June 1999

Old State House takes big turn for the better A basket case in 1996, it's ready to reopen Date: 6/10/99 Category: News Page: A1 ERICA WERNER ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE CORRECTION 061199 The architect considered responsible for the design of the Old State House was Gideon Shryock. An article in Thursday's editions misspelled his last name. When Jennings Osborne serves up barbecue and fireworks at the Old State House on Saturday, its staff will be celebrating because the oldest standing state capitol west of the Mississippi River is finally as good as new, 166 years after work began on it. Now a museum, the venerable Greek revival building that some call the most historic spot in Arkansas was decaying almost from the moment it was completed in 1842, experts say. From a modern perspective it's clear that Arkansas' first capitol was done all wrong, said architect John Greer. It was built on soft river clay by people who had little concept of structural engineering, said Greer, who spearheaded the $4 million reconstruction project for Little Rock's Witsell, Evans & Rasco firm. "Two or three years after it was built, they were complaining about it falling down," said Old State House historian Larry Ahart. "And that's pretty much been the refrain ever since." No longer. Saturday, the reconstruction project begun in April 1996 -- and expected to end two years ago -- will be officially complete. The cracks that mapped the building's walls are gone, and 101 concrete piers have been sunk into the ground to shore up the foundation. Visitors will be able to tour the restored House and Senate chambers on the second floor without hearing the floorboards creak ominously. Before the project began, "it was getting to the point of no return," Ahart said. Now those who've worked to repair it hope the Old State House is good for another few centuries. A SHAKY FOUNDATION The restoration, financed by state grants, was the third such project for the building. It was, however, the only one to get at the Old State House's real problem: a woefully inadequate foundation. An architect today would take a look at the building's riverside location and prescribe a fully reinforced concrete base 4 feet deep, Greer said. The builders in 1833 stirred stones into river mud and poured the mixture into an excavation that went 3 feet down at the deepest. To make matters worse, they used the same soft river mud to make the bricks for the rest of the building. The result: major cracking, sagging and shifting. "There were accounts that the west wall of the west wing had collapsed even before it was completed," Greer said. "We've never seen a foundation like we saw on this building." That comment is mild compared with past accounts. In 1911, the year the Legislature left the Old State House for the present Capitol, a newspaper article likened the Senate chamber in the old building to "an abandoned coal bin." Legislators voted to build the new capitol only after a few senators were almost killed by a chunk of falling plaster in the old one, or so the legend goes. Major overhauls were attempted in 1885 and again in 1949. During the 1885 restoration, the building's main section was expanded toward the Arkansas River to create more meeting space, and Victorian touches like a curved center staircase were shoehorned in with little regard for the building's original style, Ahart said. The 1949 rebuilding included covering over cracks in the walls, but that did more harm than good, Greer said. Those cracks snaked through the building inside and out, but their source was a mystery before a research team conducted its first survey in the fall of 1995, Greer said. "Why was it cracking and falling apart? We didn't have a clue," he said. After digging uncovered the slipshod foundation, Greer had his answer. Eighty percent of the foundation has now been replaced, and concrete piers were sunk at five-foot intervals, each pier 10 feet deep. That was phase one of the project, completed in the fall of 1997. Phase two was redoing the museum itself and building an annex out back to house staff. The biggest repair of the second phase was fixing the second floor, which was bowing in the middle and coming away from the walls. The sockets where the wooden beams that hold up the floor extend into the brick walls have all been reinforced or replaced. Also as part of phase two, the cracks were filled with an elastic substance designed to stay put even as the building expands or contracts with changes in the weather. "The single most important thing in our mind was to stabilize and keep the building from deteriorating further," Greer said. He's satisfied contractors have done just that. A SERIES OF DELAYS There's no single reason why the renovation took three times longer than planned, Greer said. He can tick off a whole list. The delay was partly President Clinton's fault. Work stopped for weeks in the fall of 1996 so Clinton could have a platform erected over the three-tiered fountain in front of the building, invite Barbra Streisand and Lauren Hutton to town and declare victory in his second presidential campaign. Clinton had used the building in 1992 as a backdrop to declare his first presidential victory and in 1991 when he announced his candidacy. Those appearances brought the place so much attention that, Old State House spokesman Dale Walters says, he's gotten calls from "all over the world" about the reopening. "We've got people coming from New York," he said recently. Another delay, Greer said, stemmed from the wet winter of 1996. Rain made contractors stop work repeatedly, and finishing the foundation took twice as long as expected. Then there was the unexpected discovery, during the project's second phase, of asbestos in the attic -- apparently tossed there in the 1970s after being removed from pipes. That had to be disposed of. Later the project got drawn out when restorers found themselves with a budget surplus and