-12 and has played sets at Memphis’ International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase, Oklahoma’s Dusk til Dawn Blues Festival and the Hot Water Hills Music and Arts Festival. Keyboard-drum duo Stuart Baer and Lance Womack and jam musicians The Chiller Blues Band follow, and performances by the seasoned blues guru CeDell Davis, his

formidable band Brethren and California’s The Delgado Brothers cap off the night. Sunday’s lineup includes Trey Johnson and Jason Willmon, who lie on the Woody Guthrie side of the blues spectrum; Morrilton’s Akeem Kemp Band; Unseen Eye; Ohio’s Noah Wotherspoon Band; and longtime Beale Street performer Barbara Blue. A pass to the festival is good for both days.

SATURDAY 9/3 Hip-hop chanteuse Bijoux goes solo for an after-hours show at South on Main, 9 p.m., $6. William B. Jones signs his new book, “Petit Jean: A Wilderness Adventure,” 2 p.m., Petit Jean State Park, free. Butterfly & Irie Soul host “The Get Down Party” at Next Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $10-$15. The “Lattes & Lit” series features author Denise White Parkinson reading from “The River Sisters: Tales & Mysteries of the Arkansas Delta” at Kollective Coffee + Tea in Hot Springs, 6 p.m., free. SoCal’s grimy surf-punk outfit Retox joins Seattle synth-metal quartet He Whose Ox Is Gored and Silent in the back room at Vino’s, 8:30 p.m., $10. arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 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.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 1

MUSIC

Brian Mullen. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7:30 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. thetavernsportsgrill.com. Brother Moses. With Rock Eupora and Canopy Climbers. George’s Majestic Lounge, 8 p.m., $7. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. georgesmajesticlounge.com. Byron. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com. Drageoke. Hosted by Queen Anthony James Gerard: a drag show followed by karaoke. Sway, 8 p.m. 412 Louisiana. clubsway.com. Hot Springs Jazz Fest. Featuring Jazz Night at the Ohio Club, a Rodney Block Block Party, a classical.jazz concert at Five-Star Theater, a Saturday lineup of “Jazz in the Streets,” a Sunday Jazz Mass and a tea dance with Stardust Big Band. Downtown Hot Springs, through Sept. 4, free-$35. hsjazzsociety.org. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Local Love Showcase. Performances from Levels, Throne of Pestilence, Smoke Signals, All is At An End, K. Toomer. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Mayday by Midnight. Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m., $5. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.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. Paul Morphis. Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, 6 p.m., free. 17711 Chenal Parkway. 501-821-1144. yayasar. com. RockUsaurus. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Sounds in the Stacks: Michael Heavner. Esther D. Nixon Library, 6:30 p.m., free. 703 W. Main St., Jacksonville. 501-457-5038. cals.org. Styx. With Honeyjack. Walmart AMP, 7:30 p.m., $31-$51. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479443-5600. waltonartscenter.org. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

“The Game.” A comedy game, in the style of Comedy Central’s “@midnight.” The Joint, 8 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-3720205. thejointargenta.com. Marvin Todd. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $8. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

ArkiePub Trivia. Stone’s Throw, 6:30 p.m., free. 26

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

SECOND WIND: Southern rock quintet DeFrance peel out riffs from an upcoming album at Stickyz with Saint Thomas, Couch Jackets and Chris Tarkington, 8:30 p.m. Sept. 3, $5.

402 E. 9th St. 501-244-9154. stonesthrowbeer. com. Hillcrest Shop & Sip. Shops and restaurants offer discounts, later hours and live music. Hillcrest, first Thursday of every month, 5 p.m. 501-6663600. www.hillcrestmerchants.com.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m.; Sept. 2, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-6641555. milb.com. UALR Trojans vs. Oklahoma University. Women’s Volleyball. UALR, 6:30 p.m. 2801 S. University Ave. 501-569-8977. lrtrojans.com.

