ABOUT | April 2021

WAITING TO BE KNOWN

APRIL 2021 • aboutrvmag.com

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley

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DREAM RACERS

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SOMETHING NEW

APRIL 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Something incredible is waiting to be known Dr. P. Clay Sherrod has spent a lifetime pursuing the truths of Earth, space, and life.

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Maximum (parental) support Smitty and the Dream Racers Since retiring, Mark Smith (AKA Smitty) has been hard to keep up with. After 30 years of fine-tuning the race car paint and aerodynamics for motor speedways throughout the country, Smitty has settled down in the Arkansas River Valley to be near his family. Though, settling might not be the right word.

Something new...to us One of the best things about Hispanic food, and especially Hispanic food in a community that only in the last decade or so has really experienced Hispanic food, is that what you thought was just a simple menu of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas is just the tip of the enchilada.

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Long-haul thinking Good manners in the Great Outdoors 10 Things ABOUT: Rene Lezama

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ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVER Dr. P. Clay Sherrod poses next to the second largest telescope (the largest is currently in repair) employed by the Arkansas Sky Observatory atop Petit Jean Mountain.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Stardust brought to life The night sky has captured our collective imaginations since we humans fi rst gazed into the velvet blue expanse. We found both our humanity and our gods among the heavenly bodies.

It’s likely that those earliest appreciations were purely utilitarian in nature. We valued the full moon for its pale luminosity allowing us diurnal animals a glimpse into the lives of the nocturnal, and we marked time by its 29.5-day cycle of birth and death. The sparkling stars served as our celestial guideposts, too, marking the shift of seasons and steering our steps from home to wherever and back again.

There’s no way to know for sure about the emotions those viewings summoned forth. Perhaps they brought a comforting sense of place and order to our lives. Maybe the periodic drama of meteors streaking through Earth’s atmosphere or the somewhat ominous slow-motion trek of comets that might appear only once in a lifetime reaffi rmed an already acute sense of uncertainty and precarious existence.

Though knowledge of what lies outside our planet’s thin, life-giving membrane has grown far beyond anything our distant ancestors could comprehend, that ancient mystery and magic is still very much alive.

In this issue you can read about Dr. Clay Sherrod, atop Petit Jean Moun-

tain, who continues to demonstrate and act upon our fascination with what’s out there. He’s been doing it for 50 years now. But maybe even more impressive is that Dr. Clay, as he’s known, doesn’t focus on only the pinhole perspective of a telescope while trying to unravel mysteries of space. Instead, his is a holistic view. He realizes the need for an intricate layering of all sciences in pursuit of understanding our world and universe.

We are the product of exploding supernovas and hungry blackholes, of the very energy and matter formed when the universe fi rst came to be, and nothing stirs the existential questions more than the dark stillness of a clear night sky. I ponder the enormity of it all as light from the Andromeda Galaxy reaches my eyes after traveling through space for 2.5 million years. I think on the delicate balance that enables our existence as I behold the gossamer ribbon of our own Milky Way. And even more than the wonder, I feel a profound sense of belonging. It is as Neil DeGrasse Tyson says: “We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to fi gure itself out.”

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley since 2006 A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XVI, Issue 3 – April 2021

DIANNE EDWARDS | founding editor JOHNNY CARROL SAIN | managing editor johnny@aboutrvmag.com LIZ CHRISMAN | photography editor lizchrismanphoto@gmail.com BENITA DREW | advertising benita@aboutrvmag.com KARA JOHNSON | advertising kara@aboutrvmag.com MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS | freelance meredith@aboutrvmag.com SARAH CLOWER | freelance sarah@aboutrvmag.com LYDIA ZIMMERMAN | columnist lydia@aboutrvmag.com CHRIS ZIMMERMAN | layout/design chris@aboutrvmag.com CLIFF THOMAS | illustrator maddsigntist@aboutrvmag.com

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Something incredible is waiting to be known Dr. P. Clay Sherrod has spent a lifetime pursuing the truths of Earth, space, and life.

Story by CATHY GRAVES Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

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Photo courtesy of ASO

A

s the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover begins its mission, it is only by chance that we celebrate Arkansas Sky Observatories’ (ASO) 50th year of operation. Though, coincidentally, ASO began with observations of Mars.

In 1970-71, the first ASO facility was constructed at Edgewood Academy private school in North Little Rock to study the approach of Mars toward Earth — the closest the two planets had been to each other since 1956. “The research was to obtain detailed analysis of the clouds and seasonal changes of the Red Planet,” says Dr. P. Clay Sherrod, founder and subsequent director of ASO since its inception. Teaching at most grade levels throughout his career, Dr. Sherrod became known as “Dr. Clay” when he began teaching at the university level. “I noticed some students struggled to pronounce my last name correctly and I wanted to be remembered,” says Dr. Clay. So he instructed them to simply call him “Dr. Clay” or “Doc Clay.” The name stuck.

ASO is the oldest and most productive privately funded multidisciplinary scientific education and research institution of its type in the United States. It has proudly earned and maintained four Harvard Minor Planet Observatory Code designations as a contributor of near-Earth asteroid and comet measurements. And it has contributed more than 150,000 orbital measurements of comets and asteroids.

ASO’s first location at Edgewood Academy served as a teach10

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ing center as well as a research facility. It was at there that ASO began its affiliation with the Smithsonian-Harvard Observatories, serving as a confirmation station for the Central Bureau of Astronomical Telegrams under the direction of Dr. Brian Marsden, he of comet fame. In 1974 the ASO-Harvard affiliation was one of only a few worldwide making serious observation reports. At the time, alerts or notifications were made by phone.

The Indian Hills location was added in 1980. This observatory was for the study of novae, supernovae, and cataclysmic stars for the American Association of Variable Star Observers. At this location, everything is operated manually as it was constructed before computer technology was available.

The Conway West Observatory, added in 2000, was designed and developed to be a completely self-contained programmable robotic telescope and observatory. This included self-opening sliding roof and automatic initialization and self-functioning telescope operation, camera function, digital photograph acquisition and retention, and computer storage of analysis at any remote ASO site.

Petit Jean Mountain – North Brow, added in 2002, is used for comet imaging. This facility is 100 percent automated and is operated remotely from the main location, Petit Jean – South.

The Cascade Observatory was constructed and added in 2004

by Dr. Clay’s brother Brian Sherrod. All work on this telescope was done by the late Brian Sherrod.

Petit Jean Mountain – South, added in 2005, is the premier and

primary research facility for ASO. It features on-site machining and designing workshops and two observatory buildings as well as a primary residence. The large building contains the main telescope and numerous smaller telescopes for community outreach programs.

The observatories feature climate-controlled rooms for remote Photo courtesy of ASO viewing and operation. The telescope itself cannot be housed in a climate-controlled environment due to interference in the air currents. Astronomers of the past were exposed to the elements and stayed with the telescope throughout the night in the most extreme of temperatures, both hot and cold, to record observations with a tape recorder or pen and paper.

As technology has advanced through ASO’s history, so have the methods of data collection and transmission. “50 years ago, I would take three photographs on large sheet film of a comet moving through a star field,” says Dr. Clay. “I’d process that film, and allow it to dry, and then measure the motion through the fixed stars by hand using a light table and rulers. In eight hours I could measure no more than two comets or asteroids and redetermine the orbit. Today I can measure 150 per night thanks to digital imaging and a computer program that locks onto the sky, measures the motion for me, and automatically recomputes the orbit.”

From this laborious start, Dr. Clay’s research in many earth biological sciences, as well as his astronomical dedications and observations, led to contracts for scientific services for the Food and Drug Administration (National Center for Toxicological Research), the Universities of Arkansas, Wisconsin, Texas, Harvard, and

“As I explained to many people, astronomy is the gentleman’s science and deserves to remain proud of its Renaissance approach to answering the riddles of the universe,”

Photo courtesy of ASO

both NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, to name only a few institutions.

