ABOUT | December 2020 by ABOUT the River Valley Magazine

LIFE LESSONS & DANCE

December 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ aboutrvmag.com

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley

A PIPE DREAM

SURF & LOCAL TURF

Russellville School District is happy to announce that all school- aged children under the age of 18 are eligible for free meals until the end of the school year. Visit our Dining Services webpage for more information on future menu items.

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December 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Life Lessons and Dance The story of the retired dance and gymnastics instructor who has been a part of the Russellville community since the early 1960’s is one of a tiny dancer following her leading man across the “pond.” Born in Kensington of London, England, Ann Taylor brought her love for dance, her love of children, and her beautiful imagination with her.

Bad, bad Santa A pipe dream realized Bruce Moore has loved the dramatic sound of the pipe organ his entire life. He learned to play the instrument at Arkansas Tech University back in the fall of 1975. And now, thanks to a little luck and a lot of effort, he has a pipe organ sitting in his den.

Oh Christmas Tree Surf and local turf A couple of menu items that will always get my attention: locally sourced food and seafood. If I can find both of those on the same menu, well, that’s a restaurant I’ll be eating from regularly. Sadly, locally sourced seafood just isn’t a geographic possibility here in the landlocked River Valley, but there are local alternatives that might surprise you.

Hindsight from 2020 Black gold

FEATURED MERCHANT Bella Rustina |

10 Things ABOUT: Benita Drew ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVER

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Ann Taylor’s dance and gymnastics center has long been a part of our history. Taylor is in the stages of retiring that part of her life and as such, her gym seemed a little bare since she’s sold the majority of her equipment. However, the winners podium was still tucked away in a corner. This was one symbol, to me, that whispered a testament to the work she’s done with the youth of this area.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Better days ahead My first editorial of 2020 included some weak pun humor about hindsight. Of course, I had not the foggiest notion of the the year we’d be looking back on now. Who could have possibly predicted the unprecedented events that unfolded? But we soldiered on under mask and distanced knowing that better days were surely to come. I don’t have to tell you that there were challenges aplenty. You faced them, too. The December issue in your hands or on your screen right now is the result of all of us here at ABOUT holding on to threads of hope throughout the year with no idea of what even the next day would bring let alone the months ahead. But hope is all we had and, now, that hope has some degree of tangibility. As I type these very words, a new vaccine has been proven largely effective in combating the coronavirus. I am not in any way implying that this pandemic is over. It’s decidedly not. If anything, we’re in store for perhaps the worst of the virus as the cold, dark days of winter descend upon us. Even in a best-case scenario, we’re months away from inoculation on the scale required for public safety. But while 2021 likely won’t swing wide open with the promise of things getting back to normal (or even, hopefully, better than our old normal), there is that glimmer of optimism.

For ABOUT, we’re wrapping up the year with another leading lady on our cover. This time it’s Ann Taylor who, after decades of teaching River Valley young ones the joys of dance, decided to retire. We’re also featuring the cross-country story of how a pipe organ made it to Bruce Moore’s house atop Buck Mountain near Dover, where to find incredible eats, and more words of humor and wisdom from our regular columnists. Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to one of those regulars. Jill McSheehy won’t be returning for next year with her gardening column, which is always a delightful howto sprinkled with insightful views that extend beyond the tilled soil. As some consolation, Jill is leaving us for the best of reasons — her professional career as a writer has taken off like cucumber vines in June and she simply doesn’t have the time. As one of the best and most professional writers we’ve worked with, we wish her the best of luck. But filling that void in 2021 and beyond is going to be tough. We’ll figure it out in due time. But we can’t get too caught up in looking ahead or ruminating on the past, because if 2020 has taught us anything it’s that all we really have is now.

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley since 2006 A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XV, Issue 11 – December 2020

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 MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS | freelance meredith@aboutrvmag.com JILL MCSHEEHY | freelance jill@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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COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

December 2020

Find up-to-date information and future events @

www.aboutrvmag.com/events

ABOUT the River Valley magazine encourages its readers to enjoy activities within the region but to engage with our community responsibly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash your hands.

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* Please confirm directly with the promoter to ensure event details have not changed.

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4th — Russellville Downtown Holiday

12th — Downtown Santa Express 6 – 7

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Glow from 6 – 8 p.m. *Please observe health and safety guidelines*. Depot Park 6 p.m.: Christmas tree lighting and Battle of the Bulb winners announced. Afterward, enjoy shopping, a living nativity, cocoa sip & stroll, music, food, and more.See Santa at the depot and drop off your letter (don’t forget your address so his elves can reply). 7:45 p.m.: Holiday Glow Fireworks Finale. Presenting sponsor - Roy’s Heating. Gold sponsors: Legends, Moore & Co/Will Wetzel, Burris. Silver Sponsors: Centennial Bank, Kozii, Beason Roofing, Brangus Steakhouse.

p.m. at The Depot in downtown Russellville. Come see Santa and his helpers, get a sweet treat, and drop off your letter (don’t forget your address so his elves can reply).

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11th — Sandi Patty in concert at Reynolds Performance Hall on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas. For more information visit uca.edu/reynolds.com.

12th — Hector Christmas Parade. Lineup at 5 p.m. in the new gym parking lot. For more information contact 518-0887.

25th — Merry Christmas! Jan. 1st — Happy New Year!

27 28 29 30 31 1 2 *Unless otherwise indicated, all area codes are 479. To have your event included in the ABOUT Calendar of Events, email: editor@aboutrvmag.com or fax to (479) 219-5031. Deadline is the 10th of the month preceding publication.

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

DECEMBER 2020

Story by SUSAN CHESSER | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

The story of the retired dance and gymnastics instructor who has been a part of the Russellville community since the early 1960’s is one of a tiny dancer following her leading man across the “pond.” Born in Kensington of London, England, Ann Taylor brought her love for dance, her love of children, and her beautiful imagination with her.

DECEMBER DECEMBER2020 2020 ~~ ABOUT ABOUTthe theRIVER RIVERVALLEY VALLEY 99

The Early Years Ann recalls standing on the edge of the River Thames in 1944. Following a battle during the second World War, the German Forces had killed many of their men. “I watched the barges, the rafts, the big boats, the little boats, “Ann says,” anything that would float coming up the River Thames back to London.” She was only six years old when she and her family, horrified, watched the injured, crippled and dying English soldiers float past to safety on debris from a battle. “Our soldiers were stranded and the Germans just slaughtered them,” Ann says. “They got on anything that would float to get back to England.” She describes it as a terrible scene. “I don’t know why they let me see that,” she says. “They must have thought I needed to store

that.” The vivid memories came back as she spoke. Some things we never forget. “The planes would fly through London and over to Surrey, the outskirts. The Germans would get rid of weight. They would drop their doodle bombs wherever.” Ann’s parents shipped her grandmother and her to Liverpool, which had already been bombed, to stay with an uncle for one year to keep them safe. Ann describes her early self as so painfully shy that she hid behind her mother. Her parents, in an effort to draw their only child out of her timidity, enrolled her in dance. She took to dancing right away. As Ann was introduced to classical ballet at an early age, she instinctively made the technical and exacting routines into something inventive and creative as a means to enjoy her practice. “You had to have a love for music. In those days it would be Classical,” Ann says. “I’m very inventive, very creative. I had to find a way to make it fun.” Young Ann knew that inserting her imagination into rote exercise would make her a better dancer. It also instilled in her the ability to relate to children. It was how her methodology for teaching was born.

