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THEPURPLEISSUE

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GIVINGBACK

My two, young daughters are lucky.

They go on vacation every year if not every 3-6 months. They start every day with a healthy breakfast and end each day with ice cream or popcorn after dinner. They have two parents at home with stable incomes and good health insurance.

My youngest attends a fantastic preschool program inside her equally fantastic daycare. Her favorite day is “gym day” when the local gymnastics program transports her class to the facil-ity for an hour of flipping and walking on the balance beam.

My oldest attends one of the best schools in the state where

even in second grade her reading group uses a Kindle. She complains that I try to dress her like a baby doll when all she wants to wear is jeans and one of many free T-shirts.

She rides the bus home where one of her parents is always waiting on her to give her a snack, hear about her day, make her do her homework and encourage her to play outside be-fore dark.

Yep, they’re average kids, but they are also lucky.

By giving to the United Way of Central Arkansas (UWCA), I’m able to help lots of kids that aren’t as fortunate. Whether as a result of their parents losing a job, making poor choices or being mentally or emotionally unable to do better, these kids may not eat every day, ever have a new pair of shoes or even live in a house.

For as little as $5, you can make a big difference too.

The United Way of Central Arkansas supports agencies that provide:

• Food• Emergency utility service• Literacy programs• After school care• Daycare for babies of teenage mothers during school hours so the mom has a chance to make both of their lives better.• Low-interest car loans to give the poorest families a chance to get a job outside of walking distance from their apartment• Shelter for children affected by abuse or homelessness • Advocacy for children who are abused or neglected

• Alternative school for troubled youth that includes a curriculum of respect and values that they may not have learned at home. • School supplies

That list doesn’t even touch on the programs that provide meals to homebound seniors, a trip to work for developmen-tally disabled adults, a chance to learn to read for adults try-ing to make a career change, or low-cost healthcare to the uninsured.

UWCA serves as an umbrella organization to 18 not for profit agencies in Faulkner and Perry Counties. All of the money

that it collects stays in those two counties.

I started giving to the United Way with my first job. It was a no-brainer for me to support UWCA because I’ve seen first-hand how the partnering agencies provide life skills and offer second chances to those who are suffering the most.

True to the spirit of our people in Faulkner County, the staffs at those agencies are dedicated, honest and hardworking.

If you aren’t giving regularly to an agency that is making life better for others, please consider this your wake up call. UWCA is a great way to help a lot of people with a small do-nation.

If you do wish to exclude an organization from your gift or just give to a certain type of organization, UWCA will honor that request.

UWCA has accountability measures in place and checks on each agency’s use of funds to make sure that your donation is being used as you intended. Giving to UWCA is easy. Most employers allow payroll deductions. See your human resourc-es department to see if that is an option for you.

If your employer doesn’t allow payroll deductions or you would rather make a one-time donation, send it to United Way of Central Arkansas, PO Box 489, Conway, AR 72033.

For more information, check us out at unitedwaycentralark.org or liveunited.org.

(Lauralee Wilcox McCool serves on the United Way of Central Arkansas Board and is a long time supporter of the agency.)

Give a littleBY LAURALEE WILCOx McCOOL

REGULARLY TO AN AGENCY THAT IS MAKING LIFE BETTER FOR OTHERS, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS

YOUR WAKE-UP CALL.

IF YOU AREN’T GIVING“ “

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ARTSEVENTSTASTEo c t o b e r / 2 0 1 1 • w w w . i c o n w a y . n e t

THEPURPLEISSUE

ON THE COVERThe Purple Issue. UCA’S homecoming week is Oct. 24-29 {Monday-Saturday} Paint the town purple!

onthemovevv42 William Ruck is focused on the

future.

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roundabout.life art food conway

Conway happenings: iCon has you covered with our events calendar. Check

out photos from past area events. PAGES 6-13.

contentsvv14 ICON MUSIC: BREAKING EDEN IS IN IT FOR THE CROWD

16 ON STAGE: WHO’S PLAYING WHERE

18 ICON TASTE: BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S MORE THAN A SPORTS BAR

21 ICON FLAVOR: STROMBOLI’S LEADS CHARGE IN LOCAL CUISINE

25 ICON TECH: IPADS INVADE SPORTS

29 DOWNTOWN: ZOMBIES, MOTORCYCLES AND CANDY, OH, MY!

40 ICON APPS: SQUARE MAKES IT POSSIBLE

localiconvv36 Bryce Molder is on the edge of greatness.

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OCTOBER 2011 / VOL. I, ISSUE 8

localartvv

30 Steve Griffith

STAFFCREATIVE DIRECTOR / STEWART COLE

PUBLICATION SALES MANAGER / RHONDA OVERBEYGRAPHIC ARTISTS / JAY PRINCE & KELLIE MCANULTY

SPECIAL EVENTS / LEAH BROWNEVENT PHOTOGRAPHER / SARA BLACK

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ADVERTISING SALESJESICA TALBERT • BETSEY WILLBANKS

DAWN RIVERS • TARA SANDERS

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Write to us at feedback@iconway.net.

iCon, Conway City Magazine, is a publicationof the Log Cabin Democrat. All rights reserved. iCon is published monthly, 12 times per year.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toiCon, Conway City Magazine

P.O. Box 969Conway, AR 72033

For subscriber service, please call (501) 327-6621

Unauthorized use of materials contained hereinis strictly prohibited.

Follow us on Twitter: @iconwaymagazinewww.iconway.net

Check out our Facebook page for weekly calendar of events.

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n SUBMIT AN EVENTTO ICON: FEEDBACK@ICONWAY.NETEVENTSCALENDARroadu u

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in partnership with

Walk-A-Thon10.01 {Saturday} 16th annual Conway Human Development Center Walk-A-Thon, for info go to www.chdconline.com.

H.A.V.E.N. Golf Scramble10.07 {Friday} 2nd annual 4-person scramble golf tournament to benefit H.A.V.E.N. (Help for Abuse Victims in Emergency Need) at The Greens at Nut-ters Chapel golf course. Great prizes and refreshments; breakfast and lunch provided by Stoby’s and pattiCakes. For info, contact 450-8607 or 269-4744.

ROAR Into Toad Suck Motorcycle Rally10.07-10.09 {Friday-Sunday} 2nd Annual ROAR Into Toad Suck motorcycle rally at Simon Park (Front & Main streets, Conway) with live music, vendors, food, bike shows, poker run, two biker parades, classic car show, biker church on Sunday, etc. Event is free and family friendly with something for everyone. For info call (501) 944-1076, email: ardakota@gmail.com, or go to www.ABATE17.com.

