Monthly Archives: November 2012

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor W. H. Walters

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Mayor Walters’ official portrait

100 years ago today, future Little Rock Mayor William H. Walters was born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.

He ran for the City Board of Directors in 1970 and was unopposed.  Walters took office on January 1, 1971 and served one term on the City Board.  He chose not to run for a second term and left office on December 31, 1974.

Mayor Walters’ signature on the first set of City Board minutes during his term.

In January 1973, he was selected by his colleagues to serve a two year term as Mayor of the City of Little Rock.

Throughout his life, Mayor Walters enjoyed traveling and visiting over 100 countries throughout the world. Mr. Walters had a keen interest in the circus and collected circus memorabilia from many countries.

He was employed by 3M Company. He was Superintendent and Acting Plant Manager beginning January 1, 1951 and 3M Plant Manager beginning February 1, 1972. He retired in 1977.

In addition to serving on the City Board, he had been active in the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce (he served as Chamber President in 1969), Kiwanis Club, Associated Industries of Arkansas and the YMCA among other activities.

Mayor Walters died on February 14, 2005.

Election Day: Go On the Stump at the Old State House

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Twenty years ago, on Election Day 1992, the eyes of the world were on Little Rock.  That evening William Jefferson Clinton strode out through the front doors of the Old State House Museum and delivered his acceptance speech after being elected the 42nd President of the United States.

On this election day, you can visit the Old State House and visit the permanent exhibit they have on Clinton’s presidential announcement in 1991 and the election nights in 1992 and 1996.  You can also view the exhibit “On the Stump” which looks at campaigns in Arkansas from 1819 through 1919.

In 1819 when the Arkansas Territory was created, the elimination of property requirements for voting combined with the raucous spirit of the frontier produced a new style of mass participation in American politics. The results were crude and often vulgar, but thoroughly democratic. This manifested itself in Arkansas politics less centered on political parties of Arkansas and the ideology of citizens than on the personalities of those involved. So personal were the politics of the times that political campaigns often culminated in duels.  The exhibit was curated by Dr. Carl Moneyhon, Professor of History at UALR.

The Old State House is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.  It is open from 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.

 

Tales from the South tomorrow night: Tin Roof Project featuring Ann Talman

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The first week of each month, Tales from the South features one person sharing their life story. They call it Tin Roof Project.  November features actress Ann Talman.  Born in West Virginia, she has had a film and stage career since the 1980s.

Talman has costarred with Elizabeth Taylor, Jerry Stiller, Ben Stiller, Maureen Stapleton, Nathan Lane, Kate Burton, Elisabeth Shue, Frances Conroy, John Mahoney, Stockard Channing, Swoosie Kurtz, Henderson Forsythe, Rue McClanahan, Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Tilley, Jennifer Coolidge, Kristen Johnston and Amy Ryan — just to name a few.

Music is by the Salty Dogs and blues guitarist Mark Simpson

Tales From the South” is a radio show created and produced by Paula Martin Morell, who is also the show’s host. The show is taped live on Tuesday. The night is a cross between a house concert and a reading/show, with incredible food and great company. Tickets must be purchased before the show, as shows are usually standing-room only.

“Tales from the South” is a showcase of writers reading their own true stories. While the show itself is unrehearsed, the literary memoirs have been worked on for weeks leading up to the readings. Stories range from funny to touching, from everyday occurrences to life-altering tragedies.

The program takes place at Starving Artist Café.  Dinner is served from 5pm to 6:30pm, the show starts at 7pm.  Admission is $5, not including dinner.

You MUST purchase your ticket before the show

Previous episodes of “Tales from the South” air on KUAR Public Radio on Thursdays at 7pm.

Sculpture Vulture: SIERRA

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Today’s Sculpture Vulture focuses on one of Little Rock’s newest sculptures. Sierra was installed this past summer. Wayne Salge’s piece celebrates the gifts of women.

The sculpture depicts a stylized woman carrying an urn, several bottles and some fruit. It stands 9 feet and three inches tall and is cast in bronze.

The sculpture stands at the southeast corner of the intersection of 2nd Street and River Market Avenue. It was donated by Everett Tucker III in honor of Rebecca Bost Tucker, Michael Hickerson in honor of Meredith Berry Hickerson, Doyle “Rog” Rogers in honor of Carolyn Wilmans Rogers, Mack and Franklin McLarty in honor of Donna Cochran McLarty, and the Dolphin-Laser Swim team in honor of Mary Grace Tucker.

