ABOUT | May 2016 by ABOUT the River Valley Magazine

FRENCHIFIED SOUTHERN

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley May 2016

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RUSSELLVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Class of 2016 Congratulations to our graduates Russellville School District is very proud of the hard work and accomplishments of this year’s graduating class. Out of the 329 students graduating this year, approximately 84 percent of RHS seniors will attend a four-year or two-year college. Graduation is a time to commemorate your achievements, anticipate future opportunities, and embrace a world of infinite possibilities. RSD wishes all of our graduates the best as they embark on the beginning of a bright future.

Russellville School District ■ 220 West 10th Street ■ Russellville, AR. 72801 ■ 479.968.1306 ■ www.russellvilleschools.net

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

905 E. MAIN, RUSSELLVILLE • 479.968.7071 1003 S. ROGERS, CLARKSVILLE • 479.754.7075 MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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

M AY 2 0 1 6 E D I T I O N

Pg16

Pg8

Pg22

8 Frenchified Southern

Robert Mullins’ eyes are locked in a perpetual smile. It’s a knowing smile accented by arching brows and framed with flattop rectangle glasses. It’s as though he knows a secret that he wants to share with you, but he’s not sure you can handle it.

14 Dad-pattern baldness

You say kebab and I say kabob

18 Sunday in the South

22 Through the glass

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

Writing poetry became a passion for Randy Smith after major surgery seemingly opened up the inspirational flood gates. He now has a new career and life as a writer on the other side of retirement.

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MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

A PAGE FROM

The Editor’s Notebook

Where I come from

Introductions always require some sort of history about yourself in order for the new acquaintance to get a feel for who you are. The standards include something about what you do, which I always thought was an odd way of asking about your occupation. I mean, I do a lot of stuff — I write and hike and hunt and fish and take photos and waste a lot of time daydreaming and so on. That’s who I am. I sit in a privileged position. My occupational responsibilities often overlap with things that make me who I am. But maybe we should all start answering the “what do you do” question with a list of what defines us instead of where we work. Something to think about there. The other most common question is “where are you from?” This is probably the first question after introductions. It’s often used as a way to form a connection with the person you’re meeting. For example, in the course of meeting someone new the other day we both trotted out “where are you from” and I discovered that this gentleman was from Pottsville. I dug around a little more and found out that we knew a few of the same folks. Just those connections made me feel more comfortable. But when he asked me the question in return, I paused. I was born in Dardanelle Hospital. The first four years of my life were lived in Hector. I grew up in Atkins. I lived north of Morrilton for two years as a young adult. And I’ve been a Dover resident for going on 19 years now. I can even reach out beyond the River Valley and claim that I know and/or are related to a large percentage of folks in southern Newton County, and that I feel just as much at home sitting on the porch of the old house behind Whoda-thought-it store near Lurton as I do gazing at the crumbled steps of Granny Payton’s now demolished home on Bells Chapel Road. Suddenly, I felt like a man with no country. Where am I from? The answer came as “grew up in Atkins and now live in Dover,” but even as the words spilled out I knew that didn’t really cover it. And that sums up the way I feel about my origins. I’m from this place, something more than a collection of municipalities and school districts. It’s a marvelous place filled with natural wonders and good people, and it’s home. I’m not sure if I can work all that into the next introduction. But I’ll give it a try.

Johnny Carrol Sain, Editor johnny@aboutrvmag.com

Celebrating a Decade of Character in the Arkansas River Valley A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XI, Issue 4 – MAY 2016

DIANNE EDWARDS | founding editor JOHNNY CARROL SAIN | managing editor johnny@aboutrvmag.com BENITA DREW | advertising benita@aboutrvmag.com CHRISTINE SAIN | advertising christine@aboutrvmag.com MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS | freelance meredith@aboutrvmag.com SARAH CHENAULT | freelance sarah@aboutrvmag.com LYDIA ZIMMERMAN | columnist lydia@aboutrvmag.com LIZ CHRISMAN | photography lizchrismanphoto@gmail.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. Material contained in this issue may not be copied or reproduced without written consent. Inquiries may be made by calling (479) 219-5031. Office: 220 East 4th Street Email: info@aboutrvmag.com Postmaster: Please send address changes to: One14 Productions 220 East 4th Street Russellville, AR 72801

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS: MAY 2016

May 1 — WPA Walk at Mount Magazine State Park from 10 - 11 a.m. at the Benefield Picnic Area. In 1938 the Works Progress Administration labored to improve Mount Magazine into a recreational resort. Evidence of their efforts can be found on several trails. Take a 1-mile guided walk to find historic sites hidden by time and nature. Admission is free. For more information contact 963-8502. May 5 — Lake Cruise on Lake Dardanelle from 3 - 4 p.m. Admission is free. Meeting Place: Weigh-In Pavilion. Explore the wonders of Lake Dardanelle and the Arkansas River aboard the state park tour boat (weather permitting). Enjoy abundant wildlife, amazing history, and astounding views of the river valley throughout this 1-hour cruise. Space is limited and you must register for the tour. Call 967-5516 to register for a seat. Boarding begins 15 minutes before the tour at the boat dock near the south boat ramp. May 6 & 7 — Free State of Yell… Yell Fest 2016. Carnival rides, arts and crafts, and more. For more information contact 229-3328.

May 7 — The Johnson County Festival de Mayo. A showcase of cultural diversities through live music, dance performances, beauty pageants, ethnic vendors, games and much more. Fun for the entire family. For more information contact 754-2340. May 14 — Arkansas Heritage Day at Petit Jean State Park from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. May is Arkansas Heritage Month. Discover the state’s rich heritage in Arkansas’s first state park. From Native American Indian life to the era of the Civilian Conservation Corps, Petit Jean State Park is a place rich with the influence of the past. Admission is free. For more information contact (501) 727-5441. May 18 — River Valley Health Expo at the Hughes Community Center in Russellville from 8 a.m.- 1 p.m. All healthrelated businesses and groups in the River Valley are invited to be represented at this free community event. Although sponsored by the River Valley Senior Networking Group, the Health Expo is open to all age groups. $20 booth fee for vendors. For more informations contact 890-6709 or 280-9450

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*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.

May 20 & 21 — Atkins Picklefest 2016. Mr. Dill Pickle and Miss Sweet Pickle, pickle juice drinking and pickle eating contests, food and craft vendors, and a rodeo. For more information contact 747-0122. May 22 — Buffalo River Heritage Festival, from 2-6 p.m. at the Jasper Square and Nelm’s Art Gallery. For more information contact 870-446-2455.

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479-498-2400 MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

Frenchified Southern

Rob Mullins has spent a lifetime working toward this clever take on Southern cuisine. He just didn’t know it.

Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

Robert Mullins’ eyes are locked in a perpetual smile. It’s a knowing smile accented by arching brows and framed with flat-top rectangle glasses. There is a sense of vulpine character in the eyes. It’s as though he knows a secret that he wants to share with you, but he’s not sure you can handle it.

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

He’s quick and energetic, both physically and mentally. A blur in burnt orange on the night of our interview, darting to stove then to stainless steel preparation counter, he rarely stops to contemplate. It’s an intuition borne of past food-prep experiences and a creative buzz that almost audibly hums. And then there’s that something else, something different about him that even he can’t quite put his finger on. “Yeah, I’m weird,” said Robert, “that’s for sure.” The words that come to mind are resourceful, clever, efficient — vulpine indeed. Robert, or Rob, as he’s known to anyone beyond an introduction, and his wife Kim, are the owners of something remarkably and wonderfully new in the River Valley. It’s a Clarksville restaurant called Fox & Fork. But Rob is more than head chef and restauranteur. He is also a modern-day renaissance man, a fellow that at age 40-something — “I am 42… I’m 42? Or I might be 41. I lost track,” said Rob — is blazing his own trail through previously unexplored territory in rural Arkansas. Rob has created a whole new type of cuisine right here in the River Valley. Food and the restaurant scene is, of course, central to the Rob story, but there are some interesting nuggets of history indirectly and directly related to the creation of Fox & Fork and “Frenchified Southern” food, which is how Rob describes his culinary creations.

MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

The creative process, whether it involves writing, painting, music or cooking is hallmarked by the the curious mind. And Rob’s curious mind was on full display in college. “I did entomology for a while. I was kind of on a premed circuit and then that went to bugs, and that went to pre-dental, and then pre-dental went to business and I finally graduated one credit short of having my biology degree,” said Rob. He wished professional student could have been a career option. “I was really good at that,” said Rob. But simmering in the background of a busy academic life was one passion — cooking. “This is what I did for fun the whole time I was in school,” said Rob. “I cooked food.” It was the early 90s, and while Rob was in college at Rogers State University, he was working at a restaurant in nearby Tulsa called Molly’s Landing. That’s where Rob’s love affair with the restaurant culture blossomed. The culinary scene with its demand for artistic creativity and precision melding of various elements into delectable masterpieces was where he felt most complete. From Molly’s Landing, Rob moved on to Venice Gardens under the tutelage of Oklahoma master chef, Jim Hammett. All the ingredients for high-end food appreciation and the soonto-come media behind it were marinating during this time. The craft beer phenomenon was in its infancy. Anthony Bourdain was still a relative unknown but the Food Network was launching. A distinguishing palate, the “foodie culture,” and rockstar chefs to satisfy that culture were just emerging. After years of toiling in relative obscurity, the cooks in the back — those culinary geniuses 10

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

with singed knuckles and knife-nicked thumbs — were becoming cool. “And what sucked was that’s about the time I exited,” said Rob. “All this artisan stuff just started and I hear this voice in the back of my head saying ‘You’ve got to go to college. You’ve got to get a degree. You’ve got to make $100,000.’ ” And so it was off to a “real job” in manufacturing and then back to school as Rob tacked on another two years for a business degree and then a move to Arkansas for his masters in IT. Any creative cooking outlets would be outside the professional realm. So he started cooking at home. Kim was the head Mullins cook for the first years of their marriage. But after Rob got his second degree things changed. “Kim would buy all these kitchen gadgets, and I was like, all you need is a knife,” said Rob. “I finally pulled up a trash can and opened up the cabinets and started throwing all that stuff away. I was kind of mad. And Kim said, ‘If you throw all that stuff away I’m not cooking another thing.’ I said, ‘deal.’ It started off funny and then it got real.”

“You know, I just need to blow off steam after work. I need a place to fry something up.”

Necessity is said to be the mother of invention, and a lot of Rob’s creative cooking came from a need to stretch dollars. He would buy pork shoulder, an inexpensive cut of meat, and make pulled pork sandwiches for the kids to munch on through the week. But his own tastebuds also contributed. “I was going to Starbucks sucking down coffee, and we were poor and I couldn’t afford a cookie,” said Rob. “And it was driving me crazy that biscotti, this little cookie, was a buck fifty.” So he went home and made his own biscotti. You know there’s going to be more to the story after someone goes home and makes biscotti from scratch. Normal folks don’t just go home and make biscotti. But nothing dramatic happened for a while. Rob had a business education to attend to. Kim’s ties to Clarksville are what brought the Mullins to the River Valley, though, the mechanism was unfortunate. Kim’s grandmother passed away in December of 2003 leaving an empty Clarksville house in need of caretakers. Rob graduated with a business degree in May of 2004 in need of a master’s degree. So the couple decided to relocate the family. They moved into Kim’s grandmother’s house while Rob pursued his master’s degree at Arkansas Tech University. New in town and looking for a place to decompress, Rob and Kim were pining for a coffee shop when they found the KXIO Coffee House nestled in downtown Clarksville. “We scraped together some change to get some coffee, and we sat on a couch and looked around and thought — man, this would be an awesome restaurant.” It was another subtle and unspectacular observation, one of those markers along the road of life that we notice only in the rearview mirror. The years rolled along. As the Mullins’ son, Grant, hit his teenage years he chose the KXIO Coffeehouse as his hang out spot, drinking coffee — “he’s a coffee snob,” said Rob — and singing karaoke. And one day Rob and Kim thought they ought to check out what their son found so appealing about the little coffee shop/ radio station. “So we came up and met Jody [the coffee house owner at the time],” said Kim, “and started talking about the coffee house. He told us his story, and about the business and even took us on a tour in the back. Showed us the kitchen and all.” This was in June of 2015. Another foreshadowing moment lost on all at the time, but this was the big one. This was the catalyst. “So we get about half way home,” said Rob. “And I say, ‘You know, I just need to blow off steam after work. I need a place to fry something up.’ ” >> MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

Kim was all for it. “I said, ‘Why don’t you ask him [Jody] about taking over the kitchen or just cook on the weekends?’ ” said Kim. Rob thought that sounded weird, but Kim wasn’t letting him off the hook. “I told him that if he doesn’t do it now he’d never do it.” They drove back and talked with a puzzled Jody. “So I told him I just needed a place to cook,” said Rob. “But Jody said he didn’t want to do that. He wanted to sell me the place.” Rob and Kim balked at first, but the simmer had turned to a boil and the Mullins could not find a reason to say no. Fox & Fork opened July 6, 2015. The opening was also the world’s first introduction to Frenchified Southern cooking. Though it is a product of the region,

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

the sophisticated flavors are quite different from anything served anywhere else statewide. Factoring in the history of Fox & Fork’s physical location — the KXIO/coffee shop/bar — it was quite a shock to Clarksville. So how long did it take for people to like the fancy food? “Uh… they never did,” said Rob. “We had to build a whole new clientele.” So the Bud Light tap and pizza oven was closed permanently. In its place, customers found caprese salad and a meatloaf dish unlike anything you’ve ever known or thought about meatloaf. “We’re educating the palates of the River Valley,” said Rob. Despite the challenges, Rob thinks this new venture is starting up in exactly the right location. “Clarksville is a very interesting place,” said Rob. “There’s a lot of art and a lot of music. It’s kind of cool to be here right now. I think we’re kind of in our infancy here as far as being known. I think this is the beginning of something.” But what about the name? How did the words “fox” and “fork” meld in Rob’s mind to somehow mean good food? “I’ve always been into foxes,” said Rob. “But it all came together with this little… uh… let me go get him.” Rob scurried toward the kitchen as he was talking, but Kim filled us in on “who” Rob was getting. “Rob found this fox on Etsy,” said Kim. “It was handmade by a woman in Lithuania.” Rob returned with a scruffy looking stuffed animal. “So every time Kim would ask me what I wanted for Christmas or my birthday I would say I wanted Bandit Fox,” said Rob, holding tight to his much loved Bandit Fox. Bandit Fox took on his own persona even before he came to live in the Mullins home. “Anytime there was something that kind of exciting happened to us we were like ‘Wooo, Bandit Fox,’” said Rob with dash of drama. “it was kind of stupid, but…” Rob’s wants came at an unfortunate time, though. “This is when we didn’t have two pennies to rub together,” said Kim, “and Rob wanted this stupid fox, a stuffed animal.” But Kim finally caved and brought Bandit Fox to America. And now Bandit Fox has his own Instagram hashtag and has inspired what could be one of Arkansas’s signature restaurants. ABOUT photographer Liz Chrisman was on hand during Rob’s interview and quickly

cut to the chase: “Is Bandit Fox a totem for you?” Rob and Kim responded with a laugh. But neither gave an answer. The atmosphere, the name and logo, and the stuffed Lithuanian fox all work together to give the restaurant an essence of Old World rustic. “I wanted to capture a theme that says Frenchified Southern with a woodsy feel,” said Rob. “The only thing I would change would be to bring in actual trees. I want you to feel like you’re walking to the outside. I don’t know if we’ll ever get there, but that’s what we want to do.” The menu, unique for the state and exclusive to the River Valley, pushes this theme further with entrees like chicken of the woods and the foxy BLT. The short term goals at Fox & Fork include more farm to table offerings. “Trying to source local food is very difficult here,” said Rob. “I’m just now making some contacts. Going

into spring and summer I’m planning on it being great. I’ve got some tomatoes people are growing for me. If I could find a local source for meat that would be great, and having a USDA butcher would be great, too.” Rob said he’s looking to create a taste of the region by preparing his unique interpretation of locally grown food. Just last month, Rob quit his day job in IT work at a Clarksville business. Now that Fox & Fork is more than a side, Rob has found his appetite for the place even more insatiable. Even during the hours and days he’s scheduled himself off duty, he just can’t leave. “In spring and summer mornings I’ll be out here on the deck drinking coffee and reading magazines looking for ideas,” said Rob, “just watching the life of Clarksville.” Life in Clarksville is certainly looking delicious these days. l

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MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