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JJ’S GRILL BIRTHDAY PARTY

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SAVE THE DATE! {DAZZLE DAZE}11.17-11.19 {Thursday-Satur-day} More than 90 merchants from around the country gather at the Conway Expo Center to present their holiday wares and specialty items including gourmet food, holiday items, jewelry, children’s items, accessories, collectibles and much more! Live en-tertainment, Chicks Who Click photos, door prizes and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus add to the fun. Plus it’s your chance to win a 2012 Ford Mustang convertible, Polaris Sportsman 400 full size ATV, $4,000 in laser treatment services, an HP computer package and $500 in furniture from Cajun Bros. Furniture! For info email dazzledaze@conwayregional.org.

Antique Show10.07-10.09 {Friday-Sunday} Antique Alley Antiques Show at the Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds.

High School Football10.07 {Friday} Conway at LR Central, Morrilton at Green-brier, Siloam Springs at Vilonia, Mayflower at Rose Bud, Decatur at Conway Christian.

UCA Football10.08 {Saturday} UCA at Nicholls (Thibodaux, La.).

Urban Farming Festival10.08 {Saturday} Inaugural Urban Farming Festival. Sample the wares of local farmers and learn gardening techniques. Crafts and games for the kids as well as free bike tune-ups. Enjoy the live music and a community meal to follow at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Conway Locally Grown Farmers will be selling fresh produce and providing fresh produce for the meal. Free and open to the public at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler Street in Conway.

Columbus Day10.10 {Monday} Happy Columbus Day!

High School Football10.14 {Friday} Bryant at Cabot, Greenbrier at Siloam Springs, Vilonia at Morrilton, Harding Academy at May-flower, Conway Christian at Poyen.

UCA Football10.15 {Saturday} McNeese State at UCA.

CASA Festival of Chairs10.15 {Saturday} Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) 10th Anniversary Festival of Chairs 6:30 p.m., at

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Centennial Events Center, Centennial Valley Country Club. Live and silent auction, food from area restaurants, musical entertainment and much more. For ticket info call (501)-472-0954.

High School Football10.21 {Friday} Conway at Van Buren, Greenbrier at Alma, Vilonia at Greenwood, Mayflower at Barton, Hector at Con-way Christian.

UCA Football10.22 {Saturday} UCA at Lamar (Beaumont, Texas).

Charity Art Auction benefitting Conway Regional10.22 {Saturday} Charity Art Auction benefitting Conway Regional 6-10:00 p.m., Southwest Energy Building located in The Village at Hendrix. Art from Steve Griffith and Vivian Noe-Griffith, and entertainment provided by Rodney Block.

Roller Derby10.23 {Sunday} “A Nightmare on Oak Street” roller derby. The Toad Suck Derby Dames roller derby team takes to the rink at 6 p.m., for the first time against the hard hitting la-dies of the Venomous Vixens and the merciless mistresses of The DOMASK8TRIX. It will be a spectacle of blood, bruises and beauty as they battle to stake their claim as the undis-puted queens of Conway roller derby! $10 at door; $8 with student ID; children 12 and under free with the purchase of an adult ticket. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Conway Roller Rink, 1008 E. Oak St., Conway.

Homecoming Week10.24-10.29 {Monday-Saturday} Homecoming week at UCA….PAINT THE TOWN PURPLE!

UCA PROFESSORS TO READ FROM POSTHUMOUS NOVEL

10.06 {Thursday} Terry Wright, Mark Spitzer and Tim Thornes, profes-sors of writing at UCA, will read from “Surreal Killer” at the Faulkner County Library at 7 p.m.The book by the late Roy Trask, aka David Arnott, was published by the new local small press Shakespeare & Company, Toad Suck, under the direc-tion of Spitzer.Thornes said, “‘Surreal Killer’ is the last work of fiction by a person who worked in a huge range of creative genre. This event will celebrate a cre-ative life well lived and cut too short.”The event is free and open to the pub-lic, and refreshments will be served. The Faulkner County Library is located at 1900 Tyler Street in Conway.

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LIVE MUSIC AT GUSANO’S

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FAULKNER COUNTY FAIR

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ICONMUSIC BREAKING EDEN

COURTNEY SPRADLIN PHOTO

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It’s Gusano’s on a Friday night. The place is full of pa-trons who just crawled in out of the hurricane known as the weekly grind. There is pizza by the slice, beer in the glass and service with a smile. A hazy purple light fills one corner of the bar room over a small stage. Four guys, who look like the 70s taught them a thing or two about how to beat the drums and strum a guitar, are setting up to play. All four mics are checked, the strings are tuned and the lights are set on stage.

“Sweeeeeet emoooootion!” The four band members of Breaking Eden let loose a vocal harmony that soothes tension from shoulders like a Steven Tyler masseuse. And that is just the beginning. They springboard off of Aerosmith and into a sea of classic and contemporary rock hits, flowing from Thin Lizzy to Kings of Leon. In no time feet are tapping and heads are rocking, leaving the worries of the week behind.

Breaking Eden is a no-politics cover band from Conway with a heart that beats for the crowd. Unlike politicians, Breaking Eden is ready to deliver just what the people need, no matter how big or small the venue. They have played shows for 300 screaming teenagers, and part-nered VFW gigs with bands that sport stripper poles. They can switch from acoustic to electric, take turns on lead vocals, and play any song it takes to get the ladies up on the dance floor — even if there is not one.

“There’s no hidden meaning,” says Mike Velte, lead gui-tarist. It’s just pretty much about having a good time and having fun. That’s what music to me is all about.”

Mike plays with the lightning of Eddie Van Halen and easily shifts to the Louisiana blues licks of Kenny Wayne Shepard. He was raised in the 70s and 80s by Jimmy Page, Jimmy Hendrix and Eric Clapton. He toured for several years on the west coast but kept his roots here in Conway. “I’ve played in front of crowds with concert atmosphere, and I’ve played in front of smaller crowds like Gusano’s, and by far, a smaller crowd that partici-pates is infinitely more fun.”

Mark Manning is on bass. He owns a D.J. business and knows a little about how to get people on their feet. “I know that when the girls and particular people show up, if I feed them the right music, that’s just what they’ll do. And let’s face it,” Mike adds, “If the girls are happy the guys will follow.”

Mark and Mike have been playing together from way back in bands like Southern Express and Soul Cake. “We are a vocal band,” Mark says, when asked what

sets Breaking Eden apart from other bands. He knows the value of four band members who not only offer backup voice but lead vocals too. He has even bugged the drummer into taking the lead mike.

