Ozarks Unbound

Lyndon B. Johnson creates Medicare and the Old 97′s at George’s | OU’s Weekend Crier for July 30 – Aug. 1, 2010

Christopher Spencer — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:14:37 +0000

Forty-five years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law The Social Security Act of 1965.

That law provides medical coverage to all Americans who are age 65 and older.

The program is now widely accepted as a societal good, but President Ronald Reagan – a member of Operation Coffee Cup – before Social Security’s passage said: “[I]f you don’t [stop Medicare] and I don’t do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”

Well, I was born in 1975 and feel pretty free. In fact, I feel more free now to try and run my own business after the latest health care reforms that make a government-run insurance option available.

But let us not sour this weekend with talk of politics.

Instead, let’s focus on these awesome events:

FRIDAY

Madagascar 2 is playing for free at the Wilson Park Pool as part of the Dive-In movie series. Doors open at 7:45 p.m. with the movie starting at dark. Dive-In Movies are sponsored by the Fayetteville Fire Fighters Association.

South Pacific begins a three-week run at the Rogers Little Theater starting tonight at 8 p.m. Set in an island paradise during World War II, two parallel love stories are threatened by the dangers of prejudice and war. Nellie, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with a mature French planter, Emile. The Walton Arts Center put on the show recently as well and Ozarks Unbound wrote a review.

The Old 97s go onstage at 9:30 p.m. at George’s Majestic Lounge. Rhett Miller and Co. are bound to please your ear holes. Everything’s expected, Rhett told OU contributer Jon Cox in his recent article.

SATURDAY

The nonprofit Bike City Recyclery is running a bicycle maintenance clinic starting at 10 a.m. $2 donation welcome – Fee for individual instruction.

Learn “The ABCDs of Creating Community Gardens That Last” from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Walker Park Senior Activity and Wellness Center. The community-building event offers tips on planning, building and managing community gardens. The event also serve as the kickoff for a community garden at Walker Park. The event is free and open to the public.

Author Eyvonna Rains will be at Nightbird Books at 1:30 p.m. to read and present her picture book,Sleep My Child. After presenting the story, she will be available to visit with parents or children about her book.

It’s Jerry Garcia Day in Fayetteville for George’s Majestic Lounge’s fifth annual Birthday Jam celebrating the life and music of Jerry Garcia. It starts at 8 p.m. with performances by Jeff Sipe and Mountain of Venus.

Salsa Night with Neta Band: Everyone’s favorite band is back at Scarpino’s. Come and Dance to the best latin music live in NWA. Starts at 9 p.m. with a $10 cover.

Grown Folks featuring Soundchild Crew, the multi award-winning group will be lighting up The Smoke and Barrel stage with Lucio and more. They start at 10 p.m.

SUNDAY

Audible Chocolate with Bizar performs at 7 p.m. at Rogue Pizza Co. on Dickson. He’ll be bringing his flavor of chill to the Audible Chocolate stage. Plus residents ultrasonic nozzle and the erratic ninja. Drink specials, good food and good times. You won’t want to miss this one for sure.

The Ozark Poetry Slam team is headed to nationals, but before they go they want to show off their stuff! So, as part of the weekly Jody’s Living Room event, they’ll be having a send-off party from 8 to 11:30 p.m. at the Lit Lounge. It’s free to get in, and there will be free pizza from Damgoode.

Salsa Night with Neta BandCommunity Announcements

Join your neighbors and friends to kickoff the Walker Park community garden to explore ways to work together to start a community garden. “The ABCDs of Creating Community Gardens That Last” will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Walker Park Senior Activity and Wellness Center.

Mark Horvath, founder of InvisiblePeople.tv will speak about homeless in NWA at 6 p.m. Saturday at the UA Global Campus.

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is having a photo contest. Submit your pictures for a chance to be in their First Annual BGO calendar. Entries will be accepted starting Sunday.

Howie needs a home. If you think you might be great doggy parents, give this guy a chance.

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Bank robber pictures released by Fayetteville Police | Press Release

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:37:06 +0000

Pictures of the bank robber

RE: FAYETTEVILLE POLICE INVESTIGATE BANK ROBBERY

Fayetteville Police Chief Greg Tabor announced today that the Fayetteville Police Department is investigating the robbery of a local bank.

At approximately 12:00 P.M., Fayetteville police officers responded to a report of a robbery at First Federal Bank at 3460 North College Avenue. Bank employees reported a man came into the bank, presented a note and demanded money. The man left the bank with an undisclosed amount of currency. No vehicle was seen.

Surveillance photographs from the bank are included in this news release. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fayetteville Police Department at 479-587-3555 or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 479-443-3181.

The investigation is continuing.

Girlfriend killed 2-year-old boy, Fayetteville police say | Press Release

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:29:54 +0000

Amber Drain

RE: FAYETTEVILLE POLICE MAKE ARREST IN DOSS HOMICIDE

Fayetteville Police Chief Greg Tabor announced today the arrest of a local woman for Capital Murder related to the death of Dominic Doss.

On Sunday, July 18, 2010, at approximately 10:50 A.M., a Fayetteville police officer responded to 401 West Twenty-Fourth Street, apartment #25, to assist Central Emergency Medical Service with a medical emergency. When emergency personnel arrived, they found two year old Dominic Doss unresponsive.

The child was transported to Washington Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The follow up investigation led detectives to believe the child died as a result of abuse. The Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the death to be a homicide. On Thursday, July 29, 2010, detectives arrested Amber Drain, white female, age 23, of 401 West Twenty-Fourth Street, apartment #25, Fayetteville, for Capital Murder.

Dominic Doss was the son of Brandon Doss and Amy Grubb. Dominic Doss was in the care of Amber Drain on July 18, 2010, when he was found unresponsive.

Amber Drain is the girlfriend of Brandon Doss.

The investigation is continuing.

View the preliminary arrest report here.

Mark Horvath, founder of InvisiblePeople.tv speaks about homelessness | Community Announcement

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:10:53 +0000

Hello Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter Friends,

A year ago, Mark Horvath, founder of InvisiblePeople.tv, visited NWA to raise awareness about homelessness in our region. It was a rally called “1,287″ to represent the number of homeless counted in the Point in Time survey done by the University of Arkansas in early 2009.

In the year since then, many positive changes have developed in our region.

Please join us Saturday, July 31 at 6:00 at the UA Global Campus auditorium in downtown Fayetteville to see Mark again and find out what’s been happening since his last visit.

The evening’s events will include a panel of homeless talking about their experience, but also a panel discussion of several agencies, including NWAWS and yours truly. Mark himself is a passionate speaker and a knowledgeable advocate for the homeless in our country.

Our organization, NWAWS, has partnered over the last year with 7 Hills, Samaritan Community Center, Cobblestone Project, and the U of A to address the needs of the homeless, but for our agency, the specific needs of victims of domestic violence who need affordable housing solutions.

One of the important discoveries we’ve made in the past year is that many of our homeless, even in NWA, are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Some become victims as a result of homelessness, but many were victims of violence first and chose homelessness over the violence. What a terrible choice to have to make. Many studies and research projects also illustrate that this is the case nation-wide.

The event will last only until 7:30. At a minimum, you’ll lose only a little bit of your time. At the most, you will be enlightened and moved by the stories and the hard work of many people in your community.

Angie Albright, Executive Director
Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter

Homeless Awareness Rally

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: UA Global Campus Auditorium

Contact: 479-246-9999

Goodnight, Van Gogh and the Summer of Solutions fundraiser | OU’s Daily Crier for Thursday, July 29, 2010

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:41:03 +0000

You know when people say artists are half-crazed?

Well, Vincent Van Gogh, old fou roux (‘the redheaded madman’) set the standard for a crazed and tortured painter who ultimately self-destructs.

Remember this is a guy who cut off part of his earlobe in frustration that his relationship with fellow artist Paul Gauguin was deteriorating.

Van Gogh was virtually unknown when he shot himself today at the age of 37 in 1890, but his paintings routinely now sell for millions.

L’Arleseinne (Madam Ginoux) sold for $40.3 million in May 2006.

And his Cafe Terrace At Night is a staple in dorm rooms everywhere.

Speaking of tortured artists …

The New Design School is hosting a talk at 5:30 p.m. today about the best way for nonprofits and artists and designers to work together. It’s a sticky issue when nonprofits ask for free donated work from local artists to auction, and this talk is meant to address that issue.

At 6 p.m. tonight, the OMNI Center hosts its Summer of Solutions fundraiser called A Change in Seasons. The event includes an art auction, music and food.

The Gulley Park Concert Series begins again at 7 p.m. with the Ben Miller Band. The Ben Miller Band is made up of three very different musicians. Ben Miller (slide guitar, lead vocals), Scott Leeper (washtub bass, backing vocals) and Doug “Cap’t Washboard” Dicharry (washboard, drums, trombone, backing vocals.

Wade Ogle and The Mad Spirits perform at 9 p.m. at George’s Majestic Lounge. You might have read the nice write up and interview with Wade Ogle over at the Fayetteville Flyer.

Public Meetings

Fayetteville

Subdivision Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall, Room 326

Dickson Street parking information session, 4 p.m., City Hall, Room 111

Housing Authority Board, 6 p.m., City Hall, Room 111

Community Announcements

The Madison County Record received a Write for Arkansas grant and is hiring a reporter. The reporter must have one year of experience and a college degree in journalism or similar field. The full-time position is available in Huntsville. It pays about $27,000 a year and includes benefits and a mileage allowance. Applicants may contact editor, Kyle Mooty, at editor@mcrecordonline.com.

