ICON, August 2011

ARTSEVENTSTASTEa u g u s t / 2 0 1 1 • w w w . i c o n w a y . n e t

LOCAL ARTIST VIVIAN NOE-GRIFFITH

TRY THE TACO TRUCK!COMPLETE EVENTS CALENDAR

FACEBOOK KILLER?

WHAT’S

HOTIN TECH

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FEEDBACK

STEWART COLE PHOTO

Jonathan R: Very happy that the lockout came to an end. Romo is back! Super Bowl! Michelle H: Of course Razorbacks! Derrek T: 2011 is the year for Petrino and the Hogs. Maret M: Woohoo Pig Sooie! Can’t wait to wear red! Johnnie W: I’m ready for the Bears and the new field! Katherine T: Ready for NFL opening day September 8th. Go Saints! John A: Fourteen wins! Parker J: College ball has it all! Kim W: Thrilling Razorback season! Steve S: Ready for the Cowboys! Leah A: We will be calling the Hogs in Atlanta. SEC Championship baby! Neal E: Hope Cowboys win the Super Bowl. Laura S: Can’t wait to tailgate. Go Bears! Margaret R: Beat Bama! James R: Can’t wait for college. I think the Hogs are going to be better than last year. Scott P: NFL baby!

DOWN, SET...ARE YOU READY FOR FOOTBALL?WHAT TEAM? TELL US ABOUT IT!

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP | 2012 ODDS

1. Oklahoma, 3.85-12. Alabama, 8-1

3. Boise State, 12-1 Florida, 12-1 Florida State, 12-1 Oregon, 12-1

7. LSU, 18-18. Nebraska, 20-1 Ohio State, 20-1 Penn State, 20-1

TCU, 20-1 Texas, 20-1

Other notables: Auburn Tigers (50-1), Miami Hurricanes (50-1), Michigan Wolverines (80-1), Stanford Cardinal (28-1), Wisconsin Badgers (30-1). From Sportsbookgurus.com

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ARTSEVENTSTASTEa u g u s t / 2 0 1 1 • w w w . i c o n w a y . n e t

LOCAL ARTIST VIVIAN NOE-GRIFFITH

TRY THE TACO TRUCK!COMPLETE EVENTS CALENDAR

FACEBOOK KILLER?

WHAT’S

HOTIN TECH

ON THE COVERBack to school! Students will be heading back to Conway as classes begin. Stewart Cole photo.

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Ashley McBryde returns to her home state with a new story to tell.

Dr. Justin Charton is always focused.

14 ON STAGE: WHO’S PLAYING WHERE IN CONWAY

18 LOCAL FLAVOR: LA PENA TAQUERIA

21 ICON TECH: MUSIC IN YOUR POCKET

24 FCLI: LEADERS IN FAULKNER COUNTY

27 DOWNTOWN: WHAT’S UP IN DOWNTOWN CONWAY

28 ICON NET: IS GOOGLE+ A FACEBOOK KILLER?

40 ICON OUTDOORS: WHAT THE DUCK?

42 ARE YOU READY?: FOOTBALL SCHEDULES FOR AREA SCHOOLS

46 LAST LOOK: ST. JOSEPH BAZAAR STILL GOING STRONG

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AUGUST 2011 / VOL. I, ISSUE 6

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36 Soccer standout Kenny Jones is building traditions.30 Vivian Noe-Griffith

STAFFEDITOR / LORI QUINN

CREATIVE DIRECTOR / STEWART COLEADVERTISING SALES MANAGER / RHONDA OVERBEYGRAPHIC ARTISTS / JAY PRINCE & KELLIE MCANULTY

SPECIAL EVENTS / LEAH BROWNEVENT PHOTOGRAPHER / SARA BLACK

[email protected]

ADVERTISING SALESJESICA TALBERT • BETSEY WILLBANKS

DAWN RIVERS • TARA SANDERS

COMMENTS?We want your feedback!

Write to us at [email protected].

iCon, Conway City Magazine, is a publicationof the Log Cabin Democrat. All rights reserved. iCon is published monthly, 12 times per year.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toiCon, Conway City Magazine

P.O. Box 969Conway, AR 72033

For subscriber service, please call (501) 327-6621

Unauthorized use of materials contained hereinis strictly prohibited.

Follow us on Twitter: @iconwaymagazinewww.iconway.net

Check out our Facebook page for weekly calendar of events.

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Conway happenings: iCon has you covered with our events calendar. Check

out photos from past area events. PAGES 6-13.

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in partnership with

Frank Jones Storytelling08.02 {Tuesday} “A Wife for Isaac,” “Shepherd of the Hills” and “A folk tale about Three Apple Trees.” Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m.

Bowl-A-Thon08.04 {Thursday} 2011 Annual Special Olympics Bowl-A-Thon 7-9 p.m. at Conway Family Bowl, for info cal 327-3838.

St. Joseph Catholic School Bazaar08.05-08.06 {Friday-Saturday} 99th annual St. Joseph Catho-lic School Bazaar with old-fashioned midway, flea market and auction. For information, go to www.sjparish.org.

Arkansas Sports Club Luncheon08.08 {Monday} Arkansas Sports Club Luncheon 11:30 a.m. Ryan’s in Conway.

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BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AUCTION

Kristie Ross with live auction necklace and earrings from Fletcher Smith’s Jewelers.

Liz Snipan, Larry Rogers Judge Amy Brazil

Haley Crafton Fowler, Kim Williams

FOOTBALL SEASONFor a complete list of all the local football games, check out page 42 in this issue.

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Estes Stadium Ribbon Cutting08.10 {Wednesday} Ribbon Cutting for new field at UCA Estes Stadium, 6:30 p.m.

2nd Thursday Book Club08.11 {Thursday} “A Long Way from Chicago,” by Richard Peck. Faulkner County Library, 11 a.m.

Bargains Galore on 6408.11-08.13 {Thursday-Saturday} 12th Annual Bargains Galore on Hwy. 64, 160 miles of yard sales and flea markets featuring antiques, collectibles, etc. along Hwy 64; admis-sion is free. For info www.barginsgaloreon64.com, [email protected], (888) 568-3552.

Summer Commencement08.12 {Friday} Summer commencement at UCA.

Teacher Breakfast and Education Fair08.12 {Friday} Teacher Breakfast and Education Fair at Si-mon Intermediate hosted by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, for info 327-7788.

Adrienne Thompson08.13 {Saturday} Book signing and Author talk with Adri-enne Thompson. Faulkner County Library, 1 and 2 p.m.

Hall of Fame Banquet08.13 {Saturday} 5th annual Arkansas Sports Club Hall of Fame banquet recognizing Sportswriter Wadie Moore, Sportscaster Frank Broyles, Lifetime Achievement Joe Mos-by, Member of the Year Don Nixon, and Service Award Arch Jones 6 p.m. at Centennial Special Events Center, Conway, for info contact Mike Harrison 327-6611.

New School Year08.15 {Monday} Conway Public Schools 2011-2012 aca-demic year starts.

Power Lunch08.15 {Monday} Power Lunch “The Leadership Adventure: Discovering What’s Inside” 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Agora Conference Center, 705 E. Siebenmorgen Road, Conway, sponsored by iCON – Conway City Magazine in partnership with Conway Young Professionals, for info [email protected].