Making the Big Leap Eventually, Ann was courted by an American soldier named Bill Taylor where he was stationed in Naples, Italy. Their swirling romance brought her to Russellville, where she blended in beautifully with the River Valley. “When I go back [to England], they ask me where I’m from in America,” Ann says. “They can’t tell.” Her dialect no longer accented with a crisp 10

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ending, the linguistic style is now more casual and relaxed. “I’ve seen the kid that needs a Ann gained her U.S. Citizenship in 1966. She began her career as a dance little encouragement, that can instructor in Russellville in 1971, rentonly hop skip down on one ing the long back area of the Hughes leg. I would grab their hand Center. As her classes grew, she also rented the stage and added teachers. and do whatever they were Eventually she bought her own builddoing to get across that floor ing where she taught both dance and and make them feel special.” competitive gymnastics. Ann’s teaching philosophy involves making technical dance and gymnastics fun. She enjoys instructing the students in such a way that that you care about the kids.” they don't realize they’re learning. For example, the children's Ann says the most important child is the one who needs help area she designed consisting of pits and ponds with balance but then clarifies that they’re all important. “I’ve seen the kid that beam bridges are an imaginative child's reverie. She described needs a little encouragement, that can only hop skip down on one the hidden passageways as opportunities for children to explore leg,” she says. ‘I would grab their hand and do whatever they what could be frightening. “Children are often afraid of the were doing to get across that floor and make them feel special. dark,” Ann says. “As parents we often say the wrong things to We’re not all gifted with great motor skills, gross motor skills, make it even more scary.” especially. That is something that I would encourage parents to Ann’s method of teaching is simple, really. “My teaching phido much earlier. The technique of ballet is very technical and it’s [in the] mind. When you start teaching very young children the losophy is number one — let them know you care about them,” technique of ballet, chances are unless they have some kind of Ann says. “When we were power tumbling [a gymnastics discigift they’re going to quit. So do creative things. There are so many pline], all four corners were going. Coaches just stand there and they say ‘next, next.’ I got on to my coaches for that. I say ‘Come things you can do in circles and in squares and pageants you can on! Let’s go.’ Enthusiasm — parents love that because it shows make where they’re all having fun.” >> DECEMBER 2020

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get their legs on the bar we would stretch them a little bit. Their little girl or boy would be telling their parents what to do.” Ann further explained that dance teaches discipline. “That’s a very common thing that you can get out of an average child or a talented child,” Ann says. ‘It is important to group them at the same level, so they don’t get discouraged.

Children Need Praise

Ann believes that having a window for parents to watch their children learn is important for the parents. “It’s important for bonding,” Ann explains. For her classes, she would have children dance with their mothers for Mother’s Day and their fathers for Father’s Day. “I had fathers who were so embarrassed because they had never done anything like that,” Ann says “If we could

Ann also believes in positive reinforcement to motivate learning. “Praise is what we lack in raising children,” she says. “Praise is what they need. Sometimes I see a mother, and the kid maybe touches something. The mother grabs the kid and swats its behind. When my children were very young, what they wanted to touch, I would get hold of it and I would show them. I would let them hold it and then put it back. That did wonders for the child.” Ann is not a proponent of corporal punishment explaining it doesn’t get the long term results. She explains, “They [children] are little now, but when they grow up, how are you going to discipline that bear?” She raises her arms to describe a much larger human.

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As a preschool Sunday School teacher for many years, Ann says, “I am a strong Christian. Whatever you believe, I support. Christians sometimes try to shove people way too early. I never wanted to be guilty of that.”

Looking Back and Moving Forward What about regrets? “You often wonder, would you do the same things?” Ann says. “You can’t answer that. Whatever you do, that is what you do.” However, there was one thing she wished she would have done. Ann expressed a strong desire to have participated in prison ministry for men. “If these men had had nurturing when they were little boys between ages one and five, they would not be in that prison.” A widow now, Ann’s two sons and daughter are who she spends most of her time with. Her daughter Jane was an Arkansas gymnastic champion and recently researched the family, discovering that Ann had two siblings she had never met or even known of. Now, Ann enters this new chapter in her life with a younger half-sister and a half-brother. She was recently able to speak to her half-sister.

“I think I am very intuitive. I always knew they were there,” Ann says. “I had this feeling that I was not the only one. In those days, they just didn’t talk about it.” The siblings plan to meet when Ann can travel to England. When asked if your life were a book, what would be the title, Ann replies, “Live each day like it is your last.” l

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EVE RY DAY L I F E

Bad, bad Santa Story by SARAH CLOWER Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS

MY DAD’S SIDE OF THE FAMILY IS LARGE AND DISPERSED ALL OVER THE PLACE, but we still try to get everyone together for the Clower family Christmas party. I’m not sure when the tradition started, but we reminisce, eat delicious food, fawn over any new babies born that year, retell the same hilarious tales and fond memories, and just enjoy each other’s company. We also play a game that we call Dirty Santa, and no one plays it quite like we do. The Clower rules: • You must search out the most ridiculous item(s) you can find. • Used, vintage, broken/out-of-working order items are prized more than new, pristine items. • Embarrassing-to-open-in-front-ofothers and mildly inappropriate gifts are encouraged. • Weird/gross food is permissible. • You must bring a gift for every family member that will be playing the game, but kids don’t play because of the extremely high likelihood that there will be inappropriate gifts exchanged. • If any gift that is inappropriate is seen by children, and the children inquire

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

about said gift, it is mandatory that you call it a “dinglehopper” or a “doohickey” and invent a use for it. • Whoever goes home with the signed toilet seat or the old suitcase with the weird boots inside must bring it back as their gift for the game next year. Until about two years ago, I was under the impression that my family had invented this game and were surely the only ones who played it. I learned differently when my friend Joy invited me to her family’s Christmas party and said to bring a gift for Dirty Santa. “You know what Dirty Santa is? Your family plays it too?” I asked. “Yeah, everybody knows what Dirty Santa is. And, yeah, we have forever,” she said looking at me strangely. “Ok great! I will make sure I bring something hilarious! I can come up with some wild ones!” I exclaimed. Joy stared at my face blankly. “Uh, OK, but don’t bring alcohol or anything like that. My dad is a preacher, remember?” she said.

DECEMBER 2020

I immediately started brainstorming gift ideas. It might be hard to find a good yard sale, and I didn’t have enough time to spend a day perusing through flea markets, so I would have to come up with something from a regular store. Maybe I could find a really ugly nutcracker or some outrageous hot sauce. The Butt Blaster 3000 was a huge hit. Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind that was brilliant if I could pull it off on time.

The night of Joy’s holiday party I was giddy with excitement about my gift. I rode with her over to her parent’s house, and while she seemed oddly wary as to why I was so excited about my gift, she didn’t say anything. I know her parents pretty well, having met them several times, and they were warm and welcoming hosts. Her family was quite different than mine. They were a subdued bunch while my family was raucous and so loud that the whole house thrums with a jovial chaos. When it came time for the Dirty Santa game I was so excited! We drew numbers to see who would go first. I had number 16, which meant I went last. Joy’s brother was number one. He picked a package and produced a $25 Amazon gift card from the mounds of tissue paper, and he seemed quite keen on keeping it. “Well that’s very unimaginative,” I thought to myself. The next person unwrapped a bucket with all sorts of really nice car-cleaning accessories and sprays. She swapped her gift for the gift card. The next person unwrapped a $25 Bass Pro gift card. She also swapped for the Amazon card. It was then that I had a panicked suspicion — Joy’s family didn’t play the game quite like we did. When the next person unwrapped a pair of self-heating thermal gloves, I leaned over to Joy. “Do y’all not play this with gag gifts?” I asked. “No, just regular gifts. Just so we aren’t buying everyone a present. Our family is just too big for that. Why do you ask?” I felt my face pale. I looked back at the gifts piled under the tree and didn’t immediately see mine, but I had to get it. I sat