EVERY DAY LIFE

Dad-pattern baldness

Story by SARAH CHENAULT | Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS

As the school year winds down, regimented morning routines tend to mellow, and the manic production of getting kids to school on time becomes less frenzied. The mood of the AM hours gets a boost with the arrival of warmer temperatures and brighter skies. One spring morning, as my son and I were preparing to leave the house, he asked if we could go eat breakfast at a restaurant. The words “not today sweetie, it’s a school day” nearly left my mouth when I decided to reconsider. Raff was so used to eating a bagel or breakfast sandwich, or anything else that could be eaten quickly with little mess. I remember craving those moments of spontaneity and adventure as a kid and being thrilled with something so trivial as just a break from the mundane. Why not? He could be a little late for school on occasion, I reasoned. “That sounds like a great idea! Where would you like to go?” Raff was ecstatic. He immediately suggested Cracker Barrel and off we went. When we made it to the restaurant, we were shown to a table and began to peruse the menu. The waitress arrived with a smile and delicious biscuits. She took our order of pancakes, orange juice and coffee and whisked back to the kitchen. Raff chattered on about his friends at school. He talked about his teacher, Mrs. Staggs. And he told me all about how to play with 14

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

ABOUT...the River Valley

Pokemon cards, which still does not make any sense to me. I listened patiently and was glad I had agreed to breakfasting in a restaurant, spending this precious time with my son. Our food arrived quickly and after every last bit of pancake was eaten Raff was a sticky mess. I remembered our waitress bringing extra napkins to our table, but what had happened to them? I lifted up both of our plates to see if our napkins were underneath, but they were not. I glanced around to see if I could spot our server, but she was no where to be found. “I think you dropped your napkins.” I looked up to see an older man approaching our table with a kind smile. I looked down and sure enough, they were on the floor. “I’ll get them for you.” he said. “Thank you very much!” I replied. The man stooped down to fetch the fallen napkins, and the shiny top of his balding head was eye-level with Raff. I saw Raff’s eyes grow round as he peered at the man’s head. The man rose up and placed our napkins on the corner of our table. Before I could thank him again, Raff blurted out “What happened to your head? There’s a big round spot right on top with no hair!” I blanched. I was so embarrassed! The older man winked at me and then turned back to Raff. “I know... Do you want to know how that bald spot came to be?” Raff nodded, eyes alight with curiosity. “Well,” said the man, “I had three boys just like you once. They’re grown now, but when they were younger, they were awfully ornery. And every time they were naughty, or didn’t obey me or their mother, a hair would fall out. And through the years, I lost a whole lot of hair.” Raff looked at the man, his eyes as round as saucers. “They must have been naughty pretty often, huh?” Raff said, peering at the man’s stark crown. “Yes, they were. But you’re a good boy, and you aren’t naughty very often, I bet,” the man said, throwing another wink in my direction. He obviously doesn’t know my child, I thought to myself with a smirk. Raff glanced my way then back at the man, realization dawning on his face. “Oh no,” he said. “That’s what’s happening to my dads hair!” The gentleman and I both burst out laughing, and he ruffled Raff’s hair, told him to be a good boy, and bid us a good day. I cleaned all the stickiness off Raff’s cheeks, paid for our breakfast, and headed to the elementary school. A few days later, Raff was not minding so I sent him upstairs to his room and asked his father to have a talk with him. “Raff is acting strange,” Josh said, coming back downstairs. “How so?” I asked. “Well as soon as I sat down on his bed to talk to him, he started rubbing my head and telling me it was his fault that I was going to look like some man at Cracker Barrel. What is he talking about?” I tried to stifle my laughter. “I cant imagine.” l

Millyn’s

We’re in our new store in our old location in Dardanelle!

Come see our new store and shop our fabulous gifts for moms of all ages. Special Mother's Day pricing on • All Cookware • All Fragrance candles: potpourri, bath, melts • All Gourmet Chocolates • All Jewelry and Scarves • All Salem Baking Cheese Straws

Millyn’s

(479) 229-4144 | Front Street, Dardanelle | www.millyns.com C A L L M I L LY N ’ S F O R W E D D I N G G I F T S

WE TOOK ALL THE FEAR OUT OF BUYING FRAGRANCE. Mixologie is a collection of 8 expertly crafted rollerball fragrances designed to be blended and layered to create personalized perfumes. Start with the fun recipes that are included, or go off on your own. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

BLEND IT. LAYER IT. LOVE IT.

2149 East Parkway | Russellville | 479-890-6932 MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

VALLEY VITTLES

ABOUT...the River Valley

You say kebab and I say kabob

Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

BRANGUS STEAK HOUSE | 1509 E Main Street, Russellville

All meat on a stick is not the same. There is a difference between shish kebab and shish kabob. Kebab is a Turkish word that means “roasted meat.” The Turkish word for “skewer” is shish so any meat on a stick is a shish kebab. Shish kabob, however, is a Western dish of meat sliced into cubes and stacked alternately with vegetables, most often onions and bell peppers, on a wooden skewer and grilled over an open fire. Shish kabob is traditionally eaten right off the stick but kebab can be eaten any way you want. Most of us eat kabob pulled off the stick. We pile it on a plate and then recreate that savory stacking with a fork — stab a slice of onion, then a hunk of steak and cap it off with a chunk of pepper. There are no three foods that work better together. Knowing the difference between “kebab” and “kabob” might not matter 16

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

in the course of dining out in the River Valley, but just think about how worldly and cosmopolitan you’re going to sound as you inform dining companions about the distinctions. And what better meal to pontificate on vowel-influenced nuances when describing grilled steak on skewer than grilled steak on a skewer? You can get your conversation meal at Brangus Steakhouse. But you might be too busy eating and enjoying to talk. Seasoned grilled steak embraced on either side with onions and green bell peppers, and accompanied by salad and sweet potato is an interesting and mouthwatering journey for your tastebuds. You can eat it on the stick or stacked on the fork. There will be no spelling tests after the meal. l

MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

COUNTERTOP CREATIONS

ABOUT...the River Valley

THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN OF YOUR LIFE 2 whole chickens (4 lbs each) cut into 10 pieces (2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs, the breast cut into 4) 1 carton of buttermilk (about a qt) 10 dashes Tabasco sauce Salt 3 c all-purpose flour 1 T garlic powder 1 T smoked paprika 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 T dried thyme 1 T freshly ground pepper 1 T cumin 1 T (insert any other spice you’d like here) Vegetable, Canola, or Peanut oil Honey (for serving)

Sunday in the South Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor

omfort foods are familiar, simple foods that are usually home-cooked or eaten at informal restaurants. They are foods that are often emotionally significant to a person or group of people and are sometimes related to pleasant memories of childhood. I was listening to the radio recently and heard a song popular in my youth: Sunday in the South by the band Shenandoah. This song always makes me think about Sunday lunches with the family. We would get together to visit and eat the wonderful meal my mother and grandmother would prepare. Since we were a big family, there was always a variety of food in large amounts to satisfy even the most picky eaters. I realize now that the menu consisted of several Southern “comfort foods.” As the term suggests, it is home-cooked food that is comforting to those who consume it. As I was growing up it was considered proper Southern etiquette to take food to a grieving family or someone who recently had a hospital stay to help out. My mother did this often and instilled in me the importance of doing this for others. I have collected some Southern comfort food recipes (some with an added twist) for this month’s issue that I am sure will proudly grace any Southern Sunday lunch table. As always, enjoy! 18

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

Start, if you can, the day before (or at least a few hours ahead) by marinating the cut-up chicken in the buttermilk spiked with the Tabasco sauce and a few pinches of salt. Stir it all around with your hands, make sure the chicken is coated, and then refrigerate. An hour before you’re ready to fry, remove the chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Meanwhile, make your flour mixture by whisking the flour with all of those spices. OK, it’s fry time. Pour oil into a cast iron skillet so it comes 1/3rd of the way up. Heat on high heat and begin checking the temperature with a thermometer; it’s ready when it hits 350. Meanwhile, get someone to help you: lift the chicken out of the buttermilk, scrape off any excess, and have your friend sprinkle the chicken with a little salt before you drop it in the flour. Repeat with a few more pieces of chicken. Then, coat the chicken in the flour mixture, shake off any excess, and careful lower into the 350 degree oil. Add chicken pieces until the oil comes 1/2 up the side of the skillet; any more, and things could get dangerous. Fry the chicken in there for a few minutes, then flip over, watching and flipping every so often, until the chicken is a beautiful burnished brown all over and a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165. Remove the chicken to a cooling rack with clean tongs and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the rest of your chicken (**SEE NOTE BELOW) and then serve with some honey, in case people like honey with their fried chicken. I know that I do. Preparation time: 30 minute(s) ** Save 3 T of the oil the chicken was fried in for next recipe. Recipe courtesy of amateurgourmet.com

MOM’S CHOCOLATE PIE 1 1/2 c sugar + 3/4 c (for meringue) 1/3 c corn starch 4 rounded T of baking cocoa 3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue) 2 c milk 2 T butter 1 prepared pie crust

Cook zucchini in boiling water just until tender-crisp. Drains and salt. Combine egg yolks,sour cream and flour. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Layer half each of zucchini, egg mixture, cheese, then bacon in a 9 X 13-inch pan. Repeat layers. Mix butter and bread crumbs; sprinkle of the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serves 8-10.

