Celebrating Greater Central Arkansas September 2020
SISSY JONES An Arkansas Gem
94 PRIVATE ROOMS
OFFERING SKILLED NURSING REHABILITATION AND LONG-TERM CARE.
NOW ACCEPTING PATIENTS.
Call Vickey Kirkemier for more information.
501-585-6800 625 Tommy Lewis Drive Conway, AR 72032
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2020
COMMUNITY OF CARING Medical mission Hundreds served Countless acts of kindness FRIENDS • NEIGHBORS • CAREGIVERS Community of Caring is a medical mission coordinated by Unity Health that took place on August 1. Free medical exams, school supplies, food
(501) 278-3230 Unity-Health.org
and personal care items were available to help our neighbors in need. September 2020 501lifemag.com | 3
501 LIFE
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EDITOR'S NOTE
OWNERS Donna Spears, Sonja J. Keith OFFICE MANAGER Tracey Wilkinson EDITOR Sonja J. Keith
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Donna Spears
ART DIRECTORS Jennifer Godwin and Nick Walker ASSOCIATE EDITOR Levi Gilbert
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stefanie Brazile
ASSOCIATE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jeremy Higginbotham PHOTO DIRECTOR Mike Kemp
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Tom Keith CONTRIBUTORS Donna Benton Don Bingham Kellie Bishop Adam Bledsoe Tanner Cangelosi Brittany Gilbert Laurie Green Linda Henderson Vivian Hogue Karl Lenser
Mark McDonald Mark Oliver Todd Owens Bill Patterson John Patton Susan Peterson Dr. Robert Reising Robin Richards Jan Spann Donna Lampkin Stephens
FAULKNER COUNTY EDITORIAL BOARD
Sissy Jones is the founder of Sissy’s Log Cabin, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. (Mike Kemp photo)
Great advice – ‘Pray about everything’ Over the last 13 years, it has been such fun to meet and interview interesting individuals for features in 501 LIFE. Some of the tales were inspirational as folks shared their toughest challenges and heartache with readers and how they made it through. What an honor to tell their stories. This month’s cover story with Sissy Jones ranks among the most enjoyable interviews I have had while serving as the editor of this publication. Granted, Sissy is not from the 501 and does not live in Central Arkansas but she is a statewide fixture who has touched many lives since she opened her store in a log cabin 50 years ago. Today, her stores number five and include two in the 501. As with most interviews, I researched and prepared for our visit, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Arkansas icon whose catch phrase is “Life’s too short for ordinary jewelry.” After 501 LIFE photographer Mike Kemp captured her photo in the beautiful showroom of the store, I sat down with Sissy and her daughter-in-law Sharri for an interview that lasted nearly an hour and a half. Truth be told, I could’ve listened to Sissy’s stories about her life and her business all afternoon. Sissy’s warm smile and personality showed through as she started telling her story by explaining how her name is Marguerite but that was too 4 | 501 LIFE September 2020
hard for her sister to say. Originally called Tissy, her name became Sissy and that is how she is referred to by everyone, even her grandchildren. It was fun to hear Sissy relate her wonderful childhood memories of Gillet and the escapades she and her sister got into while growing up. As she shared her interest in selling American Legion poppies as a child, it was obvious that she was destined for success in business. Of course, that required a vision to see beyond a dilapidated log cabin near her home and imagine the possibilities. Not a stranger to hard work from growing up on the family farm, Sissy and her crew of friends put in a lot of hard work to transform the bug-infested building into a store. What grit and determination! Life hasn’t been without its challenges for Sissy, who battled breast cancer. As in her business, Sissy looked to family and friends for support as well as her faith to see her through. Sissy said all of the businesses have been built on Proverbs 20:24 — “With the Lord directing my ways, why should I worry,” she said. “We committed it to the Lord. God owns the business and we work for Him. I stand by that.” Her keys to success are simple – put God first and “pray about everything you do.” Great advice from a great lady. Here’s to “Loving LIFE” in the 501 and beyond.
Johnny Adams Jack Bell Don Bingham RaeLynn Callaway Glenn Crockett Kay Dalton Beth Franks Russ Hancock Spencer Hawks Mathilda Hatfield Roe Henderson Jerry Hiegel Mike Kemp Julie LaRue
Karl Lenser Monica Lieblong Lori Melton Kiera Oluokun Deanna Ott Pat Otto Jon Patrom Amy Reed Lori Ross Margaret Smith Jan Spann Kim Tyler Jennifer Whitehead
CONWAY COUNTY EDITORIAL BOARD Mary Clark Shelli Crowell Dr. Larry Davis Shawn Halbrook Alicia Hugen Alisha Koonce
Stephanie Lipsmeyer Stewart Nelson Kristi Strain Jim Taylor Morgan Zimmerman
WHITE COUNTY EDITORIAL BOARD Betsy Bailey Tara Cathey Cassandra Feltrop Phil Hays Natalie Horton
Matt LaForce Mike Parsons Brooke Pryor Carol Spears Kristi Thurmon
To subscribe or order back issues, visit www.501lifemag.com. The subscription rate is $20 for one year (12 issues). 501 Advertising and Publishing 701 Chestnut St. Conway, Ark. 72032 501.327.1501 info@501lifemag.com 501 LIFE is published monthly by 501 Advertising and Publishing (701 Chestnut St., Conway, Ark. 72032, 501.327.1501). The contents of 501 LIFE are copyrighted and materials presented may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publishers. Articles should not be considered specific advice, as individual circumstances vary. Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by 501 LIFE. 501 LIFE is produced on recycled paper.
Caring for you like family.
THAT’S OUR HERITAGE!
Dr. Caleb Dickson, Dr. David Naylor, Jr., Heritage Quality Control Director and Dr. William Freeman, Heritage Medical Director
1175 Morningside Drive • Conway, AR • 501.327.7642
☰
CONTENTS
September 2020 Volume 13 Issue 5
8 Sports
On the cover
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Twenty-four players from throughout Central Arkansas have been selected for the 10th edition of the 501 Football Team.
48 Health
In this month’s cover story (Pages 36-39), Sissy Jones shares childhood memories and the creation of her business, which is marking its 50th anniversary. (Mike Kemp photo/Jeremy Higginbotham design)
For more than 20 years, Unity Health has helped those in need in White County through A Day of Caring.
70 Feature
501 LIFE’s Linda Henderson shares her “Big Boy” adventure in the 501.
72 Pet
Methodist Family Health’s Frankie Stovall has learned “animals help open doors.”
20 neighbors
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22 Couples
Brooke and Grant Pryor are loving life in Searcy.
24 Youth
Recent Conway High graduate Gavin Teague had several impressive choices when it came to where he would go to college.
26 Vilonia
Lori and Kevin Taylor have discovered geocaching, an outdoor activity they have played all over the world.
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74 Person of the month
501 LIFE celebrates Conway historian Vivian Lawson Hogue.
70 '501 KIDS' 501 LIFE contributors Kellie Bishop and Brittany Gilbert have great tips in this month’s issue. Have a story idea or a young person you would like to see featured? Send suggestions to info@501lifemag.com.
LIFE pics 14-16 regulars
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4 10-12 30-32 50-57 74
Editor’s Note Loving LIFE Columnists Home Person of the month
501 LIFE would like to thank its advertising partners for their continued support and encourage our readers to support these businesses:
501 LIFE is you!
twitter.com /501lifemag
# 501 LIFE, 45
B
facebook.com /501lifemag
Bledsoe Chiropractic, 41
C Conway Corporation, 35 Conway Downtown, 17 Conway Institute of Music, 29 Conway Regional Health System, 75 Conway Regional Rehab, 19
D DJM Orthodontics, 25
E Edward Jones, 51 English Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Center, 33
F
Get “LIFE” at home! For a limited time, 501 LIFE is offering a special subscription rate for new subscribers - have the magazine delivered to your home for only $20 for one year, $40 for two years. While the magazine is distributed through more than 700 locations in Central Arkansas, copies go fast. Home delivery ensures readers they won’t miss a single issue. Readers can visit 501lifemag.com or call 501.327.1501 to subscribe.
First Community Bank, 47
Tune in at 12:30 p.m. the last Tuesday of each month to KARK Channel 4 for a segment on the current issue of 501 LIFE.
First Security Bank, 76 First Service Bank, 13 Freyaldenhoven Heating and Cooling Inc., 23
G
Writers’ Room
Glenrock Apartments, 61
H Hartman Animal Hospital, 73 Harwood, Ott & Fisher, PA, 55 Heritage Living Center, 5 Hiegel Supply, 67
M MSC Eye Associates, 32 Methodist Family Health, 59
O Ott Insurance, 31
P Patterson Eye Care, 21 Pulaski County Special School District, 63
S St. Joseph Schools, 67 Salem Place Nursing and Rehab, 49 Shelter Insurance, 21 Sissy’s Log Cabin, 15 Superior Health & Rehab, 2
T The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band, 40
U Unity Health, 3 University of Arkansas Community College Morrilton, 24 University of Central Arkansas, 27
Kellie Bishop has lived in Plumerville (Conway County) for nearly 10 years. “There are so many opportunities for engaging with the community and getting outside to enjoy the beautiful area we live in.” Kellie completed her bachelor of science degree in nursing at the University of Arkansas in 2013. She earned a master’s degree in nursing science with a focus as a pediatric nurse practitioner from UAMS in 2016. “I completed my education at UAMS, where I obtained my doctor of nursing practice in 2018.” Kellie and her husband, Greg, have a son and two “fur babies.” She can be reached at kelliebishop827@gmail.com.
Donna Benton has lived in Greenbrier for nearly 25 years. She enjoys most the small town culture and community in the 501. “But most of all, my friends and family are here and that is what makes it home!” Most people probably don’t know that Donna was a rock climber, whitewater kayaker and a backpacking guide. To contact Donna, email donna@waterhousemarket. com. Check out her blog on waterhousemarket.com and follow her on Instagram @ waterhousemarket and Facebook at WaterHouse Market.
Recognized throughout the state as an accomplished chef, Don Bingham has called the 501 his home for 47 years. “I enjoy most the people of the 501 – their heart and passion for life and for each other.” A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Don has a bachelor’s degree in communications and is a certified chef. He and his wife, Nancy, have five married children and 12 grandchildren. His interests include music, interior design and event planning. He can be reached at donaldjbingham@gmail.com.
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NEWS/NOTES
Braxton Allen (Malvern)
Chase Blanton (Clinton)
Bryce Bohanon (Conway)
Garrett Brown (Benton)
Jaxson Carter (Poyen)
Xavier Credit (Mayflower)
Tyler Gee (Cabot)
Palmer Gilbrech (Central Arkansas Christian)
Austin Haynes (Quitman)
Brock Hohenstein (Searcy)
Brayden Jones (Bigelow)
Blake Kennedy (Perryville)
Darren McClinton (England)
Jackson Moll (Morrilton)
Houston Motes (Maumelle)
Steven Roberson (Bismarck)
Gannon Roberts (Beebe)
Will Ross (Hot Springs Lakeside)
Caden Sipe (Harding Academy)
Robert Taylor (Conway Christian)
8 | 501 LIFE September 2020
501 Football Team 2020 announced The 501 LIFE staff is proud to present the members of the 2020 edition of the 501 Football Team. This year’s honorees mark the 10th edition of the 501 Football Team. Sponsors for this year’s team are Conway Regional Health System and First Security Bank. “Among all the uncertainty this summer about whether or not we would even have a high school football season this fall, we felt it was really important to still have a 501 Football Team regardless,” said Levi Gilbert, 501 LIFE associate editor. “It’s so important to have some sense of normalcy right now, and continuing the 501 Football Team felt like the right thing to do no matter how the season may or may not play out.” The team features 24 student-athletes — the best the 501 has to offer both on and off the field. Every county in the 501 is represented. “Of the 24 student-athletes on the team, all but one are seniors,” Gilbert said. “This season especially, we are honored to be able to celebrate seniors in this way.” 2020 team members include: Braxton Allen (Malvern), Chase Blanton (Clinton), Bryce Bohanon (Conway), Garrett Brown (Benton), Jaxson Carter (Poyen), Xavier Credit (Mayflower), Tyler Gee (Cabot), Palmer Gilbrech (Central Arkansas Christian), Austin Haynes (Quitman), Brock Hohenstein (Searcy), Brayden Jones (Bigelow), Blake Kennedy (Perryville), Darren McClinton (England), Jackson Moll (Morrilton), Houston Motes (Maumelle), Steven Roberson (Bismarck), Gannon Roberts (Beebe), Will Ross (Hot Springs Lakeside), Caden Sipe (Harding Academy), Robert Taylor (Conway Christian), Luke Trubiano (Vilonia), Layne Warrick (Lake Hamilton), Ashton White (Greenbrier) and Jack Wurz (Fountain Lake). Players were nominated by their respective coaches
Luke Trubiano (Vilonia)
Layne Warrick (Lake Hamilton)
and selected by the 501 LIFE staff. Nominations were weighted equally between on- and off-the-field attributes. “On behalf of Conway Regional Health System, I would like to congratulate the athletes and their parents honored in this publication,” said Conway Regional President and CEO Matt Troup. “Their relentless pursuit of excellence in the classroom and in athletics shows their character in the same way that Conway Regional pursues excellence in healthcare.” Troup added, “Our support of the 501 Football Team is reflected in the close relationship that Conway Regional and our medical staff have with community athletics. Conway Regional athletic trainers are onsite and at sports events in Conway, Greenbrier, Vilonia, Conway Christian, Perryville and Marshall. Physicians on our medical staff also provide football game coverage at Conway High School (Tom Roberts, MD, Orthopedist, and David Naylor, Primary Care), Greenbrier High School (Jay Howell, MD, Orthopedist), Vilonia High School (Grant Bennett, MD, Orthopedist) and Conway Christian (Thad Hardin, MD, Primary Care). Physicians on the Conway Regional Medical Staff also direct our Comprehensive Sports Outreach Program which provides concussion baseline testing and EKGs onsite at most football games. In the past, Conway Regional has donated thousands of cases of bottled water for high school fundraisers throughout north central Arkansas.”
Ashton White (Greenbrier)
Jack Wurz (Fountain Lake)
“First Security Bank is honored to support the 501 Football Team and recognize these outstanding athletes for their talent and hard work,” said First Security Bank Senior Vice President of Marketing Margaret Smith. The team recently met at Conway Christian School’s field for a photo shoot. In addition to being recognized in this year’s edition of 501 Football 2020 which will publish in September, each player will be featured individually throughout the fall online at 501lifemag.com and in 501 Sports Extra, 501’s sports e-newsletter. (To sign up, visit 501lifemag.com or email info@501lifemag.com.)
Conway Kids Triathlon gives $12,000 to charity
Southern Silks set Sept. 5
Even though this year’s Conway Kids Triathlon did not take place, organizers worked to continue to provide financial support to the Soul Food Café Mission. This would have been the 23rd year for the event, which is typically held in August and presented by First Security Bank. Organizers recently presented a $12,000 check to Soul Food Café’s Rick and Traci Harvey. The Soul Food Cafe Mission is a faith-based ministry run on biblical principles of reaching out to the hurting with love, compassion and hope. Soul Food provides food boxes, health and beauty items, clothing, haircuts and hot meals from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday at 1717 S. Donaghey Ave. in Conway. (For more information, visit soulfoodcafemission.org or email soulfoodcafemission@ gmail.com.) Event sponsors who contributed the $12,000 were First Security Bank, Rock Pond Pros, Tucker Creek Vet, Conway Children’s Clinic, Rhea Lana Children's Clothing, Rogers
The Seventh Annual Southern Silks will be held virtually 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, and will celebrate the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby. The virtual post-race soiree will support the Arkansas children and families at Methodist Family Health. Several activities are planned, including an auction and faux horse races where winners will be awarded prizes. The signature fundraising event will take place on Methodist Family Health’s Facebook page and YouTube channels. For more information, contact Jamie Griffith at 501.906.4209 or JGriffith@ MethodistFamily.org.
First Security Bank and Conway Kids Triathlon representatives recently presented a $12,000 check to the Soul Food Café Mission: Johnny Adams (front, from left) and Stefanie Vann (First Security), Rick and Traci Harvey (Soul Food Café), Margaret Smith (First Security), Daniel Littell (The Rogers Group); and Pete Tanguay (Rock Pond Pros and Conway Kids Triathlon race director and board chair). Group, Safety Before Skill, Smith Ford, Tooth Acres, Luke Porter Inc. and Conway Women’s Health Center.
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 9
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LOVING LIFE
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Sharing the 501 LIFE spirit
501 readers are enjoying LIFE and sharing their trips and special occasions with others. Headed out on a special trip? Pack a copy of 501 LIFE in your suitcase, snap a photo at your destination and send it to us for publication in a future issue. Have a special occasion or get-together coming up? Take 501 LIFE along, take a photo and send it to us. Photos can be submitted by email to info@501lifemag.com or by mail to Reader Photos, c/o 501 LIFE, 701 Chestnut St., Conway, Ark. 72032. Please include the names of those in the photograph and their hometowns along with contact information. (Sorry, photos will not be returned by mail but can be picked up at the 501 office.) Here’s to “Loving LIFE.� – Sonja Keith
Tangela Willis (holding the magazine) took 501 LIFE along as she participated in World Read Aloud Day 2020 in February. “I am a contemporary gospel recording artist known as TANJ in Conway,� she wrote. “I went to Sallie Cone Preschool and read a story to some of the classes. I used to work for Sallie Cone as a teacher.�
10 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Darla and Jeff Embry took 501 LIFE along to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico, as they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. “We used the 501 with Courtney Pope on the cover,” wrote Darla. “Our daughter-in-law, Nancy Embry, is Courtney’s sister. I thought Courtney and Nancy would get a kick out it!”
