Monthly Archives: March 2015

Little Rock Look Back: St. Patrick’s Day with Mayor Pat L.  Robinson 

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On this date in 1900, future Little Rock Mayor Pat L. Robinson was born.  While I cannot verify that he was indeed named after St. Patrick, it would be fairly reasonable to assume there might be a connection, especially given the fact that he was Catholic.

Robinson was a rising star of Little Rock Democratic politics.  In April 1929, just weeks after his 29th birthday, he was elected Mayor.  He had twice been elected as City Attorney (1926 and 1928) and was one of the youngest to serve in that position.

During Mayor Robinson’s tenure, he announced plans to construct a new airport.  That project led to the creation of what is now the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.  Mayor Robinson was also involved in helping Philander Smith College secure the property where it is now located.  In addition, during his tenure, what is now the Museum of Discovery was folded into the City of Little Rock.

Single at the time he was in office and generally considered good looking, Mayor Robinson was sometimes referred to as the “Jimmy Walker of the Southwest.” Walker was the handsome and charming Mayor of New York City at the time.

Mayor Robinson ran afoul of some of the Democratic party leaders. Records don’t seem to indicate exactly what actions he took or did not take.  One thing that is brought up is that the City went into financial distress during his tenure.  Considering the Wall Street crash happened shortly after he took office, that financial state was not unique to Little Rock.

IMG_4532During this era in Little Rock, it was customary for an incumbent mayor to be given a second term. But City Clerk Horace Knowlton challenged Robinson in the primary.  It was a bitter campaign with Robinson linking Knowlton to disreputable denizens and Knowlton charging Robinson with “an orgy of spending.”  Robinson initially came out 17 votes ahead. But after a review and a lawsuit, it was found that Knowlton ended up with 10 more votes and became the nominee.  At the time, being the Democratic nominee was tantamount to election.

After he left office, Robinson practiced law for a few years in Little Rock and then left the city.  Records do not indicate where he went but he no longer appeared in the City of Little Rock directory by the early 1940s.

Politics of Health is Clinton School topic today

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Today at noon at the Clinton School, Michael Sparer looks at “The Politics of Health: From the ACA to ACOs.” 

Michael Sparer studies and writes about the politics of health care, with a particular emphasis on the health insurance and health delivery systems for low-income populations, and the ways in which inter-governmental relations influences policy, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Dr. Sparer’s current projects include a review and analysis of lessons learned from thirty years of Medicaid managed care programs and a comparison of inter-governmental health politics in the U.S. and the UK.

He is also working on a book funded by the RWJ Investigator Program, which examines how American Federalism influenced the politics and substance of the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

MARY POPPINS cast entertains tonight at fundraiser cabaret

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The actors who perform at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre are multi-talented.

Tonight they get the chance to showcase their singing as members of the Mary Poppins cast perform some of their favorite songs in cabaret style!

The evening is a relaxed, casual atmosphere as the actors display a variety of song styles.

The doors open at 6:30 with the performance beginning at 7 at the Rep.

Tickets are $35 a person or $50 a couple. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 501.804.8916 or emailingbaharpool@comcast.net

Ticket sales from this event support the volunteer auxiliary group, The Stagehands, whose mission is to welcome and provide hospitality to The Rep’s visiting actors, directors and technical crew.

Deciding to Run for President is topic of Clinton School program tonight

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In 2009, then Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, embarked on a passionate, arduous, nearly two-year journey to make the most difficult decision of his life: whether or not to pursue the presidency of the United States. 

Tonight at 6pm at the Clinton School, Don Cogman, a corporate and governmental affairs executive, shares a story of what it takes to run for President of the United States, the choices a potential candidate faces, and the hard decisions a candidate must make during the process. 

“Run Mitch, Run” offers a compelling, chronological glimpse into Daniels’ quest to make the right decision for not only himself and his family, but also his country. He reveals intriguing, behind-the-scene details as Daniels, with the help of eight devoted individuals, wrestled with the pros and cons of a presidential run. 