Measure and stir together 1 1/2 c sugar, corn starch and baking powder into a medium sauce pan. Whisk egg yolks until slightly beaten. Add egg yolks and milk to saucepan. Stir mixture well. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Add butter and stir until butter melts and is blended in chocolate mixture. For a nice change I like to add a few slices of Terry’s Chocolate Orange or Raspberry chocolate to my chocolate mixture when I add the butter. You can sometimes find this in the candy isle around christmas. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour chocolate mixture into ready made pie crust.

SLOW COOKER RED BEANS & RICE 1 lb dried red beans 3/4 lb smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced 3 celery ribs, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 sweet onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 T Creole seasoning Hot cooked long-grain rice Hot sauce (optional) Garnish: finely chopped green onions, finely chopped red onion

Meringue 3 egg whites (saved from pie recipe) 1 pinch of salt 3/4 c sugar 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract In a prechilled large mixing bowl pour egg whites and a pinch of salt. Beat whites and

salt on low speed with a hand mixer until they are frothy then increase to medium speed. Slowly start adding 1 T sugar at a time to whites as you continue to beat them. Beat until whites are stiff and form peaks. Spoon meringue over chocolate pie and speed evenly meeting the edges of the crust. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1520 minutes or until meringue has browned. Recipe courtesy of Mrs. Wilma Gray (Lydia Zimmerman’s Mom) ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE 6 c zucchini, thinly sliced and unpeeled 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1 c sour cream 2 T flour 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese 6 slices bacon, fried crisp and drained 1 T butter, melted 1/4 c bread crumbs

Combine first 8 ingredients and 7 cups water in a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender. Serve red bean mixture with hot cooked rice, and, if desired, hot sauce. Garnish, if desired. Recipe courtesy of Southern Living December 2009 >>

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of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the corn bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the skillet to a rack and let the corn bread cool for about 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Recipe courtesy of foodandwine.com

SKILLET CORNBREAD WITH CORN RELISH 1 stick unsalted butter 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour 3/4 c stone-ground yellow or white cornmeal 1 T baking powder 1 T sugar 2 tsp kosher salt 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/4 c milk 1 1/2 c well-drained Corn Relish with Roasted Peppers Preheat the oven to 425°. Heat a 10-in cast-iron skillet over low heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a large glass measuring cup, melt the remaining 6 T of butter in a microwave oven. Whisk in the eggs and milk until blended. Add the liquid ingredients and the Corn Relish to the cornmeal mixture and stir with a spatula just until the batter is evenly moistened. Scrape the batter into the hot skillet and spread it evenly. Bake in the center

LYDIA’S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS 2 cans chicken broth 1 can cream of celery soup water (enough to fill stock pot to 1/2 full) 4 Wyler’s Chicken With Herbs & Spices Bouillon Cubes 1 T garlic salt, to taste 1 T onion salt, to taste 1 T fresh ground pepper 1 T Cavender’s greek seasoning, to taste 2 T parsely flakes, dried and chopped 1 sprig fresh rosemary 3 lg. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast shredded 4 cans biscuits (8 per/can) In a large stock pot whisk together chicken broth and celery soup. Add enough water into pot to fill to 1/2 full, then add bouillon cubes. Turn heat on under pot to medium and add seasonings to pot. Stir well and heat to boiling. Mean while, in another pot place chicken breasts and fill with water to cover. Place over medium heat and cook until done. Remove chicken from pot and shred into pieces. Add to broth pot. Pour broth into a large crock pot, set on high. Remove biscuits from can and cut into 8 pieces. Place pieces into crock pot and stir frequently. After all of the biscuits pieces are in the pot, stir once

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more and cover with lid. Stir frequently while dumplings are cooking. After 2 hours, turn crockpot on low and continue to cook for an additional 1-2 hours. Serve with fresh homemade bread. KING RANCH CHICKEN MAC & CHEESE 1/2 (16-oz.) package cellentani (macaroni) pasta 2 T butter 1 medium onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles 1 (8-oz.) package pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed 3 c chopped cooked chicken 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup 1/2 c sour cream 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 1/2 c (6 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and green chiles and prepared cheese product; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, next 4 ingredients, and hot cooked pasta until blended. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 10-in cast-iron skillet or 11- x 7-in baking dish; sprinkle with shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. Recipe courtesy of Southern Living magazine January 2012

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BUTTERSCOTCH BANANA PUDDING PIE 74 vanilla wafers (1 [11-oz.] package), divided 1/2 c finely chopped toasted pecans 1/2 c butter, melted 2 (1.4-oz.) chocolate-covered toffee candy bars, finely chopped 2 lg ripe bananas, sliced Butterscotch Filling 4 lg egg whites 1/2 c sugar Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse 44 vanilla wafers in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until coarsely crushed. (Yield should be about 2 cups.) Stir together crushed wafers,

pecans, and butter until blended. Firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack; sprinkle candy bars over crust. Cool completely (about 30 minutes). Arrange bananas over candy bars. Prepare Filling, and spread half of hot filling over bananas; top with 20 vanilla wafers in a single layer. Spread remaining hot filling over wafers. (Filling will be about 1/4 inch higher than crust.) Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Spread meringue over hot filling, sealing edges. Insert remaining 10 vanilla wafers halfway into meringue around outer edge of pie. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to a wire rack. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Chill 4 to 6 hours or until firm. Recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com/ Southern Living July 2013

HEALING FRENCH ONION SOUP 2 c thinly sliced onions 2 T dry sherry, dry wine or non-alcoholic wine 3 c beef broth, defatted 1 can of chicken broth 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 T unsalted butter 2 tsp of fresh chopped thyme 1/2 tsp sugar 1 clove of garlic pinch of cayenne pepper Sliced green onion tops (optional) In a large saucepan, combine the onions, sugar and butter. Cook until caramelized. Add sherry or wine. Cook and stir until the onions are tender. Add the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add chopped clove of garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add herbs. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. If desired, sprinkle with the green onion tops. Continued on page 27...

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TIes R a P • S G S meETIN s e N I s U b NErs • N I d L a s r S • ReHea G N I d d e w

EeN! w t e b N I HING aNd aNYT

om c . e u q b r a b s 0 y 2 d 4 d 0 a 7 d 6 t 9 a f . 9 w 7 w 4 w MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

Through the glass Randy Smith has a new career and life as a writer on the other side of retirement.