KIDS

Garden Club. A project of the Faulkner County Urban Farm Project. Ages 7 and up or with supervision. Faulkner County Library, 3:30 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www. fcl.org.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Envy. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Brothers + Company. Revolution, 8 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Bryan Ramsey. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf. com. The Charles Woods Band. Markham Street Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m., free. 11321 W. Markham St. 501-224-2010. markhamstreetpub.com. Club Camp. A drag show featuring Mark Samuel Monroe, Benton Girl Tyler, Layonya, and Berrick Darry, followed by an open stage. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. clubsway.com. CosmOcean. With Joshua Stewart. Kings Live Music, 8:30 p.m., $5. 1020 Front St., No. 102, Conway. kingslivemusic.com. Hot Springs Jazz Fest. See Sept. 1. KABF Benefit Show: Girls! A performance from DOT (Daughters of Triton) followed by karaoke. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. whitewatertavern.com. Katie J. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7:30 p.m., free.

17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. thetavernsportsgrill.com. Katmandu. Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m., $5. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com. Landrest, Hawtmess, Notice to Quit. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxineslive.com. Liquid Kitty. Thirst n’ Howl, 8:30 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. thirst-n-howl.com/. Listening Party and Cigar Social. A spin of Rodney Block’s new EP release, “Eyes Haven’t Seen/Ears Haven’t Heard,” with a performance from Block. Crush Wine Bar, 8 p.m., free. 318 Main St., NLR. 501-374-9463. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Matt Treadway Duo. Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, 6 p.m., free. 17711 Chenal Parkway. 501-821-1144. yayasar.com. Moonshine Mafia. Four Quarter Bar, 10 p.m., $7. 415 Main Street, NLR. 501-313-4704. fourquarterbar.com. Mountain Sprout. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $10. 107 River Market Ave. 501372-7707. stickyz.com. Mudhawk. Smoke and Barrel Tavern, 10 p.m. 324 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-521-6880. smokeandbarrel.com. Salsa Dancing. Clear Channel Metroplex, 9 p.m., $5-$10. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-217-5113. www.littlerocksalsa.com. Stony LaRue. George’s Majestic Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $17. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479442-4226. georgesmajesticlounge.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.

COMEDY

“Forever Hold Your Peace.” By comedy trio The Main Thing. The Joint, through : 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointargenta.com. Marvin Todd. The Loony Bin, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Ballroom dancing. Free lessons begin at 7 p.m. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 8-11 p.m., $7-$13. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501221-7568. www.blsdance.org. Contra dance. Park Hill Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., $5. 3520 JFK Blvd., NLR. arkansascountrydance.org. “Girl’s Night Out.” A choreographed touring troupe of male dancers. Jimmy Doyle’s Country Club, 8:30 p.m., $18-$190. 11800 Maybelline Road, NLR. 501-945-9042.

EVENTS

Fantastic Friday. Literary and music event, refreshments included. For reservations, call 479-968-2452 or email artscenter@centurytel. net. River Valley Arts Center, Every third Friday, 7 p.m., $10 suggested donation. 1001 E. B St., Russellville. 479-968-2452. www.arvartscenter.org. KUHS-FM. 97.9, Radio Fundraiser Birthday Bash. A fundraiser and birthday party for KUHS-FM, 97.9, Hot Springs’ solar-powered community radio station. KUHS 97.9 Studio, 5 p.m., donations. 240 Ouachita Avenue, Hot

Springs. 501-627-0711. kuhsradio.org. LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 501-244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. First Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. 400 W. Broadway, NLR. 501-664-1555. milb.com. UALR Trojans vs. Mississippi State. UALR, 6 p.m. 2801 S. University Ave. 501-569-8977. lrtrojans.com. UALR Trojans vs. UAPB. UALR, noon. 2801 S. University Ave. 501-569-8977. lrtrojans.com.

KIDS

Plant Walk: Know Your Natives. A plant identification walk with Tom Frothingham. CALS Children’s Library, 4 p.m., free. 4800 W. 10th St. cals.org.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3 MUSIC