decided to use it for a few extras they hadn't thought they could afford. That included restoring the 1836 House of Representatives chamber to its original state. Finally, in September, just when the end was getting close, a fire damaged the attic and part of the 1836 House room. To this day big fans are running behind fake walls to dry up the water damage, and they could be whirring away for another year, architects say. With the grand opening days away, contractors were scrambling this week to touch up final details, put on a last coat of exterior paint and pull together the landscaping around the fountain in the front garden. The fountain itself, which made its first appearance as part of the Arkansas exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, didn't get back from the foundry where it was being recast until Monday. But now the building stands restored in all its glory. Historian Margaret Ross, who had an office in the Old State House when she worked for the Arkansas History Commission in the 1950s, said that beyond its historical significance she's always loved the building for its looks. "The building is just beautiful," Ross said this week. "I really had delusions of grandeur the whole time I worked there. I still think it's one of the most beautiful state capitols I've ever seen." A HISTORIC BUILDING When the majestic capitol was built starting in 1833, it went up in a frontier then known as the roughest in the country, where log cabins were the order of the day. Sitting grandly on the riverbank with a view of the whole city, then inhabited by around 1,500 people, the capitol must have looked "almost surreal," Ahart said, "a Greek temple to democracy in the Congo of America." When John Pope was appointed territorial governor in the early 1830s, he was shocked that the territory had no capitol and set about to procure the grandest building ever seen in the territory of Arkansas. Pope obtained a set of plans from Gideon Shyrock, a well-known Kentucky architect who was a devotee of the Greek revival style. There is some dispute about whether Shyrock's plans were altered, but the end result was the colonnaded Greek-style edifice that will be celebrated with a brass band and the fireworks by Little Rock philanthropist Osborne on Saturday. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 2 p.m., with free tours starting at 3 p.m. On the museum's second floor is the restored 1836 House of Representatives chamber, a plain white room with gray window trimmings that was the stage for some of the most stirring scenes in Arkansas history. The state's first elected representatives gathered in this room to cast their first votes after Arkansas became a state in 1836. The next year one legislator bled to death on the floor, knifed for his stand on wolf pelt bounties. In 1861 wild shouts echoed off the walls in support of a 69-1 vote to secede from the Union, and the state's current constitution was crafted in the chamber. "This is arguably the most historic room in Arkansas," Ahart said on a recent afternoon, standing among the rows of simple wooden desks he hopes are similar to the ones legislators sat at 150 years ago. Visitors will also see a simple gray speaker's stand identical to the one that served as a backdrop to the wolf pelt stabbing, and spit boxes like the ones early statesmen filled with tobacco juice. "We can't guarantee that everything was in the same place," Ahart said, "but we're pretty close." The first-ever restoration of the old House of Representatives room is one of many changes in the Old State House museum. The museum has more gallery space and can house more ambitious exhibitions, like the retrospective of Ozarks architect Fay Jones now in place. The display of gowns that belonged to Arkansas' first ladies is considerably spiffed up, gaining a special lighting system that responds to where visitors are standing. A segment about Arkansas' first families has been added to supplement the gowns. The whole museum is now wheelchair accessible. But perhaps most impressive of all is that the place is still there. Before the Old State House was declared a museum after World War II, legislators wanted to get rid of it. At one point, the plan was to turn the structure into a depot for the Missouri Pacific railroad line. But coalitions of women's groups worked to preserve the building and find uses for it. I Between 1912 and 1935, the old capitol housed the Arkansas Medical School, and| pioneering work on malaria eradication was done there. That helped the building get| designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. To save the building, women's groups would "lobby the Legislature and drive 'em crazy 'til they did it," Ross said. The late Agnes Loewer was at the front of many of those efforts. Loewer was the Old State House's curator and fiercest champion from 1947 to 1972. She wore a whistle around her neck and blew it at people who misbehaved, and urged women's groups like Daughters of the American Revolution and United Daughters of the Confederacy to maintain period rooms in the old capitol. She feared that if they didn't, the Legislature would find some state commission to house there, Ahart said. Loewer's efforts are still visible all over the Old State House, from the six period rooms that| came into being under her guidance to the collection of gowns, which she started herself. "She pretty much ran it out of sheer cussedness for 25 years," Ahart said. Back then, when the building was in constant danger of falling down or running out of money or rotting away, it took cussedness to keep the place going. Now visitors can gaze at the row of four Doric columns out front and the shiny state seal I above and know that they're looking at close to what Arkansas' first elected officials saw| when they entered their capitol building and that it will be standing for many years to come. "It's pretty much the building it was back then," Greer said. Minus the falling plaster.