there thinking up reasons for why I had to retrieve my package and make a speedy exit. I started to excuse myself, planning on saying that the cocktail wienies just didn’t agree with me, and was about to make a run for it when Joy’s dad got up for his turn. After careful consideration he picked up my horribly wrapped gift. “This one looks like a manly gift because of how it’s wrapped,” he joked. I blushed. When he opened the gift, he just stared at it for a moment. I sunk down in my chair. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temple that was suddenly throbbing. I couldn’t bear to watch. He slowly pulled out the fanny pack that looked like a man’s gut complete with hair and a weird belly button. “Well, this is different,” he said awkwardly. He stood up and put on the fanny pack. It indeed looked just like his paunch was sticking out from under his shirt. “Oh, and there’s something in here,” he said, as he reached for the zipper. My anxiety peaked and I blurted out “Don’t open that!” Too late. Everyone looked at me because of my outburst then looked back at Mr. Hudson as he held the Oscar Mayer pickle and pimento loaf package in his hand. “Well, I don’t believe I’ve ever had this,” he said politely. “I am so sorry. That is my gift, and I didn’t realize that my family apparently plays this very differently. We try to find the most outrageous gifts, and I had no idea I was supposed to bring…well, not a hairy paunch fanny pack,” I confessed. Joy’s dad looked at me briefly before

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bursting into laughter. “Honestly, this is the best gift I have ever had in a Dirty Santa game, and I can’t wait to wear this to church on Sunday and see everyone’s reactions before they realize it’s a fanny pack,” he said with a mischievous grin. Everyone else was chuckling and laughing too, so I relaxed a little. Joy’s mom assured me she always wrapped extra gifts and insisted I keep playing. Since I was last I had my pick of all the gifts, and I chose the Amazon gift card. By the end of the night, everyone had taken a turn wearing the fanny pack, and the pickle and pimento loaf had been unwrapped and tasted by all. I was still feeling mildly embarrassed when Joy walked over to me. “See? It went over great. My dad will never take that thing off. But I want to come to your family’s Christmas party. It sounds like it would be way more fun than mine.” “Sure! I’d love for you to come, but you know you can’t get away with an Amazon card.” “Oh, I have just the thing. Remember when I thought I broke my tailbone and my doctor gave me that blow up pillow and that weird toilet seat and all the creams and stuff that goes with it? Well it turns out it was fine the next day, and I have it all still in the box in my closet.” “Oh that would be brilliant! That’ll probably be the next gift that goes around for several years. Like the autographed toilet seat and the suitcase with the weird boots in it,” I said. “Wait… what?” Joy asked. I just smiled and nodded. “You’ll see.” l

If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can use RMD from your IRA or up to $100,000 to make a gift and help support our children, adults, or seniors with developmental or intellectual needs. MAKE A DECISION TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT THIS YEAR. Your benefits: 1. Reduces your taxable income. 2. Your gift is not subject to the limits on charitable gifts. 3. You can use your distribution to pay on a current pledge. To make your gift, contact Cindy Mahan at 479.970.8472 or email mahanc@fccare.org.

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B R U C E

M O O R E

A pipe dream

REALIZED Story by TL SIMPSON Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

Bruce Moore has loved the dramatic sound of the pipe organ his entire life. He learned to play the instrument at Arkansas Tech University back in the fall of 1975. “Witherspoon Hall was the music building, and it was one year old when I started,” he says. “And, of course, they had that big, pretty pipe organ, which is still there although it’s not playable. I eventually transitioned over to the piano, but I still like to get on the organ. It’s known as the king of instruments. I love the sound of it. I love the mechanics of it. I love how it produces sound. If you ever hear a huge pipe organ, it will shake your soul. You can feel the floor of the church vibrate, and it’s just amazing.”

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DECEMBER 2020

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The pipe organ gets its sound by driving air through the organ from a keyboard. Each pipe produces a different pitch, and the air is moved through the instrument with a foot pedal. The pipes are in rows called ranks, and the instrument has one or more keyboards played by the hands and as well as a keyboard, called a pedal clavier, played by the feet. Because of the continuous flow of air, an organ is able to sustain notes for as long as keys are pressed, something impossible for a piano. This, combined with its massive pipes — which can sometimes fill the entire wall of a building — are what give the

pipe organ its gigantic sound. The smallest portable pipe organs can have two dozen pipes with the largest organs boasting over 30,000. The original pipe organs were built in the third century BC by the Greeks. It’s the oldest instrument still used in European classic music that is derived from Greece. The pipe organ first began appearing in churches around 900 A.D. By the 1400s, they were established in cathedrals across Europe, used for festivals, church services and for choirs. And now, thanks to a little luck and a lot of effort, Bruce has a pipe organ sitting in his den.

“I bought this organ from a gentleman named Hank Humphries, and it was located in Danville, Virginia,” Bruce says. “I’ve always wanted a pipe organ, and I didn’t think I would ever find one that I could afford. But I was searching online one night, and this guy wanted $2,000 for it. So I started emailing him back and forth, and I decided I would buy it.” But then Bruce had to figure out how to get it from Virginia to Arkansas. The organ, a Kilgen Petite Ensemble, was built in 1948 by the Kilgen Organ Company for the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Anniston, Alabama. In 1965, it was purchased by someone named David Anderson, a junior in high school and the son of a preacher. Anderson allegedly spent 18 months rebuilding the organ and installed it in his garage in his home. Eventually, it ended up with Humphries who installed it for his wife. The instrument has 244 pipes, some made from metal and some made of sugar pine. Those pipes fit into an enclosed case, which Bruce said likely weighs more than 500 pounds alone. Suffice to say, it wasn’t going to be easy to move. Bruce said he enlisted the help of one of his friends, Michael Robbins, an attorney in Russellville. “I hollered at him and said, ‘How would you like to take a little road trip,’ and he said, ‘Dude, I love road trips. Where are we going?’” Bruce laughs at the memory. “I sort of roped him into that.”

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DECEMBER 2020

“If you ever hear a huge pipe organ, it will shake your soul.” The two left Dover and dismantled the organ, but getting it out of Humphries’ house was no simple maneuver. “So we were able to get it on dollies,” Bruce says. “and his [Humphries] idea was to take it out the back of his house and off a deck that was, like, eight feet off the ground. He wanted to put it in a truck then drive it around the house to the U-Haul. When I saw that I said, ‘We can’t do this. We got to have help.” Bruce says Humphries knew some firefighters who had a moving business on the

side, so the pair agreed to split the cost of hiring them. “That was the only way we were going to be able to do it,” Bruce says. “These guys show up, and one of these guys, I swear to God, his arms were as big around as my waist. These three guys got ahold of this thing and picked it up and lifted it down into the truck. It took them like 15 minutes to have it loaded up. I think they charged us $350.” Now the pipe organ is in Bruce’s house.

And it’s loud enough to wake the neighbors. Bruce says he plays it two or three times per week, hymns mostly. “I don’t have any favorite songs because I like so many pieces,” he says. “I’m not an organist by trade. I’m a pianist. An organ is a lot different than a piano. Usually, I will play hymns. I love to play hymns. A lot of the old Lutheran hymns are wonderful. I don’t do any of that Phantom of the Opera stuff. I’m not into that, and I’m not good enough.” l

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Oh Christmas Tree HOW LOVELY ARE THY BRANCHES drenched in store-bought silver-strand icicles, covered in kid-craft construction paper ornaments loaded with glitter and homemade knitted angels from years past with a cockeyed star perched precariously on top.

