Mature Arkansas

Mature Arkansas APRIL 5, 2012

and the beat goes on

along with the boomers, TOO Page 8

ALSO in this issue

Easter Week To-do List page 7

Exploring Spirituality page 12

Get Into Community Gardening page 15 MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

1

letter to t he editor

''Shining a Little Light'' Dear Editor: s a 20-year vet of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality water wars - groundwater was my thing, but it is all connected - I applaud your last issue (March 22, 2012, “Will Lake Maumelle Survive?”).

Mature Arkies have been far too quiet about the state of water and air that they have left to their young. They need to know more about it.

I especially liked Leonard Stern’s editorial. He put it all together much as I tried to do years ago in the Arkansas Times and in books and columns on the issue. Arkansas can be depressing for those who want progress — you guys shined a little light!

Ralph Desmarais, PhD, Little Rock

A

CORRECTION

In last week’s cover feature on Lake Maumelle, we regret the error about Lake Conway. It was built solely as a recreational lake; Brewer Lake is the current source for Conway's drinking water.

We Want To Hear From YOU MATURE ARKANSAS welcomes letters or emails from readers on any subject of interest to older Arkansans. Letters to columnists are also welcome. Email your letters to annewasson@arktimes.com and include “letter” on the subject line.

GUEST EDITORIALS, on issues of interest to Arkansans over age 50, are encouraged. This is a forum for readers’ opinions and comment. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Contact the Editor at 501-375-2985 to discuss topics or send 300-500 word editorials to annewasson@arktimes.com All editorials are subject to editing and space limitations.

Subscriptions Available

Annual subscriptions to MATURE ARKANSAS are $60 per year, via the U.S. Postal Service. Send your check to: Mature Arkansas, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203-4010. Allow three weeks for processing. Expect mail delivery to take about a week.

Mature Arkansas Publisher Alan Leveritt Editor Anne Wasson Art Director Mike Spain Assistant to the Editor Paige Parham Photographer Brian Chilson Director of sales Katherine Daniels Account Executive Erin Holland Production Manager Weldon Wilson Production Assistant Tracy Whitaker

ad Coordinators Roland Gladden Kelly Schlachter Graphic Artists Bryan Moats Katie Cook Controller Weldon Wilson Office Manager Angie Fambrough IT Director Robert Curfman Billing and Collections Linda Phillips Circulation Director Anitra Hickman

Mature Arkansas is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. 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 Mature Arkansas will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to Mature Arkansas’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially. All content © 2012 Mature Arkansas

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2 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

GUEST EDITORIAL n By Dotty Oliver

A Place for Medical Marijuana?

I

just watched a video on freedomisgreen.com about Nurse Patricia, a 62-year-old that is headed to prison for two to four years. She lost her house, her job and became a ward of the state, will be supported for years by taxpayers, instead of paying taxes, all because she was growing marijuana in the basement of her New Hampshire home. She has chronic back pain and her daughter is bi-polar and it seems marijuana is the only thing that helps them both with no deadly side-effects.

There are two

petitions circulating for signatures in Arkansas to

legalize marijuana for medical use.

The video is terrifying to me because it could be so many folks I know who are trying to do the right thing, that is, treating illness with marijuana. In 1980, my mom was dying from the complications of breast cancer. She was withering away, barely weighting 90 pounds toward the end. Since I was part of the Woodstock generation, I knew a few things about marijuana, one of which was the magic of brownies made with the weed. I made her a batch and she started feeling relief from the nausea and lack of appetite. It was simple enough and had no deadly side effects. When she decided she needed this on a regular basis, she planted a few seeds in

her garden and grew it herself. I was so proud of her because it was obvious to us both that we could take our health into our own hands. The best the doctors could do, because of the overreach of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), was synthetic morphine, a hideously bad drug with many side effects. Marijuana is less likely to hurt you but because of the DEA, there is no rational discussion of natural remedies.

There are two petitions circulating for signatures in Arkansas to legalize marijuana for medical use. One of the proposals is similar to other states except it would cap the number of the dispensaries we can have in Arkansas.

The other proposal, called “The Hemp Study Act,” is totally different. It would designate the entire state of Arkansas as a study on the economic effects of legalizing marijuana and hemp. This approach would make it impossible for the federal government to interfere as they have in California and other states that have legalized it for medical purposes.

I have recently treated myself with many variations, from cannabinoids to infused oil, for relief from the deadly effects of chemotherapy on my breast cancer. I survived but doubt I would have without the alternatives I used.

I’m over 60 and was considered terminal by many.

Even the “Naked Archeologist” on the Discovery Channel believes that Luke and Jesus were healing with marijuana.

Need I say more?

Ms. Oliver was publisher of The Little Rock Free Press and is author of “Mistress of the Misunderstood.”

“Adding life to days, when days can no longer be added to life.”

GIVING BACK n By Paige Parham

Palliative Care at UAMS

Hospice Home Care Hospice

“Adding life to days, when days can Home Care no longer be added “Adding to life tolife.” days, when days can

Providing Care In:

no longer be added to life.”