Nick Walker, Abigail Walker and Jennifer Godwin enjoyed the beach and the nature down the street on a quick trip to Gulf Shores, Ala. After spending a few days on the beach, they checked out Gulf State Park.
“Loving LIFE” on a trip with friends and family to Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado: Greg Gann (from left), Jo Angela Smith, Leta Gann, Malvern Gann, Lyssa Gipson and Jerry Gipson.
Mayflower’s Dylan Burnett (from left), PVT Kendrick McCuien, Tonni McCuien and Raphael McCuien were “Loving LIFE” at San Diego on Valentine’s Day as they celebrated Kendrick’s graduation from MCRD San Diego.
St. Joseph first-graders Olivia Strack and Jayce Travis were “Loving LIFE” during a mini health fair earlier this year with University of Central Arkansas nursing students A’Mydra Anderson and Hunter Cassidy.
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LOVING LIFE
A painting of Claire Coffey’s grandparents’ house, which stood on Prince Street.
Rob Hogue and Claire Coffey were “Loving LIFE� after he popped the question.
‘Loving LIFE,’ a birthday and a proposal Rob Hogue took 501 LIFE along on a special occasion – a birthday celebration for his girlfriend Claire Coffey which included an engagement proposal. Claire is a daughter of Scott and Nichole Coffey, and a student at the University of Central Arkansas. She works at Harlow and Poppy clothing boutique. Rob, a son of Glenn and Ginny Hogue, is also a UCA student. He works at Conway Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center. Rob and Claire have known each other for a long time, through church and Conway Christian School. “That summer I left to go to college three hours away,� said Rob. “We made long distance work with FaceTime and trips home whenever I could. We finally became ‘official’ during that Christmas break and have been dating for about 2 1/2 years.� While the couple had talked about getting married for a while, Rob didn’t get serious about a proposal until 2019. “The only reason I waited was because she loves the springtime.� Then the pandemic hit.
12 | 501 LIFE September 2020
“I had to get pretty creative with my plans because all restaurants and other locations were shut down,� said Rob, adding he had an idea to pop the question at the site of Claire’s grandparents’ old house on Prince Street in West Conway. “I’ve always known that place was so special to her and there could have not been a more special and meaningful place to propose to her.� Claire said the proposal location was special for several reasons, including it was where her parents became engaged. “The location is very important to me because that was my grandparents’ old house and the house my dad grew up in,� she said. “As kids, my sister and I would spend several nights a week at their house and we loved it. I cherish every memory from climbing the big trees, to playing Barbies on the old, wooden staircase. It is also a special proposal spot because my dad proposed to my mom in that house, so Rob knew it would mean so much to me to propose in the same location.� Rob said it was challenging to keep the proposal a secret from Claire but her family helped and assisted with the planning. “I asked some of my best
friends (Caleb Crow and Trey Starkey) and my future brother-in-law Zach Goins to help me clean the spot and to set up the dinner along with the candles and rose petals. My parents also helped run errands the day of to make sure everything went smoothly because since it was her birthday, I was with her most of the day.� Claire did suspect that a proposal was in the works. “I’ve got to admit, I had a big hunch that he was going to propose on my birthday! I drove my family crazy for weeks telling them, ‘I just know he’s doing it on my birthday!’� Rob said he was happy with how his plans came together. “Honestly, I was just tired of waiting and I did not care if it rained and the whole setup got washed away. I just wanted her to say ‘yes’ and finally be engaged to my dream girl.� The couple plan to get married June 5, 2021. “I have always thought that a birthday proposal would be so cool,� said Claire. “Anyone who is close to me knows that I love birthdays! I definitely will never forget my 20th birthday!�
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LOVING LIFE
Jason Culpepper (from left), Laura King, Erin Simpson, Ashton Adcock, Jennifer Boyett and Marsha Joyner.
Zanette Bell (from left) with Katrina and Leo Wilcox.
United Way scavenger hunt The United Way of Central Arkansas (UW) hosted Truman’s BIG Scavenger Hunt, presented by Ashton Adcock, on July 29-31. The event featured 20 Downtown Conway businesses and raised funds in support of United Way and its member organizations. Scavenger Hunt boards were purchased for $25 each. Participants were invited to use clues to figure out each of the participating businesses, complete daily Facebook challenges, donate school supplies for Stuff the Bus and more in an effort to earn bonus entries into a prize drawing. Each participating business had $100 worth of merchandise or gift cards included in the drawing. The grand prize drawing was a $500 gift certificate to the winner’s choice of any of the 20 businesses. (See the list of winners on the UW Facebook page.) “The United Way is continually working with our partner nonprofits throughout the community to provide much-needed support,� said Executive Director Jennifer Boyett. “This year, support for our nonprofits is needed more than ever. We decided to bring a safe, family-friendly activity to the community to both raise funds for the United Way, but also to support our downtown merchants. This event was a win-win for Downtown Conway.� The scavenger hunt is named for Truman Turkey, mascot of the United Way’s annual Turkey Trot 5K. The swag bag each participant received included a sample race medal and an announcement that this year’s race will be held virtually in November with registration beginning Aug. 15.
United Way staff members Laura King (from left), Jennifer Boyett and Annie Hounsel. 14 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Dr. Wendy Robinson (left) and Karen Walker.
Jackie Mahar (from left), Marty Lefler and Kristy Grunwald.
Bay Sheryl (left) and Inas Ward.
Taylor Barrow at Rock City Outfitters.
M Y L A G O S M Y W AY
C AV I A R C O L L E C T I O N S
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LOVING LIFE
Central Baptist College graduation ceremony Central Baptist College in Conway recently hosted a COVID-style graduation. Upon arrival on campus for their assigned time, the graduate and guests were escorted to a private holding room where they were greeted by a faculty
member who prayed with them. Family photos were taken before the group was escorted into the Burgess Auditorium for their private graduation ceremony. Faculty were socially distanced throughout. The ceremonies were available to watch online.
CBC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Gary McAllister was “Loving LIFE.�
CBC Graduate Ryan Guyton was “Loving LIFE� with his family.
CBC PACE Graduate Rebecca (Garner) Hawkins and her family were “Loving LIFE� at graduation.
CBC Graduate Caitlyn Hiland and her family were “Loving LIFE.�
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Each graduate exited the Legacy Walk and through the Ratliff Bell Tower to celebrate with friends and family. For more information on Central Baptist College, visit cbc.edu.
DOWNTOWN CONWAY
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NEWS/NOTES
Half a million
Renewal Ranch receives grants
First Security Bank’s Johnny Adams (left) and Renewal Ranch Executive Director James Loy recently sat down with 501 LIFE to discuss several grants the ministry has received that total more than half a million dollars. The Ranch will host a celebration at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, in its Restoration Center in Perry County. The ministry will recognize donors and the sponsors of the new rooms on campus. by Sonja J. Keith
Renewal Ranch has been awarded more than half a million dollars in grants this year for facility expansions as it continues to help men battling drug and alcohol addiction.
The awards: Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas grant sponsored by First Security Bank - $250,000 First Security Bank matching grant - $50,000 Bunny Adcock Family Foundation matching grant - $50,000 Sunderland Foundation capital grant - $200,000 Renewal Ranch is a Christ-centered recovery program with operations in Houston (Perry County) and Conway. Residents learn through hundreds of hours of Bible study, classroom instruction and serving the local community. In its decade of operation, Renewal Ranch has returned more than 300 sober men to their families. 18 | 501 LIFE September 2020
“Restoring Broken Lives through Christ,� is the Renewal Ranch purpose. Its mission is to lead each resident into a personal love relationship with Jesus Christ while providing him the tools and techniques needed to walk in freedom from addiction.
AHP grant First Security Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) awarded the $250,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant for the Renewal Ranch Restoration Center located in Perry County. The grant supports expansion of the Ranch’s residential area and helps meet the increasing demand for services to indigent men ages 21 and older, many of whom are homeless. “The goal of our 12-month program is to help men find freedom from the chains of addiction, forgiveness from their past and hope for their future,� said Renewal Ranch Executive Director James A. Loy. “The Ranch was founded because men are dying in need of a Savior and communities are being
destroyed by the vicious cycle of drug and alcohol addiction. “We are humbled and grateful for this grant from First Security Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. It will help us add 22 beds to our center and will increase our capacity from 31 to 53.� Additional capacity is a critical need at the Ranch. “We had over 300 written applications for our 31 beds in the first nine months of 2019,� Loy said, adding that one of the hardest things that Ranch leaders have to do is tell a man and his family, who are desperate for help, there is not a bed available. “These new beds will enable us to help more men and their families.� Johnny Adams, market president and CEO for First Security Bank in Conway, said Renewal Ranch provides a critical service at a time when addiction to drugs and alcohol is spiraling. “They needed more space to have any hope of keeping pace with the demand for their services,� he said. “We were only too happy to join with the Federal Home Loan Bank
of Dallas and help Renewal Ranch dramatically expand its capacity to offer life-saving treatment and counseling.” First Security has been involved and supportive of the program since the beginning of the ministry, according to Adams, when Loy and the Rev. Larry Pillow approached him about the Ranch. “This particular need is so prevalent,” Adams said, adding that drug addiction touches many families. “Unless we address the addiction problem, we will be unable to address the homeless problem.” The AHP assists FHLB Dallas member institutions, like First Security Bank, in financing the purchase, construction and/or rehabilitation of homes, benefiting households with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income. FHLB Dallas awards AHP grants annually, through member institutions, to support the creation or rehabilitation of affordable housing units and other projects. In 2019, FHLB Dallas, in partnership with its member financial institutions, awarded $17 million in AHP grants to 35 projects. Three other 2019 grants were awarded in the state in Fort Smith, Harrison and Little Rock. “We are pleased to join First Security Bank to provide additional housing for those seeking the critical drug and alcohol addiction treatment and counseling that takes place at Renewal Ranch,” said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. “With this expansion, Renewal Ranch will be able to increase its housing capacity by more than 70 percent at a time when the demand for its services continues to grow.” Renewal Ranch had applied twice previously for a Federal Home Loan Bank grant. Brooks Walthall, a Ranch graduate and former staff member, wrote the grant application Adams said he thought the Ranch might get a grant of $50,000 with the latest application. He was driving when he received a call that $250,000 had been awarded. “I had to pull over,” he said, adding that it is the largest amount any Faulkner County group has received from the Federal Home Loan Bank. It also represents the largest gift for the Ranch. Adams had the idea to ask individuals and other groups to help match the $250,000 grant, which re-
sulted in the $50,000 award from the Bunny Adcock Family Foundation and $50,000 from First Security. Three additional proposals have been submitted, but the pandemic has delayed decisions. Loy said he is appreciative of First Security Bank and its support, which has been important for the success of the Ranch. In addition to financial support, several bank associates – including Adams, Margaret Smith, Stefanie Vann and Mark Ferguson – have helped with the ministry. “The people of First Security Bank have been so gracious and a tremendous blessing,” Loy said. “God’s at work at Renewal Ranch,” Adams said, adding that the Ranch is making an impact by helping to restore families, address homelessness and assist individuals so they can manage personal financial responsibilities. “It fits with everything we want to do in the community.” The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank system. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $75.4 billion as of Dec. 31, 2019, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced advances and other credit products to approximately 805 members and associated institutions. For more information, visit fhlb.com/ahp.
Sunderland Foundation The Sunderland Foundation in Overland Park, Kan., awarded a $200,000 capital grant to Renewal Ranch. Foundation grants assist with building places where families in distress find help and healing, where young minds grow and thrive, and where communities come together for celebration and inspiration. Renewal Ranch board chairman David Crow said the grant enables Renewal Ranch to satisfy a major requirement in its Master Plan and move forward in its 2020-21 Strategic Plan. The grant will finance a 3,275-square-foot Counseling, Admissions and Administration wing to the front of the ministry’s Restoration Center. The wing will provide confidential space for client admission and counseling sessions as well as on-campus office space. NBMC Inc. of Greenbrier will build the
addition. Led by owner Ray Nabholz, NBMC constructed the initial phase of the Restoration Center. Materials have been ordered and construction is expected to take about six months. “It is so needed as far as infrastructure,” Loy said of the planned addition.
Support still needed Adams and Loy noted that during such a critical year, because of the pandemic, the Ranch has been blessed with needed financial support. Adams called it “blessings in the storm.” Drug and alcohol addictions have been exacerbated by conditions created by the pandemic, including greater isolation and increased depression, according to Loy. In addition, the Ranch’s fundraising efforts have been impacted. The grants are good news for the ministry, Loy pointed out, but the awards are tied to specific projects and there is a need for financial support to help with operational expenses, which average about $25,000 a week. Loy said the Ranch closed its campus when the pandemic hit and implemented safety measures to keep residents and staff healthy. Prior to the closure, the Ranch averaged about $6,300 each week from its Saturday chapel service and church presentations each Sunday. “Since the second week in March, we have only been to two churches and we were booked every weekend throughout the year.” In addition, scheduled fundraising events are taking place on a smaller scale. “We’ve lost $300,000,” he said, adding that financial support is a concern. Still, he is thankful for the donations that have been received from individuals and churches, which have done one-time special offerings. “God’s perfect timing,” said Loy, pointing to the grants and gifts that have been received and citing Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” “If God’s in it, He will provide for it. You can dream big with God,” he said. For more information on the Ranch or to make a donation, visit therenewalranch.org.
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 19
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COVID NEWS
Steven Webb serves as the president and chief executive officer for Unity Health, headquartered in Searcy. (Mike Kemp photo)
20 | 501 LIFE September 2020
501 LIFE asked Unity Health President/CEO Steven Webb a series of questions pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. When did COVID-19 hit your radar at Unity Health? We were aware of it in December and started work in January 2020. In January, Dr. Roddy Lochala, chief medical officer, approached me and said he wanted to devote more than 50 percent of his time to COVID-19 preparation.
What were preparations made in the past in anticipation of a pandemic? We worked to secure as much PPE as possible, through our vendors and by reaching out to national suppliers. We also decided to get lab testing supplies. In addition, we looked at current vendors to see how we could use their technology to preserve PPE (i.e., the Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot, which Unity Health began using in 2018). We started meeting with local officials in White and Jackson counties and began a daily COVID Command Center meeting of key Unity Health leaders. We implemented a daily email to medical staff about numbers, capacity and supply. Dr. Lochala began to lead weekly physician engagement and update forums. We felt strongly that open, consistent and transparent communication would play a significant role in the successful management of the pandemic.
Were any physical changes made at the hospital beginning in early March? Yes. We built-out a new unit at our Specialty Care campus for COVID-19 patients by converting unused clinical space to a 41-bed negative pressure unit.
How were employees impacted, and how did they respond? Associates came together to cover areas of need like a call center, the drive-thru testing, an emotional support hotline and the entrance screenings, which may have fallen outside their usual work duties. Everyone jumped in to help. Patient volumes decreased but our board of directors committed to protecting our associates. There have been no layoffs or furloughs. In fact, in our 53year history, Unity Health has never had a layoff.
How many tests have been conducted on site? Well over 10,000. We have PRC testing and have been able to secure supplies and can do up to 400 tests a day. On Aug. 10, Unity Health’s Newport hospital campus opened a drive-thru testing site for Jackson Country and surrounding communities. The Searcy drive-thru testing site has been open since March.
How many COVID-19 patients have been admitted? More than 40 COVID-19 patients have been
Q&A
admitted to Unity Health since March.
How has Unity Health been impacted (financially and otherwise) by the pandemic?
get f ra m e d at
Pa t t e r s o n E y e C a re
Patient volumes declined in March and April, and it harmed our revenue. We are grateful for HHS (Health and Human Services) support, and volumes are now starting to recover. Unity has weathered the storm and remains a solid organization financially.
How has the community responded (donations of food, etc.)? Unity Health has received donations of food, N95 and other masks, prayers in the parking lot, expressed gratitude, gift cards and support to our Foundation through the COVID-19 Support Fund.
What have been the biggest challenges? The biggest challenge is the unknown. There is not a great predictive model for this pandemic. Everything that has come our way, we have been able to hit head-on and handle. But we still don’t know if or when there will be a surge and what that might look like.
How has COVID-19 changed the
health system?
I have seen it strengthen our bond and relationships across departments. It has allowed us to work with new people in different areas of expertise and enhanced communication throughout the organization. We have also seen that moral support from our community is at an all-time high. In addition, we have had a telemedicine increase from 50/monthly to about 2,000/monthly. People have a desire and need to receive healthcare differently, and we are here to support that.
What would you say to readers about the remainder of 2020? We are optimistic and here to take care of all healthcare needs. That’s an area where people may have had the wrong message: that hospitals have become unsafe due to COVID-19. The takeaway really should have been, as we initially encouraged people to stay home when possible, that we were preserving supplies and space in the event of a surge. Please seek needed medical care. Be mindful of the recommendation to protect yourself. Wear your mask and social distance. But seek medical attention as soon as you need it. For the rest of 2020, I am very optimistic. Unity Health has responded as well or better than any organization to COVID-19, and I know we are up for any challenge.