Bass Players Ball. Revolution, 8 p.m., $10-$20. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Bijoux. South on Main, 9 p.m., $15. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Butterfly & Irie Soul: The Get Down Party. Next Bistro and Bar, 9 p.m., $10-$15. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-6398. www.facebook. com/LRnextbar/timeline. The Chads, Sad Palomino, Dylan Earl and the Post Country Westerns. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxineslive.com. Corey Fontenot. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7:30 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. thetavernsportsgrill.com. Fire & Brimstone. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf. com. Hot Springs Blues Festival. Featuring performances from CeDell Davis with Brethren, Spa City Youngbloods, Barbara Blue, Trey Johnson and Jason Willmon, Stuart Baer and Lance Womack, Unseen Eye, Delgado Brothers, Chiller Blues Band, Akeem Kemp Band, and the Noah Wotherspoon Band. Hill Wheatley Plaza, Sept. 3-4, 4 p.m., $20-$25. Central Avenue downtown, Hot Springs. spacityblues.org. Hot Springs Jazz Fest. See Sept. 1. Jet 420. Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m., $5. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. cajunswharf.com. John David Salons. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 8 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. hiberniairishtavern.com. Jointstock. Featuring performances from Sean Fresh, DeFrance, The Big Dam Horns, Anna Jordan, Space Mother, Jay Jackson Band, Slade Wright, mentalist Paul Prater, improv comedy from The Joint Venture and stand-up comedy from Jason Thompson, Aldrich Teruel, Ashley Wright Ihler, Geoffrey Eggleston, Jared Lowry and Josh Ogle. The Joint, 1 p.m., $10. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointargenta. com. Katie J.. Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, 6 p.m., free. 17711 Chenal Parkway. 501-821-1144. yayasar.com. Little Raine Band. Four Quarter Bar, 10 p.m., $7. 415 Main Street, NLR. 501-313-4704. fourquarterbar.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-

4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Manchild, Vintage Pistol. Smoke and Barrel Tavern, 10 p.m., $3. 324 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-521-6880. smokeandbarrel. com. Pickin’ Porch. Bring your instrument. All ages welcome. Faulkner County Library, 9:30 a.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org. Piper Lou-Renee. With Eva (Caleb Williams). ZaZa, 10 p.m., free. 1050 Ellis Ave., Conway. 501-336-9292. zazapizzaandsalad.com. Ponder the Albatross. Bear’s Den Pizza, 10 p.m. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-328-5556. bearsdenpizza.net. Randall Shreve and The Devilles. George’s Majestic Lounge, 9 p.m., $12. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. georgesmajesticlounge.com. ReTox, He Whose Ox is Gored, Silent. Vino’s, 8:30 p.m., $10. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. vinosbrewpub.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

Marvin Todd. The Loony Bin, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $12. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell and Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 8 a.m.-noon. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Historic Neighborhoods Tour. Bike tour of historic neighborhoods includes bike, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001. Little Rock Farmers Market. River Market pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. Pork & Bourbon Tour. Bike tour includes bicycle, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 11:30 a.m., $35-$45. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001.

POETRY

Lattes & Lit. Kollective Coffee & Tea, first Saturday of every month, 6 p.m., free. 110 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-701-4000.

SPORTS

UALR Trojans vs. UT Martin. UALR, 5 p.m. 2801 S. University Ave. 501-569-8977. lrtrojans.com.

BOOKS

“Petit Jean: A Wilderness Adventure.” A book talk and signing at Mather Lodge from author William B. Jones. Petit Jean State Park, 2 p.m., free. 1285 Petit Jean Mountain Road, Morrilton. petitjeanstatepark.com.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 4

MUSIC

Autodreamer & Friends. With Chat Room, Instances, Brian Oman, Jackson Diner and Zora McBride. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8 p.m., $10. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. stickyz.com. Hot Springs Blues Festival. See Sept. 3. Hot Springs Jazz Fest. See Sept. 1. Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish

North Little Rock 501-945-8010 Russellville 479-890-2550 Little Rock 501-455-8500 Conway 501-329-5010

laspalmasarkansas.com www.facebook.com/laspalmasarkansas

MURROW

BY JOSEPH VITALE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND AND FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD • 6 PM AT THE REP “BLACK BOX” TICKETS $20 GENERAL ADMISSION, $10 STUDENTS Joseph Menino stars as journalist Edward R. Murrow, MURROW delivers a biographical look at an icon and pioneer of American broadcast journalism and also a powerful, stinging indictment of the contemporary corporate-media complex. More at acansaartsfestival.org or 501.663.2287 Sponsored by

Post MURROW show interview with John Kirk at Samantha’s Tap Room 9-9:30 p.m. ACANSA Arts Festival encourages public appreciation of the arts, showcases and increases awareness of the arts in the region and enriches the cultural vitality of Arkansas.

Media Sponsor

arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

SEPTEMBER 9

AFTER DARK, CONT.

