Tracy Rogers
Recent Stories by Tracy Rogers
Go play outside!
posted: 05/12/2012 2:40 a.m. Discuss
The phrase “outdoor room” can refer to a lot of spaces. An outdoor room can be a simple patio with a couple of chairs, or it can be a full-scale kitchen and lounging area complete with sofas, a refrigerator, countertops and a sink.
Materials soften resistance to buying quality furniture
posted: 05/12/2012 2:34 a.m. Discuss
Furniture is the most important element of any outdoor room. But choosing good outdoor furniture can be a chore.
Outdoor kitchen can burn up a wallet fast
posted: 05/12/2012 2:31 a.m. Discuss
If you read home magazines — or even just watch HGTV — you know that outdoor kitchens are all the rage right now. Kegs, wine coolers, refrigerators and even sinks are visible on some shows and on many style pages. A full-service, outdoor kitchen may seem like a great idea, but be prepared to open up your wallet if you want one in your backyard.
SCRAPP FOX MEMORIAL: Switch pays off for Baker
posted: 05/06/2012 2:16 a.m. Discuss
It came after a switch to late models, but Bryant’s Robert Baker picked up the biggest modified victory of his career Friday night. Baker led every lap to win the 10th annual Scrapp Fox Memorial modified race at Beebe Speedway, surviving a late challenge to earn $3,000. “We’re not going to give up on the mods just yet,” Baker said. Coming off turn four with two laps remaining, secondplace runner Dallas Everett of Beebe was able to get inside of Baker and pulled alongside. The two cars made contact and nearly spun. But Baker was able gather control and maintained the lead. Paragould’s Robby Arnold moved past Everett into second during the incident and challenged for the lead on the backstretch. But Baker pulled away at the white flag and wound up leading Arnold by about three car lengths at the checkered. Everett, last year’s Scrapp Fox winner, was third. “The car was giving up,” Baker said. “The tires were a little used up. But we were pretty hungry. We weren’t going to give it up. They were going to have to get use on the top for sure.” Baker, 27, has raced modifieds on tracks throughout most of the state for several years, chiefly at Beebe and Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway. But he has began racing late models this season and almost immediately made a splash in the division, winning a Comp Cams Super Dirt Series event at Murfreesboro’s Diamond Park Speedway on April 14. In fact, he held the series points lead heading into Saturday night’s event at Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La. His plans are to hopefully race the entire series next season. “You’re on the wheel with the late models,” Baker said. “They drive a little easier, but you work harder in them. I think it helped us for a track like this tonight for being consistent on these restarts. “We took some [things learned in the late model] to our modified program. We hope to make a couple more shows in the mod before the year’s over. But we’re chasing that Comp Cams pretty hard and hopefully we can get on the road with that next year. That’s the plan.” Defending Comp Cams champion Brandon Smith of Floral passed seven cars in the final 10 laps and finished fourth, and Beebe’s Jason Flory was fifth.
Pot-pourri
posted: 04/14/2012 2:32 a.m. Discuss
Cookware or space-age gadgets? With names like TFal, Circulon and Calphalon, it’s hard for customers to tell which they’re buying.
Common metals in pots, pans have varied cooking qualities
posted: 04/14/2012 2:26 a.m. Discuss
Cookware can be anything from inexpensive aluminum vessels to pricey copper pots beloved by French chefs. The four most common metals used in cookware are aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron and copper. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.
Prospective pan gets 3rd degree
posted: 04/14/2012 2:25 a.m. Discuss
Cookware comes in brilliant blues, rowdy reds and pretty purples nowadays. It’s easy to get so distracted by what looks attractive and to forget about functionality and longevity. Here are a few questions to ask before buying that skillet with the rainbow swirls or those racy, red saute pans.
Want braising, searing? Is nonstick appealing?
posted: 04/14/2012 2:23 a.m. Discuss
Selecting an exterior material for your cookware is only half the battle.
Fayetteville’s bike trains help kids pedal safely to school
posted: 04/09/2012 2:51 a.m. Discuss
Back in the day, when banana seats, big handlebars and bike bells were all the rage, kids wanted to ride a bike to school — even if they only lived a few blocks away.
Clean up your act
posted: 03/24/2012 3:44 a.m. Discuss
Blue skies, chirping birds and higher temperatures signal the beginning of springtime, and that can only mean one thing: It’s time to clean.