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NEIGHBORS couples
HER
đ&#x;”–
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Brooke and Grant Pryor are loving life with their two children in Searcy, where she is director of marketing for Unity Health. He is an insurance agent at Grant Pryor State Farm in Cabot. (Mike Kemp photo)
HIM
Brooke Pryor
NATIVE OF: Jonesboro. EDUCATION: Bachelor of science degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. I majored in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in sociology. JOB: Director of marketing for Unity Health in Searcy for 10 years. PARENTS: Larry and Charlotte George of Newport. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Rotary, Arkansas Society for Healthcare Marketing & PR (ASHMPR), Junior Auxiliary Life Member, PEO and Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) CHURCH ACTIVITIES: We attend New Life Church-Searcy; member of the Blends team, serving coffee and refreshments to church members on Sunday mornings. HOBBIES/SPECIAL INTERESTS: Anything with family. We are neighbors to my husband’s mother and stepfather, which is a nice perk for our daughters to have grandparents so near. I have a large extended family in Newport, and we often gather for any reason we can find. We love getting together with Grant’s side of the family any chance we get. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF? I am a 22 | 501 LIFE September 2020
mix between introvert and extrovert. I love quiet time and being with just my close-knit friends and my family. At the same time, I love going, doing and seeing. I love to be “out and about� learning new things and building relationships. I need both levels of activity in my life to find balance. MOST ENJOYED WEEKEND ACTIVITY: When it’s soccer season, we love being out at the soccer fields in Searcy, watching our youngest play. Besides that, we spend a lot of time with our close-knit group of friends who all have children of similar ages. We love the chaos of being together and the closeness it brings. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Trust God’s plan. It’s so much better than mine. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT LIVING IN THE 501: I love Arkansas. I love living in the 501, where there are endless outdoor and indoor activates for all ages. I love the slow pace of life you can find in this area if you choose to. I love the scenic outdoors and the southern charm. I feel incredibly blessed to live where I do. Specifically, Searcy’s culture is conservative yet fun. There are strong values represented in Searcy and I love raising a family here.
Grant PryorÂ
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP: Camden, Sherwood and Searcy. EDUCATION: Searcy High School; ASU-Jonesboro with a major in business administration/corporate finance; and a master of business degree from Harding University. JOB: Insurance agent at Grant Pryor State Farm in Cabot. PARENTS: James Pryor of Camden (married to Maggie) and Kathy Hunnicutt of Searcy (married to Mike). HOBBIES/SPECIAL INTERESTS: I duck hunt a lot in the winter and enjoy golfing in the spring/summer/fall. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF? I am very driven and goal oriented. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT LIVING IN THE 501: The Natural State is one of the country’s bestkept secrets. We can be on the lake, floating a river, hiking a mountain or enjoying some of the best hunting in the nation right here in our backyard. We have great opportunities and excellent schools.
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Brooke and Grant Pryor of Searcy have two daughters — Charlotte (7) and Stella (10).
THEM
RESIDENTS OF: Searcy. HOW WE MET: We met as freshmen at ASU-Jonesboro through mutual friends. THE PROPOSAL: Brooke was working for a travel company out of St. Louis after graduating from ASU. She flew home one weekend after a work trip, and Grant picked her up at the airport, later to propose while in Little Rock for the evening. It was a surprise to Brooke. WEDDING BELLS: June 17, 2006, at First Baptist Church in Newport. It is also where Brooke’s parents were married. We had a reception at the Train Depot, right down the street. We have so many beautiful memories from that day. CHILDREN: Stella (10) and Charlotte (7) – Grant is outnumbered. PETS: Cooper, a male Boykin Spaniel. FAMILY ACTIVITIES ENJOYED TOGETHER: As a couple, we enjoy sharing a “show� we can watch together, working on projects, traveling, riding the golf cart on a nice evening, cooking outdoors, and having movie nights with our girls. September 2020 501lifemag.com | 23
YOUTH
Difficult decision
Air Force Academy, elite colleges come calling by Dwain Hebda
On the list of good problems to have, having two of your top college choices battling for your enrollment ranks pretty near the top. Just ask newlyminted high school graduate Gavin Teague, 17, eldest son of Todd and Michelle Teague. Teague enjoyed that very scenario recently, culminating a college search that began with a dozen hopefuls and wrapped up in May, shortly before he accepted his diploma as a member of Conway High School’s Class of 2020. “Early in the fall I was pretty open to where I’d go to college. I applied to 12 schools in total, including my dream schools of MIT and Stanford and UCLA, plus the Air Force Academy,” he said. “There were also a range of other schools that had successful engineering programs that I thought I’d be okay attending.” His top two schools – Stanford and MIT – rejected him outright. UCLA waitlisted him and three other universities accepted him immediately, including the University of Arkansas. But all three of these paled in comparison to his fourth acceptance letter. “I got accepted into the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs,” he said. “That was really good because that was fairly high up on my list, No. 4.” “I started telling people that’s where I was headed to school in the fall. I bought T-shirts and hoodies. I went and bought myself combat boots to start running in to train for basic. Everything
started panning out the way it’s supposed to for going to the Air Force Academy.” As May arrived, Teague figured the matter was settled, given how late it was getting for collegiate offers. He figured wrong. UCLA moved him off the waitlist to accepted status. What’s more, the school allowed only a short time window for him to accept the spot in the 2020 freshman class. “It was a very difficult decision,” he said. “Service academies rarely have any competition if you get in, but UCLA was always ranked higher than the Air Force Academy on my list. I toured UCLA last summer and fell in love with it. Everybody I spoke to on campus was absolutely fabulous. I was completely enthralled with the prestige of education they could offer.” “I only had a couple days until the end of May before I had to accept it or deny it so I just went with the flow and decided California was the state I wanted to be in and UCLA was the school I wanted to be in. I accepted it, rejected the Academy and threw the whole thing in reverse. That was a major upset.” Given both schools’ exclusivity and high entrance standards (acceptance rates for the Academy and UCLA are only about 11 and 14 percent, respectively), Teague’s high school academic and extracurricular performance was paramount to getting in. He scored a perfect 36 on his ACT and was a National Merit Scholar finalist. A competitive swimmer from an early age, he lettered for three years in high school and was part of the Wampus Cats’ state champion-
ship team as a senior. Band, Quiz Bowl, National Honor Society, Key Club and Beta Club led a laundry list of other extracurricular activities. Teague said not everyone is as enthusiastic over his decision to change colleges as he is. His father, for instance, thought the discipline of the service academy would be an asset to keeping his son on task. “He’s warmed up to it,” the younger Teague said. “A little bit.” As it turned out, the 17-year-old future engineering student landed the best of both worlds. While he won’t be attending the Academy itself, he’s attending UCLA on a near-full ride scholarship through the Air Force ROTC, meaning he will have a military commitment following graduation and many of the same career opportunities as if he’d gone to Colorado Springs. “After college, I’ll be pretty well lined up for the experimental test pilot or the fighter pilot program, both of which are good options after college and really good experience in the air,” he said. “Both of them give me the kind of experience they look for to be an astronaut candidate. Depending on how my time in the Air Force goes, I may pursue the astronaut program after that. Or I might try to start a business.” “Entrepreneurship, owning some big company and inventing things, that’s kind of stuck with me since I was little. I think everyone has that little bit of [Tesla founder] Elon Musk in them where they want to invent something crazy and change the world.”
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24 | 501 LIFE September 2020
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Recent Conway High graduate Gavin Teague – who scored a perfect 36 on his ACT and was a National Merit Scholar finalist – had a tough decision on where to attend college. (Mike Kemp photo)
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 25
đ&#x;‘Ľ History and ghost towns draw adults to hobby NEIGHBORS vilonia
by Stefanie W. Brazile
If you liked going on scavenger hunts as a child, then geocaching may be the perfect outdoor activity for you. A Vilonia couple was introduced to the mind-bending game seven years ago by their daughter and have played all over the world. Lori and Kevin Taylor say the activity has taken them off the beaten path to discover fascinating history and two ghost towns. “We like the thrill of finding caches and it gets us out of the house,� Lori said. “We’re novices who have found around 300. There’s always a thrill in the challenge!� Kevin’s career brought the pair to the Little Rock Air Force Base nearly two decades ago. They love the natural beauty of the 501 and have used geocaching to learn more of the history of the region. The game of clues launched 20 years ago and more than 3 million are hidden worldwide. The first cache was placed in Conway in 2006 and there are more than 150 covert missions within a 15-mile radius of the city. If your interest is piqued, visit Geocaching.com or download the app, create a login and identify where you are. Quickly, all the secret caches near you will show on a map. You can view their difficulty and click on a choice. It will open to reveal GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates and clues. Difficulty is determined by the terrain and size of the prize. Some caches are as small as your pinky nail, while others are about the size of a shoe box. What you discover inside is a paper log sheet that is signed by those who have been there before. Larger boxes may contain swag, or prizes, and whatever amount you remove should be replaced with an item of similar value. This makes it fun for kids and teens. Additionally, you go back into the app and mark whether you found the hidden booty or not. “There are so many ways for people to disguise them,� Kevin said. “I’ve placed one where I actually used a snail’s shell. They are sometimes disguised as rocks, acorns, nuts or bolts so they blend with their surroundings.� When you head out to explore, wear comfortable shoes and take: a pen, swag to replace prizes and a trash bag. The sport encourages a respect for the environment, plants and animals. Also, cache seekers can become cache hiders and will find complete instructions at the website. Sometimes Kevin’s tenacity worries his bride of 34 years. “I watched him climb a cliff in Oregon to get one. He climbed a tree that was out over the cliff. It was smaller than an acorn.� The couple said that participants in the 501 have 26 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Kevin and Lori Taylor have taken up the hobby of geocaching, which has led them on searches throughout the 501 and the world. Lori holds one of the caches they plan to hide. (Mike Kemp photo) creatively hidden several caches underwater at Greers Ferry and near Bridal Veil Falls in Heber Springs. They incorporate the hobby when vacationing and have discovered items near Mount Rushmore, in London, the Ukraine, the Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Mexico, and Montego Bay. In both Arkansas
and Louisiana, they have discovered ghost towns. One day of exploring led them to Rush (Marion County), which is an abandoned town that boomed in the 1880s because of zinc ore mining. “The cache was up a telephone pole; then we went through the trees and there was a town there,� Lori said. The
Locating a geocache in a tree at Lake Dardanelle. A metal box with prizes found in Arkansas.
A geocache in honor of Kevin’s dad.
ghost town in Holly Ridge, La., is what drew us off the highway while on our way to Vicksburg, (Miss.). I spotted it on the app and off we went.” The inquisitive couple has learned a lot of military history in the Natural State because geocaching has taken them out of the land of the living. “Going through cemeteries creeps some people out, but there’s so much history to learn,” Lori said. Kevin explained that some clues build upon one another. “They’ll send you to different graves and the final one is where you’ll find it. For example, one clue will be dates on a grave and when you put in those
GPS coordinates, it may lead to a historical marker. Like at the national cemetery in Fort Smith, the clues sent you to all of the Medal of Honor recipients’ graves. “We look for the ones that have a story and are intriguing. If the app says so many people couldn’t find it, that’s the ones we want,” Kevin said. “You’re supposed to log every one you search for and I’m still looking for a first find. Usually there’s a race from people all over the state to be the first to log it.” So if COVID-19 has you longing for a reason to go outdoors, grab a picnic lunch and “cache-in” on a new hobby.
At the historical town of Rush.
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September 2020 501lifemag.com | 27
UPDATE
Murray receives transplant
All-Star Coach Billy Joe Murray with his son, BJ Murray, at the 2018 All-Star Game. Murray, who was featured in the August edition of 501 LIFE, recently underwent a kidney transplant. “I feel blessed…I’m thankful to the Lord” groggily flowed from Billy Joe Murray as he lay in a bed at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS) on July 27, roughly 34 hours after completion of his successful right kidney transplant. Soon following was a half comic, “Maybe I’ll coach Dr. Robert again…. and try to win Reising a few more rings.” His nurse, Lisa Escamilla, Dr. Robert Reising retired from the University of Central R.N., added that he had Arkansas in 2013 after holding a already been on his feet, variety of teaching, coaching and administrative posts during more even walking, and that than a half-century in education. his recuperation had His doctoral dissertation at Duke treated literature and sports. enjoyed such a positive start he would be leaving the facility the following morning. The flurry of long-weekend activity began the preceding Friday, when at his home in Earle (Crit28 | 501 LIFE September 2020
tenden County), Billy Joe received a phone call requesting that he be at UAMS the following noon for “pre-op.” Complying, he laid on an operating table before midnight on Saturday. Approximately six hours later, he was the recipient Dr. Lyle J. Burdine of a new kidney. The 10 months of waiting and praying – his, his family’s, his high school teammates’ and those of hundreds of fans and friends – were over. The identity of the kidney donor will forever be hidden, unless legally authorized persons elect to provide his name. The name of the surgeon performing the medical marvel, however, will always remain public knowledge: Lyle J. Burdine,
M.D., Ph. D. The Texas native and award-winning three-season Duke University football linebacker appreciated Billy Joe’s basketball background. “Mr. Murray is doing well and is off dialysis with his new kidney transplant,” said Burdine. “His history as an athlete served him well as he was in and out of UAMS following kidney transplantation in a couple of days. The UAMS transplant team really enjoyed helping him through the workup and onto a quick and successful transplant.” On July 20, the August issue of 501 LIFE hit the streets. It included a feature on Billy Joe’s basketball-rich life. The piece concluded with the hope that “the Lord [would bless] him…[with]…a kidney transplant.” Six days later, that hope had become a reality. Call the timing “a coincidence,” “an accident,” “an oddity” or whatever, 501 LIFE is simply delighted that it could aid in bringing Billy Joe’s painful and pressing plight to the attention of readers. Regardless, Billy Joe undoubtedly respects, and lives, the wisdom of the most celebrated man ever to coach the sport he loves, basketball: “If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we all would be much happier.” - John Wooten.
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✎
COLUMNIST
Our past is a present Before our city’s official formation, there was a small number of pioneers. Before the pioneers, there were Native Americans, and before them were just clear, fish-rich streams, rolling ridges, thick wilderness and abundant animals. It was the Eden we now can only enjoy with our eye closed. Vivian Lawson minds’ The resident Caddo, Hogue Osage and Quapaw tribes were primarA native of Conway, Vivian Lawson Hogue graduated ily farmers and hunters, from the University of Central therefore were inherently Arkansas with a degree in art education. A retired teacher, she self-sufficient. The new worked in the Conway School pioneers, even those with District for 23 years. She can be reached at vhogue@conwaycorp. aristocracy in their blood, net. wanted their freedoms and to own land badly enough to become adaptive to harsh environments. By the 1800s, the serious settlers arrived with farming on their minds. They would grow livestock, fruit trees and vegetables, but true business began with the production of corn and cotton in 1850. The first downtown Conway business opened in 1871 and the railroad was completed in 1872. Fire would destroy later wood structures on Front Street in 1878, and by late-century there were 40 built of brick. By 1890, the population had reached 1,207. City utilities were established by 1895 and awaiting improvements with time. The first brick downtown building would burn in 1905. In 1912, a series of many downtown fires that included homes precipitated the formation of three volunteer hose companies. By 1905, portions of old downtown and some neighborhoods received sidewalks paved with flagstones from a quarry near present-day Lamar. These existed on Locust and Robinson avenues, Davis, Main and Center streets and others while in my youth, but most are now gone or covered with soil and grass. As residential areas have developed since, owners not preferring these “antiques” have removed them. The railroad system became paramount with residents grateful for its presence. It transported them to work, to visit family, to deliver and receive goods, to take soldiers to war and return them, sometimes for their funerals. One could actually order all supplies from a catalog for building a house and they would be delivered. The trains, their schedules and the depot were vital to Conway’s people and the reason for the town’s existence. In fact, the depot, razed by the city in 1975, was the hub of the town. Today, with a different economic base and culture, a train seems viewed as a noisy hindrance to work or shopping. 30 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Will Mattison and a helper assemble a wagon wheel, 1955. (Paul Faris photo)
Selling and buying cotton in Conway in the 1930s.
The former Rogers Drug building with the Owl Café at 904 Front St. (Robert B. Clark photo)
A steam locomotive approaches the Conway depot, built in 1914. Cotton production reigned until the late 1950s. Emily Ledbetter Montgomery, who recently passed away at the age of 99, once related to me her 1930s memories of cotton caravansaries. “My grandfather (Amon Ledbetter) had two cotton plantations down on the river. We lived on Prince Street, and I remember sitting on the porch watching the muledrawn wagons parading by our house very early in the morning, especially in the fall. The sound of mule shoes and wooden wagon wheels continued on our gravel road until around noon. They were
coming into town to sell cotton and buy farm and home supplies before going home. In late afternoon, the wagons traveled back to the river, getting home about midnight.” The 1920s through 1945 were hard times for the entire nation as they encompassed World War I, the Great Depression, the “Dust Bowl” and World War II. The shock of that war came to our own backyard as Conway and Faulkner County lost many military patriots. America learned to make do or do without as our citizenry united in grieving and surviving. We
A bus that brought county shoppers to town on Saturdays. refused to let our enemies get the upper hand, an attitude that actually invigorated our country. Unbelievably, it was music, movies and dance that distracted Americans during those years. In Conway, the two theatres, the Conway Theatre and the Grand Theatre, showed the latest movies and occasional live entertainment. On the upper floor of the Halter Building at Front and Oak could be heard the music and dancing from Teen Town, a spot acquired by parents for teens to expend their energy. With no air conditioning, the windows were flung open and popular tunes were dispersed citywide. When some young people could wrangle the use of their family cars from their parents, they would cruise “The Circle.” This route began at Greeson’s Drug Store. It was there where a teenaged Eleanor Opitz met her future husband, John Henry Opitz. Eleanor was a vibrant person who remembered Old Downtown Conway and the townspeople better than anyone else. In 2010, she was still known for being able to accompany someone on a walk of the downtown streets and show where businesses and homes were in her youth and even before and after. Eleanor would close her eyes and say, “We’re walking north on Chestnut Street. On our right is a large frame house, then there is a lot that is vacant except for another frame house. This is where the St. Joseph High School would someday be built.” She would continue her mental route of houses to Main Street and end with, “You are now only one block away from the Center of the Universe, Greeson’s
Workers at the Conway Farmer's Market. Corner!” Helen Speaker Benafield and her sisters, Barbara and Jenny, were of the same generation. Their mother, Clara, was a homemaker and their father, Ed Speaker, owned Southern Realty Co. on Front Street. Their grandmother, Mary Josephine Harrod Markham, owned and operated Markham and Sons Feed Store on Oak Street after her husband died. She lived with her elderly mother in a small yellow house next door to Conway Corporation. Another yellow house down the block had a chicken yard and Helen’s grandmother would throw scraps to them over the fence. Helen says, “The feed store had a back entrance. On Saturdays, buses would bring people from the county to town. The store had nail kegs for farmers’ wives to sit on while their husbands did their buying and selling. My cousins and I would get up in the loft and hide behind printed feed sacks (which would later become our dress fabrics) and look down on the women as they chatted or nursed babies in privacy.” Helen recalls a fascination with Massey Hardware where the storefront windows contained hunting sup-
plies and taxidermically preserved animals. She would roam the streets while waiting for her dad to close, stopping at Massey’s windows to wish for one of their duck decoys. One joyous Christmas morning she opened a box with not just one, but two decoys! Conway was then a place of natives and longtimers comfortable in its particular culture. A population growth in the late 1950s would continue manageably until the 1990s when the city saw financial advantages to change directions. What we now call “big box” stores appeared and the locally-owned businesses were overwhelmed. The landmark Massey Hardware closed. Longtime factories for the middle class closed or located elsewhere. Where we once had every product or service we needed within a square mile, it became necessary to travel miles to find or buy them. Another 20-plus years and Old Downtown Conway would morph into its current path. The trains zip through with no waves from the engineers. The family-run stores are few, but welcome. Newcomers say they like the “small town feel,” while those of us with earlier experiences are gratified to have known our “real” small town in its best of times.