Hospice Hospital • Primary Residence • Nursing Home HomeLittle Care Rock Inpatient Center

Hospice Home Care

Providing Care In:

“Adding days can “Addinglifelifeto todays, days,when when days can nonolonger longerbebeadded addedto tolife.” life.”

Hospice Home Care 501-221-3338

Hospital • Primary Residence • Nursing Home Little Rock Inpatient Center

P

501-221-3338

2200 S. Bowman • Little Rock, AR 72211

www.hospicehomecare.com

2200life S. Bowman • Littledays Rock, “Adding to days, when canAR 72211 no longer be added to life.”

www.hospicehomecare.com alliative care focuses Providing ProvidingCare CareIn: In: HOTProviding SPRINGS PINECare BLUFF MONTICELLO SEARCY In:870-367-9008 on relieving pain and 501-321-4014 870-540-0727 501-279-7955 Hospital • Primary Residence • Nursing Home 501-221-3338 501-221-3338 discomfort in patients who Providing care in a 50 mile radius around each location.

Little Rock Inpatient Center Providing Care In: www.hospicehomecare.com www.hospicehomecare.com are suffering from a serious or terminal illness. Good 501-221-3338 501-221-3338 palliative care is provided by a www.hospicehomecare.com 2200 S. Bowman • Little Rock, AR 72211 team of health professionals. www.hospicehomecare.com Working closely with the HOT SPRINGS PINE BLUFF MONTICELLO SEARCY CONWAY 501-321-4014 870-540-0727 870-367-9008 501-279-7955 501-336-9172 patient’s doctors, they deterProviding care in a 50 mile radius around each location. mine which medications and treatments are most beneficial for the patient. The term “palliative” refers to the relief of symptoms with no effort to cure the disease.

The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Dr. Sarah Beth Harrington C a n c e r Inst it ut e at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has recently opened a Palliative Care Clinic to assist cancer patients. They treat the whole person: body, mind and spirit. The Palliative Care Team works closely with the patient, their family, the medical staff and providers in the community to ensure that patients get the best care during cancer treatment. Symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, sleeping difficulties and breathing problems can make cancer treatment much more difficult.

The Palliative Care Clinic, run by Dr. Sarah Beth Harrington, began as an offshoot of the Delta Society’s Pet Partners program. This program brings pets to visit to lift the spirits of UAMS patients. Erin Gray, director of volunteer services, explains, “Dr. Harrington was looking for a way to get more personal interaction with the patients. Because we’re a hospital who sees a variety of patients from all over the world, we have a lot of people who come here alone. We are looking for volunteers to come in and spend time with the patients who don’t have someone here with them.” Gray says that while the palliative care program began with animal visits, “they soon started bringing • Active lifestyle in volunteers to be a comfort and a distraction to those facing difficult treatments alone.”

Gray says more volunteers are needed for the palliative care program. She says the perfect volunteer would be someone, “who has had a loved one who has been sick or gravely ill.

We need someone who can distance themselves emotionally from the illness.” Volunteers will spend time with the patients, talk to them, read to them, and help keep them distracted from the symptoms and side effects of their illnesses.

To volunteer, contact UAMS’ Director of Volunteer Services Erin Gray at 501-686-5656 or at LEGray@uams.edu HOT SPRINGS 501-321-4014

PINE BLUFF 870-540-0727

MONTICELLO 870-367-9008

SEARCY 501-279-7955

CONWAY 501-336-9172 Hospital • Primary Residence • Nursing Home Hospital • Primary Residence • Nursing Home

Providing care in a 50 mile radius around each location.

Little Rock Inpatient Center Little Rock Inpatient Center

CONWAY 501-336-9172

2200 S. S. Bowman • Little Rock, ARAR 72211 2200 Bowman • Little Rock, 72211

Hospital • Primary Residence • Nursing Home HOT SPRINGS PINE BLUFF MONTICELLO HOT SPRINGS PINE BLUFF MONTICELLO Little Rock870-540-0727 Inpatient Center 870-367-9008 501-321-4014 501-321-4014

870-540-0727

870-367-9008

SEARCY SEARCY 501-279-7955 501-279-7955

CONWAY CONWAY 501-336-9172 501-336-9172

Providing care in ain50 mile radius around each location.

Providing care a 50 mile radius around each location.

2200 S. Bowman • Little Rock, AR 72211

HOT SPRINGS 501-321-4014

PINE BLUFF 870-540-0727

MONTICELLO 870-367-9008

SEARCY 501-279-7955

CONWAY 501-336-9172

Providing care in a 50 mile radius around each location.

The term

“palliative”

refers to the

relief of pain and other

symptoms.

MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

3

Th e Would- Be Gourmet n B y b o b w ood

The Disappointing Pantry frequent (I started to stay “heaviest,” which is also true) patrons of restaurants and bars are younger and like to try out the newest venue.

Accordingly, restaurants open and close with discouraging frequency. Why people think they can make a go of a restaurant under such daunting circumstances never ceases to amaze me.

Accordingly, The Pantry increases its chances of staying in business by broadening, rather than narrowing, its menu choices. This is a pragmatic busi-

Those descriptions sum up my experiences at The Pantry fairly well, it’s OK. That is a shame, really, because I sense that the chef at The Pantry might be able to do something good there, if the reins were loosened, the menu narrowed, the dishes permitted to be more complex and the prices raised. Yes, friends, I’m actually suggesting that a restaurant raise its prices! My late, frugal grandfather is groaning somewhere, and not just from the heat.

