ABOUT | September 2009

Dream Home on the Arkansas River

SEPTEMBER 2009 www.aboutrvmag.com Highlighting Pope, Yell, Johnson and Conway Counties

FUN �OR THE WHOL� TEAM BRING YOUR FAMILY TO �HE PLAZ� P�RTY BE�OR� EACH �OME GA�� Instead of staying in, bring everyone out for Arkansas Tech’s Pre-Game Plaza Parties. Meet us at 4 p.m. in front of Baswell Hall for fun-filled days of great tailgate food, inflatable games, and music. But the party doesn’t stop there – cheer on the Wonder Boys inside Thone Stadium. Football season has never been this much family fun.

For more information call 479-498-6038.

WONDER BOYS 2009 HOME GAMES Sat., Sept. 5 Sat., Sept. 26 Sat., Oct. 10 Sat., Oct. 17 Sat., Oct. 31

Incarnate Word Ark.-Monticello (Family Day)* Southern Arkansas* West Georgia (Homecoming) Delta State (Senior Day)*

*Gulf South Conference games

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

6 p.m. www.atu.edu

Gwen Wolfe, Cindy Lamb, Cheryle Alexander, Real Liberty Bankers

REAL BANKING

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Get Checks, ATM/Debit Card & Internet Banking Instantly.

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Want real “wow”? Walk into your local Liberty Bank and walk out ready to go with your free checks, ready-to-use ATM/debit card*, and free internet banking with free billpay.

REAL FAST

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Now that’s real banking!

Plus All Day, Same Day Posting, Monday through Friday.

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479-967-2151 |

www.mylibertybank.com

Jennifer Bishop,

Real Liberty Banker

NoRTh CeNTRAL ARkANSAS RUSSeLLVILLe ATkINS DARDANeLLe MoRRILToN MoUNTAIN hoMe PoTTSVILLe SeARCy NoRTheAST ARkANSAS JoNeSBoRo PARAGoULD BATeSVILLe BAy hIGhLAND/hARDy MoNeTTe ReCToR NoRThWeST ARkANSAS BeNToNVILLe CLARkSVILLe FAyeTTeVILLe FoRT SMITh GeNTRy RoGeRS SILoAM SPRINGS SPRINGDALe ToNTIToWN VAN BUReN

*Photo ATM/debit cards available in Russellville at the North Arkansas, Parkway, and West Main locations

September 2009 May 2007

MEMBER FDIC

ABOUT...the River Valley3 3 ABOUT...the River Valley

September 2009

contents

6

The Editor’s Notebook

7

Talk ABOUT...

8

11

‘Live United’

13

Kindergarten Prep: Lesson for Mom

14

The Crown Jill

18

Trading Caps & Gowns for Scrubs

20

Ham Radio No Laughing Matter

24

Wesley@Wesley: David Scroggin

Glass and Steel Dream Home

■■Melissa & Doug Classic Toys Come in and see our unique collections of classic toys. Birthday Registry Available.

Copper Pig of Clarksville

#4 Colonial Square • Clarksville (479) 754-6912

■■Razorback Apparel

Bailey Burnett is ready for Razorback tailgating in her Vintage Razorback PE Tee from...

Mullen Team Sports

215 N. Commerce Ave. • Downtown Russellville (479) 967-TEAM (8326)

■■New to Our Store! Vera Bradley Stationery

28

You will find a wonderful selection of pencils, pens, stationary, binders, and other accessories.

Come visit us today.

Gone a Fishin’

32 Coffee Pot Always On for Old Friends

34

ABOUT Community

36

Lee Rogers: A Renaissance Artist

40

Saint Mary’s Auxiliary

42

ABOUT Engagements

Gifts on Parkway/Gifts on Rogers

2149 E. Parkway • Russellville • (479) 890-6932 510 S. Rogers, Clarksville • (479) 705-8282

ABOUT our Cover

Cover Photo by Steve Newby

Artist and photographer Carroll Rowbotham moved away after graduating from Clarksville High School in 1952 to start a successful career in the ‘big city’ where he prospered, immersed in the sprawling urban landscape of Dallas, Texas. His love for the natural beauty of the Arkansas River Valley kept pulling him back, so in 2005, he -- along with fellow artist and wife Sherry -- began building their dream retirement home on the fringe of the Arkansas River, less than 25 miles from his birthplace in Scranton.

Our Associates Chris ZIMMERMAN

Melanie CONLEY

Vo n n a MARPEL

graph i c des i gn

advertising

advertising

4 7 9 . 2 6 4 .2 4 3 8 c h r i s @ zimc re ative .c o m

479.858.2708 mela nie@a bout r vma g.com

479.970.4 263 vonna @a boutrv mag.com

Jeannie STONE

Steve NEWBY

Cliff THOMAS

fre elan c e w r i t er

photography

illustrator

4 7 9 . 7 4 7 .0 2 1 0 j e a n n ie @ ab o u trvmag .c o m

479.880.1006 stevenewbyphotography@hotmail.com

479.890.3 6 3 0 ma ddsignti s t@gmai l .com

4 ABOUT...the River Valley

September 2009

Meet Buffalo River Artist

William McNamara

Catherine’s Cakes

Cookies

Art Walk • September 4th

The Frame Shop & Gallery

Cakes, Cupcakes & More!

www.frameshopgallery.net

Early Orders Appreciated!

Downtown @ 311 West C Street

(479) 967-1398

BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!

Kids going back school?

2

(479) 967-4202

311 West B. Street • Russellville AR

Stone

A foundation of fine jewelry

The Corner

Give Art Frame Memories k

• Custom Orders Welcome • Shop early for Christmas • Mothers Rings Start • Family Trees Layaway • Watches Now!

302 W. Main in Historic Downtown Russellville (479) 968-3660

SAVE FROM $300 TO $600!

ALL GE FRONT LOAD PAIRS NOW ON SALE! • We Do Service What We Sell!

• In-Store Financing!

• 30-Day Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee!

Come Learn to Knit or Crochet!

One-on-One Lessons by appt.

For more information, call

479-968-Knit (5648)

201 N. Arkansas Ave • Historic Downtown Russellville (479) 968-2929 • www.petersfamilyliving.com

Stephanie Bates, Owner 317 W. Main St. • Russellville, Arkansas 72801

SHOP • DINE • DISCOVER

DOWNTOWN RUSSELLVILLE child friendly family entertainment specializing in paint-your-own pottery!

Let us take care of all the details...We’re here for you!

THE WHISTLE STOP

Ladies Meetings • Church Events Birthday Parties • Baby & Wedding Showers

320 West “B” Street Russellville, AR 72801

479-967-0882 Hours: Mon BY APPT. ONLY Tue-Sat 10am-6pm A subsidiary of Friendship Community Care, Inc.

FOR YOUR NEXT SPECIAL EVENT Historic Missouri-Pacific Depot

320 W. “C” Street Historic Downtown Russellville, AR

479.967.1437

September 2009

ABOUT...the River Valley 5

ABOUT the River Valley

A Publication of Silver Platter Productions, Inc Vol. IV, Issue 7 – September 2009

OWNERS/EDITOR Nolan and Dianne Edwards Advertising Sales Melanie Conley Vonna Marpel Graphic Design Chris Zimmerman ZimCreative Contributing Writers Dianna Qualls Heather Sprinkle Jeannie Stone Connie Las Schneider Contributing PhotographerS Steve Newby Gabriel Stiritz Assistant to the Publisher Melissa Edwards

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.

Subscriptions are available by sending $20 for one-year (10 issues) to: SPPI/ABOUT Magazine P.O. Box 10176 Russellville AR 72812 Material contained in this issue may not be copied or reproduced without written consent. Inquiries may be made by calling (479) 970-6628.

Office: 417 West Parkway Email: editor@aboutrvmag.com Postmaster: Please send address changes to: SPPI, P.O. Box 10176, Russellville AR 72812.

6 ABOUT...the River Valley

A PAGE FROM ___________________________________________________

The Editor’s Notebook As school begins, many parents are ushering their grade school children out the door, some for the first time. It’s often hard to know whose tears belong to whom.

Other families are packing up collegebound kids and helping them move into a school dorm for the first time or a repeat return. (One such person is Kechia Bentley, whose parental duties of moving and relocating two of three sons prevented her from contributing her usual column to this month’s issue. No worry. She’ll be back in October!)

For our family, school is still very much the focus of our lives. The Edwards’ clan no longer includes teenagers – only twenty-somethings. The annual trek for school supplies was different this year, but nonetheless contributed to our nation’s economic upswing.

Our college-aged junior picked up a few notebooks and a package of pens... oh, and about $300 worth of books for her information technology major. (One computer manual, a paperback, weighed 11 pounds. Imagine packing that in a backpack to carry upstairs to class.)

There was a trip for snacks and staples to tied one over between visits to the ‘café.’ A few hours of moving to the third floor and she was settled, more or less, for another semester.

For our married daughter, shopping for school supplies – crayons, glue sticks, markers -- was once again exciting as she prepared to teach her first year as a second grade teacher in Rogers. Of course, having only two weeks to prepare her classroom required countless hours of dedication from her, her husband, family and friends only too willing to pitch in. Even her sisters and I made a trek to southwest Arkansas to visit and catch up while cutting out laminated balloons, word art and weather shapes.

Our oldest, a Spanish instructor in Lonoke, began her second year opening, moving, sorting and labeling 31 boxes of textbooks and workbooks of new curriculum. A day of removing “the dust of ages” from her classroom – a building constructed by the WPA in 1936 – and she was hoarse from inhaling the dust. One day of talking and teaching found her heading for hot tea to soothe a dry throat.

We applaud several school districts in our state that spent stimulus money to purchase school supplies for their students, keeping the expense to families at a minimum at a time when costs for basic necessities are sky-high. We’ve often wondered why other districts don’t pre-purchase bags of grade-appropriate supplies for their students, even if there is a nominal fee. Supplies are purchased in bulk and therefore less expensive, and everyone has the same tools for success.

Anyone wishing to contribute school supplies to area schools is encouraged to do so by contacting a chosen school or by donating directly to organizations such as the River Valley United Way. For information, contact Beth Latham, executive director, at (479) 968-5089.

There is always a need.

You are reading the 27 th issue of ABOUT... the River Valley Magazine.

Production of this “only local” publication continues to show the dedication of our associates to produce a magazine which concentrates on the people, places and subjects of interest to those living in or having connections to the Arkansas River Valley.

ABOUT Magazine is sold and designed locally, printed locally, mailed locally and owned by local folks who have been committed to this area for more than 30 years. The magazine has no corporate ties and works diligently every day to keep our hard-earned money circulating in Pope, Yell, Johnson and Conway counties.

