Arkansas Times - September 24, 2015 by Arkansas Times

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LOST IN THE BACKLOG Gov. Asa Hutchinson calls for more foster homes. But parents like Carolyn Edwards say DHS red tape drives families away. BY KATHRYN JOYCE

CHILDREN IN CRISIS:

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

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COMMENT

Covered in fog Sadly, a decades-long state newspaper subscription ended with the realization the paper would not publish an article opposed to the Democrat-Gazette’s editorial page ideas (Sept. 16) about how to operate public education, especially in Little Rock. The state newspaper flaunts the “darn good” charter schools and tells the academic distressed schools “they just have to get better.” Almost $1 billion was spent to improve our schools, and to no avail. Therefore, according to the state paper, the poor people with minimal or no support must somehow improve their plight, even to the point of being competitive with the much ballyhooed charter schools. Obviously, the editors cannot see very well in the fog caused by keeping their heads positioned in the clouds. The powerful people (PP) knew money would not solve the school problem. Because they have money to waste, that was not a concern. Nor are they open to ideas that could improve public education. They knew that eventually the government would come to the same realization: money, even a lot of money, would not solve the problem. Finally, because the government capitulated, the PP can legally separate themselves from the weaker, less fortunate folks. Moreover, they can say, with clear conscience (after all, they spent almost a billion dollars), “Well, the schools will just have to get better, won’t they?” Can you see the callous, cruel, conniving stinking thinking of the PP? Read what the heavily funded Forward (really Backward) Arkansas (a PP ploy) writes about troubled schools: “Academic Distress: All schools in academic distress and pre-academic distress receive support and interventions that enable them to transform their school cultures, dramatically improve student achievement, and sustain their improvement over time.” In all that codswallop, can you find any real help? In a sacred text, the son of God states, “By myself, I can do nothing.” I know what he means about being by himself. This writer cannot even get Baker Kurrus to talk over a cup of coffee. Since the 1970s, the idea of village education has been written about (that is about to end because both papers for different reasons will not promote the idea), but meaningfully discussed in public only a few times. Village education keeps the children together for 13 years in a family-like environment that builds character. Character development, for example, will help end the brutal murders in our city. Now, village education 4

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

can only be given mere mention in the context of writing about something else. In his seventh decade of life, the author is running out of time. The vision of village education in Little Rock could end when he does. Note to myself: Do not mention Hillary’s book “It Takes a Village” because that will bring negative attention to the idea. What a shame that village education has never been seriously appraised by anyone in this town. Lack of concern and the PP’s pontificating putrid public pabulum instead of real food keeps attention away from the idea. What are they afraid of? Richard Emmel Little Rock

From the web In response to the Sept. 17 article about

Sen. Jason Rapert’s reports of threats to the State Police: Rapert (to Arkansas State Police Major Henry La Mar): “When you say you will add this to the file, what exactly are you doing? Someone stating they will ‘gun down’ another seems to be over the line. Will your team try to discover who would send something like this to an elected official ... I look forward to hearing from you because I want to be certain I understand what you are or are not doing.” OK, point one, Rapert: Do you think the ASP owes you as an “elected official” more attention than, say, your Lowe’s questioner? Point two: If I were to say/write that you irritate me so much I’d like to kick your rear up between your ears, do you consider that a threat? It’s not; it’s

hyperbole. Learn the difference. Now that I’ve been calm and judicious (more or less) in this post, let me add this: I wish someone had a jackass named Truth who would bite you in the arse (thank you for the idea, Vanessa) any time you showed said arse. I’d even fix a stall so Truth could come down for a few days to recuperate from his daunting workweek. Doigotta In response to an Arkansas Blog post about state Rep. Charlie Collins’ movement to draft Sen. Tom Cotton to run for president: Please Re-thugs, please nominate him. May I suggest Cotton/Carson? Please double-down on: stoppin’ them mus-lims, gays and the gays they want to marry, non-whitey’s, of course the lib-rals, real rape(c), no minimum wage, really push that whole “Christian” nation thing, declare war on China, Syria, Iran, Russia, North Korea and any other country that looks to be gettin’ uppity (American Exceptionalism! Go Hogs!), only the poor should pay taxes (they’re not job creators, just job doers), privatize Social Security (it’s socialist, don’t ya know?) and propose lots of new laws (from allmale lady-part Congressional committees) regarding lady-parts and what ladies are allowed, or not allowed, to do with them. tsallenearng In the Republican mind, all Trump needs is a foreign policy expert on his ticket. This is a move to get Tom up to speed before the big push for Trump/Cotton 2016. They’re right, it’s the end times. Arkansas Guy

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In response to an Arkansas Blog post on Texas Tech Coach Kliff Kingsbury’s post-game brag that Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema “got his ass kicked”: I understand Kingsbury’s satisfaction with beating the Hogs on Saturday. I can also understand his animosity towards Bielema based on the Hog coach’s braggadocio at the coaches’ meeting. However, I think that it was bad taste for Kingsbury to make such a statement at a post-game press conference. I don’t recall a coach calling out another coach in that venue before. I think anybody named Cliff who spells it with a “K” so it would be more atune with his last name is a ridiculous prima donna. But I have the good taste not to mention it at a press conference. “Kliff?!” Derisive pig snort!!! Olphart

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

Quote of the Week:

— Mike Huckabee on the prospect of the U.S. taking in greater numbers of Syrian refugees fleeing civil war, which has killed some 250,000 people and displaced almost half the country’s population.

As GOP presidential candidates sputter out — Rick Perry quit the race earlier in September, joined this week by Scott Walker — some are urging U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton to elbow his way onto the field. State Rep. Charlie Collins (R-Fayetteville) launched a website this week encouraging Cotton to run for president, and on Twitter, Weekly Standard founder Bill Kristol has been pushing a true neocon dream team: Dick Cheney-Tom Cotton 2016. Fortunately for those of us not aroused by the thought of a world of endless war, Cotton has thus far expressed no indication he’s considering getting in the race.

The Constitution demands I set your truck on fire On Monday, Bald Knob Police Chief Erek Balentine resigned his position out of concern for the safety of his family, following last week’s burning of his personal pickup truck. Balentine attracted anger from rabid gun enthusiasts in August when he arrested a local man, Richard Chambless, for carrying a holstered handgun into a McDonald’s. (Whether “open carry” of firearms is or is not legal in Arkansas is a matter of dispute.) How do we know the vehicular arson was directed at Balentine because of the arrest? Well, spray-painted on the charred sides of the chief’s Dodge Ram was “2 Amendment.” Point taken. 6

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

Draft Cotton in the works

BACK IN LITTLE ROCK: Hillary Clinton made her case to college students at Philander Smith College on Tuesday.

Clinton at Philander Hillary Clinton spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of supporters Tuesday at Philander Smith College. Her remarks tracked some familiar themes — equal pay for equal work, help for students to pay the rising cost of higher education, restoration of the voting rights act and automatic voter registration for 18-year-olds. “I think we have to admit, we’ve got some work to do when it comes to racial justice,” she told the crowd at the historically black college. “We should all say loudly and clearly: ‘Black Lives Matter’... This is the work of this generation — to unleash your energy and your commitment — and I want to be one of the people who convince you, calls you to do just that.”

Judge halts state’s attack on Planned Parenthood On Friday, U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued a temporary restraining order that prevents the state of Arkansas from stopping Medicaid reimbursements for people who receive

services from Planned Parenthood of the Heartland clinics in Little Rock and Fayetteville. The order will be in place for two weeks while the judge considers arguments to make it permanent. In fighting the suit, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s top litigator, Lee Rudofsky, made the unsupported claim that sting videos shot by an anti-abortion group showed a live child being dismembered at a Planned Parenthood facility. He also said the Arkansas affiliate of Planned Parenthood, though operated independently of other affiliates nationwide, should be held responsible for its association with the clinic network. Judge Baker’s questions at Thursday’s hearing indicated that the videos had no connection to state. “[T]here is no evidence that PPH performs surgical abortions in Arkansas from which fetal tissue could be obtained,” she wrote in her order.

Hogtied in Hogville After opening the season ranked No. 18, the Arkansas Razorbacks are 1-2, having lost back-to-back games against

also-rans Toledo and Texas Tech — at home, no less. Each game has been followed by the Internet pillorying head coach Bret Bielema. The loss to Toldeo, a team from outside the power conferences, came a few days after Bielema talked derisively about No. 1-ranked Ohio State’s strength of schedule. Then, over the weekend, Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury told the press that Bielema had bragged at an offseason Texas coaching clinic that he would kick any team’s ass that passed 70 times in a game and didn’t use a fullback, a style of play that Kingsbury said most Texas high schools (and his team) employ. Kingsbury said on Saturday night that it felt good to kick Bielema’s ass and that Texas A&M, who the Razorbacks play this week in Arlington, would probably do the same. He’s probably right. If Bielema doesn’t find a way to motivate his team, it’s going to be a long season.

OPINION

Profiting from fear, politics

he Associated Press distributed called the devices an article with an Ohio dateline “unlisted, unlabeled over the weekend that deserves and untested.” But action by the more attention in Arkansas. It talked of the success of a fledg- Ohio legislature ling industry in selling door barricade required a change MAX devices to schools against the possibil- in codes to allow BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com ity of “active shooters” in the building. them in Ohio. School security and fire experts were Which brings us quoted as criticizing the supposed safety to Arkansas. An Arkansas company from devices. Why? They are complicated to Conway, Ulockit Security, is among those use under stress. They could lock shoot- selling such items. The AP article quoted ers INTO a classroom with children. Sim- its leader, former Conway cop Daniel ple door locks that work from the inside Hogan, as defending the devices — less have never been breached by shooters. with response to specific criticism than Blockading doors with desks is a simpler, with an appeal to primal fear. He’s quoted easier tactic. The National Association of as saying a “different evil” requires extra Fire Marshals said a study following the protection, though a security training Sandy Hook massacre weighed against organization in Ohio told AP that buysuch door-locking devices. ing a lock device was analogous to buyAn Ohio building codes board ing fire extinguishers that building staff

Refugees redux

he heartrending pictures and accounts of the rivers of men, women and terrified children who survived the rickety boats of the Aegean and treks through the Balkans to reach the portals of Western Europe brought back old but equally poignant images of the sufferings of war. They also brought back the conflicted feelings and politics of Europe and America — even way down here in the heart of obscurity — that followed the great refugee flights from war. We are feeling and seeing those again, as Europe and now the United States argue over who should succor the civilian refuse of wars in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq in which all of us, to a lesser or greater degree, are invested. Leland Duvall, whose World War II letters to his girlfriend back at Pottsville, Ark., I compiled a few years ago for a book by the University of Arkansas Press, described the hordes of bedraggled people carrying their belongings on their backs or in toy wagons or wheelbarrows trudging aimlessly across the Rhineland and Belgium at the war’s end. V Day on May 8, 1945, had liberated the migrant-farm-worker-turnedgunnery-sergeant from the charming banter about soldiering that he had

used in some 300 letters to keep Letty Jones from worrying about him. But at war’s end came elegiac ERNEST descriptions DUMAS of battle and suffering, images that Duvall expected to banish from his consciousness once he was back on the mountain with her. He would forget the sting of shrapnel in the buttocks and “the sharp crack in the wind that a bullet makes when it passes overhead.” “Today,” he wrote, “the air is heavy with the scent of lilacs and apple blossoms. Strange how soon the smell of powder and burning flesh can be filtered out by growing shrubs.” He spotted wildflowers and blades of grass peeping through the rusting tracks of tanks and he knew now, he told her, that “not all the world is tired and hungry and looking for a place to spend the night under a shed before moving out on a road that leads into the unknown.” Then he would write about the blank faces and crying children that lined the roadsides on a vague westward journey or a village park he had just visited. “It is a sort of small-town Bowery or flophouse

doesn’t know how to use. Fear sells. Nobody knows that better than people in Conway. That’s the home of Republican Sen. Jason Rapert, whose multiple armaments and social media threat to use them against even people who ask impolite questions gives some indication of the trepidation with which he faces daily life. There’s also the Faulkner County Quorum Court, moving toward allowing county employees to carrying concealed weapons into courthouses and other county buildings. I don’t bring up Rapert by chance. Rapert is an owner of Hogan’s company. So is Ted Thomas, now chairman of the Public Service Commission, but also a former Republican lawmaker who worked for a time in the prosecutor’s office in Conway. So is Randy Higgins, a Republican member of the Faulkner County Quorum Court. The political ties are relevant because it took an act of the legislature, lobbied for by Hogan, to allow the sale of Ulockit and similar devices in Arkansas schools. The fire code had to be changed. And since that law passed, schools in Booneville and Osceola have signed on with Ulockit. State Fire Marshal Lindsey Williams

objected to the bill to change the state fire code to allow such devices in Arkansas. Williams said the devices were not easy to disengage, particularly in a panic, and could be a safety hazard in fires in buildings without sprinklers (most schools) if children were locked in during a fire. The device sold by Rapert’s company is mounted on a door frame. The drilling can affect the door’s fire rating. It requires two hands to squeeze small release latches and then to push up the lock panel to open a door latch. It would be hard for a small child. The Rapert-Thomas-Higgins company was said during the legislative debate to sell its lock for $120 per door. There are a lot of doors in Arkansas’s hundreds of schools — $10,000 worth at Osceola, for example. Rapert said it wasn’t a special interest bill because it opened the state to sales by many makers of door-blocking devices, not just his. He did abstain from voting. Fear sells, particularly when paired with children. The vote in the Senate was 33-0. The House vote was 76-4. Feel safer? If you owned the company, you might at least feel a little richer.

where the lost people can sleep and spend the night before pushing on to a destination that is unknown to them.” But Sgt. Duvall confessed to an awful ambivalence that tempered his pity. He suspected that many of them had once stood in the squares and roared “Sig Heil” at the Fuhrer and might have little sympathy for a GI if the Third Reich had turned out differently. Today’s ambivalence about the largely Muslim exodus from south of the Bosporus rises from perhaps different fears. Many who fled their homes at the end of the war and then the Sovietoccupied eastern territories found their way to the United States and to Arkansas and occasionally to residual hostility. Wladimir Naleszkiewicz was tortured and crippled in a Nazi concentration camp after the Warsaw uprising and later made his way out of Soviet Poland and to Arkansas, where in September 1957, in spite of a thick accent, he landed a job teaching economics to a handful of South Arkansas rubes at Henderson State Teachers College. (I’m still inordinately proud of two semesters of A’s.) But the next spring the Arkansas legislature passed laws to shut down the NAACP and other “subversive” groups that supported integration. They included Act 10, which required teachers in schools and colleges to file sworn affidavits with the state every year listing all the organizations to which they

had belonged or contributed during the past five years, and Act 115, which barred NAACP members from holding any government job, including teaching. Naleszkiewicz, who had come to America to escape the tyranny of the evil eye, refused to submit the affidavit, lost his job and repaired to free Kansas to teach. The U.S. Supreme Court later declared both acts to be unconstitutional limits on freedom of association. A year earlier, in December 1956, President Eisenhower had offered asylum to 15,000 refugees from Hungary who had flooded into Vienna after the Soviet army brutally suppressed a revolt against the communist government in Budapest. The first to arrive in four silver planes in New Jersey were greeted by a message from Ike: “You have come among friends.” A few went to Arkansas, including young Garrick Feldman, who followed his wounded father across the Danube and became a courageous community newspaper editor. Twice, under President Ford in 1975 and President Carter in 1980, the government designated Fort Chaffee as a resettlement center for refugees fleeing Vietnam and then Cuba. When the first of 50,000 Vietnamese arrived at Fort Chaffee (700,000 in all came to the U.S.), protesters met them at the gate with signs saying “Vietnamese Go Home!” Frank White, the Republican CONTINUED ON PAGE 70 www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

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epublicans always say nobody respects America anymore. No kidding. Given that CNN International televised last week’s GOP presidential debate to a waiting world, it’s no wonder. It’s one thing to see the most powerful nation on earth choosing its leaders via TV game show. Quite another to contemplate the parade of grotesques and mountebanks enlisted as contestants. The spectacle was enough to induce dread that’s less political than downright existential. “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods,” Shakespeare wrote. “They kill us for their sport.” The good news is that former Reagan Treasury official Bruce Bartlett is probably correct: “Any Republican who can win the White House can’t win the nomination, and no Republican who can win the nomination can win the White House.” There the 11 stood in front of the sainted Ronald Reagan’s presidential airplane with massive wildfires roaring only a few miles away — climate change deniers every one. Marco Rubio, supposedly one of the smart ones, made a dumb joke about bringing his own water. That would be the same President Reagan who sent a birthday cake to Iran’s Ayatollah and sold him guided missiles. Today’s GOP unanimously opposes President Obama’s multinational arms control agreement with Iran. Of course, Reagan also once claimed to have taken part in liberating the Nazi death camp at Buchenwald, although the closest he got to Europe during WWII was a French restaurant in Beverly Hills. But why be churlish? Pundits and voters have always judged politicians by varying standards. Reagan probably got a pass because people believed his emotional response to newsreel footage of concentration camps was sincere. Yet Al Gore got lampooned for something he never actually said about inventing the Internet. Besides, by the standard of last week’s GOP debate, Reagan was a veritable apostle of truth. You thought Donald Trump was a braggart blowhard? Then you probably cheered to see Carly Fiorina take him on. “Look at that face!” Trump told Rolling Stone. “Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!” Why he didn’t simply say the reporter misunderstood him is hard to guess.

It’s not as if people take Rolling Stone at face value. Maybe there’s a tape. Pretending he was talking GENE about her grating LYONS personality didn’t fool anybody. During the GOP debate, Fiorina’s deadpan response was a perfectly timed masterpiece of understatement. “Women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.” Silence. “She’s got a beautiful face and she’s a beautiful woman,” Trump alibied. Yeah, right. Did anybody watching believe him? But then being Donald Trump means never being able to say you’re sorry. I’d estimate his emotional age at 12. So now Carly Fiorina is the newest GOP sensation, whose secrets of corporate success she put fully on display. Fiorina gives a great interview, having mastered the art of appearing decisive even when she has no clue what she’s talking about. Certitude’s easily faked with memorized talking points. For example, Fiorina vowed to shake a fist in Vladimir Putin’s face by holding military exercises in the Baltics. Evidently she was unaware that the U.S. and NATO have conducted joint maneuvers there yearly since the 1970s. The most recent 17-nation Baltic war games ended last June. The Russians complained. Virtually everything she said about national defense was similarly nonsensical — not that GOP game show viewers knew. But when things start to go bad — as they did during her doomed tenure as Hewlett-Packard’s CEO — Fiorina evidently begins making things up. Who could not be moved, for example, by her terrible description of a videotape supposedly exposing Planned Parenthood? “I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes,” she said. “Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.” Terribly dramatic, but also, as Michael Hiltzik documented in the Los Angeles Times, purely imaginary. No such Planned Parenthood video exists. Challenged on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Fiorina simply doubled down, challenging her critics to prove a negaCONTINUED ON PAGE 70

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Marco’s moment

ost have deemed Carly Fiorina the winner of last week’s CNN-sponsored Republican debate, but the greatest beneficiary is likely to be Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. The first national polling following the debate shows a small but noticeable surge for Rubio, pushing him slightly ahead of fellow Floridian Jeb Bush. Two things combine to Rubio’s advantage. While no master of backslapping, Rubio is the smoothest communicator running for president in 2016 in either party, as shown in the debates to date. Second, with the departures of Scott Walker and Rick Perry, Rubio is the last remaining candidate with some legitimate linkages to various sectors in the deeply factionalized party: the GOP establishment, the tea party movement and the Christian right. To date, the wellliked Rubio has been the most common second choice among GOP primary voters; it is now probable that Rubio — the prospective GOP nominee Democrats fear most in a general election — will become more of those voters’ first pick. The timing of Rubio’s small surge could not be better. First, the Republican establishment is getting increasingly agitated about the reality that a steady majority of Republican primary voters prefers a candidate who has never before held political office (Fiorina, Donald Trump or Ben Carson) or who has spent the entirety of his time on the national political stage attacking his party’s leaders in Congress (Sen. Ted Cruz). As such, there is a growing sense that the establishment must coalesce behind a candidate to have any shot at maintaining control of the party. Indeed, in his short speech announcing his departure from the race on Monday (perhaps the only speech in which a candidate has described himself as a “leader” for leaving a race prematurely), Walker suggested just that: “I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same, so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front runner,” who is Trump. With Jeb Bush faltering and Ohio’s John Kasich seen as too moderate, Rubio seems best positioned to fit that bill. Second, while a disastrous candidate in many respects, Walker does have two valuable political resources now available to others: his super PAC support that was on track to raise $40 million by the end of the calendar year and his organizational support in Iowa. Because of their ideological overlap, the most natural home for Walker’s super PAC supporters may well be Rubio. Rubio’s own campaign has had good fundraising success (as of July 31, he had

the most cash on hand in the GOP race), but his super PAC support was less impressive. As a New York Times JAY article following BARTH Walker’s decision to leave the race suggested, modern nomination politics — at least on the GOP side — requires both. In Iowa, Rubio is in mid-single digits and has been slow to put together an organization in a state where organization means everything (Arkansan Clint Reed took over as Rubio’s Iowa state director this week); he badly needs respected county organizers across the state’s 99 counties if he’s to pop to the top of the field in Iowa. If Rubio is able to pull in the bulk of Walker’s super PAC support and Iowa organization, Walker’s demise will significantly aid Rubio’s efforts. Despite the noticeable winds blowing in his direction at the moment, these key challenges remain for Rubio: • While Rubio has national strength, he is markedly weaker in the early contests. If Iowa is a challenge, things are even worse for him in New Hampshire where the latest Real Clear Politics aggregation of polls places him no higher than eighth. • Although running a surprisingly weak race, Jeb Bush’s tremendous support among super PAC funders (Bush’s super PAC “Right to Rise” has raised well over $100 million, dwarfing all other candidates’ efforts) creates a major barrier to the coalescing of establishment support behind any candidate not named Bush, particularly one from Florida from which much of that money comes. • Attention will now turn increasingly to Rubio’s background and record. Most problematic is his use of a state GOP credit card for personal expenses while speaker of the House in Florida, an action Rubio admitted was a “mistake.” Indeed, some believe that Rubio’s financial past was so troubling that it pushed the Romney campaign away from giving him a complete vetting for a vice presidential nomination in 2012. Any evidence of a use of political position for personal benefit will agitate Republican voters most drawn to outside candidates. • Most problematic for Rubio, a majority of the 2016 primary electorate has consistently said that it wants a true outsider candidate. That is an unmistakable problem for Rubio, who has spent the bulk of his adult life in politics. Personal likability will only get a candidate so far in a primary electorate fundamentally angered at their government and all involved in it.

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

f Toledo triggered a sudden and unanticipated referendum on Bret Bielema, then it’s likely the Texas Tech debacle — and we’ll make the case herein that it was arguably a worse loss — could have sealed his exit, assuming an equally shocking reversal of fortune isn’t imminent. For months, Bielema’s gamesmanship had been refreshing and amusing, and now it’s deader than disco. When you spout off at coaching clinics, public gatherings and the like, it’s good fodder and maybe it does serve to energize the fan base. But losses to MAC teams and Big 12 also-rans don’t play well with this group. The mood outside Reynolds Razorback Stadium last Saturday night was, bar none, the most aggressively derisive and sour as I have ever witnessed it in the 23 years since the program dedicated itself to a life of misery in the Southeastern Conference. People were stewing, and rightly so. Robb Smith’s ballyhooed defense was shredded by a slight, inexperienced quarterback and a slew of undersized receivers who slanted their way to as much yardage as they wanted against a relaxed man defense. The special teams unit again floundered. Offensively, Alex Collins ran for a season-best 170 yards and showed some toughness as the Hogs tried to grind away the clock just to keep it away from Tech quarterback Pat Mahomes, but he also had zero burst when he made it into the open field. Penalties dogged the Razorbacks for the second straight week, but worse yet, the Hogs actually needed the calls to go their way after a shockingly inept defensive performance. The Red Raiders are 3-0 after a 4-8 year, and Kliff Kingsbury was feeling his oats so much in the aftermath that he besmirched Bielema repeatedly, declared the 11-point win an “ass-kicking,” and all but declared the nonconference clash between unranked flyweights to be some kind of vindication for the spread offense. Well, it really wasn’t. Sorry to disappoint the Raiders’ chirpy cover boy, but knocking off a wounded, demoralized Hog team at this point is no way a triumph of methodology. Last year, Arkansas bulled its way to well over 400 rushing yards in a 21-point rout of the Raiders, who entered that home game 2-0 while the Hogs hadn’t beaten a FBS team in a full year. Bielema indisputably needs to eat crow, but Kingsbury doesn’t need to be serving it. Now that we’ve dispensed with discussions about two insolent head coaches who

haven’t earned the privilege, let’s focus on where this seemingly lost autumn can and should head from here. First BEAU WILCOX of all, once again, Brandon Allen is the undeserved whipping boy. Despite sketchy protection, he is staying upright and showing newfound mobility. The senior is also completing passes at a rather staggering clip to a receiving corps that is now down to Drew Morgan, JoJo Robinson, Kendrick Edwards and maybe a couple of extras from “Little Giants.” Jared Cornelius had such a nice opener against UTEP and then had an electric punt return touchdown taken away against Toledo, and a really garish arm-break against Tech. His season is likely finished, and with Keon Hatcher and Cody Hollister weeks from returning, the impetus is on the tight ends more than ever to make yards after the catch. Allen has missed badly on a couple of critical tosses, but he’s far from the problem. No, that dishonor rests at the feet of Smith’s defensive unit, which is thoroughly lacking in leadership now that Trey Flowers and Martrell Spaight cannot be leaned upon. It’s still a commendably talented group, but in the absence of a field general, it finds itself floundering. Linebacker Brooks Ellis was left exposed by the Raiders’ spread attack, often embarrassingly out of position, but not due to his own lack of effort. There were no discernible halftime adjustments made, Mahomes was never pressured (presumably out of fear for his mobility), and the depth that Bielema crowed about was nowhere to be found. All this sounds super, huh? Well, now Arkansas limps to Arlington, Texas, to face a seemingly resurgent Texas A&M team, yet the betting line opened with the Aggies as a rather modest favorite. As always, take lessons from Las Vegas: The bookmakers recognize that the Razorbacks are not without talent, but presently without heart and motivation. SEC play tends to change that, and moreover, it’s within the realm of reason to think that the upstart Aggies got too much love for a win over an Arizona State team that then struggled to beat two out-ofconference pushovers. These Aggies may be a bit better equipped defensively than in prior years, but Arkansas still, shockingly, can do good things against it if mouths close and minds engage.

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THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Earthlings

he Observer recently flew for the first time in a little over 16 years, and to Texas, of all places. Spouse’s car was getting a little long in the tooth, and the Mobile Observatory even longer of chopper, so we’d been scouting around for a new ride for a while now with very specific criteria: Honda, CR-V, low miles, within our budget, and a color other than grey, silver or the doughy tan that some automakers grandiosely call “champagne.” You’d be surprised at how hard it is to meet those bare criteria in Little Rock or even the state of Arkansas. So, using one of those “pick your color, your mileage, your price” car search websites, we finally got frustrated enough to hit “any distance.” There, halfway across Texas in Abilene, was our car: a lovely electric blue Honda with a mileage that suggested it had been owned since new by an agoraphobic. Dozens of high-def pictures, a printout showing the exact moment that it had been brought in for every oil change and tire rotation. No smell-o-vision, but we were willing to gamble. Best of all, the car was squarely in our price range, which we will optimistically describe as meager. You try paying a car note on a newspaper salary, pal. The Observer called the dealership way out west, talked it over, struck a deal and booked a one-way flight. We could hear dear ol’ Pa saying we were crazy for flying 500 miles to buy a car that we’d never laid eyes on. But it was a Honda, still under the factory warranty, and we’ve owned three of those at this point. What’s the worst that could happen? Taxiing out, The Observer remembered why we don’t fly. Tiny seat, large posterior, that singularly weird feeling of takeoff, which we described once as like having a rocket strapped to your back, Wile E. Coyote style, and being thrust into the sky. Once in the air, the world shrinking below, we found again the wonder of it. Heading west at 31,000 feet, you can see the

line where Arkansas becomes Texas or thereabouts: Arkansas a verdant wilderness, then the trees thinning and thinning, the forests becoming lines around champagne fields, then the fields growing until they touch, each trickle of water visible even from that great height as a vein of green. We made Dallas and our connection to Abilene, a hop so short the flight attendant didn’t have time to give us ice for our sodas. The attendant was a funny guy, a storyteller. All the way to Abilene, he walked the aisles, joking, telling tales, asking where people were going and why. When he stopped in front of our seat, we feared he’d talk to us, but instead he engaged a couple sitting nearby. One of them said he was on his way home to see his father, and so the attendant told the story of his own parents, who had adopted him and his sisters, who’d raised them, who’d cared for him for months when he’d almost died some years back, who had been together until death did them part, living in their own home. By the end, he said, the old man was so disgusted with languishing in hospitals and asking others for help that when he fell out of bed one night and couldn’t get up, he’d forbidden his wife from calling the ambulance or the kids, preferring to sleep there on the hard floor than spend another night in some antiseptic room. A few months later, she passed. Seven months after that, he followed. The Observer — a storyteller, husband, father and something of a sap — is not ashamed to admit that we were moved to quiet tears by the story; one son’s tale of two lives on earth below. Wedged in our rented seat, we thumbed our tears and missed home like you would not believe. Back on terra firma and our name on the dotted line, we thought of the attendant and his story all the way to Little Rock, blasting across Texas, window down and the sinking sun in our rear view, headed home. Back to where we belong. Until death do us part. If you’re up there, my friend: safe travels.