The beat is rolling out from under the sticks of Kevin Atkinson, as he leads the vocals for R.E.M.’s, “The One I Love.” The band only picked up the song the day be-fore. Though it is a simple song, Kevin has a bit of a per-fectionist’s obsession with percussion. Not only does he give every beat and vocal note its due attention, he has custom made his own drumsticks and constructed his entire drum set from a black walnut log. He has been keeping the beat steady since 1977. Though Kevin ap-pears a bit shy, if the mood strikes him right, he can rock with vengeance like Mike Portnoy.

Also known to be a bit jumpy and unpredictable is Jim Sanders, lead vocalist. He is a very versatile guitarist, who is able to switch between backup, rhythm, lead, bass and twelve-string guitars. Jim is the PR as far as band/crowd relations go. Walking out in the crowd to sing with the audience, coaxing them to dance the jig and handling the lights are all in a night’s work for Jim. Sadly, this is one of the last nights Jim is going to play with Breaking Eden. He is moving to Harrison for con-troversial reasons.

“He ran and got married on us,” Kevin said.

But Jim will be back to play with the band one last time for the Roar into Toadsuck Motorcycle Rally, a biker event here in Conway. The band will be in their full elec-tric set on the Kris Allen Stage in downtown Conway, on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Breaking Eden rocks on, holding a crowd at Gusano’s through 1 in the morning. They fill a request of some Foo Fighters. A little Bon Jovi breaks out of them and they get the crowd echoing back, “Darlin’ you give love, a bad name!”

As soon as the band starts in on the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman,” the ladies start moving tables and chairs to make a dance floor like it is a law of na-ture. The band is caught in a rift of contentment. When Mark starts in on the last song they agreed to play, “Happy Trails,” by Van Halen, the rest of the band looks at him as if they do not know it is past one o’clock or that the waitresses are looking like they might run the band off stage. They start packing up and head for home, grinning with the feeling that they rocked a few people out on Friday night.

iN it FORtHe CROWD

BY DOUGLAS KNIGHT

COURTNEY SPRADLIN PHOTO

BREAKING EDEN ON FACEBOOKVisit Conway’s Breaking Eden on facebook for shows, information and events. http://on.fb.me/qQA2KL

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ONSTAGE

Keith Nicholson10.01 {Saturday} Keith Nicholson live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Grayson Shelton10.03 {Monday} Grayson Shelton live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Audrey Dean Kelley10.04 {Tuesday} Audrey Dean Kelley live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Ashley McBryde10.05 {Wednesday} Ashley McBryde live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

‘Surreal Killer’10.06 {Thursday} Terry Wright, Mark Spitzer and Tim Thornes, professors with the Department of Writing at the UCA, will read from Surreal Killer at 7 p.m. the Faulkner County Library at 1900 Tyler Street in Conway. Surreal Killer, by the late Roy Trask, aka David Arnott, was published by Shakespeare & Company, Toad Suck.

Mr. Lucky10.06 {Thursday} Mr. Lucky live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Brown Soul Shoes10.07 {Friday} Brown Soul Shoes live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

The Itinerant Locals10.07 {Friday} The Itinerant Locals, tuba and accordion min-

strels, live at 7 p.m. at the Faulkner County Library at 1900 Tyler Street in Conway.

Sunny Burgess & the Legendary Pacers10.07 {Friday} Sunny Burgess & the Legendary Pacers live at 6:30 p.m. on the Kris Allen Stage at Simon Park in Downtown Conway during the ROAR Into Toad Suck Motorcycle Rally.

Ed Bowman and the Rock City Players10.08 {Saturday} Ed Bowman and the Rock City Players live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Breaking Eden10.08 {Saturday} Breaking Eden live at 6:30 p.m. on the Kris Al-len Stage at Simon Park in Downtown Conway during the ROAR Into Toad Suck Motorcycle Rally.

Dillon Cate10.10 {Monday} Dillon Cate live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

John & Buddy10.11 {Tuesday} John & Buddy live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Martha Graham Dance Company with the Conway Symphony Orchestra

10.11 {Tuesday} Martha Graham Dance Company with the Conway Symphony Orchestra live at Reynolds Performance Hall. The expansive vision of pioneering choreographer, Martha

Graham, has created a timeless and uniquely American style of dance for the Martha Graham Dance Company. Dance show-case featuring Graham’s groundbreaking Appalachian Spring with live accompaniment provided by the Conway Symphony Orchestra. This will be a rare opportunity to see the Martha Gra-ham Dance Company present their works as Graham conceived them – with live musicians in the orchestra pit. For tickets go to www.uca.edu/Reynolds.

Jocko10.12 {Wednesday} Jocko live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

The Blackberry Bushes String Band10.13 {Thursday} The Blackberry Bushes String Band, high-energy, soulful Americana quartet live at 7 p.m. at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler Street in Conway.

Breaking Eden10.13 {Thursday} Breaking Eden live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Funky Motif10.14 {Friday} Funky Motif live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Breaking Eden10.14 {Friday} Breaking Eden live at 9:30 p.m. at Gusano’s.

MayDay By Midnight10.15 {Saturday} MayDay By Midnight 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

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Kirk Anderton10.17 {Monday} Kirk Anderton live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Larry Lee Cheshier10.18 {Tuesday} Larry Lee Cheshier live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Darren Barry10.19 {Wednesday} Darren Barry live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Ben Coulter10.20 {Thursday} Ben Coulter live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Barett Baber10.21 {Friday} Barett Baber live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Chooch & the Sidehill Goughers10.22 {Saturday} Chooch & the Sidehill Goughers live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Adam Hambrick10.24 {Monday} Adam Hambrick live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Brian Ramsay10.25 {Tuesday} Brian Ramsay live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

‘Boom Town’10.25 {Tuesday} Cirque Mechanics present Boom Town live at Reynolds Performance hall at UCA. For tickets go to www.uca.edu/Reynolds.

Edward Briggler10.26 {Wednesday} Edward Briggler live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Mr. Lucky10.27 {Thursday} Mr. Lucky live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Herman’s Hermits10.27 {Thursday} Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone and The Lettermen live at at Reynolds Performance hall at UCA. For tickets go to www.uca.edu/Reynolds.

