Arkansas Times | June 2024

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Pine Bluff

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Pine Bluff

More than a century's worth of untold stories of our musical legacy, historical contributions to the struggles for freedom, and the brilliance of our people are waiting for discovery! If you're ready to share stories of a unique lifestyle fueled by bayou culture and the rise of authentic Delta cuisine, you're ready to discover Pine Bluff. What are you waiting for?

More than a century's worth of untold stories of our musical legacy, historical contributions to the struggles for freedom, and the brilliance of our people are waiting for discovery! If you're ready to share stories of a unique lifestyle fueled by bayou culture and the rise of authentic Delta cuisine, you're ready to discover Pine Bluff. What are you waiting for?

If

BENTONVILLE

FEATURES

33 ROAD TRIP

Our travel issue treks to Fort Smith, Wilson, Springdale and beyond.

34 NWA: GREATEST HITS

Celebrated spots and undersung treasures of the state’s booming region. By Brian Sorensen

36 FIND ME ON INSTA

Culinary inspiration from ace food bloggers. By Stephanie Smittle

38 WELCOME TO WILSON

Overnighting in a farm magnate’s company town. By Daniel Grear

44 MEET MISS LAURA’S

The bordello-turned-tourism center and more in Fort Smith. By Griffin Coop

48 BIG ON BLUFF CITY

Think Memphis is just a tourist trap?

Let us help you remedy that.

By Matt Campbell

JUNE

2024

9 THE FRONT

From the Vault: Will Stephenson on Fred Arnold, a homeless Little Rock man with some surprisingly famous friends.

Q&A: Frank O’Mara on failure, career cycles and being a former Olympian with Parkinson’s.

Big Pic: The turgid blossom and other imperiled species in Arkansas.

17 THE TO-DO LIST

Juneteenth at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Pallbearer at The Hall, Second Life at Vino’s, Blackberry Night Market and more.

24 NEWS

David Pryor, remembered. By Ernest Dumas

62 SAVVY KIDS

How to make the most of the summer break without breaking the bank.

By Tricia Larson

66 CULTURE

Caroline Earleywine excavates motherhood and martyrdom in her new poetry collection. By Stephanie Smittle

69 HISTORY

Daisy Bates’ journalistic successor on the unveiling of Bates’ statue at the U.S. Capitol. By Janis F. Kearney

72 CANNABIZ

Could the federal reclassification of marijuana rock the Arkansas cannabis industry? By Griffin Coop

74 THE OBSERVER

An anniversary for equality from staff photographer Brian Chilson’s archives.

SCENIC SILOS: Light illuminates two silos at Fort Smith’s Bakery District, painted in 2019 by muralist Hilda Palafox. Photo by Kat Wilson.

KAT WILSON

ON THE COVER: Ed Walker’s Drive-In & Restaurant by Kat Wilson.

Homes are meant for living — and ours are made for living well. Gorgeous spaces. Upscale amenities. Scenic beauty. All in thoughtfully planned communities where work and play naturally come together. Looking for a lot or home in your ideal neighborhood? Connect with our trusted Realtors ® at chenalproperties.com

PUBLISHER Alan Leveritt

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Austin Gelder

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mandy Keener

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Stephanie Smittle

MANAGING EDITOR Benjamin Hardy

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rhett Brinkley

CANNABIZ EDITOR Griffin Coop

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Daniel Grear

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Matt Campbell

REPORTER Debra Hale-Shelton

EDITORIAL INTERN Milo Strain

EDITOR EMERITUS Max Brantley

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Mara Leveritt

PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Chilson

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Madeline Chosich

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Wythe Walker

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Mike Spain

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sarah Holderfield

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING/ SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHER Brooke Wallace

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Terrell Jacob, Kaitlyn Looney and Evan Ethridge

ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Roland R. Gladden

SPECIAL SECTION MANAGING EDITOR Becca Bona

EVENTS DIRECTOR Donavan Suitt

DIRECTOR OF CANNABIS SALES AND MARKETING Lee Major IT DIRECTOR Robert Curfman

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jackson Gladden

CONTROLLER Weldon Wilson

BILLING/COLLECTIONS Charlotte Key CHAIR MAN Lindsey Millar

PRODUCTION MANAGER Ira Hocut (1954-2009)

ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each month by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, 201 EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. Subscription prices are $60 for one year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is $5, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $5.00 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all 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. ©2024 ARKANSAS TIMES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

with a

6, at 7 p.m. Join host and professional DJ, Mario Luna, as he scours the state for the most interesting, time-tested Arkansas Celebrations. In the Spring/Summer episode of this series, Mario will get the scoop on the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Pysanky Art with Lorrie Popow, one of the oldest and longest running Juneteenth celebrations in Arkansas, the annual Cardboard Boat Races at Heber Springs Freedom Fest and a Fourth of July firework finale with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

THE BALLAD OF FRED AND YOKO

HOW ONE OF THE WORLD’S FOREMOST BEATLES COLLECTORS DIED HOMELESS ON THE STREETS OF LITTLE ROCK.

BY WILL STEPHENSON

The Arkansas Times turns 50 in 2024. To celebrate our golden anniversary, we’re looking back at the history of the publication and sharing excerpts from some of our favorite stories of the past half-century. This month’s excerpt is from a March 31, 2016, cover story about an indigent Little Rock man whose sad ending belied his unexpected connections. The author, Will Stephenson, was features editor at the Arkansas Times for three years before moving on to freelance for magazines such as GQ, The New York Times Magazine and The Believer. He’s now deputy editor at Harper’s Magazine in New York.

One morning last December, just before dawn, a 67-year-old man named Fred Arnold stepped into a crosswalk on Baseline Road and was immediately struck by a teal Chevrolet van going 35 mph. The driver quickly slammed on brakes, but the force of impact was great enough to launch Arnold’s body almost 60 feet away, where he came to rest, dead, in a patch of grass next to a telephone pole. Little Rock police officer Ray Moreno arrived at the scene soon afterward and declared the collision an accident: It was dark, the driver couldn’t see him properly, Arnold had moved too quickly and hadn’t looked both ways before entering the street. Furthermore, Moreno recognized Arnold right away. In his report, he noted, “This subject has been warned on many occasions by police about walking into traffic.” Or as Moreno told me later, “He’d done it so many times, it was like he was playing Russian roulette.” Arnold was albino, had long stringy white hair and regularly sported an eye patch (he

was legally blind). He had spent the last few years living homeless on the streets of Little Rock. You might have seen him making his daily rounds: He dressed mostly in black and often walked with a cane. His typical territory was a 2- or 3-mile stretch of Southwest Little Rock that extended from the Dee Brown Library, where he’d frequently spend hours taking advantage of the building’s internet access, and the Stone Crest Apartments a few miles west, a dilapidated complex that had been condemned and cleared out years before by the Department of Neighborhoods and Housing (City Manager Bruce Moore had cited its “multiple code violations” and “deplorable shape”). Arnold had nevertheless continued to squat on the second-floor walkway of his old apartment, propping up a slab of plywood to shield himself from passersby. When he didn’t sleep at the condemned building — when, for instance, Little Rock police would rouse him and insist that he leave — he’d often find a nice spot on a narrow bridge in front of the library, and would curl up and fall asleep there instead.

‘NO OBITUARY’: For Fred Arnold, the subject of our March 31, 2016, cover story.

would have thought very little of the accident. A homeless man had died in the street: He simply hadn’t looked both ways before he’d walked. If you had searched for Arnold’s name on the internet, for that matter, you would have discovered that he was listed on the state sex offender database, where you would have been confronted by a harrowing mugshot in which, with his haggard white mane and eye patch, Arnold bore a distinct resemblance to a disheveled pirate. So: a tragic death, but a pitiful one.

Arnold’s death was Arkansas’s 476th traffic fatality in 2015. As such, the incident went largely unacknowledged by the local media, aside from a brief blurb in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which identified the victim as Fred William Arnold and concluded, “Road conditions at the time were described as clear and dry.” Anyone reading the news

Not long after the accident, however, I received an email from an elderly man in Columbia, S.C, named Walter Durst. He’d been a friend of Arnold’s for many years, he explained. Durst had known he’d been living on the street, and when his friend had stopped answering his emails, he’d become concerned. “When I hadn’t heard from him, I searched his name online, as I thought maybe he was in jail,” Durst wrote. That’s when he found the news item about his death. He was aware of the Arkansas Times, he said, because Arnold would occasionally send him issues in the mail. So he wrote to us, because he thought that someone should know about Fred — about his life. He wasn’t

expecting much. “I knew there would be no obituary,” Durst said. “After all, why would a homeless man have an obituary?”

Some of the things Durst claimed in his letter seemed intriguing, even moving. He said that Arnold, who often went by the nickname Billy, had once owned a set of iconic record stores in Charleston, S.C., where he had also been a radio show host and an active promoter of punk bands in the 1980s. He said he’d visited London, Cuba and Russia (that his politics “bordered on Communist”) and had also briefly lived in Colorado, as he preferred a colder climate. He said that Arnold had suffered a number of strokes in recent years, exacerbating many of his other problems. The letter, though, grew stranger as it went on. Durst claimed, for instance, that Arnold had known all the members of The Beatles, and had been particularly good friends with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. That after Lennon’s death, Arnold and Ono had continued to correspond and had remained close friends. “It was one of the hardest things I have ever done,” he wrote, “when I had to write to Yoko to tell her of Fred’s death.”

In an effort to help his struggling friend, Durst had contacted a number of Little Rock churches in recent years, hoping they could offer some assistance. He claims they denied there was anything they could do for a nonmember (and a registered sex offender, at that). “That is not Biblical,” Durst said. “I am a strong Christian person and it hurts when a Christian group says no.” Unbeknownst to

Durst, there was at least one local Christian organization — very broadly defined — that had been helping Arnold for some time. The Shack, a rustic brick storefront a few miles down Baseline from the spot where Arnold was killed, is a self-described “street ministry” run by Pastor Marty Mote and his wife, Lynda, both of whom had gotten to know Arnold very well in the years before his death.

“Everything you see here has been donated,” Mote told me when I visited recently, waving proudly around the building, which was cluttered with used furniture, clothing, books and appliances of all varieties. “Even the building was donated.” When it isn’t being utilized as a casual, nondenominational place of worship — “We hang here,” Mote said of his ministerial approach, “I just throw out ideas” — the building offers a shower, laundromat and kitchen for homeless and impoverished locals, and provides necessities like clean underwear, socks and the occasional utility bill payment for an overwhelmed parent. …

The Motes used to host regular cookouts near the Stone Crest Apartments, and over time Arnold had overcome his shyness and irascibility, and had begun to stop by. “He was kinda pitiful, just his situation,” Mote remembered, noting that he’d gotten used to seeing Arnold walking his morning rounds to McDonald’s, to the library and back. Eventually, Arnold opened up to Mote. He confessed everything — his sex offender

‘WHY NOT?’: Fred Arnold with Yoko Ono in New York City. COURTESY

Our belief is that every comes with a story.

Coffee drinkers to feel from origin to cup products

status, his avowed friendship with Yoko Ono — and in turn, Mote helped him locate short-term living situations and clothes that fit properly. (Did he really believe that Arnold was friends with Yoko Ono, I asked? “Why not?” he replied.) Mote helped him move, and once even bonded him out of jail, though he now figures Arnold might have been better off had he left him there.

to minimize our bring out the single the peak of their flavor founder and master roaster, nothing.)

In his kitchen, Mote stood up from his computer and gestured for me to look at his email inbox. There were countless rows of messages from Arnold, detailing emergencies (he seemed to get robbed on a near-daily basis) or asking for help or supplies of some kind or another. Many were simply updates, lonely dispatches from a person who needed someone to care about his wellbeing, to acknowledge the increasing severity of his situation:

May sleep on the outdoor benches tonight, hope I don’t end up with the flu.

I got robbed, assaulted last night in my room by the guy who used to live there. He threw me on the floor and we tore the phone in half!

It was a bit warmer last evening under the moonlight. 40 years in retail and to be outdoors with almost nothing! I am sad.

If you locate any blue jeans … I can use a loaf of bread too….

There was one other location from Fred Arnold’s final years I had hoped to see. He’d rented a U-Haul storage unit — a fairly compact one, maybe 5 by 10 feet, according to Mote, who had periodically helped him move his belongings in and out. “He tried sleeping there for a few nights, until they came and told him he couldn’t,” Mote said. He’d run an extension cord from the hallway into his unit, and had a desk, on which he’d set up his computer (a cheap one he’d bought with scratch-off lottery ticket winnings, which was later stolen). What else could he have kept in storage, I wondered? Mote remembered “boxes of keepsakes.” Arnold had sold records for four decades, and had once been renowned for his collection. What could have happened to it all? Could it be somewhere here in town, locked away and unclaimed?

Mote didn’t think so. The U-Haul management, he said, had evicted his stuff three or four weeks before he was killed. He shrugged. “I don’t know where it all is now.” There was something else Mote remembered seeing in the unit, however, hanging from one of the walls: a black canvas jacket, which Arnold claimed had been a gift from his friend, Yoko. Embroidered on the back, in white, was the word “IMAGINE.” Read the full story at arktimes.com/classics.

We’ve invested $500 million in projects that better protect public health & the environment while creating a key foundation for economic growth in Little Rock.

with Nichole Niemann

‘BEND, DON’T BREAK’

FRANK O’MARA’S LESSONS FROM A JOB IN SHORT PANTS AND A JOB IN LONG PANTS.

In 2010, former University of Arkansas track athlete and Alltel executive Frank O’Mara was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease. The diagnosis changed many things for O’Mara; he struggles with walking, speech and other tasks people often take for granted. What hasn’t changed, though, is his perseverance. In February of 2024, O’Mara released his memoir, “Bend, Don’t Break,” in which he shares lessons he’s learned from a storied life. “Victory is a life well lived or a day enjoyed,” is one of his favorite quotes, and a guiding principle.

Which coaches and executives have been your biggest inspirations? I only ever had one coach, and that was John McDonnell, the much-celebrated UA track coach. But to answer your question, you can learn lots from people in one of two ways. You can learn what you should do from people, or you can also learn what you shouldn’t do, and that’s just as important a lesson as what you ought to do. I won’t name who I’ve learned what not to do from, though there is one person in particular I’m thinking of. Instead, I’ll say Scott Ford, who was the CEO of Alltel, and Jeff Fox, who was the president.

BIRTHPLACE: Limerick, Ireland

FAVORITE BOOK: “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing

FAVORITE ARKANSAS TRAIL: Markham Hill in Fayetteville

As a kid, you dreamed of being an explorer and wanted to travel to the South Pole. Just two years after your Parkinson’s diagnosis, you traveled to the Antarctic. What was that like?

Well, first, I needed someone to go with me to cross the Drake Passage from the tip of South America to the Antarctic. It took 48 hours, and the water can be very, very rough. So I talked one friend into it, but someone sent him a video of a rough crossing and he almost backed out on me. But when we got out there, onto what they call the Drake Lake, it was calm, three-meter swells and not 15-meter swells. ... Ireland has a big history of polar exploration as a part of the Royal Navy, so just being an explorer was in my DNA, I guess. But I probably wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been diagnosed with Parkinson’s because I wanted to say, “I’m not just a cripple, I’m more.”

In “Bend, Don’t Break,” you largely omit your extensive running accomplishments, namely your World Championships and Olympic career. Was this intentional? Particularly in Ireland, this is quite controversial, but I think it’s intentional. That’s always the headline, and my life now is about my struggle, rather than celebrating victories from 30 years ago.

And honestly, I had a running career, but I also had a good business career as well. They were separate things, a job in short pants and a job in long pants. And then Parkinson’s, it’s a whole other career in itself. I had 14 years as a professional runner, 14 years in wireless, then 14 years with Parkinson’s. People often say you have three career cycles in your life. But the other thing that made me not focus on the victories is that you learn more from your failures than your victories, and looking back on moments I disappointed myself or my country, I say, “never again,” whereas with victories, you get all caught up in the celebration. You think more about the process with failure.

In your book, you talked about how Parkinson’s has slowly become a larger part of your identity. Has this changed how you view yourself, or how others view you?

I can’t speak for the latter, but as for myself, my self-worth has always been caught up in accomplishment. I think mowing the yard is an accomplishment; there’s very few things I can do now. It’s hard to say your happiness is directly proportional to your acceptance and inversely proportional to your expectations because your goals have to be moderated, but you have to have goals. For me, a goal might be making a phone call. That’s how bad it can become. So you go back into the now, but it can be quite frustrating. But you have to keep going.

What have you learned from running that helped you in this battle?

I struggle with that question because it’s all back to the failure answer again. I wrote in my book about it, we went to this big, big track meet once. I blew it the first day, I was beaten by about 30 yards, and the coach ignored me after. It was raining, and he drove the rest of the team back to the hotel. He left me in the stadium, but I didn’t know he’d left. I was in there with the swim coach, Sam Freas, and Sam looked after me. The next day, I was told I’d run the final leg of the relay again. I processed the previous day’s poor performance, and I was determined to make amends. I didn’t quite make amends, though; I got beaten by a hundredth of a second. I was 19, running against the record holder, who was 26. But I learned that you can steady the ship, and what’s important is that you do your best, not that you necessarily win.

Jack Clay

BEYOND THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER

PROTECTING ARKANSAS’S RARE — NOT JUST ENDANGERED — SPECIES.

BY ARIANA REMMEL

For the past 50 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Program has kept a list of the nation’s most imperiled creatures. In the fall of 2023, one Arkansas species finally made it off that list — a small freshwater mussel called the turgid blossom pearlymussel. Unfortunately, it was removed because the federal agency declared the animal extinct.

Unassuming invertebrates like the turgid blossom don’t get nearly the same public attention as charismatic animals like the ivory-billed woodpecker, the long-lost bird whose continued survival in the wild has been a point of contention following a 2004 sighting reported in eastern Arkansas. In fact, many Arkansans may have learned about the existence and extinction of the turgid blossom in the same sentence. Yet the disappearance of this animal from the landscape is still tragic and reflects the consequences of environmental factors threatening wildlife large and small.

Today, Arkansas is home to 36 federally listed endangered species and hundreds of others that aren’t on the official list but are vulnerable nonetheless. The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintain their own lists of rare plants and animals. Federal, state and nongovernmental agencies have been pooling resources to protect these organisms through habitat restoration, land acquisition and other evidence-based strategies.

Here are a few of the creatures conservationists are trying to save — and one that’s been lost. For more, head to arktimes.com for the full article.

Status: Extinct

The turgid blossom was a small, yellowish-green mollusk that once lived in rivers and streams across Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee. But aquatic habitat destruction — including dams that altered once-free-flowing streams — decimated the population. The last of its kind to be observed in the wild was a dead specimen recovered from the Duck River in Tennessee in 1972. It was officially declared extinct in 2023.

Name: Diana fritillary

Status: Rare in Arkansas

Designated Arkansas’s state butterfly in 2007, the Diana fritillary is found in the Ozarks and Ouachitas. (A separate population lives in the southern Appalachians.) It’s among the hundreds of rare species monitored by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission that are not (yet) listed as “endangered” or “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Natural Heritage Commission currently tracks 1,033 rare species of plants and animals, though that number changes as new data becomes available.

Name: Turgid blossom pearlymussel

WILL KUHN

Name: Red-cockaded woodpecker

Status: Endangered

In 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed reclassifying the red-cockaded woodpecker from “endangered” to the less-dire “threatened” category. Distributed in patches throughout the Southeast, the bird can be found on a few public lands in Arkansas, including a nesting population at Warren Prairie Natural Area in Bradley County.

