Our Town

Little Rock notebook

Expert on politics to review '16 race

An Iowa State University professor will give a lecture titled, "Fear and Loathing in the Campaign Trail 2016," at the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock on Wednesday.

Steffen Schmidt, professor of political science, is an internationally recognized expert on American elections, according to a school news release. He's written 70 articles in scholarly journals and 11 books.

"Known as Dr. Politics, Schmidt has been analyzing the Iowa caucuses and U.S. national politics since 1972 and is currently teaching a free, short online course on the caucuses," the release said.

He will give his lecture at Sturgis Hall at the Clinton School at noon Wednesday. Seats can be reserved by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239.

Attorney to speak on aiding victims

The Arkansas Restorative Justice Coalition is sponsoring a talk by an Iowa attorney about restorative justice Thursday.

Fred Van Liew will speak at 7 p.m. at St. Michael's Episcopal Church at 12415 Cantrell Road. A reception will follow to allow attendees to speak informally with Van Liew.

Van Liew is an attorney, mediator, justice consultant and author, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is employed by the Portland Center for Restorative Justice and the Justice Diary and owns Van Liew Mediation and Consulting.

In a December guest editorial in The Iowa Daily Democrat, Van Liew described restorative justice.

"It is victim-centered in that it focuses on the people who have been harmed," he wrote. "It is participatory in that it involves those directly affected by crime: the victim, the offender, their families and representatives of the community. It is a process that begins with listening to the victim, community and offender. It reinforces their common values. It assumes that with crime comes accountability. It responds to crime by efforts to make things right."

Volunteers begin city tree planting

The organization Tree Streets held its first planting project of the year Saturday and has more events planned for next month and into March.

Volunteers met Saturday to plant trees in the city right of way along 18th Street between Schiller and Jones streets in the Central High neighborhood.

Future work days are planned for Feb. 6, Feb. 20, March 5 and March 19, and the group is requesting volunteers. More information can be found at www.treestreets.org.

Library will host writer for lecture

Central Arkansas Library System's distinguished lecture will be given by author Eli N. Evans on Thursday.

Evans will talk about growing up Jewish in the South at 6:30 p.m. at the Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave.

The lecture will be followed by a reception and book signing. The event is also celebrating the sesquicentennial anniversary of Temple B'nai Israel in Little Rock.

Evans wrote The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South and Judah P. Benjamin: The Jewish Confederate.

He was a White House aide and speechwriter under President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Metro on 01/24/2016

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