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Rapert throws his weight around David Koon wrote in last week’s Arkansas Times about the file the Arkansas Blog’s Max Brantley received from the State Police under the Freedom of Information Act about reports Sen. Jason Rapert had made about threatening social media communication. After last week’s issue printed, Brantley got another State Police file under FOIA that shows the intensive lobbying campaign Rapert brought to bear on the State Police after an Arkansas Blog post that quoted a State Police spokesman saying the threats against Rapert had not been found credible, though they were taken seriously by all involved at the outset. Rapert wanted support in repudiating the erroneous “narrative” he saw there. He not only threw a barrage of requests at the State Police, his notes indicate he also communicated with Michael Lamoureux, Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s chief of staff. One of Rapert’s communications to State Police director Bill Bryant notes that “Michael” had spoken to Bryant on the matter. It wouldn’t be a stretch to speculate that the governor played a role in the State Police decision to issue a clarifying statement several days later. Yes, police treated Rapert’s reports as credible threats at the outset, the statement said. But ultimately they concluded they were not. The Times does not view that as a substantive change from what we have written all along, though Rapert does.

An ethics loophole at work We have ranted before about the enabling legislation sponsored by Sen. Jon Woods (R-Springdale) and Rep. Warwick Sabin (D-Little Rock) for the so-called ethics amendment that has allowed higher pay, longer terms in office and created a huge loophole around the supposed end of lobbyist wining and dining. That’s not all. The enabling bill says that a public official has 30 days after being given notice of a flawed ethics report (financial statement, campaign finances, etc.) to correct an “unintentional error.” The loophole in this is obvious: Public officials will naturally claim ALL errors are unintentional. Who’s to prove otherwise? Already, the ethics mulligan is now in use.

SEEKING COMPROMISE: (From left) Sherece West-Scantlebury, Jared Henderson and Kathy Smith present recommendations to the state Board of Education.

The master plan With ForwARd Arkansas, the Walton Family Foundation tones down its policy agenda. BY BENJAMIN HARDY

ast fall, when a new education initiative called ForwARd Arkansas was endorsed by the state Board of Education, many in the public school world reacted with suspicion, if not outright hostility. That’s because one of the two philanthropic organizations behind ForwARd is the Walton Family Foundation, the charitable behemoth that’s positioned itself as a national advocate for charter schools, vouchers and other choice-based programs intended to radically remake public education. True, WFF’s partner in ForwARd was the moderately progressive Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, but some advocates of traditional public schools still heard sinister overtones in the cheery yet vague promises of ForwARd to create “A New Vision for Arkansas Education.” Would the group’s recommendations be a Trojan horse for the reformist policies championed by WFF in places like New Orleans, a city whose public schools have been entirely converted into charters? No, it turns out. ForwARd Arkansas’s recommendations, which were released to the state board this month, contain no mention whatsoever of charter schools, choice or vouchers. Instead, ForwARd focuses on areas of relative consensus:

increased investment in prekindergarten programs, with priority given to lowincome students; making sure kids are well-fed (by expanding breakfast programs) and healthy (by improving access to health care for their families); building “workforce education pathways” for students to learn marketable skills; building governance capacity at the district level and training and evaluating principals at the building level, and recruiting more and better teachers throughout the state, beginning in high school. A few items do raise eyebrows. The report suggests moving school board election dates to coincide with general elections, a change that would make it harder for districts to pass millages necessary to fund facilities improvements. It also called for Arkansas to create a “pre-academic distress” designation for schools in the bottom 5 percent of performance statewide, potentially expediting their takeover by the state. But taken as a whole, the recommendations are reasonable. The question is why a report that’s so moderate and sensibly incrementalist bears the imprimatur of the Walton Family Foundation, whose vision for “education reform” has been anything

but. Love it or hate it, the WFF has a clear agenda on education policy. The recommendations from ForwARd — touted as the transformational vision for Arkansas schools in the decades to come — aren’t necessarily at odds with that reformist agenda, but they also don’t really reflect it. It would be as if the Sierra Club released a master plan on environmental policy but carefully avoided any mention of carbon emissions. Kathy Smith, senior program officer for the Walton Family Foundation, said the omission of charters and similarly controversial issues do not reflect a shift in focus for the foundation. The WFF will continue to do its own work on education issues; ForwARd is a project that’s explicitly distinct. “We wanted to do something nonpartisan — what do schools need to do to improve, full stop,” Smith said. “There are lots of ways to do school improvement ... . What works is engaging parents and communities ... and communities are different ... context differs.” Sherece West-Scantlebury, CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, emphasized the inclusiveness of ForwARd’s process. To craft the recommendations, the foundations assembled a politically diverse steering committee, from state Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock), a former teacher and staunch supporter of traditional public schools; to Scott Shirey, founder and executive director of the KIPP charter network in the Arkansas Delta. ForwARd also took pains to solicit community input around the state over the past year. “The ForwARd vision represents the consensus of the Steering Committee as informed by 8,500 people surveyed, 500 Arkansans we talked to in person and hundreds of hours of research on best practices and Arkansas-based success stories,” West-Scantlebury wrote in an email to the Arkansas Times. “The ForwARd vision isn’t about rehashing old arguments. It is a new vision for Arkansas education that requires us all to put the best interest of students first and seek comprehensive solutions.” The Walton Family Foundation should be credited for broadening its focus to improve all schools and seeking compromise. But at the same time, the charter debate isn’t peripheral. Charter schools are controversial exactly CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Inconsequential BIG PICTURE News Quiz THE

Play at home!

1) In August, shortly before disgraced Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner was sentenced to a term in federal prison for accepting kickbacks from a Little Rock bond broker in exchange for state business, her attorney, Chuck Banks, made a final plea to the court for a lenient sentence. Which of the following was included in Banks’ plea? A) Held aloft a boombox playing Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” B) Screened a time-lapse video of a melting, strawberry-flavored sno-cone, representing Shoffner’s integrity shrinking until it disappeared. C) Showed the judge a photo of Shoffner’s late dog, Fred, which was inscribed: “Thanks, Chuck. Your friend, Fred.” D) Referred to the sweetness of freedom as “sweeter than all the pies that were in the boxes Martha received, before they were stuffed with bribe money.” 2) Traffic on Interstate 30 at Little Rock was stalled for more than an hour recently after an unusual vehicle flipped on the bridge over the Arkansas River, blocking all eastbound traffic. What was it? A) Truckload of fresh shame on its way to the home of Rep. Justin Harris (R-West Fork). B) Trailer containing the Arkansas Highway Department’s mobile traffic safety simulator. C) A covered wagon. D) Electric scooter piloted by a 91-year-old man, who said he was going to Protho Junction “for some nookie.”

3) Bald Knob Police Chief Erek Balentine — who made headlines a while back for arresting a man who was openly carrying a handgun in that town — recently announced he was resigning, citing the safety of his family following a protest outside his home by a few of the sane and rational individuals who believe they should be allowed to openly carry the firearm of their choice anywhere in Arkansas. What was the protest? A) Glock licking contest. B) Spelling bee over the words “Constitution,” “Regulated,” “Militia,” “Necessary” and “Amendment.” All contestants were quickly eliminated. C) Balentine’s Dodge was set on fire, with the phrase “2 Amendment” spray-painted down both sides of the pickup. D) A peaceful demonstration of informed Americans, exercising their lawful right to assemble and share their grievances with a public official without resorting to property destruction, intimidation or violence. Just kidding. It was totally C. 4) Last week, the Arkansas Capitol Police banned a vehicle from being operated on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol. What was it? A) Bulletproof, man-sized hamsterball Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) insists on being inside at all times. B) Bookmobile, because the legislature don’t need no gatdamn booklearnin’. C) Unmanned aerial camera drones. D) Hog-hauling truck used as a personal vehicle by Rep. Harlan Pecker (R-Merkin Fork). 5) Police said that a capital-murder suspect who escaped from the Ouachita County Jail in Camden stole a rather non-nonchalant vehicle to make his getaway when he absconded from custody. He was later recaptured after the entirely noticeable vehicle was spotted in Bryant. What was he driving? A) Amphibious troop carrier from the National Guard motor pool nearby. B) Weinermobile. C) 1962 Ford Galaxie. D) Powder-blue hearse from the local funeral home.

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INSIDER, CONT. You may remember that Little Rock lawyer Matt Campbell of the Blue Hog Report has filed a voluminous ethics complaint against Arkansas Treasurer Dennis Milligan, including a number of problems with his campaign finance reports. Campbell shared with the Times a letter he got from the state Ethics Commission on its complaint. It says it appears to the Commission that Milligan may be able to raise an “affirmative defense” to a number of Campbell’s allegations and thus it should not have to investigate — unless Campbell has evidence to the contrary. Understand? To be guilty of a campaign reporting violation now, it is not enough to demonstrate a prima facie violation almost a year after an election. It is enough to say the violation was unintentional. Then, it is up to the complainant to provide evidence — without subpoena power and access to anything but public record — to the contrary. It’s a free pass for public officials. It stinks. And it’s yet another example of the emptiness of the so-called ethics amendment that voters approved. Campbell said Milligan filed 13 amendments to his reports on Friday, some of them amendments to amendments.

All-Stars excel State Advanced Placement scholars have been announced — one male and one female student from each state with scores of 3 or higher on the greatest number of Advanced Placement exams and the highest average score on all AP exams taken. This year’s winners in Arkansas: Sherry Gao, now a freshman at Harvard, and Zen Tang, a freshman at Yale. Both were members of the 2015 Arkansas Times Academic All-Star Team.

ANSWERS: C, C, C, C, C www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

CHILDREN IN CRISIS: Funding for this reporting — the latest in an ongoing series — was provided by people who donated to a crowdfunding campaign on ioby.com and the Arkansas Public Policy Panel. 14

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

an Arkansas Times special investigation

TWO-YEAR WAIT IS OVER: Michael Edwards plays with his daughter, whom he and his wife, Carolyn, were finally able to adopt in August after starts and stops in the process with the Division of Child and Family Services.

Stranded

DHS red tape and a growing backlog are stifling the number of available foster homes. BY KATHRYN JOYCE

that happens.” A review of around 170 internal DCFS emails obtained by a state Freedom of Information Act request shows that, at one point this year, the backlog was significant enough that Blucker proposed the unorthodox step of temporarily altering the home study process so DCFS could approve applicants more quickly. Meanwhile, DCFS regularly loses at least as many existing foster homes as new homes it approves. For three of the last four quarters, Blucker said, the division has operated at a net loss, closing more homes than it opened. Some foster homes close for reasons out of the division’s control. Parents might adopt the children they’re caring for and decide they’re done fostering. Some families move out of state. Sometimes, abuse or neglect findings rightly force the closure of a home. But other times, Blucker acknowledged, foster parents say that they’re quitting over a lack of DCFS support, bad communication and feeling excluded from official court and DCFS processes that affect the children in their care. DCFS came under increased state scrutiny this spring after the Arkansas Times broke the news that Rep. Justin Harris (R-West Fork) and his wife had “rehomed” two young girls

BRIAN CHILSON

mong the many challenges facing Arkansas’s foster care system, one basic problem looms large: There are almost two children for every foster bed in the state. It’s a shortfall that Gov. Asa Hutchinson acknowledged as a “crisis” in a press conference this summer. One might think that recruiting more foster parents, then, would be the key to keeping foster kids in their home counties and out of group homes or institutions. To that end, the governor convened the “Restore Hope Summit” in August, a two-day event to enlist the state’s religious leaders in recruiting more foster parents for the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS). But some foster parents and wouldbe foster parents say recruiting new families won’t help so long as frustrations with DCFS are pushing foster parents out of the system. DCFS struggles to handle the number of applicants it has now, children’s advocates say. And veteran foster families leave

the system about as frequently as new ones enter. In mid-July, there was a backlog of 1,280 Arkansans who had contacted DCFS about becoming foster parents — more pending applications than existing foster homes in Arkansas. Some of those applications have been in limbo for longer than a year, seeing delays from DCFS every step along the way: responding to initial queries, sending out applications, matching applicants with training programs, conducting background checks and home studies. The long waits and frequent lack of explanation from the division have led to many applicants becoming discouraged and dropping out. Until this month, the division has lacked a tracking system that could identify where each applicant is in the recruitment process, DCFS Director Cecile Blucker said. Those 1,280 people included families who only sent one initial email inquiry as well as those who are many months into the process, and whose applications have stalled with background clearance or home study approvals. As a result, Blucker said, DCFS can’t estimate how many potential foster homes it loses every year to frustration over the division’s slow bureaucracy. But, she admitted, “anecdotally, we know

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

“You call the local office and can’t leave a message because the mailbox is full. I’ve gotten into screaming matches with DHS on the phone. It’s important, when you’re looking for help.”

they’d adopted through DCFS; the Harrises gave the children to a family where one child was then raped. In the wake of that controversy, the legislature made rehoming a felony, and Hutchinson ordered a review of DCFS. The study was performed by Paul Vincent, director of an Alabamabased nonprofit that consults for public child welfare agencies. In July, Vincent delivered his findings to the state. As of that month, there were more than 4,300 children in state care but just 1,190 foster homes, representing around 2,700 beds, to take them in. Because of the scarcity, more than half — 55 percent — of the state’s foster children are placed outside their home county. Nineteen percent will go to non-family settings, such as emergency shelters or behavioral health facilities. Some spend their first night away from home on a DCFS worker’s couch. This discrepancy between the supply and demand of foster parents has resulted in what Arkansas child welfare stakeholders have called “the worst placement crisis” in state history. Vincent also found that “there has been little or no net growth in the number of family foster home beds, despite recruitment efforts.” He noted that DCFS caseworkers, on average, handle 29 cases each, twice as many as recommended by national best practices. As part of his plan to address the shortcomings identified in the Vincent report, Hutchinson said he would ask the legislature to provide roughly $8

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

million in additional DCFS funding, for each of the next three years, to hire more staff. (Later, he pledged $1 million in rainy day funds as a shortterm, one-time allocation to help in the interim.) But the governor also emphasized the role of the faith-based community in boosting foster parent recruitment. Some 550 to 650 attendees came to his Restore Hope Summit in August, representing 17 different Christian denominations and other faiths. “It’s just a matter of mobilizing that compassion that exists in the hearts of Arkansans,” the governor told the crowd. But however many applications ultimately result from the outreach at the Restore Hope Summit, they’re unlikely to change another root problem: For a long time, DCFS has neither been able to adequately handle the pool of applicant foster parents who’d like to help, nor retain the foster families it has. The amount of licensed foster homes remains generally static while the number of foster children climbs.

= This August, Carolyn Edwards, a 59-year-old former home health aide from Pine Bluff, adopted a child from DCFS after nearly two years of caring for the girl as an unpaid provisional foster parent. By the time she was finally approved, she said she could imagine why few people offer to foster. Edwards began the long process in the fall of 2013, shortly after her niece’s

daughter was born with drugs and alcohol in her system. The child was taken into foster care, and Edwards and her husband offered to become her guardians. They received custody of the baby when she was 2 months old, serving as provisional foster parents. Fourteen percent of Arkansas foster children are cared for by relatives, including 6 percent by provisional foster parents like Edwards, who have six months to get licensed as an official foster home and thereby become eligible for DCFS support. The couple immediately applied to become a regular foster home, but from the start there were delays. Not just the wait for Edwards’ niece’s parental rights to be terminated — typically a year-long window during which birth parents can attempt to address the issues that brought their children into care — but long waits for the DCFS approval process to begin, and a rotating cast of caseworkers who rarely returned their calls. A significant part of the delay was that Edwards’ husband had two minor, decades-old “hits” on his background check that DCFS policy required to be assessed. One was a breaking-andentering charge that arose during his divorce from his first wife some 20 years ago. The other was a 44-yearold misdemeanor from when he was 17. (Edwards said her husband had been along when a friend was caught shoplifting, but the judge had promised to expunge his record if he agreed to join the military.) While the former offense, at least,

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F E ST I VA L might understandably prompt DCFS to proceed with caution, Edwards said even the old juvenile offense took months to deal with. The process of getting cleared lasted almost a year. When her husband was finally approved to begin DCFS’s mandatory six-week foster and adoptive parent training class in December 2014, a DCFS paperwork delay caused the couple to miss the start of that training session, and they had to wait until March for another. By the time they finally completed their training this May — 18 months after they’d begun caring for their grandniece — their initial application paperwork from 2013 before had expired, requiring them to get new physical checkups, CPR training and background checks. Further delays in finishing their home study followed. The otherwise excellent social worker who conducted it, Edwards said, was simply spread too thin. In all that time, they never received the board payments that regular foster parents are entitled to, and they estimate that they paid well over $10,000 out-of-pocket for their foster daughter’s care. Edwards didn’t mind: She loves the girl, and finalized her adoption this August. But DCFS’s slow process was “nerve-racking,” she said. “You have to jump when they call,” even though the reverse rarely seems to be true. “I just thank God [the adopted daughter’s] not in that system anymore.” Edwards wasn’t alone. A representative from a foster parent sup-

port group in Jefferson County said many people have called her to say they had applied to be foster parents but have “had no luck” getting DCFS workers to come out to do paperwork or initial house calls, even though, she said, local DCFS workers have told her there are currently no open foster beds in the county. She said she’s heard of at least 10 foster families that have quit in the last year alone, most due to frustration with simultaneous demands and delays from DCFS. The official numbers are worse. According to DCFS’s report for fiscal year 2014, 19 foster homes in Jefferson County closed, leaving, by May 2015, only 26 open homes to care for 121 children. Allowing more relatives to step in as provisional foster parents would undoubtedly ease the burden. In his report, Vincent wrote, “A crucial place to look for solutions to the placement challenge is the use of relative placements and guardianships.” However, from 2011 until today, Vincent found, the percentage of relative care placements in Arkansas has remained flat. Surrounding states have far higher percentages of foster children placed with relatives, ranging from 21 percent in Louisiana and Missouri to 29 percent in Oklahoma. Delays in licensing pose financial challenges for provisional foster parents, many of whom are lowincome. Not only must they wait to receive financial support until they’re approved, but there are also often delays in children’s eligibility for

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

BRIAN CHILSON

THE CALL DIRECTOR LAURIE CURRIER: Says foster families need continuing support.

Medicaid and other benefits. A Jefferson County foster parent who also asked not to be named (“I don’t want to make it harder than it’s already been for me,” she said) has cared for four of her young relatives for more than six months without any financial support save small, occasional DCFS clothing allowances. She had sympathy for overburdened DCFS workers. “I don’t think that they don’t want to do the job; there’s just not enough help there.” Still, she said, “That’s going to be a big minus [for other potential foster parents], because when you tell them you have to wait to get into class, then wait for three more visitations, then wait for them to open you up, and wait for the paperwork to come in … .” She sighed. “The process is just too long.”

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

As with so many problems plaguing DCFS, the delays seem to be fueled largely by a shortage of well-trained staff. Blucker said other issues led to bottlenecks as well, including long waits on FBI background checks and difficulties coordinating trainings in rural areas. “If you look at it from the perspective of the caseworker, if they have someone in their office with a child, and then someone calling who they know nothing about, that goes to the bottom of the pile,” said Gary Phillips, a North Arkansas county coordinator for The CALL, or Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime. The CALL, a Christian fostering and adoption advocacy group, has partnered closely with DCFS since 2007 and has recruited and trained roughly half of all current Arkansas foster parents. But while all bureaucracies have an element of “hurry up and wait,” Phillips said,

applicants who never hear back after inquiring about how to apply are left thinking that the DCFS must not need foster parents after all. DCFS has attempted to address the problem both by reorganizing its recruitment efforts and by securing additional funds. In mid-2014, DCFS shifted the task of recruitment from overburdened local offices to the state level — an effort, Blucker explained, to streamline the background-check process, relieve the workload of field staff and better track applicants. All inquiries would be routed to the division’s central office in Little Rock, which would be responsible for basic intake. DCFS also received a federal Diligent Recruitment Grant in 2013 to find foster families willing to take older children and in 2012 obtained a federal waiver on the use of an existing revenue stream that freed up more funds for recruitment. The division

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used both pots of money to hire 10 new Community Engagement Specialists with marketing backgrounds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one for each of DCFSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; geographic areas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to better recruit new families. But a recent assessment of the divisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress toward that goal, conducted by outside consultant group Hornby Zeller Associates (HZA), found that low staffing at the state level meant that the backlog remained: The high volume of inquiries now coming into the central office were being routed to just two workers, and at times only one person was in the office to facilitate background checks. Internal DCFS communications obtained by the FOIA request demonstrated the tension the backlog created. In February, Brenda Richard, the DCFS area director responsible for Northwest Arkansas, requested that the local office again be given charge of screening prospective foster parents. The region had 175 pending applicants at the time, and the local chapter of The CALL had told Richard that many families were finishing their training before a DCFS worker had even been in touch for an initial consultation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are losing applicants to other agencies or because they have not heard from anyone in months,â&#x20AC;? Richard wrote to DCFS Foster Care Manager Mona Davis. Local and state coordinators for The CALL began to write in as well, asking for help getting their membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home studies and background checks completed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As these counties continue to increase their recruitment (as we have been hoping they would), we are looking at a serious backlog of families,â&#x20AC;? wrote CALL program director Michelle Douglas to The CALLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DCFS liaison, Alicen Bennett, in November

2014. By February, Douglas wrote Bennett again, noting, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is growing frustration among the families, staff and volunteers across the state. Families are getting really upset about the situations with background checks.â&#x20AC;? Douglas wrote that sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d contacted DCFS previously about this issue, without response, and that she worried CALL families had taken their complaints to state legislators (as some had done in the past). â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems that no matter what path of communication we take, we here at The CALL are still trying to work in a complete void of information.â&#x20AC;? Publicly, as a longtime DCFS partner, The CALL is more diplomatic about the challenges that came with centralizing recruitment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think, as always in a new process, there are obstacles that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anticipate,â&#x20AC;? said Laurie Currier, the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive director. Currier emphasized that some applicants are partially responsible for the delays: They may turn in paperwork late or have background-check issues that need to be addressed. Part of The CALLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose, she said, is to work closely with applicant families so that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get discouraged. Indeed, compared to prospective foster parents applying directly through DCFS, families with The CALL enjoy far more support. CALL foster parents are trained over two intensive weekends, rather than the protracted six- to eight-week course required of non-CALL parents. In addition to offering a streamlined training process, The CALL, with its dedicated DCFS liaison, is available to intervene on behalf of frustrated applicants and to nudge their paperwork

Michael Stewart Allen (Macbeth) in Macbeth. Photo by John David Pittman.

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

BRIAN CHILSON

PROMISES $1 MILLION: Gov. Hutchinson will put state dollars into caseworker hires, but wants volunteer help, too.

along. But that helping hand isn’t available to all applicants: The CALL will only work with Christians who will sign the group’s statement of faith and can bring a reference from their pastor or church; they will not work with same-sex couples, and refer prospective LGBT foster families to work with DCFS directly. Without the benefit of outside intervention, non-CALL foster applicants can face longer delays. This March, as the scandal over the Justin Harris rehoming drew increased attention to DCFS, the agency grew increasingly concerned about the backlog, which was growing by 250 to 300 new inquiries each month. Meanwhile, DCFS was taking more kids into care with few places to put them. A Sebastian County supervisor reported that the local office was taking in an average of one child every

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

day, and managers were worried workers would begin to walk out. This April, the consultant group HZA released its assessment of DCFS’s implementation of the federal Diligent Recruitment Grant. HZA found that “little progress had been made” toward the grant’s goals, and some local field staff said centralizing recruitment was not working. Staffers told HZA, “They need more people at the central inquiry to speed up the process or they need to put it back in the field.” In an internal email, Davis objected to the suggestion, arguing that the same problems had occurred before centralization, but the division was clearly struggling to come up with solutions. Blucker proposed hiring temps to handle parts of the application process and in May even made the surprising suggestion that the division

temporarily forego its normal home study standards so it could “figure out a way to address the clogs.” “I really can’t believe I am even thinking about this,” Blucker opened an email to senior staff, “however when you look at a need and ways to address — [I] think we have to look at a number of things.” Davis replied with the warning that taking shortcuts to address the backlog in the short run would likely lead to a continuation of laxer standards down the line: “Once you change it to ‘less’ it is difficult to shift up to ‘more,’ ” she wrote. (On Sept. 10, Blucker said, DCFS approved a new “hybrid home study” to be used with provisional foster parents only, omitting some steps required for nonrelative foster homes and likely shortening the training period as well.) Finding the balance between safety

Grand Opening

and efficiency isn’t just an Arkansas problem. A December 2014 internal report from Casey Family Programs, a national initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, found that foster parent recruitment efforts across the country are often stymied by lacking response infrastructure. “Studies have found that 50 percent of interested parties drop out of the process before a child is even placed in their homes,” noted the report, often because of “bottlenecks that slow down the process.” The report recommended that all prospective foster parent inquiries be answered by a live person, that applicants be oriented within two weeks and that they begin training within a month after that. That target is a long way from DCFS’s recent practice. One foster mother said that, when she first inquired about fostering in 2013, it took DCFS nearly five months to write her back. By the time Hutchinson proposed his Restore Hope Summit, DCFS staff privately expressed anxiety that the conference would lead to a new wave of foster parent applications they were unprepared to deal with. “I can see why the governor decided this needed to take place,” one DCFS worker told the Arkansas Times, “but I don’t think we have the capacity to handle this influx when we already have so many [applications] pending. We have no mechanism to handle that.”

= If DCFS can’t manage to efficiently process potential foster homes, it has an equivalent problem in holding on to the families it already has. Almost as many foster families leave the system each month as are recruited. Some of those parents close their homes for

personal reasons, but others quit over frustration with DCFS. “If there’s a problem, it’s so hard to get a hold of a caseworker,” remembered one former foster parent in Fayetteville who said he had to register three times before he was able to receive his foster parent training. “You call the local office and can’t leave a message because the mailbox is full. I’ve gotten into screaming matches with DHS on the phone. It’s important, when you’re looking for help.” Another former foster parent said that when he got his fingerprints done as part of his background check, a technical problem with the results led to months of delays that weren’t resolved until he wrote his state representative. “I’m not saying cut corners on background checks and training,” he said, “but you’d think there’d be a streamlined process to get this in place.” Other foster parents said they were perplexed to find that, after years of putting up with DCFS’ oversights, missteps and delays, the division punished them for what seemed like minor mistakes. Scott Miller, a member of the North Little Rock School Board, said he and his wife, Sonja, were treated harshly by the division after what Scott called a poor, but not catastrophic, parenting decision. The couple began fostering their now-18-year-old adopted daughter Anastasia in 2004 and found DCFS to be a consistently unpredictable partner — failing to show up for planned inspections for weeks at a time; skipping scheduled transportation for doctor’s appointments and visitation; taking the child on family visits without telling the Millers, leaving them to fear she was missing. Around 2010, as Anastasia struggled as a teenager in adjusting to her

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

BRIAN CHILSON

DCFS DIRECTOR BLUCKER: Says recruitment specialists are improving the division’s relationships with foster parents.

adoption — grieving over the realization that she’d never return to her mother, Scott believes — she began to threaten to run away. In what he now considers a bad decision, Scott responded to the threat by suggesting that Anastasia see what living on the street was like by staying in the family’s attached garage for the weekend. At the time, he’d thought of it as a lessonteaching twist on church youth group “homeless weekends,” where many teens sleep out in parking lots. The garage was finished and insulated, and directly under the parents’ bedroom, he said, although it didn’t have a toilet, and Anastasia had to wait until the morning to use the bathroom. When the issue came up in a therapy session, the Millers were reported for child abuse. DCFS then responded with unusual speed: The agency removed Anastasia to a group home (and at one point to a

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

DCFS office couch) while they investigated the Millers, compelling them to undergo a day-long psychiatric evaluation that included IQ tests and questions about their sex life. The couple ended up having to hire a lawyer to retain custody of Anastasia. “Just based on that one incident,” Scott marveled. “Which is why I get irked when I hear that PSA on the radio: ‘You don’t have to be perfect to be a foster parent, you just have to be there.’ ” It wasn’t true in their case, he said. “We had to be perfect. That’s why DHS has a bad reputation: Because they take the kids of people who don’t have the resources to combat them, and the ones who do have resources and want to help as foster parents, they treat like dirt.” Lisa Knight Gregory in Sebastian County had a similar complaint. She and her husband, Dewayne, became foster parents in 2005, ultimately

adopting four of the 20 children who came into their care, with hopes of adopting another three children they were still fostering in 2012. Lisa said she became so busy that year, with six of their children under 6 years old, that she fell behind on required DCFS paperwork for things like the family’s annual medical exams and proof of car insurance. She said she knows she likely overlooked mailed reminders, but didn’t realize how serious the issue was until she received a call from her caseworker notifying her that they’d close her home unless everything was in by the next week. Gregory rushed to get the documents together, but there was one outstanding item: results from the family’s required tuberculosis tests that wouldn’t be ready until two days after the deadline. “I’d said, ‘They’re not going to close us over a TB test. They need homes too

THE MASTER PLAN, CONT.

bad, that’s crazy,’ ” Lisa recalled. But on the day of the deadline, they were informed that their home was closed for noncompliance, and their three foster children were removed. “If they’d made visits like they were supposed to every month, we’d have had some warning that they were upset with us,” Dewayne said. “But the only time I ever saw a caseworker in the house [for an official inspection] was on the day we opened and the day we closed.” When the couple reapplied with DCFS, Dewayne said they received a letter stating that they weren’t suitable to be foster parents in the state. An ad litem familiar with DCFS suggested that, after years of real concerns over problem foster homes and cases of serious abuse, the pendulum may have swung too far in the other direction. Blucker has done a good job of making foster homes safer, she said, but today many foster parents operate in a system that seems to have “zero tolerance for mistakes.” “If they don’t do things exactly as the department wants them done, there seems to be more retaliation against them,” she said. Although DCFS is prohibited by confidentiality regulations from commenting on specific cases, Blucker said that foster parents are necessarily held to a higher standard because children removed from bad situations need to be shielded from further trauma. “Still, I wouldn’t say we have zero tolerance for mistakes,” she said. “What we have zero tolerance for is situations in which our children are not safe or are not being cared for the way they should be. These children have been through enough already.” She added that, before homes are closed, staff meets personally with foster families to address concerns, and sometimes are able to develop plans to rectify problems and keep the

homes open. But the DCFS employee who spoke with the Times said the division needs to do better. “We don’t treat our foster parents very well. We don’t treat them like the resource that they are, and that we need.”