ShotGun Billys10.28 {Friday} ShotGun Billys live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

MayDay By Midnight10.29 {Saturday} MayDay By Midnight live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Justin Brooks10.31 {Monday} Justin Brooks live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

‘Mozart’s Requiem’11.03 {Thursday} Munich Symphony Orchestra presents Mozart’s Requiem with Gloria Dei Cantores live at Reynolds Performance hall at UCA. For tickets go to www.uca.edu/Reynolds.

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ICONTASTE BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, one of the newest additions to Conway’s restaurant-hangouts, is equal parts sports bar and family restaurant. It’s all about watching the game and having fun with the whole family.

The pub is located at 201 Skyline Drive, across from Cinemark Cinema 6.

Owner Randy Hull, who opened the restaurant in early August, wanted to own a bar for for years. “Originally I wanted to open a sports bar,” Hull said. “But as I got older and had kids, I realized I wanted a place where the entire family could hang out. This is a restaurant where parents can eat, enjoy the game and have fun with the kids.”

Hull, a father of two boys, ages eight and 10, knows that a restaurant experience with the kids is not always relaxing, as both parents hope the kids’ fun isn’t bothering the waiter or the neighboring table.

“At Beef ‘O’ Brady’s we want to encourage kids to have a good time,” Hull said. “It’s a laid-back place where kids can have a good time and parents can just relax.”

Thirty high-definition TVs almost guarantee clientele that the game they want to watch will be avail-able to watch as they eat and drink. A large 8x13-foot projection screen shows the most popular game of the day, Hull said.

“We’ll let the cheers determine who’s playing on the big screen,” he said. “We’re big Peyton Hillis fans, so we’ll try to have all his games on.”

The decor of this family pub, which actually includes a mounted Hillis jersey, is Faulkner County-focused with local team names adorning the walls.

“Our goal was to make it about the community of Faulkner County,” Hull said. “Our walls are adorned with kids’ teams. You can walk in here and see your son’s baseball team picture on the wall.”

More than just team decor, Hull hopes Beef ‘O’ Brady’s will be a spot where community organiza-tions gather. Currently, the Bearbackers — UCA’s booster club — uses the restaurant as a meeting place during Monday lunch hours.

“Coach Conque or another athletic director will come in and talk to everybody about the week’s game,” Hull said. “Anybody’s welcome to attend.”

“We want Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to be about giving back to the community,” he said.

The restaurant, which opened in early August, is adapting to the already-large number of clientele, many of whom are wandering in from the neighboring movie theater or shops to eat lunch.

“It’s been a great beginning,” Hull said. “The first few weeks were bigger than anticipated, but we’re learning every day how to get better. Overall, we’re really happy with the turnout and people have been happy with the food and service.”

Most dishes at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s run between $8-10. The menu offers a mix of classic bar food and family favorites — everything from wings, burgers and sandwiches to salads, chicken strip baskets, grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese.

The “Fish ‘n’ Chips” basket and “The Dubliner,” roast beef served with sauteed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and mashed potatoes, keep things Irish.

GOOD FOODGOOD SPORtS

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BEEF O BRADYS

BY WILL HEHEMANN

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THE BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S STORYVisit beefobradys.com for information, locations, jobs and catering. Facebook: http://on.fb.me/mP4XgB and twitter: @beefobrady

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ICONFLAVOR STROMBOLI’SHand-tossed brick oven pizza, piping hot calzones, ice cold Italian beer and the restaurant’s namesake – fresh strombolis – are just a few examples of the New York-style Italian fare at Stromboli’s, located at 605 Salem Rd.

The management at Stromboli’s makes it clear that the restaurant is absolutely local – it’s not a chain or franchise. Rather, it is the cre-ation of Ken and Robin Stauffer, two Conway residents who wanted to open a restaurant.

“I don’t feel you have to be a specific nationality to cook the food you want to cook,” owner Ken Stauffer said of his Italian menu. “I remembered the fresh taste of the food I had back home in Penn-sylvania, and that’s what I wanted to recreate here.”

The distinction of Stromboli’s cuisine resides in its freshness. As guests wait, they can watch the restaurant’s staff mixing and toss-ing the dough and putting the food into one of the restaurant’s giant ovens.

“The ‘Meat Head’ stromboli is our best seller,” Stauffer said. This particular stromboli is filled with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, ground beef, mozzarella and Monterrey Jack cheese.

The fresh-baked pizzas are diverse – “The Goodfella” is a kind of Italian meat-lover’s pizza that includes sage-spiced pork sausage, pepperoni, ham, olives and green peppers, while “The Mediterra-nean” combines prosciutto and Parmesan cheese with fresh basil and tomatoes.

Though there’s a great variety of baked options at Stauffer’s restau-rant, don’t get the impression that baked, bready meals are the only offerings at Stromboli’s. Pastas, salads, sandwiches and wraps ac-count for about half the menu.

BY WILLIAM HEHEMANN

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“We’ve added a lot of options to our menu,” Stauffer said. “Be-cause our store is beside 24/7 Fitness, we included more salads and wraps … people will come in after a workout to eat a light, healthy meal.”

In the mid-2000s, before he owned a restaurant, Stauffer was a truck driver – his delivery excursions up to the Northeast often brought him near his hometown in Pennsylvania. Before his re-turn treks to Arkansas, he would visit his favorite Italian restau-rant and stock up on as many frozen strombolis as he could.

Stauffer recalls, “My wife looked at me one day when I got in off the road and said, ‘You’re always bringing back these stromb-olis. Why not just open your own place?’”

From that point on, Ken and Robin began building a restaurant from the ground up, relentlessly experimenting with different recipes, watching baking tutorials on YouTube and inviting neighbors over to eat and critique their dishes.

“My neighbors loved me,” Stauffer said. “I was feeding them every week.”

Strombolis come in different sizes and cost between $6.99 and $13.99. Pizzas cost between $9.99 for a personal pizza and about $20 for an extra-large.

The restaurant’s Happy Hour is Monday-Thursday, 4-7 p.m. Bottled beers are $1 off regular price, wine is $3.75 a glass and signature Italian Margaritas (with Amaretto) are $3.

Stromboli’s serves breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, 7-10:30 a.m. The restaurant’s hours are Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

A SPECIFIC NATIONALITY TO COOK THE FOOD YOU WANT TO COOK. I REMEMBERED THE

FRESH TASTE OF THE FOOD I HAD BACK HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND THAT’S WHAT I

WANTED TO RECREATE HERE.

-KEN STAUFFER

I DON’T FEEL YOUHAVE TO BE“ “

WHAT’S COOKIN’?View Stromboli’s full menu on facebook: http://on.fb.me/rjz9Kp.

