Mature Arkansas

MATURE ARKANSAS april 5, 2012 1

ALSO iNThiS iSSUE

Maturearkansas

and thebeat goes onALONg wiTh ThE bOOMERS, TOOPAgE 8

APRIL 5, 2012

Easter Week To-do ListPAgE 7

Exploring SpiritualityPAgE 12

Get Into Community GardeningPAgE 15

2 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

MATURE ARKANSAS is published each week by arkansas Times limited partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, p.O. Box 34010, little rock, arkansas 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. all materials are handled with due care, however, the publisher assumes no responsi-bility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. all letters sent to Mature arkansas will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to Mature arkansas’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially. all content © 2012 Mature arkansas

MATURE ARKANSASPublisher Alan Leveritteditor Anne wassonArt director Mike SpainAssistAnt to the editor Paige ParhamPhotogrAPher brian Chilsondirector of sAles Katherine DanielsAccount executive Erin hollandProduction MAnAger weldon wilsonProduction AssistAnt Tracy whitaker

Ad coordinAtors Roland gladdenKelly Schlachter

grAPhic Artists bryan MoatsKatie Cook

controller weldon wilsonoffice MAnAger Angie Fambroughit director Robert Curfmanbilling And collections Linda PhillipscirculAtion director Anitra hickman

LETTER TO ThE EDiTOR

Like us on Facebook!facebook.com/maturearkansas

Dear Editor:

As a 20-year vet of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality water wars - groundwater was my thing, but it is all

connected - I applaud your last issue (March 22, 2012, “Will Lake Maumelle Survive?”).

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

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

Ralph Desmarais, PhD, Little Rock

''Shining a Little Light''

i just watched a video on freedomisgreen.com about

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

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

There are two petitions circulating for

signatures in Arkansas to

legalize marijuana for medical use.

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

There are two petitions circu-lating for signatures in Arkansas to legalize marijuana for medical use. One of the proposals is similar to other states except it would cap the number of the dispen-saries we can have in Arkansas. The other proposal, called “The Hemp Study Act,” is totally different. It would designate the entire state of Arkansas as a study on the economic effects of legal-izing marijuana and hemp. This approach would make it impos-sible for the federal government to interfere as they have in California and other states that have legal-ized it for medical purposes.

I have recently treated myself with many variations, from canna-binoids to infused oil, for relief from the deadly effects of chemo-therapy on my breast cancer. I survived but doubt I would have without the alternatives I used. I’m over 60 and was considered terminal by many.

Even the “Naked Archeologist” on the Discovery Channel believes that Luke and Jesus were healing with marijuana. Need I say more?

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

gUEST EDiTORiAL n by DOTTy OLivER

We Want To Hear From YOUMATURE ARKANSAS welcomes letters or emails from readers on any subject of interest to older arkansans. letters to columnists are also welcome. Email your letters to [email protected] and include “letter” on the subject line.gUEST EDiTORiALS, on issues of interest to arkansans over age 50, are encouraged. This is a forum for readers’ opinions and comment. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Contact the Editor at 501-375-2985 to discuss topics or send 300-500 word editorials to [email protected] all editorials are subject to editing and space limitations.

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

A Place for Medical Marijuana?

Subscriptions Availableannual subscriptions to MATURE ARKANSAS are $60 per year, via the U.S. postal Service. Send your check to: Mature arkansas, p.O. Box 34010, little rock, ar 72203-4010. allow three weeks for processing. Expect mail delivery to take about a week.


Palliative care focuses on relieving pain and

discomfort in patients who are suffering from a serious or terminal illness. Good palliative care is provided by a team of health professionals. Working closely with the patient’s doctors, they deter-mine which medications and treatments are most benefi-cial for the patient. The term “palliative” refers to the relief of symptoms with no effort to cure the disease.

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

The Palliative Care Clinic, run by Dr. Sarah Beth Harrington, began as an offshoot of the Delta Society’s Pet Partners program. This program brings pets to visit to lift the spirits of UAMS patients. Erin Gray, director

of volunteer services, explains, “Dr. Harrington was looking for a way to get more personal interaction with the patients. Because we’re a hospital who sees a variety of patients from all over the world, we have a lot of people who come here alone. We are looking for volunteers to come in and spend time with the patients who don’t have someone here with them.” Gray says that while the palliative care program began with animal visits, “they soon started bringing in volunteers to be a comfort and a distraction to those facing difficult treatments alone.”

