50 YEARS OF SERVICE
June 2021 • aboutrvmag.com
Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley
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WONDER WOMAN
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HEAT, MEATS, & TREATS
June is Men’s Health Month, a great time for men to evaluate their current level of wellness and recommit to a healthy lifestyle. Physical activity is one of the best tools you must improve or maintain good physical and mental health. Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight; help reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers; enhance your bone and muscle strength; and help improve your mood and decrease feelings of stress and anxiety. These helpful tips can help keep exercise – for men and women – safe, fun, and pain-free: ❖ CALL UP. Consult your doctor before beginning a new fitness or sports program and commit to regular annual exams. Based on your current health and medical history, your primary care provider can help you decide on the most effective type and duration of physical activity for you and help identify any potential problems before they happen. ❖ TRAIN UP. A trainer can help you set fitness goals and offer guidance on how to use the equipment in the gym. ❖ WARM UP. Stretching, walking, jogging, or starting at a slow pace helps your body ease into heightened physical activity and can go a long way in preventing injuries. ❖ GEAR UP. If you’re participating in a team sport, ensure your safety and the safety of others by always using the proper protective gear – even when practicing – and having a clear understanding of the rules.
❖ FUEL UP. Build up your energy bank with a healthy snack one or two hours before your workout, and drink at least 16 ounces of water in the couple of hours leading up to your workout. And don’t forget to keep drinking water during your activity to replace any lost fluids. ❖ CHANGE IT UP. Combine exercises that target different parts of your body into your routine. It gives your body a fuller workout, eliminates boredom and prevents overstressing any one muscle group. ❖ LISTEN UP. Pay attention! Your body is talking to you. If you experience sharp pain, weakness, or light-headedness, stop. Trying to push through acute pain is a shortcut to serious or chronic injury. ❖ REST UP. Build rest days into your exercise routines to help ward off injury and fatigue.
While it’s true that there’s risk with any type of physical activity, the benefits to your physical and mental health far outweigh the risk, especially when you take the proper precautions to help ensure that your exercise is effective and safe.
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June 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Fifty years of service On June 13, 1971, perhaps the greatest Razorback, Arkansas Tech University — heck, maybe the biggest sports fan in the River Valley region — began work as custodian at the Pope County Courthouse. Now, five decades later, Robyn Richardson’s coworkers and friends celebrate this colorful but soft-spoken gentleman and his unwavering work ethic.
Every day life Wonder Woman Sitting down with Hannah Lomax — an Arkansas Tech University student double majoring in biology (pre-med) and music performance, Army National Guard member, Miss Arkansas contestant, and thoughtful citizen — I learned a great deal about her determination and grit. A pattern became clear: Hannah does not take the easy road anywhere.
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Hearty meats, decadent sweets, and seafood treats Opportunities to eat new-to-you fare can be found all over the River Valley. We discovered three options just this month as prime examples. And we found all three at Elia’s Mexican Grill in Morrilton.
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Sulphur Springs American Pokeweed 10 Things ABOUT: Robert Ford
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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~
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ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVER If you’ve driven by the Pope County Courthouse more than a handful of times, it’s a sure bet that you’ve seen Robyn Richardson —Pope County’s longest tenured employee — doing his job inside and out.
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EDITOR’S LETTER
The fierce feminine One of the great joys of my grandparenting years (so far) is that my eldest granddaughter’s favorite Disney princess is Merida. If you’re not familiar with Merida, she’s the fiery red-headed, strong-willed, bow-shootin’ protagonist in the movie “Brave.” I like the movie because it’s full of bears, castles, dark magic, dark forests, family curses, family squabbles, and family healing. Also, some of our heritage traces back to Scotland. Other than that Celtic appeal and a flimsy cultural identity, there’s another reason I like the movie — I really dig Disney’s portrayal of the independent warrior/princess character. I like warrior/princesses in real life, too. I was raised by them. I married one. I helped raise a couple myself. And my granddaughters are being guided along this path as well. The strong women in my life might not be warriors or princesses in the most literal sense, but they all somehow blend what on the surface seem to be polar-opposite traits. Combined, those qualities form what I term the fierce feminine— embracing the gentler qualities of their gender but not backing down when push comes to shove or when a debt must be paid in blood, sweat, and tears. I recall the dichotomy of my grandmothers hands. Her nails were always of a ladylike length and there was nothing
so gentle in all the universe as her tender touch. But I also watched those hands catch, dispatch, and process many a rooster. And I watched those hands wield a baseball bat when an aggressive dog wandered into her yard as her grandchildren played. I think of my mom who had a tooth knocked out on the basketball court but finished the game and was also Miss Hector High. I think of my wife who helped me move 300-pound hogs when we were farmers but also modeled clothes for northwest Arkansas businesses. I think of my daughters who each brought home venison from the woods, the blood on their own hands, but became the most exquisite flowers for school dances. I watch my granddaughters wandering a small creek with fishing poles in hand while wearing sparkly dresses and know that the apples do not fall far from the maternal tree. In this issue you can see that Disney’s world of make-believe doesn’t hold the monopoly on female role models for my granddaughters to look up to. Our feature story on Russellville native Hannah Lomax is the tale of an Army National Guard member, scholar, innovator, and pageant winner. She’s a real life warrior/princess from right here in the River Valley.
Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley since 2006 A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XVI, Issue 5 – June 2021
DIANNE EDWARDS | founding editor JOHNNY CARROL SAIN | managing editor johnny@aboutrvmag.com LIZ CHRISMAN | photography editor lizchrismanphoto@gmail.com BENITA DREW | advertising benita@aboutrvmag.com KARA JOHNSON | advertising kara@aboutrvmag.com MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS | freelance meredith@aboutrvmag.com SARAH CLOWER | freelance sarah@aboutrvmag.com LYDIA ZIMMERMAN | columnist lydia@aboutrvmag.com CHRIS ZIMMERMAN | layout/design chris@aboutrvmag.com CLIFF THOMAS | illustrator maddsigntist@aboutrvmag.com
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SEPTEMBER Nicole Bonham & Robert (Clay) Redfern (18th)
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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY
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fifty service years of
…and counting
The movie “Billy Jack” dominated the box office, “When You’re
1971
ley region — began work as custodian at the Pope Coun-
Hot, You’re Hot” by Jerry Reed was burning up
ty Courthouse. Now, five decades later, Robyn
the country music charts, and Archie Bunker’s
Richardson’s coworkers and friends celebrate
rants were what most families tuned their televi-
this colorful but soft-spoken gentleman and his
sion antennae to watch. Frank Broyles was only
unwavering work ethic.
the head football hog in Fayetteville and Eddie
This is not a retirement celebration. Make no
Sutton was an unknown in Arkansas at the time.
mistake, Robyn plans to be back on the job after
In Russellville, Wonder Boys football at Arkansas
the sweets are eaten and the kind words have fad-
Tech University brought home an NAIA champi-
ed (Robyn told Pope County Judge Ben Cross that
onship while Golden Suns Basketball was still 20
he plans to work another 20 years… which would
years from dominance.