Howie needs a home. If you think you might be great doggy parents, give this guy a chance.

This is your space. Send Ozarks Unbound your announcement and we will publish it here.

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Talk of the Nation and more Ozarks At Large coming to KUAF | CF

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:28:21 +0000

‘Talk of the Nation,’ More News Coming to KUAF | Arkansas Newswire | University of Arkansas.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 2, University of Arkansas radio station KUAF will add three hours of news and talk programs to its daily schedule. KUAF will premier a daily edition of its news magazine “Ozarks at Large” with news director Kyle Kellams at noon, followed by NPR’s award-winning news/talk program, ‘Talk of the Nation,’ Monday through Friday from 1 to 3 p.m.

Classical music will continue to be played on KUAF in the mornings and evenings.

“As the population of northwest Arkansas has grown over the past several years, so have the requests to broadcast “Talk of the Nation” on KUAF,” said Rick Stockdell, associate professor of journalism and station manager of KUAF. “The size of our news audience has increased in recent years, while our classical music audience has shrunk”

Fayetteville Street Committee wants further changes to Block Avenue | CF

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:53:45 +0000

Street Committee Requests Transportation Officials Go Back To The Drawing Board – Local News Story – KHBS NW Arkansas.

According to 40/29, member of the Fayetteville Street Committee want to make further changes to the new Block Avenue layout which features back-in parking.

Jeremy Pate, director of Development Services, said the current design accommodates emergency vehicle and allows for safer parking.

Everything expected at Old 97s show Friday

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:36:50 +0000

By Jon Cox

I can get pretty snobbish about my hometown.

Born and raised in Fayetteville, I’ve found my niche here and rarely travel, almost entirely satisfied with what my home has to offer.

That stated, in the past year and a half, the Old 97’s drew me twice to Tulsa, as their tours brought them tantalizingly close to Fayetteville.

When they take the stage at 9:30 p.m. Friday at George’s, it’ll be their first show in years. And I’ll be sated for a time, getting the Old 97’s thrill without the 4 plus hours of driving (although I’ll miss Waffle House).

My first Old 97’s show was when I was 15, and, like many-a-clichéd-thing, they only get better with time.

I had a friend once put it best: “I like to take people to see them and just watch their reactions to Rhett.”

Rhett Miller, lead singer and prettyboy of the band, owns the stage.

While in several of the band’s songs, he serves as the narrator who spends night after drunken night disenchanting girls over many a beer (and whiskey. And gin), on stage, he shows none of that rye-tinged melancholia.

From festival crowds of 15,000 to smaller crowds of 500, one can expect the same Rhett Miller: exuberant, energetic, and ready to rock.

I got a chance to ask Rhett about how he developed his stage personality. His reply was wonderfully democratic—”If I want people to have fun, I have to look like I’m having fun, and it helps if I actually am having fun.”

He’s tried switching it off, but things don’t work that way.

Rhett goes up there, and, if need be, he fakes it: “I’m still gonna go up there and act like I’m having fun, and 9 out of 10 times, by the second song, I will be having fun … You can’t expect people to dance if you’re not gonna dance.”

When reflecting on their latest album, Mimeograph, Rhett mentioned that most rock stars, as they grow older, grow quieter and more introspective. “We may have the word ‘old’ in our name, but I don’t think that any of us want to act old, so it’s fun; we like to get out there and freakin’ rock.”

Given my experience with the band, that’s exactly what Fayetteville will get: one incredible, rocking night.

When asked what we can expect from this show, Rhett had one simple, almost obvious answer: “everything.”

Old 97s w/ David Wac Museum

Where: George’s Majestic Lounge

When: 9:30 p.m.

Cost: $15

Arkansas’ bottom drops, 20,000 teens lost without a job or education | CF

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:05:12 +0000

State Drops to 48th in National Study of Child Well-Being.

Keep in mind we are talking about children here.

Our state is always near the top in children’s poverty (48th), high school dropouts (44th), teen pregnancies (47th) and single parenthood (43rd).

These are the building blocks of the challenges faced in Arkansas and take generations-long solutions to address. Progress is incremental, at best, because the problem is systemic, it becomes the institutional and cultural norm.

Anyone else see fourth season of The Wire? If you haven’t, go watch it right now. I’ll wait.

So it’s disheartening to hear in the 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book that The Natural State slide to 48th in the nation for taking care of the well-being of children.

Additionally, the study points out that we have a large group of teens who are caught in the limbo between education and work, so called “idle teens.”

“Probably the most disheartening fact in this year’s book is our state’s percentage of “idle” teens,” said Paul Kelly, Senior Policy Analyst for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

“The data show that our rate stood at 12 percent, the highest in the country compared to the national rate of 8 percent. That translates into about 20,000 Arkansas teens that were not in school and not working. These are youth who have likely dropped out of school, who do not have job skills, or who are caught up in the criminal justice system because of substance abuse.

“Quality afterschool and summer programs are effective in keeping youth engaged in school by offering alternative learning opportunities, teaching job skills through work-study programs, and providing positive alternatives to the risk taking behaviors that occur when youth lack structure and supervision during out of school times.

“These programs offer support to the working families often headed by single moms with low wage jobs that struggle to provide structured activities for their children when they are at work.”

Dickson St. Oktoberfest is back … and in October this time

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:02:11 +0000

The Dickson Street Oktoberfest Family Festival – say that three times fast – is back, and this time it’s actually in October.

Here’s the blurb from the website that seems more history than enticement to the event:

Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival that started nearly 200 years ago in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to early October. It is now one of the most famous events in Germany and the world’s largest fair, with some six million people attending every year. Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event.

There will also be a home-brewing competition open to all styles and a brat-eating contest. Very nice.

Looks like the fine folks at the FLOPS homebrewing club might be involved, so expect some awesome homebrew.

Tour de Fayetteville: New half-marathon planned for mid-December | Press Release

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:51:59 +0000

All Sports Productions is proud to announce its newest event, the Fayetteville Half Marathon, to be held the weekend of December 11 and 12.

The start/finish line will be the John McDonnell Outdoor Track center with the competitors entering the track facility and making a lap on the track. The stadium, video screen and atmosphere of this great facility will be a one-of-a-kind experience for both the competitors and spectators.

The half-marathon course will run through parts of the University of Arkansas campus, Dickson Street, a portion of the trail system and Garland avenue.

Detailed information will soon be posted at http://www.fayettevillehalf.com/

The success of the recent Bentonville Half Marathon, the continued success of the Hogeye Half Marathon and the exponential growth that running races are now experiencing led to this event

Nationally, event promoters are seeing an increase in all types of non-traditional sports such as cycling, triathlons, swimming, etc. But, running events are experiencing growth on a level not seen since the early 80’s.

The reasons for such popularity is that running is a very inexpensive sport to begin, and does not require someone to devote an exceptional amount of time. With a strong push for a healthier lifestyle nationally, young and old alike can participate and running offers more social interaction than sports such as cycling and triathlons.

All Sports Productions is a sports event management and consulting company. All Sports Productions promotes cycling, running, duathlons, triathlons, adventure racing and other outdoor events. The goal of the company is to produce races at the highest standards, which are locally, regionally and nationally recognized events with a festival-like atmosphere.

Beaver Water District refunds bonds, saves more than $1 million | Community Announcement

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:28:21 +0000

In a special meeting at 10 a.m. today, Beaver Water District’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to refinance the District’s outstanding Series 2003 Water Revenue Bonds. The refunding of the $49,010,000 Series 2003 Water Revenue Bonds was initially expected to be no cost/no benefit, yet produced a savings of more than $1 million.

The 2010 bonds will fully mature in 2022.

“While this refunding will lengthen the life of the bond issue by four years, the savings over the life of the Series 2010 will be in excess of $1 million,” said David Short of Bentonville, President of the Beaver Water District’s board.

“There’s no question that this is a very wise move to make, and we commend Crews & Associates and Bob Wright for working hard to come up with a creative way for us to manage this debt. We not only will save money in the long-term; we also will have more operating funds at our disposal on a day-to-day basis since there’s no longer a requirement for a reserve fund.

The refunding means annual bond payments will be reduced by approximately $2.6 million, explained Alan D. Fortenberry P.E., CEO of the District.

The original bonds were issued in April 2003 in the amount of $57,390,000. That bond issue was for 15 years, with a final maturity scheduled for 2018. The original bond issue helped finance the 2002 Expansion Project whereby the District expanded its treatment capacity from 80 to 140 million gallons a day. The balance of the approximately $104 million project was financed with cash from the District’s Expansion Reserve Fund.
Beaver Water District, with offices near Lowell, supplies drinking water to more than 250,000 people and industries in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and surrounding areas. These cities then resell the water to surrounding towns and communities.

The District’s mission is to serve customers in the Benton and Washington County area by providing high quality drinking water that meets or exceeds all federal and state regulatory requirements in such quantities as meets their demands and is economically priced consistent with our quality standards. For more information, visit www.bwdh2o.org.

Crystal Bridges’ The Lantern Bearers and Rosie the Riveter on loan to Toledo | Press Release

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:10:52 +0000

Maxfield Parrish, The Lantern Bearers, 1908. Oil on canvas laid down on board.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will share important works of art by America’s most beloved artist-illustrators with the Toledo Museum of Art.

Maxfield Parrish’s lyrical nocturne The Lantern Bearers (1908), originally created as a frontispiece for the December 10, 1910 issue of Collier’s magazine, and Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter (1943), an iconic representation of the American work ethic that provided the May 29, 1943 cover of the Saturday Evening Post, will go on display in Toledo beginning August 17.