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

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

To volunteer, contact UAMS’ Director of Volunteer Services Erin Gray at 501-686-5656 or at [email protected]

Palliative Careat UAMS

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Dr. Sarah Beth Harrington

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i’ve eaten at The Pantry about three times and it’s just not making much of an

impression with me. A friend of mine and I first went there because we had heard it served German food. We have both lived in Germany and had a fondness for that style of cooking.

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

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

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

frequent (I started to stay “heaviest,” which is also true) patrons of restaurants and bars are younger and like to try out the newest venue. Accordingly, restaurants open and close with discouraging frequency. Why people think they can make a go of a restaurant under such daunting circumstances never ceases to amaze me.

Accordingly, The Pantry increases its chances of staying in business by broad-

ening, rather than nar rowing , i t s menu choices. This is a pragmatic busi-

ness — not culi-nary — decision to dumb-down the menu.

The home-made bratwurst at The Pantry ($6) is good, there’s just not enough of it. The Weiner schnitzel ($10) was fine, but looked lonely on the plate. The Lasagna al Forno (al forno sounds so much fancier than “baked,” doesn’t it?) at $13 was tasty, but, again, not exactly German, is it? My friend’s Seared Tilapia ($10) was average; clearly not in the same league as the fish served at The Starving Artist Café in North Little Rock.

Those descriptions sum up my experiences at The Pantry fairly well, it’s OK.

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

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

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

The Pantry is open weekdays for lunch from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Monday through Saturday for supper from 4:00 PM to midnight. Like most restaurants, their menu and hours are on-line at www.littlerockpantry.com

The Pantry, 11401 Rodney Parham,Little Rock; phone 501-353-1875.

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

The Disappointing Pantry

ThE wOULD-bE gOURMET n by bOb wOOD

The Pantry’s menu has a European influence.

☛


MEDiCARE MATTERS

by SALLy JOhNSON

when you’re spending money, it pays to be an

informed consumer. As a Medicare beneficiary, you should apply the same approach to an even more important “product,” your health. Throughout April, we will high-light ways you can become a more informed Medicare consumer.

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

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

Mrs. Johnson is Benefit/Relations director with the AFMC.

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CALENDAR PiCKS

A busy Easter weekBy Paige Parham

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APR 5 – The FAShIon evenT BeneFITTInG eASTeR SeALS, ChenAL CounTRy CLuB, little rock, 6:00 pM. local professional models and Easter Seals children will be showcasing Spring fashion from local boutiques. Tickets are $50, call 227-3700.

APR 5 – eMPTy BoWLS ChARITy DInneR, ARkAnSAS FooDBAnk, 4301 W. 65th Street, little rock, 6:00 pM. Fundraiser for the arkansas Foodbank includes dinner from area restaurants and a silent auction. Tickets are $65; call 569-4317 or visit www.arkansasfoodbank.org for more information.

APR 5 – TAvIS SMILey AT BLeSS The MIC, PhILAnDeR SMITh CoLLeGe, M.l. Harris auditorium, 900 W. Daisy Bates Dr., little rock, 7:00 pM. Tavis Smiley, author and talk show host on public radio international, brings his charismatic stage presence to little rock. Free; for more information, see http://www.tavistalks.com/events/bless-mic-hip-hop-presidents-lecture-series

APR 5 – ARkAnSAS TRAveLeRS oPenInG nIGhT, DICkey-STePhenS PARk, 400 W. Broadway, North little rock, 7:10 pM. The arkansas Travelers kick off their baseball season against Texas’ Midland rockhounds. General admission $6, reserved seats $8, box seats $12, children

under 3 free. For more information http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t574

APR 6 – voCAL-RAMA PReSenTeD By The JAzz SoCIeTy, ARLInGTon hoTeL

& S P A’ S C R y S TA L BALLRooM, 239 Central ave., Hot Springs, 7:00 pM. This event will feature six jazz singers, accompanied by the Clyde pound Trio. Tickets are $25 presale, $35 at the door. For more information call 767-0211.

