Linda Caillouet
Stories by Linda
Ask the expert
posted: 05/26/2012 1:56 a.m. Discuss
I recently bought an old house and would like to do as much of the renovation work myself as possible. I want to rip out the later additions, but don't want to take out something historically important. Any tips or advice on how to tell the difference between old and new? And what projects can the average do-it yourselfer attempt and which ones should be left to the professionals?
Finding families for foster children
posted: 05/22/2012 11:09 a.m. Discuss
In the late 1990s, with their now-37-year-old son then grown, John and Catherine Griffin of Little Rock talked and planned of one day becoming foster parents and opening their hearts and home to other children needing a loving family, writes Linda S. Caillouet in Wednesday’s Family section.
PAPER TRAILS: Book looks at downfall of ACORN
posted: 05/20/2012 5:14 a.m. Discuss
LOCAL ROOTS: Little Rock attorney and former ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) national board member Michael McCray has written a book on the organization, ACORN 8: Race, Power & Politics. In it, McCray offers an insider’s view, chronicling the corruption (ranging from mortgage fraud to embezzlement) that brought down the once-respected but nowdefunct community advocacy organization.
Ask the expert
posted: 05/19/2012 3:04 a.m. Discuss
My bedroom door keeps sticking even though when I first purchased the house three years ago, the top of it was sanded down to prevent this from happening. Should I keep sanding it, or is there something else I should be doing instead?
PAPER TRAILS: Catholic guys are still hot!
posted: 05/13/2012 4:53 a.m. Discuss
IN THE AIR: “Teenage boys don’t need air conditioning,” says Steve Straessle, principal of Little Rock’s Catholic High for Boys. (The late Monsignor George Tribou, longtime former principal, would heartily agree.) “But,” Straessle adds, “we have discovered that computers do.”
Ask the expert
posted: 05/12/2012 2:28 a.m. Discuss
How do I find an interior decorator or designer like I see on HGTV in central Arkansas? I want to remodel my home that was built in 1979 but I am overwhelmed by all the choices. I would like someone to help me come up with a master plan starting with the kitchen.
PAPER TRAILS: Little Rock runner has record time
posted: 05/06/2012 3:40 a.m. Discuss
RECORD RUN: Little Rock resident and noted marathoner Leah Thorvilson, 33, posted the fourth-fastest women’s 50-mile time in U.S. history, coming in with a time of 6:00:32 and winning Missouri’s Frisco Railroad Run on April 28, reports ultrarunning.com.
Take Steps, Be Heard aims to stomp Crohn’s
posted: 05/06/2012 3:15 a.m. Discuss
A journey begins with a single step — followed by another one and then many more.
PAPER TRAILS: Ticket fees still are not transparent
posted: 04/29/2012 4:53 a.m. Discuss
SAME SONG? After recently announcing a June 27 Lady Antebellum show, Verizon Arena officials sent out a revised release, changing the ticket prices from $27, $41.50, $51.50 and $71.50 to $35.50, $53, $63, and $84.50 with differences from $8.50 to $13. The revision stated there were “no additional Ticketmaster fees.” Why the change?
Ask the expert
posted: 04/28/2012 2:12 a.m. Discuss
My wood floor is squeaking and I tried your earlier tip of using talcum power between the floorboards. It worked on one area but not on another one. What other options do I have to silence the squeak?
Tattoo REDO
posted: 04/24/2012 2:17 a.m. Discuss
Courtney Coleman, 30, of Maumelle, works as a recruitment manager for the office of a large national company.
PAPER TRAILS: Burden of the weight finally lifts
posted: 04/22/2012 4:37 a.m. Comment 1
As many Arkansans were saddened to learn last week, native son Levon Helm, former drummer and singer for The Band, succumbed to cancer Thursday at age 71.
Ask the expert
posted: 04/21/2012 1:48 a.m. Discuss
I’m hoping to put my house on the market in the next year or two and know it’s a challenging time to try to sell one. What type of improvements are worth the investment?
PAPER TRAILS: Clinton has last laugh in sketch
posted: 04/15/2012 3:45 a.m. Discuss
FUNNY STUFF: An original FunnyorDie.com video, “A Decade of Difference: The Clinton Foundation — Celebrity Division,” celebrating the William J. Clinton Foundation’s 10th anniversary, is up for an award in the 16th annual Webby Awards.
Ask the expert
posted: 04/14/2012 2:19 a.m. Discuss
Spring is here and I’m ready to throw open the drapes, let the sunshine in, open the windows and give my house a good cleaning. How do I begin to tackle this project? Any chores or cleaning I should not worry about?
‘Garage Sale Queen’ rules supreme by recycling junk into art
posted: 04/10/2012 2:32 a.m. Comments 2
Kandy Jones lives by the old motto “one man’s trash is another’s treasure.” So much so, she has turned it into a bona fide business.
