We couldn’t agree more.

Hugo’s has been in that basement on Block Street for longer than I’ve been alive. I had my first Derek’s Special when I was in High School, and since then I’ve probably eaten at Hugo’s one gazillion times.

If I moved away from Fayetteville, when I came back to visit, my first stop would be Hugo’s.

I’d make love to a Blue Moon Burger if I could. Sorry. I would.

But enough gushing. As part of Independents Week, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite locally owned restaurants. We got in touch with Jason, the owner of Hugo’s and he was nice enought to answer a few questions.

Fayetteville Flyer: What have you been listening to lately?
Jason: Here in the basement, we only listen to Big Band. All day, all night. I hear it in my sleep.

FF: How long has Hugo’s been in business?
Jason: Since 1977.

FF: How long have you owned the place?
Jason: I’ve been with Hugo’s for over ten years and became owner almost five years ago.

FF: I have a hard time deciding between the Derek’s Special, the CSTS (w/ avocado), and the Blue Moon Burger every time I come in. It’s a battle. What’s your favorite menu item?
Jason: My new favorite is the Wednesday Special, the Bruschetta Burger…it’s awesome. It’s served on a kaiser roll with Parmesan cream sauce, mozzarella cheese and a blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil and basil.

FF: That sounds awesome. With the economy the way that it is, shopping local is more important now than ever. What are some of your favorite Fayetteville owned businesses in town?
Jason: Wow, one of the great things about Fayetteville is that we have so many interesting, original, locally-owned businesses. To name just a few: Hammontree’s is a new favorite - his soups and sandwiches are amazing. Also, Ozark Natural Breads is a wonderful family owned business that Hugo’s has used for years. Flying Possum Leather is another great Fayetteville business. I just got a pair of Bruce’s handmade sandals, and I looooove them.

FF: A huge contributor to the atmosphere at Hugo’s are all that cool things you guys have on the walls there. Where does that stuff come from?
Jason: The real question is: “Where is it going?” If someone out there has the JFK commemorative plate, please bring it home. No questions asked. Hugo’s was decorated by one of the original owners, Liz Page. She found most of the decor at local thrift and antique shops, and we now add the occasional worthy item.

FF: I have to ask: what’s up with that pipe along the far wall?
Jason: Those are actually working pipes from our boiler that heat the building during the winter. We are in a basement, after all.

The only problem with Independence Day this year is that it falls on a Saturday. Man, our founding fathers really screwed that one up.

When National holidays fall on a Saturday, almost everyone gets screwed. Some of us lose a day off that we get every year. Others of us have to work half days on Friday, and those of us that do get to take the full day off on Friday get screwed because our friends who have to work hate us. Thanks a lot, Calendar Club (they make the calendars, right?).

The good news is that more than likely your weekend either started last night at around 5:00, or will start sometime today. Thank god. Weekend!

Tonight, there are tunes to check out.

There are about 1000 bands at George’s with The Dempseys, The Odds, The Handshake Murders, Chemical Discipline, The Battle Within, Bloodworm, Dodge City, and When Words Become Flesh.
That’s a lot of bands.

Sarah Hughes doesn’t care though. She is playing at the Smoke and Barrel tonight all by herself.

Tomorrow is the 4th, and that means it’s time to fire up the grill, thaw out your meats, and crank up the homemade ice cream maker. Your best bet for free fireworks is probably at Arvest Ballpark for Fourth in the Field.

Another patriotic thing to do tomorrow would be to visit the Farmers Market on the Fayetteville square. Last week, there were lots of vegetables out there. Get some produce.

You could also show your love of America by checking out Epiphany at the Smoke and Barrel. Last time he was in town, the place was completely packed, and he had most of the crowd singing the hook of his single “Five Dollas.” It was bitching.

On Sunday at 3pm, the Painfully Hip crew will be in town at Mayapple Salon for a clothing swap. Bring your old-to-you stuff and trade it for some new-to-you stuff.

The full list of weekend activites are below, and as always, feel free to let us know what we’ve left off in the comments. What are you guys doing this weekend?