Name: Squirrel treefrog

Status: Rare in Arkansas

The Natural Heritage Commission collaborates with the biodiversity monitoring nonprofit NatureServe to give species a two-factor ranking of 1-5 based on how imperiled it is, both globally and within the state. Species like the yellowcheek darter (see above) are ranked “G1S1” because they’re at risk of extinction both in the state and worldwide. Then there are animals like the squirrel treefrog of southeast Arkansas, which is secure at a global level but has almost disappeared from the state. Its ranking is G5S1.

Name: Yellowcheek darter

Status: Endangered

Found nowhere else outside of Arkansas, the yellowcheek darter lives exclusively in the Little Red River and its tributaries. The construction of Greers Ferry Dam in 1962 reduced the range of this tiny fish to portions of the river system above Greers Ferry Lake, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Name: Ozark hellbender

Status: Endangered

This foot-long salamander lives only in Ozark streams in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. Along with the closely related Eastern hellbender — a separate subspecies found in the Appalachian Mountains — they are among the largest amphibians in North America.

COURTNEY CELLEY/USFWS

PEDRO ARDAPPLE-KINDBERG / USFWS

LET THE FEAST BEGIN!

BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE AND MILO STRAIN

OXFORD AMERICAN’S MEMPHIS MUSIC REVUE

THURSDAY 6/6. WINDGATE CENTER FOR FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS, CONWAY. 5 P.M. FREE.

The Oxford American, a National Magazine Award-winning quarterly publication based in Conway, has made thoughtful work of bridging the South’s musical past with its present for over three decades, sometimes by taking the music writing straight off the page and into readers’ earbuds through the magazine’s December music issue and accompanying compilation album — tantamount to an early Christmas for a particular type of music nerd. This time around, they’re honoring the history of venerable Stax Records with a music party at the University of Central Arkansas’s Windgate Performing Arts Center. Beginning at 5 p.m., the Stax Museum’s SoulMobile will spin vinyl records, sell merch from Memphis artists and, a press release said, “create a ‘party on wheels’ with major social media appeal.” That’s followed by a concert from Memphis purveyor of self-described “Black Lady spiritual music” Talibah Safiya; and The 926, an assemblage of alumni from the Stax Music Academy, a nonprofit school that teaches aspiring soul artists music theory, composition and music business. The show is free, but you’ll need to make a reservation at ci.ovationtix.com/36631. SS

PALLBEARER

SATURDAY 6/29. THE HALL. 7 P.M. $25.

Pallbearer, Arkansas’s contribution to the doom metal genre, is making a hometown stop June 29 during their national tour. The last date on a string of shows before a brief break in their schedule, Pallbearer will take the stage at The Hall for the first time and play music from their new album, “Mind Burns Alive,” released May 17 on Nuclear Blast Records. An all-ages concert, Pallbearer’s glacial, oppressive riffs will be complemented by three other bands: Little Rock sludge metal institution Rwake; REZN, a Chicago psychedelic metal outfit that’s dropping a new album titled “Burden” June 14; and The Keening, an atmospheric metal project hailing from Portland, Oregon. Pallbearer will set off again on the next leg of their U.S. tour July 11 before crossing the Atlantic in October to perform all over Europe. Tickets are available at littlerockhall.com. MS

BLACKBERRY NIGHT MARKET

FRIDAY 6/7. ST. JOSEPH FARM STAND, 6800 CAMP ROBINSON ROAD, NORTH LITTLE ROCK. 5 P.M. FREE.

June is when everything at the farmers market plays second fiddle to tomatoes, and we get it. But anyone who’s ever snarfed down an Arkansas peach over the sink to avoid dousing their shirt in nectar can tell you: Tomatoes are the tip of the iceberg. As you’re daydreaming of a Saturday excursion to a U-pick farm, pencil in this nighttime farmers market-slashparty at the St. Joseph Farm Stand, a pastoral patch of land alongside a hulking former orphanage that’s been converted into art studios. Where else you gonna get stared at by an adorable goat while you listen to live music and let blackberry juice dribble down your chin? SS

JUBILEE FILM FESTIVAL

FRIDAY 6/14. CALS RON ROBINSON THEATER.

7 P.M. $50-$100.

Tasked with creating a feature-length or short film about “a narrative of Black life, whether through struggle or the continuous push toward excellence,” filmmakers at Jubilee will screen their submissions at Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater. Submissions range from documentary to podcast to screenwriting, and tickets are available at filmfreeway.com/thejubileefilmfestival. SS

JUNETEENTH

SATURDAY 6/15. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER. FREE-$55.

For several years now, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center has been at the forefront of Juneteenth celebrations in Little Rock, pairing a date symbolic of Black independence with a museum that, year-round, offers glimpses and deep dives into the lives of Black Arkansans in state history. This year, the centerpiece of the holiday in Little Rock is a street festival called Juneteenth in Da Rock. A 5K in the morning routes runners and walkers through some significant local sites in Black history, like Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock Central High School, Philander Smith College and the home of Mifflin Gibbs, the first elected Black judge in the country. (Also of note: Philander Smith is hosting a gospel music festival beginning at 4 p.m Sunday, June 16, featuring performances from Alma Brown & The A-1 Gospel Singers and more.) Meanwhile, you’ll find vendors, food, live music, educational programming and a health village at the museum, with interpreters acting as “living history” characters inside the museum and an educational Kid’s Zone. Find the link to register for the run, as well as updates on other museum-adjacent events, at juneteenthlittlerock.com. SS

SECOND LIFE

THURSDAY 6/21. VINO’S. 7 P.M.

Had a long week at the office and need to mosh out your frustrations before the weekend starts? Vino’s Brewpub has you covered. A mainstay in the Little Rock hardcore scene for a few years now, Second Life will throw down with Vulgarity, a metalcore outfit from Springfield, Missouri. Vino’s is the second-to-last stop for the two bands on a quick run of shows through the Midwest and South. Get a slice of pizza and a pint of craft beer, and take part in the hallowed tradition of seeing a ferocious concert at Vino’s on a Thursday. MS

CICADA CONVERGENCE

THROUGH JUNE. OUTSIDE IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS. FREE.

In a year where The Natural State had a catbird seat to the total solar eclipse and a rare sighting of the Northern Lights, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the entomological world, too, is slated for a rare occurrence, one that hasn’t happened since Thomas Jefferson was president. Namely, a mass mating bacchanale for two broods of cicadas, in which a trillion or so of the exoskeleton-shedding creatures will emerge from their underground lairs and wail at nearly 100 decibels in hopes of laying eggs and perpetuating the species. Isn’t evolution neat-o? “After feeding on fluids from tree roots for 13 years, slowly growing and molting underground,” Jon Zawislak, extension urban entomologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said, “they will make their debut by crawling up and out of the soil when it warms to about 64 degrees Fahrenheit and is softened by rains.” The phenomenon is expected to subside in early July, and will likely be most observable in the northern part of the state in forested areas and green spaces. After that, stay tuned for cool bug news, like whether the two broods will breed with each other and create a new type of cicada, or whether agricultural scientists and farmers will get stoked about all the soil aeration the emerging broods will cause on their way to the surface. SS

ARKANSAS

TIMES FILM SERIES: ‘35 SHOTS OF RUM’

TUESDAY 6/18. RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA. 7 P.M. $12-$14.

The Arkansas Times Film Series, curated by Omaya Jones, has a knack for introducing you to things you’ve never heard of, but are about to fall in love with. (Exhibit A: Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.”) Join us this month for Claire Denis’ 2008 film “35 Shots of Rum,” which the French-American Cultural Exchange Foundation called her “warmest, most radiant work, honoring a family of two’s extreme closeness while suggesting its potential for suffocation,” in which the acclaimed director veers off course from her wheelhouse of murder and tumult in favor of quiet family drama unfolding between a father and daughter. Get tickets at riverdale10.com. SS

SOMA PRIDE FESTIVAL

SATURDAY 6/1. SOMA DISTRICT. FREE. 10:30 A.M.-5 P.M..

Once a year isn’t enough to properly celebrate Little Rock queerness, right? Add to Central Arkansas Pride’s annual October throwdown this day festival, giving Central Arkansans a chance to party locally during Pride Month. Co-hosted by SoMa 501 and Central Arkansas Pride with proceeds benefiting local LGBTQ+ organizations, the festival kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with a parade at noon, followed by a street festival with vendors, food trucks, live music and a family-friendly zone where the kiddos can do games and crafts, face painting and storytelling. Stay tuned at somalittlerock.com/somapride for schedule updates. (And, hey, if you play your calendar cards right, you could attend this one and also gas up the tank for Northwest Arkansas Pride’s weekend-long celebration in Fayetteville on June 28-30.) SS

LITTLE ROCK TAP FESTIVAL

MONDAY 6/3-THURSDAY 6/6. ROBINSON CENTER. $65-$375.

For some, it was Gene Kelly in “Singin’ in the Rain.” For others of us, it was that time Genevieve Artadi tap-danced on kitchen tile in an oversized Christmas sweater on her Instagram feed. Whatever it is that gets folks head over heels for the shuffle-ball-change, it’s bound to be on display at this four-day festival in Robinson Center’s William Grant Still ballrooms, a series of classes, showcases and improv sessions open to tappers at various skill levels. Register and find out more at littlerocktapfest.com. SS

CHAPPELL ROAN

TUESDAY 6/4. THE HALL. 8 P.M.

Here at the Arkansas Times, we hem and haw about whether to extol the glories of long-sold-out shows, but let’s face it: Some things are culturally significant enough to transcend the rules of service journalism, and one of those things is Pink Pony Club. Boasting a Broadway-worthy set of pipes and wardrobe choices informed by a vast and reverent knowledge of drag queen history, Roan’s 2023 pop banger “Casual” turned into the situationship lament of the moment, and the pop star’s meteoric rise has inspired adoration from legions of queer listeners like yours truly, who was in dire need of a bouncy antidote to all the Phoebe Bridgers hours she logged on Spotify in 2023. Lucky enough to have scored a ticket? Come for cheeky invitations like “I heard you like magic / I’ve got a wand and a rabbit,” stay for the YMCAfor-the-modern-queer choreo to “HOT TO GO!” SS

LEADERSHIP: David Pryor represented Arkansas at the U.S. Capitol in both the House and Senate.

A FULL LIFE

REMEMBERING DAVID PRYOR.

BY ERNIE DUMAS

David Pryor, a natural-born politician who spent 34 years in public offices, including governor, the state Legislature and both houses of Congress, died Saturday, April 20, at his home in Little Rock at the age of 89.

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture called him “arguably the most popular Arkansas politician of the modern era,” although the description might have covered a much longer stretch of history. He ran for public office 13 times between 1960 and 1996 and lost only once — a 1972 race for the U.S. Senate against Sen. John L. McClellan.

After McClellan’s death in 1977, Pryor defeated two other rising political stars for the Senate seat — Congressmen Jim Guy Tucker and Ray H. Thornton Jr., both of whom would be elected to other major state offices. Pryor would hold the seat until January 1997, when he retired owing to heart problems and his dismay over the rising partisanship, wrath and extremism in Congress and national politics.

In 2002, Pryor’s son Mark, a former state

representative and attorney general, won his father’s Senate seat by defeating Sen. Tim Hutchinson and served two terms.

David Pryor’s nearly 35-year career in the state and national capitols was marked by passionate and sometimes lonely efforts for better and affordable medical care for the elderly and poor, peace, public safety in the nuclear age, the direct election of American presidents, reform of Arkansas’s ancient Constitution and, perhaps most markedly, collaboration among political foes and parties.

Former President Bill Clinton, who got his inspiration for politics and public service in 1966 from the “young Turk” lawmaker, said he and his wife, Hillary, were deeply saddened by the death of their friend and collaborator, who was always “honest, compassionate and full of common sense.”

In every office he held, Clinton said, Pryor “fought for progressive politics that helped us put the divided past behind us and move into a brighter future together. He was always one of America’s greatest advocates for the elderly, waging long battles to lower the cost

of prescription drugs, and to improve nursing home and home care to help more people live in dignity.”

“David made politics personal — from his famed retail campaigning to his ability to calmly and confidently explain tough votes to his constituents,” Clinton said. Clinton was Arkansas’s attorney general in Pryor’s last two years as governor. He was elected governor in the same election in which voters promoted Pryor to the U.S. Senate.

“I first met him and Barbara in 1966 when David was running for Congress, and over the next 58 years he would be my mentor, confidant, supporter and, above all, friend. Having him and Dale Bumpers in the Senate when I was president was an extraordinary gift. I never felt far from home, and I always trusted the unvarnished advice he gave, especially when the going got tough. I’ll always be grateful that he served as the inaugural dean of the Clinton School of Public Service, where his very presidence embodied the nobility and joy of public service.”

Pryor lived a mythical life of politics and

public service, said his longtime aide in Congress, Carmie Henry — starting with his election as president of the third grade. He defined retail politics in Arkansas as a campaigner and in public office, cementing personal bonds with everybody in both parties and in every executive office, including the security workers all over the Capitol. He became easily the most beloved member of the Senate and also with Arkansas voters.

“If any one person’s career marked the changing of an era in American politics, it was David Pryor’s,” Henry said. “There are no David Pryors in Washington anymore.”

Pryor was a liberal Democrat long before it became a term of opprobrium. He was stirred to enter politics — first as a crusading weekly newspaper editor in Camden and then as a candidate for the Legislature — by the rise of racial hatred and discord after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 outlawing segregation in the nation’s public schools.

As a senior and student leader at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Pryor traveled to the state Capitol in February 1957 to testify at a dramatic public hearing on a bill creating a state sovereignty commission that would stop racial integration and find and punish people and groups that supported integration, or “race mixing,” as it was commonly called. He thought the bill was a flagrant violation of the federal and state constitutions. He was blocked from testifying, he would learn, at the instigation of university officials, including the president, who feared a backlash against the school. Pryor and his new wife, the former Barbara Jean Lunsford, were turned into crusaders by the Legislature’s passage of a raft of bills to maintain white supremacy, Gov. Orval E. Faubus’ signing of them into law in early 1957, and then Faubus’ dispatch of National Guardsmen to prevent nine Black youngsters from entering Little Rock Central High School that fall.

David Hampton Pryor was born Aug. 29, 1934, in Camden, the third of four children of William Edgar Pryor and Susan Newton Pryor. His father ran a car dealership, was Ouachita County sheriff for four years and was always politically connected and influential. Pryor’s mother had been a champion of women’s suffrage, and was the first woman to run for public office in Arkansas, losing a race for circuit and county clerk in 1926. (She later won a school board race.) Gov. Ben T. Laney (1945–49) was a neighbor and family friend, although Laney’s leadership in the Southern white supremacy movement and his disloyalty to the Democratic Party in 1948 disturbed young Pryor, whose hero was Gov. Sid McMath from next-door Magnolia and Hot Springs. McMath had thwarted Laney’s Dixiecrat party and carried Arkansas for President Harry S. Truman that year.

His autobiography, “A Pryor Commitment,” published in 2008 by Butler Center Books, gives a self-effacing and often humorous account of growing up, pursuing popularity and providentially encountering famous political figures who would shape his destiny. He was an unusually gregarious child who was attracted to politics almost from the time that he could read, perhaps owing to his fa-

est in peer acceptance — and who could circle the practice field in a heavy uniform without crumpling to earth — went out for football,” he said. Pryor dreaded “the 200-pound linemen” who smashed him to the ground nearly every play.

Pryor wrote that after seeing the 1950 movie “Born Yesterday,” starring William Holden and Judy Holliday and set in political Wash-

“If any one person’s career marked the changing of an era in American politics, it was David Pryor’s. There are no David Pryors in Washington anymore.” —Carmie Henry

ther’s political engagement. (The elder Pryor raised the money in 1942 that kept Congressman John L. McClellan in a U.S. Senate race, which he won in a Democratic runoff primary with Attorney General Jack Holt. McClellan was later shocked and embittered that his patron’s boy would run against him. He had expected Pryor to succeed him when he retired.)

Pryor wrote that he ran for president of Mary Bragg Wheeler’s third-grade class at Camden and that the teacher sent him and the other two candidates into the hall while the class voted.

“Sweating under the tension,” Pryor remembered, “I promised God that if He would let me win this election, I would never again run for political office. Our teacher called us back into the room. I had won! Before I sat down, I was already planning my race for fourth-grade president.”

His boyhood hero was the Razorback and Olympic star Clyde Scott from Smackover, 16 miles down the road. Pryor’s admiration was such that 50 years later he stuttered trying to talk to the sainted old man, by then a retired insurance executive for Jackson T. “Jack” Stephens. Pryor was a football star for the Camden Panthers high school team — a triple-threat tailback who made the all-district team. His memoir, however, confessed that he actually hated football and every minute of practice and the games, but social pressure forced him to stay with it. “Any Camden boy in the 1950s who entertained the slightest inter-

ington, D.C., he ran home and sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Oren Harris of El Dorado, a family friend, asking if he could be a congressional page that summer. Harris agreed. Pryor drove to Washington, finally found the Capitol and reached the House doorkeeper’s office, where he was rebuked for being late. He was sent to the Senate, where there was an emergency — an all-night filibuster after all the Senate pages had gone home. When he reached the Senate floor, Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin (the anticommunist conspiracist who was later censured by the Senate) snapped his fingers at Pryor, scribbled a note, fished out a $10 bill and handed him a ring of keys. Pryor’s account was this: “Here, son,” he said. “Get a taxi and go to this address, and on the floor of the closet in the bedroom you’ll find my bedroom slippers. Bring them to me.”

It was David Pryor’s first act of public service.

After Pryor enrolled as a freshman at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, his father died suddenly. He canceled his enrollment and went instead to Henderson State Teachers College in Arkadelphia, 45 miles up Arkansas Highway 7 from Camden. When he arrived on campus late, he was greeted by a sign in front of Womack Hall, the men’s dormitory, saying, “David Pryor for Freshman Class President.” He was elected.

After a year, he transferred to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He took a horse with him and put the colt in a stable at a farm south of town. He later wrote that it had

A FAVORITE:

been a stupid thing to do because he rarely found time to ride the animal. He figured he had done it because the last time he had seen his father alive was when the old man was astride a horse in the 1952 Ouachita County Fair parade.

As the spring semester was ending in 1954, Pryor got a note to call Gov. Francis Cherry, who had defeated Pryor’s hero, Sid McMath, two years earlier. Cherry wanted Pryor to be his driver while he was campaigning for reelection in the Democratic primaries against Faubus and two others that summer. Late in life Pryor gave poignant accounts of Cherry’s grace and caring and the agonizing dilemmas the governor had faced in his historic confrontation with Faubus in the primary runoff: Cherry had decided to question Faubus’ patriotism by making an issue of his attendance at a socialist self-help school at Mena, Commonwealth College, and subsequently lying about it.

It was to be an evening television speech at the KARK studio, which Pryor called “the speech of Cherry’s political life.” Pryor said he waited in the car for Cherry to leave the mansion for the studio and the governor veered into the shrubs next to the car and vomited. After his stumbling and wooden speech, Cherry returned to the car solemnly and said, “How’d I do, kid?” Pryor said he congratulated Cherry but began to realize the speech had been a terrible mistake.