APR 7 – WhAT’S youR S To R y ? C R e AT I v e n o n F I C T I o n W o R k S h o P, M A I n LIBRARy, lee room on 5th floor, 100 rock St., little rock, 10:00 aM – noon. Have you always wanted to write a book but didn’t know how to start? attend this memoir writing class to learn how to get started, researching the past, plot structure and major dramatic question. Students are asked to read

“The Color of Water” by James McBride prior to class. Sherry Clements, novelist and class facilitator, also teaches a memoir writing class for veterans at the Va. register by e-mailing Sarah at [email protected]. Event is free and open to the public.

Call 918-3000 for more information.

ThRouGh MAy 12 - BLue eyeD knoCkeR PhoTo CLuB exhIBIT, G A L L e Ry 26, 2601 Kavanaugh, little rock, 10:00 aM – 6:00 pM, Tues. through Sat. photographs from the Blue -Eyed Knocker photo Club, little rock’s most diverse photo club. Call 663-8996 for more information.

APR 10 – “LeARn neW TIPS FoR CATChInG BIG SLABS,” CenTRAL ARkAnSAS nATuRe

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

APR 6 – SAnDWIChInG In hISToRy: TouR oF The MoSLey W. hARDy houSe, 2400 S. Broadway, little rock, noon. This series of tours will familiarize central arkansans with historic sites and structures in the area. Tours last less than an hour; bring a lunch to eat while listening to a brief lecture about the property before the tour. Tours are presented by the arkansas Historic preservation program, an agency of the Department of arkansas Heritage. all tours are free and open to the public.

☛


CenTeR, 602 pres. Clinton ave., little rock, 6:30 – 8:30 pM. Keith Sutton will give a free crappie fishing program, including how to locate and catch crappie all over arkansas, in all seasons. Seating is limited, reservations at 907-0636. Free.

APR 11 – 14 - RACInG FeSTIvAL oF The SouTh, oAkLAWn PARk, 2705 Central ave., Hot Springs, 1:30 pM. This four-day festival show-

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

APR 12 – CARTI’S 8Th AnnuAL RAGIn’ CAJun BASh, RIveR MARkeT PAvILIonS, 400 pres. Clinton ave., little rock, 6:00 – 9:00 pM. This benefit for

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

Date City time LoCation ContaCt Phone

6 No. little rock 9:00 Baptist Medical Center 501-227-8478

6 Hot Spr.Village 12:00 Good Sam–Cedar lodge 501-915-9116

9 little rock 9:00 St Vincent 501-552-3333

9 Fort Smith 9:00 St. Edward Mercy MC 479-314-6016

12 Hot Springs 1:00 St. Joseph’s MHC 501-622-1033

14 Camden 8:30 Cullendale 1st Baptist 870-231-5441

16 little rock 9:00 immanuel Baptist Church 501-376-3071

19 Hot Springs 8:30 irwin agency 501-623-7066

21 No. little rock 9:00 Baptist Medical Center 501-227-8478

21 Van Buren 8:00 Summit Medical Center 479-471-4344

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

APR 10 – A LAnDMARk BIRThDAy: The ARkAnSAS STATe CAPITAL AT 101, SuPReMe CouRT ChAMBeR, 2nd floor, arkansas State Capitol, 5:30 pM reception, 6:00 pM program begins. Celebrate the Capitol’s 101st birthday from the art of architecture lecture series, sponsored by the architecture and Design Network. Free and open to the public. For more information visit [email protected]

EastEr EvEntsAPR 7 – RIveR RAIL eGGSPReSS AT The RIveR RAIL TRoLLey BARn, 8:30 aM – 2:00 pM. Celebrate Easter with a free ride on the river Market trolley, plus a visit with the Easter Bunny. Bunny will be on hand for pictures at the Trolley Barn, 100 E. 7th St, North little rock (near stop # 9 on Main St.), 10:30 – 2:00 pM, enjoy complimentary lemonade, punch and chocolate eggs. Call 758-1424 for more information.

APR 8 – eASTeR SunRISe SeRvICe, RIveRFeST AMPhITheATRe, 400 pres. Clinton ave., little rock, 7:00 aM. Free and open to the public; call www.phumc.com

APR 8 – eASTeR BRunCh AT FoRTy TWo ReSTAuRAnT, CLInTon PReSIDenTIAL CenTeR, 1200 pres. Clinton ave., little rock, 11:00 aM – 2:00 pM. adults $23.99, children 5-12 $8.99, 4 and under are free. Brunch includes breakfast favorites, seafood, carved meats, salads, pastas and omelets. Space is limited and reservations are recommended, call 501-537-0042.

