LITERARY LEADER: Jeff Baskin, 67, a New York native who moved to Arkansas in 1976, has been director of North Little Rock's William F. Laman Library since 1986. Since then, he has vastly improved the city's library, doubling the size of the main library and creating a downtown branch in Argenta. In mid-July, Baskin was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, his wife, Sue Weinstein, shares with Paper Trails. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy and last Wednesday, one of his supporters created a community page on Facebook titled, "Put Jeff Baskin's name on the Nlr/Argenta Library." Meanwhile, his family is keeping everyone updated on his progress through caringbridge.org/visit/meredithbaskin.
RISING IN THE RANKS: The U.S. Army recently promoted Col. Viet Luong as the first Vietnamese-born soldier to the rank of general. And the soldier, now a brigadier general, has an Arkansas connection. He came to this country when he was 10, in 1975 during Operation Frequent Wind after the fall of Saigon, reports NBC News. He first lived with his parents in a resettlement camp in Arkansas before eventually settling in Los Angeles.
MAKING MUSIC: An Aug. 11 Rolling Stone article catches up with former Maumelle resident Amy Lee, frontman for Grammy-winning rock band Evanescence. The article includes a photo of Lee, now married and living in New York, with her son, Jack Lion Hartzler, born July 28. Speaking on the future of Evanescence, she tells the magazine:
"I've loved my time with Evanescence, I wouldn't want to just throw it away, but, for the foreseeable future, I don't have any plans to do anything with the band. It's really important to me to take some time to show some different sides of myself."
BOOK ENDS: Newport native Sonny Burgess and his rockabilly band, the Legendary Pacers, are the subject of a new book, We Wanna Boogie, by Marvin Schwarz. Schwarz will speak at the Butler Center's free monthly Legacies & Lunch series at noon Sept. 3 in the Central Arkansas Main Library's Darragh Center in Little Rock. The band will sign books after the talk. Later that month, a launch party is set for 6 p.m. Sept. 17 in the Darragh Center for a special print edition of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture's Arkansas in Ink: Gunslingers, Ghosts, and Other Graphic Tales. The book is edited by Guy Lancaster and illustrated by this paper's own Ron Wolfe. Both books are available at River Market Books & Gifts.
ON THE HUNT: HGTV's reality show House Hunters filmed a recent episode, "Cool vs. Classic in Small Town Arkansas," in Bentonville. It follows Lauren and Michael Chao searching for a home and choosing one previously owned by Bob Cheyne, the voice of the Razorbacks from 1948 to 1969 who died earlier this year. HGTV plans a return in September to film House Hunters: Where are they Now.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday on 08/24/2014