THE 2ND FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH 5-8 PM

WORKS BY ADAM BENET SHAW

CURATED BY ROBERT BEAN 200 RIVER MARKET AVE. STE 400 501.374.9247 WWW.ARCAPITAL.COM

Opening reception for

Heinbockel, Nolley, Peterson Personal Rituals Live music by

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

Amy Garland and Nick Devlin

Phantasmagoric (detail) by Marianne Nolley

Calypso, Pop & Dance sounds by the

Episcopal Collegiate School Steelcats Percussion Ensemble Scrumptious treats from the Capital Hotel, plus refreshing drinks! 300 W. Markham St. oldstatehouse.com

MATTHEWS FINE ART GALLERY

909 North St, Little Rock, AR (501) 831-6200 www.matthewsfineartgallery.com Tues-Sat 12-5pm These venues will be open late. There’s plenty of parking and a FREE TROLLEY to each of the locations. Don’t miss it – lots of fun! Free parking at 3rd & Cumberland Free street parking all over downtown and behind the River Market (Paid parking available for modest fee.) 28

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

EVENTS

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

MONDAY, SEPT. 5

SURFACE AND LIGHT

Gourmet. Your Way. All Day.

Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. La Original Sonora Dinamita. Magic Springs’ Timberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., $55-$65. 1701 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs. magicsprings. com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Shawn James. George’s Majestic Lounge, 8 p.m., $10. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-4424226. georgesmajesticlounge.com.

501-324-9685

MUSIC

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. The Rescue. With Local Eyes, Clover the Girl, Takes the Cake, No Render, ColorBlind George’s Majestic Lounge, 8 p.m., $10. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. georgesmajesticlounge.com. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 6

MUSIC

Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Casual Pleasures, Open Fields. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., donations. 2500 W. 7th St. 501375-8400. whitewatertavern.com. Gil Franklin & Friends. Holiday Inn, North Little Rock, first Tuesday, Wednesday of every month. 120 W. Pershing Blvd., NLR. Goo Goo Dolls. With Collective Soul. Walmart AMP, 7:30 p.m., $36-$62. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479-443-5600. amptickets.com. Jeff Ling. Khalil’s Pub, 6 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. The Rough & Tumble. Bear’s Den Pizza, 10 p.m., donations. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-3285556. bearsdenpizza.net.

COMEDY

“Punch Line” Stand-Up Comedy. Hosted by Brett Ihler. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

COME IN AND SEE US! 108 W 6th St., Suite A (501) 725-8508 www.mattmcleod.com

EVENTS

FREE TROLLEY RIDES!

Little Rock Farmers Market. River Market pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock.

LECTURES

Mel Coleman. A talk from the President of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Sturgis Hall, noon, free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

p.m. Sept. 8, show through Oct. 20, Baum Gallery, lecture by Riede 1:40 p.m. Sept. 8, McCastlain Art Lecture Hall.

POETRY

Words & Wine. An adult, guided creative writing class with poet Kai Coggin. Emergent Arts, through Sept. 27: 7 p.m., $12. 341-A Whittington Avenue, Hot Springs.

FAYETTEVILLE SUGAR ART GALLERY, 1 E. Center St.: “Running Toward Dreams,” work by young Iranian and U of A student artists, traveling exhibit, opens with reception 5:30-8 p.m. Sept. 1. 417699-2637.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7

MUSIC

HOT SPRINGS ALLISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: “Wonders in LaLa Land,” whimsical art by Lori Arnold, opens with reception 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2, Hot Springs Gallery Walk. 655-0604. EMERGENT ARTS, FINE ARTS CENTER, 341 Whittington Ave.: “More Than Just a Pretty Face,” opens with reception 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2, Hot Springs Gallery Walk. 613-0352. 626 Central Ave.: “A Study of Light,” plein air artworks, through Oct. 1, open 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2, Hot Springs Gallery Walk, also 6:30-9 p.m. third Friday of every month. 624-0489. GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: “Paintings from Provence,” work by Bob Snider and Holly Tilley, opens with reception 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2, Hot Springs Gallery Walk. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 318-42728 GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS: “Traditional Art Guild,” work by local artists, September and October, Magnolia Room. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: New textiles by Jennifer Libby Fay, painted paper on canvas by Donnie Copeland, sculpture by Robyn Horn, paintings by Dolores Justus, reception 5-9 p.m. Sept. 2, Hot Springs Gallery Walk. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 321-2335.

