ARKANSAS’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF POLITICS AND CULTURE ■ february 18, 2010
www.arktimes.com
July 12, 2007
Virtual
college At UA and ASU classes, the avatars take over. By Gerard Matthews • page 10
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Palin visit
At press time, we were awaiting the arrival in North Little Rock of Sarah Palin, scheduled to speak at a Republican Party of Arkansas fund-raiser at Verizon Arena. A party spokesman said 300 $500 reception tickets had been sold, plus about 800 tickets to the $175-a-plate dinner. That’s about $290,000 in proceeds and the spokesman said “several thousand” general admission tickets had been sold, at prices ranging from $35 to $65. That won’t create a huge windfall for the party. Though no official will confirm it, we’ve been told Palin’s fee was $75,000, plus private jet transportation and lodging. The arena rental will cost $50,000 and those 800 dinner tickets will have a cost, too. A big part of the remaining profit, we hear, will be offset on the party’s balance sheets by a substantial pay raise for Party Chairman Doyle Webb.
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Church turmoil
Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church, which is one of the state’s biggest and which serves some of Little Rock’s most prosperous neighborhoods, has been roiled by a leadership change. Bishop Anthony Taylor told the congregation at Mass last Sunday that he had sought the retirement of Msgr. Royce Thomas, 65, pastor of the parish. At Mass and a fractious meeting in the parish hall afterward, Taylor acknowledged that Thomas was not happy about the move. The bishop also said he expected an angry response from some parishioners. A number of members of the congregation pressed the bishop for answers at the parish hall gathering. Questioners wondered, for one, whether the action was somehow related to Taylor’s vigorous work in support of the Latino immigrant community and Thomas’ participation in those efforts. There’s no indication that’s the case. Thomas, profiled in January in the High Profile section of the DemocratGazette for his 40 years as a priest, has been the subject of dozens of supportive comments on a Facebook page created on the issue (search: “Msgr. Royce Thomas we support you!”) As it now stands, though many supporters are discussing avenues of appeal, Thomas is expected to move to Arizona. Retired Msgr. Gaston Hebert will be parish administrator until a new pastor is named.
Make it a double
After a decades-long dry spell, the state of Arkansas suddenly has the possibility of two distilleries operating in the state. Permits have been filed with Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control to open liquor manufacturing operations in both Little Rock and Newport. Continued on page 9
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www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 3
Smart talk
Contents
8 Secret deals
The fallout continues from defrocked Judge Willard Proctor’s reign. Secret expungements and unusual ex parte letters from criminal defendants are among the discoveries made by prosecutors since his departure from the bench. — By David Koon
STILL LOOKING: For the ivory-billed woodpecker.
Lost in the Big Woods n Nature magazine has painted a bleak picture of the possibility that the ivory-billed woodpecker may still live in the Big Woods of Arkansas, even as a “recovery” plan is pursued to protect the habitat. There’s been growing skepticism about a sighting of a bird in 2005 since a $14 million effort by the federal Fish and Wildlife Service has turned up no further confirmed sightings. Said Nature: “ … after five years of fruitless searching, hopes of saving the species have faded. ‘We don’t believe a recoverable population of ivory-billed woodpeckers exists,’ says Ron Rohrbaugh, a conservation biologist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who headed the original search team.”
Looking for love in all the wrong places n Our blood ran cold when we saw this item from a lawyerrating website called Avvo: “Want to date a lawyer? You’re not alone.” According to Avvo, “Surveys show lawyers are among the most datable professions, but meeting and having a relationship with one can be a challenge.” Avvo then proceeds to “explain common pitfalls in lawyer dating and give some simple ways to overcome them.” But there’s a ray of hope. Avvo advises that “to meet a lawyer, you need to be in a lawyer-rich location. Topping the list is Washington, D.C., where around 1 out of every 12 people is a lawyer, right behind New York, which has 1 lawyer for every 127 people.” The state with the fewest lawyers per capita, according to Avvo? Arkansas, with “only” one lawyer for every 507 people.
Honor Broyles? n Former judge and pastor Wendell Griffen, in a sermon to his New Millennium Church congregation last week, urged them not to attend a planned program last week at the Mosaic Temple Cultural Center to “honor” Frank Broyles for his legacy in integration of athletics at the University of Arkansas. Broyles was football coach when the first black player took the field for the Hogs and, as athletic director, hired Nolan Richardson as the UA’s first black
broyles: “Pimping” black history.
head basketball coach. But Griffen, citing passages from Richardson’s new book, “Forty Minutes of Hell,” contended that Broyles resisted integration at UA and orchestrated Richardson’s firing. Wrote Griffen, a UA and UA Law School graduate: “I refuse to stand silently by while anyone attempts to pimp Black History Month by purporting to honor someone whose history of opposing racial inclusion is so clear.” The Broyles program was postponed last week on account of weather. It will be rescheduled, probably in March.
10 Avatars
of academia
Second Life, a web-based virtual world is more than a way to dream away hours on the Internet. It’s become an integral part of college classes at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas State. — By Gerard Matthews
30 Building The House
Our reviewer says The House has shaken off some early service bugs and showing the sure guidance of Scott McGehee’s kitchen leadership. — Dining
Departments
3 • The Insider 4 • Smart Talk 5 • The Observer 6 • Letters 7 • Orval 8-12 • News 14 • Opinion 17 • Arts & Entertainment 30 • Dining 37 • Crossword/ Tom Tomorrow 38 • Lancaster
Words n What is the sound of one politic marring? “Stop execution, murderer pleads; ‘Politics mar death penalty, he says” Or should it be “Politics mars death penalty”? In other words, is politics singular or plural? We’ve wrestled with this question before, but I decided to give it a rematch. William Safire knew where he stood, on this and most everything else. Safire’s Political Dictionary says, “The word ‘politics’ is construed as singular, as in ‘Politics is fun,’ but when it is used to denote a set of beliefs, the plural takes over, as ‘My politics are nobody’s business.’ ” That distinction is too fine for Random House, which says simply that politics is “used with a singular or plural verb.” Garner’s Modern American Usage leans Safire’s way. “As with similar –ics 4 february 18, 2010 • Arkansas Times
Doug s mith doug@arktimes.com
words denoting disciplines of academics and human endeavor, politics is treated as singular when it refers to the field itself <all politics is local> and as plural when it refers to a collective set of political stands <her politics were too mainstream for the party’s activists>.” Following that rule, I’d say that politics in the headline quoted above is singular: Politics mars, it doesn’t mar. Politicians now, they can do some marring. n William Lindsey writes:
“When did the phrase ‘a couple’ followed by a plural noun become standard English usage? Publications including the Arkansas Times now use this construction unapologetically — ‘At worst, you’ll get a solid hamburger for a couple bucks.’ “I don’t recall ever hearing this usage in Arkansas until recently. I have heard it in the urban northeast before. But to my ear as an Arkansas native, it sounds imposed — and incorrect.” It sounds funny to me too, and I agree that “couple of bucks” used to be much more common in this part of the country. Garner says that when couple is used as a noun, it requires the preposition of to link it to another noun. He concedes that the of is often omitted these days, “But idiom has not yet admitted this casual expression as standard.” Admission is not far off, I suspect, though I won’t like it.
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 24 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR, 72203. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $78 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.
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RETIREMENT LOOKS GOOD
Listen, Snow… I’ve been
meaning to talk to you about something. We’ve had some great times over the years. Remember the thing with the sled and the thing? Yeah, I’m laughing just thinking about it. What a day! But what I wanted to say is: This time, you really hurt me. Literally: you hurt me — I’ve got bruises to prove it. No, you can’t see them. They’re in a delicate area. Given that, I think it’s best if we stayed apart for awhile — sort of a trial separation. Try to look on the bright side: It’s your chance to see other people and/or weather events. No! I’m not saying FOREVER! Just a couple of years or so, then maybe we’ll see how we feel about things. Two years. Maybe three. Hey now! Don’t cry. There’s no reason for tears. I have it on good authority that there are plenty of people up North who’d love to see you, and they’ve got the equipment, driving skill and clothing to show you a much better time than we ever could. No, it’s not that. It’s not that either. It’s not you. It’s me.
The other day, The Observer
was doing a little research on a rather obscure legal issue when we ran across the following gem, posted at a site where people can write in and get a little lawyerin’ free of charge. “I have read,” wrote the writer, “that expungement or record-sealing restores all civil liberties. Does that include the legal right to own a fireman for sporting purposes and home defense?” For the record: Nothing makes The Observer feel more at ease than having our personal fireman close at hand.
Smallish and attractive young
ladies flying through the air, not overdressed, is the kind of thing The Observer can appreciate, as we discovered the other day at a University of Arkansas gymnastics match in Fayetteville. (Is “match” the right word? New to gymnastics fandom, The Observer doesn’t have all the terminology down yet.) We’d seen a few gymnasts on TV, usually during the Olympics — Mary Lou Retton comes to mind — but this was our first exposure to live competition. The U of A, ranked seventh in the
nation at the time, confronted Auburn University, who was ranked sixteenth. Somewhere there are male gymnasts, we know, but the programs at these two institutions are exclusively female. This did not lessen The Observer’s enjoyment. The vaulting Razorbacks’ home matches are held in Barnhill Arena. A crowd of two or three thousand was on hand, and, unlike The Observer, most of them seemed familiar with the sport and the team, sometimes referring to individual competitors by their first names. The introduction of the Razorback gymnasts is like the introduction of Razorback basketball players — there’s a lot of light and smoke and applause, and they come running out one at a time as their names are called. They’re practically all from out of state — Eugene, Ore.; Ringwood, N.J., etc. — since few Arkansas high schools field gymnastics teams. A young woman from Springdale was the only Arkansan on the squad. A number of grade-school girls were in attendance, probably dreaming of a day when they’ll be performing to the cheers of the crowd. The Observer wondered if their parents would approve. Gymnastics is demanding, dangerous and expensive. But the kind of girls who want to be gymnasts are the kind of girls who are hard to dissuade, one imagines. The Observer was occasionally diverted by a group of young men on the front row of the grandstand, an organized cheering section. They stood throughout the game, yelled support, and engaged in synchronized dance routines when the pep band played. Eventually, they took off their shirts and revealed the names of Razorback gymnasts painted on their bodies: Nagashima, Magee, Pisani. The Observer wondered if they were boyfriends of the gymnasts. More likely wanna-bes, we decided. But mostly, we watched the athletes, who were pretty amazing, somersaulting high above the floor, swinging on bars like trapezists and occasionally letting go of one bar so they could grab another in mid-air. A small mistake, and a person could be badly hurt doing this, The Observer thought. Nobody was. The Razorbacks won, and moved up in the rankings.
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Letters arktimes@arktimes.com
Temptress Palin What do you think of the radio spots running for the Sarah Palin money grubbin,’ er, book tour? The one wife tells the other wife to keep your “husband on a short leash” when he sees Sarah. What the hell is that all about? Is Sarah such a temptress that even married men aren’t safe around her?! What’s that got to do with good governance? Imagine if Bill Clinton had run ads like that. “Hey guys, keep the chastity belts on the ladies when you come to see Bill.” I got an old rancher friend in Nebraska who used to say that folks like Sarah are “All hat,” they look good but got nothing under it to back it up. I wish the press would push the fact that she quit the job she had to promote herself. Someone needs to just ask the question: “Mrs. Palin, can you tell us exactly again why you quit your elected office?” When she stomps off or ignores the question, we have our answer. Steve Heye Little Rock
Winter memories The Observer’s story about salting the ice (Feb. 4) reminded me of another ice sto-
ry. In the mid 1980s some friends of mine owned Mott’s Bar-B-Q on US 167 south of Sheridan and one icy day a state highway department salt crew stopped by to relax and coffee up. When they bundled up to leave Mott told them the coffee was on the house in appreciation of their work on the highway. The crew left but a few minutes later one crew member came back in and told Mott she needed to do something with her parking lot because it was dangerous. They were aware of that but had not had time to do anything about it. Later, when they got a break, Mott went outside to see what they could do about the parking lot ice. By the door, leaning against the outside wall, was a “commercial size” bag of salt. The type the highway department used. George Gatliff Little Rock
West Memphis 3 I read with great interest the recent article concerning Judge Fogelman’s statements on the West Memphis Three. In his Jan. 20 speech, Judge Fogelman commented on the new evidence that exonerates the West Memphis Three. An examination of Judge Fogelman’s statements shows that, sadly, he still doesn’t understand the basic facts of this important case. Judge Fogelman stated that “they found a hair that belonged to a stepfather on one of the boys and another hair belonging to
a friend of that stepfather ... but, what is really unusual about finding a hair from a stepfather on his stepson? I would think that would be something expected.” Initially, his statement that “they found a hair that belonged to a stepfather of one of the boys” is simply not true. The hair at issue wasn’t found on the stepfather’s (Terry Hobbs’) son, Stevie Branch. It was found in the binding of Michael Moore, one of the other boys who was murdered. Applying Judge Fogelman’s logic, this is, indeed, “unusual.” Next, Judge Fogelman states that “they found ... another hair belonging to a friend of that stepfather.” The judge raises this vital issue — that a hair was found belonging to a friend of Terry Hobbs whom Hobbs hadn’t seen until after the boys were reported missing on May 5, 1993. The judge then ignores the issue he raised. Could that be because there is no possible innocent explanation for it? How does the hair of a man that Mr. Hobbs had not seen until after the boys disappeared end up at the crime scene? A man sits on death row and two others have been living in hell for 17 years. It is deeply disturbing that the man who put them there, and who now wants to be a Supreme Court justice, has no better grasp on the facts (and inevitable conclusion) today than he had in 1994. David Perry Davis Pennington, N.J.
Honeymoon over As a Democrat and Obama supporter, I admit it’s been a tough go the last few months. People like me, who felt that his presidency was the last real shot we had for a new tone in Washington and at accomplishing some truly significant bipartisan reforms were quickly shown that the honeymoon was to be short-lived and that apparently nobody will ever end the gridlock. Friends of mine on the left feel he’s not living up to what they expected. Friends on the right can’t seem to get past this caricature they’ve created of the president. The country is fed up with the entire process, which is certainly justified at this point, no matter your political leaning. But I hope people see what’s really been happening: we have the political party that controls 40 percent of the legislative body thinking they should dictate 80 to 90 percent of the legislation. That’s just a ridiculous way to begin any debate, especially given the way that many of these same people governed when they had the (slim) majority. That same party is so fenced in by its own rhetoric now that any move towards working with this administration could cost them their next election. How will we ever move forward like this?! Are we in an era where nothing important will pass unless one party has complete control of all branches of government?! Jeff Woodmansee Sherwood
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The WEEK THAT was Feb. 17-23, 2010
The Arkansas Reporter
Phone: 501-375-2985 Fax: 501-375-3623 Arkansas Times Online home page: http://www.arktimes.com E-mail: arktimes@arktimes.com ■
It was a GOOD week for …
GOV. MIKE BEEBE. He didn’t even have to throw a fund-raiser to raise $1 million for his re-election campaign in the first month of trying. And he doesn’t have an opponent yet, either.
■
■
The broken record Prosecutors: ‘dozens’ of secret expungements from Proctor. By David Koon
The ARKANSAS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. It served notice that it wants to study removing Entergy Arkansas from an operating agreement with Entergy affiliates in other states. The current arrangement has cost Arkansas ratepayers billions. PULASKI SHERIFF DOC HOLLADAY. He came up with a plan to hire six deputies to staff 75 more beds in the county jail. The LEGISLATURE. So far, in the legislature’s first fiscal session, funny business has been held to a minimum. Pro forma approval of a squeaky tight budget seems to be the order of the day. It was a bad week for …
SEN. JIMMY JEFFRESS. The Crossett senator won the annual sweepstakes, according to DemocratGazette figuring, for the most reimbursed legislator — $60,092, though his constitutional pay is $15,615. Several legislators also drew excessive travel reimbursements by billing for car mileage or private plane use to make conference trips that would have been much cheaper on coach airfares. SCHOOL FUNDING. The revenue decline prompted a $36 million cut in the state school fund. Incentives for high-achieving school districts took a big hit. The PULASKI COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. It proposed to meet in private conference call with a consultant about questions over finalists to be the new superintendent. They can’t do that. Legally. CONWAY. The city will have to make $1.26 million in budget cuts because of a gross miscalculation of its cash reserve account. 8 february 18, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
SECRET DEALS: Prosecutor uncovers Willard Proctor’s expungements. n Of everything to come out of the Cycle Breakers probation program run by former Circuit Judge Willard Proctor Jr. — the program that eventually cost him his judgeship last month — one aspect is sure to haunt the Pulaski County prosecuting attorney’s office for years to come: what prosecutors characterize as “dozens and dozens” of record expungements made by Proctor during his years on the bench. Most of these expungements, they say, were made without notification of the prosecuting attorney’s office, and were often extended to those whose crime or remaining sentence made their records ineligible for expungement. John Johnson is the chief deputy prosecuting attorney of Pulaski County. He said there is a procedure for seeking expungement that often wasn’t followed in Proctor’s court. The way the process is supposed to work, Johnson said, is that those who have been convicted of a crime file a request for expungement with the county clerk. The prosecutor’s office is then allowed to formally respond. A hearing is set, and then both prosecutors and the defendant are allowed to make their cases for and against expunging — or “sealing” — the record. “What was happening was that the expungements were going to the judge,” Johnson said. “People would just turn them in straight to the judge, as opposed to filing them in the clerk’s office. Then he’d just enter an order and the order
would never make it over to us.” In recent years, prosecutors began seeing defendants in court who claimed to have had their records expunged — defendants they had convicted in prior cases. In most of the cases that were inappropriately expunged, Johnson said, defendants were ineligible because they hadn’t completed their criminal probation. Under Arkansas law, only those who have been pardoned or who have successfully completed the terms of their probation — including the time they are required to spend under state supervision — are eligible for expungement of their record. In many cases, Proctor would allow a defendant to complete the restitution and fines portion of his or her probation, then would expunge the record before moving the defendant into the Cycle Breakers “civil probation” program. The Supreme Court has said there was no provision in the law for a civil probation program. Had those cases been brought to the attention of the prosecuting attorney’s office prior to expungement, Johnson said, prosecutors would have surely objected because “probation is part of the punishment.” Since prosecutors began actively looking into the records of those who passed through Proctor’s court, close to a hundred cases in which records were secretly expunged have been uncovered, and there are likely many more that will never be found. That’s because when
a record is expunged, even typing the defendant’s name into a computer at the prosecutor’s office can’t bring up details of the case. In most cases, only when the specific case number is typed into the system does the sealed record appear, and then lists the information, including the defendant’s name and crime, only as “expunged.” “What happens is that if it’s expunged and then they commit these new offenses, a lot of times you would want to know who the previous victims were,” Johnson said. “It makes it harder to find that out. It reduces the amount of penalty if they reoffend; it keeps them from being placed in a habitual status in a lot of cases. If we don’t know about it, we don’t know to enhance the penalties that are available because you’ve committed these other crimes.” Johnson said there is no one set way of describing what was going on with regard to Proctor’s record sealing, because almost every case they’ve encountered was handled differently. “The variations on the theme were just endless,” Johnson said. “There was a guy who was convicted of a violent offense and Proctor didn’t enter judgment for months and months.” Finally, Johnson said, Proctor reduced the charge to a misdemeanor — possibly because those convicted of violent felonies aren’t eligible for expungement without a pardon — which made the defendant’s record eligible. The record was expunged, and the man was then moved into the Cycle Breakers program. Vann Smith is the administrative judge over the 6th Judicial District. Judge Smith said that he is aware of Proctor’s records expungements, and expects it’s an issue the new judge who takes over the 5th Division, Ernest Sanders, will have to look into further once seated. Smith said he was surprised at the number of expungements Proctor ordered during his time on the bench, “even though I don’t know why I should be surprised,” Smith said. “I’m hoping that this Cycle Breakers program will be closed down and all these probationers will be shifted over to the state.” “The bottom line,” John Johnson said, “is that you want the punishment of a crime to mean something. If everything turns into paying a little money out of the pocket, which makes it a slap on the wrist, then it makes it more likely that they’ll reoffend.” Calls to a number listed for Proctor on a lawsuit he recently filed in an attempt to be reinstated to the bench went unreturned at press time.
A letter to the judge By David Koon
n Another interesting wrinkle in the Cycle Breakers saga has been the discovery of a large cache of correspondence — known in legalese as “ex parte letters” — received by former Judge Willard Proctor Jr. from those whom he had either sentenced to jail or put on probation. As with the long list of record expungements made by Proctor, prosecutors say they were never informed of the existence of these letters, but should have been, given that some of them contain information about crimes the defendants had witnessed or committed, and outsidethe-courtroom interaction between probationers and the judge. Most of the letters, which fill a folder four inches thick, are stamped as having been received by Proctor’s court during a few months in 2005. They were apparently found in a large number of closed case files that Proctor returned to the courthouse after he was removed from the bench in January. So far, the search of Proctor’s files hasn’t turned up any more letters written to the judge during his tenure on the bench. The letters run the gamut from pleas for leniency to recitations of Biblical scripture to anger. One man, complaining that Proctor sentenced him to prison, says that he’s
glad he’s going to prison because it means he’s done with Proctor’s Cycle Breakers probation program. Another woman, after saying that her criminal record had gotten her rejected for a job at Baptist Medical Center, asks to be put into Proctor’s “civil probation” program. “I’m out of options here and have nowhere to turn,” the woman wrote. The plea apparently worked on Proctor. When the woman’s name is typed into the criminal case database at the Pulaski County Clerk’s website, no search results are returned. When the case number she provides in her letter — CR 2003002426 — is typed in, the record that comes up is labeled “EXPUNGED” and contains no information. Some of the writers praise the judge for personally bringing them closer to God. At least one speaks warmly of Proctor reading scripture during Cycle Breakers meetings. In one letter, written in December 2005, a man incarcerated at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center tells Proctor that “one of your [probation] officers actually got down on his knees in the probation offices and prayed.” Another man wrote: “Since the meetings at the church where we were reading from Matthew 14:20, I’ve been reading my Bible a lot… Thanks to you
Halt, says Hutchinson Unhappy with HIV grant for gay blacks. By Leslie Newell Peacock
n For the second year in a row, Rep. Donna Hutchinson, R-Bella Vista, has tried (but failed) to stop a state grant for an organization that disseminates information about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment to African-American homosexuals. Hutchinson put a hold on Arkansas Legislative Council Review Committee reviews on $50,000 grants to Brothas and Sistas Inc. in the most recent effort on Feb. 4. The state Department of Health joined with the Arkansas Minority Health Commission to do outreach to the African American community, and is the grantor of the 2010 grant, made with federal funds. The AMHC was the grantor in 2009, using tobacco lawsuit settlement funds. In an e-mail to the Times, Hutchinson said Brothas and Sistas was “going beyond the perimeters of their grant and using rather sloppy bookkeeping. … I would ask the same questions if the group wanted to help White Baptist Virgins.” Hutchinson withdrew her request for the grant to be held after representatives from the state Health Department told the review committee it did not have a problem with the grantee. Hutchinson did not return several
requests for an interview by a Times reporter, so it’s unknown why she asked to put a hold on the same grant in March 2009, the first year Brothas and Sistas received it and before it had a track record for Hutchinson to examine. Idonia Trotter, Minority Health Commission director, said the state agency provided Hutchinson with information on Brothas and Sistas’ progress at the end of 2009 as requested, and provided more information, also at the legislator’s request, to the commission and the Health Department in January. Trotter said she believed Hutchinson was bothered by the community the grant was to address and how she could justify it to her constituents. Trotter also said Hutchinson took issue with the fact that Brothas and Sistas showed the film “For the Bible Tells Me So: Homosexuality Versus the Bible” at an event last summer with the gay community. Trotter said the organization’s decision to show the film, made in response to requests for a discussion of spirituality and homosexuality, may have been a naive one. Trotter said she has asked the attorney general’s office for an opinion on whether
for getting me interested in the Bible.” Still another, in a letter labeled “Motion to Modified” begins by saying “[M]y hope is filled with my faith in Jesus and in you sir. Why is my faith believing in you because you are a man that not only speak of help but you bring the help that so many of our race needs sir.” One of the strangest letters is a threepage missive from a probationer who was locked up in the Pulaski County Detention Center at the time. In the letter, the writer confesses to “smoking weed” while on probation, then pleads with Proctor to release him from jail. He goes on to say that others who lived at a halfway house where he had been placed while on probation were bringing in women at night and buying, selling and using drugs in the house. After telling the judge twice that he loves him, the writer ends with “You know I like when you called me Mrs. President.” Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley said that his office never saw most if not all the letters in the file at the time they were written. Given that some of the letters detail crimes committed and personal interactions between the judge and defendants, Jegley said that’s a problem. “It’s all inappropriate ... further indicative of the problems that Cycle Breakers caused as far as the transparency of the judicial process.” A call to Proctor went unreturned. showing the film violated strictures against using state funds for religious activity. Hutchinson also suggested that the Health Department audit the Minority Health Commission records, Trotter said, something both agencies objected to. “I don’t know of any state agency required to do an audit of another state agency,” she said, with the exception of the division of legislative audit. The commission provided Hutchinson with an audit of the HIV programs in November. She said Hutchinson is welcome to review the commission’s files and “work through her concerns.” Kevin Dedner of the Department of Health, who met with Hutchinson, said he believes Hutchinson is now comfortable with the decision to award the grant to Brothas and Sistas. Trotter said Brothas and Sistas is doing “an amazing job” putting out information about HIV and AIDS in the black gay community, where the disease is on the increase. “What the epidemiology shows is this is exactly the type of community that should be reached out to,” Trotter said, one that has lacked “networks of education and awareness.” According to the Health Department, nearly half (49 percent) of the new diagnoses of HIV infection in 2009 were in minorities, 42 percent African American and 7 percent Hispanic, though those groups make up only 21 percent of the Arkansas population.
