october 2012
MAGIC SCREAMs pg 6
WHAT’s HAPPENING IN THE SPA THIS MONTH PG 17
HAUNTED TOURS PG28
LIVE SHOWS LISTING PG 14 RESTAURANT LISTING PG 18
ALL DAY
hot springs
IN THIS ISSUE: ON THE COVER THE ARLINGTON HOTEL: A HISTORIC HAUNT Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Rodgers
MAGIC SCREAMS
PG 6
FRIGHTENINGLY FUN FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Photos Courtesy of Magic Springs
REBUILDING FAMILY
PG 10
REBUILDING CARS, NUMEROUS REWARDS
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!
VENUES OF HOT SPRINGS: LIVE SHOWS LISTING
PG 14
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE SPA (EVENT CALENDAR) OCTOBER
PG 17
RESTAURANT LISTING
PG 18
LIFESTYLES
PG 22
HAUNTED TOURS
PG 28
VISIT THE LOCAL LORE THAT BUILT THE SPA CITY
facebook.com/HSHotSpots
ADVERTISE WITH US! MAKE YOUR BUSINESS A HOT SPOT OF THE SPA CITY — Contact us at 501.276.8267 to learn more about our promotions, RATES, AND HOW WE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR ADVERTISING NEEDS.
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MAGIC SCREAMS
hot springs Magic Screams is now in its eighth season at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls. They began it in 2005, and it has since continued to grow. “We get to show the park in a whole new perspective,” said Dana Whisenhunt, marketing director at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls. There will be three haunted houses this year at Magic Screams. The first house prepares you for the zombie apocalypse and is called Quarantine. The Last Laugh is the second house. It takes fear to a new level, and takes us all to our childhood fear of clowns and circus freaks. The third house is the newest addition to Magic Screams, and it is called Paradox. “It contains a tunnel with lights and is very disorienting,” said Whisenhunt. There are also going to be shows called Reunion of Souls: Rock the Dead and DJ Ghoul and the Gang, which is more family oriented. There will also be a different type of show this year that features different local musicians that will dress up like rock stars that have passed away. The last weekend of Magic Screams, there will be a competition to see which of the resurrected rock stars is the best.
“We wanted different things to be going on all the time,” said Whisenhunt. The King and Queen of Scream will be crowned by KLAZ this year. The two people that produce the loudest, and most creative scream will win 2013 season passes. The Great Mummy Wrap Challenge, sponsored by Alice 107.7, challenges families to make the best toilet paper mummy in two minutes. The last two weekends, children’s costume contests will be held. The ticket prices for regular admission are $29.99, junior admission (48 inches or under) and senior admission $19.99. If you have a promotional coupon from participating Wendy’s restaurants, you can receive $5 off admission. This is the first opportunity to purchase 2013 season passes for $54.99. Magic Screams is a thrilling Halloween event that is fun for everyone. If you want to be scared, or just enjoy the park in the creepiest of ways, you won’t be disappointed at Magic Screams.
MAGIC SCREAMS Story by Brooke Balding Photos Courtesy of Magic Springs
Your deepest darkest fears come to life right
in front of your eyes. Things you thought you weren’t afraid of, NOW SEEM TERRIFYING. Welcome to Magic Screams.
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C&C LIQUIDATIONS 625 ALBERT PIKE 501-609-9444 GET YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE EARLY! GREAT DEALS! •TOYS •REMOTE HELICOPTORS •HUNTING GEAR •CAMPING EQUIPMENT •TOOLS •FURNITURE •42in. VIZIO HD FLAT SCREEN TVs FOR $450.00 •REGULATION POOL TABLES $400.00 •GAS GRILLS •KITCHEN WEAR •iPADS AS LOW AS $88.00
YOU NAME IT! IF THEY DONT HAVE IT, THEY CAN PROBABLY GET IT!
$10 OFF
Meals over $10
ABOUT TOWN
hot springs
(cont.) money off of them. We drive them around for 3 or 4 months and put them in a couple car shows, and whenever he feels the time is right he’ll sell it.
Do you do show competitions?
We didn’t build the vehicles for the car shows, we built them to build memories and enjoy the past. But, it is something we like to show once we’ve completed. Every car show we have taken this truck to we have come home with a trophy. We took 2nd place at Petit Jean, 2nd place at the Balloon Rally, and 3rd at Brickfest.