Gil Franklin & Friends. Holiday Inn, North Little Rock, first Tuesday, Wednesday of every month. 120 W. Pershing Blvd., NLR. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. RockUsaurus. Senor Tequila, 7 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505. Sounds So Good Jazz Quintet. Part of the “Jazz in the Park” series. Riverfront Park, 6 p.m., free. 400 President Clinton Avenue. Steven. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $8. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Will Marfori. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $8. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Little Rock Bop Club. Beginning dance lessons for ages 10 and older. Singles welcome. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 7 p.m., $4 for members, $7 for guests. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501-350-4712. www.littlerockbopclub.

LECTURES

“Memorable Wedding Dresses: From the Silly to the Sublime.” A talk from professor Yslan Hicks on wedding dress images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s current exhibit, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.” Terry Library, 6:30 p.m., free. 2015 Napa Valley Drive.

POETRY

Wednesday Night Poetry. 21-and-older show. Kollective Coffee & Tea, 7 p.m., free. 110 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909. maxineslive. com/shows.html.

BOOKS

“Petit Jean: A Wilderness Adventure.” Part of the Butler Center’s Legacies and Lunch series. Main Library, noon, free. 100 S. Rock St. butlercenter.org.

ARTS

THEATER

“All the Way.” TheaterSquared’s production of Robert Schenkkan’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios, through Sept. 18: Wed.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Sun., 2 p.m., $15-$45. 505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. waltonartscenter.org. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Xtreme. Verizon Arena, Fri., Sept. 2, 5 and 7 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 3, 1 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 4, 1 p.m.,

THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES: Brian McCarty’s photographic interpretations of drawings of war by children, “WAR TOYS: Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip,” opens Thursday, Sept. 1, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The show pairs the photographs with the drawings, as in the works above, both titled “Youth Resistance.” “WAR TOYS” is an ongoing project of McCarty’s; he’s worked with children in war zones all over the world. The images are meant not as commentary on a particular war, but as an expression of how children see their world. The exhibition runs through Oct. 20 in the Fine Arts Center. $15-$45. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com. “Spamalot.” Arkansas Repertory Theatre, through Oct. 1: Wed., Thu., Sun., 7 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 8 p.m., $30-$55. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. therep.org. “‘‘Spamalot’: A Panel with The Rep.” Sturgis Hall, Thu., Sept. 1, noon, free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

NEW IN THE GALLERIES

DRAWL SOUTHERN CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY, 5208 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Woodruff County Portraits & Other Paintings,” work by J.O. Buckley, through Sept. 27. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 680-1871. GALLERY 360, 900 S. Rodney Parham Road: Abstract paintings by Brian Wolf, through Sept. 24. 663-2222. L&L BECK ART GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 660-4006. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “WAR-TOYS: Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip,” photographs interpreting children’s artwork by Brian McCarty, Sept. 1-Oct. 20, reception 5:30 p.m. Sept. 21 with talk by McCarty to follow; “Arkansas Women to Watch: Organic Matters,” work by Sandra Luckett, Katherine Rutter, Dawn Holder

and Melissa Wilkinson, Sept. 8-Oct. 20; “Pop Up Exhibition: Works from the Permanent Exhibition” by Zina Al-Shukri, Robyn Horn, Benjamin Deaton, Neal Harrington, Al Allen and Jayden Moore, through Sept. 2. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., after Labor Day also 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Sun. BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way: “Fourth Annual Light Night Party,” art-making, dancing and music by The Fritz at “Buckyball” sculpture, 8-11 p.m. Sept 2; panel discussion: “The Northwest Arkansas Craft Boom,” with Eleanor Lux, Emily Chase and Olivia Trimble, 7 p.m. Sept. 8; “American Made: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum,” 115 objects including quilts, carvings, signs, samplers, weathervanes and more, through Sept. 19; American masterworks spanning four centuries in the permanent collection. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed., Fri.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun., closed Tue. 479-418-5700. CONWAY UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS: “Curious Devotion,” paintings by Danielle Riede, ceramics by Dawn Holder, installation by Langdon Graves, opens with reception 4-6