The INsider Continued from page 3
The Little Rock business, to be known as Rock Town Distillery, will be located at 1216 E. Sixth Street, just east of downtown. The 15,509-squarefoot facility plans to produce vodka, gin and whiskey, which will be sold through Moon Distributing. Philip Brandon is chief shareholder, along with several others (including Thompson Murray, who lists his occupation as Methodist minister). The Newport liquor maker — to be known as Old Ed Ward’s Distillery — is further along in the permitting process. Old Ed Ward’s will be housed in a 50-by-40-foot metal building, with the option of using a former lumber store across the street as a storage warehouse. Plans on file with the ABC show the distillery as having two stills, a mash pot, and two holding tanks. The ABC granted approval to Old Ed Ward’s Distillery on Jan. 20, conditional on Health Department approval and a re-inspection by ABC. Don Bennett, attorney for ABC, cautions that it could still be awhile before you get your first drink of Arkansas’s finest. “The big kicker is they have to get approval from the federal government,” Bennett said. “And the federal government will not issue a federal permit until you have your equipment installed, tested and ready to go. So, it’s like they’re looking down the line. It may be six months, it may be a year.”
Judicial candidates
At least three candidates seem likely to seek election to the circuit court judgeship vacant because of the ouster of Willard Proctor — Wrightsville District Judge Rita Bailey, administrative law judge Causley Edwards and former Appeals Court Judge Wendell Griffen.
Political vandals
Already under heavy criticism from both left and right, Sen. Blanche Lincoln recently found that even the “Blanche Lincoln” entry on Wikipedia was under attack. Anyone consulting the on-line encyclopedia about Lincoln last month found this box at the top of the entry: “Editing of this article by new or unregistered users is currently disabled until February 4, 2010 due to vandalism.” Karl Rove, former adviser to former President George W. Bush, is widely recognized as the modern master of political dirty tricks. It happens that a Rove protege, Tim Griffin, now lives in Little Rock and is seeking office. But he’s supposedly running for the House of Representatives, not the Senate. A whole bunch of Republicans want to run against Lincoln though, and any of them might have access to Rove. www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 9
“The thing about Second Life is that everyone is an attractive 22-year-old. The weather is always like San Diego, warm and sunny. So all the little things that happen — let’s say it gets icy and you slip and fall — all the interesting things in life are gone,” says Dr. Craig Thompson, a graduate research chair in the department of computer science and engineering at the University of Arkansas. “It’s kind of funny because for some people, it’s like they’re modeling their own idea of heaven and it can be pretty weird if you think about it.” But Thompson isn’t using the platform to create his own personal heaven or to amass a fortune of Linden dollars (the currency of SL, named after its creator, Linden Labs). He’s building hospitals. “In SL, everything can have an identity, or a script,” Thompson says. “You can build a world and model things in that world that would be impossible to do in real life. It basically allows you to try out ideas at a very low cost.” “So for example, just look at nurses. Nurses spend about 10 to 15 percent of their time just looking for things that they need or that have been misplaced. We can build models of hospitals where every object has intelligence, or a script, that could be easily located in the case of an emergency or even an everyday procedure.” Coming from the world of computer science, Thompson needed some help building his virtual hospital, or “Hogspital” as it’s called in SL, piece by piece. That’s where Dr. Fran Hagstrom comes in. Hagstrom is the interim head of the department of rehabilitation, human resources and communication disorders at UA. She has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and has experience working in hospitals. She wondered what it would be like if you could model various processes that take place in a hospital, from something as mundane as admitting a patient to more complicated procedures like performing surgeries. So she teamed up with Thompson to create various scenarios in SL. “We want to be able to track things,” Hagstrom says. “What if we could track every time a health professional used a QTip or a Kleenex? In SL everything has an identity, so you can do that. That way you can look at your inventory to cut costs. If we tried to do that in our every day world, it would be impossible and overwhelming, not to mention extremely expensive.
unconventional: Students gather for a class discussion.
avatar Education by
The virtual world of Second Life offers unique opportunities for a new sort of hands-on research in college, but it might not be for everyone. By Gerard Matthews
10 february 18, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
eric gorder
W
hen you think of Second Life (SL), a web-based, usercreated virtual world where people remake their own identities, clothing, appearance and lifestyle, you might think of anti-social geeks sitting at home in their mothers’ basements, communicating with other “avatars” and creating a charmed virtual life that in no way resembles their own. And for some users you probably wouldn’t be too far off. But what started out as a virtual universe where users can create alter egos, interact and actually participate in a virtual economy is being used by universities in Arkansas and elsewhere as a costeffective, easy-to-use learning tool.
teamwork: Hagstrom and Thompson model health care procedures in Second Life.
popstar: Perry on the ASU campus. In a virtual world you can control things like that and model things and test them, and the cost is nothing. It only takes time and effort.” Together, and with the help of students, Thompson and Hagstrom have developed a hospital complete with furniture, working toilets, beds, chairs and classrooms. There are doctors, nurses and patients. Students can watch a heart catheterization procedure or track the use of equipment from the shipping dock to the hospital room. “Health technology is a growing field,” says Hagstrom. “So my tech partners are looking at those aspects. I know that we have needs in health care and we want to actually get to the point where we can have virtual patients that we can program so students can actually practice clinical skills. That’s where we can go.” Beyond health care, universities are finding other uses for SL. Harvard University, for example has recreated its library. The University of Texas has constructed 16 campuses that sprawl across 49 virtual islands. At Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Dr. Alyson Gill is using the platform to teach students about art history. “It was really kind of weird,” Gill says, “because I went to the administration and said, ‘I need you to buy me a virtual island in cyberspace and I think it will be really great.’ ” Real estate in SL costs actual money. The cost of bringing the ASU campus to life in SL for one year was $2,740, but Gill says the administration has been very supportive. “For the university I think it was a leap of faith,” she says. “But the students have really taken to it. Part of my intention in doing this is to find new ways to teach art history. There are some really great tools in SL. For example, Vassar College has completely restored the Sistine Chapel, so students can actually go there when we’re studying Renaissance art and look at these things.” Gill (whose avatar is named Professor Caproni) started using SL in 2008, when she actually taught an art history class
bunnified: Scudder's not-so-realistic avatar. ce from ItaRi ie n ly. Despite Er the huge gap in time zones, she could meet with students, conduct classes and give lectures in virtual classrooms. Now, her focus has turned to building 3-D models of ancient buildings and artifacts. “They’re learning about the structures we study in class by actually building them,” she says. But one question is, is it an effective teaching method? Gill says the reaction from students has been mixed, but mostly positive. Trevor Scudder (avatar: Tank Riddler) is a freshman who is currently working with SL for an art history class. He says at first, he didn’t really see how SL fit into the curriculum. “To be perfectly honest, I thought it was kind of lame. But once you get into it and you’re using it for class it’s completely different,” he says. “I didn’t realize there was such an emphasis on user-creat-
ed content. Because you’re actually building things yourself, you end up learning more about the artifacts than you would if you had just read a chapter out of a book and answered some questions.” Megan Perry (avatar: LaCole Popstar), a freshman graphic design major from Benton, says the course offers a level of interaction that doesn’t really exist outside of SL. “It’s great because if we have any questions for the teacher, we can usually find her in SL,” Perry says. “Last night we were studying for a test and we could go on there and ask her right away if we had any questions instead of emailing or calling. It’s easier to just chat with her in SL and it’s great to be able to talk to her oneon-one like that instead of having to make an appointment or waiting for an email. It’s a much more instant interaction.” Instant, maybe. But interactions on Second Life do seem, at least from the outside looking in, a little impersonal. It doesn’t seem to bother these students,
ce who have Ri ie n grown up in a Er world where conversations are increasingly mediated by computers. “I guess you do feel a little strange because you’re working with people and having classes and you’re not really together,” Scudder says. “But you’re still interacting. The one thing I would say is that it allows us to do things and go places and meet people that we couldn’t possibly have done without it. And even though we’re not in the same room, we’re collaborating.” In the classes taught strictly by Second Life, students don’t gather in a conventional college classroom with the instructor. They meet at a set time in the virtual classroom via computer, which can be anywhere in the world. Different teachers can approach the use of SL differently. Some mix use of the virtual classroom with old-fashioned meet-ups of real peoContinued on page 12
field trip: Students tour a virtual museum. www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 11
checking in: Gill makes herself available to students in SL.
avatar
Continued from page 11
drivers Please be aWare, it’s arkansas state laW: Use of bicycles or animals Every person riding a bicycle or an animal, or driving any animal drawing a vehicle upon a highway, shall have all the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions of this act which by their nature can have no applicability.
overtaking a bicycle The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a roadway shall exercise due care and pass to the left at a safe distance of not less than three feet (3’) and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken bicycle.
yoUr cycling friends thank yoU! 12 february 18, 2010 • arKaNSaS TIMeS
ple in real classrooms. Holding a class in a virtual world does present its own unique set of problems. Gill ran into trouble early on when students would walk into “class” with guns in hand (in the virtual world, not in a regular college classroom), or stand up in the middle of a lecture and change their appearance. Now, she makes it clear that students are to follow the same rules in SL as they would in any normal class. And because ASU’s SL “campus” is open to the general public, sometimes, Gill says, “Crazy things happen.” “One time I actually had some vampires show up in my class and they were sitting there talking about sucking blood and I had to go and tell them that this may look like a game but it’s actually a class and they would have to either be quiet or leave. So they waited outside the class until the students came out.” SL has been around since 2003 and although it is user-friendly, the technology and graphics are somewhat antiquated. There has been a movement away from the platform in recent years, probably due to the proliferation of other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. But its use at universities has grown exponentially. “The number of universities that use SL is pretty unbelievable. When I started I think it was around 160 and now it’s about five times that,” Gill says. As with any technology, though, SL does have its drawbacks. Some universities have decided not to use SL at all. Dr. Jennifer Perkins, a computer science professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock says her students’ privacy is a factor that needs to be considered. “Last semester I tried to use Facebook and many students were not interested in using that as a means of communication because many felt their privacy would be vulnerable and didn’t think it would be useful for class work,” Perkins says. “After that experiment, I thought SL would not be well received. The privacy issues of my students were the main concerns
and I have to respect that.” And there are other obstacles to the platform’s practical application. “For one thing there’s no sense of touch,” Thompson says. “You probably don’t want to get a shot from someone who was trained completely in SL. Now, in the future there might be some type of sensory equipment you could use, but we’re not there yet.” Hagstrom says the possibilities at this point far outweigh the limitations. “This is going to make our students better doctors,” she says. “There are all types of situations you can model. Let’s say we have a pre-med student and they’re going to have to deal with the family members of their patients. We can set up scenarios where they could do that virtually and it would give them the experience of what that feels like. And they’ll be better communicators because of it.” “And that could be a jumping off point for other things,” says Thompson. “Imagine if you could have one device, say an IV drip that had its own intelligence that could communicate with another object. So if a heart monitor starts to show a problem, it could communicate with another device that could help solve the problem immediately. That’s just one potential use and those are things we can test in SL.” At ASU, other departments from business to education have expressed interest in using SL, and Gill expects other faculty members to follow suit. “There is any number of research applications for it, and more and more professors are starting to figure that out,” Gill says. “For one thing, it’s a great recruiting tool. I have people sitting in on my classes from all over the place and the virtual campus is a great representation of a lot of our buildings here at ASU. For me, I just think it’s great that students from Northeast Arkansas can go to Rome or visit a monastery in Sinai whenever we want.” You can experience the virtual world at secondlife.com. Looking around is free. Acquiring property and various elements of the “life,” will cost you money. But you can, for example, download the program and take a visit to ASU’s virtual world. No vampires allowed.
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ArkAnsAs Times • februAry 18, 2010 13
Editorial War on workers n After an early political defeat, George Wallace famously said that nobody would ever “out-nigger” him again. Fearing defeat, Sen. Blanche Lincoln has vowed that no one will outunion her. Catering to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the hammer of the working class, Lincoln announced early-on her opposition to a bill that would make it easier to form local unions. More unions in Arkansas would mean higher pay for Arkansas workers. And that would mean smaller corporate contributions to politicians like Lincoln; the bosses like a low-wage state. Consistent anti-unionism is how a politician keeps the money coming in. Continuing her offensive against workers (she calls it a surge), Lincoln, an ostensible Democrat, has now joined Republican senators in blocking the appointment of a union lawyer to the National Labor Relations Board. The Chamber of Commerce wants an NLRB that is 100 percent anti-labor, and through its agents in the Senate, it has for two years blocked appointees considered soft on workers, while the NLRB’s assigned duties — overseeing union elections, refereeing labor-management disputes — go largely undone. To the Chamber, an ineffective NLRB is almost as good as no NLRB at all. The Chamber spends extravagantly to keep working people down where the Chamber thinks they belong. It gets tons of money from the vast corporations it serves, of course, but amazingly, the Chamber also receives funds from the very people it disserves. The victims have no choice in the matter. In Little Rock, for example, the city Board of Directors and other government agencies funnel hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to the local Chamber of Commerce affiliate. A conscientious Board would end these payments; an honorable Chamber would decline to accept them. n Speaking of George Wallace, the bigotry and injustice that he embodied are still very much alive in his home state, displayed in all their ugliness at a basketball game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Alabama Crimson Tide played last week in Tuscaloosa. Each time that Arkansas guard Rotnei Clarke touched the ball, he was booed mercilessly by Alabama fans. How had Clarke engendered such hatred? In a previous game at Fayetteville, he’d been struck in the face by a thuggish Alabama player, an attack so violent and crude that officials ejected the Alabamian from the game. At Tuscaloosa, the Alabama crowd could not forgive Clarke for attacking their man’s elbow with his nose. It appears Alabama will hold on to the title it has won repeatedly. They’re Number One in bad sportsmanship.
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Whitewater revisited n You’d probably have to be a Clinton scandal junkie to plunge into “The Death of American Virtue,” law professor Ken Gormley’s new 690-page book on Kenneth Starr’s marathon pursuit of Bill Clinton. It’s massive (probably too massive, though still short on nitty gritty of the Whitewater end of the prosecution) and even-handed. All the players gave Gormley, a Pittsburgh law professor, remarkable access. No one comes off too well. Bill Clinton, by his own admission, will go down in history as someone who evaded the truth when cornered in legal questioning about sexual improprieties. He gets no comfort from the book on that score. Kenneth Starr fares poorly, too, though Gormley is (too) kind to Starr, forgiving his many mistakes and excesses as the product of a lack of prosecutorial savvy rather than partisan or moralistic fervor. The press doesn’t come off so hot, either, and recent handling of the book gives a taste why. Despite striking revelations about dishonest dealings by Starr’s office and unprecedented interviews from previously reticent principles, Politico’s report on the first leaks from the book led with 1) Clinton’s truthfulness about White House dallying with Monica Lewinsky (about which Starr’s X-rated report had already revealed more than enough) and 2) a conclusion, unsupported in the text, that Clinton had canoodled with Susan McDougal, an alleged coupling of little current relevance. The New York Times’ Janet Maslin got closer to the crux of it in a review this week, noting several of the same things that struck me as important. My quick list: • Paula Jones got a big monetary settlement to go away, but whatever the merits of her allegations about Bill Clinton’s amorous advances she didn’t have a meritorious lawsuit to start with. • The Whitewater end of the investigation — Bill and Hillary Clinton’s involvement in Jim McDougal’s real estate and financial dealings — was an empty snipe hunt. The original prosecutor, Robert Fiske, would have come to that conclusion much earlier had not politics intervened and forced his removal.
Max brantley max@arktimes.com
Had justice taken its speedier course, the investigation would have been over before Monica Lewinsky and a Republican-elves-baited perjury trap came along. • Starr had a legal conflict — his effort to intervene early on in Paula Jones’ case — that should have prevented him from becoming special prosecutor. • A federal appellate judge on the selection panel revealed to Gormley that he opposed Starr’s appointment from start to finish. • Starr’s people were guilty of misconduct in their entrapment of Monica Lewinsky as a participating witness and their refusal to allow her to talk with an attorney. • Gormley reveals that an independent report detailing prosecutorial misconduct was put under seal to avoid embarrassment to prosecutors. To prosecutors! • Starr’s operation repeatedly leaked to sympathetic national media, even as the sanctimonious Javert was intoning regularly to local reporters that he was far too moral to countenance such a thing. This, too, was suppressed. In a sense, we knew all the larger truths already. Republicans were either, like Starr, morally repulsed by Bill Clinton or acutely aware of his immense political gifts. They would stop at nothing to bring him down. They abused the justice system to do it (sexual indiscretion is neither a criminal nor impeachable offense, after all) and no cost — in taxpayer dollar or ruination of individual lives — was too great in pursuit of their ends. Gormley doesn’t draw his conclusions so sharply. But his minutely detailed record, in the end, upholds Dale Bumpers’ immortal words at Clinton’s trial in the Senate. “When you hear somebody say it’s not about sex, it’s about sex.”
Justice Jim’s timing n It was Jim Johnson’s misfortune, and many would say the state’s blessing, that his life was confounded by bad timing. He exploited racial prejudices a little before people were ready, and then the next thing he knew he was an anachronism. Johnson lived 50 years with that knowledge, until he took his life last Friday night to end the indignity and pain of a slow death. He ran for public office nine times, winning three and failing on all the big ones, twice for governor, once each for attorney general and United States senator and twice for chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. Orval E. Faubus beat him in 1956 and then a year later merrily took Johnson’s issue and danced with it to four more terms as governor and international renown. It was a particularly bitter pill for Johnson because he knew that Faubus never really believed in apartheid and he did, or at least he never publicly capitulated to the judgment of history, as Faubus, George C. Wallace and so many others did, even his idol, Strom Thurmond. Thurmond began hiring AfricanAmericans for his Senate staff and after his death in 2003 it was revealed that he had spawned a child by a black girlfriend — in Johnson’s eyes the most sinful thing a white man could possibly do. “I am opposed to rape and murder and would speak out against them,” he had once declared, “and the greatest crime, even beyond these, is integration.”
Ernest Dumas His only dalliance with the changing mores was to moderate his language and sublimate the race issue in his last few races for office, but he never changed his mind. Three years ago, he said he had never allowed a black person in Whitehaven, his Lake Beaverfork home, at least for social purposes. I heard Jim Johnson the first time in August 1954. My brother and I went into town on an occasional weekend to see the El Dorado Oilers play baseball. The Cotton States League was embroiled in racial controversy and this was the Oilers’ and the league’s penultimate season. The Hot Springs Bathers had signed a black pitcher from Florida named Jim “Schoolboy” Tugerson and the rest of the league, including the owner of my beloved Oilers, had revolted and kicked Hot Springs out of the league until they thought they had a commitment from the Bathers not to play a black man. When Jim Tugerson went to the mound after all against the Jackson Senators, the umpire forfeited the game to Jackson before Tugerson could deliver a pitch. Tugerson went to Knoxville, Tenn., and won 33 games that season. The U. S. Supreme Court had declared
Justice Jim, a man of his time and place n Justice Jim Johnson, found dead over the weekend in his home north of Conway that he brazenly called Whitehaven, surely was one of the more influential figures in Arkansas history. Two seminal events occurred because of him. More precisely, fear that he might win an election with his segregationist demagoguery steered the very course of 20th Century Arkansas political history. He didn’t actually win many elections, losing for attorney general in 1954, governor in 1956 and 1966 and U.S. senator in 1968. He nabbed only election to the state Senate and the state Supreme Court, providing the famous moniker. But he was always there, lurking, fiery and colorful and possessed of an unsophisticated and rhythmic eloquence, not without a kind of charm, perceived as a threat to lead Arkansas to a dreaded place it might be inclined to go if he wasn’t stopped. In the most infamous case, the state went there anyway. The conventional wisdom is that, by his
John brummett jbrummett@arkansasnews.com
nature, Orval Faubus was a liberal-leaning populist with no prejudice against black people. But that Orval, in 1957, so feared Justice Jim’s candidacy against him from the segregationist right at the next gubernatorial election that he fomented the international disgrace at Little Rock Central High School. As the plausible theory goes, Faubus decided he’d get beat by Johnson’s fiery segregationist rhetoric if he simply let the federal courts have their orders enforced without his contrived resistance. In fact, when Johnson ran unsuccessfully against Faubus in 1956, he called Faubus a “race-mixer,” after which Faubus found it advisable to vow in a speech in Marianna that no school would be forced to integrate while was governor.
school segregation unlawful and Johnson, a lean, taut state senator from across the Ouachita River at Crossett, was running for attorney general and braying against the decision. At the seventh-inning stretch, as I recall, Johnson was introduced to the crowd as a neighbor who fights for our values, and he and his wife, Virginia, stood at home plate and sang “On Mockin’ Bird Hill,” the feel-good song popularized by Patti Page and Mary Ford. I don’t remember what, if anything, Johnson said. I went to see Pel Austin hit home runs. Johnson ran for governor two years later after gathering signatures to get an amendment on the ballot requiring state officials to use all means to prevent the school decision from being carried out in Arkansas. Faubus sounded racist enough for most voters in the summer of 1956 and beat Johnson and a gaggle of others handily. The amendment passed in November, and the next year Faubus called out the National Guard to stop integration at Central High School after beseeching Johnson’s help to stir up a mob outside the school to give him a legal figleaf for defying federal court orders. When Faubus retired in 1966 and Johnson ran again, most people had moved on. Johnson was bemused by the voters’ fickleness — they would almost ratify his interposition amendment again in 1990 and in 2008 they would repudiate a black man running for president by the second biggest margin any Democrat ever suffered in Arkansas, but after 1966 they never came close to electing him to anything. He knew he had rare political gifts, too. Though he was not an orator,
like Jeff Davis and Huey Long he had a penchant for clever invective. He came up with fetching descriptions of his opponents like “prissy sissy” (Winthrop Rockefeller), “pleasant vegetable” (Justice Frank Holt) and “mess of trash” (David Pryor). But Johnson had this on his old antagonist. Faubus tormented himself over what he did and tried every way that he could besides public repentance to soften history’s scorn. He even let it be known that he did it not from conviction but for political survival and that he had actually advanced equality. If Jim Johnson had any regrets or had an hour of troubled sleep about history’s verdict he never evinced it. Others, he thought, should bear some blame for that judgment. I was one. When Johnson was running for governor in 1966 a reporter for the Arkansas Gazette asked him why he crossed the street to avoid shaking hands with black people. “I am not campaigning in the colored community,” he said. I and others would recite his refusal to shake hands many times in the years afterward and he said it conveyed to people that he thought he was too good to even touch the palm of a black man when all he meant was that they were not going to vote for him so why bother? He said it ruined him politically. On the Supreme Court he was capable of extending his populist sympathies for the working people to blacks. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t think African Americans or other races didn’t have rights; associating closely with white people just wasn’t one of them. It was a quaint distinction, but if you are looking for principle. . .
In her book “Turn Away Thy Son,” Newport historian Elizabeth Jacoway titled a chapter on Johnson “Segregationist Prototype.” She wrote that Johnson grew up in a tough mill town in southern Arkansas, Crossett, as son of an independent grocer who battled the town’s company store. So, she explained, he came to be an outsider and to understand his state’s racial fears far better than could Faubus, coming as he did from the isolated and almost all-white hills of northern Arkansas. Jacoway, who’d grown to like Johnson for his wit and seeming candor as she researched her book, wrote that he was a true conservative in that he embraced the three main principles of the true conservatism of his time — small government, state’s rights and white supremacy. She said he never departed from any of them. I recall as a cub reporter at the Arkansas Gazette in 1977 trying to figure out if I could refer to Johnson in an article as a segregationist. My one-generation’s removal caused me to equate segregationist with racist and to fear committing libel in referring to a man as a segregationist. I asked a crusty editor, who told me Johnson never took it back and to go ahead and say it. Even then, I think I settled on “once-avowed segregationist.” But he never really ceased that avowal. Late in life, he
said he only hoped the liberal social engineers would come to understand someday that whites and blacks are different. In the beginning I mentioned two seminal events caused by fear of Justice Jim. Beyond Faubus’ disgrace at Central, what was the other? If Dale Bumpers tells the truth, then he decided to run against J. William Fulbright for the U. S. Senate in 1974 only because polls showed that, if he didn’t, then Fulbright, who was weakened by his antiwar position, would lose to Johnson. Bumpers won, furthering a new era of left-of-center progressivism in Arkansas politics that would give rise to Bill Clinton, who would become president. As president, Clinton would see a wild video produced about him called the “The Clinton Chronicles” that accused him of all manner of sleaze and featured prominently the distinctive intonations of Justice Jim Johnson. Clearly, the late Justice Jim Johnson was an integral actor in the political drama of his time and place. John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. You can read additional Brummett columns in The Times of North Little Rock. www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 15
ROUND FOUR: THURS., FEB. 18 • 9PM
FEATURING: IRON TONGUE • OUTSTANDING RED TEAM • RYAN COURON • UNDERCLAIRE
CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!
