It looks like another Fayetteville landmark, the Renaissance Hotel Crane, is going to be taken down. First appearing on the downtown skyline in late 2006, the crane served as a symbol of progress and grand architecture, heralding the arrival of the Renaissance Hotel, and the re-vitalization of Downtown Fayetteville.
I shall pour one out for you, homey.
Craig Nelson has been doing a great photographic series of locals at Brewskis.
He’s now releasing a softcover book called Strangers & Not So Strange, through blurb.com.
Buy a copy. Now. I did.
For more information, checkout his blog entry: Strangers & Not So Strange – Book Offering
Aerosault.com proudly presents the first in a series of monthly events…
Featuring DJs: Nolo, Selecta, Ben Armstrong, & Bizar
Playing House, Techno, Electro, & More
Live Video Mixing by Interzone
Cover: $5
Ages: 18 & up, 21 to drink w/ valid ID
Date: Friday May 30, 2008
Location: The UARK Bowl – 644 W. Dickson Street. Fayetteville, AR
For original mixes, tracks and more info, visit www.Aerosault.com (pronounced ARROW-SALT)
It looks like Wilma’s Restaurant (formerly at Drake Field) is moving into the building previously occupied by La Maison des Tartes.
I hope Wilma’s will be open on Saturday mornings. There’s been a need for a good weekend gathering place for the apres Farmers Market crowd, since the closing of Maison.
I’m in shock. I grabbed The Traveler this morning, and the headline was about the death of a friend of mine, Katie Wood.
The last time that I talked to her was Thursday March 6th, around 12:30pm. She IM’d me, asking me if I could call her phone, because she couldn’t find it. There was no answer – it went directly to voicemail.
She said that she suspected that Zach took it, and he’d been “acting crazy”. They had been dating for awhile, and recently broke up, but were still friends. While we were talking, Zach wrote her back saying that he didn’t take it and had no idea where it was.
She was going to fill me in more later about what was going on, but she had to go offline so she could work on some things. We never had a chance to talk again.
from the Traveler:
Fayetteville Police are investigating an apparent homicide that occurred Sunday morning, according to a press release from the Fayetteville Police Department. A suspect was arrested in southern Oklahoma at about 5 p.m., FPD officials said.
The victim, Katherine Wood, was found by police inside her apartment after FPD received a call about a disturbance at Colonial Arms Apartments on North Leverett Avenue.
Officers found a purse outside the apartment when they arrived. The information inside the purse led them to check an apartment where the owner of the purse was believed to reside, according to the press release.
The officers received no response and after they checked the interior of the apartment, they discovered Wood’s body. The circumstance of Wood’s death appeared suspicious, given the information supplied to the police by the caller and the purse found outside, according to the press release.
Fayetteville Police obtained a warrant for the arrest of 28-year-old Zachariah Marcyniuk and plan to charge him with first degree murder. Marcyniuk was arrested Sunday afternoon by Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Wood’s body will be sent to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office to assist with determining the cause and manner of death. A Katherine Wood, residing at Colonial Arms Apartments, is listed in the University Directory as a student in the English department.
Yep. “Closed” sign on the door. Things are getting hauled away.
from Tuned In:
It seems the bands for the inaugural Dickson Street Music Festival are being confirmed. Pollstar.com and Shooter Jennings‘ Web site are indicating the rebel country musician and son of music legend Waylon Jennings will play at the festival, which will take place April 25-26 in the parking lot on the southwest corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue in Fayetteville.
Furthermore, Jennings’ site says he will be joined by .38 Special and the Charlie Daniels Band on April 25.
As for the April 26 bands, no official statement has been given, but word on the street indicates Sonic Youth will have the headlining honors. No official word from the band has been posted.
An official announcement by the event’s promoters regarding festival details is expected at a press conference Feb. 21.
The two-day music festival will be incorporated into Springfest, an annual event in downtown Fayetteville. As more details emerge, we’ll keep you posted.
from foofighters.com:
Jan 27, 2008 – Fayetteville, AR and Oklahoma City, OK Shows Rescheduled:…
Regretfully, Monday’s show at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, AR and Tuesday’s show at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, OK have been rescheduled due to illness. More information coming soon. Watch foofighters.com.
Jan 27, 2008 – Message from Dave regarding postponed shows…
Current mood: Dazed
Current temperature: 101.1Hey everybody…..
Laying here in my Nashville hotel room, sick as a dog, but I had to write you all something, because anyone who knows this band knows we RARELY ever cancel gigs. Someone’s gotta be pretty thrashed in order for that to happen.