TONY MANESS REBUILDS VEHICLES ALONGSIDE HIS UNCLE, AND ALTHOUGH NEW TO THE TRADE, HE SEES THE REAL VALUE OF THE CHALLENGE AND THE
REBUILDING FAMILY When did you start this? We started working on vehicles about a year ago. This is something we do in our down-time, when we get off work early.
Is this truck the only vehicle you’ve rebuilt? My uncle has done a
model A and a ‘72 Ford before I got with him on it. The blue truck is the first truck I’ve ever rebuilt in my whole life. He’s only been doing it about 5 years. We’re not in it for money, it’s just a family deal, we enjoy it for a hobby.
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Where did you get the truck? Atkins,
Arkansas. We found it on ebay.
What kind of truck is it? It’s a 1970
Ford 100 Sport Custom Edition. Everything we do to the truck is to factory — everything is vintage.
What was the most difficult part? The paint and body work.
FAMILY TIME CREATED Interview by Brooke Balding Photos Courtesy of Tanner Borland
WHAT WAS THE CONDITION OF THE TRUCK WHEN YOU STARTED? The paint
was faded and the truck frame was bent. It was sitting in a pasture when we went to get it, in about 3.5 inches in horse manure. We had to add power steering and power brakes.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION WHEN TAKING ON A PROJECT? This was the first
truck my uncle and I have ever rebuilt. It was good family bonding time. We really don’t make
Do you name the trucks? Yes. The truck we did together is called ‘pickle.’ It was a pickle to get it back to how it needed to be.
What is the car club that you like to go to? MOTAA, Mid-America Old Timey Automobile Association. We like that one because everything is vintage, and everything is original to the truck, nothing aftermarket. My uncle is oldschool American, he likes things original.
How long does it take to finish a truck? It takes us around four to five months,
from start to finish.
What is your favorite part about reBUILDING trucks? Putting the first layer of fresh paint on. You get to see it come to life.
Do you have any current projects?
We have two trucks going right now. We are doing a ‘64 Chevy Stepside and a ‘65 GMC Fleetside. They’re so close together, if you’re going to get one you might as well get the other.
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VENUES
hot springs
LIVE SHOW LISTINGS THU 10/4
FRI 10/5
SAT 10/6
Jad Fair, Bloodless Cooties & Ezra Libs
Post-Punk/Experimental Rock/Indie Rock/Rock
Half Japanese, Bloodless Cooties, Ezra Libs
Post-Punk/Experimental Rock/Indie Rock/Rock
WED 10/10 THU 10/11
7pm Wednesday Night Poetry, 9pm Karaoke—FREE Rose’s Pawn Shop—FREE SHOW
Americana/Folk Rock/Alt-Country/Bluegrass
FRI 10/12 SAT 10/13
Amasa Hines Soul/Funk/Rock Don’t Stop Please, New York City Queens, My Empty Phantom
Pop/Folk/Rock/Jazz/Indie/Instrumental/Shoegaze/Experimental/Classical
WED 10/17 THU 10/18
7pm Wednesday Night Poetry, 9pm Karaoke—FREE Christian Lee Hutson, AJ Gaither—FREE SHOW
FRI
10/19
Country/Folk/Americana/Blue-grass/Roots
Star & Micey, Memphis Dawls
PoFolk/All-Female Chamber Folk/Folk
SAT 10/20
6-8pm All That Jazz with Chuck Dodson Trio 9pm Adam Faucett & the Tall Grass. Booyah Dad, Jody Evans
Rock/Folk Soul/Dance Rock/Punk/Rockabilly
WED 10/24 THU 10/25
7pm Wednesday Night Poetry, 9pm Karaoke—FREE Mobley, Fossils of Ancient Robots
Emo/Progressive/Rock/Electro pop/Indie/Dance Rock
