ABOUT | September 2019

SLOW SMOKED

September 2019 • www.aboutrvmag.com

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley

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HUMBLE HOUSE

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COMMUNITY MARKET

September 2019 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

8 Slow Smoked Success

The trees lining State Highway 64 in Russellville fairly vibrate with the summer buzzing of cicadas. Their song is slow, purposeful, timeless.

Not far off the highway, Grant Hall and Robert Couser, owners of Ridgewood Brothers Barbecue, tend the fire in a smoker longer than a pickup truck.

14 Have squirrel, will travel

16 Living and Dying

As one of the few houses of any substance in Russellville, I was a regular hub of activity during the decade before the Civil War. Family and neighbors came by to talk about local goingson and to introduce new arrivals; in particular if they were from the Carolinas or belonging to the Presbyterian Church. .

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22 Russellville Community Market

Once upon a time, people knew where every bite of their food came from. If they didn’t grow it themselves, they knew who did.

24 Doin’ the Java Jive 34 The best-kept secret garden 36 Rebuilding the soil 38 10 things ABOUT...

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

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ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVER The meat’s been laced with a subtle hint of smoke from cooking low and slow overnight; the outside cooked until a crisp layer of bark forms. Piled and squeezed between a potato bun and doused with your choice of original or spicy homemade barbecue sauce, this is a pulled pork sandwich fit for royalty. “The Ridgewood Brothers” are truly reviving the traditional view of barbecue in the River Valley.”

Drs. Bruce Brown, Owen Kelly, and Jeff Cartwright

EDITOR’S LETTER

A delicious building block of community Nobody really knows how and when we started cooking. But somewhere back in our murky past, meat found its way to fire after the kill.

And it was good.

Taste was the reason back then, and a good reason at that. The sense of taste tells an animal what to eat. If something tastes good a creature will eat more of it. This was before junk food threw our perceptions out of whack by going overboard on the tastes we crave. So it only makes sense that taste was the original goal for cooking, and our taste buds were right.

Cooked meat is better for us.

Cooking unravels proteins and loosens muscle fiber in meat, which makes for easier chewing and digestion.

Cooking was also the origin for a couple of other distinctly human constructs — community and culture — that pretty much led to who and what we are today. There is no way to untangle cooking and food from our social network and our development as a species.

We are what we eat. We are what we have eaten. We are how we prepared and ate it. We are who we shared it with.

This month’s cover story is about food and community and culture in the form of Main Street Russellville’s Taste of the Valley winner in two categories — People’s

Choice and Local Flavor — Ridgewood Brothers Barbecue. Grant and Robert are just a couple of Russellville hometown boys who have found the key to our primal, carnivorous hearts. It’s in the shape of brisket, spare ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, turkey, sausage and some glorious side dishes.

But, as the article will explain, there’s far more to it than hunks of smoked meat.

There’s an intimate relationship with the elementals of fire and air. There’s a reverent attitude toward the oak, the cow, and the pig. And there’s an understanding that delicious food is one of the best building blocks of community.

These aren’t new ideas or even old secrets. They’re simply part of who we are, a memory embedded in all of us that Robert and Grant want to coax out.

They coax with the sweet and succulent scent of cooked meat, the smoky promise of warmth (which we often find appealing even in summer) and the subtle message of a gathering that we’re all in this together.

Their business is about the food, yes, neither Robert nor Grant will tell you differently. But it’s also about who we are, here, in the River Valley community.

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley since 2006 A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XIV, Issue 8 – September 2019

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

ABOUT… the River Valley is locally owned and published for distribution by direct mail and targeted delivery to those interested in the Arkansas River Valley.

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 2019 1st

— Marsh Mystery at Lake Dardanelle State Park from 7- 8 p.m. Meet at the Lakeview Room. As the Arkansas River journeys through Join a park interpreter in the visitor center Lakeview room and help her solve a marsh mystery.

Discover how you can help protect our natural areas. For more info, contact 479967-5516.

6th — Downtown Art Walk in downtown Russellville from 6-9 p.m. For more info contact 479-967-1437.

7th

— YCC Reunion at Mt. Magazine State Park. Admission is free. During the 1970s, a federal work program called the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) offered teenagers on-the-job training in National Forests. Crews built trails and enhanced scenic overlooks on Mount Magazine.

Lifelong skills, friendships, and memories were developed. YCC projects have endured the passage of time, are found in several areas of Mount Magazine State Park, and are important to the park’s heritage. YCC veterans who served in Arkansas in the 1970s are invited to attend this 40ish anniversary. Reconnect with people that made a difference in your life. For more info, contact 479-963-8502.

Find up-to-date information and future events @

www.aboutrvmag.com/events

8th — River Valley Arts Center Gallery Opening Kelly Lillie from 1-3 p.m. at the River Valley Arts Center1001 East B Street Russellville. For more info, contact 479968-2452 or visit rvartscenter@gmail.com.

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10th-14th — Pope County Fair at the

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Pope County Fairgrounds 500-598 S Knoxville Ave Russellville. General Admission: $5, Armbands $20 Tuesday-Thursday, $25 Friday-Saturday. For more info, visit popecountyfair.com

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18th — Birds of Petit Jean at Petit Jean State Park from 11-11:30 a.m. meeting in the Visitor Center Exhibit Room. Admission is free. Meet Park Interpreter Ross to learn about some of the birds we have here at Petit Jean State Park and why they are important to our ecosystem. Bring a bird guidebook if you have one and join in the fun. For more info, contact 501-727-5441.

25th-28th — 22nd Annual Fall Automobile Swap Meet at the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain. Admission is free. This annual swap meet is hosted by the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain. Classic and vintage automobiles from all over the region are on display. There is also a military vehicle rally. For more info, contact the museum at 501-727-5427.

29 30 1 2 3 4 5 *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 15th of the month preceding publication.

28th

— National Public Lands Day at Lake Dardanelle State Park from 8 a.m.noon. Meet at the Visitor Center as National Public Lands Day unites people across the nation as they care for the public lands which are used for recreation, education, and enjoyment. Gather a group and volunteer with us as we keep Russellville clean and green with the Great Arkansas CleanUp. Volunteers are encouraged to contact Lake Dardanelle State Park to sign their group up to clean different areas throughout the community. For more info, contact 479-967-5516.

SEPTEMBER 2019

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B E S T L O C A L F L AV O R & P E O P L E ’ S C H O I C E 2019

Ridgewood Brothers BBQ

Story by JOHNNY SAIN | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

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“PEOPLE USE THE TERM PIT MASTER,” Grant says referring to a common title for those who regularly coax smoldering succulent, savory deliciousness from raw pork, beef, and poultry. “But I don’t think you can really master it. We just work together with this thing.” Grant nods toward the cooker. “I’m not its master. This fire, the wood, the meat we have in there, we all work together. And in the end we’ve done something.”

The laid back words belie a hard-driving attitude that led to Ridgewood Brothers Barbecue winning Main Street Russellville’s Taste of the Valley People’s Choice and Local Flavor awards for 2019 Were Robert and Grant surprised by the win? “Very,” Robert says. Grant was astonished as well, though, he had a premonition of good things to come. “At some point (during the event), I just started hearing things, and I turned toward Robert and said, ‘dude, I think we’ve got a shot,’” Grant says.

The duo won in a very Ron Swanson10

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

esque manner: Here’s our grilled meat.

Enjoy.

That’s it. No condiments, except the option of some of their proprietary barbecue sauce, no extras, and no fancy presentation.

They won because the secret to incredible barbecue isn’t a secret at all. It’s found in the nuance of preparation. The pair are quick to tell you that cooking “secrets” for delectable barbecue are pure fantasy.

There’s no formula of spices. There’s no holy book of the smoker. It’s surprisingly simple, really, and there are only four primal ingredients.

It starts with the wood. Ridgewood Brothers uses post oak for their barbecue for three reasons: 1) It’s plentiful in the region. 2) It burns slow — slower than hickory and slower than red oak, which helps slow the cooking process. 3) The lighter flavors imparted by post oak smoke don’t overpower the already wonderful and subtle flavors of properly cooked meat but, instead, enhance those flavors.

“The guy that gets our post oak cuts standing dead trees then seasons them in

his barn” Grant says. “We don’t like anything green, but we don’t like them bone dry either. We have a moisture sensor for wood, ideally it would be 14-16 percent.

But at this point, if I hit it on the ground I listen for what kind of sound it makes.”

Grant demonstrates as he whacks two pieces of wood on the asphalt. The denser thump of greener wood is obvious.