The magazine is circulated through paid subscription (delivery by mail for $20 for one year/10 issues); distribution to key points of interest (the Historic Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot in Downtown Russellville, the local chambers of commerce, and the surrounding Arkansas State Parks); and by local businesses that have made a commitment to advertise in ABOUT Magazine.

Dianne Edwards, Editor/Publisher

“Imitation is the sincerest flattery.”

-- C. C. Colton

September 2009

Out and ABOUT

Are you aware that under the administration’s new CARE for Clunkers program, your car is overdue for its end-of-service consultation?

Talk ABOUT...

Despite your political persuasion, one can’t help but uncover the comical side of Cliff Thomas’ “CARE for CLUNKERS,” this month’s original illustration.

The parody on current issues – the health reform movement and the Cash for Clunkers car rebate program -- do lend themselves to a comical intermingling, if one can maintain their sense of humor in tumultuous times.

While the Clunkers program has proven so effective that it exceeded original funding within a few short days of inception, the health reform debate isn’t even close to resolution.

You cannot escape being bombarded by discussion. Escalated conversations, often coming to blows between participating debaters, evidence the deep-rooted convictions of both sides. Reform needs to occur, and if structured properly, will address the problems recognized by both sides of the issue. Adequate health care access and cost control are issues which can no longer afford to be ‘swept under the rug.’ Failing to address the need will result in devastating and lasting concerns.

Currently, 177 million Americans receive health-care coverage from their employers.

Based on recent polling, a majority are satisfied with their current coverage. Should government choose to make sudden changes to the current system, results will be disruptive, at best.

September 2009

Consider the plight of the small business owner. House Resolution 3200 would require businesses with 20-250 employees to provide coverage to their employees or be subject to a payroll surtax. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, more than one-third of these companies would be taxed under this bill.

These small businesses employ 33.5 million folks -- a quarter of the work force in the USA. (Estimates are this punitive payroll tax would cost 1.6 million people their jobs.)

Hence, a strong majority of small-business people do not want government to impose health-care mandates on them.

If HR3200 passes Congress, it will create a massive and growing financial obligation for Americans for decades to come. This money will come from reductions in healthcare services, and eventually from tax increases on the American middle class.

Remember the old adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’? Well, let’s fix what IS broken and refrain from damaging that which works well.

We need a reform bill that is NOT primarily about politics but IS about the quality of care, access to medical help, and cost.

Health-care reform is a difficult but extremely important issue – both in impacting health-care outcome as well as economic and business issues. Get educated. Contact your congressional representative. Express your opinion and concern. After all, it is America.

You can do that without fear of retaliation or imprisonment – if you play by the rules.

Sept. 2: Kickoff meeting for the American Heart Association River Valley Heartwalk; noon-1 p.m., ATU Doc Bryan Student Center. Interested participants are invited; info: (479) 571-6686.

Sept. 4: Downtown Art Walk, 5-8 p.m.; (479) 967-1437.

Sept. 4-7: Labor Day Weekend Fun, Mt. Nebo State Park; celebrate summer one last time.

Sept. 5-7: Nature Photography Workshop, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute; info: (501) 727-5435.

Sept. 8: Transitions Bereavement Support Group, 10 a.m., Ark. Hospice, 2405 E. Parkway (479) 498-2050.

Sept. 11: RV United Way 6th Annual Day of Caring; info: (479) 968-5089 or rivervalleyunitedway.org.

Sept. 12: Petit Jean Fall Swap Meet & Military Vehicle Show, Museum of Automobiles, Petit Jean. (501) 727-5427.

Sept. 12: Adult Back to School Sock Hop Dance Party, 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; 50s-60s attire preferred. $10 pp.

RSVP. (479) 968-1620, 264-7287 or DWJstudio.com Sept. 12: Wilson SE Entergy Bass Fishing Tournament, Lake Dardanelle, free for Spectators; info (479) 967-5516.

Sept. 13: Relay For Life Bass Fishing Tournament, Lake Dardanelle State Park Fishing Pavilion; (479) 498-4816.

Sept. 13: Pope County Fair, Pope County Fairgrounds; info: call (479) 968-7098.

Sept. 13: Exhibit Opening Reception, Arkansas River Valley Arts Center, 1-3 p.m.; info: call 968-2452.

Sept. 15: Sr. Health Expo: Promoting Healthy Aging; 8 a.m.–12, Hughes Center; ages 55 and up, screenings available, fasting required; (479) 968-5039 or 890-6709.

Sept. 16: “Forget-Me-Nots” Alzheimer’s Support, Arkansas Hospice, 1 p.m. Info, 498-2050.

Sept. 19: Sunflowers, Salsa and Sangria Party, sponsored by the ARV Arts Center; tickets: (479) 968-2452.

Sept. 19: 5th Annual Brass in the Clouds Outdoor Concert, Mt. Nebo, bring a blanket or a lawn chair, free admission; info: (479) 229-3655.

Sept. 24: Community Bingo, seniors 55 and older invited; 2-3 p.m.; door prizes, grand prize, refreshments.

Wildflower, 240 S. Inglewood, Russellville; 890-6709.

Sept. 26: National Public Lands Day and Great Arkansas Clean-up, (479) 968-5008 or 967-5516.

Sept. 26: Motors for Miracles Car Show, 9-3, National Home Center parking lot, Russellville; proceeds benefit Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Registration, info at archildrens.org/MotorsforMiracles, or (479) 970-2246.

Sept. 26: Historic Hunters Encampment, Mt. Magazine State Park; living historians demonstrate survival skills of 1820s; free admission.

Sept. 26: Rsvl. Symphony Guild Fundraiser, High on the Hog BBQ, Home of Romey & Portia Short; (479) 968-6562.

Oct. 3: St. John’s Catholic Church Harvest Fest; 2-10 p.m. Food, fun, games, silent auction, more for the whole family.

Visit www.aboutrvmag.com for a list of activities updated as they are received. To have your event included in the ABOUT Calendar of Events, email: editor@aboutrvmag. com or fax to (866) 757-3282. Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication.

SEPTEMBER 2009

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ABOUT...the River Valley 7

Modern Form and Function A Glass and Steel Dream Home Perched Above the Arkansas River

Story by Connie Las Schneider Photos by Steve Newby, Jim Reasoner and Tom Clause

S

omething about the Arkansas River Valley draws people back. Whether family ties, the lush natural beauty of the area or affordable cost of living, retirees are settling here in record numbers.

Some retirees, like artist and photographer, Carroll Rowbotham, moved away after graduating Clarksville High School in 1952 to start a successful career in the ‘big city’ where he prospered, very well, immersed in the sprawling urban landscape of Dallas, Texas.

But his love for the natural beauty of the River Valley kept pulling him back, so in 2005 he started building his dream retirement home within less than 25 miles from his birthplace in Scranton. Fortunately, Rowbotham’s wife, Sherry, an Iowa-born girl from Dallas with a lively artistic streak of her own, shared his vision.

Rowbotham’s dream home, which took nearly two years to build, is a testament to their art. Not surprisingly, the couple chose a light-filled, multi-leveled urban design for their stunning steel, glass and concrete retirement home on the Arkansas River in Johnson County.

With its steel and concrete construction and three cantilevered decks, people who see the Rowbotham home agree there is nothing like it in the River Valley. With its stark angles and unexpected curves, some have suggested it looks like a giant metal nest perched on towering ledge above the river with its unobstructed view for 50 miles. But that’s exactly what the Rowbothams envisioned when they designed and named their home “Le Perchoir De L’Aigle” or “Perch of the Eagle” in French, the language of their favorite European country.

“We’ve got the best of both worlds right here,” said Carroll Rowbotham, a retired Public Relations executive for General

Telephone (now called Verizon) and owner of a successful Dallas advertising agency.

While living in Dallas, he met Sherry, who was a real estate broker and artist. Today, both Rowbothams are still “serious amateur artists” and their dream home reflects their modern aesthetic tastes.

Designed by Tom Clause Architecture from DesMoines, Iowa, the home is a masterpiece of contemporary form and function that allows a seamless transition between the breathtaking scenery and spaces indoors. And, with its sweeping decks overlooking the magnificent view, one gets the feeling of being on a houseboat floating high above the river.

“It was a challenging and time-consuming home to build,” said Carroll who hired Clayton Davis, a Dallas-based “tinkerer” who specializes in metal constructions, to move to Clarksville for a year to oversee the welding operation on the 3,100 sq ft. steel and concrete building.

For construction of the building itself, Rowbotham hired now-retired Clarksville home builder, Doug Strubel. “I think we did him in, as this was the last house he built,” quipped Carroll.

As the Rowbotham land slopes down to the river at a steep angle, Strubel’s first job was to excavate 30 feet into the bluff to allow three giant piers to be constructed to hold the immense weight of the steal, concrete and glass structure.

Approximately 70% of the house is made of tinted commercial-grade environmental E-glass, an expensive but important consideration, when dealing with Arkansas weather variations, said Sherry. She recently added custom blinds purchased from a local merchant.

To complete the owner’s vision, three cantilevered decks afford stunning views of the Arkansas River and Ouachita

Mountain range. The house plan includes a protected outside entrance of each of three levels, a massive great room with convex 18-foot ceilings and clearstory windows, a gourmet kitchen, three bedrooms, two full baths and one half bath. Two attached double garages, one used as an art studio and a second artist studio on the lower floor, complete the layout.

The home features optical illusions and devices throughout the house to bring in the outside. A glass-enclosed elevator connecting the three levels allows direct views of the outdoors as passengers move from floor to floor.

“Because of the illusion of almost floating in mid-air, some people won’t ride in it,” said Carroll. >>

Baby Registry Terrah Martin

simply sam

a classic children’s

boutique

Expecting a girl Sept 21st

Brittany Fisher & Brandon Ragsdale Expecting a girl Oct 11th

John & Shelia Crost

Expecting a girl Nov 21st

Sam Parker, Owner

#5 Colonial Square ~ Clarksville, AR

3521 West Main Street Russellville • 479-967-4107 September 2009

479-754-7010

ABOUT...the River Valley 9

Then, during one fateful trip back to visit Carroll’s family, Sherry fell in love with the River Valley.

“Up until that point, I had absolutely no interest in moving here, but then after Carroll showed me this property, I was sold on the idea.”

“People think there is nothing to do in a small town, but they are mistaken. I didn’t even know a lot of my neighbors when I lived in Dallas, but now I have more social opportunities than ever,” Sherry added. ”People are so friendly here, they just take you in. I love it here!” n Connie Las Schneider is a freelance contributor living in Johnson County whose work has been featured in national, state and local publications.

There is more optical magic upstairs.

The top level master suite has a private outside deck overlooking both the river and the great room below through clerestory windows. In the sumptuous master “Jack and Jill” bath there is a television hidden behind one-way glass so the Rowbothams can watch TV while getting ready in the morning. When the television is off, one would never know it was located right above the sink.