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

Story by SIERRA MURPHY | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

Randy Smith is a small-framed man with a twinkle in his eye and cheeky grin that would make you question his claim of being 64-years-old. This spring is Randy’s last as a janitor for the Clarksville high school. He’s been with the school, teachers and class after class of students for more than 30 years and plans on retiring at the end of the 2015-16 school year. His departure, he admits, is depressing. However, the vitality and life that Randy brought to the school will now be poured into his writing, a career he found himself slipping into just 10 years ago. Writing poetry became a passion for Randy after major surgery seemingly opened up the inspirational flood gates. Smith set about putting pen to paper and published his first collection of poems, “An Open Window,” shortly thereafter. Many of his pieces are inspired from his childhood, and many of those same experiences also inspired his children’s novels. Randy says he writes children’s books right now, but plans on publishing more poetry, short stories and hopes to publish a thriller, all after settling into retirement. MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

“Randy, you're a miracle. We knew you would be blind or paralyzed.” It didn't happen. SIERRA: How did you get your start in writing? RANDY: I started writing after brain surgery. SM: Can you tell me about the brain surgery? RS: I had to have brain surgery in 2005. I'm a miracle, I shouldn't be here talking to you, it was so bad. The summer after third grade I got hit with a baseball bat, right here, (motions to right temple). Complete accident. The thing was I'm a little guy and we didn't go to the doctor that often; we didn't have any money. Mom put an ice cube on it like here Randy, it will be all right. And it was okay for a long time. Only thing is, I flunked fourth grade. My grades went downhill after that. I couldn't comprehend things very well. But I read everything I got my hands on. Tom Sawyer, that grade level all the way through. I was an avid reader and that didn't affect me. The math went south, pretty much. And I think later I found out I'm a little dyslexic now. November 2005 I got out of the shower, and had the worst headache I've had in my life. Cheryl, my wife, took me to the hospital and I remember getting out of the truck. And I remember waking up on the operating table in Little Rock. The doctors were astounded because I woke up. I said “What we doing?” They said, “You're having brain surgery.” I said, “Not me!” I woke up in my recovery room and the doctor came in, he was 24

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

from Scotland. I will never forget he said, “Randy, you're a miracle. We knew you would be blind or paralyzed.” It didn't happen. SM: Wow. RS: Here I am recovering at home, January the third. I still remember the first poem I wrote: “Through the Glass.” I never wrote anything. I was sitting up by myself. Cheryl was asleep, I couldn't lay down, it hurt. The surgery bothered me. I felt this strange urge to get a pencil and a piece of paper. I was looking down, through the window — through the glass. I could see the moonlight in the shadows in the wood. Jan. 3, 2006 I became a poet. When I started writing poetry I thought I was going nuts. I really did. After the surgery, I started doing it and I thought I was losing my mind. Anyway, I would get any piece of paper I could get my hands on and start writing. My wife said, “Randy you're being consumed by this!” I said “I can't stop.” SM: I'm kind of an odd ball – when I started school at Tech I knew I wanted to be a journalist. However, I've heard stories about people getting into this field later on in life. Is that where you fall? RS: Now, of course. At the time I thought it was strange this would happen to me and I didn't know why. Something broke loose and all the things I had missed out on started coming to me. And I can see things with clarity in my mid. I understood things.

SM: How did you deal with that transition? RS: I didn't understand it and I thought there really was something else going on. I didn't make the connection to brain surgery until later. I noticed I would remember things and I could quote you whole poems. That's one of the things that changed me – I didn't used to be this outspoken. I was more reserved, and perhaps, Cheryl will tell you I might be just a little quick, a little short with someone, but not unkind. I've always been a kind and gentle person. The brain surgery enhanced that a little more. SM: Do you attribute these changes to the brain surgery? RS: A lot of it, yes. And I play the banjo. Before the brain surgery, I would be limited with how far I could go with it. I still consider myself mediocre, but the before and after is different. I understand more. SM: Would you say you dabble in all different sorts of writing? RS: Well there are some things I will not write. I don't do smut. Won't ever touch it. I love murder mysteries, but I don't know if I can write one. I like Sherlock Holmes; I'm an 1800s kind of a guy. I would never do gore. SM: What are your thoughts about retirement? RS: I have mixed emotions. It's like walking out of a house that you've lived with people for 32 years and not looking back. That’s hard. They're like my second family. >>

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You can't work beside somebody and develop a friendship for 32 years and not be emotional about it. If you can't be, there's something wrong with you. At the same time I can feel my body complaining. And I told them I don't want to be broke down and then retire. I'm 64-years-old. I want to pursue this more (points to book). I want to make a comment about the teachers at the school. When I first started writing the poetry I would take it to them and because my lacking of education in literature and the writing and sentence structure and combination and spelling, they would take my writing and they would tweak it. They would literally take time out of their day. Teachers at Clarksville high school took me under their wing and gave me an education.

SM: What are your plans after retirement? RS: We'll spend some time doing some things we want to do instead of swinging the hammer every day. It will be nice just to stay home. And when I write, I don't write at three in the afternoon, I write at two or three in the morning. Between distractions I have to have that quiet time. I've always been an early riser. SM: Can you narrow down what inspires you? RS: A lot of my stuff is because of what I did when I was 15-years-old and I got to where I remembered all of that stuff and it all started pouring back in. A lot of the poetry is nature, some of it's spiritual, some of it's just about human nature. I write a variety of poetry. I'm inspired by nature, I'm inspired by things that happened in my past. I

remember some of my own events and wrote them down in poetry form. SM: It seems like your poetry is very personal. RS: Yes it is. SM: What are you going to release next and when? RS: I would like to finish a novel sometime 2016. I'll also have another children's book. Then I've got children's rhymes. I've got other projects I'm working on that retirement will be nice to do. Writing is becoming my passion. Anyone wishing to purchase Randy’s work are encouraged to check Amazon or contact Randy personally on Facebook by searching R C Smith in Lamar, Arkansas. l

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clove and add to water. Slowly stir grits into boiling water; return to boiling; then reduce heat to med-low setting, cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, it will look watery. Whisk butter, parmesan cheese, salt and cheddar cheese together. Whisk in egg and add chopped green chiles. Pour into prepared dish and bake until just set in the center, 25-30 minutes. Serves 2.

...recipes cont. from page 21 CHEESE GRITS WITH GREEN CHILES 1 1/3 c water 1 garlic clove 1/3 quick grits 1 T cold better 1 T parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp salt 1 c grated sharp cheddar cheese 1 lg cold egg 1 sm can chopped green chiles

SOUTHERN BROWN GRAVY 3 T oil left from frying chicken or other meat 1/2 onion, minced 2-4 T flour, divided 1 c water, more if needed sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly grease small baking dish (3-4 c capacity). Measure water into medium saucepan. While water comes to a boil mash garlic

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Â Rewarm the oil in the skillet. Saute onion in the oil until tender. Once the onion is tender, add the flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is almost (but not quite) paste consistency; more like a chowder consistency. Constantly stir with spoon or fork until flour turns light to medium brown in color. Once flour turns the right color, add 1 cup water. Stir over medium-low heat until the mixture bubbles. Add more water if it gets thicker than desired. Season, to taste. Serve the gravy over meat, mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. This recipe may not be the healthiest, but it is awesome! l

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Dardanelle wins Arkansas Tech High School Business Challenge Dardanelle High School students Logan Cox and Taylor Salters captured first place and $500 in the 2016 Arkansas Tech University High School Business Challenge, which concluded on Friday, April 15, at Rothwell Hall in Russellville. The contest, which is presented by the Arkansas Tech College of Business, provides high school students with an opportunity to develop a marketable idea, create a business plan and then present the concept to a panel of judges. Arvest Bank and Pope County Farm Bureau sponsored the event. Brady Barton and Celeste Parker of Pottsville High School won second place and $250. The Dardanelle team was advised by teacher Divella Gray, while the Pottsville team was mentored by teacher Amy Rust. Other finalists who presented on Friday

were Russellville High School’s Shelby Freyaldenhoven and Luke Scott, who were advised by teacher Desha Lewis, and Dover High School’s Marina Pritchard and Savannah Wiegal, who were advised by teacher Rhonda Jacobs. Judges for the competition were Arvest Bank representatives Lacie Caughron, Zac Wesley and Vanessa Zavala.

BULLOCK RECEIVES NASA SUMMER FACULTY FELLOWSHIP

Dr. Daniel Bullock, associate professor of electrical engineering at Arkansas Tech University, has been selected as a faculty fellow in the NASA Marshall Space Flight

Center Faculty Fellowship program for summer 2016. During the 10-week fellowship, Bullock will work with NASA engineers to develop a satellite that will eventually rendezvous with a near Earth asteroid. His team will attempt to contribute to a greater knowledge of the asteroids as part of NASA’s longterm goal of sending a manned mission to explore the objects. “I hope that I can bring back some portion of the project to use for the electrical engineering senior design capstone course,” said Bullock. “I also want to learn more about the NASA design process and be able to share that with our engineering students.”