Business After Hours08.15 {Monday} Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Busi-ness After Hours 5-6:30 p.m. at Highpoint Park Apartments.

Faulkner County Poets Society08.16 {Tuesday} Faulkner County Library, 6 p.m.

3rd Wednesday Computer Class08.17 {Wednesday} Faulkner County Library, 6 p.m. Sign up required.

Time Travelers Book Club08.18 {Thursday} “Crazy for the Storm,” by Norman Oll-estad. Faulkner County Library, 6 p.m.

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BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AUCTION

Jesica Talbert, Ryan Talbert

Lauren Compton, Debbie Cook

Sarah Burrows, Meredith Woodard

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BOWLING FOR BUSINESS

Team Verizon: Casey Moser, John Dallas, Leo Cummings III, Adam Bennett, Brooke John-son

Ian Buchanan, Reginia Thomas, Lee Garrison, Allison Terry, Gail Murdoch

Team Best Buy: Dustin Mabbitt, Chris Rodriguez, Zach Hayes, Cody Kelley, Brandon La-sowski

Lindsay Grifford, Kayla Hawkins

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Arkansas Outdoors Expo08.20-08.21 {Saturday-Sunday} Arkansas Outdoors Expo at Conway Expo Center, 2505 East Oak St., Conway, Hun-dreds of outdoor vendors plus events including the Arkansas State Duck Calling Competition, a 3D archery tournament, the Ultimate Air Dogs dock dog jumping, the Arkansas Great Steak Cook-Off and more. For info call 501-412-0614, email [email protected], or go to www.Arkansa-sOutdoorsExpo.com.

Welcome to UCA!08.22 {Monday} Beginning of ‘Welcome Week’ at UCA.

Chamber CEO Luncheon08.22 {Monday} Conway Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Luncheon 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Brewer-Hegeman Confer-ence Center on UCA campus.

Welcome UCA Students!08.24 {Wednesday} Welcome to UCA! Conway Daze event 3-5:30 p.m. at the practice field on the UCA campus. For info, contact [email protected].

Pancake Breakfast08.28 {Sunday} H.A.V.E.N. annual pancake breakfast fund-raiser 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Stoby’s. All the pancakes and sausage you can eat for $5. For info email: [email protected].

Altered Book Workshop08.31 {Wednesday} Faulkner County Library, 5:30-7 p.m. For more information, call (501) 327-7482, or visit www.fcl.org.

Warriors Volleyball09.02-09.03 {Friday-Saturday} Hendrix Warrior Invita-tional at Hendrix College, Conway.

Warriors Field Hockey09.04 {Sunday} Hendrix plays Lindenwood University at noon at Hendrix College, Conway.

Labor Day09.05 {Monday} Happy Labor Day!

Warriors and Mustangs Volleyball09.06 {Tuesday} Hendrix plays Central Baptist College at 7 p.m. at Hendrix College, Conway.

Warriors Women’s Soccer09.07 {Wednesday} Hendrix plays Ouachita Baptist Uni-versity at 4 p.m. at Hendrix College, Conway.

EcoFest09.10 {Saturday} EcoFest, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Laurel Park, 2200 block of Prince St., in Conway. Excitement for all ages! Blends local food, activities, and music with a balanced exploration of connections among many environmental issues and our daily lives. Plus a cardboard car derby, cook-ing show, kites, animals, butterfly release and interactive exhibits on green building, energy, natural resources, recy-

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JJ’S FRIDAY NIGHT

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cling, transportation, and organics/agriculture. For info call (501) 472-0901, email: [email protected], or go to www.conwayecofest.com.

Toad Suck Triathalon09.10-09.11 {Saturday-Sunday} 15th Annual Toad Suck Triathlon Fest at Beaverfork Lake, Conway. Toad Suck interna-tional triathlon (1.5K swim/40K Bike/ 10K run), a 1.5 open water swim and the CAT Sprint Triathlon (500 yd swim/15 mile bike/3.2 mile run) of Arkansas’s Premier Triathlons. Fee for participants; free to spectators. For info call (870) 246-6686, email [email protected], or go to www. DLTevents.com.

Bicycling Fall Classic09.17 {Saturday} 3rd Annual Conway Fall Classic for Con-way Advocates for Bicycling and Conway Interfaith Clinic is three rides through the countryside: 29 miles, 45 miles and 62 miles; plus an 8 mile community ride through downtown Conway. For info call (501) 932-0559 or email [email protected].

Fair Parade09.20 {Tuesday} Faulkner County Fair Parade downtown Conway.

Faulkner County Fair09.20-09.24 {Tuesday-Saturday} Faulkner Fair at the Con-way Expo Center and Fairgrounds.

Business Expo and Retail Showcase09.29 {Thursday} Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Busi-ness Expo and Retail Showcase. “Broadcast Your Business” 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m., at Conway Expo Center, 2505 E. Oak St.

Taste of Conway09.29 {Thursday} Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Taste of Conway 5-7:30 p.m., at Conway Expo Center, 2505 E. Oak St., Conway.

Walk-A-Thon10.01 {Saturday} 16th annual Conway Human Development Center Walk-A-Thon, for info go to www.chdconline.com.

ROAR Into Toad Suck Motorcycle Rally10.07-10.09 {Friday-Sunday} 2nd Annual ROAR Into Toad Suck motorcycle rally at Simon Park (Front & Main streets, Conway) with live music, vendors, food, bike shows, poker run, two biker parades, classic car show, biker church on Sunday, etc. Event is free and family friendly with something for everyone. For info call (501) 944-1076, email: [email protected], or go to www.ABATE17.com.

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Travis Caudell08.02 {Tuesday} Travis Caudell live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Jocko08.03 {Wednesday} Jocko live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

‘Same Time Next Year’08.04-08.06 {Thursday-Saturday} “Same Time Next Year” 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. performance by the Conway Community Arts Association at The Lantern Theatre, 1021 Van Ronkle, Conway. For info go to www.conwayarts.org.

Burnett Trio08.04 {Thursday} Burnett Trio live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

MayDay By Midnight08.05 {Friday} MayDay By Midnight live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Barett Baber08.06 {Saturday} Barett Baber live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

‘Same Time Next Year’08.07 {Sunday} “Same Time Next Year” 2:30 p.m. performance by the Conway Community Arts As-sociation at The Lantern Theatre, 1021 Van Ronkle, Conway. For info go to www.conwayarts.org.