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 31
✒
FAITH
Discovering details of the past History is a funny thing. For the most part, many of us are either regretting it, repeating it, forgetting it or spending time trying to remember it. I think a lot of that depends on what season of life you may be walking through. For instance, back in 1989, I was a 16-yearold junior in high school Laurie Green and history was one of A Greenbrier native, Laurie is the my least favorite subjects. wife of Will Green. The two share It wasn’t that I had a bad seven children, five grandchildren and a golden retriever named teacher, I was just a bad Marlo. They own and operate student, lol. I didn’t see a lawn care business and are any reason in learning members of New Life Church in Greenbrier. Laurie can be or retaining knowledge reached at thegreens@ymail.com. of things that had happened in the past. I felt I knew all I needed to know, and I was happy in my season of youthful, blissful ignorance. In retrospect, I think that it would have been nice to know then what I know now, but I doubt I would have developed all the character building that life taught me along the way had that been the case. I’d like to think as I’ve grown older and somewhat wiser, I’ve found myself much more interested A 1-year-old Laurie Green. in the details of historical information. Maybe it’s the popularity of all these ancestry sites we have now, but it really is fun digging through the history and discovering details of a past that you are a part of. Seeing an old photo of a great-great grandmother who has the exact same eyes as your child is just really interesting, and the more you study and research, the more you discover. This is also true in our walk with Jesus. It never fails me that the more time I spend investing, reading and researching the character of God, the more I understand my identity in Him. In fact, the more I learn, the more I want myself to reflect those same qualities back when others look at me. One of my favorite verses that helps me understand my identity in Jesus is found in Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” It tells me that every detail 32 | 501 LIFE September 2020
about me is made exactly as it should be because I’m the “handiwork” of God and if I seek and search Him each day, He has already prepared in advance “good works” for me to do. That’s some pretty solid life instruction if you ask me. Like I said at the beginning, history is a funny thing. We spend years either regretting it, repeating it, forgetting it or spending time trying to remember it. Regardless, we will all eventually become a part of it to our future generations. I would like to believe that many years from now when my great-, great-, great-grandchildren start researching who I was, they will be quick to see I share my mother’s eyes and my grandmother’s smile but most importantly, that I was a walking, talking, living representation of the one who influenced me the most...Jesus.
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FEATURE
CommUnity
African American community documented by Donna Lampkin Stephens
Thanks to the new Pine Street CommUnity Museum, the fuller history of Faulkner County and the surrounding area is available to all. And that is a win for everyone. The museum, located at 1270 Factory St. in Conway, opened in January. It documents the history of the traditionally African American community in Conway and the Pine Street School as well as the neighborhood’s businesses, churches and families. According to the Faulkner County Historical Society (faulknerhistory.org), the mission of the museum is to “preserve and honor the legacy of African Americans connected to the Pine Street community inclusive of those living in the community, attending its churches, business owners, and former students and graduates of Pine Street. “Our vision is to discover, document and display the evolution and history of this community through pictorial displays, artifacts, video and audio interviews, and primary historical documents. Our goal is to make PSCM a historical stop that provides opportunity to examine the contributions of those who lived, were educated, worshipped and worked in the Pine Street community.” Leona Walton, who attended Pine Street School through sixth grade — when it closed in 1967— is the museum’s board president. “If we don’t have that history, it’s just forgotten,” she said. “I talked with a home-school person who had no idea there was ever segregation in Conway. I took her and her husband through (the museum), and she’s thinking about bringing her home schoolers on a tour when the pandemic is over. “They’ve not ever been exposed to it.” Originally an elementary school, Pine Street graduated its first high school class of nine in 1940. It closed 27 years later when the Conway schools were integrated. Walton said Black students from places such as Clinton, Menifee, Damascus, Mayflower and Bigelow, among others, attended Pine Street because there wasn’t a high school for them in their hometowns. “Most of our stuff is pride,” she said, referring to the museum’s artifacts. “We didn’t have a whole lot, but we were proud. We were taught to hold our heads up and look people in the eye because a lot of people thought we were less than them.” The school colors were green and gold. The mascot was the polar bear. “I don’t know how we got that name,” Walton said. “I can’t find that information anywhere.” Among other extracurricular activities, the school offered Chemistry Club, Math Club, Future Homemakers of America, Future Farmers of America, football and basketball for boys and girls. “Hendrix College let us play football in their 34 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Board members for the museum in the Pine Street community in Conway: Terry Halcrombe (seated, from left), Leona Walton; Louis Ambers (standing) and Mavis Forte. (Mike Kemp photos) stadium,” Walton said. “Hendrix gave us uniforms. Hendrix has always been part of our community.” The museum features items donated by various individuals, including yearbooks from 1947, ‘48, ‘49, ‘50, ‘51, ‘52, ‘53, ‘55, ‘58, ‘59 and ‘65. Among other things, Walton said she was looking
to add the missing yearbooks for a complete Polar Bear collection. “I’m always collecting,” she said. “We got some book reports someone had kept from 1965. I have an original football letter jacket, and somebody has promised me their cheerleader uniform.
“We love old newspaper articles about the school. If anybody finds anything like that, I would love to have it.” For those who aren’t ready to part with their memorabilia, she has scanning equipment to copy the original photos, articles and other artifacts. “People don’t want to give up their personal stuff, and I understand that,” Walton said. “I’ve asked families to give me something about their family who grew up in the ‘30s and ‘40s.” The museum building, previously a community policing station, was leased to the group by the City of Conway. “The mayor (Bart Castleberry) and the city have been really, really helpful in helping us get going,” Walton said. Exhibits are housed in three small rooms that used to be offices. There are also large conference rooms, and Walton said there is room for more exhibits. “I could use display cases if anybody wants to donate some,” she said. Monetary donations also continue to be accepted. Going forward, the museum will be a highlight of the biennial Pine Street All-School Reunion, which is held in odd years. Walton said over the years those had drawn as many as 200 attendees from across the country — Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota, Chicago and California. Pine Street alumni have gone on to successful careers in medicine, academia and business, among other fields, across the country. “The reunions don’t draw as large a crowd now because we’re older,” Walton said. “Most people, when they left Conway, went north. Not as many locals come, but I think the museum will generate a little interest.” Walton’s work with the museum is a labor of love. “We loved our teachers; our teachers loved us,” she
Terry Halcrombe and Louis Ambers look at some of the items that have been donated to the museum. said. “They were like family.” In a video on the Pine Street CommUnity Museum Facebook page, she added: “This is our home.... I just love this neighborhood. None of us had a lot, but together we had enough.” At the grand opening in January, she summarized the need for such a museum. “It’s important for the next generation and the generation right now to see what went on in our com-
munity back in the ‘30s, ‘40s, the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s all documented right here at our Pine Street museum.” To a reporter, she recently said: “People come in there and see themselves in first or second grade or see their grandmother or granddaddy and get tickled.” At press time, the museum had not resumed regular pre-pandemic hours. Walton said it would be open by appointment for the foreseeable future. For more information, visit the museum’s Facebook page.
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September 2020 501lifemag.com | 35
COVER STORY
A state gem Sissy Jones recalls 50 years in business
Murphy and Sissy Jones (center) with their children Bill and Ginger.
Bill, Ginger, Sissy and Murphy at Sissy’s Log Cabin.
The original store location in Pine Bluff.
36 | 501 LIFE September 2020
by Sonja J. Keith
This year, Sissy Jones celebrates an historical milestone in her entrepreneurial journey that started years ago in Jefferson County but has taken her to the 501 and beyond. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the history of Sissy’s Log Cabin began in a Pine Bluff building about to be torn down and has grown to locations in Conway, Little Rock, Jonesboro and Memphis. Sissy and her family own and operate the stores, which still rely on the quality and customer service that were key when she opened the business.
GROWING UP
Sissy Jones wears her favorite piece of jewelry, a pin given to her by her children. (Mike Kemp photo)
Born in San Antonio, her parents (Mary and Artie Robinson) named her Marguerite, but that was difficult for her older sister, Annetta, to say, so she was called Sissy. “Even my grandchildren call me Sissy. Everybody calls me Sissy.” Originally from Arkansas, the family moved back to the state for her dad to take over the family farm at Gillett (Arkansas County). Sissy’s recollection of her childhood is rich with experiences on the farm, the small south Arkansas town and her family. Sissy and her sister were expected to work every day, with only one free hour on Saturday. Her mother, who had a master’s degree in education and taught home economics/nutrition, was very strict with her daughters. “She taught us something every day,” she said. “I’m glad now that she did.” Sissy learned many things growing up. “I liked to sew,” she said, adding that when she was 12, she created a pattern and used a sheet as material to create a dress in about an hour. “I taught myself to sew,” she said, adding that later in life she and a friend had a decorating business that included making drapes. “Until I was about 30, I made most of my clothes . . . That old Singer, I could burn it up.” Sissy smiled as she recalled memories made with her sister, including learning to drive when she was 12. The two were “in everything” — from 4-H and beauty contests to music lessons and playing basketball. In 1956, Sissy was named Miss Gillett. “I have a lot of memories of growing up.” Even as a child, Sissy had an interest in sales and entrepreneurship. “I learned about economics early in my life and managing money.” She recalled a funny story about collecting donations for American Legion poppies. Twice a year, their mom — who volunteered her daughters for the task — would drop the two to sell 100 poppies in the town,
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 37
Commemorative bracelet
A special bracelet has been designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sissy’s Log Cabin.
Steven Lagos, founder of designer jewelry brand LAGOS, has created an exclusive, custom bracelet to commemorate Sissy’s Log Cabin’s 50th Anniversary. Pre-sale for the bracelet has begun, and it’s only available at Sissy’s Log Cabin in limited supply. The Sissy’s Log Cabin original LAGOS bracelet is custom designed by Lagos himself to honor Sissy’s Log Cabin’s half-century in business. Made of 18-karat yellow gold, silver and diamonds with “Sissy’s 50th” embossed inside the clasp. The limited-time, limited-quantity bracelet retails for $1,700 and is only available at Sissy’s Log Cabin. Pre-orders can be made in stores or over the phone and will be fulfilled in the fall.
which only had about 700 residents. They couldn’t go home until after every poppy was sold. Sissy said after a couple of years the townspeople were accustomed to seeing the girls with the poppies, and they sold quickly. One time, the girls decided to do something different. “I went to the grocery store, and I saw these cupcakes, two for 5 cents. We got some little sacks and we opened them up, and we would put a cupcake in the sack and we sold them for a dime. We made a lot of money,” she said. “When our mother showed up and we told her what we had done, she was absolutely embarrassed to death that we would do such a thing and be such entrepreneurs at 10 and 11 years old. “I thought it was a good thing, but she didn’t,” Sissy said, adding that she and Annetta had to find all their customers and return the money.
OPENING A BUSINESS Sissy always liked “old stuff” and was interested as a child in items she would see in the homes of family friends. She took advantage of any opportunity to learn more and added that later in life, her mother-in-law taught her a lot about antiques. As an adult, Sissy’s work in home decorating and her interest in antiques led to “quite an accumulation of stuff” at her home. One morning, her husband, Murphy, asked what her plans were for the items. “I told him I’m going to open a business one day,” she said, adding that he asked when that might happen. Later that day, Sissy was on her way to help with a Junior League charity ball when she noticed workers were about to tear down a little log cabin. She asked the workers to stop demolition until she could contact the owner of the space, which sat among tall grass and was in bad shape with no heat, air conditioning or hot water. Sissy went to a nearby donut shop and called the owner, who agreed to rent the space to her for $50 a month. “It was perfect for an antique shop.” Sissy said she went out on a limb and borrowed $1,500 from an aunt to start the business, explaining that it was doubtful that a bank would have loaned her the money, which she paid back in six months. She signed a one-year lease and work on the log cabin began. There was old wallpaper, big roaches and a lot of dirt that fell from the ceiling when trucks drove by. “All of my friends came, and we had a party out there and we pulled all the wallpaper off,” she said, adding that she would buy a pound of cheese and bologna, a loaf of bread and mustard to feed those who helped. With cleanup completed, Sissy stocked the 38 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Sissy Jones and her daughter-in-law, Sharri Jones. (Mike Kemp photo) store with antiques from her home. There were still challenges at the store, including swatting at buzzing termites while waiting on customers and a toilet that would freeze in the winter unless you added anti-freeze. “Murphy was so glad to have all of it out of our house,” she said. That was in 1970.
ANNIVERSARY Over the next 50 years, a lot happened with the business, including a change in focus from antiques to jewelry and the construction in 1990 of a larger store adjacent to the original log cabin in Pine Bluff because of the growth of the business. Sissy, who has always had an appreciation for education and a desire to learn as much as possible, has studied jewelry at the very best schools. She has attended the Gemological Institute of America in California, McCarthey Jewelry Design School in Mena, Trenton Jewelry/Goldsmith School in Memphis and the University of Arkansas at Monticello. She is also a licensed appraiser of antique jewelry. Over the years, Sissy has been involved in industry organizations in the state and has helped other jewelers. She also has spoken at different industry events and be-
Bill Jones with his mother, Sissy. fore other groups. “I believe if you help as many people get where they are going, you get there, too.” In 1975, Sissy’s mother came to live with her because of health issues. She provided support for the
features her children’s birthstones and is inscribed with a verse from Proverbs — “Her children arise and called her blessed.” “I wear it almost every day,” she said, adding that her faith is most important. She said the keys to success are putting God first and “pray about everything you do.” Sissy said all of the businesses have been built on Proverbs 20:24 — “With the Lord directing my ways, why should I worry,” she said. “We committed it to the Lord. God owns the business and we work for Him. I stand by that.”
NEW CHALLENGE
Sissy Jones (seated, from left), Sharri Jones; Wyatt Jones (back), Joe Cook, Bill Jones and William Jones.
“Loving LIFE” at the grand opening of the Conway location of Sissy’s Log Cabin last fall: William (from left) and Dawn Jones with children Matthew and Murphy, Wyatt Jones, Sissy Jones, Sharri and Bill Jones. The Conway store — at 820 Elsinger Blvd. in Conway Commons — is the fifth and newest location of Sissy’s Log Cabin. family and encouragement to Sissy with her business. “I could work late because she was there. Is it good to work that much? No, but I had a hard time with balance and not working. I was taught to work all the time. It’s hard for me not to work. She was such a God-send to me.” Sissy recalled that when she was discouraged about the business, her mother would show her a little red book about a train with the message “you can do it, you can do it.” She’d say, “I want you to go in the next room and read this, and you can come back when you are feeling better.’ She encouraged me all the time. She’d say, ‘What are you worried about? You can do it!’” It has been important to Sissy that the business has remained family-focused, with challenges and decisions faced together. “We like to know we’re a group and we’re on the same page.” It is also important to give
back to the communities where stores are located. She cites hard work, family, good friends, wonderful customers and “the help of a few angels” in the success of the business. She considers the 100-plus employees her “working family.” In addition to her late husband Murphy, Sissy’s son, Bill, has joined the business and is the chief executive officer. “He has learned to love it as much as I do.” Her daughter-in-law Sharri, daughter Ginger Jones Cheatham, grandsons and niece have all worked for the company, which Sissy considers a blessing.