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ DECEMBER 2020 2020

Story by BENITA DREW

While many of us have traditions we’ve let slide through the years, the one I miss the most is the Christmas tree search. I don’t mean for the store-bought tree in a box that can be erected the day after Halloween with no repercussions (what happened to turkey and football day?). I don’t even mean for the perfectly shapedfrom-years-of-trimming-and-irrigation tree picked from rows of other perfect trees spaced evenly apart. I mean THE tree. Every year of my youth, Dad took on one key Christmas duty: obtaining the tree with my sisters and me. One week before Christmas, or thereabouts, we’d load up in his old Ford, chainsaw in back, and set off to a nearby piece of property. Sometimes it was a family member’s or friend’s forested property, sometimes our own. We’d pull up, jump out of the truck eager to find that perfect tree, and take off. Sometimes Dad had been eyeballing that tree all year, waiting for the perfect time to harvest it — just enough time to keep it green(ish) until Christmas day. But he’d still let us wander around in case we found a better one. Invariably, the ones in the fence rows looked the best but were the most disappointing once out of the fence. The trees were deceptively tall, while they were outside, as well. Dad would stand beside them, arm stretched skyward, and give us a lesson every year about ceiling heights. How many five-year-olds know that the standard ceiling is eight feet tall? Usually, we’d wander around and just couldn’t find a more perfect tree, so the 11-foot tree went home with us. Eight feet of it went inside and the rest to the burn pile. One year, Dad had had a rough day at the farm but he’d already said he’d take me out to get the tree. I was eight or so and full of energy and excitement. Years later looking back, I realized his intent when he gave me the chore of carrying the chainsaw: to make it a shorter trip. This was no small task. Dad believed in owning the largest piece of equipment he could get so it’d do any job he might run across. But I was determined to make Dad proud by carrying the chainsaw without complaint or visible struggle. It was an extra-long trek through the woods that year. Guess his plan backfired, but he was proud. Once the tree was home, a bucket was cleaned out and large-enough rocks located to fill the space around the tree in the bucket. The tree was then placed in the house always against the wall. For one, we didn’t have space for a tree in the middle of a room but, also, there was inevitably a bare side to the tree that needed to be hidden.

When my own children were small, I insisted we get our own live tree. My husband, not so fond of this tree search adventure but agreeable to what I wanted, took us out to find a tree. We did come home with a tree. It was scragglier than I really wanted, but I loaded it with ornaments, bare spot to the wall, as tradition goes. All was well until Christmas Eve when we hear a loud crash. It might have been a tad barer on the wall side than trees past, and I may have placed more of the heavier storebought ornaments because the kids didn’t have that much school under their belts yet to have made a collection. Our son later confessed that he woke but didn’t get out of bed and thought Santa took a fall. We re-erected the tree with a haphazard decorating job to get us through the next day. The trees always came down the day after Christmas at the latest. Because no matter how well watered, by then it was starting to brown, the tips of its branches fell off, and the thrill of having cedar stickers stuck in the bottoms of our bare feet was gone. We were tired of wearing socks all the time. One year, Mom mentioned a fake tree so she could decorate early and enjoy it longer. I was neutral since both finding a tree and having it up longer sounded good to me. But even then, I recognized Dad’s look of disappointment when she mentioned it, so she never mentioned it again as long as I was still home. And oh, those icicles… Dad made us pick all of them off the tree and save them for the next year before the tree was discarded. That was the worst. Not until a few years ago did I find out how cheap they are. Even back then when we had to save them, though, we loved the icicles, and the tree was dripping with them every year. We’ve used an artificial tree for years now, since the kids are teens and we are out of town some of our Christmases. But I still find myself proclaiming, now and then, about a tree spotted on the side of the road or in the median: “That tree over there, it’d make a perfect Christmas tree.” Maybe this is the year of the live, barespot, found-deep-in-the-woods, shortened, memory-making Christmas tree drenched in silver icicles. I can’t imagine anything more lovely than that. l

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Children’s Benefit Ball 2021 It is with great pleasure and excitement, Junior Auxiliary of Russellville invites you to Fire & Ice Gala, our annual Children’s Benefit Ball to support the children and families of the River Valley. The event is scheduled for March 13, 2021 at the L.V Williamson Boys and Girls Club. While things may look a little different this year, we look forward to continuing the tradition of bringing the community together while raising funds to enrich lives in the River Valley. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres followed by a seated dinner. There will be entertainment, silent and live auctions and a wild card raffle where one lucky winner gets their choice of any live auction prize package. Junior Auxiliary of Russellville has served the River Valley area for over 55 years and the Children’s Benefit Ball is a major factor in our ability to provide assistance to the community. All monies raised at this event are directly invested back into our community. JA is able to supply numerous grants and support various projects to help the children and citizens of the River Valley. Every ticket sale, auction item purchased, and donation helps support the Equestrian Zone of Russellville, Boys and Girls Club, Russellville School District Cyclone Care Fund, and Joseph’s House, just to name a few. Covid-19 has impacted every facet of our society. This is especially true of the

children, youth and families served by JA. Your support is needed now more than ever. Please join us for a Fire & Ice Gala! Tickets are $100 for an individual and $175 for a couple. For more information contact Brooke Taylor, Public Relations Chair, jaofrussellville@gmail.com. Junior Auxiliary would like to thank Formal Affairs and Joshua’s Fine Jewelry for the beautiful dresses and pieces worn by members. We would also like to thank Crystal Malloy Photography.

Bowen receives President’s Award from NASPA Region IV-West Dr. Robin E. Bowen, Arkansas Tech University president, is the 2020 recipient of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Region IV-West President’s Award. According to NASPA, the award is a

special recognition reserved for a college or university president who has, over a sustained period of time, “advanced the quality of student life on campus by supporting student affairs staff and programs.” Nominees must also have direct involvement in enhancing the quality of student life on campus, participate in active attempts to involve students and student life in governing the institution and demonstrate contributions to the profession that have an impact beyond an individual campus. NASPA Region IV-West includes institutions of higher education in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming in the United States and Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada. As a regional award winner, Bowen is now a nominee for the national 2020 NASPA President’s Award.

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Bowen was unanimously elected the 12th president of Arkansas Tech University by the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees on April 22, 2014. She took office on July 1, 2014. ATU has celebrated multiple record enrollments during the Bowen presidency, including an all-time high of 12,101 students during fall 2018. In addition, ATU has earned national acclaim from the CollegeNET Social Mobility Index as the top performing institution in Arkansas and among the top 10 percent of institutions in the U.S. when it comes to providing students with access to an enhanced economic position following graduation. The freshman four-year graduation rate at ATU has increased by 15.8 percentage points over the past two years, while the ATU-Ozark graduation rate has increased by 13.3 percentage points over the past four years. Overall, Arkansas Tech conferred 4,072 degrees and credentials during the 2019-20 academic year, most in a single year in the history of the institution. The institution has developed and enacted a new strategic plan, new campus master plan, new strategic plan for inclusive excellence, new mission statement and new vision statement during the Bowen administration. Bowen is the first female president of a public, four-year university in Arkansas. She is identified by the Arkansas Business Publishing Group as one of the Arkansas 250, an annual list of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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List your engagement or wedding announcements in the pages of ABOUT the River Valley magazine at no charge. You can email yours to: editor@aboutrvmag.com or mail to: ABOUT Magazine, 220 East 4th Street, Russellville AR 72801. A phone number must be included for verification.