Osborne to feed patriotic masses Date: 6/11/99 Category: Weekend Page: W1 1 Along with Gov. Mike Huckabee and assorted former Arkansas governors, Jennings Osborne will have a major supporting role in Saturday's grand reopening of the Old State House Museum. Osborne's latest acts of random kindness will include his redoubtable barbecue dinner served free to the public starting at 5 p.m. Saturday along the river behind the historic structure at 300 W. Markham St. A 9 p.m. riverfront fireworks show bankrolled by Osborne will wind up the reopening festivities. Pomp and circumstance are slated for Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. outside the Old State House. Remarks will be made by Huckabee, honorary co-chairman of the event along with the ex-governors, and Cathie Matthews, director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. The Arkansas National Guard Color Guard and the Solid Brass of Little Rock will provide the ceremonial music. The state's constitutional officers will judge a contest of cakes representing each Arkansas county, with the entries to be served after the ribbon is cut. At 3 p.m., the refurbished museum will begin admitting the public, who'll enter through the front door on Saturday only -- rather than the normal side entrance to be used when regular hours resume Sunday. The latest admission of visitors will be 7:30 p.m. There'll be no admission charge. Afternoon and evening entertainment will include costumed actors portraying several historical figures, along with barbershop, blues, folk and Dixieland music. The museum's Web site is: www. oldstatehouse. com

Old State House reopens to public after repairs pull it back from brink History returns to view amid re-enactments, fireworks, barbecue Date: 6/13/99 Category: NWAnews Page: B1 JENNIFER A. DLOUHY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE *NW EDITION* Arkansans got their first look inside the reconstructed Old State House on Saturday during a day-long celebration in front of the oldest state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. By 3 p.m., almost 500 people had made their way into the building to see how it had changed since closing three years ago for reconstruction. They came to stand in the restored legislative chambers. They came to view clothing and other memorabilia from top Arkansas officials. They came to view the fireworks over the Arkansas River on Saturday night. And, they came to eat barbecue, supplied by local philanthropist Jennings Osborne. But most, including Little Rock residents Peggy and Ed Gibson, came to relive history in the Little Rock landmark. "It's always been a real special building to me," Peggy Gibson said while touring an exhibit on quilts by black Arkansans. When the couple moved back to Arkansas nine years ago, they quickly visited the Old State House. "We're both really interested in history and in the preservation of history." The Old State House has seen a lot of history -- from a stabbing on the floor of the House chamber back in 1837 to Gov. Bill Clinton's 1991 announcement that he would run for president. But it ceased serving as the state's capitol in 1911, when the current Capitol was completed, and is now a museum "This is a beautiful place," said Ed Gibson, who works for the Little Rock Port Authority. "Of course, I'm partial to anything on the river. It's so neat that this was placed on the river -and has survived." But the Old State House's survival hasn't always been easy. Indeed, at times it looked downright impossible. In 1995, a structural analysis determined the building was falling apart: Its foundation was crumbling, its walls were cracking and its drainage system was clogged. The structure, whose construction got started in 1833, was rapidly deteriorating when state funding and a grant from the Natural and Cultural Resources Council allowed architects to begin massive repairs to the landmark. Workers reinforced the building's supports with concrete beams. They replaced most of the foundation and reinforced the original wooden beams inserted into the brick walls to support the floor. The fountain outside the Old State House, brought to Little Rock in 1877 before the city had running water, is now fully functioning for the first time in decades. The major overhauls were almost stopped short in September 1998 by a fire that damaged the attic and part of the 1836 House of Representatives chamber. Other developments -- the unexpected discovery of asbestos and President Clinton's use of the building as a backdrop when he claimed victory in his second presidential campaign in 1996 -- delayed the renovation, which took three times longer than expected. But the work paid off, visitors said Saturday as they meandered through the hallways of the building, which once housed cadavers for the University of Arkansas Medical School. Visitors to the Greek revival building listened as Gov. Mike Huckabee applauded the reconstruction of a structure named to the National Register of Historic Landmarks. "I'd say today the old girl got a new dress, and she's never looked better," he said, standing just feet away from cake replicas of the Old State House. " [It is] a remarkable rebirth of a most remarkable building." Huckabee spoke about the importance of preserving Arkansas history and heritage as visitors held bags and programs over their heads to ward off raindrops. Huckabee was one of three Arkansas governors attending; Frank White and Sid McMath also celebrated the Old State House's rebirth. "Shared memory, as well as shared experience, can bind a community together," he said. "The real treasure in these walls is not in the items themselves but in the meaning attached [to them]. Their worth, their value, is truly priceless." Tell that to Bill Crabtree, whose first stop in the building was at an exhibit on President Clinton. Crabtree traveled from Pocahontas to see the restored building with Lana Sizemore, from Denster, Mo. "It's great, it's super," he said, standing next to the glass-encased saxophone Clinton once played on the Arsenio Hall show in 1992. "I could relate to a lot of what the governor said." Why did he travel 150 miles for the ribbon-cutting ceremony? "Because of this," he said, gesturing about him. "Because I'm an Arkansan, born in poverty and raised in poverty." Throughout the afternoon, performers re-enacted scenes and speeches from Arkansas history in the statehouse. Bill Butler, in period clothing including a brown jacket and vest, black pants and a dark brown top hat, played William McGray, one of the first black men in the state Legislature. "He spoke out for the rights of black people in the state," Butler said. The re-enactor is listed as a professional actor with the city of Little Rock and recently tried out for the McGray part. Fireworks Saturday evening ended the day's festivities, but the museum and building can be toured from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visitors to the building can see three temporary exhibits -- one on the architecture of Fay Jones, another on quilts by black Arkansans and another on a Union officer during the Civil War. They can also take in some of the museum's permanent displays, including one on dresses worn by the state's first ladies and one containing memorabilia of Arkansas governors.

