September 2023

Our September theme is “Made in the 501.” We take time each year to discover people, companies, products and programs that launched in Central Arkansas. The list is impressive!

Our cover story is about a business that self-describes as “an Arkansas-based purveyor of locally relevant clothing.” Rock City Outfitters creates sassy, humorous T-shirts with messages only Arkansans will appreciate. We asked the team to create a 501 LIFE Magazine design that highlights why “501” is significant. The 501 area code assigned to Central Arkansas is one of the original 86 area codes that was first put into nationwide service back in 1947. You can purchase the fun shirt at 501lifemag.com.

One fascinating person whose hometown is in the 501 is Dr. Amber Straughn, a NASA physicist from Bee Branch (Van Buren County), who has worked on the James Webb Space Telescope for 15 years. In our Person of the Month feature, she said, “I’ve loved space for as long as I can remember looking up at the dark night skies in Bee Branch.”

From cheese dip to barbecue sauces and ice cream, many guilty-pleasure foods are made in our region. Chef Don Bingham highlights the delicious fruits and vegetables found in gardens and at farmers markets in this month’s Entertaining feature and shares his favorite recipes.

Faulkner County will add a crown jewel to the University of Central Arkansas campus this month with the grand opening of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. We bring you eight pages of photos, taking you on a personal tour of the grand arts center, which will host the public from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 21.

Whether you are a 501 original or happy to have discovered a beautiful region with so much heart, this issue has something for everyone.

PUBLISHER/ART DIRECTOR

Jeremy L. Higginbotham

EDITOR

Stefanie W. Brazile

FOUNDERS

Donna Spears, Sonja Keith and Tracy Ferrell

BRAND AMBASSADOR

Donald Brazile

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Paulette Higginbotham

ADVERTISING SALES

Donna Spears

DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Levi Gilbert

PHOTO DIRECTOR

Mike Kemp

COPY EDITORS

Andrea Lively and Andrea Miller

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Debbie Flowers

SOCIAL MEDIA

Morgan Zimmerman

CONTRIBUTORS

Becky Bell

Don Bingham

Jessica Duff

Dan Feuer

David Grimes

Dwain Hebda

Vivian Lawson Hogue

Tammy Keith

Beth Jimmerson

Mark Oliver

Susan Peterson

Richard Plotkin

Kelli Reep

Judy Riley

Carol Rolf

Donna L. Stephens

Rita Halter Thomas

FAULKNER CO. EDITORIAL BOARD

Johnny Adams

Jack Bell

Don Bingham

Jessica Brown

RaeLynn Callaway

Glenn Crockett

Beth Franks

Sylvia Gauvey

Russ Hancock

Spencer Hawks

Mathilda Hatfield

Roe Henderson

Jerry Hiegel

Antonio Jamison

Mike Kemp

Julie LaRue

Karl Lenser

Monica Lieblong

Lori Melton

Deanna Ott

Pat Otto

Jon Patrom

Amy Reed

Lori Ross

Margaret Smith

Jan Spann

Kim Tyler

Suzann Waggoner

Jennifer Whitehead

Kay Wood

CONWAY CO. 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 CO. EDITORIAL BOARD

Betsy Bailey

Amy Burton

Tara Cathey

Cassandra Feltrop

Phil Hays

Natalie Horton

Matt LaForce

Mike Parsons

Brooke Pryor

Judy Riley

Carol Spears

Kristi Thurmon

Brazile.

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. Advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by 501 LIFE.

On the cover: Akire Williamson (from left), Amanda Horton and Ryan Ritchie sport the new 501 LIFE Magazine T-shirts which are available for purchase through 501lifemag.com. Photo taken at Rock City Outfitters in Conway by Mike Kemp.

501 LIFE would like to thank our advertising partners.

Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 9

_____________________________________

Bears Dean, 55

Bledsoe Chiropractic, 25

Conway Corp, 79

Conway Flooring & Design, 75

Conway Healthcare & Rehab, 77

Conway Regional Health System, 99

Conway Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, 71

Conway Symphony, 52, 89

Denture + Implant Solutions, 68

DJM Orthodontics, 57

Edward Jones, 57

Explore Springdale, 19

_____________________________________

First Community Bank, 43, 96

First Security Bank, 100 First Service Bank, 13

Freyaldenhoven

Heating and Cooling, 31

Hartman Animal Hospital, 82

Harwood, Ott & Fisher, PA, 95

Haynes Ace Hardware, 87

Heritage Living Center, 5 Hot Springs

Arts & Crafts Fair, 63

Kilwins Little Rock, 63

MSC Eye Associates, 77

_____________________________________

Ott Insurance, 29

PCSSD, 59

Power Spine & Sport, 33

PrimeCARE, 37

Renewal Ranch, 23

Reynolds Performance Hall, 51

Salem Place, 53

Shelter Insurance, 87

Superior Health & Rehab, 2

Unity Health, 3, 81

University of Arkansas

Community College

Morrilton, 28

University of Central Arkansas, 31

_____________________________________

Velda LuedersColdwell Banker, 8, 17

501 LIFE is always a good look.

501 LIFE Magazine has always been the perfect fit for positive news about Central Arkansas and now, it can be the same for you.

On sale now is this custom Rock City Outfitters T-shirt celebrating LIFE in the 501 - one of the United States' 86 original area codes.

Visit 501LIFEmag.com to order yours today.

Catch 501 LIFE on KARK News at Noon and Conway Corp each month!

welcome to the Writers’ Room

Susan Peterson holds a Ph.D. in secondary education and taught at UCA and Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

This former reading and language arts teacher loves sharing information about local authors, hoping their stories will inspire others.

Now retired, she spends her time painting, making pottery and playing pickleball.

Mark Oliver is an award-winning sports broadcaster and sportswriter from Garland County. A UCA graduate, he has announced play-by-play for Fountain Lake High School football since 2010 and serves as the Sports Information Director and play-by-play announcer for National Park College. Mark lives in Hot Springs with his wife, Hanna, and three boys: Michael, Ben and River.

Carol Rolf graduated from Little Rock Central High, where she was editor of the newspaper, and from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. She has worked for state and local newspapers. She edits a newsletter for Newcomers’ Club of Conway and is PR Chairman for the Arkansas State Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

An Evening with John Cusack and Screening of “Sixteen Candles”

Sept. 15 • Little Rock

Faulkner Co. Fair and Parade

Sept. 19-23 • Conway

“Let the Good Times Grow” is the theme of the fair, which will be held at the Conway Expo and Fairgrounds, 2505 E. Oak St. The parade is planned for 5 p.m. Sept. 19, downtown, and commercial exhibits also open at that time. Several events begin weeks before the main fair begins, so check faulknercountyfair.net/schedule-of-events for information. Armband days are planned for Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday until 3 p.m.

Fall Antique Auto Swap Meet

Sept. 21-23 • Petit Jean Mountain

American actor, producer and screenwriter John Cusack will host an intimate screening at Robinson Center at 7:30 p.m., followed by a live conversation about his career and the making of the film and a Q&A session. With four decades of experience and 70+ roles under his belt, Cusack is one of Hollywood’s most respected actors and unconventional heroes. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

Main Street Food Truck Festival

Sept. 17 • Downtown Little Rock

Antique auto enthusiasts are invited to the Museum of Automobiles for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. events, which are free. Antique, classic and special interest automobiles will be for sale, and more than 200 vendors will offer parts and memorabilia. Military vehicles will also be on display. On Saturday there is an “Open Car Show” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with classes for all cars. Registration for show vehicles is $20. Contact 501.727.5427.

Get Down Downtown

Sept. 29-30 • Searcy

Don’t miss one of the top 10 food truck festivals in the U.S.! From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the 300-800 blocks of Main St., enjoy more than 60 food trucks, vendors, drinks and music. The festival attracts tens of thousands of attendees! The karaoke stage is always popular, and a dedicated Kid Zone full of activities has been added. Learn more on Facebook or at mainstreetfoodtrucks.com.

This free family-friendly festival features music, vendors, games, rides and more, all hosted by Main Street Searcy. The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday. Singer and songwriter David Lee Murphy, best known for his hit “Dust on the Bottle,” will headline at 8 p.m. Saturday. The Funnel Cake 5K and Cotton Candy Classic begin Saturday morning. Visit Facebook for details.

Creative Central

Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is new home for family art and activities in the 501

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA) opened the doors of its new location in April with a stunning 133,000 square foot campus nestled in Little Rock’s beautiful MacArthur Park. The museum is committed to creating an inclusive cultural space for the community to engage with diverse artistic perspectives through its permanent collections, compelling temporary exhibitions, live theatre, and enriching art courses.

Every Saturday in September, AMFA is offering a free, hands-on art making class perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Each week the art making activity is different, so new inspiration can be found for unique art pieces.

The AMFA concert series features musical guests from multiple genres including jazz, soul, indie folk and more. Thursday, September 14 at 7:30, enjoy a performance of the musical collaboration that brings together the soulful vocals of Don Bryant with the

funk powerhouse sound of The BoKeys. The Memphis Music Hall of Fame singer and songwriter's biggest charttopping hit came from working with Ann Peebles on I Can’t Stand the Rain (1973).

Beginning on September 30th, AMFA’s Children’s Theatre brings to the stage “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show about a Terrible Monster”. Hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, furry monster puppets, live actors and songs bring the Mo Willems’ book to life. This fun colorful play is a delight.

During any visit to AMFA, be sure to enjoy Park Grill’s newly launched brunch menu, relax with a coffee in the Cultural Living Room, take a tour of the art galleries, or have fun playing with Flurffy, AMFA’s puppet-in-residence. The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is a place where your whole family can discover and experience art together. Learn more about all activities and events offered at arkmfa.org.

THIS SEPTEMBER, 501 READERS ARE

First Security Bank Gold Club of Saline County members were “Loving LIFE” at Arches National Park in Utah.

Dr. Cole Crye was “Loving

after graduating with his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from UCA. He has moved to Dallas, where he will work for Baylor University Medical Center.

The team at Conway Regional Rehabilitation Hospital was “Loving LIFE” and enjoying a Staff Appreciation Picnic on Aug. 3 in Conway. The acute inpatient rehab hospital has served Faulkner County residents for nearly two decades.

John and Shara Hutchcraft were “Loving LIFE” in Albufeira, Portugal, where the USA Global team won the European Senior Basketball Tournament.

Sharon and Gerald Freeman of Cleveland (Conway County) were “Loving LIFE” when they visited Mount Rushmore on July 22 to celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary.

Ashley Stoughton was “Loving LIFE” at Greenbrier’s Back to School Breakfast & Expo for teachers. She held the August 501 LIFE issue that features her husband, Dr. Derek Stoughton, on the cover with UCA band members. She is a new teacher at Westside Elementary, and their theme for the school year is “Westside Imagineers Reach for the Sky.”

Linda Jones (from left), Sheila Jones, Myrna Richardson and Cindy Giles, all of El Paso (White County), were “Loving LIFE” at Drottningholm Palace in Skero, which is the home of the king and queen of Sweden.

Xander Nunnally (from left), Matthew Nunnally, Hunter Bledsoe, Dr. Amanda Bledsoe and Carolyn Nunnally enjoyed the last week of summer break at Santa Rosa Beach. The Nunnallys are from Searcy and the Bledsoes are from Little Rock.

501 LIFE’s July cover focus, Lt. Col. Jason Smedley and his wife Kelly were “Loving LIFE” at the ribbon cutting for the new Arkansas Military & First Responder’s school in Little Rock.

Advances in Education

UCA announces hires, promotions in Division of Advancement

The University of Central Arkansas Division of Advancement has announced several recent hires and promotions.

Joan Shofner, of Conway and a 1994 UCA graduate, was promoted to associate vice president for campaign and development effective May 1. Shofner has worked at UCA for 13 years and most recently served as associate vice president of campaign and legacy planning.

Greg Weber, of Conway, was promoted to assistant vice president of legacy planning effective May 1. Weber had previously served two years as the senior director of development for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Also on May 1, Jennifer Boyett, of Conway and a 2001 UCA graduate, was hired as director of campaign communications. Boyett previously worked at UCA from 2001-2013 and most recently served as executive director

of the United Way of Central Arkansas.

In July, Mollie Henager, of Little Rock and a 2016 UCA graduate, was promoted to senior director of foundation relations and development. She previously served for two years as director of development and foundation relations.

Jim Smith, of Greenbrier, also joined the advancement division in July as the senior director of development of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Smith’s fundraising career spans more than 20 years and includes previous leadership roles at West Virginia University School of Medicine and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

UCA’s Division of Advancement includes the offices of development, legacy planning, alumni relations, advancement services, university marketing and communications and also works closely with the UCA Foundation.

Joan Shofner, (left) Greg Weber, Jennifer Boyett, Mollie Henager and Jim Smith are taking on new roles to advance Bear Country.

We are proud to present our 13th 501 Football Team, featuring 28 young men from the region. Nominated by their coaches and chosen by our staff, these players are standouts because of their character, willingness to help teammates, volunteer work and sportsmanship.

A special publication of 501 LIFE is our annual 501 FOOTBALL edition, which offers a unique feature on each of the young men selected for this year’s team. Look for the issue in print and at 501lifemag.com.