make him 91 when he does finally retire.). We
On June 13 of that year, perhaps the greatest
captured some of those words from his coworkers
Razorback, Arkansas Tech University — heck,
and friends to paint an accurate portrait of Pope
maybe the biggest sports fan in the River Val-
County’s most well-known employee. ~ JC SAIN
Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN
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I always said he was like my PR man because he never met a stranger. The courthouse means everything to him. No one locks the courthouse but him. He has a lot of people that care about him, and he cares for a lot of people. He is a huge sports fan and would come in on game days dressed in fan gear making people smile. He is a friendly person and a hard worker. There is no other Robyn. ~ JIM GIBSON, former Pope County judge
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He keeps our days going. He is always here to greet us, picking up our mail, and if he is not here, we go looking for him. He is a sweet person that takes his time to know others. When his mother passed away, he gave each one of us one of her Christmas ornaments He is a faithful, kindhearted, person that always makes sure his coworkers are taken care of. ~ DANA BAKER, Pope County Tax Assessor
He is always holding the door open for me. He is a very caring man. He is like the big brother of the courthouse. When I am away from work, he always checks in on me. I love him and it would not be the same without him here. ~ STACY PACK, Pope County Deputy Tax Collector Robyn is dependable, faithful, and reliable. He never misses work. Even on his vacation days he still comes in to make sure everything is running smoothly. ~ MARCUS HUBBARD, Pope County Courthouse maintenance supervisor Robyn Richardson is the epitome of dedicated public servant. June 13, 2021 will mark Robyn’s 50th year of employment at the Pope County Courthouse, working under nine County Judges, and becoming the longest-serving county employee in Pope County history. Robyn’s work ethic and commitment to the staff at the courthouse is amazing. Even when sick with COVID-19 himself, he checked in daily. More than dedication to his job is Robyn’s commitment to his church and his unwavering faith. Forever an optimist, he will always leave you with one consistent statement — “It’s all good.” ~ BEN CROSS, Pope County Judge It amazes me how Robyn can remember all the little details and always is a reassuring presence at the courthouse. From day one and every day after, he never goes without saying “hello” and giving me an update on how the world is going. ~ HAYLI CHRONISTER 10
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Every morning he always opens the door for us and says “good morning” and it always brings a smile to my face. When we get the mail everyday it may be a large or small bundle, but he always looks at it and says, “not bad” and then usually proceeds with the weather, sports, or our common topic is the weather on the beach in Florida. I know this courthouse would not be the same without Robyn here every day. ~ MAEGHAN FLORES One thing I love about Robyn is that he always makes me laugh. Robyn and I get here about the same time every morning, and he always opens the door for me and starts talking about sports or the weather. He doesn’t know I have no idea about sports, but thanks to him I feel like I’m always in the loop and full of knowledge. ~ MADDY STRICKLAND As a person growing up in Russellville and going to football games throughout the River Valley, a man known as “Robyn” was always there. He would be standing behind the goalpost either catching footballs or trying to at least. From a little girl to an adult, it was nice to see this staple of a man there doing his thing. I now have the privilege to see him each day at the courthouse. A man of few words, unless it is about football, weather, or anything else that is most important to him each day. Then many will hear about it. I am truly honored to be able to get to know our Russellville mascot I have loved and adored for as long as I can remember. What a joy you are, Robyn! We love you! ~ ANDREA SIGNOR
I love it when he smiles & giggles! ~ JENNIFER DUVALL JUNE 2021
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He takes care of us in the courthouse. ~ DEBBIE PRICE
We love him here in the office. He loves going to church and is always looking after us, making sure we do not need anything. He is loyal and kind. ~ JENNIFER HALEY, Pope County Tax Collector One thing I like about Robyn is that he is always concerned about everyone’s well-being. And if for some reason you aren’t doing good, he’s always asking for an update on you. ~ CLARA HUBBARD
Robyn is the face of our court house. I cannot tell you how many people call my cell phone and ask how he is doing or when it is his birthday. I love seeing his face in the morning. He will melt your heart like butter. He has a big heart and is always there when you need a smile. He is a huge Razorback fan and is always there to tell me about the games. He really cares about us and the city. ~ RACHEL OERTLING, Pope County Circuit Clerk 12
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We’re going to win tonight. No competition. Nope.” This is something he repeatedly says to everyone he sees during the day when his team is playing that night. And if they do in fact win, you definitely know because that contagious smile is plastered across his face. ~ CHEY REEL
Growing up going to Tech basketball games with my father, I always would see Robyn making sure the court was swept and cleaned up. It was only years later, when I started working at the courthouse, did I ever begin knowing this awesome man. He is so knowledgeable when it comes to all things sports, weather, and news related, always keeping us in the loop about anything new that he learns. He also, personally for me, makes me feel super-special because he never seems to forget things I tell him about events occurring in my life. I recently got married, and it seemed like every time I saw him he was asking how things were going or mentioning little facts I told him about, days, weeks, even months ago. For as many people as he talks to during a day, he still remembers little facts about me particularly. How awesome of a guy is that? So very thankful for Robin and his role in this building as well as in this community. The River Valley definitely wouldn’t be the same without him! ~ COURTNEY CORBIN Robyn is an icon for the Courthouse as well as the county. Everyone knows Robyn and he knows everyone. If not, once they come to the Courthouse they will. He takes a lot of pride
in his job with the county. He has always came in on his days off to make sure the Courthouse doors are open on time and locked up at night. He knows all his coworkers as well as their families. When my kids were in school, he kept up with them in all their sports and activities and how they were doing and would bring me newspaper articles that they were mentioned in. He keeps track of all the local high school, jr. high and Arkansas Tech sports (football, basketball, softball, etc.) as well as other college and pro teams, and can tell you every day who won or lost. Robyn is truly one-in-a-million and one of our most prized employees/citizen of Pope County. ~ PAM ENNIS Pope County Clerk Robin has the biggest heart. He loves his courthouse gals so much. I love his greetings every morning and also how I have acquired the “baby sister” nickname. He makes sure we know the latest info on all the sports teams, local, college, and professional. He is also the weatherman of the courthouse. We know when we need an umbrella or a jacket. He makes sure we are taken care of. ~ ASHLEY N. MORRIS, Pope County Deputy Assessor
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EVE RY DAY L I F E
Parent Appreciation
Story by SARAH CLOWER | Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS
THIS LAST YEAR, more than ever, we watched moms and dads take on more stress and job titles than ever before. As a whole, I don’t think most children understand how much their parents do and sacrifice for them, or even appreciate them as much as they should. So in the season of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I thought I would ask a few kids about what they appreciate most about their moms and dads. When asked if they show appreciation for how much cooking their parents do.. “Yes! I say thank you every time my mom makes me a grilled cheese sandwich! She makes the best ones ever!” - Maci, 5 “Well, I’m not sure if I do or not, but I’ll 14
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try to tell them more.” - Bo, 10 “Well, I should probably show appreciation to the people at McDonald’s then.” - Lilly, 6 “My dad says we need to show more appreciation for my grandma because we go
over there to eat every time my mom burns dinner. Which is A LOT!” - Luke, 9 When asked what their favorite foods are that their parents make for them… “My mommy makes the best ‘sgetti ever!” - Sadie, 3 “My mom makes pozole every Sunday for our entire family to come over and eat, and it’s my favorite day of the week. Everyone loves her soup so much.” Esme, 8 “My mom makes the best stir fry ever and my nana makes the best seven-layer dip you’ve ever put in your mouth.” Hayden, 15
“My dad makes the best macaroni and cheese in the whole world.” - Ruby, 15
the yard when I turn 13, so I’m planning on running away when I’m 12.” - Caleb, 11
When asked if they think they help their parents enough around the house…
When asked if their moms and dads made good teachers when schools were closed last year…
“According to my mom, we do not.” Lilly, 6 “Well my mom cleans our whole house, so I don’t think there’s anything to help with.” - Luke, 9 “Well that’s why my Meme comes over.” - Raff, 11 “I’ll have to check with my mom on that, but when my parents ask me to help with something, I always do.” - Bo, 10 When asked if they have chores to do and if they do them without complaining… “Yes I have chores, but I do complain.” Gracie, 9 “I have to unload the dishwasher every day, and I would really like something less strenuous to do.” - Claire, 10 “Yes! My mom makes me pick up dog poop out of the yard and I think that is child abuse.” - Raff, 11 “My dad says I’ll have to start mowing
“Yes, but she kept saying she should be getting paid for it.” - Gracie, 9
saving for emergencies. But all the stuff is in the garage and my dad gets mad because he can’t park his truck in there anymore.” Claire, 10 “My mom makes us sanitize our hands all the time and gets so mad when my brother picks his nose because he could get corvona.” - Lilly, 6
“I guess so, but everyday she said she couldn’t handle being a teacher and needed more wine.” - Claire, 10
When asked what their favorite thing about their mom and dad is...