Sam Williams08.08 {Monday} Sam Williams live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

MayDay By Midnight08.09 {Tuesday} Mayday by Midnight live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Kirk Anderton08.10 {Wednesday} Kirk Anderton live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Chooch08.11 {Thursday} Chooch live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Shot Gun Billys08.12 {Friday} Shot Gun Billys live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Nu UnYun08.13 {Saturday} Nu UnYun live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Ben Coulter08.15 {Monday} Ben Coulter live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

ONSTAGE

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Larry Lee Cheshier08.16 {Tuesday} Larry Lee Cheshier live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Edward Briggler08.17 {Wednesday} Edward Briggler live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Mr. Lucky08.18 {Thursday} Mr. Lucky live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

MayDay By Midnight08.19 {Friday} Mayday by Midnight live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Joey Fanstar08.22 {Monday} Joey Fanstar live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Brian Ramsay08.23 {Tuesday} Brian Ramsay live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Justin Brooks08.24 {Wednesday} Justin Brooks live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Runaway Planet08.25 {Thursday} Runaway Planet live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Mr. Lucky08.26 {Friday} Mr. Lucky live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

MayDay By Midnight08.27 {Saturday} Mayday by Midnight live at 8:30 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

John & Buddy08.29 {Monday} John & Buddy live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Adam Hambrick08.30 {Tuesday} Adam Hambrick live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

Matt Hazel08.31 {Wednesday} Matt Hazel live at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill.

DON’TSTOPPLEASEHave you heard Don’t Stop Please? {http://www.dontstopplease.com}

Band members include Joel Ludford, William Krzeszinski, Nick Caffrey, Robert Gaiser, Will King, Anna Horton and Shelby Matussak. Don’t Stop Please is a local band out of Conway, tagged as experimental, indie, rock, folk and pop, recently recorded a three-song demo here:

http://bit.ly/qaGqF1Please don’t stop listening and check them out live this month…

08.05 {Friday} At The Afterthought in Little Rock, 9 p.m.08.16 {Tuesday} At White Water in Little Rock, 10 p.m. 08.26 {Friday} At Cathouse/Pied Piper in Eureka Springs, 8 p.m. 08.27 {Saturday} At Cathouse/Pied Piper in Eureka Springs, 8 p.m.

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ICONMUSIC ASHLEY MCBRYDE

Nashville resident and Arkansas native Ashley McBryde is hitting Conway’s JJ’s Grill as part of her promotional tour for the recently-released “Elsebound.” “Feisty,” “inspirational” and “genuine” can all be used to describe her refresh-ingly open lyrics and her intrinsically talented vocals and musicianship. Icon had the chance to visit with Ashley prior to her last Central Arkansas trek; the conversation began with Ashley professing, “I don’t think I’ve spoken at nine in the morning in a long time,” with a laugh.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?I am from just south of Mammoth Spring; all of my family is still in Arkansas.

DO YOU SING AND PLAY INSTRUMENTS? I sing and play guitar and mandolin. I started playing mandolin at age 4 and stopped at 11. I got my first guitar at 9. I just picked the mandolin back up for this album. We decided there was a song that needed it, and they just hap-pened to have one in the studio. Lucky for iPhones, I just looked up the chords I couldn’t remember, and we did it!

HOW DID YOU START PLAYING/SINGING?Luckily my folks loved bluegrass music when I was growing up, so we saw a lot of bluegrass shows, and I really got it under my skin. Then I started banging on my father’s guitars when I was little bitty, and that didn’t go over so well, so he gave me a little mandolin he had, and I started banging on that.

Then, when I was 9, dad took me to a music store in Missouri, showed me a guitar and said, “Do you think you can play anything on that?” I started picking on it, and pretty soon I had a song picked out, so he bought it for me. That was the beginning of my playing at home. My dad taught me my first two chords. My mom’s mom taught me my next chord. After that I was pretty much self-taught. I learned a lot by watching folks on TV and people at the bluegrass festivals.

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THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY HOMEBY JENNIFER STANLEY

SOUNDS LIKE YOU COME FROM A PRETTY MUSICAL FAMILY. They are all musically inclined, but not all of them embrace it. I was really surprised when my grandmother asked me, “You wanna know how to do a G chord?” I said, “You don’t know how to do a G chord,” and by-God she did!

WHEN DID YOU bEGIN PURSUING MUSIC FULL-TIME? When I was 12 I went to Nashville for the very first time for a bluegrass festival with my mom. We pulled in where all the in-terstates meet, then we came toward downtown and saw the skyline, and I said, “Mom I’m gonna live in Nashville someday.” I think I said that every day until I moved. I was 21 when I finally did move there.

TALK AbOUT bEING AN UP-AND-COMING MUSICIAN.I write all my own music, so I run in a couple of different circles, and the performing circle is a little like playing with pirates. You have to watch out for yourself. The other circle is made of songwriters, and it is completely opposite. During the flood, for instance, every songwriter who knew [an affected] songwriter helped pump out a basement or loaned someone a guitar to use when their’s was damaged. When it comes to songwriting we help each other out — it is the mentality that we can get further together.

WHO IS YOUR INSPIRATION, MUSICALLY? Patty Griffin is one of my all-time favorite songwriters. John Prine. If I could write one song half as good as anything John Prine has written, I would be so happy. Trisha Yearwood, Dolly

Parton, Emmylou Harris. Even Joni Mitchell and Carole King. Really, I like any strong, pig-headed woman. Even Janis Joplin has had a hand in inspiring me musically. I grew up listening to Kris Kristofferson singing “Bobby McGee,” and when I was teenager, I heard Janis sing it and was wowed. My mother lis-tened to Karen Carpenter from the time I was small. It wasn’t Christmas until mom put a Carpenters album on. I really learned to appreciate that deep, pure voice too. I was lucky enough to have bluegrass and Americana influences.

TALK AbOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS. WHAT INSPIRES YOU LYRICALLY? I usually write best when I am supposed to be doing something else. If I grab my guitar, and I am supposed to be out the door in 45 minutes, something will come out. At least the beginning of something will come out. I record it and come back to it later. Even without an idea, sometimes I just sit down and play and see what happens. On “Elsebound,” there is a song called “Little Tragedies.” I sat down in my house and started playing, and that song just came out. You are really constantly in some phase of the process, whether you are gathering data without even know-ing it. Co-writing is a little different. Usually someone will have a line they think will make a good song, so they ask you to sit down and help write it. It’s kind of like Tinker Toys. You build a sort-of structure, then get a feeling and go with it.

YOU SPECIFICALLY HAVE A SONG ENTITLED “ARKAN-SAS” THAT I THINK OUR READERS WOULD LOVE TO HEAR AbOUT. I was living on a friend’s couch here in Nashville — whoa, this is a “musician story” — she was a girl from Batesville. I was

playing my guitar, and I said, “I think we should go home to Arkansas; I’m homesick.” She couldn’t go because of work, so I went upstairs and started thinking of home. The highway I lived on, 289 toward Mammoth, had the most extraordinary wildflow-ers. They were everywhere, in the ditches, in the median ... I just don’t think people in other states appreciate a black-eyed susan the way an Arkansan does. If I couldn’t go home, I decided to go home in my brain. I started playing the riff that is now at the beginning of the song, and it made me think of going down that highway. The song was honestly a way to feel better about missing home and trying to go home in my head. I really did kiss a boy in a barn when I was in 4th grade. The song is filled with all my favorite things about where I came from. Eventually I was playing it in the studio, just to show the producer what I had been working on, and he said, “That is going on the album.” It’s one of my absolute favorites that I have ever written.

WHERE DO YOU RECORD YOUR MUSIC? In Nashville at HotHaus Productions. The owner and producer is Mike Holmes, and he is one of the kindest, gentlest and most creative human beings I’ve met in my life. We met on accident and just talked about cutting an album. The one I just released is what became of that friendship.