Brayden Hull - Poyen; Brooks Ward - Catholic High School; Cade Davis - Magnet Cove; Calan Cowdery - Mayflower; Caleb Schultz - Bismark; Caleb Turner - Bigelow; Cash Hays - Quitman; Chauncey Johnson - Lonoke; Donovyn Omolo - Conway; Eli Weaver - Greenbrier; Garrison Waldrop - Beebe; Gavin Reardon - Cabot; Grayson Wilson - CAC; Hays Buckley - Morrilton; Jace Garcia - Searcy; Jalen Dupree - Malvern; James Holder - Bald Knob; Josh Brooks - Lake Hamilton; Kade Williams - Conway Christian; Kendall Williams - Hot Springs; Kyler Hoover - Harding Academy; Luke Underwood - Perryville; Maddox Moore - Harmony Grove; Nik Franklin - Riverview; Ryan Enis - Vilonia; Skylar Purifoy - Hot Springs Lakeside; Tanner Holden - Benton; Zane Widener - Clinton

Florencia “Flo” Bruzatori-Mullins and Jeremy Mullins

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

HER STORY:

NATIVE OF: I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

EDUCATION: I hold a BA In mass communications (Radio/ TV/Film), a BBA in advertising/public relations and a BBA In marketing from the University of Arkansas - Little Rock.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY’S RESTAURANT AND WHY

IT IS MEANINGFUL TO YOU: My family and I opened our Argentinian restaurant, Buenos Aires Grill and Cafe, almost seven years ago in the River Market District. For me, the restaurant presented the perfect opportunity to be closer to my roots and share our culture with the Central Arkansas community and beyond.

CHILDREN: Mateo Mullins (13), Isabella “Isa” Mullins (10), and Nicolas “Nico” Mullins (7).

COMMUNITY/CHURCH ACTIVITIES: We are parishioners of St. Anne Catholic Church in North Little Rock, and our children attend Immaculate Conception School, so we are involved with both parishes. My family participates in the International Food Festival hosted by St. Anne Catholic Church every year. We usually try to serve a traditional Argentinian dish. Through the restaurant, we have been able to support our community by participating in many fundraising events, such as A la Carte, hosted by the Arkansas Children's Hospital Auxiliary, and BrunchFest benefiting The Centers For Youth And Families. Every year, we donate a Tapas,Tango & Wine package to Sonfest, the biggest fundraiser event at our church.

HOBBIES/SPECIAL INTERESTS: Being from Argentina, you could say futbol (soccer) runs in our blood. Since we moved to Arkansas back in 2002, I have been a volunteer coach at Lakewood Property Owners Association located in North Little Rock. I am currently coaching my daughter's U11 girls team and it is the highlight of my week!

I also enjoy cooking and baking. I am a giver, so cooking for family and friends is my way to show love and care. When time allows, I enjoy getting out on the tennis court for a friendly match with family or friends.

With my line of work, finding free time can be difficult. I try to be thoughtful and intentional with how I spend my little free time. Being able to sit down and talk to my kids about their day is something that I do daily and hope to continue doing even after they grow up and leave the nest.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF: I am very easygoing with a happy predisposition. I enjoy talking to people and getting to know their life story. I can be somewhat

THEIR STORY:

of a perfectionist and workaholic, so I have to constantly remind myself to try to be present and welcome things as they come. I am a great multitasker and work great under pressure.

DO YOU COOK ANY SPECIAL DISHES: Two of my favorite things to cook are homemade gnocchi and homemade pizza.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT LIVING IN THE 501 (CENTRAL ARKANSAS): Living in 501 is wonderful! You get the big city feel with the short commute and traffic. I am a city girl, but I really enjoy the tranquility you can find just driving a short 15 minutes away from the city. We enjoy walking the river bridges, visiting the many parks, and just an all-around abundance of nature.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO: Live one day at a time. Though since we opened the restaurant, I have adjusted my motto to live one minute at a time.

HIS STORY:

EDUCATION: I hold an associate of applied science in surveying.

WORK: Our family owns and operates Buenos Aires Grill and Cafe.

COMMUNITY/CHURCH ACTIVITIES: We are parishioners at St. Anne Catholic Church. Our kids go to Immaculate Conception Catholic School. I participate in any volunteering needs the school has.

HOBBIES/SPECIAL INTERESTS: I enjoy duck hunting and golfing. At home, I really enjoy impromptu Nerf wars with my three kids.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF: I am a bit of an introvert until I get to know people.

WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU: I have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in the U.S. Army.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT LIVING IN THE 501: Having traveled the world, I am a big fan of the Southern hospitality you find in the 501.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

We met while attending North Little Rock High School in 2003. We both registered for the same art class. After a few weeks, we finally spoke and spent the rest of the year getting to know each other. We have been together since. Of course, all couples have ups and downs and so did we, but this year is our 20th anniversary since we started dating. We got married right before Jeremy’s second deployment. We will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary in January.

After so many years together, we feel very thankful for being able to share the life we have created. It is not perfect or easy, but we both try to have a good sense of humor and give each other grace. We have very different personalities, but it works for us. As a family, we enjoy movie night, traveling and a good summer day spent by the pool. In Argentinian culture, family and food are at the center of anything we do. Any excuse is a good excuse to get together with family and friends. Life can be hectic with a family business and three kids, but we try to make the best of the time we have together!

Photo by Mike Kemp

Designer

Style

Architects take to the runway in support of the Alex Foundation

Lori Yazwinski Santa-Rita and Randy Palculict are two of 10 architects who will model at the Oct. 1 fundraising event “Merging Architecture & Fashion” that will benefit the Alex Foundation. The event will be held at UA – Pulaski Tech in North Little Rock.

Photo by Mike Kemp

Architects from across the State of Arkansas are putting their renderings and drawings aside to model the latest runway apparel and ready-to-wear couture in support of The Alex Foundation. “Merging Architecture & Fashion” will take place Oct. 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Center for Humanities and Arts at UA - Pulaski Technical College, 3000 W. Scenic Drive, North Little Rock. The benefit’s Platinum Sponsor is the University of Arkansas’s Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design (FJSOAD).

The Alex Foundation’s mission is to engage students, especially those with limited access and rural students, in exploring architecture and design through place-based learning, experiential learning, project-based learning and multi-disciplinary learning. Because of donors and fundraising events like “Merging Architecture & Fashion,” the nonprofit is able to provide all meals, supplies, materials, staff, architects and allied professionals’ time at no cost.

The fashion show, styled by Belk Department Store, is part of an evening that includes an awards ceremony and a live musical performance by Grammy-nominated John Two-Hawks. Tickets to the fashion show and awards program, which includes the musical performance, are $50 and can be purchased online at uaptc.edu/charts/ticketing or at eventbrite.com.

“We easily serve more than 600 students annually, through STEAM programming (science, technology, engineering, architecture and math) in schools and during the summer months at no cost to the schools, students or their families,” said Angela Courtney, executive director of the Alex Foundation. “This fundraiser will help us fund our programs and services as we start a new academic school year.

“The Alex Foundation offers place-based education where students and teachers participate in experiential learning field trips at historic places such as the

University of Arkansas at Monticello property, Hollywood Plantation and Taylor House (which displays dogtrotstyle architecture), the John H. Johnson Museum (which teaches vernacular architecture), and more,” Courtney continued.

The runway portion of the evening will be moderated by Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, who is the associate dean of FJSOAD. The event will be hosted by John Folan, head of the Department of Architecture.

This year, the benefit coincides with World Architecture Day, which was established in 1985 by the International Union of Architects and is celebrated annually on the first Monday of October to increase awareness and appreciation of the importance of the field. In observance, the program will include a special presentation on merging architecture and fashion.

Architects who will model in the fashion show will include Bradley Buckart and Patty Opitz of the architectural firm Polk Stanley Wilcox; Chris East of Cromwell Architects Engineers; Tommy Jamieson of Jameson Architects; Randy Palculict of Jackson Brown Palculict Architects; Lori Yazwinski Santa-Rita of Jennings + Santa-Rita Architecture Firm; Jeremiah Russell of Rogue Architecture; Brent Shelor of Nature’s Angle, LLC; and Carl Smith, professor of landscape architecture at FJSOAD.

As part of the evening, The Alex Foundation will award Heart and Treasure Awards to individuals, companies and organizations who have been consistent champions of its cause.

This year’s award recipients are:

Architects: Brad Chilcote, AIA; Russell Rudzinski, AIA Individuals: Doug Hutchins, Blue Bell Creameries, L.P.; Janis F. Kearney, Celebrate! Maya Project Businesses: Heifer International; Garver Engineers.

It's time to say farewell to that fresh summer produce

By Don Bingham

It's quite easy when we think of things "made in the 501" to celebrate the many fresh vegetables and food products that are grown and produced in this wonderful Southern countryside! From the pecans in the harvest season to the fresh tomatoes and corn in late summer, the kitchens are in full-steam production with canning and freezing for the coming winter months. We are loving the last-minute vegetable dinners!

There are as many recipes to share as there are available vegetables. Most of us Southerners grew up with delightful produce from our family gardens, with purple hull peas, cream-style corn, fried okra, fresh-sliced tomatoes with cucumbers and onions as staples. In the 1950s, we had a regular "peddler" come on Tuesday and Thursday, driving down the streets of our neighborhood in Huntsville, Ala., with his truck loaded with vegetables from his garden, ready for us to walk to the street in front of our home and purchase the vegetables for the evening supper.

One of my chores was to shuck the corn. I can't say I always loved that chore, but I endured it more than the chore when we sat on movable stools and picked beans up and down those seemingly ten-mile-long rows in the hot sun! I was never a country boy at heart, just loved fresh vegetables. One of my favorite eating establishments was in Gatlinburg, Tenn.—The Hays House—where the daily lunch menu was served family style, with large trays of bowl after bowl of fresh vegetables and meats to pass. What a delicious memory! Here are some Bingham favorite simple recipes for these final days of celebrating the wonderful products of homegrown delicacies.

Recipes continued on page 23

Cream-Style Corn

4-6 ears of corn, shucked and cut off cob

1/2 cup water or milk

2 Tbsp. heavy cream or half-and-half

1 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. sugar, if needed

Place corn in a saucepan, then add water or milk. Bring to boil, then cook for 6-8 minutes. Make a slurry of the cream or half-and-half and cornstarch; mix slurry till smooth, with no lumps. Slowly add the slurry to the middle of the saucepan of corn, stirring continuously until corn is at your desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and (if needed) sugar to taste.

Helen's Sauteed Squash

5-7 small yellow squash, sliced in rounds

3 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion, diced Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. sugar, if needed

Place squash in pot and cover squash with water Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until tender. Drain squash and set aside.

In a skillet, melt butter and sauté diced onion until translucent. Add squash and blend in butter and onion mixture; taste for salt and pepper. Cook for 7-10 minutes, adding 1 tsp. of sugar, if needed.

Recipes continued on page 24

Photo by Mike Kemp

End-of-Summer Cornbread

2 cups of self-rising buttermilk cornmeal mix

1 whole egg

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup corn oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, placing an iron skillet in the oven to heat while making cornbread mixture. Reserve half (¼ cup) of the corn oil, then mix remaining ingredients, adding more buttermilk and/or oil to the mixture if the consistency is too thick. When the oven reaches 450, add the remaining 1/4 cup of corn oil to the hot skillet. Pour cornbread mixture into the hot skillet and bake until the cornbread is browned and set, about 15-20 minutes.

Rock City Outfitters has life in Arkansas

down to a tee.

Shirt designers remind us of experiences unique to the 501

By Donna Lampkin Stephens

Rock City Outfitters makes it its business to keep up with the 501 and all of Arkansas.

The business — and the shirts — are literally made in the 501.

Its website is irreverent, sassy and cool. According to rockcityoutfitters.com, the company, founded in 2008, is “an Arkansas-based purveyor of locally relevant clothing.” The shirts are distributed through the website, local festivals and small boutiques throughout the state.

The 501-area references on shirts for sale on the website include Pinnacle Mountain, Toad Suck, Burns Park Rocket Slide, Lake Conway, Conway roundabouts, Ray Winder Field and War Memorial Golf Course. The website also includes a school spirit section, including early University of Central Arkansas logos and “the beloved bear,” and another group of Conway Wampus Cat shirts. Naturally, the inventory includes a number of Arkansas Razorback references, many of them vintage.

How does Rock City stay locally relevant?

“We’re just very in tune with what’s going on throughout the state,” said Ryan Ritchie, who with his best friend from childhood, Matt Jones, bought the business in 2012. “Our shop (at 1012 Oak St. in downtown Conway) is just a large building, and we’re all together every day, constantly talking. We’ve got the radio on. We’ve got a

huge white board, kind of an idea bank, and somebody hears something and they jot it down.”

Other inspiration comes from people suggesting topics.

Ritchie said Jason Duncan, the business’ head printer “who has been with us forever,” is a big driver of the designs.

“The way we stay fresh and keep moving shirts is by staying current with things going on around the state, current news events and sporting events,” Duncan said. “Then when you catch on to the current buzz around town, the next thing is to come up with a funny saying or lighthearted comment on the event. This is always the fun part. Whose toes are you gonna step on? Who’s gonna love it? Or maybe who’s gonna see it and agree with it but just shake their head and smile? This part of the job never stops for me. It’s 24/7 — anything can spark an idea.”

Ritchie, 43, said Rock City’s clientele generally includes people with a tie to the state who, when they see a certain design, have a story about it.

“Sort of, ‘I remember going to this place as a kid,’” he said. “Nostalgia is a huge part of it.”

Before buying the company, he was a small-business consultant, dealing with entrepreneurs and helping them get their companies heading in the right direction.

Continued on page 28

Photo by Mike Kemp

“I decided I wanted to be an entrepreneur — this was what I wanted to do,” he said. “We were fans of the business. It was different than anything we’d seen, focusing on the parts of Arkansas that were kind of weird, a little different and what made each community kind of its own.”

Under Ritchie, the business has grown, especially its online presence and custom screen printing and design work. According to the website, it does special design and custom orders as small as 12 pieces.

“We’re starting to become more of a household name as far as being known for quirky Arkansas T-shirts,” Ritchie said. “Our custom printing business is from people who’ve purchased from us online. The custom printing is a growing part of our business.”

Rock City employs five, and Ritchie said he would be looking to hire another one or two people soon. The biggest part of the business is the Shirt of the Month Club, in which members get a new shirt a month. “We were generally putting out a new shirt every month, so we decided, since we have a lot of repeat customers who were buying whatever shirt came out, to make a club, with a discounted price and free shipping,” he said. “It’s something they could be surprised by. They don’t know what’s coming.”