= In recent years, DCFS has tried to take a more “consumer-friendly” approach with regard to both recruitment and retention. Blucker said the division’s new recruitment specialists are helping improve working relationships with potential and current foster families, explaining, “The agency is more cognizant of how we interact with families and the importance of ensuring foster families feel valued.” She also noted that, as of mid-September, the number of pending foster parent applications was down to 1,109, and DCFS is hopeful that once a new tracking system is up and running in coming weeks, they’ll be able to clear the remaining backlog more quickly. As Hutchinson has promised to allocate new funds to DCFS to help address the staffing gap at the root of many of the division’s problems, Blucker said that some of the new staff will be used as resource workers, helping license new foster homes. But foster parents and advocates say there’s a long way to go. “We’re asking people to do a difficult job,” The CALL director Currier said. “I think when we do a good job of supporting families appropriately, we have a better chance of retaining that family over time.” When that fails to happen, Currier said, families tend to close their homes. “I often say that it’s much easier to retain a family than grow them up from the beginning. That’s the only way we’ll ever get past where we’re at now.”

because their unlimited proliferation poses a direct threat to traditional schools, especially where districts are struggling to retain students already. For a prime example, look to the Little Rock School District, where growing charter networks such as eStem and LISA Academy compete with LRSD, which serves far larger percentages of children from low-income homes, with learning disabilities or who speak English as a second language. Education reformers, including the WFF and its allies, often describe low-performing, urban districts as hopelessly broken — thus, the need for an alternative, privately run charter system. In the state legislature this spring, a bill widely thought to have originated with the WFF (or perhaps Jim Walton directly) would have allowed for the establishment of an “achievement school district” in which underperforming schools taken over by the state could be farmed out to charter operators. The bill was pulled by its legislative sponsor after a backlash from traditional education groups. Yet, by avoiding mention of the charter issue, ForwARd’s prescriptions would seem to imply that traditional schools can be fixed through dedicated community engagement. And if that’s the case, why engage in the radical disruption entailed

by privatization? It remains to be seen exactly what the ForwARd recommendations will look like when implemented. Jared Henderson, the project manager for ForwARd, said the initiative is now focused on assembling an “implementation working group” — a successor to the steering committee — and identifying communities to partner with. “Those folks are committed to starting it at minimum by the end of the year, to get this thing off the ground,” Henderson said. “We’re going to … dive deep in a handful of communities in a year or two.” Henderson said the initiative would take an “opt-in” approach in its partnerships. It won’t entail “us picking someone and trying to coerce them into it,” he said. “We want it to be extremely collaborative. We see the districts, with community support, as really being the authors of their own plan.” Smith and West-Scantlebury said they couldn’t yet comment on what sort of financial resources the foundations will be devoting to the project in the months ahead, but reiterated their organizations’ commitment to ForwARd over the long haul. Those details, and others, should emerge in the coming months.

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

NO NE VE W M DA BE T R E 14

ANNOUNCING The 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES WHOLE HOG ROAST

WHOLE HOG

benefiting

Argenta Arts District

SATURDAY, NOV. 14 RAIN OR SHINE Argenta Farmers Market Events Grounds , 5 until 9 PM

Tickets $15/$20 Day of benefiting

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WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING:

AMATEUR TEAMS are considered individuals or businesses not connected to any particular restaurant, food truck or catering companies. Amateur teams will be preparing at least 30 pounds of pork butt. Amateur teams wanting to enter our People’s Choice “No Butts About It” will need to provide 30 pounds of options such as chicken wings, thighs, ribs, goat, stuffed jalapenos, anything besides pork butt - be creative. This is a separate award for amateurs only. Edwards Food Giant is offering 20% discount on meat purchases. Entry fee: $150

Arkansas Times and the Argenta Arts District are now accepting both AMATEUR and PROFESSIONAL TEAMS to compete in our 3rd annual Whole Hog Roast

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Gated festival area selling beer & wine ($5 each). Loblolly ice cream will be for sale.

PROFESSIONAL TEAMS are considered restaurants, catering companies and food trucks. Professional teams will be preparing a whole hog from Ben E. Keith Company Entry fee: $500 and includes the whole hog, pick up by Nov. 11.

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CURRENT ROAST COMPETITORS AMATEUR TEAMS:

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Ticket holders will cast all the votes via “Tokens” Three tokens will be provided to all ticket holders, additional tokens are available for sale Three Winners will be chosen: PEOPLE’s CHOICE FOR Best professional Team, Best Amateur Team and the Best Amateur “No Butts About It” Team.

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL TEAMS ARKANSAS ALE HOUSE · COUNTRY CLUB OF ARKANSAS · MIDTOWN BILLIARDS SO RESTAURANT-BAR · CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

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To enter, contact Drue Patton dpatton@argentadc.org or Phyllis Britton phyllis@arktimes.com 24

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

ONL PLEASE V

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MEET THE HOSPITAL RECRUITERS

SHELLEY SHEETS Human Resources Specialist Conway Regional Health System At Conway Regional Health System we are accountable to the community to provide high quality, compassionate health care services. We are very proud to have received the 2014 Governor’s Quality Award along with numerous other quality rankings and awards. In 2015 we recognized 146 employees as exceptional performers based upon their achievements in their career fields. We are always looking for exceptional performers who are dedicated to providing excellent care. We offer a smaller nurse to patient ratio than can be found in most metro hospitals along with a family atmosphere that is second to none. Positions are available in a variety of areas including Critical Care, Surgery, Oncology, Medical/Surgical and Women’s Services. If you would like to join the Conway Regional Family – please visit our website at www. conwayregional.org.

Nurse recruiters for hospitals and schools sometimes have a difficult task of guiding prospective students and matching the right people for specific positions. Recruiters from some of the state’s most popular nursing programs and largest hospitals tell what they’re looking for in candidates, what they offer and what makes their programs stand out among others.

SUSAN ERICKSON, RN, MNSC, BC-NA, CHCR Nurse Recruiter & Recruitment/Retention Officer Facilitator, PNO Image Council/Retention Resource Nurses University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences At the heart of patient and family-centered care at UAMS is the belief that nurses and families are partners, working together to best meet the needs of each patient. Excellence in health care happens when we work side by side and honor the expertise each individual brings to each health encounter. Partnerships are strengthened and knowledge shared to provide the highest quality of care. It is what we expect from those who chose a career at Arkansas’s only academic medical center. We also offer unique opportunities combined with salary and benefits including our 10% retirement match and tuition discount for you/your children/spouse plus, the personal satisfaction you receive while working at UAMS – it’s hard to beat. That is why more than 11,000 employees enjoy a career for life. To join our team, log onto: http://nurses.uams.edu or join our face book page @ UAMS Nurses.

MICHELLE S. ODOM, RN, MSN Director of Recruitment and Retention Arkansas Children’s Hospital As Arkansas’s only pediatric health care center and one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, we offer a wide range of opportunities for nurses from direct patient care to staff education, research, administration, nursing informatics, and much more. When you walk through the main entrance, you see a statement: “Fear not illness… this place of Care, Love and Hope is for you.” This statement reflects our culture and guides our practice each and every day that we enter the halls. When looking for potential employees, we look for individuals who have a true passion for caring for the children and families we serve… helping to make them better today and healthier tomorrow. Pictured (L-R) front row: Anna-Kate Bogaards, Dee Dee Sturdevant, Michelle Odom, Mitch Highfill. (L-R) back row: Denise Cook, George Cobb, Yvonne Pendergraft, and Evie Rodgers 4 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES 28 SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

SHIRLEY SPURLOCK Director of Human Resources Rivendell Behavioral Health Services, Inc. of Arkansas Rivendell offers a beautiful landscape for the path to healing. Set on 18 wooded acres and a private pond, our 79 bed psychiatric hospital and substance abuse treatment center is centrally located for both staff and patients. We welcome caring nursing professionals to join us in our mission of “Changing lives through compassionate healing!” For over 30 years, Rivendell has provided quality inpatient behavioral health care for children, teens and adults. Our excellence in clinical programming is continually recognized by The Joint Commission. Be sure to check out Universal Health Services, Inc., our Fortune 500 parent company offering a competitive benefit package with career advancement potential locally and across the US. And, to view our current employment opportunities, please visit rivendellofarkansas.com We look forward to meeting you!

KRISTI CLARK Employment Coordinator White River Health System White River Health System is a leading healthcare provider in North Central Arkansas. We offer a wide array of services. Here at White River Health System we are looking for nursing professionals that want to join our team. It is our goal to promote quality care for our patients. We offer competitive pay and excellent benefits. Come join our team today! Visit our website today to find out more about our opportunities www. whiteriverhealthsystem.com or call me at 1-877-779-7774.

BRYAN HALL RN, BSN, MS & JAMES SCOGGINS, RN, BA, JD Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), Arkansas State Hospital At the Arkansas State Hospital we are on the cutting edge of psychiatric nursing providing a trauma informed environment for patient care. We are seeking nurses with an attitude of compassion, enthusiasm, and professionalism. If you’re seeking excitement and job satisfaction then a career in psychiatric nursing may be for you. Nursing personnel utilized to provide quality psychiatric care include: Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Behavioral Health Aides, and Unit Safety officers. If you are a nurse looking to work in a great environment with competitive pay, benefits, and a sign on bonus then we may be the place for you. To learn more about employment opportunities with the Arkansas State Hospital Nursing Department, please give us a call at 501-686-9400 or visit arstatejobs.com to apply.

LAKIN RICE, Nurse Recruiter - Little Rock KELLI HOPKINS, Nurse Recruiter - Regionals AMBER DAVIS, Nurse Recruiter - North Little Rock APRIL ROBINSON, Nurse Recruiter - Little Rock Baptist Health Medical Center Our belief at Baptist Health is that we are healing ministry. We provide quality patient care services to all Arkansans with a caring and comforting heart. That is why we are Arkansans’ choice for their healthcare needs. We have a variety of nursing opportunities, from a Level III NICU to a 90-bed Critical Care area. In the spring of 2016, Baptist Health will open our new Conway facility. Baptist Health offers top quality benefits for employees. We look for nurses who not critically think but are compassionate and service-oriented. We want to offer a “World Class” environment for everyone. Please apply online at baptist-health.com

MEET THE SCHOOL RECRUITERS

KRISTY FRITZ RN Recruitment Coordinator CHI St Vincent As a system that includes the first Arkansas hospital to earn Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, CHI St Vincent is the clear choice for exceptional nurses. We are ranked the number one hospital in Arkansas for the third year in a row by US News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals Rankings. Our emphasis is on creating an excellence in clinical practice, the workplace environment, and the patient experience through a rich program supporting nursing professional development and interdisciplinary shared governance. We offer competitive salaries, robust benefit packages for full- and parttime employees. Learn more about joining our team of excellent nurses at www.chistvincent.com/careers.

MEGGAN SPICER Senior HR Recruiter Practice Plus At Practice Plus, we are constantly recruiting for quality MA, LPN, RN, PA and APRN nursing candidates who embody our five core values of Service, Honesty, Respect, Stewardship and Performance. With over 92 locations and 267 providers, we strive daily to achieve our mission of providing quality patient service which responding to the changing health needs of Arkansans with Christian compassion. As a Baptist Health Affiliate, we offer competitive salary and benefit packages. If you are a nursing professional with a caring heart, we encourage you to apply online at www.practice-plus.com.

JENNIFER MCDANNOLD Enrollment Coordinator Baptist Health Schools Little Rock Healthcare professionals in today’s world must be well-rounded individuals with a commitment to personal and professional excellence. The ideal healthcare professional has strong critical thinking skills and enjoys continued learning and growth. The individual has a personal belief in citizenship and makes healthy, responsible decisions about their lifestyle. Ultimately, being a healthcare professional is about caring for people, sometimes on their worst day. The ideal healthcare professional finds self-worth and joy in caring for others and making a positive impact in a patient’s life.

AMBER STANDRIDGE Academic Counselor JON VICKERS Academic Counselor University of Arkansas at Little Rock Nursing is a rare career field that is as much ART as it is SCIENCE. For nearly 50 years the UALR Department of Nursing has educated and guided individuals towards this honorable profession. We offer an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), BSN, LPN/Parmedic to RN and BSN online completion program. My advice for students is to take ownership and get as much information as possible about the nursing profession and degree options. Do this early and often! For more information about a program with consistently high NCLEX pass rates, state-of-the-art simulation hospital and clinical opportunities at over 30 healthcare facilities, visit: ualr.edu/nursing or email anstandridge@ualr.edu.

BARBARA LANDRUM & SHELLEY AUSTIN Nursing Professors Henderson State University Department of Nursing Planning for a professional nursing career starts with a strong foundation in math, biology, and chemistry. Whether you are a traditional high school student or a returning second career student, we are here to help you. HSU’s nursing program provides small classes with generous clinical experiences to assure your readiness for your nursing career. It is never too early to contact us for an individualized plan of study to assure meeting prerequisite courses and application deadlines. More information on our program can be found at: hsu.edu/nursing or contact austins@hsu.edu.

REBEL SMITH, ED.D. Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Management for Online and Distance Education Programs University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas offers three online nursing programs: the RN to BSN, the MSN with a nurse educator concentration, and the DNP with concentrations in adult/ geriatric acute care nurse practitioner and family practice nurse practitioner. For the DNP, students are expected to come to campus a few times a year. These programs were designed for the working professional. An online program advisor will work with you from start to finish, assisting you through the program. For more information, please visit the nursing page or email Rebel at rebels@uark.edu.

OSMONETTA BEARD Coordinator of Recruitment and Alumni Relations University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences UAMS is the only health science center in Arkansas and one of the region’s largest. It includes five colleges (Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Health Professions, and Public Health) and a graduate school along with a hospital, statewide network of regional centers, affiliations with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, and seven UAMS institutes where clinical, academic and research resources are focused on specific diseases or conditions. The UAMS College of Nursing provides Bachelor’s, Master’s (MNSc), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs to more than 600 students. There are programs to help existing RN’s earn their BSN or MNSc. The college is engaged in activities and interprofessional partnerships across all UAMS colleges that promote scholarly excellence, research and service to the university, nursing profession and society. For more information on our programs, contact us at 501-686-5224, by email at conadmissions@uams.edu or visit our website at www.nursing.uams.edu.

COURTNEY PRATT, AREANA LOPEZ, SAMANTHA HUGGINS AND CLAY WYLLIA Recruiters Arkansas Tech University At Arkansas Tech, we believe nursing is a caring relationship that facilitates health and healing.

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A NURSE The 15th edition of the Arkansas Times’ guide to nursing traces the arc of a nurse’s career

The nursing profession has changed immensely in the 15 years since the Arkansas Times first published its annual guide to nursing. Technology has changed how all of us communicate, do our jobs, and interact with the world. The nursing shortage that was then in its infancy is now in full bloom, thanks to the aging Baby Boom generation that’s increased both the number of people who need health care and the number of nurses who leave the profession to retire. In part; because of both of these developments, there’s never been a better time to become a nurse. It’s easier than ever to get the education and training you need, and the job opportunities are plentiful and varied. For this year’s publication, we’re taking a look at the life cycle of a nurse. We start at “birth” — that time when the idea of becoming a nurse first crystallizes in a person’s mind, and the preparation begins — and move through nursing th “childhood” of nur th the ursi ur ursi sing ng school, nurse’s “growing up” in the nurse e’s early e’ e’s entering career, and finally enterin nngg the “middle years” when nurses es often es advance choose a specialty and adv vance Together, into higher-level jobs. Tog ggeether, the stories paint a picturee ooff what career you can expect from a ca arreeer in nursing — the possibilities, possibiilliit ities, the pitfalls, the risks, aand nndd the rewards.

Birth of a Nurse

WHY YOU SHOULD GO INTO NURSING — AND HOW TO GET THERE

sk nurses why they chose their profession and many will tell a story about a personal connection: time spent caring for a sick loved one, or growing up with a mother or uncle who worked as a nurse and realizing they wanted to follow in those footsteps. For Jyrissa Sargent, it was watching her mother go through treatment for cancer. Sargent was in high school at the time, and was planning to become a doctor. But seeing how the nurses cared for her mother changed her mind. “Nurses were the ones she had a good rapport with,” said Sargent, who went to nursing school at UALR and is now a nurse at Arkansas Heart Hospital. “They’re the ones who were taking care of her and making sure she got what she needed.” Experiences like Sargent’s may light the spark for many future nurses, but even without that kind of motivation, there are plenty of reasons — both altruistic and practical — to consider a career in nursing. For one thing, you’ll never be bored. “One of the main reasons why people are attracted to nursing is because it’s such a diverse profession,” said Kelly Betts, EdD, RN, the UAMS College of Nursing’s associate dean for baccalaureate education. “Nurses are trained to

be generalists initially and may work in a wide variety of settings. If you do go to work in a setting and decide after a couple of years that your interest lies elsewhere, there are so many other areas you can go into.” Preston Molsbee, MSN, RN, chair of the nursing department at UALR, agrees. “Sometimes people look at nursing and think it’s strictly a hospital-based profession,” he said. “That’s as far from the truth as you can get.” Nurses can travel the world, work in schools, work as legal consultants, teach — or all of the above. “The opportunities for somebody entering the profession are so wide open that if somebody wants to be in the health care industry, this is probably the best route to go,” he said. And while the primary reason anyone should choose a career in nursing is because they have a desire to help people, there’s no denying that job security is a nice bonus. Nursing is one of the fastest-growing professions in the country. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be more than half a million new job positions for registered nurses (RNs) by 2022 — a growth rate of about 19 percent.

The publishers of the 2015 Nurses Guide issue would like to thank Osmonetta Beard, Susan Erickson, Erin Fifer, Barbara Landrum, Jennifer McDannold, Michelle Odom, Walter Petty, Kimberly Porter and April Robinson for their help (and ideas!) in creating the editorial content for this year’s issue.

Nursing is a rewarding profession that also offers great pay and job security. 6 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES 30 SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

“You will always have a job,” Betts said. “There will always be sick patients.” There’s an ongoing shortage of nurses in the United States, and it’s only going to get worse. The aging of the Baby Boom generation is a double whammy: There will be more older patients with lots of health care needs to take care of, and at the same time, a significant number of Baby Boom generation nurses are reaching retirement age. The Affordable Care Act — aka Obamacare — has also had the effect of increasing the demand for nurses, Molsbee said. Because of the ACA, which requires everyone to have health insurance, many people have access to health care who didn’t previously. And, to sweeten the pot, nursing is, overall, a pretty well-paid profession. The median salary for registered nurses in Arkansas is about $56,000, meaning half make more than that amount and half make less. (Don’t expect that level of pay right out of nursing school; remember, that figure includes nurses with advanced degrees and years of experience.) Good, solid job prospects were part of what attracted Austin Glover, 26, to a career in nursing. Guys who are considering career possibilities shouldn’t let outdated stereotypes get in the way of thinking about nursing, said Glover, who works in the coronary care unit at Baptist Health Medical Center - Little Rock. It’s an exciting, fast-paced career — and, especially for hospital nurses, one that can require a lot of physical strength.

“Being a nurse can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. You get to see people right at the brink of death, and then they come back because of what you’ve been doing.”

“Being a nurse can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do,” said Glover, who graduated Baptist’s nursing program and is now working on his bachelor’s degree. “You get to see people right at the brink of death, and then they come back because of what you’ve been doing.” There are several educational pathways students can take after high school to become a nurse. But if you know nursing is your career goal, you should start preparing for it as soon as possible, Betts said. For high school students, that means taking as many classes as you can in the physical sciences — biology, chemistry, anatomy — along with any classes your high

school offers related to medical fields. If your school offers AP science courses, all the better: Take as many as you can, advises Barbara Landrum, PhD, RN, chair of the nursing department at Henderson State University. “Make sure you take the test and get the credit,” Landrum said. “A lot of students will take the class but not the test.” But it also means preparing yourself to be a great communicator. “You do have to write and be literate,” Betts said. “Many students who have not had a good English composition background really struggle with that. I would advise students to take those courses very seriously and do well in them.” Jon Vickers, academic counselor and enrollment coordinator in the nursing department at UALR, agreed. “I see a lot of times that younger students are not great at talking,” he said. “They don’t have that interpersonal communication skill set that older adults do. They need to focus on that.” If you’re not quite sure that nursing is for you but you’re interested in finding out more, many hospitals have volunteer programs for high school students. Those programs are great opportunities to observe nursing in action. “I do encourage students to expose themselves to it,” Vickers said. “Shadow a nurse, volunteer at a hospital — see if that’s your passion.” ■

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

Life Cycle of a Nurse: Childhood A CAREER IN NURSING STARTS WITH A DEGREE. HERE’S HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST EDUCATIONAL PATH FOR YOURSELF AND TIPS FOR NAVIGATING IT SUCCESSFULLY

aybe you’re a young mother and you need the quickest route pos-

it’s very flexible,” said Kelly Betts, EdD, the UAMS College of Nursing’s sible to a stable, secure job. Or maybe you’re a high school valeassociate dean for baccalaureate dictorian with the time and financial ability to attend college full time for education. UAMS’ College of Nursing refour years. Maybe you’re a 40-something dad in a career that no longer cently started a new accelerated interests you or works for your family, but you need to keep working RN-to-BSN program that nurses can finish in one year. while you get the education you need to transition to a new line of work. Because both associate and bachelor’s degree nursing programs teach the same clinical skills, BSN completion For all of these people and others in a host of difprograms focus more on skills like leadership and ferent situations, there’s a pathway to a nursing degree community health. designed to suit their needs. UALR offers an associate degree, but also a BSN ladOne of the best places to start is www.arsbn.org, the website of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. It lists all of the approved nursing programs in the state. Then check campaignforaction.org, the website of the Arkansas Action Coalition, a group of nurses, educators, and other stakeholders working to advance the field of nursing in Arkansas. The coalition has gathered links to information about a variety of financial aid and scholarship opportunities. If you don’t already have a bachelor’s degree in another field, the associate degree in nursing is the fastest route to becoming a registered nurse. Students can finish an associate degree in about two years, and then be eligible to take the RN licensing exam. These days, though, there’s a growing emphasis on nurses having at least a bachelor’s degree. Research shows patients do better under the care of nurses who have a four-year degree, and more and more hospitals are beginning to require nurses to at least be enrolled in a BSN program to advance in their careers. Fortunately, many nursing schools have designed special online programs just for licensed RNs who want to complete their bachelor’s degrees. They’re the perfect option for nurses who couldn’t Kelly Betts (left), associate dean for or didn’t want to earn a traditional BSN. How long baccalaureate education at the UAMS those programs take depend on how the program College of Nursing, observes two student is structured and how much time the individual nurses practicing skills in the school’s nurse wants to devote to school. simulation lab. “The beauty of the RN-to-BSN program is that 8 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES 32 SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

der program. This program lets students take their RN licensing exam before they graduate, so they can spend their final year working as an RN and taking classes online. The university also has a one-year program for licensed practical nurses and paramedics to get the training they need to become registered nurses. One of the benefits of getting a job in nursing before you finish your bachelor’s degree is that many hospitals offer tuition assistance for employees who want to go back to school. It’s a solid option for someone whose priority is getting that first nursing job as soon as possible. If you’re able to do it, though, there are advantages to taking the time to earn a traditional, four-year BSN

pursue advanced degrees as early in degree before starting your career, said their careers as they can, rather than Barbara Landrum, EdD, RN, chair of waiting five to 10 years. the nursing department at Henderson “What happens is that by then, many State University. In a traditional BSN nurses are raising family, so they can’t program, students typically spend their even think about going back to school first two years taking general education until they’re in their 40s,” she said. “We and prerequisite courses, and then apgraduate on average the oldest doctorply for admission into their college’s ates in any profession, so their lifelong nursing program, where they spend contribution to the profession tends to their junior and senior years taking be less because of the age at which they nursing classes. obtain that terminal degree.” “The bachelor’s degree is the foundation And while Hoff recognizes that payfor going on to higher-level learning,” ing for school isn’t easy, she encourages she said. “And the most cost-effective students to think about borrowing and efficient way to get your BSN is money to finish school faster rather to go straight into a generic four-year than working more hours and going program.” to school part-time. That’s because students’ classes from “I tell students to get enough loans so associate degree programs might not they don’t have to work,” Hoff said. “It will satisfy all the requirements of another cost them less in the long run because school’s BSN program, she said. Students may find themselves having to retake some prerequisites, or take more general education classes than they’d counted on. “The bachelor’s degree is the Plus, she said, at every university, there’s a discount foundation for going on to when you take a full-time higher-level learning. And load; in other words, past a certain number of hours the most cost-effective and per semester — usually efficient way to get your 12 — you’ll pay the same tuition. If you can take 15 BSN is to go straight into a hours a semester rather generic four-year program.” than 9, you’ll not only finish faster, but you’ll pay less for your degree overall. And, she pointed out, nurses who enter the field they’ll get into the workforce faster.” with a BSN will be able to move more Fortunately, loans aren’t the only way quickly into management positions to pay for nursing school. Henderson that require that degree. That means a State, UALR, UAMS, Arkansas Tech Unijump-start on the career ladder. versity and the University of Arkansas “Our students come out very well at Fayetteville all offer scholarships for prepared for stepping up into leadernursing students. Many hospitals offer ship roles,” Landrum said. tuition assistance and loan repayment As the focus on education in nursing assistance for their nurses, and there has intensified, more and more nurses are also assistance programs for nurses are going back to school to earn advanced who agree to work or teach in an undegrees as well. This is where nurses derserved or rural area. can start to specialize: You can focus The best way to ensure your success on nursing administration, research, as you move through nursing education geriatrics, advanced practice, mental is to make a plan in advance. What are health, informatics, education, and your eventual career goals? What kind of other areas in master’s and doctoral support can you count on from friends programs. And because advanced deand family? What arrangements do you gree programs also are largely online, need to make to ensure that you have it’s possible to continue working while regular time for studying? you earn your degree. “They need to evaluate themselves first Julie Hoff, director of the Eleanor and see what their strengths and weakMann School of Nursing at the Uninesses are,” said Jon Vickers, academic versity of Arkansas at Fayetteville, counselor and enrollment coordinator said the direction the profession is for the UALR department of nursing.■ taking now is to encourage nurses to

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

Life Cycle of a Nurse: Growing Up ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS ON HOW TO LAND YOUR DREAM JOB AFTER NURSING SCHOOL

DANIEL MOODY

a position a high school graduate can get after only 8 said. “It’s very appealing that I got to work three days t would be easy to assume that because there’s such to 10 weeks of training. out of the week, and if I needed to pick those three a shortage of nurses nationwide, anyone who earns “It gives them a solid foundation and an idea of what days, I could.” a nursing degree will have no problem finding a great it’s like to work in a hospital,” she said. Other new nurses may prioritize a regular 8-to-5 job with fantastic pay and hours that don’t involve Elizabeth Hudson, BSN, RN, worked as a patient care weekday work schedule over other options. Doctors’ nights, weekends, or holidays. technician on the burn unit at Arkansas Children’s clinics might be a good choice for those nurses, or That may work out for some new graduates, but the Hospital while she was in school. working for an insurance company or law firm. Still reality is that like in most other professions, newbies “I think it did help me in getting a job and it gave me others may want to travel or experience a variety of have to pay their dues. In many cases, that means priceless experience,” said Hudson, who now works settings as a float nurse. working nights at a hospital — at least for a while. as a nurse in the infant-toddler unit at ACH. But for new nurses who do start out on a night“We orient new nurses to day and night shifts, but That can be especially helpful, because the transition shift job, the transition can be difficult. When Danelle typically they will start out on the night shift,” said from school to work isn’t always easy, Jacquelyn Wilkerson, director of nursing at said Jessica Rouse, nurse manager at Conway Regional Health System. “I started Rivendell Behavioral Health Center. out on nights, and I liked it because it wasn’t “Nursing school is one of the as fast paced. It gave me an opportunity hardest experiences in life, but even to have time to think — to ask, ‘why is it so, it doesn’t fully prepare you for working this way?’ I learned a lot by being life on the unit with your patients,” on the night shift.” she said. A common first job for nurses is working Health care-related work exon a medical-surgical unit at a hospital. perience doesn’t have to involve a That’s where they’ll get a lot of experience hospital, though. Lizzie Alvarez, BSN, quickly working with all different kinds RN, who works in the burn unit at of patients. ACH, spent her college summers “I knew I would gain solid foundation working as a camp counselor. Her skills,” said Allison Clark, whose first job final summer, she coordinated the as an RN was on a medical-surgical unit camp’s health care center. at UAMS. “I knew I didn’t want to do ICU “That gave me a lot of hands-on or anything too specialized. I wanted to experience working with pediatric be pretty versatile.” first aid and building my skills in Some nurses choose to stay in med-surg, therapeutic communication, among as it’s known, but many others use it as a many other things,” Alvarez said. foundation from which they move on to “My experiences that summer were a more specialized area in the hospital or invaluable to my current work.” to a different setting altogether. Many nurses start their careers working directly with patients at the hospital bedside. Even as new hires, nurses can Clark has chosen to stay in her med-surg begin to position themselves to move up the career Heaggans, BSN, RN, started working a 3 p.m.-to-3 a.m. unit while she pursues a master’s degree because, she ladder, Wilkerson said. Join different committees. shift in the emergency room at Arkansas Children’s said, it’s great experience, keeps her skills sharp, and Volunteer for projects. Hospital, her sleeping and eating patterns got out of she has a great team of coworkers. That aspect is just “That gets them more into the system to look at the whack quickly. as important as the work itself, she said. big picture,” she said. “There would be some days on my off days that I Another aspect new nurses should think about A growing number of hospitals are implementing wouldn’t eat just because my body was adjusting to when they’re job-hunting is what kind of schedule nurse residency programs, which are geared to help being ‘backwards’ from the rest of the world,” she said. they want or need to have. Bedside nurses in hospitals new nurses successfully transition from an academic Heaggans recommends writing out a schedule that typically work three 12-hour shifts a week, either day environment to a professional one. includes meals, sleep, exercise, and hobbies. or night. They’re long shifts, but allow nurses to pack Whatever you decide, Clark recommends taking Whatever direction nursing students think they their workweek into three days instead of five. And into account the people you’ll be working with, not want to pursue, they should start thinking seriously because hospitals need nurses 24/7, nurses can often just the work you’ll be doing. about their careers long before they finish their dechoose which days they’d like to work. The good news “As long as you have coworkers you respect and grees, Wilkerson said. There are lots of things nursing for new grads: Night and weekend shifts pay more. you can trust to take care of you, that will make all the students can do while they’re in school to give them For Clark, the flexible three-day workweek was difference in the world,” she said. “It doesn’t matter an edge in the job hunt, she said. ideal for her when she decided to go back to school what kind of patients you’re taking care of as long as “What sparks my interest is someone that’s already to pursue a master’s degree. the people around you are good.” ■ working in a nursing assistant position,” she said. That’s “I knew I needed to have a flexible schedule,” she 10 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES 34 SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • www.arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

11 35

Arkansas College/University

Years/Public Private

Calendar

Degree Offered

Len

Arkansas State University - Jonesboro • 870-972-3074 (nursing) • 870-972-3024 (admissions)

4 yr public

Semester

Traditional BSN, LPN TO BSN, RN To BSN, 2nd Degree Accelerated BSN

var

Arkansas Tech University, Russellville • 479-968-0383

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, LPN to BSN, RN to BSN, MSN, RN to MSN

BSN

Harding University, Searcy • 1-800-477-4407, 501-279-4682

4 yr private

Semester

BSN, RN-BSN, LPN-BSN, MSN FNP

BSN

Henderson State University • Arkadelphia • 870-230-5015

4 yr public

Semester

BSN

4 yr

Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia • 870-235-4040

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, Online RN-BSN Completion and ADN

4 yr Com

University of Arkanasas, Fayetteville • 479-575-3904

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, LPN-BSN, RN-BSN (online program), MSN (online program), DNP (online program)

4 ye 2 ye 4 ye part

UALR, Department of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-569-8081

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, RN-BSN Completion

7 se Com

University of Central Arkansas, Conway • 501-450-3119

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, RN to BSN & MSN, RN to BSN/MSN, MSN & DNP

4 yr

BACCALAUREATE

DEGREES OF

NURSING

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • 479-788-7841, 1-888-512-LION

4 yr public

Semester

BSN

4 yr

University of Arkansas at Monticello • 870-460-1069

4 yr public

Semester

AASN (LPN-RN), BSN, RN-BSN, LPN-BSN

2 to

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-686-5224

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, MNSc, PhD, DNP. Post Masters options available.

