September 1999

TIDBITS Date: 9/8/99 Category: Features Page: E1 Kindness counts Baker's Square Restaurant and Pies in Minneapolis gave out free slices of pie at several recent festivals and other events in and around Minneapolis. Reminiscent of Little Rock's Jennings Osborne family feeds, which are served with the encouragement to "commit random acts of kindness," the restaurant calls its charity "Random Acts of Pie-Ness." "They love it. They line up for the pie. It just puts a smile on their face," the restaurant vice president said. -- Restaurants USA August 1999 Well-named Watermelon, a cousin to the cucumber and akin to the gourd, is 92 percent water. It is grown in 90 countries on five continents, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture research. All about rice It is grown on every continent of the world except Antarctica. It has been grown in the United States for more than 300 years. It is used in beer, dog food, baby food, breakfast cereals, snacks, frozen foods and sauces. The average American eats about 26 pounds per year. About 90 percent of the rice consumed in the United States is American-grown. Rice grown in the United States is exported to more than 10 countries worldwide. -- USA Rice Federation Meltdown The cooking force that became the microwave oven was discovered accidentally in 1945, when an engineer with the Raytheon Co. of Waltham, Mass., while standing next to a microwave-generating machine, reached into his pocket for a chocolate bar and discovered it had melted. -- The Old Farmer's Almanac

Let's Talk: Doin' the wave thang for the home team Date: 9/12/99 Category: Features Page: E8 Helaine Freeman Recently went to the Sporting Event I'd Looked Forward to All Year. Nope, not the first Razorback Game. Girlfriend refers to the Arkansas Classic. That's the big, festive game that kicks off the season for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football team. Each year, UAPB's Golden Lions come to War Memorial Stadium to square off against a worthy opponent, usually another historically black college or university (HBCU). The event attracts UAPB students; its many alumni; other collegiates and those who, as my older relatives would say, have never even rubbed their heads up against a college wall. And it's one of a number of classic games between HBCUs during football season. A good time is usually had by all. Game day is accompanied by various tailgate activities (including a big feed compliments of the generous Jennings Osborne this year); outdoor partying sponsored by the R&B radio station; and Greek-letter-organization-sponsored parties afterward. Generally, it's all one heckuva people-watching, meet-greet-and-reunite opportunity. I, for one, hoop, holler, scream and cheer my head off until I'm blue as well as black ... and that's just for the band. Anyone who hasn't seen a Battle of the Bands during halftime at an HBCU has truly missed a show. These bands don't just march and play. They do the latest dances. They sing. And somehow, UAPB manages each year to find no less than three drum majors who could probably win any limbo contest in the Caribbean. Again, a good time at a Classic is a near-guarantee for everyone from the stereotypical gal who doesn't quite understand football to the stereotypical guy who does. A short guide for attending a Classic-type game or any other sure-to-be-good pigskin contest game this year: 1 . They do start on time, so don't set out 15 minutes until the kickoff and then try to break in line at the entrance ramp. 2. Make sure you sit on the home side, even if your companions try to persuade you not to. True, it may be hot as Hades and the opponent's side may have some breathing room. True, quite a few of the home crowd fans may end up there too. And true, you may have a good view of the band, which does song-and-dance routines in the bleachers. But it won't be the same. The people-watching opportunities won't be as colorful. And you might not see anybody you know, and, gee, that's no fun at a see-and-be-seen event. You gotta run into people you know so that you can have 1 O-minute conversations with each and every one of them, leaving your companions either fuming or free to disappear once they see somebody they know. 3. It's more fun to sit near the folks who came to the game drunk and talk all kinds of creative smack than the sober-but-loud folks who just sit there making lame jokes with each other between screaming at game plays. 4. If you're a slow learner when it comes to football, just jump up and holler "Go! Go! Go! Go!" Or "Aw,#$%&!" at the same time everybody else does. The cheerleaders and the band will clue you in, too. Listen closely, however: Sometimes a "Go! Go! Go!" can turn into an "Aw,#$%&!" in virtually the same breath. Watch the scoreboard closely to make sure your team actually racked up some points. 5. At halftime, don't even try to hear the guy "narrating" over the loudspeaker while the band is performing. It's a lost cause. Just enjoy while the band shakes its collective booty. 6. Don't give the "big-bone-ded" cheerleader a hard time. After all, she made it that far. 7. Be a sport. Even if it appears the team is losing, don't break the wave. 8. If Osborne is serving barbecue before the game, it really is worth it to nearly fall out while standing in the long, hot line to get a plate. You don't pay anything, and you and the gang actually get full. 9. Don't leave early just because the home team is having bad luck catching passes and appears to be losing the game. You'll hate it when you find out that after you left, the home team pulled itself together and beat the visitors with 42 seconds to go on the clock. 10. If you do stay until the end of the game, don't try to break in line at the exit ramp. Kick a field goal to: helaine_freeman@adg.ardemgaz.com