Dr. Clay, an educator, and biological cellular scientist, took a unique path through the scientific disciplines making an impact in astronomy, biology, environmental sciences, geology, paleontology, and archaeology through five decades. He is known worldwide for his creative writings and lectures in the sciences. The direction of his studies was mentored and driven through the direction and research of the late Dr. Carl Sagan, of Cornell University, and he worked hand-in-hand with Dr. Brian Marsden of the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Dr. Sagan himself arranged for Dr. Clay to be part of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, as the research scientists prepared for the Mars Viking mission in 1975. This was during the same period ASO was being built. Dr. Clay turned down the opportunity, choosing to stay in Arkansas. >> APRIL 2021

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In a note from Dr. Sagan to Dr. Clay, he states: “Astronomy is the melting pot whereby all other sciences must simmer.” Those words from Sagan in 1974 set the foundation for ASO to never focus only on the astronomical aspects of understanding the origins of all things, but to incorporate all other sciences in concert to achieving proper understanding.

It was through the influence of these two renowned scientists that scientific contribution — rather than personal fulfillment — would be at the forefront of programs and projects at ASO. Dr. Clay set out to develop programs, research directives, and ultimately publications and theories regarding the evolution of all worlds throughout the universe based on the examples available of the biological and geological status of our planet, Earth.

Many job opportunities were offered through the years, but Dr. Clay always chose to stay in Arkansas with his family. “The void of astronomical outlets in this region led me to develop my plan for operating an exclusive observatory that was without influence and direction of others,” he says. “One thing was sure, you will never become rich being an astronomer in Arkansas."

The reputation of ASO and Dr. Clay grew and so did his outreach programs. He sometimes gave 10-12 lectures per week across the United States and other countries. With 10,000 presentations given (free of charge), he remained reluctant to make his wealth of information available via computer. “As I explained to many people, astronomy is the gentleman’s science and deserves to remain proud of its Renaissance approach to answering the riddles of the universe,” says Dr. Clay.

Brian Sherrod was an integral part of the research and programs of ASO alongside his brother from the beginning and operated one of its telescopes until 2019. “By craft, Brian was a computer master and creative programmer who created many of the operations and analytical tools used daily by ASO,” Dr. Clay says. Brian built a website for ASO containing all of the telescope, observational data, and research guides completed and already launched. “It was, in essence, having all of my 12

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teaching tools available online at the click of a finger,” Dr. Clay says. This is the current website for ASO called arksky.org.

When asked about the most difficult period for ASO, Dr. Clay says that “life has been rich. I would not trade one thing, nor would I reverse the course of the pathways that have led me to this point over 50 years. Every year has been difficult to maintain a world-class research and outreach facility on my own with limited finances and limited time. At some point, the most difficult time in the history of ASO will be that time when I decide to shut it down and the resources and outreach that I have provided will no longer be available to the public.

There will be no centennial celebration of ASO, which is so very sad. There have been so many times when I have thought about searching out a bright apprentice to take over all this, but where would I find someone who can excel in virtually every branch of science and combine all that into one thread of thought?”

Dr. Clay has written 37 books, most in the scientific disciplines of astronomy, archaeology, environment, geology, paleontology, but also a book of poetry, three books in popular

philosophy and editorial thought, two novels, and a cookbook. He has authored thousands of research books and documents, made 17 Public Broadcasting Service productions, and tens of thousands of public outreach program demonstrations, lectures, and developments for schools. His audiences consist of civic and religious groups as well as and professors and academic institutions.

Dr. Clay also has two major energy/environmental inventions, both in use by the U.S. Government via the Department of Energy and Department of Defense. He says these inventions “have been instrumental in the success of ASO.” Now retired from all but running the observatory, Dr. Clay says he is proudest of making it work for 50 years. “Secondly, I am so very proud of hundreds of students that I mentored who have gone on to work in prestigious laboratories and observatories throughout the world,” Dr. Clay says, “who still stay in touch and tell me that I made a difference in their lives.”

For more information about Arkansas Sky Observatories visit arksky.org. or www. facebook.com/groups/421163751426836 l APRIL 2021

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EVE RY DAY L I F E

Maximum (parental) support Story by SARAH CLOWER Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS

MORNINGS CAN BE HECTIC for everyone. But around my house, mornings are manic.

As much as I try to get things together the night before, to ease the transition out the door, there always seems to be a new crisis popping up.

A few mornings ago, Raff and I were rushing as usual, racing against the clock to get out of the house on time. I had laid out his clothes for the next day and set his backpack by the front door. Yet, somehow, I was still hollering for Raff to get his shoes on quicker or we would be late. He hurried through the door with untied laces.

As we pulled up to the school, I asked Raff to get his things together. He would have to hit the ground running as soon as we pulled up.

“Oh no! I forgot my backpack!” Raff lamented.

“Raff! It was sitting right by the front door, as usual!” I said as we pulled up to the school’s front door and put the car in park.

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“Oh no again! I don’t have my mask!”

Raff cried.

I rolled my eyes to the roof of the car.

At this point during the pandemic, you’d think I would have numerous masks lurking and laying about. But just the day be-

fore, I had deep cleaned my vehicle and taken all of the masks out to wash them. I had forgotten to return them to my console.

Raff begged me to not make him go to school with no backpack and no mask, assuring me he would have to take a behavior mark if he came to class with none of his school supplies. And, according to him, wearing a disposable mask to class would be tortuous.

He pouted with big round eyes.

“Oh OK, fi ne.” I said, putting the car back into drive. “We can go to Walmart, but we are running in and running out! And I’m bringing you straight back to school!”

Raff nodded, still giving the pouty lip.

Once inside the store, we made our way to the backpack aisle. There weren’t many choices, and I could see Raff’s face form a grimace as he eyed the options.

“Remember, this is just for an extra.

Tomorrow you’ll have your regular backpack.” I lead him to the clearance backpacks.

“Pick from these. I’m going to go grab you some paper and pencils, and a mask and I’ll be right back.”

I hurried over the school supply aisle and got what he needed, and quickly headed to the front of the store where I had seen a large selection of masks.

I looked around where I thought I had spotted the masks, but couldn’t see them.

I started to ask an employee when I saw a

few masks on a different aisle. I grabbed a couple that looked like something Raff would like, and headed back to the aisle I had last seen him on.

“Are you ready?” I asked, once I spotted him.

“Yes, I found a Razorback backpack for seven dollars.” Raff said proudly, holding up his selection.

“Perfect, let’s go check out so I can get you back to school.”

When we made it back to his school, all by 8:30 A.M., I was quite proud of us, feeling like we really had it together now.

I checked him in as “tardy,” wished him a great day at school and headed to work.

That afternoon, as I waited in the pick-up line at school, I noticed Raff was wearing a disposable mask — the kind he swore he just couldn’t fathom wearing. He also wore a scowl across his brow.

Raff got into my car sulking and closed the door a little more abruptly than normal.

“How was your day?” I tentatively asked.

“It was so embarrassing,” Raff said quietly.

“Embarrassing? What happened?” I asked him.

“Well, when I got into my fi rst class after you checked me in, I went to put my mask on and it WASN’T a mask,” he said, getting more upset.

I looked over at him as I kept looking

back at the road. I pulled in to the fi rst parking lot that I could fi nd so that I could give him my full attention.

“OK, well I’m pretty sure I got you two masks and put them into your backpack,” I said.

Raff picked up his backpack and unzipped the very pocket I had put them in.

And then he pulled out two thongs.

My eyes widened and I struggled to breath as I tried to stifl e a huge laugh.

“They were underwear, Mom! You thought these were masks but they were girl’s panties!” he exclaimed.