It occurred while the country, including Arkansas, rebelled against “McCarthyism,” which had been exposed as a fraud the previous month in Senate hearings that included Army attorney Joseph Welch’s famous put-

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

down of McCarthy for relentlessly attacking a young lawyer: “Until this moment, senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough! Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

Faubus won, and Pryor concluded that the very decent Cherry had been a poor politician who did not sense the great shift in public attitudes and was unable to rally voters against a smart but unprincipled opponent. Troubled by Cherry’s humiliation, Pryor decided that politics was a miserable business and changed his major from political science to business administration. He took courses in accounting, banking and statistics but found them tedious and boring. Then he became violently ill with a strange malady that required multiple surgeries — he withered to 130 pounds and partially lost his eyesight — and cost him a year of school.

He returned to the university in 1955 as a government major again and became active in student government. Led by Pryor, Ray Thornton and other future leaders of the state, University of Arkansas students took a special interest in the emerging conflagration over integration. Little Rock was under federal court orders to desegregate its schools in the fall, and state lawmakers pursued a number of punitive bills to slow the process, including the creation of a state sovereignty commission based on the long-repudiated theory of John C. Calhoun that states could interpose their sovereignty between the federal government and the people. The commission would be empowered to target those

who supported “race mixing” — that is, integration.

Pryor drove to Little Rock to speak to the Legislature, along with one of his many college roommates, Kenneth C. Danforth of El Dorado, the editor of the campus newspaper, The Traveler, and later a journalist for the Arkansas Gazette, Time magazine and National Geographic. They carried a message from students to the lawmakers and the state: The legislation being proposed trampled upon the human rights of American citizens, who would be criminalized for even expressing the view that Black people and others who might sympathize with them were entitled to equality and free expression and assembly. But he was blocked from testifying before the Legislature. Pryor was embittered by his experience that day, but, according to his memoir, it sharpened his understanding that politics and government — in Ouachita County, Little Rock or Washington, D.C. — did not follow the examples in civics textbooks.

He left Fayetteville with his degree but could not find a job. The Arkansas Gazette would not hire him, even when he volunteered to work free for a few months to prove his worth. Later, as a lawmaker and law student, he would be the Gazette’s Fayetteville correspondent. He married Barbara Jean Lunsford of Fayetteville, a classmate, and returned to Camden. In late 1957, he started a weekly newspaper, the Ouachita Citizen, with a printing press acquired from a local businessman. His wife and mother wrote weekly columns and reported, and Pryor sold advertisements and wrote editorials, often criticizing local government officials but mainly Gov. Faubus and legislators who went along with everything Faubus sought to do. The city’s daily newspaper, like most others around Arkansas after the 1957 school crisis, rarely took issue with the governor and the Legislature.

Faubus took pleasure in taunting Pryor and his little paper. At a rally at Camden in his 1958 race against the meatpacker Chris Finkbeiner, whom Pryor supported, Faubus held up copies of Life and Time magazines and Pryor’s little paper, all of which had made Faubus look bad.

“Life is for people who can’t read,” Faubus said. “Time is for people who can’t see, and the Ouachita Citizen is for people who can’t think.” The crowd roared, and Pryor crawled in his car and went home.

But in 1960, Pryor told the county’s representative in the state House, a family friend, that if he did not begin to oppose Faubus he was going to run against him. The representative demurred and Pryor made good on his promise. He was 26 years old.

Pryor’s memoir said he got elected mainly owing to the relentless campaigning of Barbara, carrying their infant son, David,

Cartoonist George Fisher captured Pryor’s likeness dozens of times.

with her as she went door to door across the county asking people to please vote for her husband. The family briefly moved to Little Rock and sold the newspaper in 1962. He was elected twice more, in 1962 and 1964, while attending law school at Fayetteville when the Legislature was not in session. He finished law school in 1964.

Except for his votes, Pryor’s legislative record was unremarkable, which was not unusual for new legislators. A Civil War buff, Pryor read about battles in South Arkansas and at his first session in February 1961 he introduced and passed a bill creating Poison Springs Battlefield State Park about 8 miles from his home. (It was the site of one of the Confederates’ few big victories in Arkansas, a victory most notable for the slaughter of a Kansas infantry regiment that included former slaves. The Confederates took no prisoners and used wagons to crush the skulls of the captured Black men.)

Pryor became one of a handful of liberals who jousted with Faubus and the legislative “Old Guard” on a wide variety of reforms. Called “the Young Turks” in the media, Pryor, Virgil Butler, Sterling R. Cockrill Jr., Jim Brandon, Hardy W. Croxton, Ray S. Smith Jr. and Hayes C. McClerkin introduced bills outlawing the poll tax, reforming election laws, overhauling county purchasing and spending (Pryor had been on a grand jury investigating government fraud in Ouachita County), convening a constitutional convention, and overhauling highway administration. They got nowhere with the legislation. In 1961, Pryor introduced a bill to require competitive bidding on county purchases of more than $300, but he could get only a few votes for it each year. Faubus had another legislator, Harry Colay of Magnolia, put his name on a similar bill in 1965. It passed and Faubus signed it.

Pryor opened a law practice in 1964 in Camden with his friend Harry Barnes. He liked to mention a case where he represented a man in a dispute over who owned a coon dog. It was finally resolved by bringing the disputed mutt into the courtroom, which wandered around until it spotted Pryor’s client and put a paw on his knee. The judge immediately awarded him custody. But Pryor never got to practice a lot of law.

Faubus’ hostile relationship with Pryor took a strange turn in the summer of 1965. In law school at Fayetteville, Pryor had become a close friend of Faubus’ son, Farrell, a shy, portly and tormented young man who would take his own life in 1977 at the age of 36. Farrell had felt shunned and ridiculed by the other students and some of the faculty. He and Pryor studied, played golf, drank beer and got their law degrees together.

In July 1965, President Lyndon Johnson appointed U.S. Rep. Oren Harris to a federal judgeship, creating a congressional vacancy

that Faubus was supposed to fill for the last 16 months of Harris’ term by calling a special election. It was Pryor’s dream, but there was no time to put together a campaign organization throughout the large Fourth Congressional District. State Auditor Jimmie “Red” Jones, who was known to every voter in the state, would be the automatic winner. Pryor mentioned his problem to his friend Farrell. He would learn later that Farrell told his dad that Pryor had helped him get his law degree, was the only person at the university who befriended him and was about the only true

Pryor also passionately sought to end the Electoral College, so that the winner of the popular vote would always be the next president. a

friend he ever had.

Faubus dawdled about calling the special election for weeks and finally announced that the district did not really need a voting representative for the next year and a half, so he called the special election for the same day as the general election in November 1966. Voters would simultaneously fill the seat for the last two months of the year but also the following two years — two elections for the same seat on the same day.

It gave Pryor more than a year to build a campaign. Red Jones then chose not to run because he would have to give up his safe lifetime job at the Capitol for a risky congressional election. Pryor won the special

election and the general election handily. He defeated Richard S. Arnold of Texarkana, a future federal district and appellate judge, and three other prominent politicians from around the district, John Harris Jones of Pine Bluff, Charles L. “Chuck” Honey of Prescott and Dean Murphy of Hope.

Late in life, Faubus and Pryor would cement a friendship, and he told Pryor that one of the joys of his life had been setting in motion the events that year which sealed Pryor’s long career in politics.

Pryor’s three terms in the seniority-driven House of Representatives were hardly notable, except for a controversy that he engineered — a crusade over the mistreatment of the elderly and disabled in nursing homes — and his personal dilemma over the Vietnam War, which he eventually came to oppose.

His mother told him that after visiting friends in nursing homes over the years, she had concluded that the warehousing of people in the profit-driven industry had to be a national scandal rather than a local one. Now that her son was a congressman, he ought to do something about it. Having little else to do as a freshman, Pryor started volunteering on weekends as an orderly in nursing homes in the District of Columbia and suburban Maryland and Virginia, and recording the lack of staffing and lapses in medical care that he saw. His mother was right. Nursing homes often were just profitable warehouses for those waiting for the grave.

Government inspectors often gave owners notice of their inspections, which rarely found lapses and, when they did, nothing was done about them. The industry had lobbyists who kept Pryor’s congressional colleagues and other government monitors at bay.

Pryor made a speech on the House floor revealing his secret work. He said he had encountered only two nursing homes where he would put his mother, but he couldn’t have afforded either one on his $42,500 salary. He was attacked by Maryland’s state mental health director and people in the industry. Pryor called for the House to create a select committee on nursing homes and homes for the aged. Despite his best efforts — he ran investigations and hearings out of two trailers in a vacant lot beside a gas station near the Capitol — Pryor found himself stymied until President Richard M. Nixon joined the cause in 1971, deploring conditions in nursing homes and proposing to end payments to substandard homes.

In 1974, two years after Pryor left the chamber, the House finally established the Select Committee on Aging, as the Senate had done in 1959. For the next 50 years, Congress, federal and state administrators, and the industry would wage battle over standards of care for the aged and the degree of regulation that

government should provide.

At the time Pryor went to Washington, the U.S. had been engaged in the war in Vietnam for 10 years. (President Eisenhower sent the first U.S. troops in 1955 and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson raised the commitment.) After the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, Congress gave Johnson new authority to dramatically expand America’s commitment, still without a declaration of war. By 1968, congressional and public opposition to the war had grown.

Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the presidential nominee, asked Pryor to make a short speech to the riotous Democratic National Convention in Chicago in support of the Vietnam plank, an oblique statement that neither endorsed nor opposed the war effort. Pryor went to the convention as an Arkansas delegate having already alienated other Southern congressmen, especially Mississippians, by voting as a member of the Credentials Committee to seat Mississippi’s Freedom Democrats — including Black delegates and liberals — instead of the white delegation picked by the party in Mississippi. In his 2-minute speech, he urged an end to the war but called for unity. Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright had already decided America’s war policies were improvident and conducted hearings that began to turn public sentiment against the war.

President Johnson, who’d had misgivings about the war from the first, had nonetheless made himself the champion of the war

Pryor’s retirement did not end his engagement with politics and government.

against communism in Vietnam. He became more and more sorrowful and morose as tens of thousands of Americans a year died, but he could not become the first president to lose a war. In 1967, Johnson asked Pryor to fly to Texas with him for rallies to pump up flagging support in his home state. Pryor would write that Johnson seemed glum and introspective the whole trip.

Pryor understood why. As they were flying back to Washington at night in Air Force One, Pryor looked out the window and figured that the lights below were his hometown of Camden.

“Mr. President,” he said, “it looks like we might be flying directly over Camden, Arkansas. That’s my hometown. If you look straight down at the ground, you might see Jim’s Café on Washington Street.”

The president leaned across him and looked out the window. He slumped back in his seat and shook his head. “God a’mighty!” he sighed. “I wish I was at Jim’s Café right now.” He was silent the rest of the trip.

For Pryor, the climax to the moral struggle over the war was more personal, as he would recall in “A Pryor Commitment” and oral histories. On a plane trip from Washington to Arkansas, he fell into conversation with a young serviceman from his district who was headed to Vietnam. Many months later, he got on a plane for the same flight back home and recognized the young man, in uniform. He asked the soldier about his tour of duty. The soldier pulled back a blanket across his lap, which showed that he had lost a leg in combat.

“Congressman Pryor,” the young man said, “I would not have minded losing my leg, if only someone had told me why we were there in the first place.”

Pryor sent constituents a newsletter announcing that he would thereafter oppose any further funding of the war, and calling for troops to be brought home. It was not an altogether popular step. At a fish fry at the Carlisle High School stadium soon afterward, a man ran out of the crowd, jumped on Pryor’s back and began hitting him and calling him a traitor. Carlisle Mayor Bobby Glover pulled the man off Pryor. Decades later Pryor would write a letter to his youngest son, Scott, explaining his dilemma over the war and its consequences. He likened it to the contemporary dilemma over the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 1972, Sen. McClellan, by then chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which had funded the development of the navigation dams on the Arkansas River, announced he was running for a sixth term. His hearings on labor racketeering had made enemies of organized labor. Unions representing wood, paper, oil, chemical and electrical workers in South Arkan-

sas had supplied much of Pryor’s political strength. He announced that he was running for the Senate seat, along with Ted Boswell, a liberal trial lawyer. Pryor survived a rough campaign in which he was accused of being a friend of draft dodgers and a supporter of gun control. (As a freshman legislator, he had sponsored a bill making it illegal to carry a loaded weapon in a vehicle inside city limits after a boy accidentally killed himself with a loaded shotgun in a Safeway parking lot.)

But Pryor was a close second in the preferential primary and entered the runoff as a heavy favorite, certain to get all the votes that had been cast for the more liberal Boswell. W. R. “Witt” Stephens, the gas baron and investment banker, summoned a meeting of the state’s banking and business leaders with McClellan in the boardroom of Union National Bank at Little Rock, where everyone ponied up tens of thousands of dollars for McClellan or pledged to collect it.

The two-week runoff ended with a televised debate. McClellan, wearing a white suit, taunted Pryor for his support by unions and “labor bosses.” Pryor responded that the money reported on his campaign finance forms came from the cookie jars and overalls pockets of hard-working men.

McClellan responded that Pryor had gotten $79,000 from “bosses” from outside the state. “David, David,” he taunted, shaking a finger, “this is no cookie-jar nickels and dimes!”

Pryor’s campaign gifts paled alongside the money from businessmen and bankers in McClellan’s campaign, and the 76-yearold McClellan’s commanding performance showed him as anything but a doddering old man. But McClellan’s victory in the election the next week depended more on the massive get-out-the-vote effort by political leaders, commanded by Witt Stephens. On election night, Pryor faced the TV cameras early, conceded and said the voters had elected the right man.

Stephens was watching television that night and was struck by Pryor’s magnanimity. Two years later, when Gov. Dale Bumpers announced he was not running for a third term as governor, but instead would challenge Fulbright for the Senate, Stephens picked up the phone and called Pryor, suggesting that he run for governor. Pryor said he was about to call Stephens and urge him to run (they had served in the Arkansas House of Representatives together as freshmen in 1961). Stephens said no, he was serious, and promised his full organizational support if Pryor announced.

So he did, and so did former Gov. Faubus and Lt. Gov. Bob Riley. Faubus, making his second comeback attempt since retiring in 1966, was shocked to discover that nearly his

entire political machine marshaled by Stephens — an old friend and supporter — had been diverted to Pryor. Pryor won without a runoff. For the rest of his life, Faubus remained bitter about his betrayal by Stephens while warming to the young man whom his son had once asked him to help.

Providence seemed always to shine on Pryor at election time — but with actual governance, not so much. Dale Bumpers had raised income and motor-fuel taxes and closed tax loopholes. Furious economic growth filled the state treasury so that Bumpers could enhance public schools and higher education, build many state parks, improve highways, expand medical care and build hospitals and college classrooms. Bumpers called a special legislative session to spend the big surplus that accumulated in the treasury.

The moment Pryor moved into the governor’s mansion, though, the nation was hit with a long recession complicated by inflation, and the state treasury was depleted. Pryor had to slash budgets and freeze hiring. In his four years as governor, Bumpers had carried out nearly all the reforms prescribed by the liberal group Democrats for Arkansas during the late 1960s — almost everything but a new state Constitution, which became Pryor’s biggest goal. It was never fulfilled.

Pryor proposed a dramatic refashioning of state spending: a 25% reduction in state income tax rates and empowerment of local governments to implement the income tax themselves to address all the problems of cit-

ies, counties and schools. The Arkansas Plan, as it was called, consumed a legislative session. Pryor traveled the state promoting the plan, explaining to a group at Jonesboro that he was cutting state taxes and allowing people locally to use it in whatever way pleased them, jokingly suggesting that if they didn’t want to levy taxes to build roads and streets they could spend the money on “a new coon dog.” Gazette cartoonist George Fisher labeled it the “Coon Dog Plan” and thereafter always put a grinning mutt at Pryor’s side. The Arkansas Plan failed.

Another passion was fighting litter. Pryor hated the trash along the state’s streets and roads. He started a “Pick Up Arkansas” campaign and proposed a bill levying a small tax on soft drinks, pet foods, newspapers and plastic wrappers to discourage littering; the money would be used for highway and street cleanup. Local governments were encouraged to dispose of abandoned cars and refrigerators. The bill passed, but then a letter from the state revenue department to businesses on how to collect the tax warned that they could go to prison for failing to remit the litter tax. Legislators who had voted for the bill heard from merchants and demanded that Pryor call them back into session to repeal the bill before it took effect July 1. He did, but always regretted it when he saw sandwich wrappers and soft-drink containers strewn on the roadsides.

Constitutional revision was Pryor’s biggest failure as governor. Voters defeated a liber-

alized constitution drafted by a popularly elected convention in 1970. Pryor decided to try again after taking office in 1975. The solution had to be to avoid the pitched battles over a few issues such as the state’s anti-union law (the Right to Work Amendment), usury, judicial elections and county government reform. He offered a bill calling for the appointment, by the Legislature and the governor, of 35 delegates who would write a new constitution but leave those and a few other features of the 1874 Constitution untouched, and then submit the document to the voters in September.

On the day the delegates convened, the state Supreme Court voted 4-3 to abolish the convention because the delegates were prohibited from changing some parts of the Constitution. It had to be all or nothing, the court said. In 1977, Pryor tried again with a bill that called for the election of 100 delegates in 1978 and a vote on the document in 1980. But voters defeated that new constitution decisively.

But by then, Pryor had moved on to a different office. Sen. McClellan died in November 1977, and Pryor appointed Kaneaster Hodges of Newport, a lawyer and minister, to finish his term, which ended Jan. 1, 1979. Pryor soon announced that he would run for the Senate seat. So did U.S. Rep. Jim Guy Tucker of Little Rock and U.S. Rep. Ray H. Thornton Jr. of Sheridan. It would be a race between three friends and philosophical triplets. (A.C. Grigson, a Texarkana accountant, also joined the race, claiming to be McClellan’s philosophical successor.)

Pryor barely led in the first primary, and Tucker edged Thornton for the second spot. The runoff would also be amiable until its final days, when Tucker accused Pryor’s campaign manager of trying to persuade a friend on the state Public Service Commission to approve a rate increase for Stephens’ western Arkansas gas company in exchange for the Stephens family’s support in the runoff.

Pryor won by a safe margin. Tucker later shrugged off his defeat. No one, he said, was going to believe that David Pryor did anything even slightly deceitful and wouldn’t blame him if he had.

The Senate years were Pryor’s most pleasurable. His Arkansas colleague, Dale Bumpers, was a close friend and an ally on most — but not all — issues. After their retirements, they became a popular team for television and political events, taunting each other and telling tall tales.

During the eight-year administration of President Ronald Reagan, both senators opposed much of the Reagan program, including tax cuts for the wealthy in 1981 and later the big binge of military spending. Bumpers, a deficit hawk, publicly opposed the tax cuts,

MAKING CONNECTIONS: David and Barbara Pryor on the campaign trail.

and Pryor finally joined him by voting “present” on the roll call, the same as a no vote.

The month after the tax cuts passed, the nation fell into a deep 14-month recession with double-digit unemployment, the deepest since the 1930s. The charming Reagan was never blamed for the longest and deepest recession in modern times, or the staggering budget deficits and debt he ran up for eight years, or for the repeated tax increases that the president described as “revenue enhancements.”

Pryor also became a leading critic of Pentagon spending, calling attention to such excesses as orders for thousands of ballpeen hammers and toilet seats at hugely inflated prices. He also veered from Bumpers and the state’s four congressmen in his opposition to the development of binary chemical weapons. He opposed developing and storing the chemical weapons at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. Vice President George H. W. Bush, a friend who went to Congress the same time as Pryor, went to the Senate to cast the tie-breaking vote for the arsenal.