Razorbacks Report: Harris eager to carry again as punt returner Date: 9/17/99 Category: NWAsports Page: C6 Compiled by Rob Keys *NW EDITION* Arkansas special teams coach Mark Hutson didn't have to look far for a volunteer when freshman punt returner Fred Talley injured his ankle against SMU. "Harold stepped up and said, 'I can do it,"' Hutson said of Malvern sophomore Harold Harris. Harris came to Arkansas as a highly touted running back after leading the state with 2,412 rushing yards as a high school senior. But when the opportunity for immediate playing time at cornerback opened up last season, Harris gladly made the move to defense. Now, Harris will have the chance to carry the ball again, this time as a punt returner -- a position he hasn't played since his junior season at Malvern. "We want to try to add another facet to our game and punish somebody for not coming down and covering punts as well as they should," Harris said. "So I'm thankful to get back there, and I'm just anxious to get the ball in my hands again and try to do something with it." Harris, who has worked at the position the last two weeks, said the move may also finally silence some of his friends in Malvern. "Everybody back home, all my homeboys, have been asking me why Coach Nutt hasn't put me back there to return punts or put me in the slot to try to go downfield and catch some balls," Harris said. Hutson said he is glad to give Harris the opportunity. "He was a great running back in high school, and it's just an opportunity to give him a chance to field the ball and to touch it again," Hutson said. "He's done well in practice this week and we expect him to do the same Saturday night [when Arkansas plays host to Louisiana-Monroe at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock]." Boo due back soon It's been a trying few weeks, but junior receiver Boo Williams said Thursday he believes he will be in uniform Sept. 25 when Arkansas plays at Alabama. Williams missed the SMU game and will miss Saturday's game against Louisiana-Monroe because he lacked three hours to complete his transfer from Coffoyville (Kan.) Community College. He has been taking a correspondence course since then, a philosophy class in ethics, to make up the shortfall. Williams said he plans to turn in the final assignments Monday and can request a rush order to have his grade returned in time to play against the Crimson Tide. But in taking the course on top of his regular class schedule, Williams has missed a load of practice time and lost some polish. "Some drills it feels like I'm losing a little bit," Williams said. "But that will come back when I get back into it. Coach [Fitz] Hill will get me straight." Warning: Razorbacks ready If Louisiana-Monroe was hoping Arkansas might be rusty after not having played a game in two weeks, the Indians might want to hope for something else. That's because Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt couldn't have been more pleased after the Razorbacks' Thursday practice, their final workout before Saturday's home opener at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. "I was very pleased with our concentration today," Nutt said after the shorts-and-shoulder pads session. "We had good intensity and had very few busts today. That's always a good sign on Thursday. "A lot of times when you put on shorts, a lot of teams and players have a tendency [to say], 'OK, it's time to slack off,' and just go through the motions. "But I really loved the concentration level we had and everybody really bounced around just about all day. From kicking to defense to offense, everybody knew their assignments and did it at full speed. That's what you appreciate." No score for you Considering Arkansas held SMU scoreless two weeks ago, and Louisana-Monroe failed to score against Minnesota last week, the odds of the Razorbacks opening the season with backto-back shutouts for the first time since 1969 are not astronomical. "I think we're capable of pitching another shutout," sophomore defensive end Sacha Lancaster said. "That's what we're looking to do." Arkansas has opened its season with a shutout victory 42 times in 106 games, but before the SMU game had not recorded a season-opening shutout since 1986 (21-0 vs. Ole Miss in Little Rock). The Razorbacks have not opened a season with back-to-back shutouts since beating Oklahoma State 39-0 and Tulsa 55-0 in 1969. There have been 12 other Arkansas teams to open a season with at least two consecutive shutouts. The 1913 team holds the record, blanking its first four opponents. That team beat Henderson State 3-0, Hendrix College 26-0, Oklahoma State 3-0 and Baylor 34-0. Logo merry-go-round Fans of Louisiana-Monroe may have a hard time recognizing their own team recently considering the Indians have played with four different helmet designs since their 1998 season opener. When ULM, which was then Northeast Louisiana, opened the 1998 season against Nicholls State, its helmet logo was a feather-adorned spear. But when NLU played at Florida the next week, the Indians showed up with an oval containing the letters "NLU" on their helmets. "Our helmets kind of looked like Florida State's," Cory Rogers, ULM sports information director, said. "And with Florida State being one of Florida's biggest rivals, we didn't want to give them any added incentive against us. So we went with the oval logo." Then, with a new coaching staff taking over before this season, the athletic department came up with a new helmet logo. The only problem was that before the Indians could play a game with the new logo, the school changed its name, making the redesigned logo obsolete. That left the athletic department scrambling to come up with yet another logo. In fact, the Indians played this year's season opener a la Penn State -- with no logos on their helmets. Last week, though, ULM unveiled its new logo in a 35-0 loss at Minnesota. Coach Bobby Keasler apparently isn't too thrilled about the name change of his alma mater. "I'm a Northeast grad," Keasler said when asked his thoughts on the change. "I'm going to leave it at that." And about the new logo? "We have something stuck on there," Keasler said. "We've got an 'L' on it with some feathers hanging offof it. That's what we'll finish the year with." More Keasler Louisiana-Monroe Coach Bobby Keasler said it isn't easy determining what concerns him the most about Arkansas. "What don't?" Keasler said. "They're really impressive. "They had some great wins there last year and competed for the SEC championship, and it looks like they're going to have a chance to play in a major bowl game again. "It's going to be quite a challenge for our guys playing Arkansas, but we're looking forward to it." Banners up New banners will be flying at War Memorial Stadium for Arkansas' game against Louisiana-Monroe Saturday. The Jennings Osborne family has donated four giant cardinal red pennants that feature the trademark Razorback running through the letter A. Two of the 20-foot wide by 28-foot long banners will be hung on the east facade of the stadium while the other two will be on the west facade. The Osbornes have agreed to add more pennants next year. The pregame barbecue and postgame fireworks sponsored by the Osbornes will continue this season, with the Osborne Family Barbecue being held Saturday on the 1 7th fairway of the War Memorial Golf Course. Each tray of food, which can feed a family of four, costs $5 with the proceeds going to War Memorial Stadium. Photo: Harold Harris