HOW CAN FANS LEARN MORE AbOUT YOU? Visit my website, www.ashleymcbryde.com. Friend me on Face-book. I’ve literally made Facebook friends right at a show. That is the best way to make a fan: shake hands with someone, friend them and keep up with them. I love any kind of feedback, so tell me your favorite song, your least favorite song ... I welcome it all!

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ICONFLAVOR LA PENA TAQUERIA

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{AUTHENTIC} TACOS TO GOIt’s lunch time. You’re hungry but you can’t put your finger on what you’re craving. Abandon your old standbys and surrender yourself to an option that promises to be cheaper and tastier than any of your other options: authentic Mexi-can tacos.

La Pena Taqueria is a taco truck located in the Kroger parking lot at 101 Oak St., just west of the I-40 exit. At lunch time, the scene at La Pena is marked by diversity as Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and Conway natives alike stand in line for authentic Mexican cuisine that includes tacos, tamales, tortas and enchiladas.

Raul La Pena, the owner of the taqueria, said that in regard to his business, the adjective “au-thentic” equates flavor and tradition.

“It’s different from Tex-Mex. It’s more flavorful … and rooted in Mexican culture,” La Pena ex-plained.

The tacos are served in freshly fried corn tor-tillas and served with grilled onions and jalap-enos. The meat is seasoned to perfection, and if that’s not enough, the accompanying sauces pack a punch.

Meat options include beef, chicken and pork, but more adventurous eaters can order cow tongue (lengua) or stewed pork (birria).

The prices at the taco truck are nearly unbeat-

able. Tamales are $1.50 each or $13 for a doz-en. Tacos are $1.50 each. Plates that include tacos or tamales and rice and beans are $5.35.

La Pena and his parents are originally from Jalisco, Mexico. His recipes are his mother’s old recipes. “She always cooked for us … her food was so good that I thought it should someday be offered to the public,” he said.

La Pena wasn’t the only fan of his mother’s cooking — in addition to the customers, his three sons can regularly be seen helping their dad or feasting on torta sandwiches.

La Pena said his last name is Spanish for “boul-der.” He likens his business to the stature of such a dependable object. With an ever-grow-ing clientele, he said he plans on keeping his business in Conway for good.

“I want to give the public what I would have wanted in a city like this,” La Pena said. “My customers say there’s a lot of heart to it.”

La Pena Taqueria is open every day except Sunday. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m., except on Wednesday the truck closes at 5 p.m.

Originally from Jalisco, Mexico, Raul La Pena serves up authentic flavors 6 days a week with his sons on Oak Street in front of Kroger.

BY WILL HEHEMANN

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ICONTECH BY JAMES RYKEN

MUSIC IN YOUR POCKETIt wasn’t too long ago that I remember browsing the Five and Dime store’s music section and picking out a .45 of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In the USA” or Huey Lewis’ “I’ve Got a New Drug” for $1.29. I couldn’t wait to get home and give them a spin on the old record player. So went my ritual every few weeks dur-ing my youth: browse the record selection, pick up a few current hit singles and then wear them out on the phonograph.

The music industry has evolved greatly in a short time. It wasn’t long before cassette tapes came out and there was an even shorter period before the compact disc debuted. The CD hung around for a while, but it won’t be long before it will seem as quaint and antiquated as an 8-track or a .45 single. You can still get a song for $1.29, but now you can download it to a device in your pocket and store it along with 25,000 other songs. It may not be long before that iPod or other mp3 player in your pocket feels just as old. Between several new cloud music storage solu-

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tions, more traditional streaming music services, and a few new players in the high tech music delivery game, our perspective may change once again.

THE CLOUDThe idea of storing personal music on a cloud music server is relatively new. A cloud server is essentially an off-site storage facility for your data (in this case, music files) that is accessible to you as long as you have internet access, either through a WIFI connection or through cellular service.

Amazon was the first major player in the industry to debut their cloud music service, surprising the industry with a late March unveiling this year. Amazon offers up five gigabytes of storage for free with each additional GB costing $1/year, up to a tera-byte. Amazon offers an additional 15GB of storage for free with the purchase of any album (and there are many albums avail-able for less than $1 for the bargain shoppers out there). There are apps available for Android phones for easy access to the Amazon Cloud Drive on the go.

So far no iPhone apps are available. One downside to the Ama-zon Cloud Drive is that all music must be uploaded to the Ama-zon servers and this can take days/weeks/months depending on your connection speed. Amazon cloud drive can also store other media types.

Google quickly followed suit shortly after with their Google Music closed beta. For now, the Google service is free for up to 20,000 songs, making it a great deal, although it is still invitation only. No word on when the service will be available to the general public. Google Music is similar to the Amazon service in that you must upload all data to their servers.

Apple has announced that their service will debut this fall. Named the iCloud, Apple has differentiated their cloud service from the others with their unique iTunes Match solution ($25/year), which scans your files and if it recognizes your music, will simply let you access their library without the time consuming mass upload. For those files/songs that aren’t recognized the data will still have to be uploaded. Like Google Music, iCloud has a limit of 20,000 songs. iCloud will also support other types of media, including pictures and video.

STREAMING SERVICESMusic streaming services have been around a few years longer

than the cloud concept, but they’re still viable services today. These services allow you to listen to customizable and personal-ized music at a level you can’t get via terrestrial or satellite radio. These streaming services are typically free or offered at a very low monthly cost.

Pandora is the leader of the current batch of music streaming services. Pandora is unique in that you enter a song or artist that you like and a personalized radio station is created based on an algorithm of other users and their preferences. You can add additional artists and songs to further define the types of songs and artists you want to hear. With the free version, there are commercials that will pop-up, usually a 30-second commercial every half hour or so. You’re also limited to six song skips per hour with the free version. A paid version is available for a few dollars a month that removes the commercials and song skip restrictions.

The other major music streaming service is Slacker Radio. Slacker is unique in that it comes stocked with pre-set stations that are similar to those available on satellite radio. Slacker also offers the same customizable options as Pandora. Another ben-efit of Slacker Radio is that you can cache music to listen to later when you’re not connected to the Internet. Slacker also offers paid and free versions similar to Pandora. NEW PLAYERS IN THE GAME There are also a couple of new music services that have just de-buted in the last few months that are worth mentioning. Spotify announced a deal with Facebook in July that positions it to be a big factor in the music world going forward. For a small subscrip-tion fee (approx. $5/month) nearly any song you could think of is available for you to play at any time. The Facebook integration will allow a social aspect to listening to music that could prove interesting over time. The other notable entry into the music market is Turntable.fm. This innovative service groups different genres of music into ‘rooms’ that you virtually gather in. A set of ‘DJs’ then selects songs, and the other users in the ‘rooms’ listens to those songs and vote on whether they like them or not. It’s one of those concepts that’s hard to explain, but seems to ‘just work.’ Log into Turntable.fm and you’re sure to lose a few hours.

It’s not clear what the music industry will look like a year from now, but it is clear that the way we purchase and listen to music is going to change drastically from what we’re used to.