“Babe, I’m so sorry. I guess they were hung up in a weird way and I truly thought I was getting you two pretty cool masks.

See, this one is even camo,” I giggled.

Raff did not look amused.

“Sweetie, I’m really sorry. I would have never intentionally wanted to embarrass you, especially at school. Wanna go to Chik-Fila for an apology snack?” I asked.

Raff slightly nodded.

“Would it make you feel better if I wore the camo pair through the drive-thru line, pretending like I think it’s a mask?”

He nodded emphatically.

I got a couple of weird looks while I ordered, but it was defi nitely worth hearing the eruptions of laughter while we waited on our food and again as he called everyone he could think of to tell them what I had done. Oh, the joys of parenting. l

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Story by SUSAN CHESSER Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

Since retiring, Mark Smith (AKA Smitty) has been hard to keep up with.

After 30 years of fine-tuning the race car paint and aerodynamics for motor speedways throughout the country from his shop in North Carolina, Smitty has settled down in the Arkansas River Valley to be near his family. Though, settling might not be the right word.

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YOU CAN TELL RIGHT AWAY, upon entering his shop, that he hasn’t been idling. A sleek 1948 Chrysler New Yorker convertible serves as a door greeter. Smitty has repainted and chopped three inches off the top of this huge beauty. In comparison to a GMC Sierra, this antique car is longer and wider. Smitty said the car was a pile of rust when he found it. But he got it running and added power steering and power disc brakes. It’s on track to be a showstopper when he’s done. A few feet away, a gorgeous Ford pickup truck with a matte black coat and sweet vintage interior will disarm anyone who gazes upon it.

Finally, Smitty bought PPC Racing’s (a NASCAR team) show car business, fabrication equipment and fabrication hop. He ended up with 18,000 square feet and enough business to keep 32 people working two shifts a day. Smitty filled his days running the fabrication shop, body shop, paint shop, and production business for race and team sponsors.

His crew even built the seating counters used by race commentators as well as the concert stages for rock band 3 Doors Down.

BREAKING IN TO NASCAR

MAKING CARS GO BOOGITY BOOGITY

Discovered in a junkyard by Don Miller, then President of Penske Racing back in 1991, Smitty was driving a 1936 Ford three-Window Coupe at the time. Miller told him that he was building a ’35 and wanted to measure the radiator. Then Miller introduced himself. “I told him I was building a shop at home,” Smitty says. Miller offered to keep him busy. “So for 25 years, I had two or three of his cars all the time,” Smitty says. When Penske started a truck team, Smitty was asked to handle paint and body for those as well and even helped drive transport for a year.

When Penske sold the team, Smitty went back home to work on trucks. “Then here come the race cars to do at the shop,” Smitty says. “Then, here come some more. Pretty soon, I moved to town and rented a 3,000 square-foot shop. Within two weeks there wasn’t enough room. The race team next door to me, Andy Belmont, moved out with 6,000 square feet. It didn’t matter how much room we got or how many people we hired, we were promised to be busier tomorrow than we were today. It just blossomed like you wouldn’t believe.”

In the super-competitive world of stock car racing, a car needs more than horsepower and gears to compete. It needs to be slippery. “My deal was aerodynamics,” Smitty says. “In the beginning, they’d come say ‘Here’s what I want you to do, Smitty. Set that 3/8ths of an inch to the left.’ They’d give me a list of how they wanted it. And I did it. Then on Sunday or Saturday I found out how their deal worked. I learned from every crew chief what it took to make a car run fast. Plus, the Penske wind tunnel, I got to be friends with my buddies that run that. So I went up to the wind tunnel and I saw what all the rest of the crew chiefs did. I watched.

I got pretty good. Especially [with]Super Speedway cars.”

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DREAM RACERS WERE BORN The first Children’s Dream Racer began as a McDonald’s restaurant project that was determined to be too big upon delivery.

“We had an occasion to re-theme some McDonald’s restaurants,” Smitty says. “We put in mannequins, show cars, pit-carts where the side opened up and the drinks were inside. Part of

Photos courtesy of Dream Racers

what they wanted was a little race car with a carhop tray kids could have their Happy Meal in.” But when Smitty’s team delivered the car, McDonald’s determined that it was too big. “It took up too much floor space,” Smitty says. “So the little car sat and sat.” But nearly everyone who saw the tiny racer commented on how cute it was.

Then one day, Smitty’s doctor saw the little racer while Smitty was painting the doctor’s car. The doctor saw its potential as a tool that could be used to ease anxiety in young hospital patients.

“We put an IV pole on it and an oxygen bottle,” Smitty says.

But that was just the beginning. “We put a Playstation under the hood, real steering and pedals, a TV monitor and a DVD player, race-car seats, safety harness, window nets, spoiler and splitter.”

It was close to a real race car in miniature — minus the real drivetrain, of course — sitting on casters with brakes.

There was only one problem: The cars, made from the same materials and with the same paint jobs as NASCAR cars, cost

$10,000 to build. But they had brought so much joy to sick children that ESPN featured Smitty’s Dream Racers on a Sunday afternoon show and Smitty got to share his project with NASCAR fans.

Smitty says the harness and the G-force safety seat often bring a sense of security to children in tough spots. They helped a child who was awaiting a critical bone marrow transplant at the Charlottes Levine Children’s Hospital. The child's mother said she really thinks she’s driving and had even begun telling her how to drive.

Smitty met the mother of another child at Piedmont Children’s Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. “A little girl came in kicking and screaming,” Smitty says. The girl was there for a kidney biopsy but had to wait. “She played in the Dream Racer,” Smitty says. “She went in [to the procedure]. She came back out and played in it again. She told her mother on the way home that she would be glad when she came back for her operation so she could play in the Dream Racer.” >> APRIL 2021

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DONORS OF THE DREAM RACERS With the Children’s Dream Racers being so costly to build, a few people of means have helped bring the cars to hospitals. Race car owner Rick Hendrick, a leukemia survivor himself, donated a fl eet of Dream Racers. When Jimmy Johnson unveiled a Dream Racer replica of the number 48 car, he got to meet one of the young patients. Openly moved by the recipients of the Dream Racers, Smitty said of the children, “they’ll break your heart.”

After fi lming scenes for the ESPN show, Smitty said a cameraman had pulled him aside to tell him about an experience with an autistic child while fi lming at the hospital. The child’s mother had said the child was expressionless, that he never smiled or cried. But when he got into the Dream Racer, pretty soon he was smiling. She said it was the fi rst time she saw his teeth unless she was brushing them.

There’s an interest in Children’s Dream Racers from those outside of racing as well. Six cars were donated by 3 Doors Down.

The fi rst went to benefi t the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital where a spokesperson said the children cannot wait to get in it. Taylor Swift contributed both a number 45 Adam Petty car and a matching pickup to Victory Junction Foundation established by Richard and Kyle Petty. Victory Junction is an entertainment park for children who are physically challenged or battling disease.

Smitty said that David Reutimann, who drove the double-zero Lucky Dog car owned by Michael Waltrip, donated the very fi rst car to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.

On the Dream Racers website, there’s a quote from Sara Barnett, a child life specialist at All Children’s: "It’s a fabulous device. It certainly makes life a lot easier. A child taking a respiratory treatment or a medicine that increases their heart rate

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APRIL 2021

for a short period of time, or who is sitting between prescribed intervals where blood must be drawn, or having chemotherapy [they] can cinch up the safety belts that come with real race cars and have some fun.”

WHAT MAKES SMITTY GO At a Dream Racer dedication in Mobile, Alabama, Smitty attended a radiothon fundraiser for the hospital. The administrator suggested that Smitty speak about the Dream Racers on air. Before his time on the radio, Smitty had visited the hospital. “There was a little boy, three or four years old,” Smitty says. “He loved that Dream Racer. And, he hugged my neck… he hugged my neck so tight. So it was my turn to talk [on the radiothon], and all I could think of was that little boy. I got a lump. I couldn’t say horse hockey. I couldn’t say nothing.”