Next up is the meat, and Ridgewood doesn’t cut any corners here. The brisket, for example, comes from Creekstone Farms in Arkansas City, Kansas. It’s certified Angus beef, either upper two-thirds choice or prime. Care for the living cow is important, too. “These people make sure they (the cows) have as good a life as they can,” Grant says. “They’re grain finished, but they’re also free in the pasture and, hopefully, they have just one bad day.

That’s as good as I know to do.”

Enlightened cooks and eaters have long known that animals treated with kindness yield a better product. But there’s also something to be said for the empathy of a conscientious carnivore. Yes, meat comes

from animals, but Grant and Robert believe that the animals shouldn’t be treated only as commodities. “I understand what this is,” Grant says. “I mean, there’s only two briskets per cow; a lot of things had to expire for this, so we try to make it as good as we can and respect it as much as we can because, well, it’s the right thing to do. I don’t how else to say it.”

The third ingredient is a good fire.

Would a propane smoker be easier? “Absolutely. It would be 100 times easier,” Grant says. “But there wouldn’t be any fun in it for me.”

“The smoke is better when it’s natural fire,” Robert says. “We kind of idolized Texas barbecue, and it’s all open pits and food sitting above it. Live fire was always the point.”

A “good” fire is a clean burning fire,

and of the three ingredients mentioned so far for great barbecue, it may be the most easily botched. “We don’t want a lot of nasty smoke,” Grant says. “We want it to be 700 degrees or hotter because that’s when all the bad and big smoke particles burn up and are gone.”

Those “bad and big smoke particles” are otherwise known as creosote, the same sticky, tarry black stuff that coats a chimney. If you’ve ever had food that’s over-smoked or prepared over a fire not burning hot enough, the meat will be coated with creosote and have a bitter flavor.

“You’ll probably burp it up for a while afterward,” Grant says. Robert and Grant want to see a thin blue smoke coming out of their smoker. “If you see smoke like a choo-choo train get ready for a heavy, heavy taste,” Grant says. >>

“When we first started, we talked about cooking only a fraction of what we’re cooking to create that demand,” Robert says. “But as it got closer, we decided, let’s just fill this thing up, cook as much as we can cook.”

SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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“But if the fire is right, you’re left with the vanilla and other flavors that come out of the wood.”

Grant says the fire is like a puzzle that he and Robert constantly trying to solve.

“What it’s doing right now is secondary to what’s going to happen in the future.

You want to figure out what it’s going to do in half an hour.” Quality meat is essential, but the right fire is just as important.

The fourth ingredient isn’t something you can purchase or make, and it’s by far the toughest to come by. Anyone can make great barbecue. So why don’t most people make great barbecue? “It’s too hard,” Grant says. He pauses for a moment, glancing toward the smoker and stacks of post oak. “It’s not hard, like difficult to learn how to do, but it’s tedious.

You’ve got to really want to do it.”

In conversation about barbecue with Robert and Grant, words like “want”

it will be funny some day.’ Now I look at them and laugh, and say ‘what was I doing.’” As he talks about laughing over bad brisket, something about Grant’s facial expression doesn’t jibe with his words. Is he really over the bad briskets cooked years ago?

“No,” Grant says. “No, it’s still not funny.”

But Grant learned from his multitude of mistakes, his wife and marriage survived brisketacolypse, and the experiences eventually led to the discovery of a calling. “I was cooking for friends and family, and we had a friend at the house who had not had much home-cooked barbecue,” Grant says. “I cooked pulled pork, and his reaction to it — how much he liked it — made me really happy.”

Per usual, the path to obsession was paved with endorphins.

“I guess it’s a way I can create something and share something with someone

“This fire, the wood, the meat we have in there, we all work together and in the end we’ve done something.” don’t cut it. “Passion” and “obsession” are far more fitting. How else can you describe two best friends — since Russellville Elementary fifth grade — who have shared barbecue trials and tribulations in pursuit of the perfect brisket or pork butt since they first lit coals under a grate?

“We’re pretty much as nerded out as you can get with this stuff,” Grant says.

That elusive fourth ingredient is why Ridgewood Brothers award-winning barbecue is the culmination of years and years of failure and perfecting techniques, lots of money, and a friendship maintained over miles of separation by this shared obsession for the perfect cooked meat.

After high school, Grant moved to Wisconsin and the barbecue bug bit hard.

He became consumed with smoking the perfect brisket. “My wife won’t hardly eat brisket any more,” Grant says. “I brisketed her out. There were a lot of bad ones. I even have pictures on my phone and thought ‘I’ll look back on these and 12

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

else,” Grant says. “I can’t draw. I’m not a photographer. I’m not great with words.

So this is my way to share my creativity.”

Robert’s road to meticulous meat smoking branches from Grants. “I’ve always liked barbecue,” Robert says. “I mean, I’ve always liked it, like, a lot. I figured it was so hard to do.” But during one of Grant’s visits to Russellville, Robert learned that his buddy was cracking the code. “Grant cooked a pork butt, and I was, like, ‘dude, how did you do this?” Grant gave Robert a website address. “It was a horrible website,” Robert says. “But it had good information. So I started on just a small 18-inch grill with the coals on one side and a pork butt on the other. It was a pain.”

And so the two grill buddies began a long-distance partnership working toward the mutual goal of delicious smoked meats. “We did all the barbecue stuff like correspondence chess,” Grant says. “He would cook something, I would try to recreate it up there, and

then we’d talk about it, see if it worked.”

“I even mailed him a couple rubs,” Robert says. “They were failed rubs, but I did mail them.”

Aspiring pit master penpals they were.

And then they began visiting the region that, metaphorically, lit their fire.

“We went to Texas, to this barbecue place that was really great,” Grant says.

“And we both came back and said we’ve got to get a smoker that runs on wood — a stick burner. Robert was looking at a small one, for his house. But the more we talked about it, the more we thought maybe we should try to sell barbecue in Russellville.”

Next thing you know, they ordered the biggest smoker the manufacturer made and came up with a name for the business.

The “Brothers” part is easy to figure out — two best friends since grade school growing up to become maniacal about a challenging craft. But where did “Ridgewood” come from? “It’s my street,” Robert says.

“I grew up on Ridgewood Drive here in Russellville. Grant came up with the idea.

He was a block behind me on Durant, but, you know… Durant Brothers?”

And now the business is booming.

Besides winning awards, it also regularly sells out of barbecue — fast. They’ve created a demand based on limited avail-

ability. “We’re only open until it’s gone,” Robert says. And they’re only open every other Saturday.

“When we first started, we talked about cooking only a fraction of what we’re cooking to create that demand,” Robert says. “But as it got closer, we decided, let’s just fill this thing up, cook as much as we can cook. And we sold it all. And we’ve sold it all ever since.”

There’s a reason for this exclusivity. “It takes too long to make the product,” Robert says. What’s available to customers on those Saturday mornings took 20-24 hours of preparation. Grant and Robert won’t reheat food. Hot off the smoker — one time — is the only way you’ll get meat from Ridgewood Brothers.

Customers usually gather early and form a line long before Ridgewood Brothers opens at 10:30 a.m. Robert says that the preorder service (details available on the Ridgewood Brothers BBQ Facebook page) have helped with line times a little.

“But the line time is just part of it,” Robert says. “It’s the only way to get great barbecue. That’s why the line is there.”

So what does the future hold for Ridgewood Brother’s Barbecue? Grant and Robert have a vision, with a distinctly Texas flavor, that they believe the River Valley will embrace.

“Franklin Barbecue in Austin,Texas, is a big inspiration for us,” Grant says. “Aarron Franklin started in a trailer doing pretty much what we’re doing now. He was in the parking lot of a gas station and now his place is so big. They do 104 briskets a day and they sell out every day. Usually, people start getting in line at 4 or 5 a.m., and it’s like a party — people bring chairs, they bring beer, and they have music.”

And they wait — anticipating, talking, socializing, forming a little community of their own based on a shared love of great food — until Franklin’s Barbecue opens its doors hours later.

“It’s like a whole experience,” Grant says. “I would love to have something like that, even if it could never be on that scale, but something where people hang out. It’s a good time. it’s an experience with barbecue.”

“We do want to be a destination,” Robert says.

But what happens if Grant and Robert’s dreams come true? Is Russellville, their hometown, big enough to hold them? “There’ll never be another location,” Grant says. “There’ll never be two of these. There’ll never be a franchise. The point is not to make a million dollars. There’s something more to it than that.”

SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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E V E R Y D AY L I F E

Have squirrel, will travel Story by SARAH CLOWER Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS

THOSE WHO KNOW ME WELL, know that I love to travel.

Anywhere. Everywhere. I love exploring small towns in Arkansas, big cities all around the world, and everywhere in between.

But often, my travel adventures include dealing with flights and airports and all of the inconveniences that can arise from them. I have experienced longer than expected layovers and running down airport corridors in a frenzied panic to make the flight on time. Flying can be extremely advantageous for time management, but also extremely inconvenient if the travel plans go awry.

A few weeks ago, my son and I traveled to Portland, Oregon, for an end-of-summer trip. The city is known for being quite liberal and eccentric, and thoroughly lived up to those expectations. So traveling to and from Portland, you’re bound to meet a few interesting characters.

After a fantastic week of visiting with old friends and eating all sorts of delicious food, my son and I were on our way back to Arkansas. We boarded our first flight home from Portland with a layover in Phoenix, Arizona.

Raff and I were seated in the aisle and middle seats, respectively, and a kind

woman claimed her seat by the window.

She got settled, fastened her seat belt, and carefully placed a small wicker tote in her lap.

Soon, all travelers were accounted for, the seat belt and oxygen mask tutorial had been given, and we are on our way. The woman next to Raff kept her

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

hands tightly clasped over the lid of her basket. The tote had a flap lid fastened by a strip of well-worn leather stretched over a small, tarnished metal hook. As the plane leveled out after take off, the woman’s hands seemed to relax some.

She unclasped them but still had them on the lid of her tote.

A few moments later, the flight attendants started rolling carts down the narrow aisle offering drinks and refreshments to each passenger. When she reached our row, she handed Raff and I the beverages we requested and a small package of peanuts and a second of pretzels. The woman next to us told the attendant what she wanted to drink and requested two packages of peanuts, instead of pretzels.

After the cart rolled further down the aisle, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the woman opened the small bag of peanuts, took one out, opened the flap of the tote, and popped it in.

She continued to do this over the course of the next several minutes until the contents of the first bag of peanuts had all been slipped into the wicker tote. Raff was completely oblivious, even though he was sitting directly beside her. He had downloaded a few movies onto his phone, his ears flanked by headphones.

The woman then opened the second bag of peanuts, and I thought for a split second that I could see something scurry around a bit in the basket. I realized I wasn’t being

as discreet as I thought in my basket watching. The woman’s eyes flickered over to mine and she placed her hands on the lid, clasped once more.

I quickly plucked a magazine from the mesh pocket on the back of the seat in front of me and pretended to intently read an article about sea cucumbers. After a few moments, the woman relaxed again and began popping peanuts into her wicker tote once more.

I was baffled by her behavior but had almost resigned myself to thinking she must be saving the nuts for later. But when I turned my head to check on Raff, I saw her lift the flap of her tote again.

Two tiny brown hands popped out and quickly grabbed the peanut from between her fingers.

The woman noticed that I had noticed her secret.

She looked at me with scared, round eyes. I realized she was worried that I would alert the flight attendants about her stowaway.

I gave her a gentle smile and a wink, doing my best to convey that her secret was safe, but I was dying to know what was in that tote. She visibly relaxed, smiled back at me, and brought one wrinkled finger up to her mouth as if to say “shhh.” My nod of agreement seemed to seal our arrangement, She opened the tote again, reached in and lifted out a little squirrel. I had been expecting some sort of guinea pig or hamster

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or some other form of domesticated rodent.

My eyes wide with surprise, the woman glanced quickly at Raff as if to ask whether he would want to see the animal as well.

I nudged Raff, and he removed his headphones and looked up at me.

I leaned my head down to whisper in his ear. “Be very quiet because it’s a secret, but look what she has in her basket,” I said.

Raff looked over at his neighbor and the tiny animal in her hands.

“Can I pet it?” he whispered to her.

“Yes, of course, her name is Lucy,” she replied.

Lucy was quite tame and never tried to bite or squirm out of her wicker home. After a few minutes of hushed gushing over the small stowaway, the captain’s voice came over the intercom instructing us to refasten our seatbelts as we would be landing soon.

Our neighbor gave Lucy a quick kiss on the head, returned her to the inside of the tote and looped the worn leather back over the metal hook.

Raff picked up his headphones again, and started to put them on, but then leaned over to my ear.

“Mom, can we get squirrel?” he asked.

I had anticipated his question and replied with my usual response to all inquiries about pets. “Maybe someday.”

No, we would not be getting a squirrel… although, it would be very cute to carry one around in a little wicker tote.

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~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

The Biography of a house: PART 3

Living and Dying Story by SALLY LATHAM LAWRENCE | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

As one of the few houses of any substance in

the Holy Word, and Newton took his turn

Russellville, I was a regular hub of activity

with the rest. He had a rather high voice,

during the decade before the Civil War. Fam-

but from the look on Euphemia’s face it was

ily and neighbors came by to talk about local

the voice of an angel.

goings-on and to introduce new arrivals; in particular if they were from the Carolinas or belonging to the Presbyterian Church. The tannery brought us both visitors and information as well as the occasional suitor who had heard of John’s girls.

When my family arrived from North Carolina, Katie was just two. Vashti, the eldest, had recently married and was settled back in Gaston County. In between them were five sisters, all pious and pretty.

They had a daughter right off. Oh, 1858 was a busy year, for then Jane married a certain George Washington Harkey that July. He was a local favorite, the son of Elizabeth Shinn (cousin to Jacob Shinn – the very one who took on the store at the corner of Main and Denver…but I told you all that before).

Newton wanted nothing more than to return to his homestead in Texas, and as happened with any interesting new experience, George was eager to go along and see what

Euphemia was the next to marry, to a Mr.

the place was like. The two couples headed

Newton Turnage in 1857. He came from

out in October, and not so long afterward

Texas and managed to talk his way into

we heard they’d lost everything. The Tur-

employment at the tannery, claiming an in-

nage house burned to the ground while they

terest in saddlery. The wedding took place

were out surveying the countryside. George

just six months later. I can still see him at

didn’t seem to take it hard – he sent word

the supper table, as polite as anything and

back that he was pleased with the area, and

obviously interested in more than making

they planned to stay at least long enough to

saddles. Sundays were spent reading from

help rebuild.

Mrs. Torrence was sick about it, but the Harkeys settled in and had their first child there, Miss Dora. Then Arkansas seceded and George was back among us to support the town while Leroy, John’s eldest boy, headed south to work with Newton. We later heard he was staying with Newton’s brother Elisha. This was a worry since Elisha was keen to join the Texas Volunteers.

Now, the war, that’s a story all its own. The muttering began around 1860, or at least that’s when the discussions invaded my walls even if John quickly shut them down. When secession was announced, we began to see good people becoming hateful. It was no longer enough to avoid the questions that burned across the nation; some preachers ended every sermon with a call for able-bodied men to join the confederacy. John made it a point to stop all political conversations at the tannery, no matter how anybody felt. We were surrounded by both union and Confederate sympathizers, and fights were already breaking out around town.

Ransom Shinn was dependent on his slaves, you know, and it was clear that the loss of them would bring ruin to his family.

Soon enough, more and more of our men left Pope County to report for duty. Those who didn’t leave faced anger from those who thought they should. Others felt we needed some to stay and guard the community. Even as we heard the reports of battles and skirmishes from Little Rock all the way out to Indian territory, 18

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

there was the equally dismaying news of hungry gangs of soldiers pillaging local farms. Then entire companies came in and camped — a blight that devoured all of our food and supplies.

As a man famous for his pretty daughters, John made a decision. For the first time in centuries, the road to the river was closed. John planted his property from one side to the other with corn, right on up to the house. The road alongside his 40 acres, which would eventually be called Oak Street and today is Arkansas Avenue, became the road to the post at Dardanelle.

I have heard more than one person say it was a bold move but also a wise one.

He couldn’t hide the tannery, as he had a reputation for good work and honest dealings. At the same time out-of-towners did not necessarily know which of his daughters were away, which were at home, and which were married.

When the trouble started brewing, young Sidney Bradley, who had been living with us while making harnesses, married Martha and bought the property between the tannery and town to keep an eye on things.

Emily was away at school in 1861 and wed there, but that still left Mary, 19, at home. Little Katie was 11 when the war broke out. I kept them well-hidden in my attic when soldiers came around. John Junior was 14 then, and stayed in the fields lest he be snatched away for cannon fodder. Others who sought shelter were sometimes stowed in the barn across from the tannery. It’s still there if you want to have a look at it.

