It’s not the spot they wanted, but Bob and Val Yagos drew Post Position 1 for their 3-year-old Archarcharch in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
The Derby is the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
The Pulaski County couple, who own JB’s Auto Salvage near Jacksonville, were in attendance along with other owners, at the drawing Wednesday afternoon in Louisville. The horse is trained by 70-year-old Jinks Fires of Hot Springs, Ark. The jockey is Jon Court, 50, of Louisville..
The drawing was televised by Versus cable network.
The Morning Line established Archarcharch as a 10-1 shot. Dialed In, at No. 8, was named the favorite at 4-1. Uncle Mo, starting from No. 18, was the second favorite at 9-2. Nehro, who nearly caught Archarcharch when he won the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 16, will start from No. 19, with odds set at 6-1. Midnight Interlude, trained by media favorite Bob Baffert, also opens as a 10-1 bet and will start at No. 15.
The Arkansas Travelers were hot.
Going into their 2011 home opener Thursday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, they were on a two-game winning streak. They had started the season with four straight losses.
New manager Bill Mosiello’s club was swept by the Midland RockHounds in the three-game opening series of the Texas League season last week. Then the team headed east to Frisco, where the RoughRiders hammered the Travs 11-4 in the series opener before Arkansas snapped back with a 6-4 and 9-4 wins to take the series.
But Thursday, the RockHounds put a stop to the winning streak by shutting down the Travs 3-0 before a crowd of 5,734. Travs starter Trevor Reckling was good in five shutout innings, but the wheels came off in a three-run sixth against Travs right-handed reliever Daniel Sattling.
Friday night the Travelers try to break that 0-4 start against the RockHounds by sending right-hander Orangel Arenas to the mound in a 7:10 start tonight at Dickey-Stephens.
First Presbyterian Church of North Little Rock’s downtown Argenta neighborhood is hosting an Easter egg hunt for all children 10-and-under at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 23, in the church courtyard.
No one has to be a member of the church and no recruiting will be done.
First Presbyterian Church is at 201 W. Fourth St. (corner of Fourth and Main) in North Little Rock. Call 501.374.7677 or go to argentapres.org for more information.
The prizes in the eggs will be peanut-free (because of allergies) and chocolate-free (because of melted messiness).
The folks doing the publicity for Oxford American, because the deadline for applicants is rapidly approaching, recently sent this news release out:
Scholarships available for Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers
The Oxford American will offer five scholarships (including tuition, room, and board) for Arkansas college students to attend the inaugural Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers occurring June 21–26, 2011, at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain.
“These scholarships will allow the most promising young writers at Arkansas colleges to learn from some of the best writers and editors in the nation,” said Marc Smirnoff, editor of The Oxford American. “We are pleased to be able to extend this opportunity to our home-state students.”
The scholarships will be awarded to the five best student applications (as judged by the Summit’s Fiction and Creative Nonfiction admission boards) received from two- and four-year Arkansas colleges and universities. More information and guidelines are available at http://summit.oxfordamerican.org/scholarship-policy.
The Summit, a collaboration between The Oxford American magazine and Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, will offer participants the opportunity to improve their writing in a peaceful and stimulating environment. During the Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers, literary professionals will challenge participants to sharpen and deepen their writing skills through daily writing classes, lecture sessions, and manuscript critiques. Distinguished faculty and guest lecturers will teach a number of workshop sessions that focus equally on short fiction and creative nonfiction. Publishing experts will lead innovative programming designed to hone the skills that increase a writer’s chance of being noticed by editors.
The Oxford American also promises a fun and unique experience featuring great Southern food and music presented by talented chefs and performers. Participants can enjoy the spectacular setting, including nature trails and recreational facilities at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute and nearby Petit Jean State Park.
Confirmed faculty members include David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker; Heidi Julavits, the co-founder and co-editor of The Believer; Wells Tower (recently named by The New Yorker as among the 20 best fiction writers under 40); Kevin Brockmeier (one of Granta magazine’s Best Young American Novelists and winner of the O. Henry Award); Pico Iyer (praised by Time as “among the finest travel writers of his generation”); as well as Tom Franklin, Cristina Henríquez, Scott Huler, and Jay Jennings. Detailed biographical information about each faculty member is available online at http://summit.oxfordamerican.org.
Applications for admission to the Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers will be accepted through May 1. The admissions committee will notify participants as they are selected, so it is possible that all available student slots will be filled before May 1. Those interested are encouraged to submit application materials as early as possible. Full application instructions and materials are available online at http://summit.oxfordamerican.org.
More information at http://www.oxfordamerican.org.
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It’s a great program.
From Joe Angolia, UALR media relations director:
Tuesday’s UALR Basketball Coaches Luncheon has been cancelled due to inclement weather conditions in the Little Rock area. The next coaches luncheon will take place Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 11:30 a.m. in the Legends Room of the Jack Stephens Center, followed by the final luncheon of the season on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. for each luncheon, with head coaches Steve Shields and Joe Foley on hand with a player from each of their teams to talk about the season at noon.
Parking for the luncheons will be available in Lot 16 (stop light at University Avenue and the cooperative extension building) or in Lot 13 at the southwest corner of the Jack Stephens Center.