BSN yr fu to 6

Arkansas Northeastern College, Blytheville • 870-824-6253 • Paragould • 870-239-3200 • Burdette • 870-563-5110

2 yr public

Semester

AAS

2 ye

Arkansas State University - Jonesboro • 870-972-3074 (nursing) • 870-972-3024 (admissions)

4 yr public

Semester

LPN-AASN, Traditional AASN (Traditional AASN offered Arkansas State University-Beebe, Arkansas State University-Mid-South, Arkansas State University-Mountain home)

vari

Arkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus, Ozark • 479-667-2117

public

Semester

AASN

vari

East Arkansas Community College, Forrest City • 870-633-4480

2 yr public

Semester

AASN

2 yr

Mississippi County Community College, Blytheville • 870-762-1020

2 yr public

Semester

AAS in Nursing

2 yr

National Park College, Hot Springs • 501-760-4290

2 yr public

Semester

AS in Nursing

2 yr

North Arkansas College, Harrison • 870-743-3000

2 yr public

Semester

AAS in Nursing-traditional. LPN, LPN-RN

RN-

Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville • 479-636-9222, 800-995-6922

2 yr public

Semester

AAS, RN

4 se

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, Helena, Dewitt, Stuttgart • Helena 870-338-6474 x1254; DeWitt 1-870946-3506 x1611; Stuttgart 1-870-673-4201 x1809

2 yr public

Semester

AAS, technical certificate/PN

AAS

Southeast Arkansas College, Pine Bluff • 870-543-5917

2 yr public

Semester

AAS: RN, Generic RN & LPN/Paramedic to RN. Technical Certificate: PN

PN-

UALR, Department of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-569-8081

4 yr public

Semester

AAS/LPN to RN/BSN

4 se

MASTER’S DEGREE Master’s degree programs are offered by four-year colleges and universities for students who have completed at least a bachelor’s degree. These advanced degrees prepare nurses to take on a variety of specialized roles, including nurse practitioner, nurse educator, and clinical nurse specialist.

University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville • 870-612-2000, 800-508-7878

2 yr public

Semester

AAS-Generic RN and LPN to RN-traditional and online tracks, PN Program (Technicall Certificate) Generic RN Program

11 m

University of Arkansas Community College at Hope • 870-777-5722

2 yr public

Semester

Associate/RN

12 m

Baptist Health College Little Rock • 501-202-6200, 800-345-3046

private, faith-based

Semester

diploma/PN, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing/RN

RN t edu 1yr

DOCTORAL DEGREE The doctoral degree is the highest educational degree available in nursing. Some programs require students to complete a master’s degree first, while others are designed for students who have completed only a bachelor’s degree. There are two main options for doctoral degrees. The Ph.D., or doctor of philosophy, focuses on preparing nurses to work in research-based fields. The doctor of nursing practice, or DNP, is a clinical degree that focuses on nursing practice.

Jefferson Reg. Med. Center School of Nursing, Pine Bluff • 870-541-7858

private

Semester

Associate of Applied Science in Nursing

79 w

Arkansas Northeastern College Blytheville • 870-824-6253 • Paragould • 870-239-3200 • Burdette • 870-563-5110

public

Semester

Certificate of Practical Nursing

13 m

Arkansas State University - Beebe • ASU Searcy Campus 501-207-6214

public

Semester

Certificate LPN

11 m

Arkansas State University - Mountain Home • 870-508-6266

public

Semester

AAS-LPN/Paramedic to RN, certificate/PN, CNA

1111-2

Arkansas State University - Newport • 870-680-8710

public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing

1 yr

Arkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus, Ozark • 479-667-2117

public

Semester

AAS in Allied Health-Practical Nursing

3 se

ASU Technical Center, Jonesboro • 870-932-2176

public

Semester

LPN

11 m

Baptist Health College Little Rock • 501-202-6200, 800-345-3046

private

Semester

diploma/PN, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing/RN

2 se

Black River Technical College, Pocahontas • 870-248-4000 ext. 4150

2 yr public

Semester

AAS/RN, Certificate/PN, Certificate of Proficiency/Nursing Assistant

AAS 3se 3sem Nur

College of the Ouachitas, Malvern • 800-337-0266 ext 1200

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medication Administration Program

1-3

Cossatot Community College of the UA, De Queen, Nashville • 870-584-4471, 800-844-4471

2 yr public

Semester

LPN

De Q 18 m

Crowley’s Ridge Technical Institute • Forrest City • 870-633-5411

public

Semester

LPN, CNA

LPN

hether you’re looking to attend school for two years or four, part-time or full, Arkansas’s colleges and universities have a number of programs that will get you on the path to a nursing career.

ASSOCIATE DEGREE Associate degree programs, offered by two-year and four-year colleges and universities, must meet the requirements of a regional accreditation association and be approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. At the completion of the program, the student is awarded an associate of science (AS) or associate of science in nursing (ASN) degree. The graduate is then eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse. BACCALAUREATE DEGREE Baccalaureate programs must be approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and are usually offered by four-year colleges or universities. Students typically take four to five years to complete the degree requirements. At the completion of the program, the student is awarded the bachelor of science (BS) or bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. He or she is then eligible to take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse (RN).

NURSING LICENSE LEVELS Licensed Practical Nurse Both private and public two-year and four-year institutions offer practical nurse programs, which generally take 12 months to complete. Upon completion, the student receives a certificate and is eligible to take the NCLEX licensing exam and become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). LPNs typically work in long-term care, home health and doctor’s offices, although some hospitals employ LPNs as well. Registered Nurse Both two-year and four-year colleges and universities offer registered nurse programs that are divided into two categories: an associate’s degree and a baccalaureate degree. There are also diploma programs that prepare students to become registered nurses without earning an associate’s or baccalaureate degree. Before going to work, the graduate is required to pass the NCLEX examination. Advanced Practice Nurse Advanced practice nurses (APNs) have at least a master’s degree in a specialized area of nursing practice. They may practice independently or in collaboration with a physician. APNs must pass an advanced licensing exam and may work as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists or other specialty areas.

ASSOCIATE DEGREE

DIPLOMA/Associate of Applied Science Degree In Nursing

PRACTICAL NURSING

National Park College, Hot Springs • 501-760-4160

Public

Semester

Certificate in Practical Nursing

11 m

Northwest Technical Institute, Springdale • 479-751-8824

public

Semester

diploma/PN

3 se Pre-

Ozarka College, Melbourne • 870-368-7371

2 yr public

Semester

LPN, LPN-RN

1111-1

Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock • 501-812-2200

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing/PN

1111-m non

Rich Mountain Community College, Mena • 479-394-7622

2 yr public

Semester

certificate/PN, LPN, CNA, RN

1111-1

SAU Tech, Camden • 870-574-4500

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate

11 m

South Arkansas Community College, El Dorado • 870-864-7142, 870-864-7137

2 yr public

Semester

ADN,LPN

11 m

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • 479-788-7841, 1-888-512-LION

4 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate

12 m

University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology, Crossett • 870-364-6414

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing

11 m

University of Arkansas Comm. College at Morrilton • 501-354-2465

2 public

Semester

LPN-certificates AAS-LPN, RN

3 se

University of Arkansas Community College at Hope • 870-777-5722

2 yr public

Semester

certificate/PN

10.5

12 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES 36 SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

*** for Basic nursing education; Varies with previous coursework or nursing license; MSN program = 2 yrs

To compile this, forms were sent to every qualified college and university ty with instruction

all

Len Length Of Program

Living Arrangements

Aid Deadline

Scholarship Deadline

Required Exams

Application Deadline

Comments/Home Page Address

varies var

on campus housing for Jonesboro

July 1st

February 15th

ACT or SAT or COMPASS or ASSET; HESI A2 Nursing Admission Exam

varies

Nursing programs are accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. • Graduate Certificates offered: Addiction Studies, Aging Studies, Healthcare Management, Health Sciences Education, Healthcare Emergency Management; Graduate Degrees offered: MSN-Adult Health, MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner, MSN-Nurse Anesthesia, and DNP-Nursing Practice. www.astate.edu

BSN BSN-4yrs, RN to BSN-1yr, MSN-2yrs

on campus housing

varies

BSN-ACT or COMPASS, RN to BSN-None, MSN-GRE

March 1st and October 1st, other programs vary

RN to BSN can be completed in as little as 1 year. Excellent Faculty. www.atu.edu/nursing

BSN 4 yrs

on campus housing

June 1st

Rolling

ACT or SAT

Rolling/$50

Quality nursing education with a focus on Christian service and professionalism. www.harding.edu

yr 4 yrs

on campus housing

June

varies

ACT, SAT, or COMPASS

Feb 15th

NCLEX pass rates are above the national average at Henderson State University - the school with a heart. We offer small nursing classes and are CCNE accredited. www.hsu.edu

yr BSN 2yrs/ADN, 2-4 yrs online RN-BSN 4 yrs Com Completion program

on campus housing

July 1st

Priority March 15, Final August

ACT, ADN HESI Admission

September 30 for LPN to RN Transition or February 28 for Summer 2014 LPN to RN Transition

SAUM has an LPN to RN track for current LPNs or Vocational Nurses. www.saumag.edu/nursing

ye for BSN, 3-5 semesters RN to BSN, 4 years ye part-time MSN, 3 years full-time / 2 years ye part-time post-BSN-DNP, 2 years 4 years part part-time post-MSN-DNP

on campus housing for BSN students

March 15th

November 15th

SAT, ACT, GRE for the MSN and BSN-DNP

Varies

We offer generalist and advanced nursing degree programs to prepare nurses to meet the health needs of the public in an ever-changing health care environment. The DNP offers two options: family nurse practitioner and acute-geriatric nurse practitioner. nurs.uark.edu

se 7 semester BSN, 3 semester RN to BSN Com Completion

on/off campus housing

April 1st

February 1st

ACT/SAT for students with less than 12 credits.

Rolling

BSN completion for current RNs or recent graduates of an accredited nursing program. UALR students can Ladder into the online BSN and graduate within 4 years. www.ualr.edu/nursing

yr 4 yrs/BSN, MSN varies, PMC varies, DNP 2yrs

on campus housing available

July 1st

February 28 - University Scholarships | March 11 Foundation Scholarships

see website

varies by program, see website for dates

CCNE Accredited BSN & MSN, RN Completion Program, www.uca.edu/nursing

yr for BSN/Varies for RN-BSN 4 yrs

on campus housing

Priority March 15th

June 1st

ACT/COMPASS

Oct 1st for Spring/ March 1st for Fall

RN-BSN is an Online Completion Program. health.uafs.edu/#

2 to 4 yrs

on campus housing

contact financial aid (870) 460-1050

March 1st

none

March 1st

Achieve your nursing goals with us. www.uamont.edu/Nursing/academicprograms.htm

BSN generic: 2 yrs+1 summer/ RN to BSN: 1 fu time/ MNSC& PhD: students have up yr full to 6 yrs to complete degree requirements.

on campus housing

varies, visit nursing.uams.edu. Click on scholarships

varies, visit nursing.uams.edu click on scholarships

TOEFL for int’l students, MNSc-MAT or GRE, PhD-GRE, ATI TEAS V for BSN applicants.

BSN generic: March 1st/ RN to BSN: March 1st, July 1st & November 1st/ MNSC: September 1st & April 1st/ PhD: March 1st/ DNP-March 1st

conadmissions@uams.edu • www.nursing.uams.edu

ye 2 year

commuter campus

Priority April 15

Priority March 15

COMPASS or ACT and PAXRN

RN- March 31, PN- March 31

ANC offers the RN, LPN, and LPN to RN programs of study www.anc.edu

vari varies

on campus housing for Jonesboro

July 1st

February 15th

ACT, SAT, COMPASS, or ASSET; HESI A2 Nursing Admission Exam

varies

The mission of the School of Nursing is to educate, enhance and enrich students for evolving professoinal nursing practice. www.astate.edu

vari varies

commuter campus

Priority April 15

varies

STEP

March 15th, October 1st

www.atu.edu/ozark

yr 2 yrs

commuter campus

April 15th

varies

ACT, ASSET / Nursing Pre-entrance exams, COMPASS

varies

Allied health program offering RN-Nursing degree (basic students, LPN completion). www.eacc.edu

yr 2 yrs

commuter campus

Priority April 15 - Rolling

Priority April 15

PAX-RN

March 31st

www.mccc.cc.ar.us

yr 2 yrs

commuter campus

open

ACT, SAT or College Entry Exam, & TEAS

First Monday in March

Options for LPN and new High School seniors. www.np.edu

RN- yr; LPN-RN-1yr; PN-1yr RN-2

commuter campus

Pell Grant June 30

June 15th

ACT, COMPASS

varies with program

Northark’s students receive excellent healthcare education leading to rewarding careers in nursing. www. northark.edu/academics/areas-of-study/health-and-medical/index

se 4 semesters

commuter campus

June 1st and November 1st

April 1st

ACT or COMPASS TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)

First Monday in March and First Monday in November

The college of the NWA community, member of Northwest Arkansas Nursing Education Consortium. www. nwacc.edu/academics/nursing

AAS 63 credit hrs, PN 54 credit hrs

commuter campus

Federal and state dedadlines observed.

none

Nelson Denny Reading Test 10th grade level for ADN; None for PN admission.

RN June 1st, PN June 1st or Oct 1st

RN Program, ACEN accredited. www.pccua.edu

PN- yr, Generic RN-5 Semesters PN-1

commuter campus

open

none

ACT, COMPASS, PAX for PN,KAPLAN Admission Exam

Second Friday in March

Changing lives…one student at a time! www.seark.edu

se 4 semesters

on/off campus housing

April 1st

February 1st

ACT/SAT/Compass for students with less than 12 credits.

Priority Application Deadline Feb 28/ Applications accepted until class full.

LPN/Paramedic to RN (1 year). Traditional AAS (2 years). Accelerated AAS (18 months). See above for BSN information. www.ualr.edu/nursing

m Generic RN program is 16 mos. 11 mos,

commuter campus

varies

March 1- High school Academic; July 15- Others; Nursing Scholarship- Dec. 1

ASSET, ACT, SAT or COMPASS**, KAPLAN Nurse Entrance Test

PN May 1 - LPN to RN July15 - Generic RN entry deadline is May 1st

UACCB’s nursing programs are among the top programs in the state. www.uaccb.edu

12 months m (excludes prerequisites)

commuter campus

none

ASSET, ACT or COMPASS

August 31st

www.arnec.org, www.uacch.edu

t RN traditonal track 3 semesters + general edu education courses PN 1yr. RN Accelerated 1yr (LPNs or Paramedics).

commuter campus

March 1st priority

varies

ACT or SAT

RN traditional track/PN program: July 1st & December 1st , RN Accelerated: December 1st

www.bhclr.edu

79 w weeks

off campus only

none

ACT

Applications accepted until classes filled. $35 application fee.

www.jrmc.org/schoolofnursing

m 13 months

commuter campus

Priority April 15th

COMPASS or ACT and PAX-PN

March 31st

Variety of clinical experiences. www.anc.edu

11 m mos

commuter campus

varies

June 1st

ACT/COMPASS and Questionnaire

Call for further information

Application packet and program requirements are online. www.asub.edu

11- mos 11-22

commuter campus

varies

ACT, COMPASS, TEAS

Fall-April 30, Spring-Oct 15

Application packet and program requirements online. www.asumh.edu

1 yr

commuter campus

contact financial aid

varies

COMPASS, TEAS

August class- June 1, January class- Oct 15

Application packet and program requirements online. www.asun.edu

3 se semesters

commuter campus

Priority April 15

varies

TEAS

March 15th, October 1st

Clinical experience in hospitals of varying size, physicians’ offices and geriatric facilities. www.atu.edu/ozark

11 m mos

commuter campus

none

ASSET, NET

June 1 & November 1

Combines classroom instruction with clinical experience. Graduates eligible to take NCLEX.

2 se semester PN

commuter campus

Priority March 1st

varies

ACT or SAT

Dec 1st & June 1st

www.bhclr.edu

AAS AAS/RN 3 semesters, Certificate/PN 3se 3semesters, Certificate of Proficiency/ Nur Nursing Assistant 5 weeks.

commuter campus

contact financial aid office

April 15th

ACT or COMPASS for BRTC Admission and NA Applicants; TEASV for PN Applicants, NACE for RN Applicants.

NA - Contact Nursing department, PN April 1 for following fall acceptance and October 31 for following spring acceptance, August 31 annually for following Spring RN acceptance.

BRTC: A college of vision. BRTC has a 95% plus boards pass rate. www.blackrivertech.org

1-3 semesters

commuter campus

open

Fall-May1, Spring-Dec 1

COMPASS

First Friday in September / Spring, First Friday in March / Fall

www.coto.edu

De QQueen 11 mos Day Program, Nashville 18 m mos evening program

commuter campus

varies

June 15th

COMPASS, NET

Day Program-De Queen March 1st, Evening Program-Nashville August 31st

Prerequisites required prior to admission. www.cccua.edu

LPN LPN: 40 wks, CNA: 12 wks

commuter campus

Please contact Shelly Laird at 870.633.5411 ext. 140

varies

ASSET, TEAS

Call for more information

www.crti.ar.tec.us

11 m mos FT

commuter campus

none

College Entry Exam, TEAS

First Monday in March

Do you want to make a difference? Then nursing is for you! www.np.edu

3 se sem. & 1 Summer session (includes PrePre-Reqs)

commuter campus

July 1/Fall, December 1/Spring

June 1/Fall, December 1/Spring

NET, COMPASS

November 1st

Bilingual scholarships available- www.nwansged.org

1111-18 mos

commuter campus

none

March 1st

Wonderlic, TEAS, LPN STEP

April 1/Fall, November 1/Spring August 31 - RN

Providing life-changing experiences through education. www.ozarka.edu

1111-month traditional track/22-month non non-traditional track

commuter campus

Oct. 15 for Spring, March 15 for Summer, May 15 for Fall

varies

ACT or COMPASS and Kaplan Admission Test

April 15th

Call an advisor to discuss pre-recuisites and eligibility. www.pulaskitech.edu/programs_of_study/nursing/ practical_nursing.asp 501-812-2834 or 501-812-2339

1111-12 mos

commuter campus

varies, contact financial aid office

April

PSB and ACT, COMPASS

LPN-March, RN-Sept

www.rmcc.edu

11 m mos

commuter campus and on-campus

N/A

March 1st

ASSET. TEAS. Practical Nursing

June 1st

Two Applications required: admissions and nursing. www.sautech.edu

11 m mos

commuter campus

June 1, November 1, April 1

Priority April 1st

ACT, ASSET, or COMPASS

open

SouthArk: Where students come first. www.southark.edu

12 m mos

on campus housing

Priority March 15th

June 1st

ACT/COMPASS/NLN PAX-PN

May 1st for Fall

health.uafs.edu/#

11 m mos

commuter campus

varies

March 1st

ACT, COMPASS, ASSET, or SAT and TEAS

April 15th

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. www. uamont.edu/uamctc

3 se semesters - 2yr

commuter campus

prior to semester

April 1st

COMPASS, NET Gap

LPN-June 1st, AASLPN-Oct 1st, RN-Aug 31st

Enrollment limited to 20 each admission for LPN. www.uaccm.edu

10.5 months (excludes prerequisites)

commuter campus

none

ASSET, ACT or COMPASS

May 15th

www.uacch.edu

ty with instructions instruction to return by a specified deadline. Those schools not meeting the deadline were repeated from last year. Every attempt is made to gather and verify the information.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • www.arktimes.com SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

13 37

NURSES GUIDE 2015

NURSING OFFERS LIFELONG OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION AND ADVANCEMENT.

The Life Cycle of a Nurse: The Middle Years… and Beyond A

sk 10 nurses who started working at the same time in the

JACOB SLATON

but she felt a calling to be an educator as well. Once reducing falls — a major cause of injury she left the military, she went into K-12 education and for older people — and with a colleague, same job 15 years ago what they’re doing today and you’re spent the next 23 years as a school nurse, teacher, and created a statistical tool called the Hester likely to get 10 very different answers. The profession of nursing head of a small private Christian school in Little Rock. Davis Scale that’s used to predict which Along the way, she earned a master’s and doctorate patients were most at risk for falling and is one that allows for tremendous career growth and encourages in education. for being injured if they fall. The system lifelong learning — through formal degree programs, certification Now she’s back at the bedside, working as an inhas been so successful that UAMS decided in a specialty area, or even just through workplace seminars. patient obstetrics nurse at UAMS and contemplating to market it to other hospitals, and it’s the next phase of her career. now used across the country. “You can do so much in nursing,” Washington said. “The innovation we created touches the lives of 65 For nurses who’ve got a few years of experience “You can do one thing, then go do something else million people across the US every day,” said Hester, under their belts, the career possibilities are almost and get refreshed, and then come back. Nursing is who is also an entrepreneur and heads a start-up endless. It’s becoming more and more common for company that markets and services the Hester Davis nurses to pursue master’s and even doctoral degrees the profession.” Scale. “It’s really cool and it feels really good.” to give them advanced education and training in their Setting goals is vital, said Tammy Diamond-Wells, Nurse Cheryl Washington’s career is a great example chosen area of specialty. In the past decade, Arkansas’s MSN, RN, a nursing director at Arkansas Children’s of how nursing can combine with another passion to colleges and universities have added a number of Hospital. ACH has a career mapping tool that nurses create a role that is truly tailor-made for an individual’s master’s and doctoral programs in nursing — usually can use to create their plan, she said. talents and interests. Washington spent 10 years as all online. “The learner identifies what they aspire to be, and an Air Force nurse after she graduated from college, Some will choose a single career path — in education, the management teams helps to set small goals to for example, or advanced help achieve that,” she said. practice nursing, or even Continuing her education up the career ladder of has been a consistent theme bedside nursing — and throughout Samantha Tate’s some hop from one path career at White River Health to another to another System in Batesville. Tate as their situations and started out as a licensed interests change. practical nurse — a position Amy Hester, PhD, RN, that requires less training earned her bachelor’s than a registered nurse degree in nursing from and has a narrower range UAMS in 1994. Since of duties. She completed then, she’s worked as a RN training, though, and medical-surgical nurse on while working as a medicalthe hospital floor, in the surgical nurse, she also got outpatient neurosurgery additional training in critical clinic, in administration, care, advanced cardiac life and — most recently — as support, and chemotherapy, director of nursing research and earned her certificaand innovation at UAMS. tion in medical-surgical In that position, she looks nursing. After that, she for new ways to improve returned to college and nursing care — and she’s earned a bachelor’s degree As nurses gain experience, they may choose to stay in bedside roles or specialize in other areas, such as had phenomenal success. in nursing from Arkansas administration or informatics. She decided to focus on State University, and was 14 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES 38 SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

ASH Welcomes YOU!! Come and join our professional nursing staff.

Using trauma informed care and a patient centered approach to help foster recovery. Labor and delivery is just one of many jobs open to new nurses. recently promoted to manager of the Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation and Recuperative Care units at White River Medical Center. “There’s always room for advancement and growth, which is one of the many things I love about nursing,” Tate said. “Nursing has so many options to choose from. You just have to find where you fit and hit the ground running.” Claudia Barone, EdD, RN, APRN, is an expert in nursing education — both as a teacher and as a student. She’s been on the faculty at the UAMS College of Nursing since 1992, not only giving her students the knowledge they need, but also helping them work through challenges such as test anxiety and work/ life balance issues. Barone has lived those challenges herself: When she first graduated from nursing school, it took her three tries to pass the RN licensing exam. It was a devastating experience at the time, she said, but now she uses

that experience to help new graduates who are in a similar situation take the steps they need to be successful. Before she joined the UAMS faculty, Barone worked as a staff nurse, clinical nurse specialist, and assistant head nurse. Over the years, Barone went back to school to earn first a master’s degree in nursing, then a doctorate in education. She’s now pursuing a second doctorate — the doctor of nursing practice degree — at UAMS. Going back to school mid-career can be a daunting prospect for nurses who are already balancing work and family, but it’s worth it, said Kristie Brockette, RN, a unit supervisor at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock who is working to complete her bachelor’s degree online. “You’ve just got to get back to it, even if it’s only one class,” she said. “Continuing education in this field is crucial to success.” ■

“You can do so much in nursing. You can do one thing, then go do something else and get refreshed, and then come back. Nursing is the profession.”

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DEPARTMENT OF NURSING UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

Speaking the language OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND FOR BILINGUAL NURSES

s chief nursing officer for Conway Regional Health System, Jac-

able. But a bilingual nurse is a great asset, she said. If the nurse shares the patient’s native language or if the nurse has passed a proficiency test, he or she is allowed to speak directly to the patient in that language, but can’t act as an interpreter for other providers. Hernandez pointed out that being bilingual isn’t only about language. Cultural differences come into play too, and it’s important for healthcare providers to recognize and understand those differences, and take them into account as they plan the patient’s treatment. Arkansas Children’s Hospital has Spanish-speaking health care providers at several of its clinics now, and will be looking to expand that in the coming years, said Lori Batchelor, BSN, MHA, RN, director of primary care services for ACH’s Ambulatory Care department. “As we look forward to the future care needs of our community, we will be recruiting specifically for bilingual team members across the board, from registration and check-out to nurses,” she said. “The Hispanic population is the fastest growing ethnicity in the United States, and meeting the needs for their children’s care can often best be accomplished by a clinical team member that speaks their native language. This also assists with building relationships of trust and cultural understanding.” Hernandez recommends going beyond basic language classes if your goal is to be able to function as a bilingual nurse. “Immerse yourself as much as you can,” she said. “Take the college courses and then travel abroad. That’s the best way to learn the language.” But even just picking up some basic conversational Spanish goes a long way, Hernandez said. “A lot of our providers know enough to just say ‘Open your mouth, stick out your tongue,’ or ‘I’m Dr. So-and So, welcome to UAMS.’ That just makes such a difference. It puts the patient at ease because they see the doctor is making an effort to understand them and meet them halfway. It’s very important for any provider to just have a basic understanding of language and culture. “I always tell people, ‘Imagine if you were in China traveling and you broke your leg. How would you feel if you went to the hospital and nobody speaks your language?’ It’s so important to be able to get Bilingual nurses and medical interpreters, such as these Spanish-language interpreters at UAMS, make sure all patients the information in a way you can understand.” ■ can get information about their health in their native languages. UAMS

speaking. The most recent U.S. Census quelyn Wilkerson has a list of qualities she looks for in applicants figures show that just over 7 perfor nursing positions. There’s education, of course, and experience, and cent of Arkansas’s population — in other words, more than 200,000 evidence that the candidate can function well as part of a team. And then people — speak a language other there’s one other skill that you might not think of in relation to nursing. than English at home. The most common is Spanish, but a sizable number speak Vietnamese, Marshallese, and others. “When I see ‘bilingual’ on an application, that is like Many speak at least some English, said Mariella Hergold,” Wilkerson said. “That is such an asset to have. nandez, supervisor of interpreting services at UAMS, It’s definitely one thing that would be great to pick up but healthcare providers want to make sure patients if you were going into nursing.” understand exactly what’s going on with their care. There’s a huge demand for nurses who can speak UAMS has several full-time Spanish/English interpreta second language. They don’t necessarily function ers on staff who have specialized training in medical as official interpreters — that’s a separate role with interpreting, and — like most hospitals — subscribe its own skill set and education requirements — but to a telephone-based interpreting service for other are simply able to ask and answer patients’ questions languages or when an in-person interpreter isn’t availin the language the patient feels most comfortable

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Keep the fire burning B

urnout is an issue in any profession, but especially so in one as intense as nursing. The hours can be long, the work physically hard and emotionally demanding. And nurses are natural caretakers, so they’re more inclined to put their own needs behind those of everyone else in their lives. Here are some tips from nurses about ways to take care of yourself while you’re taking care of your patients:

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH. Many hospitals have wellness programs to encourage staff members to care for their own health as much as they care for their patients’. Making time to eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep is a crucial tool in the fight against burnout. ■

AMY HESTER

NURSES NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, TOO

Taking time for personal hobbies — such as fishing, nurse Amy Hester’s choice — is important to help avoid burnout.