After George and Jane returned with Dora, we were quickly blessed with the arrival of Miss Lillian Belle Harkey. She has always reminded me of the verse, “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth.” Lillian Belle was a consolation indeed. The women worked away at their home duties and spent what spare time they had knitting for the soldiers.

Lillian Belle seemed to know that she was to be the entertainment, and her happy visage lit up many a gloomy day.

Another clear memory I have is when we heard Cousin Edwin Mendenhall had died in a skirmish near Smithville, Virginia. His insults were still a fresh sting – in fact his disrespect toward Ezra stays with me to this day. I have tried to let it go, as well as the dis-

appointment in myself that I did not mourn Edwin’s passing with as much sorrow as the rest of the family; but each of us struggles with forgiveness in our own way.

It’s so strange that these moments continue to have such meaning to me. More than a century has passed since I last heard my dear ones’ voices. The desire to hear them is not as desperate as it once was, but grief has no end; it only finds itself a lodging deep down and settles in to rest.

But where was I in my story? I told you Emily married very young. She was the smart one of the family. In fact, before the war she attended Russellville College, a private academy up the road. There was only so much that could be learned there, but Emily found herself a fellow lover of knowledge in a certain John Gordon. As it happened, they met again in 1861 when they both continued their studies in Arkansas City.

They were married at the end of the school year. She was just 16, but considering the state of things it was a relief to the family. Moreover, John’s father was a respected physician who had trained all of his sons in his practice.

A year or so later we had a fright when Emily returned home and reported that her husband had been conscripted as a medic by the Confederate Army, even though the Gordons were notoriously pro-Union. Eventually they returned him to us, too ill to be of any further use. The pair quickly moved into a cabin up near Crow Mountain. There, they awaited the end of the war and only afterward continued to St. Louis Medical College. John soon had a practice in Pocahontas, Illinois, where Emily served as midwife. They were both highly respected in the community

for many, many years.

George and Jane also stayed in Pocahontas for a time, and in fact their boy Robert was born there. They returned home again, but the Gordons and Harkeys remained close-knit. I can think of many times when Emily came to visit and John and George would sit together and discuss their various cases and experiments. For you see George Harkey also practiced medicine. He didn’t stay with it very long; maybe as much time as he spent building up the First Christian Church with Jacob Shinn and serving as its pastor.

Eventually he built a steam mill and ran it the rest of his working life. Today you would call George a very “Jeffersonian” person due to his many interests.

In addition to being one of the most lovable characters about town, George was quite famous as the purveyor of fine remedies which he sold through Jacob’s store. You may know of the Harkeys, since the annex built onto the Pope County Library was funded by none other than George’s grandson Donald.

But that is well and truly getting ahead of myself. Oh dear, I was talking about the war and I think I got to the end of it. Sadly, the end of the war did not bring about an end to the hostilities, which only seemed to get worse. Pope County became notorious enough to warrant national attention. In 1865 the governor appointed a Federal officer to be our sheriff, and he was killed right off. After that we were officially under militia law, served coldly by a gang of Northerners.

Let me tell you, they hated us. In any disagreement the Russellvillian was wrong and the Northerner was right even if they were stealing from us or picking fights with an aim to murder. >> SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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Jacob tried to stand up to them, at his peril. He was forced to flee to Little Rock until things settled down.

The stress eventually took its toll on Mrs. Torrence. Oh, not just the goings-on about town, but so many things. Emily had delivered several babies as a midwife, but several of her own were lost before their first birthdays. And then Leroy hadn’t been heard from in years. Newton and Elisha returned from the war safely, only to be lost to the Yellow Fever Epidemic of LaGrange in 1867. My goodness, nearly a quarter of the town was lost. Mrs. Torrence got it into her head that even if Leroy had survived the war, it was unlikely he had survived this plague as well.

That Christmas, she developed a cough. Euphemia was home with us then, as tired and worn as could be, and then when we lost her in the summer of ’68 why Mrs. Torrence sank even lower. Miss Nanny – that was Euphemia’s child – was such a sight to behold.

She would help about the house whenever anything was wanted, but those moments she had to herself she spent with me in some dark corner, not crying nor making any kind of sound but just looking so sad your heart would break. I think Mrs. Torrence wanted to hold on for her sake, but the tuberculosis had gotten hold of her and then come the following Christmas, why she too was gone.

It was good that John had the railroad and a new church to think about. The railroad had arrived in Russellville, thanks in no small part to Jacob making land available through the center of town. This too became a worry for the family, since railroad work brought with it the roustabouts who journeyed westward to build tracks beyond us into Indian territory. The street we today call Commerce was then known as Smoky Row between the railroad tracks and Main. None of the family would have been caught dead there among the many saloons that lined the block. Why, it’s said the outlaws Frank and Jessie James owned the biggest one.

Around the spring of 1870, our last Federal law officer was shot and killed on Smoky Row. Sidney and George met with others in the family and around town. They enlisted George Berryman 20

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

to act as their attorney and filed a plea for incorporation so as to establish the office of Town Marshall and build a jail. Sidney was the first to sign, George was the third, and eventually John Torrence and even young John had their turns.

We the undersigned citizens of Russellville by Geo. W Berryman our attorney feeling desirous of calling your attention to the necessity of Incorporating the town of Russellville, would respectfully ask your Honor to grant an order for the Incorporation of said town as made and provided by law upon the following grounds, To wit, From the fact that there are no officers in said town having power to quell disturbances and riotous conduct which is almost of a daily occurrence and moreover that we deem it necessary to our protection and security of life and property and conducive to the growth and prosperity of our place.

After incorporation we got our Marshall and the jail was built right across from the saloons. I never heard about the James brothers after that, so maybe they took their wild ways elsewhere.

Be that as it may, John never did allow the street to come through his property again, not for the rest of his days. Can you imagine? Corn and cows where you now see a busy road lined with houses. Perhaps he worried that there would be another war, or perhaps his concern was regarding the wild sort of fellows he saw at the tannery. Whatever the reason, our fence was well away from my front porch and if he spoke anything of it, it was to extol the country air and the peaceful life he enjoyed.

He did keep his promise to Cousin Emily and built the church not a half mile away from us, but that is another long story and one that ends in sorrow. The years thus far were good ones, even though there were hardships. Soon enough there would be silence for decades to come.

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~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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Once upon a time, people knew where every bite of their food came from. If they didn’t grow it themselves, they knew who did. The benefits of knowing your farmer and eating local food — support for local agriculture; healthier, more nutrient-dense food picked and bought at the peak of freshness; and a feeling that’s difficult to describe yet weirdly familiar — are real.

Luckily, the River Valley has a place to connect with the local food system in the most modern way — Russellville Community Market. Simply sign up to be a member online and then browse the website, click what you want, and pick it up on the next Tuesday 4 - 6:30p.m. at the Main Street Russellville Train Depot.

For more details about the Russellville Community Market, check out their Facebook page or their website russellville. locallygrown.net Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN | Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

RUSSELLVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET Russellville Depot ~ Downtown RUSSELLVILLE

SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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

Doin’ the Java Jive Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

W

henever I’m driving my husband’s truck, I tune the radio to 40s Junction, home of the big band tunes. On one particular day, I listened to the Ink Spots “Java Jive,” which describes someone’s love of coffee. I began to sing along because I feel like this song was written just for me even though it was recorded in 1941… 32 years before I was born.

I started drinking coffee at the age of 10. My dad always joked that this is why I am only 5’4”. Yes, it was mostly milk, but still I loved to smell it brew and loved the taste. The only time I have not had a morning cup in my 30-plus years of coffee drinking was when I cut out caffeine while carrying my children, and when I was taking chemotherapy (nothing tasted good then, anyway).

So in celebration of September 29th — National Coffee Day — and the multitudes of us who do the Java Jive every morning, I have selected some tasty recipes for you to try featuring Russellville’s own Retro Roasts coffee.

As always, enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Latte

CHOCOLATE COCONUT LATTE 4 squares of German’s Sweet Baker Chocolate (found down the baking isle) 1/4 c half and half, heated (for creamier latte use 1/8 c half and half and 1/8 c heavy whipping cream) 8 oz *Retro Roasts Dark and Stormy Night coffee 2 Rounded T Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut, to taste Whip Cream for garnish chocolate syrup to drizzle

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

ABOUT Magazine Featured Recipe ~ September 2019

Prepare your coffee as directed. I make mine a little stronger than usual for this recipe.

While coffee is brewing, place half and half into a microwaveable cup. Heat in 30 second increments (stirring after each increment) until hot but not boiling.

