ABOUT | June 2020

MONUMENT TRAIL

June 2020 • www.aboutrvmag.com

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley

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DEELICIOUS

DISTINGUISHED DISTRICT 2019-20

Russellville School District

is privileged to be recognized as a 2019-20 Project Lead The Way Distinguished School District.

RSD is one of 404 PLTW Launch programs across the country to receive recognition for their successes this year.

Distinguished schools honored across the district included Dwight Elementary, London Elementary, Sequoyah Elementary, and Russellville Junior High School.

This recognition honors the efforts of our schools and their leadership teams and shows that the Project Lead the Way program is empowering students to thrive in an evolving world and achieving exemplary results from PLTW Launch programs.

220 West 10th Street ■ Russellville, AR 72801 ■ 479.968.1306 ■ www.rsdk12.net

June 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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The Path is the Destination The passion for recreation geared toward physical challenges and fitness along with an explorer’s spirit is what led to the boom of mountain biking as a hobby throughout the nation. That passion also led to the creation of the Monument Trails in Arkansas.

Dadisms Triage – Six volunteers here was a false alarm in Dover. They were T tested. It was negative. Everyone moved on for a little bit. But Dr. Nathan Henderson didn’t. He saw the reaction from the community. He saw the reaction from the hospitals. Pope County was not prepared.

The crown jewel of rights

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Geedunks is Deelicious The lingos found within every subculture are so interesting. Military subcultures particularly so since the meanings of many words and phrases founded there have double-duty in civilian speak. “No man’s land,” “on the double,” and catching “a lot of flak” are just a few of the more commonly used. Now you can add “geedunk” to that vocabulary.

Building strong teeth and bones The quiet power of beauty 10 Things ABOUT: Russellville

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ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVER Jen, Johnny and Brooklyn Brazil descend a switchback on the Miller’s Goat section of the newest addition to the Mount Nebo State Park Monument Trail System. This section parallels and criss-crosses the well known Bench Trail and promises a true thrill to any skill-level mountain biker.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Standing in harm’s way Rumors of a new pandemic — a novel disease for which we humans had little to no defense — swirled across the news cycles only a month or so into the new year.

And then the rumors became truth.

Predictions were all over the board, as is to be expected as new information came to light nearly every hour, but healthcare leaders settled onto some basic information for stalling the spread — practice social distancing and wash your hands.

So far, we’ve not hit the catastrophic numbers predicted in worst-case scenarios, and there’s little doubt that the simple actions employed by so many people is the reason.

But even with this minor victory, there’s no cause for celebration. The truth of the matter, is that we simply don’t know what will happen.

This great unknown is precisely the reason for caution and preparedness. It’s what led Dr. Nathan Henderson to form the Pope County Covid-19 Triage Unit.

As writer Hannah Butler and I discussed this story and how we would tell it, we focused on shining the light of humanity on the volunteers running the Triage. Mostly we did it so that readers would see the faces behind the face shields and recognize them as our neighbors. There are no high-powered bureaucrats behind the Triage. It was one local doctor’s idea and his will to act that made it happen.

There is no hidden “agenda” involving any depth of government or political party.

These are just healthcare professionals doing their job — actually going beyond their job — for us. They’re working long hours in rough conditions and enduring far too much backlash from the very public who they are desperately trying to protect.

We also wanted readers to understand that they are doing all of this while battling their own fears of contracting the disease themselves. And, even worse, passing the disease to someone without a healthy immune system. Someone who could be admitted to the hospital, to ICU, ventilated, or could even die.

These are the people who are putting aside their own concerns and bravely, voluntarily, standing in harm’s way for all of us.

I am hesitant to use the word “hero.” It’s been slapped onto so many acts and people that the very meaning has been watered down to the point of near nothing. But I can’t find a better word for professionals striving to do more than their jobs require for the safety of their community.

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley since 2006 A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XV, Issue 5 – June 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

June 2020

Find up-to-date information and future events @

www.aboutrvmag.com/events

With social distancing setting new parameters for our social lives, we present the June 2020 calendar of events you can attend and participate in online and otherwise utilizing social distancing guidelines. * Please confirm directly with the promoter to ensure event details have not changed.

4th — Drive-Through Job Fair from 8:30

a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Russellville Hughes Community Center 1000 East Parkway Russellville. Looking for a job? Express Employment Professionals is having a drive-through job fair at the Hughes Center. Be sure and bring your resume if you have one. Some of the openings include: CNC, driver, welder, pick & pack, front office, billing clerk, customer service, paralegal, accountant, CAD driver, web designer, and executive assistant. For more info contact 967-7070.

6th — National Trails Day at Petit Jean

State Park Admission is free. Celebrate and enjoy Petit Jean’s 20-plus miles of trails.

This day will be filled with hikes and hiking related programs for all ages. Contact the park for a schedule. This event corre-

sponds with American Hiking Society programs nationwide. For more info contact 501-727-5441.

7th — Russellville Sesquicentennial Air

Parade & Fireworks, from 8-9pm in Downtown Russellville. See page 24 for details or call 967-1437 for more information.

21st — Legends of Petit Jean at Stouts

Point (Petit Jean’s gravesite) on Petit Jean Mountain from 9-9:30 a.m. Admission is free. Petit Jean, a strange and fascinating mountain with many natural wonders, but that isn’t all that is fascinating. Meet Park Interpreter Carrie to discover some stories surrounding the naming of this mountain during the early days of exploration.

July 3rd-5th — Balloons Over Rus-

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21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 *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.

sellville at the Russellville Soccer Complex at 901 Lock and Dam Road. There will be 20 balloons, helicopter rides, powered parachute flights, food, vendors, entertainment, a Kid Zone, and fun for all ages. Free admission. For more info call 304-777.

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The Path is the Dest The newest Arkansas Monument Trail opens on Mount Nebo Story by ALEXA KNOX | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

Back in 1953, before he became a sociology professor at the University of California Davis, John Finley Scott built a bicycle that could withstand his off-roading adventures.

It featured multiple gears specifically configured for off-road cycling and was shod with burly, knob-studded tires. Scott called his creation the “Woodsie.”

Even with his state of the art design (for back then), cycling over rough terrain didn’t gain much traction until the early 1970s when a growing group of enthusiasts helped spark the hobby of mountain biking. But its utilitarian roots could never have anticipated the emergence of “dirt-church” on Sundays and post-work group rides.

The passion for recreation geared toward physical challenges and fitness along with an explorer’s spirit is what led to the boom of mountain biking as a hobby throughout the nation. “No matter how many times you’ve ridden, there’s always something you hadn’t seen before,” says Logan Felder, a River Valley trail cyclist.

That passion also led to the creation of the Monument Trails in Arkansas.

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“Each Monument Trail is a standalone destination,” Suzanne says. “Each trail is a complete thought, a trip worth taking.”

THE ARKANSAS STATE PARKS WEBSITE SAYS that “Monument Trails are world-class mountain biking destinations within Arkansas State Parks that showcase natural iconic beauty, innovation, and sustainability.” The multi-use trails are built with trail riders of all skill levels in mind but also with an “adventure-minded approach.”

The creation of the Monument Trails is the result of a collaboration between Arkansas State Parks, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed when a group of citizens recognized the connection between Arkansas State Parks and surrounding communities. And, ultimately, Monument Trails are about community.

For physical construction of the Monument Trails, the partnership called on the nation’s most innovative trail builders to design and construct interesting paths utilizing Arkansas’s distinctive terrain and topography. The first Monument Trail in the state winds around the shores of Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas’ Hobb’s State Park and was opened in June 2019.

But since the River Valley is the hub of Arkansas’ mountain bike trails, it made sense for the newest trail to be homed in one of the regions most iconic state Parks — Mount Nebo.

Lush green forest, brilliant wildflowers, and the soft babble of running waters await cyclists and hikers on Chickalah Loop, the first Monument Trail mileage added last fall near the bench on 10

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“Collectively, we have a passion for this work and what it does to transform quality of life in our state,” Mount Nebo. Named after a local creek with tributaries in the northern section of the park, this is an intermediate trail with expert features (that you can go around, without any judgements) running 7.1 miles. The trail opens areas that were formerly inaccessible to the public and offers new angles to see the sparkling valley along with peaks to watch the sun both rise and set.

Utilizing the landscape and prior use of the parks was integral to the Monument Trails’ development. “The project feeds on current visitors’ experiences and builds on it,” Suzanne Grobmyer, executive director of the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation, says.