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Daly Dufrene & Ty Lanphere (5th)

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top influencers and newsmakers. In 2017, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville College of Education and Health Professions presented Bowen with an outstanding alumni award in recognition of her achievements in and contributions to higher education. She was selected as a 2016 recipient of the INSIGHT into Diversity Presidents and Chancellors Giving Back Award, the only national award that honors college presidents and chancellors for their commitment to diversity by giving back to their campus and community. Bowen has previously been recog-

nized as one of AY Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Powerful Women, and she received the Arkansas Traveler certificate from the State of Arkansas. She received her Doctor of Education degree with an emphasis in higher education administration from Texas Tech University. She also holds a Master of Education degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy from the University of Kansas. Bowen and her husband, Doug, are parents of son, Brock; and daughters, Alexa and Brynn. l

Wishing you

DECEMBER 2020

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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

Politics at the local level Story by KRISTIN FOSTER

I have loved politics ever since the first time I ran for office. It was a heated campaign for fourth-grade class president. I ran on a platform of better lunchroom options while my opponent promised extra recess time. After a grueling one week campaign cycle, we each retreated to our homerooms to wait for every vote to be counted. I should have known that my common-sense approach never had a chance against her flashy neon-pink campaign signs and empty recess promises. I stillI remember that sickening gut-punch of defeat when the results came in and I didn’t hear my name announced over the intercom. Luckily, in fourth grade, a landslide victory for the opposition could be healed with ice cream and that promise of extra play time. It’s been a long time since I was a 10-year-old student council candidate. I’ve volunteered or been a staffer for dozens of campaigns since then, but election night has never gotten any easier. When the polls close and the last ballot has been cast, no matter how confident I am in the polling, I still feel my stomach drop and my throat clamp down as we wait for the returns. This year Americans everywhere seemed to share that feeling on election night as we collectively held our breath, waiting to learn who would be sworn in as the President of the United States on January 20, 2021. Each day that we didn’t have an answer my social media was filled with friends and family sharing their feelings of hopelessness, anger, and confusion at our divisive political system. So much distress over the election of one man every four years makes me heartsick for our community when there is so much work to be done here at home. From choosing which roads get repaired to who will provide emergency ambulance services, every month important nonpartisan decisions are being made at the local level. The Pope County Quorum Court meets on the first Thursday of each month at 5

p.m., and is tasked with overseeing a budget of $26.7 million in tax revenue. Russellville City Council meets on the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m., and oversees a $14.2 million annual budget. Even our children’s education is administered by elected officials at the local level. The seven-member Russellville School District Board of Education manages more than $54 million in tax revenue. The school board’s regular monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. In the coming weeks and months, some of the decisions that will be made in these public meetings include: pay raises for county elected officials, the future of Hickey Pool, downtown utilities and water, the purchase or construction of a new county coroner facility, plans addressing the aging county jail complex, COVID-19 related restrictions, and the possible approval of a temporary casino site. Each of these issues can be influenced by a handful of engaged citizens. Arkansans also happen to benefit from some of the best public disclosure laws in the country under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (AFOIA). The AFOIA gives every Arkansas resident the right to observe public meetings and the right to obtain and inspect public records. Still, our elected officials are being allowed to make policy decisions and spend millions of dollars in tax revenue with almost no input from the taxpayers themselves. It doesn’t have to be this way. We begin to combat polarization and hopelessness from the ground up when we engage on local issues. All these years after that first fourth-grade campaign the nervous energy is still there on election night, but winning and losing have started to feel basically the same. I know that no matter who is in office the real work will still be there waiting the next day, and we will be ready to meet it. That gives me hope. Civil rights icon Diane Nash once said, “Freedom, by definition, is people realizing that they are their own leaders. There is a source of power in each of us that we don’t realize until we take responsibility.” No fancy politicians are going to swoop in from Washington D.C. and save us from our dysfunctional politics. That responsibility rests with each of us individually and it starts at the local level. l

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

DECEMBER 2020

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

RIVER’S BLEND GRILL & SEAFOOD 303 WEST C STREET RUSSELLVILLE

Surf and local turf Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

A COUPLE OF MENU ITEMS that will always get my attention: locally sourced food and seafood. If I can find both of those on the same menu, well, that’s a restaurant I’ll be eating from regularly. Sadly, locally sourced seafood just isn’t a geographic possibility here in the landlocked River Valley, but there are local alternatives that might surprise you. Locally sourced means that the food, be it meat or veggies, was grown and processed nearby. The benefits to a local economy are obvious. But the benefit of local food to your palate is that you get to taste the flavors of the region, which are often quite different from the standardized, globalized fare offered everywhere else. And the good thing about seafood? It’s seafood — enough said. River’s Blend Grill & Seafood is one of

DECEMBER 2020

those restaurants that offer both of those excellent menu options. We started off with the loaded seafood fries — a mountain of golden potato goodness drenched in a creamy garlic sauce and covered with crustaceans. Then it was on to a bucketful of fisherman’s feast including boiled shrimp, snow crab legs, whole potatoes, and corn on the cob. We finished off with a delightful honey-lime glazed ahi tuna and washed it down with made-inhouse root beer, one of several in-house sodas offered at RBG. Sadly we didn’t get to try the locally sourced entrees, but that just means we know exactly what we’ll be having next time along with the possibility of Arkansas caviar. Yes, real caviar from the Natural State, perhaps the best blending of local and seafood(ish) eats around. l

DECEMBER 2020

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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

The White Paper Bag Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

recently bumped into a gentleman whom I had attended church with while growing up. It brought back a flood of memories of that small country church in Johnson County where my mother was raised. My great-grandparents helped in starting the church upon arriving in this country from the Ukraine in 1904, and it was there that four generations of my mother’s family worshiped for over 90 years. After seeing Mr. Amos, memories of the gas heaters used to warm the sanctuary, the double-seated outhouse (no indoor plumbing until the late 80s), and the annual Christmas program came flooding back to me. Each year, one of the men in the church would go out in the woods and cut a large tree. It would be decorated, often with homemade ornaments us kids would make. Mothers of the children would piece together costumes for us, and we would put on a play and sing the traditional Christmas hymns. The one thing we always looked forward to after the program were the white paper bags put together by the women of the church which contained a piece of fruit (generally an apple or orange), a candy cane, and some homemade candy (usually some fudge, brittle or divinity). All of us would stand in line, excited to get our “goodie bag,” and I would usually have it consumed before we made it home to Crow Mountain. I truly miss the simplicity

Caramel Pecan PB Clusters

of Christmas past and how even the little things, like getting that white paper bag of homemade candy, was so appreciated by myself and other kids of the church. In remembrance of the contents of those white paper bags, I have assembled some Christmas candy recipes to make for your family or place in a holiday package to gift to another. As always, enjoy!