APR 8 – The PeABoDy hoTeL eASTeR BRunCh, 200 W. Markham, little rock, 10:30 aM – 3:00 pM. Brunch includes fresh salads, chicken picatta, roast prime rib of beef, honey mustard glazed ham, roasted rack of lamb, red snapper, shrimp, salmon, trout, omelet and dessert stations. $44.95 for adults, $15.95 for children ages 6-11, children 5 and under free. reservations, call 399-8062.


For some boomers, the hard stuff, the really edgy music, is now a happy memory. For others, it’s what we heard the other night. It’s our cultural jones.

At my age, getting this kind of music fix means being old in a world of the young. A world where the record companies say we don’t belong. It means going alone to shows because the scene intimidates dates, mates and friends. It means being two or three times the average audience age. For the really brave, or those lucky enough to drag a kid along as an excuse, it’s being one of a few hundred over-50s in a crowd of 100k at Bonnaroo, the legendary Tennessee music festival.

We’re the ancient ones at the back and sides of the mosh pit—that wild area in front of a rock stage. We too are bobbing, dancing and swaying just as we’ve been doing for decades. Nearly

all societies have enjoyed singing, swaying, stomping together, long before such things were written. For some the mosh pit is our generational ritual.

Clubs know who we are. James Snyder, the music guru at Little Rock’s

Juanita’s says, “Boomers are great customers. They behave but they know how to have a good time. Yeah, give me more of them.”

Others listen to mush on adult-oriented FM radio and go to big-dollar concerts at Verizon Arena where tired old bands creak out their tired old songs.

The Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival (VOV) is where I went last month to determine if I’m really out of place at these things. Am I staying at the rock and roll party too long? It doesn’t feel like it, but I do not want to become a silly parody of myself.

The six-day VOV festival is a jewel. It bills itself as the world’s most humble rock festival and it’s small, friendly, non-profit, volunteer-based and embar-rassingly cheap. Now in its eighth year, VOV is a stopover for bands heading

back East from Austin, Texas’ legendary South by Southwest Music Festival.

VOV i s in Hot Springs because of the serendipitous Shea Childs-Bill Solleder partnership. Child’s is a Hot Springs native and wise in the town’s peculiar ways. Solleder is a veteran punk rocker, lead for the Blue Meanies and fellow-Chicagoan, who knows the music business. Together they make music: Lots of it, bringing some 1,500 bands to the Spa City over the years.

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

These ‘non-boomer’ acts at VOV

...And the Beat BOOmerS STiLL rOckin’Goes On By CAl WAssOn

Photos by CAL WAssoNCover Photo by briAN ChiLsoN

It’s fast, driving, incessant, aggressive and loud: Chainsaw loud; jet plane loud; Vietnam loud. It’s

the baby boomers lullaby: Real rock and roll and it’s always,

always live. Like Bob Dylan, the guy who turned a gunky

mess of pop music into a social reality in the 1960s, said,

“Music exists while it’s being played. The rest is just an echo.”

TOdAy, BOOmerS AcTUALLY pAY FOr mOre recOrded mUSic THAn AnY OTHer demOgrApHic grOUp. neArLY ALL THe indUSTrY’S prOFiTS cOme FrOm BOOmer erA mUSic.


answered my first and most important ques-tion. I am not a freak. The bonus is, I found I have standing in this alien world that was once mine.

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

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

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

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

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

When boomers inherited it in the 1960s,

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

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

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

TOdAy, BOOmerS AcTUALLY pAY FOr mOre recOrded mUSic THAn AnY OTHer demOgrApHic grOUp. neArLY ALL THe indUSTrY’S prOFiTS cOme FrOm BOOmer erA mUSic.

Lynda Miller, 65, of Hot Springs Village rocks to Dikki Doo and His Zydeco Crew.


than irrelevant corporate mush. We honed the edge of rock’s political-social edge. We bought the tickets. We bought the albums. We stood in the rain and muck of rock’s tribal gatherings. Our marches against the Vietnam War had a rock and roll accompaniment.