I wish I could be less equivocal about the place, but it’s yet another example of a place choosing to become characterless by trying

The Pantry’s menu has a European influence.

☛

The future has a way of arriving unannounced. — George F. Will

☛

I

’ve eaten at The Pantry about three times and it’s just not making much of an impression with me. A friend of mine and I first went there because we had heard it served German food. We have both lived in Germany and had a fondness for that style of cooking.

The first time we went, we met the owner, who is from the Czech Republic. After talking with him and looking at the menu,

we quickly figured out that The Pantry has a sort of European influence. You can get a burger there, salads, hummus, fries, along with homemade bratwurst, Weiner schnitzel, and goulash.

As much as I would love having a fine dining German restaurant in central Arkansas, I think I understand The Pantry’s hesitation to be just that. People who go to restaurants are notoriously fickle. The most 4 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

ness — not culinary — decision to dumb-down the menu.

The home-made bratwurst at The Pantry ($6) is good, there’s just not enough of it.

The Weiner schnitzel ($10) was fine, but looked lonely on the plate. The Lasagna al Forno (al forno sounds so much fancier than “baked,” doesn’t it?) at $13 was tasty, but, again, not exactly German, is it? My friend’s Seared Tilapia ($10) was average; clearly not in the same league as the fish served at The Starving Artist Café in North Little Rock.

to appeal to a very broad audience. It’s not “McRestaurant,” like Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro, but it’s nothing special either.

The Pantry is open weekdays for lunch from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Monday through Saturday for supper from 4:00 PM to midnight.

Like most restaurants, their menu and hours are on-line at www.littlerockpantry.com The Pantry, 11401 Rodney Parham, Little Rock; phone 501-353-1875.

Mr. Wood, a Little Rock designer and writer, is often hungry.

MEDICARE MATTERS

By Sally Johnson

Maximize Your Medicare Benefits

W

hen you’re spending money, it pays to be an informed consumer. As a Medicare beneficiary, you should apply the same approach to an even more important “product,” your health.

Throughout April, we will highlight ways you can become a more informed Medicare consumer.

First and most importantly: Know your rights. The law guarantees all Medicare beneficiaries certain rights and protections. If you know what they are, you can be sure you’re getting the best care. Some of Medicare’s most important rights include the right: •To be treated with dignity and respect, and not be discriminated against •To have your medical information be kept private •To get information about Medicare and your health in a way you can understand, to be informed about all decisions affecting your coverage and payment for services, and to have your questions answered •To participate in decisions about your own treatment •To appeal a Medicare decision about payment and coverage of services and prescription drugs •To file a complaint (sometimes called a grievance) if you have a concern about the quality of care you received or difficulties in getting care.

If you want to appeal a Medicare decision or file a complaint, contact the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) toll free 888-354-9100. You can view a booklet outlining all your rights under Medicare online at http:// www.medicare.gov/Publications/ Pubs/pdf/11534.pdf Mrs. Johnson is Benefit/Relations director with the AFMC.

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MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

5

CALEN DAR P I C KS

A Busy Easter Week

☛

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. — George Bernard Shaw

☛

By Paige Parham

Apr 5 – The Fashion Event Benefitting Easter Seals, Chenal Country Club, Little Rock, 6:00 PM. Local professional models and Easter Seals children will be showcasing Spring fashion from local boutiques. Tickets are $50, call 227-3700.

Apr 5 – Empty Bowls Charity Dinner, Arkansas Foodbank, 4301 W. 65th Street, Little Rock, 6:00 PM. Fundraiser for the Arkansas Foodbank includes dinner from area restaurants and a silent auction. Tickets are $65; call 569-4317 or visit www.arkansasfoodbank. org for more information.

Apr 5 – Tavis Smiley at Bless the Mic, Philander Smith College, M.L. Harris Auditorium, 900 W. Daisy Bates Dr., Little Rock, 7:00 PM. Tavis Smiley, author and talk show host on Public Radio International, brings his charismatic stage presence to Little Rock. Free; for more information, see http://www.tavistalks. com/events/bless-mic-hip-hop-presidentslecture-series Apr 5 – Arkansas Travelers Opening Night, Dickey-Stephens Park, 400 W. Broadway, North Little Rock, 7:10 PM.The Arkansas Travelers kick off their baseball season against Texas’Midland Rockhounds. General admission $6, reserved seats $8, box seats $12, children

Spring unfurls across Arkansas with beautiful azaleas. Watch for Lee Hiller’s next hiking column about Lake Catherine State Park in the April 19 issue of Mature Arkansas.

Photo by Lee Hiller, HikeOurPlanet.com

& S pa’ s C r y stal Ballroom, 239 Central Ave., Hot Springs, 7:00 PM. This event will feature six jazz singers, accompanied by the Clyde Pound Trio.

Tickets are $25 presale, $35 at the door. For more information call 767-0211.