TOP 10 SONGS FROM 2001 {10 YEARS AGO}1. “Lady Marmalade,” Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & Pink.2. “Fallin’,” Alicia Keys3. “I’m Real,” Jennifer Lopez4. “Family Affair,” Mary J. Blige5. “Butterfly,” Crazy Town

6. “Thank You,” Dido7. “Don’t Tell Me,” Madonna8. “He Loves You Not,” Dream9. “Gone,” N’Sync10. “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” Jennifer Lopez

23

WHAT’S HOT IN TECHHOTGAME HOTAPP HOTSITE

NCAA Football ’12. Here in the south, SEC football is king. What better way to gear up for the upcoming season than by strapping on the virtual helmet and playing out the season of your favorite team.

Kayak. Kayak is a travel website that offers an iPhone/Android application that can monitor airfares and hotel rates and alert you of price changes. Kayak is great for shopping for the best rates and figuring out the right time to buy.

Google Plus. Is it the Facebook or Twitter killer that it’s billed to be? We’ll have to hold on and watch it play out to find out.

MORE AbOUT GOOGLE+ IN THIS ISSUE, PAGE 28.

FORD LOOKS TO DITCH CD PLAYERSThe future is NOW.http://bit.ly/pcCtMy

28 29

ICONNETGOOGLE+

Google has finally jumped aboard the social networking ship with their new product Google+. If we look back a few months ago, Microsoft bought Skype, the internet tele-phone company, for 8.5 billion dollars.

But who was the real winner there? Facebook. That’s right, Facebook! Microsoft made a big investment in Facebook giving Facebook that partnership with Skype. Google knew they needed to take action which is why they launched their social networking platform. So let’s dive into the good stuff, the stuff that brought in a 20 billion dollar value to Google.

HangoutsSkype should be very worried. Hangouts is by far the cool-est feature of Google+. This simple feature has the potential to drive a lot of traffic to Google+. Any user on this platform can start a hangout and simply “hang out”. You can invite any of your circles, or even use it to coordinate a business plan with your colleagues. What’s so amazing about this feature is that multiple people can be in one video chat. Fa-cebook launched their video chat on July 6 but it is limited to a one-on-one based video chat. The hangout feature is definitely something that will pull me away from Skype and Facebook.

CirClesThis is another strong feature of Google+. When you add a new friend you are prompted to add that friend to a circle. Circles is a great way to organize your friends as well as your news feed. For example, you can start a circle called News and add your tech friends that heavily post news links and wall posts or maybe create a circle called High school and add all your old high school buddies to it. The best part about this is that no one knows who is in who’s circle. There’s no awkward friction in Google+ that users may find on Facebook.

Google+ is still in a beta stage and users can only join by invite. The exclusivity feel gives it the same edge that Fa-cebook had at it’s initial launch.

Mobile apps are currently out for this platform and very soon businesses will be allowed in. No one knows if Google will create a similar feature such as Facebook Pages but this is something I am extremely excited about and will be a major game-changer in the social media world.

So is Google+ the Facebook killer? In my opinion, no. Should Facebook be worried? Yes. Google+ is a very strong social networking platform and has already gained 10 million users. I strongly believe that this is just the be-ginning for Google+ and we will see many more amazing features come into play.

FACEBOOK KILLER?

BY LUKE IRVIN

THE GOOGLE+ PROJECTCircles. Hangouts. Sparks and more. Google’s answer to Facebook and their “real-life sharing rethought for the web.” Connect with Luke Irvin at: http://bit.ly/rtH3mA

24

FCLISANCY FAULK

Sancy Faulk, vice president for advancement at Central Baptist College, has found several places to serve in the community.

She is a member of the 2011 class of the Faulkner County Leadership Institute, which meets once a month to study a topic affecting Faulkner County. Faulk is a resident of Damascus (which is in Van Buren County) but decided to join FCLI because she works in Faulkner County.

“I feel like I’ve been part of Faulkner County for a long time because I work at Central Baptist College,” she said. “This allows you to learn how the county operates and all the different components that go into making a county what it is. It’s been really interesting to see all that. There are a lot of people in our class that I never would have gotten to interact with if it hadn’t been for this process bringing us all together.”

Since the classes began in February, Faulk and the other members of the class have toured nonprofit agencies in the county, the state capitol, and schools and colleges in the county. They also talked to members of the Conway city government and toured the landfill and the Emergency Operations Center on Hogan Lane.

“I think FCLI is a really good program for people who grew up in Faulkner County and have been here all their life or for people who are new and have moved in,” she said. “You’re going to learn something new every time.”

She said she has also made a lot of new contacts through FCLI, some of which she will work with in the future.

Faulk continued, “There’s also a component of FCLI that allows you to give back to the community that you live and work in because each class has a class project. You are able to help meet some of those needs that have been identified through the sessions.”

The FCLI class of 2011 will help Wooster Elementary School with its out-door classroom. The school has a nature trail and groundwork in place,

Faulk said. FCLI volunteers will enhance the area with landscaping and mulching, and will also make improvements to the walkways, she said. A second part of the class project is still in the works.

Faulk also serves on the leadership council for the North Central Arkansas Service Center of the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas. The cen-ter serves Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Perry and Van Buren Counties.

“Our home was struck by the May 2008 tornado that went through Da-mascus. After that happened, my husband and I decided because of the assistance we received from the Red Cross that we would give back to the Red Cross when we got back on our feet,” she said. “The opportunity came for me to serve on this board, so we decided that would be a good fit. This organization really does a lot of work for the community. They respond to house fires (and) natural disasters. They really did a lot with the Vilonia tornado and the flooding around Lake Conway. They also provide communication with active military. It’s rewarding to me to know the help I received when we were going through a disaster continues on to other people.”

She added the Red Cross is conducting is annual fundraising campaign, if anyone would like to donate.

Her service does not end there, however. She also serves on the school board for the South Side Bee Branch School District – where she gradu-ated from high school and where her 5-year-old son, Layne, will start kin-dergarten in the fall.

“It’s neat to still be able to be involved in that school district,” she said.

Finally, Faulk is a member of the Conway Noon Rotary Club, which funds scholarships to all three colleges in Conway. She noted the club is part of Rotary International, which has a goal of eliminating polio. The illness is only known to exist in four countries in the world. She said the Rotary Club is a good place to meet business leaders and provides a lot of leadership opportunities for people seeking to grow as a leader.

LEARNING TO LEAD

25

STEWART COLE PHOTOSFront row: Amy Whitehead, David Williams and Bobby Kelly; second row: Lindsay Grifford, Jody Gatchell, LaShanda Jenkins and Joannie Shearer; third row: Barry Williams, Patricia Hoskins, Kay Satterwhite, Jacquelyn Wilkerson and Sancy Faulk; back row: Ralph Marrero, Bill Milburn, Jon Allen, Jason Hansen, Chuck Sayan and Alan White. Not Pictured: Jennifer Bickers, Bryan Gibbs, Amy Reed and Trey White.

BY RACHEL PARKER DICKERSON

TO LEARN HOW THE COUNTY OPERATES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT GO INTO MAKING A COUNTY WHAT IT IS. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN

OUR CLASS THAT I NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO INTERACT WITH IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR THIS PROCESS BRINGING US TOGETHER.