JONESBORO ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY: “Night Women,” mixed media printmaking by Delita Martin; “Dinner Table,” installation by Martin; “Seat Assignment,” photographs by Nina Katchadourian; “Continual Myth,” drawings by Tad Lauritzen Wright; “Arkansas Neighbors,” photographs by Andrew Kilgore, through Oct. 9, Bradbury Art Museum. Noon-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 870-972-2567.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Argenta branch of the William F. Laman Library invites Arkansas art teachers to enter the 2nd annual Juried Arkansas Art Teacher Exhibition, to be held Nov. 18-Dec. 10 at the library. Guy Bell, artist and owner of Drawl Gallery, will be juror. Deadline to apply is Oct. 28. Cash prizes will be awarded. For information on how to enter, email Rachel Trusty at rachel. trusty@lamanlibrary.org. The Arkansas Arts Center is accepting entries for a temporary art installation to accompany Fountain Fest, the Arts Center Contemporaries’ fundraiser set for Oct. 13. The winning design, which must be completed by the fundraiser, will be displayed in or around the Carrie Remmel Dickinson Fountain at the front entrance to the Arts Center. The artist will receive a $1,500 prize. Deadline to enter is Sept. 2; go to arkansasartscenter.org/fountain-fest and click on the link to enter a design. Wildwood Park for the Arts invites printmakers to submit works with a theme of nature for the February 2017 “Nature in Print” exhibit. Deadline to submit proposals online is Dec. 1. Find more information at wildwoodpark.org/ art. The Thea Foundation has opened registration for students, teachers, families and community groups wishing to take part in Thea Paves the Way, the annual sidewalk chalk event at the Clinton Presidential Center. This year’s event will run from 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 10; school groups may compete for art supply gift certificates. Participants will get to visit the CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

OUT IN ARKANSAS

Poz Pollyanna A Q&A with Charles Sanchez. BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE

everal years after moving out of his Midtown apartment on Markham Street to return to New York City, actor Charles Sanchez was walking the streets of Manhattan with a video camera, his pal Tyne Firmin and a burning question: “Who is your favorite HIV+ character on television?” Responses ranged from “Ummm … ?” to “Well, for God’s sakes, I don’t know of any HIV+ character on television!” That was concrete justification for Firmin and Sanchez to bring to life their vision: a campy web series about an openly gay, HIV+ single man living in Manhattan, a show that had more in common with “Pink Flamingos” or “Guys and Dolls” than with “Gia” or “Philadelphia.” Sanchez, an openly gay and HIV+ New Yorker, plays “Merce,” a Hayley Mills-style protagonist with a glorious smile, a Barbara Eden twinkle in his eye and an abiding mantra that “life can be positive when you’re positive!” Firmin is director. I talked with Sanchez, who’s now blogging for Huffington Post and developing his one-man show “Full Blown” ahead of the second season of “Merce,” currently in its fundraising phase. What do you think is the biggest misconception about HIV+ people? I was diagnosed in 2003 with what they charmingly called “full-blown AIDS.” Sexy. Now I like to say that I’m poz, but the newest P.C. term is “person living with HIV.” My pal Shawn Decker calls us “pozitoids,” and I love that, too! I think the biggest misconception is that we’re sick, diseased, dying, frail, weak, sad, tragic. Those beliefs still exist. As a culture, we’re suffering from major PTSD from the AIDS crisis of the early ’80s and ’90s. The images of ravaged, sick and dying men and women were so vivid that they echo in our collective consciousness. When we hear HIV, those images come up, no matter how long ago they were. Even though science has made incredible advances in treatment and prevention, our emotions haven’t made those advances. You’ve been living as a healthy, positive person (or do we say poz now?) for years and years. How 30

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ARKANSAS TIMES

have the treatment and the possibilities for quality of life changed over the years, in your eyes? It’s a g.d. miracle! The first treatments were so toxic and scary, and the scientific community was just throwing spaghetti against the wall, hoping that something would stick. Now, the meds are truly amazing. There’ve been advances even in the almost 13 years since I was diagnosed. I used to take six pills twice per day, and now I only take one, once per day. And the side effects I used to have were … um … difficult to manage. I lovingly refer to one side effect as having poops-a-daisy! I never