Tiptop Old State House reopens History returns to view amid re-enactments, fireworks, barbecue Date: 6/13/99 Category: News Page: A1 JENNIFER A. DLOUHY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Arkansans got their first look inside the reconstructed Old State House on Saturday during a day-long celebration in front of the oldest state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. By 3 p.m., almost 500 people had made their way into the building to see how it had changed since closing three years ago for reconstruction. They came to stand in the restored legislative chambers. They came to view clothing and other memorabilia from top Arkansas officials. They came to view the fireworks over the Arkansas River on Saturday night. And, they came to eat barbecue, supplied by local philanthropist Jennings Osborne. But most, including Little Rock residents Peggy and Ed Gibson, came to relive history in the Little Rock landmark. "It's always been a real special building to me," Peggy Gibson said while touring an exhibit on quilts by black Arkansans. When the couple moved back to Arkansas nine years ago, they quickly visited the Old State House. "We're both really interested in history and in the preservation of history." The Old State House has seen a lot of history -- from a stabbing on the floor of the House chamber back in 1837 to Gov. Bill Clinton's 1991 announcement that he would run for president. But it ceased serving as the state's capitol in 1911, when the current Capitol was completed, and is now a museum "This is a beautiful place," said Ed Gibson, who works for the Little Rock Port Authority. "Of course, I'm partial to anything on the river. It's so neat that this was placed on the river -and has survived." But the Old State House's survival hasn't always been easy. Indeed, at times it looked downright impossible. In 1995, a structural analysis determined the building was falling apart: Its foundation was crumbling, its walls were cracking and its drainage system was clogged. The structure, whose construction got started in 1833, was rapidly deteriorating when state funding and a grant from the Natural and Cultural Resources Council allowed architects to begin massive repairs to the landmark. Workers reinforced the building's supports with concrete beams. They replaced most of the foundation and reinforced the original wooden beams inserted into the brick walls to support the floor. The fountain outside the Old State House, brought to Little Rock in 1877 before the city had running water, is now fully functioning for the first time in decades. The major overhauls were almost stopped short in September 1998 by a fire that damaged the attic and part of the 1836 House of Representatives chamber. Other developments -- the unexpected discovery of asbestos and President Clinton's use of the building as a backdrop when he claimed victory in his second presidential campaign in 1996 -- delayed the renovation, which took three times longer than expected. But the work paid off, visitors said Saturday as they meandered through the hallways of the building, which once housed cadavers for the University of Arkansas Medical School. Visitors to the Greek revival building listened as Gov. Mike Huckabee applauded the reconstruction of a structure named to the National Register of Historic Landmarks. "I'd say today the old girl got a new dress, and she's never looked better," he said, standing just feet away from cake replicas of the Old State House. " [It is] a remarkable rebirth of a most remarkable building." Huckabee spoke about the importance of preserving Arkansas history and heritage as visitors held bags and programs over their heads to ward off raindrops. Huckabee was one of three Arkansas governors attending; Frank White and Sid McMath also celebrated the Old State House's rebirth. "Shared memory, as well as shared experience, can bind a community together," he said. "The real treasure in these walls is not in the items themselves but in the meaning attached [to them]. Their worth, their value, is truly priceless." Tell that to Bill Crabtree, whose first stop in the building was at an exhibit on President Clinton. Crabtree traveled from Pocahontas to see the restored building with Lana Sizemore, from Denster, Mo. "It's great, it's super," he said, standing next to the glass-encased saxophone Clinton once played on the Arsenio Hall show in 1992. "I could relate to a lot of what the governor said." Why did he travel 150 miles for the ribbon-cutting ceremony? "Because of this," he said, gesturing about him. "Because I'm an Arkansan, born in poverty and raised in poverty." Throughout the afternoon, performers re-enacted scenes and speeches from Arkansas history in the statehouse. Bill Butler, in period clothing including a brown jacket and vest, black pants and a dark brown top hat, played William McGray, one of the first black men in the state Legislature. "He spoke out for the rights of black people in the state," Butler said. The re-enactor is listed as a professional actor with the city of Little Rock and recently tried out for the McGray part. Fireworks Saturday evening ended the day's festivities, but the museum and building can be toured from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visitors to the building can see three temporary exhibits -- one on the architecture of Fay Jones, another on quilts by black Arkansans and another on a Union officer during the Civil War. They can also take in some of the museum's permanent displays, including one on dresses worn by the state's first ladies and one containing memorabilia of Arkansas governors.