VALUE YOURSELF MORE THAN YOU VALUE YOUR PROFESSION. Know when your plate is full, and understand that it’s OK to say “no” when you get there. “If you have nothing to pour out and give, it does the patient no good,” said Tammy Diamond-Wells, a nursing director at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. “You have to pour back into yourself.” BE REALISTIC. It’s important to have goals, says Amy Hester, PhD, director of nursing research and innovation at UAMS, but it’s also important to take into consideration all the different aspects of your life. “Sometimes you want to go into a particular direction but life has other demands,” she said. “You don’t want to set yourself up for failure.” CHALLENGE YOURSELF. Doing the same job for too long can cause burnout whether it’s stressful work or not. Always build in ways to learn new skills or get involved in different activities at work. “It’s important to maintain openmindedness, to realize you don’t know it all,” said Jessica Rouse, nurse manager at Rivendell Behavioral Health Services. “The field is always changing and growing. I never want to be quoted as having said ‘Oh yeah, I got this!’ no matter how well trained or experienced.” TALK ABOUT IT. When tornadoes tore through Vilonia and Mayflower in 2014, Conway Regional Health System was inundated with injured people. The hospital’s staff really pulled together that night and took care of everyone that came in, but after it was over, they took time to talk through their experiences together. It was important to allow the nurses to work through their own trauma, said Jacquelyn Wilkerson, Conway Regional’s chief nursing officer.

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40 Under 40

ne oversees staff education programs at a

That’s where the 40 Under 40 program comes in, Beverly major hospital. Another spearheads efforts to said. By recognizing emerging improve the way nurses care for the most fragile nurse leaders, the Arkansas Action Coalition puts a spotinfants. Others work in university classrooms making light on both what’s happening sure tomorrow’s nurses have the intellectual and in the profession and what’s possible when nurses are fully clinical skills they need to provide excellent care. empowered as leaders. “This is an opportunity for society to They’re among the Arkansas Action better understand nurses,” she said. “We Coalition’s inaugural 40 Under 40 class, at times seem to have difficulty explaining chosen by a panel of their colleagues to individuals what nursing is today in based on their leadership contributions our health care system. As we recognize within the profession of nursing. And these individuals we want them to see they’re just what Arkansas nursing needs the various activities and services that for the future. they’re engaged in providing.” “This is a way that we can recognize Several hundred nurses were nominated nurses for their outstanding work and statewide by colleagues, supervisors, and maybe stimulate others to do really others. The nominees were pretty equally cutting edge work,” said Claudia Beverly, divided between academic settings and PhD, director of the Hartford Center for hospitals, Beverly said. Geriatric Nursing Excellence at the UAMS “These individuals were identified as College of Nursing and co-leader of the being outstanding leaders in their field Arkansas Action Coalition. already,” Beverly said. “We will be nurturing The Arkansas Action Coalition is a them and expecting to see that they are group of nurses and other stakeholdthe nurses of the future and will lead the ers that is working toward a number of profession in a very strong way.” nursing-related goals set in 2010 by the The nominees were announced last respected Institute of Medicine in its spring, and honored at a reception at landmark Future of Nursing report. One Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Funding of the primary goals is to increase the for the 40 Under 40 program came from number of nurses who have bachelor’s a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson degrees or higher — specifically, that 80 Foundation. The Arkansas Action Coalipercent of RNs will have bachelor’s degrees tion is considering whether to make it by 2020. Another goal is to encourage an annual event. We’ve profiled a few of nurses to take on leadership roles both in the nominees here. their workplaces and in the community.

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MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARKANSAS’ NURSING LEADERS SEE THE FULL LIST ON PAGE 22

LASHOND HILL, MSN, DNP, APRN Family nurse practitioner, St. Vincent Health System To say that LaShond Hill does not waste time is a major understatement. Within just nine years of graduating with a diploma from the Baptist Health School of Nursing, Hill not only went back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree, but she completed a master’s degree and a doctorate of nursing practice degree as well. Along the way she’s also earned several certifications in different specialties. Next up: a certification in diabetes education. “If I could be a career student, I would,” Hill said. “In order to be my best self, I have to continue to learn.” As a family nurse practitioner, Hill provides some of the same routine primary care services that a family physician does, such as giving physicals and providing ongoing care of chronic conditions like diabetes. She would ultimately like to open her own clinic in a rural area, where physicians are in short supply, but she’s limited by state laws that require nurse practitioners to work under a collaborative agreement with a physician. Some states do allow nurse practitioners to practice independently, and Hill said she’d like to see Arkansas follow suit. “It’s hard to find someone to collaborate with,” Hill said. “I would love to see independent practice, because it is a barrier. A huge barrier.”

CHRIS STONE, BA, RN Instructional development specialist, UAMS Chris Stone didn’t set out to be a nurse, but once he got into the field — after a short post-college stint in advertising — he wasted no time finding his place. He went to work as a medical-surgical nurse at UAMS, and was always quick to volunteer for various committees and groups. He found he loved doing preceptorships — a kind of on-thejob training period for new nurses — and his colleagues noticed he was pretty good at it. Stone received the UAMS nurse educator of the year award in 2014.

NURSES GUIDE 2015

You Aspire Eventually, Stone said, he decided that he really wanted to move into a leadership role where he could reach more people and help make sure the latest developments in nursing reached the front-line staff. He’s now the instructional development specialist at UAMS, focusing on staff education and orientation. And he’s not neglecting his own education in the process. Stone is back in school working on a master’s degree in nursing, with the goal of becoming a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner. He’ll finish in 2018. His career at UAMS has shown him the value of a strong mentorship program, Stone said. “Basically, whatever kind of nursing you want to be in, there’s someone who can help you through that process,” Stone said.

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ERIN FIFER, MSN, RN Coordinator, Arkansas Action Coalition Erin Fifer is barely into her 30s, but she’s already making her mark on the profession of nursing in big way. Within five years of going to work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, she’d climbed the clinical career ladder to an RN IV position. She’s already earned her master’s degree in nursing education, and she’s the statewide coordinator for the Arkansas Action Coalition. Oh, and she teaches in the nursing programs at Harding University and the University of Central Arkansas, and still works as a nurse at ACH. Her ultimate career goal is to earn a PhD and teach full time as a tenured professor. But in the meantime, she’s taking full advantage of the opportunities available to younger nurses with an interest in developing their leadership abilities. “Every day I wear a different hat,” Fifer said. “I’ve been so blessed to have such different jobs, and ones that I love.”

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You Achieve A student-centered focus makes Henderson more than a university. We’re a community that prepares you for nursing practice as well as graduate studies. Our BSN graduates experience an incredible rate of success on the NCLEX-RN exams, and 100 percent of them are employed upon graduation. Clayton Sorrells BSN student Class of 2016 Amity, Arkansas

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

REBEKAH THACKER, BSN, RN

couple of years, she’s been working on her bachelor’s degree, and she uses her experiences to help other nurses develop plans for continuing their own schooling. Often, that starts with just getting nurses over the initial hump and back into the academic groove. “I’d been out of school for 10 years,” Brockette said. “I didn’t even know what an online class was.” As a 40 Under 40 nominee, Brockette hopes to help the Arkansas Action Coalition with its focus on increasing education for nurses. “I just want to be that resource for people who are afraid to go back,” she said.

JAMIE JONES, MSN, RN

Instructor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Advanced practice partner, UAMS A few years she earned her neonatal intensive care unit bachelor’s degree in nursThe health care field has been ing from the University of Rebekah Thacker’s destiny Arkansas at Monticello in since she was 3 years old and JANA CORLEY, BSN, AMANDA IRBY, RN 2002, Jamie Jones moved to watching Dr. Red Duke on PBS. RN Nursing director for the Little Rock with the goal of But it didn’t quite work out like emergency department, Nurse manager, Conway pursuing her master’s degree. she’d initially planned: instead Conway Regional Medical Regional Medical Center She did eventually meet that of going straight to medical Center Jana Corley was just 12 years goal, but not before she took school after college, she took Amanda Irby chose nursold when her career as a a career-changing detour. She some time off and got a job ing as a career because she nurse was set into motion. was working a regular nursing working in the pediatric lab wanted to help patients. She had to have a tumor job when someone mentioned at UAMS’ neonatal intensive But becoming a manager removed from her head, that UALR was hiring BSNs as care unit. has allowed her to expand and the care she received nursing instructors, on the “I just fell in love with the her focus to helping other from her nurses that day had condition that they start a NICU environment,” she said. nurses as well. a profound effect on her. master’s degree program. And she realized that the kind of “It’s highly rewarding to “They had no idea who “I became a nursing instructor hands-on care nurses provide watch new grads or new I was, but they cared for in 2008 and the bug bit me,” was what she really wanted to ER staff members (who me as if they had known she said. “I really fell in love do with her life. are terrified) walk out of me forever,” she said. with nursing education. I love Next came a fast-track a successful Code Blue Corley graduated from the students. I love to see their nursing degree program and, resuscitation with a smile Henderson State University JAYE H E N DE RSON, ‘aha’ moments.” finally, a nursing job in the on their faces and the satand in six years has risen MSN, RN Jones teaches health care UAMS NICU. Ten years later, isfaction that they played a to the position of nurse Instructor, Eleanor Mann economics and ethics, legalities she is the advanced practice part in saving that patient’s manager over four units at School of Nursing, University and advocacy in UALR’s online partner for the NICU. Advanced life,” she said. “Nurses are Conway Regional Medical of Arkansas at Fayetteville RN-to-BSN completion program. practice partners work with vital to our well-being and I Center. Jaye Henderson enjoyed her With a master’s degree under unit managers to make sure want to help mold and shape “I find inspiration in early career, working as a travel her belt, she’s now pursuing nurses are providing the best the nurses for the future. nursing every day from my nurse and charge nurse after a doctorate. care possible at the bedside. People will always suffer patients, their families, my earning her bachelor’s degree Jones said she’s learned a lot Thacker is also continuing from illness or injury, and co-workers, and doctors,” from Arkansas Tech University about leadership through her her formal education, pursuing it’s important to maintain she said. “It is a beautiful in 2004. But it was while she own career, and believes in the a master’s degree in nursing nurses as anchors in the thing to work as a team was working on her master’s importance of nurses branchadministration at UAMS. She’s healthcare setting.” and know you are directly in nursing administration at ing outside their profession. hoping her participation in the aiding in the recovery of Tech a few years later that she “A lot of times nurses can 40 Under 40 program will help someone’s life.” found her true calling. bring a different perspective to the table,” she said. spread the word about the “I fell in love with informatics nursing,” “I’m looking to network and expand outside nursing value of nursing. she said. After she finished her master’s, so hopefully I can lend my expertise to others.” “I feel like we’ve struggled to be at the table,” Thacker she landed her first real leadership position as clinisaid of nursing. “Nursing is now being recognized as cal informatics team director at Arkansas Children’s the most trusted profession. The Institute of Medicine Hospital. JACKLYN GENTRY, MSN, RN is recognizing our place in health care.” “We did the support and education for our cliniUndergraduate coordinator, Eleanor Mann School of cians,” Henderson said. “I got experience in teaching, Nursing, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville measuring competencies, and mentoring.” Jacklyn Gentry always knew she wanted to be a nurse KRISTIE BROCKETTE, RN A job opportunity for her husband took Henderson educator. Becoming a nurse leader, though, “just kind Unit supervisor, Baptist Health Medical Center to Northwest Arkansas, and now she’s an instructor at of happened” — and it’s been a great fit. For Kristie Brockette, being a leader means leading the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the Unversity “I can work with many different kinds of people in by example. Not only on the job, where Brockette is a of Arkasnas at Fayetteville. She’s planning to apply different settings with different teams,” she said. “Being unit supervisor at Baptist Health Medical Center, but to the PhD program in management at the U of A’s able to facilitate that kind of interworking within your outside the hospital as well. Brockette, 32, encourages Walton School of Business, with a goal of eventually own group helps keep a strong team around you.” all of the nurses she supervises to continue their returning to hospital administration. Gentry earned her BSN from the University of Areducations, and she’s doing the same: For the last

KELLI STRACK, RN Critical Care Unit nurse, Conway Regional Medical Center Instructor of nursing, University of Central Arkansas Kelli Strack always knew she was meant to be a nurse. “I could not drive by a hospital or walk inside without feeling that I belonged there and I was meant to be there,” she said. “I knew nursing was where my abilities would be most utilized.”

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As a nurse, she’s inspired by helping someone who’s at their weakest and most vulnerable improve to the point of being able to walk out of the hospital. And as an instructor, she values what she learns from her students as much as the opportunity to teach them. “They inspire me daily as I see their drive to want to become a nurse,” she said. “In nursing, you learn something new every day.”

MEG PRINCE, BSN, RN Emergency room nurse manager, Conway Regional Medical Center Meg Prince has spent her entire 12-year nursing career working in the emergency room because she loves challenge of having to be a critical thinker and expect the unexpected. Taking on a leadership role has only intensified that feeling. “Professionally, I am motivated by pushing myself to do more than I’ve done

kansas at Fayetteville in 2002 and just three years later started working on her master’s degree through the University of Phoenix so she could move into teaching. She’s now the undergraduate coordinator for the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the U of A and is pursuing a doctorate in education with a focus on adult and lifelong learning. That’s an important part of being a nurse, she said. “Even if you get your bachelor’s, you still have to be a lifelong learner in the sense that health care changes every day,” she said.

MARGARET HANSON, BSN, RN Telemetry/medical-surgical nurse, Conway Regional Medical Center The resilience of the human body has always fascinated Margaret Hanson, and getting to see that resilience in action is a big part of the reason she was drawn to nursing. “It’s very inspiring to see my patients pull through difficult illnesses and injuries,” she said. She stays in nursing because of the role nurses play in that process. “I’m committed to the nursing profession because nurses make up a very important part of the healthcare team who go above and beyond every day to offer compassion and hope to their patients no matter their situation,” she said.

before, seeking new opportunities for growth and pushing my staff to do the same,” she said. “I love to have employees come in and show excitement over getting that difficult IV, doing CPR for the first time, or participating in their first trauma.”

SHANA SANDERS, RN Orthopedics nurse, Conway Regional Medical Center Nursing is not just a career choice for Shana Sanders. That drive to make a difference in people’s lives is part of her core, she said. “I wanted to be that person who possibly changed someone’s outlook on life,” she said. “My outlook was changed when I went to Africa when I was 20 years old on a mission trip, and really felt like everyone can make a difference. You just have to have the passion and drive to do so.”

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THE FULL INAUGURAL LIST OF HONOREES INCLUDES: WESLEY BOWLIN Conway Regional Medical Center KRISTIE BROCKETTE Baptist Health ANDREA BUTLER Little Rock School District NATALIE CAPPS UAMS LANCE COBB Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Pine Bluff JANA CORLEY Conway Regional Medical Center SAMMIE CRIBBS North Arkansas Regional Medical Center, Harrison DEBORAH CROSSFIELD Arkansas Children’s Hospital ALLISON DIVINE National Park Community College, Hot Springs ERIN FIFER Arkansas Children’s Hospital JACKLYN GENTRY University of Arkansas (UA) Eleanor Mann School of Nursing TEMEKIS HAMPTON UAMS MARGARET HANSON Conway Regional Medical Center ANDREA HARRISON Conway Regional Medical Center KRISTEN JAYE HENDERSON UA Eleanor Mann School of Nursing ALLISON HESTER Little Rock School District MITCH HIGHFILL Arkansas Children’s Hospital LASHOND HILL St. Vincent Infirmary

SARA JONES UAMS College of Nursing JAMIE L. JONES University of Arkansas at Little Rock School Of Nursing JASON KETCHER Arkansas Children’s Hospital

15 Surprising Facts about Nursing IN HONOR OF THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARKANSAS TIMES’ ANNUAL GUIDE TO NURSING, WE’VE GATHERED 15 FACTS ABOUT THE PROFESSION WE’LL BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW.

STEPHANIE KITCH UAMS CARRIE LEE Arkansas Children’s Hospital HEATHER MCKNIGHT South Arkansas University DAWN MCPIKE Northeast Arkansas Child Advocacy CHRIS MILLER Arkansas Children’s Hospital JEFF PINTO UAMS MEG PRINCE Conway Regional Medical Center CLINTA “CHE” REED University of Central Arkansas School of Nursing DYANN SANDERS Conway Regional Medical Center SHANA SANDERS Conway Regional Medical Center TRACY STARKS Arkansas Medicaid in the Schools (ARMITS) CHRISTOPHER STONE UAMS KELLI STRACK Conway Regional Medical Center REBEKAH THACKER UAMS MANDIE VAUGHN Dierksen Hospice, Hot Springs JENI WARRIOR UAMS JASON WILLIAMS Arkansas Children’s Hospital

AMANDA IRBY Conway Regional Medical Center 22 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES 46 SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

KELLEY COOPER

JACOB BAKER Conway Regional Medical Center

NURSES GUIDE 2015

Men fill all types of nursing jobs today, including in the neonatal intensive care unit.

1 2

Nurses make up the majority of hospital staff nationwide.

3 4 5 6 7 8

There are more than 5.5 million nurses and nursing aides in the United States, which is five times the size of the US Army. Women still make up the majority of nurses, but more men are entering the profession today than ever before. Nurses are the most trusted healthcare professionals.

The poet Walt Whitman was a nurse during the Civil War, and his experiences inspired much of his poetry.

10 11

The percentage of nurses under the age of 40 has dropped from 54 percent in 1980 to less than 30 percent today.

The first person to earn a nursing diploma in the United States was Linda Richards in 1873.

The first hospital training school for nurses, established in Germany in 1846, was called the Institute for Protestant Deaconesses.

Nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. One out of every four nurses works part time.

The median salary for a registered nurse nationwide is about $66,640.

About 43 percent of hospitals and other healthcare settings require new nurses to have at least a bachelor’s degree. Nurses have a lot of autonomy. They don’t just stand around waiting for orders from a doctor. Depending on their specialty, advanced practice registered nurses can earn six-figure salaries. Nurses are jacks-of-all-trades. They do whatever needs to be done; they may be a counselor, a carpenter, or anything else that the patient or family needs on a given day.

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23 47

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HOW Breast Cancer CHANGED LIVES. For this effort, Arkansas Times worked with the local Susan G. Komen Arkansas affiliate to publish eight cancer survivors stories about how cancer changed their lives. Here are their stories.

Donna Johnson

My mom had breast cancer at the age of 63, about 31 years ago. She let it spread to her lungs and passed away 18 months after we found out she had it. Fifteen years ago I found out I had breast cancer at the age of 44. I had surgery, chemo and reconstruction. I received a small grant from Susan Komen and went out to give talks about breast cancer and to educate other people about breast cancer. I have talked to groups at schools (UCA), churches and hospitals. I also go visit ladies (and one gentleman) who have had surgery for breast cancer and take them items. I started a support group at my church and it was up and running for about three years, and we had to close the doors due to low attendance. While we had the group, we would make goodie bags to take to CARTI in Con-

way. We will still meet and get the bags together a few times a year. I HOPE I can get the support group back up and running soon. I even had the chance to meet Richard Roundtree and other people that I would have not gotten the chance to meet had I not had cancer. I feel it has changed my life (for the better). This may sound odd to some people, but I see life different now that I have had cancer. I also have lost friends and other family members because of cancer. Need to get

the word out to know your body and have things checked out that don’t seem right.

Bobbie Pharis

In November 2011, I was 37 years old, a very busy working mom of two, and diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer. I was devastated. It only took about three days of nonstop crying for me to figure out that was not going to be helpful to my family and friends or me. So, I adjusted my attitude. I now look at

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Bobbie Pharis

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that cancer diagnosis as a blessing in ways. Of course, it showed me how much my friends and family love me — through their kind words and deeds. More importantly, it was the catalyst for me, a high school counselor, to take a group of students — that grows each year — to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. For the past three years, my kids have boarded the bus at 5 a.m. to make the pilgrimage to Downtown Little Rock to either hand out water or carry signs cheering on www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

the runners/walkers. Last year, my school raised over $1,300 for Susan G. Komen, and the year before that we raised over $800. If it weren’t for my cancer diagnosis, these kids wouldn’t be supporters in the global fight against breast cancer.

Kathy Webb

Busy lives tended to keep my sister and me from spending as much time together as we’d like. Cancer changed that. Marcia was there from the

Kathy Webb on left

moment I heard the words, “Kathy, you have cancer” through it all. While being in shock helped me, thankfully I had Marcia to ask questions and record the information. She picked me up at 4:30 a.m., and slept in those uncomfortable chairs in the hospital with no complaints. When I was released after two surgeries, she took me to her home, and while she said it was because my three pets might want to play with the drains, I think she just wanted to keep a closer eye on her little sister. She

sat through every blood draw and every chemo. She never made fun of the “chemo rituals” I developed, and listened if I wanted to talk and sat there quietly when I didn’t. We laughed in the waiting room, in anticipation of seeing what shoes my doctor would be wearing. And we gratefully acknowledged the time together this awful disease enabled us to share. Her presence was a great gift that I’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Corrie Gross Bectelheimer and Kristi Gross Lowery

Sandy Gross

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

2203 NORTH REYNOLDS RD, BRYANT 501-847-9777

This is a picture of my beautiful daughters, Corrie Gross Bechtelheimer, on the left, and Kristi Gross Lowery, on the right. Kristi was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and underwent a double mastectomy, a hysterectomy and chemo. She was already a three-time cancer survivor and is now also a breast cancer survivor. As Kristi was ending her year-long fight against breast cancer, we got the devastating news that Corrie had Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She and her husband had a 2-month-old baby boy and a 2-year-old little girl at the time she was diagnosed. Corrie fought courageously for two years. Before she lost her battle on June 6, 2014, Corrie had expressed many times that she wanted to do something to help other cancer warriors with the expenses they faced while fighting their battles. After Corrie’s death, hoping to fulfill Corrie’s dream and honor her memory, Kristi and our family and friends set up a nonprofit organization, the #teamcorrie Cancer Foundation, which provides grants for medical expenses to people from Union County who are fighting

Roger and Wendy Quaid

cancer. Even though our hearts are broken, I know Corrie would be so happy that we are helping others and continuing the fight!

Amber Quaid

Getting to know my mother-inlaw has been a unique experience. When I first met her in 2007 she was happy and helpful but still a stranger. Until this year I never knew what an amazing battle she had fought and won. In 2002 Wendy Quaid, my mother-in-law, was diagnosed with breast cancer. That year she went through chemo, and the end result—cancer free; that is until they did a full scan and found Stage 4 cancer in her lymph nodes. For the next three years she would go to radiation and chemo to fight her battle. Her business, “An Enchanting Evening,” was created to turn those types of moments into positive ones; like finding out who your real friends are and realizing you have more than you thought or how much her spouse

really does love her, moments to be carried in the heart forever. Wendy was thankful for every moment after her diagnosis and for the advancements made by medical science. Wendy was given the drug Perceptin, at the time a new drug, which helped her be declared cancer-free even until today. She believes that furthering research and medical advancement for the cure for cancer is a must for all — a must for all women, nay all people, should have the opportunity to have.

A moment to realize your mother-inlaw is a stranger no more.

Sherkari Parks

I’m Sherkari Parks. On April 30, 2015, I was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after my 25th Birthday (March 3). It all started in October 2014, when I originally felt a hard mass in my left breast, after doing a self exam. I knew it felt abnormal, so that prompted me to go see a doctor ASAP. At the time I lived in Texas. Long story short, I found a doctor,

she felt the knot, told me it was normal without doing a mammogram. So, of course I asked about that, and she said she would have me scheduled for an exam at another location and she would call me with the time and date. I never heard back from her and after reaching out three times afterward, I still hadn’t heard anything. I then put it off until I relocated back home here in Little Rock. That’s when I scheduled an appointment with my nurse practitioner; she referred me to the Baptist Breast

keep in the know

to keep on amazing

what you need to know about breast health Take the proper precautions and practice preventative care on your own and with your healthcare provider.

Know your body.

Make monthly breast self-exams part of your routine and contact your healthcare provider if you see or feel anything unusual.

Schedule Screenings.

Schedule a clinical breast exam with your health care provider.

Rely on imaging.

Have a conversation with your doctor about when and how often to get mammograms.

Baptist Health wants you to live an amazing life. Learn more about breast health at:

Baptist-Health.com/BreastHealth Sherkari Parks

Or sign up for preventative screenings by calling the Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST. www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas

Breast Cancer

Center. They performed a biopsy. The results came back the very next day. From then on everything went fast past. Every doctor and nurse I’ve seen throughout this whole process has been awesome! I just finished my last of six chemo treatments on Sept. 1. Next will be my surgery. Throughout my journey I have been in great spirits, remained positive, kept my faith, inspired others, and have had a great support system. I’m forever grateful! I’ve learned a lot through it all. It has been a very humbling experience. I am truly blessed!

GRANTS

October is Beating Breast Cancer Month – on October 10, Little Rock hosts the 2nd largest Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in America. This year the Komen Association hopes the Little Rock race will be the LARGEST IN THE U.S.! Join the race and help us make this happen.

Coco Dorsey

On Oct. 31, 2006, I was taking a shower and found a lump in my left breast. The short (or maybe lengthy) story is as follows (and in this exact order): The lump led to my husband, my primary care physician, my gynecologist, my mom and daddy, a mammogram, a radiologist, a general surgeon, an oncologist, my brothers, my children, very few friends, an oncology breast surgeon, a plastic surgeon, a priest, a psychiatrist. I was 33 years old.

Kelly Pollnow

am chairing Runway For a Cause for Komen this year after volunteering for many years. I went to Washington, D.C. with the Livestrong Foundation in June. I advocated to Congress asking for $10 billion to fund more cancer research. I am spiritual! I am strong! I am alive! REALLY alive! All because of a dropkick to the stomach in the shower that fall day in 2006.

Arkansas Hospice $23,000 John Yarbrough 501-748-3312 Funding Charitable Care is providing for the full array of services of three breast cancer patients who have no means to pay as they are facing the end of their life after battling breast cancer. Baptist Health Medical Center $25,518 Emily Ryan 501-553-1163 The Early Detection Program

Kelly Pollnow

Coco Dorsey

My life has changed, dramatically, since that terrifying day. Today, after 16 chemotherapy treatments, losing my hair and dignity, eight surgeries, and several uh-oh scares, I am cancer-free and have been so for eight years! YAY me!! To put into 200 words or less how cancer has altered my life is challenging, if not impossible. I am more efficient, yet relaxed. I am cautious, yet more optimistic. I am deeply loved and incredibly grateful. I am a volunteer! I pay it forward! I work for other women who face (or will face) what I have defeated. I 52

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

I was 11 when my 33-year-old mother was diagnosed, had a radical mastectomy, chemo and radiation. I was 14 when she passed away. She would not see me grow up and have a daughter of my own. Living in fear of walking in Mom’s footsteps, I was instructed to begin mammograms at 23, which were almost always followed by either a second or ultrasound focusing on “areas of concern.” At 40 (an age I feared I’d never see), I transferred my care to a local facility which was the first to offer digital mammography, and at that very visit I received the news that I was now a breast cancer patient. I sought out genomic testing for my daughter and sisters and underwent bi-lateral mastectomies and reconstruction; but, thanks to early digital detection, I was able to forego chemo or radiation. Early detection changed my life, and genomic testing provided me with peace about the future, the future that has now materialized in watching my daughter become a beautiful mother, and transforming me into the coolest “Gigi” to the world’s most beautiful granddaughter! Cancer has its rightful place, in history books!

Early detection is your best weapon to fight breast and cervical cancers.

Start your fight today.

provides ultrasound, biopsy, diagnostic mammography and screening mammography to patients who could not otherwise afford them. Baptist Health Medical Center $13,500 Emily Ryan 501-553-1163 The Genetic Screening Program assists women with lower economic status to be able to afford genetic screening where

Say “Yes” to a mammogram and Pap test. Many women in Arkansas are missing their chance to get a mammogram and Pap test at no cost. Your health insurance should cover the costs of your recommended screenings. BreastCare is here if you don’t have health insurance or are worried about follow-up costs. Visit ARBreastCare.com or call 501-661-2942 to learn more.

ARBreastCare.com

Follow us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BreastCareArkansas for regular updates on women’s health related issues. A message from the Arkansas Department of Health

indicated by family history. Baptist Health Medical Center $15,000 Emily Ryan 501-553-1163 The Positive Appearance Program provides support to uninsured and underinsured breast cancer patients adjusting to the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation such as mastectomy post-surgical kits, wigs, cosmetic kits, educational materials and support groups. CARTI $35,000 Kathi Jones 501-296-3405 Access to Treatment-Overcoming Barriers provides transportation or housing to 118 qualifying breast cancer patients to ensure access to quality treatment. CHI St. Vincent Breast Center $34,797 Tena Buck 501-975-5470 Targeted Screening, Diagnosis and Intervention provides screening, diagnostic and intervention services to women of Central Arkansas who lack financial resources. CHI St. Vincent Health System $50,000 Alesa Garner 501-552-3900 New Outlook, offers services to Breast Cancer Survivors diagnosed with cancer a full range of supportive services such as mastectomy bras, prosthesis and lymphedema garment regardless of the economic situation or treatment location. Encore for Women’s Health $119,131 Eileen Anderson 501-6638406 The Encore Navigation Project provides breast cancer education, mammograms, clinical breast exams, and helps those diagnosed access to treatment without delay. Encore for Women’s Health $31,000 Eileen Anderson 501-6638406 Encore Direct Financial Assistance Project provides small amounts of direct financial

help to medically underserved women who need emergency assistance for reasons related to breast health. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences $14,281 Sharp Malak 501-772-4619 Early Detection with Mobile 3D Mammography responds to the needs of women living in the counties with no permanent mammography facilities and provide free screening where eligible.