FRI 10/26 SAT 10/27
La Divina Productions, Foul Play Cabaret Burlesque Mountain Sprout, Brian Martin
TUE 10/30
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Lydia Loveless—FREE SHOW
Country/Rock/Folk
Bluegrass/Melodramatic Popular Song/Psychobilly/Roots/Folk
Water Liars, The Carper Family
Rock/Oldtime Country/Bluegrass/Swing
WED 10/31
7pm Wednesday Night Poetry—FREE 9pm Very Scary Halloween w/ Jeffery Lewis and the Junkyard, White Glove Test, Little Ruckus, The Depaysement, Mumford’s
Indie/Folk/Punk/Garage/Post Punk/Pop/Dramatic Party Rock
FRI SAT SAT FRI SAT FRI SAT
10/5 10/6 10/13 10/19 10/20 10/26 10/27
THU 10/4 FRI/SAT 10/5-6 SUN 10/7 TUES 10/9 WED 10/10 THU 10/11 FRI/SAT 10/12-13 SUN 10/14 TUE 10/16 WED 10/17 THU 10/18 FRI/SAT 10/19-20 SUN 10/21 TUE 10/23 WED 10/24 THU 10/25 FRI/SAT 10/26-27 SUN 10/28 TUE 10/30 WED 10/31
Loose Cannon Mike Mayberry Delta Donnie Shane Simanton and Dave Almond Hillbilly Vegas Butterfly Scream Usual Suspects Larry Womack and Nancy Johnsen John Calvin Brewer Band Larry Womack and Nancy Johnsen Karaoke Contest Hump Night Blues Jam Larry Womack and Nancy Johnsen Midnite Parade Larry Womack and Nancy Johnsen Karaoke Contest Hump Night Blues Jam Larry Womack and Nancy Johnsen Midnite Parade INTERNATIONAL BLUES COMPETITION (SOLO/DUO) 6:00 PM Karaoke Contest Hump Night Blues Jam Larry Womack and Nancy Johnsen Midnite Parade International Blues Competition (Band Competition) 6:00 PM Karaoke Contest (Costumes Welcome) Boo’s Jam
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hot springs
EVENT CALENDAR OCTOBER 5
TNA Wrestling
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at Summit Arena
Hot Water Hills Music & Arts Festival, Oct 5 - 6
21 Annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Oct 12 - 21 st
at Arlington Hotel, 239 Central Ave.
at Hill Wheatley Plaza
44 Annual Hot Springs Arts & Crafts Fair, Oct. 5 - 7 at Garland County Fair Grounds, th
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Alzheimer’s Arkansas Walk at Garvan Woodland Gardens
4831 Malvern Ave.
Magic Screams: Weekend 1 Oct. 6 - 7 at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls, 1701 E. Grand Ave.
7
31 Annual MCA Regional Show st
at Riser Ford, 4201 Central Ave
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GWG Members Fall Trip to NW Arkansas, Oct. 10 - 12 at Garvan Woodland Gardens
Magic Screams: Weekend 2 Oct. 13 - 14 at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls, 1701 E. Grand Ave.
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Magic Screams: Weekend 3 Oct. 20 - 21 at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls, 1701 E. Grand Ave.
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“LONESTAR” Concert at Oaklawn (Finish Line Theater), 2705 Central Ave
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Garland County Health Dept. Flu Shots at Hot Springs Convention Center
Murder Mystery Theater “Till Death Do Us Part” Oct. 26 - 27 at The Regency 714 Central Ave
Anthony Chapel The Art of Collective Invention: Cavell Trio Concert
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at Garvan Woodland Gardens, Anthony Chapel
1st Annual Fat Jacks Halloween BaSH at Fat Jacks
Pioneer Days Oct. 19 - 20
Magic Screams: Weekend 4 Oct. 27 - 28
at Garland County Fair Grounds, 4831 Malvern Ave.
at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls, 1701 E. Grand Ave.