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

Sure, there are authority figure and promo-

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

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

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

followed it quickly with Alternative.At 47, David Ritter of Hot Springs gets it

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

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

“When THeY cOme TO mY SHOWS iT mAkeS me HAppY BecAUSe THeY’ve Seen And dOne iT ALL,” He SAYS, Adding, “THeY’ve Seen THe STArT OF everYTHing in rOck.”

Baby Boomer fans are front and center at Valley of the Vapors Music Festival in Hot Springs.


reissues and lame reunions. Nearly all the industry’s profits come from boomer era music.

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

It’s ending well for us. Musicians now have to play live to survive. Acts that rarely left the studio are on the road again for a few thou-sand dollars a night. Musicians collaborate, compose and critique online with sounds and ideas meshing in a flood of creativity. There has never been more real live rock and roll in our lifetimes.

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

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

If you sneak to a dark corner and just watch it won’t work. You know this. You’ve tried it before and it didn’t work. Things haven’t changed. Nearly 15% of Rolling Stone’s readership is over 55.

Live rock and roll has never been easier. Little Rock’s considerable rock scene will give you a half dozen reasonable options on most nights. Arkansas has more good rock critics than political writers, so picking a band is a snap. Don’t go for the safe and familiar. If the crowd does not come to the rail you won’t either, so start with the exciting bands.

By close of the VOV Festival on Saturday night, all Dikki Doo and His Zydeco Crew could see was a sea of writhing, dancing, singing, pumping, jumping bodies. Dikki knew what to do: It got harder, faster. Everyone’s sweating, Dikki’s gone through five shirts so far. It gets harder and faster still. With the band and us on the verge of collapse it ends. I look around as the house lights rise to see who else survived this amazing night. While the boomer audience was a solid 15% all through the festival, now, with only the hardest of rockers left standing, we’re close to half.

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

LPL FinancialJohn L Ostner, ChFC®, CLU®

Individual Wealth ManagerAR Insurance Lic. # 25859301 Natural Resources Dr, #202Little Rock, AR 72205(501) 228-5030 Fax(501) 228-2259 Office(800) 309-2259 Toll [email protected]

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With some Americans enjoying longer, more productive retirements, you need an investment portfolio that continues to work for you. We specialize in comprehensive investment guidance to help you work toward your retirement objectives.

Call today for more information or to schedule a consultation.

Make the drive to historic Helenaand discover the Delta Cultural Center!

We believe deeply in the stories of the Delta and its people. Experience our award-winning exhibits on the music and musicians of the Delta, the arrival of Arkan-sans in this fertile land by the Mississippi River, the Civil War, and much more. Check new art in our galleries. Drop by a live broadcast of the nation’s longest-running blues radio show, “King Biscuit Time,” with legendary host “Sunshine” Sonny Payne weekdays at 12:15 p.m.

in our Visitors Center.

Gallery HoursVisitors Center at 141 Cherry Street

Depot at 95 Missouri Street in Helena9am - 5pm, Tuesday - Saturday

Admission is free.

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

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

�THE DELTA�CULTURAL CENTER

� Helena, AR �King Biscuit

Blues Festival�October 4th-6th, 2012�

Mother’s BestMusic Fest

�June 9th, 2012�

ARKANSAS DELTAFAMILY GOSPEL FESTIVAL

�MAY 19th, 2012�

Dancing into the night at Valley of the Vapors Music Festival.


hEALTh n by JO DEwiTT

Do spirituality and religion promote good health as we age? Many researchers are

seeking definitive answers to that question. The belief that strong faith, prayer and medi-

tation can help the body heal is not a new idea, but an old idea that is being rediscovered. Any

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

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

PROTECTS AgAiNST iSOLATiON

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

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

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

REDUCES DEAThS

A Dartmouth Medical School study found that heart patients were 14 times more likely to die following surgery if they did not find comfort in religion and participate in group activities.