Apr 7 – What’s Your S to r y ? C r e ati v e N o n ficti o n W o r k s h o p, M ai n Library, Lee Room on Apr 6 – Sandwiching in History: Tour of the 5th floor, 100 Rock St., Mosley W. Hardy House, 2400 S. Broadway, Little Rock, Little Rock, 10:00 AM – noon. This series of tours will familiarize central Arkansans with noon. Have you always historic sites and structures in the area. Tours last less than wanted to write a book an hour; bring a lunch to eat while listening to a brief lecture but didn’t know how to about the property before the tour. Tours are presented by start? Attend this memoir the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of writing class to learn how the Department of Arkansas Heritage. All tours are free and to get started, researching open to the public. the past, plot structure and major dramatic question.

Students are asked to read under 3 free. For more information http://www.

“The Color of Water” by James McBride prior to milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t574 class. Sherry Clements, novelist and class facilitator, also teaches a memoir writing class for veterans Apr 6 – Vocal-Rama presented by at the VA. Register by e-mailing Sarah at sshera@ The Jazz Society, Arlington Hotel cals.org. Event is free and open to the public.

Call 918-3000 for more information.

Through May 12 Blue Eyed Knocker Photo Club Exhibit, G all e ry 26, 2601 Kavanaugh, Little Rock, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Tues. through Sat. Photographs from the Blue -Eyed Knocker Photo Club, Little Rock’s most diverse photo club. Call 663-8996 for more information.

Apr 10 – “Learn New Tips for Catching Big Slabs,” Central Arkansas Nature

6 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

Easter Events Apr 7 – River Rail Eggspress at the River Rail Trolley Barn, 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM. Celebrate Easter with a free ride on the River Market trolley, plus a visit with the Easter Bunny. Bunny will be on hand for pictures at the Trolley Barn, 100 E. 7th St, North Little Rock (near stop # 9 on Main St.), 10:30 – 2:00 PM, enjoy complimentary lemonade, punch and chocolate eggs. Call 758-1424 for more information.

Apr 8 – Easter Sunrise Service, Riverfest Amphitheatre, 400 Pres. Clinton Ave., Little Rock, 7:00 AM. Free and open to the public; call www.phumc.com Apr 8 – Easter Brunch at Forty Two Restaurant, Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 Pres. Clinton Ave., Little Rock, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Adults $23.99, children 5-12 $8.99, 4 and under are free. Brunch includes breakfast favorites, seafood, carved meats, salads, pastas and omelets. Space is limited and reservations are recommended, call 501-537-0042.

Apr 8 – The Peabody Hotel Easter Brunch, 200 W. Markham, Little Rock, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM. Brunch includes fresh salads, chicken picatta, roast prime rib of beef, honey mustard glazed ham, roasted rack of lamb, red snapper, shrimp, salmon, trout, omelet and dessert stations. $44.95 for adults, $15.95 for children ages 6-11, children 5 and under free. Reservations, call 399-8062.

Center, 602 Pres. Clinton Ave., Little Rock, 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Keith Sutton will give a free crappie fishing program, including how to locate and catch crappie all over Arkansas, in all seasons. Seating is limited, reservations at 907-0636. Free.

Apr 11 – 14 - Racing Festival of the South, Oaklawn Park, 2705 Central Ave., Hot Springs, 1:30 PM. This four-day festival show-

cases some of the best fillies in the country and culminates in Arkansas Derby Day, beginning at noon on Saturday. For more information call 800-OAKLAWN or visit www.oaklawn.com

CARTI features great food, music and supports cancer research. Tickets $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at www.carti.com or call 296-3406.

Apr 12 – CARTI’s 8th Annual Ragin’ Cajun Bash, River Market Pavilions, 400 Pres. Clinton Ave., Little Rock, 6:00 – 9:00 PM. This benefit for

Apr 6 – 21 AARP Arkansas-sponsored Driver Safety courses will update your defensive driving skills and earn you a 3-year discount on auto insurance. There are no written or driving tests. $12 for AARP members (bring your card) and $14 for non-members.

Date

City

Time

Location

Contact Phone

6

No. Little Rock

9:00

Baptist Medical Center

501-227-8478

6

Hot Spr.Village

12:00

Good Sam–Cedar Lodge

501-915-9116

9

Little Rock

9:00

St Vincent

501-552-3333

9

Fort Smith

9:00

St. Edward Mercy MC

479-314-6016

12

Hot Springs

1:00

St. Joseph’s MHC

501-622-1033

14

Camden

8:30

Cullendale 1st Baptist

870-231-5441

16

Little Rock

9:00

Immanuel Baptist Church

501-376-3071

19

Hot Springs

8:30

Irwin Agency

501-623-7066

21

No. Little Rock

9:00

Baptist Medical Center

501-227-8478

21

Van Buren

8:00

Summit Medical Center

479-471-4344

Apr 10 – A Landmark Birthday: the Arkansas State Capital at 101, Supreme Court Chamber, 2nd floor, Arkansas State Capitol, 5:30 PM reception, 6:00 PM program begins.