The main level includes a gated courtyard and private screened in porch with direct access to a second bath. A dramatic tiled and maple hardwood hallway leads to the great room with gorgeous views of the River from both inside the home and from the large deck outside.

The efficient kitchen, with its modern floor to ceiling cabinets and African granite countertops, also affords multiple views of the river and features a serving ledge that accesses the dining area.

The lower level contains another threeroom “Jack and Jill” bathroom, two guest bedrooms and a fourth bedroom now used as Sherry’s well-lit art studio.

Surprisingly, the Rowbothams used local sources for most of their home’s fixtures including lighting, kitchen cabinets and unique bathroom fixtures and their landscaping was done using local plant materials for low maintenance. Several of Carroll’s life sized cement animal sculptures, which he constructed on site, grace the landscaping to provide additional interest.

Although it wasn’t always so, now Sherry enthusiastically agrees with her husband’s assessment of having the ‘best of both worlds’ in the River Valley.

“Being from Dallas, I was used to having everything at my fingertips like good shopping, restaurants, night life and cultural events. I didn’t think there would be anything to do here, no shopping,” said Sherry.

RiveR valley’s PRemieR Roofing ComPany Specializing in Commercial & Residential Shingles | Metal | Flat Roof Systems | Free Estimates

MILLER ROOFING Wendell Miller Owner 10 ABOUT...the River Valley

COMPANY

(479) 890-3499 | www.miller-roofing.net

Brad King VP/Sales September 2009

‘Live United’ The 11th Annual United Way Golf Classic was held Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Russellville Country Club. Teams, comprised of four members each, and sponsors netted $10,000 to be used for services provided to communities served by the River Valley United Way. The golf tournament began with a 6:45 a.m. check-in, including coffee, juice, donuts, and fruit sponsored by area businesses. On-course refreshments were provided during the day. A shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. launched the first flight while afternoon group set out at 1:30 p.m.

Hole-in-One prizes and awards for the longest drive and closest to the pin were awarded at an 11:30 lunch for the first group and at a 6 p.m. dinner for the second round participants.

Recent United Way events, in addition to the golf classic, have included: the Live United campaign, Day of Caring volunteers, distribution of supplies to displaced families, landscaping at the LV Williamson Boys and Girls Club, and volunteer efforts directed at Arkansas Tech University.

Live United -- It’s more than just a slogan.

It’s a message and a call to action. What does it mean to Live United?

It means being part of the change you want to see in the River Valley. It means working together to advance the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing our resources on programs centered around education, Income and Health.

“These building blocks of life are what River Valley United Way is all about, especially with today’s economic challenges,” believes Beth Latham, executive director of the RVUW. “More people are struggling in our community than ever before. Local programs are being stretched to the limits to meet the need. If you can give a little or a lot, this is your opportunity to make your impact, and the United Way is here to make it easier for you.”

“The goal for the 2010 campaign is ambitious – to raise $600,000 in just a few short months – but, it can be done and in doing so, we create the kind of community in which we all want to live,” added Latham.

“Every contribution, large or small, takes us one step closer to that goal – and to a River Valley that is ready and able to meet the needs of its citizens. Every donation we receive during the campaign stays right here in Pope, Yell and Johnson Counties, creating changes you can see, in your community. Whether you give, advocate or volunteer we thank you for your commitment to the River Valley.”

You can help by making a pledge to the 2010 United Way campaign or holding a workplace campaign, whether you have one employee, dozens or hundreds. These are fun, morale-building activities that provide your staff with an easy, affordable way to join the company in supporting the community.

United Way staff and volunteers will help with ideas and provide all the materials and support you need.; “Encourage others to support the United Way, through Marquee Sign Messages participation in online education events, and creating a team of volunteers for our Annual Day of Caring on Sept. 11, 2009.

For campaign materials or additional information, contact the United Way office at (479) 968-5089, blatham@ rivervalleyunitedway.org or visit our website at www.rivervalleyunitedway.org. n

ComingSoon...

2010

3300 E. Main • Hwy. 64 East, Russellville • (479) 968-1555 September 2009

www.philwrightautoplex.com

ABOUT...the River Valley 11

1

ABOUT

... the Best Products

■■1 Arkansas Tech Under Armour

Hooded sweatshirts, shorts, short and long sleeve T-shirts & Performance polos. Modeled

by Peyton Thorpe and Jacob Higgins.

The Tech Bookstore

209 West O St. • Russellville (479) 968-0255

2

■■2 My Brest Friend

The Brest Pillow is the #1 rated nursing pillow by lactation consultants for the past 10 years.

Featuring a secure wrap-around design, back rest, firm flat cushion, one handed adjustable strap, arm rest and a convenient pocket.

3

Russellville Medical

4

2600 West Main St. • Russellville (479) 967-5790

■■3 New Apparel At Wilkins Brothers Outdoors

If you’re tired of the same old face of winter apparel, check out the new winter jackets by Nike ACG. Modeled by Kalie Knight and Chance Wright.

Wilkins Brothers Outdoors

815 North Arkansas • Russellville (479) 968-4322

■■4 Not So Perfect Tins Photo Frames These adorable frames are available in white, light aqua or pastel pink. Come see these and our other selection of beautiful frames.

5

Gifts on Parkway/Gifts on Rogers

2149 E. Parkway • Russellville • (479) 890-6932 510 S. Rogers, Clarksville • (479) 705-8282

■■5 Razorback Headquarters For The River Valley!

We have the largest selection of Razorback including apparel, jewelry, tailgating equipment, décor and much more.

Collectors Gallery

6

121 East Harrell Drive • Russellville (479) 967-6773

■■6 Hand-painted Italian Pottery

New at Millyn’s! Dots and stripes on the fabulous red collection of Rosso Vecchio Dot Pottery make it casual and fun.

Millyn’s

Front Street • Dardanelle (479) 229-4144

12 ABOUT...the River Valley

September 2009

ABOUT

Family

Kindergarten Prep: It’s a Lesson for Mom Story by Heather Sprinkle

The four candles were lit, the birthday song was sung, and before the candles were extinguished, it hit me… my daughter will be going to school next year.

The tears came, and in my head I kept hearing, “You only have one more year with her.” In my heart, I felt joy, pride and a nagging sadness.

Well, that was a year ago. This year, another candle was added and all five were blown out with no tears and very little sadness. I’ve spent an entire year preparing myself for my daughter’s first year -- no, first day -- of school. I keep telling myself I’m fine. She’s just starting kindergarten; it’s not as if she’s leaving home.

Aubrey is so excited about starting school. She could not wait to take her “admission” test, going so far as to make a special craft for her teacher. She was a little disappointed about not meeting her actual teacher, but glad to be in a room full of other kids about to begin school.

She can’t wait to ride the bus. Of course, I keep asking for permission to take her to and from school for the first few weeks.

And I keep hearing, “But why mom? I’m going to be okay.”

She’s right. She is more okay, than I am. I think we’ve finally compromised. I’ll take her to school and she can ride the bus

September 2009

home. But, for the first few weeks, I’ll even be allowed to pick her up.

As the first day of school gets closer, I find myself holding on tighter. I’m staying longer in her room at night. I catch myself watching her as she plays and even when she is just watching TV. I see so much of myself in her -- that’s both a positive and a negative. And, I see the future in her -- her future through still innocent eyes.

She can’t wait to take the world by storm. And to her, kindergarten is the world.

This past year has been one of reflection and preparation for both of us. And, as I’ve been preparing her for school and the changes she will soon be experiencing, she has been preparing me.

In all actuality, I think she has done most of the preparing. She has prepared me for new friends, sleepovers, less quantity, but more quality time, and most importantly, she’s been teaching me the importance of letting go.

Instead of focusing on how all of our lives will be changed, I’m focusing on the new possibilities. I’m patting myself on the back for a job well done.

So far I’ve managed to raise an independent daughter, who is excited about learning everything she possibly can about absolutely everything. I should be proud of the fact that while she might be just a tad

nervous about getting through an eight-hour day without mommy, she’s not scared. She’s not clinging. She’s ready, ready, ready.

I’m ready too. I don’t anticipate too many tears the morning of her first day at kindergarten. I’ll cry them the night before.

And if I begin to focus too much on the negatives of her growing up too fast, I can always shift my attention to her four-yearold brother. n Note: Heather Sprinkle, a native of Perryville, earned a degree in journalism from Arkansas State University and relocated to the River Valley in 2006. She currently enjoys country living (in Dover) as a stay-at-home mom with her husband Matt and children, Aubrey, 5, and Arlis, 4, and a menagerie of pets.

ABOUT...the River Valley 13

The

Crown

Jill

T

he term “Southern Belle” is derived from the French ‘belle’ meaning beautiful. In her many roles as First Lady of Arkansas Tech University, Jill Lestage Brown -- born to an old French lineage just outside of Natchitoches, Louisiana -- daily taps into the skills she developed as a teacher, mother and daughter of the South to impact the students and community she tirelessly endeavors to promote. The university administration considers her volunteer efforts more valuable than rare gems.

“Jill is just priceless,” Susie Nicholson, Assistant to the President for University Relations said. “She represents the school with Dr. Brown and apart from him at so many functions. Most people have no idea the amount of work she does and to what lengths she goes ensuring everything is just so. She is the chief cheerleader for our university.”

Encouraging others is certainly one of Jill’s many gifts. Whether she’s talking up players before a game or approaching potential donors, her lips proclaim the good news of Tech and the power of working together to achieve common goals.

By her own admission, she is an avid college sports fan. It is a trait she carried from her father.

“I remember my dad would fall asleep at the kitchen snack bar listening to a baseball game playing on the radio,” she said, laughing. “I thought he was so boring, and now I’m following in his footsteps.”

When there aren’t any Tech games on television, she likes to listen to the radio. “But most of all I like to go in person,” she said.

Though Jill is a strong supporter of Tech athletics, she also roots for Louisiana State University, her favorite SEC team, where her husband attended graduate school. The Browns, former college sweethearts, have invested much of their time in attending extracurricular activities since joining the Tech community in 1993.

“I gave up my teaching career to be a support person for Bob,” Jill said. “This was a big step for me as I was very dedicated to my profession. I had taught while Bob was in graduate school, took a break to raise our three children, and started back when the youngest started school.”

14 ABOUT...the River Valley

Story by Jeannie Stone | Photos by Gabriel Stiritz and Steve Newby

“I was very proud of my accomplishments in the classroom and strived to make a difference in many children’s lives through education. At Tech, I am a listener and a sounding board for Bob. I offer encouragement and, sometimes, my opinion.”

Jill sums it up. “I am his volunteer. Helping university students realize their educational goals is extremely fulfilling, and it has been a pleasure to know many of them over the years.”

During her tenure teaching second graders, prior to her relocation to Russellville, she thrived on encouraging them to excel.