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EAT/DRINK
hot springs
RESTAURANT LISTINGS Catering by ZOE’S CAFE
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Akers Market & Deli
CAFE 1217
4198 Malvern 262-0500
1217 Malvern 318-1094
American Pit BBQ
Cajun Broilers
368 Lake Hamilton 525-7977
2806 Albert Pike 767-5695
Angels in the Park
Cheese Corner
211 Fountain Street 609-0767
303 Broadway 624-3040
Back Porch Grill
Classics Bar & Grill
4810 Central 525-0885
4813 Central 525-7172
Belle Arti
Colorado Grill
719 Central 624-7474
320 Ouachita 623-7992
Belle of Hot Springs
Diamondhead grill
5200 Central 525-4438
245 Independence 262-1565
BLEU MONKEY GRILL
Doc’s Pizzeria
4263 Central 520-4800
1018 Airport 760-2227
Brady Mtn. Resort
Don Juan
4120 Brady Mt. (Royal) 767-3422
1311 Albert Pike 321-0766
Brau Haus
English Muffin
801 Central 624-7866
4307 Central 525-2710
Brick House Grill
Fisherman’s Warf
801 Central 321-2926
5101 Central 525-7437
Buffalo Wild Wings
Fuji Japanese SteakHouse
4104 Central Ave 525-9453
608 E. Grand 321-1688
BUBBA’s CATFISH TO GO
Gilligan’s on Lake
5411 Central Ave 762-3474
5200 Central 525-3319
Hawg’s Pizza
LUNA BELLA
Rocky’s Corner
1442 Airport 767-4240
104 Grand Isle 520-5862
2600 624-0199
Hesters Family
McClard’s BBQ
Rod’s Pizza Cellar
1204 Central 321-9906
505 Albert Pike 624-9586
3350 Central 321-2313
Higdon Square Café
Mel’s Diner
Roland’s BBQ
706 Higdon Ferry 623-7744
1603 Airport 767-0595
200 Higdon Ferry 625-3079
Hollywood Pizza
Mi Pueblito
ROLANDO’S
5737 Central 520-0900
2070 Airport 760-4647
210 Central Ave 318-6054
HUNAN PALACE
MOOYAH
Salsa’s
4737 Central 525-3344
3954 Central 520-5000
4324 Central 520-5305
Jason’s Burgers
MR. WHISKERS
Sam’s Pizza Pub
148 Amity 525-0919
1538 Malvern 262-3474
401 Burchwood Bay 525-3119
Jose’s
New China
Smokin’ in Style
5361 Central 525-9797
4510 Central 525-8868
2278 Albert Pike 767-9797
King Kone Drive-In
Osaka Japanese
Smyly’s Crab Shack
1505 Malvern 321-9766
3954 Central 525-9888
4916 Central 525-3442
Kings Restaurant
Panda Restaurant
Stubby’s BBQ
3310 Central 318-1888
3620 Central 624-5403
3024 Central 624-1552
KJ’s Grill
TACO MAMA
Taco Pronto
1834 Airport 767-0063
1209 Malvern 624-6262
423 Central 525-7309
La Hacienda
TREJO’s MEXICAN
Whistle Stop
3836 Central 525-8203
3040 Albert Pike 760-2316
2608 Albert Pike 760-6700
Longshots Bar/Grill
Porterhouse
ZOE’s CAFE
2720 Central 624-4344
707 Central 321-8282
2230 Malvern 321-2921
STEAMED SHRIMP BY HUNAN PALACE
FISH TACOS BY THE BOATHOUSE
FIESTA FOR TWO BY JOSE/S 19
LIFESTYLES
hot springs
Did you do all the decorating and what was the inspiration?
LIFE STYLES
Yes, I’ve always enjoyed doing it. I just picked out what I liked. My style is a clean, classy, and comfortable look.
Interview by Brooke Balding Photos Courtesy of Tanner Borland
AUSTIN AND JILL SMITH HAVE CALLED
HOT
SPRINGS
HOME
FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES AND ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE RICH AND MAY NOT BE TOO FAMOUS — THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY HAPPY.
ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM THE AREA? I (Jill) was born in Missouri and Austin was born in Texas, but we have lived in Hot Springs most of our lives.
WHEN WERE YOU MARRIED? Dec. 19, 2011 WHERE WERE YOU MARRIED?
We got married at the courthouse, but we are going to go to Florida and renew our vows next summer. We always wanted to get married on the beach.
HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU MEET?
We met through a mutual friend in Hot Springs at a birthday party.
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DO YOU HAVE KIDS? We have 7 together and 5 grandchildren... but we are still young.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING? We have a home based business, and he also works for S&S Plumming and Storage for his family.
DO YOU SHARE ANY HOBBIES?
Traveling. We like to go to the lake, and we like to go bowling.