Suzanne says that Mount Nebo has been a recreation destination in the region for well over a century and that it “creates a beacon for outdoor recreation in our state that highlights health and wellness, not just for visitors, but those who live in the surrounding communities.”

Mount Nebo was named for the biblical mountain where Moses viewed the promised land. Summit Park Hotel, with room for 450 guests, helped spike

the attraction back in 1889. Outdoor activities such as lawn tennis and bowling were part of those early days and created a heritage of recreation that has only grown stronger as the decades passed.

Now, Mount Nebo offers several different activity options that include 14 miles of hiking and biking trails, campsites, a swimming pool, tennis courts, pavilions, beautiful scenery and picnic areas, and scenic tours. >>

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With this history of enjoying the outdoors, breathtaking scenery, and challenging terrain, Mount Nebo State Park seemed a natural fit for the second Monument Trail system.

“Each Monument Trail is a standalone destination,” Suzanne says. “Each trail is a complete thought, a trip worth taking.” A large portion of what makes a destination for outdoor recreation is the surrounding communities. Local cities, along with River Valley cycling organizations, ensured that the sense of community among area citizens is extended through the new trail system.

Suzanne says that the theme of sharing and helping, so integral to the Monument Trails project, runs strong in the River Valley. “The biking community in Dardanelle and Russellville have been amazing partners,” Suzanne says. Organizations like Ozark Off-Road Cyclists and Friends of Nebo have helped maintain the trails with the park’s own team. Suzanne says that local clubs also help on website pages with almost daily updates and weather conditions, bike tips, group rides, and other information. “It’s been the ideal community embrace we hoped for,” Suzanne says.

That sense of community can be found on trail as well. Logan Felder says he generally rides the trails solo, but, more often than not, he runs into someone he knows. “You meet them on the trail,” Logan says, “and then ride with them for a while and talk about what’s been going on in your lives until you separate onto different parts of the trail.” Company on the trail is a good thing in many ways. It means there’s usually someone to help if you’re having trouble. Since he’s a mechanic, Logan often stops to help others in need, whether it be fixing a chain or supplying a new one. Logan always has a spare chain. But Logan says that helping hands are everywhere on the trail. “If anyone has a crash or something , everyone will stop to help and give spare parts.”

Congratulations to Mt . Nebo for being Arkansas’s newest addition to the Monument Trail System !

704 Quay Street, Dardanelle, AR (479) 229-2004 (479) 495-2617 12

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Chickalah Creek Loop is a multi-use trail in that cyclists as well as hikers are welcome to enjoy it. “Shared use trails are the veins which create meaningful experiences in the parks,” Suzanne says. But sharing also extends to the municipalities and businesses. With Monument Trails designed as destination points for in- and out-of-state tourists, local economies will benefit as well. It’s a holistic approach to creating a better place to live overall, and that theme can be found in the heart of the Monument Trails project partners. “Collectively, we have a passion for this work and what it does to transform quality of life in our state,” says Suzanne.

Russellville cyclist and Carr’s Chain Reaction bike shop manager Johnny Brazil believes that the Monument Trail System atop Nebo will have a profound impact not only on the cycling industry, but on the region as a whole. “Our business has already seen increased levels of interest and stoke towards mountain biking due to the growth of world renowned trails in our state,” Johnny says. “That has been amplified recently with these trails.”

Johnny says that while he’s excited about the opportunities for economic growth, he’s ecstatic about what the trail is doing for the local cycling community. “The trail has increased cycling aware-

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ness, other local trail opportunities, and led to conversations about alternate means of transportation via greenway systems,” Johnny says. “It’s led to forward thinking that is progressing our communities.” Johnny believes that the newest trails atop Mount Nebo will be a major tourism attraction for the River Valley “The system is incredibly inclusive and provides opportunities for a family of any age and skill level to enjoy,” Johnny says. “From a trail that is balance-bike and beginner friendly to double black-diamond gnarly descents, it’s sure to please a rider of any level.”

While the Chickalah Creek Loop has been open since the Fall, an additional 18 miles will officially be open to riders and hikers no later than June 10th. This newest mileage includes a dedicated uphill path for hikers/walkers that wish to ascend up the mountain as well as blue/green miles that are rideable by all ages and skill levels.

“There isn’t a community in our state that isn’t looking at trail expansion in their town right now.” Suzanne says, indicating that many more trails will be popping up for our hiking and biking enjoyment.

For more information about Monument Trails in Arkansas, visit the Monument Trials/Arkansas State Parks Facebook page and Instagram along with the website www.arkansasstateparks.com/ l trails/monument-trails.

“Shared use trails are the veins which create meaningful experiences in the parks,”

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EVE RY DAY L I F E

Dadisms Story by SARAH CLOWER Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS

FATHERS SERVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN CHILDREN’S LIVES, and we often have fond memories of our childhoods revolving around the antics of our dads. My dad was a notorious prankster, and was always doing something ornery.

My sister and I love to sit around reminiscing about all the silly things my dad did. He told dad jokes like nobody’s business, was always up to something, and was fanatically frugal.

This year, I wanted to write an article about all of the quirky things our dads did when we were young that they thought were saving the family money, funny phrases, and just dad stuff in general.

QUIRKS: My father in law smells everything around him everywhere he goes. Furniture in furniture stores, basketballs in sporting goods stores, things at Walmart. He swears you can tell the quality of an item by its smell.

- Melissa My dad loved to scuba dive and would find

all sorts of what he called “treasures” on the bottoms of the rivers, lakes, and oceans, and bring them home to my mom, sister and me. And most of the time, we would be horrified by the condition of these items. But my dad was always so proud of every find.

- Sarah

dad switch his info from his old phone to a new iPhone. I told him there was a place to securely keep user names and passwords for different accounts and it was then I realized my dad had about 35-40 email addresses and passwords. He had been making a new one for every single account he had online not realizing he could use the same one for Every time a boy came to my house when all of them.

I was a teenager, even if they were just a - Joy friend or even in a study group, my dad would sit in the living room cleaning his “My dad smoked when my siblings and I shotgun. It was so embarrassing. were growing up. My mom insisted my sib- Karen lings and I couldn’t catch him. My dad used all sorts of excuses to go outside to smoke One day a few years back, I was helping my a cigarette even though my siblings and I

(479) 968-3991 | 1903 SOUTH ARKANSAS 14

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knew that he did. He would say “I’m going outside to check the yard” or “I’m going to go check the tire pressures on the cars.” at 10 p.m. or “I’m gonna go measure the grass.”

- Britten PRANKS: My dad’s best friends had an indoor pool, which they taught swimming lessons and water sports out of. My dad used to call right when he knew they would both be preoccupied in the pool so a parent of one of the swim students would have to answer the heavy rotary dial phone on the table downstairs. Upon answering, he would pretend to be the water company stating that his friends had not paid their water bill and the water company was coming to repossess all their water. No matter how much Don and Mary Ann protested that it was only their prankster of a best friend, the parents were always worried that the water company was truly coming to drain the pool their children were swimming in and repossess Don and Mary Ann’s pool water.

- Sarah My dad was an electrician and an inspector at a factory. The days he had to inspect the light beams, he would fill a five-gallon bucket of water and dump it on workers that weren’t paying attention to their line.

He was so high above them, they never knew where it came from because when they would look up they were so blinded by the lights above them.

- Deb

My dad was always trying to mess with my mom, and because he talked to anyone and everyone, in any situation, he would concoct the craziest plans. One day, he ran into a man that had a pet brown bear. He convinced the man to bring the bear to my parents’ house and tied the bear to a large tree in the yard. A bit later, my mom came home from work and. of course, spazzed out. My mom was too scared to get out of the car the entire hour my dad tried to convince her to keep the pet bear. Finally the bear’s owner walked out of their house and told my dad he needed to hit the road with “Cuddles” so they could meet up with other bear pet owners. I really thought my mom was going to strangle my dad that day.

- Amy My dad would call into Dial-A-Trade to “sell” his friends’ cars, grills, above ground pools, motorcycles, anything they had. Random people would show up at their houses looking to buy their brand new expensive grills for $50 and his friends would be so mad. They still come by to visit my dad and talk about all the stuff he “sold.”

- Joy When a boy would call my house, my dad would go knock on the “bathroom door” (in actuality any surface he could find) and say “Hey! You done in there? There’s a real nice sounding chap on the phone and you’ve been in there for a long time.