Cogman is one of the leaders in the communications industry, with over thirty years of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and consulting experience in New York and Washington D.C. 

The Ides of March Are Come

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“The Ides of March are come” – so wrote William Shakespeare.

In tribute to the day on which Julius Caesar was felled by assassins in Rome, a look at a two pieces of art featuring views of Rome, which are in the Arkansas Arts Center collection.    
The first presents a classical take on Rome. View of the Piazza del Campidoglio (Veduta della Piazza del Campdoglio) was created in 1774 by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 – 1778). The print is an etching, acquired by the Arts Center in 1990; it was a gift of John and Grace Marjorie Wood Keppel and Nell Wood.

According to the Arkansas Arts Center,

The Campidoglio has been the seat of the city government of Rome from ancient times to the present. At the top of the Capitoline Hill-one of the famed Seven Hills of Rome-the buildings in Piranesi’s etching are the work of Michelangelo. These elegant Renaissance palaces, perched on this ancient site, were important tourist destinations in the 18th century just as they are today.

Piranesi takes a viewpoint from the side of the site, giving us a dramatic diagonal view of one palace and a head-on view of the other. In the foreground are Grand Tourists in their three-cornered hats as well as a number of less well dressed, slightly suspicious-looking figures.

The second piece is John Heliker’s Pertaining to Rome. Heliker was a 20th Century artist from New York living from 1909 to 2000. His painting is an abstract look at the Italian capital city. It was a gift in 2005 to the Arkansas Arts Center from the Heliker-LaHotan Foundation, Inc.

The Cat in the Hat drops in at Arts Center Children’s Theatre

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The Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre presents The Cat in the Hat through March 29 with special spring break matinees March 24-27.

“One of the most familiar and beloved picture books of the last half century will erupt with fun on the Children’s Theatre stage,” said Todd Herman, executive director of the Arkansas Arts Center.

“Young audiences and those young at heart will be transported into the world they’ve always imagined while seeing the classic book come to life.”

It’s a rainy day with nothing to do. Sally and her brother are miserable. Bored. Simply dying for fun. Then bump! Something quite unexpected. You guessed it. It’s a cat. In a hat. In fact, it’s the Cat in the Hat, and he’s just in time to show the kids a thing or two about fun. It’s just a matter of know-how, you know. So don’t listen to that fish! Jump in! The water’s fine! Just don’t tell mom!

The cast for The Cat in the Hat includes:

  • Ben Gibson of Little Rock as Boy
  • Sharon Combs of New York, N.Y., as Sally
  • Courtney Bennett of Little Rock as Cat
  • Mark Hansen of Little Rock as Fish
  • Aleigha Morton of Beebe as Kitten 1/Thing 1
  • Lauren Linton of Memphis as Kitten 2/Thing 2

Bradley Anderson is the artistic director and Katie Campbell is the show director. Costumes are designed by Erin Larkin; technical direction by Drew Posey; lighting design by Penelope Poppers; properties and set design by Miranda Young and Rivka Kuperman is the stage manager.

The Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre presenting sponsor is Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the season sponsor is Dr. Loren Bartole, ‘Family Footcare’.

Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

That Arkansas Weather tonight at South on Main

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The Oxford American magazine is proud to welcome That Arkansas Weather to South on Main!

The concert starts at 10pm; doors open at 9pm. This is a ticketed event, with a $10 cover payable in cash only at the door on the night of the show.

That Arkansas Weather is a dynamic young band consisting of some of central Arkansas’ finest professional musicians. Deriving its name from the mercurial climate of our state, That Arkansas Weather plays a delightfully unpredictable combination of Jazz, Soul, R&B, Funk, and Hip-Hop.

All capable composers and improvisors, they perform both original material and new interpretations of classic songs while striking the perfect balance between accessible and experimental; familiar and new.

Gig-tested and audience approved, That Arkansas Weather is clearly one of the best new bands on the block.