“Teaching is a challenging profession, but children’s brains are like sponges and seeing them grow is very rewarding to me,” she said.

Trading elementary students for college students has been an easy transition for Jill, who credits two beloved aunts, both former schoolteachers, and her parents for stressing education and the virtue of hard work.

“Both Bob and I are very fortunate to come from families where our parents dedicated themselves to us. I hope my own children feel that. The most important thing for children is for them to know they’re loved by their parents.”

It is that passion for guiding young people which has shaped Jill’s involvements.

Along with her campus obligations, she currently serves on the ATU Centennial Steering Committee and has hosted, along with Dana Moseley, several trips for alumni and friends. She has also served on the River Valley United Way, Russellville Chamber of Commerce and Wesley Foundation boards and has September 2009

served as a member of the Junior Auxiliary of Russellville, P.E.O., Russellville Culture Club and the ATU Dames Club. She and Bob are members of First United Methodist Church. She was named the outstanding leader of her Russellville Chamber of Commerce leadership class.

On the statewide level, she has been affiliated with Commerce of 100 for the Ozark Folk Center, Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association, Believe in Arkansas 2007 Inaugural Committee, National Women in the Arts Committee, Arkansas chapter and Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (WFA).

Through her association with the WFA, a not-for-profit statewide organization committed to developing the professional, economic and philanthropic potential of Arkansas women and girls, she spearheaded the first regional Girls of Promise conference at Tech recently.

The event, designed to offer eighth grade girls exposure to a college setting and potential careers in math, science and technology, was a success due to Jill’s resourcefulness in securing donations to underwrite the daylong affair from local professional women and other community supporters.

Her ability to express her passions also enabled Jill to sell benefactors on the merits of Center stands today because of her determination. “It took us a lot of work and worry, but what we have now is worth all of it,” she said.

“It took us a lot of work and worry, but what we have now is worth all of it,” she said.

“Bob and I worked so hard raising endowments to secure the $13 million gift from the Reynolds Foundation, and I’m so proud of that building. It has transformed this university, I know, and it impacts the whole River Valley community. It didn’t cost our students or the tax payers a single cent either,” she said.

Physical growth is ongoing at Tech where Centenary Hall, newly minted by the board to reflect the 100th anniversary of the university, is nearing completion. The College of Business and the Academic Advising Center will be housed within its walls.

During the Brown’s presidency there have been innumerable changes at Tech.

“Many people drive past the campus and remark on the new buildings and landscapes,” Jill said. “That’s the part easy to see, but the bigger change is much less visible, but even more important.”

Tech students have benefited from the exceptional faculty over the years, she added.

“With the help of the Board of Trustees, those people have been encouraged and assisted to do such great work. In the last 16 years, however, about two thirds of the current faculty has been recruited resulting in a learning atmosphere electrified by some September 2009

fantastic young people and experienced veteran teachers. Together, they’ve added over 40 new programs and received national recognition or accreditation for almost every existing program on campus.

That is a dramatic change.”

What thrills Jill even more is the gains made in student retention. “Enrollment is up over 77 percent since our administration took office, but the number of degrees produced has increased over 80 percent,” she said. “We have students from every county in Arkansas, 36 states and 31 foreign countries.”

For the last 14 years test scores have consistently run higher than the national average. “This Fall we will probably set our 11th consecutive enrollment record,” Jill said, “and that’s an accomplishment no other state university in Arkansas has done before.”

Furthermore, with the expected December commencement numbers, it has been calculated that one half of all degrees bestowed by the university in its 100-year history will have been awarded during the 16-year Brown administration.

“I am very proud of that record,” Jill said.

Obviously, First Lady Jill is a true asset to the university.

“Sadly for her, we treat her like she’s an employee not a volunteer,” Nicholson said. “She makes it a priority to get around to all the athletic events and is genuinely interested in the students, and they can feel that. Truly, she’s a good thing for us and a very positive influence on all of us.”

Jill, whose favorite color yellow indicates an abundance in creativity, wisdom and intellectual energy, is a family connector.

“We’re a very close family,” she said of her three grown children and their families.

“We’ve had fun with our children at every age, and now they’re all married, and that’s fun too.”

Their children, Hugh, a corporate attorney in Allen, Texas; John, a tax attorney in

Atlanta, Georgia, and Martha, Associate Dean of Students at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, their spouses and soon-to-be three grandchildren stay connected by phone, text and email.

“We don’t have to be together to have fun,’ she said.

In addition to tending to people she enjoys tending to plants, a trait she carries from her mother.

“I have her green thumb,” Jill said. “I have dug up and carried many of my ferns around to the various places Bob and I’ve called home over the years.”

In her scant times of rest she also enjoys reading fiction, working out at the fitness center, eating seafood and chocolate -- though not necessarily together -- and praying.

“She is a very religious and devout person,” her husband intoned.

“It was just embedded in my personality as a child,” she said.

“Let me say to you, when we came here Jill made a great personal sacrifice. She gave up her career, so we could do this together, and without her help, I would not have been able to do it. She receives no tangible benefits except for an occasional lunch and a thank you from me,” Dr. Brown said.

“She won’t tell you that, but I’m extremely grateful for everything she does. She’s the most important member of my team. She’s my number one advisor, and she’s the one person whose judgment I trust completely.”

True to her husband’s description, Jill responds to his compliment with a gentle demureness. The full-time volunteer is more comfortable behind the megaphone than in front.

Married 41 years, the couple basks in the glow of the other.

“I am very grateful for my blessings,” she said. “My parents would be so proud of Bob.” “Well, they would be proud of you,” he responded. “You’re beautiful.” n

Stephanie Street, Executive Director of the William J. Clinton Foundation; Ginger Beebe, wife of Governor Mike Beebe; Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, Chancellor of ATU/Ozark, with Jill Brown.

ABOUT...the River Valley 15

A Shelter

from the Storm

Jannie Condley is a woman with a mission.

Story and Photos

by Lauren Jones

16 ABOUT...the River Valley

Since September 2006, not a day has gone by that Jannie has not lent a hand to a woman or child in need.

She puts her heart and soul into this mission, and she says she could “never see (herself) doing anything else.”

Her mission? Jannie is Executive Director of the River Valley Shelter for Battered Women and Children in Russellville, a place for women and their children to turn to in a time of need.

The Shelter takes in women who are victims of domestic abuse. Statistics show that one in three women will be a victim of domestic abuse at some point in her lifetime. The Shelter is a place for these women to go.

Women are able to contact the shelter (whose physical address is never publicized) by self-referral, referral from the police or from the hospital. Once they arrive, Jannie says, “we (the shelter) offer them safety – a safe place to live.”

But safety is not the only thing each woman will receive just by knocking on the door.

September 2009

“We use our resources, such as counseling, outside agencies, and community help agencies, to help facilitate getting them (the women) back on their feet,” Jannie says.

While living at the shelter, the women go through mandatory counseling, which is also open to the public.

“These sessions are open to any domestic violence victims, free of charge,” says Jannie.

When a woman arrives at the shelter, the staff sits down with her to discuss what goals she would like to meet, whether it is getting a job, buying a car or getting childcare.

“We always want the women to be actively working on their goals,” Jannie says.

Along with three staff members, Jannie runs a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week facility.

The shelter hotline is always open, even if the victim calling just needs information.

Last year, the Shelter had around 200 women and children to come through their doors.

“We don’t turn people away just because we’re full,” says Jannie. “We try to make other arrangements, like getting them into another shelter.”

A major revenue source for the shelter is the River Valley Shelter Thrift Store,

presently located at 121 East Parkway. (The store was recently located in Downtown Russellville until it outgrew that location.)

The store is open to the public and accepts donations. In fact, Jannie asks that all donations be dropped at the store. Whatever is needed at the shelter will be used.

“Anything that the ladies need, they go to the thrift store and get,” says Jannie.

“There is no charge to them for that.”

Another way the River Valley Battered Women’s Shelter receives money is through their jewelry program. Broken china and beads are used to make necklaces, bookmarks and key chains. The beautiful, individually-designed pieces are sold to generate revenue for the shelter programs.

“Just like the china,” says Jannie, “we want to show the women who think they are broken that they are really something amazing and beautiful.”

Although the economy is down, Jannie says the communities of Pope County have been wonderful in their giving. This past Christmas, the community donated more toys and food than the shelter had ever imagined would be possible.

“We had an abundance of toys so we were able to put toys back. Now, when

a child comes in, we can give them a toy so they can have something of their own,” says Jannie.

Although there was plenty of food at Christmas, food is something that is always needed for the shelter. Also, volunteers are a necessity to keep the shelter running.

“The shelter must have volunteers in order for us to receive federal funding,” says Jannie. “They are always welcome here at the shelter or at the thrift store.”

At the end of the day, there is a simple goal for Jannie and the rest of the staff at the River Valley Shelter.

“We want to get (the women) to lead independent lives, free of abuse. That’s the key right there – to live free of abuse.”

“I think we have accomplished a lot,” believes Jannie.

“Of course, I don’t want to diminish anything that was done prior to me.

Everything has worked since we opened our doors in 1984, but I guess I’d just like to think that every year we do something better and better.” n Additional information on the River Valley Shelter for Battered Women and Children is available by calling (479) 967-6320 or 968-3110.

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Kayla Oliver, from left, Eva Rivas and Ashley McAlister

Trading Caps and Gowns for Scrubs Story and Photos by Jeannie Stone

Birthing babies, setting broken bones, pulling rotten teeth; those are the high points of high school according to recent graduates Ashley McAlister, Kayla Oliver and Eva Rivas, who completed the Medical Professions program offered by the Area Career and Training Center located at Russellville High School.

Not everyone is cut out to withstand the guts and gore of a medical career. It’s the job of Joy Peebles to introduce the disciplines to the students enrolled in the two- year program.

Peebles, formerly the high school nurse, is the medical professions teacher. She loves getting to know each student and helping to uncover their passions, she said.

“That’s the secret of happiness – to love what you do.”

Peebles should know. As a student at the University of Arkansas she set her eyes upon becoming a nurse. Somewhere during the 13 years she served as school nurse, she felt called toward vocational education and returned to the U of A to obtain another bachelor’s degree.

“This Area Career and Training Center is very well-respected,” Peebles said. “The quality of hands-on learning and job shadowing opportunities makes this program really shine.”

Peebles believes in the power of job shadowing. “I wish all young people had these opportunities to shadow to see if they are suited for a particular career. A lot of times college graduates complete their degrees lacking any experience in the field and are shocked to learn, once they’ve seen what goes into the job, they are no longer interested in the career area they’ve graduated into.”

The three recent graduates at hand are not likely to flounder into an abyss of uncertainty.

Eva Rivas, daughter of Orlando and Sandra Rivas of Russellville, is the 2009 Area Career Center Student Medical Professions Student of the Year. Her desire is to become a labor and delivery nurse, and she is pursuing an R.N. degree at Arkansas Tech University.