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Bullock will have an opportunity to work with the near Earth asteroids scout flight system, a small robotic satellite-like device that weighs less than 30 pounds. The unit includes cameras and electronic detectors that relay data back to Earth. A 1997 graduate of Arkansas Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, Bullock earned a Master of Science degree in applied physics (2000) and Doctor of Philosophy degree in physics (2001) from the University of Arkansas. He returned home to Russellville as a member of the Arkansas Tech faculty in 2003. Bullock focused his teaching efforts in physics for more than six years before becoming a member of the Department of Electrical Engineering in 2010. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 2011. Bullock was the 2012 recipient of the Arkansas Tech Faculty Award of Excellence in the scholarship and creative activity category.

CHANGES FOR 16TH ANNUAL RUMMAGE ‘ROUND THE RAILS

After 15 months as a senior field process engineer in private industry, Bullock returned to the Arkansas Tech faculty in January 2014. Visit www.atu.edu/engineering to learn more about educational opportunities in engineering at Arkansas Tech.

The 16th annual Rummage ‘Round the Rails will be held at the Russellville Depot from 1 - 7 p.m. on Friday, May 20, and from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. Vendor booths will be located at and around Russellville’s historic train depot and shoppers can expect to choose from a wide variety of antique, vintage and repurposed items including household goods, furniture, jewelry, art, handcrafted items, books, clothing, and collectibles. Live bands will be showcased throughout both days at the new Depot Park stage and food trucks will be on hand as well. The cost for the two-day event is $5 for adults and the first 100 entrants will receive a free Russellville Downtown tote bag. There will be no charge for children under the age of twelve. >>

MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

“A Symbol of HOMETOWN TRUST since 1944”

Vendor applications and additional information is available by contacting Main Street Russellville, 320 W. ‘C’ St., 479-967-1437, msrsvl@centurytel.net. Proceeds from this event help fund Main Street Russellville, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the revitalization and development of the historic heart of the city.

View Travel, Mahle Engine Components USA, Inc., Doug Griffin, D.D.S., and Walmart. More than 70 Russellville Junior High students received the 2016 award. For a complete list of recipients, please see the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce.

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You don’t have to be a farmer or an insured to take advantage of all the great benefits that being a member of Farm Bureau has to offer. Arkansas Farm Bureau members have access to SavingsPlus, an exclusive benefit which contains the nation’s largest private discount network. You’ll find savings on everyday necessities like food, clothing, car care and more. In fact, you’ll save enough to offset the entire cost of your membership and beyond!

Arkansas Scholars is a program that recognizes students with outstanding achievement in academics and attendance in grades nine through twelve. The program is presented to all ninth grade students at Russellville Junior High by area business leaders that serve on the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee. Criteria for Arkansas Scholars includes: maintain a 95 percent attendance rate and a C average or above from grade nine through grade twelve, complete high school career in eight consecutive semesters, and take the core curriculum to graduate. The Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce encourages local businesses to let the Arkansas Scholar distinction be the deciding factor in employment when all other credentials and qualifications are equal. Business Partners for the banquet were: Arkansas Tech University, Centennial Bank, City Corporation, McDonalds, LifeTouch, Rose Drug, Textbook Brokers, Tyson, Sorrells Body Shop, Russellville Steel Co, Edward Jones-Calvin Henderson, Defining Moments in Travel, Inc - World

RIVER VALLEY WRITERS DEBUT BOOK LAUNCH AT ART WALK

The River Valley Writers anthology, Scenes of the South, is on sale now in the River Valley and on Amazon. The 52 stories and poems reflect a deep sense of place and a connectivity to the River Valley of Arkansas and to the South. Subjects range from talking owls, Indian philosophers, guns, and a twister. The book has garnered favorable praise. ABOUT...the River Valley editor Johnny Carrol Sain adds in a blurb that appears on the back cover, “The rich

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culture of the Arkansas River Valley and surrounding area comes shining through in each bit of prose and rhyme.” Local novelist Brandy Nacole commented not only on the worthiness of the collection of works but also on the synergy of the writers themselves in the books’ forward. “As writers, we create. As a group, we work together and push each other ahead to reach that fulfillment each writer craves: a finished story. Then, together, we step into the unknown and shape our futures. And that, my friends, is exactly what the River Valley Writers has done. They’ve pushed, cheered, and advised one another and created an anthology to enjoy,” she wrote. Facilitator Cathy Graves echoed that sentiment, “The group’s goals are to write, critique, and publish. The members are all on equal standing and work collaboratively. We write in different genres and at different skill levels, which add to the excitement and anticipation of works read each week. We wish to thank the Pope County Library System staff, especially Sherry Simpson, for our success in publishing the book. We benefitted from the library’s constant support and guidance.” The paperback book sells for $10 and is available through Amazon and at Russellville locations: Gallery 307, 307 West C. St. and A Conversation Piece, 312 West 2nd St. Any adult writer that wishes to join the group may attend one of the weekly meetings held on Tuesdays, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Pope County Library’s Heritage Hall. Photography for this article by Shannon Emich Photography. l

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Dwane Ahrens, Manager Shop: 479-968-9732 • Fax: 479-968-0821 Dwane@advancedcollisionsolutions.com 2731 S. Arkansas Ave., Russellville, AR 72802

Since 1972

Thank You River Valley for letting us Serve You for the past 10 Years! MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

COMMUNITY COMMERCE

ABOUT...the River Valley

Millyn’s Front Street Dardanelle, AR (479) 229-4144

Millyn’s

Story and photo by Johnny Carrol Sain

ront Street Dardanelle hasn’t changed much since 1969. The businesses come and go but the character of an old Southern river downtown district is still intact. The brick and mortar structures lining Front Street shrug off the years. And at least one of those businesses from 1969 has aged nicely as well. The business, in fact, outlived its structure. Millyn’s Inc., a boutique, home accessory and gift store on Front Street, first opened its doors in 1969. It was the creation of mother/ daughter team Mildred Gleason (“Mil”) and Lynne Murphy (“lyn”). Mildred was an English teacher at Ola High School and Lynne was in her fourth year of teaching at Russellville High School when they decided to go back into retail. The Dardanelle Mercantile Company, which also operated on Front Street from 1882 until 1962, was their family business for four generations. Decades of happy and stylish customers confirmed that Mildred and Lynne had made a good decision. But August 15, 2015 brought dramatic change. Millyn’s original building was ablaze with a fire that started in a neighboring business. By 9:30 p.m. an entire block of historic downtown Dardanelle buildings had been destroyed. After the fire, the ladies of Millyn’s had some immediate concerns. First they had to get the merchandise packed and out. Safety concerns about the building meant that sorting what was salvageable would have to wait. Second, they had to take care of Millyn’s registered brides. “The fire was on Saturday and two of our brides had big parties the next Friday,” said Lynn Murphy. “Their parties are once-in-a-lifetime events for brides. Millyn’s will not mess them up.” Millyn’s phone 32

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

number was forwarded to Lynne’s cell phone and all brides were called and assured that their gifts were safe. Millyn’s continued to take phone orders. Millyn’s delivered on time. Millyn’s would be set up for brides in a rental location by noon Monday. Third was to call Kathy Keeman Price and find a rental space. The ladies had lots of help. People called. People fed the ladies. People came and asked what they could pack or carry. “My sisters, Marcy Lawrence and Dr. Diane Gleason, just killed themselves for me,” said Lynne. “My daughter, Dr. Missy Clifton, came a full night and day. I finally convinced her she could be the most help to me by going home and taking care of her three children and her practice. And Millyn’s store manager, Teresa Miner, gave her usual 110 percent, working right up to the minute of serious scheduled surgery and coming back from the surgery much too soon.” Plans for a new Millyn’s home were in the works as the smoke cleared. By 8:30 on the morning after the fire, Lynne Murphy and her sisters — Dardanelle High School Principal Marcy Lawrence and Arkansas Tech University professor Dr. Diane Gleason — had made a decision: The standing but catastrophically damaged Millyn’s building would have to be destroyed. But they also decided to rebuild on the same lot. Later that morning, Lynne made a verbal agreement with Kirby Specialties to construct a new building and to do it quickly. In the meantime, Millyn’s operated out of rental space in Russellville until the new store building was completed at the end of March 2016. “We want to thank Russellville for giving us a place to open and for welcoming us so warmly and supporting us so generously,” said Lynne. “Russellville has always been kind to

us. Even in Dardanelle, a big lot of Millyn’s business has always been Russellville. We greatly appreciate Russellville. But we have to go home.” Home for Millyn’s goes beyond 1969. Home means a family retail presence on Front Street in Dardanelle since 1869. “My great, great grandfather, John Jackson Boyce, walked from Villanow, Georgia, to Dardanelle and put Brothers on Front Street in1880. My grandfather [Jack] Boyce owned and operated numerous businesses on Front Street. He was burned out twice by fires from other businesses and came back quick and strong both times. He eventually put in the Dardanelle Mercantile Company. My parents, George and Mildred Gleason, bought into that business in 1937 when they graduated from the University of Arkansas and Hendrix College. My sisters and I grew up in that big rambling general store where we sold everything from feed and seed to housewares, clothing, shoes, and groceries. My mom and I left public school teaching in Ola and Russellville and put in Millyn’s 47 years ago. So, you see, we will finish what we started,” said Lynne. “No fire is going to stop us.” Millyn’s opened their new building on April 2, 2016. “We want to invite everyone to come see us in Millyn’s real home on Front Street in Dardanelle,” said Lynne. Arkansas Tech graduate and Russellville native, Teresa Minor, joined Millyn’s in 1995 and is now overall store manager. Lynn’s sisters, Marcy and Diane, help out during the Christmas Holidays because, after all, retail on Front Street in Dardanelle is part of their heritage. l

Your family-owned furniture and bedding store, serving the River Valley for 37 years.