to society — not everywhere, because bigotry and ignorance still exist, and outdated laws, etc. — but, our lives can be as normal as we choose. The first episode of “Merce” deals with HIV+ status as a sort of “elephant in the room,” particularly when an otherwise dreamy first date takes a turn after Merce discloses his status. The stigma is still very much a social reality, even though so much has changed since the U.S. AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Absolutely! Stigma is the biggest problem, and the one I’m most fighting against. “Merce” was created as a direct reaction to seeing only tragic views of HIV in mainstream media, and I wanted to show something opposite, something that reflected my own attitudes and life. Some people still think of us as diseased pariahs, and until they see and believe

and “Merce” has gotten some love from Estoy Bailando, a Spanish-language digital platform for LGBT culture. To what extent is speaking Spanish important in Latino gay communities in NYC? I don’t know that I can really speak to that, since I don’t speak Spanish! I’m fifth-generation American, so when people ask about my heritage, I always say “George Washington,” but I do think the best parts of me — my rhythm, my musicianship, my sense of humor, my love of language — all come from my family, my roots. “Merce” is raunchy. In the first 8½ minutes, we’ve heard some throwback Amy Fisher jokes, we’ve been inside Freddy’s, which just oozes a John Waters brand of trashy, and we’ve seen your ass. Have you heard from any folks who took offense at any of

LIFE CAN BE POSITIVE WHEN YOU’RE POSITIVE: Sean Griffin, Charles Sanchez, Rob Laqui and Alexander Tomas in the trailer for “Merce,” a musical comedy webseries about an unshakeably cheerful single man living with HIV.

knew when I’d have to go RIGHT NOW. TMI? The med I’m taking has almost no side effect. It’s unbelievable. I think, like anyone else, really, an HIV+ person’s quality of life has to do with choosing optimism and hope and choosing joy. Now that we’re no longer at death’s door and we are not seen as a threat

something different, they can’t change their opinion. In the crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the second season of “Merce,” you point out that you employ a racially diverse set of actors. You’re Latino,

the humor? I didn’t know it was raunchy until the last day of shooting! One of the crew had mentioned it, and … I mean, I knew I wrote a little blue, but raunchy? I mean, no one eats crap or anything! I certainly didn’t want to offend anyone, but if so, so what? I’ve been offended by a lot of things in my life: self-righteous religious bigots, people killing people for being

OUT IN ARKANSAS people, Idina Menzel’s voice. Those things deeply offend me. My show is no more raunchy than, say, “Inside Amy Schumer.” The bawdier comedy balances out the cheesiness of the musical comedy, and keeps it all modern. And my ass is darling.

JOHNNY COUGHLIN

I think it’s fair to say that “Merce” is distinctive not only because its protagonist is HIV+, but because, as Bob Leahy (Positive Lite) said, “it’s not sad and no one dies.” The aesthetic in no way resembles the throngs of poignant, tragic treatments of HIV+ stories ubiquitous in the 1990s; “Merce” is straight-up “Singin’ in the Rain.” Were you and Tyne pretty clear on the vision from the outset? Yes! We knew we wanted our show to be colorful, MGM-bright, wickedly funny, and still have something to say. We wanted our show to be unapologetic

in its kookiness, full of love, and to be so much fun that people would forget that Merce has HIV. Which is exactly the point. All eight episodes of the first season of “Merce” are available at mercetv.com, where there’s also a link to a campaign to crowdfund the second season.

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE Conner Eldridge visited Little Rock’s Club Sway on Aug. 25 as part of the Stonewall Democrats’ “Donkeys & Drinks.” The speaker series invites prominent political figures to a gay bar to speak about LGBTQ issues. No major candidate for a statewide race in Arkansas politics had given a speech inside an LGBTQ venue until Thursday, and by doing so Eldridge set a precedent for future candidates in Arkansas elections. “Can y’all believe that some on the other side put out statements about the Orlando shooting and didn’t refer to the hate crime aspect?” Eldridge vented. “I mean, that’s why we’re here tonight, right?” Right. “It also comes back to my three kids and the world I want them to grow up in,” he said. Eldridge also underscored the importance of his Christian faith and his joy to share the pews with LGBTQ families at his church every Sunday. As U.S. attorney, Eldridge said, he prosecuted federal criminal cases across 34 counties in Western Arkansas and understands the lingering legal discrimination against the LGBTQ community. “One of the first cases that hit my desk as U.S. attorney,” Eldridge said, “turned out to be the first Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Act case in the country,” a law his opponent, Sen. John Boozman, voted against. “The basic anti-discrimination statutes that are litigated every day in federal court — you find race, gender, religion … you don’t find sexual orientation or gender identity. That’s pretty astounding to me.” Eldridge pledged to “… support and co-sponsor the legislation that fixes that from day one.” Eldridge said he recognized he doesn’t fully understand all the issues of the LGBTQ community, but he wants to sit down and learn from those who do. His message: I’m listening. “[Discrimination] is not something we can accept or tolerate and, in fact, we have to fight against it,” he said. “I am very proud that our campaign has been the most progressive campaign on LGBT issues in the history of the state of Arkansas.” The remark was greeted with explosive applause. “Donkeys & Drinks” continues on Sept. 22 with remarks from Susan Inman, Melissa Fults, Camille Bennett and Victoria Leigh. — Austin T. Hall