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ICONTECHSPORTS

As is true of every other aspect of today’s culture, technology is steadily encroach-ing on the sports world. In the last few years we’ve seen big changes in the way we follow our favorite teams and sports, in the way those teams use new technology and in the way we use technology in our sports and fitness activities.

Within the last month, I came across a couple of interesting news items that illus-trate how professional athletes and pro sports organizations are taking advantage of new technology as it becomes available.

Each summer, as NFL players report to training camp, one of the rites of passage for those players is receiving their playbooks. Those playbooks are their football bibles for the season, and they usually consist of an overstuffed three-ring binder containing the offensive/defensive strategies that will be used in the upcoming sea-son. This year the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went a different route. Instead of putting together the hefty traditional playbooks, the Buccaneers provided their players with iPads.

The tablets contained all of the normal playbook and strategy information, but fea-tured extremely valuable interactivity where a player could select a particular play and video would come up to actually show how the play unfolds in real game situa-tions. They even have the option to zoom in on their position to follow exactly what they were supposed to do in that play. An interesting side-note is that while the NFL as a whole has embraced technology, there is a rule that no video can be used 90 minutes prior to game time or during the game, so those virtual playbooks must be put away before every game. That’s why you’ll see players looking at still images (essentially Polaroid pictures) on the sidelines during the game.

Baseball has also entered the high tech world through the use of various scouting tools that are in use across the major leagues. Teams are incorporating various physics-based statistical programs that track the velocity and movement on every pitch thrown in every game.

a teCHNOlOGiCal eDGeBY JAMES RYKEN

PROVIDED THEIR PLAYERS WITH IPADS.THE TABLETS FEATURED EXTREMELY VALUABLE INTERACTIVITY WHERE A PLAYER COULD SELECT A PARTICULAR PLAY AND VIDEO WOULD COME UP TO ACTUALLY

SHOW HOW THE PLAY UNFOLDS IN REAL GAME SITUATIONS.

THE TAMPA BAYBUCCANEERS“ “

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Brazilian race car driver Tony Kanaan looks over information on an iPad during practice for the Indianapolis 500 on May 16.

Over the last several years, baseball has implemented a track-ing system in every park that tracks pitch speed, break and location. They then record this information in a database and make the data available to teams and statistics firms. Using an iPad or other tablet device, pitchers have access to this trending data and to visual displays showing every pitch thrown to any particular batter that they’re interested in scouting, as well as the results of each pitch. Especially useful is the ability to click on each pitch and see video the batter’s swing and the results of the pitch.

On the flip side of that, a batter has immediate access to every pitch a pitcher has thrown in his career and can also watch video of those pitches. This isn’t a giant change in practice to what was being done in the past, but the ease of use and access to this information is unprecedented.

It’s not just the professional athletes who are able to take advan-tage of the new technology that’s now readily available. If you head out to a youth baseball or softball game, you’ll start to see coaches using tablets to keep score instead of the old traditional scorebooks. There are several apps available on the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace that allow you to keep score on a tablet or iPhone.

Advantages to these apps over the old-school paper score books are the ease of data entry as well as the immediate cal-culation of individual or team statistics. For anyone who’s ever

pored over a scorebook after a late night game trying to calcu-late batting average or on-base-percentage, the low cost of the app is definitely worth the money.

Baseball and football aren’t the only sports that benefit from the new advances in tech. Venture out to any golf course and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t using some sort of GPS device or distance finder during their weekend round of golf. Several years ago a company named SkyCaddie came out with a compact handheld device that you downloaded course information onto and it then tracked yardage distance through a GPS connection while out on the course.

A few years ago these devices tended to be expensive at $200-300, but they were a breakthrough. No longer did a golfer have to walk off distance from a sprinkler head or yardage marker to figure out how far they were from a hole. Since the release of the iPhone and other smart phone models, app makers have developed programs that use the phone’s GPS capabilities to do the same thing. Now instead of buying an expensive stand-alone device that requires software loaded to your computer and uploading of specific course data, you can simply download the app, enter a few keystrokes and you’re ready to hit the links.

Of the available apps, GolfShot is generally considered the best and costs around $30. These apps also allow you to enter stroke and scoring information and will track your golf history and calculate handicaps. We’ve come a long way from the days

of yardage books and keeping track of scores in notebooks. The other most common application of new technology is in the fit-ness arena, particularly running and cycling. Companies have developed devices and programs that use GPS technology to track your distance, pace and route, whether you’re running or cycling. Some of these are standalone devices such as GPS-enabled watches, but others are applications on your preferred smart phone.

In my opinion the greatest benefit of this new tech is the instant feedback you receive on pace. There’s nothing more frustrating to go out on a run and not know if you’re going too fast or too slow.

With these GPS devices, you immediately know your current pace and you can adjust accordingly. With this technology you can save your results to a program that tracks history, and you can compare workouts against each other.

Another advantage that these programs provide is the ability to track both elevation and heart-rate (when using a small strap that transmits heart-rate information to your device), allowing you to get an in-depth look at how your workout really went. In the past, all you really had to go by was your time and distance.

It’s going to be interesting to see what the future brings, but it’s nice to know that this new technology is not only beneficial in our homes and offices, but also on the sports fields, golf courses, gyms and running trails that we frequent.

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WHat’S HOtiN teCH

HOT VIDEO GAME: GEARS OF WAR 3.One of the most anticipated games of the year is here, so strap on your chainsaw equipped

machine gun and prepare to save the world once again from the evil invading locust army.

HOT DEVICE: IPHONE 5.I don’t know how Apple continues to do it, but it seems that every device they introduce is more

highly hyped and sought after than the last. Good luck getting your hands on one of these guys.

HOT TWITTER ACCOUNT: @HUMbLEbRAGHumblebrag is the hilarious creation of Harris Wittels,

a writer for the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. The purpose of the account is call individuals out for engaging in what Harris has dubbed, the ‘humblebrag’, where someone

is slyly trying to slide in a little brag into a tweet. For example: “My cab driver just asked me if I was a famous actress. Guess that means I look halfway decent today.”

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IT’SCOOLDOWNTOWNn FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT DOWNTOWNCONWAY.ORG

The Second Annual Zombie Walk is set for Oct. 15! Down-town Conway will be overtaken by friendly Zombies for a good cause.

• “The Kitchen Witches” Production dates are Oct. 1-2 and 6-9 at the Lantern Theatre on Van Ronkle. The “Kitchen Witches” is the hilarious story of two cable TV chefs who have been enemies for more than 30 years and are suddenly thrown together on a new cooking show. Visit www.conwayarts.org for ticket information.