ROUND ONE: BOBBY
ROUND TWO: ELISE DAVIS
ROUND THREE: BROTHER ANDY & HIS BIG DAMN MOUTH
2/18
2/25
• IRON TONGUE • OUTSTANDING RED TEAM • RYAN COURON • UNDERCLAIRE
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• STELLA • FANCY • BIG BOOTS
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ADMISSION: $5 • STICKY FINGERZ • LITTLE ROCK FINALS MARCH 5 • THE REV ROOM • LITTLE ROCK www.arktimes.com/blogs/rockcandy
arts entertainment Showcase showdown This week in
and
Pellegrino’s play in Spa City
Page 1
Page 22
to do list
18
calendar
20
Movies
28
Dining
30
Thursday marks the last semifinal round; last week, Brother Andy prevailed. By Lindsey Millar
brian chilson
n We packed out Sticky Fingerz more than in weeks past last Thursday, and all those who squeezed in were rewarded with performances by four relatively new acts, none of which sounded much alike. As they do, the judges judged and Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth came out on top. And really, how could it not have? This is a band born to stand apart. Led by the Searcyborn, Russellville-bred Brother Andy, a bear of a man with an Old Testament beard and haircut and a natural metal holler to match, the trio specializes in elegant pop songs that always seem close to exploding. Lyrically, Andy comes across as religion-damaged/obsessed as Roky Erickson. “Rot Gut Redemption” remembers “what we did in the baptistry, when you got your holy water all over me,” before rhyming “chapel” with “smoke some grass from an apple.” And those are the tame bits. Another favorite, “Prayin’ for a Rainy Day,” starts with Andy holding back, singing evenly, “I met a lovely girl and beside her I did lay / her legs were long as summers, her eyes were deep as wells” — before launching into round three winner: Brother Andy. a metal holler — “I knew she’s Satan’s daughlive, it’s as dynamic as the judges suggest below (and ter and she’ll take me home to hell / Cause I’ve been in in greater detail on my Rock Candy blog). Andy’s a love before / and I know how it feels to have your heart casually expert guitarist and Bad Chad (on drums) fall out your ass and hit the floor.” and Jonny D. (on bass) offer a rhythm section that At least on Brother Andy’s MySpace page, the can compete with anyone in town. Can’t wait to see band sounds a lot like Slobberbone in recording, but
Sinclair speaks, twice
joshua
Who? Lead singer/songwriter in last year’s winner, Velvet Kente. On Brother Andy. Raw, ingenious and brutally honest rock.
Leigh Wood
Who? Director of the Arkansas Community Arts Cooperative (ACAC). On Brother Andy. These dudes don’t care about haircuts or showers — they only care about ROCKIN’.
Greg Spradlin
Who? Local guitar god and vocalist. On Brother Andy. They remind me of what it would sound like if Larry Brown had started a punk band — not Larry Brown the Southern writer, but the Larry Brown who ran a backhoe back in Pangburn.
them again in the finals. In the opening slot, Flash LaRue played well enough to advance to the wildcard round. If the group sometimes sounded like a collection of individual pieces struggling Continued on page 22
Natalie Elliott
Who? Music critic. On Brother Andy. Bro Andy works best when it’s nasty, almost white-trash power pop. There’s a Busch Lite-spattered intensity there that’s hard not to raise a fist to.
Ben Jones guest judge
Who? Local and regional booker for Riverfest. On Brother Andy. Bro Andy is a freight train of raw, loud, unapologetic rock. And my new favorite local band. www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 17
■ to-dolist
America”) and one of the most acclaimed young playwrights today, the tension and tautness of “Dying City” should translate well to the Weekend Theater’s intimate space. Ralph Hyman directs. The drama runs through Feb. 27. JT.
By Lindsey Millar and John Tarpley
TH U RS D AY 2 / 1 8
ERIC ROBERSON/ ALGEBRA BLESSETT
‘STOMP’
7:30 p.m., Robinson Center Music Hall. $22-$47.
6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Juanita’s. $25-$40.
n You know the push broom beats, the trashcan lids, the italicized red font. “Stomp” has become so ingrained in the collective pop culture consciousness since its explosion in the mid ’90s that it’s easy to forget just why, 16 years later, it’s still so pervasive: It’s all pretty cool. A spectacle in the truest sense of the word, the 14-member “Stomp” crew reimagines tribal music with found sound instruments, playing with the vigor of a gang of toddlers on pots and pan. Thursday’s performance marks the last of the local run. JT.
TED LUDWIG TRIO
5 p.m., Capital Bar and Grill. Free.
n Ted Ludwig is no stranger to people who frequent our town’s more upscale drinking and dining establishments. He’s provided music for the Capital Bar & Grill and Afterthought for several years and, in the process, established himself as nothing short of a Little Rock institution. But just why should you swing by the Capi-
BACK IN THE DAY: John Sinclair was everywhere; Friday, he pulls double duty in Little Rock. tal Bar to hear Ludwig’s trio this week? Because Ludwig and co. began recording a live album at the Capital Bar yesterday, and they’ll wrap it up today. Even more of a draw? Saxophonist Tony Dagradi from the New Orleans-based modern jazz quintet, Astral Project, is sitting in. This is your chance to get a clap — or even a dignified “woot woot” — captured in recording forever. Definitely recommended. JT.
F RIDAY 2 /1 9
JOHN SINCLAIR
6 p.m., Sturgis Hall, Clinton School of Public Service, free. 10 p.m., White Water Tavern, $10.
n Manager of the MC5, co-founder of the White Panther Party, marijuana martyr, Delta blues scholar, subject of a John Lennon song — John Sinclair may just be one of the most interesting people to live the ’60s to the fullest and still have the grey matter to talk about it. That he can, and in an engaging, lucid manner, may just make him a bona fide national treasure. Pulling double duty Friday night, Sinclair, David Kimbrough Jr. and Dwayne Burnside (sons of Junior and R.L., respectively) visit the Clinton School for a lecture and Q&A entitled “North Mississippi Blues: Reflections from the Hill Country” (full disclosure: I’m moderating this event) before hightailing it to White Water for a Sinclair/Kimbrough/Bluesboy Jag triple bill that’s sure to sell out. JT
SOUL SPECTACULAR: With Eric Roberson and Algebra Blessett. n Increasingly the local spot for touring R&B and soul acts, Juanita’s brings in a formidable trio for a Friday night doubleheader. Neo-soul crooner Eric Roberson AKA Erro, fresh off of a Grammy nomination for his (pretty fantastic) single “A Tale of Two,” enjoys a sizeable following not only for his solo albums, but his collaborations with giants of the field like Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Algebra Blessett comes off as a combination of Whitney Houston and Feist, which works better than you might imagine. They’re joined by the brassy hums of Sherwood trumpeter Rodney Block. Should be a goody. Shows at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 to get in, $40 for reserved seating and appetizers. JT
S AT UR DAY 2 /2 0
REEL CIVIL RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
2 p.m., Market Street Cinema. Free.
‘DYING CITY’
7:30 p.m., Weekend Theater. $10-$14.
PSYCHODRAMA: Hannah Sawyer and Justin Pike in “Dying City” at the Weekend Theater. Photo by Byron Taylor. 18 february 18, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
n Coming off of a hugely well-received, constantly sold-out run of “Sordid Lives,” the Weekend Theater returns with another provocative chamber piece. It’s a political psychodrama revolving around two days in the life of a young therapist, widowed during the Iraq War, and her husband’s gay identical twin. Their grieving processes play out on a tapestry of Abu Ghraib, “The Daily Show” and William Faulkner. Written by Christopher Shinn, a student of Tony Kushner (“Angels in
n It’s year four for this annual free documentary festival, jointly sponsored by the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and Market Street Cinema. The first film in the festival begins at 2 p.m., the last starts at 9 p.m. On Sunday, the first film is at 1 p.m. and the last is at 9 p.m. Several that look promising: “The Souls of Black Girls” (4 p.m. Saturday), about the “self-image disorder” women of color may be suffering because of media focus; Spike Lee’s documentary “4 Little Girls” (7 p.m., Saturday) on the four Alabama girls killed in a 1963 Birmingham church bombing; “Interracial
ping over Cool Kids-style Rick Rubin rip-off beats, with a lil’ bit of West Coast levity on top for good measure. In other words, he’s catchy as hell and bound to be even more so with a live band backing him. At least in pictures, he looks a lot like Maxx, our own young, great white rap hope — skinny and awkward. But here’s betting he’s got a way with this 18 and older crowd. And that 607 out-raps him in the opening spot. DJ Shawn Lee spins, too. LM.
SUNDAY 2 /2 1
WILLIE NELSON
7:30 p.m., Summit Arena, Hot Springs. $35-$55.
YOUNG WHITE AND PROUD: G-Eazy to Rev. Dating in America” (9 p.m. Saturday), and “Black Gold” (7 p.m. Sunday), a documentary that unravels the tangled, and often exploitative, web of coffee production. LM.
QUEER PROM: CASH BASH 2010
9 p.m., Henson’s Warehouse. $10.
n The Queer Prom’s event page on Facebook makes a good case: “Really, if you ask yourself or anyone else ‘Did you have fun at your high school prom?’ the answers are pretty much the same. A sigh, maybe a derisive snort, a laugh and a FUCK NO.” The organizers of the prom, who include supporters of the local LGBQT community, aim to right the wrongs of past proms with a big blowout at a warehouse owned by Henson Flye at 2301 Arch St. There’ll be a lot of ironic celebrating of prom tradition — a photo backdrop, a vote for prom queen and king, a kissing booth (no one ever did that in high school outside of the movies, right?) — plus complimentary PGA punch and beer and food from Boulevard and Lilly’s. And perhaps an even bigger draw, a sterling local line-up that includes Seth Baldy and Erin Lang, Blackbird Pie (C. Murdock Jones, Mike Motley and Ryan Hitt), erstwhile Soophie Nun Squader Anna Newell’s band Physical Science, Showcase finalist Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, Chris Denny and DJ Michael Inscoe. The proceeds benefit Cash Ashley, a local transgender man who’s celebrating his 25th birthday and looking to get surgery. The idea is that this will be an annual event that benefits someone or some cause in the LGBQT every year. LM.
G-EAZY
9 p.m., Revolution. $7.
n The big picture on G-Eazy’s MySpace page was shot last month at Verizon Arena, when he was the first performer on Lil Wayne’s packed bill. That tour association might be the biggest thing GEazy has going for him in his bio. But maybe not for long. Raised in the Bay Area and currently enrolled at Loyola in New Orleans, he sounds like Drake rap-
n Real talk: no one has to tell you to go see Willie Nelson. You’ll either be a levelheaded, appreciative human who drives to Hot Springs to see him or you’ll stay at home like a jerk. He’s an — if not the — American icon and arguably the greatest songwriter of the late 20th century. I mean, this man wrote “Night Life” and “Crazy” 50 years ago, and he’s still more relevant than any other country singer in the game. I mean, did you hear “Mendocino County Line” a few years back? It’s amazing, for God’s sake! He’s completely worthy of every plaudit. Go see the man. Oh, and by the way, for $10 you can buy a double-dip DVD of (upcoming Verizon Arena performer) George Strait’s “Pure Country” and Willie Nelson’s awesome “Honeysuckle Rose” at the Kroger in the Heights. JT
■ inbrief
THURSDAY 2/18
n Country musicians Brady Seals and Nathan Lee Jackson bring their no-frills country singer/songwriter style to Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $10. MacDaddy in North Little Rock hosts a night of house music with DJs Worthy, Dirtybird, Manny Ledezma and SpencerX manning the booths; the bass thumps hard at 10 p.m., $10. Spaci Traci, the North Little Rock rockablues chanteuse, makes a rare appearance at Town Pump, 10 p.m., $3. If you find yourself in the nor’western corner of our fair state, check out “One Night of Queen,” a touring stage show celebrating the legendary British outfit, at Walton Arts, 8 p.m., $20.50-$60.50.
FRIDAY 2/19
n Green Day tribute band American Idiot takes to the stage at Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $8 regular admission, $10 for those under 21. Cody Belew & Co. performs jazz standards of the grown and sexy variety at Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. Star Bar hosts DJs Ettiem, JAL, Cameron Holyfield and Risky Biz in what should be another successful edition of the Cool Shoes’ spin-off, Spectrum, 10 p.m., $5. Damn Bullet Paul Morphis takes a solo gig at Town Pump, 10 p.m., $3. Stoney LaRue, favorite of Little Rock and country truck sound system aficionados everywhere, comes back to Sticky Fingerz, this time joined by Midnight River Choir, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s. At The Village, Juno award-winning Canadian DJ Hatiras spins, 8:30 p.m., $15 adv., $20 d.o.s. If metal and dark rock is more down your alley, Vino’s brings Hardside, Results, Nailed Shut and Mad Moves, 8 p.m., $7, while Downtown Music Hall thrashes with Jucifer, Knee Deep and Pallbearer, 8 p.m., $6.
SATURDAY 2/20
n Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the legendary South African gospel group that made Paul Simon’s “Graceland” the amazing album it was, comes to Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $28.50-$45.50. Crazy party band Boom Kinetic ensures much booty shaking at Sticky Fingerz, 9 p.m., $8. Meanwhile, Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase’s Round Three winner, Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, visits the Town Pump with Little Rock figurehead Hector Faceplant, 10 p.m., $3.
SUNDAY 2/21
WILLIE FOREVER: This time, at Summit Arena in Hot Springs.
n Atlanta alt-metal act Sevendust shares a bill at The Village with Drowning Pool and Digital Summer, 7 p.m., $26 adv., $30 d.o.s. www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 19
www.arktimes.com
afterdark
calendar
All events are in the Greater Little Rock area unless otherwise noted. To place an event in the Arkansas Times calendar, please e-mail the listing and all pertinent information, including date, time, location, price and contact information, to calendar@arktimes.com.
THURSDAY, FEB. 18 MUSIC
“One Night of Queen.” 8 p.m., $20.50-$60.50. Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson, Fayetteville. 443-5600, www.waltonartscenter.com. Arkansas Times Musician’s Showcase with Iron Tongue, Underclaire, Ryan Couron, Outstanding Red Team. 9 p.m., $5. Sticky Fingerz, 107 Commerce St. 372-7707, www.stickyfingerz.com. Bop Dancing at the Legion. 7 p.m., $3. Legion Club, 315 E. Capitol. 372-8762, www.legionclub.net. Brady Seals, Nathan Lee Jackson. 8:30 p.m., $10. Revolution, 300 President Clinton Ave. 8230090, www.rumbarevolution.com. Brian & Nick (happy hour), Tragikly White (headliner). 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m, $5 after 8:30. Cajun’s Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road. 375-5351, www.cajunswharf.com. Brian Martin. 9 p.m., free. Maxine’s, 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909, www.maxinespub.com. DJs Worthy, Dirtybird, Manny Ledezma, Spencerx. 10 p.m. $10, MacDaddy’s, 314 N. Maple St. 374-7665, 21 and up. Jim Dickerson. 7 p.m., free. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 500 President Clinton Ave. 324-2999, www.sonnywililamssteakroom.com. John Willis, Hanky Pank. 8 p.m., free. Speakeasy, 412 Louisiana, 374-2008. Sideshow Tragedy. 9 p.m., $3. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th. 375-8400, myspace.com/ whitewatertavern. Spaci Tracy. 10 p.m., $3. Town Pump, 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 663-9802. Sugarcoat. 9 p.m., $5. West End Smokehouse Tavern, 215 N. Shackleford. 224-7665, www.westendsmokehouse.net. The Ted Ludwig Trio with Tony Dagradi. Live recording. 5 p.m., free. Capital Bar & Grill, 111 W. Markham. 370-7013, www.capitalhotel.com. The Ted Ludwig Trio. 8:30 p.m., $5. Afterthought, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-4176, www. afterthoughtbar.com.
MORE MOMOLU: Local fashion star Korto Momolu, of “Project Runway” fame, unveils her new handbag and accessories line for Dillard’s with a special in-store appearance on Friday at Dillard’s in Park Plaza, 6 p.m., free.
Now - March 7 “A winner!”
EVENTS
Wine Tasting with Bruce Cochran. 5:30 p.m., $10. Afterthought, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 6634176, www.afterthoughtbar.com.
20 february 18, 2010 • arKaNSaS TIMeS
SPORTS
Oaklawn Racing. 1 p.m. Sat.; 1:30 p.m. weekdays, Sun. Oaklawn Jockey Club, 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411, www.oaklawn.com.
FRIDAY, FEB 19 MUSIC
“One Night of Queen.” 8 p.m., $20.50-$60.50. Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson, Fayetteville. 443-5600, www.waltonartscenter.com. American Idiot, The Breakthrough. 8:30 p.m., $10 under 21, $8 21 plus. Revolution, 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0091, www.revroom.com. Cody Belew and Co. 9 p.m., $7. Afterthought, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-1196, www.afterthoughtbar.com. Darril “Harp” Edwards and the Reggae Fusion Band. 10 p.m., $5. Cornerstone Pub, 314 Main St., NLR. 374-1782, www.cstonepub.com. Eric Roberson, Algebra Blessett, Rodney Block. 6:30 p.m. (early show), 10 p.m. (late show), $25 general/$40 VIP. Juanita’s, 1300 Main St. 3743271, www.juanitas.com. Hardside, Results, Nailed Shut, Mad Moves. 8 p.m., $7. Vino’s, 923 W. 7th. 375-8466, www.vinosbrewpub.com. Hatiras. 8:30 p.m., $15 adv., $20 d.o.s. The Village, 3915 S. University. 570-0300, www.thevillagelive.com. Jeff Coleman. 8 p.m., $5. Cregeen’s, 301 Main St., NLR. 376-7468, www.cregeens.com. John Sinclair, David Kimbrough Jr., Bluesboy Jag. 9 p.m., $10. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th St. 375-8400, www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Josephus, George Jonestown Massacre. 12:30 a.m., $5. Midtown Billiards, 1316 Main St. 372-9990, www.midtownbilliards.com. Jucifer, Knee Deep, Ballbearer. 8 p.m., $6. Downtown Music Hall, 211 W. Capitol. 376-1819, www.downtownshows.homestead.com. Junior Steele. 9 p.m., free. Flying Saucer, 323 President Clinton Ave. 372-7468, www.beerknurd. com. Paul Morphis. 10 p.m., $3. Town Pump, 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 663-9802. Pulaski Heights and Aeolus Recorder Konsorts. 6:30 p.m., free. THEA Foundation Center for the Arts, 401 Main St., NLR. 379-9512, www. theafoundation.org Rob & Tyndall (happy hour), PG-13 The Band (headliner). 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m, $5 after 8:30. Cajun’s Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road. 3755351, www.cajunswharf.com. Ryan Couron. 8 p.m., free. Denton’s Trotline, 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Spectrum with Ettiem, JAL, Cameron Holifield, Risky Biz. 10 p.m., $5. Star Bar Lounge, 1900 W. 3rd St. 301-7827. Speakeasy Broadway Floor Show, John Craig. 7:30 p.m., free. Speakeasy, 412 Louisiana, 374-2008. Star and Micey, Jamie Randolph. 9 p.m. Maxine’s, 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-3210909, www.maxinespub.com. Stoney LaRue. 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 d.o.s. Sticky Fingerz, 107 Commerce. 372-7707, www. stickyfingerz.com. Twilight Hotel. 7:30 p.m., $12 regular, $6 student. Thomson Hall, Universalist Unitarian Church of Little Rock, 1818 Reservoir Road. 663-0634, www.lrfolkclub.com
EVENTS
LECTURE
“The Secret Language of the Gowned Brotherhood in 19th Century Sichuan.” Professor Di Wang discusses the secret language of the late 19th century Chinese mafia organization. 3:30 p.m., free. Ross Hall, UALR campus. 3745904, www.ualr.edu. Dan Morrison. The CEO of Citizens United, a nonprofit for citizen philanthropists, speaks. 12 p.m., free. Sturgis Hall, Clinton School of Public Service. 683-5339, www.clintonschool.uasys.edu. Meir Z. Ribalow. The celebrated film historian
delivers his lecture “How Hollywood Portrays Arkansas.” 7 p.m. Fowler Center, ASU, Jonesboro. 870-872-3056, ext. 3509, www.astate.edu. Soledad O’Brien The award-winning CNN anchor visits as part of UCA’s Distinguished Lecture Series. 7:30 p.m., $5-$10, students free. Reynolds Performance Hall, UCA, Conway. 501-450-3265, www.uca.edu/tickets.
March 9 - 10
The #1 Rock and Roll Review Band
Travis LEDOYT March 12-14
“The World’s Best Young Elvis”
Colonel Glenn & University • murrysdinnerplayhouse.com • 562-3131
Johnny L. Taylor. The Air Force veteran and author signs his new book, “Growing Up in the South: Lessons Learned.” 10 a.m., free. Little Rock Air Force Base, 940 Arnold, Jacksonville. www. zerototen.net. Korto Momolu. Celebrated Little Rock designer unveils her new exclusive line of accessories for Dillard’s. 6 p.m., free. Dillard’s, Park Plaza Mall, Markham and University. 661-0053, www.dillards.com.
SPORTS
Oaklawn Racing. 1 p.m. Sat., 1:30 p.m. week-
UpcOMiNg EvENTS Concert tickets through Ticketmaster by phone at 975-7575 or online at www.ticketmaster.com unless otherwise noted. FEB. 25: A Night with Henry Rollins. 8 p.m. $18 adv., $20 d.o.s. Juanita’s. 374-3271, www.juanitas.com. MARCH 5: Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, Flyleaf. 7 p.m., $39.75. Verizon Arena. 800-745-3000, verizonarena.com. MARCH 6: T-Model Ford. 9 p.m., White Water Tavern. 2500 W. 7th St. 375-8400, www. myspace.com/whitewatertavern. MARCH 6: George Strait, Reba McEntire. 7 p.m., $81.25-$91.25. Verizon Arena, NLR. 340-5660, www.ticketmaster.com. MARCH 7: George Thorogood and the Destroyers. 7 p.m., $25.50-$100.50. Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. 479-443-5600, www. waltonartscenter.org. MARCH 9: Xiu Xiu. 9 p.m., $10. Sticky Fingerz, 107 Commerce St. 372-7707, www.stickyfingerz.com. days, Sun. Oaklawn Jockey Club, 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411, www.oaklawn.com.
SATURDAY, FEB. 20 MUSIC
Barrett Baber. 9 p.m., free. Flying Saucer, 323 President Clinton Ave. 372-7468, www.beerknurd.com. Boom Kinetic. 9 p.m., $8. Sticky Fingerz, 107 Commerce. 372-7707, www.stickyfingerz.com. Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth, Hector Faceplant. 10 p.m., $3. Town Pump, 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 663-9802. Charlotte Taylor. 8:00 p.m., free. Denton’s Trotline, 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Even the Dogs. 8 p.m., $7. Vino’s, 923 W. 7th. 375-8466, www.vinosbrewpub.com. G-Eazy, 607, DJ Shawn Lee. 9 p.m., $7. Revolution, 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0091, www. revroom.com. 18 plus. Joe Pitts Band. 8 p.m., $5. Cornerstone Pub, 314 Main St., NLR. 374-1782, www.cstonepub.com. J-One, DJ K-One. 9 p.m., $5. Deep Lounge, 322 Clinton Ave., 244-9550. Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The Grammy award winning African a capella group visits. 8 p.m., $28.50-$45.50. Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600, www.waltonartscenter.com. Michael Shane (disco), TBA (lobby), TBA (theater). 9 p.m., $10. Discovery, 1021 Jessie Road. 664-4784, www.latenightdisco.com. Nevermind: Tribute to Nirvana. 8 p.m., $10 adv., $13 d.o.s. The Village, 3915 S. University. 570-0300, www.thevillagelive.com. Queer Prom 2010: Cash Bash. Music by Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, Chris Denny, Physical Science, Blackbird Pie, DJ Michael Inscoe, Seth Baldy and Erin Lang. 9 p.m., $10. Henson’s Warehouse, 2301 Arch St., NLR, (678) 773 1733. Richie Johnson (happy hour), Down 2 Five (headliner). 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m, $5 after 8:30. Cajun’s Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road. 375-5351, www.cajunswharf.com. RJ Mischo. The blues harmonica legend visits on the release of his 10th album. R. Landry’s, 613 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith. 679-783-2505, www. rlandrys.com. Sarah Hughes. 9 p.m., $5. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th. 375-8400, myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Steve Bates. 8 p.m., $5. Cregeen’s, 301 Main St., NLR. 376-7468, www.cregeens.com. The John Cowan Band, Chris Denny. 9 p.m., $10. Juanitas, 1300 Main St. 372-1228, www.juanitas.com. 18 plus. Tom Houston Jones, Flathead. 12:30 a.m., $5. Midtown Billiards, 1316 Main St. 372-9990, www.midtownbilliards.com. We Were Promised Jetpacks, Royal Bangs, Bad Veins. 9 p.m. Maxine’s, 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909, www.maxinespub.com. William Staggers. 9 p.m., free. Speakeasy, 412 Louisiana, 374-2008.