Cooking, music to mix at river Date: 9/17/99 Category: Weekend Page: W2 Chili and barbecue get to take star turns in The Great River Cook-off sponsored by the Junior League of North Little Rock. Three bands -- Days of Rain, Mr. Happy and Afrodesia -- will provide entertainment from 5 to 11 p.m. today at the North Little Rock Riverfront Park. Admission is $5 and vendors will sell food and beverages. Events on Saturday, which are also taking place at North Little Rock's Riverfront Park, will be for the whole family. Along with the chili and barbecue cook-offs, there will be a lumberjack contest, a ski exhibition by the Arkansas Ski Team, and a children's area with the Arkansas Children's Hospital Firehouse, SunCom's StarLab, face painting and more. Bo Prewitt, a national chili cook-off champion, will be the head judge for The Great River Cook-off. The other judges will include Willie Oates, University of Arkansas at Little Rock basketball players, Jennings Osborne and others. Admission on Saturday is $3 for adults, $2 for ages 2 to 12 and free for ages 2 and under. Call 372-1436.

Capitol gets its racing ribbon Date: 9/18/99 Category: News Page: B10 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEVE KEESEE Capitol gets its racing ribbon Johnny Gilbert, a state Capitol grounds maintenance employee, secures a giant pink ribbon Friday to the Capitol entrance. The ribbon, donated by the Jennings Osborne family, honors the sixth annual Susan G. Komen Foundation's Arkansas Race for the Cure, which will be Sept. 25. Ribbons were also placed at Robinson Center Music Hall, Little Rock City Hall, North Little Rock City Hall and the Old State House.