“In the world of art today, there is a revived interest in process, virtuosic painting and craft that has inspired a reinvestigation of illustrators as artists,” said Don Bacigalupi, director of Crystal Bridges. “We are pleased to contribute to the dialog through this partnership with our colleagues at the Toledo Museum of Art.”

Collaborating with other institutions is an important focus of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Since 2005 Crystal Bridges has loaned 68 works of art to 38 institutions. Currently, 34 works from the Museum’s collection are on loan at 15 institutions throughout the United States and abroad.

Widely regarded as one of the most popular American illustrators in the first half of the 20th century, Maxfield Parrish (1870 – 1966) was renowned for his idealized neo-classical imagery, meticulous craftsmanship and luminous, richly saturated colors. In The Lantern Bearers, a group of Pierrot or clown figures ascend a set of stairs. The golden lanterns they hold create a strong diagonal composition offset by a single sphere – the moon? – on the right. The clowns appear to be identical, suggesting the employment of simultaneous narrative, where multiple scenes from a sequence in time are presented in a single image.

“The detailed representational style juxtaposed with a flat, almost medieval sky create spatial ambiguities that are most interesting,” Bacigalupi said. “This work has a stage-set, dream-world quality that is compelling.”

Norman Rockwell, Rosie the Riveter, 1943. Oil on canvas,

Coy Ludwig, a leading Parrish scholar and author of Maxfield Parrish (1973), described The Lantern Bearers as “a stellar example of Maxfield Parrish’s remarkable ability to combine imaginative design and dazzling technique to create an eye-catching and immediately appealing composition. Known primarily through reproductions, it is fortunate that The Lantern Bearers now has become part of a collection where its unique qualities only visible in the original painting may be enjoyed by the public.”

Parrish achieved the glowing blues and yellows in this work by layering pure pigment and varnish repeatedly on a white ground, a time-consuming technique inspired by Old Master painters. He also took photographs and worked from them; the seated figure in the lower left of the painting is based on a photograph of Susan Lewin, a favorite model who was employed as a housekeeper in the Parrish household for many years.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to cultured parents who encouraged his talent, Maxfield Parrish attended Haverford College and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts before embarking on an artistic career that lasted more than half a century and helped to define the Golden Age of American illustration. Books illustrated by Parrish include L. Frank Baum’s Mother Goose in Prose (1897), Eugene Field’s Poems of Childhood (1904), The Golden Treasury of Songs and Lyrics (1911) and The Knave of Hearts (1925). Parrish’s work also graced the popular magazines of the day, including Harper’s Weekly, Life, Scribner’s Magazine, Century Magazine, St. Nicholas and Ladies’ Home Journal. The Lantern Bearers dates from a six-year exclusive contract with Collier’s magazine, an arrangement that gave Parrish the freedom to refine his technique. Parrish also designed advertisements for companies such as Jell-O, Colgate, Fisk Tires, Oneida Silversmiths, Wanamaker’s and General Electric.

In the 1920s Parrish turned his energy to making paintings to be sold as reproductions, favoring nudes in fantastic settings that were widely distributed through prints, posters and calendars that provided a comfortable income. After declaring “I’m done with girls on rocks!” to the Associated Press in 1931, Parrish focused on landscapes. He lived in Plainfield, N.H. and painted until four years before his death at age 95.

Maxfield Parrish’s work was featured most recently in Fantasies and Fairy-Tales: Maxfield Parrish and the Art of the Print, April 29 – July 11, 2010, organized by the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, N.Y. His work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.; the National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, R.I.; the Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, N.H. and the Cornish Colony Museum, Windsor, Vt.

Mel Gibson’s drunken tirade and a tour of Lake Devil | OU’s Daily Crier for Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:17:36 +0000

Remember when Mel Gibson was just Mad Max, a cool post-apocalyptic hero or Riggs, the borderline psychotic cop who touched the edge but never went over?

Sure, Mel’s obsession with filming The Passion of the Christ almost exclusively in Latin and Greek and his unswerving dedication to put the graphically violent depiction of Christ’s death on screen felt a little eccentric.

But audiences proved his vision by attending in record numbers.

Then, on this day in 2006, something disturbing came to the surface. Allegations that Gibson delivered a drunken, anti-Semitic rant while being pulled over by police.

Those proved to be true and Gibson got on the Mea Culpa train like so many celebrities before him.

Now, we have lengthy tapes recording him as he belittles and screams at Oksana Grigorieva, his estranged girlfriend. He froths and spits out curses and racist comments.

This is scary, mentally unstable and violent Gibson. If you are so inclined, you can search for his devilish rant on YouTube, but be warned, it’s really really bad stuff.

Speaking of devils, there’s a pedal boat tour of Lake Devil at Devil’s Den State Park at 7 p.m. today. Immerse yourself in one of the most utilized habitats on the park – Lake Devil! This rare guided pedal boat tour of Lake Devil explores the natural and cultural history of the park. Seating is limited; sign up at the visitor center.

And if you want to get centered, the OMNI Center is offering yoga from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today. Gentle but challenging yoga led by Jessica Jackson. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a mat if you have one. Jessica has some available if you don’t.

Public Meetings

Fayetteville

Technical Plat Review, 9 a.m., City Hall, Room 326

Fayetteville Festival Task Force, 3 p.m., City Hall, Room 326

Green Infrastructure Committee Meeting, 3:30 p.m., City Hall, Room 111

Community Announcements

The Madison County Record received a Write for Arkansas grant and is hiring a reporter. The reporter must have one year of experience and a college degree in journalism or similar field. The full-time position is available in Huntsville. It pays about $27,000 a year and includes benefits and a mileage allowance. Applicants may contact editor, Kyle Mooty, at editor@mcrecordonline.com.

Howie needs a home. If you think you might be great doggy parents, give this guy a chance.

This is your space. Send Ozarks Unbound your announcement and we will publish it here.

If you would like an event listed in Ozarks Unbound’s Daily Crier, please leave us a message below

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Walton Art Center expansion proposals will be posted online Tuesday

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:49:00 +0000

Source: Wikimedia Commons

If you’re a city, developer or individual who wants the Walton Arts Center to build a huge new theatrical facility in your backyard, then your deadline is 5 p.m. Monday.

If you are a member of the public – like those of us at OU – who just want to see whose making the offer and how sweet is the deal, then all proposals will be revealed in their online glory Tuesday.

The Walton Arts Center will make those proposals available via their website, www.waltonartscenter.org.

Those proposals will be especially interesting given that we have yet to see Fayetteville’s or Bentonville’s attempt to keep or bring the art center’s showcase space to their town.

Also, last month the Walton Family Foundation used its financial muscle to tell the arts center they must scale down the project and move it to Bentonville or risk the foundation not ponying up more than the $1 million annually it gives for the Dickson Street location.

It’s a giant tug-of-war between NWA’s municipalities to see just who will get the expansion that is planned to be larger than the original Fayetteville site, certainly eclipsing operations there.

The expansion site selection process began in March 2010 with the release of 15 site selection criteria.

The process has been open to cities, municipalities, individuals and developers to submit site proposals through an online form.

Walton Arts Center officislas said they have received, to date, more than 20 proposals and expect to receive additional submissions up to the close of business Monday.

The next phase of the selection process will involve review and assessment of all the proposals using the 15 site selection criteria.

Walton Arts Center’s Facilities Committee will meet in September to review the proposals.

The Facilities Committee and staff will work with the submitting individuals and entities over the coming months to clarify, seek additional details or specifics as needed, and work to narrow down the proposals to a few sites.

The goal of the evaluation phase is for the Facilities Committee to recommend 1-3 sites to the full Board of Directors for final consideration. The Facilities Committee expects this recommendation to come to the Board before the end of December.

For additional information about the process or the site proposals, please contact Terri Trotter, 479-571-2739 /ttrotter@waltonartscenter.org or Jodi Beznoska, 479-571-2755 / jbeznoska@waltonartscenter.org.

Nonprofits must file with the state by August 1 | Press Release

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:55:03 +0000

Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels on Tuesday reminded Arkansas nonprofits to file an annual report with the Secretary of State’s Business and Commercial Services (BCS) Division by the August 1 deadline.

Act 569 of 2007 requires all nonprofit corporations to file an annual report with the Secretary of State’s office.

The report must include 1) name of the corporation, 2) corporation’s jurisdiction, 3) name and address of the corporation’s registered agent, 4) address of the corporation’s principal office, 5) names of the corporation’s principal officers and 6) names and addresses of the corporation’s directors. There are no fees associated with this filing.

The nonprofit annual report form can be completed online at www.sos.ar.gov.

“I am pleased to offer online reporting services for the convenience of filers, and our office is happy to be able to provide accurate and updated records on our state’s nonprofits,” said Secretary Daniels. “I encourage all nonprofits to complete the report and take advantage of our online service by the August 1 deadline.”

To date, there are 36,985 registered nonprofits in Arkansas. Filing reports are available online at www.sos.ar.gov.

The form may also be emailed or returned in person to the BCS office located in the Victory Building in Little Rock at 1401 W. Capitol, Suite 250, or by mail to the following address: Secretary of State, 256 State Capitol Building, Little Rock, AR 72201 . BCS is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday. For additional information, call BCS at (888) 233-0325

‘The ABCDs of Creating Community Gardens That Last’ scheduled Saturday | Community Announcements

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:38:37 +0000

Join your neighbors and friends to kickoff the Walker Park community garden to explore ways to work together to start a community garden. This community-building event engages participants to be involved in planning, building and managing community gardens.