FAITH Sissy is often seen wearing her favorite piece of jewelry — a Guardian Angel pin from her children given on Mother’s Day about 30 years ago. It reminds her of a picture that hung in her room growing up. The pin
Her faith, family and friends were especially important in 2015 when Sissy faced a new challenge — breast cancer. After a biopsy, she was referred to a local surgeon. “I just kept watching him (the doctor) circle and circle and circle . . . Finally, I looked at Ginger and I said, ‘I’m going to tell you something, it’s not good news or he would’ve come in here by now. He’s trying to stall for time to know exactly what to say to me.’ She said, ‘Oh mother, don’t be negative like that.’ I told her, ‘Ginger, I’m perceptive, and I can tell something is wrong.’” With her daughter and Murphy by her side, the doctor told Sissy that she had triple negative breast cancer. Devastated by the news, Ginger and Murphy began crying. “I turned and looked at them and said, ‘Wait a minute. I’m the one with cancer. I’m the one that should be weeping, but I’m going to tell you we have built our businesses on Proverbs 20:24 and now we are going to use all of that goodness the Lord has given us to come through this. I’ll be fine, just don’t worry.” Family and friends — who were called Sissy’s Warriors — rallied around her as she underwent treatment in Arkansas. “I think that helps you as much as medical research,” she said, adding that she could feel their prayers. “I won’t tell you that I didn’t go through some terrible valleys or spend 21 days at a time in isolation at the hospital . . . We had some ups and downs throughout that time. I got pretty bad and almost died.” When possible, she continued to work during treatment and took phone calls, happy to talk with others battling cancer. The most difficult thing during her battle was to wake up one morning after “red devil” chemo and see a wad of hair on her pillow. That day, she had her hair cut to donate it to others in need. Sissy points out her priorities have remained the same — God first and family second. She said after a healing service at her home, the cancer did not show up in her next scans, but the type of cancer she had — which she calls the devil — can hide and re-surface again. “It can keep on hiding because I don’t want to have it again. But if I do, I’ll go through it again.”
AN INSPIRATION Sharri describes her mother-in-law as an industry trailblazer and an inspiration to other women to own their own business. “She set a precedent that women can do anything they set their minds to,” she said, adding that she instilled in the family the importance of hard work and honesty. She said Sissy’s Log Cabin has built a legacy of trust among its customers, many of them several generations of the same family. Reflecting on the 50th anniversary, Sissy is astounded that the business has hit that milestone and that she survived cancer to see it. “We worked hard to make it,” Sissy said. “I have had a wonderful life.” September 2020 501lifemag.com | 39
Moisture hangs heavy in the night air and the wind rolls across the porch, cool and dark. What’s that sound you hear? That’s the sound of a banjo ringing out through the hills and over the valleys as an upright bass thumps steadily forward. Take a weekend trip to the scenic Ozark town of Mountain View, Arkansas and you’re likely to encounter this exact scenario. What started as a literal jam session has now become a fully functioning bluegrass machine that is beginning to pick up steam. The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band formed unexpectedly when a group of friends started having weekly to bi-weekly jam sessions (in a literal gravel lot) as a group.
Over time locals and visitors alike began to keep track of and pay attention to where and when “The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band” was going to be in town. Now just a year or two later they have played a plethora of events ranging from the Arkansas Country Music Association’s Fall Festival, to television when they appeared on The Vine on THV 11, to a variety of churches, events, and festivals throughout the region. They have now released their first full length self-titled album and it is already beginning to receive airplay on bluegrass radio stations around the country. While many of their previously scheduled events have currently been canceled due to the coronavirus they remain confident that many opportunities will await them once it is safe to gather again and they are eagerly looking forward to the future. Currently their oldest member is roughly 35 and their youngest member(s) are only 16 so they hope to have a long run playing the music that they love and ushering in a new generation of bluegrass music lovers.
So it’s easy to say that the natural state of bluegrass music is in safe hands.
For more Information on The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band find them here: thegravelyard.com Facebook@thegravelyardbluegrassbandmv Plus watch them perform on youtube.com To purchase the new album email: gravelyardbluegrassband@gmail.com or find the album on Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Google Play or anywhere music can be streamed. 40 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Chiropractor & Owner of Bledsoe Chiropractic What services do you provide? Chiropractic adjustments - hands-on manual as well as computerized instrument adjusting. In addition, we offer massage therapy, posture and balance rehab, laser therapy, kinescoping, custom orthotics. What do you want customers to know if they come to your business or call on you today? We love our patients like family! We go above and beyond and offer more bang for your buck than any other chiropractor. We pride ourselves on being generous and affordable! What are you doing to keep your business safe and comfortable for customers? We clean our tables and are sanitizing our hands before and after every patient. We screen our staff and patients daily as well as wear masks both ourselves and require that of our patients. If you do not have a mask, we can happily provide one for you. We have a large office so that we can socially distance our patients throughout the clinic. You can still receive all of our treatments safely and comfortably. Many of our patients can’t safely postpone care, and they don’t need to risk more invasive treatments like drugs and surgery. We can help patients feel and function well mentally and physically to help handle the world we are living in currently!! Do you have any special promotions or prices now and or for the future? FREE 3D Laser Foot scan and consult with the doctor. 501 LIFE Reader Special: $25 off 1 pair of custom orthotics. Plus, we have ongoing specials for products like pain cream, pillows, supplements and essential oils. What sets your business apart from others that are offering the same or similar services or products? Our mission. Hope thru Healing. We use chiropractic and our therapies as tools to show our patients love. A big part of their experience is the positivity shown by our entire team of healing hearts and hands! Any other information that may be important for consumers to know? We offer more than most, and yet want to make sure it’s accessible and affordable to all! We accept most insurance policies and offer payment plans. We help with much more than your back come see us for your feet, sinuses, dizziness, and much more!!
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 41
✎
FEATURE
COVID battle Six family members test positive
Marguerite Hoelzeman (middle) and her sister, Clara Talley (behind her), at a baby shower with some of Marguerite’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Marguerite and Clara – as well as Christie Powell (third from left) – are recovering from the coronavirus. by Sonja J. Keith
A Conway County family experienced the COVID-19 nightmare that has impacted so many in the 501 and beyond. Raymond Thomey, 87, of Morrilton lost his life to the coronavirus on June 11. A retired fire inspector for Trans World Airlines, he was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Rachel Powell said nine of her family members were tested for COVID. In addition to her uncle Raymond, five others tested positive for the virus – grandmother Marguerite Hoelzeman, parents Mickey and Christie Powell, and aunt and uncle Clara and Carl Talley. Rachel and her two sisters (Lucy Powell and Anna Cullum) had negative test results. The family’s journey with COVID began June 10 when Raymond fell at his home, which he shared with his sister Marguerite. First-responders checked Raymond’s temperature and he did not have a fever. 42 | 501 LIFE September 2020
When he fell again the next day, Mickey and his daughters Rachel and Lucy went to the home to help him. They managed to get Raymond into a chair but couldn’t get him in bed. Rachel called 911 and when first-responders showed up, they asked about COVID. “We told them they haven’t been anywhere,” Rachel said, adding that when the pandemic hit, Raymond and Marguerite, 89, (her grandmother) rarely left home. Raymond, who was diabetic, had not indicated that he was sick and he seemed alert. “We thought he was fine,” Rachel said, adding that his temperature was checked and it registered 102.4 degrees. “At that point, we were like, oh man, we weren’t even thinking COVID,” Rachel said. The first responders told the family that they needed to take Raymond to the hospital to be tested for COVID. There was also a concern for Marguerite, who was in bed and had been vomiting but she did not have a fever. Rachel waited outside, with her children, for the
ambulance to arrive. “Whenever we hear an ambulance, my kids and I always pray for whoever they are going to,” she said, fighting tears. “When we heard the ambulance coming to my grandma’s house, my kids were yelling, ‘We’ve got to pray, we got to pray. Where’s the ambulance going?’ They didn’t know it was coming to get my grandma and my uncle. It hit home because you always hear ambulances and sirens…It was beautiful but it was also sad.” Raymond and Marguerite were taken to CHI St. Vincent Morrilton around 8 p.m., where they were tested for COVID. “Of course, no one can go in,” Rachel said, explaining that the family waited in the parking lot for news. “We didn’t know what to do. We were scared and at this point we are thinking, ‘Oh shoot, this could be COVID. We weren’t even thinking it when we got to their house.” Marguerite responded well to the fluids she was given and was released to return home to await the COVID results. Around 3:30 a.m., the family was notified that
Mickey and Christy Powell.
Marguerite Hoelzeman.
Raymond was COVID positive. “He had already been intubated and they said they were going to transport him to Little Rock,” Rachel said. About an hour later, the family learned that Raymond started crashing en route and the ambulance crew stopped in Conway. “They tried to revive him and that’s where they lost him.” Later that day, they were told that Marguerite’s COVID test was also positive and everyone who had been in the house was instructed to get tested. “Off we went to get tested and the battle began,” Rachel said. Rachel said the last time she saw Raymond that he smiled and waved as they wheeled him into the hospital. “Bam. Five hours later he’s dead and my grandma is positive for COVID too and we all have to quarantine. Everything just stops.” The news of Raymond’s sudden death was very upsetting for the family, especially Marguerite who was close to her brother. They are sad that he died without family with him. Over the next week, Marguerite’s condition deteriorated. She was treated in the COVID unit at Conway Regional Medical Center from June 17 to July 1, when she returned home. She required oxygen but was not placed on a ventilator. When Raymond and Marguerite tested positive, their sister Clara and her husband, Carl, also went to be tested. They too were positive, their symptoms not as severe. On June 12, Rachel’s parents, Mickey and Christie, began showing COVID symptoms. They were exposed to the virus while helping Raymond and Marguerite. Rachel said she was in the home also, but she was the only one wearing a mask. “I had it because I have to wear it at work.” Rachel’s younger sister, Lucy, a recent University of Central Arkansas grad who lived with their parents, was able to care for them and avoid contracting the virus. She took precautions and spent most of the time in her room. Rachel said the coronavirus affected her parents in different ways. Her mother had nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. “She knew she was going to get it
Sisters Marguerite Hoelzeman (left) and Clara Talley.
Clara and Carl Talley.
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 43
Raymond Thomey Raymond Thomey, age 87, of Morrilton, passed away Thursday, June 11. Born Feb. 20, 1933, in Ada Valley, he was a son of the late George W. Thomey Jr. and Lucy K. Hoyt Thomey. He was a fire inspector for Trans World Airlines and a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Survivors include his son, Steve Thomey of Kansas; three sisters, Marguerite Hoelzeman and Clara Talley of Morrilton and Emma Sue Briley of Vilonia; and a brother, George Thomey III of Morrilton. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Jerry, Charles and Harold; and a sister, Geraldine Ward. Private burial was at Sacred Heart Cemetery with Father Jack Harris officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Sacred Heart Catholic School. Arrangements are under the direction of Harris Funeral Home of Morrilton. Mickey Powell with his grandchildren. because she was taking care of my grandmother.” Her dad had fever, chest pain and a terrible cough. Both were very lethargic and slept for long periods of time. “My dad could hardly walk down the hall to go to the bathroom.” Rachel observed the roller coaster of health issues that COVID-19 creates. “Something I’ve learned with COVID is it changes. One minute I was talking to Mom on the phone and two hours later she’s on her way to the emergency room,” she said. “It’s just crazy how it swings back and forth, back and forth.” Dealing with COVID was particularly challenging and exhausting, Rachel said, because family members couldn’t be with their sick relatives, and they weren’t present to talk with physicians or nurses caring for them. Christie began feeling better around June 25. Mickey went to the Morrilton hospital and was transferred to St. Vincent Medical Center in Little Rock on June 26. “He developed viral pneumonia on top of COVID,” Rachel said, adding that his lungs may have 44 | 501 LIFE September 2020
been damaged. “He got the right kind of medicine and said he felt like a brand-new person.” A service for Raymond will be held when his family members have recovered from COVID. Rachel said her uncle was very caring, devout in his faith and dedicated to his church. “You could always count on him praying for you.” Rachel said her family would not have survived without leaning on one another. “When something like this hits so close to home, you are super thankful to have a lot of brothers and sisters, a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins to talk to and rely on to help you get through this,” she said. “It’s nice to have a big family to have support.” Rachel is appreciative of friends, customers and the community for their support throughout the difficult time. Support ranged from meals for her parents and fun items dropped off for her kids to running errands. “It really makes you proud to be from here and thankful for such a close-knit community,” she said. “To see people care so much for all of us...It was amazing.”
Sisters Rachel Powell (from left), Anna Cullum and Lucy Powell.
1 HEALTH
First class
Residents discuss new family medicine program
Dr. Jimmy Kareem.
Dr. Dylan Cruz.
Dr. Ross Lenzen.
Dr. Clayton Preston.
by John Patton
For the first time in its history, the City of Colleges is a site for graduate medical education and the advanced medical training for physicians. For years, Conway Regional has been known as a place to train and receive nursing care, as many masters level nursing as well as doctoral level therapy students have spent time at the medical center. That ended July 1 with the inaugural Conway Regional Health System Family Medicine Residency Program. Conway Regional began the journey in 2017. After receiving institutional approval and then approval for its first graduate medical education program-family medicine, the organization recruited and matched all four resident slots through the traditional residency match. 46 | 501 LIFE September 2020
While not accustomed to having patients call them doctor, Conway’s inaugural class of medical residents are enjoying their first days in the Conway Regional residency program. Dr. Ross Lenzen of Greenwood caught himself correcting a patient at Conway Medical Group who called him doctor. “I have to remember to say Dr. Ross,” he said. “We’re still getting used to putting doctor in front of our names. It’s been a joke among us,” added Dr. Dylan Cruz. Cruz and Lenzen joined fellow residents Jimmy Kareem, MD, and Clayton Preston, MD, as they began clinical rotations at Conway Regional Medical Center and at Conway Medical Group on Aug. 1. They spent the first month getting familiar with computer systems, meeting their host physicians and learning about numerous aspects of the hospital. The last days included the hospitalist on-call schedule.
They also learned their new residency program is different from what they expected. “I never expected the people to be so friendly, from the physicians to the staff who meet you in the hallway,” said Preston, a Pine Bluff native. “Coming into a new program, you don’t always know which way it is going to go. I have seen hospitals in medical school where that was not necessarily the case. They really want us to have a good experience here.” Lenzen said, “There are a lot of doctors here who have been helpful. Dr. (Sarah) Robertson, Dr. (Landon) Humphrey, Dr. (Darren) Freeman and Dr. (Jeremiah) Keng have helped us feel more comfortable with the program.” A former resident of Toronto, Canada, Kareem added, “Everyone here is wanting us to succeed. We see that not only among the faculty but from the other doctors and the administration.”
Each resident has his own socially distanced host family. These host families serve as resources and mentors for the residents, helping ensure their overall success. “They have helped someone like me who is from out of state to feel at home. Being in touch with a host family has really helped my psycho-social element,” said Kareem. “During the resident recruitment process, we emphasized that our program would be different. We made three commitments that we reaffirm each day,” said Rebekah Fincher, chief administrative officer and designated institutional official over graduate medical education. “First, we would provide a high-quality graduate medical education experience, preparing residents to become successful family medicine physicians. Secondly, we would train a generation of physicians who are critical thinkers, compassionate providers, skilled clinicians and future leaders in medicine. Lastly, we would take care of one another — personally and professionally. Conway Regional is a place where we treat one another like family, we challenge one another, and work to provide exceptional care. That’s exactly what we intend to do for our residents.” The experience is no surprise to Sarah Robertson, MD, director of the Conway Regional Family Medicine Residency Program. “Our team is wholeheartedly committed to preparing each resident for a successful and enjoyable life as a family physician,” she said. “The goal of our program is to equip future family physicians with the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to provide exemplary patient care and positively impact the full spectrum of family practice healthcare delivery.” As the family practice residents begin rotating through different areas of specialty training, they are looking forward to a variety of experiences. “One of the reasons I chose Conway (Regional) was the promise for OB exposure,” said Kareem. His primary instructor is Courtney Sick, MD, but several of the other obstetrician-gynecologists want to participate. “I am very excited about this. I understand that everyone is excited to teach. I will be with a whole team.” An early favorite for Lenzen is geriatric care. “I have been talking to Dr. Brad Tilley because I am interested in geriatric care, and he provides a lot of
Dr. Sarah Robertson. it.” Preston has an early interest in surgery as well as pediatrics, which is a second-year residency rotation. Cruz is looking forward to a hospitalist rotation. Darren Freeman, MD, a Conway Regional hospitalist, is the associate program director of the residency program, and will manage the inpatient rotations and evaluate the performance of the residents while they are rotating through specialties within Conway Regional Medical Center. “They will be rotating through various specialties; they will literally be all over the health system,” he said. Freeman is excited about the opportunities that the residency program will provide for the community as well as Conway Regional. “Having a residency program in Conway will be a natural fit for the City of Colleges,” he said. “I’m super excited.”
Join First Community Bankers, Grant Gordy and Lori Case Melton, for Conway TNT (then, now and tomorrow). A podcast focused on nothing but Conway. It’s fun and informative. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. We are excited to bring this podcast to you, as well as our community focused style of banking. Like our Facebook page and send us ideas for future podcasts, or just drop by and see us at 1089 Front St., Conway.
1089 Front St. Conway, AR 72032 | (501) 764-9640
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 47
Community volunteers from local businesses and churches distributed items to participants.
Community volunteers helped hand out bags of groceries, personal care items, school supplies and resource bags at the drive-thru.
Dr. Mitzi Washington volunteers at Community of Caring every year to provide medical exams for participants.
Unity Health nurses provide medical assessments at Community of Caring.
48 | 501 LIFE September 2020
HEALTH
1
Community of Caring
For more than 20 years, Unity Health has helped those in need through A Day of Caring. Due to COVID-19, the 24th Annual A Day of Caring was renamed Community of Caring. The event mission was the same – to help provide the uninsured and underinsured in and around White County with both medical and non-medical services and goods. “We knew Community of Caring had to look different this year, but we still wanted to help those in need,” said Unity Health Interim Foundation Lead Anna Brumfield. “This mission means a great deal to Unity Health and our community.” This year, participants had the opportunity to receive free school supplies, Bibles, groceries, personal care items, doctor exams, blood sugar checks, pap exams, medical information and depression screenings. “COVID-19 presented several challenges when planning this year’s event, but it was important to help no matter how many people came through. Even if this mission helps one person, it is worth it,” Brumfield said. To comply with guidelines from the CDC and Arkansas Health Department, many safety measures were put in place for Community of Caring, including a no contact drive-thru where participants remained in their vehicles while volunteers placed items in the trunks of cars. All volunteers wore masks and were screened upon arrival. They sanitized between each vehicle and medical exams were at a separate clinic location. “These are difficult times for everyone and we have seen our community come together and support one another,” Brumfield said. “Community of Caring is neighbors helping neighbors and that is what we need right now.”