479-641-2220

Toll Free 1-877-641-2215 Card

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

1402 N Church Street, Atkins AR

(479) 967-5575 3115 E. Main St. Russellville, AR 72802

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1903 S. Arkansas • (479) 968-3991 MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

BACKYARD LIVING

ABOUT...the River Valley

Stuck

The Boiled Down Juice Read more from Meredith at www.boileddownjuice.com

A better place Griffin Electric Heat & Air, Inc. SALES AND SERVICE 2605 S. Knoxville • Russellville (479) 968-8555 • (877) 373-2855 Jay & Dennis Griffin • License #122314

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

By Meredith Martin Moats

One of my daughter’s first words was “stuck.” She used it to mean “this thing won’t work” or “this block is too big for this box” or “I really want to climb up in this chair and I need your help.” It was particularly helpful for when she accidentally wedged herself between the couch and the wall or couldn’t get the lid off a container. For quite a while it was the cornerstone of her five word vocabulary: “Mama,” Dad-Dad,” “cup,” “this!” and “stuck.” You’d be surprised what you can say with so little. In recent months her language has exploded. It’s varied and metaphoric. There’s “chooch” (a train or pretty much anything with wheels) “kits” (cats), “Else,” (dog, short for our dog, Elsie), “cake” (anything soft and sweet), “six” (any number or letter), “coat,” (a word that can mean both coat and cold). She’s tackling complete sentences, making it clear that she’s very proud of her independence: “I’m do it!” But as it so often goes with us humans, our brains and our bodies seem woefully out of sync. One morning she was trying so desperately to communicate with me and I just couldn’t make out her request. She slumped over in my lap as if defeated. She paused for a moment, pointed to her mouth and said, “Is stuck.” I broke out into laughter. Not because what she said was funny, (it was, of course), but because I was so very proud. She had taken her limited language and used it to communicate about the limits of her limited language. That’s brilliant. Not wanting for

my laughter to be read as trivialization, I quickly shifted my tone and told her how astute her comment was. I told her how her frustration was a normal human feeling and that in finding a way to name it she had done something quite remarkable. I’m not sure she totally understood, but in any case we hugged and shared a moment. And then we went back to the lovingly labored work of trying to understand one another. I remember when my twin sons first started doing something similar. I was equally enamored then, and wrote an essay about how they managed to turn the phrase “all done” into an all-purpose expression for all of their needs. Watching them learn how to communicate I quickly realized that one of my most sacred tasks as a caregiver was to provide space and protection for their natural human drive to be resourceful with language. My sons laid the ground work for me knowing to take my daughter’s desire to communicate so seriously — to know

when to laugh and to know when to be sincere. Children crave communication, and they’re fearless with it. They’ll likely remain so if we value this fearlessness. As an adult — and as someone who gives some of my time to community work — I often think about how atrophied adult imaginations can be, my own included. We tend to think that the ways things have always been is the way they must remain. Our sense of fearfulness around our limited language leaves us feeling as if we have few tools to build new ways of being. Put another way, sometimes we can scarcely talk about what it could like to build a more just and loving world, let alone get around to building it. I often find myself in situations where we adults stumble around language as if to figure out some kind of magic formula for how to bring more justice into this world. We examine our ideas and find them inadequate. We look at our resources and deem them lacking. We hit the limits of

our language and get angry. Sometimes we think if we can just find the right analysis we can finally bring about change. I don’t want to oversimplify things, but I do think we need to spend more time watching children learn language. Kids come into this world knowing how to be resourceful and creative. They aren’t hung up on our boundaries. They can take a box and transform it into a rocket. They can look at their own hands and make them into cheetah paws (a favorite trick of my son’s). In my daughter’s case, they can take a five-word vocabulary and provide astute commentary on their fiveword vocabulary. In other words, they work with what they have. Not because they believe they must remain within those limitations, but precisely so they can break out of them. After all, all you can ever do is start exactly where you are. If my toddler can convey vast ideas with a five-word vocabulary, surely we have such capacity within in our own. l

This month has been a lot of food--a favorite of mine to shoot. You can find these sweets & much more at Catherine’s Bakery in Russellville.

www.lizchrisman.com MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

OUTDOORS

ABOUT...the River Valley

Tagged Out

Story and photo by Johnny Carrol Sain

EVERY ARKANSAS HUNTER KNOWS WHAT THE PHRASE “TAGGED OUT” MEANS. Arkansas game laws require deer and turkey to be tagged when brought to hand. The process involves removing a tag from your hunting license, filling it out with the appropriate information (time and date of kill, sex of animal, hunting zone, etc.) and then affixing the tag to the animal until said animal is transported home, checked through Arkansas Game and Fish via phone or internet, and processed. So “tagged out” equates to being done. You’re out of tags. You cannot legally go afield with intent to kill another deer or turkey. In a perfect world “tagged out” means you followed the rules and killed only the allotted bag limit. But we don’t live in a

perfect world. In a historically poor state like Arkansas, where subsistence off the land is as deeply ingrained as our love of the Razorbacks, game limits are often regarded as suggestions. Hunting

and fishing in the Natural State is a birthright and was once a necessity, and skill in those arenas ranks right up there with… well I can’t think of anything that rates higher for those of us making up the outdoor culture. Putting meat on the table is the highest marker of that skill. So it stands to reason that the more meat you put on the table the higher your perceived skill level. Some of us have allowed this pioneer definition of prowess to define us today, and animals on the ground do not always equate to a punched tag. Very often the first words uttered after a hunter announces that he or she has filled all tags early in the season is a disbelieving “why?” from other hunters followed by

Read more from Johnny at www.aviewfromthebackroads.com 36

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

“there’s still too much season left to do that.” We could easily blame our indiscretions on the culture and peer pressure, but let’s man up and put the blame squarely where it belongs. The sweetest voice of persuasion sings out from our egos. And the justifications satisfy our guilt: “I did it the hard way,” “I didn’t kill my limit last year,” “look at all the people that didn’t fill any tags, I just took their share because they couldn’t,” “I’ve got to feed the family and (pick a number) just ain’t enough,” “we’ve got plenty (deer or turkeys) in the woods” and the list goes on. Sometimes we portray ourselves as Robin Hood hunting the king’s deer that, by golly and geography, really belong to us. After all, we know those Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioners are just a bunch of rich bureaucrats sitting in their heated and cooled deer stands passing 140 inch bucks on their million acres of private hunting land telling us how many of OUR deer and turkeys we can take off of White Oak Mountain or our own little parcel of private land. They don’t own OUR critters. We’ll show em! And we “show em” by the most juvenile form of retaliation, what equates to cutting off our nose to spite our face, and proving without a doubt that we in fact cannot manage the resources on our own. You can color it any way you want, it’s still poaching. In the eyes of the law our proof of skill rates the same as those pathetic losers trotlining turkeys and sniping deer by moonlight. We are,

in effect, stealing from other hunters, from our kids and grandkids and from ourselves. And this discussion isn’t limited to the glamor species of Arkansas. We are stealing anytime we kill an extra rabbit or wood duck, or keep a short fish on the stringer. I disagree with many Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regulations. I think some are pointless, and I think some legal methods of hunting and management tactics are more damaging to the resource than an extra deer or turkey in the freezer. But there are other, better ways to work on changing those regulations we disagree with. Outlaw subversion changes not a thing in the rule book, and may even help cement those bad regulations in place. The solution involves creating a new hunting culture and it starts, as change always does, within ourselves as individuals. Ethics is a tricky thing because it involves removal of ego and petty justifications as we focus on the very selfless greater good. And the greater good is the foundation of the North American Conservation Model with its highest banner stating that all wildlife belongs to the public. This philosophy is the reason we hunters enjoy our opportunities to hunt and partake of the wild bounty. When we take more than our fair share we are symbolically spitting on the very ideas that allow us to go afield with a reasonable expectation of seeing game. It’s a self-defeating action. Arkansas hunters, we’re better than that.