EVENTS
“So You Wanna Be Published?” A workshop
addressing ins and outs of the book publishing business. 1 p.m., $30. The Oyster Bar, 3003 W. Markham. suzi_parker@att.net. 2010 Heart Ball. 5:30 p.m., $500. Wally Allen Ballroom, Statehouse Convention Center. 3791176, carol.dyer@heart.org. Arkansas Black History Quiz Bowl. 10 a.m., free. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. 9th. 683-3593, www.mosaictemplarscenter.com. Arkansas Custon Knife Show. 9 a.m., $5. Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. 3rd St. 324-9351, www.historicarkansas.org. Exquisite Corpse Annual Launchapalooza Extravaganza. Legendary writer Andrei Codrescu, contributors, and editors debut historic issue No. 2 and perform. Bear’s Den, 8 p.m., free. 235 Farris Road., Conway. 501-450-5134, www.uca. edu/writing/exquisite_corpse.php. Johnny L. Taylor. The Air Force veteran and author signs his new book, “Growing Up in the South: Lessons Learned.” 10 a.m., free. Little Rock Air Force Base, 940 Arnold, Jacksonville. www. zerototen.net. Poets in the Streets Poetry Slam. 7 p.m. ACAC, 900 S. Rodney Parham Road. 244-2979, www.myspace.com/acacarkansas. All ages. Storytelling: Our Legacy. Workshop in conjunction with Black Heritage Month. 9 a.m., free with registration. First Church of the Nazarene, 3804 Central, Hot Springs. 501-624-9400.
FILM
4th Annual “Reel” Civil Rights Film Festival. 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, free. Market Street Cinema, 1521 Merrill Drive. 374-1757, www. nps.gov/chsc.
LECTURES
Paul Stanley Erby. Local pastor leads an author discussion and book signing for his first novel, “A Black Man’s Revenge.” 2 p.m., free. Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482.
SPORTS
Oaklawn Racing. 1 p.m. Sat., 1:30 p.m. weekdays, Sun. Oaklawn Jockey Club, 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411, www.oaklawn.com.
SUNDAY, FEB. 21 MUSIC
Bonnie Montgomery. 7:30 p.m., free. Speakeasy, 412 Louisiana, 374-2008. I Am Terrified, Heartcakeparty, This City Screams, Defender. 8 p.m., $10. Vino’s, 923 W. 7th. 375-8466, www.vinosbrewpub.com. Jazz Brunch with Ted Ludwig. 11 a.m., free. Vieux Carre, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-4176, www.afterthoughtbar.com. The Legion Band, Warren Crow and Company. 7 p.m., $5. Legion Club, 315 E. Capitol. 3728762, www.legionclub.net. Sevendust, Drowning Pool, Digital Summer. 7 p.m., $26 adv., $30 d.o.s. The Village, 3915 S. University. 570-0300, www.thevillagelive.com. Willie Nelson. Summit Arena, 7:30 p.m., $35-$55. 134 Convention Blvd., Hot Springs. 800-745-3000.
EVENTS
Annual Soup Sunday. Annual fund-raiser with warm soup, good music and family fun. Benefiting Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Embassy Suites, 4-7 p.m., $20, $5 ages 12 and under. 11301 Financial Centre Parkway. 371-9678, www.aradvocates.org. Arkansas Custom Knife Show. 9 a.m., $5. Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. 3249351, www.historicarkansas.org.
FILM
4th Annual “Reel” Civil Rights Film Festival. 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, free. Market Street Cinema, 1521 Merrill Drive. 374-1757, www. nps.gov/chsc.
SPORTS
Roller Derby: Central Arkansas vs. Memphis. 5 p.m., $10 adults, free for 10 and under. Skate World, 6512 Mabelvale Cutoff. 562-9353. Oaklawn Racing. 1 p.m. Sat., 1:30 p.m. weekdays, Sun. Oaklawn Jockey Club, 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-4411, www.oaklawn.com.
MONDAY, FEB. 22 MUSIC
David Davis and the Warrior River Boys. 7
p.m., $5. Atkins Celebration Hall, 101 S. Pruett St., Paragould. 870-972-2367, myspace.com/bluegrassmonday. Monday Night Jazz Jam Session. 8 p.m., $5, $1 to jam. Afterthought, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-4176, www.afterthoughtbar.com.
TUESDAY, FEB. 23 MUSIC
Brugh Foster. 8 p.m., free. Cornerstone Pub, 314 Main St., NLR. 374-1782, www.cstonepub.com. Carl Mouton Jam Session. 9 p.m., free. Afterthought, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-1196, www. afterthoughtbar.com. Jam Session with Carl Mouton. 9 p.m., free. Afterthought, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-4176, www.afterthoughtbar.com. Jonathan Wilkins and the Reparations. 9 p.m., donations. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th. 375-8400, myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Keb’ Mo. 7 p.m., $28.50-$48.50. Baum Walker Hall, Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. 479-4435600, www.waltonartscenter.org. Singer Songwriter Night. 8 p.m. Juanita’s, 1300 Main St. 372-1228, www.juanitas.com. The Overseer, Take It To Heart, Something to Stand For. 8 p.m., $7. Vino’s, 923 W. 7th. 3758466, www.vinosbrewpub.com. Unseen Eye. 9 p.m., free. Maxine’s, 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909, www.maxinespub.com. Tony Furtado. 8:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. Sticky Fingerz, 107 Commerce. 372-7707, www. stickyfingerz.com.
Live Music
Thurs, Feb 18 THe SiDeSHow TRageDy (auSTiN,TX) Fri, Feb 19 THe LegeNDaRy JoHN SiNCLaiR wiTH DaviD KimBRougH JR. & BLueSBoy Jag saT, Feb 20 SaRaH HugHeS Tues, Feb 23 JoNaTHaN wiLKiNS & THe RepaRaTioNS myspace.com/whitewatertavern Little Rock’s Down-Home Neighborhood Bar
7th & Thayer • Little Rock • (501) 375-8400
EVENTS
“Good Hair.” A screening and discussion of the Chris Rock documentary. 6 p.m., free. Donaghey Student Center, UALR. 569-3308, www.ualr.edu. Poetry reading. With Daniel Evans, Susan Wallace and Michael Inscoe. 7 p.m., free. Donaghey Student Center, Room G, UCA Campus, Conway.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 MUSIC
Art and Music with Cameron Holyfield and Poebot. 10 p.m., free. Union, 3421 Old Cantrell Road. 661-8311. Bonnie Montgomery. 7:30 p.m. Speakeasy, 412 Louisiana St. 374-2008 Chris DeClerk. 5:30 p.m, free. Cajun’s Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road. 375-5351, www.cajunswharf. com. Cindy Woolf. 8 p.m., $5. Afterthought, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-4176, www.afterthoughtbar.com. Elsinore, We Landed on the Moon, Winston Family Orchestra. 9 p.m., $5. Juanita’s, 1300 Main St. 372-1228, www.juanitas.com. All ages. Lucious Spiller Band. 9:30 p.m., $5 adv., $12 d.o.s. Sticky Fingerz, 107 Commerce. 372-7707, www.stickyfingerz.com. Paul Sammons. 9 p.m., free. Maxine’s, 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909, www. maxinespub.com.
THURSDAY, FEB. 25 MUSIC
Adam Faucett, Nathan Xander. 9 p.m., $5. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. 7th. 375-8400, myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Ben & Doug (happy hour), Seven Toed Pete (headliner). 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m, $5 after 8:30. Cajun’s Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road. 375-5351, www.cajunswharf.com. Blue Hit. 10 p.m., free. Union, 3421 Old Cantrell Road. 661-8311. Brian & Nick (happy hour), Seven Toed Pete (headliner). 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m, $5 after 8:30. Cajun’s Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road 375-5351, www.cajunswharf.com. CJ Boyd Sextet. 9 p.m., free. Maxine’s, 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909, www. maxinespub.com. Jim Dickerson. 7 p.m., free. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 500 President Clinton Ave. 324-2999, www.sonnywililamssteakroom.com. The Mongoloids, Jungle Juice. 8 p.m., $7. Vino’s, 923 W. 7th. 375-8466, www.vinosbrewpub.com. Tonya Leeks & Co. 8 p.m., $5. Afterthought,
Continued on page 22
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501-372-7707 / STICKY FINGERZ.COM 501-823-0090 / RUMBAREVOLUTION.COM www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 21
showcase Continued from page 17
Iron Tongue This new throwback metal act doesn’t make sense on paper. You’ve got producer Jason Tedford (guitar), who most memorably played bass for pop-rock heroes Ashtray Babyhead. And Stan James (drums) and Mark Chiaro (guitar), both of the blues-andSouthern-rockin’ Jeff Coleman and the Feeders. Then, there’s Reid Raley (bass), of Fayetteville metal act Deadbird and CT (vocals) of Southern sludge gods Rwake. Together, they channel Sabbath, Motorhead and maybe a little Molly Hatchet. Look for a split vinyl EP in the near future and a full length in the summer. In the meantime, for Thursday’s show, bring your earplugs, Tedford warns. Outstanding Red Team Perhaps the newest band in the Showcase, this rock outfit features Loch Ness Monster vets “Scottish” Brian Hirrel (guitar, lead vocals) and Jimmy Young (bass), San An-
to congeal, the moments everything did come together more than made up for those that didn’t. Especially when Bryan Frazier, Jeff Dunman and Shaun Hartman harmonized, and when often, soon after, the band shifted to full-out rawk. These guys are infectious. Dangerous Idiots, in the third position, played as tightly as you’d expect of three veterans of beloved local acts. Theirs is a playful pop, with a sardonic edge. It works on songs like “I’m Cooler Than You” (“I lead a pathetic life, but I know that I’m still cooler than you”), but less so on tracks like “Titties,” which includes lines like, “I want them all the time /Give me big ones, give me small ones / I don’t care, I just want them all the time,” but is mostly a lot of harmonized “Tittiiiiiiiiies.” Special props to drummer Shayne Gray, who played the show with a ruptured disc and an abdominal hernia. That, friends, is what the Showcase is all about. In the closing spot, Rah hoWard showed that he’s a local rapper to watch. But he leaned way too heavily on a reference track. Attention would-be Showcase entrants who COUNTRY BOY: Ryan Couron comes to Sticky Fingerz rap: You’ll never advance for the last semi-final round of the Showcase. by rapping over a refertokyo’s Slaughterhouse (guitar) and Jesse ence track (music with lyrics) that drowns King (drums). Everyone but the drummer out your vocals. Imagine a band playing sings. Look for an EP soon with a fullalong to its CD onstage. It’d get laughed length to follow. Like the band’s name, off in no time. Also, Little Rock rappers, the latter’s songs might all be named for please stop writing songs all about how “Apocalypse Now” references, according Little Rock’s not getting it’s due. No one to Hirrel. beyond Little Rock — and probably few Underclaire One of Central Arkanwithin — cares about our rap scene’s sas’s most active bands, Underclaire plight. Create an extraordinary song. comes to the Showcase after more than a Then we’ll break the rap curse. All that decade together as a band. Fresh off the said, maybe Rah hoWard’s got the tools release of its third album, “Making Sky,” to do it. recorded with Little Rock’s Barry PoynNow, to next week. At 9 p.m. Thurster, the quartet of Bryan Baker (drums), day, Feb. 11, once again at Sticky Fingerz, Rob Brackett (bass), Edison DeLeon (guiwe move to round three, featuring … tar) and Mike Mullins (guitar and vocals) Ryan Couron Two years running, brings an anthemic brand of modern rock we’ve got a could-be country star in the to the stage. Listen, too, for lyrics that Showcase (last year, you’ll remember bleed from song to song. “Making Sky” Nik and Sam). Little Rock’s Couron is a song-cycle about fraternal twins, with has lately been in contact with Nashrelationship problems, a suicide and a ville, hosting some label folks here not killing spree central to their story. too long ago and headed to Nashville in March for another meet-and-greet. The Read Rock Candy online (arktimes. 23-year-old, who says he’s been at it for com/blogs/rockcandy) for more on the six or seven years, sounds radio ready on Showcase, including song samples, auhis debut, “Play What I Feel Like,” which dio, video and post-show reviews. includes unsubtle but convincing songs like “Huntin’ and Fishin’.” Another of the few Showcase acts who play music for a UPCOMING SHOWCASE living, Couron comes to us a night before SCHEDULE he plays Denton’s Trotline in Benton. You Feb. 25: Stella Fancy, Big Boots. can also see him regularly at Grumpy’s, March 5: Bobby, Elise Davis, Brother The Underground Pub, and Fox and the Andy & His Big Damn Mouth Hound. 22 february 18, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
calendar
Continued from page 21 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 663-1196, www.afterthoughtbar.com.
EVENTS
607, Terri Guy. Little Rock rapper speaks about his experience in the music business; local teacher discusses the history of Delta Sigma Theta. 6 p.m., free. Laman Public Library, Argenta Branch, 504 Main St., NLR. 501-687-1061. Andrea Hollander Budy. Poetry reading. 7 p.m., free. Cone Chapel, Harding University, Searcy. 501-279-4421, www.harding.edu.
THIS WEEK IN THEATER “Arsenic and Old Lace.” 7:30 p.m., Feb. 18-20, $10. 2:30 p.m., Feb. 21, $10. Pocket Community Theater, 170 Ravine St., Hot Springs. 501-6238585, www.pockettheater.com. “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Brick Pollitt and his wife, Maggie “The Cat,” let it all hang out one evening at a gathering at Brick’s family estate. 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sun. The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St. $20-$35. 3780405. www.therep.org. “Dearly Beloved.” A southern wedding brings together three estranged sisters’ gospel group. 8 p.m., Feb. 19-21, 24-27, $10. Fort Smith Little Theater, 401 N. Sixth St., Fort Smith. 479-783-2966, www.fslt.org. “I Love You ... Not.” A psychologist finds himself blackmailed by an old friend in cahoots with a reality TV producer. 7 p.m. Feb. 19-20, $25. 2:30 p.m. Feb. 20, $20. RayLynn Theater, 202 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs. www.raylynntheater.com. “Stomp.” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18, $22-$47. Robinson Center Music Hall, 7 Statehouse Plaza. 492-3314. “Trestle at Pope Lick Creek.” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18-19, $8, students free. Bridges/Lawson Theater, UCA, Conway. 501-450-3265, uca.edu/tickets.
galleries New exhibits in bold-faced type ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: 52nd annual “Delta Exhibition,” juried show of work by Arkansans and residents of contiguous states, through March 14; “World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed,” artifacts from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through July 7, $22 adults, $14 students; “Currents in Contemporary Art,” “Masterworks,” “Paul Signac Watercolors and Drawings,” ongoing. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. ARKANSAS STUDIES INSTITUTE, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Local History Goes to School: Traveling the World with Mifflin W. Gibbs,” through Feb. 27, Concordia Hall gallery. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 320-5792. BOSWELL-MOUROT FINE ART, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “The Delineations of V.L. Cox,” new paintings, also work by Steve Armstrong, Kyle Boswell, Frank Colcord, Carla Davis, Eleanor Dickinson, Hamid Ebrahimifar, Hans Feyerabend and others. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-0030. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “Stop the Presses,” work in various media by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette employees John Deering, John Sykes, Celia Storey, Philip Martin and others, through Feb. 27. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Light Coming into the World,” work by Garrett Alderfer, David Bell, Lois Davis, Cornelia DeLee, Austin Grimes, Steve Grisham, LaToya Hobbs, Sr. Maria Liebeck, Mark Meador, Brittany Platt, Lenny Sheehan, A.J. Smith, Marjorie Williams-Smith, Brandye Snead and Dan Thornhill, through March. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu. 375-2342. 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. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Marcus McAllister and Janet Wilcox, paintings and drawings, through March 13. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Short Stories of the Sublime,” paintings by Mark Blaney, through March 13, open 5-8 p.m. Feb. 19, Argenta Artwalk. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. 664-2787. HEIGHTS GALLERY, 5801 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Ar-
kansas artists. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 664-2772. KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St., NLR: Michael Landis, recent paintings, reception 5-8 p.m. Feb. 19, Argenta Artwalk; also work by Robin Hazard-Bishop, John Kushmaul, Marty Smith, Dan Thornhill and others. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 529-6330. LAMAN LIBRARY EXHIBIT HALL, 2801 Orange St.: “Enchanting Taiwan,” 38 photographs, through Feb. 28. 758-1720. LOCAL COLOUR GALLERY, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Artists’ collective showcase. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 265-0422. MARKET HALL WALL, River Market: Work by Diane Ziemski, through March, Boulevard Bread Co. 375-2552. RED DOOR GALLERY, 3715 JFK, NLR: Work by TWIN, twin collaborative artists Terry and Jerry Lynn, portion of proceeds benefit P.A.R.K., Feb. 18, Work by Twin, Robin Steves, Brady Taylor, Georges Artaud, Lola, Jim Johnson, Amy Hill-Imler, James Hayes and Theresa Cates. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 753-5227. SHOWROOM, 2313 Cantrell Road. Work by area artists, including Sandy Hubler. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 372-7373. STEPHANO’S FINE ART GALLERY, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Jessica Smith, Robert Nowlin, Robert Sherman, Alexis Silk and others. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Thu.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 563-4218. TOBY FAIRLEY FINE ART, 5507 Ranch Drive, Suite 103: Contemporary Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.4 p.m. Tue.-Fri. or by appointment. 868-9882. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Kom Fljugandi/Flown In,” artists working in Iceland, through March 14, Gallery I; “Make Believe by John Hartley,” monoprints, Gallery III, through Feb. 28, artist talk 1 p.m. March 1. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-8977. UALR BOWEN SCHOOL OF LAW: “Law in a Land Without Justice: Nazi Germany 1933-1945,” World War II artifacts, through July. 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. n Batesville LYON COLLEGE: “2010 Small Works on Paper,” Kresge Gallery, through Feb. 26. Reception 5-7 p.m. Feb. 18. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. n Benton DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Area artists. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. n Bentonville CRYSTAL BRIDGES AT THE MASSEY, 125 W. Central: “Heroes of Horticulture,” landscape photographs, through March 21. 479-418-5700. n Conway UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS: “Tagged, Stamped & Stenciled: Guerilla Art ‘Goes Gallery,’ ” graffiti art by Mark Bode; “Polarized Dispersions,” multi-medial installation by Michael Wyshock, both through Feb. 25, Baum Gallery. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Wed.-Fri.; 10 a.m. -7 p.m. Thu. 501-450-5793. n Fayetteville UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS: “Un-Natural Histories — Paintings of Invasive Species,” work by Kristin Musgnug, UA associate professor of art, through March 11. 479-575-7987. n Helena PHILLIPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE: “Retro Works,” works from Arkansas Arts Council’s “Small Works on Paper” shows 1989-1997, through March 20. n Hot Springs ALISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: Paintings by Parsons. 501-625-3001. AMERICAN ART GALLERY, 724 Central Ave.: Work by Jimmy Leach, Jamie Carter, Govinder, Marlene Gremillion, Margaret Kipp and others. 501-624-0550. ATTRACTION CENTRAL GALLERY, 264 Central Ave.: Work in all media by Hot Springs artists. 501-463-4932. BLUE MOON GALLERY, 718 Central Ave.: Sculpture by Wayne Summerhill, through February. 501-318-2787. CAROLE KATCHEN ART GALLERY, 618 W. Grand Ave.: Paintings, pastels, sculpture by Katchen. 501-617-4494. FOX PASS POTTERY, 379 Fox Pass Cut-off: Pottery by Jim and Barbara Larkin. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
GALLERY 726, 726 Central Ave.: Work by Susan Dee Hurst, through February. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.Sat. 501-624-7726. GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Arkansas artists. 501-318-4278. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: New paintings by Robin Hazard-Bishop, Dolores Justus and JoAnne Oliver, clay sculpture by Cynthia Bowers, and other work. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-321-2335. LINDA PALMER GALLERY, 800 B Central Ave.: Work by Linda Palmer, Doyle Young, Ellen Alderson, Peter Lippincott, Sara Tole and Jan Leek. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 501-620-3063. PRODIGIOUS ART LTD., Hot Springs Mall: Work by Bryan Sink and local, national and international artists. 501-520-0307. RICIANO ART GALLERY, 833 Central Ave.: Featuring work by Riciano, Lacey Alysse, Char DeMoro and other artists. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. 501-339-3751. TAYLOR’S CONTEMPORANEA, 204 Exchange St.: Work by area and regional artists. 624-0516. n Jonesboro ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY: “2010 Delta National Small Prints Exhibition,” juried show, through Feb. 21, Bradbury Gallery, Fowler Center. Noon-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 870-972-2567. n Pine Bluff ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER, 701 Main St.: 870-536-3375. n Russellville RIVER VALLEY ARTS CENTER, 1001 E. B St.: 23rd annual “Collegiate Competition,” through February. 479-968-2452.
MUSEUMS CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSEUM VISITOR CENTER, Bates and Park: Exhibits on the 1957 desegregation of Central and the civil rights movement. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. 374-1957. CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection,” more than 200 pins the former secretary of state wore during her diplomatic tenure, through June 1; exhibits about policies and White House life during the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “Stretched Foundations: Works by Lee Anthony, Jon Hayden and Mary Shelton,” through May 10; “Viewfinding: Photography by Brian Cormack,” through April 4. 324-9351. MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: Exhibits on Arkansas’s military history. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, Ninth and Broadway: “Arkansas Black History Quiz Bowl,” student competition, 10 a.m. Feb. 18; “Mirrored Images in Black,” folk art of Jimmy McDonald, noon Feb. 24; exhibits on African-Americans in Arkansas, including one on the Ninth Street business district, Dunbar High School, entrepreneurs, the Mosaic Templars business and more. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 683–3593. MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: Hands-on science and technology exhibits. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Admission: $8 adults, $7 children ages 1-12 and seniors 65 and up, children under 1 free, free second Sunday of every month. 396-7050. www.museumofdiscovery.org. OLD STATE HOUSE, 300 W. Markham St.: “Badges, Bandits and Bars: Arkansas Law and Justice,” the state’s history of crime and punishment from pre-territorial days to the mid-1980s, through March 6, 2011. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685. WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER, Riverfront Park: Exhibits on wildlife and the state Game and Fish Commission. n England TOLTEC MOUNDS STATE PARK, State Hwy. 165: Major prehistoric Indian site with visitors’ center and museum. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun., closed Mon. $3 for adults, $2 for ages 6-12. 961-9442. n Eureka Springs EUREKA SPRINGS HISTORICAL MUSEUM: History of the Ozark Folk Festival, in photographs,
programs, documents. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.Sat., 11 a.m. a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sun. 479-253-9417. n Harrison BOONE COUNTY LIBRARY: “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery,” drawings and diagrams from the time of Galileo and contemporary images of planets, stars and galaxies made by the Hubble Space Telescope, through March 25. 870-741-5913. n Hot Springs MID-AMERICA SCIENCE MUSEUM: Science exhibits. $8 adults, $7 seniors, military and youth. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. 501-767-3461. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, 425 Central Ave.: L.M. Chan, leather sculpture. $5, $4 for seniors. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. 501-609-9955. n Jacksonville JACKSONVILLE MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY, 100 Veterans Circle: Exhibits on DDay; F-105, Vietnam era plane (“The Thud”); the Civil War Battle of Reed’s Bridge, Arkansas Ordnance Plant (AOP) and other military history. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $3 adults; $2 seniors, military; $1 students. 501-241-1943. n Lavaca MILITARY ROAD MUSEUM, 303 S. Main St.: Photos and artifacts tell the history of the town. 9 a.m.-noon Sat. 479-739-2482. n Morrilton MUSEUM OF AUTOMOBILES, Petit Jean Mountain: Permanent exhibit of more than 50 cars from 1904-1967 depicting the evolution of the automobile. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 7 days. 501-727-5427. n Rogers ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. 2nd St.: “Rogers Auto-Biography: An Automotive History of Rogers,” through 2011; “Of Promise and Pain: Life Between the Wars,” through June; “Virgil Lovelace and Life on the Farm,” through April. 479-621-1154. n Springdale SHILOH MUSEUM OF OZARK HISTORY, 118 W. Johnson Ave.: “All Dressed Up,” men’s, women’s and children’s fancy clothing, through January 2011; “Disaster! A Photo Exhibit of Crashes and Catastrophes,” through April 10. 479-750-8165. n Tyronza SOUTHERN TENANT FARMERS MUSEUM, 117 Main St.: “Interpretations of the Delta Landscape,” drawings and paintings by Norwood Creech, through February. n Scott PLANTATION AGRICULTURE MUSEUM, U.S. 165 S and Hwy. 161: Artifacts and interactive exhibits on farming in the Arkansas Delta. $3 adults, $2 ages 6-12. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 501-961-1409. SCOTT PLANTATION SETTLEMENT: 1840s log cabin, one-room school house, tenant houses, smokehouse and artifacts on plantation life. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thu.-Sat. 351-0300. www.scottconnections.org.