• Regions Bank will host the “Arkansas Big Bike Tour,” which will feature the Regions Bank Big Green Bike. The bike will be located at Simon Park, on Thursday, Oct. 6th from 3-5 p.m. You can register to win a smaller version of the Big Bike at Simon Park.

• Silver Moon Cinema – Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. – Show TBA.

• Volunteer Conway: Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22. The VolunteerConway was born from community/volunteer-minded companies, businesses and banks in Conway to create a volunteer army to attack community projects that lack funding staffing or both. Their first project focus will include the following projects: downtown streetscape revitalization, school projects, parks cleanup, non-profit projects and Robin-son Cemetery cleanup. Visit: www.VolunteerConway.org for all the details on how you can give back.

• Conway Downtown Partnership Annual Luncheon: Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 11:30 a.m., at Michelangelo’s – Celebrate 10 Years of accomplishments in Downtown Conway. Gov. Mike Beebe will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are $25 per person or $100 for a table of four. Contact Kim Williams to make your reservations today. Call (501) 548.9950 or email kim@conwayarkansas.org.

• Downtown Merchants Breakfast: Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 8:45 a.m., at Cross Creek Sandwich Shop. All partners and prospective partners are welcome. This is our monthly meet-ing where downtown happenings, promotions and concerns are highlighted.

FALL FOR

FUNIN DOWNTOWN CONWAY!

ZOMBIE WALK

DON’T FORGET!

R.O.A.R. INTO TOAD SUCK

As summer’s sizzle fizzles, rediscover Downtown Conway! The fall is rich in Downtown Conway for family-friendly festivals such as ArtsFest and ROAR into Toad Suck (Riders of Arkansas Rally). Enjoy the Lantern Theatre’s “The Kitchen Witches” and get involved with Volunteer Conway ... Plus, Governor Beebe is set to speak at the Conway Downtown Partnership’s Annual Luncheon!

October 7-9 {Friday-Sunday} All riders are welcome and this event is free to the public. Proceeds will be shared with the Faulkner County Red Cross. R.O.A.R. into Toad Suck begins at 4 p.m., Friday with a kickstart party. Come “kick around” the square, enjoy the music, food & fun! A biker parade will follow from Toad Suck Harley-Davidson at 6 p.m. (lineup at 5:45). Live music will take center stage at Simon Park beginning at 6:30 p.m., featuring Sonny Burgess & The Pacers. Park your bike & enjoy old time rock ‘n’ roll on the square! Vendors will be on hand Saturday morning, and a car show/antique bike show is scheduled from 10-3. For more information, visit www.abate17.com.

Saturday, Oct. 29!Our Downtown Merchants welcome all the little ghosts and goblins…

DOWNTOWNTRICK OR TREAT

In Downtown Conway, you’ll always find something to do and great places to eat. And, you will certainly enjoy all the charm this historic landmark has to offer!

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LOCALART STEVE GRIFFITH

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CaPtURiNGeMOtiON

Steve Griffith was born in the mountains of western Arkansas in 1959. From infancy he traveled with his family to the Rocky Mountain states to work in the tim-ber business and to the Pacific Northwest to work in the fruit orchards.

The changing landscape on these long trips provided a natural backdrop to develop a passion for both art and travel. He states, “I cannot remember a time when I did not create art of one type or another.”

Perhaps his third grade report card summarizes him best stating, “Steve is a good student but spends too much time drawing and coloring.”

Art was not viewed as a viable commodity in the culture in which he grew up and was often discouraged in favor of manual labor. As a result, he worked at a variety of jobs developing many skills that were later applied to different art techniques. He also gained a deep under-standing of people and objects and their interaction in the environment.

Griffith briefly studied art in college before develop-ing an interest in psychology, eventually becoming a licensed psychotherapist. He practiced full time for 14 years, often using art therapy with patients ranging from small children to geriatrics. However, He produced very little art for the public until 1996, when encouraged by colleagues, he began showing in local galleries. By 2001 demand for his art allowed him to begin painting full time.

His unique background has allowed him to develop a strong, loose style that embraces his love of light, energy and motion. Griffith states, “I choose not to reproduce reality, instead striving for an interpretation of the subject using spontaneous strokes of bold color and layers of thick rich paint working with brush and pallet knife. I want to capture the emotion of the mo-ment. My art is inspired by the world around me and always dances on the borderline of abstraction and expressionism.”

His style is brave and sometimes surprising but tends to find a deeper place in the heart and imagination of his collectors over time. Griffith believes the true art in every painting lies beneath the visible brushstrokes and occurs only when an intuitive link is made connecting the viewer, the medium and the artist at a higher level.

Griffith’s work is available in galleries throughout the United States.

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ART

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ART

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{SAVE THE DATE}Charity Art Auction benefitting Conway Regional

10.22 {Saturday} Charity Art Auction benefitting Con-way Regional 6-10:00 p.m., Southwest Energy Building located in The Village at Hendrix. Art from Steve Griffith and Vivian Noe-Griffith, and entertainment provided by Rodney Block.

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REPRODUCE REALITY, INSTEAD STRIVING FOR AN INTERPRETATION OF THE SUBJECT USING SPONTANEOUS STROKES OF BOLD COLOR AND LAYERS

OF THICK RICH PAINT WORKING WITH BRUSH AND PALLET KNIFE.

-STEVE GRIFFITH

I CHOOSE NOT TO“ “

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LOCALICON

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BRYCE MOLDERBY DAVID McCOLLUM

TO FINDING OUT HOW MUCH BETTER I CAN BE.

THE ABILITY IS THERE,I JUST HAVE TO FIND A WAY

TO GET IT OUT.

-BRYCE MOLDER“

I LOOKFORWARD“

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It’s been a season of near-misses for Conway’s Bryce Molder on the PGA Tour.

He has earned $872,411, made 12 of 24 cuts and had four top-10 finishes with a chance on Sunday at that elusive victory all four times. He retained his PGA Tour card for the third straight year. But two weeks in a row at 8 on a Friday night, he learned he was No. 71 in a field that was reduced to 70 for the weekend.

In The Barclays, the second event in the FedEx Cup series of tournaments, he fell to No. 101 in the FedEx rankings. The top 100 advanced to play for what amounts to the end-of-season championships. That tournament was reduced to three rounds because of weather, and Molder finished in a tie for 64th. However, because finishes in FedEx Cup tournaments count for more points than they do in the regular season, Molder was passed in the rankings and knocked out of further competition by golfers who were behind him on the money list but benefited from the extra points.