Aside from the website, boutiques and festivals, Rock City Outfitters also rents booth space at various places around the state. Ritchie stays busy on the road restocking.

“We’re, of course, focused on Arkansas as a whole, but we definitely have a deep connection with Central Arkansas,” he said. “The 501, obviously, resonates with us for sure.”

Ryan and Melanie Ritchie are owners of Rock City Outfitters with their best friends Matt and Sheena Jones (not pictured).

BOTTOM LEFT: Matt Jones (from left), a customer, a mannequin, another customer and Ryan Ritchie at Riverfest in Little Rock in 2014. Jones and Ritchie traded them T-shirts for beer.

CENTER : Rock City Outfitters owners Ryan Ritchie (back row, third from left) and Sheena and Matt Jones (on either side of Sheryl Crow) are photographed with her band after the band members bought several shirts at Riverfest.

RIGHT: Patrick Smith (from left), Andy Beard, Matt Jones and Ryan Ritchie at one of their first booth setups in 2013 at the Razorback game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. They have been best buddies since the age of 3.

Rock City Outfitters store located in Downtown Conway.

Photo by Mike Kemp

WELCOME BEAR TO COUNTRY.

The University of Central Arkansas delivers more than you ever imagined, all more accessible than ever. Explore 130+ programs and certificates. Lots of housing options. Top facilities, like the brand-new Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. And opportunities to pursue your dream future. Get started today!

YOUTH OF THE MONTH

AKIRE

WILLIAMSON

By Becky Bell

Photo by Mike Kemp

Fifteen-year-old Akire Williamson is like her peers in a lot of ways. But a true distinction between them is that she is the author of the book “Twinkle” with the theme “don’t be a bully, be a star.” “Twinkle” is available on Amazon.

The reason Akire wanted to write the book as an 8-yearold was that she wanted other children to understand the impact of bullying.

“I was being bullied when I was in elementary school,” she said. “The book was basically an outlet where I could talk about stuff and help people out. I wanted to reach out to those who had been bullied and show that a lot of people experience it; it’s not just you. I wanted to show them they are not alone. I wanted to show them it’s not OK at all.”

Akire said the bullying she encountered at school led to her developing insecurities and social anxiety. “The bullies who taunted me in both the third and fourth grade would call me fly, meaning I looked like a fly, the insect apparently, and that didn’t make me feel good at all. They would talk about my forehead being big and about my messed-up teeth, and these were some things I had never felt bad about before,” she said.

“This would get in my head. I started thinking about these things and I would get really anxious. I didn’t want people to talk to me.”

So as this behavior continued, the then 8-year-old Akire had an idea. She said she knew her “Nana,” Mary Ousley, had a computer in her room, and so she began writing her book. And eventually, she showed it to her grandmother.

“She said, ‘Wow, this is really amazing,’ and she thought I did really good,” Akire said. Through the book, the character of Twinkle, a star who ran away from home for being too small, is taught to stand up for herself and learns to never allow others to cause one to do anything other than shine.

Ousley described her granddaughter as being brave for writing the book. “She found a great way to cope with what she was dealing with by writing about it, and she was very courageous by doing that. I’m not saying this because I am her grandmother. She is just an amazing young lady,” Ousley said. “She is a great granddaughter, she is an awesome sister to her siblings, and she is just a joy to be around.”

In the summers and in her spare time from school, Akire spends time at the Martin Street Youth Center in Jacksonville (Pulaski County), the same place that hosted a book introduction party when her book was published back in May 2017. She keeps the message of anti-bullying strong among the kindergarten through 12th-grade students who use the center for recreation throughout the year. During

“Akire doesn’t like bullies very well, and over the past five years she has blossomed and is in a good place,” Lane said. “To be honest, if I could, I would clone her because she personifies what the youth center is. She has good social interaction skills, and she does anything I need to show new kids the ropes as well as the rules.”

Akire is looking forward to the school year and will play her flute in the Jacksonville High School band. She has also become interested in another instrument—the guitar—and said her grandmother got her one for her most recent birthday.

“I knew there would be some challenges. It is hard. You move your hands and maneuver your hands in some ways, and it is hard. But I like it. I like a challenge,” Akire said. “I haven’t experienced my fingers bleeding, but I have experienced my fingers peeling and my skin and fingers hurting because when you push down on the strings, that hurts.”

With Akire’s accomplishment of already having written a book, there is no telling what the young lady might do next. And one thing is for sure—bullies will have nothing to say about it.

“Twinkle” by Akire Williamson

A good call

Brad Allen turned his talent as a world champion duck caller into a successful Central Arkansas business

By Judy Riley

Photos by Mike Kemp

Perseverance and passion led Brad Allen to become a world-class duck caller and a creator of a sought-after product, Elite Duck Calls. His passion for duck hunting began at age 6, largely because of his love for his dad. Bill Allen was a farmer and spent long hours traveling to work on his farm. Son Brad cherished his time with his dad during duck hunts in the fall and winter as much as he enjoyed the hunts. The passion for duck hunting continued, but when his dad took him to observe a duck-calling contest in 1988, the fire to learn to compete was ignited.

Allen grew up in Beedeville (Jackson County), graduated from Newport High School and the University of Central Arkansas and ultimately became a physical therapist. But the passion to learn to compete continued. “I set my sights on trying to win a world’s contest after graduating college,” Allen said. “I entered my first calling contest in 1998. I was lucky enough to get help from Rick Dunn, who had just won the world’s contest in 1997 and who owns Echo Calls in Beebe. I did not do well that first attempt, but it did not deter me from trying again.”

Allen continued to work full-time as a physical therapist and perfected his calling technique when time allowed. In order to qualify to compete in the World Duck Calling Championship Contest, a person must win at least one of

26 state contests or 33 regional contests held during the year prior to the big one in Stuttgart (Arkansas County). Allen traveled the country competing for 10 years, and then his perseverance paid off. He was named the World Duck Calling Champion three times: 2010, 2012 and 2013. After the second win, he began his duck call business, Elite Duck Calls. The third win disqualified him from competing again, but it gave Allen the encouragement to jumpstart his business, which took off in earnest. He left his physical therapy job in 2016, devoting his full time to making calls.

The championship contest is held Thanksgiving weekend in Stuttgart as part of the Grand Prairie Festival. The duck calling portion began in 1936 on Stuttgart’s Main Street, basically to settle a dispute among local duck hunters who were in a tussle over who was the best caller. It is now the oldest festival in the South and includes a carnival, duck gumbo contest and various displays. It is fitting that this contest is held in Stuttgart, which is in the heart of the Mississippi Flyway, the migratory route of ducks flying from Canada to winter in southern states. The prevalence of rice in the area increases the attraction for ducks to stop in for food. Even though most duck hunting is in the Arkansas Delta, duck hunters live throughout the U.S. and Canada.

David St. John (from left) and Brad Allen craft unique calls at Elite Duck Calls in Searcy (White County). St. John is the 2014 World’s Duck Calling Champ and Allen has earned the title three times himself.

‘At Elite Duck Calls, every call is tuned by a world champion.’

Brad Allen

Not all duck calls are created equal. Allen and his team create their designs. “I get the final say, but I have always had a lot of help and input from trusted friends,” he said. The outer material is most often made of acrylic, which gives a durable call with a very consistent sound. Allen said his calls will last a lifetime with proper care.

The process includes “dialing in” a set of protocols for a computerized numerical control (CNC) lathe and mill machine to make the basic parts. But hand testing is his key to the sound. A former competitor, David St. John, now works with him. “St. John, also a world champion, helps in attaining the perfect sound,” Allen said. “At Elite Duck Calls, every call is tuned by a world champion.”

Each model has a slightly different sound and use, varying in tone, raspiness and volume. Sound is determined by the shape of the tone board and the internal air flow. The calls are basically woodwind instruments, and the slightest variation can greatly affect the sound. Adjustments are made in thousandths of an inch, basically the width of a human hair. “I fret over each call,” Allen admits. “If it isn’t one I would proudly wear on my lanyard, it doesn’t leave the shop.”

Allen is humble about his accomplishments, saying God has really blessed him. He quickly gives credit to others along the way—first, to his dad for creating the opportunity to be involved in the sport and for advice when starting the business. Other encouragers were Trey Crawford, Bernie Boyle and Butch Richenback. A quick tour of his shop and showroom reveals a look back in time with a collection of photos and memorabilia from other famous duck callers. He is grateful for the growth of the sport and loves to help young callers who aspire to become champion duck callers.

His two-part training video, “The Art of Fly Control,” can be found on YouTube. His showroom is located in Searcy (White County). No matter where one lives or hunts, Elite Duck Calls make for an “elite” hunting experience.

Brad Allen won the World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest in 2010, 2012 and 2013 in Stuttgart (Arkansas County).

LEFT: The Lil' Hurrikin which is named in honor of one of the most popular WMAs here in Arkansas, the Hurrikin series of calls offers the hunter a modified tone board with “spit grooves” to help combat sticking of the reed due to moisture buildup. They also have the option of setting up the call as a single or double reed, which makes it basically two calls for the price of one!

RIGHT: "S.O.B." Son of the Butcher, which was improved in 2022 and now requires less air to produce big cutdown POP. Combining the short barrel with a smaller exhaust system, users get the same raspy cutdown sounds without the fatigue.

hero welcome fit for a A

Veteran and his family are gifted new home thanks to Operation Finally Home

By Carol Rolf

The phrase, “home is where the heart is,” has been used in books, movies and TV shows for decades, but perhaps nowhere was this sentiment more evident than at a home dedication July 25 in Conway for former U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Cory Hixson and his family.

Hixson, who was wounded and received the Purple Heart Medal for his service in Iraq, and Shala, his wife of 17 years, were joined by their daughter, Haizlett, 12, and son, Cru, 10, at the ceremony. It was the first time the family would see their finished home on Tyler Street, built and presented mortgage-free by Bret Franks Construction Inc. of Little Rock in partnership with the Southern Living Custom Builder Program and Operation Finally Home (OFH). Operation Finally Home provides mortgage-free homes, home modifications and transitional housing to wounded, ill and injured military veterans, first responders and their families in honor of their service and sacrifice to country and community.

Scores of well-wishers, including local and county officials, lined the driveway as the family was escorted to their 2,800-square-foot, four bedroom-home by representatives of the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Department and motorcyclists from Patriot Guard Riders of Arkansas, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2259 and Combat Veterans of Central Arkansas.

Following the ceremony, Hixson said he was “excited” when he first saw the house.

“It’s amazing,” he said, adding that they hoped to move from their apartment in Tennessee in early August. “The house is so well-built. No corners were skipped.

“But the best thing about all of this is that it will let us have a home … where we can raise our kids, prepare them for the world,” he said. “This is for my wife and kids.”

Continued on page 42

Bret Franks (from left), Beth Franks, former U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Cory Hixson, his children and his wife, Shala, in front of their new home for the first time during the home dedication ceremony on July 25. Their finished home on Tyler Street in Conway was built and presented mortgage-free by Bret Franks Construction Inc. of Little Rock in partnership with the Southern Living Custom Builder Program and Operation Finally Home.

Photos by Walter Lyle Photo

Shala Hixson added: “As much as the brand-new house meant to me, I was more in awe of the people there supporting us. That was extremely overwhelming for me. The home is anything anyone could have ever dreamed of. I don’t think I can ever offer enough gratitude to the Frankses, OFH and the many donors and volunteers for what they gave my family. One could say owning a new home is a blessing, but I feel more blessed knowing our children will be raised in a home that has a foundation made of pure selfless giving, love and sacrifice.”

Cory Hixson, 40, said he always wanted to join the military. “My dad served as a Marine in Vietnam and then in the National Guard,” said Hixson, a native of Craig, Colorado. “I remember seeing him in his uniform when I was about 3; I knew then I wanted to serve. (The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States) happened when I was a senior in high school. I joined the Marines in October 2002 and was deployed to Iraq in October 2004. I served with the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines India Company for about three and one-half years, including two tours in Iraq. It was on my second tour that I was wounded. We were the tip of the spear going into Fallujah.”

Hixson was hit with shrapnel, resulting in the loss of his left eye. He also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), migraine headaches due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hearing loss. “I don’t regret joining

the Marines at all,” he said. “The Marine Corps did so much for me, gave me more than I could ask for. I didn’t serve to get anything out of it; I joined to serve my country.

“I am anxious to start our life here in Conway,” he said. “I want to get stronger … to be able to help my wife more so she won’t get so stressed. She’s taken on so much since I was wounded. I want to make sure we take care of this house; I want our children to learn to take responsibility. And I want to become involved in the community. I want to help out any way I can.”

Bret Franks said this is the first time his construction company has participated in Operation Finally Home. “We (Franks and his wife, Beth) are part of the Southern Living Home Custom Builder Program and OFH partners with them,” he said. After a series of meetings, he and Beth agreed to build a home for a veteran in Arkansas, “if that veteran would agree to live here.

“They found us a veteran,” Franks said, smiling. “That was more than five years ago. It took a lot of time to get it all together … a lot of time, materials, volunteers. We are so glad, so proud, to see it all come together for this family. The Hixsons did not ask for this; someone recommended them. We are so glad to help this family, this veteran who served us so we can continue to enjoy our freedom. That’s what this day is all about.”

Back for an Encore!

Conway Symphony Orchestra unveils exciting season

The Conway Symphony Orchestra and 10 of its proudest supporters hosted the 2023-24 season kick-off event “Encore!” on Aug. 18 in the new Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts on the University of Central Arkansas’s campus.