You ok? I’ve heard terrible sounds coming from there. And whew! It smells terrible out here.” I would come running from my bedroom to grab the phone to do damage control if the boy was still there, but most

of the time, he had already hung up.

- Sarah FRUGALITY: My father in law washes out and reuses Ziplock bags. My mother in law throws the used bags away if she finds them.

- Melissa My dad got tired of hearing my niece, his granddaughter, complain about wanting individually wrapped snacks in her lunch.

He bought the usual groceries and then took the crappy sandwich bags that you just fold over, and put the chips, cookies, and crackers in those, making her “individual sized snacks” out of those little bags. My dad was so proud of himself, but my niece was not impressed.

- Jessica My dad had a phrase — “use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without” — every time my sister and I asked for something new.

We would be so frustrated by his phrase that we wouldn’t ask, buy it on our own, or just do without to avoid hearing his message. To this day it haunts me every time I buy clothes or shoes I don’t need.

- Sarah My dad refused to buy store bought Halloween costumes and always had my mom make us homemade Halloween costumes.

One year, I desperately wanted to be a werewolf. The costume ended up looking like a rat, and my dad spent all night trying to convince me that I looked scary.

- Patrick l

Happy Father’s Day !

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Triage –

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Six Volunteers There was a false alarm in Dover.

They were tested. It was negative. Everyone moved on for a little bit.

But Dr. Nathan Henderson didn’t. He saw the reaction from the community. He saw the reaction from the hospitals. Pope County was not prepared.

Story by HANNAH BUTLER | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

Dr. Henderson knew it was only a matter of time, but there was no plan. He made a few phone calls and in a matter of days the Pope County Triage Center popped up. The volunteer staff was prepared to face the first potential coronavirus patient in 10 minutes — 10 minutes before the doors opened on Saturday, March 14.

There are six volunteers, one building, a limited amount of personal protective equipment and a large number of potential coronavirus patients.

In the early days, it would take a full two weeks to get results back.

Over time, kinks have been worked out. Test results are being seen within 28 to 48 hours.

The mission has always been the same: Separate those who test positive. Limit the amount of healthcare workers in order to protect them.

Conserve as much personal protective equipment as possible.

Testing is uncomfortable for patients. It requires that a six-inch cotton swab goes up each patient’s nose for 15 seconds. And when a positive is found, there’s a whole new set of worries. Every single person they’ve come into contact with — a cashier, a friend, a family member, a server at a restaurant — must be tracked down and tested.

In the beginning, there were 12-hour days and a steady flow of patients. Then, the numbers dipped. Social distancing measures appeared to be working. But with phase one of the “reopening” in full swing and more tests available, the Pope County Triage Center is testing more than ever. And the grind can wear down even the most dedicated.

There’s the physical toll of wearing personal protective equipment and being on their feet for hours. There’s also the mental toll of worrying about their families and worrying about the community’s safety. The volunteers are not just testing patients. They’re also testing the lives of themselves, their children and their emotional wellbeing.

These are the stories of our medical professionals on the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic told in their own words.

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Aleyxs Hardgrove Alexys is a viral triage unit receptionist which includes registration, phone calls, and clerical work.

ON HER FIRST DAY: When I first walked in, I had to get suited up. We have to wear these white suits that kind of make us look like marshmallows or astronauts — big masks, helmets and booties.

It made it seem more real. Whenever you put on the suit, it’s a lot more real. After I saw people getting sick coming in, people actually getting sick, and the numbers growing in Russellville, I started taking it a lot more seriously. I started not going out and social distancing.

ON WHY SHE VOLUNTEERED: I was going to school for nursing and I wanted to actually help people. When I started at Millard Henry Clinic and Pediatrics at reception, I was really just checking people in. I didn’t feel like I was helping a lot of people. After working at the Triage Center, I actually feel like I’m helping people a little bit more.

ON CONCERNS: It didn’t bother me first. As we started getting more people coming in and listening to the news about everything going on, it started to seem more scary. I worry a little bit because I have my little boy at home, and I don’t want him to get sick. I don’t want my grandparents to get sick. I had read about people on ventilators and people who have died. I was just worried that I’d take something home and then my son or my grandmother would end up on a ventilator.

ON WHAT HER JOB MEANS TO HER: I’m glad that I can help people. I’m glad that I can be there for people, and I know that they’re scared. I’m glad that I still have a job. I know a lot of people are without one right now. Because of this, I’ve realized how much more important a receptionist job is than I did before.

Toni Pearson Toni is a viral triage unit receptionist. takes registration for patients and answers questions on the phone.

WHAT SHOCKS HER: We’ve had people come in, be placed on quarantine, and we see them out. We’ve had some people throw parties, stuff like that. I’m not saying people need to live in fear right now — I know I’m not —but I think we need to be respectfully cautious right now and pay attention. People do die from this. I don’t think people are taking it seriously enough. They don’t understand that we are not in there, wearing all of the protective gear and working all the long hours that we do, just because. It’s a real thing.

ON HER DECISION TO VOLUNTEER: I thought from the very beginning that I do want to volunteer. It was kind of hard because I have 15 grandbabies and I don’t get to see them. That’s difficult. But I do believe it’s a sacrifice that’s worth making.

ON PREPARATION FOR THE PANDEMIC: I’m 53. I never thought I would see the day where people are having to wear protective personal equipment to work, especially myself. It’s almost out of a movie. That’s where our world is right now, but it’s real.

Honestly, I don’t believe anybody thought it would actually come over here. I knew it was a threat. Preparing for it? I think we were prepared as much as we could have been with the resources we have been given.

ON THE COMMUNITY’S RESPONSE: There’s been some negative. For the most part, we get support. We had a lady who organized a bunch of meals and fed us for six weeks. We have some

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“One of my big concerns, early on as a doctor and community member, is that I saw this threat and how bad it could be. I saw that if we took action early, and if we moved aggressively, we could substantially decrease the damage that was done.” patients that I don’t believe have a clue as to what it means to us when they leave, and they thank us. They have no clue how uplifting it is when we hear that. We do have a lot of “negative Nancys” out there. They’re coming in to get tested, but they’ll still fuss at us that we’re blowing it out of proportion. But, that’s okay because you’ve got those, but you’ve also got the nice ones out there. I try to focus on the ones that are positive towards us rather than the negative.

Mami Yuasa Mami is a viral triage unit CMA responsible for coronavirus testing, vitals and any medical orders. She also assists in collecting surveillance data.

ON WHY SHE VOLUNTEERED: I was working at the Dover [Millard Henry] clinic with Dr. Henderson. And I love working with Dr. Henderson. I think I’ll just go anywhere he will go because he’s just a great doctor. I wasn’t super scared. I wanted to do something to help the community and I wanted to learn more.

ON HER CALLING: I’ve felt like I’ve always been a black sheep.

That’s how I’ve always, always, always felt since I came to the Unit-

ed States. My English was so broken, and I don’t know a lot of American culture, so I didn’t make a lot of friends when I first came here. I speak more English now but, a lot of the time, I feel like I’m not getting anywhere.

But this is what I’m supposed to do. I finally felt like I’m being part of the community by helping others in Russellville.

ON WHAT SHE’S LEARNED: If you have a question, you need to ask. You need to know how long it takes to get results back. With patients, you need to know which method to send their results. There’s a lot of rules that you need to know and everything is changing all the time. It’s a little hard to keep up with, so I’ve learned I have to ask and make sure that I’m doing the right thing. I think I can apply that to my normal work, too.

ON WHAT SHE WANTS OTHERS TO KNOW: I think people need to be aware that coronavirus has not disappeared yet. It’s not gone. You can still get it, and it will still spread. I think people are not taking this seriously anymore and they’re going out to parties. A lot of retail stores opened the other day, so they think, ‘oh, businesses are reopening, it must be safe.’ No, you still have to wear a mask and still social distance. But people don’t think that way, so they catch it and are spreading it. >> JUNE 2020

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Kelsie Duvall Kelsie is an LPN, and is in charge of the viral triage unit overseeing all tasks such as assisting with complex medical orders, contact tracing, and collection of surveillance data.