RACE DAY EARLY LUNCH | On race day, October 10 make plans to go to Little Rock's newest downtown restaurant - Samantha's Tap Room & Wood Grill, 322 Main Street, 501.379.8019. They'll be open early at 10 am ready for the girls in pink. Check out this special Race for the Cure menu on Saturday morning. Lunch Special: Greek yogurt and lemon zest chicken salad on croissant. Hatch chili and heirloom tomato gazpacho with cilantro cream fraiche and fresh fruit salad. Drink specials: St. Germaine Sangria and a fresh squeezed mimosas. Come as you are and celebrate the day!!

Compassion Love Care Excellence

Cancer Focused

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Love

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BRINGING THE FIGHT TO CANCER Medical Oncology Support Cancer Focused Support Love Head and Neck Surgery Hope Head and Neck Surgery Support Care Medical Oncology Care Excellence Fight Technology Love Cancer Focused

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Hope Radiation Oncology Care Care Fight Head and Neck Surgery Hope Specialists High-Quality High-Quality Specialists Care Radiology Medical Oncology Cancer Focused Head and Neck Surgery Love Love Fight Care Fight Radiology Excellence Support Love High-Quality Radiation Oncology Medical Oncology Head and Neck Surgery Care Support Love Fight

Care

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Patient-Centered Cancer Focused

CARTI supports the breast cancer survivors of Arkansas. We are honored to play a role in your fight against breast cancer.

CA N CE R FOCU SE D . PA TIENT CENTERED.

carti.com www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Breast Cancer News & Updates

Opening in October 2016 is the new CARTI Cancer Center

CARTI

As the largest private practice oncology group in Arkansas and one of the largest in the U.S. Southern region, CARTI is on track to celebrate the October opening of a new, world-class, comprehensive cancer center in Little Rock. The CARTI Cancer Center will offer medical, surgical and radiation oncology, as well as diagnostic imaging and additional support services, all under one roof.

Baptist Health

The physicians, nurses and health care professionals at the Baptist Health Breast Centers realize that breast health is an increasingly important issue in women’s lives. Because breast cancer affects one in eight women in the U.S., Baptist Health has developed a strong, comprehensive program of services for breast health and the diagnosis and treatment of breast disease. We seek to make the treatment process less confusing and frightening by providing a Nurse Navigator to assist patients from beginning to end. The Nurse Navigator not only helps coordinate care between various physicians and procedures, but also provides encouragement along the way, helping connect you to other women with breast cancer through support groups. 54

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Our breast centers are designed with your convenience and comfort in mind. We have three easily accessible locations in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Benton. The Little Rock location is open extended hours on weekdays to accommodate today’s busy schedules. Some specialties and services Include: • Mammogram • Breast Ultrasound • Stereotactic Core Biopsy • Ultrasound Core Biopsy • Lumpectomy & Mastectomy • Radiation Therapy • Chemotherapy • Look Good Feel Better Program • Positive Appearance Center • Nurse Navigator For more information: baptist-health. com/page/breast-cancer

Snell Prosthetic and Orthotics Lab Snell Prosthetic and Orthotics Lab speaks to the advancements in breast form prosthetics. As far as recent advancements go in the breast forms, Trulife has launched the Sublime prosthesis, which is the upgraded form of the Impressions. It has an incredibly soft triple layer design for a more natural feel and movement. It has a beautiful

natural shape and drape that will complement your silhouette. It has an advanced fan shaped design for enhanced cooling and breathability with a very finely tapered edge for a seamless and intimate fit. The original design of the Impressions addressed the need for a lighter and cooler breast form by honeycombing the core of the prosthesis and the new Sublime has the same features but it is a softer version. It is not for everyone but it is another option we now have. American Breast Care has also expanded its Massage forms to include several different shapes and profiles. The benefits of the massage channels on the back of each prosthesis are designed to gently hug and massage the chest wall as well as reduce heat. A professor in Munich, Germany, conducted an independent study on the patented design of the Massage Form. Findings provide that wearing the Massage Form resulted in lower amounts of perspiration and better cooling when compared to a standard back, lightweight breast form. All of the manufacturers we order these products from, especially American Breast Care, are introducing new mastectomy bras that have the features we have been waiting for. Molded foam cups for a more even appearance instead of the traditional fiber-filled cups. Many new seamfree bras are available as well as

camisole-style bras that alleviate the need to wear an additional camisole for more coverage with those lowercut blouses. Several new colors are now available that include Leopard, Red Wine, Violet and everything in between. They still offer the basic colors as well.

Arkansas Department of Health Early detection is key! Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt. When breast cancer is found early, many women go on to live long and healthy lives. Cost has often been a barrier for women who need a mammogram, but now in Arkansas it doesn’t have to be. Most health insurance plans must cover the costs of recommended screenings such as mammograms. However, for those women who don’t have health insurance or are worried about follow-up costs, the Arkansas Department of Health’s BreastCare program can help. We want every woman in Arkansas who needs a mammogram to have one, and we work toward that goal every day. For more information visit ArBreastCare.com.

South on Main’s free Local Live Series takes place each Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. and showcases some of the best Arkansas talent. This month, don’t miss SEPT. 30 – OFF THE CUFF OCT. 7 – DANA FALCONBERRY OCT. 14 – THE SISTERS SWEET This month, South on Main hosts late night concerts at 10 p.m. featuring Sad Daddy on Oct. 2 and Gina Chavez on Oct. 3 and welcomes Leo Bud with special guest Jimbo Mathus on Oct. 22 at 7:30 as part of the Oxford American’s Archetypes and Troubadors series. Call 501-244-9660 for reserved seating or general admission tickets. Dana Falconberry

Hey, do this!

OCTOBER SEP 26 - OCT 3

CONWAY ARTS FEST, a week long celebration of the arts that takes place at various locations around Conway. Throughout October concerts at performances at Wildwood Park for the arts. 501.821.7275

DON’T FORGET TO PAY YOUR TAXES! DUE OCT. 15TH, 2015! www.pulaskicountytreasurer.net • 501.340.6040

CURATIO MINDFULNESS

8 Week Mindfulness Based Programs to address Stress and Addictive Behaviors. MBSR CLASS FOR STRESS Little Rock: Mondays 6-8:30pm, Sept. 28 to Nov. 16 Little Rock: Saturdays 9-11:30am, Sept. 26 to Nov. 21 Hot Springs: Thursdays 6-8:30pm, Oct.1 to Nov. 19 www.curatiomindfulness.com

OCT 10-DEC 8

UALR art exhibitions are free and open to the public. This month, check out the works of MARIANELA DE LA HOZ Oct. 10-Dec. 8 in Gallery I with an opening reception and artist talk on Oct. 14 from 4-6 p.m. In the Maners/Pappas Gallery and Gallery III view Senior Exhibitions B.A., B.F.A. and M.A. Thesis through December. Gallery hours are Monday through Firday, 9 a.m.5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Sunday 2-5 p.m. For questions, contact Gallery Director Brad Cushman at 501-569-8977.

OCT 16-NOV 8

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE opens at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and promises a truly funny, unpredictable night of live theatre. Tickets are on sale now at therep.org. Special events include the Arkansas Times and Golden Eagle Beer Night in Foster’s Lounge.

OCT 27

Join the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the ANNIVERSARY OF A VIOLIN featuring the works of Mozart and Shostakovich as part of the River Rhapsodies Chamber Series at the Clinton Presidential Center at 7 p.m.

OCT 9-18

Now in its 24th year, the annual HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL screens about 100 films (out of nearly 1,000 submitted) in 10 days in historic Hot Springs National Park. In addition to screenings are panels, forums, parties and special events making it one of the hottest tickets each October. For a complete schedule of events and film passes, visit www.hsdfi.org.

OCT 10

A fall favorite every year, HILLCREST HARVESTFEST takes place in Little Rock’s hip Hillcrest neighborhood. The beloved block party along Kavanaugh is free with family fun all day, including a pancake breakfast, bird walk, farmers’ market, food and art vendors, live music and a fashion show. For a complete schedule of events, visit harvestfest.us.

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performs DVORAK’S SYMPHONY NO. 8 featuring Cicely Parnas, cello, with guest conductor Imre Pallo, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at Maumelle Performing Arts Center. Tickets start as low as $10. Kids are free on Sundays with the Entergy Kids Ticket. Visit arkansassymphony.org for more info.

THROUGH OCT 3

HOT WATER HILLS WEEKEND takes place October 2 & 3 in downtown Hot Springs. Classic Country crooner - Daniel Romano, Motown throwbacks - Magnolia Sons, Adam Faucett, Sad Daddy and Ghost Bones all perform. Art, food, drink and the kids Art & Tinker Tent make Hot Water Hills a great event for hipsters with kids. hotwaterhills.com

This is a big month of arts and music at Wildwood Park. ART IN THE PARK: PARK’S PANTS BY PHOTOGRAPHERS NANCY NOLAN AND DAVE ANDERSON opens on Oct. 10 with an opening reception at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15. Wildwood hosts TALES FROM THE SOUTH: TIN ROOF PROJECT with Nancy Nolan on Oct. 22 and welcomes the VIENNA BOYS’ CHOIR in concert on Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. A special production of DRACULA in partnership with the Arkansas Festival Ballet and Praclara takes place Oct. 29-31 at 8 p.m. at the Cabe Festival Theatre. For more info and tickets, visit wildwoodpark.org.

OCT 17

OCT 17-18

OCT 2-3

Enjoy dinner and a show at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse. Running now through Oct. 3 is A BEACH IN THE SUN, which centers around two longtime friends Harold and Burt, who live in a beachfront retirement home and spend their days bickering in the garden. When a once-famous actress moves in, it gives them something new to argue over. For tickets and show times, visit murrysdp.com.

OCT 6-NOV 7

ARSINIC AND OLD LACE at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse. In this madcap comedy, Mortimer Brewster hopes to marry the lovely Elaine Harper… but will she fit in with his quirky, some would say “homicidal” family? His spinster aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster, are devoted to charity and family, befriending lonely older gentlemen and then poisoning them with arsenic-laced elderberry wine. One of America’s funniest and most beloved comedies!

OCT 11

Free and open to the public, the CENTRAL ARKANSAS PRIDE PARADE rolls through Little Rock’s River Market District at 12:30 p.m. in celebration of National Coming Out Day. Support the LGBT community by walking in the parade or just attending and cheering on participants. Learn more at centralarkansaspride.com.

OCT 17-18

NOW THROUGH NOV 21

Located in Pine Bluff, the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas presents ROSENZWEIG 2015. Selected from entries from a seven-state region, Rosenzweig 2015 is juried by Coriana Close, Professor of Art at the University of Memphis. The exhibition includes work from 29 artists working in painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics and mixed media sculpture. For details, visit asc701.org.

OCT 23-25

Food, Music, Entertainment and everything else that’s

FUN!

OCT 3

THE 5TH ANNUAL MAIN STREET FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL takes place on Main Street in downtown Little Rock. A record number of food trucks (over 45) are participating this year along with craft vendors and buskers. Road Runner stores is the 2015 presenting sponsor. Attendees can enjoy festival activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Main Street will be blocked off between 3rd and 8th Streets. Entrance to the festival is free. Raffle tickets will be sold throughout the day for great items including a PK Grill. Visit mainstreetfoodtrucks.com for additional information.

OCT 9-18

It’s that time of year again! THE ARKANSAS STATE FAIR is upon us. The biggest event of the season includes a parade, vendors, rides, pageants, livestock, rodeo, live music including performances by Eddie Money, Styx, Toni Tony Tone and more. For a full round-up of events and more info, visit arkansasstatefair.com.

OCT 13

Riverdale 10 presents the 1958 film, DRACULA, as part of their Classic Movie Series. Admission is $5. Show time is 7 p.m. View the current movie lineup and upcoming classics at riverdale10.com.

Mark your calendars for ELVIS LIVES: THE ULTIMATE ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST EVENT. Presented by Celebrity Attractions, the show will take place at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center on Friday and Saturday nights with Saturday and Sunday matinees as well. Each performer represents Elvis in different stages of his life and career in an unforgettable multimedia and live experience. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Sept. 28 and are priced from $35-65. Tickets are available by phone at 501-244-8800 or online at ticketmaster.com. For complete showtimes, visit celebrityattractions.com

OCT 16-JAN 17

The Arkansas Arts Center presents OUR AMERICA: THE LATINO PRESENCE IN AMERICAN ART, AN EXHIBITION OF MODERN LATINO ART FROM THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM. The show features works by 72 leading contemporary artists. The Arkansas Arts Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, visit arkansasartscenter.org.

OCT 24-25

The greatest circus performers in the world present a brand new floor show: CIRQUE MUSICA: CRESCENDO with musical accompaniment by your Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday at Pulaski Academy Connor Performing Arts Center. For tickets, visit arkansassymphony.org.

ARKANSAS TIMES EVENTS

September 19 - STONE’S THROW AND THE SOUTHERN GOURMASIAN BEER DINNER at 6:30, five course dinner and beer matching. Reservations call 501.313.5645 October 10 - The party to the Party ARKANSAS TIMES BLUES BUS to King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, featuring Taj Mahal, call Kelly Lyles at 501.375.2985. October 23 - ARKANSAS TIMES CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL. Taste over 250 beers and sample food from Whole Hog Cafe, NLR and Old Chicago Pizza and more!. Facebook.com/ arktimescradftbeerfestival www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Arts Entertainment AND

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES Tony Davis, nine-time Arkansas State Chess champion, fosters chess community. BY JAMES MURRAY

e live in an age of short attention spans and instant gratification, so it’s not too much of a mystery as to why a game like chess fails to capture widespread attention. Yet it’s not as if the public has no interest in tabletop games — consider the rise of televised tournament poker, which began attracting large TV audiences in the early 2000s. Though it may be an uphill battle for chess to occupy a similar spot in American culture, don’t tell that to Tony Davis, the nine-time Arkansas State Chess champion — the winningest champion in the history of the state, according to the Arkansas Chess Association. The 51-year-old Little Rock native and resident told the Arkansas Times that playing board and card games as a child with his family set the stage for his lifelong interest in chess. At the age of 8, Davis received a chess set for 56

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Christmas and began to challenge siblings and schoolmates. By the time he became a teenager, he realized he had a knack for it. “I saw how logical the game was, and I saw people making moves that weren’t that smart. It was the people that I played that made me feel I could be the best in the world,” he recalled. As a student at Central High, Davis found himself ostracized for his inquisitive nature and his interest in intellectual games and puzzles instead of dominoes and spades. He was called a “nerd” by his peers — a term he now wears with pride. Some may be surprised to find that one of the top chess players in Arkansas is an African American. Davis can share many an anecdote in which his skills were called into question by other players over the years. “There’s hardcore racism in the game,

especially in the big tournaments,” he said. Davis said black players are often matched against each other in tournaments to prevent the likelihood of one of them taking home the top prize. He gets a bit worked up recalling times in which his moves were challenged by opponents or he was accused of cheating: “There’s always a dispute anytime I have less than five minutes left on the clock. ... So I’m down to five minutes, my opponent is down to five minutes and it’s that skin color thing, they don’t like it. They don’t like the fact that we both went down to five minutes and it can go either way.” He said he’s seen a lack of impartiality from tournament judges, mostly when he plays out of state. “I don’t place a lot of it here in Arkansas. Here in Arkansas, it’s pretty friendly. This is my home state. I know all the chess players; they know me.” Davis recalled coming to a draw

with a prominent white player, Robby Adamson, at a 60-minute tournament in San Diego in 1993. When Adamson saw Davis nearly a decade later, he approached Davis and asked if the men knew one another. Davis reminded his former opponent of the stalemated game; Adamson looked at him with disbelief and denied the game had even taken place. Davis can’t help but suspect racial bias shaded Adamson’s memory in a selective way: There’s no way someone who looks like him could have brought the match to a draw. Despite the adversity he’s faced as a black player, Davis does have models to emulate. He admires Maurice Ashley and Emery Tate (a Grandmaster and International Master, respectively), two African-American players who Davis says are so assertive their knowledge and skills aren’t overlooked because of their race.

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

A&E NEWS NEXT UP IN THE ARKANSAS Times Film Series, on Oct. 15, we’ll screen Otto Preminger’s great and strange 1944 film noir “Laura,” which Roger Ebert wrote “achieved a kind of perfection in its balance between low motives and high style.” Nominated for five Academy Awards, it has been called a “stone cold classic” by Indiewire. “Less a crime film than a study in levels of obsession,” the Chicago Reader’s Dave Kehr wrote, “’Laura’ is one of those classic works that leave their subject matter behind and live on the strength of their seductive style.” THE HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY Film Festival has announced more details about its 2015 event, which will be held Oct. 9-18. The festival will hold competitions for three categories: Spa City Best International Documentary (which will include films Portugal, Denmark, Germany, the U.K. and Canada), Spa City Best U.S. Documentary (include Lilebet Foster’s “Be Here Now,” Sharon Shattuck’s “From This Day Forward,” Victoria Campbell’s “Monsieur Le President,” Jason Zeldes’ “Romeo is Bleeding,” Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s “The Seventh Fire” and Erinnisse Heuer and Patryk Rebisz’s “Shoulder the Lion”) and Spa City Best Sports Documentary (including films on bullfighting, Alaskan dog sledding, horse racing, professional wrestling, women’s boxing and more).

Arkansas Chess Association President Steve Paulson said one of the traits that most separates Davis from other players is his dedication to promoting the game. “He’s not only dedicated to playing himself, but dedicated to helping others with [chess] and making sure we have tournaments,” Paulson explained. “Most people just want to show up, play and go home. There’s only a handful of people willing to do the work that goes on in tournaments, and he’s one of them. … He’s active with younger players and getting them involved.” The patience and effort required to master chess may be a tough sell for many young people, but Davis has taken note of one shortcoming that could be addressed: more money. That cash prizes in state tournaments are so low baffles Davis. “Like golf, you hit a white ball in a hole and win hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions. You

win a state chess championship tournament and you may win two hundred and something dollars,” he said. In 2008, he and a few friends created the Urban Knights Chess Club, both to promote the game of chess in general and to create more financial incentives for players. The club hopes to put together a tournament of its own by next spring, with a $1,000 cash prize going to the winner. Davis believes the skills he learned through chess kept him out of trouble growing up. The unfortunate irony, he said, is that too many African Americans learn the game only behind bars. He thinks that chess can help young people foster a better sense of self-esteem, which in turn will help them make better decisions in life. The Urban Knights Chess Club meets every second and fourth Saturday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Andy’s Restaurant near the corner of John Barrow Road and West Markham Street.

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THIRTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD HIGH school teacher Barrett Baber, born in Marion and currently living in Fayetteville, is a featured contestant on the new season of NBC’s “The Voice,” having broken through in a blind audition with a performance of The Jeff Healey Band’s “Angel Eyes.” He’s chosen country star Blake Shelton as his coach. The shows airs at 7 p.m. Mondays on NBC. THE BENTONVILLE FILM FESTIVAL, inaugurated earlier this year, has announced that three of the festival’s winning films have received distribution deals and will be screening in AMC Theaters beginning in October. The Festival, started by actress Geena Davis and sponsored by Walmart, will be launching a national Symposium Tour to promote the films, which include the documentary “In My Father’s House,” the Audience Award Winner “Thao’s Library” and the Jury Award Winner “Jack of the Red Hearts.” For more info, visit bentonvillefilmfestival. com.

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A&E FEATURE

ROYALE WIT CHEESE: Little Rock rapper Lo Thraxx has emerged as one of the state’s most exciting young artists.

Swimming with sharks A Q&A with Lo Thraxx BY ANDREW MCCLAIN

o Thraxx, the rapper and Little Rock native born Marlo Griffin, has been building up his name for the past five or six years, becoming one of the city’s most consistent and adaptable voices. This past spring, he dropped a 14-track project called “Sharkansas.” The cover bears the image of a hammerhead shark in the driver’s seat of an older model Chevelle SS, and the Soundcloud page offers an explanation of the title: “$harkansa$ is a project from the feeling of this game being similar to swimming in water with Sharks. Everybody is trying to eat but only few make it to the top of the water.” The record echoes that competitive sentiment with slick and varied production, proof that Thraxx is capable of putting out a real LP. Looking at the

diverse lineup of features and production credits — the tape features rappers Curtis Williams, Raz Fresco, Doeman and Roosh Williams, with production by Fresco Grey, Trakksounds and others — it’s evident the record is the product of years of travel and Internet networking; Thraxx’s collaborators hail from Houston, Atlanta, Toronto, Memphis and Little Rock. Thraxx, like many ambitious regional rappers, must have to get out of town to forge solid connections like this. Do you go back and forth between Atlanta or Los Angeles a lot? Actually, lately I’ve been going back and forth to New York about once a month, linking with producers and management folks out there. Do you think they have an appreciation for Southern rap in NYC?

I think they respect me and my lyrical abilities. I have a lot more work to put in out there right now, but it’s always cool running into people at events that are familiar with my music and have been listening for years. I think that’s dope. Do they consider you “Southern” there, and do you consider yourself to be that? Of course I hold it down for the South. They look at me as the young Southern conscious. I embrace it! I want to inform the youth on what’s going on. I wanna be that big bro. There’s a lot of variety in your sound. It’s tough to pin down — what do you credit that to? I try to play both sides. I want to be right on that line where it’s not mainstream or underground — just

good enough to be both. I like letting producers do their own thing, make their art while I make my art. I enjoy getting new sounds from different producers. Lo Thraxx — what’s the name mean? My name is Marlo. All my people call me Lo, you know? And I started rapping when anthrax hit the U.S. That one big time early 2000s with the post office. I thought Thraxx fit my attitude — I felt like I was lethal with the lyrics. What’s next for you? I’m working on an album. I been doing too many mixtapes. Also working on setting up a college tour, planning on hitting SXSW and [Atlanta’s annual hip-hop conference] A3C. www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY WILL STEPHENSON

THURSDAY 9/24

LERA LYNN

8 p.m. South on Main. $13$22.

Lera Lynn is 31 years old, and you know her — if you know her — as the mysterious and languorous dive-bar singer in the second season of “True Detective.” She’s a kind of Greek chorus in the series, a recurrent fixture whose slow, baritone, apocalyptic folk sets the benumbed tone of the proceedings. She embodies what we imagine Colin Farrell must be feeling as he’s slumped over in a booth, lost in thought and whiskey and regretting every moment of his life. Born in Houston, Lynn was raised in the

Atlanta area and studied anthropology at the University of Georgia, where she bartended and wrote essays on mandibular evolution. Now she lives in Nashville, where she met the producer (and influential music supervisor) T Bone Burnett and got the “True Detective” gig, an experience she’s said in interviews was “kind of like a dream.” Her own music — she’s released two albums — gestures more obviously toward her Americana influences; she’s covered June Carter Cash (and collaborated with Roseanne Cash) and has opened for k.d. lang and Sheryl Crow.

LEAST FAVORITE LIFE: “True Detective” singer Lera Lynn performs at South on Main at 8 p.m. Thursday, $13-$22.

THURSDAY 9/24

LIL DURK, GUNPLAY 9 p.m. Juanita’s. $20.

Rapper Lil Durk grew up in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago where, as he once told Complex magazine, “there was a lot of killing going on as a kid.” He emerged as a major Chicago presence in 2012, during the great wave of teenage Chicago drill rappers led by Chief Keef. Their music was rough-edged, stuttering, homemade-feeling, viscerally angry

and druggy. For a while, the drill scene became a kind of media avatar for the violence that was sweeping Chicago — a stand-in for the real threats, real guns, real deaths. As if the rappers were responsible for the brutality, rather than responding to it. Like everyone who lived in the vicinity, Durk wasn’t able to avoid it all — he spent three months in prison on a weapons charge not long after signing with Def Jam —

but his situation is different these days. He’s only 22, but wears solid white suits and makes radio-ready songs with R&B hooks by Jeremih and Future. His current tour mate, Gunplay, a raucous, brilliant rapper in his mid-30s, hails from Miami and broke through at roughly the same time as Durk, thanks to an association with Rick Ross. He’s more of a writer than Durk is and his persona is more fully developed. He hasn’t

entirely delivered on his promise yet, but he made an indelible, haunting impression with his 2013 single “Bible on the Dash” (one of the year’s highlights — Southern rap at its most spiritually intense and coke-fueled and Larry Brownesque) — and with his guest verse on Kendrick Lamar’s “Cartoons and Cereal” (on which he upstaged Lamar on what probably remains the latter’s best single).

weeks ago — “the newest technologies, 3D projections, computers and phones.” Also: “original tricks, comedy acts, elements of psychology as well as mind reading, all highlighted by Rokas’ infectious charisma.” In publicity photos, he wears a gold bow tie, a headset and the spiked-up

frosted tips of a late-’90s pop star. His Instagram is pretty great: He drives Porsches and levitates a ring to the confusion of a sphynx cat. He says that “the art of Magic is the most powerful art form ever,” and he’ll have three chances this weekend to prove it.

THURSDAY 9/24-SATURDAY 9/26

ROKAS

7:30 p.m. The Public Theater. $10 adv., $13 day of.

Twenty-three-year-old Rokas Bernatonis is a Lithuanian TV celebrity and magician who holds the Guinness World Record for “highest throw of a playing card.” Not 60

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

the farthest, that is, but the highest: He throws it straight up into the air, as you can see for yourself on YouTube. It’s pretty high. His show is called “Magic Is Something You Make,” which seems unarguable, and it involves — according to an oddly worded email I received a few

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 9/24

SATURDAY 9/26

‘ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW’

ARKANSAS PARANORMAL EXPO

7 p.m. Ron Robinson Theater. $5.

Richard O’Brien grew up on a sheep farm in New Zealand, before moving to London in the mid-1960s and finding work as a stuntman. One winter, unemployed and cold, he wrote a musical inspired by old schlock horror and scifi movies. “The Rocky Horror Show” opened in a small experimental theater in Chelsea, and sold out repeatedly, ultimately moving to larger spaces, traveling to Los Angeles and finally, in 1975, Broadway. The film adaption opened that same year, a campy rock musical along the lines of Brian De Palma’s “Phantom of the Paradise” (with which it initially shared double bills). But unlike De Palma’s film — a better movie than “Rocky Horror” in almost every way — it hasn’t really left theaters ever since. It’s probably impossible to fully account for the movie’s enduring cult — though many have tried — but basically: The distribution strategy and aesthetic were perfectly timed to catch the Midnight Movie phenomenon, wherein low-budget new films like “Night of the Living Dead” and re-releases of older stuff like Tod Browning’s “Freaks” were screened at midnight for stoned college crowds, repeatedly. “Rocky Horror” also offered a new, weird goth-kitsch fashion sense that audiences could emulate pretty cheaply. Audience-participation rituals were built around it and sustained for decades. Roger Ebert called it more a “long-running social phenomenon” than a movie, which I don’t think diminished its achievements. “It started out as an affectionate homage to late-night movies,” as its director, Jim Sharman, once put it, “and ended up being an affectionately embraced latenight movie.”

9 a.m.-5 p.m. MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. $5.

The 5th annual Arkansas Paranormal Expo, a benefit for the MacArthur Museum of Military History, features the state’s most distinguished psychics, ghost hunters, Sasquatch aficionados, tarot card readers, spiritual mediums, past-life regressionists, energy healers, astrologers, UFO investigators and haunted historians. I can only imagine how proud General MacArthur (or his ghost) must be. Participating institutions include the Spirit Seeker Paranormal Investigation Research and Intervention Team (a.k.a. SPIRIT), Arkansas Ghost Catchers, Paranormal Ozarks Investigation, River Valley Paranormal Research and Investigation,

Haunted Tours of Little Rock and Crazy J’s Smoke Shop. It will be especially interesting given the MacArthur Museum’s own pedigree as a haunted structure: Visitors have cited cigar smells and Civil War uniforms in the basement, a woman in white on the second-floor landing, old-time music in the Aesthetic Room, a prone figure in the theater, and various other 19th century apparitions. Orbs are so common as to be virtually unavoidable. Topics of discussion will be wide-ranging, encompassing numerology, the existence of angels, the authenticity of “water video photography,” and a controversial recent sighting of the prehistoric pterosaur in Boise, Idaho. The Waffle Wagon will also be on hand, for anyone interested in waffles.

The StudioMAIN Block Party, a celebration of new SoMa sculpture plus food trucks and live music, is at the Bernice Garden, 5:30 p.m. Comedian Charlie Wiener is at the Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m., $7 (and at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $10). Rapper Yung Thrizzle is at Revolution with ItsJusBobby, Smoke Cypher, BruthaMac and more, 9 p.m., $10. New York garage punk band Dirty Fences plays at White Water Tavern with Little Rock’s Bombay Harambee and Nashville’s Faux Ferocious, 9:30 p.m., $7.

FRIDAY 9/25 Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre presents its production of “Puss in Boots” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday (through Oct. 4), $10-$12.50. The Karaoke National Championships are at Juanita’s through Sunday, Sept. 27, $20. Kid Rock performs at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, 7:30 p.m., sold out. Organist David Higgs performs at Hendrix College’s Greene Chapel at 8 p.m. Texas country singer (and Billboard Country chart-topper) Aaron Watson plays at Revolution with Parker McCollum, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $15 day of. New Orleans funk rock group Bonerama returns to Stickyz, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $15 day of. Locals The Dangerous Idiots are at White Water with The Wall Chargers and Midwest Caravan, 9:30 p.m., $5. Local R&B singer SeanFresh performs at South on Main, celebrating the release of his sophomore album “FreshSeason,” 10 p.m., $10.