-SANCY FAULK

“ “THIS ALLOWS YOU

FAULKNER COUNTY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTEFCLIonline.org. Apply now for the 2012 class!

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August Events in Downtown Conway

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IT’SCOOLDOWNTOWNAUGUST IN DOWNTOWN CONWAY!

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BY KIM WILLIAMS

It’s a month of transition from summertime to back-to-school time, bringing folks of all kinds to Downtown Conway for many reasons…

Did you know that you can spend an entire day in Downtown Conway? So before it’s time for the kiddos to return to school make it a destination for you and them!

Your first stop on any Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday should always be the Conway Farmer’s Market.

It opens at 7 a.m. for you early birds. The homegrown toma-toes you’ve been dreaming of all year are finally here, along with peas, cucumbers, squash, corn, fresh flowers, berries and

handmade goods. Next, order up breakfast from Bob’s Grill — a Downtown Conway institution. If you haven’t enjoyed Bob’s with your children you should be ashamed — it’s an original “com-munity center.”

Following breakfast, stroll the brick-lined streets of beautiful Downtown Conway while shopping in the best shoppes and boutiques in central Arkansas. There’s also a walking tour you can take with your children, friends and family. See Downtown-Conway.org for more information.

Ready for lunch? Me too! Let any of our fabulous Conway Downtown Partnership restaurants serve you and your family. You have a great selection to choose from, whether it’s Oak

Street Bistro, Cross Creek Sandwich Shop, Mike’s Place, Mi-chelangelo’s, JJ’s or US Pizza Co. You can’t go wrong!

After lunch, enjoy the art exhibit at Conway City Hall. On display you will find visual delights from the Conway League of Artists. Next up, how about checking out the Faulkner County Museum or some shopping?

Dinner? Downtown Conway has you covered again — from American fusion to Americana favorites with a little Cajun and Italian thrown in for fun. Now how about some grownup time?

Try out one of Downtown Conway’s favorite gathering spots for live music or just visit with friends.

GET CONNECTED!

There’s a new way to stay up to date with all the Downtown Conwayhappenings.

To better serve the partners and residents of Conway, the ConwayDowntown Partnershop has enlisted a cutting-edge mobile platform that

allows us to communicate with you in real time.

You can receive information you want, when you want it. Never miss anything cool again. Get updates and alerts concerning breaking news, street closures, music, Downtown Deals, happy hour gatherings, exclusive events

and more.

Simply text: CoolDowntown to: 90210, and you’ll be plugged into everything cool that happens in Downtown Conway. ... It gets even better! You will also be able to “text to win” and even get your chance to vote just like we did with

our very own American Idol winner, Kris Allen!

Get plugged into everything cool that happens in Downtown Conway! It’s easy!

Text: CoolDowntown to: 90210 right now, and you will automatically regis-tered to win gift certificates to participating Downtown Conway restaurants!

August Events in Downtown Conway

CDI LUNCHEONWednesday, Aug. 3 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m.Student Center Ballroom, University of Central ArkansasConway Community Arts Presents: “Same Time Next Year” at the New Lantern Theatre in Downtown Conway. Visit http://www.con-wayarts.org/Performances are as follows: Aug. 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 7 at 2:30 p.m.

99TH ANNUAL ST. JOSEPH bAzAARAug. 5-6Visit: http://www.stjosephconway.org

5TH YEAR FOR THE FAULKNER CHAMbER MUSIC FESTIVALMonday, Aug. 12 p.m.Faculty Lecture / Special Effects to modern Music

Friday, Aug. 55 p.m.Student Recital / Dvorak, Gershwin, Satie, and more. Twenty-four students performing in 11 ensembles.

(All performances are held in Reves Recital Hall, Hendrix College. FCMF accepts donations at all performances. Visit: http://www.faulknerchambermusicfestival.com)

bACK TO SCHOOLAug. 15Conway Public Schools

DOWNTOWN THIRD THURSDAYAug. 18Visit: http://www.downtownconway.org

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TEXT:COOLDOWNTOWN

TO 90210

{SAVE THE DATE}08.27 {Saturday} American Cancer Society celebritywaiters/waitresses fundraiser at US Pizza,Downtown Conway.

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ICONNETGOOGLE+

29

Google has finally jumped aboard the social networking ship with their new product Google+. If we look back a few months ago, Microsoft bought Skype, the internet tele-phone company, for 8.5 billion dollars.

But who was the real winner there? Facebook. That’s right, Facebook! Microsoft made a big investment in Facebook giving Facebook that partnership with Skype. Google knew they needed to take action which is why they launched their social networking platform. So let’s dive into the good stuff, the stuff that brought in a 20 billion dollar value to Google.

HANGOUTSSkype should be very worried. Hangouts is by far the cool-est feature of Google+. This simple feature has the potential to drive a lot of traffic to Google+. Any user on this platform can start a hangout and simply “hang out”. You can invite any of your circles, or even use it to coordinate a business plan with your colleagues. What’s so amazing about this feature is that multiple people can be in one video chat. Fa-cebook launched their video chat on July 6 but it is limited to a one-on-one based video chat. The hangout feature is definitely something that will pull me away from Skype and Facebook.

CIRCLESThis is another strong feature of Google+. When you add a new friend you are prompted to add that friend to a circle. Circles is a great way to organize your friends as well as your news feed. For example, you can start a circle called News and add your tech friends that heavily post news links and wall posts or maybe create a circle called High school and add all your old high school buddies to it. The best part about this is that no one knows who is in who’s circle. There’s no awkward friction in Google+ that users may find on Facebook.

Google+ is still in a beta stage and users can only join by invite. The exclusivity feel gives it the same edge that Fa-cebook had at it’s initial launch.

Mobile apps are currently out for this platform and very soon businesses will be allowed in. No one knows if Google will create a similar feature such as Facebook Pages but this is something I am extremely excited about and will be a major game-changer in the social media world.

So is Google+ the Facebook killer? In my opinion, no. Should Facebook be worried? Yes. Google+ is a very strong social networking platform and has already gained 10 million users. I strongly believe that this is just the be-ginning for Google+ and we will see many more amazing features come into play.

FACEBOOK KILLER?

BY LUKE IRVIN

THE GOOGLE+ PROJECTCircles. Hangouts. Sparks and more. Google’s answer to Facebook and their “real-life sharing rethought for the web.” Connect with Luke Irvin at: http://bit.ly/rtH3mA

30

LOCALART VIVIAN NOE-GRIFFITH

MORNING RAIN 48X48

31

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

BY BECKY HARRIS

Vivian Noe-Griffith was born into an Air Force family, where she had the opportunity to travel to many different parts of the world. Subsequently, she was exposed to a variety of cultures and artistic styles. From early childhood she studied both dance and visual art. She took classes in drawing, painting, and sculpture, as well as training in ballet for 15 years.

In college, she earned degrees in Speech Pathology, Audiology and Special Education. She then worked as a Speech Therapist and teacher for 20 years while continuing to create art on a part-time basis. In 2005 she began working as a full-time artist.

Vivian paints with passion, using a spiritual and loose style, and loves experimenting with texture, layers and various mediums. As her talent developed, Noe began to focus on capturing the beauty and warmth found in nature in an abstract style. She continues to be inspired by her love for dance, the outdoors and global cultures.