Robby Myers (from left), Brooke Pryor and Jonathan Murphy.
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ENTERTAINING
History repeats itself
The Stack Cake was a traditional pioneer wedding cake. (Mike Kemp photo)
50 | 501 LIFE September 2020
The food history of America dates back to the days when cooking was done on an open hearth. Many of the recipes had a hearty, satisfying quality that has survived the test of time. When people move, they take their favorite recipes with them. Some are written and some are Don Bingham not, but the recipes are an important memory Recognized throughout the state as an accomplished chef, of home. The recipes we Don Bingham has authored find in old cookbooks, cookbooks, presented television programs and planned elaborate manuscripts, traveler acevents. counts, ethnic celebrations and family handme-downs are amazingly delicious and wonderfully reminiscent of our grand culinary heritage! We love to peruse old cookbooks! They tell us much about our heritage and what it took to enable us to enjoy life “around the table” today. I’ve included a few of our favorites, along with the history that goes with that recipe! We have stack after stack of cookbooks - some old, some new - but all valuable! The STACK CAKE was a traditional pioneer wedding cake made – at least put together – right at the wedding celebration. Each guest brought a layer of cake. Applesauce (depending on the time of the year) was spread on each cake layer and the layers were stacked. The bride’s popularity could
be measured by the number of layers she had in each stack. Since guests were apt to bring different types of cake, the stacks were often varicolored and flavored. This “wedding cake” recipe is for six layers of a simple molasses cake, typical of pioneer times. We have included several historical recipes for your enjoyment!
minutes. Remove from heat and cover and let stand 1 hour. (Or combine water and peas, soak overnight). Do not drain. Stir in hocks, onion, celery, salt, cayenne and bay leaf. Bring to boiling. Cover, simmer until hocks are tender and beans are done, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in okra; cook until very tender, 10 - 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Season to taste. Serves 6.
Black Walnut and Honey Ice Cream
Stack Cake
In saucepan, blend 2 cups milk into 3/4 cup honey. Cook and stir until hot (do not boil). Remove from heat. Stir moderate amount of hot mixture into 3 beaten eggs; return to saucepan. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature. Blend in 2 cups whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in 1 cup coarsely chopped black walnuts. Pour mixture into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Makes 2 cups.
1 cup butter or margarine 1 cup sugar 1 cup molasses 3 eggs 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 2 16-1/2-ounce jars chunk style applesauce Whipped cream Chopped nuts
Ham Hocks and Black-Eyed Peas 3 cups dry black-eyed peas 12 cups water 3 pounds of smoked ham-hocks 1 1/4 cups chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 1 bay leaf 1 10-counce package frozen cut okra Rinse peas. In 6-quart Dutch oven combine water and peas. Bring to boiling; simmer 2
Cream together butter and sugar until light. Stir in molasses. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Stir together flour, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition. Grease and flour three 8X11/2-inch round baking pans. Pour 1 1/3 cups batter into each pan. (Refrigerate remaining batter). Bake at 375 until done, about 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool on rack. Wash pans, grease and flour. Repeat with remaining batter. Spread applesauce between layers. Spread whipped cream, atop; sprinkle with nuts. Makes 24 servings.
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 51
The crocks of chicken pot pies are set to be brought to the table. Napkins are tied to the handles and are at the ready! (Mike Kemp photos)
52 | 501 LIFE September 2020
ENTERTAINING
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Gather around the table I grew up in the kitchen. My mama was a wonderful cook. I have so many memories of talking and laughing, side by side with her in her red and white kitchen. One that always comes to mind is walking in the front door after school to Julianne Milner see her and my dad through the window A self-taught baker, Julianne to the back porch, Milner is a caterer, seasonal stylist sitting beside a pile of and owner of Julianne’s Southern Table. She can be reached at fresh corn on the cob julianne60@gmail.com. that was taller than me! They were laughing and shucking corn as fast as they could go. The next afternoon it might be purple hull peas or new potatoes or okra. So many delicious things came out of their big garden each summer. We had an open campus at my junior high and high school back then. My friends would fight over who could go home with me for lunch each day because they knew it would be a big spread of wonderful vegetables along with fried chicken, meat loaf or round steak and gravy. Mama was always happy that I brought extras home with me. Home cooking is a catalyst that brings people together. It is very important to me that we don’t lose the daily ritual of sitting down around the table together (without the intrusion of television and cell phones), of having the opportunity to interact, to share experiences and concerns, and to listen to others. You can’t replace cooking something in your kitchen, filling the house with the wonderful aromas, where you share a dish, taking a helping and passing the platter to your loved one, neighbor, friend. Another of the special pleasures of cooking at home is exchanging recipes. Ask my friends how excited I get when they say “my Aunt Ella makes the best chocolate cake you’ll ever put in your mouth” and they share the recipe with me. That connects me with their Aunt Ella. There’s something communal about sharing recipes, about passing tastes and flavors from friend to friend and from generation to generation. Our food tells us where we came from and who we have become. When choosing a favorite recipe to share with you this month, I knew the perfect one. Comforting Chicken Pot Pie. Every well-versed Southerner has a favorite Chicken Pot Pie rec-
2 stalks of celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup) 1 medium yellow onion, chopped into small pieces 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup frozen green peas 3 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed (I recommend using fresh herbs-it makes all the difference) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 32 ounces chicken stock or broth 1 bay leaf 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled and cubed Yukon gold potatoes
For sauce: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried, crushed (I recommend using fresh) 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1 1/2 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
Each place setting is nestled inside a willow charger. A green salad and garlic bread stick complete this cozy meal. ipe, but this one may just become your NEW FAVORITE! Tender bites of chicken, potatoes, green peas, carrots and onions in a velvety rich broth, seasoned with fresh parsley, thyme and sage topped with a tender, flaky crust. It’s a HUG in a crock! You can use your favorite pie crust recipe for this. When I’m in a hurry, I use the Pillsbury all-ready crust that is ready to roll out. Whichever you choose, you will love this recipe. I like serving this in individual ramekins or handled crocks. I think it’s nice to have your own personal serving to break through the crust on, letting the steam escape with the aromas of the fresh herbs. Use your extra pie crust scraps to decorate your little pot pies. A piece of crusty French bread and a green salad complete this meal perfectly. Gather around your table and reconnect with loved ones over this cozy, soul-warming pot pie. Follow me on Instagram @juliannessoutherntable to see other southern favorites from my recipe book as well as decorating ideas and tips.
Comforting Chicken Pot Pie Filling: 2 carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
For filling, in a large skillet cook carrots, celery and onion in hot butter until tender. Stir in peas, parsley, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large saucepan, bring stock and bay leaf to boiling; add chicken. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, adding potatoes in the last 7 minutes. Strain stock and reserve; discard bay leaf. Set chicken and potatoes aside; when cool, chop chicken into bite-size pieces. For sauce, in the same large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Sift in the flour, sage and mustard to combine; cook 1 minute until lightly browned. Whisk in reserved stock and milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in sherry if using. Stir in reserved vegetables, chicken and potatoes. Cover and keep warm. Spray your crocks with non-stick cooking spray and fill with mixture. Cut your pastry about two inches bigger around than the top of the crock. Cover and pinch the pastry around the edges. With a knife, cut a few slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Place your pastry cutouts as you like on the crust. Place crocks on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Cover with foil midway through if the crust starts getting too brown. Makes 4-6 servings.
If you don’t have individual crocks, you can roll your pastry over a 9-inch pie plate that has been sprayed with cooking spray, fill with chicken mixture, then cover with another pastry sheet. Make a few cuts in the pastry top. Trim edges and flute as desired. Top with pastry decorations and bake at 400 degrees 30-45 minutes. Enjoy! September 2020 501lifemag.com | 53
⌂
HOME
The great porch revival I’ve got a pair of dogs; well, really, they have each other. Don’t get me wrong, they are full of love. It’s just that they are best pals and I think their bond with each other is stronger than their affiliation with any of the humans in our household. When they are not hunting backyard Donna Benton moles or making a running break to visit the Donna Benton is a maker of neighbor dogs, they do custom home furnishings and specializes in classic painted lots of napping. On cool finishes for antique and vintage mornings when they are furniture. You can see her work at WaterHouseMarket.com. ousted too early from bed, they head to the east-facing windows and like a sleepy sundial, they follow the warm sunlight across the sofa, onto the coffee table, then onto a pair of upholstered chairs. In the afternoons, they are usually looking for a shady spot, in the grass under the trees or belly-down in some fresh garden dirt. I appreciate them for their organic schedule. It’s an “eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired kind of thing.” It makes me think about my brimming Google Calendar and wonder which of us has really got life figured out. If there is a bright spot in these pandemic days, it might be the calendar-clearing nature of COVID-19. Business meetings and dinner dates seem like something from a former life. Schedules and appointments that we used to flag as high priority are not that much of a must-do anymore. Days, these days, are much less about entertaining ourselves with lunch dates and shopping trips; it’s more about engaging with your home and your people there, and those silly dogs. And it doesn’t take long to find yourself falling into a more natural schedule, kind of like the pups. Our downtime has turned to “staycations” and family, real breakfasts and baked bread, tending to gardens and fluffing our nests. The kitchen, where we used to throw the keys on the counter as we passed through in the evening, is now constantly and joyfully strewn with garden veggies, cookbooks, biscuit flour residue and the morning coffee press. We’ve long abandoned the clean and organized aesthetic and are fully embracing the lived-in look. Since we have been spending more time at home, more of my energy has been focused on making it more like a sanctuary; maybe a fortress to take refuge from the insecurities and unrest going on in the real world. But instead of fences and gates, my safe space is fortified with fluffy pillows and vintage linen! Outdoor spaces have always been a priority to me and I always urge homeowners not to treat them like an after-thought, and to imagine them as an extension of their living space inside. Still, it’s always 54 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Here’s the spot for sipping iced tea, rocking and waving at the neighbors. (Makenzie Evans photos) been easy for me to get caught up in “real-life” and I forget to enjoy my own outdoor spaces. My pre-pandemic self would bolt awake every morning, already subconsciously sorting out my to-do list. Now instead of running out the door, my morning ritual usually involves a planning session on my front porch with a cup of coffee, a morning breeze and an incessant cicada hum. To my pleasant
surprise, I have found that I feel much more productive in a lawn chair than in a task chair or especially on the road in the driver’s seat. At my house, the quarantine era has prompted a great porch revival! It’s not that I think porches ever went out of fashion. Porches have always been “in,” and Lord willing, always will be. It’s just that it seems like there is more time to enjoy them these days.
A porch swing bed is the perfect relaxing place for pups and humans alike. My porches have become my workplace, a meeting space with potential clients and a place to brainstorm and plan projects. It is also a place to feed the family, relax and unwind, and hang out with friends in a socially distant manner that wouldn’t be frowned upon by the CDC. Like those sun-seeking pups napping all the way across the living room, my porch rituals have evolved in part due to the solar calendar and the prevailing winds. Summer mornings find me on the shady
Porch continued on Page 56
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Imagine your porches as an extension of the inside and furnish them accordingly. September 2020 501lifemag.com | 55
A comfy morning coffee spot on the front porch.
Porch continued from Page 55
Don’t forget the flowers and pastries.
Back porch entertaining is the new dinner party. 56 | 501 LIFE September 2020
front porch in a cushy chair with my laptop and a fresh brew. I can hear the distant road noise of folks heading to work. I’m already there. In late summer afternoons, my garden gets shady and if I can find a minute, that is the landing spot of choice. And I’ve been known to circle, book in hand, waiting for the front yard oaks to cast their evening shadow on my front porch swing. It’s one of those bed swings, suspended by hardy ropes from creaky wooden beams. It has that certain sedating sway that makes it nearly impossible to finish a whole chapter before being lulled into a trancelike daydream. About 7:45 the sun peeks below some branches and shines right in my eyes, a small window in which I either heed the sunshiny reminder to get up and do something that other humans would call productive, or I can hold out a few more minutes until the sunset starts! It’s incredible how sitting out and watching daylight fade to dark reinforces my earthly connection, much more so than if I had instead caught an episode of “Naked and Afraid” (blushingly, one of my quarantine binge addictions). In the wintertime, that same porch swing will get relocated to the back porch for alfresco naps under a blanket by a crackling fire. I have this recurring dream of my future home. It’s a series of porches for sitting and sleeping, cooking and dining and even bathing. All these outdoor spaces are connected by a small room where we spend sultry July and August dog days and frigid January evenings sitting on the couch watching Netflix. Before long, this pandemic business will be in the history books and my prayer is that it leaves minimal long-term effects on humankind. One thing that I hope will stick is the rekindling with family and home and our changing priorities in how we spend our time. Like the pups, I’ll be doing my best not to lose sight of what is precious and most important for a healthy and fulfilling life.
Smart homes
ENERGY SMART
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Measures increase energy efficiency The future is becoming a reality. Automation is a part of our daily lives, and we have the power to control almost everything from our smartphones. Smart home products not only make your life more convenient; they can also lower your energy bills. In a do-it-yourself smart home, you can Beth target some of the home’s Jimmerson biggest energy users. In fact, most households A long-time Conway resident, Beth McCullough Jimmerson is could cut a third of their the manager for marketing and current energy bills by communications for Conway Corp. She has a bachelor’s degree switching to energyfrom the University of Central efficient appliances, Arkansas and a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas. equipment and lighting. She can be reached at beth. Smart thermostats can jimmerson@conwaycorp.com. cut a chunk out of the 48 percent energy use heating and cooling accounts for, while smart plugs and switches combined with LED bulbs can mitigate the more than 30 percent electronics, lighting and other appliances consume monthly. The average household in the U.S. spends almost $2,000 on energy costs annually. Conway Corp customers spend less, thanks to having one of the cheapest electric rates in the nation and the cheapest in Arkansas, but saving even more money is always a welcome idea.
SMART THERMOSTATS Almost half of the typical utility bill goes toward heating and cooling. When summer temps rise, it’s tempting to blast your air conditioning in an attempt to stay cool. But you might have sticker shock when you see your monthly statement. A smart thermostat offers the flexibility and power to control the climate in your home efficiently by automatically adjusting the heating and cooling settings. Typical features include programming temperatures you prefer, developing an ideal automated schedule, providing energy usage data and enabling control of your home’s temperature through your smartphone. Utilizing a smart thermostat can save 15 percent or nearly $150 on yearly utility bills.
SMART LIGHTING More than 25 percent of the average utility bill is spent on just lighting the home. Simply turning off lights when you don’t need them can drastically reduce energy use, but it’s easy to forget when you
leave the house in a hurry. With smart lighting, forgetting is a thing of the past. Switching to smart light bulbs and smart switches can cut lighting costs by as much as 50 percent. These can be customized, scheduled and even controlled remotely through a mobile device. Set timers for lights to go off automatically when you usually leave for work or use your phone to make sure you turned the coffee pot off before walking out the door. Even swapping existing incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) can make a big difference. For the same amount of light, CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy and last 10 times longer.
SMART POWER STRIPS Electronics in your home are using electricity even when you aren’t aware of it. Devices plugged into your wall – even when powered off – are using power. On average, the standby power consumption for a home ranges from 5 to 10 percent of total household energy consumption. For the average
American, that’s almost $200 of wasted electricity on devices not in use. The best way to stop this from happening is simply identifying the culprits and unplugging. But when it’s not convenient – like a TV plugged in behind a large entertainment center – smart power strips can help. They can shut down power products that go into standby mode, which can save some serious energy.
CONWAY CORP SMART It’s easier than you think to start making your home a smart home. Conway Corp security and automation offers a whole-home system that provides peace of mind as well as energy efficiency opportunities. Turn off the lights when you’re at work or on vacation. Adjust your thermostat if the temperature changes unexpectedly. The possibilities are endless – and so are the money savings. Visit ConwayCorp.com/services/security to learn more or call 501.450.6000 to schedule a free consultation with one of our security and automation specialists. September 2020 501lifemag.com | 57
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Tips for back to school preparations
Kellie Bishop Kellie Bishop is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Central Arkansas Pediatrics in Conway. She lives in Plumerville with her husband, Greg, their son and two dogs. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Central Arkansas and her master’s and doctorate degrees in pediatric primary care at UAMS.
Back to school season certainly looks and feels much differently this year than in years past. Teachers and children will likely be wearing masks in classrooms and hallways, children may not be able to play and interact like they are used to, and the school days themselves may be structured very differently. Though there is still so much uncertainty and change all around, our children must still learn, grow and develop. The way the last school year had to end may make you even more anxious about the beginning of
58 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Children will feel anxious returning to school this year. That is only natural considering the drastic and fast changes that have occurred to the world around them. this one as you fear your child will not be prepared. However, there are ways to combat this concern! The good news is that all the children are in the same boat entering this school year. Everyone will be a little out of sorts and maybe need a refresher. It is important to encourage your child to continue using academic skills at home, even beyond what is required for school. In these uncertain and ever-changing times, it isn’t feasible to expect that teachers can teach chil-
dren every piece of information they need to know. Engaging with your children to read books, practice math problems and explore the science in nature and around your home will allow your child to learn while also enjoying quality time with you. Children will feel anxious returning to school this year. That is only natural considering the drastic and fast changes that have occurred to the world around them. The best thing we can do as parents to help them relax and perform their best in school is to remain calm and assure them that it will be ok. Discuss the uncertain and frustrating issues privately, away from them, and be optimistic around them. Allow them some control, when possible, such as letting them pick out a mask they like. We cannot change what is happening around us and must adapt for the health and safety of everyone. It is important that our children understand this and feel at ease knowing that it will be different, but it will also be ok. Good luck entering this school year and here’s to a smooth transition for all!