This workshop is a kick-off to initiate a Community Garden at Walker Park. If you are interested in gardening at Walker Park or would like to engage your community to start a garden in your neighborhood or nearby park, then attend this workshop to learn more!

Learn about Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) and how it can be used to start a garden at the Walker Senior Center. Utilize the ABCD skills to start community gardens in other neighborhoods.

Summer 2010 Community Garden Workshop and Kickoff for a Walker Park Community Garden

Where: Walker Park Senior Activity and Wellness Center 945 South College Avenue, Fayetteville

When: Saturday, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Contact: Julie McQuade, Community Outreach Coordinator, 479-575-8302 or jmcquade@ci.fayetteville.ar.us

Botanical Garden’s photo contest begins Sunday | Community Announcement

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:28:03 +0000

The Botanical Garden is having a photo contest. Submit your pictures for a chance to be in our First Annual BGO calendar.

Here are the rules:

• A maximum of three photographs per person.

• Accepting digital photographs only.

• Open to all amateur photographers. The contest is closed to Garden staff and professional photographers. (Any person receiving compensation for photographs is not permitted.)

• Contest photographs must have been taken at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, seasonal photos are encouraged.

• Photographs will be judged by a committee of professional photographers.

• Photographers agree to let the Garden use both their photograph and their name on the Garden website, calendar and future Garden publications.

• Photographs must be accompanied by a description of the photo including the date and Garden location.

• Photographs must be of high-quality jpg formatting. Submit photos beginning on August 1, 2010 to contest@bgozarks.org .

• Deadline for submitting photographs is midnight on August 31, 2010.

• No print submissions will be accepted.

• Excessive retouching or alteration of photos not permitted.

• The Garden/plants/animals/insects/fixtures/people should not be harmed or disturbed while taking photographs.

• No age limits, but no age categories either—one contest for all photographers.

• Written parental consent required for contestants under 18 years of age.

• Winning photographs will be displayed at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.

• No cash prizes.

Submit all entries via email to: contest@bgozarks.org with the following information:

1) Name

2) Address

3) Phone

4) Email Address

5) Date, time & place in the Garden the Photo was taken

6) Parental consent if under 18 years of age. (Proof of age is required for all winners.)
Prizes:

The Grand prize winner’s photograph will be featured on the cover of the calendar (in addition to one of the months of our choosing.) They will receive a complimentary family membership to the Garden for 1 year plus 5 calendars.

The eleven runners up will have their photographs featured on our calendar as well our website. Each winner will receive a complimentary individual membership to the Garden for 1 year plus 2 calendars.

One grand prize winner and 11 runners up will be selected by our team of judges. The Grand Prize winner and runners-up will be announced on our website on September 20, 2010.

Calendars will be available for sale at the Garden by October 15, 2010.

Sign up for our eNewsletter to ensure you receive information about coming events and future photo contests.

Questions? Call (479) 750-2620.

Premier Baseball National Sophomore Championship begins today | Community Announcement

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:57:09 +0000

Fayetteville will host the Premier Baseball National Sophomore Championship today through Sunday.

Fayetteville’s own High School team will join others from across the country including New York, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio and even Ontario, Canada.

The championship includes the top 16-and-under baseball teams in the country.

“We’re excited about coming to Fayetteville for the 3rd straight year,” said Don Patty, Tournament Director for Premier Baseball. “It’s an ideal location for tournament week; and the visiting teams and families love coming to Fayetteville. We have a great partnership with the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau, and look forward to an exciting week of baseball.”

Games will be played at nine local fields in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Fort Smith, and Van Buren. The semifinals will be held at Baum Stadium on Sunday, August 1, beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the championship game at 2 p.m.

Week and single day passes can be purchased at the Fayetteville Visitors Center on the Downtown Square, as well as at the individual fields.

For more information about the tournament or the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau, visit www.experiencefayetteville.com or www.premierbaseball.net or call (479) 521-5776.

Cox’s high-speed internet package geared toward gamers, digital video watchers | Community Announcment

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:51:09 +0000

Cox Communications announced last week the launch of Cox High Speed Internet Ultimate for a number of communities in the northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith areas.

Ultimate Internet offers customers some of the fastest broadband speeds in the marketplace, with downloads up to 50 Mbps and uploads up to 5 Mbps.

“Cox is committed to bringing our customers the latest in technology advancements,” said Janet Barnard, senior vice president and general manager of Cox Kansas/Arkansas. “We’ve listened to our customers, and they continue to tell us that speed and reliability are among the main reasons they choose their Internet service provider, so Cox has invested heavily in our network to ensure we continue to deliver on our commitment.”

In addition to base download speeds up to 50Mbps, Cox Ultimate Internet comes with a free feature called PowerBoost®, which provides an extra burst of speed for file downloads and uploads when there’s extra capacity available on the network. That means customers can actually experience downloads up to 55Mbps.

“The way we all use the Internet has evolved dramatically over the last few years. With more people watching videos online, downloading music, gaming and working from home, speed makes a huge difference in the quality of experience,” stated Barnard. “Ultimate Internet helps Cox customers get more out of what they’re into by doing all these things in record time.”

More information about Cox High Speed Internet is available at www.cox.com/highspeedinternet.

Ultimate Internet is initially available in the Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith areas. Further rollouts of the service to other communities will occur in phases.

Your drinking water needs you: Come to Secchi Day on Aug. 21 at Beaver Lake

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:27:35 +0000

Once upon a time, towns and communities in Northwest Arkansas depended on springs, streams, and wells for drinking water.

Then, along came Beaver Dam, Beaver Lake and Beaver Water District – and that became the source for most of the region’s water.

Today, there’s lots of water for everything we need, from growing our gardens to living healthy lives.

If you want to know more about Beaver Lake and you want to have fun while learning, then come out to Secchi Day.

Source: Minnesota Secchi event

The 5th annual Secchi Day on Beaver Lake will be held on Saturday, Aug. 21, at the East and West Shelters near the boat ramp at Prairie Creek on Beaver Lake.

Volunteers are being recruited now to help with Beaver Lake monitoring done with use of a Secchi disk.

In addition to the sampling activity, there are other opportunities to have fun.

Visit www.bwdh2o.org to download a flyer. Prairie Creek is easy to find. Just take state Hwy. 12 east of Rogers for about 4 miles. Turn left on North Park Road and go about 1 mile. The physical address is 9300 North Park Road, Rogers, Ark., 72756. The event schedule follows:

8:30 – 11 a.m.: Teams take Secchi measurements & water samples. (Must have boat; must pre-register. To volunteer, e-mail your name and a daytime phone number to Drew Dickey at ddickey@bwdh2o.org.)

9:30 & 10:30 a.m.: Pontoon boat rides. (Free, but sign up on site. First come, first-served.)

9 & 10:30 a.m.: Rain barrel building. (Must pre-register; must pre-pay. Take your rain barrel home that day. These workshops always fill up! Call 479- 271-1060.)

10 a.m. – noon: Water Education Festival. (All ages. Prizes too. Free!)

11:30 a.m.: Lunch (No charge; hotdogs w/veggie option, until they’re gone!)

Noon to 12:30 p.m.: Marshall Mitchell Performs Water Songs (Free! Good family fun for all ages. Sing-along!)

For more information about Secchi Day, visit www.bwdh2o.org. Or contact Amy Wilson, Director of Public Affairs for Beaver Water District, at 479-717-3807 or awilson@bwdh2o.org.

“We rely on Beaver Lake for so much,” she added. “Secchi Day on Beaver Lake is a great activity because the Secchi dip measurement gives us a clarity reading. The clarity of the water is a good indication of water quality. How are we doing when it comes to taking care of our lake, our drinking water source?”

Secchi Day is named for the Secchi disk, a black and white device lowered into the water to measure clarity. Volunteers are trained at lakeside about 10 minutes before they launch from four different sites that morning. While on the lake, they travel to a specific location to measure clarity with the Secchi disk while also gathering water samples to be analyzed for chlorophyll a, nitrate, and total phosphorous.

Volunteer “citizen” scientists are needed from 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Pre-registration and a boat is required. For information, e-mail your name and a daytime cell or landline number to Drew Dickey at ddickey@bwdh2o.org.

That’s not all, though!

A free Water Education Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to Noon. Prizes will be awarded and activities are family friendly for all ages. A hot dog lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. From noon to 12:30 p.m., there’s a free sing-along with Marshall Mitchell performing songs related to water quality in Northwest Arkansas.

Marshall Mitchell will sing songs about taking care of water in Northwest Arkansas at noon on Saturday, Aug. 21, during Secchi Day at Prairie Creek on Beaver Lake. The performance, sponsored by Beaver Water District and the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, is free.

Other activities include Build-A-Rain Barrel ($45 per person and must pre-pay and pre-register, call 479-271-1060) and pontoon boat tours at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (first-come, first-serve but no charge). There’s also a Beaver Lake photo contest being held in conjunction with the Benton County Fair!

Without the lake, the quality of life and the economic wellbeing of our area would be greatly diminished, she added. The water quality in the lake is greatly dependent on what happens in the watershed. That’s why it’s important to keep streams that flow to Beaver Lake vegetated, to be careful about what flows from your property and into storm drains and into the land, to clean up after pets, to be careful when applying fertilizer and herbicides on your property. Living gently and mindfully in the watershed is a one of the ethics on which watershed education rests.

Audubon Arkansas, Beaver Water District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Beaver Lake, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Hobbs State Park, Arkansas Master Naturalists, and the Association for Beaver Lake Environment are co-sponsors of Secchi Day on Beaver Lake.

