Around Town

By Times Staff
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 10:53 AM CST

Library schedules puzzles and games

K-5 Puzzles & Games Day is from 4 to 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Maumelle Library, according to a library news release.

Children in kindergarten through fifth grades are invited to work jigsaw puzzles and play board games in the meeting room. The event is free, and no registration is required.

The library is at 10 Lake Point Drive. For more information, call 851-2551.

Free shots offered to ‘Part B’ seniors

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Free flu shots will be given to seniors, with Medicare Part B, from 9 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday in November at the Jack Evans Senior Center in Sherwood. A $20 charge will be assessed for seniors without Medicare Part B coverage. For more information, call the center at 834-5770.

Maumelle Library has story times

The Maumelle Library has weekly story times for babies and preschoolers through mid-December.

For ages birth through 36 months is “Mother Goose on the Loose” at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays through Dec. 18. It includes brief stories, finger plays, songs and movement games.

The preschool story time is at 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Dec. 17. It will include stories, finger plays and songs.

Story time is free, and no registration is required.

Story times will not be held the week of Thanksgiving.

Library teen panel host cheer party

The Maumelle Library’s Teen Advisory Board Christmas Cheer Party will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4.

All teens in grades 6-12 are invited to the event at the library at 10 Lakepoint Drive. Featured will be Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii gaming system. Participants will be served pizza and soft drinks.

Admission to the party will be an unwrapped gift for the Salvation Army Tree or a monetary gift of at least $5. Contact Beth Moreno, assistant branch manager, for more information at 851-2551.

Businesses show Christmas trees

The Maumelle library invites area businesses to participate in its first Christmas tree gala, “Maumelle Community Winter Wonderland,” by displaying a Christmas tree that represents their business.

Trees were set up began Saturday and will continue through Nov. 29. The Christmas trees will be displayed during the library’s community open house on Dec. 13 and will remain on display through the month of December.

Reserve space by calling the library before Nov. 29 at 851-2551.

Teen gaming day

Tuesday at library

The Maumelle Library will host Teen Gaming Day for students in grades 6-12, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Board games and Wii video games will be featured. For more information, call the library at 851-2551.

Seniors to have holiday party

The Maumelle Senior Wellness Center will have its annual holiday party for seniors at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17.

A special holiday lunch is planned including a dessert bar, bingo, and games.

Cost is $3.50 in advance and $5 after noon Dec. 15. Tickets are required and available at the Lakeside desk at the center. For more information, call 851-4344.

Appointments set for insurance tips

The Maumelle Senior Wellness Center is taking appointments to meet with representatives from the Seniors Health Insurance Information Program.

It is a state effort that provides free, one-on-one counseling, education and information to individuals with Medicare.

Representatives will be at the center Dec. 10, to assist members with Medicare Prescription D.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling Jean at 851-4344.

Library sponsors photo contest

Beth Moreno, assistant branch manager of the Maumelle Public Library, 10 Lakepoint Drive, is urging patrons to "Show your Christmas Spirit" by snapping a photo for a chance to win the library's Christmas photo contest.

Library officials are encouraging Maumelle residents to take a creative, unique or thought-provoking picture that shows someone sharing their Christmas spirit. Participants may drop off their entries at the library desk Dec. 1-31.

The library will award first-, second- and third-place prizes to those who capture the essence of Christmas. All photos will be screened before being displayed in the library. Contact Moreno at 851-2551.

Pinnacle state park holds holiday sale

The Pinnacle Mountain State Park Visitor Center Gift Shop will have its holiday sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Among items for sale are books and nature items.

For details call (501) 868-5806.

Christmas parade slated for Dec. 7

The North Little Rock Christmas parade will be at 2 p.m. Dec. 7.

The theme is Peace on Earth. The parade will follow its traditional route starting at Pershing Boulevard, and continuing down Main Street to the City Services Building.

Those interested in being in the parade may contact the Sertoma Club at (501) 758-037. Entry forms are available at the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. All entries are due by Nov. 30.

Thanksgiving feed set for next week

The Maumelle Neighbors Helping Neighbors organization is again sponsoring the Maumelle Hometown Thanksgiving from 11:30 a.m-2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at the Jess Odom Community Center.

Food will be catered by Mom’s Country Kitchen.

Tickets may be purchased in advance for $5 at the Community Center, City Hall, or Curves in Maumelle. Tickets at the door are $6.

Volunteers are needed to serve food and provide desserts. To volunteer, call Marion Scott at 454-0643.

Library offers finance program

Joy Buffalo from the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service will present “’Tis the Season — Money for the Holidays” at the Maumelle library at noon Friday.

Buffalo will discuss the meaning of giving and spending.

Participants are asked to bring a sack lunch. The library will provide the tea and a light dessert. The program is free.

Sherwood group to host benefit

The eighth annual Hearts & Hooves Hoedown will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Hearts & Hooves, 2308 Kellogg Acres Road in Sherwood.