While Smitty sold his shop and came to the Arkansas River Valley, he says that the guys who worked for him still build the Dream Racers. Eighty-two cars have been placed across the country so far. Smitty says he has a lot of testimonials from doc-

tors and play therapists about how children have benefi tted from the donated cars. Right now, three more are in the shop in North Carolina, ready to be delivered to hospitals.

“All the logos and graphics are just like a real race car,” Smitty says. “When we place a donor’s Dream Racer, we place the donor’s logos, colors, graphics, all of their advertising all over the race car.” Smitty says the potential for years of advertising at no added cost on the car is a benefi t to the sponsor. “It stays on there forever,” Smitty says. “It’s lifetime advertising.”

Soon after retirement, Smitty was contacted to ride along on a NASCAR tour bus as a storyteller. That assignment fi t like a glove. If you’re ever in the mood to reminisce about the good old days of Nascar, Smitty has decades to pull from — stories about drivers and crew chiefs to the days of driving the transport. He also enjoys telling others about the many children he has met and helped to feel a little better during the very toughest times of their young lives.

You can read more about Smitty’s Dream Racers by visiting www.childrensdreamracer.com. l

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APRIL 2021

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COMMUNITY

Arkansas Tech University plans return to normal in fall 2021 Arkansas Tech University is preparing to look, sound and feel like Arkansas Tech University again in fall 2021.

ATU President Dr. Robin E. Bowen announced on Friday that it is the intention of Arkansas Tech University for its campuses in Russellville and Ozark to resume their normal in-person class schedule and for campus activities to return to pre-pandemic status in time for the beginning of the 202122 academic year.

“From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas one year ago, Arkansas Tech University has steadfastly followed and responded to guidance based upon scientifi c evidence,” said Bowen. “Recent decreases in the number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, the new standards for gatherings announced this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the proven effi cacy and increased availability of COVID-19 vaccines have provided our university with suffi cient reason to believe that it will be safe and appropriate to resume full normal operations

by August.”

The announcement comes 51 weeks after Arkansas Tech pivoted to virtual classes and remote operations in response to the arrival and spread of COVID-19 in Arkansas during mid-March 2020.

ATU resumed limited in-person laboratory instruction during the second summer term in 2020. The 2020-21 academic year has been conducted through mixed methodology with approximately 25 percent of courses exclusively online, approximately 25 percent of classes exclusively in-person and the remaining 50 percent in a hybrid environment of some online and some in-person.

Arkansas Tech is operating under phase one of its pandemic recovery framework.

If the number of COVID-19 cases with-

in the ATU community remains steady or decreases in the coming weeks, Arkansas Tech plans to transition to phase two of its pandemic recovery framework on Monday, April 12, 2021.

The biggest change between phase one and phase two is the number of individuals permitted to gather in a specifi c place on campus at ATU would increase from 30 to 50.

Mandatory face coverings and social distancing protocols will remain in place on all Arkansas Tech campuses through the end of the spring 2021 semester. Those policies and continued progress through the phases of ATU’s pandemic recovery framework will be reviewed during summer 2021.

More information concerning the full

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

APRIL 2021

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resumption of in-person university support operations will be communicated to staff members in the weeks to come.

“The period of time from March 2020 through the end of the spring 2021 semester will be recorded as one of the most challenging periods in Arkansas Tech history,” said Bowen. “However, it will also be remembered as one of our university’s fi nest hours.

The students, faculty and staff of Arkansas Tech responded to the operational challenges of the pandemic with resilience and the will necessary to continue the daily pursuit of our mission. We developed new and innovative methods for delivering academic programs and services, many of which will continue to benefi t us in the post-pandemic environment. Equally impressive and important was the extent to which the people of Arkansas Tech adhered to our safety protocols. As a result, we have been able to successfully mitigate the effects of COVID-19 at Arkansas Tech thus far.

“Now, as we prepare to return to standard operating procedures for fall 2021, we must concentrate our collective energy as an institution on helping our communities and our state recover from the negative economic impact of the pandemic,” continued Bowen. “Students who enroll at Arkansas Tech will fi nd a campus community that is prepared and dedicated to channeling their innate grit in a direction that will lead to meaningful educational experiences, personal growth and career readiness.

Bringing the virus under control is only the

fi rst step. We must be prepared to grapple with and overcome the economic challenges that will remain when the pandemic ends. Graduates of Arkansas Tech have the skills and the determination necessary to overcome those challenges and build a brighter future.”

Learn more about Arkansas Tech University at www.atu.edu.

30th Annual Free State of Yell Fest The Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce proudly announces that the 30th Annual Free State of Yell Fest will be held May 7-8 at Veteran’s Riverfront Memorial Park, North Front Street in Dardanelle.

Yell Fest events will include: Run-likeYell 4-mile run, live music, carnival, fi reworks, the Lion’s Club Pancake Breakfast, and more.

The two-day festival will benefi t the Dardanelle Area Chamber and community events as well as funding local scholarships — $250 for each graduating senior from each Yell County school district.

For food as well as arts and craft vendor applications, please email requests to dardanellechamberofcommerce@gmail.com If you are interested in becoming a Yell Fest sponsor or sponsoring a specifi c event at Yell Fest, please contact one of the following: Stacey Daughtrey (479-229-3328), Montie Sims (479-477-0137), or Dusty Bunting (479-445-3737).

Big River Materials, Intermodal Authority Agreement Sets Stage for Proposed Industrial Park (Russellville, AR) – Big River Materials and the River Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities Authority (RVRIFA) have signed an “Option To Purchase” agreement, which seeks to establish an intermodal transportation port, with the ultimate goal of building a major industrial park that would potentially create thousands of jobs in the Pope County area.

The contract sets a 5-year option for RVRIFA to purchase 41 acres of land, which is currently owned by Big River Materials, setting adjacent to the Arkansas River.

“This contract today was vital.” said RVRIFA Vice Chairman Roy Reaves. “It could not go forward without the contract that we signed today. And this is a great complement to the Duffi eld family, to Matt Duffi eld in particular, as they see the value of this project. They’re willing to make a strong commitment, as Matt has today. So, to me, it’s a great credit to Matt and the Duffi eld family, to their interest in this community, and to what this will bring to it. But, it could not go further without this contract today.”

“Since the formation of the Intermodal Project, I have gained an understanding of what it is, and what can be gained by the community if it can be achieved.” said Matt Duffi eld, owner of Big River Materials. >>

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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“There is no downside to the community if it can be successfully built. It is my understanding that it would be fi nanced by grant money. There would be no new tax, or cost to myself, or others that live here. It would create an environment that would be appealing for other industries to see Russellville as a more viable city to come to, which would potentially bring even more jobs and capital to the area.”

“We view it as a regional project.” said RVRIFA Chairman Randy Young. “Not just to the benefi t of Russellville or Pope County, but Yell County, and even Conway and Logan County. The reason I was interested is, I grew up in this area, and I lived in Little Rock a long time, but my view of what was taking place in Pope County was, “I don’t understand why Russellville’s not growing? I mean, everything’s there.” So, pretty much my sole interest is to see if we can get some things going in this area that really live up to it’s potential.”

RVRIFA Vice Chairman Reaves expounded upon what he envisions for the future of the project moving forward.

“My vision for this is a huge industrial park, a mega park.” said Vice Chairman Reaves. “That mega park would house one giant industry, or mostly likely numerous smaller industries. And what will make it successful is having the multiple modes of transportation. We run off I-40. We have the 247 bypass right here that’s been added. That gives us nice transportation by truck. Also, we have rail nearby, that hope-

Welcome!

Matti Ibrahim

fully we’ll have rail to the site. The airport is continuing to grow. And then, water. The water being such a critical part.”