CARAMEL PECAN PB CLUSTERS 1 bag Reece’s peanut butter baking chips 1 c powdered sugar 2-3 T milk 1 c chopped pecans 1 c Kraft Baking Caramel Bits 1 c milk chocolate chips Line cookie sheet with parchment paper that has been buttered. Place pb baking chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments stirring after each increment until melted. Do Not Overcook. Gradually add

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

powdered sugar to the bowl, stirring well after each increment. Add milk as needed to thin down to a consistency in which you can handle to make walnut sized balls. Place pb balls onto a sheet of parchment paper and use the bottom of a glass to flatten into 2 inch patties. In separate microwave safe bowls place caramel bits and chocolate chips. Microwave each in 30 second increments, sitting well after each increment until melted. Again, Do Not Overcook. Pour chopped pecans into the melted

DECEMBER 2020

ABOUT Magazine Featured Recipe DECEMBER 2020

caramel and mix well. Remove melted chocolate by the tsp full and place on the parchment lined baking sheet in 6 separate circular spots. Let sit for 3 minutes then place a pb pattie on each. By the rounded tsp full drop the caramel pecan mixture onto each pb pattie, then drizzle the melted milk chocolate on top to cover each cluster well. After each cluster is made, place baking sheet in refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIE TRUFFLES 1 box brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines Dark Fudge) 2 eggs 1 (10 oz) bag of Reeceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peanut butter baking chips 1 c powdered sugar 2-3 T milk 1 c milk chocolate chips 1 c white baking chips decorative colored sugar sprinkles Bake the brownies according to the 2 egg directions on the back of the box. Do not over bake, you want the brownies to be very soft and fudgey. Set aside to cool completely. Pour peanut butter baking chips into a microwaveable bowl and microwave at 30 second increments, stirring after each increment until melted.Do not overcook. Add powdered sugar and stir well, thinning with small amounts of milk until you get it to a frosting consistency. Cover and place into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove from refrigerator and using a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon, scoop peanut butter mixture out and roll into balls. Place the PB balls on the cookie sheet and place back into the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Remove baked brownies by the tablespoon full. Roll into a ball about the size of a walnut. Flatten each piece using the bottom

Peanut Butter Brownie Truffles

of a glass and place a pb ball in the center of the flattened brownie. Roll into a ball and place back on the lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Place the white baking chips in one microwave safe bowl and the milk chocolate chips in another bowl and microwave each for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat in 30 second increments until melted and creamy. Dip each truffle in the melted chips of choice using a toothpick. Set back on the wax paper or into mini paper cups and top with colored sugar or drizzle with other melted mixture. Let set. Store in a sealed container on the counter. Note: If you prefer to make a Chocolate Peppermint truffle, instead of using peanut butter chips to make a center filling use peppermint Hershey kisses in the center.

HOLIDAY CREAMY CARAMELS 1/2 c butter 1 c granulated sugar 1 c brown sugar 3/4 c light corn syrup dash of salt 2 c heavy whipping cream 1 tsp vanilla Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper thats been buttered. Mix butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1 c heavy cream; bring to boiling point. Add remaining cream slowly; cook to a hard-ball (250-265 F) using a candy thermometer. Add vanilla. Pour into the lined baking sheet. Let cool for 30 min., then remove from baking sheet by lifting parchment paper out. Cut into small squares and store in a airtight container. >>

from Bill & Marlene Newton and the staff of

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EGG NOG SWIRL FUDGE 4 c sugar 1 stick butter (1/2 c) 1 2/3 c egg nog 1 bag mini marshmallows 1 bag (11 oz) white baking chips 1 c Kraft Baking Caramel Bits Line a baking sheet with parchment paper that has been buttered. In a large pot, cook sugar, butter and egg nog until forms in a softball when tested ( I use a candy thermometer to cook to 235240 F) in cold water. Remove from heat and add marshmallows, stirring until marshmallows are melted. Add white baking chips and continue to stir until chips are melted. Pour onto parchment lined baking sheet and smooth down with a french spatula. Place caramel bits into a microwaveable bowl and cook at 30 second increments until melted, stirring after each increment. Do not overcook. Drizzle over the fudge and use a toothpick to swirl through the fudge. Place in refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set. Cut into small pieces and store in an air tight container. HARD ROCK CHRISTMAS CANDY 2 c granulated sugar 3/4 c water 3/4 c light corn syrup 1/4 tsp red or green food coloring 1 tsp peppermint or cinnamon extract powdered sugar small Mason jars with lids christmas decorative fabric cut into 4 in squares

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper that has been buttered. Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a large saucepan; cook over medium heat until mixture reaches hard crack stage (300-310 F). Remove from heat, add food coloring of choice and extract; mix well. Pour into lined baking sheet and let set until cool to touch. Remove parchment paper from baking sheet and break into bite sized pieces. Dust with powdered sugar. Place into mason jars and place lid on jar with a piece of christmas fabric, then attach the ring. Give as a gift! NO FAIL JELL-O DIVINITY 3 c granulated sugar 3/4 c light corn syrup 3/4 c water 1/8 tsp salt 2 egg whites room temperature 3 T Jello powder flavor of your choice 1 tsp vanilla extract or other flavor I use clear vanilla extract 1 c chopped nuts optional (I almost always use pecans) Line 2 large baking sheets with waxed paper. Butter two large spoons and set aside. In a 3 quart saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Once at a boil, stop stirring and cook to 250F - hard ball stage. To do this, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. This candy thermometer will beep when the correct temperature is reached. While the mixture is coming up to tem-

perature, whisk egg whites on high speed in a heavy duty mixer until very stiff peaks form. Whisk in the Jell-O until well blended. Once the syrup has reached 250F, remove from heat. Turn the mixer to medium-high and carefully and slowly pour the syrup into the egg white and Jell-O mixture. Like, so slowly, that this should take a good 2 minutes to pour it all in. Add the vanilla extract. Now it’s time to let the mixer go to work. Continue beating until the mixture loses it’s shine and holds it’s shape when dropped from a spoon. You’ll notice that it starts to look more and more sticky. This takes between 4 and 6 minutes usually. It’s absolutely okay to stop the mixer and test the mixture. If you drop the candy and it looks like a puddle on your waxed paper, continue beating for another minute or two and try again. When it holds it shape you are good to go. At this time, mix in the nuts. Spoon out a heaping teaspoon or tablespoon of the mixture out a time and use the other spoon to scrape the candy off the spoon. MAKE SURE that your spoons are buttered or the candy will stick. You do NOT need to butter them more than once. Once all the candies have been dropped, let cool on the waxed paper. Let the candies set out for at least 4 hours, preferable overnight before storing in an airtight container. These candies also do quite well sitting out in the open - no stickiness. Recipe courtesy of momontimeout.com

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MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE 1 1/2 c dry roasted peanuts 1 c sugar 1/2 c light corn syrup 1/8 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 T butter 1 tsp baking soda Grease a baking sheet, and set aside. In a glass bowl, combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook in microwave for 6 to 7 minutes on High power. Mixture should be bubbly and peanuts browned. Stir in butter and vanilla then cook 2 to 3 minutes longer. ( see note) Quickly stir in baking soda (just until mixture is foamy). Pour immediately onto greased baking sheet. Allow cool 15 minutes or until set. Break into pieces (I just use a butter knife to crack it apart), and store in an airtight container. NOTE: If you know that your microwave tends to cook faster and hotter then you should reduce cooking time by a bit so you don’t burn it. Recipe courtesy of lecremedelacrumb.com

ing for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add cherry gelatin and stir continuously, boiling for another 2 to 3 minutes or until gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in white baking chips. (I use a whisk to get out all the lumps.) Stir in marshmallow creme and cherry or vanilla extract. Fold in dry maraschino cherries. Pour into prepared pan and let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

CHERRY COKE FUDGE ¾ c butter 3 c granulated sugar 2/3 c heavy whipping cream 2 T cherry gelatin Jell-O 12 oz bag white baking chips 7 oz jar marshmallow creme 1 tsp cherry or vanilla extract 10 oz jar maraschino cherries, drained Coca-Cola Frosting ½ c unsalted butter 3 T unsweetened cocoa powder 6 T Coca-Cola 1 lb powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract Cut the cherries into quarters. Pat with a paper towel over and over again to remove as much moisture as possible. Continuing patting with a paper towel until there isn’t any more moisture. Set aside. Line a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick foil. Set aside. Combine butter, sugar, and heavy cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once at a full boil, continue boil-

Coca-Cola Frosting Place powdered sugar in a heat-proof bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, unsweetened cocoa, and Coca-Cola over medium heat. Bring just to a boil and pour over powdered sugar. Whisk until combined and smooth. Add vanilla extract and continue whisking or stirring to combine. Immediately pour over chilled fudge. Use a french spatula to gently spread the frosting over the top of the fudge. Chill for 20 minutes or until frosting has set. Cut into small pieces and serve. Recipe courtesy of momontimeout.com

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Bella Rustina BORN WHEN HER MATERNITY LEAVE ENDED, Bella Rustina was an avenue for event promoter Ashley Norris to use her education doing something she loved while allowing her to stay home with her newborn Caleb. Ashley started as an antique dealer, working her way through college with a double major in accounting and information technology by selling her estate and yard sale finds on eBay and in booths.