5th Annual Secchi Day Event

Where: Beaver Lake

When: 8:30 to 11 a.m., Aug. 21

Contact: Pre-registration and a boat is required for sampling. For information, e-mail your name and a daytime cell or landline number to Drew Dickey at ddickey@bwdh2o.org. Or contact Amy Wilson, Director of Public Affairs for Beaver Water District, at 479-717-3807 or awilson@bwdh2o.org

First Thursday FAQ | Five Questions with Brian Bailey of the Fayetteville Visitor Center

Christopher Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:00:47 +0000

Brian Bailey is one of Fayetteville’s prime ambassadors. His enthusiasm for the city is indefatigable and infectious.

So it’s a good thing he works at the Fayetteville Visitor Center on the city square. Daily, and even hourly, crowds of people arrive at the store in search of detailed directions and suggestions on the best places to visit while in town.

Brian played city-wide concierge to a family Tuesday afternoon before this photo was taken.

The family wanted to know whether a driver’s license was required to drive the go-karts at Lokomotion. Without hesitation, Brian consulted some staff members and rounded up the answer.

Yes, they can drive the go-karts, but not the full-powered ones, he told them.

Satisfied, the family left, perhaps to get dinner at Herman’s Ribhouse, another suggestion from Brian.

Brian is now leading the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau’s push to grow Fayetteville First Thursday.

The bureau took control of Fayetteville First Thursday in March. A website quickly sprouted and soon there was a call for local artists to present their work outside on the square.

The decision to hand over the grassroots effort to a public entity was controversial. Some were concerned that the focus on the arts might be lost.

But in the months since the Visitors Bureau led the event, the number of showcased artists grew to 20 or more, crowds grew substantially and corporate sponsors stepped in.

Four months into the new leadership for First Thursday, we wanted to ask Brian a few questions.

How is Fayetteville First Thursday going?

First Thursday is going great … it is fun to see an idea become successful. We have had great support from the Square community and been fortunate with great weather so far.

Pretend I’ve never been to First Thursday before. Sell me on coming to the Fayetteville square on a weekday.

You should come to FT for many reason … basically it’s another way to see a piece of Fayetteville. New art exhibits at downtown galleries (Fayetteville Underground & Matt Miller Studios), outdoor art walk with local artists (over 20 in August), live music from local musicians, and movies during summer months … all for FREE!

There is also a beer garden that supports a local charity through the summer months as well. Apart from the events of FT, the Square is such a cool, unique destination. We all know about the Farmers’ Market on the Square, but there are also about a dozen restaurants and bars and around the same number of shops and boutiques. The Square really is a destination unto itself.

Why Thursday and not Friday?

Thursday, because First Thursday has been happening for years with the art galleries on the Square. ddp gallery (before closing) had new exhibits on the first Thursday of each month for years and has since been joined by the Fayetteville Underground, Matt Miller Studios, and often Kathy P. Thompson Studios. It was only natural that we come alongside a successful event and help grow what was happening and draw a new crowd to the Fayetteville art scene.

How did the corporate sponsorships start for First Thursday? Have you received criticism?

The sponsorships started very simply by asking the Bank of Fayetteville for help through their community grant program to sustain the first month (April) and sponsors have come quickly since then. First Thursday has a great ally with Brandon Karn, owner of Jammin’ Java. One of his suppliers, New Belgium, wanted to be involved with a Fayetteville community event and this desire came up when the FT ordinance was being approved … NB sponsors the FT movie series. And the other big sponsorship to get FT going came from Adventure Subaru … they are a great friend to this community and they sponsor the live music for FT.

As you can note on our website other sponsors have come in unique ways … Walmart donated camp chairs for watching movies, media partners KNWA & Fox 24 and Clear Channel Radio (KIX 104, The Eagle 93.3, Hot Mix 101.9, Magic 107.9), FT partnered with the Walton Arts Center and Artosphere for May, and other partners who help promote the event like the Fayettechill Clothing Company, Fayetteville Flyer, and you (OU).

Where are things going with First Thursday? What will it look like in another year … five years?

First Thursday will hopefully continue to grow! First Thursday is unique in that it is a year-long program with the art galleries. So when cold weather comes and we stop doing the outside portion (art walk, live music, movie) First Thursday still happens … you should still come to the Square to enjoy some beautiful art, shop locally, and have dinner. The desire is that someday this event, in its outdoors state, will grow to include the whole Square, spur other events, and even partner with events in the future. It is such an honor to promote local artists, local businesses, local musicians and be a unique part of the Fayetteville community.

Fayetteville elementary school re-enrollment scheduled for Aug 2 – 6 | Community Announcement

Christopher Spencer — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:42:01 +0000

Re-enrollment will take place in all elementary schools in the Fayetteville Public Schools prior to the start of school. Asbell & Happy Hollow have completed their re-enrollment, and all other Fayetteville elementary schools will hold re-enrollment August 2-6. This includes all kindergarten through fifth grade students, either returning or new.

The dates and re-enrollment are:

Monday, August 2, 8 am – 4 pm
Tuesday, August 3, 8 am – 4 pm
Wednesday, August 4, 8 am – 4 pm
Thursday, August 5, 8 am – 6 pm
Friday, August 6, 8 am – Noon

ALL students must re-enroll and provide proof of residence (utility bill or rental agreement).

The purpose of re-enrollment is to make certain we have accurate information on every students, particularly in the event of an emergency. We greatly appreciate your cooperation!

Alan T. Wilbourn

New lights, trail coming to Wilson Park | Press Release

Christopher Spencer — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:31:50 +0000

The City of Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department has completed the construction documents for the construction of the Wilson Park Trail Renovation and Lighting project. This project includes the demolition of the existing asphalt park trail, construction of new 6-foot wide concrete trail, addition of a trail lighting system, and associated site work.

Construction of the existing asphalt trail in Wilson Park was completed in 1996. The trail has been heavily used and has outlived its lifespan. Signs of erosion and buckling have been evident for several years and the trail is in need of replacement.

Numerous citizens have requested lights on this trail since the trail was completed in 1996. Lighting is needed along the trail due to heavy use in the evening and early morning hours. The addition of lighting will provide a safer place for people to exercise and expanded hours for the trail to be used comfortably. The project also includes the construction of raised, colored concrete crosswalks at four existing entry drives, providing an additional safety feature for trail users.

Due to the popularity of the trail, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has supported the project, but funding has not been available for the entire project until this year. The project was approved as part of the 2010 Capitol Improvement Plan. The project is funded with Parks Development (HMR tax) and Park Land Dedication (Southwest Quadrant) funds.

Bids were advertised on July 14 and July 21, 2010. The bid opening is scheduled for Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 2:00 PM. The item is scheduled to be placed on the August 17, 2010, City Council agenda. Construction is expected to begin in early September 2010 and be completed in April of 2011.

Bugs Bunny debuts and Beauty and the Beast at the WAC | OU Daily Crier for Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Christopher Spencer — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:41:36 +0000

“Ehh … What’s up, doc?”

Bugs Bunny’s image comes immediately to mind. That familiar phrase was first uttered today fifty years ago in the Merrie Melodies production “A Wild Hare.”

If you take the time to watch this cartoon below, you’ll see the epic struggle between Elmer Fudd the Hunter and American’s favorite trickster rabbit, Buggs.

Check out the “death” scene around 6:10. An Oscar-winning performance is turned in by Buggs. Oh course, it’s all a trick.

Don’t be tricked today into just staying home by the warm weather, check out these events:

For $30, you can sit in and learn “How to Start a Business in Arkansas” staring at 1 p.m. at the Fayetteville Public Library. Many questions entrepreneurs have about starting a business are answered in this three-hour workshop.

The Ozarks Poets and Writers Collective meets at 7 p.m. at Nightbird Books. There will be a featured speaker and an open mic session.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast opens at the Walton Arts Center tonight at 7 p.m. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of over 35 million people worldwide. This classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including “Be Our Guest” and the beloved title song

Public Meetings

Fayetteville

FFEAC Transportation Group, 8:30 a.m., City Hall, Room 111

City Council Agenda Session, 4:30 p.m., City Hall, Room 326

Equipment Committee, 5:15 p.m., City Hall, Room 326

Street Committee, 6:15 p.m., City Hall, Room 326

Washington County

Pet Wellness Expo subcommittee of the Washington County Animal Concerns Advisory Board, noon, Washington County Sheriff’s Annex, 1155 Clydesdale Drive.

County Animal Shelter Feasibility subcommittee of the Washington County Animal Concerns Advisory Board, 1 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Annex, 1155 Clydesdale Drive

Community Announcements

The Madison County Record received a Write for Arkansas grant and is hiring a reporter. The reporter must have one year of experience and a college degree in journalism or similar field. The full-time position is available in Huntsville. It pays about $27,000 a year and includes benefits and a mileage allowance. Applicants may contact editor, Kyle Mooty, at editor@mcrecordonline.com.

Howie needs a home. If you think you might be great doggy parents, give this guy a chance.

This is your space. Send Ozarks Unbound your announcement and we will publish it here.

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Washington County Courthouse exposed! Renovation images revealed

Christopher Spencer — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:37:58 +0000

Quorum Court member Gary Carnahan in Judge Mary Ann Gunn's recently renovated courtroom.

Judge Mary Ann Gunn, displaced since spring 2009, is expected to move back into a renovated courtroom in August, Washington County Building Supervisor Ron Wood said.

The courtroom she once occupied has been restored as much as possible to its 1905 look, with the inclusion of some needed 21st Century gadgetry like a video projector and ethernet connections, said project architect John Dupree.