“Since water freight is so much cheaper, in other cities where there was an opportunity to use water, then everyone got a much lower freight rate. So, if you can lower your transportation cost, you make your product a lot more attractive, and you make that location a lot more attractive. That would be the thing that would set Russellville apart from other communities like Russellville that do not have an intermodal authority.” said Vice Chairman Reaves.

RVRIFA has had several large fi rms express interest in becoming a part of the proposed “mega park”.

“The benefi t-cost ratio just on this water park facility was like 12 to 1.” said Chairman Young. “So, that tells you that there’s

479-890-5454

APRIL 2021

Two from ATU named Fulbright semifinalists Arkansas Tech University’s Matti Ibrahim and Tina King have been selected as 2021 Fulbright semifi nalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

According to the sponsoring bureau, the

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

lots of potential interest out there, with that kind of benefi t-cost ratio. The Slackwater Harbor in Little Rock cost about $10 million to build. You have to bring utilities to it. Water, sewer, power, and roads. But ultimately, we get the park built, and it’s just going to make this area so much more attractive to businesses. Banks grow, hospitals grow, and schools grow. I mean, that’s what it’s all about.”

Conveniently located to Arkansas Tech University, Shiloh Creek is nestled in a cozy forest setting with Lake Dardanelle nearby. Come by and tour our beautiful property and amenities. We also offer furnished one and two bedroom corporate apartments.

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Tina King

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Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study and research projects or for English teaching assistant programs. Successful candidates meet, work, live with and learn from the people of their host country and share in their daily experiences.

Ibrahim is on pace to graduate from ATU in May with a Master of Arts degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). A resident of Russellville, Ibrahim believes that becoming a Fulbright award recipient would create academic, career and personal growth opportunities.

“The Fulbright program appeals to me because it’s an opportunity to broaden my worldview beyond borders by being immersed into the culture not like my own,”

said Ibrahim, who would like to continue her studies and earn a doctoral degree in cultural geography. “Teaching English as a second language in an international environment is a wonderful opportunity not only to share my own culture but to learn how to teach from another cultural perspective.”

King is originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., and attended high school in the northeast Arkansas community of Salem. She graduated from Arkansas Tech in 2018 with bachelor’s degrees in rehabilitation science and psychology. Shortly after completing her studies at ATU, King made a life-changing journey to Nepal.

“The land feels like home and the people like family,” said King, who said her dream job would be working in Nepal for the U.S.

Embassy or for a non-profit organization.

“I want to help create sustainable change in Nepal. The Fulbright English teaching assistantship would allow me to create this change. My role would be as both an educator as well as a cultural ambassador. I know in my heart that I will return to Nepal one way or another, but it would be especially wonderful to return to Nepal as an English teacher with Fulbright.”

Ibrahim and King were supported in their Fulbright applications by the ATU Office of Distinguished Scholarships, which is led by Dr. Jason Warnick, ATU professor of psychology.

Learn more about the ATU Office of Distinguished Scholarships at www.atu.edu/ academics/nifs.php. l

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TACOS 4 EVER BURRITOS & MORE 200 N ARKANSAS AVE RUSSELLVILLE, AR

Something new… to us Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

APRIL 2021

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HISPANIC FOOD, and especially Hispanic food in a community that only in the last decade or so has really experienced Hispanic food, is that what you thought was just a simple menu of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas is just the tip of the enchilada. There are the variations on those staples that you never thought would make it to the River Valley, and then there are some you never even knew existed.

Our latest exposure to incredible, but heretofore unknown fare with origins south of the border, was an introduction to birria.

Birria is a Mexican meat stew with the traditional main ingredient of goat. It’s a meal

usually reserved for special occasions.

The day we found birria at Tacos 4 Ever Burritos & More in downtown Russellville was, indeed, a special occasion.

Sadly, goat meat was not an option for various bureaucratic reasons. But the beef —simmered and swimming in a steaming, spicy, cilantro-tinged bath of deliciousness — was incredible. We had our birria in a few familiar forms such as tacos and quesadillas, and we had it on a platter served with rice and beans.

It’s fantastic with and on everything, and just the latest proof that perhaps some of the most delectable eats in the River Valley are yet to be discovered… by us, anyway. l

APRIL 2021

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CO U N T E RTO P C R E AT I O N S

Scents of heaven Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

G

rowing up, I would often walk into my mother’s kitchen and smell the unmistakable scent of homemade bread.

I have thought to myself, on more than one occasion, that is what heaven must smell like.

Right out of the oven, slathered with real butter and drizzled with honey, nothing tastes better.

The first week of April is National Bake Week.

And I, as you would say, am my mother’s daughter.

I love to bake — especially bread. So I’ve collected some scrumptious homemade bread recipes for you to try your hand at.

Our feature recipes this month come by way of our own Ms. Liz Chrisman who is not only a very talented photographer but also a skilled bread culinarian.

As always, enjoy!

Herbs de Provence and Lemon Zest Fougasse

HERBS DE PROVENCE AND LEMON ZEST FOUGASSE ABOUT Magazine Featured Recipe ~ APRIL 2021

Prep time: 15 minutes Inactive time: 20 minutes to rest, 1 hour and 30 minutes to rise, 30 minutes to proof the dough and preheat the oven Bake time: 20-25 minutes Tools needed: thermometer, kitchen scale, large bowl, kitchen towel, 16x24 inch rimmed baking sheet, pastry brush, pizza cutter For the dough: 8 g instant yeast 375 g water 500 g all-purpose flour 10 g salt Oil, for greasing the pan

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

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For the fougasse topping: ¼ c olive oil, divided Zest of 1 lemon A generous handful herbs de provence, chopped 2 T flaky sea salt Prepare & Scale: Weigh all of the ingredients separately before you begin. This helps keep everything accurate. Use smaller bowls for ingredients in smaller amounts, like yeast and salt, to get the most precise reading. Your water should be 80 degrees.

Combine: In a large bowl, disperse the yeast into the water with a gentle swish of your fingers. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Add the flour on top of the water and yeast. Sprinkle the salt on top of the flour.

This keeps it from coming into direct contact with the year, which can inhibit the rise.

Mix: Hands are best to ensure the ingredients are well combined. This should come together easily and produce a slack, wet dough.

Rest: Let your dough rest for 20 minutes so the flour can absorb the water.]

Fold: Stretch and fold your dough; this will give it strength so it can hold its shape in the oven later. Imagine that your dough has four “corners.” Pull each corner up and stretch it over the top of the dough to meet the opposite side, Visualizing a clock on the top of your bowl of dough, pull the 12 o’clock corner up and down to the 6. Pull the 3 o’clock over to

the 9, then 6 o’clock to 12 and 9 o’clock to 3. Work your way around the clock 2-3 times, until the dough becomes a tight ball and is no longer loose and stretchy. Gluten development achieved!

Rise: Place a fl oured kitchen towel (or plastic wrap) over your bowl and enjoy life for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Check: Later, the dough should be noticeably lighter, larger and fi lled with air bubbles. To double-check, fi ll a cup with water, pinch off a little ball of dough and drop it into a glass of water. It should fl oat to the top, indicating that your dough is aerated. If it doesn’t, no worries. Just let it rise a bit longer and check on it in the next 30 minutes. The warmer your kitchen; the faster the rise.

Shape: Oil a 16x24 inch rimmed baking sheet. Pull your dough out of the bowl and drop it directly on the sheet. Pour half of the olive oil over the dough and start gently stretching it toward the bottom two corners of the pan. Pull the top edge toward the top of the pan to form a large triangle shape.

Mix: Combine the lemon zest, herbs, and the remaining oil in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to spread the mixture evenly all over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the sea salt all over the top.

Proof: Let the dough proof for 30-40 min.