Even before Reagan’s election, the Pentagon already suspected that Pryor was not a votary, especially after he called attention to the perils of the Titan II missile system following a series of dangerous failures around the country and two catastrophes in Arkansas. When the Defense Department developed the Titan II system — 54 underground intercontinental missiles with nuclear warheads — U.S. Rep. Wilbur D. Mills agreed to vote for President Kennedy’s tax cuts if he agreed to put a ring of 18 of the new missiles in Arkansas. A fire in a silo with a nuclear warhead near Searcy in 1965 killed 53 workers who were retrofitting the missile’s fuel system. In January 1978, a fuel transporter at a missile silo at Damascus overheated and sent thousands of gallons of deadly nitrogen tetroxide vapor over the countryside. In 1979, after more such leaks in the Arkansas and Kansas missile networks, Pryor and Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas began regretting the placement of Titan sites in their states and talked about whether they should be anywhere near American citizens.

After rumors of incidents at the silos, Pryor in the summer of 1980 did his own secret investigation and found nine major incidents in the previous 14 months that could have endangered Arkansas lives. Clearly, the Air Force had been lying about safety at the Titan sites in Arkansas, Kansas and New Mexico. Pryor gave the detailed results of an investigation of the eight incidents to two Arkansas Gazette reporters, who described the incidents and Pryor’s conclusions. Surround-

ing residents were never told about any of them, despite an Air Force vow that residents would always be kept informed.

Pryor and Dole went to Congress to push an amendment to the Defense Department appropriation that called for an early warning system around all the silos. The amendment passed. Three days later, on Sept. 18, 1980, the missile in a silo at Damascus exploded, blowing the nuclear warhead and two technicians into the air. One of the men died almost instantly and the other was permanently injured. Two years later, the Pentagon decided to abandon the Titans for more advanced, and perhaps safer, missile systems.

But Pryor’s negativity about defense weaponry and spending took a political toll, at least nationally. The payoff came in 1984, when the White House and party leadership persuaded Congressman Ed Bethune of Searcy — the Pryors and Bethunes were friends — to run against Pryor, with the promise of financial backing. More than 20 Reagan administration officials and Republican senators came to Arkansas for fundraising events for Bethune. Rev. Jerry Falwell, the influential right-wing leader, traveled to the state to call for Pryor’s defeat.

Pryor eschewed the same strategy, feeling that Democrats from out-of-state would hurt rather than help him. Bethune’s ads said Pryor had voted against the popular Reagan on 77% of the issues in the Senate. The Saturday before the election, the president, who was approaching a landslide win of his own, made a speech at the packed Excelsior Hotel ballroom.

“Don’t send me back to Washington alone,” Reagan said, with Bethune smiling beside him. Reagan carried Arkansas with 60% of the vote. Pryor got 57%.

(In 1990, Pryor ran for reelection and no Democrat or Republican opposed him, a rarity in any state.) He spent much of his second term fighting for a taxpayer’s bill of rights to curb abuses by the Internal Revenue Service. Reagan signed Pryor’s bill into law in 1988.

Pryor’s last major crusade in the Senate was against the pharmaceutical industry. In 1990, he introduced the Pharmaceutical Access and Prudent Purchasing Act, which sought to end the spiral of drug prices; it would have allowed Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate with drugmakers on prices that would be charged to Medicare and Medicaid patients. The industry fought back.

Pryor had a massive heart attack on April 15, 1991. The illness hobbled him for the rest of his career. Majority Leader George Mitchell and Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas took up the cause of drug pricing, but they never were

able to pass a bill. President Joe Biden took up Pryor’s cause in 2023.

Pryor also passionately sought to end the Electoral College, so that the winner of the popular vote would always be the next president. In 1992, sensing that the third-party candidacy of Ross Perot could tilt the election of George H. W. Bush over Bill Clinton regardless of the size of Clinton’s election victory, Pryor again introduced a Senate resolution for a constitutional amendment to end the Electoral College and assure that presidential election winners always took office. The Senate never sent the amendment to the states for ratification.

At that time, only one popular election loser had ever become president — Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876. But two subsequent losers, George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald J. Trump in 2016, became president. (Trump lost the actual balloting by nearly 3 million votes nationally.)

Like Bumpers, Pryor found relationships in Congress profoundly different after the ascent of Republican House leader Newt Gingrich in the early 1990s and the rise of figures such as radio provocateur Rush Limbaugh. Gingrich and Limbaugh turned politics into a war of good Republicans versus evil Democrats. Friendly Republicans departed and were replaced by politicians who called Democrats socialists and radicals who were out to destroy the country.

Pryor did not run again in 1996; Bumpers made the same choice in 1998. The Capitol, they said, was no longer an enjoyable place to be.

Pryor’s retirement did not end his engagement with politics and government. In 2000, he became director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He taught courses at the University of Arkansas and gave his unexpended campaign funds to form the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Oral and Visual History at the university. He was also the inaugural dean of the Clinton School of Public Service at Little Rock, serving for two years. After the murder of Bill Gwatney in 2008, he was chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party for a spell. In 2009, Gov. Mike Beebe appointed him to a 10-year term on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, where he did not enhance his popularity by protesting the lavish spending on athletics and stadium additions. A massive stroke in 2016 curtailed his activity for good.

Survivors include his widow, Barbara; his sons and their wives, David Jr. (Judith), Mark (Joi) and Scott (Diane); his grandchildren, Hampton, Adams, Porter and Devin; and his great-grandson, Raven.

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Proceeds to benefit the non-profit “Young Community Advocates of Baring Cross (N.Little Rock)

Saturday June 8 10AM-1PM

In Celebration of Arkansas Barbecue

For as long as I can remember I’ve been obsessed with barbecue. I have distinct childhood memories of visiting legendary barbecue shacks in my native central Texas like Tony DeMaria’s BBQ and Jasper’s BBQ, both of Waco. Or shooting up to Fort Worth on a lazy Saturday morning just to visit Angelo’s Bar-B-Que, that mythical shrine to ribs and sausage and taxidermy. Or, when I was a bit older, making the trek to the renowned Franklin Barbecue in Austin, only to find out I was the third or fourth person in line before the “brisket cutoff.” Good timing, I suppose, but surely I could’ve done better considering there were over 100 people in front of me when I took my place in line at 6 a.m.

I probably spend more time thinking about barbecue than anyone I know, desperately trying to put into words or onto paper what draws me to those warm, hickory-fueled fires after all these years. Here it is in a nutshell: Barbecue combines geography, regional identity and food into one neat little foil-wrapped package. When I consider the intense regionalility and tribalism of barbecue and how that informs shared identity and culture—and vice versa—it reminds me of that now famous quote from revered Southern sociologist Dr. John Shelton Reed, “Southern barbecue is the closest thing we have in the U.S. to Europe’s wines or cheeses; drive a hundred miles and the barbecue changes.”

And it’s true, isn’t it? Consider Arkansas: The barbecue of the Piney Woods, with its deep cultural influence from north Louisiana and east Texas, looks quite a bit different from the barbecue of the upper Arkansas Delta, which is heavily informed by our neighbors in Memphis. While it’s a thrilling exercise (for me, at least) to dissect regional styles and note the differences between, I find it equally satisfying to explore the ways in which our shared barbecue culture binds us together.

Visit barbecue restaurants around the state to taste the best Arkansas has to offer. Collect stamps from the participating restaurants. You could be awarded a new PK Grill or other prizes based on the number of stamps you collect.

Consider barbecue as not just a cooking technique, but as a social institution. The first recorded Arkansas barbecues were held on July 4, 1821, in Phillips County and Chicot County. “Several beeves were roasted whole and served in barbecue style. There must have been some beverage of very strong parts, though of this the record is silent. At this first barbecue in Phillips good order prevailed all day long and everybody was delighted. Toasts were drunk and at the conclusion of each salute of from three to nine guns were fired,” recalled Josiah Shinn, who detailed the event in his 1908 history of Arkansas. Indeed, the barbecue was shortly thereafter established as the primary social occasion of early territorial life in Arkansas, often drawing in hundreds of people from 40 or 50 miles in every direction.

Arkansas barbecues began to take more shapes as our history advanced. Like in 1840 when the Tippecanoe Club of Little Rock, in an effort to elect the presidential ticket of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler, adopted a resolution to give “a free Barbecue to the people of Pulaski County, and as many others from the adjoining counties as can conveniently attend.” Fast-forward to today, where the Gillett Coon Supper has served as the ceremonial kickoff of political campaign season in Arkansas since 1933, with guests measuring the gumption and resolve of courting politicians by their willingness to indulge in the local fare: barbecued racoon.

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As begrudgingly disclosed above, I am not a native Arkansawyer — but I got here as quickly as I could. In New York City, the accepted wisdom dictates that you aren’t a local until you’ve put in 10 years … Well, I’ve got a couple more than that under my belt here in Arkansas, and sometimes it takes an outside view of a place and an honest attempt at assimilation to fully understand all the inner workings that make such a special state tick. Here’s my conclusion:

Our shared barbecue tradition is the true story of Arkansas Barbecue. From the legendary Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna (purported to be the oldest continually operated Black-owned restaurant in America) to the world-famous McClard’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant in Hot Springs (former President Bill Clinton’s favorite), it’s my position that we should do a better job as Arkansawyers of celebrating and promoting those ties that bind.

The Arkansas Barbecue Trail and Passport aims to do just that.

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HOW TO HIT THE ROAD THIS SUMMER.

f a total solar eclipse, a peek at the dancing lights of the aurora and a mass cicada convergence have convinced throngs of visitors that Arkansas is the place to be this year, surely it’s time to convince ourselves, right? We make the case for an Arkansas(ish) summer vacation over the course of the following pages in our annual Road Trip issue.

Read on for recs from Matt Campbell on how to enjoy Memphis if you’re burned out on Beale and Graceland; the city has plenty of opportunities to go crate digging for vinyl, day drinking with a side of pork dumplings at a diner called The Beauty Shop and cooling off in a geode-like concrete grotto designed by artist Dionicio Rodriguez in the 1930s.

Check out Fort Smith with Griffin Coop, who surveyed the

GAS UP THE TANK: Head to Wilson or beyond, with ideas from our annual Road Trip issue.

remnants of the city’s red-light district, reached his chili pepper threshold at a Mexican ice cream shop and shuffled through relics at an antique shop named for a famous Sebastian County woman outlaw who stirred up trouble with the likes of Jesse James.

Or, ride in the passenger seat with Daniel Grear to Wilson, a company town with a fancy golf course, fancier avocado toast and luxury cocktails you can balance with a cold Bud Light from the roadside dive bar on the outskirts of town.

While you’re at it, peruse Brian Sorensen’s list of undersung stops in Northwest Arkansas and build a culinary travel itinerary from Stephanie Smittle’s roundup of Natural State food bloggers. -Stephanie Smittle

Northwest Arkansas

HERALDED AND UNDERSUNG CORNERS OF THE STATE’S MOST BOOMING REGION.

BY BRIAN SORENSEN

Has Northwest Arkansas fatigue set in yet? What was once a wellkept secret is now on everyone’s list of places to live. Corporate money and a steady stream of new residents has led to a rapid increase of new amenities and services, most of which were unimaginable just a decade ago. And increasingly, people are packing up their cars and paying Northwest Arkansas a visit to see what all the hype is about.

Much has been written about places like Crystal Bridges and the Walton Arts Center. People are aware that James Beard-nominated chefs live and work along the Interstate 49 corridor. It’s a well-known fact that mountain bikers come from all over to explore some of the best-groomed trails in the country. University of Arkansas Razorback athletics are a major draw for sports fans, and minor league baseball provides an opportunity to see the professionals play. College students, corporate-types, immigrants, blue-collar workers — just about everyone can find something of interest in Northwest Arkansas. Yes, with growth comes challenges; many natives have been priced out of the local housing market. But there’s no denying the vibrancy that exists in Northwest Arkansas.

In fact, there’s so much to do that new visitors may have a hard time putting an itinerary together. Here, we’ve put together a list to give visitors a good sense of what makes the area special.

DICKSON STREET BOOKSHOP

325 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville

Smack in the middle of the city’s rowdy entertainment district, the shop’s labyrinth of rooms, ramps and hallways burst with books. It’s easy to lose yourself in the sprawl and spend an afternoon browsing old titles. You may not find what you’re looking for, but you’ll leave happy with something in hand. Founded in 1978 by the late Don Choffel and Charles O’Donnell, Dickson Street Bookshop represents a well-worn yellowed paper approach in a world dominated by online booksellers.

BLOCK STREET RECORDS

17 N. Block Ave., Fayetteville

This hip local record store is perhaps one of the last bastions of the “Keep Fayetteville Funky” mentality that some locals fear is slipping away with each new multimillion-dollar development. It’s also one of the last places in Northwest Arkansas where you can go “digging in the crates.”

Inside the small record store, crates are filled with albums that span genres, and employees are usually spinning something you haven’t heard before. Vinyl isn’t cheap these days, but there seems to be a steady appetite for it in Fayetteville.

THE GUISINGER

1 E. Mountain St., Fayetteville

A lot of people in Fayetteville are excited about the new cocktail bar that opened in April on the downtown square. The Guisinger is the latest concept from the guys behind Feed & Folly and City Park, a couple of established local hotspots. The place has a grownup feel, providing a much-needed alternative to the college drinking scene that Fayetteville is mostly known for. And with veteran bartender Trey Fincher behind the bar, patrons can definitely expect a quality cocktail. You can get a Redbull and vodka elsewhere.

CHARLY’S TAQUERIA

1830 S. Pleasant St., Springdale

The booming immigrant population in Northwest Arkansas has led to an abundance of authentic taquerias in the area. You can find them nearly everywhere, but one of the best is Charly’s Taqueria. It’s the kind of hole-in-the-wall place that you might miss because it’s tucked into an aging strip mall with hardly any signage. Once you find it, you’ll encounter some of the most delicious Mexican food that nobody is talking about. The menu isn’t surprising — they have tacos, burritos and tortas — but the execution is top-notch. The carne asada burrito could be used to negotiate world peace. The crowd at Charly’s is blue-collar and mostly Hispanic, but everyone feels welcome, even the corporate types that wander in from the big chicken company HQ down the road.

STACKS, TRAILS AND TAPS: The Dickson Street Bookshop (at left), Social Project Brewing Co.’s Social Kolsch at The Odd Soul (center), the bike trails at Hobbs State Park (at right).

BRIAN CHILSON

THE ODD SOUL

126 W. Emma Ave., Springdale

If the late Anthony Bourdain picked somewhere to day drink in the area, he’d probably choose this spot — a no-frills place with full bar service and a pizza oven. Regulars come and go throughout the day, escaping the frantic pace of life outside. The bartenders are funny but not overbearing. And with 22 taps, The Odd Soul is one of the better beer bars in Northwest Arkansas. But, of course, Bourdain would have probably settled for a Budweiser and a shot of something brown. Listen to The Odd Soul owner Jeffro Brown’s entertaining interview on the District 3 Podcast to hear a lifelong resident speak about his background, the story behind the bar and the growth he has witnessed in his hometown.

ONYX COFFEE LAB

101 E. Walnut St., Rogers

Onyx isn’t exactly flying under the radar. But no matter how much you’ve read about the award-winning roaster, its headquarters in Rogers is worth a visit. Onyx has been setting the standard in coffee roasting and preparation for several years, and with each new project, it expands the brand’s aesthetic. Walking around the flagship location, you imagine every tile was meticulously chosen, every chair purposely placed. Hail Fellow Well Met — Onyx’s cafe in Johnson — embodies this approach, as should its chocolate production facility in Springdale, currently under development. Visit Onyx for the coffee, sure, but stay for the feng shui.

HOBBS STATE PARKCONSERVATION AREA

20201 E. Arkansas Highway 12, Rogers

Mountain biking has taken off in Northwest Arkansas, and there are many well-groomed trails in the region to ride. Some of the best singletrack can be found just east of Rogers at this 12,000-acre park, which features several loops that vary in length and difficulty. Little Clifty Loop is the best of the bunch, with nearly 9 miles of challenging trail that can crush weekend warriors. The trails at Hobbs aren’t paved with Walton money, making them a bit harder to navigate than those found closer to town. You will also need to navigate horse bombs in your path; the trails at Hobbs State Park are open to horseback riders, too. Take plenty of water with you because once you’re on the trail there’s no looking back. Many a rider has been seen walking his bike out of the woods due to exhaustion.

MONTE NE INN

13843 E. Arkansas Highway 94, Rogers

There are a lot of great places to eat in Northwest Arkansas, but one of the most memorable culinary experiences you can have is found at Monte Ne Inn. Named after the historic resort community of the early 20th century — now covered by Beaver Lake — the restaurant serves all-you-can-eat fried chicken, bean soup and mashed potatoes in a traditional family style. Pass the biscuits to your left and take the green beans from your neighbor to the right. And leave your snootiness at the door; this isn’t white-table-cloth-Walton Avenue. Monte Ne Inn is a throwback restaurant that gives a glimpse of Northwest Arkansas before the money poured in.

MOMENTARY

507 S.E. E St., Bentonville

The Walmart Amp gets most of the limelight, but the Momentary is a contender for the best music venue in the region. The small-ish amphitheater gives everyone on the lawn great sightlines to the onstage performers. Wu-Tang Clan’s visit this past October was one of the most memorable shows in the area in a long time. A steady rain fell on the crowd while the legendary rappers brought the MF’n ruckus. Upcoming shows include Lake Street Dive and Gary Clark Jr., and while tickets are a bit pricey — as are the drinks — it’s a small price to pay to see top-bill artists in a semi-intimate setting.

BENTONVILLE BREWING CO.

901 S.W. 14th St., Bentonville

Breweries are a big deal in Northwest Arkansas. Nearly half of the state’s 60-plus beermakers are found in this corner of the state. One of the most impressive area taprooms belongs to Bentonville Brewing Co. Founded in 2015, the brewery moved to its current location in 2020. The structure is a hulking presence along the street, housing a 20-barrel brewhouse and several large stainless steel fermentation tanks. The outdoor seating area to the rear of the brewery is the place to be during warm weather. People from all walks of life congregate there for pints of Homewrecker IPA and Natural State Porter.

Roam If We Want To

ARKANSAS FOOD BLOGS TO PLAN A ROAD TRIP BY.

BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE

Maybe you’re looking for some destination dining to get the kids outta the house on a summer Saturday, or maybe you’re just hoping to dodge gastrological peril on your way to float the Kings River. Either way, you’re gonna need to know where in Arkansas to look for good eats at home and afar, and we’d suggest these blogs as both inspiration and required homework.

EAT ARKANSAS

Whether it’s a peek into the new speakeasy in Hot Springs that serves pies on a windowsill or advice on when to visit Prestonrose Farms’ new bagel bakery in Clarksville, our very own food editor Rhett Brinkley’s dispatches at arktimes.com deserve your attention. Come for the breaking food news, stay for deeper dives into the personalities behind some of the state’s greatest grub. arktimes.com/ eatarkansas

THE MIGHTY RIB

Though Little Rock restaurants pine for the “Mighty Rib bump” — the uptick in traffic that can come when food blogger Kevin Shalin mentions your signature dish — this blog gets around the state with enthusiasm and regularity. When your readers wonder how you manage to cover so much culinary ground without succumbing to cardiac catastrophe, you know you’re doing it right. facebook.com/ themightyrib

@PHARMTOFOODIE

Jack Lin, pharmacist by trade and a food-obsessed instagrammer on the side, is an apt ambassador for a healthy eating ethos, and not one that’s an exercise in deprivation. With a grid full of bike rides, bagels, brisket, hot chicken and hand-pulled noodles, the only downside is that the occasional pics of his kids are adorable enough to make you forget all about the food.