Friday July 3
Arsaga’s on Crossover: Luke Lorey
George’s: The Dempseys, The Odds, The Handshake Murders, Chemical Discipline, The Battle Within, Bloodworm, Dodge City, When Words Become Flesh
Jammin’ Java: Brandon White
Smiling Jack’s Fresh Foods: Mike & Maliah
Smoke & Barrel: Sarah Hughes
Teatro Scarpino: DJ Adam

Saturday July 4
Arvest Ballpark: Fireworks and Wes Hart Band
Fayetteville Farmers’ Market: On the square (7am-2pm)
George’s: Blackwater
Smiling Jack’s Fresh Foods: Rachel Fields
Smoke & Barrel: Lucio presents: Epiphany
Soul: Jazz night

Sunday July 5
Botanical Garden of the Ozarks: Farmers’ Market (9am-1pm)
Fez Hookah Lounge: Jovan Arellano
George’s: GUTA
Mayapple Salon: Painfully Hip Clothing Swap
Pesto Cafe: Shannon Wurst
Smiling Jack’s Fresh Foods: Wally & Friends
St. Paul’s Episcopal: Piano Studio Recital - Students of Jura Margulis - 4pm

Ever wanted to be “on the list” for a rock show? Now you can be.

Fayetteville’s The Counterlife have offered up some guest list spots to The Paper Chase show on Monday at George’s Majestic Lounge and we’re helping out by having a quickie contest here on the Flyer.

There will be two winners and each will have a +1 next to their name. In other words, if you win, you and a friend or lover or family member (or a combination…ewww) will be getting into the show for free. Free, baby. Free.

Why would The Counterlife be so gracious? Because that’s how they roll. Also on the bill are Perpetual Werewolf and Mount Vicious. That’s four bands for the price of none.

How to enter
This one’s gonna be easy and it’s gonna be quick so if you’re reading this and there aren’t any entries yet, you better freaking hurry. Head over to the George’s Majestic Lounge listing on Local540 and browse through their events. Pick any two upcoming events BESIDES THE PAPER CHASE SHOW then come back here and list them. That’s it. GO!

What you’ll win
You’ll win two guest list spots for the Monday, July 6, 2009 show at George’s Majestic Lounge featuring The Paper Chase, The Counterlife, Perpetual Werewolf and Mount Vicious.

The rules

• You only may enter this specific contest once.
• This contest is open to anyone anywhere except staff of Fayetteville Flyer and their immediate family members.
• Contest runs until two correct answers are left in the comments section. The winners will be contacted shortly afterwards. Make sure you leave a valid email address when filling out the comment form since that’s how we’ll contact you if you’ve won.
• You’ll have to provide us with your first and last name (if you win) and then be prepared to show a valid photo ID when getting into the show at George’s.

Thanks to The Counterlife for sponsoring this contest. For more info about the band, visit myspace.com/counterlifemusic.com.

See our submissions page for full guidelines.

Support Neighborhood Conservation

I am a homeowner on the south side of Fayetteville — a field away from Pinnacle Foods, the train track, a neighborhood vest pocket park along with the sale barn.
The blocks that separate me from the sale barn is mostly the Fayetteville National Cemetery. It is a shining jewel in the center of the neighborhood with its flag visible from all directions. Created in 1867, the cemetery is one of only a few hundred across the country, on the National Registry of Historic Places and now recognized as a National Shrine.

This neighborhood was here when the sale barn was built. The cemetery was. My house was. My neighbor’s house was, though it was moved by mules from around the corner about that time. A house or two up the road were here to see the Butterfield stagecoach deliver mail. The rest has grown up with the sale barn as its neighbor.

Ours is a quiet single family neighborhood primarily, with a mix of light industrial, agricultural uses, a few duplexes and a 12-unit single-story apartment building with a mix of young families, middle-aged and older folks living here.

This unique neighborhood deserves to be preserved, as new developments attempt to emulate much of what we have.

The sale barn has faced criticism as Fayetteville grew up around it. Established use and preservation of a way of life won it favor many a time.

The only thing that makes a bit of sense is to rezone this parcel and the rest of the area as “neighborhood conservation.” Period.

The proposal for rezoning to allow rent-by-the-room student apartments is simply incompatible with the surroundings. We owe our veterans’ final resting place that respect.

Estimates are that the cemetery has capacity for only the next four years. Will we have our troops out of harms way by then? The sale barn’s 11 acres could add a century.

I ask my neighbors and the community at large to please join me in urging the Fayetteville City Council to be good stewards and take the opportunity to rezone to “neighborhood conservation” and nothing less.

The next council meeting on July 7 at 6 p.m. will address this issue. Please call, write and come out to give a voice to preserving our neighborhood and not allow the way to be paved for a mega-complex to overshadow the National Cemetery.