Celebrate the Capitol’s 101st birthday from the Art of Architecture lecture series, sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network. Free and open to the public. For more information visit Projects4pi@ mac.com MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

7

...And the Beat Goes On

Boomers Still Rockin’

By Cal Wasson Photos by CAL WASSON

Cover Photo by Brian Chilson

It’s

fast, driving, incessant, aggressive and loud:

all societies have enjoyed singing, swaying, stomping Chainsaw loud; jet plane loud; Vietnam loud. It’s together, long before such the baby boomers lullaby: Real rock and roll and it’s always, things were written. For some the mosh pit is our always live. Like Bob Dylan, the guy who turned a gunky generational ritual. mess of pop music into a social reality in the 1960s, said, Clubs know who we are.

James Snyder, the “Music exists while it’s being played. The rest is just an echo.” music guru at Little Rock’s For some boomers, the hard stuff, Juanita’s says, “Boomers are great the really edgy music, is now a happy customers. They behave but they know memory. For others, it’s what we heard how to have a good time. Yeah, give me the other night. It’s our cultural jones. more of them.”

At my age, getting this kind of music Others listen to mush on adultfix means being old in a world of the oriented FM radio and go to big-dollar young. A world where the record concerts at Verizon Arena where tired companies say we don’t belong. It old bands creak out their tired old means going alone to shows because songs. the scene intimidates dates, mates and The Valley of the Vapors Independent friends. It means being two or three Music Festival (VOV) is where I went times the average audience age. For last month to determine if I’m really out the really brave, or those lucky enough of place at these things. Am I staying to drag a kid along as an excuse, it’s at the rock and roll party too long? It being one of a few hundred over-50s doesn’t feel like it, but I do not want to in a crowd of 100k at Bonnaroo, the become a silly parody of myself. legendary Tennessee music festival.

The six-day VOV festival is a jewel. It We’re the ancient ones at the back bills itself as the world’s most humble and sides of the mosh pit—that wild rock festival and it’s small, friendly, area in front of a rock stage. We too are non-profit, volunteer-based and embarbobbing, dancing and swaying just as rassingly cheap. Now in its eighth year, we’ve been doing for decades. Nearly VOV is a stopover for bands heading

8 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

back East from Austin, Texas’ legendary South

by Southwest Music Festival.

VOV i s i n H o t Springs because of the serendipitous Shea Childs-Bill Solleder partnership. Child’s is a Hot Springs native and wise in the town’s peculiar ways. Solleder is a veteran punk rocker, lead for the Blue Meanies and fellow-Chicagoan, who knows the music business. Together they make music: Lots of it, bringing some 1,500 bands to the Spa City over the years.

Most VOV acts are far from how the music industry sees boomers. Juanita’s Snyder says the club industry sees boomers coming to mostly classic rock, progressive country and blues acts. But Snyder says the most progressive bands and those with the best musicians will draw a small but reliable boomer base.

These ‘non-boomer’ acts at VOV

Today, boo group. Ne

Lynda Miller, 65, of Hot Springs Village rocks to Dikki Doo and His Zydeco Crew. answered my first and most important question. I am not a freak. The bonus is, I found I have standing in this alien world that was once mine.

“They’ve seen and lived in the best era of music” says 23-year-old Rudy Savage of Bronx,

start of everything in rock.” Where I expected scorn, I got respect. Hey, we deserve it.

Rock and roll’s start can be pegged to the 1920s with Dock Boggs, emerging from the Virginia coal mines or to bluesmen paddling their guitars up river to St. Louis or Chicago.

rock was a mess. By the 1970s Led Zeppelin, Dylan and Boston dominated. Boomers took over the market and we were happy, hippie and loud. From the British invasion, through psychedelic, soul, disco and punk, to hip hop and rap, those of us born between World War

boomers actually pay for more recorded music than any other demographic early all the industry’s profits come from boomer era music.

New York, after his frenetic set of what he calls punk and grime hardcore with the band Filthy Savage. “When they come to my shows it makes me happy because they’ve seen and done it all,” he says, adding, “They’ve seen the

Arkansas probably has the most legitimate claim with Brinkley’s Louis Jordan in the 1940s and the biggest of the rock-a-billy stars of the 1950s.

When boomers inherited it in the 1960s,

II and the mid-1960s have made the market and set the style.

Our demographic bubble, with its unique cultural stamp has dominated every major rock trend since. We decided music would be more MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

9

Baby Boomer fans are front and center at Valley of the Vapors Music Festival in Hot Springs. than irrelevant corporate mush. We honed the edge of rock’s political-social edge. We bought the tickets. We bought the albums. We stood in the rain and muck of rock’s tribal gatherings.

Our marches against the Vietnam War had a rock and roll accompaniment.

tional aspects to this but these are some of the toughest kids at the festival and they backed up the praise with a surprising knowledge and respect for “my” music. Mention you’ve seen the Ramones and you become something of a demi-god. “You guys who came up in the orig-

followed it quickly with Alternative.

At 47, David Ritter of Hot Springs gets it perfectly. “This kind of music pushes the limits and that’s what rock and roll ought to do.” Ritter understands what the major record companies never did; which is why record companies are

“When they come to my shows it makes me happy because they’ve seen and done it all,” he says, adding, “They’ve seen the start of everything in rock.”