TIE DYE TRAVELS WITH KAT ROBINSON

One of the most recognizable Arkansas food advocates in the game, Kat Robinson’s made a career of documenting the state’s signature food in books, videos and TV appearances for well over a decade. Amidst a growing fine-dining scene of fussy garnishes and fussier reservation platforms, Robinson’s catalog leans refreshingly toward the rural and working class. tiedyetravels.com

@SAVOURINGSHANIYA

Shaniya Abrams, whom our readers voted Best Server in the 2024 Arkansas Times Readers Choice poll, manages to find time for this curated blog between waiting tables at Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom and studying to be a nurse. The Arkansas Times reported in February that “when she parlayed that expertise into her first ‘Savouring SoMa’ guided tapas tour in January, it sold out within 24 hours.” Find her on Insta to see why.

@SOUTHEATS_ASIAN

Scrolling through this account on all things pan-Asian in Central Arkansas, you’ll find it all: a whisper on where to score the best homemade kimchi at a flea market on the outskirts of town, a look at all the stuff on Kemuri’s menu you’ve ignored in favor of your regular order, and a comparison of the pho broth at Mike’s Cafe to that at the Asian Super Market on University Avenue.

@SOUTHERNASH

With an eye for craft cocktails and a penchant for highlighting cigar pairings, Joel DiPippa collects delicious dishes on Southern Ash’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. DiPippa’s expert beer savvy was on display during a deep dive he did for the Times in March on the new Moody Brews taproom, and we were impressed earlier this year when he managed to make the burger at Midtown Billiards look as delectable as we know it to be, despite the pool hall lighting.

@VEGANMYDUDE

Chef Mel (Tremell Billings) of Utopia Deli, a vegan food truck he runs with his fiancée, Trisha, runs a sassy Instagram account on the side, where you’ll discover chronicles of the destination dining trips he and Trisha make with their two children. Dispatches include photos of the vegan queso at Nacho Daddy on the Las Vegas strip and a glowing review of Atlanta-based chain The Slutty Vegan: “This will be four times I ordered the same burger and I still want another one,” he posted. “I feel like the fat guy off of Popeye.”

TAKING NOTES: Jack Lin of @pharmtofoodie visits Brood & Barley (at left), blogger @southeats_asian visits the Asian Super Market (center), and Jospeh Nguyen of @ hangrypedalernwa visits Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream (at right).

I CLEANED THIS PLATE

Regular readers of the Arkansas Times have perhaps come across Guy Choate’s year-end meal rankings, a roller coaster of stellar bites and supremely disappointing sandwiches that we’re always delighted to publish on Eat Arkansas. Though he decided in May to call it a wrap after eight years, the review archives (Long live Tumblr!) are some delicious reading, whether Choate’s lionizing El Sur’s Baleada con todo or lambasting the chicken tenders at Gus’s. icleanedthisplate.tumblr.com

@HANGRYPEDALERNWA

With more than 20K followers, Joseph Nguyen journals from the northwest corner of the state through the lens of his twin passions: biking and eating. We especially love that he includes not only photos of the food, but montage-style reels that clue you in to the details: whether ordering at the spot is seamless and swift, whether there’s live music or outdoor seating, and why you should absolutely sit down and eat Sabor Catracha’s signature Pollo con Tajada inhouse instead of taking it to-go.

@NWATRANSPLANTS

“Ew, why would you move to Arkansas?” That’s a question for which Brittany and Amin, a self-described “dental couple who traded the hustle of Buffalo, Detroit, Long Island, and Toronto for the charm of Arkansas in 2020,” have a pretty good answer. Exhibit A: nature. Exhibit B-Z: the abundant eats in the state, including the banana ice cream at The Preacher’s Son, the masala dosa at Bentonville’s India Mart and the coffee at Airship’s “secret” trailside, openair coffee shop.

Honorable Mentions

@DANIEL_EATING_DALLAS

Former Arkansas Times food writer Daniel Walker’s Daniel Eating Dallas Insta is full of solid advice for his followers, aka “DEDheads”: why your non-pork-eating friends will spark plate envy by ordering the fried chicken at Slow Bone BBQ, why Dallas-ites should stop sleeping on Au Troisieme Bistro and where to score the best oatmeal creme pies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

REX NELSON’S SOUTHERN FRIED

If you like a hefty dose of politics and history with your food news, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Rex Nelson’s been cooking up that chili for decades now. But you can certainly cherry-pick your reading; Nelson’s got some Arkansas essentials — barbecue, catfish, fried chicken — indexed at his website (rexnelsonsouthernfried.com) under the “more” tab.

Small-Dose Luxury in the Delta

LIVING IT UP IN WILSON, IF ONLY FOR A NIGHT.

BY DANIEL GREAR PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEXI ADAMS

There are some travel destinations where the accommodations and culinary offerings are secondary to the reason you’re visiting. In my humble opinion, Wilson — a tiny Mississippi County community whose town square boasts beautiful Tudor-style architecture with red bricks and interesting rooflines — isn’t exactly one of those places, at least not yet.

Once a booming cotton town, Wilson’s been rebranding itself as a luxury tourist destination since it was purchased by wealthy farm magnate Gaylon Lawrence Jr. in 2010. So far, though, there’s only enough to do to last you about a day. What that means is that The Louis (a swanky 16-room hotel that opened in May 2023), The Grange (a coffee shop and breakfast/lunch eatery that debuted around the same time) and the Wilson Cafe (a classy but not too fancy farm-to-table restaurant) are the main events in Wilson, unless you’re in the market for one of The Louis’ high-end guided pheasant, quail and waterfowl hunting trips. There’s also a sixhole golf course called Tin House just a few minutes away, but, at $200/person, it wasn’t quite in our budget either. A man I spoke with over the phone said it was “cooler than average,” so golfers: Do what you will with that information.

I’m told that Wilson is the site of several festivals as well as an occasional concert series, and that there are frequent musical performances on Friday and Saturday nights in the hotel bar and restaurant patio, but nothing of the sort was underway during my and a friend’s quiet Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning there in early May. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, if what you’re looking for is a short, uncomplicated getaway with some upscale flourishes (or if your final destination is Memphis and you’re just wanting a substantive pit stop).

Signs of The Louis’ elegance wafted my direction well before we arrived. For one, I’ve never before encountered a booking questionnaire asking whether I might need a “feather free room” and proffering luxurious add-ons like wines and waters “from around the world.” I also received an email the morning of my stay, inquiring about my favorite treats and checking in on my “preferred room temperature.”

I pride myself on being a low-maintenance traveler, but with some encouragement from my editor, I decided to ask for a couple of things from the list of extras. One old-fashioned and a charcuterie board, please. “And I just happen to love chocolate chip cookies,” I added to my email to the kind folks at the front desk. Sure enough, the drink and plate of assorted finger foods greeted us in our kingsized room, which we were escorted to by a kindly, vest-clad concierge with a syrup-thick Southern accent who grew up in the surrounding area. My first impression of the room was that it was a bit small and unspectacular in light of the $300-plus weekday price point (it’s even more expensive on the weekends), but that hint of disappointment mostly subsided as soon as I moseyed over to the attached rooftop terrace, an expansive patio with both semiprivate nooks and shared areas for conversation with fellow travelers.

There, we found an honor system serve-yourself bar with refrigerated beer and wine, ample seating, firepits and head-high shrubs through which butterflies fluttered and bees buzzed. Minus the heat, it was a choice spot to try out the charcuterie board, an excellent assemblage of cured meats; fresh toasted bread; nutty, funky and spicy cheeses; cranberries and pecans; and pickled delights, like green beans.

SCENES FROM WILSON: The Louis’ lavish hotel bar (center); a charcuterie board add-on that can be purchased to greet you in your room at The Louis (top right); and an exterior view of The Grange (bottom right).

UPSCALE SOUTHERN: The Louis’ rooftop terrace, glimpsed through one of its rooms (top left); an exterior view of the Wilson Cafe (bottom left); Bread Pudding at the Wilson Cafe (top right); and the Braised Short Rib at the Wilson Cafe (bottom right).

Pro tip regarding the charcuterie board: Unless you want the whole hulking tray to yourself, you can sample from the same offerings at the hotel’s complimentary snack bar. Oh, and those chocolate chip cookies I mentioned? They, too, were waiting for me at the snack bar — outfitted with various beverages, sweet treats and some duck wings — so consider making a bold request of your own.

Excited to learn that a stay at The Louis comes with a free drink at the snazzy hotel bar — a cozy semi-circle of aged green title housed in a high-ceilinged lounge behind where you check in — we were much less jazzed to be told right afterward that they were absent a bartender that night, presumably due to it being a low-traffic weekday. We were instructed to instead snag our pro bono spirits over at the neighboring restaurant.

I’d call the switcheroo a blessing in disguise, given just how good the cocktails at the Wilson Cafe were. Foregoing a ridiculously long wine list, I ordered the Dragon Fruit Margarita, the special of the day and the kind of drink that’s decidedly sweet yet doesn’t make you feel childish for choosing something so saccharine. Lots of chunks of fresh fruit. My travel companion got the Blue Highway Orchid, a florid and fizzy mixture of ginger beer, peach bitters and Crème de Violette (among other things) that she compared to what one wishes it’d be like to bite into a Tide Pod — bright, energizing and nonpoisonous.

A charming quirk of the Wilson Cafe’s din-

nertime menu Tuesday-Saturday (they also serve lunch Thursday-Friday and brunch Saturday-Sunday) is that it includes a deviled eggs special that changes every day. During our visit, they were hawking a version topped with small pieces of fried catfish, tartar sauce and pickled onions. Surprisingly tasty.

The main menu leans in the upscale Southern direction, with a fair bit of fried representation, but there are some notable exceptions, like the Bourbon Molasses Salmon with Smoked Strawberry Salsa. It’s a light dish served with rice and roasted vegetables, but the rich salsa pushes it in an indulgent direction, namely because the strawberries are macerated. Truthfully, it was a touch too much for my tastes, but still an interesting flavor combination when paired with the fish.

The entree about which I had no reservations, however, is the Braised Short Rib. Accompanied by peas, super-smooth mashed potatoes and a powerful bacon-onion jam, it was both comforting and sophisticated, a description I’d also apply to the Bread Pudding, which we were told was made with croissant dough. After tasting it, I’m not sure why anyone would choose to make the dessert any other way.

We finished up a little before 9 p.m., and were immediately struck by the feeling that Wilson had nothing to offer us at this hour, especially with the hotel bar closed. When we asked the waiter if she knew of somewhere we could still get a drink, she warily suggested Ish’s Bassett Bar, a “redneck” dive about 5 miles from Wilson. When we asked the concierge about the recommendation, the word “redneck” also came up. We were intrigued.

Spacious and relatively quiet (there was no music until we ponied up a dollar to play Tracy Byrd’s “Drinkin’ Bone” on the digital jukebox), Ish’s turned out to be a decent place to shoot some pool, drink a couple of Miller Lites and contemplate the strangeness of Wilson’s proximity to an otherwise very rural existence, as long as you’re OK with being subjected to some rambling conversations with middle-aged barflies. The man who paid us the most attention was pretty harmless, but notably there’s a sign outside that we didn’t notice until the next morning that reads “Trump 2020: Make Liberals Cry Again.”

Back in the hotel room, we tinkered with a confusingly customizable thermostat and then slept very well in a bed that was somehow both firm and soft at the same time, barely noticing each other. I can’t say it made a tangible difference, but, according to The

WHERE TO STOP ON THE WAY

JOHNNY CASH BOYHOOD HOME

110 CENTER DRIVE, DYESS

Sometimes, the state where a celebrity is born claims them confidently, without much regard for the fact that they barely lived there at all. That’s not the case for Johnny Cash, who spent the first 18 years of his life in Arkansas, and ages 3-18 on the same 40-acre plot in Dyess. To visit the modest but picturesque two-bedroom house shared by the family of nine — which opened to the public in 2014 after being meticulously restored by Arkansas State University — is truly to understand the circumstances that allowed for Cash’s worldview to emerge. The house is set up to feel like you’re walking right into the ’30s, complete with Cash’s mother’s original upright piano, and every item and piece of furniture that wasn’t actually owned by the Cashes is period-accurate. Even if you’re not a Cash fanatic, the home and its accompanying museum have much to bestow about the Dyess Colony, a 500-plot agriculture development in which Cash’s family resided, launched in 1934 as a New Deal effort to jumpstart the lives of Great Depression families. Located about 20 minutes west of Wilson, the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home offers tours every hour on the hour 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

Louis’ website, the linens are made of cotton that’s sourced from Wilson, which is pretty neat.

In the morning, we hit up The Grange, located in a big barn across the street from the town square and over some train tracks but still within walking distance. Every day but Sunday, they’ve got coffees, pastries and pies, homemade ice cream, breakfast and lunch (and they offer dinner on Mondays, when the Wilson Cafe is closed).

The Farmer’s Breakfast (two eggs, sausage or bacon, potatoes and toast or a biscuit) was solid but nothing special, except for the potatoes, which were decadently fried with the kind of breading you might expect on a hushpuppy. On the other hand, the Avocado Toast — smothered with cherry tomatoes, pickled cucumbers and onions, radishes, arugula, sherry vinaigrette and pumpkin seeds — was one of the best dishes of the trip.

Thoroughly stuffed once again, it only took us about an hour to check out all of the major activities around the square. Other than The Louis and something called the Wilson Motor Club (it hasn’t opened yet, but it’s slated to have a small collection of vintage cars), there’s just a post office, the Wilson Theater, a few shops and the Hampson Archeological Museum (open Wednesday-Sunday), which houses a collection of aboriginal artifacts that were excavated from a single plantation site near Wilson and is easily the most interesting stop. Though not an enormous facility, there’s some gorgeous pottery, and everything at the museum comes from a single group of people who lived in the area from A.D. 1400 to 1650.

We tried to stop by Tom Beckbe, an outdoor and hunting apparel store, but they were closed despite it being within their advertised business hours. Other than the Wilson Pharmacy (a literal pharmacy), that left us with White’s Mercantile, a small franchise started by Holly Williams — country musician Hank Williams Jr.’s daughter — that bills itself as “a general store for the modern tastemaker.” If your cup of tea is cute, high-end Southern decor that’s probably made in smaller batches than Hobby Lobby goods, but not quite artisanal; or you’re looking for a gift for someone who likes hats, stickers and stationery that say things like “Praise the lard!” or “Dolly Parton for President,” then you’ll love it. Other than Wilson merch, though, I didn’t see anything local. It feels like they plucked a store out of Nashville and just dropped it in the middle of nowhere without much context. For better or worse, that’s a bit like what’s happening with Wilson as a whole.

ENGLAND IN ARKANSAS: Like the rest of Wilson’s town square, The Louis — a swanky 16-room hotel — boasts Tudor-style architecture with red bricks and interesting rooflines.

FUEL FOR THE DRIVE

JACKRABBIT DAIRY BAR

511 Front St. SW, Lonoke

For some reason, all of the combos at Jackrabbit Dairy Bar in Lonoke — a cash-only establishment with a drive-thru and a walk-up counter with an awning covering picnic table sitting — come with a sizable side of cheese dip. Thankfully, their version of the stuff, a Velveeta-heavy yet not overly thick concoction with hints of paprika and cumin, is excellent. You can order chips, but it seems like most people just dip their fries. The cheese dip is also slathered onto their chili dogs, which include a heaping portion of coleslaw. Add to that a milkshake or frosted Coke (a float, but blended) and you’ve got a creamy fantasy that I can’t responsibly recommend for the drive to Wilson, but might just be the perfect way to push you through the final 30 minutes of driving back to Little Rock. Jackrabbit Dairy Bar is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays.

WHILMA’S FILIPINO RESTAURANT

601 E. Race Ave., Searcy

As is the case with many Arkansans, Whilma’s in Searcy was my first introduction to Filipino cuisine. From the second I tried our appetizer — Lumpia, or Filipino fried spring rolls — I was converted. Made for dipping into a sweet red sauce, the rolls are small and tightly packed with flavorful pork or veggies, but the real magic lies in the texture. I don’t know if these things are constructed with twice as much wrapping as usual, but, biting in, you’ll discover multiple coats of fried goodness, dark and crispy on the outside and medium crunchy on the layer below. The entree I’d recommend most heartily is the adobo. The menu says that it’s chicken or pork braised in garlic, soy sauce and vinegar, but I’d liken the generous broth that it’s served in to a complex stew. I can also attest to the greatness of pancit Canton, a veggie-forward stir fry that won’t be too unfamiliar to Chinese food lovers, but one whose sauce is probably creamier and more luxurious than what you’re used to. We didn’t get a chance to try the yellow curry, but that’s what I’m planning on having next time. Whilma’s is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

Marshals, Mi Xao and Miss Laura’s

IS FORT SMITH COOL?

BY GRIFFIN COOP

Anyone who wrote Fort Smith’s obituary when the city’s manufacturing jobs dwindled about 15 years ago should think again. Despite living in the shadow of its trendier neighbors to the north (we see you, Bentonville), Arkansas’s frontier town and third-largest city had so much happening on a Saturday in May that I was left wondering “Is Fort Smith cool?” On a warm Saturday, the downtown area brimmed with people thanks to an enormous motorcycle rally that brought boatloads of bikes and lots of leather. The bikers (all amiable, defying stereotypes) walked along the downtown streets, packed a patio for live music and visited local historic sites. I did likewise, and after a day exploring Fort Smith’s frontier history and eclectic dining scene, left with regrets that I didn’t have more time to see all The Fort had to offer.

BELLE STARR ANTIQUES AND VINTAGE MARKET

410 N. B St.

Maybe it was the large colorful mural of frontier lawman Bass Reeves on the side of the building — one of many artsy murals in town — but something compelled me, on impulse, to pull into this antiques market named for a famous female outlaw who hung out with the likes of Jesse James. Inside, I found some relics that piqued my interest (old signs for beer and gas stations) and some that didn’t (a painting of a rooster). I perused the vinyl records looking for a Jimmy Buffett album for my Parrothead wife but didn’t find one. An old album of Arkansas native Glen Campbell’s watched over me as I shuffled through the old records. On my way out, two employees told me a little about the gun-wielding Starr and said she happened to be the mother of Pearl Starr, a local prostitute who worked at a former brothel nearby.