Lauren Hawkins
Fayetteville

You can catch them tonight at Teatro Scarpino just off Dickson Street. Make sure you check out their MySpace page first and have a listen so you can sing along.

Is there anything else going on tonight? Of course there is. This is Fayetteville.

There’s a handful of live music ops tonight, including a Thursday night staple in Opal Fly at Smoke & Barrel but beforehand, make sure you head down to the square for the First Thursday Art Walk. Fayetteville Underground will be featuring the works of Kelly Price-Colston in the Vault Gallery and Rebecca Johnson in the E Street Gallery.

Here’s a full list:

Common Grounds: DJ SoulFree, Spinrad
Fayetteville Farmers’ Market: On the square (7am-2pm)
Fayetteville Underground: solo exhibit for Kelly Price-Colston - 5pm
George’s Majestic Lounge: 1 oz. Jig
Pesto Cafe: Kevin Bennoch
Powerhouse: Ben Miller Band
Smoke & Barrel: Opal Fly & The Swatters
Tangerine: Drag Show
Teatro Scarpino: Where’s Lawrence?

The event eventually moved to Baum Stadium but it was still a good time, indeed. The good times, however, are over, at least temporarily.

For the second year in a row, Red White and Boom has been cancelled due to financial reasons. The event usually costs the City of Fayetteville about $30k with the A&P Commission kicking in about $15k or so to cover the nearly $50k needed to blow stuff up in the sky. It’s unfortunate for our spirits but with a price tag that high, it’s hard to complain during times like these.

So where can you go if you want to see some colorful s’plosions?

“The largest fireworks show in Northwest Arkansas”

Your best bet is probably Fourth at the Field which is at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale. It’s a two-day event with a concert on Friday night and some fireworks afterwards but Saturday’s schedule includes what’s being called the “largest fireworks show in Northwest Arkansas.” Tickets to Saturday’s event are $6 and can be ordered by calling (479) 927-4900 or visiting the ballpark’s ticket page.

What else?

That’s not all, though. There are lots of other local events planned. KFSM has a list of things happening all over Northwest Arkansas (not all include fireworks) and so does NWA Events Online.

Buying your own…

If watching other people light fuses doesn’t do it for ya, then you could venture outside the city limits (firework sales aren’t allowed in Fayetteville) and buy some of your own. However, be aware that the only thing you’re legally allowed to light off here in Fayetteville is a sparkler, a smoke bomb or one of those growing “snakes” that stains up your driveway. Anything that explodes or shoots into the air is prohibited. And by “prohibited” I mean there will be thousands of explosions both on the ground and in the air all night long … all within the city limits.

Photo by MRHSfan via Flickr and Creative Commons 2.0

Here are today’s shortcuts. Check ‘em out.

LOCAL

Officers cleared of wrongdoing
According to a press release, the bullet that struck Ms. Ulmer “tumbled in” and therefore, is indication enough that it had struck something prior to hitting Ms. Ulmer’s head. Of the 25-30 stab wounds she suffered, one severed a major artery that would have caused her death just a few minutes.

Kristen or Blythe?
The Morning News reports that Kristen McCauley from Fayetteville won the Arkansas Idol challenge to solidify a spot in front of American Idol producers in Denver next week. NWAHomepage.com says her name is Blythe. Which is it? My guess is both. My first name is Jeremy. I can relate.

NEARBY

Powerball for Christmas
With the majority of Arkansans officially in favor of the lottery, it’s no surprise that we were invited to participate in Powerball. Did we accept? Yes we did.

Pools, planes and Princes
A few years ago when I was touring with a band, we played during an amateur wrestling match on Beale Street and at a motor speedway in Batesville, Arkansas shortly afterwards. Rock Candy’s Lindsey Millar reports that Flyer favorites the American Princes have upped the ante in terms of weird/awesome (wawesome?) venues and will be playing at JFK Airport and Union Pool in Brooklyn later this month.

ELSEWHERE

Gay sex is now legal in Delhi
An Indian court decriminalized homosexuality yesterday. But only in the country’s capital. Everywhere else still carries a 10-year prison sentence.

North Korea fires 4 (more) test missiles
Yikes.

Now, with the power of what I like to call “Magic” I am going to guess your number which will, in turn determine what you should do tonight. Ready?

