LITTLE ROCK – Sat., Oct. 15, 2011. Oh, what a beautiful morning! The sun rose brightly over the eastern edge of the city, its beams shimmering on the Arkansas River and reflecting off the edges of the Clinton Presidential Library. For those who’d made the trip to Sturgis Hall for the fifth annual Clinton School Puzzle Festival, a touristy atmosphere was the order of the day.
Occupy Wall Street protesters marched from the River Market to the Capitol. Oblivious thereto, a group of unicyclists practiced their art between the Library and Sturgis Hall. On the shore of the river, the Sculpture Show at the River Market was under way. Sponsored by the National Sculptors’ Guild, this exhibit featured 46 nationally recognized artists. And their work. Art enthusiasts and others came and went. In the street, dozens of folks wearing red T-shirts were engaged in a diamond scavenger hunt sponsored by a national jewelry store.
Five miles west, in the Hillcrest area, residents were engaged in Harvestfest: a 5K, a pancake breakfast, kids’ activities and a bevy of food vendors. Two miles up the hill from Hillcrest, merchants were readying for an afternoon affair, Chili Fights in the Heights. More vendors, etc. To say nothing of the Arkansas State Fair, in full swing on the south side of town. Things were a-bustle, right here in River City. I could have sworn I was still on vacation – were it not for my duties as emcee of the Puzzle Festival, where some 50 crossword and Sudoku enthusiasts gathered.
Robin Morrissey of Little Rock, a manager with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, won the crossword championship. Beth Levi of Little Rock, a visiting professor at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law, won the Sudoku championship – her fourth win in five years. Ellen Brantley of Little Rock finished second in the crossword competition; Glenn Whaley of Little Rock, an archivist with the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, was third. Both are former crossword champs.
Patrick Westerman, a physical therapist from Hot Springs, was second in the Sudoku contest. Darren Morrissey of Little Rock, an environmental services manager, was third. Morrissey is the husband of crossword champion Robin Morrissey. A delightful puzzling pair they are! Will Shortz donated a competition puzzle, one that will be the debut in the New York Times in about two weeks. The author of that puzzle is 15 year old Milo Beckman, a freshman at Harvard.
Merl Reagle contributed an upcoming puzzle from his syndicated series for use as the championship round puzzle. It was a 21x21, entitled “Speaking of Witch.” We had no out-of-town VIP this year. We played a YouTube video of Amanda Yesnowitz performing her song “A Way with Words” at the 2010 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Google it and watch it. It’ll be five minutes well spent. I gave a little 15-minute speech to begin the event – “Two Roads and Then Some.” A little autobiography, a little exposition, more than a little puzzling. Wanna hear it? Call me.
Vic Fleming is a district court judge in Little Rock, Ark., where he also teaches at the William H. Bowen School of Law. Contact him at vicfleming@att.net.