“Yes, but she didn’t give us enough recesses.” - Luke, 9
“I love that my mom and dad make family time a really big deal. I love spending time with my family.” - Esme, 8
“My grandparents helped me the most, because my mom couldn’t figure out my math and kept saying that this is why she became a hairdresser and not a teacher.” Raff, 11 When asked what was the biggest change they experienced during the pandemic… “Not being able to see my grandparents as often was really hard.” - Esme, 8 “Having to wear a mask! But my dad said we had to or else everyone would think we were Republicans.” - Bo, 10 “My parents fight over the garage now. My dad says my mom is hoarding stuff, but my mom says she is just couponing and
“Sometimes they let me have friends spend the night on school nights.” - Bo, 10 “My mom and dad both tell me they love me all the time, and how special I am to them. I don’t like it when they kiss me, but I know that I am very lucky I have them.” - Raff, 11 “When I get to ride the yawn mower with daddy and my mommy lets me wear her makeup!” - Sadie, 3 When asked if they thought their moms and dads were doing a good job and maybe needed a vacation… “Yes!” - Unanimous
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JUNE 2021
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Story by SUSAN CHESSER | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN
What do little girls dream of? Some little girls dream of becoming Wonder Woman.
Sitting down with Hannah Lomax — an Arkansas Tech University student double majoring in biology (pre-med) and music performance, Army National Guard member, Miss Arkansas contestant, and thoughtful citizen — at a downtown coffee shop, I learned a great deal about her determination and grit. We talked about her passion and her drive to do so many varied things at an early time in her life. A pattern became clear: Hannah does not take the easy road anywhere. Hannah’s passion and enthusiasm is tempered with balance. As an E4 Specialist, Hannah has performed as an Army Bandsman since the middle of her senior year of high school. Playing the French horn with the Army National Guard 106th helps pay her university tuition and fees. ”My job is to go down to Camp Robinson in Little Rock once a month and drill with the 106th Army Band,” Hannah says. The decision to join the military was an easy one for Hannah. Her father and both grandfathers served. Hannah’s father was a Navy corpsman (enlisted personnel with specialized medical training). Her grandfather on her mother’s side served in the Air Force and her paternal grandfather was as an Army Bandsman. “I always grew up with that idea that this was an option,” Hannah says, “because I looked up to all three of these men so much.” When Hannah visits classrooms to speak, she leaves each child with a toy female soldier as a reminder that girls serve our country, too. She was inspired to do this by the toy soldier given to her by her drill sergeant, as well as young Vivian Lord of Little Rock who wrote a letter to BMC Toys asking them to manufacture Army women figures. >>
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But there’s much more to Hannah than fatigues, French horns, and toy soldiers. Now officially a junior at ATU, Hannah wears the crown of Miss City Lights, a preliminary title that makes her a contender for the crown of Miss Arkansas. “Miss City Lights is a new title they created because the pandemic pushed Miss Arkansas back a year,” Hannah explains. “They still had leftover scholarship dollars and they didn’t want them to go to waste. So my title and a couple of other titles were nicknamed the pandemic queens,” she laughs. Having won the title in February, Hannah will compete in the 2021 Miss Arkansas with 51 other young women. While she has participated in pageants before, Miss City Lights was her first title 18
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in the Miss America pageant system. She did, however, reign as Miss Pope County 2018, which is a part of the State Fair pageant and scholarship system. When asked how she knew she wanted to come back to pageants, her quick response was easy. “It was the friendships and bonds that I made with the other contestants,” Hannah says. “How it’s portrayed on TV and social media sometimes is so far from what it actually is. I still talk with several of the girls that I first met.” Hannah expounded adding that she has a continued friendship with the Miss Pope County, Madison Alexander. Madison, who is now Hannah’s makeup artist, has pursued cosmetology.“She has become my go-to girl,” Hannah says.
While Hannah plays French Horn for the ATU marching and symphonic bands, she performs a piano arrangement, Be Thou My Vision, for her talent competition in the pageants. “I have found as an instrumentalist,” Hannah says, “that it’s really hard to portray skills at such a high level to people who are unfamiliar with it.” Having strong musical talent and the ability to pick up an instrument and learn it quickly, Hannah tried one thing after another in searching for a competitive talent to use in the preliminary competitions. “Nothing I tried fit until I heard this piece played by the composer,” she says. “Now it’s been six, eight months later and I’m still in love it. Musically, it’s a gorgeous piece. It just draws me in. I can feel my soul rest in peace listening to it.
“The other attachment (to the music) is because I was raised in church. I love the organization and the outreach that it does,” Hannah says. “ It’s an amazing thing. Be Thou My Vision is an old hymn that I used to sing while growing up in church. So it ties into my memories of my childhood.” With regard to recent changes in the Miss America pageant system, Hannah says she is behind them. The pageant system only recently has had female leadership. Current CEO Shantel Krebs follows on the heels of Regina Hopper, known for the competition’s swimsuit-less rebranding. “At first it was a shock because this pageant originally started in Atlantic City as a swimsuit competition,” Hannah says. “Over the years it’s changed and evolved to match our society. Personally, I totally agree with them deciding to step away from the swimsuit portion of the competition and dissolve it completely because now with Miss America 2.0, it’s truly more of an intellectual-based competition. The interview is weighted more. They added a new portion called the social impact initiative, which is where we give a short summary on stage in our evening gowns about our social impact, what it is and what we’re doing with it.” Hannah also approves of the changes at the national competition that include a lengthier on-stage interview in their interview attire. “It’s really cool,” Hannah says, “and it’s also just really empowering.” >> JUNE 2021
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Unlike her talent piece, Hannah’s interview topic was not hard to choose. Her platform, Letters of Hope, is personal. “The birth of it was when I was in basic training in the summer of 2019,” Hannah says. “Receiving letters from home while you’re at such an important life moment and a hard thing to do, it is your lifeline. It’s the only contact we have with the outside world. We got four 10-minute phone calls throughout a two-and-half month period. So we really relied on the words from home to keep us going. Hannah says mail call was the highlight of the day at boot camp. “It’s like when you’re five-years old and it’s Christmas morning,” she says. “You cannot wait to go open these presents and see all these wonderful things. I just remember pouring over these words from home. I would stay up late at night using a flashlight to read and write back. That was my lifeline. It was something I really couldn’t have done without. So, it really broke my heart when I would look around and see other individuals I was going through this with, and really leaned on to help each other through it, who wouldn’t receive any support from home. After I got back home, it stuck with me. I never moved on from it.” Similar to her interview topic, Hannah’s social impact initiative is Operation Gratitude. Hannah has become their voice in Arkansas. The organization hosts letter drives and care package drives for our country’s servicemen and women — recent boot camp graduates all the way through veterans, both stationed and abroad. Operation Gratitude serves our nation’s first responders as well. Hannah is preparing to hold a letter drive at Cedarville Elementary in just a few days. Her initiative to bring comfort to those serving was clear. “I’ve kind of put myself as this bridge, Hannah say, “because there is a gap between our society and our military.” While Hannah is an accomplished musician, her ultimate goal is to become a physician. She’s currently pursuing a biology/biomedical degree using scholarship monies from the pageant system. Hannah plans to attend med-school after her undergraduate degree is completed. UAMS and Baylor School of Medicine are her top choices. A doctorate of medicine from either will allow her to work as a family physician. “This is also why I decided to compete in the Miss America pageant system,” Hannah says, “because they are the top scholarship provider for women across the country. It opens so many doors for young women growing up in today’s world.” Hannah says she has always loved the sciences. She is looking forward to classes and particularly chemistry. “I get to take my first organic chem class this fall,” she says with clear anticipation. 20
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Managing two completely different majors has been quite an undertaking. Hannah has been focusing primarily on her music classes thus far. Pursuing degrees means Hannah takes 17 -18 hours per semester along with a full schedule in the summer. But she says that she has completed almost 90 percent of those classes and now she gets to pickup on her other major. She is rewarded scholarships for both music and academic performance. How does Hannah maintain her diverse and intense interests? “The only way an individual can balance so much is if they truly love what they do and if they have a passion for it,” Hannah says. “I do have a passion for all of those things. They all have a very special place in my heart.”