Numerous supporters toured the new concert hall while listening to talented jazz pianist Julia Buckingham. There was also a presentation about the upcoming season from CSO General Manager Suzanne Loerch, CSO Board President Judy Harkrider, University of Central Arkansas Public Appearances Executive Director Amanda Horton and CSO Music Director Israel Getzov. New subscriptions for season tickets are available at the box office or online. Beginning Sept. 22, individual tickets can also be purchased.

Getzov profiled the upcoming season, which begins with a free concert at Laurel Park from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22. Guests are invited to grab a blanket, some lawn chairs and a picnic and head to the park. While the sun goes down and the stars come out, CSO will entertain the family. Parking is available at Conway Regional Hospital’s lot on Robinson or at the Conway School Administration Building lot on Prince. Local picnic partners and truck vendors will be selling food.

Concerts requiring tickets this season include:

Oct. 29 – The Windgate Debut Concert. Maestro Getzov has planned a concert to display the acoustical brilliance of the new space.

Dec. 2 – Reynolds Performance Hall. Ring in the holidays

with special guest vocalist Nia Renée, seen on “American Idol.” Enjoy favorites from Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet “The Nutcracker” with guest artists and the Arkansas Festival Ballet.

An ADD-ON concert: Feb. 3 – Reynolds Hall. “Batman Live in Concert” with UCA Public Appearances. At this dynamic event, attendees will watch the 1989 film “Batman” while the CSO plays the musical score. Tickets are on sale now for this memorable symphonic cinema event.

March 2 - Windgate Concert Hall. Titled “Origin Stories,” the concert will feature Bach’s sparkling Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 and Mozart’s elegant Symphony No. 29, which was heard on the soundtrack of the film “Amadeus.”

April 27 – Windgate Concert Hall. “It Takes Two!” will feature Brahms’ Double Concerto for violin and cello featuring Linda Hsu on violin and Stephen Feldman on cello, and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story.”

Learn more by contacting symphony@conwaycorp.net.

The CSO is supported by UCA, corporate and individual donations, grant monies, ticket sales, fundraising events and the CSO Guild. The guild is hosting a new fundraiser on Oct. 12 at the Brick Room on Front Street. “A Drawdown Hoedown” is a ticketed event that includes supper for two, and one chance to win thousands of dollars. The event will also offer a Wine Pull, cash bar and more fun. Contact the CSO office to buy a ticket at 501.269.1066.

Conway Symphony Orchestra’s General Manager Suzanne Loerch, CSO Music Director Israel Getzov and University of Central Arkansas Public Appearances Executive Director Amanda Horton at the season kick-off event “Encore!”

The cutting-edge design allows our students and faculty to foster new collaborative partnerships across multiple academic disciplines. These experiences directly impact the cultural and economic needs of communities across the state, region and beyond by producing graduates who are critical thinkers and creative problem-solvers.

In addition to providing much-needed class, studio, rehearsal and performance spaces, the center further establishes UCA as a leader in the arts and a destination for exceptional cultural experiences for future generations.

The Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts is made possible by a transformative $20 million matching gift from the Windgate Foundation, a $3 million gift from the Alice Walton Foundation, other donations and the UCA Board of Trustees commitment to dedicating state bonds to the construction of the facility.

The Creative Quad and Sculpture Garden is the front porch of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts and is visible from the Bruce Street entrance. This space is the outdoor collaboration area for all arts students, as well as a prime venue for public art initiatives and outdoor concerts and productions. This space allows the university to expand the architectural creativity of the campus while maintaining our decades-long tradition of the Neo-Georgian architecture style.

The 3D Building is a 22,802 square-foot separate structure that houses many different types of physical arts spaces, including sculpture, ceramics, wax working, welding and an animation lab. The outdoor space provides additional room for metal casting activities.

The Win and Carmen Thompson Atrium is a grand space that welcomes guests to the building. The box office and the public entrances to the Concert Hall, James M. Bridges Black Box Theatre and Art Gallery are located in the atrium. This is also where the Keystone Steps are located that will be used to hold academic “talkbacks.”

The James M. Bridges Black Box Theatre is a venue of reconfigurable space with the capability of accommodating up to 200 guests. By design, the space is customizable, allowing for unique productions and intimate audience experiences.

The Art Gallery is at the front of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. This gallery showcases the works of students, guest artists and traveling exhibitions, and serves

The Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts offers Central Arkansas arts patrons a unique opportunity to experience visual art, theatre and music, all under the same roof.

Keystone Steps

Creative Quad and Sculpture Garden

James M. Bridges Black Box Theatre

as the focal point of any event that takes place in the atrium. This gallery offers an intimate setting to exhibit art. This space is fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and includes UV and humidity protection. The sequestered gallery is free from natural light that can damage artwork and will allow for the display of delicate or older artifacts and collections.

The Recital/Rehearsal Hall serves as another venue for the UCA Department of Music to host senior and junior recitals, faculty recitals and artists-in-residence events. This hall is also the rehearsal space of the UCA Chamber Choir, Concert Choir and University Chorus.

The hall is equipped with recording capabilities and has a multi-layer sound absorption system designed for musical performances.

The Concert Hall is the single largest venue space within the facility with 455 seats. The 71-seat choir loft, located directly behind the stage, can lend itself to audience seating when a choir is not in use.

The hall is also outfitted with 12 private loge boxes offering patrons a premium view of the stage while they listen to live music. The space also features a full complement of sound, lighting and video equipment.

Art Gallery

Katherine Scott Percussion Suite Concert Hall

More performances are added throughout the season. For a current list, visit uca.edu/windgate or call the Windgate Box Office: 501.470.7572.

PUBLIC APPEARANCES

UCA Public Appearances is a division of the university’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Its primary responsibility is to develop and present performing arts programming to the entire Central Arkansas community. These events are held at Reynolds Performance Hall and Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

Public Appearances:

Jesse Washington, Journalist, Author and Documentary Filmmaker Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m.

Ben Folds What Matters Most Tour presented by the Office of the President Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.

Lee Rocker in Concert Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.

Sean Ardoin

Kreole Rock and Soul Concert April 4, 7:30 p.m.

Amber Straughn, Astrophysicist April 7, 7:30 p.m.

UCA DEPARTMENT OF ART AND DESIGN

The Department of Art and Design views educational achievement as both an individual and collective responsibility. Offering a variety of undergraduate programs in art, the department directs the educational progress of students toward quality research, creative practice and public service. Art uniquely transforms those who create and those who respond. The department uses the transformative value of art to connect members of the community, enhancing and enriching lives, and making us more conscious of ourselves and others in the world.

Windgate Gallery Shows:

Rex Deloney Sept. 11 - Oct. 20

Russel Crotty, “A Look into the Vast” March 14 - April 19

Ben Folds

Lee Rocker

UCA DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

The UCA Department of Music is an artistic community of more than 220 music majors who participate in over 25 different student ensembles that include the spirited Bear Marching Band, the electrifying Conway Symphony Orchestra, the award-winning Concert Choir, and a host of other large and small ensembles. Our music ensembles have traveled to Spain, Japan, England, Italy, China and Austria, and the UCA Wind Ensemble recently performed at Carnegie Hall.

UCA boasts a faculty of 50 artists, music academicians and staff who have studied at the most prestigious universities and conservatories in the world. With a specialist for every aspect of the music curriculum, the Department of Music makes it possible for students to reach their highest potential.

Department of Music Performances:

UCA Jazz Ensemble Concert

Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.

Concert Choir/Chamber Singers Concert

Oct. 15, 5 p.m.

Percussion Ensemble Concert

Nov. 19, 3 p.m.

Wind Ensemble/Symphonic Band Concert

Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m.

Music Department Gala

Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.

Faculty Concert: Neil Rutman, Piano

March 12, 7:30 p.m.

Natural Slides Concert

April 2, 7:30 p.m.

String Chamber Recital

April 17, 7:30 p.m.

CONWAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Conway Symphony Orchestra (CSO) provides high-quality, professional musical performances and educational programs for the Central Arkansas community. The orchestra is comprised of approximately 75 musicians, preprofessional music students from the University of Central Arkansas and professional musicians from the region. The CSO is conducted by Maestro Israel Getzov, Director of Orchestras at UCA, conductor of Little Rock Winds and Artistic Advisor at Orquesta Filarmónica de Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Originally a joint project of the music departments at Hendrix College and the University of Central Arkansas, the CSO played its debut concert in 1984. Now in its 39th season, the CSO performs six concerts per season, including four subscription concerts, a free Concert in the Park each September, and often a contracted performance as part of the UCA Public Appearances series. The CSO is proud to have vibrant community and educational outreach programs providing free performances in schools, community spaces and senior living facilities in the Central Arkansas area.

Conway Symphony Orchestra Concerts at Windgate:

The CSO’s Windgate Debut Concert - Oct. 29, 4 p.m.

“Origin Stories” - March 2, 7:30 p.m.

“It takes 2!” - April 27, 7:30 p.m.

Neil Rutman Jazz Ensemble

UCA THEATRE PROGRAM

The UCA theatre program has an emphasis on collaboration and process that grounds each student in the fundamentals of acting, directing, design, and technical theatre and allows the pursuit of advanced specialty in each of these areas. The program seeks to connect theatre study and practice to its historical and social contexts and encourages students to engage with their communities and with the wider world. The program celebrates the UCA core values of critical inquiry, communication, responsible living and diversity.

UCA Theatre promotes excellence in the classroom and on the stage. Students have the opportunity to direct, stage manage, or design in the areas of scenery, costumes, lighting and/or sound in our state-of-theart black box production facility.

UCA Theatre Program Performances:

Murder on the Orient Express

Nov. 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18

Head Over Heels

April 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13

(Times differ depending on the day. Visit uca.edu/windgate for more information.)

More performances are added throughout the season. For a current list, visit uca.edu/ windgate or call the Windgate Box Office: 501.470.7572.

Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre produces a selection of the Bard’s plays, along with other productions, during its annual summer festival in Conway. The festival has been featured in The New York Times and is a major educational force in the state.

This professional company brings respected and experienced Shakespearean actors to Arkansas for each season, producing vibrant, engaging, lively and provocative performances for all Arkansans.

KID OF THE MONTH

BOWEN BRADFORD

By David Grimes

Bowen Bradford is not your typical 10-year-old boy. The Conway youngster was born with craniosynostosis, a birth defect where the bones in a baby's skull join together too early. But Bowen’s disorder was not diagnosed until he was 9 years old. The delay added complications to his condition, as parts of his brain had grown into his skull.

His remarkable journey is retold very passionately by his mother, Sheri Bradford.

In May of 2020, a trip to the eye doctor led them to realize something was wrong, but it took awhile to fully

understand what they were dealing with. Ultimately, on Sept. 27, 2022, Bowen underwent a 12-hour surgery at Arkansas Children's Hospital to remove and reconfigure his skull, giving his brain the room it needs to continue to grow. The surgery was successful, but the rehabilitation has not been easy.

During the recovery, Bowen had to use a wheelchair for almost a month. However, that did not deter him from continuing to do many of the things he loves, including playing with his impressive Lego and Hot Wheels car collections and spending time with his 11-year-old sister,

Continued on page 56

Photo by A+ Athletic Imaging

Savannah. He also continued his involvement with the Central Arkansas Hawkeyes Precision Youth Shooting Team. In fact, Bowen was practicing with the team only a few weeks after his surgery while still in his wheelchair.

This was Bowen’s first year with the Hawkeyes. He found out about the group at a BB gun and safety camp that was conducted through the 4-H club last summer just before his surgery.

The Central Arkansas Hawkeyes is a 501(c)(3) taxexempt organization with the mission of introducing youth and young adults to competitive shooting sports and firearms education. With a focus on competitive rifle and pistol activities, they strive to offer youth, their parents and adult volunteers the opportunities to become responsible, self-directed and productive members of their local communities. The Precision BB Gun program is open to kids 9 to 15 years of age.

Andy Faulkner is the founder and head coach of the Hawkeyes. He works at the University of Central Arkansas as an athletic academic advisor. In July, he took 10 members of his young team to the Daisy National BB Gun Championship in Rogers, where they finished as one of the top 40 teams in the entire country.

Bradford has high praise for the Hawkeye’s coaches, including Faulkner, Keri Davidson, Jeremy Ramsey, Chloe Parish and Jonathan Coats. “As parents behind the lines of any sport our child is in, we not only watch our child in the activity, but we also watch the coach's interactions with our child,” Bradford said. “We value coaches as mentors and teachers. We see that certain coaches have the gifted ability to assist and teach each child at their level, with compassion.”

As the group began to grow over the years, a larger practice space was needed, and that is when S7 Tactical came into the picture. The facility is located just outside of Conway, near Menifee.

C. Ryan Stephens is the founder of S7 Tactical and cofounder of the Arkansas Gun Club. “The Arkansas Gun Club, Trip Leach and I are honored to be the home of

the Hawkeyes,” Stephens said. “When we first opened our business, we committed to serving our community. Serving youth precision shooting sports, the Hawkeyes, has been one of the most rewarding ways of giving back. We have witnessed leadership, professionalism, discipline, responsibility, honor and hard work from the coaches and these young athletes.”

Coach Faulkner brags on his young shooter. “Bowen had a natural talent and a great attitude as one of our youngest competitors,” he said. “He really loves the sport, but was worried he would not get to participate due to his surgery. I told him and his mother that if they still felt up to giving it a try after his operation he could come out. The beauty of shooting sports is that it does not require you to be the biggest and strongest athlete in the field. If you are willing to try hard, work on your focus, and develop some of the technical positioning, then you can be just as good as anyone out there.”

Bowen has benefitted from the group in many ways, as evidenced by what he said of the club. "I love the Hawkeyes coaches and how good they train and teach my teammates and me. They are really nice and helpful,” he said. “My teammates never let me or any of the other team down. I love shooting for many reasons. One is that when I keep my eye on the bullseye, it is all I am focusing on. I love shooting with my teammates who have become my Hawkeyes family. Every time I shoot, it feels awesome because I know I do my best and shoot with all my heart and my sight.”