The luncheons will be catered by Corky’s and cost $10 for Tip-In Club members and $15 for non-members. Interested parties are asked to RSVP to Andrea Duc by phone (501.569.3393) or e-mail her at alduc@ualr.edu.
From a UP conductor, working on a short-line route:
Dear sir:
My name is Zach Pumphery. I am a Through Freight Conductor for Union Pacific Railroad in Kansas City, Missouri. I am a lifelong resident of this area, born and raised in Poplar Bluff, MO, I lived and worked for the railroad in Southern Illinois, Northern Arkansas, and all over Missouri. I grew up loving trains, and began working for the railroad at the age of 18. I have also been actively involved with the preservation of American Railroading through various railroad museums and historical societies.
I am writing you on the behalf of area railroad enthusiasts in support of the Union Pacific Great Excursion Adventure. This is a contest being conducted by Union Pacific Railroad where the general public gets to route a Union Pacific steam locomotive somewhere on their diverse 22-state system. UP received over 60,000 nominations for towns to visit in November of 2010.
UP operates two steam locomotives in special service, they are #844, the only steam locomotive that has never been retired from active service in the United States, and #3985, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, and one of only two surviving examples of its type.
UP 844: http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/locomotives/844.shtml
UP 3985: http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/locomotives/3985.shtml
From those towns they have selected 4 different routes based on the number of nominations and feasibility of running a 1940’s era steam locomotive. Now, here’s the cool part: one of those 4 routes plotted out passes through Kansas City, MO, Boonville, Jefferson City, Kirkwood, St. Louis, East St. Louis, IL, Cahokia, Dupo, Valmeyer, Chester, Thebes, Scott City, MO, Delta, Bell City, Dexter, Poplar Bluff, Neelyville, Corning, AR, Walnut Ridge/Hoxie, Tuckerman, Newport, Bald Knob, Searcy/Kensett, Beebe, Jacksonville, North Little Rock, and Little Rock.
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/attachments/media_kit/steam/excursion_adventure/little_rock_express_map.pdf
This effort is somewhat of a personal endeavor for me, as I have worked over or ridden over literally every stretch of railroad this train will touch between Kansas City and North Little Rock.
Now, to accomplish this, we need the support of the community around the tracks. While these steam engines run every year, it has been over a decade since many people along the route have even had the chance to see an operating steam locomotive. Kansas City saw both of UP’s steam engines this past year (2010). Little Rock and St. Louis each saw one in 2010. Most towns between St. Louis and Little Rock haven’t seen a steam locomotive since 2004, and in some places, 1996!
America’s youth will never get the chance to see these monsters in regular service, but you can help give them a chance to see a part of living history thundering by, and possibly spend the night in your community, since the train will make overnight stops in at least 3 intermediate locations between Kansas City and Little Rock (these places will probably be Jefferson City, St. Louis, Dexter or Poplar Bluff.) The fact that UP has never done anything like this offers you a rare chance to route a piece of history. If you have never seen an operating steam locomotive, it is a sight that just about anybody can enjoy and appreciate, and their visits are usually remembered fondly, and for a very long time.
The reason I’m appealing to you is our area is a primarily rural, but historical region, that owes much of its development to the railroads dating back to the turn of the century, and our route is up against the other 3, as of January 6th we are 2,000 votes behind a route that takes the train to the Chicago area, but we’re ahead the other two. With your support, we can bring this piece of history to OUR area, but mind you, we’re up against a lot of other people.
I encourage your area residents, readers, and viewers to vote for the route that passes through here. It is very simple: go to www.upexcursion.com, click “Little Rock Express”, and enter a vaild e-mail address, agree to the terms of service, and verify your first vote via an automated e-mail that will be sent immediately to you. After the initial first vote, you can vote again and again for the “Little Rock Express” once per day until January 17th. The winning route will be announced on the 18th.
You can find more information by visiting:
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/heritage_and_steam/2011/0104_upexcursion.shtml
www.upexcursion.com
www.upsteam.com
www.up.com
Again, I would like to stress this is the first time UP has ever done anything like this in their 50 years of operating special steam locomotive excursions. Usually these trips are determined internally by their public affairs department.
Zach Pumphery
Conductor – Union Pacific Railroad
Harrisonville, MO
We Arkansans like to tout our state as one of natural beauty. Some people from other places know about our home in that context, but most do not.
Often, it is bad news, such as the shooting death of Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney in 2008, or embarrassing remarks, such as the gay-bashing done by the idiot Midland School District board member in Pleasant Plains, that attracts national headlines.
But we’re back in the news because of falling red-winged blackbirds and dead fish. Scientists are baffled as to what killed the birds. They say they suffered some sort of physical trauma … lightning … other weather … they say they really don’t know.
The crazy preachers on the right always are blaming stuff on homosexuals or other constituencies often associated with liberals and progressives. So this time I’m going to get in on act.
For lack of a better answer, I’ll blame the birds falling from the sky on freshman Republican legislator-elect David Sanders of Little Rock, a former Stephens Media colleague. He has a bill ready for filing that calls for changing the state slogan from “The Natural State” to an old one, “The Land of Opportunity.”
On Facebook, I told him that I expected as much — him, a Republican, trying to turn the clock back several decades. Messing with the fates by trying to run from Arkansas’ reputation as being a state with natural beauty is as good a cosmic reason for the mysterious bird deaths as anything else.