She admits to feeling a bit scared because of the unknown rigors of college level work, but Peebles is confident of Rivas’ abilities and training.

18 ABOUT...the River Valley

“We use some of the same textbooks that (Arkansas) Tech uses, so I think she’s more prepared than she realizes,” she said.

Rivas, who enjoys working out, drawing, traveling and watching movies in her spare time, credits the medical professions videos shown in class for sparking her interest.

Job shadowing for a local vet awarded Rivas real life opportunities to care for newborn raccoons and opossums.

Rivas, like all the other medical professions students, is CPR and First Aid certified. The training and exposure she has received has given her a practical edge as she anticipates the arrival of a nephew.

Kayla Oliver, daughter of Michael Oliver of Pottsville, received a scholarship to the University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton where she plans to complete her required coursework before advancing to nursing school.

She is interested in pediatric nursing.

Oliver, sister to five siblings, has always enjoyed children.

“I can understand kids better than adults,” she said. She also praises the instructional videos which were shown in class. “They helped me see what careers I might be comfortable with.”

Owner of an animal menagerie, Oliver, who enjoys reading inspirational stories, flirted with the idea of studying veterinary medicine after an exhilarating experience job shadowing.

“I got to assist the vet with surgery to remove a dog’s tail,” she said. “You could hear the bone cracking and everything. It didn’t even faze me.”

Job shadowing is the final chapter of the intense two-year Medical Professions track. Students must have completed Biology with a grade point of 2.5 or better and submit applications along with teacher recommendations to enter the course of studies.

Juniors beginning their first year in the program study the structure and function of the human body with emphasis on pathology. Students become familiar with medical terminology and submit written and oral reports revealing the nature, origin, progress and cause of particular diseases. Several dissections and guest lecturers representing the different disciplines in medicine complete the first year of study.

Dr. Richard Morgan, from left, Eva Rivas, instructor Joy Peebles, Kayla Oliver and Ashley McAlister

September 2009

Local Shadowing Rotation Sites for Medical Professions at ACTC: • ATU Student Health and Wellness Center • Atkins Millard Henry– Dr. Horan • River Valley Medical Center, Dardanelle • River Valley Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine • Dr. Carmella Knoernschild

Second year students -- high school seniors -- research and evaluate the various health career clusters. Demonstrative videos, showing scenarios such as open heart surgery and CPR, are only part of the curriculum ‘hands on’ activities, cutting open a cow’s heart, and sawing the meat and bones, are designed to involve the students in the learning process.

Each student further chooses one career to devote his or her attention and submits research in that field. Students acquire skills necessary to perform vital signs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid and infection control safety procedures.

The Spring semester introduces skills in nursing assisting, office assisting, laboratory procedures, dentistry, and physical therapy techniques. Eight weeks of job shadowing follow. Students must keep weekly journals of their experiences and share with the class health concerns they’ve witnessed first-hand.

ATU - Ozarks campus, the first local college to partner with the high school program, offers up to seven hours of concurrent credit for students enrolled in the Medical Professions track.

Ashley McAlister of Dover, daughter of James and Carla McAlister, was influenced by an aunt and a cousin who are nurses.

Her older sister and mother also went through the ACTC. That’s another reason I considered enrolling,” she said.

• • • • • • • •

Monfee Medical Clinic Dr. Richard Morgan Dentistry Millard Henry Clinic – Pediatrics Pathology Associates Dr. Jason Reel, Podiatrist Russellville Animal Clinic Saint Mary’s Medical Center Saint Mary’s Outpatient Therapy

“I like what nurses do, but I really don’t like dealing with all the emotions nurses deal with.

Medical Technology really appealed to me.”

McAlister was awarded a full scholarship to UACCM where she plans to complete her necessary coursework before transferring to UAMS. “In their senior year we really study the pros and cons of each career and explore the personality strengths of each student,” Peebles said. “When rotations came around I stuck Ashley in the lab more than anywhere else because she had such a strong attraction to that line of work.”

“I really liked the dissecting, working on the culture plates and working the blood bank. The smell takes some getting used to, but I have found what I want to do,” McAlister said.

Saint Mary’s Assistant Lab Director, Melanie Elmore, is glad to encourage the students and has hired two phlebotomists who shadowed as high school students.

“There is such a shortage in the medical tech field. There are only two schools in the state. The security of these jobs is phenomenal. Our hospital census is as high as always. We’re working as hard or harder than we ever did.”

“I wish I had something like this when I was in high school,” Elmore said. “Students get a real taste into the many possibilities of going into the med-tech field.”

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ABOUT...the River Valley 19

Wayne VandePol, front, and Sergio Picado check out the radios at the Pope County emergency office.

Radio H m no laughing matter Story & Photos by Jeannie Stone

September 11th will be a day for mourning as the country remembers the heinous attacks eight years ago that ushered us into a brotherhood of disbelief and shock. There are those, however, who voluntarily train for those unthinkable days when everything

“Wherever we go – in the car, in the house – we practice turning everything off and just running on batteries,” Picado, a self-employed electrical engineer, said.

“With repeaters we can actually hit two or three counties away.”

Unlike citizen band (CB) radios which hit the mainstream in the 70s, ham radios can wield a lot of power thanks to strategically placed repeaters. CB radios, on the other hand, have a maximum output of about 10 miles, and have no restrictions on who operated them.

Repeaters are electrical devices which act as frequency boosters to receive and retransmit signals at higher levels, higher power or onto the other side of an obstruction, so the signal can cover longer distances.

Annual Field Days offer hams the chance to hone their post-disaster communication skills in a real and concerted way. Clubs and groups meet at parks and other locations and operate entirely on emergency power for 24 hours.

Schaefer once received a phone call to work in the Virgin Islands at the onset of an expected hurricane.

“It only took 30 minutes to set up and start communicating back to the states,” he said.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to experience a Field Day for real over there. With a little bit of know-how and some ordinary stuff you can communicate worldwide.”

goes wrong. They are the members of the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES.) They call each other, ‘Hams.’

The members of the local RACES group volunteer for the Pope County Office of Emergency Management. They provide storm spotting assistance reporting to the 911 operator and alerting residents of impending danger. They also participate in the annual nuclear plant evacuation exercises and work at the reception centers at schools in Atkins, Hector, Morrilton and Clarksville.

“We help whenever and wherever we’re needed,” Emergency Coordinator Dennis Schaefer said.

RACES was established under the Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations with the purpose of establishing and maintaining the leadership and organizational infrastructure necessary to provide amateur radio communications in support of emergency management entities throughout the United States and its territories.

Members are ready at a moment’s notice to scuttle the countryside assisting in natural disasters, technological disasters, nuclear/chemical incidents, or acts of terrorism or enemy attacks.

Recently, the group participated in a statewide medical disaster drill coordinated by the State Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management. They were involved with establishing communication with hospitals all over throughout the state.

“Whenever a situation hits the community usually ham radios are the first to get out because the infrastructure has been destroyed,” ham Sergio Picado said. “It happened in Atkins with the Katrina refugees. We helped with the transportation needs, the medical supplies, and everything that was needed. We’re who you call when the chips are down.”

20 ABOUT...the River Valley

Dennis Schaefer, president of the group, shows how antennae should work on the board.

September 2009

RACES memebers from left: Mike McAllister, Sergio Picado, John Mays, Andy Anders, Bobby Price, Wayne VandePol, Larry Penepent, James Judd, Dennis Schaefer, John Evans and Aulton White.

With the island experience in mind, Schaefer adds that it’s wise to carry a travel bag.

“I carry deodorant, rain gear, a first aid kit, MRIs, toilet paper, money, and I never travel anywhere without water and granola bars,” he said.

“We were in Connecticut working with 9-11, and we couldn’t call out,” Picado said.

“We could receive calls but couldn’t transmit out.” Landline and cell phone networks often become overloaded after a disaster.

RACES participants are members of the Arkansas River Valley Amateur Radio Foundation, a club based in Russellville.

The club has over 100 members who enjoy different aspects of the hobby. All members of the local club are licensed by the federal government. In addition, many hams take classes, such as FEMA courses and the Severe Weather Spotters Course.

“Those classes are important so that operators can learn to make accurate reports such as properly labeling types of tornados and storm clouds,” Schaefer said. “We report directly to the National Weather Service as well as local authorities, and they have to rely on the information we give them.”

One of the members has brought a junction box to the meeting. Safety

concerns are always a hot topic among hams because they regularly work with electrical equipment.

“There’s only supposed to be three cables in this box,” Aulton White, retired from Public Broadcasting Service in Washington, D. C., said. “This one had nine. That’s a fire hazard waiting to happen.”

Members of the ARVARF club participate in events called fox hunts. The “fox” is a ham who hides somewhere and transmits a signal while others try to locate him with direction-finding equipment. This is done for fun, but the skills can be used for finding downed aircraft. In other areas, hams have used their fox hunting skills when someone stole a hand-held police radio and used it to interfere with 911 calls.

“We have used our skills to help locate a child lost in the mountains before,” Schaefer said.

In fact, Schaefer retains a skill almost unknown to most people. He knows Morse Code.

“He not only knows Morse Code, he’s one of the top coders in the nation,” Picado said.

“Dennis has been a ham for an astonishing 46 years. He’s the key to our organization here, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Hams use similar frequencies to EMS

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and public service units, but only volunteer activities are permitted on ham frequencies.

They cannot be used by agencies or businesses, but volunteer hams support many agencies, such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, National Weather Service, Civil Air Patrol, and the state Health Department.

“We don’t have emergencies all the time, but when we do we’re prepared,” Picado said. n For more on the RACES organization, call Sergio Picado at (479) 293-3129.

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2143 E. Parkway • Russellville ABOUT...the River Valley 21

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Joey and Karen were able to listen to our ideas and the purposes for which we wanted to use our living room, and then translate that into a design that was beyond our expectations. It is fun yet functional, and modern while still being welcoming...just like the staff at River Valley Furniture!

“

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Coming here allowed me to furnish the house with unique, exceptional quality pieces, while still being competitively priced, allowing me to stay in my budget. Even after I bought the furniture, the

“

“

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Photos by Steve Newby

Story by Jeannie Stone Photos by Gabriel Stiritz

David Scroggin: The Man Behind the Movement The newest church in Russellville is not so much of a building as it is a concept. Wesley@Wesley is the merging of Wesley United Methodist Church with Wesley Foundation, a Methodist-sponsored ministry at Arkansas Tech University. The matrimony of souls is what planners call “Rethinking Church,” a living embodiment to the challenge of taking church outside the traditional walls.