EVEN

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24X

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SIMULTANEOUSLY ALLOWED MY MIND AND BODY TO LEARN TO

WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY. MY ART IS INSPIRED BY THE WORLD AROUND ME AND BY MY UNIQUE

BACKGROUND.

-VIVIAN NOE-GRIFFITH

“

“

TRAINING INBOTH BALLET

AND ART

EVEN

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THE RHYTHM AND BEAUTY OF MY SURROUNDINGS ONTO CANVAS IN AN

EXPRESSION THAT IS FAMILIAR, YET UNKNOWN.

-VIVIAN NOE-GRIFFITH

MY GOAL IS TO CAPTURE“ “

RED DAWN 48X48

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BORDERTOWN 16X20

36

Conway High and Hendrix College graduate Kenny Jones is used to creating things from scratch.

At age 11, he was a member of one of the first youth soccer teams in Conway. In high school, he played on a club team for the Wampus Cats, one that laid the foundation for a varsity program. At Hendrix College, he played on another club team that led to the creation of the college’s first soccer team in the NCAA Division III ranks.

Soccer was the first athletic program established at the University of Texas at Tyler and Jones, who had led the University of Dallas to their first winning season in 11 years, was the first coach hired at UT-Tyler.

Entering his 10th season this year, he has led the Patriot men to double-digit wins in all but one season, four American Southwest Conference championships and two NCAA Division III tournament appearances,

including a 13-3-2 overall record last year, a 1-0 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the first round of the DIII playoffs last season and a loss to No. 1-ranked Trinity on penalty kicks.

“This program was really built from scratch,” he said with a hearty laugh, recalling what he saw from an athletic program that hadn’t even sprouted yet when he arrived on campus. “We didn’t have anything. We weren’t sure our field would be ready in time for the season. We had zero players. The university had never had a team sport on the Division III level. We had to get acclimated to the university and the university had to get acclimated to athletics. We had to make sure the players we recruited fit the university and they knew what the university expected from students.

“Working for a state university is different from the private university (University of Dallas) where I came. We had to understand the people in the administration and the change of command. Everyone had to learn how much patience this would require. We definitely had our growing pains in all kinds of ways.”

LOCALICONKENNY JONES

FROM THE GROUND UP

AND SOCCER WAS SO NEW THAT YOU HAD TO RELY ON BASIC

FUNDAMENTALS, THINGS THAT WORK AND A STRONG WORK ETHIC.

-KENNY JONES

WE WERESO YOUNG“ “

37

BY DAVID McCOLLUM

The University of Texas at Tyler Patriots celebrate another championship with coach Kenny Jones, a former standout player at Conway High and Hendrix College and the first coach of the young program.

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It didn’t take that long. UT-Tyler’s men compiled a 19-1 mark in 2003 and won the United States Collegiate Athletic Association national title.

He first learned the intricacies of the building process 30 years ago in the recreational soccer program at Conway, playing for the Conway Kicks, the city’s first highly successful soccer team.

And actually he backed into the sport — or ran squarely into it.

“No one really knew much about soccer back then,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about soccer. It was just a happenstance. I was pretty athletic and I played football and basketball but really didn’t think they were my sports. A man who helped mentor me (Keith Harper) got me to try out for soccer. I saw you got to run around a lot and when you’re 10 or 11, that’s what you like to do.

“A lot of people helped me develop my love and passion for soccer. The Conway Kicks were basically developed out of the interest from several soccer dads. Jack Roberts was a huge influence as well as folks like Al Hamilton, Tom Poe, Luke Gordy, who all helped us develop from U12 to U18.”

That carried over to the fledgling teams at Hendrix, where he led the Warriors in scoring was a three-time selection to the All Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s team. He was selected Hendrix’ Most Outstanding Male Athlete his senior year and went on the play semipro for the Arkansas A’s.

He moved to Dallas to play for the Dallas Burn. His career was hampered by injury.

“I had coached in some youth programs in Arkansas because the state just needed more coaches and I got my license,” he said. “After I was injured, they needed some coaches at the University of Dallas and I decided to volunteer and it took off from there.”

His teams at Dallas set season and career marks for wins and winning percentage.

He proudly concedes much of what he learned came in those early years in seedling programs at Conway and Hendrix.

“We were so young and soccer was so new that you had to rely on basic fundamentals, things that work and a strong work ethic,” he said. “It was always instilled in me to work hard and to be successful, you had to work hard and get along with your teammates. That was just imbedded in me. And those are the principles we’ll have at Texas-Tyler as long as I’m here.”

His intensity, work ethic and thirst for knowledge in every aspect of the sport has made him a highly respected coach.

“I always tell young coaches to just listen to Kenny and if they can only retain 10 percent of what he tells them, they’re going to become tremendous coaches because his knowledge is very vast,’’ said UT-Tyler head women’s soccer coach Stefani Webb, who also worked with Jones when she was head women’s coach at the University of Dallas. “Kenny knows the game inside and out. He knows it from every angle, from every position, from every tactical situation. He’s very intelligent and sees the game very intellectually.’’

Soccer has become such a sport and passion for him that Jones laughed heartily again when he was asked what he did for fun.

“I like traveling as much as possible,” he said. “I love meeting people and see other parts of the country. But I was so fully immersed in soccer, the first five or six years I coached I didn’t take a vacation. When I finally took one, I enjoyed it immensely. I found that was actually good fun and I find the time to do it now.”

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ICONOUTDOORS MATT LIVINGSTON

Matt Livingston’s never been an 8-to-5 guy.

Good thing.

Eight hours a day isn’t nearly enough time to work on all his projects.

By day, the Crossett native and University of Central Arkansas graduate works for Windstream Communi-cations, providing network security solutions.

By night, he “works” at his other jobs —consulting on outdoors-related smart-phone applications and, with his friend, Kevin Grass, maintaining and improving www.arkansasoutdoorsonline.com and organizing an upcoming outdoors festival, 2011 Arkansas Outdoors Expo.

“It makes for some long days, long nights and long weekends.”

Livingston’s day job stems from his UCA computer science background, but it’s the outdoors projects that are his passion. Arkansasoutdoor-sonline.com is a perfect example.

“We really created it for ourselves to get all of our refuges maps, river levels, fish and game forecasts, recipes and a message board for users to get on and talk about hunting and fishing in Arkansas. We wanted to create a one-stop shop for anything having to do with hunting in Arkansas.”

The website, begun in 2007, requires many hours of attention each week, Livingston acknowledged. He estimated that he spends up to 15 hours each week in the off-season months and as many as 30 hours a week in the fall and winter updating content and adding new features.

“I have met people who use it on a daily basis to get the moon phase or the forecast. It has become a staple for a lot of outdoorsmen.”

WHAT THE DUCK?{THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT}

THAT I DO GET TO GO HUNTING. IT SEEMS TO WORK ITSELF OUT EVERY YEAR THAT EVERY

FRIDAY DURING SEASON, I CAN GO.

-MATT LIVINGSTON

IT’S PRETTYAMAZING“ “

41

BY RICK FAHR

2011 ARKANSAS OUTDOORS EXPO08.20-08.21 {Saturday-Sunday} At the Conway Expo Center. Visit www.ArkansasOutdoorsExpo.com for more information.