PAPER TRAILS: History of ship docks in Branson
posted: 04/08/2012 3:42 a.m. Discuss
HISTORY REVISITED: For Titanic enthusiasts, some events in Branson this week are worth noting.
Secret in the attic
posted: 04/07/2012 2:22 a.m. Discuss
Everyone who has ever tackled restoring an old house dreams of it — finding a treasure hidden within the walls, attic or basement, tucked away for decades.
Family’s home 170 years
posted: 04/07/2012 2:16 a.m. Discuss
At least six generations of the Hanks family resided in the home except for a brief time during the Civil War when it was taken over during the federal occupation of Helena and used as a residence for Union doctors.
Name esteems ‘adopted’ son
posted: 04/07/2012 2:15 a.m. Discuss
So with six generations of the Hanks family living in the antebellum family home in Helena, how did it come to be named Estevan Hall?
PAPER TRAILS: Old frock joins ranks in museum
posted: 04/01/2012 4:04 a.m. Discuss
When The Museum of the Confederacy-Appomattox opened yesterday in Virginia, there was an Arkansas thread inside.
Ask the expert
posted: 03/31/2012 2:25 a.m. Discuss
I have a garden hose which is still in pretty good condition but has a leaky connector, some crushed fittings and some splits. I don’t want to throw away a perfectly good hose if it can easily be repaired. On the other hand, I don’t want to deal with the mess and leaks. What should I do?
Charity health clinics pay back and forward
posted: 03/27/2012 2:27 a.m. Discuss
Dr. Gina McNew, who began working as a doctor seven years ago, opened the Vilonia Medical Clinic in December. There, she specializes in internal medicine and immediately after opening her practice, she began her Pay It Forward program.
PAPER TRAILS: Beatrice’s life comes full circle
posted: 03/25/2012 6:16 a.m. Discuss
Beatrice’s life comes full circle WHAT HAPPENED TO: Beatrice Biira? Biira’s connection to Arkansas began in 1991, when she was 9, living in Uganda, and the Little Rock-based Heifer International, which works to alleviate hunger, gave her family a goat.
Ask the expert
posted: 03/24/2012 3:43 a.m. Discuss
I’ve noticed some green mold growing on the section of my roof underneath a large oak tree. I’ve lived here for three years and this is the first spring I’ve noticed this happening. What is causing this? Is this something I should be worried about? Should I have it removed and, if so, what’s the best way to go about doing so?
PAPER TRAILS: Editor goes gunning for his rival
posted: 03/18/2012 3:58 a.m. Discuss
IN HIS SIGHTS: Oxford American magazine Editor Marc Smirnoff contends in a Mr. Magazine blog interview that his three-page, 3,600-word shot against competing Southern magazine Garden & Gun (whose foes, he notes, refer to it as GAG) wasn’t an attack but a “critical analysis.” The Oxford American piece began with the headline, “G&G Me With a Buccellati Silver Spoon!” and grew more cutting and catty.
Ask the expert
posted: 03/17/2012 2:49 a.m. Discuss
I just bought a house, but it’s really dark. How do I brighten its exterior?
State park for diamonds is gem of a tourist spot
posted: 03/13/2012 2:52 a.m.
Discuss
The main attraction at the state park in Murfreesboro? A nondescript 37 1/2-acre expanse of dirt, plowed into rows seemingly awaiting leafy crops.
What do diamonds look like?
posted: 03/13/2012 2:30 a.m. Discuss
Crater of Diamonds State Park interpreter Waymon Cox says the biggest surprise for visitors is learning what diamonds in their natural state look like.
Stars from Arkansas sparkle
posted: 03/13/2012 2:29 a.m. Discuss
Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro is a diamond mine for tourists, literally.
PAPER TRAILS: Beatle kin works to keep music
posted: 03/11/2012 5:18 a.m. Discuss
HARD DAY’S NIGHT: Remember Beatle George Harrison’s sister Louise?
Volunteers pour labor into Empty Bowls event
posted: 03/11/2012 5:09 a.m. Discuss
Heather Tackett and Adam Perdue have a full plate these days. Their goal? Filling the plates and bowls of the hungry with food as volunteer co-chairmen for Arkansas Foodbank Network’s 10th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser.
Ask the expert
posted: 03/10/2012 2:40 a.m. Discuss
It feels like spring lately and that means it can’t be too long until spring rains start falling. What steps can I take to best protect my home from water damage? “Let’s start at the top and work our way down,” says home inspector Tim Hennelly, owner of Casa Buena Inspections of Little Rock.
PAPER TRAILS: Broadway actor nabs a new role
posted: 03/04/2012 4:12 a.m. Discuss
BABY MAKES THREE: Jonesboro native and Broadway stage actor Matt Cavenaugh has landed a brand-new role — Dad! He and actress wife Jenny Powers are expecting, reports Playbill. Cavenaugh was most recently on Broadway as Tony in West Side Story while Powers portrayed Rizzo in the most recent revival of Grease.