David Scroggin, the catalyst at the helm, is himself a contradiction. After the unexpected death of his alcoholic father when he was only 12 years old, the tenuous links holding his family together further weakened under the strain of financially hardship. Scroggin turned into a rebellious teen well-known to law enforcement in his hometown of Morrilton. His future looked grim.

And then he found God. “My conversion experience was so lucid I remember the complete sermon and the scriptures,” Scroggin said. Evangelist Larry Taylor was preaching a revival at First Baptist Church in Morrilton. The sermon he delivered touched on Romans 10:13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

“The preacher asked me if I wanted to be saved, and I told him, ‘You better believe it,’” Scroggin said. “I learned my first scripture verse on my knees in front of that church.”

At that very moment David Scroggin, on the cusp of his own ministry, did not own a Bible or know that it was divided into an Old and New Testament.

The year was 1961, and he was a senior at Morrilton High School. His future wife, a member of the church, was in attendance.

Eleanor was 14 years old at the time.

24 ABOUT...the River Valley

“I didn’t really know him personally, just his reputation, so I was impressed that he would make that kind of an outward commitment in front of a church,” she said, “and it was packed.”

“It was a super salvation,” he said.

Scroggin joined the Methodist church after visiting many different pastors and churches.

“I shopped around for several months and heard quite a few comments about Methodists being too liberal, but when I finally got around to visiting the Methodist church it just seemed like a better fit for me.”

He began college at University of Central Arkansas, but he continued to struggle with a destructive attitude and indifference.

Times were unsettling even for the most stalwart student in those days.

“The Vietnam War was going on, and I just wasn’t taking my studies seriously,” he said. “I was having major trouble with my grades, and then the Dean called me into his office and told me not to come back till I decided whether or not I wanted to be educated. He threw me out.”

Reeling from that blow, Scroggin found the Lord waiting for him when he returned to his dorm room. “I started crying and literally begging God to help me,” he said. “Actually,

I started bartering with Him. I was promising Him I would go into the ministry if he’d give me another chance.”

And another chance was what he got.

At the time, he was majoring in Physical Education. “I was going to be a baseball coach because I played all through high school and two and a half years in college,” he said, “but I’d heard the Lord call me during my freshman year, and in my hour of need I used that as my bargaining chip.”

Immediately after his proposal, Scroggin glanced out his window and saw the Wesley Foundation on campus. He had never before entered the building, but he rushed in and told Vernon Anderson he had to see a preacher.

“I’m not much of a one, but I’m the only one around here,” Anderson told him.

Scroggin wasted no time in blurting out his intentions of becoming a preacher.

“He nourished me through this, and got me one more semester in school,” he said.

Scroggin didn’t disappoint. He got his life on track and began earning good grades.

“In fact, I made the best grades in seminary,” he said. “I’ll always be grateful for Brother Anderson because he gave me room to grow.”

Eleanor and David began dating after his conversion and wed after her sophomore year at UCA. While a junior in college Scroggins received his first appointment to Mayflower and began serving five churches in Faulkner County as a student pastor. During his fifth year at UCA, he was assigned to serve at Plumerville United Methodist Church.

“There were some wonderful people there,” he said.

September 2009

Eleanor taught English to support them while he attended Emory University in Atlanta.

After a six-year stint pastoring St. John’s United Methodist Church in Van Buren, Scroggin heard the Lord call him again.

“I had been restless for a couple of years. I knew the Lord was calling me in a different path, but I didn’t know what that path was,” he said.

His will became clear at the Annual Conference, a meeting, sharing and regrouping time among the faithful in Arkansas, when someone gave a short report on one of the Wesley Foundations in the state.

“It was probably about a three minute report max,” he said, “but a light went on, and I ran out of the balcony at Hendrix where I was sitting to find out more about campus ministry.”

Scroggin found the bishop a little less open to the idea than he’d anticipated.

“He felt it wasn’t appropriate for me to leave a traditional congregation to minister to kids. They gave me two years to get it out of my system,” he said, and laughed.

His legacy spans three decades plus a year at Arkansas Tech.

“Nobody is more surprised than I am with the turn of events,” he said. “Frankly, my goal was to stay with a class from freshman year all the way to graduation, but after four years I realized I was just learning how to do the job.”

Brother David, as he’s called on campus, is ever amazed that college students continue to confide in him even though he is old enough to be their grandfather.

“I was very interested in pastoral counseling. I never thought about becoming a campus minister,” he said, “but I think the results have convinced everyone of the

The community is invited to attend the Wesley@Wesley Contemporary Worship

Held at Wesley Foundation, 1111 N. El Paso in Russellville.

The inaugural service is scheduled for Sun., Sept. 13, 11:00 a.m.

Come and Rethink church with us and Witness the growth of the Kingdom of God in Russellville.

Child care provided.

For more information, call (479) 968-4159 or (479) 968-1860.

worth of campus ministry and reaching to young adults during this stage of their lives.”

The proof is the added fortification of dedicated young adults in the Methodist church.

“We have seen many lives changed by this ministry,” Scroggin said. There are many ministers in the state who got their start here. Youth ministers, children’s ministers and even missionaries have gone through the Wesley Foundation in Russellville. One of our students went into the Air Force chaplaincy. We have been very blessed so many seeds we planted have taken hold.”

Some of those seeds have flung far from the garden patch. Following the sudden death of Bobby Jackson, a much-loved worship leader at the foundation, the students and Scroggins worked alongside the family to establish a memorial ministry in the Congo. On the other side of the world, a Wesley Foundation was built, and a staff person hired to work with students there. Now the good news is spread in one of the most disparaging places on earth. Now there is hope.

The amazing bar set by the foundation has garnered nationwide attention. In 2000, Scroggin was nominated by fellow campus ministers around the country and chosen as

the Campus Minister of the Year. “It was a very humbling experience,” he said.

“It was a well deserved recognition,” campus minister Jason Molitor said. “Some of the ministries are located at very large universities and to be nominated alone from a smaller school in more rural Arkansas is just such an honor.”

Molitor, one of the hundreds who passed through the ministry during his years at Tech, says the national spotlight only confirmed what he and his fellow students knew all along. “We knew this ministry was absolutely in the top tier in the country,” he said.

Molitor, one of those faith success stories, has just returned to the Tech campus after completing seminary and serving four years as the campus minister at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. He has the utmost respect for Brother David.

“As a campus minister he was the one who helped me realize my calling,” Molitor said. “He was always supportive, and he and Eleanor both modeled what it meant to be good leaders and mentors for us at that age.”

The “us” Molitor refers to is him and his wife, the former Emory Tyson, college sweethearts who met at the Foundation and married upon graduation. >>

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ABOUT...the River Valley 25

“Beyond the spiritual aspects of his guidance, Brother David and Eleanor helped us in practical ways,” Molitor said. “We had serious discussions about what marriage was all about, and by the time we stood before him to marry, we felt sure about our decision and loved by our community.”

He takes the revered place held so long

by Scroggin at Tech during this time of transition while Brother David takes up the reins at Wesley United Methodist Church.

The congregation voted earlier in the year to open their hearts, their minds and their doors to the 400 members of the Wesley Foundation already worshipping twice weekly to create a different church.

“Brother David had a great ability to help us all understand the servant role of Christ, and he encouraged us. That view helped us move beyond just thinking of ourselves all the time,” Molitor said.

“Those of us fortunate enough to fall under his loving guidance not only grew in head knowledge of who God is, but we were able to feet to that knowledge, so we could put our faith in action. As a campus minister, I now have the opportunity to share the gospel with students and watch them grow to serve.”

“It’s a new challenge, and I love it,” Scroggin said. “It’s really exciting. The timing

26 ABOUT...the River Valley

was perfect. Jason, whom I watched grow into a confident and effective communicator, was ready. I had wondered if he would be the one to replace me.”

It is here that Scroggin interjects he believed his years were numbered at Tech.

“Truthfully,” he said, “I was planning to stay on at the Wesley Foundation another year or two and then retire.”

But another call came – this one from the Bishop: “He invited me to initiate a Sunday morning worship service at the Wesley Foundation because I knew the college community,” Scroggin said. “At first, I told him he needed a younger man, but I couldn’t resist the chance to bring a homestyle community worship to the students and an opportunity to experience a living ministry to the congregants.”

His first two months in his pastorial role has seen the establishing of a launch team with eight working committees organized to create an alternate worship locale for the home congregation. “It’s new to everyone.

Nobody has expertise in this. It is simply unprecedented,” he said.

“I never set out to make good little Methodists out of the students,” Scroggin said, “but to pull them closer to Jesus Christ so they could take their gifts, talents and abilities with them to wherever God may

send them. My desire was always for them to make an impact in their communities.”

Spree Hilliard of Harrison, communication director at Wesley Foundation, says she couldn’t believe Scroggin was being reassigned.

“When we heard the news we were in shock. So much revolves around him, but he is a relationship person, and his life is a reflection of what church should be. I knew it’d be fine.”

Some of the members of the launch team are not members of the church nor the campus ministry.

“It keeps the spirit of ecumenicalism alive,” Scroggin said. “That encompasses the very spirit of the Methodist church. In fact it was at the last Annual Conference that we were directed to Re-think church.”

“For those of us who embrace change, like the majority of college students, the sluggishness of the church can be frustrating,” he said. “I thought I could hasten change in the church by concentrating on college kids. I hoped that through the grace of God we could impact the church today, and it is happening. Students really get the ecumenical vision of John Wesley.

“You know, you don’t have to be a member to belong to our church,” he said. n

September 2009

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ABOUT...the River Valley 27

ABOUT

Food TILAPIA WITH CHILI CREAM SAUCE Originally from the waters surrounding Africa, tilapia is raised commercially everywhere from North America to Asia. In this recipe, the sweet, mild fish-sometimes called Hawaiian sun fish-fries up crisp and tender, and soaks up all the glorious flavor of the sassy sauce Makes: 4 servings.

Gone a Fishin’

by Dianna Qualls About the River Valley Food Editor

Picture this young girl of about 12 years of age, standing on the creek bank at Porter Creek. Sun high in the sky, the glare on the water almost blinding. She has her cane fishing pole at the ready, hook baited with a really big fat yucky worm, poised, knowing that with just a flick of the wrist she would send that fishing line to the perfect spot to catch that ever elusive “Grandaddy of them All” catfish.

She drew that pole up and over her head and flicked her wrist but no baited line flew forward and no plop into the water, and no bobber afloat. What happened? Then a sharp stabbing pain shot through her derrière. She...oops, I, had managed to hook myself with my own fish hook.

The worst part was not the pain “back there”, it was the fact I had ripped

my new pants. They was brand new peddle pushers, white with red outlines of sail boats all over them, and I thought they were just “peachy keen”, and I looked really grown up in them. I did not fish much after that.