Remove half in half from microwave and add your chocolate. Stir until it is melted, then add you coco-

nut cream. Stir until it is mixed well.

Pour 8 oz coffee into a cup, then add your half and half mixture. Stir well.

Garnish with whipped cream drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Serves 2. *Retro Roasts coffee can be purchased at Garage Arcade in downtown Russellville.

FRENCH VANILLA COFFEE CAKE 1 stick unsalted butter softened 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 c light brown sugar, tightly packed 1/2 c granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour 1 large box french vanilla instant pudding mix 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 + 2 T whole milk Cinnamon Swirl 1/4 c sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon Streusel Topping 1 1/3 c all-purpose flour 1 c brown sugar packed 4 T granulated sugar 5 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 10 T unsalted butter, melted 3 T ground coffee granules, crushedoptional(I used *Retro Roast Dark and Stormy Night) Glaze (optional) 1/2 c powdered sugar 2-3 tsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease and flour a 13x9 baking pan.

In an electric mixer with a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese.

Beat in sugars until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Scrape down sides and bottom of mixing bowl with rubber spatula.

Stir in vanilla extract.

In separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, instant pudding mix (unprepared), baking powder, cornstarch and salt.

Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture, alternating with milk, until all of the flour mixture and milk have been combined.

Spread about half of the batter into prepared pan (batter will be thick).

Quickly whisk together sugar and cinnamon for cinnamon ripple layer in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly over the batter.

Dollop remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer and use a knife to spread evenly overtop. It’s OK if you end up disturbing the cinnamon sugar layer a bit, it will be a nice swirl when it bakes. Prepare your streusel topping.

Streusel Melt butter in a medium-sized bowl on 10 second increments (stirring between) until just melted (you don’t want it to be too hot, if it does get too hot allow to cool.

Use a fork to whisk together your flour, sugars, cinnamon, coffee (optional) and salt. Pour melted butter over mixture and

French Vanilla Coffee Cake

use a fork to stir until combined (mixture should be crumbly).

Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter.

Bake on 350F for approx 45 minutes (check doneness with a toothpick inserted in center).

Allow to cool before cutting and serving.

Glaze (optional) If desired, make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.

Store in an air tight container. Serve with coffee.

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~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

25

COFFEE DRY RUB FOR PORK CHOPS OR CHICKEN 4 tsp ground coffee 4 tsp sea salt 4 tsp chili powder 2 T brown sugar 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp granulated garlic 1/2 tsp granulated onion 1/2 tsp ground mustard seed 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne optional if you want some extra heat Light your charcoal then proceed to making the dry rub.

In a small bowl add in all of the dry ingredients for the Coffee Dry Rub. Mix everything together, breaking apart any lumps.

Rub both sides of the pork with generous amounts of the dry rub. I did both sides twice.

Repeat the process with the chicken.

Set pork and chicken aside for 20-30 minutes allowing the rub to penetrate the meat. (the pork may look a little wet when you’re ready to grill) Grill the pork chops and chicken on both sides over medium high heat, then move to indirect heat to finish cooking.

Check the internal temp, it should be 165 degrees for well done, if you like your pork a little pink check remove them sooner, but let the chicken cook fully until it reads 165.

When you remove the meat from the grill, let it rest for about 10 minutes so all the juices return throughout the

meat. The temperature of cooked meats will continue to rise up to 10 degrees as it sits.

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of askchefdennis.com EPIC BODY SCRUB 1/4 c Coffee ground for espresso 1/4 c Sugar 1/4 c Coconut Oil 1/2 tsp Vanilla *optional Method: Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a bowl using a fork.

Transfer into a watertight container.

When you are ready to scrub, use a spoon or scoop the scrub into the palm of your hand, ensuring water stays out of the container.

Use the Epic Body Scrub to exfoliate your skin. Do not use on your face.

Recipe courtesy of thelittleblackcoffeecup.com HOMEMADE COFFEE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE 2 cloves garlic, halved 2 T brewed Community® coffee, cooled 2 T balsamic vinegar 2 T pure maple syrup 2 T roughly chopped and toasted walnuts 1 T Dijon mustard 1 tsp salt ½ tsp ground white or black pepper ½ c extra virgin olive oil Place multipurpose blade in food processor. With processor running, add garlic through the feed tube to mince. Add cof-

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

fee, vinegar, syrup, walnuts, mustard, salt and white pepper. Process a few seconds until mixed; scrape down sides of bowl.

With processor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through the feed tube; process until completely combined.

NOTE: If you don’t have a food processor, try a blender. Or, place all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and vigorously shake. Just be sure to very finely mince the garlic and nuts before adding.

The vinaigrette should keep about 1 week in the refrigerator.

Makes about 7 (2-tablespoon) serving.

Recipe courtesy of communitycoffee.com MAGICAL COFFEE 2/3 cup coarsely ground coffee 3 cups water 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar The Finished Drink milk, half and half, or cream ice Put ingredients in a quart jar and stir.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The Finished Drink Pour the coffee base through a sieve or strainer into a bowl, then strain back into jar for easy storage.

For each drink: Fill a tall glass halfway with ice. Pour in coffee until glass is about 3/4 full, and add milk/half and half/cream to taste.

Die of happiness.

Recipe courtesy of food52.com

CAFE MOCHA COOKIES 1 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 c dark brown sugar, packed 1/2 c granulated sugar 2 eggs 4 tsp vanilla extract 2 c all-purpose flour 2 c bread flour, you may use AP flour instead if you don’t have it on hand 4 tsp cornstarch 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 heaping T coffee grounds, fine or coarse 1 c mini chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, add flours, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and coffee grounds.

Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for 2 more minutes.

Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until all combined and well-incorporated.

Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. They will look super soft but they continue cooking after you remove them from the oven.

Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before you move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe courtesy of tablefortwoblog.com

COFFEE TOFFEE BARS Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, melted 1 c quick rolled oats 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 c Pillsbury BEST™ All Purpose Flour 1/2 c finely chopped nuts 1/4 tsp baking soda 2 T butter 1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk 2 tsp Folgers Classic Roast® Instant Coffee Crystals 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 c (6 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine 1/2 c melted butter, oats, brown sugar, flour, nuts and baking soda in large bowl. Press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until surface is bubbly. Melt 2 T butter in medium saucepan, over medium heat. Add sweetened condensed milk, coffee and vanilla. Cook and stir until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Pour over crust.

Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.

Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let stand 1 minute. Spread chocolate while warm. Cool thoroughly. Refrigerate 30 minutes if chocolate is still soft. Cut into bars.

Recipe courtesy of folgerscoffee.com

CHOCOLATE COFFEE DEPRESSION CAKE 1 c sugar 1 1/2 c flour 3 T Cocoa 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vinegar 1 tsp vanilla 5 T vegetable or canola oil 1 c room-temperature coffee Chocolate Frosting, use your favorite recipe Preheat oven to 350º. Grease an 8x8 pan (or double ingredients for a 13x9 pan).

Measure dry ingredients into the pan and stir together.

Make one large depression and 2 small depressions in the dry ingredients. Into the large depression, measure the oil.

Measure vinegar into one small depression and vanilla into the other.

Pour coffee over everything and stir until no lumps remain.

Bake for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

You can cool and then frost, or for a smoother look put the frosting on while it’s hot. (I frosted it right out of the oven, because I wanted a melted frosting like on Texas Sheet Cake) Recipe courtesy of coffewithus3.com

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SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

27

COMMUNITY

Senator Boozman Tours UACCM Facility Senator John Boozman and members of his staff visited the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton on August 14 to tour the Workforce Training Center.

Welcomed by UACCM Interim Chancellor Diana Arn and administrators, he explored labs for the use of several programs: auto service technology; air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration; industrial mechanics and maintenance; and welding. Boozman had already played a role in developing the college’s newest building for technical and career education. In 2014, he wrote a letter in support to the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, which awarded a $1.1 million grant for the building’s site preparation.

As the group went through the labs, Arn and Dean of Technical Studies Robert Keeton would point out the need of the programs and noted how students always worked on up-to-date equipment. The senator continued to remark about how impressive the facility was and the importance of that education.