And, like Wonder Woman, who is compassionate, caring, highly competitive and outgoing, Hannah’s encouragement to young women is to be brave. “Never be afraid to push past your own fear,” Hannah says. “Move from your comfort zone. The more you push past your comfort zone, the more comfortable it will be.” Hannah will compete in the Miss Arkansas competition the week of June 13. While I hope she wins, I somehow think either way that she will have already accomplished what she had set out to do — to see where her future takes her. l If you would like to organize a letter drive for our nation’s military, send a message to Hannah at hanelomax@gmail.com.
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COMMUNITY
UACCM approved as AWS Accredited Weld Certification Test Facility The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) formally announced the college’s recent approval as Arkansas’ only American Welding Society (AWS) Accredited Test Facility on Wed., May 12, in the Tyson Training Hall of the UACCM Workforce Training Center. UACCM is recognized as having the requirements for testing facilities, personnel, and equipment to test and qualify welders to the nationally-recognized American Welding Society (AWS) standards and commits to adhering to strict standards for welder testing and quality assurance. This accreditation authorizes UACCM to conduct AWS Welding qualification and certification tests in accordance with AWS codes with AWS issuing the certification. Certifications the welder can obtain through UACCM’s test facility include Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW); Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW); Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW); and FluxCored Arc Welding (FCAW). The ceremony began with a welcome by UACCM chancellor Lisa Willenberg, followed by remarks from UACCM director of workforce development and community education Dr. Jessica Rohlman; certified welding instructor and technical manager Zack Freeman; and Prospect Steel plant manager Steve Belew. Rohlman, who is serving as the AWS testing facility representative/quality assurance manager, 22
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Photo cutline for group photo: (L to R): UACCM director of workforce development Dr. Jessica Rohlman, Rep. Rick Beck, UACCM chancellor Lisa Willenberg, Sen. Jane English, UACCM certified welding instructor/tester Zack Freeman, UA Board Trustee Morril Harriman, and Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart with UACCM spring 2021 welding graduating class.
shared the process of being granted accreditation and approval to bring this quality weld certification-testing facility designation to UACCM. Freeman, the UACCM certified welding instructor/tester, discussed the benefits of this accreditation not only for credit and non-credit students but also for Arkansas and its industries. Individuals in attendance at the event included industry partners from Crow Group, Middleton Heat and Air, Welsco, Prospect Steel, and West Fraser. Local and state officials in attendance included State Rep. Rick Beck, Sen. Jane English, University of Arkansas System Trustee Morril Harriman, Morrilton Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer, Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart and Morrilton Area of Chamber representative Stephanie Lipsmeyer For more information, visit http://www. uaccm.edu/aws/index.html, or contact Dr. Jessica Rohlman at 501-977-2004 or rohlman@uaccm.edu.
River Valley Arts Center to present Beaux Arts Awards RUSSELLVILLE — This year’s Beaux Arts Awards Ceremony will be a little different than in years past. It will be virtual and livestreamed on the center’s Facebook
page at 5 p.m. May 1. Kim Hon, executive director of the River Valley Arts Center, said the change is a result of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We can’t gather in person with a big audience like in the past,” she said. “The event will be held here in the gallery at the Arts Center and available for public viewing on our Facebook page. “This is the first virtual ceremony that we have had in the 40 years we have been in business, and we are glad to be able to continue the [awards ceremony] tradition, even if it is a little different this year,” Hon said. “We are excited to honor the nominees. They are all amazing people with such amazing talent and hearts to match.” Hon said the Beaux Arts Awards are “dedicated to the advancement of all art forms ... to encourage excellence in art and recognize and honor all the many enormously talented area artists and supporters. Recipients may be selected for a body of work or years of continuous service or for an individual extraordinary accomplishment.” Inductees will receive a unique blackware pottery piece, featuring a Spirit Bear emblem, designed and created especially for this honor by retired RVAC Artist-in-Residence Winston Taylor. Taylor’s award was made by the talented new Artist
lived her first 18 years in Akron, Ohio. “I was inspired in high school by an amazing art teacher who introduced us to several forms of art and encouraged us to try new things,” she said. “I actually had some talent and fell in love with art. “I left for [Houghton College] in Upstate New York when I graduated from high school, and my parents left for Russellville at the same time,” She met her husband, the late Bill Wiley, at Houghton College. They moved to Russellville in 1976, and she finished college at Arkansas Tech. “In the ’90s, my husband talked me into going to nursing school,” Wiley said. “it was a great deci-
in Residence Soyoon Ahn. This year’s honorees include Valerie Enchelmayer of Russellville, Lifetime Award; Janet Wiley of Russellville, Patron Award; Lisa Jones of Dover, Visual Art Award; Jason Campbell of Pottsville, Performing Arts Award; and Winston Taylor of Russellville, Service Appreciation Award. Following is a brief look at each honoree. VALERIE ENCHELMAYER, LIFETIME AWARD Enchelmayer has been involved in the arts community for several years. She was a member the RVAC Board of Directors for four years and helped with its summer arts camp as a member of the Russellville Junior Auxiliary. She received a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in elementary education with a minor in music, with emphasis on vocal performance, from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and a Master of Science in Education degree in counseling and psychology from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She has been an adjunct instructor at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and a longtime substitute teacher with the local school district. Enchelmayer has been singing all of her life, but she also took piano for many years while growing up and played trumpet and French horn in middle and junior high school, before switching to only choral music — full chorus, chamber choirs and madrigals. “At the age of 11, I began my foray into the thespian world of musicals,” she said. “Since then, I have been in numerous musicals, stage plays, dinner theaters and one opera while living in Illinois, Alabama and Arkansas.” Enchelmayer has performed in
Valerie Enchelmayer
four musicals in Russellville with the River Valley Arts Center and also donated her services as producer for the three most recent musicals produced by the Arts Center. “I feel both honored and humbled to have been chosen as the recipient of the Lifetime Supporter Beaux Arts Award,” Enchelmayer said. “It touches me deeply in my heart, and I will always believe in, appreciate, participate in and support all the different forms of the arts that the River Valley Arts Center brings to the River Valley.” JANET WILEY, PATRON AWARD Wiley, a retired nurse, said she was shocked when she learned she was a recipient of a Beaux Arts award. “I was thrilled, too,” she said, smiling. “I love this place (the River Valley Arts Center). I am honored to be recognized.” Jones said she
Janet Wiley
sion. I love nursing. “While working as a hospice nurse, I became friends with a very special person, Toni Bachman, [longtime RVAC supporter and board member],” Wiley said. >>
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“She introduced us to the amazing artistic community in Arkansas. “She showed us that Russellville had a thriving art community,” Wiley said. “We became involved with the River Valley Arts Center, enjoying many of the opportunities they offered. We went to plays, concerts, theme-night dinners, pottery demonstrations, galas, tours and art displays. This organization really improved the quality of our lives, and we were so grateful.” After the death of her husband in 2013, a friend of hers encouraged her to try painting. Wiley joined the artists at Lemley HouseArt Guild, a community of local artists who meet weekly and paint together. “I am a strong supporter of the River Valley Arts Center because a small town with such a rich artistic community is blessed to have a center giving them an opportunity to participate in making and displaying art, acting and singing in plays and having hands-on instruction in many forms of art for adults and children,” Wiley said. “I talked to a girl recently who told me that the Arts Center influenced her as a child to