“Some of the boomers come up and say I liked your set and it really, really means something” says Taylor Bowen of New York, after his set of “new wave, post-punk, shoegaze, triphop” with Ritz Riot.

Sure, there are authority figure and promo10 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

inal punk scene really get what we’re doing,” says Ritz lead singer Shirley Cruz.

When we started slowing down, the music business again turned to mush. Then our kids became old enough to buy real albums. Our progeny declared Grunge the next big thing and

rotting and pop music is, well, pop music. Their mistake was assuming rock is for teens and past age 25 they probably wouldn’t buy many more records. Today, boomers actually pay for more recorded music than any other demographic group. Yet all we get are re-mastered

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Dancing into the night at Valley of the Vapors Music Festival. reissues and lame reunions. Nearly all the industry’s profits come from boomer era music.

Pop music today comes from producers and top-liners. The producers decide the chord progressions, beats and synthesizer tracks. It’s sort of “orchestration light.” The top-liner adds the melody, lyrics and most importantly, hooks—those catchy musical phrases that stay in your head. Lots and lots of hooks because the average teen listener changes radio songs every eight seconds. This is packaged, sent to record companies and eventually the star. A good producer team can put out 40 records a year. Let’s just say, it’s not what we call rock and roll.

It’s ending well for us. Musicians now have to play live to survive.

Acts that rarely left the studio are on the road again for a few thousand dollars a night. Musicians collaborate, compose and critique online with sounds and ideas meshing in a flood of creativity. There has never been more real live rock and roll in our lifetimes.

My admonition to you may be the oldest in American music: “Get on the floor and shake what God gave you.”

Go with just a tint of back-in-the-day attitude, rail-hang for 10 minutes and you’ll know where you are. The venue loves you, the band will play its heart out for you because rock’s ancient ones are really listening.

If you sneak to a dark corner and just watch it won’t work. You know this. You’ve tried it before and it didn’t work. Things haven’t changed.

Nearly 15% of Rolling Stone’s readership is over 55.

Live rock and roll has never been easier. Little Rock’s considerable rock scene will give you a half dozen reasonable options on most nights.

Arkansas has more good rock critics than political writers, so picking a band is a snap. Don’t go for the safe and familiar. If the crowd does not come to the rail you won’t either, so start with the exciting bands.

By close of the VOV Festival on Saturday night, all Dikki Doo and His Zydeco Crew could see was a sea of writhing, dancing, singing, pumping, jumping bodies. Dikki knew what to do: It got harder, faster. Everyone’s sweating, Dikki’s gone through five shirts so far. It gets harder and faster still. With the band and us on the verge of collapse it ends. I look around as the house lights rise to see who else survived this amazing night.

While the boomer audience was a solid 15% all through the festival, now, with only the hardest of rockers left standing, we’re close to half.

Yeah, we built this house of rock and roll and we’re not ready to leave.

LPL Financial John L Ostner, ChFC®, CLU® Individual Wealth Manager AR Insurance Lic. # 25859 301 Natural Resources Dr, #202 Little Rock, AR 72205 (501) 228-5030 Fax (501) 228-2259 Office (800) 309-2259 Toll Free john.ostner@lpl.com Member FINRA/SIPC

MKT-06075-0410 Tracking #638101

THE DELTA

CULTURAL CENTER Helena, AR

ARKANSAS DELTA FAMILY GOSPEL FESTIVAL MAY 19th, 2012

Mother’s Best Music Fest

June 9th, 2012

King Biscuit Blues Festival

October 4th-6th, 2012

Make the drive to historic Helena and discover the Delta Cultural Center!

We believe deeply in the stories of the Delta and its people. Experience our award-winning exhibits on the music and musicians of the Delta, the arrival of Arkansans in this fertile land by the Mississippi River, the Civil War, and much more. Check new art in our galleries.

Drop by a live broadcast of the nation’s longest-running blues radio show, “King Biscuit Time,” with legendary host “Sunshine” Sonny Payne weekdays at 12:15 p.m. in our Visitors Center.

Gallery Hours Visitors Center at 141 Cherry Street Depot at 95 Missouri Street in Helena 9am - 5pm, Tuesday - Saturday Admission is free.

(870)-338-4350, toll free (800)-358-0972 www.DeltaCulturalCenter.com

THE DELTA CULTURAL CENTER IS A MUSEUM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ARKANSAS HERITAGE

MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

11

health n B y Jo DeW itt

Spirituality Linked to Good Health D

o spirituality and religion promote good health as we age? Many researchers are seeking definitive answers to that question.

The belief that strong faith, prayer and meditation can help the body heal is not a new idea, but an old idea that is being rediscovered. Any

University Medical Center and the author of many books, talks about the benefits of being part of a religious community. Koenig says, “By praying to God, patients acquire an indirect form of control over their illness.” They learn they are not alone in their struggle and this

Repetitive prayer slows a person’s heart and breathing rates, lowers blood pressure and slows brain waves, all without

PHOTOs.com, jupiterimages

drugs or surgery.

Israeli researchers studied 3,900 people over 16 years. Their findings showed that the religious had a 40% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer than their secular peers.

A Yale University study of 2,812 elderly people found those who never or rarely attended church had nearly twice the stroke rate of weekly churchgoers.