Your number was 1 which means you should head out to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks for Red, White & Blooms at 6:30pm.

In case I was wrong, though, and your pick was 2, don’t worry about it. What’s more imporant here is that if your number was 2, you’re supposed to be headed out to Club FIX in the basement of Willy D’s so you can dance your face off to DJ Beat Bachs.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Some of you are all like “No, moron. My number was 3.” Fine, then go to Ella’s and listen to the Claudia Burson Trio. Relax, man.

If you’re the one lady who picked 4, you’re in luck. Lots of people are jealous of you. Why? Because you get to see 3 Penny Acre at Greenhouse Grille. At this point, I can actually hear people changing their number.

For anyone who picked 5, stop what you’re doing. Things are looking good and bad for you right now. The good news is, someone, somewhere just said your first and last name and a group of people standing near them perked up their ears. The bad news is that they finished the sentence by saying, “is a jerk.” Bummer. Drink your blues away at Smoke & Barrel tonight with the Matt Smith Trio.

By now you’ve probably figured out that I never had any intentions of actually guessing your number. But if you’re still reading, then you probably picked 6 or 7 so I at least owe it to you to say that if you chose 6, you’re gonna be at Smiling Jack’s listening to East of Zion. But if you chose 7, it’s a pizza party for you at US Pizza with Sarah Hughes.

Recap:

1. Botanical Garden of the Ozarks: Red, White & Blooms - 6:30pm
2. Club FIX: DJ Beat Bachs - no cover
3. Ella’s: Jazz on the Hill w/ Claudia Burson Trio
4. Greenhouse Grille: 3 Penny Acre
5. Smoke & Barrel Tavern: Matt Smith Trio
6. Smiling Jack’s Fresh Foods: East of Zion
7. US Pizza Co: Sarah Hughes

What we also have here in Fayetteville are all the cool, locally owned, independent businesses, and the fact that we’ve got all these awesome places makes Fayetteville the #1 city in all of America, and the United States, and the world.

Starting today through July 7th is Independents Week, a campaign created by the American Independent Business Alliance to help promote awareness of the importance of buying local and how doing so is good for the community as well as the local economy.

In honor of all this, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite local establishments over the next week or so to help remind ourselves of some of the great places we have in town as well as to try and help expose some of the new places that we hope will take off.

To kick things off, I thought it would be cool to give some shout outs to some of our favorites in the comments of this post. And since the spirit of this post is to help support our local businesses, let’s try and keep this one ultra positive, cool?

What are the non-chain restaurants you’d take someone visiting Fayetteville to? What are some places that don’t get enough credit for being awesome? What are some great local places that you’ve discovered that you think people need to know about? And what are the old staples that make Fayetteville such a cool place to live?

Let’s hear it. What are your favorite locally owned businesses in Fayetteville?

His first challenge was the ice storm that hit less than 30 days after he took office back in January. We lost a ton of our trees, roadways were blocked all over town, and much of Fayetteville was without power for at least four days, many for as long as several weeks. Mayor Jordan issued a statement, and the city acted quickly to set up shelters, and the massive cleanup process began.

The cleanup continued in February, and the city council approved contracts with cleanup crews, debris removal schedules were created, and we finally got most of those limbs outta here. Whew.

One of Mayor Jordan’s promises during his campaign was to create and begin implementing an economic development plan for Fayetteville within 90 days of taking office. The city held Fayetteville Forward beginning in March, a public input session designed to identify stakeholders and action items to further economic development in Fayetteville. The findings of the summit were presented in April, and committees were formed to carry out the plan established at Fayetteville Forward.

Lots of other things happened too. The mayor issued some proclamations. City Hall recieved a bomb threat. The mayor did some t-shirt modeling, and has amassed over 3500 friends on his personal Facebook page. He led an initiative to replace the lightbulbs in Hillcrest Towers and other city housing with compact fluorescents, to name a few.

But to me, the biggest achievements Mayor Lioneld Jordan has made since he’s been in office are his quick response to the Ice Storm in January, and he and his administration’s work with Fayetteville Forward.

It would appear that he has kept most of his campaign promises so far. Reading back over his Where They Stand interview from way back in August, it’s pretty remarkable how consistent he’s been. There isn’t much from that interview that the Mayor hasn’t addressed at least in some form or fashion in his first six months in office.

Other observations are that Mayor Jordan appears to be a big proponent of volunteerism and community involvement. He’s not a big spender of taxpayer money. He doesn’t seem to sleep much.