Story by BENITA DREW

Upon graduation, Ashley took a fulltime job. But having always wanted to own her own business, she started promoting Antique Alley Arkansas events. It was only two to three shows per year Bella Rustina Conway Expo Center, January 8-10 Antiquealleyarkansas.com Bellarustina.com | zontaantiqueshow.com

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but with each show taking two to three months to put together, she had to make some sacrifices. “I worked during lunch breaks and weekends,” Ashley says, “and took calls at work, which I got in trouble for a couple of times.” After Caleb, now six, was born, Ashley made the decision to take the plunge into full-time self-employment and left her career of five years, adding Bella Rustina to her events list. “Not only did I enjoy it, but

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

DECEMBER 2020

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

May you find hope and peace this joyous season.

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I was good at it.” Bella Rustina is much like Antique Alley Arkansas, but instead focuses on vintage and handmade items. It’s grown to five shows per year with more than 100 booths per show, and is held in Conway and Little Rock or Maumelle. As a professional event promoter, Ashley brings dealers from around the United States together under one roof for weekend shows to sell their items, providing the advertising, staff and location to promote and host the events. Along with Bella Rustina and Antique Alley Arkansas, Ashley is in her fifth year as executive director of Zonta Antique Show in Longview, Texas. The Zonta show is special, she says, because it is hosted by the Get Zonta Club, which raises money to fight human trafficking and to award scholarships to women in business. Ashley was happy to step in and help with the high-end antiques show which has been in existence since 1975. To date, Ashley has promoted more than 50 shows. “It’s great to see exhibitors get to educate and interact and learn that people really appreciate their work.” Ashley also has a blog, Ashley’s Finds, through which she emails subscribers about upcoming estate sales and auctions. During the unique circumstances of 2020, Ashley said she appreciates all of the people that have, “held out through this pandemic.” She had to cancel one show early in the year, but while practicing distancing in lines and requesting everyone wear masks, business has picked back up. She was even able to expand to the outdoor pavilion of the Conway Expo Center for the most recent Bella Rustina show. Ashley hopes to continue utilizing the pavilion space during the Conway shows,

and would someday like to own enough land to host her own shows for the Little Rock/Maumelle location. Her show schedule for 2021 consists of Antique Alley at the Conway Expo Center January 8-10, Bella Rustina in February (TBA) in Little Rock, Zonta Antique Show in Longview Texas March 5-7, Bella Rustina at Conway Expo Center April 9-11 and July 1618, Bella Rustina in Little Rock September 10-12 and Bella Rustina at Conway Expo Center November 5-7. l

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

in the Garden

Hindsight from 2020 Story by JILL MCSHEEHY

THE WHEELS ON THE SHOPPING CART HUMMED. Even though it was a Thursday afternoon, March 12 to be exact, the white noise of the grocery store hushed to near silence. The normally smooth faces of fully-stocked grocery shelves were pockmarked with sold-out items. The paper goods aisle looked like bread aisles of grocery stores in advance of a hurricane. My shoulders tensed. Within weeks “out of stock” became the norm, and grocery stores limited quantities of certain items. A sense of wariness and dread spread over us all. As a society, we plunged collectively toward the unknown. Sure, the toilet paper shortage unnerved us, but realistically we knew we could survive without it. When we stared at empty shelves where the canned vegetables al-

ways sat, though, we tensed a bit more. Was our food supply at risk? Though no one -- except perhaps hardcore preppers -- escaped the brewing angst, I daresay I felt more secure than most. Early crops already grew in the garden, summer tomatoes and peppers waited their turn in the grow room, and plastic bins bulged with a fully-stocked seed supply for 2020. Of course, I had no “advance notice” of what March 2020 would bring. Nor had I

adopted “prepper” practices. Instead, my shoulders relaxed a bit more because my garden had been fully planned in January. Lest you think that statement has a boastful intent, I assure you, it does not. I plan my garden during the darkest days for two reasons. One is a more practical one -- some seeds in our area need to be started in January, which means I have to get my seed orders in early. But the second reason could be categorized as a coping mechanism, I suppose. The darkness

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

DECEMBER 2020

119 E Main St, Russellville Russellville • (479) 968-7772

of winter takes a toll on my mental health, and preparing for my next garden brings light to an otherwise dim time of year. As winter bears down, we still face unknowns. But unlike 2020, we have the hindsight to understand the importance of preparation. Though none of us want to see the insecurity of our food supply as we saw in the spring of 2020, it’s also naive to assume it can’t happen again -- or worse. At worst, we need home gardens to help buffer any food supply shortages that may occur. At best, we need home gardens to bolster our mental and physical health. There’s simply no downside to taking these dark days (literally and figuratively) and beginning to plan our gardens for 2021. Here are some ways to get started. List the vegetables, fruit, and herbs your family regularly eats. Then, research which ones you could reasonably grow in the space you have. Don’t forget the flowers. More than any other year, the flowers and herbs I grew in 2020 brought life and joy to a hard year.

Some flowers, such as calendula, echinacea, and nasturtium provide medicinal and/or edible benefits. They also attract and nourish important pollinators. Decide on a location. Do you have room for an in-ground garden or raised beds? Or are container vegetables more realistic? Purchase containers and soil now to have ready for planting. Assess the sun. Sunlight is important for food to grow. Avoid the north side of your house, and try to keep the garden area away from where large trees cast too much shade during the growing season. Purchase seeds early. No one knows what the state of the 2021 seed supply will be, but if 2020 is any indication, it’s best to order what you need as early as you can. Acquire canning supplies now. If you plan on preserving any of your garden’s bounty, make sure you have plenty of canning jars, lids, and other supplies on hand. In my experience, the toilet paper shortage in spring 2020 was nothing compared to the canning lid shortage in summer 2020.