And now he is working on the real-time version.

“Kevin and I were on Lake Conway several years ago, and we said to ourselves that Conway needs a good outdoors event, a festival-type atmo-sphere before hunting season kicks off.”

On that lazy Sunday afternoon, Arkansas Out-doors Expo was born.

Livingston said that he and Grass formulated a plan for the event and explored options for pulling off such a venture. On Aug. 20 and 21, the event will become a reality — featuring a duck-calling contest, steak cookoff, 3-D bow shoot, Ultimate Air Dogs and a number of outdoors-related exhibits — all geared toward workaday hunters and anglers.

Livingston’s love of the outdoors began in a duck blind as a youngster, and chasing the elusive fowl remains his outdoors priority, as he is a member of a hunting club halfway as the mallard flies between Carlisle and Humnoke.

“It’s pretty amazing that I do get to go hunting. It seems to work itself out every year that every Friday during season, I can go.”

Livingston’s app involvement has evolved from creating apps for hunting and fishing forecasts (Delta Waterfowl’s “Where the Ducks Are” and “What the Duck?”) to more of a consulting role with a number of groups. He said he hopes to consult on more outdoors apps in the future.

Livingston and his wife, Kelly, live in Conway.

STEWART COLE PHOTO

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ARE YOU READYFOR SOME FOOTBALL?

2011 FAULKNER COUNTY SCHEDULE

Vilonia vs. Sylvan Hills (War Memorial, Little Rock)

Henderson State at UCA

Conway at Fort Smith SouthsideGreenbrier at BeebeMarianna at MayflowerConway Christian at Arkansas Baptist

Jonesboro at ConwayMayflower at GreenbrierVilonia at WynneConway Christian at Quitman

UCA at Louisiana Tech (Ruston)

Rogers Heritage at ConwayGreenbrier at BentonVilonia at BeebeMayflower at Glen RoseCutter Morning Star at Conway Christian

UCA at Sam Houston State

Conway at CabotGreenbrier at Harrison

Vilonia at HuntsvilleRiverview at MayflowerConway Christian at Two Rivers (The merged school district of Ola and Fourche Valley)

UCA at ASU

North Little Rock at ConwayHuntsville at GreenbrierAlma at ViloniaBrinkley at MayflowerMountain Pine at Conway Christian

Stephen F. Austin at UCA

Conway at LR CentralMorrilton at GreenbrierSiloam Springs at ViloniaMayflower at Rose BudDecatur at Conway Christian

UCA at Nicholls (Thibodaux, La.)

Bryant at ConwayGreenbrier at Siloam SpringsVilonia at MorriltonHarding Academy at MayflowerConway Christian at Poyen

McNeese State at UCA

Conway at Van BurenGreenbrier at AlmaVilonia at GreenwoodMayflower at BartonHector at Conway Christian

UCA at Lamar (Beaumont, Texas)

Russellville at ConwayGreenwood at GreenbrierHarrison at ViloniaArkansas Baptist at MayflowerConway Christian at Magnet Cove

Conway at LR CatholicGreenbrier at Vilonia

Bigelow at Conway ChristianMayflower at LR Episcopal

UCA at Northwestern State (Nat-chiotoches, La)

Texas State at UCA

AUGUST

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ONTHEMOVE DR. JUSTIN CHARTON

The “eyes” have it where Dr. Justin Charton is concerned. The Conway ophthalmologist is as kind as he is thorough and car-ing with his patients.

Married to Shelley, Justin is father to Alexa, five; Hollan, two; and Sydney, two months; or as he puts it, “Lots of girls, close together.” The family moved to Conway two years ago and are thrilled to call it home. “We most enjoy the comfortable environment of being in Conway, and it still has a small town atmosphere. We were in Dallas for five years, so we also love the scenery here and especially the trees. Conway also has an excellent school system,” says Justin. He and Shelley also serve as Life Group leaders at New Life Church.

A Morrilton native, Justin first became acquainted with the city when he took a job in the lab at Conway Regional Medical Center while attending college at Arkansas Tech University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in biology. From there Justin went on to medical school at the University of Ar-kansas for Medical Sciences and did his residency at Univer-sity of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. “I finished my residency in Dallas and looked around for available possibilities, and we found ourselves in Conway again,” says Justin.

Justin is now an ophthalmologist at Magie Mabrey Eye Clinic on Main Street in Conway. When asked to explain the dif-ference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist, he states, “The biggest difference is that an ophthalmologist can perform surgery. We can not only treat eye diseases but also perform the necessary surgeries.”

Ophthalmology was not Justin’s goal when he entered medi-cal school. “I never really thought about this field until school, but I was around a few ophthalmologists, and they all seemed really happy with what they were doing. The more you learn about it there is interesting technology, and there are very in-tricate surgical procedures involved as well.

“You also have the ability to see patients in the clinic and get to know them in that setting, but there is also a surgical compo-nent to your practice, so it is the best of both worlds. You can really build relationships that way, and you get to be involved in all phases of the patient’s care,” says Justin. He also enjoys

the working hours, saying, “It’s a big draw that you can also spend time with your family outside work.”

Magie Mabrey can service most all eye-related issues and needs; they employ five ophthalmologists and two optome-trists. “We do minor procedures at the clinic and more involved procedures at the Conway Regional Outpatient Surgery Cen-ter. Some of the retina specialists who practice here do surger-ies at the Baptist Eye Center in Little Rock as well,” he says.

Justin predominately works with macular degeneration, cata-racts, glaucoma, and eyelid disorders. He also performs routine eye exams for patients. “One of the most amazing things about this field is how a patient can come in with poor vision, and with a surgical procedure that person can literally see their family clearly for the first time in years. I remember a patient once who was tearful when we took their patch off because they were able to see things they hadn’t seen in years,” he says.

As for the future of eye care, “Cataract surgery is continually evolving. New machines and technology have been devel-oped that allow you to remove the cataract more efficiently, and they are always making advances in Lasik procedures. With Lasik, we once formed the corneal flap with a blade, and this is now done with a laser. As far as surgical procedures, we are continually coming up with new advancements and are researching macular degeneration and glaucoma to see if we can find long-term solutions to those problems. We learn more every day, especially about macular degeneration, but so far there is no cure,” says Justin.

He goes on to say that though macular degeneration is pri-marily associated with aging and genetics, there are some preventive measures that can be taken. “There aren’t cura-tive treatments for macular degeneration. There are AREDS eye vitamins that have been proven to slow the progression in those who already have dry macular degeneration. Taking the vitamins won’t prevent it, of course, but it can slow progression in those that have the disease. You can also make some life-style adjustments like smoking cessation, taking a well-round-ed multivitamin, and maintaining an all-around healthy lifestyle though diet and exercise,” says Justin. “And make sure to do your routine eye exams!”

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LASTLOOK ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL BAZAAR

{SAVE THE DATE}08.05-08.06 {Friday-Saturday} 99th annual St. Joseph Catholic School Bazaar with old-fashioned midway, flea mar-ket and auction. For information, go to www.sjparish.org.