ON HER RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC: In the beginning, I don’t think I realized how serious this is. You don’t realize what the term pandemic means in the beginning. You think there’s this virus, and it has the potential to kill a lot of people and make a lot of people sick. But until it actually hits here, I don’t think you quite grasp the concept of that. The further into it that we are, we definitely have all grasped the concept. And you go from feeling really excited and doing something good and that you’re helping to where we wake up every morning and, if we have a sore throat or a cough, now you have to wonder if you should go to work today. It starts to weigh down on you a little bit. I know that I can’t be the only one who feels that way in the healthcare industry right now.

Morgan Gunter Morgan is a viral triage unit CMA handling coronavirus testing, collection of surveillance data and vitals.

WHY SHE VOLUNTEERED: My main goal is that I want to help people. I knew Mami because we graduated together, and I wanted to work with her again. Then, the first day I got there, I met Kelsie Duvall, and it was just like we all went together. It was like team effort from day one, there was no arguments or anything, it was just like open arms, family.

ON WHY SHE ISN’T SCARED: When I went to school, the first thing they tell you when you get into this program is that if you’re scared of germs, or blood, or a virus, or anything, you’re in the wrong field. You don’t need to do this. You talk about germs, and you don’t know how quickly they spread until you get a point view of everything.

ON HER CONCERNS: I have a six-year-old and a husband.

Those two are my world, and I have to go home to them every day.

I was scared to death. How was I not going to bring it home? How do I make sure I don’t bring it home? Dr. Henderson told us all that we’re going to wash our hands. We don’t wear the same clothes.

We stay six feet apart when we eat. I don’t go anywhere. I don’t go to Walmart, or Dollar General, or anything.

ON HER OBSERVATIONS: I don’t think it matters what is behind your name, like, LPN, RN, anything like that. I think this virus has brought us all together. The doctors have gone far and beyond for everything.

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ON NORMALCY: I’m so ready for this to be done and over. Normalcy? I’ve almost forgotten what that’s like. Restaurants are opening back up, but I’m not going to be participating in that. Not until I feel like it’s safe, and right now I don’t. I know I’m going stir crazy; I’m a retail therapy junkie, and I have not shopped. I’m blowing up Amazon Prime, don’t get me wrong, but I haven’t been in a store and shopped since March 8.

ON HER LIFE NOW: We don’t leave our house. I haven’t been to Walmart. I haven’t gone inside to pay for gas. I haven’t been out to eat at a restaurant anywhere. I go home and I go to work. I’ve had to rearrange my life to feel like I’m keeping other people safe.

It’s not just about if I get exposed, it’s if I’m one of those people who don’t have symptoms and I expose other people because of my level of exposure. You just want to keep everybody else safe. I have

a three-year-old, and she isn’t going to daycare right now. We have a private sitter who is watching no other children. If I were to give it to my child, and she didn’t show symptoms, she could give it to every other kid at daycare. I couldn’t live with that.

ON TEAMWORK: Triage is a stressful situation all around, and you know when you go to work that you’re going to expose yourself to the virus. Having a team like we have right now makes it fun.

We’re all kind of goofy, and everybody gets along so well that it makes it bearable to be there. It’s been a great opportunity and, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have gotten to work with these people. We all came from different facilities. I’m going to come out of this with really great friends. We have to have somebody to vent to, and you can’t go home and talk about your day because that’s just not what you do. You check out at the door and you don’t think about it again until you go back to work the next day. Sometimes we all group chat or, if someone needs to talk, we call each other. It’s honestly been one of the best bonding experiences that I’ve ever had in a work situation.

Dr. Nathan Henderson Nathan assesses, treats, and quarantines patients. He also collects surveillance data analysis, contact tracing, and isolation.

ON BECOMING THE LOCAL VOICE FOR THE VIRUS: I was an intensely private person before all of this happened, and I still am. But to be in a newspaper, and to be on an internet TV show, and have people look to you for advice is very foreign to me. It’s been something I’ve had to adjust to. To be in the center of this, and for this to be in the center of everyone’s attention, has been a bit bewildering at times. That’s been something I’ve discovered about myself. I really do prefer to be a private person. I’ll probably be more of a hermit after this than I was before. Right now, with this situation, part of protecting the public is educating the public. I’m learning how to cope with all of that. There’s certainly been a lot of positive feedback from the public but dealing with all of the negative we’ve received has been something I’ve had to learn, and had to learn how to cope with. My feeling very early on in this, and it still comes to me from time to time, is this thought that I am a rural doctor for a small community of closely knit people. In the big picture of the world, outside of Dover and Pope County, I’m not a big academic in Little Rock. I’m not a CDC researcher or a World Health Organization public official. I’m just a family doctor in a tiny town. It felt to me like someone much more important than me should be doing this. Someone who has fought a pandemic before should be doing this, but we don’t have that option. >> JUNE 2020

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ON HIS CONCERNS: One of my big concerns, early on as a doctor and community member, is that I saw this threat and how bad it could be. I saw that if we took action early, and if we moved aggressively, we could substantially decrease the damage that was done. One of my big concerns was that we move quickly enough and that we move aggressively enough to get in front of this and minimize the damage we could do. If we took no action, the numbers would be catastrophic. I wanted to protect my community from what could have been, and what still could be, if we’re not careful. I wanted to protect my community. That was probably my biggest concern as a community member. We had to stop this before it got started. We couldn’t wait for this to get rolling then work from behind.

ON WHAT HE’S LEARNED: I took a lot of things for granted before. I’ve always tried to be a mindful person, but even at that, I took a ton of things for granted. The ability to just get together with friends and just enjoy a Saturday night. Every fourth of July, I always throw a big party. It’s always been fun, but I’ve always taken the ability to get all of my social circle to get everyone together in one place to have fun and enjoy fireworks [for granted]. I never really

appreciated how special that was. In my profession, you learn very early how finite health and life is. And you have to accept that as a physician or it will eat you. At the same time, as a physician, I’ve coped with that by putting it in a detached place somewhere that I didn’t visit. So there are many nights when you lay there awake and you worry. You worry about what happens to your wife and your daughter when you don’t come home. You think about all of the things that you wanted to do and that you planned to do, but you might not have time to do, you might not have an opportunity to do with your family. There are things you still have

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to teach your daughter. Those are some things that you learn about yourself when you’re in this situation.

ON ADVICE THAT’S HELPED HIM: One of my friends sent me this video from a World Health Organization official who had spent his entire career fighting Ebola in Africa. He said that if you wait, if you’re wondering if you’re making the right decision, then you’ve waited too long. You have to make a decision and do it. If it needs adjustment as you go then you adjust as you go. But you cannot hesitate or the virus will get ahead of you. That helped me, and it resonated with me. Even people who do this for a living for their entire career have doubts, but they select a course and they go forward. At night, sometimes I’ll wonder if I’m leading the right

direction or if I’m making the right decisions. Then I think back to the advice not to hesitate but to choose a route forward and adjust as you go. That’s how I’ve been operating. Someone has to lead and someone has to take us forward. Through luck, that ended up falling on me. Here I am.

The guidelines for getting tested are to check yourself for fever, cough, or shortness of breath. If you find yourself with any of these symptoms, contact the triage center. It is located at 2424 W. Main St. in Russellville and can be reached by phone at 479-858-1117. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. l

I promise.

I will. I do.

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COMMUNITY

June 7 Russellville Sesquicentennial Air Parade and Fireworks Celebrating Russellville’s 150 years, the air parade and fireworks can be viewed from any location on the map (fireworks launch site marked in red). There are no activities planned for the downtown area, and no public restrooms will be available. Public officials encourage folks to stay in or near their vehicles and wear masks when outside of vehicles. Arkansas Avenue will be closed from Main Street to Parkway during the fireworks show. Think of your neighbors and practice social distancing.

Schwehm earns 2020 ATU Online Innovation Award Arkansas Tech University’s Dr. Jeremy Schwehm doesn’t view virtual instruction

as a challenge. He sees it as an opportunity.

“The distance in distance education refers to location only,” said Schwehm. “Engagement in the online classroom can be equivalent to, or exceed, those levels attained in a face-to-face environment. My approach to online course design is best described through the concept of the connecting classroom. In any given activity, my goal is to connect students with content, to their peers, to the instructor and to the institution. The online student experience is the online classroom, so the online classroom must meet the various academic and social needs of online students.”

Schwehm’s execution of that approach has been rewarded with the 2020 ATU Online Innovation Award, which honors faculty in online teaching environments who utilize innovation and focus on student

success initiatives.