Ask the expert
posted: 03/03/2012 2:44 a.m. Discuss
With spring nearing, I’m starting to think about entertaining outside, possibly around a fire pit on cooler evenings. I’ve never owned one before; if I should acquire one, how can I enjoy it but keep my guests and home safe as well?
PAPER TRAILS: Quapaw Quarter lands nod
posted: 02/26/2012 4:41 a.m. Discuss
HISTORIC WIN: This Old House has chosen Little Rock’s Quapaw Quarter historic neighborhood as one of 61 neighborhoods included in its 2012 Best Old-House Neighborhoods. The area was singled out in the list on www.thisoldhouse.com in particular as one of the best places in the U.S. and Canada for “City Living.”
Restoration of Cash home begins with birthday tribute
posted: 02/26/2012 3:35 a.m. Discuss
Had he lived, the Man in Black would have turned 80 today. Country music legend Johnny Cash may be gone, but he’s long from forgotten.
Ask the expert
posted: 02/25/2012 2:56 a.m. Discuss
I recently noticed a foul odor coming from my kitchen and have traced it back to the garbage disposal in my kitchen sink. Is there something wrong down there and if so, how do I go about repairing it? “The first step in maintaining a disposal is to buy one which is properly sized for how you plan on using it,” says Tim Hennelly, owner of Casa Buena Home Inspections of Little Rock.
PAPER TRAILS: Arkansas’ Gray living the dream
posted: 02/19/2012 5:50 a.m. Discuss
IDOL TALK: Whether or not she wins the title of Fox’s reality show American Idol, Hardy resident Lauren Gray is living out her dreams as a contestant on the show’s 11th season.
Ask the expert
posted: 02/18/2012 3:55 a.m. Discuss
What is the best way to maintain my clothes dryer and keep it operating as safely as possible?
Practical application
posted: 02/15/2012 4:38 a.m. Discuss
For everyone involved in the agony that is finding and applying to college, are these the worst of times or the best of times?
PAPER TRAILS: Civil-rights pioneer has ties to state
posted: 02/12/2012 5:14 a.m. Discuss
HISTORIC FAITH: One of this nation’s pioneering black Catholics has Arkansas ties. A new book, A Cry for Justice: Daniel Rudd and His Life in Black Catholicism, Journalism, and Activism, 1854-1933, recounts his extraordinary life.
Ask the expert
posted: 02/11/2012 2:56 a.m. Discuss
With spring around the corner, I’m thinking about home improvement and redecorating projects. My sunroom is a dreary, oppressive dark green and I’d love to brighten it up with a much lighter sage green. How do I cover the darker color with the lighter shade? And then there’s the wood paneled family den I’d also like to tackle.
FILM: Lunafest aims to elevate meaning of ‘chick flick’
posted: 02/09/2012 3:59 a.m. Discuss
A film festival in Little Rock is aiming to add new meaning and weightiness to the term “chick flicks,” most often used to describe guilty-pleasure movies — lightweight comedy/drama love stories.
LR native’s paranormal Angel series flies high
posted: 02/07/2012 2:11 a.m. Discuss
Little Rock native Lee Weatherly’s latest writing venture has been an out-of-this world experience. Seriously.
PAPER TRAILS: Duo’s van is one that got away
posted: 02/05/2012 4:22 a.m. Discuss
BY HOOK OR CROOK: Last Sunday, thieves broke into and stole the van of Northwest Arkansas-based band Trout Fishing in America, reports KHOUTV, Channel 11. The van was parked at a Houston hotel.
PAPER TRAILS: MTV films rocker on home turf
posted: 01/29/2012 3:41 a.m. Discuss
(ROCK AND) ROLL ’EM ! The crowd of nearly 3,000 fans at Little Rock native Amy Lee’s homecoming show Jan. 21 at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena was an enthusiastic bunch packed into a theater-style setting. There should be good footage for the TV special being filmed on Lee’s band, Evanescence, as it wrapped its stateside tour before heading to Mexico, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore.
Ask the expert
posted: 01/28/2012 2:47 a.m. Discuss
Through the years, I’ve heard horror stories from friends and relatives who had their washing machines flood their homes. I am especially worried about this as my washer and dryer are situated just off my den, not out in a garage or on an enclosed back porch. Are there any steps I can take to avoid having this happen to me?
PAPER TRAILS: Fans circle like sharks for tickets
posted: 01/22/2012 5:03 a.m. Discuss
FULL HOUSE: Well, the Jimmy Buffett “Welcome to Fin Land” concert set for 8 p.m. March 1 at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena sold out the day tickets went on sale Jan. 14. And swiftly, too.
Ask the expert
posted: 01/21/2012 3:12 a.m. Discuss
I’ve just recently noticed that the interior walls of my home have faint gray stains on the outside corners of the walls and ceilings. The stains appear to follow the placement of the stud framing and are more prominent around the areas where there are nails in the dry wall.