It has been known for many years that meditation effectively reduces blood pressure. Harvard Medical School Associate Professor Dr. Herbert Benson notes that 60 to 90% of visits to physicians are for stress-related illnesses, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Benson’s research shows that the relaxed state brought on by meditation or prayer reduces the impact of stress hormones such as noradrenaline and adrenaline. “Repetitive prayer slows a person’s heart and breathing rates, lowers blood pressure and even slows brain waves, all without drugs or surgery,” Benson says.

Complex connection Internal medicine physician and writer Larry Dossey, MD, warns against a simplistic understanding of the connection between Reduces deaths health and spirituality. Dossey says not to A Dartmouth Medical School study found assume there is a one-to-one relationship that heart patients were 14 times more likely between your level of spiritual attainment and to die following surgery if they did not find the state of your physical health. He says many comfort in religion and participate in group highly evolved spiritual masters have suffered activities. physical illnesses. We should recognize a general correlation between our physical and spiritual states, but we should not equate riter Jo DeWitt, in researching this article, says the following books will “general” and “invarihelp you explore this topic further. able.” He emphasizes: Dr. Herbert Benson: Timeless Healing Do not take on guilt Dr. Harold G. Koenig: Faith and Mental Health; The Healing Power of Faith for an illness if it does Dr. Larry Dossey: Healing Words; Prayer Is Good Medicine; Reinventing Medicine strike, assuming that

holistic approach to health tells us we are threepart beings – body, mind and spirit – all inextricably connected. In order to be truly healthy we must pay attention to all three aspects. Isolating the body from the mind and spirit, and only treating the body, is not as effective as treating the whole person.

In this article, when we talk of religion, it implies a particular faith tradition. Spirituality is not necessarily bound to any faith tradition. The two terms will be used interchangeably.

Protects against isolation Dr. Harold G. Koenig, co-director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke

protects them from the psychological isolation that batters so many seriously ill people.

If You Want to Read More W

12 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

CON S U M E R T I P S somehow we are not “spiritual enough” to prevent the illness from happening.

One way to do that is to have realistic expectations and to understand the difference between curing and healing. To cure means to eradicate a disease or disability.

In contrast, healing applies to your state of mind and acceptance of life’s circumstances. For example, someone who is terminally ill, yet at peace with his or her situation, might be healed but not cured.

Much of medicine’s discussion of spirituality has focused on how it might help you “heal” or cope with life’s difficulties.

If you are ill, it is unrealistic to expect an instant cure or return to vitality. But when accompanied by traditional medical practices and treatments, your spiritual beliefs or your religion may help you find the strength and comfort you need to deal with your illness.

If you are healthy, the sense of well-being and satisfaction you get from religious practices or meditation may provide perspective and help keep your stress level in check. Lower stress helps you stay healthier in the long run.

Although the debate about spirituality and health is far from over, we may see changes in healthcare because of this discussion. While it is not likely your doctor will write “prayer” as your prescription, he or she may discuss with you how you might benefit from spiritual practices. Chaplains will more likely be on your medical team during hospital stays. In addition, a growing number of medical schools are including courses on the role of spirituality in health. Residency programs for psychiatrists are now required to address religious and spiritual issues in their formal training.

Current interest and research into the connection between spirituality and health is encouraging. Treating the patient as a whole person is good news for all of us.

Can You Pass the Earnings Test?

By Phylis Dills, Social Security Specialist

I

f you receive monthly Social Security payments, you may have noticed he 3.6% costof-living increase that began January 1, 2012.

For people who receive Social Security retirement benefits and continue to work, there’s more good news. In 2012, you may earn more income without the offset (reduction) in your benefits because the “earnings test” numbers also have gone up.

If you have reached your full retirement age (age 66 for anyone born between 1943 and 1954), the earnings test does not apply to you. You may earn as much money as you can with no reduction of benefits. However, if you are younger than full retirement age, collecting benefits, and still working, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will offset some of your benefit amount after a certain earnings limit is met.

For people under full retirement age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $14, 640.

If you reach that limit, the SSA withholds $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit from your monthly benefit amount. For people who retire early, continue working and will obtain full retirement age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $38,880. The SSA will withhold $1 for every $3 you earn over the limit.

For more about the earnings test, go to www.socialsecurity.gov and search on the topic “earnings test.” To find your full retirement age, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ pubs/ageincrease.htm

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Over four hundred elderly residents live in four apartment buildings surrounded by tree-covered landscape that includes an 8-acre lake.

• Affordable housing with no sacrifice to service • Four living facilities - the Moore, the Rhinehart and Shepherd’s Cove, which caters to independent living, and the Roberts Building, a Residential Care Facility • 24-hour Security and/or Staff on duty • On-site exercise facilities • On-site beauty salons • Personal emergency alert pendant systems • Three full-service dining rooms offering home-cooked meals • Transportation with fully equipped wheelchair lift vans • An award-winning wellness program • A family atmosphere in a faith-based community

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MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

13

A NOVEL IDEA

''The Fear Index''

By Robert Harris Book Review by Chris Stuckenschneider

A

uthor Robert Harris prefaces his fastpaced financial thriller with a quote from Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Shelley’s cautionary words warn that man’s knowledge not outpace and overwhelm his “nature.”