Previous winners were Dr. Douglas Barron (2019) and Dr. Aaron McArthur (2018). The selection is made by a committee of faculty peers.

Schwehm, associate professor of professional studies in the ATU College of eTech, was honored for his senior-level Community Development course. Schwehm’s students work with a community-based organization to align the student’s strengths with the organization’s needs and develop a service plan to benefit the organization.

Class participants engage with each other through videos that allow students to describe their progress and work with classmates to overcome obstacles.

In addition, Schwehm has developed an approach to online group projects that facilitates flexibility by allowing distance learners to collaborate asynchronously and focuses grading on individual contributions.

As result of Schwehm’s innovation, his ATU online students have performed more than 3,000 service hours in Russellville and other communities across the region since 2014.

“I design online courses to be academically rigorous, engaging and fun, while including high-impact practices such as writing-intensiveness, collaborative learning, undergraduate research and service learning,” said Schwehm. “It is my responsibility as an online faculty member in professional studies to increase learner interaction and prevent/reduce feelings of learner isolation, for both academic and social reasons.”

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Eligible ATU students may apply for CARES Act funds Arkansas Tech University has established the procedures by which its eligible students may apply for Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds.

The CARES Act provides federal grants for economic relief from the national emergency created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One portion of the CARES Act established the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which provides the opportunity for emergency financial aid grants to help cover a student’s expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

CARES/HEERF Act grants will be administered by Arkansas Tech and awarded to current undergraduate and graduate ATU students who meet the following criteria: *Have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file *Are eligible to receive Title IV (federal loans, grants and work study) funds

Continued on page 27...

Save the Date E N G A G E M E N T S 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.

JUNE

JULY

Tayler May and Woodrow Ramey (5th)

Amy Duncan & Michael Jennings (24th)

Madison Reasoner & Jacob Morton (6th)

Carlee Hinkle & Bradley Martin (25th)

Hannah Key & Travis Farmer (13th)

AUGUST

Cassandra Johnson & Ryan Watkins (13th)

Hannah Grace Knight & Robert Branscum (8th)

Gabby Abbott & Dillon Green (20th)

Brooke Woodward & Derek Hollowoa (8th)

Sarah Kathryn Hale & Samuel Pegg (20th)

Selby Bailey & Alec Yates (10th)

Jessica Felkins & Justin Looper (27th)

Andrea Dixon & Chad Stewart (15th)

Lindsey DeSoto & Tyler Allen (28th)

JULY Charleigh Kennamore & Caleb Albrecht (5th) Caroline Scott & Ethan Chernivec (11th)

Sydney Johnson & Nathan Bell (15th) Meredith Hedberg & Morgan Link (29th)

SEPTEMBER Haley Fossitt & Thomas Avery (5th) Shelby Gray & Marty McNally (19th)

Jessica Enciso & Christian Martinez (18th)

Josie Dixon & Jonathon Myers (20th)

Bethany Freeman & Jackson Hogue (18th)

Abbie Moore & Kent McCoy (27th)

JUNE 2020

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

The crown jewel of rights Story by KRISTIN FOSTER

“The right to vote is the crown jewel of American liberties, and we will not see its luster diminished.’’

– PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN –

PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE, even in the midst of controversy, has deep roots in Arkansas politics.

Since achieving statehood in 1836, Arkansans have headed to the polls to make their voice heard on election day. Of course, in those early elections a person could only vote if they were white, male, a U.S. citizen, and a citizen of the state for six months or more.

In the 184 years since, our state has taken a winding, rough and tumble path to our modern day election laws. With the next presidential election only a few months away, and preparations already beginning across the state, we are now facing a global pandemic that has voters questioning how their constitutional right to vote and their health will be protected in November.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to creating a safe, secure, and fair election for 1.7 million registered Arkansas voters during an unpredictable virus outbreak. So, of course, within a matter of days, social media took this complex policy issue and boiled it down to a few memes comparing voting to standing in line at a big box store. Oversimplified messages like this often provoke an emotional response by touching on hot button issues like election fraud and voter suppression, while glossing over other important, less inflammatory facts. More than ever, it is vital that Arkansans understand their constitutional right to the ballot box and know what to expect heading into a heated election cycle.

According to the Arkansas Secretary of State, in order to reg-

ister to vote you must be a U.S. citizen, an Arkansas resident, be age 18 or turn 18 on or before the next election, not be a convicted felon whose sentence has not been discharged or pardoned, and not be presently adjudged as mentally incompetent as to your ability to vote by a court of competent jurisdiction. Additionally, Arkansas voters must verify their registration by providing proper identification when voting.

If a registered voter will be unable to physically present at their polling site to cast a ballot, Arkansas also gives the option to vote by mail via an absentee ballot. The use of absentee ballots is limited to those with illness or physical disability, residents in long-term care facilities, or anyone unavoidably absent from their polling site on Election Day. In the midst of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, this requirement to choose one of three reasons for absentee voting has been called into question by legislators, election officials, and voting rights advocates across the state. After all, what does “unavoidably absent” even really mean when dealing with a virus that can be spread for weeks before symptoms are evident? At this time Arkansas doesn’t have a legal structure in place to determine what

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is a valid unavoidable absence. To my knowledge, no one has ever even had their request for an absentee ballot investigated for validity but that hasn’t stopped state lawmakers from loudly disagreeing over the issue.

Election advocates expressed confidence that this issue could be cleared up by temporarily implementing “no-excuse absentee voting,” which removes the requirement to provide a reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

On March 20, 2020 Governor Hutchinson issued an executive order to ease restrictions on polling site consolidation, extend the deadline to receive an absentee ballot by mail, and implement no-excuse absentee voting for primary runoff elections that were held on March 31. However, two competing measures, which would have implemented similar precautions for no-excuse absentee voting in November, exposed fundamental disagreements between state legislators during the recent fiscal session. On May 7, Hutchinson amended his order to continue the provisions for special elections being held through June 9, 2020, but stopped short of extending the order to November. He has since issued increasingly contradictory statements on the issue.

Unfortunately in the absence of a clear path forward, voters will be asked to choose between their health and their right to vote. I wonder if President Reagan would consider the luster of the crown jewel of American liberty diminished by that choice. l

Welcome to

...cont. from page 25 *Are not enrolled in an exclusively online program These grant funds are to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. Allowable funding requests are to help cover food, technology, housing, health care, child care and/or course materials.

Arkansas Tech will use an application to determine eligibility for the grant. Processing time may take up to two weeks.

Students who may be eligible for funding should: *Visit www.atu.edu/finaid/cares.php *Read the information posted there and click “submit” at the bottom of the page *Log in to https://onetech.atu.edu *Click on the tuition and aid tab *Click on “enroll in direct deposit” in the center of the page Consistent with U.S. Department of Education regulations, the grant will not be used to cover any current charges a student owes the university.

The funding each school receives is limited, so the grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is depleted. Submitting an application is not a guarantee of funding.

ATU students seeking more information about the CARES/ HEERF Act grants may contact the ATU Office of Financial Aid at fa.help@atu.edu. l

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THE GEEDUNK CO. 200 N ARKANSAS AVE RUSSELLVILLE

Geedunk is Deelicious Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

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THE LINGOS FOUND WITHIN EVERY SUBCULTURE ARE SO INTERESTING. Military subcultures particularly so since the meanings of many words and phrases founded there have double-duty in civilian speak. “No man’s land,” “on the double,” and catching “a lot of flak” are just a few of the more commonly used.

Now you can add “geedunk” to that vocabulary.

Navy folks know this one well. The geedunk is where you get the goodies — chips, sweets, and other snacks on a ship.

And in the River Valley, The Geedunk Co. is where you go to get incredibly delicious frozen treats — soft serve ice cream (from Russellville’s own Sugar Creek) with a twist, Dole whip (dairy free, lactose free,

gluten free and vegan) creations, milkshakes, sundaes, chilly willy’s and waffle cone boopdiddley’s.

I sampled the Chub Club — vanilla ice cream topped with cookie dough bites, brownie bites, chocolate chips, and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was exactly the cool sugary decadence you’d expect with those ingredients.

Liz tried the slightly healthier option of a tropical fruit sundae, which is Dole whip piled with fresh pineapples and strawberries.

Truth be told, you can’t go wrong with either selection or the multitude of other options available.

