Mike Dougherty's Blog

Pulling page program another ridiculous stunt by Congress

mikedougherty — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:38:08 +0000

Just heard that John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi had agreed to end the congressional page program, which costs about $5 million per year.

The leaders of the two parties in the U.S. House cited all the jobs once performed by pages (carrying documents from one place to another, delivering phone messages to representatives, etc.) as now being unnecessary because of all the information that congressmen send and receive via their personal electronic devices.

Yes, $5 million will solve our financial problems — how many trillions of dollars are we in debt?

Many a youngster has been exposed to the excitement and noble calling of public service during their days as a page.

It seems to me that we would much better get our money’s worth from our congressmen if we kept the page system and banned our elected representatives from using PDAs and cell phones while they are on the floor of the Capitol. Better yet, why don’t we ban them from using them while they are in Washington. If they worried less about their personal Twitter accounts and what provocative photos they can send with their phones, maybe they would concentrate on what’s good for the country instead of check their poll numbers and how many friends and followers they have on their various social media sites.

We’re not electing them to be popular on the Internet, but most (on both sides of the aisle) seem to have forgotten that.

Let’s just pull the plug on the Wi-Fi service in the U.S. Capitol. How much worse a job would our congressmen do if they were forced to pay attention to their jobs?

Cabot Quiz Bowl team wins Class 7A state championship

mikedougherty — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:28:17 +0000

Congratulations are in order for the Cabot High School Quiz Bowl team that won the Class 7A state championship of the Arkansas Governor’s Academic Competition, Quiz Bowl 2011, late last month against Fort Smith Southside High School.
The team won the championship trophy and a check for $3,200.
“We are going to nationals [competition] at New Orleans,” quiz bowl coach Sarah Cantrell said of how the winnings will be used.
Team members are Layne Bernardo, Tony Cardillo, Will Otter, Daniel Carman, Harrison Cardillo, Emily Riley, Jordan Reed, Celina Miranda, Zayne Derden and Rose Arnold. Each member developed areas of specialty.
Coaches are Jana Smith and Cantrell.
The title match was televised on Arkansas Educational Television Network at the AETN studio in Conway.
That’s a wonderful conclusion to a difficult, challenging quest the team started early this year.
Coming up with the correct answer to random questions on statewide television likely involves much more pressure than does playing a sport in which an athlete has performed for hundreds, if not a thousand hours, over the course of a childhood.
The Quiz Bowl students have prepared for their season a few hours a week for a couple of months.
Bravo!

Buzz-B-Q on May 14 to benefit Camp Sunshine, pediatric burn survivor camp funded by local firefighters group

mikedougherty — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:11:31 +0000

The seventh annual Buzz-B-Q, hosted by KABZ-FM, 103.7 The Buzz, will be Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the North Little Rock RV Park on the North Shore of the Arkansas River.

The Buzz-B-Q barbecue and music festival benefits the Arkansas Professional Firefighters’ project, Camp Sunshine.

“Camp Sunshine is an annual four-day camp for pediatric burn survivors completely funded by the Arkansas Professional Firefighters and is free for the camper,” said Capt. Mark Warford, president of IAFF Local No. 35. “By partnering with The Buzz on Buzz-B-Q, we are able to help fund this camp and assist the kids’ transition from being a burn victim to burn survivor through fun activities with other kids who are going through a similar situation.”

Camp Sunshine is held every August at Camp Aldersgate in west Little Rock. Counselors and volunteers are firefighters, adult burn survivors and Arkansas Children’s Hospital personnel, such as the Burn Center nurses. Volunteers participate in many activities with campers including fishing, swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, a dance and even a trip to Magic Springs amusement park near Hot Springs.

“The atmosphere is relaxed and happy. Kids can catch up with old friends and meet new ones, all having survived the same devastating experience,” Warford said. “We get as much out of the camp as the kids themselves. It brings it home, and to the heart, as to why we do the job we do.”

Tickets to Buzz-B-Q are on sale now. The public may buy one ticket for $10 and get one free at participating ticket locations before the event. Ticket locations are listed online at www.1037thebuzz.com. Tickets are $10 a person at the door on the day of the event. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

More than 90 local barbecue teams will compete in the barbecue contest for $5,000 in cash and prizes in the categories of pork, ribs and chicken. Forty-five teams are competing in the Average Joe Division for the laid-back griller. Forty-seven teams are competing in the more competitive Pro Division.