SATURDAY 9/26 WHERE YA AT: Atlanta rapper Future performs at the Clear Channel Metroplex, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, $40-$75.

SUNDAY 9/27

FUTURE

7:30 p.m. Clear Channel Metroplex. $40$75.

Take the rudimentary, scattered bleeps and robotic drum machines of cerebral ’80s computer pop (Yellow Magic Orchestra, say, or Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark), filter them through a thick codeine haze and the sensibility of a poor, black Southerner raised in Atlanta — an adolescent fly-on-the-wall during his older cousin Rico Wade’s recording sessions with Outkast and Goodie Mob — and add the heartbreak of a very public break-up (with R&B star Ciara), the profound confusion of celebrity and fast wealth, an admitted addiction to promethazine cough

syrup (“drowning in Actavis suicide”), an obsession with outer space (titles like “Astronaut Status” and “Pluto”) and a feel for starkly ironic juxtapositions (“Blood on the Money”). Now imagine the result being remixed by Lee “Scratch” Perry and left out in the sun until it begins to melt and warp slightly, and you’re getting close to the music of the Atlanta rapper and singer Future, a.k.a. Future Hendrix. There is no more vital or consistently experimental artist in contemporary pop. No one more openly depressed or troubled, either. I recently played his latest album, “Dirty Sprite 2,” for a friend who’d never heard it, and he said it reminded him of Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska.”

Arkansas Peace Fest is at Bernice Garden starting at 11 a.m., free. The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performs Grieg’s Piano Concerto at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m. Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun., $19-$58. Blues guitarist Tab Benoit plays at Revolution, 9 p.m., $20. Local country favorites The Salty Dogs play at White Water with Bonnie Montgomery, 9:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY 9/30 Twice Sax gives a free concert at Riverfront Park at 6 p.m. as part of the Jazz in the Park series. “The Color Purple” screens at the Ron Robinson Theater, 6:30 p.m., free. Off the Cuff performs at South on Main, 7:30 p.m., free. Canadian county singer and visual artist Daniel Romano plays at White Water with Dylan Earl, 9 p.m. Indie rock duo IAMDYNAMITE performs at Juanita’s at 9:30 p.m., $10. www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

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.

The Public Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $10 adv., $13 day of. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www.thepublictheatre.com.

SPORTS

Pulaski County Judge’s Cup Golf Tournament. Rebsamen Golf Course, 7 a.m., $75. 3400 Rebsamen Park Road. 666-7965.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24

KIDS

MUSIC

Dirty Fences, Bombay Harambee, Faux Ferocious. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $7. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Foul Play Caberet Burlesque Show. The Joint, 8:30 p.m., $10. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Lera Lynn. South on Main, 8 p.m., $13-$22. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Lil Durk, Gunplay, Hypno Carlito. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $20. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-3721228. www.juanitas.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Open Jam. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. RockUsaurus. Senor Tequila, 7-9 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505. Samantha Fish, Split Lip Fayfield, Mountain Sprout, Josh Hoyer. George’s Majestic Lounge. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com. Tragikly White (headliner), Karen Jr. (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Uncle Lucius. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Yung Thrizzle, ItsJusBobby, Smoke Cypher, BruthaMac. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www. rumbarevolution.com/new.

COMEDY

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

EVENTS

“Magic Is Something You Make.” A multimedia performance by the Lithuanian magician Rokas. The Public Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $10 adv., $13 day of. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www. thepublictheatre.com. StudioMAIN Block Party. A celebration of new scupltures at Bernice Garden featuring food trucks and live music. Bernice Garden, 5:30 p.m. 1401 S. Main St. www.thebernicegarden.org.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

“Puss in Boots.” Arkansas Arts Center, through Oct. 4: 7 p.m., $10-$12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

MUSIC

COME CRY WITH ME: Daniel Romano & The Trilliums play at White Water Tavern at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

MUSIC

Aaron Watson, Parker McCollum. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $15 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/ new. All In Fridays. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Andy Frasco, Josh Hoyer, Gary Hutchinson. George’s Majestic Lounge. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. Bonerama. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $15 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. The Dangerous Idiots, The Wall Chargers, Midwest Caravan. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www. whitewatertavern.com. Deerpeople, R.D. Mauzy. The Lightbulb Club, 9 p.m. 21 N. Block Ave., Fayetteville. 479-444-6100. Donna Massey & Blue-Eyed Soul (headliner), Richie Johnson (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-3755351. www.cajunswharf.com. Harold Thompson Concert Series: David Higgs. Hendrix College, 8 p.m. 1600 Washington Ave., Conway. www.hendrix.edu. Kid Rock. Walmart AMP, 7:30 p.m., sold out. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479-443-5600. www. arkansasmusicpavilion.com. KWC Karaoke National Championships. Juanita’s, Sept. 25-27, $20. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Lagniappe with Genine Perez. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $10. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar. com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway. SeanFresh. South on Main, 10 p.m., $10. 1304

Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com. Undercover Devil, Redefined Reflection, Solice. Vino’s, 9 p.m., $5. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W. Capitol Ave. The Vondoliers, Louisiana Appleseed, Michael Leonard Witham, Kevin Kerby. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $7. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www. maxinespub.com.

COMEDY

“Lou Tells a Bog One.” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Charlie Wiener. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.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. “Salsa Night.” Begins with a one-hour salsa lesson. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 501-2449690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. LGBTQ/ SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. Magic Is Something You Make. A multimedia performance by the Lithuanian magician Rokas.

Andy Frasco & The U.N.. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz. com. Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Maumelle High School, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 27, 3 p.m., $19-$58. 100 Victory Drive. 501-851-5350. Jared Putnam, Ozarka Orkestra, The Theta Theorem. The Lightbulb Club, 9 p.m. 21 N. Block Ave., Fayetteville. 479-444-6100. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. All ages, on the restaurant side. Revolution, 9 p.m.-12:45 a.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new. K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802. KWC Karaoke National Championships. Juanita’s, through Sept. 27, $20. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.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. Ryan Viser, Ready. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. The Salty Dogs, Bonnie Montgomery. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com. The Soultones (headliner), Greg Madden (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Tab Benoit. Revolution, 9 p.m., $20. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

“Lou Tells a Bog One.” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Charlie Wiener. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER

5th Annual Arkansas Paranormal Expo. MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 9 a.m., $5. 503 E. 9th St. 376-4602. www.arkmilitaryheritage.com. Arkansas Peace Fest. Bernice Garden, 11 a.m., free. 1401 S. Main St. www.thebernicegarden. org. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell and Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Historic Neighborhoods Tour. Bike tour of historic neighborhoods includes bike, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001. Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market pavilions, through Oct. 31: 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.

FILM

TUESDAY, SEPT. 29

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

KIDS

“Puss in Boots.” Arkansas Arts Center, through Oct. 4: 7 p.m., $10-$12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

MUSIC

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Maumelle High School, 3 p.m., $19$58. 100 Victory Drive. 501-851-5350. Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Jeff Austin Band, The Travlin’ McCourys. George’s Majestic Lounge. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. Karaoke. Shorty Small’s, 6-9 p.m. 1475 Hogan Lane, Conway. 501-764-0604. www.shortysmalls.com. Karaoke with DJ Sara. Hardrider Bar & Grill, 7 p.m., free. 6613 John Harden Drive, Cabot. 501-982-1939. KWC Karaoke National Championships. Juanita’s, $20. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Luis Coronel and Horoscopos de Durango. Walmart AMP, free. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479-443-5600. www.arkansasmusicpavilion.com.

EVENTS

Afternoon Tea. Esse Purse Museum & Store, 2 p.m., $43.19. 1510 Main St. 501-916-9022. Artist for Recovery. A secular recovery group for people with addictions. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana.

KIDS

“Puss in Boots.” Arkansas Arts Center, through Oct. 4: 7 p.m., $10-$12.50. 501 E. 9th St. 501372-4000. www.arkarts.com.

MUSIC

Bluegrass Monday: The Farm Hands. Collins Theatre, 7 p.m., $5. 120 West Emerson St., Paragould. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Monday Night Jazz. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

LECTURES

Film History and Appreciation Mondays. Hillcrest Hall, 6:30 p.m., $15. 1501 Kavanaugh Blvd.

MUSIC

Jeff Ling. Khalil’s Pub, 6 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. ASO Chamber Music Artist of Distinction: Jon Kimura Parker. Clinton Presidential Center, 7 p.m., $23. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 370-8000. www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org. Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 322 President Clinton Blvd. 501-244-9550. willydspianobar.com/prost-2. Karaoke Tuesdays. On the patio. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 7:30 p.m., free. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Music Jam. Hosted by Elliott Griffen and Joseph Fuller. The Joint, 8-11 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Open Turntables with Mike Poe. White Water Tavern. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Daniel Romano & The Trilliums, Dylan Earl. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Drageoke with Chi Chi Valdez. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Heartless Bastards, Alberta Cross. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new. IAMDYNAMITE. Juanita’s, 9:30 p.m., $10. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com. In The Whale. Juanita’s, 7 p.m., free. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Jazz in the Park: Twice Sax. Riverfront Park, 6 p.m., free. 400 President Clinton Avenue. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. MUSE Ultra Lounge, 8:30 p.m., free. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-6398. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Off the Cuff. South on Main, 7:30 p.m., free. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Mike Stanley. The Loony Bin, Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 2-3, 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.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.

FILM

COMEDY

“The Color Purple.” Ron Robinson Theater, 6:30 p.m., free. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals. lib.ar.us/ron-robinson-theater.aspx.

DANCE

Alex Eaton. Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys. edu. “Landmark Decisions: What’s on the Docket Next.” Sturgis Hall, 12 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool.uasys. edu.

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

“Latin Night.” Juanita’s, 7:30 p.m., $7. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30

MUSIC

LECTURES

upscale

downtown day–Saturday

Piano Bar Tues

e Bar

Martini & Win

Of Wine - 335 Selections s - 35 By The Glas rld Wo e Th s ros Ac m - Fine Spirits Fro m Every - Scotch List Fro and Region Of Scotl Bourbons - 6 Single-Barrel

POETRY

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

In The River Market District 501.324.2999

sonnywilliamssteakroom.com Free Valet Parking

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

AFTER DARK, CONT.

ARTS

THEATER

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, Mon., Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., sold out. 350 S. Donaghey, Conway. “Macbeth.” Arkansas Repertory Theatre, through Sept. 27: Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.; Wed., Thu., Sun., 7 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., $35-$45. 601 Main St. 501378-0405. www.therep.org. “The Shape of Things.” A production of the play by Neil Labute. The Weekend Theater, through Oct. 10: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m., $12-$16. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org.

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS CHRIST CHURCH GALLERY, 509 Scott St.: “Are We There Yet,” paintings by Diane Harper, opening reception 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 9, show through December. STUDIOMAIN BLOCK PARTY, 1401 Main St.: In celebration of new sculpture by Alex Cogbill, Harry Loucks and Michael Warrick for SoMa, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 24. 975-0052. TRIO’S RESTAURANT, Pavilion in the Park, 8201 Cantrell Road: Paintings by G. Peebles, Pavilion Room, first in Fall Art Series. 221-3330. ARKADELPHIA OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY: Photographs by Andrè Kertèsz, Rosemary Gossett Adams Gallery, through Nov. 10. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.Fri. 870-245-5565. BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way: “Nureyev’s Eyes,” reading of play by David Rush, 7 p.m. Sept. 25, $5 nonmembers; “Wyeth’s Realism,” talk by curator Chad Alligood, 1-2 p.m. Sept. 26; “Jamie Wyeth,” retrospective of the artist’s career over 60 years from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through Oct. 5; “Warhol’s Nature,” from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, through Oct. 5, $4; American masterworks spanning four centuries. 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 BOB’S GRILL, 1112 W. Oak St.: Independent Living Services art exhibit, an ArtsFest event, opens Sept. 26. 501-329-9760. FAULKNER COUNTY LIBRARY, 1900 W. Tyler St.: “Reimagine Society,” artwork by college students, Sept. 26-Oct. 3, an ArtsFest event, reception 2-4 p.m. Sept. 27. FAYETTEVILLE THE FAYETTEVILLE UNDERGROUND, 101 W. Mountain St.: 21st annual “Artists of Northwest Arkansas Regional Art Juried Exhibition,” Oct. 1-31, awards reception 5-8 p.m. Oct.17. 479-871-2722. JONESBORO ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, Bradbury Gallery: “Accalia and the Swamp Monster,” work by Kelli Scott Kelley; “(selah),” work by Stephanie Beisel; “It Figures,” work from the permanent collection, through Sept. 27, gallery talk 4 p.m. Sept. 24 by Beisel. Noon to 5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 870-972-2567. SPRINGDALE 64

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

ARTS CENTER OF THE OZARKS, 214 S. Main St.: 13th annual “5X5 Exhibition,” Oct. 1-Nov. 5, jazz gala and auction 5:55-7:55 Nov. 5. 479751-5441.

NEW MUSEUM EXHIBITS ESSE PURSE MUSEUM & STORE, 1510 S. Main St.: “Afternoon Tea at Esse,” catered by Capi Peck, 2-4 p.m. Sept. 27, $43.19; “The Evening Bag” fundraiser auction for the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, 6-8 p.m. Oct. 1, with music, hors d’oeuvres, wine, craft beers, art walk, $50, “Pinafores, Purses & Pigtails,” antique and vintage pinafores and purses, through October; “What’s Inside: A History of Women and Handbags, 1900-1999,” vintage purses and other women’s accessories. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sun., $8-$10. 916-9022.

CALL FOR ENTRIES The Arkansas Arts Council is accepting applications for Arts in Education and Arts for Lifelong Learning minigrants to schools and other institutions for 10-day residencies. For more information, contact Cynthia Haas, Arts in Education program manager, at 324-9769.

CONTINUING GALLERY EXHIBITS ARGENTA GALLERY, 406 Main St.: Paintings by Angela Davis Johnson, through Oct. 12. ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “A Little Poetry: The Art of Alonzo Ford,” through Oct. 25. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. ARKANSAS CAPITAL CORP., 400 River Market Ave., Suite 400: “infiniti no. 1,” woodcuts by Christa Marquez, sculpture by Patrick Fleming. 960-9524. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Gene Hatfield: Outside the Lines,” through Dec. 26; “Disparate Acts Redux,” paintings by David Bailin, Warren Criswell and Sammy Peters, through October; “Weaving Stories and Hope: Textile Arts from the Japanese Internment Camp at Rohwer, Arkansas,” through October. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: 6th annual “Arkansas League of Artists” juried show, through October. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.Sat. 224-1335. CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880. COX CREATIVE CENTER, 100 River Market Ave.: “Art by Design,” works by Sandra Marson, through September. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 918-3093. GALLERY 221, Second and Center streets: Tyler Arnold, paintings; also work by Kathi Crouch, Jennifer “EMILE” Freeman, Tracy Hamlin, Greg Lahti, Sean LeCrone, Tracy Hamlin, Elizabeth Nevins, C.B. Williams, Gino Hollander and Rae Ann Bayless. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 801-0211. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Daniel Broening and Renee Williams, through Oct. 24. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996. GALLERY 360, 900 S. Rodney Parham Road: “Detalles,” new work by X3MEX, closing reception 7 p.m. Oct. 3. GINO HOLLANDER GALLERY, 2nd and Center: Paintings and works on paper by Gino Hol-

lander. 801-0211. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Best of the South,” work by John Alexander, Walter Anderson, Gay Bechtelheimer, Carroll Cloar, William Dunlap, Pinkney Herbert, Robyn Horn, Dolores Justus, Sammy Peters, Kendall Stallings, Donald Roller Wilson and others, through Nov. 14. 664-2787. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Beautiful Influences,” fired clay and mixed media by Chukes,” main gallery, through Oct. 17; paintings by Mason Archie and Dean Mitchell, Gallery II. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 372-6822. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM GALLERIES, 200 E. 3rd St.: “Growing Up … In Words and Images,” paintings by Joe Barry Carroll, through Jan. 3; “Katherine Rutter & Ginny Sims,” paintings and pottery, through Nov. 8; “Pop Up in the Rock: The Exhibit,” through Oct. 4; “Art. Function. Craft: The Life and Work of Arkansas Living Treasures,” works by 14 craftsmen honored by Arkansas Arts Council; “Suggin Territory: The Marvelous World of Folklorist Josephine Graham,” through Nov. 29. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. “L&L BECK ART GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “14 Holes of Golf,” paintings by Louis Beck. 660-4006. LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA BRANCH, 420 Main St.: “Delta des Refuses,” work by artists not accepted into the Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center, through Oct. 16. 665-0030. LOCAL COLOUR, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Rotating work by 27 artists in collective. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 265-0422. M2 GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road: “Mikesell and EMILE,” new paintings by Michelle Mikesell and Jennifer Freeman; also work by V.L. Cox, Bryan Frazier, Spencer Zahm and others. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 225-6257. MUGS CAFE, 515 Main St., NLR: “Dog Days,” dog art by Tanya Holifield, Debilynn Fendley and Fran Austin. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 960-9524. RED DOOR GALLERY, 3715 JFK, NLR: Paintings by Matt Coburn, Paula Jones, Theresa Cates and Amy Hill-Imler, photographs by Adams Pryor, glass works by James Hayes, ceramics by Kelly Edwards, sculpture by Kim Owen. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 753-5227. STEPHANO’S FINE ART, 1813 N. Grant St.: New work by Jennifer Wilson, Mike Gaines, Maryam Moeeni, Ken Davis, John Kushmaul and Gene Brack. 563-4218. THEA FOUNDATION, 401 Main St., NLR: Arkansas Children’s Hospital exhibit, through September. 379-9512. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Fieldwork — Alternative Process Photography,” work by Kate Breakey, Beth Dow, Carol Golemboski and Jamie Johnson, through Sept. 27, Gallery I, Fine Arts Room 161; “Recollections,” work by artist-in-residence Heidi Hogden, through Sept. 27, Manners/Pappas Gallery, “Learning to Fish,” work by Rusty Scruby, through Oct. 2. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-8977.

CALICO ROCK CALICO ROCK ARTISAN COOPERATIVE, 105 Main St.: Paintings, photographs, jewelry, fiber art, wood, ceramics and other crafts. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. calicorocket.org/artists. CONWAY ART ON THE GREEN, Littleton Park, 1100 Bob Courtway: Paintings by Eldridge Bagley, Marty Smith, Sheila Parsons, Don Bingham, Haley Proctor, Patricia Wilkes, Mary Ann Stafford and others. 501-499-3177. UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Sculpture by Dan Steinhilber, artist-in-residence, through Oct. 23, Baum Gallery. 501-450-5793. EL DORADO SOUTH ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, 110 E. 5th St.: “Contemporary Folk Art: Four Decades of Creativity: My Way,” paintings by Melverue Abraham, Sylvester McKissack, Willie Earl Robinson, Sondra Strong and Kennith Humphrey, through September; “It’s About Time,” works by Melinda Dodson and Rhonda Hicks, through September. 870-862-5474. FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM, 1601 Rogers Ave.: “Patrick Angus: Paintings and Works on Paper,” through Dec. 6. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787. HEBER SPRINGS BOTTLE TREE GALLERY, 514 Main St.: Fine art and jewelry. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 501590-8840. HELENA DELTA CULTURAL CENTER, 141 Cherry St.: “A Cast of Blues,” 15 resin-cast masks of blues legends by Sharon McConnell-Dickerson and 15 photographs of performers by Ken Murphy, through Oct. 20, talks by the artists 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 10 (King Biscuit Blues Festival), Delta Drop-In programs 11-11:30 a.m. Saturdays. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.Sat. 870-338-4350.

BENTON DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Dianne Roberts, classes. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467.

HOT SPRINGS ALISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: “Flying High Without a Net,” art installation by sculptor Lori Arnold, mobiles by Gerald Delavan, trees by Kevin Chrislip.11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-625-3001. GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Work by Sandy Fleming Newberg. 501-318-4278 GARVAN GARDENS, 550 Arkridge Road: “Mixing It Up,” Chinese brush painting by Linda Shearer, pastels by Joyce Weaver, paintings by Sheliah Halderman, through September. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 501-262-9300. HOT SPRINGS FINE ARTS CENTER, 626 Central Ave.: “A Visible Mark,” drawings, pen and ink, pastels, through Sept. 27. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., open until 9 p.m. every 1st and 3rd Fri. 501-624-0489. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 Central Ave.: Mixed media paintings and wood sculpture by Robyn Horn, Beverly Buys’ “Delta in Blue” photography series, and works by Donnie Copeland, Rebecca Thompson and others, through September. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-772-3627.

BENTONVILLE 21c MUSEUM HOTEL, 200 NE A St.: “Duke Riley: See You at the Finish Line,” sculpture, and “Blue: Matter, Mood and Melancholy,” photographs and paintings. 479-286-6500.

Springdale ARTS CENTER OF THE OZARKS, 214 Main St.: “Sensory Iconoclasts,” film screenings, through Sept. 25. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 479-751-5441

MOVIE REVIEW

‘BLACK MASS’: Johnny Depp (behind the wheel) takes on the persona of ruthless sociopath Whitey Bulger.

Crime and Punishment Depp’s performance a bright spot in midnightdark “Black Mass” BY DAVID KOON

rom Jesse James to Cagney in “White Heat” to Tony Soprano, shameless sociopaths who dodge the system to make their American dream a reality at the business end of the gun are among our favorite antiheroes. That’s all fine and dandy when it’s fiction; when we can convince ourselves that what they do is just Hollywood bombast that could never happen in our country of cops and courtrooms. When you spend two-plus hours watching the exploits of a real person who terrorized real people and took real lives, however, a viewer can leave the theater craving a shower, or maybe a concealed carry permit. As seen in the new Johnny Depp vehicle “Black Mass,” criminals don’t come much more ruthless than James “Whitey” Bulger, a former guest of Alcatraz who rose to the heights of Boston’s criminal underworld with the help of a few well-compensated friends in the local FBI field office. Though the film feels aimless at times, more interested in ticking off the big landmarks of Bulger’s rise than in helping us understand the man and his motives, it’s worth seeing just for Depp’s standout turn as the explosive, blue-eyed crime boss. While the character Depp plays (and, according to Bulger’s former associates in the murderous Winter Hill Gang, it is an almost entirely made-up character) is so evil that his own mother would likely

be wary of accepting a ride to church for fear she’d wind up in a shallow grave under an overpass, Depp positively inhabits Bulger, allowing himself to be possessed by the man in much the same way he was by Edward Scissorhands, Capt. Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka. The difference here is that instead of a rum-pickled pirate or giggling manchild, Depp has given himself over to the mind and mannerisms of a murderous psychopath and the results are outright terrifying. I’d be surprised if the performance doesn’t earn him an Oscar nomination. The film begins in 1975, with the FBI stymied in its attempts to take down the mob in Boston and Bulger still a smalltime hood running an Irish-American crew in South Boston. Does it matter that Bulger’s brother, William “Billy” Bulger — played well here by Benedict Cumberbatch — was by then the president of the Massachusetts Senate, a position he would hold for almost two decades? Forget it, Jake. It’s Boston. Things take a turn toward the big time for Bulger when ambitious FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) approaches him with a devil’s deal: feed Connolly information to help Connolly bring down the Italian mafia in Boston and make a name for himself, and he’ll protect Bulger and make sure the Winter Hill Gang can operate unimpeded. Once Connolly gets a taste for the fame

and high life that being a friend of Bulger provides to a lowly civil servant, things quickly go over a cliff into the abyss, all while the seemingly Teflon-coated Irish kingpin murders his way up the criminal ladder. The flaw in “Black Mass” for a lot of viewers is probably that Depp’s Bulger, and almost everybody else in this film, is so unlikeable that there is literally nobody to root for other than anybody who was smart enough to stay out of the way. Even the FBI agents who aren’t on the take come across as the worst kind of

bureaucratic assholes. Only Connolly’s wife and Bulger’s girlfriend seem like decent human beings, and they’re out of the picture quickly. Whereas guys like Tony Soprano and Michael Corleone have their glimmers of redemption — the compartmentalized moments where the audience can say, “Sure he just shot a guy in the head while the victim begged for his life, but he sure loves those ducks!” — Bulger is like a walking lump of plutonium that bleeds invisible mayhem instead of radiation, infecting and stunting everything he touches. He’s no anti-hero. He’s just anti. Anticompassion, anti-life, anti-joy. Give him a ragged cloak, and he’d be one of the Dementors from the Harry Potter flicks. If you’re OK with that, this is the film for you. Depp’s performance — pale, sunken cheeked, wearing water blue contacts and looking a bit like Golem from “The Lord of the Rings” — is excellent. Just be sure to have some chocolate, a Taylor Swift CD or some moodelevating drugs waiting for you in the car when you leave the theater. After two hours in the company of Whitey Bulger, you’ll likely need a pick-me-up.

26 Adults $30 KIDS Free Plus LIVE MUSIC By the b flats! Debra Wood

DWOOD@ARKANSASFOODBANK.ORg

Dow & Amy Brantley

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

Dining

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

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

WHAT’S COOKIN’ A CARACAS, VENEZUELA, COUPLE are opening a restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Acadia Restaurant, at 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd., and calling it La Terraza after the multiple decks in front. The restaurant will include Venezuelan and Mediterranean dishes and the bar will emphasize rum drinks — sangria, mojitos, Cuba Libres, etc., said the couple’s daughter-in-law Sarah Volanos. Volanos said look for such traditional Venezuelan foods such as arepas (corn flatbread sandwiches) and cachapas (which are sort of like corn pancakes and are traditionally stuffed with fresh cheese). The Mediterranean offerings will include paella and lasagna. Volanos said the restaurant will be open on the decks for the Oct. 1 First Thursday event in Hillcrest and will officially open a few days later. Tentatively, the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday and for brunch on Sunday, and will operate as a lounge after the kitchen closes at 10 p.m.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

1515 CAFE This bustling, business-suit filled breakfast and lunch spot, just across from the state Capitol, features old-fashioned, buffetstyle home cookin’ for a song. Inexpensive lunch entrées, too. 1515 W. 7th St. No alcohol. $-$$. 501-376-1434. L Wed.-Fri., D Mon-Sat. 4 SQUARE CAFE AND GIFTS Vegetarian salads, soups, wraps and paninis and a broad selection of smoothies in an Arkansas products gift shop. 405 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-2622. BLD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. ANOTHER ROUND PUB Tasty pub grub. 12111 W. Markham. Full bar, CC. $-$$. 501-313-2612. D Mon.-Thu., LD Fri.-Sun. APPLE SPICE JUNCTION A chain sandwich and salad spot with sit-down lunch space and a vibrant box lunch catering business. With a wide range of options and quick service. Order online via applespice.com. 2000 S. University Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-663-7008. L Mon.-Fri. (10 a.m.-3 p.m.). ARKANSAS BURGER CO. Good burgers, fries and shakes, plus salads and other entrees. Try the cheese dip. 7410 Cantrell Road. Beer and wine, CC. $-$$. 501-663-0600. LD Tue.-Sat. BELLWOOD DINER Traditional breakfasts and plate lunch specials are the norm at this lostin-time hole in the wall. 3815 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-753-1012. BL Mon.-Fri. THE BLIND PIG Tasty bar food, including Zweigle’s brand hot dogs. 6015 Chenonceau Blvd. Full bar, CC. $-$$. 501-868-8194. D Wed-Fri., LD Sat. BONEFISH GRILL A half-dozen or more types of fresh fish filets are offered daily at this upscale 66

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Gone fishin’ in Pine Bluff Arnold’s and the Zen of catfish.

hough Arkansans love chain restaurants, the food landscape in this state is full of surprises and delights, if you’re willing to search. A fruitful hunting ground for those looking for remnants of real Arkansas turns out to be Pine Bluff, the city that time mostly forgot. Though industry may have largely left Pine Bluff behind, the place is positively studded with old-line joints, full XXXxxxxxx to the rafters with character and good cooking. One of this reviewer’s new favorites is Arnold’s Catfish Place, a spot that has been open on South Blake Street in Pine Bluff since the Nixon administration. There, they serve up some of the best catfish and home cooking in the state, buffet style, all you can eat ($13 per person, includes drink and dessert). While I’ve been burned enough times by greasy, thrown-together buffets to know that “all you can eat” and “what you would want to eat” are usually at odds, Arnold’s proves to be the rare exception to the rule that if a business owner is willing to sell you a potentially infinite amount of anything for one price, nine times out of 10 he should probably be the one paying you. Arnold’s is a gem. The place is humble but steeped in Delta ambiance — a whitewashed cinderblock pillbox with paneled walls and vinyl tablecloths. The only thing that could improve the place, by my way of thinking, is a cold 40-ounce and a jukebox with a playlist that leans heavy on the oeuvre of Howlin’ Wolf or Bobby “Blue” Bland. Arnold’s was half-full when we visited on a recent Saturday afternoon, mostly locals tucking into mounded

Arnold’s Catfish Place 2122 S. Blake St. Pine Bluff 870-536-1384

Quick Bite Even if you’re not into fish, try the also-rans on Arnold’s buffet. You could make a good meal out of the chicken or the meatloaf, particularly when paired with the plentiful sides and excellent yeast rolls. Hours 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Other info All major credit cards accepted, no alcohol served.

plates of fish. Though we were initially skeptical when we laid eyes on the steam table, we shouldn’t have worried. The lineup consisted of carefully prepared soul food staples: meaty ribs, barbecued chicken, corn, meatloaf, turnip greens, sweet tea, fries, mashed potatoes, gravy and meaty catfish steaks. After we’d come back with our haul, a waitress came around with a basket of pillowy yeast rolls, still warm from the oven, that were better than the last hundred yards home.