“We think it’s the largest courtroom in Arkansas,” Dupree added as he gave a tour to a few Washington County Quorum Court members Monday.

“This is something the folks of this county can continue to enjoy for the next 100 years,” he said.

The historic courthouse’s architectural significance is greater than that of the iconic Old Main on the University of Arkansas campus, Dupree said. The building is better made and showcases more of the traditional designs of the time, he said.

The Washington County courthouse renovation has been underway almost 18 months and appears to be on schedule and under the estimated $5 million cap earmarked for the project.

The money for the restoration came through the re-issuance of bond. Wood said the county has spent roughly $3 million at this point and the project is almost complete.

You may recall that Fayetteville lawyer Jim Rose filed suit against the county initially during a major construction campaign which included this renovation project and the multi-story parking deck.

That lawsuit forced the county to bid the projects out, as required by state law, rather than simply choose their contractor, ultimately saving the county millions of dollars.

U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln is expected to re-locate her offices in the courthouse, and the county archives will also return to the buillding.

Gunn is well-known for her drug court program that is broadcast on Jones TV. She has presided in a courtroom at the Terminella Building during the time that the renovation has been underway.

At the time she had to move out, Gunn made it clear to former County Judge Jerry Hunton that she expected to be returned to that courtroom once the renovation is complete.

Under state law, circuit judges are state employees but the county must provide facilities for them to work. The county judge, not the circuit judges, has final say on the location where they will preside.

County Judge Marilyn Edwards will honor Gunn’s request.

United Way of NWA relaunches 2-1-1 service | Community Announcement

Christopher Spencer — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:09:36 +0000

United Way of Northwest Arkansas celebrates the re-opening of its 2-1-1 service for Northwest Arkansas.

The three-digit, Arkansas-wide information and referral system ceased operations in October 2009 due to lack of state funding.

“United Way is providing funding to start the service again here for Northwest Arkansas, but will continue to look for grants and private donations to help sustain the operation over the long-term,” explained long-time 2-1-1 advocate and United Way volunteer David Bean.

“When we first flipped the switch, before the filter system was in place to only receive calls in Northwest Arkansas, we received calls from every part of state. In one night, we had over 80 messages from people in need. One message was from a woman in a domestic violence situation. We were able to call her back and connect her to help she desperately needed,” said Jill Darling, President of United Way of Northwest Arkansas.

United Way will also maintain the existing state-wide social services database, which will be accessible through the internet by all Arkansas residents atwww.arkansas211.org

Closing the 2-1-1 service left a gap for Northwest Arkansas residents dependent on the system to obtain and provide help to meet their health and human service needs, United Way officials said.

Guided by the 2008 Community Indicators Report, which showed that access to health and human service programs is important to our area, United Way of Northwest Arkansas felt that re-starting 2-1-1 was a top priority.

The call center is located in the nonprofit’s office in Lowell. One full-time, and two part-time, staff the center and answer calls. Hours of operations are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Official start date of the service receiving calls was July 8, and since that date, the number of calls has increased daily, with an average number of calls per day above 30.

If for any reason an individual cannot reach United Way NWA 2-1-1 from a home or cell, he or she can also dial 866.489.6983.

City schedules three update meetings about Dickson pay parking

Christopher Spencer — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:58:46 +0000

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Fayetteville’s Parking and Transportation Department will hold three public meetings to update citizens and address concerns regarding the upcoming parking changes in near Dickson Street.

Each meeting will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 5 and August 12.

This is also an opportunity for residents and business owners to pick up parking pass enrollment forms at the final two meetings.

Any questions regarding the parking program can be emailed to parking@ci.fayetteville.ar.us. The questions will be addressed at the next scheduled meeting and published to the city’s website.

A video recording of the meeting will be accessible on the City’s website the day following each meeting.

Meeting Locations:

Thursday -  City Hall Room 111

August 5 - City Hall Room 219

August 12 – Fayetteville Library Walker Room

Happy birthday, Carl Jung and $1 hot dogs at Arvest Ballpark | OU Daily Crier for Monday, July 26, 2010

Christopher Spencer — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:24:04 +0000

Thank you, Carl Jung for Star Wars.

You deserve your own action figure … as surely as Chewbacca and Luke Skywalker.

Follow the chain for a moment:

Carl Jung’s ideas on the collective unconscious and archetypal images in our species’ unconscious influenced a scholar and storyteller named Joseph Campbell.

The great mythologist, Campbell’s The Hero With a Thousand Faces was a prime influence on the filmmaker George Lucas’ now legendary space opera.

Don’t worry, Carl. I don’t hold you responsible for the prequels.

There’s nothing in your writings about Jar Jar Binks.

And sadly, there’s also not a ton of things to do today either.

The Fayetteville Flyer has details on the “Women’s Open Shop” at the Bike City Recyclery starting at 1 p.m. today.

Also, the Arkansas Naturals play against the Springfield Cardinals at 7 p.m. tonight at Arvest Ballpark. There’s a promotion for $1 hot dogs (Try the funnel dog) and you can buy one ticket and get one free if you reserve your ticket.

Or you could relax this evening on one of the many many Fayetteville patios out there. The Food File’s Patiopalooza 2010 event ranks seven such patios in and around Dickson Street.

Public Meetings

Fayetteville

Planning Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, Room 219

Washington County

Washington Water Authority, 1 p.m., WWA Office, 12567 W. Highway 62, Farmington

County Services Committee (AGENDA), 4:45 p.m., Historic County Courthouse, 1st Floor

Public Works Committee (AGENDA), 4:45 p.m., Historic County Courthouse, 1st Floor

Community Announcements

The Madison County Record received a Write for Arkansas grant and is hiring a reporter. The reporter must have one year of experience and a college degree in journalism or similar field. The full-time position is available in Huntsville. It pays about $27,000 a year and includes benefits and a mileage allowance. Applicants may contact editor, Kyle Mooty, at editor@mcrecordonline.com.

Howie needs a home. If you think you might be great doggy parents, give this guy a chance.

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Notes From The (Fayetteville) Underground | Archived Article

Christopher Spencer — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:45:59 +0000

[This article first appeared in the Fayetteville Free Weekly on March 5, 2009. It is included here for archival purposes.]

By Christopher Spencer

A meeting is under way within the bowels of a former bank on the Fayetteville square.

Gene Andes of Four Square Fine Art makes his pitch to a handful of artists during a potluck of Cajun food and red wine in plastic cups.

He says: Rather than wait for the blighted real estate saddled with the low rent required to make it affordable as studio space, let’s create similar conditions downtown for area artists, just without the urban blight.

Andes wants to transform the bottom floor of East Square Plaza, the old Bank of America building, into 20 low-cost studio spaces for area artists. There they can work, teach and sell their art in a new gallery below the street.

Five artists are already committed to renting space, mostly those hand-picked by Andes. It’s time now to expand and tell more people about the concept, he said.

Welcome to the Fayetteville Underground, a newly minted nonprofit group with the backing and blessing of Ted Belden, managing partner for East Square Plaza’s owners.

Andes said he hopes that by bringing artists together a creative focal point will develop, making the area a destination for those wanting to buy art.

“There are more good artists working in Fayetteville than there are people to buy their art,” Andes said. “If you want to support the arts, buy art.”

Robert Glick is one of the participating artists. His mixed media works combine acrylic, the occasional verse of original poetry and a technique he calls an “inquiry” that uses flame to sear images into the canvas.

Some of his work is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s layered splatters and Glick acknowledges the influence. Pollock was known for his dance-like movements as he dribbled paint on the canvas to an internal rhythm.

Much of contemporary art is about rhythm, Glick said.

He plans to display three pieces — The Chairman of the Board, Skulls and Target — at a show April 16 at the gallery.

Glick said he’s pleased to be working alongside other artists and also hopes that creation of the Fayetteville Underground will make Fayetteville a more attractive market for art buyers.

“High-quality buyers will make the move if the formula is right,” he said.

“If we can create a certain gravity here, then others will come to it,” said Basil Seymour-Davies, another artist interested in renting space underground.

Students who graduate from the University of Arkansas and want to work in visual arts often have to move elsewhere to find a market where their art can sustain them financially, said artist and university instructor John L. Newman.

“You have to work to nurture your public, to develop your market,” Newman said. This project is hopefully a step in that direction, he said.

Newman was considering Andes’ offer on Sunday. So were Lisa Bauer and Debi Grimm, two artists associated with the Eureka Springs arts scene.

Fayetteville Underground signed a seven-year lease for the space that took effect March 1. It’s now up to the nonprofit to come up with rent each month while offering low-cost studio space to emerging and established artists, Andes said.

That’s where the new gallery comes into play. Artists in the studios will be able to sell their work at a 40 percent commission. Standard commission in a gallery is about 50 percent. Fayetteville Underground can use that money to make up the difference in rent, said Steven Aust, whose helping broker the real estate deal.

The gallery will also be staffed by artists who earn credit against their rent by contributing some creative sweat equity to the project. The gallery is expected to open March 25.

Rent is $12.50 per square foot, but can be as low as $5 a square foot as long as the artist makes up the difference through gallery sales or work on the project, said Leslie Belden, Ted Belden’s wife.

She is president of the nonprofit’s seven-member board of directors which is in charge of reviewing applications by new artists. She hopes to implement an artist review committee in the near future made up of participating artists who will review new applicants.

Renovations totaling $1 million were completed at the site in November. The building’s bottom floor is an upscale blend of glass, wood and metal with open studio spaces. Some are on display like fishbowls, while others, are private bays with ample raw space.