The Geedunk Co. offers a boatload of summer selections sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. l

JUNE 2020

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

Easy Chocolate Pecan Pie

Building Strong Teeth and Bones…

Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

I

’m sure almost everyone has heard the above phrase or seen the advertisement with celebrities wearing “milk mustaches” and the term “three servings a day”. But what a lot of people don’ know is that June is the official National Dairy Month.

According to the IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association), National Dairy Food Month started out as National Milk Month in 1937 as a way to promote drinking milk. It was initially created to stabilize the dairy demand when production was at a surplus, but has now developed into an annual tradition that celebrates the contributions the dairy industry has made to the world. After the National Dairy Council stepped in to promote the cause, the name soon changed to “Dairy Month.”

So as to celebrate this “udderly essential” food group, I’ve found some tasty recipes that include one, if not more, dairy products in its ingredients.

I have also included two recipes of my father’s favorites desserts that my mother often made him as I was growing up. However, I have created my own version of these two desserts.

Happy Dairy Month and Father’s Day!

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EASY CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE ABOUT Magazine Featured Recipe ~ JUNE 2020

1 stick of butter or margarine, softened 1 c sugar 3 T cocoa powder 1/4 c flour pinch of salt

1/4 c milk 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 c pecans, chopped and toasted 1 unbaked pie crust

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl stir together the remaining six ingredients.

Place 1/2 c of the chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie crust.

Pour the pie mixture into the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until set.

Remove from oven and let cool completely, then top with cool whip and remaining pecans.

WHITE CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM ICING CAKE 1 1/2 c granulated sugar 3 cups cake flour (I use Swans Down brand) 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 envelope Dream Whip Topping Mix 1 c milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 6 large eggs separated, use whites only Frosting 3/4 c crisco shortening 1/4 c coconut cream 2 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp salt 5-6 c powdered sugar 5-6 T coconut milk, unsweetened 1 c shredded coconut, toasted Sliced strawberries (optional) Cake Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-in round cake pans with cooking spray that has flour in it.

Separate your egg whites from yolks and place the whites in a mixing bowl. Beat on high for 3 minutes or until it forms peaks when you lift out the beaters. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator.

Place the softened butter in another mixing bowl with sugar and cream the mixture for about 2-3 minutes, should be fluffy.

In a small bowl, combine the flour (measure carefully, do not pack flour as it will leave you with a very dense cake), salt and baking powder. Set aside.

White Cake With Coconut Cream Icing

In another bowl, combine the milk and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture alternately with the milk.

Lastly, add the Dream whip topping mix to cake mixture. Beat on high speed for an additional 3 minutes.

Remove egg whites from refrigerator and carefully fold into the above mixture, do not over mix. Pour the cake batter equally into the prepared cake pans.

Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes or until the top bounces back when you touch it. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges and remove them from the pans to a wire rack, allowing them to cool completely.

Place one of the two layers on a cake tray and turn the other over onto a piece of wax or parchment paper.

Frosting Instructions: Place shredded coconut on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and place on the top rack of the oven at 350 degrees. Remove after 5 minutes and stir, then return to oven for another 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Then remove from oven to cool. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat together crisco, coconut cream, vanilla and salt on high speed until fluffy.

Reduce speed to low add powdered sugar and coconut milk, alternating to achieved your desired consistency.

Spread icing on top of the cake on the cake tray then stack the other layer on top.

Continue to spread the icing on top and sides of the cake.

Once the toasted shredded coconut is completely cool, sprinkle on top of the frosted cake. Serve with sliced strawberries.

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RICOTTA PEACH TART 1 c cow’s milk ricotta cheese 2 eggs divided 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 T lemon zest 2 T honey 3-4 ripe peaches cored and sliced 1 sheet puff pastry thawed according to package instructions Preheat oven to 400°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixed bowl combined ricotta, egg and next three ingredients. Set aside. Roll out puff pastry onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score a line around the perimeter of the pastry, about 1 inch from the edge.

Spoon the cheese mixture over the dough inside the scored edges, spreading out to an even layer. Place the sliced peaches in vertical rows, overlapping just slightly until the entire tart is filled. Brush edges with egg wash.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and edges are puffed up.

Recipe courtesy of the dailyalliance.com MEDITERRANEAN HAMANTASCHEN 1 sheet of puff pastry 2 tomatoes diced 1/2 onion diced 1/2 c of crumbled goat cheese 1/4 c of fresh basil diced Cut out circles of puff pastry using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass cup. Saute the onions until tender. Add the tomatoes and cook for several minutes. Place 1 tsp in center of each circle. Top with some goat cheese

and basil. Bake in oven on 375′ for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and slightly crispy.

Recipe courtesy of kosherinthekitch.com SPINACH, CHEESE, AND BACON BREAD PUDDING 8 oz multigrain bread, cut into 3/4-in. cubes (about 6 c) 1 T olive oil 1/2 c chopped white onion 1 tsp minced garlic 4 bacon slices, chopped 8 oz fresh baby spinach 3/4 c 1% low-fat milk 1/4 c unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson) 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 1/2 oz fontina cheese, grated and divided (about 2/3 cup) Cooking spray Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 7 minutes or until toasted.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and bacon; cook 8 minutes or until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally. Add spinach; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until wilted. Place spinach mixture in a bowl.

Add milk, stock, eggs, and 1/3 c cheese to spinach mixture, stirring to combine. Add bread; toss to coat. Divide bread mixture evenly among 4 (7-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Place ramekins on a baking sheet; top evenly with remaining 1/3 cup cheese. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until browned. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of cookinglight.com

CHIPOTLE PEPPER DIP 1 tsp Chipotle pepper sauce 2 (8-oz) containers low-fat plain yogurt 1/2 c thick and chunky salsa 2 T cilantro, chopped 1/4 c Cheddar cheese, shredded Assorted cut vegetables or corn chips Combine all ingredients in medium bowl mix until blended and refrigerate.

Add shredded cheese.

Serve with assorted cut vegetables or corn chips.

Recipe courtesy of usdairy.com CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP 4 T butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 1/3 c finely chopped red bell pepper 1/3 c finely chopped green bell pepper 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 c all-purpose flour 2 c chicken stock 1-1/2 c whole milk 1-1/2 c heavy whipping cream 12 oz sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated (about 4 c) Salt ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Crumbled bacon, chopped parsley leaves, salsa, optional for garnish Melt the butter over medium/high heat in a saucepan. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté briefly.

Add flour and stir continuously until blended. Whisk in the milk, stock and Heavy Whipping Cream.

Bring soup to a low simmer, and continue to let simmer for 20 minutes, or until

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soup thickens.

Gradually add the grated cheese and stir until completely melted and smooth. Season with salt and fresh pepper.

Serve in small bowls, topped with salsa, bacon bits, and chopped parsley (optional).

Recipe courtesy of dairypure.com GREEK CHICKEN WRAP WITH TZATZIKI HERB YOGURT SAUCE For the sauce: 2 c fat-free plain yogurt 1 c peeled, seeded and diced cucumber 2 T chopped fresh dill 1 T lemon juice 1 T white vinegar 2 tsp minced garlic 1/4 tsp salt (optional) For the wrap: 1 (6-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 T light Italian dressing 4 (6-in) whole wheat pitas 2 c chopped romaine lettuce 1 medium tomato, chopped 1/2 c sliced red onion 1/4 c crumbled Feta cheese 4 kalamata or black olives, pitted and sliced For the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until blended. Sauce may be made up to 2 hours in advance.

Cover and refrigerate until serving.

For the wrap: Place chicken breast in a plastic bag and add Italian dressing. Let the

chicken marinate for 15 minutes; pound (using a meat pounder or mallet or the bottom of a skillet) and flatten to about 1/2inch thickness; remove chicken.

In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook chicken breast about 5 minutes per side or until nicely browned and cooked through.

Place chicken on a cutting board and slice thinly against the grain; set aside.

Warm pitas in microwave oven for 30 seconds. Place one pita on a plate and spread 1/2 cup of the lettuce and 1/4 of the chicken slices on top. Sprinkle 1/4 each of the tomato, onion, Feta cheese and olives.

Spoon some of the tzatziki sauce over top and fold in edges of pita. Wrap sandwich in parchment or waxed paper for plating and serving.

Repeat with remaining pitas. Serve immediately with additional sauce on the side.

