Monthly Archives: January 2013

Final Week to Name Baby Penguin at LR Zoo

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Penguin Chick Almost Grown (1)The Little Rock Zoo is hosting a naming competition for its newest baby boy- a South African penguin, born October 30, 2012.

Submission forms are available online at LittleRockZoo.com/NameOurBaby and may be picked up at the Safari Trader Gift Shop through Friday, February 1.

All entries must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 1.  The penguin keeper staff will select their top three choices and the public will then be asked to vote for their favorite.  The top three submissions will be announced on Wednesday, February 6, on the Zoo’s Facebook page.

Ocean-themed names are preferred, but any submission is welcome.

The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.  For more information, visit http://www.aza.org.

Celebrate Gen. Douglas MacArthur birthday on Saturday

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GenMacArthurOn January 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur was born in the Arsenal Building while his father was stationed at the Little Rock Barracks.  Though he left Arkansas a few weeks later when his father was transferred, he returned to his birthplace on March 23, 1952. On that day he was greeted by crowds welcoming one of the USA’s most famous military figures.

On January 26, 2013, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History will celebrate the five-star General’s 133rd birthday with a special program by Dr. Paul Fair.  Dr. Fair was the only Arkansan among the original members of the General MacArthur Honor Guard.  He is now one of the Honor Guards’ few surviving members.  He will share his reminiscences of guarding the MacArthur family in the Philippines and Japan.

There will be refreshments and birthday cake. This event begins at 12:00 noon, with Dr. Fair to speak at 1:00 p.m.

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History was created to interpret our state’s military heritage from its territorial period to the present.

Located in the historic Tower Building of the Little Rock Arsenal–the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur–the museum preserves the contributions of Arkansas men and women who served in the armed forces.

Exhibits feature artifacts, photographs, weapons, documents, uniforms and other military items that vividly portray Arkansas’s military history at home and abroad.

3 Pigs and 3 Goats Up Next at AAC Children’s Theatre

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Two childhood tales of animal sibling trios are combined in the latest offering of the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre.  Opening tomorrow night, The Three Little Pigs and Three Billy Goats Gruff is a witty musical production full of whimsy that takes its audience to a magical land where pigs and goats talk, trolls reside under bridges, and wolves huff and puff.

The play, written by Children’s Theatre Associate Director Keith Smith, opens with the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. The three young goats are grazing in Gruff Valley, but wonder if the grass really is greener on the other side of the bridge. They have heard tales of greener pastures, but exploration to those lands is hindered by a troll that lives under the bridge. The three goats hatch a plan to
defeat the troll, giving him the “what-for,” and earning passage to the luscious lands beyond. They carry out their plan, but find some surprising truths along the way.

On the other side of the troll’s bridge, meadows are lush and pigs live in houses! The second part of the play focuses on another famous set of siblings: the three pigs. After Mama Pig sends out the three piglets to find their own way in the world, each decides on a different way to establish their new life. Dennis, the Big Bad Wolf, is just as interested in how each decides to construct their new home as he is in Grandpa Bill’s famous recipe for piggy pie. The classic story provides the basis for this retelling, but the characters are sure to provide a new form of entertainment for both the young and young-at-heart.

The production runs from January 25 through February 10.  Public performances take place on Friday evenings at 7pm, Saturday afternoons at 3pm and Sunday afternoons at 2pm.

Bradley Anderson is the Artistic Director of the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre.  Dr. Todd Herman is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Arts Center.

 

The Rep’s GEES BEND featured at Clinton School on Thursday January 24

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The Arkansas Repertory Theatre works in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service to participate in the UACS’s Distinguished Speaker Series, hosting educational panel discussions on various Rep productions. The latest in these takes place on Thursday, January 24 at 12 noon at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

The panel discussions are led by Producing Artistic Director Bob Hupp and include insights from guest directors, actors and Bob himself on bringing compelling stories to The Rep stage.  Join Rep Producing Artistic Director Bob Hupp and Gee’s Bend Director Gilbert McCauley and cast for a panel discussion on this true story.  Call the Clinton School at (501) 683-5239 for reservations.

Gee’s Bend follows Sadie Pettway and her family as they turn to quilting to provide comfort and creative expression to their lives. What begins as a labor of love soon turns into a spiritual and artistic awakening. Pieced together from discarded clothes and seasoned with laughter and tears, the women sew a patchwork of inventive abstract designs in rich, blazing colors.

The play is based on the true story of the women of Gee’s Bend, whose quilts have been on a national exhibition tour including the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.

The production, written by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, starts tonight and runs through February 10.  Opening night is Friday, January 25.  Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m. Sunday Matinees performances are at 2 p.m.

 

CALS Celebrates: New Year, New Reads

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 The Central Arkansas Library System is encouraging patrons to “Read in” the new year with the  winter reading program: New Year, New Reads.

From Monday, January 7 through Saturday, March 2, patrons may read any book they choose and the submit reviews one of three ways:

  1. at the branch
  2. via email to NewYearNewReads@cals.org
  3. tweet @calibrarysystem using the hashtag #NewYearNewReads.

Each branch will display the reviews submitted at their branch, and most branches will have drawings for door prizes from the reviews received. Each branch will determine the rules and prizes for their contest.

A prize of a Kindle Fire will be awarded for the Most Creative Book Review of all entries submitted online. Reviewers tweeting or emailing reviews of no more than 144 characters will be entered into the contest.

Readers can pick up reading suggestion bookmarks and review cards at the circulation desk of any CALS branch. The program is free and open to the public.

Little Rock Central High Band Marches Today in Inaugural Parade

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LR City Manager Bruce Moore presents a check to LR Central Principal Nancy Rousseau and members of the Central High Tiger Band to help defray their costs to go to 57th Inauguration.

The Little Rock Central High School Tiger Band will be marching today in the Inaugural Parade as part of the 57 Inauguration festivities.

Under the direction of director Brice Evans, the 103 member band was selected to participate in the Inaugural Parade today which will follow the second swearing-in ceremony for Barack Obama.

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” is what the band will play at the inauguration on Monday, Jan. 21.

Central was the only school in Arkansas chosen to take part at the ceremony, marking the start of President Obama’s second term.

Bands which want to participate in the parade fill out an application online. Central’s application included the honors and awards the band has received. The school also submitted a history of the band and a letter of recommendation from Governor Beebe and Senator Pryor.

They were notified that they were chosen on Dec. 17, which gave them just over a month to raise over $100,000, which include travel expenses, hotel, food, and entertainment.

The band members raised money themselves and a community wide effort also took place.  The City of Little Rock and LR Convention and Visitors Bureau together donated $5,000 toward the goal.  The band achieved the fundraising goal and departed on January 17 by bus for the trip.

 

Mosaic Templars Celebrates Inauguration of President on January 21

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Today is officially Inauguration Day. But since it falls on a Sunday, the festivities have been moved to Monday, January 21. (President Obama is being sworn in privately today in advance of tomorrow’s festivities, as is the custom when events fall as they do this year.)

Tomorrow, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will host an event to watch the second inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama.  The doors will open at 10am.  There is no admission fee.

Also starting tomorrow and running through June 29, Mosaic Templars will be home to a traveling exhibit which celebrates the first inauguration of President Obama.

Commissioned by Doug Morton & Marilyn Brown of Denver, this life size memorial to the historic inauguration of the first African American President, is to record and place into our American political landscape this transitional event that is destined to transform our country. It is composed of the President, the First Lady, the First Daughters, and Chief Justice John Roberts administering the Oath of Office. 

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.