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

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

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

COMPLEx CONNECTiON Internal medicine physician and writer

Larry Dossey, MD, warns against a simplistic understanding of the connection between health and spirituality. Dossey says not to assume there is a one-to-one relationship between your level of spiritual attainment and the state of your physical health. He says many highly evolved spiritual masters have suffered physical illnesses. We should recognize a

general correlation between our physical and spiritual states, but we should not equate “general” and “invari-able.” He emphasizes: Do not take on guilt for an illness if it does strike, assuming that

PHO

TOs.

cOm

, ju

PiTe

rim

ag

es

Spirituality Linked to good health

if You Want to read moreWriter Jo DeWitt, in researching this article, says the following books will

help you explore this topic further.Dr. Herbert Benson: Timeless HealingDr. Harold G. Koenig: Faith and Mental Health; The Healing Power of FaithDr. Larry Dossey: Healing Words; Prayer Is Good Medicine; Reinventing Medicine

repetitive prayer

slows a person’s heart and

breathing rates, lowers blood

pressure and slows brain

waves, all without drugs or surgery.


bE A PART OF ThE NExT

Maturearkansas

If you are interested in learning more about Mature Arkansas and how you could promote your business or services, please contact us at [email protected]

or call 501-375-2985.MATURE ARKANSAS MARCH 1, 2012 1

MARCH 1, 2012

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somehow we are not “spiritual enough” to prevent the illness from happening.

One way to do that is to have realistic expectations and to understand the difference between curing and healing. To cure means to eradicate a disease or disability. In contrast, healing applies to your state of mind and acceptance of life’s circumstances. For example, someone who is terminally ill, yet at peace with his or her situation, might be healed but not cured. Much of medicine’s discussion of spirituality has focused on how it might help you “heal” or cope with life’s difficulties.

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

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

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

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

CONSUMER TiPS

can You pass the earnings Test?By Phylis Dills,Social Security Specialist

If you receive monthly Social Security payments, you may

have noticed he 3.6% cost-of-living increase that began January 1, 2012.

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

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

For people under full retire-ment age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $14, 640. if you reach that limit, the SSa withholds $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit from your monthly benefit amount. For people who retire early, continue working and will obtain full retirement age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $38,880. The SSa will withhold $1 for every $3 you earn over the limit.

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

Excellence Within Reach!Our mission is to provide a quality, affordable living experience to the elderly in a

faith-based community committed to the dignity of our residents.

Call Today For More Information! 501-224-7200

Good Shepherd sits on a 145-acre campus located off Aldersgate Road in the heart of West Little Rock and provides convenient access to West Little Rock’s

medical, financial and retail business districts.

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

• Affordable housing with no sacrifice to service

• Four living facilities - the Moore, the Rhinehart and Shepherd’s Cove, which

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Author Robert Harris prefaces his fast-paced financial thriller with a quote

from Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Shelley’s cautionary words warn that man’s knowledge not outpace and overwhelm his “nature.” But that’s exactly what happens in “The Fear Index,” a fast-paced novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat and provides food for thought regarding technology that “takes on a life of its own.”

One cannot help but sympathize with Dr. Alexander Hoffmann, a brilliant physi-cist, quirky and bordering on genius.

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

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

The key to Hoffmann’s success is

Across1 Add-on to the

start or end of aword stem (as in17-, 25-, 35-, 49-and 57-Across)

6 Forward11 Players who

spend most oftheir time on thebench, briefly

14 ___ Club,1930s-’60s NewYork hot spot

15 Peer of Ellington16 Fish of the

genus Moringua17 Unnecessary

words clutteringwise sayings?

19 Rai ___ (ItalianTV channel)

20 Google results21 Dropper?22 See 36-Down24 ___ Shuffle

(boxing move)25 Threat in

“Armageddon”?

28 Salad bar tidbit30 Pile of glacial

debris31 When repeated,

words before“burning bright”to start a WilliamBlake poem

32 Bark34 Nap finish?35 Good place for a

picnic?38 German

interjections41 Honor His

Honor, say42 Pushes for46 Fly-catching

birds48 Out49 Like a tenacious

sibling?52 Nutritional fig.53 Additions and

deletions, say54 Soak55 Old Dodge56 Sharp-edged

tool57 “We’ve taken the

city, but can wedefend it?”?