He’s been a shaky public speaker, but we’ve seen improvement, especially when he’s speaking off the cuff and not reading from a prewritten script. He is excitable, energetic, and hardworking.

The biggest challenge he’ll face over the next six months is the estimated 2 million dollar budget deficit the city is looking at, mostly due to a weak economy and decreasing sales tax and building permit revenue. The questions and issues created by the budget concerns and how the administration handles them will tell us a lot more about Mayor Jordan as a leader of our city.

Those are the things I’ve noticed about the Mayor in his first six months in office. How do you feel about the job Mayor Jordan has done so far? How would you rate him in his first six months?

Here are today’s shortcuts. Check ‘em out.

LOCAL

Town Hall Meeting
If you didn’t make it to the Town Hall Meeting last night and you weren’t glued to our live Tweets, here’s a screen capture of what we wrote. And here’s Mary’s story.

New KUAF building named
The Lynn and Joel Carver Center for Public Radio is the new official name of The University of Arkansas public radio station, KUAF 91.3 FM. ArkansasBusiness.com has more.

NEARBY

New UA Logo now in use
A few months ago, the UA unveiled their new logo and today, it’s official.

ELSEWHERE

Senator-Elect Al Franken
He’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and dog-one it, he’s now a senator.

Citigroup rate hikes
Hopefully you weren’t one of the 15 million whose credit card rates were raised at the last second. Were you?

The mayor also reiterated his goal to have every household in Fayetteville using energy efficient lights. He said the city began this initiative by changing the light bulbs in Hillcrest Towers, a housing project in downtown Fayetteville. The switch will save $13,000 a year, the mayor said.

Then, Mayor Jordan allowed various city departments to give reports, starting with the finance department.

The city’s general fund could be down $2 to $2.5 million this year because of a drop in sales tax revenue, investments and building permits, said Paul Becker, the city’s finance director.

In April, the city’s sales tax revenue, which is the largest revenue generator for the general fund, was down 4.7 percent compared to last year, Becker said.

“This is something that’s here, and this is something that we’re going to have to face,” he said.

After staff reports, which included briefings on the 2010 census and the city’s sustainability projects, the mayor opened the forum up to public comment. Don Marr, the mayor’s chief of staff, got the ball rolling, by asking what was happening with the construction on Township.

Terry Gulley, transportation services director, fielded the question and said it was a joint effort between the transportation department and the water and sewer division. The objective is to renovate the infrastructure on Township, including replacing the water line and building a sidewalk for the south side of the road.

They are shooting to have the project completed by the end of August, Gulley said.

“We’re pushing as hard as we can get to have as much of it done as possible prior to school starting again,” he said.

Of course there is. And there will be soon thanks to University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart. The Chancellor announced yesterday that he has commissioned a new public art oversight advisory committee tasked with increasing the amount of art available for public enjoyment.

In a recent report titled Transparency and Accountability to the People of Arkansas, Chancellor Gearhart cited the need to foster the arts on campus and throughout the region as a key goal to pursue aggressively through the university’s sesquicentennial in 2021.

“As an institution, we have always valued the arts,” said Gearhart, “and now we have an outstanding group of campus and community representatives who will help us to showcase our passion all around campus. In addition to the aesthetic enrichment art brings, the learning opportunities that will follow are priceless.”

“Courage to Lead” by Denny Haskew

The 14 committee members will serve a two-year term, and they will provide recommendations to the chancellor regarding all public art decisions on campus. They’ll also be charged with establishing processes and criteria for commissioning art and making recommendations for fundraising programs that will secure private gift support and gifts of artwork.

One of the most recognizable landmarks on campus and a shining example of public art is The Fulbright Peace Fountain, designed by Fay Jones which sits directly between Old Main and Vol Walker Hall.

Other public artwork on campus include the “Courage to Lead” bronze sculpture near Old Main, the sculpture in the courtyard of the School of Law, a statue on the fifth floor of Old Main, the physics mobile and the Calder mobile, among other smaller works dispersed throughout campus.

Here’s hoping to see some more art on campus sometime soon.

Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if the fun were to come to the Town Hall Meeting instead?

For example, George’s could bring the Electro Lounge out and maybe set up shop in the back of the parish hall of Sequoyah United Methodist Church during the meeting. That’d be OK, right?