The event is a bluejeans and boots affair with Craig O’Neill of KTHV-TV, Channel 11, as master of ceremonies, according to a news release from Hearts & Hooves.

Activities will include music, silent and live auctions, a country store, grilled steaks catered by James Staats of Golden Corral and an equestrian fashion show by the group’s models. The event is the organization’s primary fundraiser to subsidize the riders’ fees. All proceeds go to the program and the community.

Hearts & Hooves is a nonprofit therapeutic riding center that brings people with special needs together with horses in a program that helps develop coordination, balance, flexibility and self-esteem.

For tickets or information, call Pat White at 834-8509.

Shelter revises adoption schedule

The Sherwood Humane Animal Shelter at 6500 North Hills Blvd. is closed to adoptions every other Saturday.

The open Saturday dates for adoption for the rest of 2008 are noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and again on Dec. 6 and 20.

People who want to adopt an animal should arrive at least one hour before closing to complete the documents.

The shelter is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

For more information, call the shelter at 834-2287.

Wellness clinic open weekly

The Baptist Wellness Clinic for senior citizens is open from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays at the Jack Evans Senior Center, 2301 Thornhill Drive in Sherwood.

For more information, call the senior center at 834-5770.

Scottish dance classes under way

The fall session of Scottish Country Dance Lessons runs from 7-9 p.m. through Dec. 1 at Park Hill Presbyterian Church, 3520 John F. Kennedy Blvd. in North Little Rock.

Classes and times are:

Introduction to Scottish Country Dance, for children ages 6-11, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Early registration is necessary. The class requires a minimum of eight students. The cost is $10.

Beginning Scottish Country Dance, 7-8 p.m. The cost for adults is $55 plus a $5 membership fee and, for ages 12-18, is $20 plus a $5 membership fee.

Intermediate Scottish Country Dance, 8-9 p.m. The cost for adults is $55 plus a $5 membership fee and, for ages 12-18, is $20 plus a $5 membership fee.

Participants will learn basic formations and footwork used in dancing traditional and modern Scottish reels, jigs and strathspeys, which form the basis of Scottish ballroom dancing. No partner or previous dance experience is necessary.

Casual dress and soft-sole shoes are required.

The Arkansas Scottish Country Dance Society is a nonprofit organization established in 1985 by people interested in fostering traditional Scottish country dancing and music.

For more information, call 821-4746 or visit arkansasscds.googlepages.com/home.

GriefShare meets weekly at church

A GriefShare recovery seminar and support group meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Sylvan Hills Church of Christ, 117 W. Maryland Ave. in Sherwood, said John Snyder, GriefShare facilitator.

GriefShare features nationally recognized experts on grief and recovery. Topics include “The Journey of Grief,” “When Your Spouse Dies,” “Your Family in Grief,” “Why?” and “Stuck in Grief.”

Child care is provided.

For more information, call the church at 835-4141.

Poets society

reconvenes

The Frontier Poets, formerly known as the Maumelle Poets, has reconvened.

The group meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Maumelle Arts Center, 14421 Frontier Drive, behind Razorback Pizza on Arkansas 365, according to member Harding Stedler.

The meetings are open to the public, and poets are invited to bring poems with which they would like assistance in editing and polishing, Stedler said.

For more information, call Stedler at 851-2986.

Farmers market open twice a week

The Certified Arkansas Farmer’s Market in Argenta is open 7 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Saturdays in the parking lot on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth streets.

For vendor information, e-mail csalittlerock@yahoo.com. For market progress reports, visit www.arkansasfood.net.

Center features museum, riverboat

The North Shore Maritime Center at 100 Riverfront Drive includes a Maritime Museum, the submarine USS Razorback; the Salty Parrot Restaurant; a party barge and stern-wheel excursion boat the Arkansas Queen.

The Arkansas Queen offers sightseeing and dining cruises and sails on the Arkansas River.

For details, visit www.arkansasqueen.com or call 372-5777.

Mobile unit makes adoptions possible

Pets are available for adoption every Saturday in the North Little Rock Animal Shelter’s Mobile Adoption Unit in the Lakewood Village shopping center.

The hours are 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

For the Sunday schedule or more details, call the shelter at 791-8577.

Bingo to benefit friends of animals

Maumelle Friends of the Animals hosts bingo every Friday and Saturday at 21510 Arkansas 365 North at Maumelle Boulevard. The proceeds benefit the organization.

The doors open at 5 p.m., and the game starts at 6 p.m.

For more information, call Jeanie Lentz at 680-6109.

Pet adoptions set every Saturday

Maumelle Friends of the Animals is at the North Little Rock PetSmart store from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays for pet adoptions.

For more information, call Charleen Akins at 851-7114.

Museum displays artillery piece

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in Little Rock is displaying a rare piece of Civil War-era artillery, coinciding with the 145th anniversary of the July 4 Battle of Helena, according to museum Executive Director Stephan McAteer.