61 Festa de ___João

62 Native parkawearer

63 Sharp-crestedridge

64 Directionalending

65 Peter whodirected “TheDresser”

66 Like an unluckyencierroparticipant

Down1 Urban

playgroundsurface

2 Kansas mil. postbuilt in 1853

3 Support4 Sportscaster

Cross andothers

5 Classic Jaguar6 Arafat successor7 Israel’s third-

largest city8 That: Sp.9 Insurance giant

on the N.Y.S.E.10 Further in11 City named after

the French for“strait”

12 Princess Leia,e.g.

13 Not Rubens’stype

18 Agitate23 They can be felt

in a classroom25 Extreme26 Belted, in the

Bible27 It’s sold in tubs29 Least windy

32 Top of a bottom

33 Formerintelligence agcy.

36 Three-term titlefor 22-Across:Abbr.

37 Like some lips

38 Quiet, in a way

39 Cheeseburgercheese

40 A ship mayappear on it

43 More likely tomake you sick,say

44 Postscript

45 Like some glassor wood

47 Europe’s Bay of___

48 L’Eiger, e.g.50 -like51 Runaways55 Spanish

alternative?58 Brazilian

greeting59 Take home60 Not stay all the

way up

Puzzle by Steven E. Atwood

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a creditcard, 1-800-814-5554.Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sundaycrosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS.AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visitnytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 pastpuzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

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31 32 33 34

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P A V L O V T H E A T V SA G A S S I I A G O R A ER E N T C O N T R O L I L EE S S A L E U T D C U P

G R E A S E M O N K E YA P T E S T I S A KA S W E E R N S T N I XH A I R R E P L A C E M E N TS T N A M A S S H E I R

C A R A M T O S S AC H I C A G O B E A R SH A T H R U S S O A S IO V I C A T S P A J A M A SM O E H E H E D A B O M BP C S E R O S A N C I E N

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018

For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550For Release Thursday, April 05, 2012

Edited by Will Shortz No. 0301Across

1 Cuisine featuringnam prik

5 Identifies9 Counterpart13 Mezzo-soprano

Marilyn15 1968 Best Actor

nominee for“The Fixer”

17 A blimp mayhover over one

18 Inducesquirming in,perhaps

19 Coat that’s easyto take off

21 French loanwordthat literallymeans “rung ona ladder”

22 Colors24 Perfect25 It was MSNBC’s

highest-ratedprogram whencanceled in 2003

26 Antique shoppurchase

29 Wizard’sgarment

30 Paper assets

36 Device with ahard disk

37 It has adenomination of$1,000

38 Homericcharacter whocommitsmatricide

41 Weapons usedto finish off theGreek army atThermopylae

46 What a robotmight resemble

47 To the left48 Psychedelic

1968 songfeaturing alengthy drumsolo

51 What a whatnothas

52 Like molasses53 Danger for a

climber54 President’s

daughter on“The West Wing”

55 Alternative to“your”

56 Company whoseNasdaq symbolis the company’sname

57 Keep alive, as afire

Down1 Showed a bit

morefriendliness

2 Poet who gaveus “carpe diem”

3 Singer atBarack’sinauguration

4 Poor5 Hymn sung to

Apollo6 Trees in Gray’s

countrychurchyard

7 Kaplan who co-hosted sixseasons of “HighStakes Poker”

8 Acknowledge acommander’sentrance, maybe

9 Pizza sauce10 Not going with

the flow?11 Round-bottomed

container12 Letter on Kal-

El’s costume14 One hanging at

a temple16 It’s all in your

head20 Christmas

green?23 Gets the gist25 Dimwit27 “I hate it when

that happens!”28 Business often

located near aninterstate

30 Obstruct

31 Trunk item

32 Tooaccommodatingfor one’s owngood

33 Once-autonomouspeople ofsouthern Russia

34 Sober

35 Nonwoody plantparts

39 Senate sheets

40 Make possible

42 Disobey therule?

43 Baltimore’s ___Park

44 Begin withenthusiasm

45 Got a lot oflaughs out of

47 1980s Tyne Dalyrole

49 Small quantity

50 Surrealismforerunner

51 Buddy

Puzzle by Patrick Berry

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a creditcard, 1-800-814-5554.Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sundaycrosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS.AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visitnytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 pastpuzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

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S H O O T R O O T J E R KH I N D U A U T H O X E NO G L E R P I T A K I L OP H Y S I C S A N G E L I C

N O H O W O R E C KC O K E R E H A B SO W E S N E O R E L I E FM E G A B I T K E E P S T OE N S U R E D I E N A T O

A R O U N D S O U LS L O P S R O G E TT E L L S O N P R O P S U PI R M A R A N I R E T R OC O E N E T O N C R A N KK I C K M E S S H O R S E

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018

For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550For Release Friday, March 30, 2012

Edited by Will Shortz No. 0224

A NOvEL iDEA

computer-generated artificial intelli-gence he creates that is highly accurate in predicting the buying and selling of stock for an array of high-class inves-tors.