Then, after all the questions had been asked and answered by city staff, Red Ambition would start blasting Hot in Here instead of at Jose’s.

Over underneath a tree would be the Ozark Poets and Writers Collective along with Nightbird Books owner Lisa Sharp and in that field behind the church would be a thousand dogs and cats celebrating the Spay Arkansas benefit. Candy Lee would be in the middle and Smiling Jack would have a sandwich cart for anyone who needed a bite to eat.

For anyone who was in the mood for some jazz, the McLeod Burson Quartet would be on one side of the roof. John Mueller would be on the other side playing Buddy Holly tunes with the entire Walton Arts Center staff.

Actually, that wouldn’t work. The roof on that church is crazy-steep. Forget it.

The real night’s schedule:

George’s: Electro Lounge - no cover
Jose’s: Red Ambition
Nightbird Books: Ozark Poets and Writers Collective - 7pm
Sequoyah United Methodist Church: Second Quarter Town Hall Meeting
Smiling Jack’s Fresh Foods: Spay Arkansas benefit w/ Candy Lee
Teatro Scarpino: McLeod Burson Quartet
Walton Arts Center: John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party - 7pm

This past Wednesday, I went to a fundraiser for Jay Barth. For those of you unfamiliar with Jay, he’s an openly gay professor at Hendrix College, and is running for a seat in the State Senate. The funny thing is, he’s running in Little Rock. So why did he come up here? Well, we probably ended up giving him a lot of money.

He gave a short speech at the fundraiser in which he talked about Arkansas’s shift from “The Land of Opportunity” to “The Natural State.” For those of you old enough to remember those license plates, “The Land of Opportunity” used to be our state motto. Jay briefly highlighted the ways in which this was not true: areas in which you would expect a land of opportunity to be the best in, we were 48th or 49th (leading me to invoke Arkansas’s only true state motto: “Thank God for Mississippi”), and areas you’d expect us to be 48th or 49th in, we were first or second. “The Natural State” just seemed to be more representative of our state.

But he also thought it was time for us to change. That we should take back the Land of Opportunity moniker by becoming a true land of opportunity.

Flash forward, then, to the Pride Picnic this past Saturday. For those who attended, there was quite the treat that day. Don Marr, our city’s openly-gay chief of staff, issued an official proclamation of behalf of the Mayor (I saw the certificate; the signature was real) declaring Saturday, June 27th, as LGBT Pride day for the city of Fayetteville. I whooped, I hollered, I cried a bit. I was elated.

After the proclamation, Anthony Clark, the President of the NWA Center for Equality, introduced me to one of the leaders of Oklahomans for Equality, as I had a small part in securing the proclamation. The man, whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, told me how incredible it was that we were able to get an official proclamation from a sitting mayor in this part of the country. He said that they have been trying in Oklahoma for twelve years, that they have had no breakthrough in Tulsa, and that the Mayor of Oklahoma City refuses to even acknowledge their organization’s request.

That hit home for me in a way that the proclamation didn’t. I knew that we were a bit different here in Fayetteville. I didn’t realize just how lucky we were, though. And then I thought back to Jay Barth’s speech about the land of opportunity, and realized that, perhaps, Fayetteville is already one of them. So to every citizen of Fayetteville, and every person out there that contributes to the diversity and acceptance of our city, I want to say thank you. Sometimes, it takes an outsider to show us how lucky we are.

Disclaimer: Although I am a dues-paid member of the NWA Center for Equality, my opinion is my own and I am in no way speaking as a representative of the Center.

But my #2 most delicious, refreshing, thirst quenching summer beverage has to be a cold glass of authentic Spanish red wine sangria.

On July 15th, the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks will have plenty of both of my top two summer beverages at their annual Sunflowers and Sangria event. Add some free appetizers, one of my favorite Fayetteville bands in Shout Lulu, and a warm summer evening at the Botanical Gardens, and you’ve got the makings of a big ol’ bucket of badicality.

Tickets are $20 for non-members and $15 for members, and tickets will be available at the gate. Sangria, beer, and light appetizers are included in the ticket price. Sweet.

Even better news is that we scored two tickets to give away to the event. Try to win them.

How to enter
Sunflowers and Sangria has a nice ring to it. Maybe it’s the alliteration, or maybe it’s the combination of two very summery items that seem to go well together, but I have a feeling that Flyer readers can come up with even more clever plant/adult beverage combinations. Car Bombs and Carnations. Papst and Petunias. You get the idea. Leave your combo in the comments, and you’re entered to win.