Preheat: While the dough proofs, preheat the oven to 450F and set the oven rack in the center position.

Decorate: Fougasse is cut into a leaf shape. Using a pizza cutter, make a large

cut up the center of the dough. Pull the dough apart a bit to make the cut a little wider. Now make three cuts on each side of the center cut, arcing upward like the veins of a leaf and pull the dough apart like the fi rst cut.

Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, until it’s golden and crisp.

Enjoy: This is best eaten as hot as you can stand it.

Recipe adapted from Bonnie Ohara’s Bread Baking for Beginners/submitted by Liz Chrisman BEGINNER’S SOURDOUGH LOAF Makes 2 loaves Prep time: 25 minutes Inactive time: 12 hours to prepare the starter, 1 hour to rest, 3 hours to rise, 1-2 hours to proof the dough and preheat the oven Bake time: 40-45 minutes Tools needed: large plastic or glass container with lid, thermometer, kitchen scale, large bowl, 2 round baskets, 2 kitchen towels, Dutch Oven For the Starter 50 g mature sourdough starter (purchased, created or given) 150 g all purpose fl our 150 g water For the Dough 1000 g all purpose fl our 680 g water 20 g salt

Beginner’s Sourdough Loaf

Mix the Starter: To prepare the starter, combine the mature starter, fl our, and water in a large container with a lid at least 12 hours before you plan to start mixing your dough. The container should have adequate space for the starter to double in size. Cover loosely with the lid.

Check: After 12 hours, check to see if your starter is full of air and has doubled in size. If you aren’t sure if its ready, use the “fl oat test.” Drop a small piece of dough into a glass of water to see if it fl oats.

Scale: Weigh all your ingredients separately before you begin. This helps keep everything accurate. >>

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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Combine: To make the dough, combine the prepared starter, water, flour, and salt.

Using your hands, mix together. They should produce a wet but firm dough.

Rest: Let your dough relax for about 30 minutes so the flour can absorb the water a bit, which will make it easier to knead.

Knead: Flour your work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Push forward into your dough with the heels of your hands and then fold the elongated dough back toward you. Give the dough a quarter turn, then push the dough away and fold it back again. Keep kneading until you can feel that the dough has tightened up and has gotten smoother; about 10 minutes.

Rise: Place a floured kitchen towel (or plastic wrap) over your bowl, and let the dough rise for 3 hours. Halfway through the rise, give it a few letter folds.

Check: After 3 hours, check the aeration of the dough with the float test. If it doesn’t float, let it continue to rise for another 30 minutes. Cold kitchens produce a slower rise.

Divide and Preshape: Divide your dough into two equal pieces.Gently turn your dough onto a floured surface. Shape the dough by giving it a gentle letter fold: pull the 12 o’clock side down to the middle, sealing the dough against itself. Now fold the bottom up to meeting the seam and seal it. Turn the dough so this seam is vertical, and do that letter fold again, sealing the dough to itself. If the dough is nice and tight, you can stop there. If it seems very relaxed, give it another set of letter folds to create more tension.

Bench Rest: Rest the 2 pieces of dough on the work surface for 30 minutes. This will give them time to relax before shaping. Dust with flour and lighting cover with

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

APRIL 2021

a kitchen towel.

Shape: Shape each piece into a boule.

Flip the dough over and give it a letter fold, give it a quarter turn, and then give it another letter fold. Place the seam down and tighten up the loaf, pulling it against the work surface with your hands.

Proof: Place each dough round into a proofing basket lined with a floured kitchen towel, seam-side up. Rice flour is best to coat your baskets with because it absorbs water well and will prevent sticking. If you don’t have a basket, any round container will do. This will need to rise for 1-2 hours.

Preheat: While the dough is proofing, turn on your oven with an empty Dutch oven inside and let it preheat to 475F. This may seem early to preheat the oven, but great bread needs a thoroughly hot oven for best results.

Check: To test that the dough is well proofed, press a finger gently into the dough. If it seems springy and tight, it needs more time. If it feels airy and light, like a marshmallow, its ready to bake.

Don’t let it worry you if your dough needs more time to rise.

Bake: Flour your work surface and tip 1 loaf out of the basket, seam-side down.

Carefully pull your very hot Dutch oven out of the oven and place it on top of the stove with the lid next to it. Make 2 deep slashes (get creative if you want) in the top of the dough with a razor blade or lame.

These slashes will allow your loaf to expand upward in all directions and rise while it bakes without tearing. Pick the dough up with your hands and gently drop it into the Dutch oven, seam-side down. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid, slide it into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Check: At 25 minutes, take the over off the Dutch oven. Continue baking with the cover removed for another 15-20 minutes.

Your loaf will get some color and develop a nice crust. The finished loaf should be golden brown and will sound hollow when you thump it with your fingers. If the loaf is browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 450F. Repeat to bake the second loaf.

Cool: Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes to let the interior crumb set and make it easier to slice.

Recipe from Bread Baking for Beginners

by Bonnie Ohara/submitted by Liz Chrisman GARLIC CHEESY BREAD 1 c milk 2 T sugar 2 c shredded cheddar cheese 4 c all purpose flour 1 T garlic powder 2 pkgs dry active instant yeast Extra flour In a medium saucepan, scald the milk.

Add sugar, salt and shredded cheese. Stir to melt cheese; cool to lukewarm (approx 115 degrees) and add yeast; mix well.

Place 4 c flour and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl, mix well and make a well in the center; pour the milk/cheese mixture into the well. Stir flour into liquid, mixing well.

Place dough on a clean lightly floured surface. Knead dough, adding additional flour as required until dough is very smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a clean, lightly greased mixing bowl covered with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray (to prevent dough from sticking to plastic as

it rises) and let rise in a warm place until double in size.

Punch dough down.

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.

Divide dough into 2 equal parts and form into loaves. Place into loaf pans and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place to rise until double in size.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic wrap covering dough and place loaf pans into the oven for 10 minutes; lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 2530 minutes or until top is browned. Baking time varies.

Cool before slicing.

OATMEAL AND HONEY WHEAT BREAD 1 c quick-cooking oats 1/3 c butter 2 c boiling water 1/2 c honey 1 T salt 2 pkgs dry active instant yeast 2 eggs 6 1/2-7 1/2 c wheat fl our 1/2 c butter, softened 2 T honey In a large mixing bowl combine 1 c oats, 1/3 c butter, boiling water, honey and salt.

Cool to 115 degrees, stir in yeast. Add eggs and 2 1/2 c fl our.

Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl sides often, until smooth (3-4 minutes).

Stir in enough remaining fl our to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto a clean, lightly fl oured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add more fl our as needed until dough no longer sticks.

Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover with plastic wrap, sprayed with cooking spray and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).

Dough is ready if indention remains when touched.

Punch down dough; divide into thirds.

Shape each third into a loaf. Place into greased loaf pans and cover with plastic wrap to rise again until double in size (approx 1-1 1/2 hrs).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine softened butter and 2 T honey, mix well. Set aside.

Place loaf pans in oven to bake for approx 20 minutes then open oven and brush butter/honey mixture over bread loaves. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to fi nish cooling on wire racks. Once completely cool, slice and serve.

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD 1 1/3 c warm water (about 110°F) 2 tsp sugar or honey 1 (0.25 oz) package active-dry yeast 3 1/2 c all purpose fl our 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle 2 tsp fl aky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling* 2 sprigs fresh rosemary Proof the yeast. Add warm water (about 110°F, which you can measure with a thermometer if you want to be sure it’s the right temp) and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough attachment, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water. Then let it sit for 5-10

minute until the yeast is foamy.

Knead the dough. (See alternate instructions below to knead by hand.) Set the mixer to low speed, and add gradually fl our, olive oil and salt. Increase speed to medium-low, and continue mixing the dough for 5 minutes. (If the dough is too sticky and isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add in an extra 1/4 cup fl our while it is mixing.)