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Vocal Recital – Karen Kenney Graham

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Karen Kenney Graham will present “An Evening with My Favorite Composers” at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Little Rock. She is a Dramatic Soprano who received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Central Arkansas. The recital will consist of selections by Wagner, Rachmaninoff, Puccini, Mendelssohn and David W. Allison. A reception will follow the performance.

Graham received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 2003, where she also earned a master’s degree in music (vocal performance) nine years later. In this time, Graham frequently performed, gave recitals, and coached others on their performances. She was the State NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) winner in 2012 and won Outstanding Opera Student in 2011.

She was a member of UCA Choir, Chamber Choir, Opera, and University Singers. She taught voice with the Community School. While earning her master’s degree, Graham was a graduate assistant for the voice faculty, where she taught classroom voice.

Final Weekend to go SINGIN’ ON A STAR

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Tonight at 7 and tomorrow at 2 and 7 are the final three times to catch the Arkansas Rep Young Artist production of Singin’ on a Star. The show is all about the actor’s journey from stardust to stardom, set to a toe-tapping soundtrack of modern song selections from the top pop charts and the Great White Way.

The production is directed by Nicole Capri, who is the Rep’s Resident Director and Director of Education.  Karen Q. Clark serves as Music Director.  Choreography is provided by Capri, Stacy Hawking, Marisa Kirby and Stephen K. Stone.  The design team includes Mike Nichols (sets), Shelly Hall (costumes), Dan Kimble (lighting), Lynda J. Kwallek (props) and Allan Branson (sound).

The cast is composed of of over 50 junior high and high school students who will literally fill the stage with their acting, singing and dancing.  They include: Skylar Bartlett, Cross Brandon, Matthew Carey, Calvin Chester, Cayla Christian, Jacob Clanton, Drew Clark, Andrew Curzon, Drew Dame, Spencer Davis, Anna Bliss Dean, C.J. Fowler, Jennifer Fuller, Melody Garrett, Zach Graham, Kayla Gray, Katie Greer, Christian Hickingbotham, Matthew Hugg, Sydney Ippolito, Mary Kate Jackson, Grace Jackson, Nia Jackson, Jackson James and Dalton Johnson.

Others in the cast include Riley Knight, Bailey Lamb, Julia Landfair, Maddie Lentz, Malik Marshall, Cass Martin, Annie McCurdy, Damon McKinnis, Elena McKinnis, Helen Melhorn, Henry Melhorn, Ella Moody, Angela  Morgan, Michael Myers, Annie Niswanger, Yasmin Newman, Caroline Osborn, Adrianne Owings, Cassidy Ratliff, Marina Redlich, Molly Russ, Kennedy Sample, Sterling Saul, Allie Scott, Jake Scott, Abby Shourd, Heidi Sohl, Alyssa Sowers, Sheffield Spence, Shelby Spooner, Mary Katelin Ward, Mia Waymack, Jhonika Wright and Charl Young.

For some observations from one of the summer performances of this production, click here.

Darragh Distinguished Lecture Tonight at CALS

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Henry Petroski, the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and professor of history at Duke University, will give the Fred K. Darragh Jr. Distinguished Lecture tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Library’s Darragh Center, 100 Rock Street.

In his talk, Why Ships Sink and Bridges Fall Down, Petroski will discuss how success and failure are related to each other from engineering and design perspectives. His newest book, To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure, is about why ships sink, bridges collapse, and engineered systems of all kinds can misbehave. The lecture will be followed by a book signing and reception.

Seating is open, and reservations are requested, but not required, to Lee Ann Blackwell, CALS PR Specialist, or 918-3029.

Petroski has written broadly on the topics of design, success, and failure, and the history of engineering and technology. His seventeen books on these subjects include To Engineer Is Human, Design Paradigms, and Engineers of Dreams, which deal principally with large structures like bridges. He has also written about small, common things in his books The Pencil, The Toothpick, The Evolution of Useful Things, and Small Things Considered. His most recently published books include An Engineer’s Alphabet: Gleanings from the Softer Side of a Profession, which is a collection of serious and not-so-serious observations, lists, reflections, and speculations relating to the engineering profession.