Announcements The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program is holding an art contest for fifth- and seventhgrade students. Artwork should be based on any Arkansas property that is at least 50 years old and include an essay on how that property reflects on Arkansas history or why it’s important to save historic places. Entries must be postmarked by April 15. For more information, write AHHP Art and Essay Invitational, 1500 Tower Building, 323 Center St., Little Rock 72201 or call 324-9786 or e-mail rachelm@arkansasheritage.org. Winning entries will be displayed at the Old State House in May. The Shiloh Museum is asking patrons to select artifacts to be displayed in its October exhibit, “The Music of Our Lives.” The curator has selected 40 artifacts to choose from. Ballots are available at the museum or the museum’s website, www.springdalear.gov/Shiloh. Votes will be collected through April 30. The Center for Artistic Revolution is again providing wooden hearts for use in its annual Corazon Mexican Dinner and Silent Art Auction, set for March 27. Hearts can be painted, collaged or otherwise decorated for the auction, which benefits the work of CAR to promote justice and equal rights. To get a heart, call CAR at 2449690 or e-mail artchangesu@yahoo.com. Deadline is March 22.
■ media A fan of God? What Facebook is trying to tell us. By gerard matthews
— think Texas, Louisiana and Missouri. n In Arkansas, we love us some God. People who live in bigger cities and on More Arkansans subscribe to God’s Facethe coasts tend to have friends in farther book fan page than any other entity. Even away places. the Razorbacks come second. What else “That makes sense, too,” Bowman are we fans of? Starbucks coffee is a big says, “because people move to the coasts one, as are Freeze Pops (like Flavor-Ice and to major urban areas and they take and Otter Pops), Michael Jackson, Kris Allen, Farmville and “I need a vacation.” This is all according to an enormous set of Facebook user data that tracks information about where people’s friends are and what they’re fans of. The data was compiled over the last six months by Pete Warden, an ex-Apple engineer who thinks there’s got to be some kind of use for all the information people are posting about themselves on GOD JOINED FACEBOOK: And it was good. Facebook. In an article published their Facebook friends with them. In the by the site Read, Write, Web, Warden exSouth, there’s less major industry, less plained why he took on the venture. entertainment, or whatever. So people “Nobody thinks about how much valumove from there, but not necessarily to able information they’re generating just there. Or if they’re from there, they might by friending people and fanning pages. just stay. They’re not dragging along their It’s like we’re constantly voting in a hunFacebook friends from before because dred different ways every day. And I’m a there’s no before.” starry-eyed believer that we’ll be able to Warden made his data set available to change the world for the better using that academia for research purposes this week, neglected information,” Warden says. so it remains to be seen exactly what kind According to a preliminary look at the of conclusions scholars may draw from it. data, some interesting patterns do emerge. Like some of the things noted above, it’s For one, God tends to be the top fan page going to tell us a lot of things we’d expect. in the South (except for Texas, where the For example, people who are fans of the Cowboys come first). In northern states, Arkansas Times are also fans of Barack more people are fans of sports and beerObama, Starbucks, Rock Candy, Vic Snyrelated pages. One thing that most states der and NPR. Fans of Sen. Gilbert Baker have in common, though, is a love of are more likely to be fans of Sarah Palin, Freeze Pops, which actually have more Glenn Beck and the Family Council. fans than the Lord Almighty when you The data might also explain some polook at Facebook as a whole. litical behaviors and what we might expect It’s a lot of data to go through and the in the future. For example, you can list important question is, what is it telling us your political affiliation on Facebook. So about ourselves? Donna Bowman, associit will be interesting to see if there are any ate director of the Honors College at the major political differences in terms of age. University of Central Arkansas, a theoArkansas is a pretty conservative state. logian and a pop culture junkie, says fan Palin fans far outnumber those of Obama. pages are kind of like identity badges. But is that true for younger Arkansans? “I would jump at the opportunity to be“What I would like to know about is come a fan of a frozen treat,” Bowman says, the ways in which the data is more diverse “because I might get something out of being than you might expect and I would imaga fan of Otter Pops. They might give me a ine there are places where it is,” Bowman coupon. I’m not sure, but does God comsays. “I imagine there are some instances municate back with you on Facebook?” where the stereotypes don’t hold true in He doesn’t. But it’s easy, she says, some pretty surprising ways.” for people to be fans of God because it’s We’ll just have to wait and see. In such a pervasive part of the culture here the meantime, please follow our Arkanin the South. It also has to do with one’s sas Times fan page. That will tell others radius. One thing Warden’s data show is you’re cultured, well-read, intelligent and that, in Arkansas, most of our Facebook also a latte-drinking hippy socialist. friends live within a fairly small radius www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 23
2010 Arkansas Custom Knife Show
■ booknotes A handsome ‘Corpse’ UCA-based journal celebrates second issue.
Feb 20 & 21 • Sat 9-5, Sun 9-4 Robinson Center Exhibit Hall
One of the finest shows in the country featuring some of the best knife makers in the world!
GET TOMORROW’S NEWS TODAY! Arkansas Times News Blog (Where news junkies get their fix.)
Stephens Media Group State Capitol Coverage Local Weather and much more!
ONLINE AT ONE OF THE LARGEST AND FASTEST GROWING WEBSITES IN THE STATE!
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By DaviD Koon
n Though Mississippi looms larger when it comes to the written word, Arkansas is home to some stunningly good literary resources these days. The Oxford American up in Conway comes to mind, as do writers like Trenton Lee Stewart and (for those who don’t mind a little cheese in their blood pudding) Charlaine Harris of Magnolia. There’s one up-andcoming literary light in the state, however, that most probably haven’t heard of: “The Exquisite Corpse.” An annual literary journal produced by UCA’s Department of Writing, The
Exquisite Corpse is edited by the Romanian-born writer, filmmaker and NPR contributor Andrei Codrescu, who now lives in Arkansas. Though the journal leans toward the experimental — making it a kind of more serious brother to the absurdist journal McSweeney’s — there is a lot to be enjoyed in the new second issue ($19.99, softcover) that just hit the stands. The joy starts on the cover, which features an exceedingly rare illustration by the celebrated cartoonist R. Crumb. Crumb lives in France and apparently despises modern communication
Mind games A Hot Springs neurologist debuts new play.
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24 february 18, 2010 • arKaNSaS TIMeS
n For a time, Hot Springs neurologist Richard Pellegrino’s business card read: “No nerve too big, no brain too small.” It’s a nugget the doctor reveals in the course of explaining how he came to write “I Love You … Not,” a play that’s being directed by renowned New York acting coach and director Roger Simon and that will likely make its stage debut Off Broadway in the spring or summer, but not before it debuts, as a staged reading, at the RayLynn Theater in downtown Hot Springs on Friday and Saturday. Pellegrino isn’t giving away specifics about “I Love You…” beyond that it’s “about a psychologist who is blackmailed into falsifying a report on a reality TV producer, who has been fired unjustly.” More broadly, pelligrino: Doctor, author, politician. he’ll say that it’s a psychodrama — the characters play mind games with each He’s the founder of the Physicians Meother. And who better to conjure elaborate dia Project, an organization designed to mind games than a neurologist? Pellegrino “develop tools and products that facilitate says he’s learned a lot about human nature the accurate portrayal of the human side from interacting with his patients. of illness” in TV and movies and in print. “These are people in desperate situaAbout five years ago, he produced a doctions often. One of the privileges of mediumentary on multiple sclerosis, “Taking cine is that people will tell you things they Back the Future,” which screened at the wouldn’t normally, so you see how differHot Springs Documentary Film Festival. ent people react in different situations.” He writes poetry and, several years ago, Pellegrino’s path to playwriting has wrote a medical thriller, “Point Source.” taken a circuitous route through the arts. Pellegrino says he’d long wanted brIaN chIlSoN
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techniques, which makes appearances of his artwork rather hard to come by these days. Crumb’s letter to Codrescu — reproduced in the artist’s tiny handwriting as it arrived, and detailing how his work should be printed (“These young upstarts with their computers, their Photoshop, they can’t resist fucking with the graphics,” he writes) and his love of occult books and magazines — is a joy unto itself. In addition to loads of finely wrought poetry and fiction, some translated work, and reviews, the issue features an interesting article on the court case against the family that apparently forged a will to rip off Jack Kerouac’s royalty payments and papers. Overall it’s a journal of the highest order, and one that Arkansas should be proud to have in its cultural bookshelf. Find one soon and check it out. n At 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Bear’s Den in Conway, contributors and editors of The Exquisite Corpse, including Andrei Condrescu, will read from original works and sign copies of issue two. Other featured readers include Philip Martin, John Vanderslice and Larry Betz. The event is free. Call 501450-5134 for more information. to write a play, but didn’t want to do it without a strong collaborator. Then he met Simon, in New York, at The Players, a historic arts and theater club founded by Edmund Booth and Mark Twain in Gramercy Park in New York, and the partnership helped bring the play to life. Simon cast actors in New York, including “Sopranos” vet Dan Grimaldi, and over the course of two years — with an eightmonth hiatus last year —Pellegrino traveled back and forth to New York to work on parts with Simon, who also acts, and the rest of the players. Friday and Saturday’s staged readings will “look like a play and move like a play,” Pellegrino says. But actors will have access to the script if they need it, though even then, since much of the play happens at a desk, the audience probably won’t notice. Even with a burgeoning career as a playwright and a campaign underway for the state House of Representatives (District 25), Pellegrino doesn’t anticipate quitting his medical practice — or anything else. “I see the whole thing as related. In my mind, they’re all different facets of what I do.”
“I Love You … Not” 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 19 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20 RayLynn Theater, Hot Springs $20 (matinee), $25 (evening performances), $25 (for opening night, post-performance wine and cheese reception) For advance tickets, call 501-624-7469
Italy 2010
Paul’s Journey to Rome Rome • Vatican city • assisi • FloRence • Venice • siene • Pisa • VeRona
FEb 18 - 19
ARCHER 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 FX n As somebody who is partial to both the Sean Connery-era “James Bond” flicks and the movie “Airplane!” I have found a lot to like in the new animated series “Archer.” The show revolves around the adventures of Sterling Archer, a Bond-ish superspy with a penchant for taking 007’s misogyny and arrogance to absurd extremes – think “24” meets “The Office.” The show often pushes the boundary of good taste right over the cliff into delightful absurdity, with storylines involving everything from racism in the office to Archer’s secret lust for his mother — who happens to run the spy agency he works for: The International Secret Intelligence Service. The results are, in my way of thinking, some of the funniest stuff I’ve seen on TV in awhile. In short: If you’re a fan of the screwball comedy, “Archer” is right on target. Give it a shot. FUNNY OR DIE PRESENTS 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19 HBO nHow do I love www.funnyordie. com? Hold your arms wide apart. Wider. That’s about right. Created by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, the site features both fan-generated shorts, as well as sketches starring Ferrell and his famous friends – all with the novel bonus that viewers are able to vote on a video to determine if it’s funny or not. Videos that don’t get 20 percent funny by the time they hit 1,000 views are relegated to “The Crypt.” The site – featuring videos like the Internet classic “The Landlord,” and Ferrell’s musical ode to parking lot violence “Bat Fight” – are often funny enough to make Mountain Dew squirt out of your nose. Now the folks behind the site are heading to TV, with the new HBO sketch-comedy show “Funny or Die Presents.” The previews look pretty gatdamn hilarious, with sketches featuring Ferrell, Don Cheadle, Fred Willard, David Spade and Wayne Newton, among others. I haven’t had HBO since the “Sopranos” journeyed to disappointing black a couple years ago, but I might have to spring for primo channels just for this. If you’ve got HBO already, definitely check it out. — David Koon
Join Pastor Steven Tiner on a 10-day journey to Italy. Our journey begins on Sept. 14, 2010.
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Riverfest gets a bad rap Thanks to a Democrat-Gazette columnist. By Lindsey MiLLar
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n Riverfest is peeking out over the horizon. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve reported on the Rock Candy blog (www. arktimes.com/blogs/rockcandy) that the annual Memorial Day festival will effectively abandon North Little Rock as a primary staging ground for entertainment, and the first slate of performers announced (Gary Allan, Little River Band, Robert Cray and The Steve Miller Band). On Monday, we finally heard from Democrat-Gazette columnist Linda Caillouet, who writes the “Paper Trails” column on the front page of the Arkansas section, where she covers a lot of the same sort of topics we do on Rock Candy, but with less frequency and more focus on local Ellen DeGeneres lookalikes and the Duggars. Every year Caillouet seems to find new ways to write crotchety, uninformed pieces on Riverfest. Monday, she bemoaned the rising cost of the festival amidst the “continuing economic crisis,” and noted that in the early 1990s Riverfest only cost $1 and, for its first 14 years, cost nothing. Then, she added, “And in the personal opinion of this columnist, who moved to Little Rock in 1991 and has regularly attended Riverfest ever since, the quality of musical acts steadily improved during the mid to late1990s but has since been on a downward slide with less up-and-coming or crowddrawing, red-hot-right now musical acts.” First, to be clear what we’re talking about, this year, tickets to the three-day festival, which usually features at least a dozen name headliners, cost $15 in advance or $30 at the gate. That’s a $2.50 increase in advance tickets and a $5 increase for those at the gate from last year. Bloodsuckers! I asked Riverfest director DeAnna Korte for a response. Here’s what she said in an e-mail: “This isn’t the early ’90s. What did gas, milk and bread cost in the early ’90s? Riverfest’s expenses rise along with everything else. If the quality has gone down since then, why does attendance increase each year? If Linda was a ‘reporter,’ she would do her research on the value of our event compared to others in the region and across the country. Compare our pricing to one day at the zoo or a two-hour movie.” Caillouet may’ve left her flank open with the “crowd-drawing” line, but the
notion that Riverfest isn’t getting enough “red-hot-right now” acts is a popular one. It’s also wholly uninformed. Perhaps most importantly, Riverfest will always be limited by its music budget, which is somewhere in the range of $650,000. When, according to Korte, Dave Matthews gets half a million for festival dates and Kings of Leon wants $350,000, there wouldn’t be much left to spread among three days and three stages. Too, believe it or not, a lot of bands don’t want come to Arkansas to play 45 minutes in the sweltering heat on Memorial Day Weekend. Caillouet’s “up-andcoming” acts might be an exception, but if Riverfest is to even approach breaking even, it needs to pack in crowds and sell concessions. And with a limited number of headliner spots, slotting an up-and-comer in one is a pretty big gamble. Also, nostalgia acts aren’t just a part of Riverfest’s formula, they’re a part of most every summer festival like Riverfest. This year’s headliners for JazzFest in New Orleans — long one of the most respected — include Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, The Neville Brothers and the Allman Brothers Band. Record attendance numbers in recent years — around 250,000 in 2008 and 2009 — tell the real story: Names like Willie Nelson and Bobby Brown and The B-52s pack in the crowds at Riverfest. Also, it’s simply not true that the festival doesn’t bring in contemporary acts. In recent years, it’s included names like 3 Doors Down, Flyleaf, Gym Class Heroes, Hinder, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, One Republic, Pat Green, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Robert Randolph and the Family Band. And you can’t get much more up-andcoming than the local acts that play on mainstages in the early hours and throughout the festival at the Arkansas Tent (which, in full disclosure, we sponsor). If this year’s local lineup matches that of the last several years, you can survey Arkansas’s scene in all its diversity and talent for $15. Even in the “continuing economic crisis,” that’s a hell of a deal. Chime in on the rollicking thread going on Rock Candy (arktimes.com/blogs/ rockcandy) on Riverfest.
FEBRuaRy 19 IN THE aRGENTa DISTRICT 5-8pm THE THIRD FRIDay oF EaCH moNTH
William F. Laman Public Library Presents
Enchant ing Taiwan A Photo Exhibit of the Beauty & Diversity of Taiwan and its People Exhibit runs through February 28, 2010 2801 Orange Street North Little Rock, Arkansas
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Make a homerun to Ump’s after the Artwalk! Dickey-Stephens Park • North Little Rock
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ArkAnsAs Times • februAry 18, 2010 27
Fri., Feb. 19 - Thurs., Feb. 25
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4th AnnuAl “Reel Civil Rights Film FestivAl” Sat 2:00 4:00 7:00 9:00 Sun 1:00 2:00 4:00 7:00 9:00
CRAzy heARt – R 2:00 4:30 7:00 9:15
Feb. 18-25
movielistings All theater listings run Friday to Thursday unless otherwise noted.
Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal. 3 Oscar Nominations.
An eduCAtion – Pg13 2:15 4:20 7:15 9:20 Carey Mulligan, Olivia Williams, Alfred Molina. 3 Oscar Nominations.
A single mAn – R 1:45 4:15 6:45 9:15 Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult. Oscar Nominee.
the young viCtoRiA – Pg 2:00 4:20 7:00 9:20 Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany. 3 Oscar Nominations.
the imAginARium oF doCtoR PARnAssus – Pg13 FRi: 1:45 4:15 6:45 9:15 mon-thuRs: 1:45 4:15 6:45 Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell. 2 Oscar Nominations.
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News & Opinion Arkansas Reporter Observer Cartoons Entertainment Calendar Movie & Dining Reviews Movie Listings Dining List Classifieds CHECK THE ARKANSAS DAILY BLOG: NEWS, COMMENTS, BUZZ UPDATED CONTINUALLY 28 february 18, 2010 • arKaNSaS TIMeS
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Riverdale listings were not available at time of press. Movies 10 and Rave listings are valid Friday through Sunday only. Please visit www.arktimes.com for updates. NEW MOVIES Celine: Through the Eyes of the World (PG) — A documentary crew follows Celine Dion during her 2008-2009 Taking Chances world tour. Rave: 2:00 Sat.-Sun., 7:30 Mon. Shutter Island (R) — Two U.S. marshals travel to a secluded mental asylum to find an escaped patient and end up ‘SHUTTER’ TO THINK: Martin Scorsese directs Mark Rufdiscovering a vast conspiracy. Directed by Martin Scorsese. falo and Leonardo DiCaprio as two U.S. marshals who find Breckenridge: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, themselves entrenched in a web of conspiracy and sadism 10:00. Chenal 9: 10:30, 1:20, while trailing a murderer AWOL from an isolated 1950s 4:0, 7:05, 9:30. Lakewood: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:55. Rave: 11:45, mental asylum. Crazy Heart (R) — Seeking redemption, fallen 12:45, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:15, 11:15. country star Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) finds a friend and confidante in a struggling music journalist. RETURNING THIS WEEK Rave: 11:35, 2:20, 4:55, 7:40, 10:35. Animalopolis (NR) — A half-hour film of goofy Dear John (R) — An active soldier falls in love animals being goofy in enormous 3-D. Aerospace with a conservative college student while on leave IMAX: 11:00, 7:00. from Iraq in this adaptation of a novel by NichoArmored (PG-13) — Officers at an armored translas Sparks. Breckenridge: 1:50, 4:25, 6:55, 9:25. port security firm risk their lives when they embark Chenal 9: 10:45, 1:40, 4:15, 7:05, 9:45. Lakewood: on the ultimate heist against their own company. 10:55, 1:40, 4:30, 7:10, 9:40. Rave: 4:35, 5:20, Movies 10: 4:40, 10:15. 7:20, 8:20, 10:10, 11:10. Avatar (PG-13) — A paraplegic ex-Marine war Did You Hear About The Morgans? (PG-13) veteran is sent to establish a human settlement on — A New York couple (Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica the distant planet of Pandora, only to find himself Parker) witnesses a murder and flees the assasbattling humankind alongside the planet’s indigsin by relocating to a small town. Movies 10: 1:40, enous race. Animated. Breckenridge: 1:15, 4:40, 4:15, 7:10, 9:35. 8:00. Chenal 9: 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:30. LakeEdge of Darkness (R) — A detective inadverwood: 21:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:15. Rave: 11:00, 12:05, tently uncovers a complex yarn of conspiracies 2:35, 3:45, 6:50, 7:50, 10:20. while solving his daughter’s murder. Rave: 11:10, The Blind Side (PG-13) — A homeless black 2:10, 5:00, 8:05, 10:50. teen-ager is taken in by a family that coaches him An Education (PG-13) — A teen with a bright into becoming a star student-athlete. Rave: 11:05, future meets a charming but older suitor and gets 2:05. an unforgettable taste of adult life. Market Street: Book of Eli (R) — Across the wasteland of what 2:15, 4:20, 7:15, 9:20. once was America, a lone warrior (Denzel WashExtraordinary Measures (PG) — A father deington) must fight to bring civilization the knowlvoted to saving his terminally ill children joins forcedge that could be the key to its redemption. es with an unconventional scientist (Harrison Ford) Breckenridge: 1:35, 4:55, 7:35, 10:15. Lakewood: to battle the medical and business establishments. 11:00, 1:45, 4:25, 7:25, 10:00. Rave: 12:00, 2:40, Movies 10: 1:45, 4:20, 7:35, 10:10. 5:25, 8:25, 11:05. From Paris With Love (R) — James Reese Brothers (R) — A married soldier presumed dead (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), a low level CIA operative, finds his drifter brother has assumed his role in the has a white-knuckle day alongside his new loose family. Movies 10: 1:30, 4:00, 7:25, 9:55. cannon of a partner, Charlie Wax (John Travolta). Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (PG) — Breckenridge: 2:15, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55. Chenal 9: Flint Lockwood and his food-making invention 11:10, 1:55, 4:35, 7:20, 9:50. Rave: 7:05, 9:30. must respond to a town’s hard times when its citiThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (PGzenry can only afford to eat sardines. Movies 10: 13) — The leader of a traveling show who traded 2:00, 4:45. Market Street: 2:00, 44:30, 7:00, 9:15. the soul of his future daughter to the devil thousands of years ago wagers the collection of five souls to prevent the devil from collecting on the deal. Market Street: 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15 Fri.; 1:45, 4:15, 6:45 Mon.-Thu. It’s Complicated (R) — When Jane (Meryl Arkansas Times News Blog Streep) and ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) find (Where news junkies get their fix.) themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, an innocent meal together turns into Stephens Media Group State Capitol Coverage an affair. Breckenridge: 1:30, 6:50. Legion (R) — An out-of-the-way diner becomes Local Weather the unlikely battleground for the survival of the huand much more! man race. Breckenridge: 2:10, 5:10, 7:45, 10:10. Rave: 10:05. ONLINE AT ONE OF THE Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (NR) LARGEST AND FASTEST — Researchers and explorers piece together the GROWING WEBSITES IN THE STATE! past with the archeological and genetic clues from Egyptian mummies. Aerospace IMAX: 1:00, 9:00. www.arktimes.com New Moon (PG-13) — Romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the supernatural mysteries. Movies 10: 1:20, 2:45, 4:10, 5:35, 7:00, 8:25, 9:50.