But that’s exactly what happens in “The Fear Index,” a fast-paced novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat and provides food for thought regarding technology that “takes on a life of its own.”

The New York Times SyndicationOne Salescannot Corporation help but sympathize with 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 Dr. Alexander Hoffmann, a brilliant physiFor Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, April 05, 2012 For Release Friday, March 2012 and bordering on genius. cist, 30, quirky

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14 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

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Someone is trying to drive him to the brink of insanity as he endeavors to run Hoffmann Investment Technologies, a highly successful hedge fund he founded, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Hoffmann lives there in a mansion with his English artist wife, and both benefit from the billions he makes, but question the wisdom of doing so. Amassing a fortune wasn’t always important to Hoffmann, but it’s the lifeblood of business partner and friend Hugo Quarry.

The key to Hoffmann’s success is computer-generated artificial intelligence he creates that is highly accurate in predicting the buying and selling of stock for an array of high-class investors.

Though Hoffmann is driven and bright, he is haunted by a nervous breakdown he suffered in the past, a past that haunts him when a rare, first edition book by Charles Darwin is delivered to his home. Though Hoffmann knows he did not order the book, an email later shows that he authorized a significant transfer of funds to purchase the volume.

The evening the book arrives, an intruder breaks into Hoffmann’s home, knocking him unconscious, but robbery is not a motive. An MRI shows suspect areas in Hoffmann’s brain, possibly early dementia. This symptom coupled with the previous breakdown, plants seeds of fear in Hoffmann’s mind about his mental health as the crazy cards stack up against him.

Hoffmann attempts to discover who is behind the evil stalking him, and finds himself embroiled in a scheme that could ruin his hedge fund and spell disaster for countless others.

Thinking caps are required for this thriller, but even if some details are too difficult to absorb, the action and mystery will pull you into this smart, sophisticated read.

Reprinted with permission, Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2012.

hobbi es n B y Leonard S tern

Community Garden Springs to Life

All-you-can-pick at Hot Springs community

I

locally-grown and mostly organic product at a much lower cost. It’s good for the environment, in that most foods sold in chain grocery stores are trucked thousands of miles.

Studies conducted by W. Atlee Burpee Co., a mailorder seed company, estimate the average costto-benefit ratio of homegrown produce for those who have established gardens is better than 1 to 25. That means every $1 spent on seeds and supplies yields at least $25 worth of vegetables.

“We are reaching the point where the gardens will produce healthy and nutritious food for our tables year round,” Malt says. Upcoming events at the Forest Lakes garden include a major Earth Day event featuring Misty White, founder of Memphis’s Rock Bottom Garden Club and Director of St. Jude Hospital’s Children’s Garden. Earth Day, founded in 1970, falls on April 22nd. “We look forward to hosting a casual picnic with live music and storytelling on Earth Day,” Parkinson says.

Future seminars will range from bee-keeping to cooking with herbs. A seasoned community organizer, Parkinson said people with gardening experience can be an invaluable resource. She pointed to the University of Arkansas’ Cooperative Extension Service’s Master Gardener Program, now operating in 55 Arkansas counties, with nearly 2,500 graduates.

For more information on Forest Lakes, contact Malt at 501-463-0749; for more about community gardening, contact Parkinson at 501-8021003.

MATURE ARKANSAS

april 5, 2012

15

☛ Cold in the earth from those brown hills, have melted into spring. — Emily Bronte ☛

magine walking a few feet from your back door and gathering a basket-full of garden fresh squash, ripe red tomatoes, a handful of strawberries and a green pepper or two along with a sprig of oregano for extra flavor. And that’s just for lunch. With the coming of the spring planting season, community gardens are cropping up all over The Natural State.

At Forest Lakes Garden Homes in Hot Springs, residents are currently staking their claims to 23 raised planting beds for Forest Lakes resident Laura White surveys her spring crops.

Spring. Forest Lakes has another 30 garden beds, maintained by Lead Gardener Ann Saar and with different types of plants.”

Denise Parkinson, where residents can pick The gardens encompass several acres, all the produce they want. with a Tranquility Garden and Arbor incorParkinson, who co-founded the Hot porated into walking paths and seating areas Springs Community Garden located near with fire pits. The hillside fruit orchard, the Convention Center, said the Forest Lakes entering its third year, is already blooming, garden is already blooming with spring greens, with pear, apple, plum and peach trees. Malt peas, asparagus and strawberries. Forest says any extra produce is donated to local Lakes was developed by Julie and Robert food pantries.

Malt four years ago with the goal of creating With food prices on the rise, community a 55+ community filled with activity. Voted gardens are a good investment and provide one of the 50 Best Master Planned Communities in the U.S. by the editors of “Where to Retire” magazine, Forest Lakes boasts a 9700 sq. ft. clubhouse that includes a gym, heated pool, full service spa and salon, and many other amenities.

“The residents at Forest Lakes are gardening for recreation, camaraderie and outdoor exercise,” according to Julie Malt.

“We have people who grew up planting gardens, have loads of experience Raised garden beds eliminate stooping, bending and kneeling. and enjoy experimenting

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