First dough rise. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) with olive oil or cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Place in a warm location (I set mine by a sunny window) and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.

Second dough rise. Turn the dough onto a fl oured surface, and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about 1/2-inch thick*. Cover the dough again with the damp towel, and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.

Prepare the dough. Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish). Use your fi ngers to poke deep dents (seriously, poke all the way down to the baking sheet!) all over the surface of the dough. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.

Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.

Serve. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired.

Slice, and serve warm.

Recipe courtesy of gimmesomeoven.com

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T H E R IVE R VA L L EY C I T I Z E N

Cancel Culture Story & by KRISTIN FOSTER

“Cancel culture” was unheard of in December 1955, but that didn’t make the practice any less pervasive in American culture. Civil rights icon Rosa Parks is known universally for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus 65 years ago. Her small act of resistance sparked a massive bus boycott and changed the United States forever. Parks was arrested and fi ned $10 for her actions. Less than a year later, on November 23, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated busing was unconstitutional.

The history books tell the familiar story of a woman standing strong in the face of adversity, but Parks didn’t cease to exist once the Montgomery Bus Boycott ended.

We seldom hear about her life after that one courageous act. Like many civil rights leaders of the time, Rosa and her husband

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Raymond suffered a decade of pre-internet cancel culture. They both lost their jobs and were forced to leave Alabama in search of steady employment. Even living as far away as Detroit, the Parks continued to suffer harassment and threats to their

safety. Chronic poverty and extreme stress took its toll on their health. Rosa Parks didn’t have stable income until 1965 when she was hired by Congressman John Conyers after playing a pivotal role in his bid for federal offi ce. The attacks on the Parks

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family weren’t unique. Organizers like Bayard Rustin, Ella Baker, and James Bevel risked violent retaliation for their roles in the movement.

Today public figures like Kanye West, Jimmy Fallon, and Ellen DeGeneres have been canceled. Corporations have rebranded products to be more inclusive and hopefully avoid being canceled. Even private citizens are not exempt from being canceled by social media for their online actions. In February 2021, the small town of Stinnett, Texas was rocked when their police chief went viral for a web of romantic entanglements involving multiple women and accusations of forged legal documents.

The police chief has since been arrested, resigned his position, and been served with divorce papers. Russellville had its own viral moment in 2020 when a local daycare made national headlines for banning a child from wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt to school.

According to dictionary.com, cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. In the midst of this online debate, we have failed to acknowledge that canceling has been used to silence dissenting voices long before social media made it a hashtag. The reality is that speaking truth to power has always come at a high price.

In 2019 President Barack Obama spoke on the issue of canceling saying, “That’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change.

If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far.”

In small towns across America, the threat of job loss and financial hardship is regularly used to keep vulnerable citizens from speaking out on difficult issues. Most states, including Arkansas, do not protect employees from retaliation over political beliefs.

So it comes as no surprise that those who hold a small amount of power, privilege, or influence are often the quickest to threaten a lawsuit or call an employer if they are offended or inconvenienced. Ultimately as a society we cannot address the good and bad of cancel culture until we are willing to also assess our own roles in perpetuating it. l

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THE SEED & THE STORY

Long-haul thinking Story by MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS Photo by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

I

t’s fairly common to see logging trucks on our road. They’re mostly loaded with pine and headed for the sawmill.

I can hear the large engines heading up the hill, their massive tires spinning on the gravel. Sometimes I watch them drive up Slo Fork road, that red scrap of fabric attached to one of the longest logs and dancing in the dust.

Logging is central to my family’s history. My father and grandfather logged all around here and up through Rosetta in the Ozark mountains. They worked mule teams, and my grandfather was known across the region for his skills. This was all long before I was born.

I do remember my Uncle Junior, though.

He logged areas of Yell County and cut pulpwood for a living. My childhood was filled with fascinating relatives with

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beautiful Ozark accents, long and winding tales, and quick-witted humor. But Uncle Junior was a legend among legends. He drew all his water from a sulphur well. He flicked his hand rolled Prince Albert cigarettes into the potbelly stove when he finished them. He still had an outhouse. He had a pony named Princess in the pasture.

As a child, I came across to most folks as a shy, well-groomed town type. But truth be told, way down deep in my heart, I was a lot like Uncle Junior… or at least I sure

wanted to be. He kept it simple. He wasn’t here to impress you.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about planting trees. We’ve been doing some research on useful native plants to grow on our place as well as trying to learn more about the ones that already grow here, mostly pine, Osage-orange (bois d’arc) and juniper. Pawpaw trees are natives and bear fruit. We’ve tried our hand at those before and they died. But we’re going to try again.

We have a beautiful decades old Oak in our

yard, and we’d love to explore adding more of those. We’ve talked about chinquapin oak, some hickory trees, buckeye, sycamore, black cherry, and walnut. I’d also like to add a slew of redbuds so we can make jelly with the blossoms. And I want to add to the dogwood that already grows on our property, one I planted last year in honor of my dog Elsie, my best friend for 17 years.

ly — death, birth, death, and on, and on.

Call it a circle or a gift economy or just plain common sense.

The huge oak that grows in my front yard got there because a squirrel planted it, probably. Pure serendipity. Same goes for most of the juniper that lines every roadway. Humans decide to plant trees all the time, and that is certainly very important.

“A garden lasts a season and then dies back. Each year you can choose to make adjustments and changes to the garden. But a tree? Once it’s in the ground it’s there until long after you’re dead unless you cut it. “ Tree planting is often used as a generic symbol for some kind of new and prosperous beginning. That’s fi ne and all, but tree selection is a careful affair. After all, a garden lasts a season and then dies back. Each year you can choose to make adjustments and changes to the garden. But a tree?

Once it’s in the ground it’s there until long after you’re dead unless you cut it. And those roots are going to go way beyond the base of that tree — maybe even into your plumbing. In other words, sure, planting a tree is a nice new beginning. But mostly it’s an exercise in choosing wisely.

So what does any of this have to do with my Uncle Junior and his logging days? I think there is a misconception in our culture that seemingly opposite things are just, well, opposites. Perhaps the closest convention is that well-worn saying “opposites attract.” But planting trees and cutting down trees are only opposites if your thinking is short-sighted. All trees fall eventual-

But they grow fi ne without us. And, truth be told, I think we sometimes pat ourselves on the back too much when planting them, likening the act to a gift we’ve given the world. Really, though, we’re just paying back what we already used and what we already owe, or maybe we’re paying it forward. In many ways, if we’re thinking long haul, it’s the same difference.

Uncle Junior spent a lot of time cutting trees down. I will likely cut my own share.

But it’s also a part of my life’s work to plant some. My Uncle Junior and I aren’t opposites, at least not if you refuse to think in a short-sighted way. So, sure, planting trees is useful. But the real gift we can offer to the generations that come is our long-term thinking. Plant trees for shade or growth.

Know that their roots grow much deeper than you think they will. And, as you plant, know that every decision we make right now will stick around, in some form or another, for decades… or even longer. l

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3115 E. MAIN ST, RUSSELLVILLE • (479) 967-5575 APRIL 2021

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Story & photo by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

A JOURNAL of our RURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE

Good Manners in the Great Outdoors THE LITTLE WHITETAIL DOE crept to the waters edge as I stood, with fly rod in hand, waist deep in sparkling Piney Creek. I come to the creek for fishing, but I also come for the unexpected magic moments like this.

Suddenly the doe’s head shot up, and she stared hard down the creek.

I followed her gaze and saw nothing.

Looking back at her, I noticed her cotton-bottomed tail slowly rise before she bounded deeper into the woods. Then I heard frothy pop-country music filtering down the creek channel.

The music was a mood killer for the deer and for me as well.