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

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

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

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

Reprinted with permission, Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2012.

Book Review by Chris Stuckenschneider

''The Fear index''by Robert harris


Cold in the earth from those brow

n hills, have melted into spring. —

emily B

ronte

☛

☛imagine walking a few feet from your back

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

At Forest Lakes Garden Homes in Hot Springs, residents are currently staking their claims to 23 raised planting beds for Spring. Forest Lakes has another 30 garden beds, maintained by Lead Gardener Ann Saar and Denise Parkinson, where residents can pick all the produce they want.

Parkinson, who co-founded the Hot Springs Community Garden located near the Convention Center, said the Forest Lakes garden is already blooming with spring greens, peas, asparagus and strawberries. Forest Lakes was developed by Julie and Robert Malt four years ago with the goal of creating a 55+ community filled with activity. Voted one of the 50 Best Master Planned Communities in the U.S. by the editors of “Where to Retire” maga-zine, Forest Lakes boasts a 9700 sq. ft. clubhouse that includes a gym, heated pool, full service spa and salon, and many other amenities.

“The residents at Forest Lakes are gardening for recreation, camaraderie and outdoor exercise,” according to Julie Malt. “We have people who grew up planting gardens, have loads of experience and enjoy experimenting

with different types of plants.”The gardens encompass several acres,

with a Tranquility Garden and Arbor incor-porated into walking paths and seating areas with fire pits. The hillside fruit orchard, entering its third year, is already blooming, with pear, apple, plum and peach trees. Malt says any extra produce is donated to local food pantries.

With food prices on the rise, community gardens are a good investment and provide

locally-grown and mostly organic product at a much lower cost. It’s good for the environment, in that most foods sold in chain grocery stores are trucked thousands of miles. Studies conducted by W. Atlee Burpee Co., a mail-order seed company, estimate the average cost-to-benefit ratio of home-grown produce for those who have established gardens is better than 1 to 25. That means every $1 spent on seeds and supplies yields at least $25 worth of vegetables. “We are reaching the point where the gardens will produce healthy and nutritious food for

our tables year round,” Malt says. Upcoming events at the Forest Lakes garden include a major Earth Day event featuring Misty White, founder of Memphis’s Rock Bottom Garden Club and Director of St. Jude Hospital’s Children’s Garden. Earth Day, founded in 1970, falls on April 22nd. “We look forward to hosting a casual picnic with live music and storytelling on Earth Day,” Parkinson says. Future seminars will range from bee-keeping to cooking with herbs. A seasoned community

organizer, Parkinson said people with gardening experience can be an invaluable resource. She pointed to the University of Arkansas’ Cooperative Extension Service’s M a s t e r G a r d e n e r Program, now operating in 55 Arkansas counties, with nearly 2,500 gradu-ates.

For more information on Forest Lakes, contact Malt at 501-463-0749; for more about commu-nity gardening, contact Parkinson at 501-802-1003.

hObbiES n by LEONARD STERN

Community garden Springs to Life

All-you-can-pick at Hot Springs community

Forest Lakes resident Laura White surveys her spring crops.

Raised garden beds eliminate stooping, bending and kneeling.


Maturearkansas

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A History of ArkAnsAs A compilation of stories published in the Arkansas Times during our first twenty years. Each story examines a fragment of Arkansas’s unique history – giving a fresh insight into what makes us Arkansans. Well written and illustrated. This book will entertain and enlighten time and time again.

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Full of interesting voices and colorful portraits of 17 Little Rock and North Little Rock neighborhoods, this book gives an intimate, block-by-block, native’s view of the place more than 250,000 Arkansans call home. Created from interviews with residents and largely written by writers who actually live in the neighborhoods they’re writing about, the book features over 90 full color photos by Little Rock photographer Brian Chilson.

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