Molder, one of only four four-time, first-team NCAA All-Americans in golf and twice recipient of the Jack Nicklaus Award for Player of the Year, discussed this year and the future during a recent interview with ICON.

What’s the overall assessment of the season? You retained your card, had some moments but had some tough breaks at the end.Disappointing. I struggled most of the year but what I would like to take with me is that even in a bad year, my good weeks were still very good. And yes, I have my card, so all is not lost.

Was what happened in the FedEx Cup kind of typical of the year?You could not have said it much better. I laughed, days later, when thinking about finishing 101. I did feel like it was a perfect reflection of how the year went. Not bad breaks, just one of those years.

How tough was it finishing 64th and still not making the top 100 points qualifiers and still being among the top money winners for the season?The system is in place to reward and punish play during the four playoff events, and that is what it is doing. I like the system.

Does the pressure in that kind of format rival Q-School*?Nothing rivals Q-school. Q-school is playing for a job; the FedEx is like playing for an end-of-the-year bonus. Three rounds (in a tournament) is not enough to separate a field, especially on a wet golf course where you really need five or six rounds to really separate who is playing well and who is playing really well.

Can a golfer actually win one of those FedEx Cup events and still lose his card? You couldn’t win and not get your card. You would have a two-year exemption and the money would put you well over as well. But someone could possibly make it all the way to the tour championship and not make his card. But that is NEARLY impossible.

I know you had some headaches during the latter part of the season. I know you don’t want to make excuses but how did that affect what you did in the light of PGA rules prohibit certain drugs the normal person can take for an illness or a headache? How is your health?My health has been very good, and I have still yet to miss a round due to injury. I have had some migraines during competition, but we have things pretty well within reason. Anyone who has migraines or been around someone having one knows it can be pretty debilitating, but I have been fortunate that mine have been less severe and less frequent than in the past.

On a more upbeat side, what improvement did you see in your game this year?

What did you do well?The biggest thing for me this year was that my good was still really good. I didn’t do much of anything really well, other than learn to play some pretty good rounds while struggling. I did a better job of keeping some good, positive energy even though the results weren’t there.

Does the fact that some of the folks you played with or against in junior golf and in college, Matt Kuchar, Troy Matteson, Luke Donald, Jonathan byrd, Charles Howell, Lucas Glover, to name a few, seem to be having some breakthroughs help your confidence that victories will come in the future? I am happy to see some of the guys I have competed with for years succeeding. A little jealous, but only in a competition sense. It’s just a matter of time before I do the same.

How much better do you think you can be?I look forward to finding out how much better I can be. The ability is in there, I just have to find a way to get it out.

What effect was having pretty much a Tiger-less year or having Tiger Woods not playing that well in the tournaments he entered have on the rest of the field? Does Tiger being in a tournament have the same mental effect on other golf-ers?There are “Tiger” events and “non-Tiger” events. The buzz when he is in the field is evident as soon as you show up to register. I, as well as all of the other players, look forward to his return to greatness — even if it makes winning more difficult.

Tiger aside, can anyone outside the ropes realize how tough it is out there week to week with so many good golfers?I don’t want to make it sound like it is a tougher than what it is or that we should have some sympathy, because we are fortunate to be able to play golf and not have to work for a living. I think what people do not realize is just how small the difference is between someone ranked 500 in the world and someone ranked 75. There is a much bigger gap from 500 to 75, than from 75 to 1. Maybe it is just the nature of the sport, but you will never see a guy in tennis ranked 100th win a tournament, but you will see a golf win that is well outside that. Again, I think it’s the nature of the sport, which is what makes it challenging. Every single shot means so much.

How tough is it to be within striking distance on Sunday and trying to strike the right balance between being aggressive enough to win and conservative enough to try not to fall back too far on the money list?Trying to win instead of trying not to mess up is a hard thing to do. Especially, when you are trying to keep your job for next year. That is exactly the barrier I am trying to break down right now.

What’s next for the rest of the year?I am playing in the first three Fall Series events in Las Vegas, San Jose and Sea Island, Ga. Other than that, I look forward to getting back to work and figuring out how to get better

How’s married life treating you?My wife, Kelley, and I are very happy with our life in Scottsdale with our dogs. The best time of the year is being home and spending time with them. It’s Friday morning here and I am sitting on my couch with them and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.

*In professional golf the term qualifying school (Q-School) is used for the annual quali-fying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour.

ON tHe eDGe OF GReatNeSS

BRYCE MOLDERAt a glance, stats summary, news, video and personal information on Conway’s pro golfer. Visit pgatour.com/players/02/38/00/

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In 2010 Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter, launched a revolutionary product for businesses. Branded “Square” based on the square shape of the card reader, this device plugs into the audio jack of your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Android device and with the Square app users can receive payments from credit cards.

What’s so amazing about this service is the app is free and the device is free. Users are only charged 2.75% per swipe. All payments are run on a next-day payout and are directly deposited into your bank account. Once you set up your bank account, Square will deposit a small amount into it for verification. Square is Verisign certified and card numbers, magnetic stripe data, or security codes are not stored on Square devices.

Square is not just about receiving payments. Square provides spreadsheets of payment history, the ability to create a shelf of items you sale, add sales tax, add tips, and much more. When a user pays someone Square prompts him or her with the option to receive a receipt via email or text message. If you have a recurring customer, Square saves their email address or number for quicker checkouts and sending receipts. This summer, Square launched a new app called Card Case and a new feature for merchants called Register.

CARD CASE AND REGISTERCard Case and Register are brilliant for businesses with recurring customers. Register, which runs only on an iPad, allows merchants to receive the payments through a card-less tab system. Card Case acts as your virtual wallet storing your tabs. Register will sync with Card Case so the merchant can see your picture to verify that it is you, as well as your twitter account, email, or whatever else you wish to store and share from your Square account. Once you place your order the merchant will tap “Charge” on their iPad and the user will receive a text message or email receipt that the payment went through.

Square: http://www.squareup.com/Card Case: http://www.squareup.com/cardcase

ICONAPPS SQUARE

SQUaRe MaKeS it POSSiBleBY LUKE IRVIN // @thelukeirvin // facebook.com/lukeirvin

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42

ONTHEMOVEWILLIAM RUCK

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OUtSiDe tHe BOX

Little Rock native William Ruck is one to watch. A 2006 graduate of the University of Arkansas, he earned a master of business administration in 2009 and began work at Hewlett-Packard in the same year. He spent six months in sales before moving up to his current operations role.