Four condominiums were sold on the building’s top floor and a proposed science museum may temporarily locate on the building’s ground level if they can get a grant, Leslie Belden said.

Fayetteville’s experiment is similar to Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Va., which attracts about 500,000 visitors annually. That building once served as an actual torpedo factory until it was converted into the art center in 1975. It now serves as space for 82 artists’ studios, six galleries, two workshops and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum.

Robert Andes, an artist and son of Gene Andes, said the idea for the Fayetteville Underground emerged from a small group that started gathering each Sunday about a year and a half ago. They started meeting at Common Grounds, then Urban Table and finally in his father’s gallery.

Often they would watch and talk about an artistic film like Wim Wender’s “Wings of Desire” or the German Expressionist film, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.”

From just a few friends and family to about 15 people who would regularly meet on Sundays, the group grew slowly and without much fanfare.

Gene Andes hopes Fayetteville Underground will grow in the same fashion, slowly, solidly and with a long-term plan and that plan is to transform Fayetteville into an arts destination.

Artists Wanted

If you are interested in being considered as an artist in the Fayetteville Underground go to the nonprofit group’s Web site at fayettevilleunderground.com or call 466-1061.

Other Interesting Links:

Four Square Fine Art

www.foursquarefineart.com/

Robert Glick

www.robertglickart.com

Basil Seymour-Davies

www.everythingisfine.com

Lisa Bauer

www.eurekaspringsartists.com/artistdetail.php?id=144

Debi Grimm

www.eurekaspringsartists.com/artistdetail.php?id=420

John L. Newman

www.uark.edu/depts/artinfo/public_html/faculty/newman.php

Robert Andes

www.robandes.com/

Howie needs a home | Community Announcement

Christopher Spencer — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 06:07:00 +0000

From Corrinnia and Rick: Howie (aka Howard Hemingway and/or Howie Houdini) needs a new home. A super-intelligent brownish red-and-white dog (possible red border collie mix) that looks fox-like, he climbs our chain-link fence when we’re away. He wanders the neighborhood, and we’re afraid he’ll be picked up by Animal Control, or, worse, hit by a car (we live on a busy street in Fayetteville). Howie is neutered, micro-chipped and up-to-date on all shots.

Howie weighs about 40 pounds and is a great little companion dog. He has a feisty personality and knows quite a few tricks (high-five, hit the deck, sit, etc.). He prefers to hang with people after they gain his trust. He’s socialized, spends time at Dog Party USA two days a week, and he currently lives with two other dogs and five cats. Potential for a frisbee partner here.

If you can promise him a great, loving home and either live in the country or have a high privacy fence, give us a call. He’d love to be your little shadow. Call 479.422.9311 or 479.409.8140 to meet Howie.

Washington County Observer now online with WordPress | CF

Christopher Spencer — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:47:39 +0000

New Principal Already “Home” | Washington County Observer.

The startup Washington County Observer has been in print since February and have finally made their web presence more dynamic.

I’m interested. I’ve heard some buzz about them over the months but haven’t seen a paper for sale in my usual Fayetteville haunts.

I’ve subscribed to their RSS feed and look forward to keeping up with their coverage area in south Washington County.

Happy birthday, Haile Selassie and Saturday’s Tomato Tasting | OU’s Weekend Crier for July 23 – 25, 2010

Christopher Spencer — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:01:09 +0000

Bob Marley is probably the most famous Rastafarian.

Haile Selassie was born today in 1892.

This Ethiopian emperor is considered by the estimated 200,000 to 800,000 Rastafarians worldwide to be Jesus reborn. Someday, he will return and lead his people out of Babylon and into a golden age.

Most Americans know this religious movement because of its sacred use of marijuana, the iconic long dreadlocked hair and the advocacy of Jamaican reggae singers like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.

How many Bob Marley posters do you think will be hung the first week students come back to school at the University of Arkansas?

With the spike in enrollment, I suspect thousands. Good news for poster makers.

It’s become such a stereotype that Saturday Night Live couldn’t help poking fun with “Are You There, Jah? It’s Me, Ras Trent” in October 2008.

Thanks to Jah that there’s so much to do this weekend, like:

FRIDAY

The new Artists Laboratory Theater is holding The Science Fair at 7 p.m. at 2183 N. College Ave. (behind Foghorn’s). Peek into our process in an Open House Science Fair. We want to show you what we’ve been up to and how we have been working. You can expect to meet the local lab artists and our visiting artists in an interactive presentation and performance. And then music and dancing!

Deacon’s Summer Reunion Show starts at 6 p.m. at Rogue Pizza Co. on Dickson.

The second Fayetteville Reunion kicks off with a Happy Hour event at 6 p.m. George’s Majestic Lounge. Let’s get together for Happy Hour to kick off the Reunion weekend! The Nace Brothers will play from 6-8, and we will meet and greet on the deck out back………this will be a great evening to catch up and get the weekend rolling!

It’s Salsa Night at Scarpino’s. The event starts at 9 p.m. DJ Mandole Mixx is back! Come and move your body to the sounds of Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Batucada, Cumbia, Rock en Espanol & Reggaeton…All the best of Latin Music!

SATURDAY

Ozark Slow Foods is hosting a Tomato Tasting that starts at 10 a.m. Stop in and taste the diversity of tomatoes while you’re at the Farmers’ Market! For more info contact heatherfriedrich@gmail.com.

Fayetteville Reunion weekend continues with a Saturday Picnic at 11 a.m. at Lake Wedington Pavilion. We’ll have plenty of room at the pavilion for eating, visiting, and just hanging out/relaxing. If it gets hot, we’ll just jump in the lake!

There will be an artists talk from noon till 2 p.m. at the Fayetteville Underground. Do you want to learn more about our artists and our current exhibitions in a relaxed and casual atmosphere away from the crowds of First Thursday? Would you like to meet the artists and hear from them directly? Then get out of the heat and come to the Underground for a free, informal artist talk.Ozarks Unbound just wrote about one of the exhibits.

Local and Vocal presents Hosta and Apartment 5 starting at 1 p.m. at The Blue House, 326 N. Rollston Ave. The music starts around 1pm, after the Farmers’ Market is over. When you’re done there, come over and enjoy our Southern Hospitality. We’ll be serving iced tea and watermelon, and this time we’re having a potluck, too. If you feel like it, bring some finger foods that have at least one local ingredient.

The Trailside Cafe & Tearoom hosts its monthly Tea Talk and Tasting titled American Colonies Rebel over Tea which includes Red Tea: English Breakfast, Earl Gray

Another Fayetteville Reunion event. This one is at Jose’s on Dickson and starts at 6 p.m. This’ll be a great place to get together and visit in some serious air conditioning after a day at Lake Wedington! We’ll have the back room, and for those who want to eat, there will be a taco/fajita buffet ($9.95). Cash bar.

The Walton Arts Center’s Summer Jazz Concert Series picks up at 7:30 p.m. with the Fayetteville Jazz Collective and guest vocalist Tom Tiratto. Tickets do not appear to be available, but who knows what might happen if you are outside the arts center before the show.

The annual FireFly Fling starts at 5 p.m. at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. Come join them as daylight turns into night as they celebrate nature with art, music, food and play. They will have hands on activities for children of all ages including lots of water play! Dress up as your favorite woodland creature and critters and build a fairy house in the woods.

SUNDAY

Audible Chocolate spins with Jeff Price and Shane Capps starting at 7 p.m. at Rogue. Jeff Price and Shane Capps are both well-respected djs with a lot of experience under their belt. Now they will be bringing that experience to Audible Chocolate and doing a special tag team set of their idea of chill music. Along with residents ultrasonic nozzle and the erratic ninja. No Cover. 21+.

Public Meetings

Fayetteville

CDBG in the The Park Event, 10:30 a.m., Walker Park

Community Announcements

A moving sale will be held starting at 8 a.m. at 12 W. South St. Lots of items are being sold, including art, power tools, camping gear and furniture.

The Madison County Record received a Write for Arkansas grant and is hiring a reporter. The reporter must have one year of experience and a college degree in journalism or similar field. The full-time position is available in Huntsville. It pays about $27,000 a year and includes benefits and a mileage allowance. Applicants may contact editor, Kyle Mooty, at editor@mcrecordonline.com.

This is your space. Send Ozarks Unbound your announcement and we will publish it here.

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Drowning underground in images: institute du loop | Open-faced Art

Christopher Spencer — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:48:16 +0000

Images from institute du loop's "a place to drown"

On first glance, “a place to drown” is mostly blues, whites and a single strip of green along one wall.

But dig deeper, past the initial gush of images, and a more traditional narrative emerges. It’s a visual tale about a boy, a girl and the confusion and promise of a new, unknown land.

The presentation is both blurred and exact as the mosaic of photos create a wall of images, a pool of images for the audience to drown in.

“I think it’s more about the feelings brought out by the images than the thing you are actually seeing,” Megan Chapman tells me as I struggle to find some context for the onslaught of 124 discrete images fit on five walls.

“A place to drown” is part of the institute du loop exhibit currently on display in the Hive Gallery of the Fayetteville Underground. It will remain in place until July 31. The show was curated by Chapman and displays images captured by a British artist living in Taiwan who creates under the pseudonym “Mr. Loop.”

“If you knew who Mr. Loop was, you might see the work differently, so I’ve tried hard to preserve his anonymity,” Chapman said.

Chapman and others will lead an art talk from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Fayetteville Underground to talk about this show and the other artists that are now on display.