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Ninja Assassin (R) — A member of the secret Ozunu assassin clan seeks revenge for his friends’ murder and follows a money trail implicating the organization in numerous other crimes. Movies 10: 1:50, 7:20. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (PG) — A dyslexic, ADHD high school student discovers he’s a descendant of Poseidon, finds himself entangled in a war of mythical proportions. Breckenridge: 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 9:50. Chenal 9: 10:35, 1:25, 4:10, 7:00, 9:40. Lakewood: 10:50, 1:35, 4:20, 7:10, 9:45. Rave: 10:55, 11:50, 1:45, 2:45, 4:45, 5:45, 7:15, 8:15, 10:00, 11:00. Planet 51 (PG) — Animated alien adventure comedy revolving around American astronaut Chuck Baker. Movies 10: 1:10, 3:25, 5:40, 7:50, 10:05. The Princess and the Frog (G) — A trumpetplaying alligator, a love-sick Cajun firefly and others spin a love tale on a mystical Louisiana bayou. Movies 10: 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00. The Road — (R) — A father (Viggo Mortensen) and son make their way across a post-apocalyptic U.S. in hopes of finding civilization amongst the nomadic cannibal tribes in the year 2929. Movies 10: 7:05, 9:40. Sherlock Holmes (PG-13) — The master detective and his stalwart partner Watson embark on their latest challenge. Rave: 11:20, 2:25. A Single Man (PG-13) — Colin Firth plays an early ’60s college professor attempting to readjust to regular life after the death of his partner. Market Street: 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15. The Tooth Fairy (PG) — A star hockey player (Dwayne Johnson) is temporarily transformed into a full-fledged tooth fairy as penalty for discouraging a young fan. Breckenridge: 2:05, 4:30, 7:05, 9:35. Chenal 9: 10:50, 1:20, 4:00, 7:05, 9:30. Lakewood: 11:05, 1:20, 4:10, 7:05, 9:35. Rave: 11:25, 1:50, 4:25. 2012 (PG-13) — Epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world. Movies 10: 1:05, 4:25, 7:55. Valentine’s Day (PG-13) — A gaggle of Los Angelenos make, break, and take hearts on Valentine’s Day in this ensemble movie. Breckenridge: 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:05. Chenal 9: 10:40, 1:45, 4:30, 7:10, 10:00. Lakewood: 10:55, 1:40, 4:10, 7:20, 9:50. Rave: 11:15, 1:15, 2:15, 4:10, 5:15, 7:30, 8:30, 10:30. When in Rome (PG-13) — A lovelorn New Yorker (Kristen Bell) absconds to Rome, grabs a handful of coins from a “fountain of love” and finds herself the object of affection from the coins’ original throwers. Breckenridge: 4:15, 9:30. Chenal 9: 10:55, 1:35, 4:20, 7:25, 9:40. Rave: 12:20, 2:55, 5:10, 7:25. Wildfire: Feel the Heat (NR) — Discover how firefighters all over the planet fight the biggest, hottest fires on the planet. Aerospace IMAX: 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, 8:00. The Wolfman (R) — In this reboot of the classic horror film, Benicio del Toro stars as the cursed werewolf, wreaking horror on late 19th century villagers. Breckenridge: 2:00, 5:00, 7:40, 10:15. Chenal 9: 11:05, 1:50, 4:25, 7:15, 9:55. Lakewood: 11:05, 1:25, 4:05, 7:15, 10:00. Rave: 11:30, 12:30, 2:00, 3:05, 4:40, 5:35, 7:45, 8:45, 10:45. The Young Victoria (PG) — As the only legitimate heir of England’s King William, teen-age Victoria (Emily Blunt) becomes caught up in the political machinations of her own family. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:00, 9:20. Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre: 17825 Chenal Parkway, 821-2616, www.dtmovies.com. Cinemark Movies 10: 4188 E. McCain Blvd., 9457400, www.cinemark.com. Cinematown Riverdale 10: Riverdale Shopping Center, 296-9955, www.riverdale10.com. IMAX Theater: Aerospace Education Center, 3764629, www.aerospaced.org. Market Street Cinema: 1521 Merrill Drive, 3128900, www.marketstreetcinema.net. Rave Colonel Glenn 18: 18 Colonel Glenn Plaza, 687-0499, www.ravemotionpictures.com. Regal Breckenridge Village 12: 1-430 and Rodney Parham, 224-0990, www.fandango.com. Dickinson Theaters Lakewood 8: Lakewood Village, 758-5354, www.fandango.com.
■moviereview One for the dogs Little bark, no bite in ‘Wolfman.’
MY, WHAT BIG DISGUSTING YELLOW TEETH YOU HAVE: Benicio del Toro stars in “The Wolfman.” film back before Twitter existed.) Lord n One way to ruin a perfectly good horknows any movie with credits like “based ror film is to pour a lot of money into it. on a screenplay by” so-and-so suffered We’re talking about the one genre that through a lot of micro-management and invariably benefits from the kind of inbehind-the scenes strife. genuity only financial limitations can Such reservations prove themselves foster. “The Wolfman,” if its lag in progrounded in dismal reality by a tin-eared duction time gives us any clue, turned approach to basic gothic horror that falls into a real money pit at some point. (I far short of standard, performances that seem to remember seeing promos for this
are uniformly uninspired and a third act that goes so completely off the rails that it seems like an entirely different director is at the helm. “The Wolfman” is not so much bad as it is forgettable. It’ll do fine on cable networks with time to kill, sandwiched between “Van Helsing” and “The Scorpion King,” but I’m not sure many folks would see it twice out of anything but sheer boredom. Universal creature features were always crappy, churned out on limited budgets with stock players on recycled sets, but at least they could be charming and eccentric. Life on the margins provided them a kind of freedom. “The Wolfman” seems focus-grouped to death. I wanted to admire its resistance to revision. A number of interesting films have sprouted out of the werewolf mythology, from classics like “The Howling” and “An American Werewolf in London” to hip diversions like “Ginger Snaps” and “Dog Soldiers.” Shakira’s topping the charts with her own spin on quasi-bestial sexuality, and I’d posit that even “Teen Wolf” warrants more than ironic appreciation. Connecting adolescence to a myth that hinges on the domestication of untethered masculinity, not to mention turning weasely Alex P. Keaton into a rowr-ing sex machine/point guard, at least required a little imagination. “The Wolfman” sets itself apart by attempting to stay relatively faithful to the general tale. Most of the original elements are intact, anyway: silver bullets, full moons, transference of the curse by wolf-bite, the strange elasticity of clothing. The period setting parts ways with the Universal original and settles into a land of gothic affectation more familiar to fans of the famed Hammer horror film franchise of Great Britain. Benicio Del Toro, who plays the cursed scion of an unrepentant lycanthrope, even looks a bit like the infamously pickled Oliver Reed, whose watery eyeballs lusted after busty British
babes in his own stale version of the tale. Those gothic affectations, with their clattering cobblestones and flamboyantly taxidermized studies and candlelit cobwebs and gypsy caravans, could have been reason enough to see the film, but they pale in comparison to the grimy period detail of the more evocative “Sherlock Holmes” and settle firmly into the yawning confines of cliche. As a result, the movie is so inept at conjuring genuine eeriness that it has to settle for the noisy wooshes for all its scares, and even those aren’t terribly effective because who doesn’t know that somebody’s gonna yell “BOO!” just when things quiet down? The sound department, stretched to the limit by being really loud right when something jumps out of the shadows, apparently couldn’t be bothered to put any raw unearthly emotion into the werewolf’s campy howl. Everybody else was clearly just cashing a paycheck. Anthony Hopkins, worst of all because he should know better, attempts to icy-stare his way through the characterization, when what his and every other role really required was some good old theatrical booming-voice Acting. Del Toro can do little more than mumble, all presence and no gravity, like his very awful CGI wolf, which bounds around like a paper tiger. Emily Blunt is never better than when she gives us a scant view of her naked back, a stray treat in an otherwise doomed performance. You really wonder why studios bother with name actors on productions like this. The film treats the terrors of Del Toro’s change into the wolf in the stalest possible way, which seems its greatest failure. It’s one thing to go through the motions; it’s another to miss the point entirely. If physical pain is the extent of what you can imagine accompanies such a transformation, then no wonder your lunatic howl registers as so laughably hollow. — Derek Jenkins
www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 29
n Nancy Tesmer, co-owner of Lilly’s Dim Sum, has opened a new “sophisticated” breakfast and brunch-focused restaurant with Chef Jeffrey More in the former party room of Lilly’s. B-Side specializes in the “modern classics,” Tesmer said. Which means items like French toast kabobs, served on a stick wrapped in bacon; a dish called biscuit mountain, made of biscuit, sausage, sausage gravy, rosti (grated parsnips and potatoes, fried) and fried egg; as well as more traditional offerings, like pancakes, eggs benedict and huevos rancheros. At our press deadline, Tesmer had not yet secured her liquor license, but expected to shortly. She’ll offer mimosas, Bloody Marys and other brunch-typical drinks like the Cape Cod, Madras and Salty Dog. B-Side is located at 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road in the Market Place Shopping Center, and open 7 a.m. until noon, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is 554-0914. On Sunday, the restaurant offers an “industry brunch.” Anyone in food service who brings in a paycheck will receive a 25% discount. n Correction: In the Feb. 4 edition of What’s Cookin’, we mistakenly described the future location of Bar Louie as the former home of Imagine. Capi’s is in the former Imagine space. Bar Louie will occupy the former home of Crew.
Restaurant capsules Every effort is made to keep this listing of some of the state’s more notable restaurants current, but we urge readers to call ahead to check on changes on days of operation, hours and special offerings. What follows, because of space limitations, is a partial listing of restaurants reviewed by our staff. Information herein 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. Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order by city; Little Rock-area restaurants are divided by food category. Other review symbols are: B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner $ Inexpensive (under $8/person) $$ Moderate ($8-$20/person) $$$ Expensive (over $20/person) CC Accepts credit cards
LITTLE ROCK/ N. LITTLE ROCK AMERICAN
ACADIA A jewel of a restaurant in Hillcrest. Wonderful soups and fish dishes. Extensive wine list. On Mondays and Tuesdays get three courses for the fixed price of $22.50. It’s a bargain. 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 603-9630 D Mon.-Sat. ALLEY OOPS The restaurant at Creekwood Plaza (near the Kanis-Bowman intersection) is a neighborhood feedbag for major medical institutions with plate lunches, burgers and homemade desserts. 11900 Kanis Road. Full bar. CC
30 february 18, 2010 • Arkansas Times
■ dining A new day at The House McGehee gives the Hillcrest restaurant new punch. n In the eight months or so since it opened off Kavanaugh, the idea of The House has changed. Several times. Originally, breakfast was to be a focus. Then it wasn’t. Originally, customers ordered counterstyle. Then came table service. Lunch died. A new menu was introduced. The original chef left. For those changes, The House has taken its share of lumps. Every time it’s mentioned on our food blog, Eat Arkansas, comment threads swell massively and contentiously. The DemocratGazette’s Eric Harrison (of Sim’s sauce-hating infamy) seems to take special glee in cataloging beer-battered fish: New dish at The House. the restaurant’s indecision. which he served occasionally at Boulevard. Even as a regular, largely satisfied patron, And again, he’s delivered what is surely the as recently as last fall, we couldn’t help but best in town. Served in a wide, deep bowl, wonder if all the upheaval spelled an early it’s shrimp, crab, chicken and andouille end for the Hillcrest hangout. sausage in a thick roux of onions, green Then Scott McGehee on board. Fresh peppers and okra, served with a stick of from selling his stake in Boulevard Bread buttery grilled artisan bread, perfect for Co. to his ex-wife, the local chef and dipping. Then there’s a California club restaurateur signed on as executive chef ($9.50) and a massive slab of vegetable in December. And just as he did with pizza lasagna ($11.75). and salads at Za Za and bread and soups The appetizer menu is equally broad and sandwiches at Boulevard, he’s changed — and portioned large enough for several the way we think about pub grub. to split during cocktail hour — but slightly For starters, he’s broadened the scope. less successful. On the impressive side, two Before, The House did burgers superbly and items you might not be able to get elsewhere: salads well, without much variety in between. steamed whole artichoke ($8.50), served McGehee’s new dishes span the gonna-killwith clarified butter and a “cumin-lemon” you-if-you-eat-it-every-day fare and the mayo; and a bucket of Prince Edward Island green and healthy with a wide, gradual arc. mussels ($12.95), steamed in a mix of white On the high calorie side, the burger ($8.75), wine, garlic, tomato, basil and lobster beurre. on which The House built its reputation, Somewhat less so: blue corn and black bean remains, but as a build-your-own option; nachos, served with few chips, not enough there are vegan and turkey options, too. cheese (even with a variety of three — goat, Then you’ve got the revamped steak jack and cotija — included) and way too frites ($14.95) and the shockingly good many black beans. Also available: a delecDiamond Bear Beer battered fish and chips table, Boulevard-style bruschetta ($8.25); ($12.95) — deep-fried, meaty chunks of a bucket of fries ($4.95); a bucket of sweet “sustainably farmed” grouper served on a potato fries ($4.95); hummus and tzatziki bed of excellent House fries. ($8.75) and fried mushrooms with hushpupAt the other end of the spectrum, there’s pies ($7.75). a Thai green curry bowl ($12.95) that’s We haven’t yet tried any of the new easily the best Thai dish to be found in salads — a cobb ($7.75), a fruit and nut town — and big enough for sharing. It’s ($8.95) and a mixed green and arugula built around a column of sticky rice with ($7.75) — but at least on other people’s basil, cilantro, chunks of eggplant, diced plates, all looked about as good as you’d tomato, ginger, makrud lime, lemongrass expect from McGehee. Ditto for the soup and chicken bites (substitute eggplant for of the day ($5.95). Among the desserts, chicken and the dish becomes vegan). naming the key lime pie the “the best key Somewhere in between, McGehee’s lime pie” ($6.95) was not a sign of hubris. brought over his recipe for gumbo ($9.75), brian chilson
what’scookin’
There’s also a chocolate pot de creme ($7.50) and a chocolate cake ($7.95). In the past, we rarely experienced glitches in service, but heard quite a bit of bellyaching from others. Our first trip postnew menu came the night of the recent big snow, when most restaurants across town were closed. And despite being short staffed and completely jam packed, we got our food in no time flat. The following night, with a larger party in equally busy restaurant, we got it even faster and never had to wait long for another beer or a refill of water. This week, The House revived lunch. The menu is the same as dinner, and daily, there’ll be a sandwich special and likely, according to co-owner Nick Coffin, a soup and salad one as well. Now if they’ll just bring back breakfast … .
The House 722 N. Palm St. 663-4500 Quick bite
Since it opened, The House has expanded its beer and wine selection smartly. The restaurant’s certainly family friendly — there’s a new, simple kids’ menu that includes grilled cheese and chicken tenders — but be ready for a lively pub-style crowd at night.
Hours
Whether lunch would constitute its own hours or simply bleed into dinner was still under debate at press time; regardless, it’ll be served at least from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, with dinner beginning at 5 p.m. and ending late, crowd willing, daily.
Other info
The House continues to maintain a dynamic Facebook page, with a menu and updated specials.
$-$$ 221-9400 LD Mon.-Sat. ATHLETIC CLUB What could be mundane fare gets delightful twists and embellishments here. Embassy Suites Hotel. 11301 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 312-9000 LD daily. BEST IMPRESSIONS Soup, salad and sandwiches are always on the menu in the Arkansas Arts Center café, and we’ve never had a bad soup of the day here. But there are also entrees you might usually see at dinner, too. Plus, a strong dessert menu. 501 East Ninth Street (Arkansas Arts Center) Full bar CC $$ 907-5946 L Tues.-Sun. BLACK ANGUS Charcoal-grilled burgers, hamburger steaks and steaks proper are the big draws at this local institution. 10907 N. Rodney Parham. No alcohol. CC $ 228-7800 LD Mon.-Sat. BOULEVARD BREAD CO. Fresh bread, fresh pastries, wide selection of cheeses, meats, side dishes, dinners to go — all superb. Good coffee, too. 1920 N. Grant St. CC $-$$$ 663-5951 BLD Mon.-Sat.; River Market Hall, beer and wine, CC $-$$$ 374-1232, BL Mon.-Sat.; College of Public Health, 401 W. Markham St. No alcohol CC $-$$$ 526-6661 BL Mon.-Fri. BOUDREAUX’S GRILL & BAR A homey, seat-yourself Cajun joint in Maumelle that serves up all sorts of variations of shrimp and catfish. With particularly tasty red beans and rice, jambalaya and bread pudding. 9811 Maumelle Blvd., North Little Rock. Full bar CC $-$$ 753-6860 LD Wed.-Sat., D Mon.-Tue. BY THE GLASS A broad but not ridiculously large list is studded with interesting, diverse selections, and prices are uniformly reasonable. The food focus is on high-end items that pair well with wine – olives, hummus, cheese, bread, and some meats and sausages. 5713 Kavanaugh Blvd. Wine and beer. CC $$ 501-663-WINE (9463) 4-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 4 p.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat. CAJUN’S WHARF The venerable seafood restaurant has a new look to go with great gumbo and oysters Bienville, and options such as fine steaks for the non-seafood eater. In the citified bar, you’ll find some of the best nightly entertainment in town. 2400 Cantrell Road. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 375-5351 D Mon.-Sat. CATFISH CITY AND BBQ GRILL Basic fried fish and sides, including green tomato pickle, and now with tasty ribs and sandwiches in beef, pork and sausage. 1817 S. University Ave. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 663-7224 LD Mon.-Sat. CATFISH HOLE Downhome place for well-cooked catfish and tasty hushpuppies. 603 E. Spriggs, NLR. Beer. CC $-$$ 758-3516. D Tues.-Sat. COFFEE BEANERY CAFE Come for the coffee first, but the sandwiches and desserts are good, too. 17200 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol. CC $$ 821-7747 BLD daily. COMMUNITY BAKERY This sunny downtown bakery is the place to linger over a latte, bagels and the New York Times. But a lunchtime dash for sandwiches is OK, too, though it’s often packed. 1200 Main St., 375-7105; 270 S. Shackleford, 224-1656. No alcohol. CC $-$$ BLD daily. COPELAND’S The full service restaurant chain started by the founder of Popeye’s delivers the same good biscuits, the same dependable frying and a New Orleans vibe in piped music and décor. You can eat red beans and rice for a price in the single digits or pay near $40 for a choice slab of ribeye, with crab, shrimp and fish in between. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. 312-1616. LD. $$-$$$ Full bar. CC. COPPER GRILL A sunny and ultra-modern restaurant in downtown’s most chic condo tower offers comfort food (fried mac-and-cheese), burgers and sophisticated appetizers and entrees geared solidly for the middle of the dining spectrum. Grilled meats and fish, hearty side dishes and big salads — everything served with a generous hand. Fresh fish, grilled expertly, is a top choice. But sandwiches, big salads and even fried catfish offer a little something for everyone. Desserts are made from scratch. 300 E. Third. Full bar. CC $$-$$$. 375-3333 LD Mon.-Sat. DAVE AND RAY’S DOWNTOWN DINER Lunch buffet with four choices of meats and eight veggies. All-youcan-eat catfish on weekend nights. 824 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol. $$ 372-8816 BL Mon.-Fri. 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. CC $$-$$$ 376-1195 LD Mon.-Fri, D Sat. DOUBLETREE PLAZA BAR & GRILL Heaping breakfast and lunch buffets in the elegant lobby restaurant. Markham and Broadway. Full bar. CC $$ 372-4371 BLD daily. FATSAM’S LOUISIANA CAFE A brightly decorated oasis of good cheer and cheap, heaping plates of Louisianainfluenced food in a corner of the River Market food hall. The lineup changes daily, but expect to find a steam table full of rib-stickers – shrimp Creole, etouffee, jambalaya, red beans and rice, gumbo and po boys with chicken, spicy pork or catfish. A big cobbler might be bubbling in the convection oven. 400 President Clinton Ave. 244-4720. CC $ LD Mon.-Sat. FRANKE’S Plate lunch spot strong on salads and vegetables, and perfect fried chicken on Sundays. Locations in the Regions Bank Building, 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 225-4487 LD daily. FRONTIER DINER Order at the counter for home-cooked plate lunches, burgers and delicious pies. 10424 Interstate 30. No alcohol. CC $ 565-6414 BL Mon.-Sat. GRUMPY’S Try the Wednesday night bonanza: large, fresh oysters on the half-shell and hefty shrimp for a quarter a pop. Rib special on Mondays. 1801 Green Mountain Drive. Full bar. CC $-$$ 225-3768 LD Mon.-Sat.
IZZY’S It’s bright, clean and casual, with snappy team service of all his standbys — sandwiches and fries, lots of fresh salads, pasta about a dozen ways, hand-rolled tamales and (night only) brick oven pizzas. Wholesome, all-American food prepared with care, if rarely far from the middle of the culinary road. 5601 Ranch Drive, off Highway. Beer and Wine CC $-$$ 868-4311 LD Mon. - Sat. LULAV AND V LOUNGE A Mediterranean-California fusion eatery, and the delicious flavors are like none you’ll experience anywhere in the city. Good fish, veal, daring salads and much more. Plus, a hot bar to see and be seen. 220 A W. 6th St. Full Bar. CC $$-$$$ 374-5100 LD Tue.-Sun. MILFORD TRACK Healthy and tasty are the key words at this deli/grill, featuring hot entrees, soups, sandwiches, salads and killer desserts. 10809 Executive Center Drive, Searcy Building. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 223-2257 BL Mon.-Sat. MIMI’S CAFE Breakfast is our meal of choice here at this upscale West Coast chain. Portions are plenty to last you through the afternoon, especially if you get a muffin on the side. Middle-America comfort-style entrees highlight other meals, from pot roast to pasta dishes. 11725 Chenal Parkway. Full bar. CC $$ 221-3883 BLD (breakfast served until 4 p.m.) daily. PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milkshakes — in a ’50s setting at today’s prices. 8026 Cantrell Road, 221-3555; 11602 Chenal Parkway, 224-4433. Beer, “adult” milkshakes. CC $-$$ BLD daily. RED LOBSTER Top-grossing restaurant in Central Arkansas, a crowd favorite for fried and sauteed shrimp and more seafood. 3707 McCain Blvd., NLR, 753-4000; 8407 W. Markham St., 224-0940. Full bar. CC $$ LD daily. ROCKS GRILL Bounteous buffets at lunch and Sunday brunch, while steaks, seafood and chicken are the main draws at dinner, mostly for travelers. Holiday Inn Select, 201 S. Shackleford. Full bar. CC $-$$$ 223-3000 BLD daily. RUDY’S OYSTER BAR Good boiled shrimp and oysters on the half shell. Quesadillas and chili cheese dip are tasty and ultra-hearty. 2695 Pike Ave., NLR. Full bar. CC $-$$ 771-0808 D Mon.-Sat. SALUT! Pleasantly quirky menu here — rosemary barbecued shrimp on seared polenta, gnocchi in a cream sauce with asparagus and red onion, short ribs ravioli and Low Country shrimp and grits. Patio dining. 1501 N. University. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 660-4200 L Mon.-Fri. D Wed.-Sun. SAN FRANCISCO BREAD CO. Breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, soups and a hot cup of joe, or a iced glass of tea. 101 S. Bowman Road (corner of West Markham and Bowman). No alcohol. CC $-$$ 537-0200 BLD daily. SHORTY SMALL’S Land of big, juicy burgers, massive cheese logs, smoky barbecue platters and the signature onion loaf. 4317 Warden Road, NLR, 753-8111; 1100 N. Rodney Parham Road, 224-3344. Full bar. CC $$ LD daily.
■ update STAGECOACH GROCERY This unassuming little convenience store towards Otter Creek is home to what might be the best olive salad in Arkansas. Muffulettas — as well as roast beef, polish sausage, ham and cheese and bologna and cheese po’ boys — are served on French bread rolls wrapped in white wax paper, which makes them perfect for picking up and taking home. Or, eat in and get a messy, tasty footlong hotdog with the works. The grocery offers plate lunch specials during the week, and darn good homemade fried pies. 6024 Stagecoach Road. CC $-$$ 455-4157 BLD daily (closed on Sat. and Sun. at 5 p.m.) STARVING ARTIST CAFE An important addition in helping Argenta achieve restaurant “critical mass,” this is a fun, creative, affordable and consistently excellent locally owned spot. Lunches are downright cheap, while the quality at dinner is impressive for the generally less-than-$20 entrée price tag. 411 Main St., NLR. Full bar. CC. $$ 372-7976 LD Tue.-Sat. THE BOX Cheeseburgers and french fries are greasy and wonderful and not like their fast-food cousins. 1623 Main St. Beer. No CC 372-8735 L Mon.-Fri. TRIO’S Still great after 20 years. You can’t go wrong with custom sandwiches, Peck Special Salad or chicken salad at lunch; the enchiladas and voodoo pasta at dinner, or the monumentally rich list of tempting desserts. 8201 Cantrell Road. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 221-3330. LD Mon.-Sat. UNION RESTAURANT Tasty tapas dishes are really only part of the draw at this rather trendy late-night spot with a great wine list, a full complement of specialty drinks and a chic atmosphere that belies its sub-shop beginnings. 3421 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar CC $$ 661-8311 D daily. WHOLE FOODS MARKET Good sandwiches, soups and hummus to go; an enormous number of hot and cold entrees from the deli. 10700 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 312-2326 BLD daily. YOUNG’S CATFISH RESTAURANT You can’t go wrong with this longtime favorite. 3400 E. Broadway, NLR. No alcohol. $-$$ 372-7441 LD Mon.-Sat.
AwArd winning new OrleAns Cuisine
AT LITTLE ROCK PRICES!
STEAKS • SEAFOOD • CREOLE SPECIALTIES
The Faded Rose
®
LITTLE ROCK’S WORLD FAMOUS RESTAURANT
400 N. Bowman Road 501-224-3377 • 1619 Rebsamen Road 501-663-9734
Super King Buffet
Chinese Buffet with Japanese Sushi and Mongolian Grill Take-out available on buffet and menu items
EVERY DAY DINNER BUFFET & ALL DAY SUNDAY BUFFET
4000 Springhill Plaza Court North Little Rock (501) 945-4802 fax (501) 945-4807
Includes Crab Legs, Crawfish, Frog Legs, Whole Steamed Fish, Grilled Ribs, and Steaks Cooked to Order.
Open 7 Days A Week Sun. - Thur. 11am to 9:30pm Fri. & Sat. 11am to 10pm
ASIAN ASIAN PALACE BUFFET Formerly Dragon Palace Buffet, this sister restaurant to China King Buffet, features the
Continued on page 32
www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 31
Thanks Arkansas For Voting For Us!
THANKS FOR VOTING FOR US!
Vegetable and Non-Vegetable Buffet Daily with Special Brunch on Sat. & Sun. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Owner Sami Lal has been serving his unique style of authentic North Indian cuisine since 1993 and welcomes you to a wonderful dining experience.