How long have you owned the house? 2.5 years
What is your favorite part of the house? The back yard, because its
almost like when you’re back there, you forget where you are, and you kind of feel like you’re on vacation. It’s where you can go and be quiet and relax, and not think about the bad things in the world.
What is the most important thing you want people to know about you and your husband? Because we were such good friends before, that made our relationship that much better, and we just enjoy every day that we have. It’s never too late to be happy. Start out as best friends. Never look back on the past, and enjoy every second you’ve got.
Did you build the pool in your yard? We actually laid it all out and
everything. We started in March, and finished in May 2012.
What made you decide ON that style? The style of the pool is called The
Lagoon. I didnt necessarily want the square look, and you can do more with the yard and different areas. I wanted something different, not the square, not the round, just different.
Is your yard concreted in?
There is concrete around pool and rocks all around the concrete.
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BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
hot springs
HAUNTED TOURS
hot springs The tour is a 90 minute walking tour that leads participants through the darkest history of Hot Springs and reveals the myths and legends from the downtown area. The tour was researched through police reports, newspaper articles, and interviews by the tour owner, Terry Riciano. The tour takes you from 1846 to the present. The tour begins on the south end of West Mountain, and carries you to the north end. With stories of witchcraft and murder, the tour begins. In the former homes of Judge Sweetzer, haunts happen very often. The houses were built in the 1800’s pushing up against an ancient Indian burial ground. The judge’s mother died in the home, and still to this day can be found haunting the property. “If he thought someone was guilty, he immediately hung them behind the house,” said Elecia Lambert, tour guide for the Haunted Tour. The average stay in any one of the three homes is two months. The Judge was a very evil man, and several things led up to the town escorting him out of town. Another stop on the tour includes the former location of a hotel built in 1910. The building caught fire three short years later. Twelve people died peacefully in their sleep in the adjacent hotel, but one man was not so lucky.
HAUNTED TOURS
OF HOT SPRINGS
The famous Ohio Club is also on the tour. This club was the dream of the Deputy Sherriff, John “Coffee” Williams. When the club was not as popular as he would have liked it to be, he ventured to Mexico for a short time. He came back to find the club still not doing as well as he had hoped. During this time, he found himself in a bad marriage with a child. “He was rumored to be a ladies man, which might have attributed to his bad marriage,” said Lambert. The ladies in the Ohio Club often get to experience Coffee Williams’ flirtation. One night, he decided to do something that will always be remembered, and the patrons of the Ohio Club can never forget.
The tunnels are a rumor of Hot Springs, and the tour leads us to the former entrance to the tunnel bowling alley. Underneath the streets, the bowling alley that several famed gangsters played at can be found. The winners of games and their scores can be found on the walls of the alley. The floors are made of marble, and everything is decorative and ornate. Every day, to enter the tunnel, there was a password that had to be given. If you didn’t know the password, you didn’t get in. Some of the police at the time were on the mob’s payroll, so a large gift that they received one day, was placed out with the garbage and went totally unreported. Al Capone was a regular to the Arlington Hotel in the 1920’s. His regular suite was room 442. He had a secret passage to the tunnel systems, and he never had to come outside. Some people that have stayed at the Arlington have experienced things that cannot be explained. A woman once said that she went to get a massage, and she never expected the massage she actually got. During this time, Hot Springs was the crime capitol of the United States with over one thousand deaths per year. A man that owned the Lively Stable decided that with all of the deaths, he would get a cut of it. He made the first drivethru in Hot Springs. It was a drive-thru mortuary, where people could visit the bodies of their loved ones, and pay their respects without even leaving the comfort of their car or buggy.
The Ohio Club
The haunted tours are a very interesting way to learn about the diverse history of Hot Springs. Tickets are available at 416 Central Avenue and cost $15 for adults and $10 for children ten years old and under. They begin Sunday through Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. For more information, go to www.hotspringshauntedtours.com.
Story by Brooke Balding Photos Courtesy of Jeremy Rodgers
Murders. Fires. Gangsters. Prohibition. These are JUST SOME OF THE LOCAL LORE OF TERROR AND HAUNTS you MAY hear about
The Arllington Hotel
on YOUR Haunted Tour EXPERIENCE.
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Buckstaff Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row
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