Recipe courtesy of usdairy.com GRILLED SHRIMP WITH YOGURT CILANTRO SALSA 1 1/2 c (12 oz) low-fat plain yogurt 1/4 c canned coconut milk 1 c cilantro leaves, washed 2 T mint leaves, chopped 1/2 c each red, green and yellow bell pepper, diced 1/2 c diced cucumber 1 jalapeĂąo pepper, seeded and minced 1 (2-in) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste 1/4 tsp salt 1 (8-oz) can pineapple chunks in unsweetened juice, divided 16 large shrimp (20 pieces per pound) 1/2 tsp Cajun Creole seasoning 1 (9-oz) bag baby spinach leaves To make the salsa: mix yogurt and coconut milk in a medium bowl until smooth.

Reserve 1 T each of the cilantro and diced peppers for garnish at serving time.

Stir the remaining cilantro and peppers into the yogurt mixture along with the mint, cucumber, jalapeĂąo, ginger, garlic, hot sauce and salt.

Mix in 1 T of the canned pineapple juice; refrigerate salsa until serving time. Yield: about 2 1/2 c salsa.

Thread 4 shrimp and 4 pineapple chunks on each skewer. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning on each side.

Place on heated grill and cook about 2 minutes each side or until nicely browned and shrimp is cooked.

To serve, divide spinach among serving plates and spoon about 1/2 c salsa onto each plate. Sprinkle reserved cilantro leaves and diced peppers over salsa. Place shrimp skewer alongside salsa.

Recipe courtesy of usdairy.com

Professional care in a compassionate atmosphere, in the heart of the River Valley.

Offering long term care and a wide range of rehabilitation services.

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JUNE 2020

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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COMMUNITY COMMERCE

Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Story & Photo by BENITA DREW

RUSSELLVILLE NURSING AND REHABILITATION — Russellville’s first nursing home — is still thriving today because of the professional care it gives to residents and because it has a staff that cares on the personal level.

“We work hard to realize that this is their home,” Amber Strom, Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation administrator, says. “We are in their house. We do what they ask. If one wants a burger, but that’s not what is on the menu for today, we still fix them a burger. Everyday the residents thank us for what we do.”

Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation

is not only a longterm-care facility, but also a short-term facility caring for the elderly population in need of rehabilitation after surgery or while his or her established caregiver is unavailable. Originally located behind St. Mary’s Regional Health System, Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation moved to 215 South Portland 11 years ago, where it is equipped to house 100 Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation (479) 968-5256 215 S. Portland Avenue Russellville, AR

residents. Just off of Main Street, it has a beautiful backdrop of trees looking up at Skyline. It’s near necessary facilities, yet, has a peaceful feel.

Up-to-date training is important in providing quality care, Amber says. And quality care leads to happy residents. It also leads to recognition for a job well done.

Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation was recently awarded the Governors Quality Award for Excellence.

This is RNR’s second time to win this award with the first recognition coming in 2017. Award-winning facilities must meet and exceed stringent requirements

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

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in leadership, strategic planning, workforce focus, customer focus, knowledge management, process management and, of course, results.

Several staff members also received individual accolades for excellence in caregiving from the Arkansas Health Care Association including two Quality Care Awards, several nominees for caregiver awards, two CNA of the Year awards, Team Member of the Year, Environmental Service Worker of the Year and Administrator of the Year.

Keeping the facilities renovated and the residents entertained and comfortable are also important factors in their health and well-being. Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation recently renovated both rehabilitation and longterm care rooms and continues to beautify the courtyard.

Strom says that Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation offers a wide range of activities for residents such as sitter-sizing and games. Wii bowling and fishing are some of the favorites. Strom says entertainers like Boogie Dan and an Elvis impersonator also perform. “They love

it when ARVA (Arkansas Virtual Academy) students visit to read to them,” Strom added.

Focusing on the importance of family, Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation includes facilities that families can reserve for parties and get-togethers so that relatives who reside there can comfortably attend. With recent restrictions due to COVID, staff is doing more to ensure residents can still stay in touch with loved ones.

“We do Facetime and window and door visits,” Amber says. “They [staff]) are doing an amazing job keeping them in touch with loved-ones, making sure they can still see and visit family.”

Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation is more than three meals a day and a room.

It’s truly the people that make it home.

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t love what we do,” Amber says. “We do anything we can do to make their lives better.”

And it shows.

Tours can be scheduled through the website at www.russellvillenr.com or via phone at 479-968-5256 l

WE ARE OPEN! New operating hours until further notice OUTDOOR: M/W/F: 11-5:30 | T/TH: 11-8:30 Sat: 11-5:30 | Sun: 12-5 INDOOR: M-F: 7-7 | Sat: 7-5 | Sun: 12-5

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Providing free quality instruction and support to literacyseeking adults.

River Valley Adult Learning Alliance (479) 477-3910

rivervalleyliteracycouncil@gmail.com

We Were There For Your Grandparents

And We’ll be Here for You! Courtesy and Service SINCE 1958 Charles Oates and Dale Walker began C&D Drug Store with a very simple motto: “Courtesy and Service.” While much has changed since 1958, that motto still applies today.

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in Beautiful Downtown Russellville WE DELIVER!

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JUNE 2020

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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in the Garden

The quiet power of beauty Story by JILL MCSHEEHY

THE REDDISH-ORANGE TRUMPETED ORBS GLOWED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT. As I sat comfortably on my patio furniture, I couldn’t take my eyes off the beauty.

It was a late April evening, and as I considered the rare comfort of enjoying this outdoor moment in Arkansas -- not too cool, no humidity, no mosquitoes -- I also reflected on the predictable cadence these evenings had begun to take on.

Two months into “social isolation,” most days felt like a carbon copy of the days before. Though, I admit the clear

calendar carried with it a welcome rest, it also brought sorrow for things lost. I learned to hold these paradoxical feelings simultaneously, realizing one could exist alongside the other.

As each thought fluttered through my mind, I still could not break my gaze

off this brilliant nasturtium flower. I had planted it in a new raised bed kitchen garden. I chuckled at myself because, although, nasturtium flowers and leaves are edible, this is not why I planted it in the kitchen garden. No, this nasturtium existed here solely because of its beauty.

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I’ve come a long way, I had to admit.

In my seven years of vegetable gardening, I’ve shrugged off the notion of growing flowers. Sure, I might plant a few in hanging baskets for good measure, but my weedy overgrown flowerbeds in the front yard testified to my laser-like focus on the vegetable garden. The one that really mattered (or so I thought).

What was the purpose of flowers, really? I enjoyed their beauty, of course, but without function, I saw little point.

But like many changes in life, my attitude shift with flowers came gradually. They edged into my consideration strictly through their functional benefits.

I learned that flowers could help the vegetable garden as they attract pollinators and pest-eating beneficial insects. Sign me up, then. If flowers increase the pollination rate of my vegetables and keep me from having to share my garden with aphids, I’m in.

Then the unthinkable happened. Beau-

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ty began to nudge open this closed, pragmatic mind.

Orange calendula greeted me on May mornings while offering me an up-close look at the beneficial syrphid flies it attracted in the afternoons. Towering sunflowers brightened the western sky in July, while bees coated themselves in its pollen. Baby pink cosmos drew my eye in September evenings while butterflies and bees scoured the landscape for early autumn nectar.

And while I originally planted nasturtium to help with menacing pests in my garden, I fell in love with their lily-pad leaves and delicate yet striking flowers. It was this I couldn’t take my eye off of on this mundane April evening.

I find it ironic, indeed, that while Americans are taking up vegetable gardening at a pace rivaling that of our grandmothers’ Victory Gardens, I -- the functional one -- am making room for more flowers.

Granted, most of those flowers perform double-duty: • Calendula will be made into salve, lotions, and balms • Yarrow will be dried and kept on hand for minor cuts • Lavender will be infused into calming oil for nighttime relaxation • Sunflower seeds will be roasted for a healthy snack • Chamomile will be dried for calming teas • Echinacea will be tinctured for aiding the immune system during cold & flu season But some flowers will exist in my garden solely to provide beauty in the midst of the functional. Though, I doubt I’ll ever become a full-fledged flower grower, I’m embracing the multitude of gifts flowers provide the garden, the body, and the spirit.