Lunch: 11am-2:45pm Mon-Sun Dinner: 5pm-10pm Mon-Thur& Sun 5pm-10:30pm Fri & Sat • Open 7 days a week
227-9900
Westchase Plaza • 301 N. Shackleford GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE
www.lrstarofindia.com
BEST FRIED CHICKEN best home cooking
Bobby’s
want to reach more Latino clients? need to understand Latino customs? need to translate employee manuals? want to hire bilingual workers?
PANAMERICAN CONSULTING, INC.
Country Cookin’
501-224-9500 • 301 N.Shackleford Road West Chase Plaza at the corner of N. Shackleford & W.Markham bobbyscountrycookin.com
want to reach more Latino clients? need to understand Latino Leiderman customs? Michel need to translate We can help your business grow! employee manuals? contact: hotelmpl@aol.com want to hire bilingual michel@arktimes.com workers? (501) 993-3572
PANAMERICAN CONSULTING, INC. Michel Leiderman
delicious mike’s place Michelangelo’s is the best of attention members & Guests
We can help your business grow! signature dishes
Italian ingredients fantastic deliciousItalian Italian wonderful ingredients fantastic Italian delicious contact us: hotelmpl@aol.com michel@arktimes.com mobile: (501) 993-3572
wonderful voted best restaurant around arkansas 5 years runninG—the most award winninG restaurant in arkansas!
Italian and American food atmosphere Enjoy one of our signature Italian dishes like Shrimp Brindisi or enjoy one of our thick, juicy, Sterling Silver™ steaks.
signature dishes
Recently Michelangelo’s received awards for “Best Happy Hour”, “Best Rooftop/ Patio”, and Most Romantic.
atmosphere
Our inspiration for Mike’s Place comes from the Deep South. Old brick, wrought iron, fountains and plants surround the interior of our restaurant. Keeping with these traditions, we feature only the highest quality shrimp, fish and shellfish from the Gulf Shores and serve only premium cuts of beef. reservations accepted. private rooms available for parties. experience new orleans style food and fun!
808 Front Street Downtown Conway 501-269-6453 • mikesplaceconway.com
32 february 18, 2010 • arkansas Times
signature dishes Bring the entire family and feel at home in Conway’s best Italian restaurant.
atmosphere Private rooms for parties. Rent the rooftop for your special occasion. Reservations accepted.
signature dishes
atmosphere 1117 Oak Street Downtown Conway at Toad Suck Square 501-329-7278 • michelangelosconway.com
Restaurant capsules Continued from page 31 delicious Mongolian grill, sushi, crab legs and Asian and American items. Bowman Station, Hermitage and Bowman. Beer and wine. CC $ 225-0095 LD daily. CHINA INN Massive Chinese buffet overflows with meaty and fresh dishes, augmented at dinner by boiled shrimp, oysters on the half shell and snow crab legs (all you want cheap). 2629 Lakewood Village Place, NLR. Beer and wine. CC $-$$ 771-2288 LD daily. CRAZY HIBACHI GRILL The folks that own Chi’s and Sekisui offer their best in a three-in-one: teppanyaki cooking, sushi bar and sit-down dining with a Mongolian grill. 2907 Lakewood Village, NLR. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 812-9888 LD daily. FORBIDDEN CITY The Park Plaza Mall staple has fast and friendly service, offering up good lo mein at lunch and Cantonese and Hunan dishes. Markham and University. Full bar. CC $ 663-9099 LD daily. a KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI BAR Though answering the need for more hibachis in Little Rock, Kobe stands taller with its sushi offerings than grill fare. 11401 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 225-5999 D daily. KOPAN BULGOGI & SUSHI. Cabot’s entry into Korean/ Japanese style food does well when it comes to delicious food at reasonable prices, but the wait for dinner can be unbearable. Go for the bulgogi — thin strips of beef marinated in housemade sauce — and for the kebabs, but skip the salad or soup. 701 West Main Street in Cabot. Alcohol. CC. $$. (501) 843-2002 LD Mon.-Sat. OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT Fine-dining Japanese dishes and a well-stocked sushi bar. 5501 Ranch Drive, Suite 1. Full bar. CC $$ 868-3688 LD daily. PEI WEI Sort of a miniature P.F. Chang’s, but a lot of fun and plenty good with all the Chang favorites we like, such as the crisp honey shrimp, dan dan noodles and pad Thai. You order from the cashier, get your own tea, silverware and fortune cookies, and they bring your piping hot food to your cozy table. Midtowne Little Rock, West Markham Street and University Avenue. Wine and beer. CC $-$$ 280-9423 LD daily. SAMURAI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE A hibachi grill that transcends typical fare. With a pricey sushi menu, too. 2604 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 224-5533 LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. SEKISUI Fresh-tasting sushi, traditional Japanese, the fun hibachi style of Japanese and an overwhelming assortment of entrees. Nice wine selection, sake, specialty drinks. 219 N. Shackleford. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 221-7070 LD daily. SHOGUN JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI BAR The chefs will dazzle you, as will the variety of tasty stir-fry combinations and the sushi bar. Usually crowded at night. 2815 Cantrell Road. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 666-7070 LD daily. SUSHI CAFE Impressive, upscale sushi menu with other delectable house specialties like tuna tataki, fried soft shell crab, Kobe beef and, believe it or not, the Toyko cowboy burger. 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. CC. $$-$$$ 663-9888 LD Mon.-Fri. D Sat.-Sun.
BARBECUE CAPITOL SMOKEHOUSE Beef, pork, sausage and chicken ― all smoked to melting tenderness and doused with a choice of sauces. The crusty but tender back ribs star. Side dishes are top quality. 915 W. Capitol Ave. Beer, wine. CC $ 372-4227 L Mon.-Fri. CHIP’S BARBECUE Tasty, if a little pricey, barbecue piled high on sandwiches generously doused with tangy sauce. Pie is tall and tasty. 9801 W. Markham St. No alcohol. CC $$ 225-4346 LD Mon.-Sat. SMOKE SHACK BAR-B-Q The beef and pork sandwiches are the best bet. Interstate 40 at Maumelle/Morgan exit (Exit 142), Maumelle. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 803-4935 LD Mon.-Sat. THREE SAM’S The Sams – a father-mother-son team all known as Sam – dish up impossibly huge piles of barbecue at this friendly joint in downtown Mabelvale. Everything here is homemade, including the skin-on potato salad and a stellar dessert lineup including homemade fudge, good lemon icebox pie and double nut pound cake topped with caramel sauce. It’s a busy place at lunch, but service is with a smile. 10508 Mann Road, Mabelvale. 407-0345. $ CC No alcohol L Mon.-Fri. D Thu.-Fri (until 7 p.m.). WHITE PIG INN Go for the sliced rather than chopped meats at this working-class barbecue cafe. Side orders — from fries to potato salad to beans to slaw — are superb, as are the fried pies. 5231 E. Broadway, NLR. Beer. CC $-$$ 945-5551 LD Mon.-Fri. L Sat.
EUROPEAN / ETNHIC ALIBASHA GRILL This Mediterranean eatery specializes in large portions of kebabs, gyros, and shawarma served up with a tasty minted Jerusalem salad and rice or hummus. More for the American palate than most. 302 North Shackleford. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 217-3855 LD Tue.-Thur., L Wed. CAFE BOSSA NOVA A South American approach to sandwiches, salads and desserts — all quite good — as well as an array of refreshing South American teas and coffees. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd., Suite 105 Full bar. CC $$ 614-6682 LD Tue.-Sun.
LEO’S GREEK CASTLE Wonderful Mediterranean food — gyro sandwiches or platters, falafel and tabbouleh — plus dependable hamburgers in this charming tiny eatery; there’s outdoor dining for fresh air fans or the claustrophobic. 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 666-7414 BLD Mon.-Sat.
ITALIAN AMERICAN PIE PIZZA Handmade pizza on perfect thin crust with varied toppings, and inexpensive. We liked the olive-oil-based margherita and supreme, plus there are salads, sandwiches and appetizers — all under $6. 9708 Maumelle Blvd., Maumelle, 758-8800; 4830 North Hills Blvd., NLR, 753-0081. Beer and wine. CC $ LD daily. CIAO Don’t forget about this casual yet elegant bistro tucked into a downtown storefront. The fine pasta and seafood dishes, ambiance and overall charm combine to make it a relaxing, enjoyable, affordable choice. 405 W. Seventh St. Beer and wine. CC $$ 372-0238 L Mon.-Fri. D Thu-Sat. DAMGOODE PIES A somewhat different Italian/pizza place, largely because of a spicy garlic white sauce that’s offered as an alternative to the traditional red sauce. Good bread, too. Delivery available. 6706 Cantrell Road and 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. (Pick-up and delivery only location at 10720 Rodney Parham Road). Beer and wine. CC $$ 664-2239 LD daily. OW PIZZA Formerly part of the “Olde World” trio of restaurants, these two locations serve up good pizzas in a variety of ways, sandwiches, big salads and now offering various pastas and appetizer breads. Beer and wine. CC $-$$ 1706 W. Markham St., 374-5504 LD Mon.-Fri. (close at 7 p.m.); 8201 Ranch Blvd., 868-1100 LD daily. ROCKY’S PUB A little taste of Philly, right in North Little Rock, with authentic cheesesteak sandwiches, hoagies, salads and the like. But you’d be remiss not to try the Italian specialties whipped up at night, such as the proscuitto piselli verdi. 6909 JFK Blvd., NLR. Full bar. $$ CC 833-1077 LD Mon.-Sat. SHOTGUN DAN’S Hearty pizza and sandwiches with a decent salad bar. Multiple locations: 4020 E. Broadway, NLR, 945-0606 LD daily; 4203 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, 835-0606 LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun.; and 10923 W. Markham St., 224-9519 LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. Beer and wine. CC $$ 224-9519 . ZAZA Here’s where you get wood-fired pizza with gorgeous blistered crusts and a light topping of choice and tempting ingredients, great gelato in a multitude of flavors, call-yourown ingredient salads and other treats. 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd. $$ Beer and wine 661-9292 CC LD daily. ZAFFINO’S BY NORI A high-quality Italian dining experience. Pastas, entrees (don’t miss the veal marsala) and salads are all outstanding, and the desserts don’t miss, either. 2001 E. Kiehl Ave., NLR. Beer and wine. CC $$-$$$ 834-7530 D Tue.-Sat.
MEXICAN CASA MANANA Great guacamole and garlic beans, superlative chips and salsa (red and green) and a broad selection of fresh seafood, plus a deck out back at the Cantrell location. Small stand in the River Market (400 President Clinton Ave., 372-6637). 18321 Cantrell Road, 868-8822. 6820 Cantrell Road. Full bar. CC $$ 280-9888 LD daily. Also B on Sat. and Sun. CASA MEXICANA Familiar Tex-Mex style items all shine, in ample portions, and the steak-centered dishes are uniformly excellent. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. Full bar. CC $-$$ 835-7876 LD daily. EL PORTON Very good Mex for the price and a wideranging menu of dinner plates, some tasty cheese dip, and great service as well. 12111 W. Markham St. Full bar. CC $$ 223-8588 LD daily. FLYING BURRITO A trendy-looking walk-up-and-order spot in the River Market district for tacos, burritos and the like, with various styles of tortillas and add-ons. The bar looks impressive, too. 300 President Clinton Ave. Full bar. CC $-$$ 372-7272 LD daily. LA REGIONAL A small grill is tucked away in this fullservice grocery store catering to SWLR’s Latino community, and it offers a whirlwind trip through Latin America, with delicacies from all across the Spanish-speaking world (try the El Salvadorian pupusas, they’re great). 7414 Baseline Road. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 565-4440 BLD daily. MEXICO CHIQUITO Hearty platters of boldly spiced, inexpensive food compete well with those at the “authentic” joints. 13924 Cantrell, 217-0700, full bar; 4511 Camp Robinson Road, NLR, 771-1604, full bar; 1524 W. Main St., Jacksonville, 982-0533, no alcohol. Takeout only from 102 S. Rodney Parham, 224-8600, and 11406 W. Markham, 217-0647. All CC $$ LD daily. PONCHO’S VILLA It serves all the familiar Tex-Mex plates that Nancy Johnson has been serving up for going on three decades, most of them at restaurants on Broadway in North Little Rock. We recommend the stuffed and fried jalapenos. Plate lunches, hamburgers and highly touted fried shrimp are among other choices on a broad, cheap menu. 123 S. Jeff Davis, Jacksonville. No alcohol. No CC $ 241-0656. LD Mon.-Sat. SENOR TEQUILA Authentic dishes with great service and prices, and maybe the best margarita in town. Multiple locations: 4304 Camp Robinson Road, NLR, 791-3888; 9847 Maumelle Blvd., Maumelle, 758-4432; 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road, 224-5505; 2000 S. University Ave., 660-4413; 1101 S. Bowman Road, Little Rock, 954-7780. CC Full bar. $$ 224-5505 LD daily.
around arkansas BALD KNOB
WHO DAT’S Regionally renowned for its Cajun-style fried seafood offerings, as well as for its massive ribeyes. Don’t leave without trying the pie. 2309 Highway 367 North. No alcohol. CC $$-$$$ 501-724-6183 D Tue.-Sat.
CONWAY FISH HOUSE The other entrees and the many side orders are decent, but this place is all about catfish. 116 S. Harkrider. No alcohol. No CC $-$$ 501-327-9901 LD Mon.-Sat. MEAN BEAN CAFE & RESTAURANT Offers a mean bean burrito and mean coffee beans and, meanest of all, homemade pie. The Reuben might be the best in Arkansas. 2501 Highway 286 West. No alcohol. CC $$ 501-336-9272 LD Mon.-Fri. OAK STREET BISTRO Creativity is the hallmark of the massive lunch menu — nothing earth-shaking but a creative combining of interesting ingredients to fashion some great sandwiches and salads. The desserts also are excellent. 713 Oak St. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 501-450-9908 L Mon.-Sat., D Fri.-Sat.
EUREKA SPRINGS AUTUMN BREEZE Simple but elegant, painstakingly prepared food. Save room for the heavenly chocolate souffle. Highway 23 South. Full bar. CC $$$ 479-253-7734 D Mon.-Sat. ERMILIO’S Great mix-and-match pasta and sauces, all done with fresh ingredients and creativity. Warm service in a classy atmosphere. 26 White St. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 479-253-8806 LD Fri.-Wed. GASKINS’ CABIN Solid American food highlighted by the fish specials and prime rib. Highway 23 North. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 479-253-5466 D Tue.-Sat.
FAYETTEVILLE AREA A TASTE OF THAI Terrific Thai food, from the appetizers to the entrees to the desserts. Only the brave should venture into the “rated 5” hot sauce realm. 31 E. Center St. Beer and wine. CC $-$$ 479-251-1800 LD Mon.-Sat. CAFE RUE ORLEANS Top quality Creole food and a couple of Cajun specialties (a soupy gumbo, a spicy and rich etouffee) from a cook who learned her tricks in Lafayette, La., and the Crescent City. Best entree is the eggplant Napoleon. Oyster bar downstairs to make your wait for a dining table pleasant. 1150 N. College Ave. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 479-443-2777 LD Wed.-Sat. ELENITA’S MEXICAN CAFE Some of the most flavorful and reasonably priced authentic Mexican food in town. 727 S. School St. No alcohol. CC $$ 479-443-6612 LD daily. JAMES AT THE MILL “Ozark Plateau Cuisine” is creative, uses local ingredients and is pleasantly presented in a vertical manner. Impeccable food in an impeccable setting. 3906 Greathouse Springs Road. Full bar. CC $$$ 479-4431400 LD Mon.-Sat. POWERHOUSE SEAFOOD Build-your-own fried seafood platters, great grilled fish specials. 112 N. University. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 479-442-8300 LD daily. VENESIAN INN People swarm in for the Italian fare and feast on what may be the best homemade rolls in the state. 582 W. Henri De Tonti Blvd., Tontitown. No alcohol. CC $$ 479-361-2562.
FORT SMITH/VAN BUREN CALICO COUNTY Award-winning home cooking with hearty portions, and traditional complimentary cinnamon rolls. 2401 S. 56th St. No alcohol. CC $-$$ 479-452-3299 BLD daily.
HOT SPRINGS CAFE 1217 Great gourmet meals served over-thecounter. Bustling at lunch. 1217 Malvern Ave., Suite B. No alcohol (BYO wine and glasses). CC $-$$ 501-318-1094 LD Mon.-Sat. CHEF PAUL’S Haute cuisine in a strip-mall setting. Top quality presentation and service. Freshest fish you’ll find in this area, great meats, exquisite desserts. 4330 Central Ave., Temperance Hill Square, Suite A. Full bar. CC $$$ 501-520-4187 LD Mon.-Sat. KREAM KASTLE DRIVE INN Revisit the past with a stop at this classic spot on U.S. 70 East. Burgers, dogs, cones and shakes the way they’re supposed to be made, at prices to like. 15922 Highway 70 East, Lonsdale. No alcohol. No CC $ 501-939-2350 LD daily. LA HACIENDA Authentic Mexican food; array of entrees. 3836 Central Ave. Beer and wine. CC $-$$ 501-525-8203 LD daily. PORTERHOUSE Another Spa City entry by Joe Gargano, focusing on beef and seafood. The high-quality beef is served virtually untouched by seasoning, unless you ask for it. 707 Central Ave. Full bar. CC $$-$$$ 501-321-8282 D Mon.-Sat. ROD’S PIZZA CELLAR Terrific handmade pizzas highlighted by the Godfather, a whopper. Lunch specials are a steal. 3350 Central Ave. Beer and wine. CC $-$$ 501-3212313 LD Tue.-Sun. STUBBY’S Doesn’t short you on near-perfect pork and beef: lean, flavorful, smoky. 3024 Central Ave. Beer. CC $-$$ 501-624-1552 LD daily.
Serving central Arkansas’ most exciting, contemporary Asian cuisine!
HEALTHY EATING MAKES YOU
NWiNe & SPiriTS D eighborhoo
4526 Camp Robinson Road North Little Rock • (501) 791-2626 Next to HOGGS MEAT MARKET
happy
Market Place: 11121 N. Rodney Parham Rd. 501.716.2700 Mon-Thur 11-9, Fri-Sat 11-10, Sun 11:30-9 www.lillysdimsum.com
Come
“Twirl Your Ghetti” at The Villa
Thank You Loyal Customers!
Always Fresh, Always Homemade A Little Rock Tradition for 58 Years 12111 West Markham • (501) 219-2244 Closed Sunday
thevillaitalian.net www.arktimes.com • february 18, 2010 33
Food for Thought
a paid advertisement
To place your restaurant in Food For Thought, call the advertising department at 501-375-2985
AMERICAN
SEAFOOD Cajun’s Wharf
Food and fun for everyone when you pair Cajun’s Wharf’s succulent seafood and steak with the ever-evolving live entertainment. Enjoy the fabulous fresh seafood or aged Angus beef while listening to the rolling Arkansas River on the famously fantastic deck! They also boast an award-winning wine list.
grampa’s catfish house
Central Arkansas’ oldest catfish restaurant. Serving all-ucan-eat catfish since 1970. A Family friendly restaurant… the place where you can walk in with a large group of folks without a reservation. Open 7 days for lunch and dinner. Catering available.
2400 Cantrell Road 501-375-5351
rm
AT(spec ad)
100 02/01/08
DENTON’S CaTfiSh & SEafOOD BuffET — 24 Years In Business —
We Cater • Carry-Outs available hours: Tues-Thurs 4:00-8:30pm • fri-Sat 4:00-9:00pm
315-1717
Shadow Oaks (501) 834-5400 • Sherwood 7 days: L 11-2 • D 4:30-9:30 9219 Stagecoach Rd (501) 407-0000 • Little Rock 7 days: L 11-2 • D 4:30-9:30
Denton’s Trotline
2150 Congo Rd. Benton, 501-416-2349 Open Tues, Wed & Thurs 4-9 Fri & Sat 4-11
Attention: Members and Guests. Denton’s Trotline is known for their award winning catfish and seafood buffet. Outstanding appetizer menu. Family owned, featuring a newly remodeled building with live music. Full service catering available.
BISTRO Lulav
220 West 6th St. 501-374-5100 Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pm Dinner Tues-Sat 5-10pm V Lounge til 1am, Thurs-Sat
2150 Congo Rd. • Benton from Little Rock to Exit 118 to Congo Rd. Overpass across i-30
YaYas
17711 Chenal Parkway, Suite I-101 501-821-1144
Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro 200 S. Commerce, Suite 150 (501) 375-3500 Tues-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm
OAK STREET BISTRO
713 Oak Street, Conway 501-450-9908 Lunch, M-S, 11-2 Dinner hours will be added after a January move to a new location.
Fresh seafood specials every week. Prime aged beef and scrumptious dishes. Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, over 30 wines by the glass and largest vodka selection downtown. Regular and late night happy hour, Wednesday wine flights and Thursday is Ladies Night. Be sure to check out the Bistro Burger during lunch. Ya Ya’s is both sophisticated and whimsical. Mosaic tile floors, stone columns and fabric covered wall panels while heavy beamed ceilings, hand blown chandeliers and curvy wroughtiron railings add a whimsical flair. The menu is inspired by a combination of Italian, French, Spanish and Greek cuisines. Mediterranean Euro Delights share the menu with pizzas from our wood-burning oven, rich creative pastas and an array of the freshest of seafood dishes and innovative meat entrees. Join us on the Patio, with live local music every Tuesday & Friday, or on Sunday for Brunch ($16.95 & only $13.95 for the early bird special, 10am to 11am). Reservations are preferred. For the salad lover, Dizzy’s is an absolute paradise. Its list of eleven “Ridiculously Large Entrée Salads” runs the gamut of what you can do with greens and dressing. For example Zilpphia’s Persian Lime Salad, featuring grilled turkey breast, tomato, cucumber, onion, lime and buffalo mozzarella over romaine. For another: Mary Ann’s Dream, with grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cranberries, mandarin oranges, bourbon pecans and bleu cheese. Don’t that sound good? With its exciting and creative dishes, it’s no secret why Oak Street Bistro has always been a Conway front-runner. Interesting combinations of great ingredients lead to wonderful flavor profiles that leave you wanting more. The menu has been expanded to feature some entrees in anticipation of its move at the beginning of the year. The desserts are decadent especially the Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie.
chinese Fantastic China 1900 N Grant St Heights 501-663-8999
Sharing good things with good friends is the motto at Fantastic China. A Central Arkansas favorite offering the Freshest Chinese Food in town. It’s made to order with 100% Vegetable Oil. The presentation is beautiful, the menu distinctive, and the service perfect. Fantastic China is one of the heights most reliable and satisfying restaurants and a local favorite. Full bar.
mexican Casa Manana Taqueria
400 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-6637 6820 Cantrell Road • 501-280-9888 18321 Cantrell Road • 501-868-8822
Voted Best Mexican 2007. Featuring authentic fare from the Puebla region of Mexico, the selections seem endless at your choice of 3 locations in the Little Rock area. You will find an array of dishes ranging from the salient Shrimp Veracruzana at La Palapa out west to great Guacamole in the River Market Taqueria. Or try tasty Tostadas that share the name of the original Cantrell location, Casa Manana.
asian Lilly’s Dimsum Then Some
Look no further…voted Best Asian again by the Arkansas Times readers. Lilly’s serves up extraordinary dishes made from the freshest, premium local and organic ingredients. Also enjoy warm and inviting ambiance as you dine on any one of the tasty house specialties. Sundays are wine day: all wine by the bottle, half off.
Super King Buffet
One of central Arkansas’s largest Chinese buffets, we offer all your favorites with our sushi bar and Mongolian Grill included for one low price. Our dinner and all-day Sunday buffet include your lunch favorites as well as all-you-can eat crab legs, whole steamed fish, barbecue spare ribs, crispy jumbo shrimp and grilled steaks. Take-out buffet and menu available.
11121 Rodney Parham 501-716-2700
Super King Buffet
4000 Springhill Plaza Ct. North Little Rock (Just past Wal-Mart on McCain) 501-945-4802 Sun-Thurs 11am to 9:30pm Fri & Sat 11am to 10:30pm
Black Angus
10907 N. Rodney Parham Mon-Sat 10:30am-9pm 501-228-7800
Homemade Comfort Food Daily Specials • Monday: Spicy Shrimp Stir-fry. Tuesday: Pot Roast. Wednesday: Meatloaf. Thursday: BBQ Plate or Shepherd’s Pie. Friday & Saturday: Fried Catfish.
Satellite Cafe
Satellite Cafe - Heights techno-pop coffee shop that serves up the best coffee and breakfast in town, along with great lunch options (dine in or to go). And dinner is served every night except Sunday. Half-off happy hour spot - 4 until 6:30. Remember the drive thru window, just call in and pick up!! BLD - Mon-Sat. B Sunday
Ump’s Pub & Grill
Whether the Travs are at home or on the road, come enjoy the unique Dickey-Stephens Park Atmosphere at Ump’s, an upscale sports pub and restaurant, featuring sandwiches, salads, steaks, seafood, good times and more! Now open 7 days a week for lunch, and open all day sat. and sun during Football season. Closed on Tues & Wed nights since baseball season has ended.