Well……..yours truly is down for the count. Big time. The last thing in the world I want to do is jump up on stage and give you guys some half-ass version of what a Foo’s show is all about. That’s just not fair. And, it would break my heart. Unfortunately, in my current (crappy flu) condition, you wouldn’t be getting the show you guys deserve. And, that’s the most important thing to me.
You have my word that we’ll make it up to you. We always keep those promises. I’m so sorry for any inconvenience. Knowing that you guys will be bummed makes me feel even shittier, believe me.
See you soon. Thanks, guys……. Dave
January 28th – Walton Art Center – Indigo Girls
January 29th – Barnhill Arena, University of Arkansas – Foo Fighters
I’m interested in seeing both of those !
They were two of my favorite people in Fayetteville. I’ve been in shock since I heard the news this morning…
Fayetteville Family Killed In Crash Outside Of Cancun, Mexico
By Christopher Spencer
THE MORNING NEWSFAYETTEVILLE — Friends mourned the death of four family members from Fayetteville killed Tuesday in a car accident about an hour south of Cancun, Mexico.
Paul Hoover and his wife, Maureen, were in a rental car with Paul’s father and stepmother, Steve and Sharon Hoover, when another car crossed the highway median and struck the car they were in, several family friends said. The Hoovers died at the scene.
The Mexican man who caused the crash was arrested by Mexican police for driving recklessly at high speed, said Judith Bryan, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. The Mexican newspaper Novedades de Quintana Roo identified the driver of the other car as Mario Diaz Polo.
The accident occurred on a highway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Bryan said. Much of that highway consists of two lanes with a divided grassy space in the middle.
The Hoover family was very involved in Northwest Arkansas, especially Fayetteville.
Sharon Hoover worked for Allison Architects of Fayetteville. She was project architect and environmental designer for the University of Arkansas Innovation Center, one of the buildings at the Research and Technology Park in south Fayetteville.
Mayor Dan Coody said he and his wife have been friends with the Hoovers for more than three decades.
“Deborah found them their house,” Dan Coody said. “She told them they needed to move to Fayetteville.”
Fayetteville’s growth and downtown development were projects for Sharon Hoover after the family arrived in Northwest Arkansas 10 years ago, Dan Coody said. Sharon Hoover served on the Fayetteville Planning Commission from 1998 until 2004, said Fayetteville City Clerk Sondra Smith.
Daniel Hintz, executive director of Fayetteville Downtown Partners, said Sharon Hoover was also instrumental to the downtown development agency. Sharon Hoover was the board’s first president after its reformation from the Downtown Dickson Enhancement Project.
“She had the vision and the leadership to transition the organization,” Hintz said. “She was a friend and mentor to me and the organization.”
Steve Hoover was a well-known artist in Fayetteville whose sculptures are in numerous homes, Coody said.
Coody said Steve Hoover and he trace their friendship to Huntsville, Texas.
“I don’t have an older friend than Steve,” Coody said.
A quiet man, Coody said Steve Hoover poured himself into his work at his Dead Horse Mountain Studio.
“He really enjoyed it,” Coody said.
Like his wife, Steve Hoover got involved in Fayetteville.
“They both just jumped in with both feet when they hit the ground,” Coody said.
Maureen Hoover and her husband were in their early 30s. Maureen Hoover worked for the University of Arkansas, where she directed the Upward Bound program. It is one of eight pre-college programs the university offers to help young children prepare for college when they are of age.
“She was all things to all people,” said Joe Seabrooks, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. “She was a phenomenal professional and just a great person.”
As a first-generation college student, Maureen Hoover worked hard to help other children get into college.
Maureen Hoover’s best friend, Sarah Terry of Fayetteville, said the loss of her friend is tragic for the community.
“She definitely made an impact in the community. She was passionate about her job. She loved working with students. She got to see them go to college and took so much pride in them,” Terry said.
Terry said the Hoovers were on their third vacation to the Yucatan Peninsula. She accompanied the Hoovers to the area two years ago. She spent most of Wednesday with Maureen’s mother, Michelle Rainey, of Fayetteville.
Maureen Hoover was a neighborhood coordinator for Fayetteville before working at the university. Coody, who hired Maureen, said her writing and public relations skills were put to good use.
Paul Hoover joined the Fort Smith Fire Department in 2001 as a firefighter, said department spokesman Sgt. Jarrard Copeland. Hoover’s death is a loss for the department, said Copeland. Paul and his wife, Maureen, were invited to Copeland’s upcoming wedding reception.
“My wife told me today during lunch that they had died. It was shocking,” Copeland said.
– The Morning News’ Dug Begley contributed to this report..