Lisa Jones
pursue art after taking lessons there,” she said. “What a legacy. Who wouldn’t want to support that?” LISA JONES, VISUAL ART AWARD Jones was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She graduated from Ola High 24
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Jason Campbell
School in 1977 and from Arkansas Tech in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in art education, K-12, and a master’s degree in gifted and talented education in 1989. She has taught school for almost 40 years. “This is my 39th year of teaching,” she said, smiling. “I am retiring this year. I taught most of my career in the Pottsville School District.” “I love what I do,” she said. Jones said she has been a crafter for as long as she can remember. “I find crafting relaxing and enjoyable,” she said. “I started taking painting classes at the River Valley Arts Center seven years ago under the instruction of Darlene McNeely. It was in her classes that I found my love for oil painting. The more practice I got, the more I began to see my techniques and the overall quality of my work improve. “I dabble in watercolor, acrylic and Prismacolor pencils,” she said. “However, oil painting is my favorite medium.” Jones said she is honored to be a recipient of the Beaux Arts Award JASON CAMPBELL, PERFORMING ARTS AWARD Campbell said it is a true honor to receive a Beaux Arts Award. He describes himself as a “music singer/songwriter ... Arkansas-born artist who learned to play guitar at the age of 12. “I then took an interest in songwriting and performing live shows all
over the great state of Arkansas,” he said. “I have shared the stage with many great artists along the way and have performed at special events, festivals, fairs, clubs and many other events throughout my musical career. Campbell moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when he was 21. “I signed my first songwriting deal with a major publishing company, which eventually landed me my first two official ‘cuts’ on platinum-selling country artist Sammy Kershaw’s ‘I Want My Money Back’ album,” Campbell said. “I later released my first album, ‘Singletree,’ followed by my second album, ‘Dirt,’ on all major internet outlets.” Campbell’s newest album is “The Voyage,” which is available for streaming and download. He will be releasing a new single soon. “I’ll keep doing what I love to do as long as the people still want to hear my music, and when my time is up, I hope they remember my songs,” Campbell said. WINSTON TAYLOR, SERVICE APPRECIATION AWARD Taylor, a potter and artist in the Arkansas River Valley area, was the Artist in Residence at the River Valley Arts Center where he taught pottery and did demonstrations for more than 30 years and has created pottery for more than 48 years. “I feel responsible now to continue to share as much knowledge as I can with the com-
Winston Taylor
munity,” he said. “I am honored and thankful for this award,” Taylor said. “I really appreciate it. This community has been good to me. “I am still making pottery,” Taylor said, smiling. “This past year has been hard on the arts community, but for me, I’ve stayed fairly busy. The work comes to me, and I love doing commission work.” Taylor is a 1967 graduate of Hall High School in Little Rock. He was called to active duty in 1968-69 during the USS Pueblo crisis when North Korea captured the U.S. Navy ship in the Sea of Japan. He enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1972 to study art, graduating in 1987 with a degree in art with an emphasis in ceramics. In the early years of his career, he also taught in a grant-funded program called Kids at Art, going into the local elementary schools to teach a multimedia art series to students in fourth and fifth grades. “I did that for 13 years,” he said. “When the elementary schools were mandated to hire art teachers full time, Kids at Art was no longer needed.” Among his accomplishments at the River Valley Arts Center was the design and building of a water garden as a memorial to seven Russellville residents, including RVAC board president Gordon McLerran and his wife, Joyce, who were killed in an airline crash in Little Rock in 1999. He was named the 2011 Arkansas Living Treasure by the Arkansas Arts Council. He was chosen as the Beaux Arts Academy Outstanding Visual Artist in 2012 and received an Arkansas Arts Award for Art Education in 1993.
you can register for the newsletter on our website as well.”
Summer Fun Starts with Blood Donation Arkansas Blood Institute is kickstarting summer fun for local donors with a boat and grill giveaway, a promotion aimed at bolstering lagging donations during a time when donations are typically low. Donors who give blood in May will be entered for a chance to win a brand-new
Ranger RT178 bass boat. In addition, one lucky donor each week will win a brandnew Traeger grill. Also, we have a special “Back in the Game” shirt for those who donate and would like to show their badge of honor because they have had the COVID-19 vaccination. “Summer traditionally challenges our ability to collect blood products, as many are vacationing and outside of their normal routines,” said Dr. John Armitage, president and CEO of Arkansas Blood Institute. >>
“Our Beaux Arts Awards are virtual this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t attend,” says Hon. Our facebook page at www.facebook.com/Rivervalleyartscenter will stream the ceremony live for everyone who wants to support our recipients.” “We also have a fund set up on our website where people can sponsor the nominees and support the Arts Center. The website address is www.rivervalleyartscenter.org. There is also information on classes and upcoming events on there for everyone to see.” “We send out a newsletter at least once monthly with upcoming events, and JUNE 2021
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“We’re excited to add this promotion to reward those who make their summer a lifesaving one by donating blood for those in need.” Donations remain at lower-than-desired levels, which challenges Arkansas Blood Institute’s ability to maintain a strong and healthy blood supply. Arkansas Blood Institute is the local, non-profit blood supplier, supporting the inventory for patients in more than 40 hospitals, medical facilities and air ambulances statewide. Donors who give during this promotion will also receive their choice of tickets to summer partners: one ticket to Science Museum Oklahoma, one ticket to Frontier City or two tickets to Safari Joe’s H2O Water Park. Blood donation takes about an hour and can save the lives of up to three local patients. Donors can make their appointment to give at arkbi.org or by calling 877-3408777.
Fiorello Tapped as Next Vice President for Administration and Finance Arkansas Tech University has selected Laury Fiorello as its next vice president for administration and finance following a national search. Fiorello, will begin her new post on June 1 and will serve as the chief financial officer for Arkansas Tech with primary responsibility for all financial-related activities of the university. As the Vice President for Administration and Finance, her areas of oversight will include accounting, financial control, pro-
Laury Fiorello
curement, facilities management, human resources, student accounts, budgets, payroll, construction, bookstore, food services and affirmative action. She currently serves as the ATU budget and financial reporting director and chief fiscal officer for the ATU-Ozark Campus. She has served as ATU-Ozark chief fiscal officer since 2016. Prior to joining Arkansas Tech University, she worked for nearly nine years as the assistant director of finance for the City of North Richland Hills. From 1995-2007 she was the comptroller for the City of Hot Springs. “Through the interview process, Ms. Fiorello exhibited the level of expertise and commitment needed to lead the financial operations of Arkansas Tech University,” said Dr. Robin E. Bowen, president of Arkansas Tech. “Ms. Fiorello served on
the committee that worked to develop the new five-year budget model, and we will benefit from her knowledge of that model and her institutional knowledge as we implement it in the coming months.” Fiorello holds a bachelor’s degree in business from John Brown University, and she earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Arkansas Tech University. Additionally, she holds the Certified Governmental Finance Manager credential from the Association of Government Accountants. Fiorello will succeed Walt Branson, who served in the position on an interim basis for the 2020-2021 academic year. “We are thankful for Mr. Branson’s leadership during the past year,” said Bowen. “He worked tirelessly to help us through our restructuring process that will allow ATU to focus on our mission of student access for years to come.”