Capers Restaurant
Indulge in the culinary creations and intimate environment that define Capers Restaurant. Food and wine enthusiasts agree Capers’ sophisticated approach to dining is key to it’s many accolades including receiving the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for six years running.
Copper Grill & Grocery
An endless array of delicious dishes available in the Grill or grab your Gourmet-to-Go from the Grocery. Offering products by French Farm, Bella Cucina & Bittersweet Herb that promise to turn any recipe into a memorable masterpiece Copper Grill & Grocery is a wonderland for the gourmand.
Kavanaugh and University, 501-663-6336
Dickey-Stephens Park Broadway at the bridge North Little Rock (501) 324-BALL (2255) www.travs.com
14502 Cantrell Road 501-868-7600
300 West 3rd Street 501-375-3333
West End Smokehouse and Tavern
215 N. Shackleford 501-224-7665 www.westendsmokehouse.net
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm. $1 off All Drinks and 1/2 Off Appetizers. Monday is Steak Night USDA Choice Aged 14oz Ribeye with 2 sides $13.99. Tuesday is Burger Night – Ultimate Burger with Fries just $4.99. Live Music Fri & Saturday!
SO
This is a first class establishment. SO has some of the best steaks and seafood in the city, including oysters from the east and west coasts. Their menu has been updated and features a fantastic selection of cheeses like port salut, stilton, murcia and pecorino. Don’t forget to check out the extensive wine list.
Butcher Shop
Tremendous steaks, excellent service, fair prices and a comfortable atmosphere make The Butcher Shop the prime choice for your evening out. In addition to tender and juicy steaks, The Butcher Shop offers fresh fish, pork chop, 24 hour slow roasted Prime Rib, char grilled marinated chicken and fresh pasta. Ideal for private parties, business meetings, and rehearsal dinners. Rooms accommodate up to 50-60 person.
Open daily. 11 am - close Sunday Brunch. 11 am to 2 pm 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1464
Shackleford & Hermitage Rd. (501) 312-2748
steak Sonny Williams
If you have not been to Sonny Williams lately, get there immediately and check out the martini/wine bar. Now you can enjoy 35 wines by the glass, 335 selections of wine, 6 single barrel bourbons and all different kinds of Scotch from the many regions of Scotland. Of course, don’t miss out on the nightly entertainment by Jeff at the piano. Sonny’s is a River Market mainstay and perfect for intimate private parties; free valet parking! As always, Sonny Williams has the best steaks in town along with fresh seafood and game. No Skinny Steaks… Call ahead for reservations (501) 324-2999
Faded Rose
Featuring the Best Steaks in town with a New Orleans flair from a New Orleans native. Also featuring Seafood and Creole Specialties. As Rachel Ray says “This place is one of my best finds ever.” Back by popular demand…Soft Shell Crab and New Orleans Roast Beef Po-Boys.
500 President Clinton Avenue Suite 100 (In the River Market District) 501-324-2999 DINNER MON - SAT 5:00 - 11:00 pm PIANO BAR TUES - THU 7:00 - 11:00 pm FRI & SAT 7:00 - Late
400 N. Bowman 501-224-3377 1619 Rebsamen 501-663-9734 Open Sunday
Mediterranean Layla’s
9501 N. Rodney Parham 501-227-7272
Enjoy regional specialties such as Lentil soup, a huge serving of yummy Hummus, Baba Ghannnouj or Tabbouleh. And don’t forget about the Gyros, they’re sure to be heroes in your book!
brew pub Vino’s Pizza•Pub•Brewery 923 West 7th Street 501/375-VINO (8466)
Beer, pizza and more! Drop in to Vino’s, Little Rock’s Original Brewpub! and enjoy great New York-style pizza (whole or by-the-slice) washed down with your choice of award-winning ales or lagers brewed right on site. Or try a huge calzone, our new Muffaletta sandwich or just a salad and a slice with our homemade root beer. The deck’s always open, you don’t have to dress up and the kids are always welcome (or not). Vino’s is open 7 days, lunch and dinner. You can call ahead for carry-out and even take a gal. growler of beer to-go. And guess what?? The bathrooms have just been re-done!
REAL ESTATE b
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Great home in excellent subdivision offers plenty for family
A little bit of country with all the modern amenities is the best way to describe the property at 53 Win Meadow in Greenbrier’s Win Meadow subdivision. Enjoy walks through the neighborhood, fishing on the subdivision’s 55-acre lake or watch the eagles return to nest around the lake during winter. The one-story house boasts a large kitchen equipped with beautiful oak cabinetry. A double pantry offers more than adequate space and the large island serves as a cook’s dream. A large bar comfortably seats four, making this kitchen perfect for entertaining guests. The breakfast nook is a great place to enjoy morning coffee, while watching the birds outside through the large windows. A large laundry room is conveniently located off the kitchen. It has wall-to-wall oak cabinets plus a sink with counter space. The open concept between the kitchen and the living room, and the large windows, makes the home bright and cheery during the day. The back door leads to a covered
Entertain on the covered porch.
Relax around the fireplace.
porch and a large patio, making this the perfect spot to relax in the evenings or host a backyard barbecue. The home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The large master bedroom features a beautiful bay window with a view of the backyard. Two walk-in closets have built-in shelving and offer plenty of storage space. The master bathroom has his/hers sinks and plenty of counter space to share. It comes equipped with a large Jacuzzi tub as well as a large shower. Oak cabinets are perfect for storing your towels and linens. Opposite the master bedroom is a private suite perfect for out-of-town guests or relatives. This room has a beautiful bay window with a nice view of the lake. The one acre lot offers plenty of space for the kids to play. Beautiful landscaping with trees, shrubbery and perennials add excellent curb appeal to this home. It is listed for $239,000 and is offered by Linda Roster White Real Estate. To schedule a private tour, call Linda at 501-679-1103 or 501-730-1100.
The kitchen is top-of-the-line.
The home has an open floor plan.
The lake is a wonderful addition to the subdivision. Arkansas Times • february 18, 2010 35
REAL ESTATE by neighborhood TO ADVERTISE, CALL TIFFANY HOLLAND AT 375-2985 180 MERLOT
4bd/2ba New construction in west Conway w/fabulous split floor plan, tall ceilings, great room w/fireplace, beautiful kitchen cabinets. Built by Boone Custom Homes. $203,500 MLS #10239659
29 INDIAN SPRINGS
3bd/2ba charming craftsman style home w/gas fp, walk-in pantry, breakfast bar, tile backsplash, smooth top cooking surface, master bath jet tub, deck w/ vista view. $150,000 MLS #10235543
5120 PRESTONWOOD
3bd/2ba amazing home w/ tall ceilings, sunroom, quartz countertop, large pantry, oversized master w/sitting area. Fenced w/ double iron gate. Spotless! $225,000 MLS #10235873
3 HARBOR
4bd/2.5ba beautiful 2 story w/grand stone archway entrance, open staircase, tall ceilings, crown molding, stained concrete, laminate & carpet, large walk-in pantry, lots of windows, huge deck, horses allowed. $259,900 MLS #10232765
Land
Damascus 7ac w/barn (all or part) $69,900. Greenbrier 10ac $89,000. Damascus 15.54ac w/bldg $320,000. Pangburn 13.70ac $140,000. Pangburn 23.50ac w/river lot $350,000.
Downtown 300 THIRD CONDO - Competitively priced 2BR/2BA condo with French balcony, black-out shades, limestone counters and stainless appliances. Enjoy spectacular views of the sunset. Call Eric or Cara Wilkerson for a private tour at 501-804-2633. LAFAYETTE SQUARE One & two BR condos which feature open floor plans of 1,026 to 1,667 SF and are competively priced for lease and for sale. Urban upscale living has never been so accessible and affordable. Each unit has large kitchens complete with marble counters, classic hardwood cabinetry & stainless steel appliances. Washers & dryers are included in every condo. Building amenities include reserved gated parking, an exercise room & sauna, storage units and meeting/event space. Pricing starts at $145,900. Call Melissa Bond of the Charlotte John Company for sales inquires at 960-0665.
QUAPAW TOWER Condo with architectural design, modern features and fabulous features. Shoji-style doors are a fantastic feature of the unit. Listed with Gold Star Realty. Call Gerald White at 501-680-3640 or Mary Johnson at 501952-4318 for pricing or more info.
Hillcrest
211 ASH - $130,000. Investors Must SEE! HILLCREST OPPORTUNITY! Large 2BR that could have a 3rd BR or nice size office. Homes is priced low to allow the new owner to make updates. Close to UAMS - Excellent purchase for a UAMS student or someone looking to rent to students. Floored attic offers LOTS of storage. Call Stacy Johnson, Pulaski Heights Realty, for a personal showing. 501-786-0024
Hillcrest
North Little Rock
4307 N. LOOKOUT - $429,000. Fabulous 4 or 5 BR home with 2.5 BA is like a private Hillcrest hideaway. Beautifully updated with stained and leaded glass features. Upgraded kitchen with contemporary solid surface counters & top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. The huge multi-level deck is ideal for outside grilling, dining & entertaining. For more details, call Susan Desselle with the Charlotte John Company at 772-7100 or visit www.SusanSellingLittleRock.com
6220 SOUTHWIND - $273,900. Spacious 3-4BR/3.5BA home with all the amenities you would expect in a newer home. Just across I-430 from Maumelle, this home sits atop the ridge overlooking the ARkansas River Valley & the downtown Skyline. This immaculate home is located in an ideal location, hidden away but only minutes from Little Rock. Easy access to the Big Dam Bridge and the River Trail. Call Susan Desselle of the Charlotte John Company for a private tour. 501-772-7100.
4920 LEE AVE - $215,000. 2BR/2BA, 1409 SF. New HVAC in 2009, 30 yr roof. Updated kitchen with granite tile counters & new stainless appliances. Great backyard/deck and insulated & drywalled storage bldg. Call John, Pulaski Heights Realty, for showing at 993-5442. DUPLEX - $185,000. Over 2700 total SF. Buy now & get $8K tax credit and have renter offset your mortgage payment. Main level is 2BR/2BA, 1500 SF. Upstairs studio rental is approx 550 SF ($515/ mo.) Also, has 700+SF walkout basement. New 30 yr roof in 2003. Owner is licensed agent. Call John, Pulaski Heights Realty, at 993-5442 for more info.
REAL ESTATE b y
n e i g h b o r h o o d
FEATURE HOME
is back! Call 375-2985 for more information.
DOWNTOWN CONDO
501-730-1100 • 501-679-1103 www.LRWHomes.com
Publisher’s Notice
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free 1-800-669-9077. The toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.
• Architectural design • Modern features • Fabulous amenities Featured 4 times in At Home in Arkansas!
Call Gerald White, 680-3640 or Mary Johnson, 952-4318. Visit www.LRCONDO.com for more pictures & info. Gold Star Realty
Hers, inc. presents PULASKI COUNTY Real Estate sales over $111,359 Souheil Mousa, Janet Mousa to Tom L. Meziere, Melissa L. Meziere, 36 Bretagne Cir., $1,425,000. 4900 Kavanaugh LLC to Allied Bank, Ls21-24 & Lot D, Shadowlawn, $650,000. William J. Evans, Elizabeth F. Evans to Stephen A. Peeples, Ashley L. Peeples, L9 B5, Chenal Valley, $542,000. Fabin LLC to Guarionex Decastro, L21 B2, Pike Plaza Heights, L10 B3, Pike Plaza Heights, $480,000. Esau Watson, Jr., Verliea Watson to JPMC Specialty Mortgage LLC, L117 B36, Chenal Valley, $459,000. Jim Tackett, Susie Tackett to Matthew H. Adams, Amy K. Adams, L10 B16, Newtons, $393,000. Ryan R. Elledge, Jennifer Elledge, Ed M. Thompson, Margaret E. Thompson to Longview Partners LLC, L28, Longlea 8C, $383,000. Sixth Hole Condos At Chenal LLC to Prospective Properties LLC, 18105 Chenal Pkwy., $382,000. K. R. Phillips, Elizabeth J.
Phillips to Katherine J. Phillips, Elizabeth J. Phillips, L6 B8, Altheimer’s, $319,000. Caroline Dittman, Michael P. D i t t m a n t o M i c h a e l J . Casanova, Rebecca J. Casanova, 11 Duquesne Cir., $280,000. Atchison Custom Homes LLC to Henry C. Mercer, IV, Rachel Mercer, Foster W. McConnell, Shirley A. McConnell, L39 B5, Maumelle Valley Estates, $272,000. Derrell E. Turner, Bernadette C . Tu r n e r t o S a m u e l J . Hill, 1905 Sawgrass Dr., $270,000. Gary R. Morrison to Lirong Z e n g , 7 1 1 L a s a l l e D r. , $252,000. Janet L. Johnson to US Bank NA, 10 Meredith Ct., $209,700. Albert Adame, Song C. Adame to Cherie H. Guilford, Harvey T. Guilford, Jr., L7 B6, Glenn Hills, $205,000. Katrina A. Harp to Donald L. Kirchoff, Brenda L. Kirchoff, 1 3 4 P l e a s a n t w o o d D r. , Maumelle, $200,000. Randal A. Erwin, Vicki D.
HERS, INC.
Erwin to Thomas W. Robinson, Katherine Robinson, 21 Dove Creek Cir., NLR, $198,000. Jessie R. Green to Jeffrey W. Bailey, Amy Walker, L50, Leawood Heights 1st, $196,000. Taylor Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. to Selene Rmof Reo Acquisition II LLC, L114, Meadowlark, $192,000. A n d r a s K o v a c s , Tu n d e Torday to James Cole, Jr., Sook H. Cole, L193, Capitol Lakes Estates Phase I-B, $188,000. Becky L. Haynes to Jennifer Harris, Jason Harris, L41, Brush Mountain Unrecorded, $187,000. Mark D. Myklebust, Diana E. Myklebust to Federal National Mortgage Association, 21 M o u n t a i n Te r r a c e C i r. , Maumelle, $171,113. Fred Allred, II, Rebecca S. Allred to Sanjay Garg, 11914 Pleasant Tree Dr., $168,000. Randell A. Smith, Carolyn J. Smith to Susanne M. Havel, 4314 Amy Ln., Jacksonville,
$165,000. Danny T. Stevens, Jamie C. Stevens to Shirley Joe Plant Revocable Trust, Shirley J. P l a n t , L 1 B 1 1 , Pa r k w a y Place, $160,000. Pamela Kubeczka to Kimberly E. King, Jeffrey L. King, 109 D e t o n t i D r. , M a u m e l l e , $157,000. Thomas A. Guthrie to Adam N. Guthrie, Sean K. Guthrie, 6321 Tall Chief Dr., NLR, $155,000. Robby R. Byler, Kari D. Byler to Bac Home Loans Servicing LP, L23 B1, Spring Grove, $151,252. Lisa F. Wilder to Billy C. Collins, Jennifer R. Collins, 1704 N. Taylor St., $151,000. Clifford P. Block, Alecia A. Block to Dallas W. Heltz, Candice Heltz, 17 Pontalba Dr., $150,000. Wells Fargo Bank NA to Khim Lam, 25 Spring Grove Dr., Sherwood, $137,000. Jeremy Bicker, Dawn Bicker, Victor D. Wright, II, Tamara Wright to Barnett Properties LLC, 6506 Pecan, $136,000. Jeffrey K. Hankins, Carrie L.
Request an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) Add up to $7,618 in Energy Improvements Home Energy Rating Systems Pay off with Utility Savings Certified Home Energy Rating Professionals
501-353-0605 36 February 18, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
Hankins to David R. Bachman, Gretchen L. Bachman, L308, Cypress Point West, $128,000. Mildred Cash, James Cantrell, Rebecca L. Cantrell to Sunnie Henderson, 6605 S. Longwood Rd., Cammack Village, $126,024. Welcome Home Enterprises Inc. to Deshonna D. Patrick, 12 Pinedale Cir., Mabelvale, $125,000. Robert K. Gracie, Sr., Keith R. Gracie, Sr., Pamela D. Gracie, Pam Gracie to Bac Home Loans Servicing LP, NE 8-1N-14W, $122,994. Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Rose M. Taylor, L110, Faulkner Crossing Phase 2, $120,000. Ralph L. Kodell, Valerie K. Kodell to Laura E. Birmingham, Aaron J. Birmingham, L32, Echo Valley 1st, $118,000. Christopher McIntosh to Bac Home Loans Servicing LP, L12E, Quapaw Tower HPR, $112,424. Lawrence Taylor to Bac Home Loans Servicing LP, L39, Brookwood, $111,359.
REAL ESTATE by neighborhood
It's cheap, It's simple, It's effective.
Call 375-2985 for more information.
First Time Buyer $8,000 Energy Improvements $7,600
NO ADDITIONAL DOWN PAYMENT! TOTAL Incentives
$15,600!
LIVING
Quiet... Stately... Historic... OAKWOOD APARTMENTS
In Hillcrest next to Allsop Park Two Bedroom Apartments Spacious rooms, one bath, ample closet space, LR, DR, w/d connections, hardwood flooring, water and garbage paid. $800-$900, depending on size One Bedroom Penthouse Apartment Spectacular apartment overlooks Allsop Park. Open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, 7 skylights, built-in bookcases, large bathroom, washer & dryer. Water and garbage are paid. $995
■ CROSSWORD
Sound traditional? It is. If that’s your cup of tea, then perhaps you should check into our prestige Hillcrest complex that offers one and two bedroom units from $475 to $575 per month. References and security deposit required. No Pets. Call 378-7660 Professionally managed by LEL Enterprises.
edited by Will shortz
No. 0121
hip A P A R T M E N T
3923 Oakwood Road • Only 10 blocks from UAMS! No Pets Allowed. For more information please call 501-658-3232.
FURNISHED AND UNFURNISHED UNITS
WARREN HOUSE $100 Deposits*
No Deposits for Active & Retired Miltary with valid ID. Lease or Month-to-Month Option We are pet friendly!** Two On-Site Laundry Facilities • Pool • BBQ's
2000 Reservoir Road • 501-227-7316 Credit Cards Welcome Equal Housing Opportunity Check out all of our properties at www.warrenproperties.com *On Approved Credit
**Call For Details
Apartment managers
Are first-time home buyers affecting your occupancy levels? Advertise with Hip Apartment Living. 501.375.2985
REAL ESTATE
by neighborhood Arkansas Times • february 18, 2010 37 ArkAnsAs Times • sepTember 4, 2008 37
Book report n New American history textbooks for public-school students are on the way, thanks to the Texas State Board of Education. Lots of material in the current textbooks that offended decent, God-fearing Americans has been left out of the new ones, and lots of old-fashioned familyvalues material that was left out of the current textbook crop to appease certain minorities and elites has been put back in. The new texts aren’t just for Texas students. They’re for your youngster too. Bonfires for the books in use now are scheduled all across the country. Fox News, a sponsor, expects at least 1.6 million fires. There’s talk that the historians as well as their books might go up in some of them. There are too many changes in the new textbooks to mention here, but I can give you a sneak-peek. George Washington returns as a largerthan-life character, unable to lie about whacking his cherry but needing only a loaf and a mackerel to feed his entire army at Valley Forge. References to Ben Franklin’s whorehopping are out, with no longer even a hint of his preference for the ugly ones and the French ones. The wall of separation between church and state that Jefferson advocated has been
Bob L ancaster scaled back to a “fence of separation” — and it’s a low fence, easily stepped over, with a big swinging middle gate and no barbed wire. John Adams is mostly out, except to note that he sure looked a lot like Grandpa Munster. Though well-documented and undeniable, Davy Crockett’s obsession with cornholing goes unmentioned. Strategy seems to be, ignore it long enough, it’ll go away. Andy Jackson defeats the British at New Orleans with grapeshot fired from hollowed-out alligators — the inerrantist version. There’s a more even-handed view of the witchcraft trials in colonial New England — careful not to take sides. Also a fair and balanced presentation of the lynching story, nicely abbreviated since they tend to run to type. The traditional view of the first Thanksgiving — with both pilgrims and Indians saying “Amen. Dig in.” after grace — is back in.
C
The painting “American Gothic” continues to represent the embodiment of traditional American values but the faces of the farm couple in the Grant Wood original have morphed into those of Newt Gingrich and Phyllis Schlafly. As a gesture to the Texican schoolmen, there’s one of those dotted-line butcher’s wall charts showing the individual Founding Fathers’ favorite cuts of beef. Abe Lincoln and his law partner William Herndon no longer frequently sleep together (or whatever) in the same bed. The patriotic Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” is omitted as it suggests troops returning can arouse homoerotic fantasies. (“We’ll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.”) Walt Whitman is out because … well, you know why he’s out. American Indians are no longer “native Americans.” They’re mostly back to being “red savages,” except for the Inuits, who are back to being plain old Eskimos. And their chieftains no longer make the sad eloquent treaty-council speeches like in “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” Instead they speak minimalist textbook Indian as of yore — “How!” for hello and “Ugh!” for practically everything else. Gen. Sheridan’s surmise that the only good one is a dead one is quoted, with a mounted subordinate whispering behind his hand in a balloon aside, “Ain’t it the truth!” In recreated historical dialogue, black
S
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We have four CUTE, CUTE, mixed chow/ shepherd puppies that are ready to be adopted, rescued three weeks ago from beneath an old church in Pulaski County. Now very healthy, playful and loving. These will be fair sized dogs so you will need a fenced in yard or acreage. Great with other dogs. Call Kaytee Wright at 501-607-3100 or email: alan@arktimes.com. The puppies are located about 15 miles north of North Little Rock. august18, 13,2010 2009 • aRKaNsas tIMEs 38 February • ARKANSAS TIMES
$$$HELP WANTED$$$ Extra Income! Assembling CD cases from Home! No Experience Necessary! Call our Live Operators Now! 1-800-405-7619 EXT 2450 http://www.easywork-greatpay. com/ (AAN CAN)
In-Home care for seniors, avaliable 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Experienced caregiver. Competetive rates. Call Ronda 501-838-0772
Cosmetologist Part-time for retail/ cosmetology activities. Must love kids & good communication skills. Must be available for afternoons and weekends. Call 501-833-1000 for appt. Field Workers-5 temporary positions; approx 10 months; Duties: to operate tractors in the fields during the preparation, planting and maintenance of the crop before, during and after the harvesting. $9.09 per hour; Job to begin on 3/15/10 through 1/15/11. Must have 3 months experience in job offered. Must pass drug test provided by employer. All work tools provided. Housing and transportation provided to workers who can not reasonably return to their permanent residence at the end of the work day; _ guaranteed of contract. Employment offered by Mistretta Farms located in Gonzales, LA. Qualified applicants may send resumes to Jennifer Mistretta at (225) 766-0994. Moving company, All My Sons Moving and Storage is hiring drivers with experience. Must have a clean driving record and pass a drug test. CDL liscence or experience is a plus, Must be able to do physical work. 501-3249191
Adoption *Adopt* A music publicist (will be at-home Mom) & successful dad LOVINGLY await 1st baby. Let us be there for you & your baby. Expenses Paid Brian & Kathryn 1-800-2768289
Rentals WLR townhouse: spacious 2br/1.5ba, private patio, eat-in kitchen, separate laundry room. No pets; $795 mo., includes heat and water. Deposit and references required. 312-2203.
Roommates ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM. Browse hundreds of online listings with photos and maps. Find your roommate with a click of the mouse! Visit: http:// www.Roommates.com/ . (AAN CAN)
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men routinely address their white betters as “Boss.” The Klan is back in as a mainly benevolent fraternal order and Jim Crow is one of the rapscallions at the Mystic Knights of the Sea. American doughboys win World War I without much help, just as, in a later chapter, Ronald Reagan destroys Communism and wins the Cold War all by his lonesome. The New Deal is a failed socialist experiment that delayed recovery from the Depression. The internment of JapaneseAmerican citizens in concentration camps during World War II is just a big misunderstanding, for which a little more forgiving and forgetting and letting bygones be bygones might be in order. Joe Welch had prattled on long enough about Joe McCarthy having no sense of decency, so they’re both out and good riddance. Except for the Rosenbergs we decide we can all just get along. If you’re blacklisted, you just get over it. Ayn Rand is back in and looking good. Mary Jo Kopechne is back in and looking wet. Baby seal clubbers are regarded favorably again, as are whalers and furriers and DDT; it’s those on the other side who are the kooks now. AIDS is redacted like Nixon expletives because the classroom just isn’t the place. References to Bill Clinton’s amatory escapades are rehashed in full, though. Big Century 21 snowfalls are clear evidence against the laughable idea of global warming.
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Matinee Performances February 27 at 1 p.m. February 28 at 3 p.m. NLRHS East Campus Auditorium
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In the River Market Introducing This Spring Kent’s Brand BBQ Sauce, Meat Marinades, and Special Spice Blends. “We’re Loco For LocaL”
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Call Challis to find out how. 375-2985 Arkansas Times • february 18, 2010 39
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