Make plans to plant your first crops. In our area, you can start planting many cold-tolerant plants like arugula, spinach, kale, and other greens as early as January or February. Plant peas, carrots, radishes, lettuce, and potatoes the first week of March. You’d be surprised at how early you can plant and grow these crops in our area. Like a harsh wake-up call, 2020 taught us the wisdom in being prepared. But planting and growing our own food doesn’t start and end with its utilitarian and practical purposes. Growing our own gardens boosts our mental health, provides nourishing food, lightens the load when the food chain gets stressed, and offers connection with nature and one another. No matter what this final month of this year looks like for each of us, one thing remains -- the more we grow ourselves, the better we all are for it. As we take the time in the garden’s off-season to dream of spring and all it brings, may our future gardens rise to the top of our list. l

DECEMBER 2020

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

Story by MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS | Photo by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

A JOURNAL of our RURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE

Black gold WE WERE TURNING OVER THE SOIL IN OUR NEW GARDEN BED when we hit black dirt. In a garden full of heavy, red clay, even digging into brown dirt is worthy of celebration. But this was black like hummus, the best there is. I dropped to my knees to take a closer look. I picked up a small piece and squashed it in my hand. Just like all the soil experts say, it spread out under my thumb and forefinger like a ribbon: not too heavy or wet nor too dry and crumbly. My grandfather had run a small truck patch on this land 70 years ago. Had I just accidentally dug into his old plot? Let me backup and say that excavating my grandfather’s soil was not exactly accidental. We’ve been living on this land for a few years now, and when we decided to expand and build a second garden plot we chose a spot that we knew was at least close to where my Papa Martin had once grew. I have pictures of him standing with his mule team in a thriving cornfield near the same place where all my corn floundered then got infested with worms. I’ve often wondered how he ever managed to make a big crop in this unforgiving red clay. I suspect he had the benefit of fertilizers. I could make that decision, too, but I’ve decided to go a different route: transforming the soil. Did you know that building up the soil is one of the most effective ways to address climate change? So-called traditional farming depletes the topsoil, which leads to increased erosion and nutrient loss (think Dust Bowl). Building up the organic matter of the soil, on the other hand, directly sequesters carbon into the earth and increases food production. And the best part is to build up the soil all you need is decay. Everything old makes something new.

Merry Christmas from the Rackley Family

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

DECEMBER 2020

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We’ve been making our own compost, but we’ve also branched out into other techniques like hugelkultur (burying logs under the soil), lasagna gardening (building the soil up with alternating layers of compost, cardboard, straw, and dirt), and this year we’re starting with cover crops. You can also use a method I love called “chop and drop,” a busy person’s dream come true. Come to find out, those woody, spongy materials found in sunflower and okra stalks and the moisture holding

the soil. When you turn it over it It aerates the soil and transposes the deeper layers with the shallow topsoil. My daughter, an ironwilled, tornado of a personality, loves to jump on the metal bar and sink the spikes into the soil. The process goes a lot slower when she helps, but it’s always full of laughter. We were working in the thick red clay, turning it over and getting it ready to add the cover crops when we discovered the gold of gardening. Upon closer inspection I found a few pieces of

“I have had a lot of successes in my life, but — odd as it may sound — few make me quite as happy as watching that uninviting red clay transform into black, earthworm-infested soil, especially when it’s soil that’s built up from last year’s fallen crops.” material of corn stalks are miracle workers for the soil. Just chop em and drop em. I have had a lot of successes in my life, but — odd as it may sound — few make me quite as happy as watching that uninviting red clay transform into black, earthworm-infested soil, especially when it’s soil that’s built up from last year’s fallen crops So back to a few Sundays ago. There we were working in the garden, and by we I mean me and my trusty dog and my six-yearold daughter who has become obsessed with the broadfork tool. I’m new to using the tool — a handheld tool that looks like a huge fork and operates like a less invasive tiller. You use your body weight to stand on the metal bar that pushes the tongs deep into

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wood, some of it charred. Perhaps it was the remnants of a fallen structure or a burn pile, maybe an old barn. Whatever the case, it made the soil healthy and dark, and the layer we had overturned was clearly connected to my grandfather’s tenure on the land. We turned it over and mixed it with the top layers, watching the soil turn a darker shade. Once we had the whole bed turned over, we threw out the vetch, a cover crop that is our own contribution to the soil’s health. Maybe next year it can sustain the needs of a heavy feeder like corn. I never met my grandfather, but I like to think of my own garden as a long conversation with him and with great-grandchildren I may never know. l

commercial art & portraiture

“Tandem Transportation” DECEMBER 2020

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

COMMUNITY LEADERS

...

Benita DREW

AGE: 44 OCCUPATION: ABOUT advertising sales, portrait

photographer and when I have free time, destruction for my husband’s construction business. There’s something therapeutic about a hard day’s work solo, wielding a hammer and crowbar. HOMETOWN: Pottsville FAMILY: Husband Jason, children Issac 15, and Issabella 12, Perry and Daisy our beagles, and Jessie our rescue bully.

What is your favorite book and why?

Impossible. I have favorite authors, but I could never pick one book. I started reading Poe at ten, and have always loved his work. Reading a Poe book is like a nursery rhyme from my childhood. I read anything I could get my hands on as a kid, but horror and suspense have always been favorites so I’ve read a lot of Stephen King, as well. I enjoy James Lee Burke books. He writes mysteries set in Louisiana. Being from the South, he can write about the South with accuracy in phrases, culture and mindset, and I think that’s important in a time when we are all losing our roots and dialect a little at a time as the world becomes smaller.

Photo by LIZ CHRISMAN 38

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

DECEMBER 2020

Dog or cat? Why?

Dog-s. When you’ve had a dog that puts itself between you and danger, the answer is clear. Dogs are purpose driven and every breed has specific traits. Rescue a mutt and it’s like a grab bag of traits. You may not know what you are going to get, but it’s going to love you forever. I’ve had three rescue American pit mixes and they are the most loyal, protective, and loving breeds one could own. Our beagles are the first dogs I’ve ever had a hand in training, and that has been a great experience. They can find anything and they’ll let you know if a leaf falls in the yard. I believe there truly is a dog out there for every person, and it’s probably just waiting in a shelter or rescue.

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

I can be an extrovert and surround myself with all the great people here, or I can be my true introverted self and get away from everyone and enjoy a beautiful solitude in nature, all within a short drive.

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

I think people that drive exactly the speed limit are suspicious. I’m in awe of people that comfortably choose to sit in the middle of a restaurant with their backs to the door. And I once was licensed to box in the state of Missouri.

What is your favorite music genre and artist? Why?

Like books, that’s impossible. I listen to hair bands the most because that was my youth. Southern Rock is making a resurgence and I love that because it’s often relatable. Old country like Waylon and Cash. I never get tired of the old gospel hymns with harmonica and banjo. I grew up with that and it brings me closer to God and my loved ones who have passed. Some

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days I prefer the blues or reggae or bluegrass or rap or even techno. It’s kind of a crazy mix but all music is about memories and emotions to me, so how can anyone just pick one?

What do you nerd out on?

History and travel. I love being immersed in different cultures and knowing the history that made them. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents while I was growing up. My grandpa was mountain folk and his stories were untamed and that fascinated me, and my uncle was in the clean-up of World War II and his stories of being in the places I only read about, during major world events, all sparked that love of history and travel. My grandmother lost her mother when she was two and I always hated that she was robbed of that history of her native heritage.

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

Bully dog breed bans. How about we punish bad people for a change? Living in Pottsville I’m fortunate that our council was open minded when it came up.

Where is the one location in the River Valley you would tell a firsttime visitor that they must go?

Camp Mitchell’s open-air chapel. It is a simplistically breathtaking native stone and wood structure, utilizing His creations for its beauty. Not at all ornate, just you, nature and God. After, travel up the mountain to hike, camp, and enjoy Petit Jean State Park and its CCC structures and trails, and Winrock’s history and views as well.

Pizza, tacos, cheeseburger, or fried chicken? Any particular reason why?

All of them. Equally.

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

“Can’t never could,” and “you won’t learn any younger.” They are old phrases, but they were favorites of my dad. I didn’t appreciate them when I was eight and he told me to drive the tractor down the road (zero lessons in driving anything) and I’d better beat him there, but I do now. Those sayings still run through my head when something needs done and my confidence waivers.

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DECEMBER 2020

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

ABOUT | December 2020

Articles inside

10 Things ABOUT: Benita Drew

Hindsight from 2020

Black gold

Oh Christmas Tree

Bad, bad Santa

A pipe dream realized