Shipp voted ATU professor of the year Krystal Shipp’s teaching career reached a crossroads when her family moved from Monticello to Russellville in 2019. She could have remained on the path she had been on and loved for more than a decade, which was teaching elementary school. Then there was the opportunity to accept a new challenge by joining the faculty at Arkansas Tech University and helping the next generation of educators begin their teaching journey. “It was heavy on my heart,” said Shipp while reflecting on her decision. “I prayed about it and trusted that God wanted me
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to make a bigger impact in education by teaching our future teachers.” She chose the less familiar path, and now Arkansas Tech students have registered their opinion about her decision by electing Shipp 2021 ATU professor of the year. “I left the public school, elementary classroom 2.5 years ago totally not knowing if I made the right choice,” said Shipp. “It was such a tough decision because elementary teaching was all I knew and loved. There are still days that I miss teaching elementary kiddos, but this is confirmation that I am making a bigger impact in teaching, curriculum and instruction...just in a different way.” Shipp, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Arkansas and a Master of Education degree from Arkansas Tech, became a student of higher education when she took on her new role as instructor of curriculum and instruction. She adopted methods such as evaluating her teaching based upon her students’ performance on assessments and seeking guidance from senior faculty members to improve her instructional methods. In addition, she has found the skills in preparation and organization she honed as an elementary teacher have been transferable to her new role. “I use a lot of hands-on materials within my classroom,” said Shipp. “Students enjoy coming to my class because of the hands-on learning. The biggest part of preparing to be a future teacher is understanding real-life examples. I focus on providing experiences that will help future teachers.” Another skill that Shipp has found applica-
ble regardless of the age of her students has been investing in them as people. “I make it a personal goal to get to know all of my students by name and try to find out their interests,” said Shipp. “I enjoy being their instructor, but also someone they can come and talk to about anything going on in their life.” Shipp’s learning curve as a new college instructor was complicated in March 2020 when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic arrived in Arkansas and classes
Krystal Shipp
shifted to a virtual format. She recalls there were struggles at first, but as she made the investment of time necessary to learn new technologies she regained her footing. She knew she had turned a corner in her transition to online instruction when she received a piece of positive feedback.
“One student in my class sent me a letter that said, ‘in my short time of being in your class, you have inspired me in so many ways,’” said Shipp. “I was so thankful she sent me this letter because in a time of a pandemic my goal was always to impact my students in a positive way. So even though we were miles apart, I felt like we still had a great semester together.” Through a career change, a pandemic and everything else, Shipp has learned there is at least one constant: for her, students come first. “My number one goal is to let my students know that I support them and that I am here for them,” said Shipp. “I love teaching at Arkansas Tech University. I take my job very seriously. It takes true grit to work at Arkansas Tech University. To me, grit is effort, passion, growth and determination. No matter what is going on, I make sure when I walk onto the Arkansas Tech campus I put a smile on my face and create a positive environment wherever I go. “I am beyond blessed for my job at ATU,” continued Shipp. “Thank you to Dr. Linda Bean (dean of the ATU College of Education) and the other administrators for hiring me and believing in me. I love making a positive impact on my students. My favorite quote is, ‘the influence of a great teacher can never be erased.’ I share this quote with my students each semester. I will always love the littles, but my passion has changed and now my heart is with the college-age student. I absolutely love ATU. I work with such amazing co-workers and students. I am humbled to say the least.” l
Providing support, when and where you need it most. ASI is prepared to provide you with remote computer support and service, both at your place of business or in your home. We are also equipped with a contact-free lockbox for dropoffs of pickups at our office.
Call us today to see how we can support you. 220 E. 4th St., Russellville
479.880.2005 JUNE 2021
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ELIA’S MEXICAN GRILL 1700 UNIVERSITY BLVD, MORRILTON, AR
Hearty meats, decadent sweets, and seafood treats Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN
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OPPORTUNITIES TO EAT NEW-TOYOU FARE CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE RIVER VALLEY. We discovered three options just this month as prime examples. And we found all three at Elia’s Mexican Grill in Morrilton. First on the list is molcajete. It’s huge and it’s hot (the bowl is traditionally fashioned from volcanic rock) and at Elia’s it’s filled with grilled steak, grilled chicken, choriza, shrimp, peppers, onions, tomatoes, nopales (cactus), topped with red sauce and shredded cheese. You’re supposed to eat it in a tortilla, but, really, there’s no wrong way to eat it and a spoon will do quite nicely all on its own.
Then there’s chocolate nachos, which are a little different than you might think based on the name, but definitely just as hedonistic as you’d imagine. It’s three scoops of ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry) whipped cream and chocolate sauce all served on a bed of thin, cinnamon-dusted churros. You’ll need a partner (or maybe two) to finish it off. And finally, the ceviche. It’s just chopped shrimp, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro all “cooked” in lime juice (yes, citrus juice can “cook” foods), but this humble and heavenly combination is simply a “must eat.” And, far as we know, Elia’s is the only place to get it for miles around. l
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CO U N T E RTO P C R E AT I O N S
Give it a try and here is why... Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN
Q
uinoa is one of the world’s most popular health foods. It’s gluten-free, high in protein, and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids. It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants. So in the name of good nutrition and good taste, I’ve created and collected some recipes containing quinoa for you to try in your kitchen. As always, enjoy!
QC Oatmeal Cookies
QC OATMEAL COOKIES ABOUT Magazine Featured Recipe ~ JUNE 2021
1/2 c coconut oil, softened 1 egg 1 c brown sugar, packed 1 c apple sauce 1 2/3 c almond flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ginger 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
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2 c quinoa, cooked 1 1/2 c oatmeal 1/2 c chopped pecans, toasted 1 c dried cranberries 1 c white baking chips
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl beat together coconut oil, egg, and brown sugar. Add apple sauce, almond flour, salt, ginger and cinnamon; mix well. Add to the bowl, the cooked quinoa, oatmeal, toasted pecans, cranberries and white baking chips. Stir until mixed well. Place on parchment lined baking sheet by the tablespoon full. Bakes for 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to complete cooling.
CORN QUINOA BAKED FRITTERS 1 c corn meal 1/2 c all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder, to taste 4 T butter, melted and cooled 1/2 c buttermilk 1 egg 2 tsp Chicken flavored Better Than Bullion 1 c quinoa, cooked 1 can of Fire Roasted Rotel, partially drained 1 c whole kernel corn, cooked and drained 1/2 lb ground sausage, cooked (I used Italian sausage) 1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the cups of a muffin tin and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, place corn meal and sift in the flour. Add baking powder and garlic powder to the bowl and stir well. Add the melted butter, buttermilk, egg and Better than Bullion to the dry mixture and stir until well mixed. Add the 5 remaining ingredients and stir until mixed well. Fill the muffin tin cups 3/4 full and bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until when a toothpick is inserted it comes out clean. Serve warm.