The organization is in the planning stages of building a $3,000,000 world-class precision shooting sports arena that would foster collegiate and Olympic hopes and competitive teams of all ages. Once the building, which will be accessible to people with disabilities, is complete, they will offer a para-athlete team. For more information on this project, contact Coach Faulkner at 501.402.0911 or AndyF@centarkhawkeyes.org.

The Hawkeyes motto is “Aim High, Reach for The Sky, And Always Stay On Target!” Given the determination that Bowen and his teammates have shown, the Hawkeyes are no doubt on the way to hitting that target.

The Central Arkansas Hawkeyes attended the Daisy National BB Gun Championship in Rogers (Benton County).

At PCSSD, STEM is LIT!

By Jessica Duff

The Pulaski County Special School District boasts many dedicated educators and administrators from 26 schools across central Arkansas, which includes the DRIVEN Virtual Academy now starting its third year with the district. PCSSD Director of STEM, Dr. Justin Luttrell, is looking forward to another year of the STEM is LIT program and what is to come in the field of STEM.

“STEM is LIT! is an initiative to expose students to STEM experiences by aligning ‘challenges’ to literary works, hence the play on the word LIT,” Luttrell said. “Throughout the year, our elementary students are given a modern literary children’s book accompanied by a STEM challenge. These challenges may focus on science, technology, engineering or math. In addition, we also seek to infuse fine arts into as many challenges as we can to create a well-rounded experience for our students.”

The benefits of STEM go beyond science, technology, engineering and math. STEM programs also provide students with opportunities and experiences that increase innovation, encourage curiosity, inspire creativity, build confidence and perseverance, and foster community and collaboration.

“These ‘side effects’ of STEM programs help secure our

About PCSSD

future by preparing students to not only work but also live in a more advanced society than their predecessors,” Luttrell said.

PCSSD is seeing success related to STEM with the implementation of these programs.

“Last school year, PCSSD increased math proficiency scores at four times the state average,” Luttrell said. “This is a huge statistical feat for any district, particularly one as large as PCSSD! The numbers were even higher for several of our elementary schools. Individually, we have seen grade level proficiency grow at various schools by as much as 30 percentage points. We hope to see similar results for the 22-23 school year. Furthermore, as we move into a new state assessment system and new math standards for the 23-24 school year, we seek continued growth and achievement in both math and science.”

All elementary students in PCSSD participate in the STEM is LIT! Program. On the secondary level, we provide not only remediation opportunities for students who struggle in STEM, but also acceleration opportunities. Our goal is to include as many students in as many STEM experiences as possible.

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 26 schools. Every school is accredited by the Arkansas State Board of Education. PCSSD has served schools across Pulaski County since July 1927.

STEM is Lit!

Karen Roethle Parise creates unique sculpture in Fairfield Bay

Fairfield Bay is becoming known for its events, the many amenities it has to offer, and most importantly, its art culture, which is continuously growing. An art walk was recently held from Ed Leamon Park to Woodland Mead Park, and along the trail are numerous pieces of art from artists around the state.

The newest piece is called “The Lady of the Bay,” a sculpture created by the inspired artist Karen Roethle Parise. Karen and her husband, Tom, lived in North Central Wisconsin and also spent some time near Lake Superior, Michigan, but found it was too cloudy. So, they decided to find someplace sunny and with a bit of effort found the perfect town called Fairfield Bay in Arkansas. Here the sun is plentiful and her creative juices began to flow. Karen joined the artist league and loves doing murals, and her biggest one so far is on the wall at Fairfield Lanes called “We the People.” Karen loves art that evokes emotion and tells a story, which is exactly what she accomplishes in her work. If you look closely, you notice small details with a message in her murals.

Karen felt that Fairfield Bay is a perfect location for the “Lady of the Bay” because she has a sense of serenity and

she fits in the garden and the weather here is perfect to maintain her 27-foot structure.

“If it wasn’t for the wonderful volunteers that helped along the way, she would not exist. Most of the volunteers came locally and a few came from the Higden/Edgemont area. They were so eager to help and they showed up every day to bring her to life. It’s already been about two and a half months, with four-hour sessions a couple of days a week. A very labor-intensive project but the results are amazing,” said Karen.

A sprinkler system was put in place to help keep the moss and plants growing. Be sure to walk the paved trail from Ed Leamon Park to Woodland Mead and you’ll see her laying next to the bridge.

Her current projects include art for the upcoming Moonshine Festival. “Fairfield Bay has so much to offer with the wonderful artists, so it’s important to get the word out so art enthusiasts can come and enjoy and purchase the pieces that speak to them. The NCA Art Gallery at the Conference Center is a wonderful place, but it would be nice to have a separate building dedicated just for an art gallery,” said Karen.

Artist Karen Roethle Parise created “The Lady of the Bay” sculpture. A misting system keeps her mossy-fern blanket a vibrant green. To visit, travel to Fairfield Bay Baptist Church on Dave Creek Parkway. Next to it you’ll see Woodland Mead Park. Walk the path on the left side of the miniature golf course and you’ll see a trail on the right. Follow the trail to a small bridge and “The Lady” will be on the right.

Fairfield Bay artist Karen Roethle Parise also painted the mural titled “We the People” which is on display in The Towne Center. It was unveiled in October 2021.

The hands that shaped us

Faulkner County is forever molded by the generations that came before

By Vivian L. Hogue

There was a time, in fact a very long time, when everyone but the very wealthy would hand-manufacture whatever they needed to make their hardscrabble lives a bit easier or more effective. Wagons, kitchen and farm tools, furniture, food, farm animal equipment, clothing and shoes were made by hand. Most of these were utilitarian with no intent to impress. Others were quite beautiful or near professional quality. In that early era of immigrant arrivals from Europe, it was obvious they would have to provide farms and life’s needs for themselves or work for others. As farm animals arrived from Mexico, Spain and the West Indies, much of their tack was fashioned from trees of the forests and leather from animal skins.

Four centuries later, our own community and county enjoyed better farm animal availability and equipment during their successful agricultural years. The early citizens of Faulkner County had precious agricultural, animal husbandry and dairy backgrounds. Greenbrier’s

first cotton gin of the 1850s would be influential in the process of raising and selling cotton. Related businesses thrived and the county made its mark. Residents who had businesses did well making tools, wagon wheels, barrel staves and brooms for farm and home. (Some may recall that cake recipes called for inserting a “broom straw in the middle” to test for doneness. Now all you need is a toothpick.)

One hundred years later in 1956, many residents who worked with their hands would serve the community. There were 16 beauty shops, a blacksmith, 22 cafes, three bakeries, one doll dress maker, two dressmakers, three curb markets, six jewelers and two watch repairmen. Also included were assembly line workers, each a part of an end product. Raising gardens were hands-on projects needed by many, providing produce for themselves or to sell at curb markets.

Some residents had in-home marketable ventures. George Ligon made his popular fishing lures. Henry Nothwang specialized in refinishing antiques. Clela Kane provided me with piano lessons. I advanced to playing “The Spinning Wheel” faster than the whirring flutter of hummingbird wings. Or so I imagined! She would often tell me to play while she went to her kitchen to stir something cooking for supper.

There were also women who made quilts to sell. My mother made them for family, but not always alone as her home demonstration club liked to have quilting bees. Mother had her quilt rack set up in the living room by a sunny west window and the ladies stitched, laughed, gave free “counseling” and talked about their children. My husband’s mother had her quilting rack hung from a ceiling, where she could lower or raise it as needed. This was often done in “olden times” because of small houses or cabins.

Through his high school Future Farmers of America program, my husband, Gerald, once raised a quarter-acre of cucumbers to sell to the Atkins Pickle Co. Seeds were provided by the company, and with the drought of the early 1950s ended, irrigation was God-given. They were harvested daily at the required 4- to 5-inch size and taken to a sorting machine in Mount Vernon. Some would hide under leaves and approach near-watermelon size. At project’s end, he earned enough money to buy Levi jeans for school at $2.50 each.

The Ackermann and Blessing families operated local bakeries. The Blessing’s business eventually located in Simon’s Grocery. The memories still elicit sweet salivating from patrons who relished handmade doughnuts and breads. My favorite teenage memory was, by chance, seeing my brother Noel leaving Simon’s on his bicycle. He had just collected his small paycheck for throwing papers to his Log Cabin Democrat subscribers. He followed up by spending perhaps a dollar of it on an entire loaf of bread and a quart of chocolate milk, both of which he consumed as he navigated his bike with his feet.

By 1960, our cotton, wheat, corn and oat businesses had begun to wane, and we welcomed factories where workers were needed. Former employees long remembered how they and their colleagues felt like family and retained lifelong friendships. With today’s focus on information technology (IT), there are effects on those with valuable factory skills who find work elsewhere.

The early European immigrants who were escaping religious persecution must have kept in mind the Deuteronomy 28:12 scripture about God’s promise to bless them in their harvests and in “all the work of their hands.” Our local and regional citizens must have also heeded this promise in growing our towns and county. They did not let up on their efforts to provide for their families and communities, or there would have been no Faulkner County!

Think what this state would have missed!

TOP LEFT: Murray Gins’ employees move processed hay bales outside.

TOP RIGHT: A young Frank Robins and his staff prepare another edition of the Log Cabin Democrat newspaper. O.C. Ludwig (from left), Molly Burns, W.M. Carr, Frank Robins, Mrs. Carr, Hattie Myrick and Will Farmer. BOTTOM LEFT: A Faulkner County resident splits logs for firewood.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A train tunnel was built through Cadron Ridge and was completed on Jan. 9, 1904. It was 1,100-feet long. Photos provided by the UCA Archives.

celebrating athletic excellence

By Dr. Robert

Reising

Photo by Heather Hall Creatives

Ed Duncan

The phone call for which he yearned never came. He suffered profound depression when an invitation to sign a professional baseball contract failed to reach him. “It lasted for months … it was one of the most disappointing times of my life," Edward Joseph Duncan, Jr. said.

But weeks later, one he never envisioned arrived out of the blue, lifting his spirits while intriguing him. It simply inquired about his possible interest in teaching elementary school art and assisting with football. It was to change his life for the better.

Suddenly brightening his despair was a flicker of light. Although uncertified for public school teaching, and knowing little about it, he responded with a hesitant but grateful “yes.”

His two loves, art and athletics, had been his constants since his earliest years, and that phone call launched his reciprocity—his payback: he knew he could assist youngsters in their struggles to gain and remain on the smooth paths they needed to travel in pursuit of their dreams. In 2023, at age 45, over two decades later, he is truly a fulfilled “Wonder Boy,” one in whom his college alma mater takes genuine pride.

Duncan was born in Conway (Faulkner County) in 1978. His parents, both Morrilton residents, never failed to provide him and his five siblings with a setting filled with love and understanding. “They never pushed us,” Ed emphasized recently. “They supported and encouraged us in directions we enjoyed but were never pushy.”

His path into athletics was similar. Initially, he tried every sport he encountered. By the ninth grade, although his speed, strength, and athleticism harbingered success in a variety of other sports (i.e., track and field, wrestling), he found football and baseball most rewarding. He also realized he wanted to play both sports in college. His parents were supportive.

But Ed’s mania for athletics blinded him somewhat to academics. His Morrilton High School (MHS) grades permitted eligibility in high school but suggested possible obstacles at the collegiate level. Coupled with his size of 5-feet 9-inches and 160 pounds, by his junior year he possessed a growing awareness that all schools he found attractive might not be willing to admit him unconditionally for twosport intercollegiate competition and also scholarship him.

While communications of interest from higher education declined as Ed’s senior year replaced his junior, his credentials in both baseball and football exploded with quality. He added a pair of Varsity letters in each, garnering a total of eight high-school letters, while earning AllConference honors in both sports as a junior and All-State honors as a senior in both sports. He claimed 2,474 rushing yards in MHS football, 1,331 in 1995 alone, with 304 gained in a single contest. He capped his MHS play with appearances in both baseball and football’s State All-Star Games. Throughout the two years, Major-League baseball scouts had joined football coaches in marveling at his speed and athleticism.

‘I made history. I am the first African American head coach of any sport in (Fayetteville High) school history.’

Ed Duncan

On the eve of leaving for Conway and the University of Central Arkansas, where he was to play both sports, he learned that a test score would deny him intercollegiate athletic participation in his first year. Confusion followed, and hastily solicited advice from MHS educators steered Ed to Arkansas Technological University (ATU) in Russellville by week’s end.

At ATU, he continued his stellar play while majoring in his beloved art. He rewrote the school’s record book in football between 1996 and 1999, and halted by injuries, starred in baseball between 1997 and 2001. On the gridiron he completed his career with 2,868 all-purpose yards, 1,624 rushing yards, 30 touchdowns, and, in 1999, membership on the first Gulf South Conference (GSC) championship team from Arkansas ever to win the football title outright and the first ATU team to appear in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Small wonder that he was named a 1999 USA Football All-American.

Before suffering his second serious injury at ATU, Ed captured baseball honors in 2000 as the GSC’s finest center fielder, starred on the following season’s 32-win team,

and accumulated 62 career stolen bases. At season’s end when he completed his baccalaureate in 2001, he accepted invitations from Major League scouts to attend several baseball tryout camps, and registered some eye-popping numbers in timed races. Feedback suggested he would be selected in the coming major-league Baseball draft, but he was not.

More than two decades have passed since those halcyon days ended, and assisting others has overwhelmed satisfying self as Ed’s principal motivation. His strong work ethic, his exemplary efforts in the classroom as well as on the softball field, and his belief that art and athletics can develop and enrich the nation’s youth have taken him to five schools, and in 2022 to the acclaimed Fayetteville High School, established in 1871. There, in his own words, “I made history. I am the first African American head coach of any sport in school history.”

Girls Softball and art could not be in more capable hands, nor could any “Natural State” teacher/coach be more content.