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MOVIE REVIEW

uring the two bank robberies that occur before the title sequence for “Hell or High Water” rolls, what you notice about brothers Toby Howard (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) is their homemade ski masks, the eye and mouth holes jagged, irregular cuts made in some other garment. These guys are not professionals, though they do have a plan. Each time they hit a new branch of the Texas Midlands Bank in some decrepit West Texas town, they take only the cash from the drawers — a few thousand dollars a pop. It’s small potatoes in terms of the bank’s actual holdings, but, as we slowly come to discover, the stakes could not be larger for this family. The Tanner brothers quickly draw the attention of Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges at his grizzled best), who, in keeping with genre convention, has just received a letter informing him of his upcoming mandatory retirement. Marcus throws himself into this last hunt with gusto, dragging his partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) through a neardeserted Texas landscape littered with rusty oil rigs, weathered ranch houses and bright new billboards advertising debt consolidation loans to a new generation of desperate folk. As Alberto observes, when the white man came to the area, he took Indian land with military force, but now the land is being stolen all over again — or in the words of one local witness, when asked how long he’s been here: “Long enough to watch the bank get robbed that’s been robbing me for 30 years.” While “come hell or high water” is a common phrase employed to describe overcoming whatever difficulties may arise, it’s also a colloquial term in contract law, the “hell or

Who’s robbing whom? ‘Hell or High Water’ poses the question. BY GUY LANCASTER

CRIMINALS OR CLASS HEROES?: Ben Foster (Tanner Howard) and Chris Pine (Toby Howard) dodge a Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) on a bank-robbing spree in hopes of saving the family farm.

high water” clause mandating continual payment no matter the circumstances in which the paying party finds himself. The regular brush fires that dirty the landscape give some sign as to how that Faustian bargain with the banks turned out for most people here. Like its protagonists, the movie “Hell

or High Water” plays for small stakes but never fails to take the game seriously, with the actors embracing their roles completely. Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham needle each other like an old married couple, trading ethnic barbs and agebased insults. The guys they’re chasing are a bit of an odd couple themselves;

Pine’s Toby is careful, thoughtful, while Foster’s Tanner (in what is hands-down the best performance in the film) only ever truly relaxes when at the center of some mayhem. Even the minor characters are a delight, like the waitress who informs the Rangers exactly what they’ll be having for lunch. Moreover, director David Mackenzie and editor Jake Roberts capture the real confusion of violence by holding steady, holding the shot, rather than reducing the action to an epileptic mess of camerawork; when the punch or gunshot slips in from out of frame, we feel the same shock as do the characters on screen. In fact, at some points the movie recalls Henri-George Clouzot’s 1953 film, “The Wages of Fear,” with moments that linger like a raised fist, leaving us wondering if the blow will actually land. Folk singer Utah Phillips liked to tell the story of how his mother, a union organizer during the late Depression, made a scrapbook for him of newspaper articles on various heroic figures: “She favored bank robbers, called them class heroes.” Are the Tanner brothers heroic figures? Ranger Hamilton insists that they must be held accountable for what ultimately occurs, as they put this whole thing into motion. But did they? Who was the original thief whose deed set the ball rolling, and how far back did that crime occur? “Hell or High Water” doesn’t pretend to answer that question, though by holding a mirror up to our mythic projection of the Wild West and its promise of independence, this heist movie forces us to confront certain truths about the project we call America, this place where our brothers’ blood still cries out from the ground today as it has for centuries past.

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