It wasn’t because I’m not a fan of “new country” (I’m not, but that’s another story). It could have been Hank Sr. or George Jones wailing through the speakers and I’d still have preferred the tinkle of water over rocks, the call of a belted kingfisher, or the wind whispering through sycamore leaves. Catching fish is only one facet of the creek experience.

The ambiance created by sights, smells, and sounds while in the water compose the rest. That ambiance was crushed

under the weight of thumping bass and twangy guitars.

I said “howdy” to the paddlers as the flotilla bobbed past me. The last guy in line flashed me the “hang loose” hand gesture and cranked the tunes even louder as he swigged down the last of his Pabst Blue Ribbon.

It was another fifteen minutes before they were out of ear shot.

People venture into the woods and onto the waters in pursuit of many activities — hunting, fishing, hiking, floating, solitude or just the illusion of solitude.

And with all of these varied interests attracting varied personalities, sometimes it seems that the wilds of Arkansas aren’t so wild. Sometimes it’s like there’s no escape from everyone else so that we can experience natural Arkansas in our own way.

But with a little consideration, we can share and we can even make the experience more enjoyable for others.

Understand that public forests and waters belong to all of us Arkansas is blessed with an abundance of public lands (nearly four million acres of National Forest alone) and public waters funded by the taxes, permits, and licenses that we all purchase.

Though, it’s sometimes easy for me to imagine that I’m the only person “out there,” I’m not. Though I often think my chosen outdoor pursuit takes precedence over other’s ideas of a good time in the woods, it doesn’t.

There are a couple of rules I follow so I won’t ruin someone else’s experience while enjoying my particular flavor of outdoor recreation.

First come first served is my rule for camping spots, small swimming holes, or

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favorite hunting/fi shing areas. If someone else is already where I planned to be, I go somewhere else.

If I can’t completely avoid an already occupied area, I give it the widest berth possible. It’s the same courtesy that I hope will be extended to me.

I also consider how much my chosen activity will affect the activities enjoyed by those in proximity. This was the rule the canoeists on Piney broke. While music can enhance an outdoors excursion for some, not everyone feels the the same way. Loud vehicles, loud conversation, hunting near hikers/campers or fi shing in the same hole of water others are swimming in are also something to think about.

Really, there’s just one rule, the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would want to be treated.

Leave it like you found it… or even better Nothing is more frustrating than to drive down miles of dirt road, maybe hike a few hundred yards to that secluded campsite, and fi nd the place trashed. It takes so little effort to pick up after myself and make a place look virtually untouched. It’s become habit for me to stow a few trash bags in my truck to pick up the mess others have left. Sadly, there’s always an opportunity to do this.

Litter is bad for the environment and bad for the critters, but I also pick up the trash to better the outdoor experience for the next visitor. I owe the environment and the wildlife a debt I can never repay.

The same can be said for my fellow tax payers and license buyers who help ensure wild places are still there for me to enjoy.

I like to think I’m chipping away at that debt, just a little, with some janitor duty.

You don’t live here, but other beings do We often treat the wild lands and waters like an amusement park, places reserved only for our entertainment.

While we should absolutely enjoy these beautiful areas and entertainment opportunities of a more primitive variety, we should also understand that they are so much more than our often anthropocentric thinking realizes.

These places are fi rst and foremost fully functioning ecosystems. They are communities fi ne tuned, yet, still evolving, with various organisms dependent on the system and on one another. The oaks were planted by squirrels and blue jays and the acorns feed them as well as the black bears, deer, and turkey. The coyotes and rattlesnakes ensure the rodent population is controlled and therefore also help control tick populations. The layers go on and on forever overlapping, and all of those

“Sometimes it seems that the wilds of Arkansas aren’t so wild. Sometimes it’s like there’s no escape from everyone else so that we can experience natural Arkansas in our own way.” layers have, over eons, created where we go to get away from the civilized world.

Quiet is the default setting out here.

Loud noise is a stressor for wildlife. Keep any other disturbances to soil, rocks, wood, living trees/vegetation and animals to a minimum. Stacked rocks on the creek bank may look like art to you, but they were once home to crayfi sh, salamanders, and multitudes of invertebrates. And if you’ve ever watched the work a crayfi sh puts into fi nding the perfect rock and excavating a residence underneath, you’ll never feel the same way about stacked rocks. Extend the Golden Rule beyond your human neighbors.

There’s still a lot of wild left in Arkansas. Thoughtful practices while you’re out in it are essential for other folks to enjoy it and the well-being of those very places, too. l

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COMMUNITY LEADERS

...

RENE LEZAMA

AGE: 39 HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, California YEARS IN THE: RIVER VALLEY: Five OCCUPATION: Barber/Hustler FAMILY: I have 3 beautiful kids — Angel,

Franco & Milania

1. What is your favorite book?

Crushing it by Gary Vaynerchuck is probably the book that inspired my decision to open up a barbershop in the beginning, which in turn made this whole thing possible. I’ve always been drawn to books about self-improvement. Sometimes we need motivation to evolve into the best version of ourselves in order to reach our goals and aspirations.

2. Dogs or cats?

It’s not about the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog. I gotta go with man’s best friend. Growing up in my neighborhood, everyone had dogs — some for walks in the park or to play fetch with, but more often than not for security purposes. Even though they look mean and tough, pit bulls are my all-time favorite. Hands down the most loyal and loving breed I’ve ever owned.

3. What do you think is the most positive aspect of living in the River Valley?

Definitely the opportunity and endless possibilities for creating something new is a positive part of the ever-growing River Valley that I’ve come to call home these past five-plus years. There’s so much room for growth and development, for entrepreneurs, creators, artist, and families looking to start something new and exciting. Can’t wait to see what it looks like 10 years from now.

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4. What’s something no one would ever guess about you?

6. What do you nerd out on?

holes. I also mention our outdoor activities, from trails for hiking and biking to lakes and rivers for floating and fishing.

The River Valley has so much to offer, and we have to keep promoting our community every chance we can.

People know that I love music, but back before I was a successful barber and barbershop owner, I was an aspiring rapper by the name of Renegade. I was always recording music, making beats, and performing on stage anywhere there was a microphone. Writing, recording, and producing was my first true passion.

I geek out on sneakers culture a lot.

I can talk about kicks for days. And if you’ve ever walked in my shop, I’m always complementing clients new kicks.

There’s nothing like the feeling of a new pair of Jordans. Kind of like the same feeling you get from a fresh fade. But I also geek out on everything barber related like tutorials, vlogs, and product reviews.

5. What is your favorite music genre and artist?

7. If you could change one thing about the River Valley, what would it be?

My favorite genre has to be hip-hop, and my favorite artists right now is Nippsy Hussel (R.I.P). But my music palette is literally all over the place, I definitely consider myself a student of the game, always trying to find something new to listen to.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I remember after school I’d always go to Ameba Records and sift through hundreds of records and CDs. I always wanted to be up on music people never heard before, anything underground or Indy, the more obscure the better sometimes.

I believe change is always good, and I believe everyone is capable of change. Everyone has the power of making a change in themselves and others around them or even in our own community. I know it’s cliche, but we all have to be the change we want to see.

Definitely tacos, and not just because both my parents are from Mexico. My mother hails from Sinaloa and my father from Mexico City. Tacos are Life!

Growing up Mexican, I’m partial to my native cuisine, so I’ve got to represent.

But don’t let that stop you from inviting me to your next crawfish boil. I’ve had the opportunity to learn all about Southern cuisine during my time here in the River Valley.

8. Where is the one location in the River Valley you would tell a first-time visitor that they must go?

10. What is your favorite quote? Could be from an inspirational person, could be an original.

I’m a huge foodie, so I’ve always got to recommend first-time visitors go to all of the great local food spots and watering

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

-Muhammad Ali

9. Pizza, tacos, cheeseburger, or fried chicken?

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