1 & 2: Ed Duncan played football for Arkansas Tech University from 1996-1999. He completed his career with 2,868 allpurpose yards, 1,624 rushing yards, 30 touchdowns, and, in 1999, membership on the first Gulf South Conference championship team from Arkansas ever to win the football title outright and the first ATU team to appear in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. He was named a 1999 USA Football All-American.

3. Five students from Morrilton High School attended Arkansas Tech University, including Dylana Whitehead-Cash, Eddie Poe, Ed Duncan, Michelle Shoesmith-Jones and Renata McDaniel.

4. Ed Duncan walks with his mother before a game.

5. In 1999, Ed Duncan played baseball for Arkansas Tech University in Russellville (Pope County). Before suffering his second serious injury, Ed captured baseball honors in 2000 as the Gulf South Conferences finest center fielder, starred on the following season’s 32-win team, and accumulated 62 career stolen bases.

6. In 1996, Ed Duncan played baseball for the Devil Dogs of South Conway County High School.

7. Ed, Ayce, A.J., Prynce, Stacy and Kalyx Duncan in July 2023.

8. Coach Ed Duncan, a Conway County native, coaches Girls Softball at Fayetteville High School, established in 1871. He made history as the first African American head coach of any sport in the school’s history. The team gathered for a pep talk last April when they played Prairie Grove High School.

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School enjoys groovy celebration to set vision for new year

By Kelli Reep

It was a sea of bulldog blue at Bald Knob Public Schools’ back-to-school breakfast for teachers and staff on Aug. 7. The theme “We Grow Together” set the stage for the school year’s vision and 1970s décor, door prizes and other treats were given to encourage teachers and staff throughout the year.

Bald Knob Mayor Gary Looney attended with Balk Knob Police Chief Larry House, as well as Volunteer Fire Department Chief Danny Holobaugh and Southern Bank’s Vince Vire, a community partner. Bald Knob Board of Education members and the Superintendent and Rotary President Melissa Gipson also participated in the event. John Blankenship, transportation director, led the prayer. Board of Education Secretary Paul Johnston said the focus of teachers and staff must be the students. “We can’t be content with status quo and daily routines that aren’t working,” he said. “There may be a better way to lead, and it takes hard work and dedication to get our students to achieve more.”

The breakfast included fruit pizza with assorted fresh fruit slices, biscuits and sausage gravy, bacon, ham and sausage, hashbrown casserole, scrambled eggs, coffee, orange juice and punch. Popcorn balls and door prizes were also given to raffle ticket winners, and attendees could have photos taken at two photo booths, including a peace sign and 1970s-era Volkswagen bus. Paul Johnston, secretary of the Board of Education, gave the vision for the school year, “Working Together to See Students Achieve at Higher Levels.”

Kellie Smith, director of Bald Knob Public Education Foundation and a fifth-grade teacher at H.B. Luker Elementary School, discussed how the foundation gives scholarships to seniors at graduation to help with college, vocational and trade school expenses. Last year, the foundation granted 20 scholarships worth about $22,000. Funds for the scholarships come from people in the community, as well as teachers and staff within the school district.

“We are embarking on an incredible journey of learning this year with great opportunities for positive celebrations ahead,” Gipson said. “Our schools have been hard at work over the summer, ensuring the upcoming academic year is one of growth, learning and safety. Our teachers and staff are delighted to welcome our students back to school and dedicated to providing them with the highest quality education and support. We are committed to fostering a supportive learning environment where each student can thrive and excel in our district’s core values—pride, achievement and integrity.”

The first day of school was Aug. 14. Formed in 1897 from the Shady Grove District, Bald Knob Public Schools has grown from a two-teacher school to a campus housing an early childhood center and elementary, middle and high schools. Accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education, Bald Knob Public Schools encompasses almost 184 square miles in White and Jackson counties and serves Bald Knob and portions of Bradford, Russell and Judsonia. For more information visit baldknobschools.org.

LEFT: Tammy Glaze (from left), Davissa Brimer and Kari Smith, all Kindergarten teachers at H.L. Lubker Elementary School at Bald Knob Public Schools, go all in on the 1970s theme at the back-to-school breakfast .TOP RIGHT: Bald Knob Mayor Gary Looney with Bald Knob Public Schools Superintendent and Rotary Club President Melissa Gipson. BOTTOM RIGHT : Bridget Pate (from left), Alyssa Higgins and Sylvia Ball.

UACCM unveils logo

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) is proud to announce a new collegiate logo for the institution.

The new logo is the first major rebrand for the college since it joined the University of Arkansas System in 2001.

“This new logo is something our staff has been developing and perfecting for almost a year. We take so much pride in not only our affiliation with the UA System, but also in our rich history in this community,” said UACCM Chancellor Lisa Willenberg.

The logo update and rebranding process was coordinated by UACCM Institutional Advancement after multiple focus group meetings, surveys and discussions with members of UACCM staff, faculty and student body. UACCM's graphic designer created the new logo, which went through a series of iterations before the final version was selected.

Petit Jean Mountain is prominently featured on the new logo, honoring UACCM’s strong heritage and beginnings as Petit Jean Vocational-Technical School in 1963. The mountain aligns with the geographical location of the college, the Timberwolf mascot and the college’s new tagline: “Elevate Your Horizons.”

2023 marks the 60-year anniversary for UACCM. In 1991 as a result of the passing of Act 1244 by the Arkansas

General Assembly, the school converted to a technical college and was renamed Petit Jean Technical College.

As the college’s role and scope expanded, its institutional name became Petit Jean College in 1997 to reflect the expansion of options. Just a few years later in 2001, the college would join the University of Arkansas System and become the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.

UACCM is observing its 60th year as an institution during the 2023-24 academic year with a series of events and activities, including an upcoming community celebration that will be announced soon.

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is a two-year, public college that offers a comprehensive curriculum of university-transfer and career-specific training programs, as well as adult education, workforce training and community outreach programs.

The college’s commitment to excellence in learning and personal enrichment allows students to gain a strong academic foundation in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree or earn the credentials needed for high-wage, high-demand careers.

Little Rock Rangers give Central Arkansas a season to remember

By Mark Oliver

Photos by Makenzie Evans

The Little Rock Rangers made waves throughout the 501 this season, fueled by a gritty, talented roster, an energetic fan base, a vibrant soccer culture and maybe even a little luck sprinkled in, too.

Composed entirely of amateur players who also compete at the collegiate level, the Rangers made it evident early in the season that soccer history was within reach.

“Starting the season 3-0 gave our team a lot of confidence,” said Trent Eskola, the Rangers director of media and communication. “There was a moment where we looked at each other and said this was going to be a good year for us. Two weeks later, we played our rival, Texas United, to a 1-1 draw. That match showed us what we were capable of and sparked our progress the rest of the way.”

As the wins kept coming, so did the fans. With each passing week, supporters from all across The Natural State flooded the stands at War Memorial Stadium for must-see minor league soccer.

“Our home crowd was incredible this season,” Eskola said. “When we kept winning, the fans kept coming. Word of mouth was our best form of advertising and it spread like wildfire. Seeing fans that hadn’t been to a match in years or fans that wanted to travel from Jonesboro or Northwest Arkansas to see us was exciting.”

Continued on page 76

Photo by Luis Ruiz

With attendance surging, the United Soccer League took notice and upped the ante for Little Rock’s postseason push.

“Around the beginning of July, we were told that we would host the postseason if we made the playoffs,” Eskola said. “The USL was pleased with our location, our venue and our attendance, and that was all the motivation we needed to keep our foot on the gas.”

Mission accomplished. The Rangers (8-2-2) wrapped up regular season play as the USL Mid-South Division’s second seed. In front of a record-setting crowd, the Rangers played host to the AHFC Royals in the USL Southern Conference quarterfinals.

“The Royals had a good record, but we didn’t know anything else about them,” Eskola said. “We went into the match knowing that we just needed to take care of business to progress. Our fans backed us, too. That match, we broke our home attendance record with more than 7,000 fans in the stands, which exceeds most professional teams in the United States.”

Against the Royals, the Rangers jumped out front early and never looked back.

“We got lucky early on,” Eskola said. “We took advantage of a mistake and took an easy goal 14 minutes in. From there, we sat back and controlled the game on defense before adding our final goal at 34 minutes.”

Taking a 2-0 victory, the Rangers advanced to the USL Southern Conference Semifinals, where they would once again meet rival Texas United.

“After taking a loss and a draw to Texas United earlier in the season, we went into that match knowing that the only result left for us to get was a win,” Eskola said. “There were a lot of highs and lows in that match, but we scored two quick goals early in the second half to put it away.”

One of eight teams remaining in the nation, the Rangers traveled to Newport News, Virginia, to face The Villages SC in a nail-biting USL Southern Conference Final. “From the opening kick, it was evident that both teams were tired,”

Eskola said. “We each had chances to score throughout the match but couldn’t quite get the ball in.”

The Villages SC broke the scoreless stalemate late in the second half, taking a 1-0 lead. In the final seconds of stoppage time, Rangers forward Ethan Blake answered with the equalizer to force extra time.

“I wish I could tell you how we did it,” Eskola said. “With our backs against the wall, we gave it everything we had to stay alive.”

Deadlocked after two hours, the match came down to penalty kicks, where The Villages SC edged the Rangers and put an end to Little Rock’s dream season.

“This season, our goals were to host the playoffs, have record-breaking attendance and win games,” Rangers’ midfielder Nyasha Dube said. “We managed to achieve all of this through hard work, resilience and perseverance. By believing in ourselves, we’ll go even higher next season.”

“In our final huddle, the mood was very positive,” Eskola said. “Our coaching staff praised our players for grinding for that final goal and fighting to the finish.”

With one of its greatest seasons in program history in the books, the Rangers look ahead to a bright future.

“We always believed this group could reach the goals we set at the beginning of the season,” said Francesco Brunetti, Rangers assistant coach. “This season was great because we were also able to gain new fans for future seasons. I have no doubt that more people will start to follow the Rangers.”

“This season, I believe the Rangers put Arkansas on the map as a soccer state,” Eskola said. “From our players to our coaches and even our front office, our culture has propelled us to new levels. Many of our fans attended their first-ever soccer match this season and became lifelong fans. Some are already asking how to get season tickets for next year. As someonewho has played soccer their whole life, it’s cool to see soccer become more than just a niche sport here in Arkansas.”

Photo by Makenzie Evans

Summer vacation might be coming to an end, but summer temperatures will be around for a little longer. We all know ways to conserve electricity on a hot day, but air conditioners aren’t the only thing affecting our utility bills this season.

During warmer temperatures, our water consumption rises as well. In fact, we use almost four times as much water in the summer than the rest of the year. Some homes can even use 3,000 gallons of water on a peak day which is the equivalent of leaving a garden hose running for eight hours straight. That’s a lot of water.

The good news is a few small changes can add up to big savings. Try a few of these water conservation tips so you can save water while still enjoying your favorite summer activities.

Water conservation makes a difference now and for future generations

By Beth Jimmerson

Lawns

Don’t over-water your lawn. To see if your lawn needs water, walk on the grass. If it springs back, no need to water. If it leaves footprints, go ahead and set up the sprinklers.

As a general rule, lawns only need one inch of water every five to seven days. Try placing a small empty tuna can near your sprinkler system to help you determine when to turn off the sprinkler. When the can is full, you have watered approximately one inch.

It’s best to water early in the morning or late at night when temperatures and wind speeds are lowest. This can save as much as 30 percent of water lost to evaporation. You can also set your lawn mower blades one notch higher because longer grass is more drought-tolerant, which means less water evaporation.

Flower and Vegetable Gardens

Most flower and vegetable gardens require watering to stay productive, but far more plants die from over-watering than under-watering. For many garden plants, the best way is to let your finger be the guide. Dig down several inches near the base of the plant. If the soil is dry, that’s an indication you need to water.

Most well-established trees and shrubs can withstand a prolonged period without rain or watering, and mulching can help retain additional moisture in the soil and around the roots. Apply the minimum amount of fertilizer necessary to yards and plants as they increase water consumption.

Rain Barrels

Place rain barrels or buckets beneath your gutters or downspouts. For every 1,000 square feet of roof surface, you will collect 420 gallons of water during every inch of rainfall. You can use the rainwater for outdoor plants or to wash your car. Channel storm water across lawns and into garden beds away from your house.

Swimming Pools

Uncovered backyard pools lose hundreds of gallons of water each month from evaporation. Using a pool cover and keeping it covered when not in use will reduce evaporation of water and chemicals by nearly 70 percent. Check your pool for leaks often, and always consult a professional with pool maintenance to reduce your risk of structural failure like a cracked shell that would waste thousands of gallons of water.

Inside the Home

The easiest way to conserve water is turning off the faucet. It sounds silly, but it’s easy to use water when we don’t really need to. Running dishwashers and washing machines when they are full rather than every day can save more than 1,000 gallons of water each month.

Consider a short shower over a bath. A bath can use up to 70 gallons of water while a shower uses between 10 and 20 gallons. Keep your shower to less than 5 minutes, and you’ll save up to 1,000 gallons per month. Save another 8 gallons of water a day each time you turn the water off when brushing your teeth or shaving.

Conway Corp customers don’t have to worry about water. We pour ourselves into serving Conway, and our investment in advanced facilities, innovative water treatments and a local water source means safe, reliable water for our customers at some of the lowest rates in the nation.

Still, we all want to save money and do our part to protect future generations. We’re committed to helping you balance the increasing demand for water with our responsibility to providing affordable rates, and when it comes to conserving water, small adjustments like these can have a big impact.

To learn more about Conway Corp’s efficiency programs, call 501.450.6000 or visit ConwayCorp.com/EnergySmart.

Pole Position

Jeff Jones, competitive bass fisherman throws a new kind of sinker

By Dwain Hebda

For most of Jeff Jones’ young life, the world revolved around baseball. A star at third and first for Perryville High School, he enrolled in the University of Central Arkansas and joined the Bears baseball team. One year later, he was in need of a new plan.