The tour emphasized the college’s ef-

(From L to R): Eric Tyler, KVOM Radio; Jessica Rohlman, director of workforce development and community education; Darren Jones, vice chancellor for student services; Diana Arn, interim chancellor; Senator John Boozman; Robert Keeton, dean of technical studies; Mary Clark, director of marketing and public relations; Lisa Willenburg, vice chancellor for finance and operations; Mary Newsome, assistant to the chancellor; Rock Moellers, KVOM Radio

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

forts to forge partnerships with industries, which give students opportunities to earn more national certifications and meet the demands of the current workforce. The group also discussed the facility’s use of enhancing workforce development, as businesses conduct training in the building. At one point of the tour, he stopped to watch a session in the Tyson Hall filled with employees of Community Service, Inc. “It was great to see how the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is developing its local workforce and helping meet the demand of regional manufacturers and industry. The educa-

tion and training available at its state-ofthe-art Workforce Training Center provide students with occupational skills that prepare them for a successful future with opportunities of well-paying jobs,” Senator Boozman said.

During his tour, he observed ongoing classes with instructors, experts in their respective fields, teaching trade methods and presenting on the use of certain equipment.

The senator met faculty—including Brian Lum, an industrial mechanics instructor, who showed the senator a lab he uses for his classes and went over the importance of his field in a variety of industrial and manufacturing settings.

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Local Church Eliminates more than $3 Million in medical debt, impacting nearly 1,600 individuals in the River Valley City Church Russellville worked with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based charity, to eliminate more than $3 million in medical debt, impacting nearly 1,600 individuals in the River Valley area.

“At City Church we are learning to move beyond concern and into compassion for our city,” said Chris Abington, senior leader at City Church Russellville. “Our job is to follow the way of Jesus, and he always demonstrated his love first. It’s always his kindness that changes our thinking. People need to see the practical, unconditional, no strings attached picture of the gospel. We are called to radically love and show people what the Gospel looks like, not just talk about it.”

City Church Russellville Campus Pastor David Howell said that when the church first began working with RIP Medical Debt, the goal was to eliminate the qualified debt in Pope County, which was more than 2.6 million and nearly 1,400 individual accounts. “We were surprised to find out, when it was completed, that we not only eliminated that but also more than $275,000 in Johnson County and more than $85,000 in Conway County,” said Howell. “This clearly demonstrates the goodness of God, to go beyond what our expectations were.

We were amazed when we began working with RIP Medical Debt, at how affordable and easy this process was. We were literally able to purchase the debt for pennies on the dollar. It is our goal that other churches

and/or organizations would take advantage of this opportunity to make an impact on their cities and where they live.”

To qualify for the debt relief individuals must meet one of three requirements: 1.

Earn less than two times the poverty level.

2.

Demonstrate financial Hardship – Individuals with five percent of income going toward outstanding medical debt.

3.

Show financial insolvency — debts greater than assets RIP Medical Debt is a nonprofit organization that allows generous donors and organizations to erase the debt of Americans whose lives have been destroyed by unjust medical debt. Founded in 2014 by two former collections industry executive, Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton, RIP rose to national prominence on an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that has been viewed almost 10 million times.

On the episode, RIP facilitated the erasure of $15 million in medical debt for only $60,000.

To learn more, and get involved, visit www.ripmedicaldebt.org If you have questions, please contact City Church at 479-967-5882 or visit the website @ www.city-church.tv. City Church hopes other churches throughout the state will take advantage of this great opportunity to make an impact on their local communities.

RUSSELLVILLE ANIMAL SHELTER

Featured Friends

Louis

GENDER: Male

(intact) Mix

BREED: Doberman

Louis is friendly, playful, and loves being outside in the sunshine and fresh air. But he does not like cats.

If you share Louis’ likes and dislikes, maybe you could meet him at the Russellville Animal Shelter and give Louis a forever home.

To learn more, or to adopt this month’s featured friend, please contact the Russellville Animal Shelter at (479) 968-1944.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church Caring for Our Youth and the World All Saints’ Episcopal Church, located at 501 S Phoenix Ave in Russellville, in-

Photo by MADISON REVES

Making your ride look like new since 1971.

(479) 968-3991 • 1903 SOUTH ARKANSAS

SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

29

vites the public to attend our “Caring for our Youth and our World” kick off event to showcase our youth activities and formation on Sunday, September 8, from 9 - 10 a.m.

Start the morning with a pancake breakfast cooked by our youth group to help support their Diocesan Activities and events at Camp Mitchell. Plates are $5 per person or $20 per family. At 9:30 a.m., hear about our upcoming youth Sunday School classes, Kids Church, Episcopal Youth Community, Episcopal Kids Community and @ TheTable ATU College Ministry.

For more information about All Saints’ Episcopal Church youth and college programs, please contact Melissa Simpson at mleasimpson@gmail.com or 479-9683622. Visit us online at www.allsaintrussellville.org

ATU freshmen contemplate leadership during FLE 2019 Fourteen incoming Arkansas Tech University students were selected to participate in the 2019 Freshman Leadership Experience (FLE) prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

Participants in the 2019 FLE program were: • Iris Alvarado of Russellville • Zachary Arp of Benton • McKenzie Blanchard of Siloam Springs • Johannah Branch of Dover • Jessie Brown of Spring Hill • Hannah Goodwin of Mountain Home

• Hannah Halmes of Ozark • Faith Johnson of Dover • Kurt Lentine of Springdale • Lesly Mendez of Little Rock • Charles Moton of North Little Rock • Kaitlyn Oliver of Texarkana • Omari Royster of Little Rock • Caleb Stewart of White Hall According to information provided by the ATU Department of Campus Life, FLE “serves as the starting point for students seeking to gain and increase their leadership skill set.”

The program provides participants with an opportunity to engage with other ATU freshmen, current campus leaders, university staff and other leadership experts.

Anticipated outcomes for FLE participants include making connections prior to the first day of class and establishing a lead-

Dr. Rolando Cheng

ership and involvement plan for their first year at ATU. The program began on Wednesday, August 14, and continued through Saturday, August 17.

Visit www.atu.edu/leadership_programs to learn more about student leadership programs in the ATU Department of Campus Life.

Paint the Town Green and Gold returns for 2019 Arkansas Tech University and the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce will host a week of events highlighting ATU spirit during the fourth annual Paint the Town Green and Gold Sept. 9-14.

Arvest, Sherwood Urgent Care and Textbook Brokers are the 2019 Paint the Town Green and Gold sponsors.

Orthopedic Surgeon

Board Certified Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Rolando Cheng provides his patients with arthroscopic and joint replacement procedures.

Johnson Regional recently expanded its outpatient therapy department, with a focus on the treatment of post-surgical patients and sports injuries. New state-of-the-art equipment provides our patients with the necessary treatments for quicker recoveries and a return to active lifestyles.

Call now to schedule your appointment with Dr. Cheng.

MEDICAL CENTER SURGERY CLINIC 30

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

(479) 754-5405

1 Medicine Drive, Clarksville, AR • www.JRMC.com

Businesses and organizations participating in Paint the Town Green and Gold will work to decorate their storefronts in Arkansas Tech themes through Sunday, Sept.

8. Judging of those decorations will take place on Monday, Sept. 9, and Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Prizes will be awarded for overall champion, best indoor display, best outside display, best first-time entry and Tech pride.

Businesses and organizations interested in entering the storefront decorating contest should call (479) 968-2530 or send e-mail to chamber@russellvillechamber.com.

Activities will resume on Thursday, Sept.

12, with the second annual March to Main.

ATU students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters are encouraged to gather near

Join us this Fall for at Victory Missionary Baptist Church!

Wednesday evenings from 6:30 - 8:15 pm Ages 2 years old - 5th grade 517 Reasoner Lane, Russellville (across from I-HOP) www.victoryrussellville.org

Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field at 6 p.m.

The group will march to Depot Park in Russellville Downtown, site of the Paint the Town Green and Gold Festival.

The festival will take place from 6-8 p.m. and will include food trucks, games, door prize registration and photo opportunities with Jerry the Bulldog, ATU campus ambassador.

Winners of the storefront decorating contest and door prizes will be announced at 7 p.m., followed by a pep rally featuring the ATU marching band and spirit squads.

Paint the Town Green and Gold 2019 will conclude with the ATU Family Day football game at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Party at the Plaza, the pre-game tailgating celebration outside the stadium, will begin at 3 p.m. Kickoff for the ATU Wonder Boys and the Ouachita Baptist University Tigers is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game tickets ($10 adults/$5 senior citizens and students) will be available at the stadium ticket office during Party at the Plaza. Those with a valid ATU identification card will receive free admission to the game.

Funerals • Cremations Preplanning • Monuments

479-968-1143

2757 East Parkway Drive HAPPY HOURS!

Mon-Fri, 2-4. Medium one-topping pizza for $5.99 Just in time for your hungry student!