My mom and dad fished a lot and we ate fish often. Catfish from the Petit Jean River, or Bream and/or Crappie from Nimrod Lake, were the preferred fish in the Tramel household. In those days, cooking fish meant it would be DEEP FRIED in melted LARD. We never had our fish baked, broiled, sautéed, grilled, or blackened (except when burned accidentally). As I have matured so have my tastes for fish. We now look for healthier ways to prepare our fish. Enjoy these recipes and I hope some of them will remain in your recipe box forever.

1 lb. fresh or frozen tilapia or other firm-flesh fish fillets, ½ to 1 inch thick 2 T. cornmeal 2 T. All purpose flour Nonstick cooking spray 1 tsp. cooking oil 2 tsp. butter or margarine 2 tsp. all purpose flour 1 tsp. chili powder ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. ground cumin ¾ cup fat-free half and half 2 T. chipped fresh parsley or cilantro(optional) Lime slices (optional) Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry. Cut into 4 serving-size portions. Stir together cornmeal and the 2 tablespoons flour. Sprinkle over both sides of fish. Lightly coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add oil to skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add fish pieces.

Cook pieces over medium to medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fish from skillet. Keep warm.

Melt butter in the same skillet. Stir in the 2 teaspoons flour, chili powder, salt, and cumin. Stir in half-and-half.

Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. To serve, spoon sauce over fish. If desired, sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lime slices.

Recipe from Cook Healthy Today Cookbook.

Nutritional facts: 187 caL, 4 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 60 mg chol, 258 mg sodium, 12 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 23 g pro.

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28 ABOUT...the River Valley

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SHRIMP KABOBS 1 lb. fresh or frozen medium to large shrimp in shells 1 small red or green sweet pepper, cut into 16 pieces ¼ of a medium fresh pineapple, cut into chunks 4 green onions, cut into 1-inch slices ¼ cup bottled barbecue sauce Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Preheat broiler.

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact, if desired. Rinse shrimp; pat dry. Alternately thread shrimp, sweet pepper, pineapple chunks, and green onions onto 8 metal skewers. Place skewers on the greased unheated rack of a broiler pan.

Broil about 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning skewers once and brushing with barbecue sauce halfway through broiling.

(Or grill the kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 6 to 8 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning once and brushing with barbecue sauce halfway through grilling.)

Nutritional Facts: 134 cal. 2g total fat, 129mg chol, 258mg sodium, 10g carb, 1g fiber, 18g prot

BLACKENED RED SNAPPER 1 T. olive oil ¼ tsp. salt Several dashes of bottled hot pepper sauce (to taste) 1 ½ lb. tiny new potatoes, thinly sliced 4 medium carrots, thinly sliced 1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into thin bite size strips 1 medium onion, sliced 4 (4 to 5 oz) red snapper or catfish, fresh or frozen, ½ to 1 inch thick ½ tsp. Cajun seasoning Sipped fresh sage, chervil or fresh parsley (optional)

Voted

Fold a 48x18-inch piece of heavy foil in half to make a 24x18-inch rectangle. In a large bowl combine the oil, salt, and hot pepper sauce. Add the potatoes, carrots, sweet pepper, and onion; toss to coat.

Place in the center of the foil rectangle.

Bring up 2 opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold remaining ends to completely enclose vegetables, leaving space for steam to build.

Place vegetable pack on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals.

Grill for 35 to 40 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Meanwhile, thaw fish, if frozen. Well grease a wire grill basket; set aside. Rinse fish; pat dry. Measure thickness of fish.

Sprinkle Cajun seasoning evenly over fish fillets; lightly coat fish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place fish in prepared grill basket. Place the fish on the grill rack alongside the vegetable packet; grill until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning the basket once. (allow 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2 –inch thickness of fish.) To serve, if desired, garnish fish and vegetables with sage, chervil, or parsley.

SMOKED SALMON QUESADILLA 8 flour tortillas, taco size 5 oz garlic herb cheese, softened 6 oz smoked salmon 2 T. capers 1 c. shredded monterey jack cheese ½ c. sour cream 1 T. fresh dill, finely chopped 1 avocado, sliced 11/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 red onion, sliced Sour cream for garnish

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Lay out 4 tortillas; spread each with half of the herb cheese. Divide and top each tortilla

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with salmon, capers, and jack cheese. Top with remaining tortillas.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream with dill; set aside. Grill tortillas on hot oiled grill 3 to 4 minutes per side or until cheese has melted.

Serve hot topped with sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, and onion rings. Garnish with additional sour cream. Recipe from Diabetic Living Magazine Indoor: prepare quesadillas as directed. In a skillet large enough to fit tortillas, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat.

When oil is hot carefully fry both sides of quesadillas for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown; turning with a large spatula.

479-498-2277 3405 E. Main, Russellville ABOUT...the River Valley 29

GRILLED JAMAICAN JERK FISH WRAPS

We Love Making You

1 lb. fresh or frozen skinless cod, sole, or flounder fillets 1 ½ tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning 4 (7 to 8-inch) whole grain flour tortillas 2 c. fresh baby spinach ¾ c. tomato, chopped, seeded ¾ c. mango or pineapple, fresh, chopped 2 T. cilantro, fresh, snipped 1 T. jalapeno, fresh, seeded, finely chopped 1 T. lime juice

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Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle Jamaican jerk seasonings over both sides of each fillet; rub in with your fingers. Measure thickness of fish.

Stack tortillas and wrap tightly in foil.

Place fish and tortillas on the greased rack

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GLAZED HALIBUT WITH BROCCOLI AND ORANGES 1 lb. red onions (about 4 medium) 3 tsp. canola oil ¼ tsp. salt 2 naval oranges, medium 4 halibut fillets, boneless, skinless (about 3 oz each) 1 T. honey 2 T. water 4 c. broccoli florets Freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with sides with foil. Coat foil with cooking spray. Cut the onions in half crosswise and place, cut sides down, on a work surface. Cut into ½-inch thick slices.

Break the slices into separate pieces and transfer to the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the oil and 1/8 tsp. of the salt.

Toss to coat. Spread the onions in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, grate 2 teaspoons zest from

of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill fish 4 to 6 minutes per ½-inch thickness or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once halfway through grilling. Grill tortillas 6 to 8 minutes or until warm. Coarsely flake fish.

In a medium bowl, toss together spinach, tomato, mango, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice.

To assemble, top each tortilla with some of the spinach mixture and flaked fish. Roll up tortilla to enclose filling. To serve, cut each wrap in half. Recipe from Diabetic Living Magazine For a gas grill: Preheat grill, reduce heat to medium. Place fish and tortillas on greased grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.

Nutritional facts: 254 cal, 4g fat, 48 chol, 509 sodium, 23g carb, 11g fiber, 29g prot.

1 orange. Set aside. Peel and segment the oranges. When the onions are golden brown, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Add the orange segments. Toss to coat. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven.

Spread the onion mixture into a single layer and lay the halibut on top. Drizzle the honey and ½ tsp. of the reserved orange zest over the halibut. Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until the halibut is opaque.

Meanwhile, combine the water and the remaining 1 tsp. oil in a nonstick skillet.

Bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp.

Add the remaining orange zest and toss.

Divide the onion mixture among 4 plates and lay the fish on top. Serve with the broccoli, seasoning to taste with the pepper at the table. Recipe from Cook Healthy Today Cookbook Nutritional facts: 238 cal, 22g pro, 27g carb, 6g fat, 27mg chol, 216mg sodium.

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30 ABOUT...the River Valley

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September 2009

SMOKED SALMON PASTA RECIPE 8 oz spaghetti (or other pasta) Salt ¼ c. pine nuts 2 T. olive oil 1/3 c. chopped shallots (can substitute onions) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 c. dry white wine (can substitute pasta cooking water with a T. of lemon juice) ¼ c. cream 1 T. lemon juice 2 T. lemon zest (divided in half) 2 T. chopped fresh parsley or dill 4 oz smoked salmon, cut into bite-sized pieces Fresh ground black pepper Heat to boiling a large pot filled with at least 4 qts of water. While the water is heating, brown the pine nuts. Put the pine nuts in a single layer in a large skillet. Heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove pine nuts from pan and set aside.

Once water is boiling, salt it with 1 Tbsp of salt for every 4 quarts of water.

Once the water returns to a boil add the

OVEN-FRIED FISH FILLETS pasta to the pot. Leave uncovered, on high heat bring to a vigorous boil, and follow the package directions for the type of pasta you have chosen, for cooking time. Cook the pasta until al dente (cooked but still a little firm).

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, cook for 2 minutes, then add white wine, lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp of lemon zest. Increase the heat and let reduce by half. If you want a slightly creamy sauce, add cream and let boil a minute more. The sauce should be done about the same time the pasta is done, if not remove skillet from heat.

Once the pasta is done, remove one cup of cooking water from the pasta pot, and set aside. Drain the pasta and add pasta to the skillet with the sauce. If pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved cooking water to the desired consistency.

Add the smoked salmon, toasted pine nuts, parsley, and the remaining lemon zest. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serves 2 or 3.

This recipe was recommended by Dr. Brandi Hodge.

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2 lbs. flounder, sole, or perch fillets, frozen ½ c. fine dry bread crumbs 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 T. parsley flakes 1 tsp. paprika 2 T. oil Onion powder to taste Garlic powder to taste Thaw fish, separate fillets carefully.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine crumbs, slat, pepper, parsley, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder in bowl, add oil. Blend with a fork until thoroughly combined.

Spread crumb mixture on a piece of wax paper. Press fish fillets into crumb mixture, turn fillet to coat both sides. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in very hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Do not turn fish fillets during baking process.

Q’s-tip about fish: To maintain freshness and avoid overcooking, make sure to thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator — not at room temperature, under warm water, or in the microwave. n

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S

Story by Jeannie Stone Photos by Steve Newby and Jeannie Stone

Over the past 20 or more years, scores of Russellville politicians included a morning coffee stop at the Hardee’s on West Main Street as part of their grass-roots campaign strategy. While the coffee is commendable, the real draw is the loosely-formed group of men who have claimed the restaurant as their daily meeting place.

32 ABOUT...the River Valley

ND E I S ON FOR OLD FR Y A W AL

John Sorrels, partially retired carpenter and homebuilder, enjoys the camaraderie.

“It’s kind of a way to keep up with each other,” he said. “People have been meeting here for many years. I’ve been coming for 14 years. We used to call this ‘the office’ because before cell phones, we’d take quite a few phone calls here.”

“He’s just a newbee,” Slim Martin, also a retired carpenter, said. Like many of the other men straggling in, Martin has been a ‘member’ for around 20 years. Jim Pullen, retired construction worker, and Johnny Hamilton started attending around the same time.

There are no membership fees, attendance rosters or rules, but everyone is aware when one of the 30 or so men is absent for a period of time.

“Anybody seen Vernon (Howard)?” Sorrels asked. “We’re worried about him. We’re going to have to check on him after the meeting today.”