Scouts plan improvements to camp, headquarters $10 million campaign will fund work Date: 6/19/99 Category: News Page: B3 JENNIFER A. DLOUHY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE With the tang of benefactor Jennings Osborne's barbecue wafting through the air, the Quapaw Area Council Boy Scouts announced the second phase of its $10 million campaign to finance massive improvements to its camping reservation in Damascus and its headquarters on Cantrell Road in Little Rock. "I'm excited about all of the things we'll be able to do for the young people with this money," said John Steuri,who heads the Campaign for Character. "We're happy to start work today on the remaining $3 million." Already the local council, which covers much of central Arkansas and had 17,540 youth members in 1997, has raised $7 million for construction work on its Cove Creek Scout Reservation. Improvements at the 3,000-acre year-round camp include a recently completed pool complex, a wastewater treatment system and barrier-free campsites for handicapped Scouts. "We're going to have the opportunity to really expand Scouting in Arkansas, to deliver that character development Scouting is so known for," said James Hendren, the council president. The reservation's renovations could change the face of Scouting locally. Although individual troops will still hold weekly meetings at community centers and churches as they have for years, "literally everything can be done at one central location," said Fred Hueston, the council's director of development. "Now the leaders can literally take their kids to camp." And when they do, Scouts will be visiting one of the nation's most high-tech campgrounds. A wastewater treatment facility will clean wastewater from the camp, a new shooting complex will allow target training, and bathrooms will have solar paneling. "The days of pit latrines are gone," Hueston said, laughing. Handicapped Scouts can camp in the renovated site, which will be paved to provide wheelchair access to fire circles, housing areas and recreational spots throughout the reservation. The new pool will have equipment to lower handicapped Boy Scouts into the water. "Literally, handicapped Scouts can have their own tent and participate in the campfire [easily]," Hueston said. "It's going to be incredible." Nearby, Scoutmasters carried plastic foam trays that buckled under a mountain of barbecue. Almost all of the people who came to Friday's cookout had worked with Boy Scouts for years. Some have been troop leaders for decades. For some, the fund-raising campaign is the largest they have seen the council undertake. It has been 26 years since the last campaign of this size.

Boy Scout Richard Tillman Date: 6/19/99 Category: News Page: B3 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEVE KEESEE Boy Scout Richard Tillman of Troop 55 leads a group in the Pledge of Allegiance during a ceremony in Little Rock on Friday. The occasion, which included barbecue from philanthropist Jennings Osborne, was to kick off fund raising for improvements to the Cove Creek Scout Reservation near Damascus and the Quapaw Area Council's headquarters in Little Rock.

Scouts plan improvements to camp, headquarters Date: 06/19/99 Category: News Page: B3 JENNIFER A. DLOUHY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE With the tang of benefactor Jennings Osborne's barbecue wafting through the air, the Quapaw Area Council Boy Scouts announced the second phase of its $10 million campaign to finance massive improvements to its camping reservation in Damascus and its headquarters on Cantrell Road in Little Rock. I'm excited about all of the things we'll be able to do for the young people with this money, said John Steuri,who heads the Campaign for Character. We're happy to start work today on the remaining $3 million. Already the local council, which covers much of central Arkansas and had 17,540 youth members in 1997, has raised $7 million for construction work on its Cove Creek Scout Reservation. Improvements at the 3,000-acre year-round camp include a recently completed pool complex, a wastewater treatment system and barrier-free campsites for handicapped Scouts. We're going to have the opportunity to really expand Scouting in Arkansas, to deliver that character development Scouting is so known for, said James Hendren, the council president. The reservation's renovations could change the face of Scouting locally. Although individual troops will still hold weekly meetings at community centers and churches as they have for years, literally everything can be done at one central location, said Fred Hueston, the council's director of development. Now the leaders can literally take their kids to camp. And when they do, Scouts will be visiting one of the nation's most high-tech campgrounds. A wastewater treatment facility will clean wastewater from the camp, a new shooting complex will allow target training, and bathrooms will have solar paneling. The days of pit latrines are gone, Hueston said, laughing. Handicapped Scouts can camp in the renovated site, which will be paved to provide wheelchair access to fire circles, housing areas and recreational spots throughout the reservation. The new pool will have equipment to lower handicapped Boy Scouts into the water. Literally, handicapped Scouts can have their own tent and participate in the campfire [easily], Hueston said. It's going to be incredible. Nearby, Scoutmasters carried plastic foam trays that buckled under a mountain of barbecue. Almost all of the people who came to Friday's cookout had worked with Boy Scouts for years. Some have been troop leaders for decades:. For some, the fund-raising campaign is the largest they have seen the council undertake. It has been 26 years since the last campaign of this size.

