HIS GOLDEN MOMENT: Jim Pitcock, first a reporter and then a longtime news director with Little Rock's KATV, Channel 7, who has since retired, will soon be honored by the board of governors of the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The group, known for its Emmy awards, will induct him into the local chapter's Gold Circle, which recognizes people who have spent 50 or more years in the television industry and have made significant contributions to broadcasting in their communities. Pitcock will be feted during a special dinner July 22 at the Clinton Presidential Center in downtown Little Rock.
RAISING THE BAR: Patrons call it a dive, but there's no denying the longevity and popularity of Little Rock's White Water Tavern. The modest Stifft Station neighborhood watering hole has once again been selected as one of Esquire magazine's "Best Bars in America." The list will appear in the June/July issue.
The entry, written by lifestyle books author Georgia Pellegrini (Food Heroes, Girl Hunter and Modern Pioneering) reads in part:
"The White Water Tavern is perched along railroad tracks in a forgotten part of town. ... The tap and the jukebox are both down. But for a sum total of nine dollars, you get a stiff drink and admission into a room with red canoes suspended from the ceiling and a retro bearded guy in cuffed jeans and slicked-back hair unloading his original songs with the help of an old acoustic guitar."
"This is America as it should be -- raw, a little ugly, but as honest as it gets," he writes.
In past years, the magazine has selected White Water and Little Rock's Main Street late-night private club Midtown Billiards (closed after a September fire but set to reopen in June). The 2017 list includes 24 bars from around the nation -- a few from smaller cities but most from larger ones such as Chicago and Los Angeles, and five from New York. But none from New Orleans? Hmmm ... Makes one wonder.
SOLAR STARGAZING: Those interested can view the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse at the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs, along with members of the Hot Springs Village Stargazers. Educational and astronomy programs are also planned. Visit midamericamuseum.org for more info.
STAMPING HISTORY: Speaking of which, Ron Robinson, counsel with Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods and former chairman of the U.S. Postal Service Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, notes that Linn's Stamp News recently reported that the Postal Service will issue its Total Solar Eclipse forever stamp on June 20. The Postal Service's first stamp with thermochromic ink includes the moon appearing when the design -- a photo of an eclipse as seen from Libya on March 29, 2006 -- is warmed by human touch.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 607-0675 or lindashaymes@gmail.com.
Metro on 05/28/2017