What you’ll win
You’ll win two tickets to Sunflowers and Sangria on July 15th at 6:00 pm at the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks.

The rules

• You only may enter this specific contest once.
• This contest is open to anyone anywhere except staff of Fayetteville Flyer, Local540, the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks and their immediate family members.
• Contest is open until 5:00pm CST on Wednesday, June 8th, 2009 and the winner will be contacted shortly afterwards. Make sure you leave a valid email address when filling out the comment form since that’s how we’ll contact you if you’ve won.
• You’ll have to provide us with your first and last name (if you win) and then be prepared to show a valid photo ID when picking up your tickets.

For tickets and more information on Sunflowers and Sangria, head on over to Botanical Gardens website.

Was he just messin’ around? Nope.

Tonight, Mayor Jordan and city staff will hold the Second Quarter Town Hall Meeting at the Sequoyah United Methodist Church Parish Hall at 1910 N. Old Wire Road from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Who’s going?

For a kid growing up in the 80’s/90’s, Saturday nights at the skating rink were like a right of passage. They would clear the floor for speed skating. Couple skating. Limbo. The dice game (remember the dice game?). Backwards skating.

I never did figure that one out.

But about four years ago, the Skate Place closed, and Fayetteville has been without a roller rink ever since.

In September though, Tiffany Caston and her husband William plan to change that.

“What you’ve heard is true. We’re renovating the Curry’s building in Fayetteville into a roller rink.” Tiffany told us. “Skating is a passion of mine, and I feel like Fayetteville needs to have a rink. We’ve been looking for a good place for a while.”

The building is nearly 17,000 square feet, and has a unique dome ceiling that eliminates the need for support columns.

“It’s very unique architecturally. We’ll be taking out the false ceilings that others have put in and highlighting the dome ceiling.”

The demolition process has already begun on the space, and the Caston’s plan to open the “Starlight Skatium” sometime in late September/early October.

And although Tiffany is a member of the NWA Rollergirls, the new rink won’t be an exclusive roller derby venue. The “Skatium” will specialize in birthday parties, and will have a state-of-the-art sound system for wedding receptions, school dances, and private parties.

“I’m just really excited. Things are moving fast, and it’s the support I’ve heard from the city and the community has been really encouraging.” Tiffany said.

“Skating was a big part of my childhood, and I’d hate for a whole generation of kids in Fayetteville to miss out on that.”

True ‘dat.

Here are today’s shortcuts. Check ‘em out.

LOCAL

Town Hall Meeting tonight
Is there any chance you don’t know about this meeting tonight? Probably not. This is the third mention of it on the Flyer in as many days.

Ink By the Byte
The only thing more fun than reading local editorials is reading criticism of local editorials. Ozarks Unbound’s Christopher Spencer has a new column, Ink By the Byte, featuring commentary of NWA editorials from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas Times.

Murder victim also shot by police
The local interwebs lit up over the weekend as every media outlet scrambled to try and be the first to Tweet about the tragic murder of Jill Ulmer. There’s more to the story, though. According to a press release issued by the FPD, Ms. Ulmer’s cause of death was due to not just multiple stab wounds but also a gunshot from a Fayetteville police officer.

NEARBY

Driving and texting soon to be illegal
Come October 1st, police will be able to pull you over for text messaging while driving in Arkansas. Of course, now that cell phones are used for much more than just texting, how in the world will officers know what you were doing?

Who’s weeding Rogers?
Roger from Welcome to Rogers Arkansas wonders why he’s being asked to pull the weeds for “millionaire landlords” in downtown Rogers instead of having the property owners pay for it.

ELSEWHERE

Who’s next?
Celebrities are dropping like flies. The trio of A-listers wrapped up with MJ last week but the D-listers started shortly after. First, Billy “OxiClean” Mays was found dead and now impressionist Fred Travalena has passed. Comedian Michael Ian Black seems worried he’s next.

Welcome back, Steve
After a sixth month medical leave, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is back.

Photo by poka0059 via Flickr and Creative Commons 2.0.

BUT WAIT!
For those of you who entered but didn’t win, we’re about to send you a code for a discount in case you do want to go ahead and purchase tickets.

Thanks again to Walton Arts Center for sponsoring this contest. Visit waltonartscenter.org to purchase tickets to this and other performances.