The show marks the first international exhibit shown at the Fayetteville Underground. The connection between Chapman and “Mr. Loop” was fostered several years ago when she began reaching out online to find other artists.

Chapman said she hopes to bring in another foreign artist next month, Christian Demare of Paris, but so far sales of this first international show are nonexistent.

No red dots – the sure sign of a sale – are affixed to the images.

“It’s disappointing,” Chapman confesses. She said she’s hopeful some of the $30 images will be sold so that leadership at the Fayetteville Underground will know bringing in international artists is something the audience wants.

The five walls of the exhibit are accompanied by a soundtrack composed by the artists. The soundtrack sells for $10, a limited edition poster sells for $25 and an exhibition booklet is available for $15.

Chapman said she’s heard repeatedly that people don’t want to break up the images by buying only certain prints.

“It can be pulled apart,” she adds. The images work alone as solo pieces or combined with the surrounding images, she said.

Maybe.

There are some images in “a place to drown” that retain their impact when viewed alone. Specifically, the images depicting people retain the integrity of an individual piece of art.

However, other images are rendered into fat, abstracted blotches of color when divorced from the purposefully sequence of images.

I suppose that’s the beauty of having so many images to choose from.

“People can also buy an entire wall,” Chapman offers.

It’s the five-wall structure that finally helps me “get” Mr. Loop’s intent or at least construct my own narrative for the images. Still, to tease out the meaning I need some instruction from Chapman about the photographer’s own life.

These images all come from a time when Mr. Loop was first discovering Taiwan where he moved about two and a half years ago.

The photos render in visual form the chaotic and impenetrable world of moving to a country where language is a blur because you can’t understand it and culture and norms are still mysterious.

Gradually, the hazy and blurred images find focus, first on inanimate objects and later on a woman, then women.

Chapman tells me that Wall 3 is the recreation of the artist’s first morning with his now ex-girlfriend. She is also an artist and let him rebuild his memory of her on that day. Her blue and white kimono dress figures prominently as do hints of her skin and body as a geometric form.

Wall 3

The site of her nipple near the end of the sequence feels strikingly intimate, as if the audience has been allowed entry into this magical first morning when a connection was made to Taiwan through this woman.

This sequence sets the reader up for Wall 4, the largest grouping of images. Chapman tells me many of these photos were captured at a high-profile art exhibit in Taiwan.

Mr. Loop photographs the observers of that show. I get the sense, through the intermingling of blurred and focused images, that he has now penetrated the culture enough to begin documenting and observing subtle clues no tourist would ever notice.

Wall 4

The final sequence, Wall 5 is a lush green escape to a verdant park scene. The woman in this sequence is in puzzle pieces that made me want to reach out and put the puzzle together.

Wall 5

I think we are lucky to have institute du loop in downtown Fayetteville.

It’s evocative and interesting and slightly challenging, though I think a more direct artist’s statement would help guide the audience through the images to uncover the artist’s intent.

I suggest you go take a look before it’s gone.

institute du loop: a place to drown from Megan Chapman on Vimeo.

Open-faced art is a sporadic column that allows me to publicly display my ignorance of but eagerness to learn more about the arts.

P.S. In my last Open-faced Art column, I committed to buying at least once piece of local art and attending a local theatrical production. Well, I ended up buying two art pieces by local artists that are in my home now, and I’ve attended one local production.

An art talk on Institute du loop’s “a place to drown” and others

Where: Fayetteville Underground’s Hive Gallery, 1 E. Center St.

When: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday

For more information check out the Fayetteville Underground website or Megan Chapman’s art blog.

Frisco Festival Youth Talent show applications being accepted | Press Release

Christopher Spencer — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:02:11 +0000

RLT HOSTS FRISCO FESTIVAL YOUTH TALENT CONTEST

Applications Now Being Accepted For Eighth Annual Event For Ages 8-22

ROGERS, Ark. — RLT Real Live Theater is now accepting entries for the eighth annual RLT Frisco Festival Youth Talent Contest to be held Aug. 28 in downtown Rogers.

Application forms are available at the theater, 116 S. Second St., or at www.friscofestival.com or www.rogerslittletheater.com, where details about the talent show, rules and regulations also are available. The deadline for entries is Aug. 18.

The RLT Frisco Festival Youth Talent Contest will be held at 3 p.m. inside the theater. First, second and third places will be awarded in each of the three age categories: Genesis, Junior and Senior. The winners in each category will perform on the Frisco Festival Main Stage that Saturday evening.

“This event is designed to showcase the most talented youth that exists in Northwest Arkansas,” said Ed McClure, organizer of the RLT event.

The RLT Frisco Festival Youth Talent Contest is for ages of 8 to 22.

At the close of entries, contestants will be assigned a dress rehearsal date and notified of the date through e-mail or by phone. Dress rehearsals are scheduled 5:30-7 p.m. Aug. 23, 24 and 25. For the dress rehearsals, contestants will need to be at the theater, dressed and ready to perform by 5:15 p.m.. All accompaniment CDs, clearly marked, should be brought at this time to be left at the theater until the Saturday performance.

“No more than one track per CD will be accepted so as to avoid playing the wrong track,” McClure said. “Each contestant will be allowed to practice his or her performance a maximum of two times. Once practiced, the contestant will be free to go.”

Contestants should arrive at the Victory Theater no later than 2 p.m. Aug. 28, dressed and ready to perform. There will not be facilities available for hair, make-up or dressing, and contestants will need to remain in performance outfits during the talent show, McClure said.

For more information, contact Ed McClure at 479.636.0875 during the day or 479.903.6546 after hours.

The talent show rules are as follows:

1.         ELIGIBILITY AND ACCOMPANIMENT TRACKS

Anyone otherwise meeting the age requirements (8-22 years of age as of the date of the Talent Contest) and who has submitted a complete application with entry fee (Entry fee is $15 for each person; $30 for groups of 6 people) by the stated deadline is eligible. Contestants may be a solo up to a group of six in vocal music, instrumental music, dance, drama or any combination thereof. Accompaniment compact disks only may be utilized. No multiple track CDs will be allowed and CDs should be clearly market. No live accompaniment will be allowed, unless the accompaniment is performed by the contestant or contestants in a group as part of the performance.

2.         AGE DIVISIONS

The contestants will be divided into the following age divisions: Genesis Division, Junior Division and Senior Division. For group acts, the age of the oldest contestant will determine the category. Age divisions will be determined after the close of registration and will be in the discretion of the RLT in order to establish an equal distribution of acts within each category.

3.         TIME LIMITS AND RLT EQUIPMENT

All acts must be 2-3 minutes in performance time. This time limit will be strictly enforce. Contestants not meeting this requirement will be advised at the slated rehearsal. Acts still exceeding this time limit at the day of performance will be disqualified. The RLT will provide up to three wireless microphones that can be hand held or used on a stand (straight stand or boom). There will be no lapel or body microphones used and contestants using amplification for instruments should contact Technical Director Mike Manning, 479.685.3549 one week prior to your slated rehearsal time to clarify your needs and what you will be expected to bring. The RLT will not supply any additional equipment.

4.         JUDGING

The panel of five judges will judge the following: Stage Presence (Does the contestant shine on stage, does the contestant appear comfortable on stage, does the contestant have a command of the stage?); Presentation (Is the performance age appropriate for this performer, is this performance entertaining, is this performance worthy of the audience’s attention?); Talent (Is the performer talented, does the performer achieve or exceed the technical requirements for the performer’s medium, does the performer show potential talent that could be developed?); and Overall Artistic Impression (What was the feeling obtained from the performance, did the performance move the audience, was the performance a complete package?). Each element will count as 25% of the contestant’s total score. Each of the five judges will rate the contestant on a scale of 1 (the lowest) to 10 (the highest) in each of the four elements. The high score and the low score of each element for each contestant will be thrown out, and the total of the three remaining scores will be the contestant’s score for that element. The contestant with the highest total score after adding each of the four elements will be the winner. Second and third place will also be awarded. Ties will be broken by the contestant with the highest Overall Artistic Impression score; if there is still a tie, the tie will be broken by the contestant with the highest Talent score; if there is still a tie, the tie will be broken by the contestant with the highest Presentation score; and if there is still a tie, the tie will be broken by the contestant with the highest Stage Presence score. The decision of the Judges will be final.

5.         PROPS

A contestant shall not use props unless the prop is an integral part of the performance (a baton for a baton twirling performance, a hat for a dance routine, etc.). Scenery props such as mannequins, tables, chairs, plants, walls, etc., are not allowed. The Talent Show Producer reserves the right to make a final determination. If there is a question, this must be resolved one week prior to the event.

6.         CONTESTANTS

Contestants will remain back stage during the entire talent show. Parents will not be allowed back stage prior to the talent show. Contestants should arrive at the Victory Theater no later than 2 p.m. Aug. 28. Contestants should be dropped off by their parents and enter through the northwest stage door. The auditorium will be closed at the time and will not open for parents or audience until 2:30 p.m. and parents will not be allowed in the theater until this time and through the front main entrance. Contestants should be dressed and ready to perform. There will not be facilities for hair, make-up or dressing. Contestants will remain dressed in performance outfits during the entire talent show. Outside food and drinks will not be permitted backstage before or during the talent show. Water will be provided backstage for contestants. There will be RLT personnel backstage to enforce and supervise these rules.

7.         MISCELLANEOUS

Reserved tickets will be on sale prior to the event and at the dress rehearsals held on Monday-Wednesday.

For more information, contact Ed McClure at 479.636.0875 during the day or 479.903.6546 after hours.