“In the fall of my sophomore year, I blew out my knee, tore my MCL and strained my patella tendon,” he said. “I tried rehabbing it and getting back into being able to play, and it just didn’t work out. So, I hung my cleats up.”

The only thing Jones was as passionate about as baseball was bass fishing, and it didn’t take long for the retired ballplayer to trade balls and strikes for a bass boat and spinner bait.

“I’ve been fishing ever since I could hold a pole,” he said. “Mostly, we were just out fishing at Grandpa’s pond for bream and a little bluegill. I’ve been fishing since I was little bitty and I’ve always really liked it.”

Photo by Mike Kemp

While he had experience with amateur fishing tournaments, Jones, 20, had a bigger goal in mind and that was to compete at the collegiate level. The fact that UCA didn’t have a team was of little distraction to the hard-charging angler. He simply started it back up.

“UCA used to have [a team] a couple years ago, but COVID-19 shut the bass fishing team down,” he said. “When I blew out my knee, I started the team up again, got sponsors, and fished the Pickwick Slam in Florence, Alabama.”

Jones wasn’t just driven in his new sport, he was pretty good. Relaunching the team in February 2022, he’d make waves at the 260-boat Pickwick Tourney and was fishing the 270-boat national championships by May. There, he’d perform admirably enough to catch the eye of Bethel University head coach Garry Mason, who offered him a fishing scholarship on the spot.

“We are very proud to have been able to recruit Jeff to our championship Bethel University bass fishing team,” Mason would later tell the press. “Jeff brings a lot of knowledge and experience to our team and will be a huge asset as we move forward into the 2023-2024 tournament bass fishing season. I look forward to having Jeff and all of our new recruits join our fall roster. As his bass fishing coach, I look forward to the upcoming season.”

Those new to the college fishing world might overlook the significance of the announcement. McKenzie, Tennesseebased Bethel University, a small faith-based institution of fewer than 6,000 students, offers one of the premier collegiate fishing programs in the nation. The Bass Cats routinely challenge for top honors nationally, beating schools several times Bethel’s size in the process.

The Arkansas kid who once dreamed of playing

professional baseball was headed instead to the major leagues of competitive fishing.

“College fishing has been a sport for 18 or 19 years and Bethel has 13 national championships to their name,” Jones said. “Out of any college, Bethel has produced the most professional anglers competing at this moment. It is a powerhouse for fishing.”

Like any prized recruit, Jones is working hard to live up to the huge expectations that come with being a member of the Bass Cats. He fishes every day, honing his technique and instincts to lure the wily lunkers out of their hiding places.

“In fishing, I’d rather be lucky than good any day,” he said with a knowing chuckle. “Fishing will humble you. It’s insane. You never know what you’re going to catch. You can say you work hard in baseball and basketball, and you put in the hours in the weight room, but then you go out fishing and hardly any of it is physical. It’s the biggest mental game ever.”

Jones said his long-term goal is to join the ranks of the pros, but he acknowledges he’s got a lot to learn before that happens. For now, he’s content to continue to soak up all the knowledge he can and help get the school back on top of the collegiate fishing world for the 14th time.

“The coolest thing about college fishing to me is [that] it’s not this is Division I, this is Division II, and Division II can’t compete,” he said. “Bethel is an NAIA school and we’re not just fishing against Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn, we’re beating those schools.

“Fishing isn’t like football or baseball. The fish aren’t going to bite somebody’s lure just because they’re from Auburn. It’s the fairest sport there is in the entire world.”

No one loves like Gaston

The Pope family thankful for the heroic comfort of their feline friend

By Carol Rolf

Gaston the hunter may be the villain in Disney’s animated feature film “Beauty and the Beast,” but Gaston the cat is certainly the hero at the Pope house in Conway.

“We all love Gaston,” said Courtney Pope, referring to herself, her husband, Brad, their sons, Spencer, 23, who recently married Lizzie, and Luke, 19, who attends the University of Central Arkansas, and their daughter, Bailey, 16, who attends St. Joseph School. Gaston is the family pet – a Ouachita British shorthair cat they adopted in 2019 through a friend from a veterinarian in Plainview (Yell County).

“They sent us a picture of him,” she said. “We fell in love with that picture … his little smushed face … and knew we wanted him. We had a kitty before and knew we wanted another one.

“We had to have him,” she said, laughing. She added that Gaston was already named when they adopted him.

Pope said Gaston loves to cuddle. “If you are sitting, reading a book, he wants in your lap,” she said. “He wants to snuggle and cuddle. When the kids’ friends come over, they all want to see Gaston.”

She said Gaston enjoys “any kind of pet treat, sushi made especially for cats, even yogurt. He goes crazy for yogurt.” He also has another unique refreshment requirement: He prefers to drink water from a faucet. “He’s so spoiled,” she said, laughing.

Gaston has a few purrfect sleeping places. “He sleeps most of the day in a closet,” Pope said. “We go off to work and come home to find him in a closet. “He also likes shoes,” she said. “If he finds a shoe on the floor, he will lay his head down on it and take a nap.”

Gaston, weighing about 11 pounds and sporting a coat of gray and white, is an indoor-outdoor cat. “He has a cat door he can use to go outside,” Pope said.

She said they have never taken him on a trip. “The only trips he takes are to see the vet,” she said. The Popes take Gaston to the Hartman Animal Clinic in Conway.

“Greg is a church and family friend,” Pope said, speaking of Greg Hartman, owner of the veterinarian clinic. “We’ve always used him because Dr. Hartman and his staff are so personable,” she said. “They understand that a pet is part of your family. They treat your pets as family.”

Pope said they got Gaston “right before the pandemic (caused by COVID-19). “Brad always worked at the office before that,” she said. “But afterward, he had to work at home. Gaston sat by his side every day. They built a special bond, which continues to this day.”

Pope said their daughter, Bailey, calls Gaston a “comfort cat.” “Bailey will come in and say, ‘I need a comfort cat,’ and Gaston will go right to her.

Photos by Mike Kemp

Luke (from left), Courtney, Lizzie, Spencer, Brad and Bailey Pope (in front) love the family pet, Gaston. They take their Ouachita British Shorthair cat to Hartman Animal Clinic because the staff is personable and treats Gaston like a member of the family.

Teresa and Mike Scherer offer the pampering of a luxury spa, with the ambience of a mountain chalet. Teresa has ideas and her husband makes them a reality. Handy with construction tools, Mike has done much of the woodwork himself.

MIKE AND TERESA SCHERER

____________________________

By Rita Halter Thomas

The Rustic Jewel in The Village at Pickles Gap is a soapery, a day spa, an art gallery and a treatment and therapy center that is crafty, creative and nostalgic. It is faith-based, natural, pure and organic, rustic yet elegant, and quite something to experience. It’s like heaven on earth.

Owners Mike and Teresa Scherer don’t consider themselves artists, but one step inside the doors of this soapery and spa contradicts their humble position on the matter.

Guests are greeted by the tantalizing aroma of handmade soaps, crafted on site in a sink made from a pair of metal wash tubs that once belonged to Teresa’s grandmother. A variety of handmade products, including soaps and bath bombs, sit creatively displayed on rustic wood slab countertops, shabby chic cabinets and handcrafted shelves. A host of repurposed items from each of their grandparents’ farms, including reclaimed barn wood and sheet tin used on the walls, can be found throughout the business. “We say it’s our way of bringing a little of our family with us,” Mike said.

Teresa, a licensed esthetician, takes great care in providing natural, pure and organic products. “We have a lot of people who are looking for vegan products, so we use ingredients like oat milk, almond milk and coconut milk, but all of ours are plant-based.” The business carries soaps made only with natural ingredients, as well as soaps made with pure essential oils and some with added fragrance.

Carrying the rustic theme throughout, the business gives guests the elegance and pampering of a luxury spa, with the ambience of a mountain chalet. Charred wood doors, dressing rooms made of white pine, a large painting of a waterfall, a chainsaw-carved mantel supported by log pillars and the flickering flames of a fireplace all beckon the soul to relax. And nothing whispers “relax” like a facial, foot soak, body scrub, massage, salt spray or even a full body soak in a wooden tub in a private bathhouse. Low lights and soft music set the tone for a real escape for selfcare and pampering.

Even the waiting area provides an opportunity to escape the day-to-day life. Mike jokingly refers to it as the “knotty” room as one wall is crafted from tree knots creatively positioned to make perfect places to hide little

treasures. Guests waiting for their appointment may enjoy a scavenger hunt while sipping on a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Mike, handy with construction tools, has done much of the woodwork himself, with the help of a few friends (Greg Janski Family). Floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, Mike has created a nostalgic, relaxing atmosphere that fits Teresa’s rustic vision for the business. Even some of the light fixtures are handcrafted from hollowed-out tree stumps. The Scherers want guests to receive the pampering of a luxury spa without the luxury cost, and they want the spa to feel welcoming to everyone, including men who might be a bit hesitant.

The Scherers are also big supporters of other local artists and businesses. Cedar Valley Carvings carved “The Rustic Jewel” sign hanging above the entrance, as well as the fireplace mantel. The halls are lined with paintings (available for purchase) by local artist Karen Samuhel. The waiting room includes paintings by their granddaughter Alana at age 12, and a fabric rendition of the business’ logo, the Tree of Life, created by a worker in The Village.

Through The Rustic Jewel, the Scherers seek to minister to body, mind and soul. “We are faith-based. That’s our No. 1 thing here. When people come in our doors, we want them to feel the love of Christ. When they walk out, we still want them to feel the love of Christ. Whether they’ve come for a treatment, or they’ve walked out without a product, we don’t care. We just want them to feel Christ’s love.”

Scripture is found throughout the retail space and the spa. For example, “Be Still & Know” from Psalms 46:10 is carved into the mantle above the fireplace. A plaque in the waiting room reads, “Let not your heart be troubled” from John 14:1.

Even the name, The Rustic Jewel, carries a spiritual meaning as jewel is from the precious stones or gems used for the foundations of the New Jerusalem as mentioned in Revelation 21:19-20. It seems fitting as the vision of The Rustic Jewel came to Teresa in a dream some years ago, a dream she is sure was given to her by God. Teresa was quick to say she doesn’t push her faith off on others, but said, “if you ask me a question, I’m going to answer it.”

The Rustic Jewel brings a little bit of heaven, using the things God gave us on earth to minister to the mind, the body and the soul. Truly a little bit of heaven here on earth.

Photos continued on page 85

Mike Scherer has created a nostalgic, relaxing atmosphere that fits his wife’s rustic vision for the business. Even some of the light fixtures are handcrafted from hollowed-out tree stumps.

A large painting of a waterfall hangs over a chainsaw-carved mantel supported by log pillars. The flickering flames in the fireplace below beckon the soul to relax.

One of two dressing rooms in the private party room called The Shed. They are made from slabs of white pine.

Heather Vest, Stephanie Olive, Mike and Teresa Scherer and Paula Janski are the staff at The Rustic Jewel.

The Scavenger Hunt Wall

As clients wait to move to the next step in the pampering process, a scavenger hunt wall features insects and small animals to “find” while you wait. A wasp, butterfly and yellow bird are among the items to find.

AUTHOR OF THE MONTH

C.J. ZACHARY

By Susan L. Peterson

Candice Jean “C.J.” Zachary once dreamed of writing the great American novel. Her husband, Zac, dreamed of illustrating comic books. But their life took an unexpected turn when their daughter inspired them to collaborate and publish a children’s book.

“The Awkward Avocado,” written by C.J. and illustrated by Zac, is an award-winning book about acceptance and love. Since its publication in 2022, it has sold thousands of copies and received numerous five-star reviews on Amazon. Zac and C.J. have participated in school visits, library events and even a TV interview.

It was their daughter Kenley’s shyness, her antics and endearing traits that inspired the book’s message that it’s normal to be different and that our differences make us special. There are 30 personality “quirks” mentioned in the text.

It is no surprise that their son inspired a second book. Ronin went through a stage where he loved to roar like a dinosaur, inspiring “Awkward Avocado and the Interrupting Raptor,” which came out in March. Whereas Kenley’s book has a subdued tone, Ronin’s story is colorful and louder, reflecting his personality. This book shares the message of the importance of loving your brother or sister, even though that can sometimes be difficult.

The first book took them about eight months to write and publish, which they did themselves through BookBaby, an all-in-one self-publishing company. The second book is written in the same lyrical style, and although it took longer to write, it was easier to navigate through the publishing process since they knew the ropes.

The Zacharys believe the hardest part of self-publishing is the marketing and promotion, which can be timeconsuming for independent publishers. They love going to schools to do book readings, and they even invested in an avocado costume, which gets lots of laughs and attention. They have learned to make book trailers, which appear on their website. They love all things avocado, from the color of their clothes to avocado-decorated cookies.

It's obvious this dynamic duo is having fun. They are collaborating on a third book of the series, a Christmasthemed book about their “crazy family,” which should be out early this winter.

More good news is that the Zachary family are new residents of the 501. These two talented educators grew up in eastern Arkansas and worked there for more than a decade before moving to Greenbrier (Faulkner County) in June.

When asked what prompted them to move, C.J. said that her brother’s family recently moved to Conway. When C.J. and Zac visited here, they fell in love with the rolling hills and lush greenery and knew they wanted to relocate. Fortunately, they both were able to obtain teaching positions in the Greenbrier School District, with Zac teaching art and C.J. teaching kindergarten.

The Zacharys are available for school and library visits and book signings. Visit their website at CJzachary.com to find out more. Their books are available from Amazon, their website and other online booksellers.

TOP LEFT: C.J. (from left), Ronin and Zac Zachary at a book reading and signing at Woolfolk Library in Marion (Crittenden County). Ronin inspired C.J.’s second children’s book “Awkward Avocado and the Interrupting Raptor.”