Before graduate school, he lived in Dallas and worked for an investment bank for a while. “The investment banking world was really, really dicey. It was in the middle of the credit crisis. They weren’t hiring, or they were wondering if they were going to have jobs.”

Working for HP gave him the opportunity to be closer to his parents and 16-year-old sister, he noted. “I wanted to do something a little more people-oriented. It seemed like a great opportunity to get my feet wet in sales,” he said. “I worked in sales about six months. I enjoyed it and did a good job. Dave Cronk, who runs the sales group here, realized I had a pretty strong quanti-tative skills set that wasn’t being put to use in the sales role. The strategy and planning job was open.”

In the operations role, Ruck works with about 400 sales people. He sets quota, de-termines how they go to market, answers compensation questions and comes up for strategies for allocating the sales people in the best possible way.

“I have to be sure my work is accurate and that we set the compensations so that the sales people are satisfied. We try to look for ways to help the sales force be more competitive and efficient at what they do.”

He said he enjoys working with new sets of challenges each day. “There are short-term challenges but also long-term chal-lenges and long-term projects I’m working on. For example, one long-term project I’m working on is setting up our sales force for

the next fiscal year.”

Ruck is an avid runner and enjoys running at Pinnacle Mountain. He added, “I enjoy working for a company that encourages a well-rounded lifestyle.

Ruck discussed what he likes about HP. “I really love tech. I like working on the bleed-ing edge of information technology. That’s really enjoyable. I like seeing how our com-pany, specifically, is inventing and selling the products that shape how the world is changing.

“There are new applications on the Internet and in social media and in ecommerce that have changed the way people do business, how they interact socially, and really how they view the world. HP is absolutely be-hind all of that.

“I like being in on a company that’s touch-ing most of the pieces of the puzzle in the information age. When you type a search into your favorite search engine and hit “enter,” that information travels across en-terprise networking across the country to a data center where it’s processed through a high-end server. Oftentimes the informa-tion you were searching for is housed in an enterprise storage array. HP participates as a leader in all of these markets. So, more times than not, when you swipe your card or do a search, somewhere along the line, that information is being processed by HP technology, which is pretty amazing. It’s the backbone of the Internet. It’s the back-bone of e-commerce. It’s the hardware that powers the information age.”

As for his future career goals, he said, “I’m a people person. I also have a really firm grasp on the analysis side of the job and numbers. I’m pretty good at the analyti-cal. I’d like to do something that uses both sides, whether that be here at HP or in an entrepreneurial pursuit.”

BY RACHEL PARKER DICKERSON

STEWART COLE PHOTO

WHEN YOU SWIPE YOUR CARD OR DO A SEARCH, SOMEWHERE

ALONG THE LINE, THAT INFORMATION IS BEING

PROCESSED BY HP TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING.

MORE TIMES THAN NOT,“

“

STRATEGIC PLANNING PUTS RUCK IN FRONTOF HP SALES FORCE

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SPORTS FAN CONTEST

Strain Photography recently asked, “Who’s the biggest fan!?”

Utilizing Strain Photography’s facebook page, fans were asked to submit their pictures for the Ultimate Sports Fan Photo Contest. Through rounds of voting, i.e. “likes” on fa-cebook as well as votes at area sponsors, the Top 20 have been selected as finalists.

Two categories, 14 and under and 14 and over, have been narrowed down and are in the running for prize packages from Strain Photography, Ann’s Trendy Kidz, The Hog Zone, Studio M, Mommie 2 B, Occasions, Bling T’s, Ed’s Bakery, Central Arkansas Cheer, Hipsway, The Hair Co., Conway Collision and Stoby’s/pattiCakes.

The Top 10 from each category are featured here.

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aCClaiMeD aUtHOR tO leCtURe at HeNDRiXJohn Edgar Wideman, whose life Salon has called “as dramatic as any of his brooding, Faulknerian novels,” is the author of numerous published works that explore the struggles of marginalized African Americans as they at-tempt to survive in a hostile, sometimes insurmountable environment.

Wideman, who has gained attention from readers, crit-ics, and awards committees alike for his linguistic vitality and stylistic multifariousness, will present “An Evening with John Edgar Wideman,” part of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language series exploring the theme “Crime.”

The talk will take place on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m., in Staples Auditorium on the Hendrix College campus. A book signing and reception will follow in the Mills Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Much of Wideman’s work points to his concern over crimes committed against African Americans. In his 1973 novel, The Lynchers, four black men plan to lynch a white cop as a political statement. His novel Philadel-phia Fire fictionalizes the 1985 police bombing of the Afro-centric group known as MOVE, resulting in the destruction of a neighborhood and the killing of eleven people. Wideman’s book-length essay Hoop Roots in-terweaves his personal relationship with basketball with the sport’s racial dynamics. Wideman’s memoir Brothers and Keepers centers on his brother’s trial and imprison-ment for murder and offers sharp commentary on the American justice system. Wideman returns to his fam-ily’s experiences with the criminal justice system in his book Fatherlong, which examines his search for con-

nections with his father—a search that is beset by the fates of his brother and son, who was also incarcerated for murder.

After 43 years of a prolific career, John Edgar Wide-man remains a literary vanguard. He is the author of ten novels, two memoirs, several collections of short fiction, and a meditation-memoir hybrid. Wideman is the only individual to have been awarded the PEN/Faulkner Award twice—in 1984 for Sent for You Yesterday and in 1990 for Philadelphia Fire. He also won the O. Henry Award for his short story “Weight” in 2000. Wideman’s other awards and honors include the American Book Award for Fiction, the Rea Award for the short story, the Lannan Literary Fellowship for Fiction, a MacArthur Fel-lowship, the National Magazine Editors’ Prize for Short Fiction, and a National Book Critics Circle Nomination. His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Vogue, Esquire, Emerge, and the New York Times Magazine. He is also subject of Conversations with John Edgar Wideman, a collection of nineteen interviews spanning three decades. Wideman teaches at Brown University as a Professor of Africana Studies and English.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hendrix-Murphy Foun-dation Programs in Literature and Language, which are designed to enhance and enrich the study and teach-ing of literature and language at Hendrix College, and by the Robert and Lillian Drake Endowed Lectureship, which was established in 2001 by Robert Y. Drake, Jr., in memory of his parents. For more information about this and future Hendrix-Murphy events, please contact Henryetta Vanaman, (501) 450-4597 or vanaman@hendrix.edu.