Corn Quinoa Baked Fritters
QUINOA BREAKFAST CAKES 1 medium sweet onion, diced 1 1/2 to 2 c portobello (1 1/2 to 2 caps) or cremini mushrooms, diced very small or minced 1 c baby spinach, chopped 2 c cooked quinoa 1 1/2 baking potatoes, skins removed, chopped, boiled, and mashed (or use 3/4 c leftover mashed potatoes) 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/4 c Parmigiano Reggiano 5 - 10 leaves basil, chopped finely 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper Heat a medium or large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is warm, add extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the onion and saute it starts to brown and
soften. Add the mushrooms and spinach, and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the mushrooms are tender and the spinach is bright. Transfer the onions, mushrooms, and spinach to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and stir to evenly distribute. Form into patties (this recipe will make about 12, give or take). Make sure the patties aren’t too thick, or else the egg won’t cook through (1/2” - ¾” thick should be great). Wipe out the skillet, and re-heat over medium-high heat. When warm, spray with olive oil and place 4 patties in the pan. After about 5 minutes, check the bottom of one of the patties. If it is browning, flip it, and repeat with the others in the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes. Continue with this process until you have cooked the entire batch. Recipe courtesy of myutensilcrock.com
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ORANGE-PISTACHIO QUINOA SALAD 1-1/3 c water 2/3 c quinoa, rinsed 2 c chopped romaine lettuce 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges, drained 1 medium cucumber, halved and sliced 1 c shelled pistachios, toasted 1/2 c finely chopped red onion 1 medium navel orange 2 T olive oil 1/2 tsp salt Pinch pepper In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 12-14 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Cool. In a large bowl, combine romaine, beans, mandarin oranges, cucumber, pistachios, onion and cooled quinoa. In a small bowl, finely grate zest from orange. Cut orange crosswise in half; squeeze juice from orange and add to zest. Whisk in oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat. Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN QUINOA BOWLS Lemon Oregano Chicken 1 1/2 lbs Chicken Breast Tenders (sub boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips) Juice from 2 Lemons 1/4 c Olive Oil 1 T Olive Oil
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2 tsp Dried Oregano 1 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Tzatziki 1/4 c Grated Cucumber (use the small holes of a box grater for this) 1 c Plain Greek Yogurt 1 clove Garlic, diced 1 tsp Lemon Juice To Finish the Bowls 1 c Quinoa 2 c Stock (chicken or vegetable) 1/2 tsp Salt 8 oz Cucumbers, chopped 8 oz Tomatoes, chopped (I like to use halved cherry or grape tomatoes) 2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar Fresh Dill, chopped (optional) Hummus, for serving (optional) Pita bread for serving, optional Marinate Chicken - Combine chicken with lemon juice, ¼ c oil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Make Tzatziki - Grate the cucumber onto a paper towel and then squeeze gently to remove as much moisture as possible from the cucumbers. Whisk together cucumber, yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt. Make cucumber, tomato salad - Combine chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and red wine vinegar.
Season with a pinch of salt. Add some fresh dill, if you’d like. Make Quinoa - Combine quinoa, stock, and salt in a saucepan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. When liquid is boiling, lower heat to low-medium and cover. Cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. When quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork. Assemble Bowls - Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade). Heat a skillet with 1 T oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add chicken and sear on both sides until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total. Set out all of the ingredients for the bowls - chicken, tzatziki, cucumber-tomato salad, quinoa, and hummus. Assemble the bowls however you’d like at the table! Recipe courtesy of inquiringchef.com SOUTHWEST QUINOA SALAD 1 c quinoa uncooked 2 c water 1 large red bell pepper 1/2 c scallions, chopped 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed 4 roma tomatoes 1/4 c olive oil 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder juice from 1 lime
Rinse quinoa in a sieve until water runs clear. Combine quinoa and water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to boil. Once boiling, simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. Set aside to cool. Dice the tomatoes, scallions and red bell peppers. Add the diced tomatoes, scallions and peppers to the cooked and cooled quinoa. Add the drained and rinsed black beans. In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and lime juice. Mix well. Pour over quinoa mixture. Mix until salad is evenly coated. Recipe courtesy of pinchofwellness.com BUFFALO CHICKEN QUINOA SKILLET 1 1/2 c white quinoa, uncooked 2 T canola oil 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1 can (10 oz) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained 1 c chopped celery 1/3 c buffalo wing sauce or cayenne pepper sauce 1/3 c Wish-Bone® Light Chunky Blue Cheese Salad Dressing Cook quinoa according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with garlic salt. Cook chicken 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer pink. Add undrained Rotel and celery; cook
2 to 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add buffalo wing sauce; stir to combine. Add cooked quinoa to chicken mixture; stir to combine. Top each serving with blue cheese dressing. Recipe courtesy of readyseteat.com QUINOA POWER BREAKFAST BOWLS 1/2 c quinoa uncooked 1 1/4 c unsweetened Almond Milk 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 T maple syrup 1 T almond butter For toppings 1 banana 1/4 c sliced almonds 1/4 c coconut flakes Add quinoa and Almond Breeze into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s creamy and the quinoa is cooked. Stir in almond butter, cinnamon and maple syrup. Transfer to two bowls and top with sliced banana, sliced almonds and coconut flakes. Recipe courtesy of simplyquinoa.com
For the crumble topping: 1 c almond flour 1/2 c cooked quinoa 1/4 c old-fashioned oats 1/4 c brown sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 c coconut oil Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a pie pan or 8x8in baking dish with cooking spray or coconut oil. In a large bowl, combine blueberries, peaches, cornstarch and brown sugar. Pour berry mixture into prepared pan. In another large bowl, stir together almond flour, cooked quinoa, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon until well combined. Add coconut oil and using your fingers, mix together until the mixture is moist and crumbly. Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over berry mixture. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Recipe courtesy of hummusapien.com
BLUEBERRY PEACH QUINOA CRUMBLE For the berry mixture: 2 1/2 c blueberries 4 medium peaches, pitted and slices 2 T cornstarch 2 T brown sugar
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THE SEED & THE STORY
Sulphur Springs
I
’m on a mission to learn everything I can about sulphur wells. Yes, sulphur water stains your sinks, corrodes your pipes, tastes bad, and smells even worse. But there’s more to the story. Less than a mile from my house there was once a small community called Sulphur Springs. In the early to mid 1800s the area was home to a medicinal resort known for its healing, sulphur waters.
The first advertisements were published in the May 1, 1841 issue of the Arkansas Gazette, in which proprietor V. T. Rogers stated, “The resort has opened for the season for entertainment for those in search of health and pleasure.” A similar advertisement ran in 1851. The new manager, John R. Harris, claimed that the springs were all under one roof and included “both black and white sulphur
• Apartments
water, cool and pleasant to the taste.” He claimed that this“one of the best, cheapest and most picturesque watering places in the known world. Ample accommodations will be found for I have made arrangements for all.” People came from as far away as Massachusetts and New York to take advantage of the waters. They’d come by rail or boat to Dardanelle and then travel
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by horseback along the dirt roads to the small community. The springs and hotel went through several owners but eventually closed for the last time in the 1920s. While the tourist attraction ended, people continued to live and log in the area. Some years later, a man named Bonaparte Rutledge ran a store in Sulphur Springs, which served both communities in the valley. My own grandparents were married outside of his store. Today you can drive down the narrow dirt road and the only evidence is a small wooden sign for the Sulphur Springs Cemetery. That, and the sulphur wells. Healing springs were all the rage in settler societies in the1800s. Small-part healing qualities and huge-part quackery combined and led to these little resorts popping up all over the place. Some still exist as growing communities (think both Eureka and Hot Springs). If you’re interested in Arkansas history, be sure and read all about these on the Arkansas Encyclopedia.