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đ&#x;Ž¨ đ&#x;”ż ♪đ&#x;’Ľ Nakeia Jones AGE: 15. CITY: Conway. SCHOOL: Sophomore, Conway High School. FAVORITE SUBJECT: English. MUSIC INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Guitar (lessons at Conway Institute of Music). FAMILY: Mom (Chassie), Dad (TJ) and sister (Nicole). FAVORITE MEAL OR SNACK: Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl. MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION: My phone. MORE INFORMATION: I am a singer-songwriter with nine original songs available on all streaming platforms. I enjoy posting to my YouTube channel and editing videos for others.Â
Coronavirus Also Affects Minds That’s why we are available anytime from anywhere, offering all our services in the safest possible manner – Telehealth for: • Outpatient and school-based counseling • Kaleidoscope Grief Center group support • Methodist Behavioral Hospital physician services, family therapy, visitation through Arkansas Division of Child and Family Services, and court appearances • In-person psychiatric testing with plexiglass screen and PPE
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Paper, pens and Plexiglass Practical tips for homeschooling
Brittany Gilbert Brittany Gilbert is a former FACS teacher at Maumelle High School. She and her husband, Levi, have three children and live in Greenbrier. Brittany co-hosts The Deeply Rooted Homeschool, a podcast designed to encourage and equip homeschool families. Find out more at thedeeplyrootedhomeschool. com. She can also be reached at b.gilbert37@gmail.com.
Some of you may be taking your first homeschooling journey this fall, whether it be deciding to homeschool your children on your own or as part of public or private school virtual learning. This school year will bring all kinds of new challenges, so I’ve pulled together some of my favorite homeschooling tips to inject some fun and practicality into your homeschool setup.
Cover the kitchen table in kraft paper
Whether your kids do their schoolwork at the kitchen table or not, this is a great way to keep your table protected from markers bleeding through paper or the markings that go off of the paper and onto the table. I keep our table covered most of the time so that my kids can feel free to grab paper and supplies whenever they want and have a space to be creative. We also do our homeschool work at the kitchen table, and sometimes the kraft paper ends up being a space for me to write instructions or help them with different school problems. I order my kraft paper online.
Plexiglass covered tables While we do most of our schoolwork at our kitchen table, my kids do have desks in our school room. I went to a home supply store and had them cut Plexiglass to fit the top of their tables, and it has been really helpful. I place maps or handwriting sheets under the plastic so they can trace or write in a way that can easily be erased. I also leave my kids notes or checklists on this to save paper and make sure they don’t lose it. Writing on paper often means the paper is misplaced.
A rolling cart for school supplies These carts are all over the place and available at quite a few stores. They’re small enough to fit in a lot of places but big enough to be able to hold lots 60 | 501 LIFE September 2020
of things. All of our school and craft supplies fit on the top level, then whatever else we need fits on the next two. Wherever we decide to do school that day, we roll the cart to that room and everything is there for us. My 4-year-old has been able to roll it into the kitchen, where the table is, and she can help herself to the markers and paper or coloring books. This cart has been so helpful in our freedom to do school wherever we want to that day without feeling stuck to a certain room or area of the house because of the difficulty of moving supplies around.
Frixion pens If you listen to the podcast I’m a part of (The Deeply Rooted Homeschool), you will notice that our guests mention Frixion pens and highlighters a lot. These pens are exceptional because they erase. As a teacher, I used to tell my students all the time to “write in pencil so you can erase.� It would be frustrating at times because kids gravitate to color, as they should, because color makes things interesting and grabs their attention. There’s so much research on the value that colors make in a child’s education. A friend of mine who is an occupational therapist has taught me that pens can be better for kids to
write with because pencil tips are constantly changing as the lead wears. Pens don’t have this issue, so finding a great pen that erases is the perfect solution.
Avoid schedule/curriculum overload Start slow and simple. It’s so easy to add to your plate. There are lots of amazing resources and curricula out there, but you’ll find that it will only add stress to your plate. Add one piece of curriculum at a time and feel free to adjust as you go. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve wasted on things that were great, but not necessary or helpful for our homeschool. At the end of the day, yes, I want my kids to learn, but I know I don’t need every single good thing out there for them to do that. I want them to enjoy the freedom that comes with homeschool, which also includes time with friends and learning other important life skills. These are just a few of the many things that have been helpful in our homeschool journey. Feel free to reach out to me if you need or want more suggestions. There is a huge community of homeschool families in the 501 area, and we’re all in this together. If you don’t homeschool, these tips can still be helpful.
AUTHORS IN THE 501
Author helps bridge generational gap What will your grandchildren remember about you as a grandparent? What do you remember about your own grandparents? What do you wish you knew about them? These are questions that motivated Mary May Larmoyeux to write “One-of-a-Kind Grandparent Connection - Building a Legacy with Susan Your Grandchild” (2019). Peterson Bridging the gap Susan Peterson holds a PhD in between generations can education and taught be a challenge. To this at the University of Central end, the book serves as a Arkansas and Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. She useful tool that provides retired in 2004 and now spends numerous suggestions her time doing artwork (painting and pottery). She is the executive for grandparents to build secretary of the Arkansas Reading strong relationships with Association, a professional organization for educators their grandchildren. that has about 800 members There are tips for nearby statewide. and long-distance grandparenting, holiday and birthday traditions, prompts to encourage personal story writing, suggested activities for all ages, and even tips on saying goodbye. In addition, the book encourages self-reflection, promoting an understanding of what it means to be a grandparent. Mary and her husband Jim are both originally from Louisiana. They moved to Central Arkansas back in the 70s when he was transferred by the insurance company for which he worked. He and Mary enjoyed the area so much they decided to remain here to raise their two sons. While in Little Rock, Mary, who as a child loved nothing more than writing in her diary, was hired to write for Family Life, a Christian ministry that helps strengthen families. In 1999, B&H Publishing Group published Mary’s first book, “My Heart’s at Home,” which was quickly followed in 2001 by “There’s No Place Like Home: Steps to Becoming a Stay-At-Home Mom,” co-authored with Ethan Pope. “Resurrection Eggs Activity Book” (Family Life Publishing, 2006) was a collaboration with author Amy L. Bradford and illustrator Fran Wadkins. “Help for Busy Moms” was published in 2008 by Pleasant Word. About 15 years ago, Mary’s focus naturally shifted to grandparenting. Because publishers were unsure of the market for “grandparent” books, she decided to self-publish. In 2014, she co-authored “Grandparent Connection: 365 Ways to Connect with Your Grandchild’s Heart” with Nancy Downing, an award-winning educator from Little Rock. In 2019, Mary authored “One-of-a-Kind Grandparent Connection.” Mary has written numerous articles that were published in Maumelle Living, AY Magazine, 501 LIFE, Discovery Years, The Family Room and others. She has been featured on “Tales from the South.”
Perry County’s Mary May Larmoyeux has written “One-of-a-Kind Grandparent Connection - Building a Legacy with Your Grandchild.” In addition to her own creative energies, she also finds the time to assist and encourage others. She is a co-founder of Perry County Writers and a former president of the Arkansas Pioneer Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. She has served on the board of the Arkansas Writers Conference. In 2008, Mary created a grandparenting website, now titled Legacy Connection. On it she posts blogs every Tuesday and an “occasional Friday.”
Information about her workshops on writing and ways to connect with family can also be found there, along with a bookstore. Today, Mary and Jim reside in Perry County. They especially enjoy the time they spend connecting with their eight grandchildren who reside both near and out-of-state. They know that sharing fond family memories and establishing traditions are some of the most precious gifts adults can give to youth. Mary’s books may be purchased from Amazon or from Legacyconnection.org.
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EDUCATION
History provides vital lessons
Pine Forest students have spirit.
Participants in a science fair held in January.
Crystal Hill teachers celebrate spirit week.
Crystal Hill students and teachers celebrated Read Across America Week.
by Jessica Duff
room for improvement. PCSSD teachers are encouraged to model equity and excellence in their classroom every day, not just in educational opportunities but in smaller ways, too. Our teachers strive to give students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Teaching these skills and understanding that every child deserves equitable access to education and opportunities is paramount in PCSSD. Every child should enter the classroom knowing
“Equity and excellence” is more than just a motto at the Pulaski County Special School District; it’s something every student and staff member strives for every day within the district. Dr. Charles McNulty, superintendent of schools, introduced this phrase when he was hired as superintendent in July 2018. Nearly two years later, we see evidence of equity and excellence across the district; however, we know there is 62 | 501 LIFE September 2020
that they are equal, and they should have that same feeling when they leave school and engage in the “real world.” Students at PCSSD master traditional educational pillars of reading and writing as well as the critical thinking skills incorporated with mathematics and science curriculum. However, when it comes to history, there is a lot of speculation about what is taught and what has been left out of the history books. History provides very important lessons to our children.
In his 1905 book “The Life of Reason: Reason in Common Sense,” influential philosopher George Santayana stated, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This is why it is imperative for students in all grade levels to learn history – the history of our community, state, country and world. When it comes to understanding history in the United States and, specifically, history right here in Arkansas, it is imperative to have a thorough understanding of what that history truly means for everyone. Students must not only learn the history taught in schools, they must learn their own history and their neighbor’s history. We all have stories to tell and experiences that differ from one another and we must teach our children how to understand and appreciate each other and our differences. We must teach our children compassion and kindness. History should be appreciated – appreciated for the societal growth that generations before us have pioneered and appreciated for the growth we will continue to see in our generation and generations to come. History is about learning where we have been and where we want to be. History is about learning different perspectives and perceptions of historical events. History is about recognizing we are not perfect, but we all do the best we can to achieve excellence – and learn from our mistakes when we fall short. Earlier this summer, Dr. McNulty released a statement after the brutal murder of George Floyd. In his statement, he addressed the need to stand proudly with all community members seeking justice for themselves, their families, their communities and ultimately, all of us. “We must act now to uplift the better nature in all of us. Public schools are key to unleashing that better nature and attaining the promise of democracy,” McNulty stated. “PCSSD has a remarkable staff committed to equity and excellence and it is an honor to work with them.” PCSSD continues to work hard to ensure gaps in some of our communities’ infrastruc-
Maumelle Middle School students compete in an A Capella competition. tures that impact educational access will be alleviated by the start of school. PCSSD will continue with AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) across our district to ensure our schools’ culture uplifts all students. We will continue to ensure that we have leaders in our schools and at the district level who represent our students, families and communities with equity and excellence. We will work with our stakeholders to provide our students with a culturally relevant and rigorous curriculum that prepares them for the world today and the world of tomorrow. “I can speak resolutely that we will work passionately to meet the needs of all students to have an educational organization that promotes justice,” McNulty added in his statement. “As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, ‘Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere.’”
At Pulaski County Special School District, we are committed to providing our students with the best education possible. We constantly evolve and change to ensure equity amongst our students and not only expect excellence from them but provide them the tools to expect excellence from themselves.
About PCSSD Pulaski County Special School District spans more than 600 square miles in Central Arkansas and requires highly skilled and passionate personnel to adapt educational policies and personalization to 25 schools. Every school is accredited by the Arkansas State Board of Education. PCSSD has served schools across Pulaski County since July 1927. PCSSD is committed to creating a nationally recognized school district that assures that all students achieve at their maximum potential through collaborative, supportive and continuous efforts of all stakeholders.
stand up for
Social Justice 501.234.2000 September 2020 501lifemag.com | 63
FINANCIAL FOCUS
Make investments that work as hard as you do
Submitted by Edward Jones
Labor Day is almost here. Of course, this year, the holiday may have a different impact, given the employment-related stress and disruptions stemming from the coronavirus, yet it’s good to recognize the value of work and its importance in achieving your life’s goals; however, if you’re going to retire comfortably and reach your other financial objectives, you also need to invest – and your investments need to work as hard as you do. To help make this happen, you need to know why you’re investing in the first place. You likely have a variety of financial goals, including short-term ones – a long vacation, a new car – and long-term ones, such as a comfortable retirement and the desire to leave a legacy for your family. But you can’t invest in the same way for these goals. For example, when you’re planning an overseas vacation for next year, you want a certain amount of money to be available at a certain time, so you’ll want an investment that offers a high degree of preservation of principal. However, when you’re saving for a retirement that may be decades away, 64 | 501 LIFE September 2020
you need to consider investments that offer growth potential. In any case, you can help your investments work efficiently for you by matching them with specific goals. You also want to keep your investments “on the job.” In the immediate aftermath of large market downturns such as we saw earlier this year, many people simply stopped investing altogether. But taking a “time out” can be costly. For one thing, when you stop adding to your investment portfolio, you reduce its growth potential. Furthermore, if you’re on the investment sidelines, you might miss out on the next market rally – and the biggest gains often happen in the early stages of these rallies. Not everyone simply abandons the investment world following a downturn, though – some people just put more money into cash and cash equivalent accounts. And while it’s a good idea to have enough cash on hand for emergencies (about three to six months’ worth of living expenses), you may not want to have cash as the major component of your portfolio. Cash simply doesn’t “work” hard enough in the sense of providing you with long-term growth opportunities.
So, whether the markets are moving up, down or sideways, it’s important to keep investing and keep a reasonable percentage of growth-oriented investments in your portfolio, with the exact amount depending on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. These investments will fluctuate in value, but the longer you hold them, the more the impact of short-term drops may be reduced, especially if you maintain a diversified portfolio; diversification by itself, though, can’t ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Finally, here’s one other step you can take to help keep your investments working hard: Check up on them periodically. Review your portfolio at least once a year to determine if it’s still helping you make progress toward your goals. If it seems like you’re falling behind, you may need to adjust your investment mix. You’ve probably discovered that hard work pays off for you in just about every endeavor – so why should it be any different with investing? Keeping your investments working diligently can help boost your chances of achieving your important financial goals.
SPORTS
Don Watts (center) surrounded by former players and their families.
Player reunion at Perryville
Michael “Furf” Martin (from left), Watts and Dwayne “Moe” Hightower. Players on teams coached by Don Watts gathered in March in Perry County for a reunion. More than 70 former players and their families attended the event, which was held March 15 at the Perryville gym. Four of the five schools where Watts coached were represented. “I came up with the idea to have a former player reunion about a year ago,” he said. “Of course, the coronavirus kind of hit home that weekend. I received many calls explaining that they were unable to attend because of it, and of course there were many who live in other states that were unable to attend. “I was able to Facetime one former player who lives in New York. The couple of hours were spent looking through scrapbooks and telling stories.” Watts attended Bryant Public Schools for grades first through eighth. “I played basketball for Coach Bill Revis in the eighth grade at Bryant. We moved that summer and I attended Fountain Lake High School. I was honored to play for Arkansas Hall of Famer Ron Marvel until my graduation in 1975. I attended University of the Ozarks and graduated in 1979.”
Watts Family: Brayden (from left), Savanna, Kim, Don, Chloe and Grant.
“
When I first started coaching, I thought it was all about winning. As I matured as a coach and a person, I figured out the winning takes care of itself if you put the time and hard work into young lives.
”
— Don Watts
Watts was hired for his first head coaching job at Bauxite High School for the 1979-80 school year. “The next year I accepted the basketball coaching position at Leola and stayed there for two years (1980-81 and 1981-82),” he said. “I left the profession for a couple of years and then became the head coach for the girls team at St. Charles High School 1984-85.”
St. Charles was then annexed to Dewitt, where Watts coached for eight years (1986-1993). “I moved to Perryville the summer of 1993 as head girls basketball coach. I also coached girls A.A.U. through the Arkansas Mavericks organization for four years.” Watts later coached boys and girls teams before his last year of coaching 2005-06. He has been an administrator at Perryville High School the last 14 years. “When I first started coaching, I thought it was all about winning. As I matured as a coach and a person, I figured out the winning takes care of itself if you put the time and hard work into young lives,” Watts said. “I have been overly blessed by the players I have had the opportunity to coach. Seeing how they have grown into adults as parents and positive members of society is my greatest pleasure as a coach. “Years later, no one will care the about who won some games, but what kind of relationship was built and what memories you share. It isn’t about the destination, but it is all about the journey. I have had a great 40 years.” September 2020 501lifemag.com | 65
SPORTS
Raising the bar
Conway High athlete breaks school record by Mark Oliver
For 34 years, Conway High School’s high jump record stood untouchable at a towering 5’4”. In March, Madison Holloway changed that with a 5’6” leap, adding another page to an impressive list of track and field achievements for the young star. “When I began high jumping three years ago, I learned about the record and set a goal to beat it,” Holloway said. “In seventh grade, my best high jump was 4’10”. When I realized how far I was from the record, I began thinking that I’d never break it. However, I kept training and jumping higher, and each year I found myself getting closer and closer to it.” On March 5, during her first track meet of the 2020 season, Holloway soared into the record books. “Before the jump, I knew that the bar was at 5’6”, so when I got over it, I knew what I had done,” Holloway said. “It was a great feeling — a huge weight off my shoulders. I don’t even think I celebrated — I remember just looking forward to the next meet.” Holloway’s hurdle not only made history, but it also propelled her to new heights as the top-ranked high jumper in Arkansas and 18th-overall in the United States. “It’s crazy to think that all my hard work is paying off,” Holloway said. “I never had a specific high jump coach. It’s always been my mom who pushed me to get better. She would look up videos for drills that I could do, and we would go to the track every day in the summer to practice. I remember feeling like I was dying out there every day working out and running, but it was all worth it.” Holloway was destined for athletic greatness from a young age. “I have always been around sports,” Holloway said. “My mom was a P.E. coach and I played every sport possible just for fun. When I was 8 years old, I ran my first event, the 200m at Toad Suck Daze, and ended up winning the whole thing. It may have been luck, but that was the moment that got me interested in track and field.” That win was just the first step in Holloway’s impressive track and field journey, which has also taken her beyond the 501, with three trips to the Junior Olympics, including a top finish. “I’ve been to Michigan, Iowa and Virginia,” Holloway said. “I’ve placed first through eighth in long jump and I have also placed in triple jump. In addition to the high jump crown, Holloway also holds five school records at Ruth Doyle Middle School and two at Conway Junior High School. “Madison also competes in long jump, triple jump and ran hurdles,” said Holloway’s mother, 66 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Conway High’s Madison Holloway broke the school’s high jump record last spring and became the top-ranked high jumper in Arkansas. (Mike Kemp photo)
“
I never had a specific high jump coach. It’s always been my mom who pushed me to get better. She would look up videos for drills that I could do, and we would go to the track every day in the summer to practice. I remember feeling like I was dying out there every day working out and running, but it was all worth it.
