Little Rock Welcomes 'Elvis' Home
Travel Diary by Dave Abbott
At first glance, Little Rock, Arkansas - population 200,000, home to the Razorbacks, Paula Jones, Wal-Mart and the heavenly Clintons - seems little changed since a young ambitious lawyer, named Bill, adopted a "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" persona and out-performed actor James (Jimmy) Stewart!
The arrival of the Clintons at the White House caused the Washington Beltway hoi-polloi considerable angst. The Carters from Plains, Georgia was bad enough - but "hicks" from Little Rock, Arkansas – was too much!
But Little Rock is not Hicksville, although there's a certain homeliness, a sense of down-home freshly-baked bread, milk bottles, paperboys, barking dogs, soda fountains, barber shops and bright red-fire hydrants, it remains undisturbed, undiscovered, and largely unchanged, since the Second World War.
The city does not appear to have had plastic surgery and thrown away its lived-in good looks. It's not stainless steel - it's sterling silver, albeit a slightly tarnished hybrid of "The Wonder Years" and "Father Knows Best."
A walk along Little Rock's Main Street, renamed President Clinton Avenue, takes you to an eye-catching steel and glass trailer-look-alike, costing $165 million of private money, and housing 80 million artifacts. Set in a 31-acre riverside park it took 16 trips by eight C-11 Transporters to move the lot from Washington, D.C.
Clinton's Presidential Library holds a few unique attractions; Bill is expected to spend a few days every month in the Penthouse; and a People magazine section features White House pets, Bill's saxophones and the "impeachment" story with a genteel reference to Monica. The Little Rock rocker, known by his old Secret Service moniker "Elvis," shows few "naughty bits" of his two-term presidency.
An invitation from Dublin-born, Director of Communications, Peabody Hotel Group, Maureen Brigid Gonzalez prompted my visit. The purpose of which was to celebrate the opening of the Presidential Center and experience the Little Rock Peabody Alliance for the Arts and Culture (LPAAC).
But clearly Arkansans need not take a backseat when it comes to Arts and Culture as exemplified by the Arkansas Symphony (budget $3.5 million) which hosts a yearly roster of 30 concerts with impressive guests like Yo Yo Ma, Michael Bolton, William Jefferson Clinton (huh?) and Liza Minnelli.
The Arkansas Arts Center, stylish and modern, was prepping to host "Art and The White House 1960-2000" as part of the Clinton Foundation celebrations, while down the street the Arkansas Repertory Theatre previewed the winner of The Kaufman and Hart Prize for new American Comedy, The Sleeper.
The Old State House is well worth a visit if only for the panoply of First Ladies' Gowns. Hilary's wax likeness, fitted in a long red-dress, looks like something she might have worn to a high school grad and evokes the phrase, "you've come a long way baby!"
Little Rock's racist past is documented at the unpretentious Central High School. In 1957, it was the battleground in the struggle for civil rights when nine black students attempted to enter the previously all-white school. President Ike (Dwight D. Eisenhower) called in the 101st Airborne forcing Governor Orval Faubus to accept integration. Locally-born poet, and Oprah devotee, Maya Angelou has her roots in Arkansas.
Arkansas is one of the places in America where Country music was born which may come as a surprise unless you visit The Old State House which has a musical exhibit showcasing “Arkansas: Our Own Sweet Sounds,” featuring native performers like Johnny Cash, Scott Joplin and Conway Twitty, to name but a few.
Another highlight was the 60th anniversary Heifer International Gala, co-chaired by celebrity residents Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson, who believe “donating a cow, or goat, is better than giving a cup of milk.” Their immediate goal is to assist 23 million families by raising $800 million. Opening the campaign the Limerick, Ireland-based Bothar, presented by Peter Ireton, kicked in US$2. 2 million.
In Little Rock, and other parts of the State, you will still find hope and enterprise and a sprawl of contradictions from which emerges the most imaginative challenging talents, like Bill Clinton and Willie Nelson, out of thin earth.
Arkansans are fundamentally sound solid people with small-town values of community and civic responsibility, hard work and decency. It is a kinder gentler side of the United States that deserves a visit next time you go to see Elvis in Memphis.
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Dave Abbott is heard three times daily on the Jim Pattison Radio Group – 600AM, Vancouver.
For more information:
Peabody Little Rock Hotel - www.peabodylittlerock.com
Little Rock Tours with video- excellent value - www.littlerocktours.com
Clinton Presidential Center and Park Admission - www.clintonpresidentialcenter.com
Arkansas Arts Center - www.arkarts.com
Little Rock Central High School. Information - www.nps.gov/chsc
Heifer International - www.heiferinteranational.com
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra - www.arkansassymphony.org
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