5395 WEST ASH STREET, POTTSVILLE

M-Th 479-219-1415 11a-10p 11a-11p Fri & Sat.

It’s tailgating season!

All Bee Cooler merchandise 30% off through September

Tues-Fri, 10-5 | Sat 9:30-3:30 109 Warehouse Row, Russellville

479-968-4044

www.centralbeekeeperssupply.com SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

31

COMMUNITY COMMERCE

Wolf Therapeutic Massage Story and photo by HANNAH BUTLER

R

honda Wolf started out in mental health counseling until she realized that she could make a difference as a masseuse.

“Right from my very first massage, I realized the power of that and helping someone heal emotionally just as much as physically,” she says.

Rhonda also wanted a career that required physical activity, so she went to massage therapy school.

Soon after graduating, she met Dr. Karen Gongola who agreed that there is a connection between mind and body. Since then Rhonda, has been at The Denver Clinic — a primarily counseling facility — since January.

Clientele often consist of the same people visiting with therapists at the clinic.

“The counselors there will sometimes send a client to me when maybe they’re a little stuck in treatment or can’t manage their anxiety,” Rhonda says. “So a massage will help them get their body to relax.”

Wolf Therapeutic Massage (479) 385-2755 1305E E Main St, Russellville Russellville, AR 72801

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3115 E. MAIN STREET, RUSSELLVILLE • (479) 967-5575 32

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

Sometimes Rhonda will suggest to her clients that, perhaps, one of the resident counselors can help them if problems persist during massage sessions or linger afterward. A different approach can make all the difference.

Rhonda caters to the mind-body connection in massage therapy. She offers craniosacral therapy, a gentle technique that caters to the nervous system rather than the muscles.

“If there are any places that are locked up along your system, it’s going to affect your whole body,” Rhonda explains. “So craniosacral therapy is a way to address those blockages. It also has a strong emotional connection. My practice leads towards this treatment and it is remarkable. In some cases, it’s so remarkable it’s almost miraculous.”

Rhonda is also certified in neuromuscular therapy for muscle injury, the basic spa-type Swedish massage treatment, hot stone massage and cupping. Cupping involves using silicone suction cups to address the muscles and reduce swelling.

She also incorporates essential oils into her therapy sessions to create aromatherapy. “It’s specifically designed to just help someone relax and heal,” Rhonda says.

Rhonda’s understanding of the connection between emotional health and physical health means that’s she’s quick to encourage treatment beyond her expertise. She also encourages her clients to regularly practice self-care.

No matter the price, Rhonda will always consider both the physical and emotional needs of her clients. She’ll also always encourage treatment for anything beyond her expertise and encourages everyone to practice self-care.

“I think any massage therapist is amazing,” Rhonda said. “Anybody who’s going to take the time to help somebody relax and give them that individual attention is a beautiful thing. What I offer through this specialty treatment is a beautiful thing. What I offer through these specialty treatments go beyond relaxation. And I think that does set me apart from other massage therapists.”

The Denver Clinic is located on 1305 East Main Street.

Join us for our

GRA

ND OPENING

Thursday, September 19, 2019 11:00am – 1:00pm 815 N Arkansas Ave, Russellville Please join us for a ribbon cutting and check presentation starting at 11:00am, as well as a cookout, refreshments and prize drawings.

arvest.com

Member FDIC

INDOOR POOL

OPEN YEAR ROUND INDOOR POOL MEMBERSHIPS

Indoor pool only (does not include waterpark) Single Day Use $6 00 1 Month $25 00 3 Month $60 00 6 Month $90 00 9 Month $125 00 12 Month $150 00 College Students (Sept-May) $99 00 WEEKEND SPECIAL (5pm Fri- 5pm Sun, all year long) $4 00

2019 INDOOR/OUTDOOR SEASON PASS #1

2019 INDOOR/OUTDOOR SEASON PASS #3

Valid through August 11, 2019 $95 00 (use both facilities, summer only) Family of 3 - Valid through August 11, 2019 $250 00 ($85 per additional person)

FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS Family of 3 / Must live in same household / children under 18

1 mo $60 00 $20 per additional person 6 mo $210 00 $70 per additional person 9 mo $310 00 $90 per additional person 12 mo $380 00 $112 per additional person

Members with 12 month Indoor Pool Memberships, valid through August 11, 2019 $55 00 (use both facilities, summer only)

PARTY ROOM (Kitchenette) $15 per hour PARTY ROOM (Courtyard) $30 per hour

Membership prices/fees cannot be refunded or transferred Pool scheduling/hours will change periodically Pool will be closed for public swimming during swim meets, inclement weather and maintenance Notices will be posted whenever possible but could happen without notice Membership fees/prices will not change due to closings

PRIVATE PARTY (Kitchenette only) $300 PRIVATE PARTY (Kitchenette and Courtyard) $350

(Room access only during normal business hours, does not include fee/access into pool area Anyone entering pool deck area must pay )

Only available Saturday or Sunday, 5:30pm to 8:30pm

ALL-INCLUSIVE INDOOR PARTIES starting at $100

479-754-4100

1611 Oakland St., Clarksville Clarksville Arkansas Parks and Recreation or Clarksville Aquatic Park

www.ClarksvilleAquaticCenter.com

SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

33

The best-kept secret garden Story & Photo by JILL MCSHEEHY

SEED PACKETS ADORN MY COUNTERTOP. The grow light clicks on at 6 a.m. and off at 10 p.m. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it’s typical February day in my house.

But no, it’s September.

In my first garden, seven years ago, I couldn’t wait to put the garden to bed. The research, preparation, planting, pest-fighting, and harvest wore me -- as we say in Arkansas -- plumb out. I surveyed that late September garden, grateful for the first time in my life for seasons. Rest couldn’t come soon enough.

But the garden itch over the next few years intensified, like a desire that couldn’t be assuaged. No longer did I yearn for winter, when I could press pause on the garden chores. Instead, I wanted more.

Within a couple of years, I began experimenting with a few fall crops. A carrot planting here, a spinach planting there. And garlic. Of course, garlic.

As I dipped my toe in the cool water of the fall garden, the titillating unknown beckoned me to come deeper, deeper each year. I discovered why seasoned gardeners describe the fall garden as the best-kept gardening secret. And once I found myself swim-

Afraid of massage?

Try CranioSacral Therapy:

Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 Historic Russellville Downtown

It’s gentle and you remain fully dressed.

You will feel amazing!

located inside the Denver Clinic, 1305 E Main Street, Russellville

Call Rhonda Wolf 34

MS, LMT

@ 479-385-2755

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

Over 10,000 sq. ft. of retail therapy!

Stop by and see us soon!

(479) 219-5128 • 200 North Arkansas Facebook.com/ABeautifulMess200

VENDORS AND PARTICIPANTS: Visit mainstreetrussellville.com/fall-fest for applications and registration.

Tour de Pumpkin, 5k, Chili Cookoff and More! Live Music & Entertainment throughout the day!

ming in these waters, I couldn’t keep the secret to myself.

Many people overlook the fall garden, and I admit, it carries with it a mystery, a learning curve of its own. But the best way to experience the hidden jewel of growing in autumn is to take small steps of discovery. While the summer garden rushes with the intensity of a quick and powerful tsunami, the fall garden beckons like a gentle brook.

If you want to test out the refreshing waters of the fall garden, here are five crops I recommend trying first. I’ve found these to thrive in the beautiful Arkansas autumn.

Lettuce. Depending on the type, lettuce can handle frost and even light freezes and can last into November or later (other salad greens, like arugula, will survive most of the winter). Covering with floating row covers offers additional season extension. Scatter seeds on the warm September soil, rake in gently but not deeply, and water thoroughly.

Carrots. The best-tasting carrots are ones you harvest in the late fall and winter; freezing temperatures accelerate the natural sugar content. The challenge with carrots lies in their germination. It can take weeks for the v-shaped slivers to poke out of the soil, and they require constant moisture -- a challenge if fall rains delay.

Direct-sow carrots in September and keep them moist until germination. Once true leaves appear, they will grow mostly on their own. Though fast-growers might be ready to harvest in late fall, I typically harvest large roots in January or February.

Broccoli. If spring-planted broccoli bolted before you could harvest the head, try planting broccoli in the fall. Though it is too late to start seeds, you can purchase

transplants at local garden centers. Plant in fertile, well-draining soil (raised beds are great), and watch out for cabbage worms.

Prevent these worms with floating row covers or spray with the organic pesticide BT at the first sign of damage. Mature broccoli can survive below-freezing temperatures; I can usually harvest until early January.