Celebrity auction to bring hospice house plan to life Date: 9/26/99 Category: Features Page: D1 KYLE BRAZEL ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Some might say Melody Sims took taking things at face value a step too far. That's one way to sum up her almost-overnight transformation from cheery, bubbly clothing salesman to cheery, bubbly funeral director. After working in retail for several years, the Nashville, Tenn., native who has spent the last 15 years in North Little Rock enrolled in college courses and took an aptitude test. The results surprised -- and scared -- her. There it was in official-looking print: She was best suited to direct funerals. "A funeral director?" she remembers thinking, not without some healthy incredulity. "It scared the life out of me!" Still, she trusted the test, resigned her sales job the next morning and immediately enrolled in training to obtain her funeral director's license. "People who know me, they laugh and say, 'Oh, I can see you doing that,"' Sims says of the reactions she got as news of her career shift spread. Strangers greeted by a sunny Sims at the bright red front door of her lakefront home might have a hard time picturing her holding the hands of the dying and those they leave behind -which she does in her profession and as a volunteer for Arkansas Hospice. (But she is dressed all in black.) Sims says she finds something life- affirming in the final stages of life and how they're handled by the dying. It's no surprise to see that, under her direction, fund-raisers for Arkansas Hospice -- a nonprofit organization that supports dying patients who choose to live out their lives at home -- take on sunny dispositions of their own. On Oct. 14, Arkansas Hospice will present its first Celebrity Memorabilia Auction in Little Rock's River Market pavilions, selling such items as a scrub shirt from ER signed by George Clooney, movie posters autographed by Karl Malden, a denim jacket autographed by Chuck Norris, autographed self-portraits of Peter Falk and Bea Arthur and a boxed set of John Lennon CDs signed by Yoko Ono. Sims, special events chairman for the hospice group, is positively giddy as she tiptoes around stacks in the upstairs room in her home where celebrities' signed 8-by-1 0s smile up from the floor, waiting for arrangement and display the night of the auction. It's clear that somber won't be on the menu -- scads of barbecue will be, though, dished up by last year's Arkansas Hospice Compassion Award winner, Jennings Osborne and family. "People are afraid of dying, and people don't want to talk about hospice," Sims says. "We wanted to do something fun that would bring people together for a good cause." Tickets to the fund-raiser are $25, with the money raised applied to the construction of a hospice house. Arkansas Hospice plans to construct the state's first residential center where the dying can go for the remainder of their lives in an atmosphere more homey than that of a nursing home. The group owns 10 acres in west Little Rock where the center will be built. "It's a dream that's going to be a reality," assures Sims, who instituted a cake of the month club to reward those who go above and beyond in supporting Arkansas Hospice. "We're working our way toward that reality. It'll be here one day." Once Sims was ordained to lead funerals, she relied once more on her clothing connections, hitting up her former M.M. Cohn customer Christine Roller for a job. She was hired on the spot as Roller Funeral Homes' director of after-care, which finds her following up with the bereaved six weeks to two months after the funeral. Mainly, she offers an ear during the weeks after the family vigil has ended and neighbors' casseroles have stopped coming. In those moments, Sims is serious, soothing and, above all, accommodating. She says she doesn't find the work morbid but fascinating and gratifying. "It's a ministry that you give to people," says Sims, who first learned of hospice when her 38-year-old sister, who had breast cancer, chose to die amid the comforts of home. "If you know that maybe something you said or did made a difference, and knowing that you helped someone through a day -- that's a great feeling." Cutlines: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/PHYLLIS D. BRANDON Arkansas native Glen Campbell and his daughter, Debby, (right) were welcomed by Jerry and Shirley Davis to a concert Sept. 18 for Afffiliated Foods at the new Statehouse Convention Center. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/KAREN VANDONGE Action star Chuck Norris' John Hancock -- sported by Melody Sims of North Little Rock -is just one ofthe celebrity attractions to be auctioned Oct. 14 to benefit Arkansas Hospice, a nonprofit group that helps terminally ill patients die at home. Sims says the upbeat fundraiser isn't incongruous with the group's mission. "We wanted to do something fun that would bring people together for a good cause."

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