MISS LAURA’S VISITOR CENTER

2 N. B St.

In my estimation, Miss Laura’s Social Club is the most interesting place in the state’s most interesting city. In the early 1900s, Fort Smith had a Red-Light District where prostitution was legal and regulated, and where employees were required to obtain business permits to allow them to ply their trade. Today, Miss Laura’s is open for tours and serves as the city’s visitor center. My tour guide, a very knowledgeable woman named Jacqulyn West, said her child tells others that their mother works in a brothel — and, of course, does not provide any additional context. Kudos to the kid for having a good sense of humor. West described Fort Smith’s bordello past in great detail and said the town had about seven legal brothels at one time. Miss Laura’s was the highest-end bordello of the bunch, though, and customers needed a formal recommendation to become a patron. Miss Laura’s oper-

ated as a brothel from 1904 to 1948, although prostitution was technically outlawed in the city in 1924. The house operated with nine rooms, 10 if you count the madam’s, and the ladies lived in the house fulltime — as opposed to other houses, where employees likely worked in shifts. Over the years the house fell into disrepair but a short-lived restaurant venture, also called Miss Laura’s Social club, gave it the TLC it needed to bring it back to life. The house has several rooms decorated as they would have been during the brothel’s heyday. Items on display include a condom case that would have carried reusable condoms (yep, you read that correctly), sold as a contraband contraceptive; condoms were not legal for family planning purposes at the time. Some of the rooms upstairs are used as offices today, which seems like a missed opportunity to tell more of the story of the only Arkansas bordello on the National Register of Historic Places. West said a gift shop is on the cusp of opening.

SEBASTIAN COUNTY FRONTIER: The U.S. Marshals Museum (left) is a must-see that requires plenty of time to appreciate. Miss Laura’s Visitor Center (top) is a former brothel that serves as Fort Smith’s front door to visitors. Vinnie’s Pies (center) serves up New York-style pizza by the slice and more. La Nueva Michoacana (bottom) offers a Krazy Pineapple stuffed full of sweet and spicy flavors.

VINNIE’S PIES

200 N. 13th St.

As many customers of Miss Laura’s undoubtedly did, I worked up quite an appetite at the brothel. I wound my way through some temporary street closures, eventually landing at a New York-style pizzeria called Vinnie’s Pies. Available for sale by the slice were pepperoni, buffalo chicken, spicy Sicilian and several others. I settled on four slices and some garlic knots, more than enough for two people. Most of the slices were in the big triangular New York pizza style that requires the eater to fold it to get it from plate to mouth. One of the slices was a thicker Sicilian style, cut into a rectangular shape. The joint was relaxed and unpretentious, with a vintage NBA Jam arcade game — the sort of place you’d go for a family night, an after-work hang with co-workers or an end-of-season trophy presentation for a ball team.

LA NUEVA MICHOACANA

1820 S. C St.

The digital menu in this vibrant Mexican ice cream shop whizzes by way too fast to fully consider your options, so I ordered the Krazy Pineapple ($10) and watched with amazement as the woman behind the counter loaded more and more items into a hollowed-out pineapple half. The younger woman at the register told me not to worry about the dark red stuff being brushed onto the fruits and candies in the pineapple, assuring me it was not spicy. (Later, I’d conclude that spicy is in the palate of the beholder; order accordingly.) The pineapple monstrosity had gummy bears, a rolled-up tape candy that might have been tamarind-flavored, savory chips, pineapple chunks, crunchy nuts and much more. I didn’t love it, but I’m definitely glad I tried it. I also had a delightful strawberry-coconut-kiwi popsicle (about $3.50) from a freezer stocked with a wide assortment of popsicles and flavors.

U.S. MARSHALS MUSEUM

789 Riverfront Drive

After lunch, my next stop was Fort Smith’s main attraction: the Marshals Museum, which is situated downtown on a picturesque bank of the Arkansas River. The museum, which opened last year, seemed to take forever to build after the Feds selected Fort Smith as the museum site in 2007. The patience and persistence paid off, though. The large lobby with its high ceiling and natural light, is polished and inviting. On the day I visited, admission was free (it’s normally $15 for adults) and the lobby was filled with antique motorcycles, presumably part of a contest. I headed over to the gallery to check out the exhibits, which tell the story of the marshals from their formation in the country’s early days to their role protecting people during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. There are references to the marshals’ (regrettable) requirement to assist slave owners in tracking down fugitive slaves but also a nod to Frederick Douglass, who became the first Black federal marshal. There are interactive exhibits and a wall dedicated to the marshals’ de-

pictions in popular culture as well as some of the marshals’ notable work in Arkansas. I came away wishing I had dedicated more time to the museum; a nerd like myself could have easily spent more than an hour going through all the history and exhibits. If you linger longer than I did and need a rest before heading out, the museum also has a cafe with plenty of seating.

GREEN PAPAYA

4412 Grand Ave.

Discovering that Pad Thai Cuisine, my top choice among Fort Smith’s Southeast Asian restaurants, was closed for Lao New Year, I headed to Green Papaya, where the speakers played instrumental versions of familiar songs (“How Do I Live” by Lee Ann Rimes, for example) and a fish tank adorned the back wall. Looking to try a Vietnamese dish other than pho, I landed on the mi xao tofu (stir-fried egg noodles with tofu and vegetables for $10.95) and cha gio (two fried egg rolls for $3.95). I might stick with the pho next time; the noodle dish was a little greasy for my liking. Penciled in for my next visit: a restaurant called Noodles and Crawfish.

MORE TO SEE IN FORT SMITH

THE BAKERY DISTRICT

70 S. Seventh St.

This transformed former bakery includes food vendors, an indie book shop, a bar, a co-working space and regular events like yoga and trivia.

ED WALKER’S DRIVE-IN & RESTAURANT

1500 Towson Ave.

As famous for its hefty french dip sandwiches as it is for being one of the last relics in the country where you can get carhop service for beer, Ed Walker’s is must-do retro.

TEMPLE LIVE

200 N. 11th St.

This former Masonic Temple has been converted into a concert venue that will host shows by The Wallflowers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, John Michael Montgomery and more this fall.

FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM

1601 Rogers Ave.

RAM, which offers free admission, has a permanent collection, exhibitions, classes for adults and kids, and lectures.

FORT SMITH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

301 Parker Ave.

Run by the National Park Service, this site tells the story of Fort Smith’s role on the frontier of the Wild Wild West.

CHAFFEE CROSSING AREA

7500 Fort Chaffee Blvd.

This new development includes a bar in a former shipping container, a distillery and whiskey tasting room, and an Italian restaurant specializing in Napolitano-style pizza.

PEACEMAKER FESTIVAL

121 Riverfront Drive

This annual music festival on the Arkansas River will be held Oct. 11-12 with headliners 49 Winchester and Morgan Wade.

DIP INTO THE DRIVE-IN: At the famed Ed Walker’s.

ON DISPLAY THROUGH JANUARY 19, 2025

Experience and celebrate the unique, deeply moving history of Cherokee Freedmen in family stories and images shared by their descendants, as well as original artwork inspired by the Freedmen experience.

Image courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Beyond Beale Street

A GUIDE TO UNDERSUNG MEMPHIS.

BY MATT CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESS MILLER

FEED YOUR BELLY AND YOUR SOUL: Among the non-Beale Street things to do in Memphis are eating at a local BBQ legend like The Bar-B-Q Shop (above), digging through the extensive vinyl collection at Shangri-La Records (top right) and dining at The Beauty Shop where Priscilla Presley used to get her hair done (bottom right).

Let’s start with full disclosure: I love Memphis. If I were making a list of my five favorite cities in America, it would be on there (and it wouldn’t be number five). So, when my editor said Memphis was an option for our annual road trip issue, there was simply no chance that I would choose to go anywhere else.

Though Memphis is barely 2 hours from Little Rock, it seems most of my friends in Central Arkansas have been there a couple of times and feel roughly the same way about Memphis as they do about Branson. On some level, I get it: If your only experience with Memphis is Beale Street, Graceland, the Bass Pro Shop, the National Civil Rights Museum, and maybe Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, Memphis probably does feel like little more than your standard tourist trap.

There’s nothing wrong with experiencing every one of those things, either. If it’s your first or second visit to Bluff City, I would even argue that you should focus on those cultural big-ticket items.

That’s not the Memphis in this story, however. This story is about the Memphis you discover once you’ve done the touristy things and

you start looking for what else the Home of the Blues has to offer.

My photographer/co-pilot/fiancée Jess and I pulled out of the driveway a bit before 8 a.m. on a sunny Tuesday morning in May. After a quick stop at Rosie’s Pot & Kettle for some of the best breakfast food on either side of the Mississippi River, we cranked up the Big Star and pointed the Hyundai eastward.

Being a couple of music nerds, our first stop was Shangri-La Records (1916 Madison Ave.). Despite a small commercial parking lot in front, the shop looked to be in an old converted house, which the floor plan confirmed. Through the front door and immediately to the left is the main room with the majority of the records, though the entire space is packed to the gills, including a room in the back full of rare albums. Posters adorn most of the wall space and act as a time capsule of sorts, spanning a period loosely described as “mid-’70s through late-’90s niche pop culture.” Jess appreciated the breadth and depth of Shangri-La’s collection of local artists in particular; as a Southwest

Arkansas kid who started coming to Little Rock to see Cory Branan and Lucero play before she was even old enough to drive, she loved being in a record store that celebrated so many of the bands she grew up on.

Seventy-ish dollars later, we’d added a 2023 remastered version of Lucero’s “That Much Further West” and the Record Store Day version of Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit’s “Weathervanes” to our collection. We strolled out into the noontime sun already wondering aloud how soon we could return with more time to dig.

Next up was lunch. At Jess’ urging — “Remember, not everyone wants to eat BBQ for every meal over a two-day span!” — we decided to seek out something unique to Memphis that wasn’t dry-rubbed and smoked for hours. The Beauty Shop (966 Cooper St.) fit the bill perfectly.

The Beauty Shop fills a space that formerly housed Atkins Beauty Salon, a now-defunct curl-and-dye boutique dating from the 1940s that used to count Priscilla Presley among its regular customers. As you might expect from the name, The Beauty Shop doesn’t hide the location’s fabulously bouffant past. They lean into it. Hard.

A half-dozen or so two-top tables feature one oversized vinyl chair, where diners can eat while sitting under Belvedere hair dryers. Booths for larger dining groups fill the glass brick-lined stalls where barbers’ chairs used to be, though the mirrors and cabinets on the wall of each stall remain. Mid-century green sinks formerly used for washing hair have found a second life behind the hand-built tiger maple bar. Barbicide jars now function as straw dispensers.

It would be easy to assume the retro coolness of The Beauty Shop is designed to mask a boring, tourist-trap menu. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We started with an appetizer of crispy, Thai-

style pork “dumplins” ($9 for four) and cocktails. I got the Bootsy Collins ($13), a bourbon-based rocks drink with Appleton rum, lemon and cucumber, while Jess ordered the Cognac 75 ($14), a classic variation on the famous French 75. Both drinks were excellent, if a touch booze-forward.

The dumplins arrived not long after the drinks, and they were insanely good. Resembling a fried empanada as much as a true Asian-inspired dumpling at first glance, the four golden pockets were filled with perfectly cooked pork, pea shoots and sambal-and-ginger oil. The filling was done with a masterful touch, too.

We both opted for sandwiches for our entrées. I got the Hazel’s Mazel ($15), a “NYCstyle pastrami & deli mustard” served on Jew-

ish rye, and truffle fries ($6). To be completely honest, the amount of pastrami on the sandwich seemed a little skimpy for the price, but that sin was forgiven as soon as I took a bite. The pastrami was absolutely perfect, from the seasoning to the amount of smoke, and fork tender, while the deli mustard provided much-needed acidity to cut through the umami bomb from the meat. The truffle fries were done exactly how one would hope — crunchy exterior, pillowy interior, not overpowered by the truffle oil and with just enough parmesan to be noticeable without being overpowering. Jess ordered the Steakwich ($14), which featured a seared ribeye paillard on rye with cheese, avocado, pickles, scallions, potato chips, greens, grilled onions and peach purée. The steak was tender and seasoned perfectly, she said, and the greens and avocado were absurdly fresh. Her only complaint was structural integrity — “the bread never stood a chance!” — but the bread was fresh and delicious, “so call that a wash,” she said. And, in the most

first-world problem anyone has ever had, she also mentioned that while she loves avocado, “there was legitimately half an avocado on my sandwich, and that’s just too much.” Still, she’d order it again.

Lunch at The Beauty Shop runs from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. There was no wait when we arrived around 12:15 p.m. on a Tuesday, but the place was packed by the time we left, so your best lunch bet appears to be getting there as early as you can.

Following lunch, we hit a couple of our favorite spots in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. Burke’s Books (936 Cooper St.), a new and vintage bookstore, always reminds me of a hipster-y, smaller version of Dickson Street Bookshop in Fayetteville. They have a wonderful selection of books on Memphis, too, covering everything from history and politics to sports and music.

A block or so north of Burke’s is Cooper-Young Gallery + Gift Shop (889 Cooper St.). Owned by local artists Jenean Morrison and Joel Rose, the gallery is a feast for your eyes, as shelves full of colorful, kitschy decor and Memphis-centric prints and photographs fill every nook and cranny. In the back, you can peruse their eclectic selection of books for sale. The staff is friendly and unobtrusive, letting you browse to your heart’s content but available to answer any questions you might have about specific items.

After leaving the gallery, we made our way downtown to check in to our hotel, The Hotel Napoleon (179 Madison Ave.). Located in the historic 1902 Scimitar building, home to a forerunner of the old Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper, the hotel opened in 2016 following a major renovation that added modern amenities such as 50-inch TVs and Bluetooth-enabled alarm clocks to classically styled rooms.

While our room was great, with high ceilings and a bay window plus a king-size bed, the customer service was even better. When I went to the hotel website from Google, I didn’t notice their website had changed my travel dates from May 7-8 to August 7-8. After we arrived and the front desk clerk noticed the incorrect dates, I assumed we were out of luck. Nevertheless, we hopefully asked if they could change our nonrefundable reservation to the correct dates.

The hotel manager handled the mix-up masterfully. He apologized profusely for the hotel’s elevator being under repair, then moved our reservation to the right day at no extra cost to us. He even gave us the same kind of suite I had accidentally reserved for August.

Wednesday morning rolled around and demanded a quality breakfast. In my book, this can only mean Memphis’ oldest cafe, The Ar-

cade Restaurant (540 S. Main St.).

From the slightly sticky seat of a booth so old the pattern has largely worn off of the Formica table, I ordered the #9 combo ($13): country fried steak, two eggs over medium, hash browns cooked extra crunchy and two biscuits with gravy just for good measure. It was exactly what it is supposed to be: savory,

hot and crunchy in the right places. Throw in a bottomless cup of surprisingly good diner coffee and you have God’s own perfect way to bounce back from the night before.

Jess picked the #8 combo ($11): a short stack of pancakes, two eggs over medium, hash browns and bacon. Plus coffee, of course.“Perfect breakfast,” she said. “No notes.”

With an almost embarrassing level of fullness, we headed east to Memorial Park Cemetery (5668 Poplar Ave.) to see the Crystal Shrine Grotto.

The grotto is a concrete cavern built in the 1930s by artist Dionicio Rodriguez, who had been hired to beautify the cemetery grounds. The cave extends nearly 60 feet into a hill, and concrete was used to make the interior feel like a natural cavern. The concrete crags are covered with five tons of quartz crystals, all of which were shipped in from Jasper, Arkan-

sas. The whole experience feels like it’s taking place in a geode.

Inside the cave, Rodriguez created 10 tableaus depicting the life of Jesus, plus a number of smaller, more obscure biblical scenes. One, about Zacchaeus the tax collector, triggered a core memory for Jess that made her sing a song she hadn’t thought about in decades.

Zacchaeus was a wee little man

And a wee little man was he He climbed up in a sycamore tree

For the Lord he wanted to see

She’s not religious by any stretch these days. The grotto still had her singing from the back of the Heavenly Highway Hymnal. I’m not saying the place is magical or anything, but I am saying it’s absolutely worth checking out.

Memorial Park Cemetery is also the final

resting place of a number of famous Memphians, including musician and actor Isaac Hayes, whose grave is directly across from the grotto.

The grotto is free, and both the grotto and the cemetery are open to the public 24 hours a day.

Before heading home, we decided to get lunch. It was time for barbecue.

Normally, we would have gone to Cozy Corner (735 North Parkway). It is in my personal top three favorite barbecue places anywhere. Jess was angling for the Rendezvous (52 S. Second St.). But personal growth is important, so we decided to try a new-to-us Memphis barbecue legend, The Bar-B-Q Shop (1782 Madison Ave.).

When we walked in, the waiter/host informed us that “part of the power” was out. They had electricity in the kitchen and some

THAT’S HOW I GROTTO MEMPHIS: The ribs at Cozy Corner Bar-B-Q (above) might be the best in town. The Crystal Shrine Grotto (top left) at the Memorial Park Cemetery is a uniquely weird experience and it’s located right across from Isaac Hayes’ gravestone (bottom left).

READ ABOUT YOU IN A FAULKNER NOVEL: A full day in Memphis starting with breakfast at The Arcade Restaurant (above), a trip to Burke’s Book Store (above top), spinning some ‘80s tunes on the free jukebox at Bar Keough (top right), and live music at Hernando’s Hideaway (bottom right).

other outlets, but the dining room lights were out, as was the air conditioning. Still, he said, we were welcome to dine in if we didn’t mind it being a little dark and stuffy.

We didn’t mind, though we quickly ordered iced tea ($3) to fight the warmth of the dining room. Jess got the Regular Rib Order ($19), half dry and half glazed. The meal came with barbecue beans, cole slaw and Texas toast.

The ribs were excellent, requiring just the slightest tug to pull the meat from the bone. The glaze was reminiscent of Sims Bar-BQue, though less citrussy. The sides were surprisingly good as well. Where so many barbecue places treat the beans and slaw as afterthoughts, these were delicious on their own and a complement to the barbecue.

I ordered the large barbecue pork sandwich plate ($13) with beans and potato salad, plus slaw on the sandwich because I am a man of culture and sophistication. A liberal application of their hot barbecue sauce took the sandwich from good to great. The potato salad was just as good as the beans and slaw.

We staggered out into the blinding sunlight, hopped in the car, cranked the A/C and headed for Little Rock.

I MET A GIN-SOAKED BARROOM QUEEN IN MEMPHIS…

A memorable, non-touristy Memphis trip requires at least one good bar. As someone who grew up in a dark, smoky bar my parents’ owned, I generally gravitate to the true dives. (The one exception to this rule is when I can find an interesting tiki bar.) Inasmuch as Memphis has a LOT of bars, finding the right one can be a bit of trial and error. So, to help you in your quest, I figured a rundown of some of the best bars with a brief description of the type of person who would prefer each place might be useful.

EARNESTINE & HAZEL’S

531 S. Main St.

One of my favorite bars in the world, where they just so happen to serve one of my favorite burgers anywhere. Open until 3 a.m. This is a place for anyone who has ever wished White Water Tavern and Midtown Billiards could have a baby.

GREEN BEETLE

325 S. Main St.

The self-described “oldest tavern in Memphis,” the Green Beetle is laid back and comfortable. This is the perfect bar for elder Gen X and younger Boomers who just want a beer, a sport on TV and traditional bar food. (Skip the burger, which isn’t as good as they pretend.)

MARY’S B.O.T.E.

588 Cooper St.

Don’t call Mary’s Bar of Tropical Escapism a tiki bar.

It’s a “tropical-themed” bar, where you can get upscale versions of … the same drinks you’d get at a tiki bar. Should be home base for people who think Zach Bryan is outlaw country.

THE COVE

2559 Broad Ave.

A bar shaped like a pirate ship, cheap drinks, and pretty good pizza. The barstools always seem to be pretty full of regulars, while newbies take the tables and booths. A great bar for anyone who wants to go to a bar and can’t decide which one.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

1702 Madison Ave.

Remember Joubert’s? Lamplighter is like the least ec-

centric scene kid from your high school tried to build his own version and almost pulled it off. Ideal spot for erstwhile band kids and Zooey Deschanel.