Otus the Head Cat: Summer solstice is nigh; humidity pods right behind Date: 6/19/99 Category: Features Page: E2 Michael Storey Surveying the site for PodFest '99 are (from left) Ernest J. Fawbush, John Philpot and Robert C. "Bob" Miller. I know it's confusing, but that's what I'm here for. Summer officially arrives at 19:49 hours Universal (or Greenwich mean) time Monday. To determine local time for the annual planetary phenomena, you subtract one hour for every 15 degrees of longitude west of the 0 degree meridian, which runs north and south through Greenwich, England. Since Little Rock sits at 92 degrees, 19 minutes west, that means the local solstice is precisely at 1:40 p.m. standard time or, adding an hour for Central daylight-saving time, 2.40 p.m. To recap: Summer arrives in Arkansas, more or less, at approximately 2:40 p.m. Monday, depending on exactly where in the state you live. A little earlier in Marked Tree; a little later in Siloam Springs. The word solstice comes from the ancient Latin words for "sun" (sol) and "to stand" (sistere), and designates the day when the sun seems to stand still, moving neither farther north nor returning south. Therefore, at 2:40 p.m. Monday, the sun will cease its inexorable march north of the equator, pause a bit and start the slow slide southward toward its eventual rendezvous with the autumnal equinox. Equinoxes are the two days (vernal, autumnal) when daylight and darkness are of equal length. Equinox is Latin for "equal night." The autumnal equinox (the beginning of fall) will happen this year on Sept. 23. JULY IS THE WORST The summer solstice is the day with the most daylight of the year, but not the hottest day. The warmest weather usually takes a few weeks to catch up. July (not August) is officially Arkansas' hottest month, averaging 92 degrees for the high and 71 for a low. August actually averages a couple of degrees cooler. Still, it was on Aug. 10, 1936, that it hit 120 mind-boggling degrees at Ozark. It got up to 110 (the record) in Little Rock on that day. That 110, by the way, was tied on July 31, 1986. I remember it well. I actually willingly took a cool bath. Of course, that single day pales in comparison to the brutal summer of 1980. There were 20 consecutive days (June 30-July 19) in Little Rock with the temperatures over 100 degrees. It hit 108 three times. I was 5 years old and it made a big impression on me when Owner's left front tire melted off his car. Regardless, Monday will have the most daylight this year with sunrise coming at 5:56 a.m. and sunset at 8:26 p.m. That's almost 14 and a half hours of daylight. It'll stay about like that for several days, then start losing a minute of daylight every couple of days. By July 21 sunrise is back to 6:11 and sunset at 8:20. THE PODS COMETH All that said, for most Arkansans the misery of summertime isn't the length of the days or the heat, it's the humidity. The sweltering, energy-sapping, tepid miasma that follows the annual arrival of the humidity pods. It's a phenomena that has awed and inspired local inhabitants for hundreds of years, including the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto, who noted the pods in his journal in 1541, calling them "no ser cosa de juego. " After the pods migrate from their wintering grounds off South Padre Island and spread over the state, the relative humidity elevates and the heat index soars to uncomfortable levels. Arkansas suffers until about mid-September, when the pods slowly dissipate, returning to the warm Gulf waters. According to the Arkansas Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association, the humidity pods are due to arrive in the Little Rock area on Saturday, July 3. The local AMS/NWA chapter is the of ficial keeper of the pod records. According to the latest edition of their newsletter, The Weathervane, the huge masses (they look like gray dirigibles made of suet) are scheduled to arrive over south Arkansas late on July 2, drift over Sheridan about 7 a.m. July 3, move into Little Rock at 10 a.m. and disperse over North Little Rock's Burns Park at approximately 10:45 a.m. PODFEST'99 SCHEDULE That's where the AMS/NWA will hold PodFest '99, the official annual welcoming ceremony for the migrating pods. The festivities will take place at the new Burns Park Soccer Complex under construction at the park's southwestern corner. Once again, AMS/NWA executives Ernest J. Fawbush and Robert C. "Bob" Miller will co-chair the day-long event. Celebrity master of ceremonies will be AETN Arkansas Outdoors personality John Philpot, whotll tell yarns about the whopper humidity pods that used to inundate western Arkansas when he was a kid growing up in Mena. The soiree will commence precisely at 10 a.m. with first lady Janet Huckabee leading the traditional prayer for a mild summer, and end at 5 p.m. when local philanthropist Jennings Osborne will hand out Slurpees, Osborne moist towelettes and -- to those who sign a pledge to commit a random act of kindness -- official Osborne ballcaps with "I Survived PodFest '99" across the back. Until next time Kalaka reminds you to dress lightly, drink plenty of water and do not puncture any podlets that reach the ground without dissolving. Also, if you take pictures, use ASA 400. It'll be dark overhead for a while. Otus the Head Cat's column of total fabrication appears every Saturday. E-mail his Owner at: michael_storey~adg.ardemgaz.com Cutline: Surveying the sie for PodFest'99 are (from left) Ernest J. Fawbust, John Philpot and Robert C. "Bob" Miller.