”
— Madison Holloway Rhonda Holloway. “She has competed on bigger stages such as the Amateur Athletic Union and USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Championships where she won medals in long jump, triple jump and high jump.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Holloway’s record-breaking first event of her sophomore season was also her last. As she awaits the start of her junior year, Holloway is already targeting her next goal. “Last year, I placed second in high jump in the Meet of Champs, which features the top track and field athletes across all state classifications,” Hol-
Madison during a training session. loway said. “This year, I’m going for first. The person who beat me last year was a senior who graduated, but the competition is always tough, so I have to push myself to be ready.” Off the track, Madison is a member of Beta Club, Key Club and the Conway High School Volleyball Team. In the future, she hopes to continue breaking track and field records at the collegiate level. “Over the summer, I’ve been looking at colleges,” Holloway said. “I’m getting a lot of calls from Arkan-
Madison participated in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Championships. sas schools right now and I know more opportunities are coming my way. When I first started out, I never thought I’d be where I am today. You just have to work hard, try to make things fun and don’t always make it about the technical side. You have to believe that you can go places.”
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 67
Faulkner County: Elijah Pitts
Faulkner County’s Elijah Pitts appeared in a total of 126 games for the Green Bay Packers. (501 LIFE would like to thank the Pine Street CommUnity Museum for providing the illustrations for this feature.)
Dr. Robert Reising Dr. Robert Reising retired from the University of Central Arkansas in 2013 after holding a variety of teaching, coaching and administrative posts during more than a half-century in education. His doctoral dissertation at Duke treated literature and sports.
He was one of the most respected, most popular stars on one of the most successful, most celebrated starstudded teams in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Few professional performers have brought greater luster to the county of their birth than Elijah Pitts, who emerged from the segregated soils of Faulkner County to enshrinement in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Elijah was born in the small, neighborly community of Palarm
68 | 501 LIFE September 2020
on Feb. 3, 1938. He was one of two sons and three children of hard-working Samuel and Gertha Pitts. He completed his public education in adjoining Conway, at the county’s only all-Black school. At Pine Street, spectacular high school football performances combined with commendable classroom grades to brighten his future possibilities, Numerous scholarship offers from institutions of higher education across the land reached his mailbox, including three from universities in the football powerful Big Ten Conference. Nonetheless, he opted to join his brother at nearby Philander Smith College and to compete against small colleges, many of them historically African American. But again his football performances were so eye-catching that a film capturing his brilliance against what is today the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff landed him offers in 1961 from teams in both professional leagues, the fledgling American Football League and the established NFL. Elijah yielded to the preference voiced by Ruth
Bellinger, his college sweetheart, later his wife: he signed with the Packers, their 13th-round pick, the 180th overall. He also honored a promise he had made to Ruth, and in the spring of 1962, returned to Smith to complete his baccalaureate. By that time, he wore a ring that only 1961 champions of the NFL claimed. Before year’s end, it, too, had a mate. The price for the two, Elijah happily paid. He was what one source termed “the prototype [Coach Vince] Lombardi player: smart, versatile, durable.” The iconic coach honored him with an unprecedented designation. He carried the football, passed, caught passes, was a ferocious blocker, and returned punts and kick-offs. He was such a punishing tackler that Lombardi made him captain of all the special teams. As such, Elijah contributed uniquely to a dynasty that dominated the NFL during the whole of the decade, with few equals in the annals of professional football.
One observer concluded that a quartet of players were at the heart of Green Bay’s uncanny success, three en route to the NFL Hall of fame, quarterback Bart Starr and running backs Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor. The fourth? Elijah, who excelled at more positions, offensive as well as defensive, than any other man on the squad. Elijah appeared in a total of 126 games for the Packers, his final 6 in 1971, after a season split between two other NFL franchises. Although starting just 19 Packer games in his career, he tallied 35 touchdowns, plus 3 in post-season play-offs, while accounting for a sparkling 3, 773 total yards. His muscular 200-pound body aching from years of bruising play, Elijah left the gridiron in 1972.The following two years found him excelling as a college talent scout for the Packers. Subsequently, to no one’s surprise, the 37-yearold embarked on a more than two-decade career as a coach that proved as successful as his seasons on the gridiron. In both Canadian and American professional football, he combined what his playing had taught him with Vince-Lombardi-like strategies to earn him a reputation as a football wizard and a masterful handler of men of all races and persuasions. Longtime NFL Head Coach Marv Levy, who guided four Buffalo teams to the Super Bowl, was the most public of the numerous football luminaries convinced that Elijah possessed credentials ideal for an NFL head coaching position. But no such position came to him. Honors did, however: in 1979, induction into the Packers Hall of Fame; in 1980, entry into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame; in 1997, an award celebrating his years-long support of the United Negro College Fund. Midway through the following fall’s NFL season, Elijah was diagnosed with stomach cancer. It could not be halted, and on July 10, 1998, he died. Two years later, the Conway Athletic Awards Commission acted to keep alive the memory of its revered native son by establishing the Elijah Pitts Award, to go annually to a noteworthy contributor to area athletics. Faulkner County and the 501 are proud that a superior athlete labeled “a great gentleman” with “a sweet disposition” called them home.
During his distinguished professional football career, Elijah Pitts appeared on several player cards, which are on display at the Pine Street CommUnity Museum in Conway.
501 LIFE is once again profiling noteworthy athletes, men and women who made their mark in the 501. The “Celebrating athletic excellence” series features one from each of the 11 counties in the 501. The 11 are representatives of the quality of athletes found throughout Central Arkansas. This is the third of 11 installments in the fourth “Celebrating athletic excellence” series. A photo featuring Green Bay’s Elijah Pitts on the cover of Sports World. September 2020 501lifemag.com | 69
A ‘Big Boy’ adventure in the 501 Linda Henderson Jim and Linda Henderson are lifelong residents of the 501. They travel the 501 and other areas of Arkansas. Jim drives and hauls equipment. Linda takes photographs of Arkansas. During their travels, they have gained appreciation and love for The Natural State. They have found the 501 has so much to offer for fun and beauty to photograph.
Last year, we spent some fun-filled days chasing the world’s largest steam locomotive as it passed through the 501. Union Pacific celebrated the 150th anniversary of the “Great Race Across the Southwest” with a tour of the Big Boy Steam Locomotive 4014 through Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. The steam locomotive is owned and operated by Union Pacific Railroad. It was built in 1941 by the American Locomotive Company in New York. Number 4014 is the only operating Big Boy of the eight that remain in existence. It was in operation until 1959 and was then donated to the Railway Locomotive Historical Society. In 2013, Union Pacific reacquired the locomotive and started restoration in its repair shop in Cheyenne, Wyo. It took almost three years to restore Big Boy before the 2019 historical tour across the western and central parts of the United States. The locomotive was completely disassembled and rebuilt by Union Pacific from the frame up. The engine was removed and meticulously taken apart piece by piece. Each nut, bolt and part of the locomotive was cleaned, repaired and re-engineered to bring
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the locomotive back to running order. I started my chase of Big Boy in South Central Arkansas and chased it as it crossed Arkansas. On an early Tuesday morning, I photographed the locomotive first while it was stopped overnight at the Prescott Depot. During the day, it made brief whistle-stops at depots in Gurdon and Malvern, before stopping for the day in North Little Rock, where it was on display until Friday. We resumed our chase on Friday as it crossed the remainder of Arkansas. Our first planned opportunity to photo the train was as it crossed over the bridge at Palarm Creek. Downtown Conway was the next stop. A large crowd came out to see and welcome the giant locomotive. The next stop was at the Morrilton Depot. We caught it as it flew through Atkins. There was another whistle-stop in Russellville. Our next stop was on private land next to the Arkansas River. We barely caught a glimpse of Big Boy as it passed under the Arkansas River Bridge at Ozark. Our final stop on Friday evening was in Van Buren. On Saturday morning, I was able to photograph Big Boy as the sun rose over the city and Big Boy started its final embark out of Arkansas. It was a thrill to feel and see the 1.2 million pound, 86 feet long, 16 feet tall locomotive as it passed by. I loved seeing the steam bellowing out of the huge steam pistons and the smokestack. The sound of the steam whistle blowing and ringing brass bell as the train pulled away from the rail yard was a joy. I enjoyed the stories from the other chasers. Many were from other states and a few had been chasing since Big Boy started its epic journey in Cheyenne. My favorite rail side encounter was with an elderly man who wanted to experience an operating steam locomotive again. He told me about being in Grand Central Station as a boy during the time steam locomotion operated. He said he could still remember the sound and the sights of multiple trains arriving and departing. He told me about the coal debris that filled the air as the big engines left the station. He talked about the joy of boarding a train and the excitement of a little boy as the train started its slow departure from the station. I had a blast talking to other photographers about their techniques for capturing their best images of the fast-moving train. I saw old photography friends, met photographers I have only known online and made new friends. All and all it was a fun time filled with history and adventure as we chased Big Boy around the state. September 2020 501lifemag.com | 71
đ&#x;‘Ľ
NEIGHBORS special friends
Pet therapy
‘I just found that animals help open doors’ by Sonja J. Keith
Methodist Family Health has enlisted the help of special furry friends to help those in their care. In 2002, Methodist started its pet therapy program. In 2008, the agency began working with Pet Partners of Central Arkansas, a non-profit group of registered teams of trained dogs and handlers who visit hospitals, schools and other facilities and special events. Its mission is to bring hope and healing to others through the human-animal bond. Frankie Stovall is the recreational therapy supervisor for Methodist Behavioral Hospital, where she has worked for three years. “I adopted Alaric with the intention and hope that he would become a good therapy dog, which he did,� she said. Kelli Reep, director of communications, said Frankie is the agency’s first pet therapy handler and Alaric, a rescued dog, its first “employed� pet. “My history with animals as far as the therapy goes back a long way,� said Frankie, explaining that she previously worked with Hearts and Hooves to provide equine assisted therapy. While Frankie has “three equine assisted partners,� Alaric is her first pet therapy dog. “I just found that animals help open doors. People just seem motivated to engage with animals, be it a horse or a dog or whatever. It just gives you that kind of comfortable space where clients feel more open to being themselves and to let some guards down and express themselves a little bit more.� Kelli said that Methodist Family Health has equine therapy in its Northeast Arkansas programs. Pet therapy is also offered at the Methodist residential homes and through its CARES program for mothers and young children. Frankie points out that while the lines appear somewhat blurred these days, there are distinct differences between therapy, emotional support and service dogs. She said a pet therapy dog is certified and provides therapeutic wellness to individuals. An emotional support dog is prescribed by a doctor for a person for emotional issues. USDA specified, a service dog is trained to provide a service for an individual’s specific disability. Unlike pet therapy and emotional support dogs, a service dog is allowed to go anywhere. At Methodist, Frankie said Alaric tries to see one group each day for pet therapy. “That ensures that our kids get to see him, officially, at least once a week.� In addition, when not under the constraints of COVID-19, volunteer Pat White brings her pet therapy dogs every other Thursday, giving the clients another opportunity. “It’s more than what we did before because Alaric is here,� Frankie said. “It’s kind of neat because our kids are here about two weeks. The first week they 72 | 501 LIFE September 2020
Frankie Stovall is Methodist Family Health’s first pet therapy handler and Alaric, a rescued dog, its first “employed� pet. (Mike Kemp photo) meet him and the second week they have a rapport and they remember the tricks he does and the com-
mands that you use. Their communication with him their second week is really neat because they can
“
I just found that animals help open doors. People just seem motivated to engage with animals, be it a horse or a dog or whatever. It just gives you that kind of comfortable space where clients feel more open to being themselves and to let some guards down and express themselves a little bit more.
”
Frankie Stovall with Suede, a horse she rescued.
— Frankie Stovall
get him to perform his tricks without having to be taught. That gives them self-confidence and they can work on their communication skills.” Alaric, who is about a year old, does about six tricks, which is good given his age. Frankie has had extensive training and experience with dogs. “My history with dogs goes way back. I showed AKC Airedale terriers and my parents were judges,” she said. “Once I got Alaric, we started from the moment I put him in the truck working on behavioral expectations; how I expected him to behave and how he was to interact with me. We built on that with basic command skills and socialization. “Then we hooked up with Pet Partners and they have expectations as far as their certification. He has to sit, stay, come, down, accept strangers, accept rough pets, be in the presence of another dog without interacting and interact with a variety of different behaviors.” When Frankie felt Alaric was ready, he underwent a 45-minute practical test with interactive scenarios to determine certification. Frankie said one of the scenarios involved leaving food or a toy on the ground and Alaric could not go after it. “The test was either pass or fail, and he passed,” Frankie said,
Frankie Stovall and Alaric accept homemade face coverings for Methodist Family Health. adding that with younger dogs there is a typical 60 percent fail rate. “He’s a neat dog. I like to say he’s got an old soul.” Frankie said she has been very pleased with Alaric’s demeanor, which is different with each young person, who range from ages 4 to almost 18. “He loves to play with them,” she said, adding that he enjoys snuggling. “When kids approach him, he’s always wagging his tail. He lowers his head and has soft eyes.” Alaric also visits with the Methodist Family staff when they take a break. Kellie has seen firsthand the value of a pet therapy dog with staff. She recalled several years ago asking that one of the pet therapy dogs be brought to the Foundation office. “I have never seen so many people flock into one room as I saw that one day,” she said, adding that the interaction helped with the
work that was being done. Frankie said she plans to continue with Alaric’s training, with the addition of new tricks. “I just build on the natural behaviors he already presents,” she said, adding that some of the clients really enjoy just walking the dog. “He just follows them and looks at them. They’re like, ‘He’s actually listening to me.’ It’s good because a lot of our kids feel like people don’t really hear them.” To illustrate the difference that Alaric is making, Frankie shared a story about a client, a 17-year-old who looked like a grown man. Showing up by himself for pet therapy, Alaric was wiggly and eager to play. “The kid just burst into tears and Alaric just climbed up into his lap and curled up into a ball. That young man just sat there and cried, and Alaric just never moved a muscle. That’s why I like animals so well because the therapeutic moment will present itself just as a part of nature. That was a really good example of that.” Frankie has been amazed by Alaric’s interaction with clients, especially in light of his age and big size. “I’ve been really happy and impressed with how he has adapted to his job. He’s brought a different dynamic,” Frankie said, adding that she enjoys watching people interact with Alaric. “Everybody calls him ‘our dog’ which is kind of neat.”
September 2020 501lifemag.com | 73
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NEIGHBORS person of the month
Vivian Lawson Hogue
CITY: A Conway native and resident. EDUCATION: Conway Public Schools, Hendrix College and UCA, where I received a B.S.E. in education with a major in art and a minor in social studies. My “informal education� came from watching my mother cook and sew, and tagging along behind my botanist dad, “helping� him collect and identify native plants and grasses. WORK: I first taught geography and American
history at Conway Junior High School. The next 21 years were at Conway High School, where I initially taught world history and American history, then only art history and applied art classes.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD: I didn’t! I was guided into it by University of Central Arkansas’s Dr. Audie Lynch who studied my jigsaw puzzle called a transcript. He found a few pieces that fit empty spaces and I ended up doing what I enjoyed!
WHY DO YOU ENJOY HISTORY: I grew up with turn-of-the-20th-century parents and had the good sense to listen to their life stories. That transferred later to local history and my interest in genealogy. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Past president of the
former Old Conway Preservation Society; a graduate of the Citizen’s Police Academy; and a 10-year editor of the Faulkner County Historical Society’s journal “Faulkner Facts and Fiddlings.�
CHURCH ACTIVITIES: Member of Robinson Avenue
Baptist Church.
FAMILY: My husband, Gerald Hogue, and our
children (Gerald Jr., Ginger, Amy and Rob); my late parents, Marvin and Bessie Lawson; brothers, the late Wilbur G. Lawson, M.D., Marvin A. Lawson, J. Larry Lawson, M.D., and the late Noel W. Lawson, M.D.
MOTTO: “Nothing is ever simple.� MOST ENJOYED WEEKEND ACTIVITY: Working on genealogy and gardening.
A graduate of Conway Public Schools and the University of Central Arkansas, Vivian Hogue has a keen interest in local history. “I miss the quietness of Old Conway, knowing almost everyone, and having all the businesses we needed downtown. Regardless, I would call myself nostalgic but grateful for having been born and raised in this place at that time.� (Mike Kemp photo)
74 | 501 LIFE September 2020
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT LIVING IN THE 501: The “501� covers 11 centrally-located Arkansas
counties. From it, the four areas of geographical and cultural differences of the state can be experienced roundtrip in a day’s time.
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