An oil portrait of Lt. William Rector, recently donated to the museum by a relative, will also make its debut. A son of Arkansas Gov. Henry Rector, William was killed July 4, 1863, at the Battle of Helena.

The unwheeled tube of one gun from a pair of 1851 Alger Cadet Guns will be on display in Arkansas for the first time. Produced for the Arkansas Military Institute by Cyrus Alger & Co. of Boston, the rare Civil War-era artillery is on loan to the MacArthur Museum from the Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia.

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, at 503 E. Ninth St. in Little Rock’s MacArthur Park, was created to preserve and interpret the state’s military heritage from its territorial period to the present.

For more information, call McAteer at 376-4602 or visit www.arkmilitaryheritage.com.

Symphony season tickets available

Tickets are on sale for all 2008-09 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concerts.

The lineup includes:

“Yuletide Spectacular V,” Dec. 19-20.

“Brahms for Two,” Jan. 17-18.

National Symphony Orchestra, March 29.

“SuperPOPS! The Music of Pink Floyd,” May 8.

For tickets, call 666-1761, Ext. 21, or visit www.arkansassymphony.org.

Historic site has abolition exhibit

The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is hosting a national traveling panel exhibit, “Free at Last: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America,” created and funded by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

The free exhibit is in the Visitor Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day.

The historic site is at 2120 Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive in Little Rock.

For more information, call the center at 374-1957 or e-mail chsc_visitor_center@nps.gov.

Theater announces 2008-09 season

The Community Theatre of Little Rock will present its 2008-09 season at its new venue, the Public Theatre, according to the theater company’s Frank O. Butler.

The season contains a comedic look at life imitating art, a Christmas musical about Dickens’ famous miser, a classic tale of justice in the South, a humorous trip to the beauty shop and a musical flashback to the era of music videos, bad hair and John Hughes films, Butler said.

The remaining 2008-09 season lineup includes:

Scrooge! The Musical, Dec. 5-7 and 12-14.

To Kill a Mockingbird, March 20-22 and 27-29.

Steel Magnolias, May 22-24 and 29-31.

Back to the 80’s, July 17-19 and 24-26.

All shows will be presented at The Public Theatre, also the home of Improv Little Rock. The theater is at 616 Center St. in Little Rock.

For more information about the season and auditions, call 663-9494 or visit www.communitytheatreoflittlerock.com.

Capitol features presidential show

Secretary of State Charlie Daniels presents a state Capitol exhibit, “American Presidential Theater,” which is an affectionate retrospective on the political theater created by certain contentious and close races for U.S. president.

The Constitution of 1789 instituted a three-legged structure of government for the new United States of America; one of its most controversial aspects was the provision for a chief executive for the nation. The first president, George Washington, was, in effect, elected by popular acclaim. His successors, however, have had to campaign for the office, and the result has been a tradition of partisan theater.

Collages of vintage political cartoons commemorate a dozen of the nation’s most controversial presidential contests; these range from the elevation of Thomas Jefferson in 1800 to the protracted recounting dramas of 2000. Pious or perplexed quotations from various inhabitants of the Oval Office, plus reproductions of campaign materials and caricatures, testify to the wide range of emotions the presidency has inspired.

“I hope our presidential theater exhibit will provide state Capitol visitors a moment of levity in the midst of this election year in which Arkansans and all Americans are considering some extraordinarily weighty issues in terms of deciding who our country’s next chief executive will be,” Daniels said.

The American Presidential Theater exhibit will remain on view in the Capitol’s first-floor galleries through November from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends and holidays. For those interested in more information on the history of presidential contests, a concise bibliography of recommended reading will be available at the Capitol Tour Desk.

CTLR presents Scrooge musical

The Community Theatre of Little Rock presents its production of Leslie Bricusse’s “Scrooge! The Musical” on Dec. 5-7 and 12-14 at the Public Theatre at 616 Center Street, next to Horn’s in downtown Little Rock.

A special engagement of the musical will be performed Nov. 28-29.

Based on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge is set to music, including the popular “Thank You Very Much.” Bricusse, who wrote the book, lyrics and music, adapted the stage version from his own 1970 film version, starring Albert Finney as Scrooge.

“Scrooge! The Musical” will be directed by Tricia H. Spione, with choreography by Lisa Luyet.

For further information, please call the CTLR at 663-9494, or visit the Web site at www.communitytheatreoflittlerock.com.

ASO presents Yuletide program

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will preent Yuletide Spectacular V Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Conductor will be David Itkcin and the show will feature Mary Ann Robinson, Matt Newman, Leslie Harper, and Mary Kaitlin Ward With The Old School Bluegrass Band, Lark in the Morning, Central Arkansas Youth Choir, ASO Yuletide Chorale and the dancers from Shuffles & Ballet II.

There will be a Deck the Halls chldren’s fair before the Saturday matinee.