But that fascinating history aside, certainly sulphur has some useful properties. It can also apparently give you diarrhea. Regardless, I’m on a quest to try to understand more about the water itself. What are its real nutritional benefits? What creates a sulphur spring in the first place? Did the Osage use the springs? If you water your crops with it, do your okra and muscadines approve? How far down does the sulphur actually go? I’ve researched and written about the cultural history of this community. But now I want to know more about the actual water. And, honestly, I’m not even sure where to start. I’d love to hear your recommendations on things to read, people to talk to, rabbits holes to jump down. Water is everything, after all. So what is sulphur water? For more info on Sulphur Springs, go to my research done at encyclopediaofarkansas.net and read about Sulphur Springs in Yell Count. l
F RIDAYS AT 8:30 PM D EPOT P ARK S TAGE F REE M OVIES
J UNE 11 TH
J ULY 16 TH
A UG 20 TH
S EP 24 TH
O CT 22 ND
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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
An array of blades: The basics of cutting tools WITH THE TRUCK UNLOADED AFTER A WEEKEND CAMPING TRIP, I decided to pilfer through storage spaces in the Tacoma and maybe pare down my daily supplies. Taking inventory led to a couple of determinations: 1) I felt comfortable with the assortment of “might need it” items stowed away. 2) Among that 36
ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~
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assortment was a lot of sharp, pointy things. Tucked away throughout the Toyota were various knives and cutting tools — eight in total. I knew they were there but hadn’t really thought about just how many were there. And none were among the equipment packed specifically for this camping trip. The tools always rode in my truck. There
were three knives (two folding blade and one fixed blade) in the console storage. Two saws (a small, folding hand saw and larger bow saw) were behind the back seat along with a hatchet. A chopper/machete type tool was tucked into the deep pocket behind the front passenger seat, and a full-size ax was hidden underneath the back seat. I also had a small multitool and my faithful Old Timer pocket knife in my right front pocket where they always reside. That’s a bristling array of blades crammed into one little daily driver truck.
While a pocketknife might be all you need around town, the tools that ride in my truck were chosen because I’m in the woods a lot and like to be prepared. As I placed the blades and saws back into their spaces, I recalled the times I was so thankful that I had them. Multitool/pocketknife I’ll likely leave home without my britches before I leave without a pocketknife. But in case I forget the knife, there are always two more folding knives in my truck. My feelings about a pocketknife are analogous to how I feel about four-wheel-drive capabilities in my vehicle: I may not need it often, but I may need it in a bad way when I do. While a pocket knife hasn’t saved my life (yet), I can’t count the number of times it’s come in handy. There’s the basic opening containers to slicing potatoes for the camp skillet to cutting cord. I even used my Old Timer as a screwdriver — which is never recommended — until I got the multitool. Now, since the multitool has everything (because it’s a multitool), the Old Timer seems superfluous. But the nostalgic form and feel will likely keep it in my pocket for years to come. Also, it’s better for skinning squirrels. And who knows when or where that opportunity might pop up? Fixed blade knives I use fixed blades only for processing larger game. They’re easier to clean without all the nooks and crannies of a folding blade. If you’re performing a knife task
that requires a bit more force, fixed blades also eliminate the potentially weak link of a folding system. In a pinch, you can use a fixed blade knife for applications better suited to a heavier tool. My field dressing knife stays in my hunting pack, and the one in my truck is a backup, so, actually, I did not use this knife at any time over the last 12 months. But it’s going to stay in my truck anyway. Hatchet/ax and folding saw/bow saw These four tools serve one primary purpose — processing wood. But within that purpose are numerous nuanced possibilities. The hatchet and ax are quick tools. If you need to limb a log or chop some kindling, you can do it fast. The hatchet and ax are also power tools, as in, they require a lot of power — from you — to get the job done. The sum of energy is dependent on the velocity of that hatchet/ax head, and your body will be generating said velocity. The saws are more methodical, but less tiresome. You still have to work, but saws seem to be a more measured use of calories. Because of their required slower, more controlled pace, saws are also safer. Personally, I’ve used the hatchet and ax more than the saws, but I recall a fallen sycamore blocking a lonely two-track road one afternoon when all I had was the ax… which promptly wore my ass smooth out. And after that day, the bow saw has always ridden in my truck. Chopper/machete This is a hybrid tool. Mine is a Camil-
lus Carnivore X I picked up at Walmart on impulse because it was cheap. It’s a hefty 12-inch blade with a saw on the blade spine and a gut hook/wire cutter slot near the tip. It can also be used as a digging tool. It’s not really a machete at all; it’s just a big knife with some additions. Actually, it looks gimmicky, and my cheesy taste may have been the real reason I bought it. But despite its pretentious appearance, the damn thing works and works well. It’s mostly replaced the hatchet and, though, its saw isn’t the best design, I can deal with it. The Carnivore X also has a surprisingly keen touch. The blade came near shaving sharp from the factory and holds an edge well. With this tool, I can hack through a thicket, cut and saw camp firewood, split the wood, and even shave some fuzz sticks for tinder. Where to get outfitted You can spend as little or as much as you want on blades. Often, the old mantra of “you get what you pay for” rings true. Any retailer that sells outdoor equipment sells blades or you can scour the interweb for the best of the best and order direct from a manufacturer. But I’ve picked up quality tools secondhand, or even further down the line, at flea markets and garage sales for a song. And when I look at them now, I think about their collected lore. I wonder how many campfires they’ve fueled, how many squirrels they’ve skinned, and how many miles they may have ridden in someone else’s truck. l
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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY
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COMMUNITY LEADERS
...
ROBERT FORD
AGE: 57 HOMETOWN & I was born, raised, and YEARS IN THE educated in Russellville. In RIVER VALLEY: 1987 I moved to St. Louis for
a job in the international travel industry and was fortunate to visit 80 countries. I returned to the River Valley in 2001 to be closer to family. OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur I guess you’d say. My partner and I recently sold Quiznos after 18 very rewarding years. I’m now returning to real estate after a 35-year hiatus. FAMILY: My parents live here in Russellville. I have one sister in Little Rock, one in Dallas, and a brother in NYC. I have seven brilliant nieces and nephews, and one absolutely perfect great niece!
1.What is your favorite book? This always surprises people, but it’s The Stand by Stephen King. I read it in college, and it was the first book that made me think about what extreme polarization of a population might look like. It was a horrifying concept. My mind always goes back to that book when I see how divided our nation has become. A pandemic serves as the backdrop to the story, which was also pretty scary to imagine.
2. Dog or cat? Both actually, but if I had to choose one, definitely dog. I love my “human pack,” and I’m intensely devoted to and protective of my peeps. When I look into a dog’s eyes I see the same. Photo by LIZ CHRISMAN 38
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3.What do you think is the most positive aspect of living in the River Valley? The slow pace and the natural beauty. I try to soak in every view and savor each vista like it’s a delicious steak.
4.What’s something no one would ever guess about you? I’m an introvert. I love people and get great joy from engaging with and serving people. But, man… I have to have time alone to recharge. Being onstage terrifies me, but still, I perform in The Nutcracker every two years. The five minutes before each show are agonizing. The time on stage is exhilarating. And the moment I step into the wings is a monumental relief. I guess you could say I’m an introvert determined to occasionally live as an extrovert.
5. What is your favorite music genre and artist? My favorite genre is classic rock because I’m all about some nostalgia. I have Boston playing in my jeep a lot and you
might catch me playing air drums on my dashboard if you pass me on the road. But my all time favorite group is Earth Wind and Fire. They are their own unique genre, and they transport me to the happiest of happy places.
Mt. Nebo. It’s the one place we take every visiting friend every time they visit. The views are wonderful, and it just feels like a different era up there. I always say the temperature and my stress level drop 10 degrees on the drive up.
6. What do you nerd out on?
9. Pizza, tacos, cheeseburger, or fried chicken? I love literally ALL food categories, but
Anything related to Planet of the Apes instantly brings out my inner 13-year-old nerd. I’ve seen every movie, every TV episode, and every cartoon from the franchise. I even have framed Planet of the Apes lobby cards in my bathroom.
7. If you could change one thing about the River Valley, what would it be? I wish there were more employment opportunities for young adults. There are so many great things about the area, but every year we see bright young graduates move away for better-paying jobs.
I could eat tacos every day of my life. The way they feel in my hand, the taste, the smell, the sound, the mood they create — perfection! Senior Bob’s Tacos was the first ethnic restaurant I remember from my childhood. I think that’s where it started.
10. What is your favorite quote? “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” I wish people would say this each morning before leaving their house.
8. Where is the one location in the River Valley you would tell a first-time visitor that they must go?
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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY
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Achieving Excellence
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