Boy Scout Richard Tillman Date: 6/20/99 Category: News Page: B5 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEVE KEESEE Boy Scout Richard Tillman of Troop 55 leads a group in the Pledge of Allegiance during a ceremony in Little Rock on Friday. The occasion, which included barbecue from philanthropist Jennings Osborne, was to kick off fund raising for improvements to the Cove Creek Scout Reservation near Damascus and the Quapaw Area Council's headquarters in Little Rock.

Scouts plan improvements to camp, headquarters Date: 6/20/99 Category: News Page: B5 JENNIFER A. DLOUHY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE **STATE EDITION** With the tang of benefactor Jennings Osborne's barbecue wafting through the air, the Quapaw Area Council Boy Scouts announced the second phase of its $10 million campaign to finance massive improvements to its camping reservation in Damascus and its headquarters on Cantrell Road in Little Rock. "I'm excited about all of the things we'll be able to do for the young people with this money," said John Steuri, who heads the Campaign for Character. "We're happy to start work today on the remaining $3 million." Already the local council, which covers much of central Arkansas and had 17,540 youth members in 1997, has raised $7 million for construction work on its Cove Creek Scout Reservation. Improvements at the 3,000-acre year-round camp include a recently completed pool complex, a waste-water treatment system and barrier-free campsites for handicapped Scouts. "We're going to have the opportunity to really expand Scouting in Arkansas, to deliver that character development Scouting is so known for," said James Hendren, the council president. The reservation's renovations could change the face of Scouting locally. Although individual troops will still hold weekly meetings at community centers and churches as they have for years, "literally everything can be done at one central location," said Fred Hueston, the council's director of development. "Now the leaders can literally take their kids to camp." And when they do, Scouts will be visiting one of the nation's most high-tech campgrounds. A waste-water treatment facility will clean waste water from the camp, a new shooting complex will allow target training, and bathrooms will have solar paneling. "The days of pit latrines are gone," Hueston said, laughing. Handicapped Scouts can camp in the renovated site, which will be paved to provide wheelchair access to fire circles, housing areas and recreational spots throughout the reservation. The new pool will have equipment to lower handicapped Boy Scouts into the water. "Literally, handicapped Scouts can have their own tent and participate in the campfire [easily]," Hueston said. "It's going to be incredible." Nearby, Scoutmasters carried plastic foam trays that buckled under a mountain of barbecue. Almost all of the people who came to Friday's cookout had worked with Boy Scouts for years. Some have been troop leaders for decades. For some, the fund-raising campaign is the largest they have seen the council undertake. It has been 26 years since the last campaign of this size years. Some have been troop leaders for decades. For some, the fund-raising campaign is the largest they have seen the council undertake. It has been 26 years since the last campaign of this size.

Rejoicing in the night A black-tie gala under stormy skies celebrates the revival of Arkansas' elegant, historic Old State House. Date: 6/20/99 Category: Features Page: D10 Text and Photos Phyllis D. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette When the history of the evening is written, we hope long after we're all dead and gone, they will say that an elegant, glittering black-tie gala reopened the Old State House on June 11 after it had been closed more than three years for extensive, important renovations. "This is the soul of the place we call Arkansas," said Gov. Mike Huckabee. The evening began with cool refreshments on the warm front lawn of Arkansas' first state Capitol. David Rosen's Solid Brass entertained from the corner where the refurbished Stella Boyle Smith fountain, an 1870s Victorian-era fount complete with iron cranes, gurgled as it did in the beginning -- that was in 1842. Just as a natural fireworks display lighted the sky outside the Greek Revival windows, as a summer storm blew over the Arkansas River, Cathie Matthews, director of the Arkansas Heritage Commission, welcomed the 300 guests. Seated at tables decorated with old-fashioned roses and Queen Anne's lace arranged in topiaries, the guests were served fresh salad greens with gorgonzola cheese and waffle carrots with champagne vinaigrette, beef tenderloin with port wine sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus with julienne red pepper and almonds, accented with a sprig of rosemary for remembrance. Traditional strawberry shortcake with Chantilly cream was the sweet finish. All was prepared by Simply the Best. Sheila Vaught, the evening's chairman, read a letter from President Clinton, remembering his first reception at the Old State House. His presidential election victories in 1992 and 1996 were celebrated on the Old State House lawn with all the world looking on. The evening's all-Arkansas entertainment included a conversation between Sharon Douglas and Michael Davis as historic figures commenting on the time with musical interludes involving tunes from earlier days. Douglas also played piano for the artists who sang. Caroline Pierce of Pine Bluff, 12, added to the house's musical history by singing "Children Will Listen." "Bless This House" was the appropriate closing prayer sung by Foreman native and Broadway star, Lawrence Hamilton of New York. "Isn't it great to be an Arkansan?" asked Huckabee. The evening's reopening committee was Debbie Shea of Dumas, Mike Mayton, former Gov. Frank White, Beth Coulson, Dr. Charles Cranford, Pat McClelland and state Rep. Mary Anne Salmon of North Little Rock. The success of the evening was preordained -- an early sellout of the tickets made it unnecessary to mail invitations. Guests building memories of their own touch of history were first lady Janet Huckabee, Betty and former Gov. Sid McMath, U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson of Bentonville, Lt. Gov. Winthrop Paul Rockefeller and his son, Win Jr., Betty and former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder of Little Rock, Cathy Mayton, Jim McClelland, Judge Larry Vaught, Sharon Bowman, Mike Coulson, Rosie and Sam Winstead, Dena and Buddy Benafield, Katie and Jim Rice, Becky and Charles Witsell, Paula and Frank Parke, Mary and Jim Wohlleb, Deborah and Wali Caradine, Frances and Wayne Cranford, Victor Zanovich, Grant Tennille, Rebecca Patterson, Stephanie and Jerry Atchley, Val and Tom Wright, Carol and Chester Storthz, Mitzi and Jennings Osborne with Breezy Osborne, David Bazzell, Gay White, Cathy and John Roberts, Donna McNair and Dr. Sloan Rainwater and Martha and French Hill. Also sharing the historic evening were Wendy and Dr. Ted Saer, Jane and Bill Hardin, Annette and Franklin Sherrell, Julie and Doug Buford, Jane and Jay Rogers, Donna and David Cone, Carol and Lunsford Bridges, Patsy and Jay Hill, Anna Kay and Ted Grace, Kathy and Bill Worthen, Nell and Bob Lyford, Georganne Ricks, Rebecca and Gary Smith, Leslie and John Monroe, Dr. Gail Reede Jones, Jesse Mason, Ginny and Dr. Joe Crow, Billie and Skip Rutherford, Mary Lou and Terry Rasco, Elsa and Dr. Charles Crocker, Charlotte and Justice Bob Brown of the Arkansas Supreme Court, Barbara Graves and Barry McDaniel, Kathy and Bobby Roberts, Betty and Chancellor Charles Hathaway of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Ron Fuller, Sharon and Fred Ursery, Cara and Guy Wade, Peggy and Buddy Sutton, Betty Jo and Chancellor Harry Ward of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Delores and Tom Bruce, Kay and Circuit Judge Richard Arnold, Betsy and Richard Davies and Joan Baldridge and Sam Bratton. Also saluting the opening were Joan and Dan Bennett and Sissy and Maurice Jennings, all of Fayetteville, Ellen and Don Edmondson of Forrest City, Parker Westbrook of Nashville, Debbie and state Rep. Shane Broadway of Bryant, Helen and Frank Wolfe of Gillett, Nikki and Dr. Larry Lawson of Paragould, Raye and Doyle Rogers of Batesville and Little Rock, Carolyn and U.S. Rep. Marion Berry of Gillett, Beverly and Archie Shaffer of Fayetteville and Anne and Rep. Jay Bradford of Pine Bluff. Cutlines: Cathy and Mike Mayton Sharon Douglas, Lawrence Hamilton of New York and Caroline Pierce Jennings Osborne and his daughter, Breezy, and wife Mitzi Ellen and Don Edmondson of Forrest City, Doyle and Raye Rogers of Batesville and Little Rock, Kellie Alfano of Little Rock and Sen. Tim Hutchinson of Bentonville Frank and Helen Wolfe of Gillett, Debbie and Ken Shea of Dumas and Jim McClelland Betty and Chancellor Charles Hathaway, Becky and Charles Whitsell and Gordon Brooks of Lafayette, La. Lt. Gov. Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, Victor Zanovich, David Martinous and Win Rockefeller Jr. Rep. Mary Ann Salmon of North Little Rock with Sheila Vaught Joan Baldridge of Washington, Tom and Val Wright, Rep. Bob Johnson of Bigelow and Judge Richard Arnold and his wife, Kay Doyle Rogers and Skip Rutherford on the replica of the president's desk Chancellor Harry Ward and his wife, Betty Jo, with Rep. Vic Snyder Janet and Gov. Mike Huckabee

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