Author C.J. Zachary has written two books about an “awkward avocado” that were inspired by her children. She has fun with the avocado theme!

RIGHT: Zac and C.J. Zachary on-set with Gina Neely for a TV interview on Bluff City Life in Memphis, Tenn. Zac illustrated both books that his wife has written.

A CUT ABOVE

501 LIFE takes a look at two Conway barbers who made a career of keeping Central Arkansas in style.

Stories by Carol Rolf, Photos by Mike Kemp

Russell Mills served patrons 60 years

Russell Mills, 82, believes his 60-year career as a barber was a calling. “I have no regrets,” he said as he welcomed me into his west Conway home. As he sat across from Pat, his wife of 60 years, he said, “I’ve had a good career. By God’s grace, there go I.”

Entering his home, I was quick to notice a special room filled with all things “barber.” There’s an 1888 Koken barber chair, an antique barber workstation, an antique sterilization cabinet, and lots of old tools and certificates from various barber classes. Mills seems to enjoy telling stories about all of them.

Mills took his barber’s test in September 1961 at Eaton Barber Stylist College in Little Rock. He started to work in Crossett but moved back home to Conway in December of that year to work with Travis White and Bill Utter, opening the Conway Barber Shop on Oak Street. Mills then opened his own shop, Gentleman’s Choice Barber Shop on Front Street, where Max Henry, another longtime barber, worked for him for a while. Mills later moved his barber shop to 807 Parkway, where he worked until he retired May 4, 2020.

“I closed the shop basically because of COVID,” he said. “They placed so many restrictions on barbers. I had eight customers waiting in chairs and kids sitting in the window. What was I to do? “I closed the shop, sold the building and retired,” he said. “And paid the government a lot in capital gains tax.”

Pat, who is from Compton in Newton County, said she worked with him that last year because of his declining health. “I saw firsthand what his job demanded,” she said. “He has provided well for his family. I observed his long hours spent at the shop, his determination and his real genius.”

Before he began his barber career, Mills, who graduated from Conway High School in 1959, spent six months in the Army National Guard. “I was the youngest of seven boys (his parents also had two daughters),” he said. “I was 17, turning 18 soon, and working in Texas when I got a call from my mother telling me I had to come home and register for the draft. I came home and registered. She did not want me to go off with the Army, but I had to spend six months [on] active duty.”

Mills said he had gone to Texas to work because they did not have a minimum age for employment. “If you had a strong back, you could work,” he said, smiling. “They also paid in cash.”

Mills met his wife when she came to Conway to attend college – Arkansas State Teachers College, now known as the University of Central Arkansas. “I taught math at Carl Stuart Middle School and retired in 2003,” Pat said. “Russell took his barber skills and compassion for others outside the barber shop. He cut hair at the Conway Human Development Center, a children’s home, a nursing home, the hospital and made many home visits for people who were not able to go to the barber shop.

“His love for people kept him serving others through his profession as a barber,” she said.

Mills cuts his own hair. He also cuts and colors Pat’s hair. He also cuts hair for some friends and other family members. “His grandsons that live here won’t let anyone else cut their hair,” Pat said, smiling. Russell and Pat have two children. Their son, Jeff Mills, lives with his wife, Karen, in Flower Mound, Texas, and they have two adult sons. Their daughter, Lisa Rickett, lives in Conway with her husband, Paul, and they have two adult sons. “We have our own shop here in the house in the laundry room,” Pat said, laughing.

Mills also enjoys singing. “I sing from my heart,” he said. He said he first began singing at church years ago when the song leader picked him out from a young men’s class that he was teaching. “He asked if I could sing and if I could beat time,” Mills said, laughing. “I said yes. He then told me I could lead singing that night. I led singing that night without accompaniment and without any instrument. I just sang from my heart. That’s where my singing comes from. Everything I do comes from God.”

Pat said she and Russell are enjoying their retirement. s“We have my old home place in Compton where we like to visit and relax,” she said. “We like to do yard work at our home here, and we like to be with family and friends. We also enjoy our church family at Robinson and Center Church of Christ.”

Jay Burks has earned lifetime license

Jay Burks received his barber’s license in 1959 and, at age 90, he’s still cutting hair.

“I just work four and a half days a week,” he said, laughing. Although he and his wife, Merce, live in Maumelle, Burks still drives to Conway to open up Jay’s Barber Shop on East German Lane.

“I’m doing a pretty good business for just one guy,” he said.

As he began to tell his life’s story, he quipped: “I’m young and good-lookin.’ What else do you want to know?”

Burks was born in Hot Springs but moved with his family to California so his father could work in the shipyards after World War II. “We just stayed there,” Burks said, although the family continued to visit relatives in Hot Springs during that time.

“I got married in California when I was 20,” he said, adding that Merce is his second wife. “I had an older brother who lived in Eugene, Ore., so that’s where I lived for a while. But my wife was from California and she wanted to move to the (San Francisco) Bay area. “I did different jobs down there but grew tired of traveling around trying to find work,” he said. “I wanted to find a job where I could work inside,” he said. “I was hired on at the Ford Motor plant and worked there for seven-and-a-half years.

“My brother in Eugene went to barber and beauty school and I thought that might be a pretty good deal for me, too,” he said. “So I went to barber school in Long Beach. My brother and I set up barber shops in California.

“I decided to move back to Arkansas and looked at Hot Springs and Little Rock,” he continued. “I decided to move to Little Rock. That was back in the 1960s, a few years after JFK was killed. I remember that day well. I was cutting hair when I heard the news. I had found a place under construction on Baseline Road in Little Rock and set up shop.

“We’ve lived in Maumelle for several years,” he said. “My wife, Merce, cut hair too, but she’s retired. She went

to barber and beauty schools. Her real name is Mercedes, like the car,” he said with a laugh. “I always said I couldn’t afford to buy a Mercedes so I just married one.”

Jay and Merce, who is 88, were married Nov. 14, 1967; this is her second marriage as well. They have a blended family – he has a son, Greg, who lives in Gravel Ridge, and she has a daughter, Chloe Sance, who lives near Atlanta, Ga. She has one grandson, Joseph Robert Courturier. Burks’ son, Greg, is also a licensed barber, although he does not practice.

“He helps me out when I need it,” Jay said. “I keep his license up for him for that reason.”

Merce Burks, who is from Manhattan, N.Y., received her beauty license in 1963 from Blackwood Beauty School in North Little Rock and her barber’s license in 1975 from Arkansas Barber School, also in North Little Rock. She retired more than 20 years ago and now uses her creativity to make greeting cards she gives as presents.

Jay and Merce operated a barber/beauty salon in Maumelle – The Cut Off – for 29 years. “It’s still in business,” he said. “The lady who worked for me bought it.”

Jay said all he does now at the barber shop in Conway is cut hair. “I used to do it all,” he said. “I used to style hair, too. Merce and I went to a school in London, England –Jingles – which is like a Vidal Sassoon school. That’s when the wedge hairstyle was in.”

Merce said she believes Jay is the best old-fashioned barber in Conway. “All he does is haircuts,” she said.

When asked when he plans to retire, Jay answered immediately: “When I can’t get out of bed. I don’t just want to sit down and do nothing,” he said. “I enjoy people and talking to them. I’d cut hair long enough that when I turned 80, they gave me a lifetime license,” he said. “I don’t have to buy a license anymore.”

Happy Daze are here again!

Kiwanis of Conway awards $40,000 to area nonprofits

The Kiwanis of Conway recently awarded more than $40,000 to area nonprofits after the 41st Annual Toad Suck Daze 10k/5k Run and Tadpole Trot.

More than 1,300 people participated in the popular events that were presented by Conway Regional Health System and the Kiwanis Club. The events, held May 5 and 6 at John McConnell Stadium at Conway High School, included a 10k Run/Walk, 5k Run/Walk and Tadpole Trot races for children.

“The success of this race was the culmination of hard work by a dedicated team of volunteers, a supportive running community, and our valued sponsors,” said Cole Schanandore, race chair for the Kiwanis Club. “Runners from 12 states, stretching from New Jersey to California, lined up at the starting line this year, and together, we raised significant funds that will uplift and benefit the children in our local community. We are looking forward to pushing the bar higher in 2024!”

Over the years, the race has raised more than $490,000

for nonprofit organizations, according to Jessica Faulkner, immediate past president of Kiwanis. At a meeting in June, the Club presented checks totaling more than $40,000 to a variety of local non-profits that have programs for children, including Compass Academy, CSI Youth, Boys & Girls Club of Faulkner County, Children’s Advocacy Alliance, Community Connections, Haven, Milestone Services, Inc., Main Stage Education Series at Reynolds Performance Hall, Deliver Hope and the Jerry Cooper Sensory Play Trail at Laurel Park.

“We thank everyone who made the 41st Annual Toad Suck Daze Run a huge success!” Faulkner said.

The Tadpole Trot brought in more than 330 kids ranging from 3 to 10 years old. Each age division had a girl and boy winner. Depending on age, the length of the run varied. After each division competed, a small awards ceremony was held for the top three finishers.

The Toad Suck Daze 10k/5K brought men and women from all over the United States. With more than 550

in the 5K and 420 in the 10K, the downtown streets were flooded with avid runners. At the end of the race, various awards were given for major accomplishments. This year, a tradition was started in memory of Don Potter who was a long-time runner in the Conway community and a Kiwanian. The “Move your Parts” award was presented to the youngest male and female 5K finishers.

While the Kiwanis Club is the main organizer of the event, the Conway Running Club offered support. Conway Regional Health System was the Presenting Sponsor and other major sponsors were Centennial Bank, Total Tire and Auto, 501 LIFE Magazine, Arkansas Eye Care Group, Arvest Bank, Conway Corporation, Farris Therapy, Maly Group, Bears Den, Ott Insurance, Smith Ford and Superior Automotive Group. To see race results, visit toadsuckrun.com. Next year’s run will again coincide with the annual Toad Suck Daze Festival in Conway.

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The Kiwanis of Conway awarded more than $40,000 to area nonprofits in June after the 41st Annual Toad Suck Daze 10k/5k Run and Tadpole Trot.

Photo by Dr. Bill Patterson

PROUDLY PRESENTS

PERSON OF THE MONTH

AMBER STRAUGHN, PH.D.

I am an Astrophysicist, the Associate Director of the Astrophysics Science Division and Deputy Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope Science Communications at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. I have been an astrophysicist at NASA for 15 years.

HOMETOWN:

I lived in Bee Branch (Van Buren County) from birth through high school (1979 – 1998). Now I live in Glenn Dale, Md.

FAMILY:

My husband, Matt Straughn, and I have been married for 22 years. We met at the University of Arkansas. My mom, Carolyn Wetherelt (and stepdad Colin), still live in Bee Branch, where I grew up, as does my brother, Shane Holley; my sister, Ashley, and her husband, Ashkon, live in Fayetteville. My father-in-law is in Little Rock – most of our family is still in Arkansas so we make it back a lot!

EDUCATION:

I graduated from South Side High School in Bee Branch in 1998 and attended the University of Arkansas (go Hogs!), where I got my B.S. in physics in 2002. I earned my Master & Ph.D. in physics with an emphasis in astrophysics from Arizona State University in 2008.

COMMUNITY:

I’m involved in several community groups here in Maryland, including some focused on providing food assistance and companionship to senior citizens, as well as racial justice and voting rights activism groups.

MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION:

I tend to cherish memories and experiences more than possessions, but I do love my collection of photos – probably because they remind me of past experiences! I’m also fond of various gifts from my husband, including several photos and album covers signed by my favorite musical artists. I also have a book signed by Buzz Aldrin.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

I’m a first-generation college student, so getting a Ph.D. in itself was a huge goal and accomplishment for me. My job at NASA is pretty much my dream job! As part of my NASA work, I’ve met both Presidents Obama and Biden, as well as Vice President Harris. I’ve been featured on two episodes of CBS’ “60 Minutes” and in several science documentaries (including one that won an Emmy), done live interviews on CNN, and received several alumni awards from the University of Arkansas.

AT WHAT AGE DID YOUR LOVE FOR SPACE DEVELOP AND HOW DID THAT UNFOLD:

I’ve loved space for as long as I can remember looking up at the dark night skies in Bee Branch. I was very young – elementary school age – when I started really wondering what was beyond the stars I could see with my eyes and how it all worked. I remember that NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope launched when I was in the fifth grade and being blown away by the images after the mirror was fixed. Space has always been a calling for me.

MOST EXCITING PROJECT:

My most exciting project is the main project I’m working on now: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)! I’ve been working on it for more than 15 years, and when it finally launched into space on Christmas Day 2021 and we got the first images back in July 2022, I knew it was all worth it. JWST is the largest, most complex telescope we’ve ever sent to space, and in just the short year and a half that it’s been returning data, it’s already starting to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. It’s incredible to be part of such an amazing team of brilliant, hard-working people.

“Space has always been a calling for me.”

Dr. Amber Straughn, Ph.D.

Photo by Chris Gunn, NASA

DR.

STRAUGHN WILL BE SPEAKING AT

REYNOLDS

PERFORMANCE

HALL ON THE UCA CAMPUS, SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2024, THE DAY BEFORE THE ECLIPSE.

I’m so excited to be able to experience next year’s total eclipse in my home state! I’ll be doing some public events surrounding the eclipse, but plan to spend the day of the eclipse at home with my mom and family in Bee Branch to experience totality with them. I saw the 2017 total eclipse in Nashville, Tenn., and was surprised at what a surreal, emotional experience it was.

Let’s all hope for clear skies next April!

Dr. Amber Straughn and her brother, Shane Holley, around 1985 in Bee Branch (Van Buren County). “My dad was somewhat famous for his watermelon,” she said. “He sold them to local grocers, and we always had a pile outside our house that people would stop and buy.”