Everything we sampled was good to excellent, with the exception of the somewhat dry hush puppies. The meatloaf, in particular, was great: firm, tasty and accompanied well by hearty tomato gravy. The greens were flavorful enough to make me pause and say a little prayer of thanks for good cooks. The undercard aside, the sign outside says catfish, so that was clearly the main event. A longtime lover of deepfried bottom feeder at many of the best greasy spoons in the state, I found the fish at Arnold’s to be very fine indeed: inch-thick slabs, fried up perfect in a flour/cornmeal breading. We saw a few fillets mixed in, so all is not lost if you have kids along or are scared of swallowing a bone. But the bulk of what was served were catfish steaks, as God intended. The kiss of death for catfish is frying in oil that’s not hot enough to force out the steam and keep the grease from penetrating and soaking the crust and delicate flesh. Whoever cooked the catfish we had clearly knew what he or she was doing: the fish was moist inside and crispy outside, with little of the greasy slickness that can ruin an otherwise fine piece of meat. The chef was also smart enough to serve the catfish in smaller batches to keep things from lingering too long on the steam table, another common reason why catfish at buffet restaurants tends to suck. For dessert, there were several choices: slices of pie, wedges of homemade chocolate cake and a mysterious pan of clingwrapped stuff, topped with an ovenbrowned meringue, that turned out to be an amazing bread pudding. It was so nice that I instantly forced my groaning companions to sample, shoving my plate in front of their faces like a proper caveman. So good. Life, friends, is too short for bad food. Though it’s a bit of a haul from Little Rock, Pine Bluff is clearly a place every foodie in Arkansas needs to visit after some careful Internet sleuthing for the restaurants that have been there awhile. If you go, and you love catfish, save room for Arnold’s. It’s a real treasure.

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

Your kitchen could be the most popular doughnut shop in the neighborhood!

arktimes.com

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. chain. 11525 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-228-0356. D Mon.-Fri., LD Sat-Sun. BONEHEADS GRILLED FISH AND PIRI PIRI CHICKEN Fast-casual chain specializing in grilled fish, roasted chicken and an African pepper sauce. 17711 Chenal Parkway. Beer and wine, CC. $-$$. 501-821-1300. LD daily. BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT Chef/owner Peter Brave was doing “farm to table” before most of us knew the term. His focus is on fresh, highquality ingredients prepared elegantly but simply. Ordering the fish special is never a bad choice. His chocolate crème brulee sets the pace. 2300 Cottondale Lane. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2677. LD Mon.-Sat. DEMPSEY BAKERY Bakery with sit-down area, serving coffee and specializing in gluten-, nutand soy-free baked goods. 323 Cross St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-2257. Serving BL Tue.-Sat. DOE’S EAT PLACE A skid-row dive turned power brokers’ watering hole with huge steaks, great tamales and broiled shrimp, and killer burgers at lunch. 1023 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-1195. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. DOUBLETREE PLAZA BAR & GRILL The lobby restaurant in the Doubletree is elegantly comfortable, but you’ll find no airs put on at heaping breakfast and lunch buffets. 424 West Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-4371. BLD daily. EJ’S EATS AND DRINKS The friendly neighborhood hoagie shop downtown serves at a handful of tables and by delivery. The sandwiches are generous, the soup homemade and the salads cold. Vegetarians can craft any number of acceptable meals from the flexible menu. The housemade potato chips are da bomb. 523 Center St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3700. LD Mon.-Fri., BR Sun. FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES Nationwide burger chain with emphasis on freshly made fries and patties. 2923 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-246-5295. LD daily. 13000 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-1100. LD daily. FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings. The hamburgers are a hit, too. It’s counter service; wander on through the screen door and you’ll find a slick team of cooks and servers doing a creditable job of serving big crowds. 511 President Clinton Ave. Beer and wine, All CC. $$. 501-375-3474. LD daily. GOOD FOOD BY FERNEAU Lunch offers a choice of ordering the gluten-free, sugarfree, healthy-yet-tasty-and-not-boring fare. On Friday and Saturday nights chef Ferneau stretches out a bit with about four entrees that still stay true to the “healthy” concept but do step outside the no-gluten, no-sugar box. 521 Main Street. NLR. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-7254219. L Mon.-Fri., D Fri.-Sat. THE GRAND CAFE Typical hotel restaurant fare. 925 S. University Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-5020. BD daily. GREEN LEAF GRILL Cafeteria on the ground floor of the Blue Cross-Blue Shield building has healthy entrees. 601 S. Gaines. No alcohol, CC. 501-378-2521.

GRUMPY’S TOO Music venue and sports bar with lots of TVs, pub grub and regular drink specials. 1801 Green Mountain Drive. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-3768. D Mon.-Sat. GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN The best fried chicken in town. Go for chicken and waffles on Sundays. 300 President Clinton Ave. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-372-2211. LD daily. 400 N. Bowman. Beer. $-$$. 501-400-8745. LD daily. HERITAGE GRILLE STEAK AND FIN Upscale dining inside the Little Rock Marriott. Excellent surf and turf options. 3 Statehouse Plaza. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-399-8000. LD daily. HOMER’S Great vegetables, huge yeast rolls and killer cobblers. Follow the mobs. 2001 E. Roosevelt Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1400. BL Mon.-Fri. 9700 N Rodney Parham. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-6637. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. IRA’S PARK HILL GRILL Inventive and toothsome fine dining in a casual setting. 3812 JFK Blvd. NLR. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-771-6900. L Tue.-Fri., Sun.; D Tue.-Sat. IRONHORSE SALOON Bar and grill offering juicy hamburgers and cheeseburgers. 9125 Mann Road. Full bar, All CC. $. 501-562-4464. LD daily. J. GUMBO’S Fast-casual Cajun fare served, primarily, in a bowl. Better than expected. 12911 Cantrell Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-916-9635. LD daily. POTBELLY SANDWICH SHOP Tasty, affordable sandwiches from fast-casual chain. 314 S University Ave. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-6604441. LD daily. PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milk shakes — in a ‘50s setting at today’s prices. 8026 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-221-3555. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 11602 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-4433. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 1419 Higden Ferry Road. Hot Springs. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-625-7999. LD daily, B Sun. THE RELAY STATION This grill offers a short menu, which includes chicken strips, french fries, hamburgers, jalapeno poppers and cheese sticks. 12225 Stagecoach Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-455-9919. LD daily. THE ROOT CAFE Homey, local foods-focused cafe. With tasty burgers, homemade bratwurst, banh mi and a number of vegan and veggie options. Breakfast and Sunday brunch, too. 1500 S. Main St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-414-0423. BL Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. SALUT BISTRO This bistro/late-night hangout does upscale tapas. 1501 N. University. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. SANDY’S HOMEPLACE CAFE Specializing in home-style buffet, with two meats and seven vegetables to choose from. It’s all-you-can-eat. 1710 E 15th St. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-3753216. L Mon.-Fri. SCALLIONS Reliably good food, great desserts, pleasant atmosphere, able servers — a solid lunch spot. 5110 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer and wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-666-6468. BL Mon.-Sat. SCOOP DOG 5508 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. 501-753-5407. LD daily. SHAKE’S FROZEN CUSTARD Frozen custards, concretes, sundaes. 12011 Westhaven Drive.

664-6900

5501 Kavanaugh Blvd., Suite K eggshellskitchencompany.com

We have a NEW Gluten-Free lunch menu with fresh salads! We also have more selections of sandwiches every day. 323 Cross St. Little Rock, AR 72201 dempseybakery.com

THE EVERYDAY SOMMELIER Your friendly neighborhood wine shop. #theeverydaysommelier

DOMAINE ALAIN PAUTRE CHABLIS AC 2013 ELSEWHERE $29.99 SPECIAL $24.99 The Pautre estate is in Ligorelle, on the Northwestern edge of the appellation. The vines are 30 to 40 years old, and located on a calciferous plateau, beside a forest, facing south. This truly is the best area for the Petit Chablis Appellation. Monsieur Pautre is passionate about quality, and his wine is the traditional ”profile” of what a great Chablis should taste like.” I couldn’t agree more.

BEST LIQUOR STORE

Rahling Road @ Chenal Parkway • 501.821.4669 • olooneys@aristotle.net • www.olooneys.com www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-224-0150. LD daily. SHORTY SMALL’S Land of big, juicy burgers, massive cheese logs, smoky barbecue platters and the signature onion loaf. 11100 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-3344. LD daily. SKINNY J’S Literally has something for everyone with its mind-blowingly large menu – 17 appetizers and 15 burger choices, for example – but the good news is this is the same menu that has been a hit in Jonesboro and Paragould, and

the kitchen seems to have everything down pat. 314 Main St. NLR. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-9162645. LD Mon.-Sat. SLIM CHICKENS Chicken tenders and wings served fast. Better than the Colonel. 4500 W. Markham. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-9070111. LD daily. 301 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 954-9999. LD daily. SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAK ROOM Steaks, chicken and seafood in a wonderful setting in the River Market. Steak gets pricey, though.

ASIAN

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REGENERATION FITNESS KATHLEEN L. REA, PH.D.

(501) 324-1414 117 East Broadway, North Little Rock www.regenerationfitnessar.com Email: regfit@att.net 68

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

Menu is seasonal, changes every few months. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$$. 501-324-2999. D Mon.-Sat. WING LOVERS The name says it all. 4411 W. 12th St. $-$$. 501-663-3166. LD Mon.-Sat. WINGSTOP It’s all about wings. The joint features 10 flavors of chicken flappers for almost any palate, including mild, hot, Cajun and atomic, as well as specialty flavors like lemon pepper, teriyaki, Garlic parmesan and Hawaiian. 11321 West Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-9464. LD daily.

A.W. LIN’S ASIAN CUISINE Excellent panAsian with wonderful service. 17717 Chenal Parkway H101. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-5398. LD daily. BIG ON TOKYO Serviceable fried rice, teriyaki chicken and sushi. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-6200. BLD Mon.-Sat. CHINA PLUS BUFFET Large Chinese buffet. 6211 Colonel Glenn Road. Beer and wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-562-1688. LD daily. CHINESE KITCHEN Good Chinese takeout. Try the Cantonese press duck. 11401 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-224-2100. LD Tue.-Sun. HANAROO SUSHI BAR One of the few spots in downtown Little Rock to serve sushi. With an expansive menu, featuring largely Japanese fare. Try the popular Tuna Tatari bento box. 205 W. Capitol Ave. Beer and wine, All CC. $$. 501-301-7900. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. KBIRD Delicious, authentic Thai. 600 N. Tyler. No alcohol, CC. $$-$$$. 501-352-3549. LD Mon.-Fri. MIKE’S CAFE VIETNAMESE Cheap Vietnamese that could use some more spice, typically. The pho is good. 5501 Asher Ave. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-562-1515. LD daily. MR. CHEN’S ASIAN SUPERMARKET AND RESTAURANT A combination Asian restaurant and grocery with cheap, tasty and exotic offerings. 3901 S. University Ave. $. 501-562-7900. LD daily. NEW CHINA A burgeoning line of massive buffets, with hibachi grill, sushi, mounds of Chinese food and soft serve ice cream. 4617 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-8988. LD daily. 2104 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-764-1888. LD Mon.-Sun. THREE FOLD NOODLES AND DUMPLING CO. Authentic Chinese noodles, buns and dumplings. With vegetarian options. 215 Center St. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-372-1739. LD Mon.-Fri. TOKYO HOUSE Defying stereotypes, this Japanese buffet serves up a broad range of fresh, slightly exotic fare — grilled calamari, octopus salad, dozens of varieties of fresh sushi — as well as more standard shrimp and steak options. 11 Shackleford Drive. Beer and wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2194286. LD daily. WASABI Downtown sushi and Japanese cuisine. For lunch, there’s quick and hearty sushi samplers. 101 Main St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-0777. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat.

BARBECUE

CHIP’S BARBECUE Tasty, if a little pricey, barbecue piled high on sandwiches generously doused with the original tangy sauce or one of five other sauces. Better known for the incredible family recipe pies and cheesecakes,

which come tall and wide. 9801 W. Markham St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-4346. LD Mon.-Sat.

CATFISH

SWEET SOUL Southern classics by the proprietors of the late, great Haystack Cafe in Ferndale: Chicken fried steak (just about perfect), catfish, collards, cornbread, blackeyed peas and fried chicken. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. 501-374-7685. L Mon.-Fri.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

ANATOLIA RESTAURANT Middle of the road Mediterranean fare. 315 N. Bowman Road. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-219-9090. LD Mon.-Sat. CREGEEN’S IRISH PUB Irish-themed pub with a large selection of on-tap and bottled British beers and ales, an Irish inspired menu and lots of nooks and crannies to meet in. Specialties include fish ‘n’ chips and Guinness beef stew. Live music on weekends and $5 cover on Saturdays, special brunch on Sunday. 301 Main St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-376-7468. LD daily. I S TA N B U L M E D I T E R R A N E A N RESTAURANT This Turkish eatery offers decent kebabs and great starters. The red pepper hummus is a winner. So are Cigar Pastries. Possibly the best Turkish coffee in Central Arkansas. 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-223-9332. LD daily. KEBAB HOUSE Turkish style doners and kebabs and a sampling of Tunisian cuisine. Only place in Little Rock to serve Lahmijun (Turkish pizza). 11321 W Markham St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. LD Mon.-Sat. LAYLA’S GYROS AND PIZZERIA Delicious Mediterranean fare — gyros, falafel, shawarma, kabobs, hummus and babaganush — that has a devoted following. All meat is slaughtered according to Islamic dietary law. 9501 N Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-7272. LD daily (close 5 p.m. on Sun.) 6100 Stones Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-8688226. LD Mon.-Sat. L E O ’ S G R E E K C A S T L E Wonderful Mediterranean food — gyro sandwiches or platters, falafel and tabouleh — plus dependable hamburgers, ham sandwiches, steak platters and BLTs. Breakfast offerings are expanded with gyro meat, pitas and triple berry pancakes. 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-666-7414. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. (close at 4 p.m.). LITTLE GREEK Fast casual chain with excellent Greek food. 11525 Cantrell Road. Beer, All CC. $$. LD daily. MUSE ULTRA LOUNGE Mediterranean food and drinks. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. 501-663-6398. D Mon.-Sat. MYLO COFFEE CO. Bakery with a vast assortment of hand-made pastries, house roasted coffee and an ice cream counter. Soups and sandwiches, too. 2715 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-747-1880. BLD Tue.-Sun. ROSALIA’S BAKERY Brazilian bakery owned by the folks over at Bossa Nova, next door. Sweet and savory treats, including yucca cheese balls, empanadas and macarons. Many gluten-free options. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-319-7035. BLD Mon.-Sat. (closes 6 p.m.), BL Sun. SILVEK’S EUROPEAN BAKERY Fine pastries, chocolate creations, breads and cakes done in the classical European style. Drop by for a whole cake or a slice or any

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Conway ArtsFest 2015 A

Full STEAM ahead

rtsFest, Conway’s week-long celebration of music, visual art, theatre, dance, creative writing and film is set to kick off Sept. 26 and run through Oct. 3. This year’s theme is STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art and math – which will highlight the connection between art and more leftbrain fields. Attendees will see examples of this connection through events like Third Coast Percussion’s WAVES (Wonder, Arts, Vibration, Energy and Science) project, which will engage students in hands-on lessons about music, sound, engineering and design. Third Coast Percussion is the ensemble-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame. Public concert, Oct. 2, 7:30 pm, Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, free, no tickets required.

An untitled sculpture by Washington, DC-based artist Dan Steinhilber. His work will be on display at the UCA Baum Gallery during the festival.

•

• Third Coast Percussion, ensemble-inresidence at the University of Notre Dame, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall.

Local schools and arts organizations will host events throughout the city all week, including interactive works of visual art, gallery exhibits, concerts, an author fair, architecture tours, readings, theatre performances and activities for children and adults. Highlights include: •

An outdoor sculpture installation and gallery exhibit by Washington,

DC-based artist Dan Steinhilber at the University of Central Arkansas Baum Gallery The Hendrix College Family Weekend Choir Concert, 10 a.m. Sept. 26 at Staples Auditorium Ceruti String Quartet performance, Sept. 30, 7:30 pm, Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, free, no tickets required. Tales from the South special broadcast, 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Faulkner County Library Art exhibit by Conway Schools students, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the American Management lobby

The festival will close Oct. 3 with Art in the Park and Light up the Night in Simon Park. Art in the Park begins at 10 a.m. with hands-on activities, performances, music, food trucks and vendors. The family-friendly activities include a puppet show, cardboard car building hosted by EcoFest and tape origami presented by the Museum of Discovery. At 5 p.m., activities will transition to Light up the Night, with live performances from local bands such as CosmOcean

and The Whole Fam Damily. The Conway Film Festival will be from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Conway District Court Building. The fim festival is sponsored by Psi Delta Kappa, UCA’s cinematic co-ed honors fraternity. ArtsFest is planned and presented by the Conway Alliance for the Arts. For more information and festival schedule, visit www.artsinconway.org.

HIP CLOTHING

The Ceruti String Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall during ArtsFest.

PROVISIONS FOR THE CULTURED GENTLEMAN 11220 N Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 3 501.246.5466 shopcultureclothing.com

Conway EcoFest and Conway ArtsFest, in partnership with Metro Square, are proud to bring Monticello-based celebration artist Alice Guffey Miller, to Conway. She will provide days of art and education while sharing in a community sculpture-building event. Guffey Miller’s traveling sculpture, Pillar of the Community. This interactive process will include hands-on construction with the artist during both ArtsFest and EcoFest (Oct. 10). Upon completion, the sculpture will reside in Metro Square Fountain in downtown Conway for six months to a year. Goodwill Industries of Arkansas donated the CD’s for the Alice Guffey Miller sculpture.

COOLER TEMPS AHEAD

COZY SCARVES Fall into autumn at Ember with these organic cotton, knit cowl-neck scarves. Available in a variety of colors, you are sure to look, and feel, your best with Ember’s stylish, comfortable apparel. Open Monday - Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Join them for Third Thursday each month for shopping after hours. Ember, 5709 Kavanaugh Blvd., 225-3220, shopemberfashion.com

Fall is in the air and the one thing every guy needs is a good jacket. This workwear-inspired Cass jacket from Brixton is the perfect weight for transitioning into fall. It looks like a shirt and wears like a jacket. Swing by culture today to make sure you have everything you need to stay warm and look cool for the upcoming season. Culture Clothing, 11220 N. Rodney Parham Rd., Ste. 3, 246.5466, shopcutureclothing.com

5709 KAVANAUGH BOULEVARD LITTLE ROCK, AR 72207 WWW.SHOPEMBERFASHION.COM 501.225.3220 www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. of the dozens of single serving treats in the big case. 1900 Polk St. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-661-9699. BLD daily.

ITALIAN

CAFE PREGO Dependable entrees of pasta, pork, seafood, steak and the like, plus great sauces, fresh mixed greens and delicious dressings, crisp-crunchy-cold gazpacho and tempting desserts in a comfy bistro setting. Little Rock standard for 18 years. 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5355. LD Mon.- Fri, D Sat. CIAO ITALIAN RESTAURANT Don’t forget about this casual yet elegant bistro tucked into a downtown storefront. The fine pasta and seafood dishes, ambiance and overall charm combine to make it a relaxing, enjoyable, affordable choice. 405 W. Seventh St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-372-0238. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. GRADY’S PIZZA AND SUBS Pizza features a pleasing blend of cheeses rather than straight mozzarella. The grinder is a classic, the chef’s salad huge and tasty. 6801 W. 12th St., Suite C. Beer and wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-1918. LD daily. IRIANA’S PIZZA Unbelievably generous hand-tossed New York style pizza with unmatched zest. Good salads, too; grinders are great, particularly the Italian sausage. 201 E. Markham St. Beer and wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-3656. LD Mon.-Sat. MELLOW MUSHROOM Popular high-end pizza chain. 16103 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-379-9157. LD daily. PIERRE’S GOURMET PIZZA CO. EXPRESS KITCHEN Chef/owner Michael Ayers has reinvented his pizzeria, once located on JFK in North Little Rock, as the first RV entry into mobile food truck scene. With a broad menu of pizza, calzones, salads and subs. 760 C Edgewood Drive. No alcohol, No CC. $$. 501-410-0377. L Mon.-Fri. THE PIZZERIA AT TERRY’S FINER FOODS Tasty Neapolitan-style pizza and calzones from the people who used to run the Santa Lucia food truck. 5018 Kavanaugh. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-551-1388. Tue.-Sat. RADUNO BRICK OVEN AND BARROOM The South Main neighborhood’s renaissance continues with Raduno, an upscale pizza joint that also features sandwiches and unique appetizers (think roasted bone marrow). 1318 S. Main St. Full bar, CC. $-$$. 501-374-7476. LD Tue.-Sat., L Sun. ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL A chain restaurant with a large menu of pasta, chicken, beef, fish, unusual dishes like Italian nachos, and special dishes with a corporate bent. 11100 W Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3150. LD daily. U.S. PIZZA Crispy thin-crust pizzas, frosty beers and heaping salads drowned in creamy dressing. 2710 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2198. LD daily. 5524 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer and wine, All CC. $$. 501-664-7071. LD daily. 9300 North Rodney Parham Road. Beer and wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-224-6300. LD daily. 3307 Fair Park Blvd. Beer and wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-565-6580. LD daily. 650 Edgewood Drive. Maumelle. Beer and wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-851-0880. LD daily. 3324 Pike Avenue. NLR. Beer and wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-7585997. LD daily. 4001 McCain Park Drive. NLR. Beer and wine, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-2900. LD daily. ZAFFINO’S BY NORI A high-quality Italian 70

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

dining experience. Pastas, entrees (don’t miss the veal marsala) and salads are all outstanding. 2001 E. Kiehl Ave. NLR. Beer and wine, All CC. 501-834-7530. D Tue.-Sat.

LATINO

BAJA GRILL Food truck turned brick-andmortar taco joint that serves a unique MexiCali style menu full of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. 5923 Kavanaugh Blvd. CC. $-$$. 501-722-8920. LD Mon.-Sat. CANON GRILL Tex-Mex, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Creative appetizers come in huge quantities, and the varied main-course menu rarely disappoints, though it’s not as spicy as competitors’. 2811 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-664-2068. LD daily. CILANTRO’S GRILL The guac, made tableside, margaritas and desserts standout at this affordably priced traditional Mex spot. 2629 Lakewood Village Plaza. NLR. Full bar, CC. $-$$. 501-812-0040. LD daily. COTIJA’S A branch off the famed La Hacienda family tree downtown, with a massive menu of tasty lunch and dinner specials, the familiar white cheese dip and sweet red and fiery-hot green salsas, and friendly service. 406 S. Louisiana St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-244-0733. L Mon.-Fri. EL CHICO Hearty, standard Mexican served in huge portions. 8409 Interstate 30. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-562-3762. LD daily. FONDA MEXICAN CUISINE Authentic Mex in a neighborhood not known for that. The guisado (Mexican stew) is excellent. 400 N. Bowman Road. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-3134120. LD Tue.-Sun. HEIGHTS TACO & TAMALE CO. Throwback Southern-style tamales, taco plates, enchiladas and more, all doused with a generous helping of cheese and chili. Hits just the right balance between nostalgia and fresh flavors. 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-313-4848. LD daily. LA HERRADURA Traditional Mexican fare. 8414 Geyer Springs Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-6063. LD Tue.-Sun. LAS MARGARITAS Sparse offerings at this taco truck. No chicken, for instance. Try the veggie quesadilla. 7308 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. LD Tue.-Thu. LAS AMERICAS Guatemalan and Mexican fare. Try the hearty tamales wrapped in banana leaves. 8622 Chicot Road. $-$$. 501-565-0266. BLD Mon.-Sat. LOS TORITOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT Mexican fare in East End. 1022 Angel Court. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-261-7823. LD daily. RIVIERIA MAYA Tasty, cheap Mexican food. Try the Enchiladas con Chorizo. Lunch special fajitas are fantastic. 801 Fair Park Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 663-4800. LD daily. SENOR TEQUILA Cheap, serviceable Tex-Mex, and maybe the best margarita in town. 2000 S. University Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-660-4413. LD daily. TAQUERIA KARINA AND CAFE A real Mexican neighborhood cantina from the owners, to freshly baked pan dulce, to Mexican-bottled Cokes, to first-rate guacamole, to inexpensive tacos, burritos, quesadillas and a broad selection of Mexican-style seafood. 5309 W. 65th St. Beer, No CC. $. 501-562-3951. BLD daily. TAQUERIA SAMANTHA II Stand-out taco truck fare, with meat options standard and exotic. 7521 Geyer Springs Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-744-0680. BLD daily.

DUMAS, CONT.

candidate for governor, blamed the Cubans’ airlift to Fort Chaffee in 1980 on Gov. Bill Clinton’s friendship with President Carter and invited people to blame Clinton when the Cubans took their jobs. White won. Now, Europeans quarrel over who should pay for humanitarian care for the refugees from the Middle East and who should host them. The United States is far and away the biggest donor and the Obama administration said the country would raise the number of refugees it would accept,

after background checks, to 100,000 in 2017. The political phase begins. Echoing Eastern Europeans and getting the jump on all the other presidential candidates except one, Sen. Ted Cruz warned that none but Christians should set foot on U.S. soil. The one, of course, was our man Mike Huckabee, who said all those refugees washing up at Lesbos or crashing the gates in Hungary were not fleeing tyranny and hardship but merely wanting to go somewhere they could get the Disney Channel.

LYONS, CONT. tive, which ain’t how it works. Similar stonewalling, accompanied by personal attacks on her questioners’ motives, ultimately resulted in HewlettPackard’s board of directors voting unanimously to give Fiorina a $21 million “golden parachute” and show her the exit. Trump appears mostly right about that; just as Fiorina was correct about Trump the casino mogul’s multiple bankruptcies. Why Trump failed to mention that Fiorina’s whole rags-to-riches, secre-

Shop shop LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

tarial-pool-to-executive-suite story is also totally bogus is hard to say. Her father was Dean of the Duke School of Law and a Nixon-appointed federal appeals court judge. Possibly Trump’s saving ammunition for the next exciting GOP matchup. Alternatively, he may be reluctant to have Fiorina bring up his inheriting $200 million from his real estate mogul father. Either way, the two GOP frontrunners clearly deserve each other.

September 25, 26, October 2, 3, 9, 10, 2015 Fri, Sat 7:30pm $16 Adults; $12 Students & Seniors

DIRECTED BY BYRON TAYLOR For more information contact us at 501.374.3761 or www.weekendtheater.org

1001 W. 7th St., LR, AR 72201 On the corner of 7th and Chester, across from Vino’s.

Support for TWT is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the DAH, and the NEA.

ARKANSAS TIMES

MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, CALL LUIS AT 501.375.2985

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MAUMELLE CIVIL SERVICE ENTRY LEVEL POLICE EXAM

7301 Baseline Rd · Little Rock Monday–Saturday

The CITY OF MAUMELLE announces Civil Service examination for the position of entry level Police Officer will be given on Saturday, October 17, 2015.

O UR DOC TOR

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TAKING THE EXAM ARE:

PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT

1- Be a United States Citizen 2- Be the age of 21 on date of the exam (Police Exam) 3- Be able to pass a background check, a drug test, and/or physical examination 4- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent 5- Possess a valid Arkansas driver’s license Beginning salary is $30,334.00 per year; the City offers an excellent employee benefit package. The application process will begin immediately. For additional information visit www.maumelle.org. “EOE – Minority, Women, and disabled individuals are encouraged to apply.” This ad is available from the Title VI Coordinator in large print, on audio, and in Braille at (501) 851-2784, ext. 233 or at vernon@maumelle.org.

DR. CHRISTOPHER LARSON, D.D.S.

Rock Region METRO (RRM) invites the public to review and submit comments on the proposed Program of Projects (POP) for the FY2015 Section 5307 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant funds. RRM has been awarded $1,611,232 in FTA FY15 Section 5307 funds. The proposed POP may be viewed online at rrmetro.org/pop. A physical copy of the POP can be obtained at the River Cities Travel Center (RCTC) in downtown Little Rock. A Spanish version of the POP is also available online and at the RCTC. The public comment period is from Thursday, September 24, 2015, through close of business day on Wednesday, September 30, 2015. Please submit your comments or request a public hearing by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 via email (javery@rrmetro. org). The public may also submit written comments to Accounting Manager, METRO, 901 Maple St., North Little Rock, AR 72114. If there are no comments or request for a public hearing, this proposed Program of Projects will become the final Program of Projects, unless amended.

(501) 565-3009 (501) 562-1665

www.faithdentalclinic.com

ARKANSAS TIMES ADVERTISING SALES The Special Publications division of The Arkansas Times has a position open in Advertising Sales. If you have sales experience and enjoy the exciting and crazy world of advertising then we’d like to talk to you. We publish 4 publications: Savvy, AR Wild, Food & Farm and Shelter as well as corresponding websites and social media. What does all this translate to? A high-income potential for a hard working advertising executive. We have fun, but we work hard. Fast paced and self-motivated individuals are encouraged to apply. If you have a dynamic energetic personality, we’d like to talk to you. PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO ELIZABETH AT: ELIZABETH@ARKTIMES.COM EOE.

www.arktimes.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

IT'S THE PARTY TO THE PARTY!

Ride the Arkansas Times BLUES BUS to the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena

It's the 30th Anniversary and we're bringing the partY with us!

Join us 0ct. 10 for featured headliner

Taj Mahal $109 per person

PRICE INCLUDES: Round-trip tour bus transportation Tickets into the gated concert area Lunch at a Delta Favorite

CHARGE BY PHONE All Major Credit Cards 501-375-2985 OR MAIL CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:

Bus transportation provided by Arrow Coach Lines

Arkansas Times Blues Bus

Live blues performances en route to Helena 200 E. Markham, Suite 200 Little Rock, AR 72201 Plus Beverages on Board 72

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

Like our Bus Trips page for details, updates and other perks! facebook.com/arktimesbustrips