Half of the teams will be handing out free samples of their barbecue to the public. These teams will be competing for the People’s Choice Award that will be judged by a random sampling of Buzz-B-Q attendees. Teams also will be voted on for a showmanship prize for originality of the barbecue team space. Teams giving free samples and participating in the showmanship contest will display signs in their team space.

Live music will be featured on the music stage by Josh Green, The Moses Tucker Band, Jeff Coleman and the Feeders, Taylor Made Rocks and Canvas. The Kids Zone will feature options such as a rock-climbing wall and the Buzzaritaville will offer food, drinks and entertainment for the whole family. KABZ personalities Tommy Smith, David Bazzel, Roger Scott, Justin Acri and Pat Bradley will be among those serving as masters of ceremony.

The night before, the Buzz is hosting the Kick-off to Buzz-B-Q party from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the RV Park that is free to the public. Buzzaritaville will be open and live music will be provided by Steele Jessup, Breaking Eden and Sharpe Dunaway and the Meanies.

Archarcharch draws Post Pos. 1 for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby

mikedougherty — Wed, 04 May 2011 21:51:56 +0000

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.

Storms still show us who’s boss

mikedougherty — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 04:48:25 +0000

Monday night was another scary one for those of us here on Pinto Point in west Little Rock. It’s 11:30 p.m. and we’re still without power, but as best we can tell in the dark, there is no severe damage.
This will be the second time in 11 days for an extended loss of electrical power for those of us on the south side of the street. This time, though, our neighbors across the street are in the dark as well.
Thank God that we all apparently are OK, We know that some people were not as fortunate, in regard to damage to their homes and surroundings.
Nancy, Daisy (our Lhasa Apso) and I wound up in the closet when the tornado apparently was going over us. We had Ed Buckner of Channel 11 playing on 94.1 FM The Point on our battery-operated boombox, but we didn’t lose power until a few minutes later when Ed was telling us that powerful straight-line winds were blowing through downtown Little Rock.
Oh well, I hope the alarm goes off on my alarm clock in the morning.

Brummett’s Tuesday column worth checking out

mikedougherty — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:40:11 +0000

John Brummett, a columnist for Stephens Media, nails the absurdity of some of the candidates who seem to be atop the polls as leading GOP presidential candidates in his column written for Tuesday, April 19. His effort lampooning the candidacies of Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump appears in some of Central Arkansas Newspapers’ own weeklies this week and is available at arkansasnews.com, the website of the Arkansas News Bureau.
Brummett is a former Little Rock McClellan High School classmate. In fact, my criticism of the school newspaper 40-plus years ago likely is the reason I am in the business now. Basically, he told me to “put up or shut up” and here we are.
Check out John’s column. You’ll enjoy it.

Travelers hope to get back on track in Game 2 of homestand

mikedougherty — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:45:20 +0000

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 in Argenta hosts Easter egg hunt April 23

mikedougherty — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:06:58 +0000

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).

Writing workshop scholarships available to Arkansas college students through Oxford American

mikedougherty — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:46:16 +0000

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.

Congrats to ASU Red Wolves, coach on classy behavior vs. MTSU

mikedougherty — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:10:18 +0000

The Sun Belt Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments conclude today at Summit Arena in Hot Springs.

The University of Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans edged the Western Kentucky Lady Hilltoppers in the just-concluded women’s title game, and the UALR men will face the North Texas Mean Green in the men’s championship at 6 p.m.

I went over for the UALR quarterfinal games in each division on Sunday and got to see part of the Arkansas State women’s team’s win over top-seeded Middle Tennessee State in the first quarterfinal that day in Summit Arena.

For Middle Tennessee, it was the first game since the murder of the Blue Raiders’ Tina Stewart earlier in the week. Clearly, the MTSU players were hurting, but the Red Wolves played well for a relatively easy win. ASU women’s coach Brian Boyer did a nice thing late in the game. He called a late timeout, which, on the surface, looked unnecessary with the Wolves’ healthy lead. But later, it leaked that Boyer took the stoppage to remind his players that they would NOT be celebrating their victory when the final buzzer sounded. He said the team would politely congratulate the MTSU players on a good effort and then quietly walk to the dressing room before raising their voices or showing their joy in any visible way.

It was a thoughtful and respectful response to the game effort by the women from Murfreesboro just four days after they learned that they had lost a key part of their championship unit. Stewart, a Memphis junior, was found in her Murfreesboro apartment by her boyfriend; she had been stabbed numerous times. She was declared dead at a nearby hospital. Her freshman roommate was arrested and charged in the case.

ASU fell in the semifinals Monday afternoon against Western Kentucky.