WILD BILL’S JUKE JOINT

1580 Vollintine Ave.

I’ve tried to go here twice and both times the vibes were just WAY off. (Memphis pro tip: Trust your gut when the vibes ain’t vibin’.) Allegedly a cool spot, however.

HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY

3210 Old Hernando Road

As much as I love Earnestine & Hazel’s, if I could import any bar on this list to Central Arkansas, it would be Hernando’s. This is the bar for people who have opinions on heirloom tomatoes and have stories about seeing bands at Vino’s “before they got big.”

BAR KEOUGH

247 Cooper St.

Proudly LGBTQ-friendly bar with a free jukebox full of ’80s deep cuts and bangers and a kitchen that’s open until midnight. Anyone who ever felt some kind of way about Princess Leia in the gold bikini should swing by for at least one cocktail.

LOUIS CONNELLY’S BAR FOR FUN

TIMES & FRIENDSHIP

322 S. Cleveland St.

The good news: You can get the best crispito you’ve ever had in your entire life. The bad news: If you are over 35, you’ll be one of the elders here. Perfect bar for 20-somethings who can still drink without fear of a crippling hangover and lecherous dudes who hope they can pass for 35 in the right shade of neon light.

MARKETPLACE

AVISO PÚBLICO

AVISO PÚBLICO DE SUBVENCIÓN BROWNFIELDS DEL EDIFICIO MUNICIPAL DE MAUMELLE

PERIODO DE COMENTARIOS PÚBLICOS HASTA EL 17/06/2024

El Programa Brownfields del condado de Pulaski acepta comentarios públicos hasta el lunes 17 de junio de 2024 sobre la subvención propuesta para la ciudad de Maumelle. El propósito del aviso público es informar al público sobre los problemas ambientales y el proceso de limpieza propuesto para el Edificio Municipal de Maumelle ubicado en 101 Millwood Cir. Maumelle, AR 72113. La ciudad de Maumelle ha solicitado una subvención de limpieza del programa Brownfields del condado de Pulaski para la reducción del asbesto encontrado en el edificio.

Se considerarán todos los comentarios sobre el proceso de limpieza. Se archivará una respuesta formal a cada comentario en los registros del proyecto. Se llevará a cabo una reunión pública el martes 4 de junio de 2024, entre 3pm - 5 pm en 3915 W 8th Street, sala de conferencias del tercer piso, Little Rock, AR 72204

Una copia impresa del Análisis de Alternativas de Limpieza de Brownfields, con sus siglas en inglés (ABCA) estará disponible para su revisión en la reunión pública y en la oficina de Brownfields del condado de Pulaski durante horas de trabajo, y una copia electrónica estará disponible al solicitarlo. Todos los comentarios públicos deberán enviarse por escrito a Pulaski County Brownfields o por correo electrónico a qpotter@pulaskicounty. net.  El Registro administrativo de Brownfields para la limpieza se mantendrá durante la duración del proyecto y estará disponible para su revisión en la oficina de Brownfields del condado de Pulaski, 3915 W 8th Street, Third Floor, Little Rock, AR 72204, durante horas de trabajo y en otros horarios por medio de una cita.

Para programar una cita para revisar el Registro administrativo o si tiene preguntas sobre este anuncio, comuníquese con la Oficina de Brownfields del condado de Pulaski al (501) 340-3594.

El condado de Pulaski sigue todas las leyes antidiscriminatorias federales, estatales y locales. Comuníquese con nosotros si necesita esta información en otro idioma, letra grande o Braille, por favor comuníquese con nosotros.

Esta publicación fue pagada por el condado de Pulaski, Arkansas, a un costo de $600.

26 Pebbles

June 1 & 2, 5-8

Pinnacle View Middle School Actors Theatre of Little Rock

June 7-9, 14-16, & 21-23

Enchanted! Metaphysics & Mystics Market

June 22 & 23

Benton Event Center

Fondaland Drag Brunch

June 2

Hosted by Fonda LaFemme at Rusty Tractor Vineyards

Sunset Lodge at Rusty Tractor Vineyards

June 22

Arkansas Repertory Theatre

Arkansas Times Bloodies, Bubbles and Brunch 2024

July 20

Sunset Lodge at Rusty Tractor Vineyards

Hot Springs Village/AR Rep Transportation

She Kills Monsters

The Weekend Theater

THE FOODIE GUIDE

EVER GO TO A RESTAURANT AND SAY, “WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND?” WELL, HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO SEE WHAT SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS’ CHEFS AND OWNERS LOVE TO EAT FROM THEIR OWN MENU!

Special Advertising Section of the Arkansas Times

BEN BRAINARD BIG BAD BREAKFAST

Big Bad Breakfast, conceived by James Beard award-winning chef John Currence, reveres breakfast through its franchised locations. With 20+ years in the industry, co-owner and operating partner Ben Brainard was instantly captivated by Currence’s concept.

The Little Rock locations — West Little Rock and Downtown — offer different experiences. “There’s no set aesthetic. The experiences are intentionally different.”

Brainard loves breakfast, of course, but notes that nearly one-third of the menu boasts of mouth-watering lunch items. His go-to is the brined and fried Screamin’ Demon. “It’s the best chicken sandwich on the entire planet.” Don’t sleep on the Shrimp Po Boy either. “That sandwich has a really bright tartar sauce with egg in it that ties it back to breakfast in a fun way.” You can’t go wrong with the mouth-watering  Burger or the fresh-made Chef Salad, either.

Plus, Brainard notes there’s nothing wrong with stopping in for an early happy hour. “We have fun, light cocktails and we love featuring local beers.” Give the eatery a try next time you’re looking for breakfast, lunch and the best of both worlds.

WEST LITTLE ROCK, DOWNTOWN | BIGBADBREAKFAST.COM/LOCATIONS/LITTLE-ROCK/

Owner Juan Bahena opened Tula in 2020 in downtown Fayetteville to show Northwest Arkansas a new definition of Mexican cuisine. Tula’s menu celebrates the unique culture and flavors of Jalisco, Mexico, and delivers it in an upscale atmosphere. On the menu, guests can enjoy a starter of Pozole, followed up with the locally famous Mole – chicken leg and thigh in mole poblano sauce. Tula’s beverage menu complements the food with must-tries like the Cantarito, a refreshing tequila cocktail with grapefruit soda and juice. If you’re looking for something with a punch, try the Oldest Fashion, a top-shelf tequila cocktail with simple syrup and bitters. If you still can’t decide what to try, the expert staff is always ready to offer recommendations based on your palate.

Juan Bahena’s dedication to food extends beyond the walls of Tula. He also founded Casa Dos Alas, a non-profit organization that combats food insecurity in Hispanic communities. This commitment to the community is a testament to the values and heart behind every dish.

SHRIMP PO BOY

CHEF’S SALAD

CANTARITO

JUAN BAHENA, OWNER  TULA

MOLE

BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT

Front: Cicely Brave, Peter Brave, Gordy Brave, Miles Erwin Back: Ignacio Coronado, Ricardo Morales, Jennifer Jones, Ben Hughes, Erin House, Randy Beck, Sergio Godinez

For over thirty years, Brave New Restaurant has distinguished itself in the Little Rock and Arkansas food scene. Pleasantly perched along the Arkansas River, the restaurant offers gorgeous views, but it’s the food and service that truly stand out.

A lunchtime server with Brave New for five years, Jennifer Jones recommends the Beef Tenderloin, saying it brings a combination of flavors “that could make a poet out of anyone.” She loves working at the restaurant: “In my 20 years in the industry, this is the easiest food I’ve ever sold. It’s the best and of the highest quality, and I feel confident about every single thing on the menu.”

Dinner server Ben Hughes, who has been with the eatery for 16 years, favors the Big Eye Tuna and the Scallops, sometimes combining the two. “The best part about working here is all of the wonderful people I get to work with and the guests I’ve had the pleasure to meet over the years.”

From the back of the house, Head Line Cook and Grillmaster Sergio Godinez tends to choose the Walleye off the menu, as it reminds him of the freshwater fish he caught in his youth. “I’ve worked for a lot of places and the way things are run here is perfect. When I make something good, they get it out fast. We work great together as a team and things run smoothly.”

Owner and executive chef Peter Brave finds beauty in the time he spends with his family when they stop by to eat. For him, this family connection enhances the charm of Brave New Restaurant.

SCALLOPS

BIG EYE TUNA

KATHERINE ELDRIDGE, OWNER CHEF DAVID DOE’S EAT PLACE

Doe’s Eat Place offers convenient curbside parking and your choice of inside or outside dining. It is a down-to-earth, no frills southern atmosphere. A longtime regional favorite. We have your favorite steaks and all the fixings. We also offer big servings of our famous hot tamales with chili, broiled shrimp, grilled salmon, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and more at a reasonably good price.

1023 W. MARKHAM | DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK 501-376-1195 | DOESEATPLACELR.COM

At Taco Mama in Hot Springs, Diana Bratton channels her Texas roots, creating fresh, mouthwatering dishes with local ingredients. “We make everything from scratch and cook with layers of flavors.” Nothing from Taco Mama comes from a can. Gems like house-pressed tortillas and scratch-made sauces highlight the lineup. “We use authentic basics of Mexican cuisine like garlic, chilis and chocolate.” Bratton recommends ordering the carnitas and cheese empanadas or checking out the housesmoked brisket. Her mantra rings true: “Flavor is everything.” For catering inquiries please email info@spillover.com.

MALVERN & SIDE TOWN | HOT SPRINGS TACOMAMA.NET

BRANDON DORSE MADISON HAMP THE RAILYARD LR

Nestled in the East Village, #TheYard celebrates outdoor dining in a chill atmosphere. Owners Brandon Dorse and Madi Hamp boast 30-plus years of restaurant experience, recommending the Double SmashBurger and Catfish Plate as their go-tos. Whether lounging indoors or hanging in the beer garden with the pup, guests can enjoy time with family and friends. Don’t miss happy hour and drink specials including Wednesday’s $5 burger day and open mic comedy night. From markets to yard games, there’s always something happening.

1212 E 6TH STREET, SUITE 1 | LITTLE ROCK THERAILYARDLR.COM

DAISY BENDECK, GENERAL MANAGER AND OWNER LAKEWOOD FISH & SEAFOOD

Tucked beside an apartment complex, Lakewood Fish & Seafood may be inconspicuous, but its flavors are exceptional. Owner Daisy Bendeck, a seasoned industry professional, ensures top-quality offerings. The diverse menu features fresh seafood along with homemade cheese dip, guacamole, tacos, salads, burgers, wraps, pasta and more. Check out the happy hour appetizers and drink specials before finding a favorite beverage from the full bar complete with 16 taps. The eatery promises a delightful dining experience for seafood aficionados and land-lovers alike.

4801 N HILLS BLVD | NORTH LITTLE ROCK | 501-758-4299 FACEBOOK.COM/LAKEWOODSEAFOODHOUSE

DIANA BRATTON TACO MAMA

Monday - Saturday, 5-7PM

Pizza is always better with a view and a brew, and the Grateful Head Pizza Oven & Tap team knows this. With its tiered decking and patio alongside a renovated and restored building on Exchange Street in historic downtown Hot Springs, Grateful Head offers hot wings, pizzas with handbraided crusts, and salads made fresh to order. Check out the gluten-free and vegetarian options, as well. Grab a beer — all the drafts are Arkansasmade — and enjoy the patio.

100 EXCHANGE ST. | HOT SPRINGS | 501-781-3405 GRATEFULHEADPIZZA.COM

We don’t want to deter anyone from their go-to burger or sandwich, but with summer here we feel like we should give some attention to one of our favorite light and most flavorful dishes. The Tuna Poke Nachos, featuring sushi grade tuna marinated in a house-made sesame ponzu, is carefully layered on crispy fried rice paper then topped with a rich sriracha aioli, fresh micro cilantro and chives. This all culminates into what has become one of our most popular items.

CHEF PAUL “CHOPS” BOYETT SUPERIOR BATHHOUSE BREWERY

Superior Bathhouse Brewery provides a unique brewpub experience with Chef Paul “Chops” Boyett’s standout menu. Featuring smash burgers made from locally sourced Arkansas Natural Beef and his signature “Get Chopped Sauce” on fried chicken wings, Chef Boyett’s culinary skills perfectly complement Superior Bathhouse’s craft beers. It’s a must-visit for locals and visitors looking to enjoy the vibrant food and drink scene in Hot Springs.

329 CENTRAL AVE. | HOT SPRINGS | 501-624-2337 SUPERIORBATHHOUSE.COM

For those who have been awaiting H.A.M.’S reopening, we have good news. Hillcrest’s home for the highest quality meats, local merchant goods, and artisan soups and sandwiches is now connected to Hill Station. The full collaboration now allows for more offerings, extended hours, and (thankfully) fewer trips across Kavanaugh. Just enter on the east side next to the pocket park where you’re welcome to have a seat in the sun or shade and enjoy one of that day’s selections.

NEIGHBORS BECOME ROOMMATES!

SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING

A GUIDE TO BUDGET-FRIENDLY FUN FOR KIDS.

BY TRICIA LARSON

Are you worried about how you’re going to fill (and afford) the long days of summer vacation? Fret no more; we’ve got you covered. From day and overnight camps to creative crafting to sports and educational adventures, here are a few free and lowcost activities to keep your child entertained and engaged.

SUMMER @ CALS

June 8–July 28

Cost: Free

Location: Various Central Arkansas Library System branches

Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) is your go-to for a summer full of fun and learning. With a range of activities across its branches, CALS ensures there’s something for everyone. Families who register in advance for the summer adventurer program receive a free tote bag and free tickets to Library Night at Dickey-Stephens Park on Tuesday, June 4. The summer kickoff event June 8 at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center is not to be missed, featuring crafts, games, a sensory room and s’mores! This year’s summer programming is packed with excitement, including magic shows by Tommy Terrific and Scott Davis, music from Brian and Terri Kinder and Mom and Pop, drumming workshops by Stephin Booth, and much more. Registration and summer program information can be found at cals.org.

SUMMER PLAYGROUND PROGRAM

June 10–July 25

Cost: $100 for seven weeks, available to children ages 6–15

Location: Bale Elementary, Chicot Elementary, Dunbar Community Center, East Little Rock Community Center, Hall STEM (Teen Camp) Little Rock Parks and Recreation is ready to ignite your children’s excitement with seven weeks of fun-filled activities and adventures. The program features indoor and outdoor activities and field trips, including zoo and movie theater visits, bowling and skating excursions, and archery lessons. Campers are also provided with a balanced breakfast and lunch. Registration and program information can be found at littlerock.gov/residents/parks-and-recreation.

JR. PARK RANGER DAYCAMP

July 15–Aug. 2 (multiple sessions)

Cost: $50

Location: Each morning starts at Fletcher Park | 901 S. Woodrow St., Little Rock

This Little Rock Parks and Recreation program is for 9- to 12-year-olds who enjoy the out-

PRIMARY CARE: HERE FOR YOUR CHILD, EVERY DAY

Whether it’s treating a fever or giving an immunization, our primary care clinics across the state provide diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care for illnesses or injuries. We are committed to preventative care, including sports/physical examinations, newborn screens, behavioral/ mental health and child health maintenance.

Consistent care statewide

Personalized treatment

Telehealth services

Mental health experts We provide unmatched care close to home:

• Arkansas Children’s Hospital Little Rock Including After-Hours Clinic

• ACH Southwest Little Rock Clinic

• ACH Pine Bluff Clinic Weekdays: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Weekends: 9 a.m. - 8p.m. or visit

and

doors and want to learn more about nature and fostering community. Armed with an Adventure Guide, Jr. Park Rangers spend one week exploring different parks and park facilities learning about their history and the environment. Additional activities include swimming, birding, archery and fishing. At the end of the week, Jr. Rangers receive a backpack full of outdoor gear, a certificate and a Jr. Ranger T-shirt and badge.

ZOOFARI DAY CAMP

June 3–Aug. 2 (multiple sessions)

Cost: Members pay $225 per camper, and nonmembers pay $260 per camper. Scholarships are available, reducing the cost to $35.

Location: Little Rock Zoo | 1 Zoo Drive, Little Rock

The Little Rock Zoo offers programming tailored to interest and age groups, guaranteed to entertain and educate youth. Depending on the chosen camp, kids can learn about wildlife research and citizen science, discover how animals protect themselves, learn survival skills, and learn what it takes to run a zoo. Camps are open to children ages 6–12. Additionally, qualified patrons can take advantage of the Zoo Access for All initiative, which helps overcome financial barriers for families and makes the zoo accessible for all area children. SNAP benefits recipients may show their EBT card and a valid state-issued ID card to receive $2 general admission tickets for up to six people and $1 parking. Registration and program information can be found at littlerockzoo.com.

WAMA ARTS+NATURE DAY CAMP

June 17–28 (multiple sessions)

Cost: $250; financial assistance is available.

Location: Wildwood Park for the Arts | 20919 Denny Road, Little Rock

Wildwood Park for the Arts offers day campers a week of nature and art exploration on its beautiful grounds. Guided by professional instructors, children are introduced to voice, movement and visual arts and also spend time hiking, fishing and enjoying outdoor games. The camp is available to children ages 7–12. Registration and program information can be found at wildwoodpark.org.

ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

Various dates and times throughout the summer

Cost: Free

Location: Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts | 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock

ily fun — adults and children of all ages can participate in organized activities and museum exploration. Flurrfy + Friends is another great option for littles. Flurrfy, AMFA’s too-cute pink dog and puppet-in-residence, engages young children with songs, stories and choreography. Each program runs about 30 minutes and has multiple showtimes throughout the week. No registration is necessary, and more information can be found at arkmfa.org.

SPLASH PADS

All summer long

Cost: Free

Locations: Riverfront Park, War Memorial Stadium, Crump Park

Little Rock Parks and Recreation has four splash pads that provide all-ages water fun. Two splash pads are located at Riverfront Park, one at War Memorial Stadium and one newly installed at Crump Park, located at Chester and 33rd streets in Little Rock.

RAINBOW FAMILY CAMP

June 21-23

Cost: Tiered pricing allows families to choose the per-person cost that is most appropriate; additional scholarship funding may be available.

Location: Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center | 1720 Ferncliff Road, Little Rock

Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center provides a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ children and youth and their families. This weekend retreat fosters connection and community in an inclusive environment where children and families are encouraged to rest, refresh, embrace creativity and explore their surroundings. Registration and program information can be found at https://ferncliff.org/ rainbow-family-camp.

SOMEWHERE OVER CAMP | DICK JOHNSTON SUMMER CAMP

June 28–30 | July 14–19

Cost: $150 | Free

Location: Camp Mitchell | 10 Camp Mitchell Road, Morrilton

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA) offers a variety of free programming for children of all ages. ArtStart is a program for toddlers and preschoolers that connects children’s books with art projects to foster imaginative play and learning. Creative Saturdays are perfect for fam-

Set atop Petit Jean Mountain, Camp Mitchell’s Somewhere Over Camp is a weekend retreat for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their loved ones that provides a safe, welcoming and affirming camping experience. Dick Johnston Summer Camp is a free weeklong camp exclusively for children ages 8–12 who have/had an incarcerated parent or family member. Children have fun exploring nature, learning about themselves and making new friends. Registration and program information can be found at campmitchell.org.

MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY

Year-round

Cost: $2 general admission tickets with SNAP benefit card

Location: Museum of Discovery | 500 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock

SNAP benefit recipients can receive $2 gener al admission tickets for up to five people when showing their EBT card and a valid state-issued ID. The museum has multiple galleries and ex hibits that entertain and educate visitors of all ages. Also, Bank of America cardholders re ceive free admission the first weekend of every month. Just show your card at the admissions desk.

GIRLS IN STEM

June 17–21

Cost: Free

Location: Southwest Community Center | 6401 Baseline Road, Little Rock

In partnership with the Museum of Discovery, Southwest Community Center is hosting a free weeklong camp for girls ages 12–14. Participants will explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers with handson activities led by female STEM professionals. Registration and program information can be found at museumofdiscovery.org/girls-in-stem.

PFEIFER KIWANIS CAMP

June 10–July 12 (multiple sessions)

Cost: Free

Location: Joseph Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp | 5512 Ferndale Cutoff Road, Little Rock

Nestled on 82 acres, Pfeifer Kiwanis camp has provided youth with free camping experiences since 1929. Children in Central Arkansas ages 9–14 are eligible for one free week of overnight camp. Kids swim, hike, canoe and play games while learning about the environment and learn team-building skills. Registration and program information can be found at pfeifercamp.com.

SUMMER LITERACY PROGRAM

June 19–July 7

Cost: Free

Location: Metro Worship Center | 2914 S. Cumberland St., Little Rock

Pulaski County Youth Services, in partnership with First Assembly of God Outreach, is offering a Summer Literacy Academy for Pulaski County youth in grades 1–3. The program focuses on building literacy skills and developing reading comprehension. Registration and program information can be found at pulaskicounty.net/ youth-services-programs.

MARRIAGE, MOTHERHOOD, MARTYRDOM: Poet Caroline Earleywine’s latest plumbs the intricacies of family dysfunction, womanhood and life as a queer educator.

TILL DEATH DO US PART A

CONVERSATION WITH POET CAROLINE EARLEYWINE.

BY STEPHANIE SMITTLE

There are two completely blank pages after the first poem in Caroline Earleywine’s debut full-length collection, but even without that prescribed pause, you might need a few seconds before forging ahead. Like the front porch Earleywine describes in the poem, blood-stained from the dead birds deposited there by the family cats during her childhood in Batesville, “How She Loved Us” acts as both welcome mat and forewarning for “I Now Pronounce You,” diving darkly into the sounds and silence that accompanied her parents’ separation. Divided into chapters with names that mimic the structure of a wedding — “Prelude,” “Something Borrowed,” “Something Blue,” “Something New,” “Recessional” — the collection continues to pick at that scab, occasionally drawing blood as it peeks at the messier and sometimes sublime forms love can take when it’s coupled with duty, resentment, queerness, grief and the public education system. We talked to Earleywine, who works as a curriculum writer for UA Little Rock MidSOUTH, about the book, which came out in May on Write Bloody Publishing.

You spent 10 years teaching high school English in Arkansas’s public schools, and I take it from the poem “Things That Could Be (Said About Both Divorce and Leaving Teaching)” that you no longer teach. Is your poem “Interview With a Teacher in a Pandemic” a good clue as to why you left the classroom?

There are many reasons why I left teaching, which can mostly be summed up by saying it took too much from me. The pandemic and hateful legislation played a big part, but teachers are expected to perform

a level of martyrdom that, for me, became unsustainable. I had nothing left at the end of each day. I couldn’t support students the way I wanted to and find a balance in my own life at the same time, at least not without feeling a lot of guilt.

I loved what you had to say about teaching in your poems about the classroom — “On Being a Closeted Teacher” and “Are You Gay?” I have to admit when I read the line “It’s reading the news of a teacher being fired after showing her class a picture of her wife,” I couldn’t help but think of Tippi McCullough, who was fired in 2013 from Mount St. Mary Academy not for anything she shared in the classroom, but simply because school officials found out that she had married a woman. How did you decide what to disclose and what not to in the classroom?

I actually have a line that directly references Tippi in [the poem called “GSA”]: “The day a student asked me in the middle of class if I was gay I said yes, even though a teacher at a nearby school was fired for being a bride with another bride …”) Before I came out as a teacher, I spoke with Tippi and she gave me some advice and support. As a teacher, it felt very important to me to normalize the fact that I had a wife. … And honestly, it became so much easier once I was married. Because that’s a world that everybody understands. Like, you talk about your spouse as a teacher.

And I think the thing I always wrestled with is how much the standards that teachers are held to is so different. Being a teacher is always being on a stage, so there were definitely times I was going through things and I had to paste a smile on my face and pretend I wasn’t. I’m confident every teacher has done that at some point and can relate. Looking

JENN TERRELL PHOTOGRAPHY

back now, I wonder if there was more room for being a bit more honest with my students on those tough days, for showing that I was human, too.

Like so many in the book, the poem that opens the book is sort of a punch in the gut, ending (spoiler alert) with your mom carrying the burden of her broken marriage like “a bloody silence in her mouth.” How do you think about rhythm when you write a poem? Like when to drop particular little breadcrumbs? When to drop the bomb and walk away?

One of my favorite analogies about poems is that they are a window into a house. A viewer from the outside can’t see the whole interior of the house from that window, but there are snippets and pieces. I think about my job being to make each poem a good view that is still able to intrigue and suggest, and not to bog it down with too many details that give too much away or distract from the larger impression I’m trying to give. So I guess my answer would be, I walk away when I feel like I’ve achieved that balance. I enjoy poetry because I like working in the compact space of a poem, though the challenge is: Every word and punctuation mark and space on the page has to serve a purpose.

I love that you use the poem title “How She Loved Us” and then repeat the title later on in a different way. Like many parts in the book, the poem asks us to examine what we mean when we say womanhood, or when we say motherhood. Or when we think the two are synonymous. Or when we think the two are synonymous with sacrifice and silence! What, if anything, do you think is something you’ve learned in childhood about being a woman, and then had to unlearn?

I think what took me a minute to unlearn is the path that I saw available to women — going to college, immediately getting a stable job, marrying a man and then having children. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with doing these things, but when they are done as a reflex because you are “supposed” to, it means you don’t really get a chance to explore who you truly are and what it is you actually want. I feel like discovering I was queer led to me unpeeling all of these layers and paths one by one. It made me question the career I’d chosen and my wish to have children, to really interrogate if that’s what I wanted. Same with religion. Growing up where I did, it was a given that Christianity was the only way to be a good person. That’s not specific to womanhood, but I do think that something I internalized was that as a

woman, it was important to be “good” in a very specific way. I also feel like I’ve had to unlearn excusing or ignoring men’s bad behavior.

I think our culture conditions women to be uncomfortable and to perform martyrdom. You’re expected to go above and beyond. You’re expected to sacrifice your well-being for the sake of your students. I think why I stayed in teaching so long when it got bad for me was because I still had this lingering feeling that it was my duty to handle it.

I also internalized that women shouldn’t take up too much space, both physically and emotionally. Not ruffling any feathers — and politeness — is expected. I feel like this one is deeply embedded, and I’m constantly working to unlearn it.

One of the best compliments I can give to this book is that it made me feel like I know you, even though I don’t. You hint at this in “Golden Shovel in Which I Question the Integrity of Writing About My Family.” Can you talk about how you think about privacy when you’re writing on such a personal level?

I think for me, I’ve felt much more pain and discomfort from truths that I haven’t disclosed than for truths that I have. I feel best when everything is on the table, when I don’t feel like I have to hide anything. That felt particularly important in writing this book. It’s possible there may come a time when I want to keep more private and for myself in the fu ture.

Of course, inevitably my truths intersect with my loved ones. I do keep things pri vate if they involve someone I love and it is something they are not comfortable with me disclosing. I think being a person who is a documentor and witness of my life along with those close to me puts people in my life in an interesting and sometimes vulnerable position, and I always want to be sensitive to that. I have many discussions with loved ones about what they are comfortable with me disclosing and what they would prefer I didn’t, and I always want to keep that as my highest priority.

I think it all comes down to [the question]: Is there a significant purpose to sharing this particular truth? If there is, and everyone is on the same page about it, I find everyone is a lot more comfortable with it being shared.

JUNE

1st - Monk is King w/ Lemons

7th - EC Haynes and Hind Sight Groove

8th - Bluesboy Jag

14th - Ed Bowman and the Rock City Players 15th - TBA

21st - POPE

22nd - Secondhand Cannons

28th - 1oz Jig

29th - Chad Marshall Band

Hear Caroline Earleywine read work from “I Now Pronounce You” at Two Friends Books in Bentonville’s 8th Street Market at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 1; at Bookish in Fort Smith’s Bakery District at 6 p.m. Friday, June 7; or at Paper Hearts Bookstore in Little Rock’s Pettaway District at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 14.

JUNE

6/1

6/8

6/14

6/7

6/21 YK THA DJ

6/22 DEFRANCE

6/29 VINTAGE PISTOL

REMEMBERING DAISY BATES

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE NEWSPAPERWOMAN AND MENTOR.

BY JANIS F. KEARNEY

It was a wretchedly hot day when Daddy asked if I would like to spend the second half of my summer working as Daisy Bates’ clerk. He had painted Daisy as the Clara Barton of civil rights. The first surprise was that Daddy was offering me an out from chopping cotton the last half of the summer. The second surprise was that he knew Daisy Bates well enough to know she needed a summer clerk.

Meeting Daisy Bates in the summer of ’69 remains one of the most life-changing moments for the shy and impressionable young country girl who ended up at Bates’ office door. I froze when the tiny woman opened the door of the office/trailer home. I remember in perfect detail her simple but elegant dress and her thin face framed by short, jet black hair.

Daisy Bates was even more beautiful than my father had painted her. There was kindness in her smile and amusement in her eyes as she stared at me standing in her doorway. Though I flunked her typing test that day, and lost my opportunity to work for her that summer, the 30-minute interaction changed my life forever. She became a goalpost for me.

It was 1987, 18 years later, before I’d meet Daisy Bates again. I learned she had revived the newspaper she’d lost in 1959 as a casualty of her war on segregation, and was now in need of a managing editor. What were the chances that I would graduate from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a journalism degree, and end up running Daisy Bates’ newspaper?

When I went to interview for the position, her speaking and mobility was greatly restricted by the many strokes she’d endured over the years. I was grateful to find that the fire was still there in her eyes, along with the humor at how the little country girl was still showing up at her door asking for a job.

I reminded her that I’d tried almost 20 years earlier to work for her but my typing was horrible. This time, however, she hired me. After six months of orientation into newspaper work, I was mortified to learn that she would be retiring and selling the newspaper. The miracle was that she ended up selling the newspaper to my husband and me. In 1988, I became Daisy Bates, or at least a passing semblance of who she’d once been.

Sitting in the august Statuary Hall on May 8, 2024, I was remembering how that size-5 giant had impacted my life over and over again. How she’d made me see my possibilities, made me proud of being an African American woman, and an Arkansan. I was thinking of how she’d been hated with such vehemence because she dared to change the world and helped navigate that change through her guidance of the Little Rock

A ‘SIZE-5 GIANT’: A statue of civil rights champion and journalist Daisy Bates was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol in May.

FREETHINKERS LIVE HERE THE COMMUNITY FOR SECULAR PEOPLE

ARFREETHINKERS.ORG

Nine. She and her husband, LC, had sacrificed so much to make Arkansas and the country better, admonishing it to live up to its promise to ALL Americans.

She surely would have been pleased as well as amazed that Arkansas and America’s leadership finally recognized her with such pomp and circumstance, and as something other than another Southern troublemaker (and a woman, to boot!)

My travel to Washington, D.C., as part of the celebration of Daisy Bates’ placement in the U.S. Capitol will surely be one of my most memorable moments in life. I experienced a mixture of emotions, mostly excitement and pride, some bittersweet “what ifs.” I was moved by the level of adulation for this woman I call mentor and friend, and by the diversity of the audience — especially the many Arkansans who were there to celebrate this day in history.

I was moved by the speeches by the slate of speakers at both the pre-unveiling reception May 7 and the celebration and unveiling of the Daisy Bates sculpture May 8. Yes, the speakers were majority white men, with one woman and one African American man. Each spoke admirably to Daisy Bates’ life and the good change she sought for the children of Arkansas. It was notable, however, that their glowing words stood in such stark contrast to the social, political and racial environment permeating our country today.

I was proud of my ability to separate the vast political differences between myself and Gov. Sarah Sanders as I listened to her speak of her admiration of the very progressive Daisy Bates. The governor’s speech was one of the two most riveting of the day, as she shared stories and memories, like the 40th anniversary of the 1957 Central High Crisis when her father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, and President Clinton symbolically opened the doors to Central High School, allowing the middle-aged Little Rock Nine members to walk through the school doors. It was a powerful visual from the memory of a young white child who would eventually attend the historic Central High herself, and later become Arkansas’s 47th and first female governor. I was impressed not only by the governor’s eloquent speech but her ability to meld into and interact with the very diverse crowd afterward. Whoever said it got it right: Daisy Bates had a unique power of resolving differences and bringing people of different persuasions together.

And, then there was Charles King, President of the LC and Daisy Bates Foundation and Museum, who received a standing ovation for speaking truth to power, pointing out that in spite of the blurred remembrances of her, Daisy Bates’ very real fight for equal education for all children had not been in alignment with what America wanted for herself. May 8, King said, vindicated Daisy Bates’ struggle for right and her persistence to do the right thing for poster-

ity. King’s message soared, then hit home with the audience because it came directly from the heart and because of his innate understanding of the struggle, the sacrifice and the courage demanded of Daisy Bates.

I wondered, still, what would Daisy Bates think of all this. Would she feel vindicated that America and the world finally recognized that she had stood on the right side of morality and history in her fight against the harmful tradition of segregation and inequity? Would she nod in agreement with those who opined that March 8 and the placement of Bates’ sculpture in the U.S. Capitol proved that America and Arkansas had made adequate progress over the last six decades? Or would she, while grateful for the grand gesture, still believe that neither Arkansas nor America deserved a Kumbaya moment, just yet?

As I stared at the beautiful 7-foot bronze statue of Daisy Bates, captured so magnificently by the Iowa sculptor Ben Victor, my heart swelled, the tears flowed and my gratitude grew. Thank you, Daisy Bates, for all you did to make this miraculous day possible. Thank you, Arkansas, for adding this invaluable page to our state’s annals of history, and thank you, America, for showing that we can get it right, and that when we do, we all grow an inch or two taller. Janis F. Kearney is an author, writing coach and founder of Celebrate! Maya Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. She served as personal diarist to President Bill Clinton, was selected as a fellow at Harvard’s W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute, a fellow at DePaul University in Chicago, and as a visiting professor at Arkansas State University. In 2016, Janis was inducted into the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame, and received the University of Arkansas Lemke Journalism award.

“The

PASSING THE TORCH: Daisy Bates (left) sits with Janis Kearney (right), Bates’ successor at the Arkansas State Press.

REEFER MADNESS IN THE REARVIEW?

HOW A FEDERAL RECLASSIFICATION OF CANNABIS COULD AFFECT ARKANSAS.

BY GRIFFIN COOP

In recognition of its medical benefits, the federal government is on track to move cannabis out of the most restrictive drug category — one that includes heroin, LSD and MDMA — and into a lower one.

The Biden administration took steps in April to remove cannabis from the list of Schedule I drugs, which have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Instead, cannabis would be a Schedule III drug, along with such drugs as testosterone, anabolic steroids and Tylenol with codeine, drugs with moderate or low potential for physical and psychological dependence.

The change is still winding its way along the government’s regulatory maze and could take a few months to be finalized, according to reports.

Rescheduling would not legalize marijuana. Under Schedule III, the manufacture, distribution and possession of recreational marijuana would remain illegal under federal law and potentially subject to federal prosecution regardless of the drug’s status under state law, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Under Schedule III, state-legal medical marijuana programs like Arkansas’s would remain shielded from federal prosecution unless Congress acts to change how cannabis is treated under the law, the Congressional Research Service said.

Nate Steel, the chief compliance and government relations officer at multistate cannabis operator Good Day Farm, said the Schedule III classification won’t impact the state’s medical marijuana production. But, he said, it will have significant impacts on how the industry is taxed.

The IRS limits how cannabis businesses can deduct business expenses from their taxes. The tax prohibition stems from provision 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, requiring companies working with Schedule I or II drugs to calculate their taxes based on gross income rather than net income.

The prohibition on business expense deductions has applied to state-legal cannabis businesses like Arkansas medical marijuana dispensaries, but would not apply to businesses working with Schedule III drugs.

An analysis of 2022 taxes by cannabis research firm Whitney Economics found that cannabis businesses paid $1.8 billion more in taxes

under the 280E provision than they would have if they’d been allowed the deductions. That number was expected to rise to $2.1 billion more in taxes in 2023, the report said.

In addition to changes to taxable income, Steel said, rescheduling would also ease requirements that have limited cannabis research, which has required state and federal licenses and has been highly restricted. Steel said Congress may be able to fund cannabis research

of medical marijuana products for patients in Arkansas. Bill Paschall, executive director of the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association, said that’s a possibility. “If they can lower their expenses on the business side, that could be passed along to the consumers in the form of a lower price,” he said.

In addition to the practical implications of the change, the move to Schedule III will have a symbolic effect in terms of how marijuana is thought of. The federal government’s recognition of the medical uses for marijuana lends credibility to the industry and boosts the confidence of consumers in the products they are buying, he said.

“IT SENDS A SIGNAL THAT MARIJUANA IS NOT THE GATEWAY DRUG THEY’VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.”

under Schedule III.

Melissa Fults, a marijuana advocate with the Arkansas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said she’s “thrilled” about the change and pleased with the tax implications for the industry. Some wished the change had gone farther, but Fults believes it is a move in the right direction — “the first step to either decriminalization or just legalization,” she said.

Fults said she’s hopeful that lightening the tax burden on the industry will lower the cost

“It sends a signal to [consumers] that medical marijuana is not the gateway drug they’ve been told that it is for their entire lives,” he said. “It’s something that can be managed and used properly to treat many, many maladies.”

Steel noted that a proposed constitutional amendment to expand the state medical marijuana program contains a trigger provision that would legalize cannabis for adult use in Arkansas if the federal government legalizes the drug. The change to Schedule III would not trigger the provision.

Opponents of legal marijuana are unhappy with the Biden administration’s decision. Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a national organization, said the decision was impacted by “politics and industry influence.”

“A drug isn’t medicine because it’s popular,” former White House drug policy adviser and Smart Approaches president Kevin Sabet said in a statement. Cannabis is a psychoactive drug with “many serious health and mental health consequences,” he said.

The group, which was a leading opponent of a 2022 amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana in Arkansas, vowed to challenge the rescheduling decision during the administrative process and in court. As a public comment period on the scheduling change was reportedly set to begin in May, President Joe Biden posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, to promote the decision. Biden called it an “important move toward reversing long standing inequities” and said that “far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana.”

LANDMARK FOR LOVE

The Arkansas Times turns 50 in 2024, and staff photographer Brian Chilson has been behind the camera for more than 20 of those years — since April 30, 2003. To celebrate our golden anniversary, we’re looking back at the history of the publication and sharing some of our favorite moments of the past half-century, like this one from Chilson’s archive. Taken at the Pulaski County Courthouse on Friday, June 26, 2015, this wedding followed a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that struck down bans on same-sexmarriage nationwide. Chilson photographed Earnie Matheson, right, and Tony Chiaro, left, during their wedding ceremony.