In these uncertain times, we could all use a few more flowers to brighten our days. l

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“Miller’s Goat Trail = Monumental” JUNE 2020

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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Story & Photo by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

A JOURNAL of our RURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE

Forbidden I HAD SEEN A FEW SNAKES IN MY EARLY YEARS, but my first real introduction to a serpent came at 6 years of age and was courtesy of my pigeon-toed, gruffvoiced grandfather. Poppy always had a critter under glass (a mason jar) to show me when I got off the school bus at his and Granny’s house. Mostly it was lizards and frogs, sometimes an interesting insect like a cicada, which we called a jar fly. But this time there was a rose-bellied, black-backed legless creature coiled around the jar’s bottom. Poppy nor I knew it at the time, but it was a western worm snake.

Even as Poppy explained that the snake was harmless, a low-humming voltage tickled my spine and tightened my stomach. A distinct and delicious forbiddance was in the jar, literally. Poppy said that Granny was livid about the whole thing, to not talk about this at the dinner table or even mention it when we went inside for the evening. And, come to find out, she had indeed forbidden Poppy to show me the snake. Granny told me years later: “I told him to take that thing back to the woods and kill it, to NOT tell you about.

Oh, I don’t know why he did that. We fought about many a thing, but showin’ you that snake was near the top.”

But damn the woman’s order, Poppy showed me the snake and more. He gently poured the tiny loops onto his farm-thickened fingers, and I watched it slither between his digits, its quick pink tongue tasting humid air. Poppy handled the delicate reptile with a gentleness that surprised me from a man I’d watched gut and clean piles of fish. As he talked about where he found it and how he caught it, the snake settled into his calm, weathered hand looking like the picture of contentment. Then he said it was OK for me to touch it, but to be easy, to be careful. I did.

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

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And my mind was opened.

I can’t be sure about what the old man was thinking by showing his grandson how to identify, catch, respect and enjoy snakes, but I like to imagine he wanted to pass down a sense of wonder and respect for all lives, even the lowliest, mixed with a smidgen of his subversive orneriness. If that was his plan, Poppy succeeded likely beyond his expectations.

Since that time, I’ve been the weirdo snake advocate in any bunch. When folks on a hike run away, I run toward.

Whenever I hear the rattle of a buzzing tail against dry leaves, my pulse quickens with anticipation rather than fear. I didn’t see a need to tell my wife of three months about my ophiophilist tendencies, and she went bonkers watching me chase down a

water snake for the first time. Her stammering near-hyperventilation put me in the awkward situation of having to choose between helping my recently betrothed take a seat on the creek bank before her shaky legs plopped her in the water, and holding on to the snake to admire more of its savage beauty. I’m proud to say I chose wisely. We’re still married 24 years after the incident.

In spite of Poppy’s lessons, I’m not sure why I feel a need to touch snakes.

You can easily appreciate something, especially a reptilian something, from afar.

I don’t know why the feel of serpentine muscles coiling with a quiet certainty around my hand is so intriguing, the cool smoothness of whispering scales so appealing. But through my teenage and

young-adult years, a nonvenomous snake within grasp was often gently captured, examined, admired and then released unharmed—kingsnakes, rat snakes, hognose snakes, garter snakes, ribbon snakes, water snakes, worm snakes, brown snakes, racers, red-bellied snakes, green snakes and probably some I’ve forgotten.

And then I’ve also danced with the devil.

These next few paragraphs feel like they need a disclaimer: I do not in any way condone the catching of venomous snakes by nonexperts. It’s stupid. It’s monumentally stupid. But (you knew there’d be a “but”) that inexplicable need for a tactile connection led me and my younger cousin, a snake-charmer pupil of mine too young to remember our Poppy, to capture and admire an approximately 5-foot timber rattler. I was 37 years old and, supposedly, the most responsible among the cousins. We were an hour away from the nearest town, which was still 15 minutes from a hospital, and would have surely died or been perma-

nently maimed had either of us been bitten.

Sometimes, as I lie in bed not too many years later, the memory of that day comes back, and I shudder at our foolishness. But in the full light of day, I wouldn’t trade the moment.

For anyone else outside of two men old enough to know better on the banks of the Illinois Bayou that afternoon, the rattler was an embodiment of menace, a thing to be feared. But fear was the furthest thing from my mind. There was a knowledge in the narrow, slitted pupils, the broad triangle head, the venom-filled jaws, the muscular tan and brown body accented with coal bands down to a black velvet tail punctuated by bone-colored rattles.

I wanted to know. I had to know. And so I did.

Since that day, I’ve had other close encounters of my choosing with other venomous snakes but have counted coup only once more. It’s not something I’ll ever do again. The urge has dissipated. I rarely cap-

ture even nonvenomous snakes nowadays, preferring to only observe.

But a subtle stirring still slithers through my soul when I encounter the striking new-penny colors of an Ozark copperhead. I still get downright giddy about a cottonmouth cloaked in the swampy hues of death no matter what shade—bronze, brown or midnight—it’s wearing.

While a viper’s camouflaged pattern gliding along the earth represents a near irresistible attraction to me, it takes on a more ominous tone now that I’ve got a granddaughter. She’s a little cotton-top girl who follows Pa around the yard looking for critters under every log and in every rock pile. Though a little apprehensive, I’ll still introduce her to the beast that creepeth. I’ll invite her to admire, to respect and even to touch. And I hope to pass on what Poppy passed on to me. I want her to be wise yet fearless, smart yet brazen. I want her to reach out for knowledge even if it could be dangerous. l

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JUNE 2020

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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COMMUNITY LEADERS

...

Liz

CHRISMAN AGE: 33 OCCUPATION: Director of Photography at

Arkansas Tech University, Photography Editor for ABOUT the River Valley and freelance creative

HOMETOWN: Ozark, Arkansas FAMILY: Most immediate: Partner to

Elizabeth, daughter of Stephanie and Johnny. Elizabeth is the senior graphic designer at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Stephanie is a retired high school english teacher and Johnny is a senior compressor foreman.

My family’s history, referencing back to the March 2018 issue, could be its own novella.

1

What is your favorite book and why?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald, like most great artists, wasn’t fully appreciated until his demise. I love that his works mostly centered around a time period (The Jazz Age) and are brimming with symbolism. His bittersweet relationship with the bourgeois makes for deep, introspective reading. This cornerstone novel, in particular, contains just the right amount of unrequited love, intrigue, materialism, and social dynamics all tied up in a bow to appeal to a wide range of audiences.

2

Photo by LIZ CHRISMAN 40

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

JUNE 2020

Dog or cat? Why?

I can argue with myself all day about this choice. My dog, Dobby, truly should be listed amongst my family at the top. He has the ability to equalize a group of people with his demeanor. I grew up with farm cats as a standard and my best friend through undergrad was a rescued calico. I relate to them in personality — but really, do you ever “own” a cat?

3

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

I’m humbled and uplifted by this area, simultaneously. Daily, I’m reminded to be appreciative for the people that make up this microculture. And the richness of our natural lands? Unmatched in any other part of the United States.

4

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

I’m a pretty open book when it comes to guessing games. However, most people probably wouldn’t guess that I grew up on a cattle farm. Although it’s not what I would choose as an adult, I’m very thankful for the variety of lessons related to hard work that growing up that way taught me.

5

What is your favorite music genre and artist? Why?

Isn’t most people’s answer “everything?” For me, favorite music rotates in seasons and periods of life. Floating on the Buffalo River? Dave Matthews Band.

Home improvement project? 90s easy listening. Hosting a summer backyard party?

80s synth-pop. Mountain biking? Jazz Hits

(try it...matching your movements to the music is rad.)

6

What do you nerd out on?

I’ve been called a “renaissance woman” by some of the people closest to me. I have an urban farm in my backyard, I make bread from scratch (well, most things, if I can.) I can build basic things out of wood, frame an artwork properly, have a house jungle consisting of about 50 plants and love antique bicycles. I really love learning and diving deep into interests.

7

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

Our mindset. Often, as humans we want to “change others’ minds” so they will act differently. We all need to flip the script and remind ourselves that we need to react differently. Listening more and imparting less snap judgements will allow more quality “debate.” However, one thing I wouldn’t change related to that sentiment: how much people care about the future and direction our area is moving in.

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8

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

Long Pool Falls. It’s a hidden gem and away from the high trafficked areas. I always feel like I’ve been transported someplace special when I’m there.

9

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

All of them: if they’re vegetarian and made with fresh ingredients. (yes, vegetarian cheeseburgers and fried “chicken” are real and delicious.)

10

What is your favorite quote?

Could be from an inspirational person, could be an original.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.

This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” -Steve Jobs

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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