Women’s & Children’s Boutique Custom Made Women’s & Children’s Clothing Personalized Vinyl, from coffee cups to clothing and much more. Embroidery Kristy Poteete OWNER

(479) 219-5201

407 N. Arkansas Ave., Suite 11 Russellville City Mall smalltowngirlsarkansas@gmail.com Let all that you do be done in Love. 1 CORINTHIANS 16:14

For your do-it-yourself landscaping needs. Over 4,000 square feet of affordable plants, shrubs and trees to choose from.

Top soil, sod and a variety of mulch, stones and rocks. Plus much more!

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2909 South Arkansas Ave (Hwy 7 S) Russellville, Arkansas • (479) 967-7439 www.russellvillelawn.com MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

On a Personal Note And the award goes to...Mom. Really, moms everywhere. Guest written by Benita Drew

So hands down, the award goes to… Mom. All the moms who work behind the scenes to make it all possible. You may not each receive a plaque or have your picture in the paper, but know that you are recognized. Know that those who depend on you to make it all flow smoothly appreciate what you do, even if we don’t say it every day like we should.

As long as I can remember, my dad was active in the community. Aside from farming from sunup to dark-thirty most days, he helped start the PTO and the fire department in our small town. He helped build our ball park. He was on the city council. He was mayor. He volunteered countless hours for our growing city. He received plaques and pictures in the paper, and an occasional thank you for what he did. He was recognized. Then, there’s Mom. Mom was never in the paper and never received a plaque. She was never recognized for bringing us up right — for growing a garden so we would have fresh vegetables and cooking a good supper every night, for working full time and still making it to all of our ball games, for making sure our clothes were clean and ironed, and we were at church on time. She’s never been recognized for taking care of things at home so Dad could accomplish what he did. As children, we learn from the examples our parents set. I own a business, work on the farm and am involved in community and volunteer with several organizations, a lot like Dad. But also like Dad, without Mom, I couldn’t do what I do. My children get off the bus and go to Mom’s until we get off work. If we both work late, she often cooks supper for us. She helps get the kids to practice and appointments. If I’m out of town, she is certain that my husband is not capable of taking care of them or himself, so she usually cooks at least one meal for them while I’m gone and offers to keep the children. I had to stop asking her to check on the dogs during the day because she would come in and clean house while she was there. She puts family before herself, as she has always done. No matter what I might accomplish in my lifetime, I’m always going to look back and wish I could have been even half the mom that my Mom is. After a 12-hour work day, sometimes my kids get microwaved pot pies from the freezer for supper. I’ve missed awards assemblies and didn’t get the paper filled out in time for the kids to receive whatever free toy they were giving away in exchange for raising x amount of money for the school fundraiser. I’m sometimes guilty of enjoying being away on business for a night or two. I’ve watched my husband walk out of the house, headed to the farm, in a wrinkled work shirt. It wouldn’t have bothered Dad to go to the farm in a wrinkled shirt, but Mom wouldn’t have allowed it! So hands down, the award goes to… Mom. All the moms who work behind the scenes to make it all possible. You may not each receive a plaque or have your picture in the paper, but know that you are recognized. Know that those who depend on you to make it all flow smoothly appreciate what you do, even if we don’t say it every day like we should. To my Mom: I love you, and I thank you. Thank you for being selfless and humble. Thank you for making sure we always had two vegetables to choose from and that the right jersey was clean for every ball game. Thanks for not giving up on me when I was a handful and loving your grandchildren with all of your heart. Look for more interesting features and tidbits in "On a Personal Note" each month in future issues of ABOUT...the River Valley. You'll find short stories, interesting pieces and other great reads from people you know, or would like to know from around the River Valley.

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016

ENGAGEMENTS

ABOUT...the River Valley

Save the Date!

Calendar listings of engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements on the pages of each issue of ABOUT…the River Valley are available at no charge. They may be mailed to: ABOUT Magazine, P.O. Box 10176, Russellville AR 72812 or sent via email to: editor@aboutrvmag.com. (A phone number must be included for verification.)

May 14

June 4

Emily Harvell & Jay Gould

Autumn Allison & Wyndham Wyeth

Audra Holbrook & Greg Roberts

Katie Crow & Brandon Goates

Haylie Kirkendall & James Cole

Alex Hughes & Michael Killingsworth

Kelly McElfish & Clay Toney

Hannah Limbocker & Logan Taylor

Mercedes Roush & Ryan Most

Shelby Statler & Lance Pierce

Elizabeth Starkey & Brad Underwood

Sydney Sulcer & Chris Welk

May 21 Tara Dollar & Patrick Kelley Erin Grice & Cory Putman Sydney Grimes & Cody Simmons

June 11 Emily Callaway & Alex Enderlin Summer Barton & Joshua Spaeth

Desiree Mansfield & Austin Miller

Meagan Guarino & Shane Robinson

May 27

Kaitlyn Icenhower & Matthew Johnston Taylor Jordan & Derek Bunger

Ashley Kitterman & Tyler Waddell

May 28 Brooke Bowden & Blake Browning

June 18 Maegen Burris & Andrew Pollack

Jayde Bryson & Wesley Heilman

Aaryn Gray & Rowdy Gates

Courtney Hurlbut & Matt Hudson

Katie Hall & John Hoyt

Kirsten Phillips & Mackenzie Taylor

Atalie Knight & Eric Sessions

Candace Scott & Jonathan Robinson

Laura Ridgeway & Niall Blasdel

Photo by Benita's Photography

June 25

Morgan Austin & Tyler Balloun Catherine Brown & Tyler Clark Lakyn George & Tyler Collins Beth Ann White & Chase Wetzel

June 26

Allison Foster & Liz Chrisman

July 9

Kaci Jackson & Luke Posey

July 16

Emily Storment & Nathan Cathcart

July 23

Kathryn Jade Gracie & Justin Roy Jenna Spikes & Gabe Barnhart Kaitlin Spry & Nick Hancock

To have your engagement or wedding published in a future issue of ABOUT Magazine, send your information, photo* and a check for $57.50 to: ABOUT Magazine, PO Box 10176, Russellville AR 72812, or visit www.aboutrvmag.com/forms.html. Word count is limited to 225 words. Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication. For additional information, call (479) 857-6791. *Digital files are accepted and will be published upon receipt of payment.

West Main

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Antiques • Handmade • Collectibles • Art Refurbished • Vintage • Repurposed 2611 W. Main St • Russellville, AR • 479.219.5078 Monday - Saturday 10AM - 6PM & Sunday 1PM - 5PM

City Mall • Russellville • (479)968-3001 MAY 2016 ~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

Saint Mary’s Cardiology & Vascular Services team (left to right): Drs. Shuja Rasool, Dai-Yuan Wang, Sastry Prayaga, and Ravishankar Kalaga.

FOUR BOARD-CERTIFIED CARDIOLOGISTS, TWO STATE-OF-THE-ART CATH LABS, ALL HERE FOR ONE HEART — YOURS. Time is muscle. If you or a loved one experience a heart attack, you must act fast. Experts agree the emergency treatment called angioplasty can be crucial to saving your life. And where you are taken when you have a heart attack matters, because the longer a person waits for this procedure, the more heart tissue dies. Thankfully, Saint Mary’s is just minutes away. Saint Mary’s is equipped with two premiere cardiac catheterization labs, ready for emergency angioplasty, should you need one. The treatment is one of many remarkable cardiovascular services performed every day by our exceptional team of board-certified interventional and invasive cardiology specialists. To schedule an appointment with one of our leading cardiologists, call:

479-968-4311 Caring for the heart of the River Valley.

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ MAY 2016