Spinach. The most winter-hardy crop I grow, spinach can be planted as transplants or directly sown into the garden in late September or even October. Expect to harvest in the fall, but leave the plant through the winter. Though growth will pause for several weeks surrounding the winter solstice, you’ll find spinach will thrive as the days begin lengthening in January. In my garden, I harvest spinach from late January through April.

Garlic. If you want a “set it and forget it” crop, garlic is your best choice. Purchase seed garlic online, or in a pinch you can plant organic garlic from the grocery store (it must be organic). Plant cloves in late October or early November and expect to harvest in June. Mulch well and keep weeded. For a space-saving option, plant spinach and garlic in the same bed.

I’m glad I didn’t jump into the deep end of fall gardening all at once. I would have missed the experience of learning how these particular crops respond to our Arkansas climate. As you test out these crops, make mental notes of what works well and what challenges you face. And just like we do in our summer gardens, use those learning experiences to adjust for the next season.

You may find that you prefer fall gardening over the summer garden, and then you’ll discover gardeners’ best-kept secret yourself.

Your family-owned furniture and bedding store, serving the River Valley for 40 years.

479-641-2220 Card

As Always, Free Delivery. 12 mo. interest free financing w/ approved credit.

1402 N Church Street, Atkins AR

Have you considered pre-planning?

It is never too early to pre-plan your funeral arrangements. By taking time now to collect cost information and calmly making choices related to your own services, you'll be protecting your family from the stress of having to make these decisions at a time in which they should be allowed to grieve. With pre-planning you can carefully choose specific items you want and need ... and pay for them now, or make a payment plan, locking in current pricing.

A Century of Service ~ 1916-2016

Follow Us to NO ACCEPTWI NEW NG VENDOR S!

Antiques Collectibles Home Decor Gifts & More Mon-Sat 10am-6pm • Sun 1-5pm 1612 S. Arkansas, Russellville

479-968-3865

SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

35

Story & photos by MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS

A JOURNAL of our RURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE

Rebuilding the soil BACK WHEN IT WAS STILL COLD, we decided to try our hand at a no till garden — a mixture of hügelkultur and lasagna gardening. What in the world are these things? And why would we choose not to till our garden?

I’ll start with the first question. Hügelkultur is a German word for a permaculture method of gardening that saves water and builds healthy soil by taking and burying logs under the soil to act as a sponge. Think of the rich, black humus-rich dirt of a forest floor. Decay is the basis of life. It’s an intentional way to create the same product.

Lasagna gardening is where you build your layers of soil as if you’re making a big Pyrex container of ricotta cheese and pasta goodness. The cardboard strips are the noodles and the litter and compost the cheese. You can pile layer upon layer and, over time, the layers merge together into a rich, dark soil. Both methods seek to build up poor soil without applying chemicals while decreasing soil erosion and nutrient depletion that comes with years of tilling.

Hügelkultur is especially great for gardens in high drought areas where the decaying wood can act soak and hold water.

First let me tell you the success version of this story: all of our

hard work paid off. Our hybrid form of these two techniques really does save water. I have a whole section of my garden devoted to flowers I grow to sell at the Dardanelle Farmers Market. And I don’t believe in wasting water (my father sets on the rural water board, and I know what a vital a resource this is). Thanks to hügelkultur, I only water my garden two to three times a week.

On weeks when it rains I may not water at all. And I have plenty of flowers to sell every week. The sorghum — a crop my grandfa-

OVER

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

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

ther also planted — is thriving, too. But it doesn’t always work so well, especially for potatoes during flood season. I lost all of my potatoes and most of my onions during the June floods when my already wet soil became a wetland area. As for the lasagna aspects, it does take multiple gardening seasons for this nutrient soil building process to really change the soil. This first year was a mixed bag when it comes to vegetables. But it was expected.

We’re lucky enough to enter our gardening work with the ability to engage in a little trial and error. My own grandfather, who also gardened on this land, wasn’t so lucky. Times were harder and he needed money. I have been given gifts beyond measure, and I figure one small way I can pay them forward is by making sure I leave this place better than I found it. For some people, that might mean a fancy house or a well-maintained, manicured lawn. To me, that means a place that can feed people, a dedication to do right by the land and support winged creatures who pollinate the plants that give us life.

My favorite part about the whole process has been, well, the process. The wood we put on the bottom layer was gathered from the fallen limbs of trees around our house and from the storm-damaged branches fallen from my Uncle Junior’s property under the hill.

Every Friday, when I cut my flowers for market, I think about how the decaying limbs sustaining their growth came from trees my late grandfather and grandmother and great uncle knew. The

chicken litter comes from our neighbors and our own flock. The soil at the base of it all was the same soil my grandfather worked.

I tell our kids these stories over and over again while our family works to create the layers. When it comes time to fry up some okra — one of the crops that has thrived this year — I know it’s growing from a mystery centuries old, something deep down in the dirt.

What’s there to do about the river valley?

ARTWALK.

www.lizchrisman.com

*Artwalk is the perfect excuse to get downtown.

The first Friday in March, June, September & December.

SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

37

COMMUNITY LEADERS

...

Danielle HOUSENICK

AGE: 41 OCCUPATION: Executive director of Main

Street Russellville

HOMETOWN: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We’ve

lived in Russellville for more than a decade FAMILY: Husband Christopher (yes, Dr. Housenick at Tech), daughters Paige and Molly

1

What is your favorite book and why?

I have many favorites, but one that stands out to me is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. The author explores love, loss, and the human experience in a magical way. It is beautifully written; I really feel as though I can escape into the story.

2

Dog or cat?

Both - as long the pet is a rescue! Cats have more purr-sonality and contrary to what some people believe they are very loyal.

When it comes to dogs, retired racing greyhound.

My husband and I were owned by one before we had kids. Greyhounds have a sensitive, independent spirit… much like a cat.

3

What's the best thing about living in the River Valley?

The people and community. I am a life member of Junior Auxiliary of Russellville.

During my active years I was constantly impressed by the generosity and dedication here. I still see it today. We take care of one another and that makes this a great place to live.

4 Photo by LIZ CHRISMAN 38

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ SEPTEMBER 2019

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

When I was in junior high I had a poem published. I don’t write poetry now, but when I was in high school I participated in a program at the University of Pittsburgh to study and write poetry.

5

What is your favorite music genre and artist?

I am really digging Knox Hamilton right now since they played the concert downtown in July. My mom loves Motown — The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Supremes — so I listened to that growing up and still enjoy it. I like classic rock and what many would call hippie music: Phish, The Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule. I missed seeing Jerry Garcia live, but I have seen all the other members of the Grateful Dead perform.

I enjoy bluegrass too. Many people don’t realize that before the Grateful Dead Jerry played bluegrass.

6

What do you nerd out on?

Reading, writing, knitting and yarn, and the TV show Parks and Recreation. Leslie Knope is my spirit guide.

7

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

I would like to see people be more open minded and respectful of one another.

Let’s embrace our differences, learn from one another, and treat each other well. Treating others with respect, kindness, and civility is far more productive than rudeness or yelling.

8

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

That’s easy — Russellville Downtown.

We have such a rich and vibrant downtown. There are plenty of shops to browse or buy and of course the Train Depot and Depot Park. I love when kids come into the depot and a train goes by while they are here, they are so overjoyed.

9

Pizza, tacos, cheeseburger, or fried chicken?

Barbecue. It’s my favorite food group. Barbecue is a food that takes time to create and really perfect. I also love that it can vary depending on the region where it is made. The history of how barbecue started and has evolved in America is fascinating. If no barbecue is around, I would choose pizza — New York style.

10

What is your favorite quote?

Could be from an inspirational person or an original.

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Aside from almost everything Mr. Fred Rogers has said, here are two of mine: “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” ~ Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; “There’s nothing we can’t do if we work hard, never sleep, and shirk all other responsibilities in our lives.” ~ Leslie Knope

BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE

317 W. B STREET RUSSELLVILLE, AR

Fall is the Best Time for Planting!

The Scarlet Locke Hair Lounge has space available for an experienced and fun sylist with clientele. Booth space is $85.00 per week.

We are in the heart of downtown Russellville and the only salon with a full beverage bar.

Call 479-747-3111 for more information.

Farm Bureau knows how to stretch the dollar.

One more reason to become a Farm Bureau member.

Russellville • 1805 East Parkway 479-968-1361 LEARN MORE: www.arfb.com/member-benefits/ SEPTEMBER 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

39