In one corner, retired grocer Leo Elliott is regaling his friends on the dismal state of the local tomatoes. With ever a mind toward value, he expresses outrage over the high cost of produce.

“Oh, we mostly talk about bowling and fishing,” he said, when pressed.

“If it happened in town in the last 100 years or it’s in today’s newspaper, it’s talked about here,” Sorrels said.

It’s evident that there’s a whole lot of talk going on here.

“Women, that’s what they talk about,” Bob Lancaster, retired from AFCO Steel, said.

Sorrels disagreed. “Politics and sports,” he said.

“If you want to get the group really riled up -- especially when John Montgomery is here because he’s a Republican – get them talking about politics,” Kim Rogers, general manager for Hardee’s, said. “They’re here rain or shine. If they’re not here, we actually worry about them,” Rogers added.

Rogers, manager since 1998, knows their names. They are like employees she said.

September 2009

“Some of them have been with us a lot longer. Many of them have been coming since before I arrived,” she said.

“Heck, I was here before they bulldozed it and changed its appearance,” Winford Hoover, retired school administrator, said.

The members represent all walks of life. Carpenters and educators seem to be in abundant supply, but there’s also an insurance salesmen, a banker, a couple of retired county judges, a real estate agent, a mess sergeant, a gas man, a steel man, an author, several small business owners, a grocer, a peach farmer and an ex-mayor.

“That’s a rough bunch,” John Canerday, former owner of a Honda dealership and a retired Tyson’s employee, said. “They’re the kind of people that’d take the chicken of your plate.”

Retired gas man Jimmy George of Dardanelle mumbled, “That’s about as funny as a root canal.”

“Seriously,” former National Guard cook James Robertson said. “I was raised on Hilltop, but two thirds of these guys were just trucked in here.”

“Ouch,” former Arkansas Tech controller Hamilton said. “Disrespect -- that’s what you get when you’re from Newton County.”

That’s the kind of joking around that fills the space between heated political discussions and ruminations. Noticing that a reporter is scribbling down notes, Canerday said, “Oh-oh, we better clean up our act.”

“Sometimes they can get a little rowdy,” 10-year-old Robert Boren said of his grandfather’s friends. “I like coming here, though.”

The Atkins Middle School student doesn’t have a Game Boy or any electronic systems plugged in. He listens, occasionally laughs and politely answers questions. “Mostly, I just listen,” he said.

His grandfather, Henry Chronister of Moreland, calls the restaurant “the coffee

shop.” After retiring from Centurytel, he took to checking in with his friends for periodic updates. “It’s tradition now,” he said.

“Well, these are good people,” Hamilton said.

Canerday brushed away a question and pointed to a fellow member with his nose in the newspaper. “Talk to him. He’s the Master of Ceremonies.”

Retired real estate agent, James C. “Jug” Knight, peers from behind the pages of the local paper. “I don’t know what he’s talking about,” he said.

A small, round object passes before his eyes as a pacemaker is fingered by one person then the other. “That’s what keeps your heart going,” someone said.

There’s no denying the aging of the present population. Hoover chuckled.

“Some people call us the Hearing Aid Club because every one of us has hearing aids.”

“That’s 99 percent true,” Hamilton said.

“I’m the only one who can hear good. That’s why I have to talk so loud though. They can’t hear anything.”

Retired banker Bert Mullens slowly pushed his chair away from the table in case anyone had something interesting which might serve to detain him.

“I guess I better get back to the boss,” he said, referring to his wife sitting at the other end of the restaurant.

“I left mine at home,” Robertson said.

Charles Allen, who is still active in the Lion’s Club, laughed. In fact, he’s had a smile on his face for the last hour. “These guys crack me up,” he said.

“We don’t do a lot of politicking ourselves,” Sorrels said, “but we do a lot of arguing. It does get kind of thick around here during election season.”

Don Sevier, former athletic director Arkansas Tech, has been coming to the coffee shop for more years than he can recount.

“We even had one Republican and his brother was a Democrat sitting at the same table,” he said. “We are an openminded group.”

Retired judge and peach farmer Wayne Nordin laughed and shook his head.

Elliott found the ideal way to fellowship from both sides of the table. “I just kind of keep quiet and let them talk,” he said.

All of the talk is pleasant, said Don McAnulty, who retired from Allstate Insurance. Another 20-year-plus member, he and Hoover are deer hunters.

“We both start counting the days till opening day around in June,” he said. “On the other hand, you can hear something on just about everything down here. You don’t need a paper or watch the news on T.V.” “You don’t even have to have an opinion,” Hoover said, “we’ve solved many problems here, and, besides, the coffee’s always on.” n

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ABOUT

Community

Mistletoe Market Shopping Benefit Dates Set

Cathy Andrasik, Executive Director of the Arkansas River Valley Boys & Girls Clubs is pleased to announce dates for the second annual “Mistletoe Market – Shop for a Cause” benefit to support the organization. Mistletoe Market is slated for October 9 and 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the L.V. Williamson Boys & Girls Club, 600 E. 16th Street, Russellville.

This year’s event will include 50 plus merchants selling gifts and merchandise including art, beauty products, clothing, fall and Christmas items, home décor, baby items, food jewelry, toys and other gifts of all kinds. Tickets for a two-day shopping pass to the event are $5 and will be available at the door or at the Boys & Girls Club.

“Mistletoe Market was a great success last year and the benefit was an important fundraiser for us” Andrasik said. “We had a great team working on the event and I’m pleased to announce this year’s committee,” she added.

Thursday, Oct. 8, 6 to 8 p.m. a special “Preview Party” event will take place at the club. Exclusive “first look” shopping, live music and hot hors d’oeurvres will be included in the $25 per person tickets.

For more information about the event or to become a merchant please contact Cathy Andrasik at (479) 968-7819.

18th Annual Downtown Fall Festival & Chili Cookoff

Pull those chili pots out of storage and get ready for Main Street Russellville’s 18th Annual Downtown Fall Festival & Chili Cookoff.

This day long classic street festival will take place throughout Russellville’s Downtown Historic District on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Booth registration forms are available for the Chili Cookoff as well as the Arts and Crafts, Commercial, Political, Food Concession, and Non-profit booths.

Forms and other information are available for other crowd pleasing activities that take place throughout the day. Returning crowd favorites like the CASI sanctioned Chili Cookoff also include the Friends of the Depot Omelet Breakfast at the Legion Hut, 5K & 1 Mile Run/Walk, Tour de Pumpkin Bike Ride, Canine Capers Dog Show, Children’s Costume Contest, and the Car, Truck & Cycle Show.

Mistletoe Market Board pictured left to right: Patty Mathes, Co-Chair; Melanie Harris, Co-Chair; Cathy Andrasik, and Gaye Croom, Chair.

Photo by Steve Newby

Two of the newest additions to the festival that have quickly become crowd favorites are the Old Fashion Pie Contest and Trick My Wagon Parade. The Pie Contest takes place at the Depot and offers pie and coffee for sale following judging. In its second year the Trick My Wagon Parade features wagons decorated by children of all ages that are paraded through the streets of the festival.

The day’s activities will also include the Pope County Farmers Market, live music and entertainment, and lots of great festival food.

The Downtown Fall Festival & Chili Cookoff is one of many projects of Main Street Russellville, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving our community’s sense of place through the preservation, revitalization and economic redevelopment of Russellville’s historic central business district.

For additional information contact Main Street Russellville, 320 W. “C” Street at the Depot, P.O. Box 694, Russellville, AR 72811 or call (479)-967-1437. Email msrsvl@centurytel.net or visit the web at: mainstreetrussellville.com. n

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34 ABOUT...the River Valley

September 2009

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Lee Rogers

a Renaissance Artist Story by Jeannie Stone | Photos by Gabriel Stiritz

Lee Rogers of Russellville is a man of many talents. He is an artist, gardener, horseman and a medical wonder. In addition to his ongoing projects Rogers is a conversationalist and enjoys visiting with his friends and neighbors. He is a natural-born social connector.

36 ABOUT...the River Valley

To visit his home is to experience a life of love rich in experience and laced in humor. Every inch of every wall displays memories from a life well lived. His renderings of western themes, mostly detailed portraits, take one’s breath away. There are animal portraits of bird dogs and horses and, the wildlife landscapes so realistic that the viewer is drawn into the scenery.

There are lots of momentos and photographs of him and his wife of 47 years, Sarah, sharing good times.

One photograph shows them dressed for a costume party and laughing.

That’s the thing about Lee. People love him, and he loves life.

“I was born down around Brownsville, Texas,” he said. “My daddy worked on bulldozers out in the open air, and he had a way of finding animals which he brought home to us. That’s the way we grew up and partly my fascination with wildlife.”

Lee recalls a fawn his father rescued. Its mother had been killed. “That fawn laid her head on Daddy’s lap during the trip home in his pick up, and we took care of her until she died a couple of years later. She broke into the screened in porch and got sick on buttermilk.”

Those are the type stories that make Lee such an interesting person and could partly explain his insatiable appetite for life.

Lee’s father was drafted, and the family’s lifestyle changed dramatically as a result of that. His father was wounded, and when he returned home, the family packed up and left Texas. Lee’s father moved his family to Northeast Arkansas where he helped his father farm.

“The farm was in the river bottoms,” Lee said, “and one day a guy drove by our house and told us to get out because the levee was going to flood. They had been blasting around there. Sure enough, by the time we were driving out water was seeping into the floorboards of the truck. We lost everything.”

The family relocated to nearby Blytheville where Lee’s father secured a job at the Air Force base.

“We had plastic airplanes and toy bombers. It was great,” he said. “My brother and I could go to the movies for 10 cents each.

After the war the base was closed and Lee’s father moved the family to Russellville where he planned to go to school on the GI bill. Along the way, they stopped in Beebe, living in tents, to harvest strawberries to pay for their living expenses.

“You did what you could to survive,” he said.

“Mother got onto me and my brother once for eating the strawberries, but the supervisor told her we could eat all we wanted. Well, we never ate strawberries and we pigged out. I thought they were fantastic. That man knew what he was talking about because we got sick and sure didn’t want any more after that.”

September 2009

At Tech, Lee’s father studied drafting, and his brother started football and also took a drawing class. Lee followed the trend.

“Well, none of us had any experience with art,” Lee said, “then, all of a sudden, here we are all doing some kind of art. One thing just led to another.”

The family lived in government housing, and when Lee’s father completed school he found employment at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center as a maintenance engineer.

Russellville native turned NYC socialite Barbara Norris Church Mailer was a 16-year-old fellow student when Lee asked her to model for him. He was studying photography. “I took the first professional pictures of her,” he said. “Her mother sent a chaperone with her.”

Norris became part of the fabric of Lee’s life just as every friend he’s ever made has left an imprint on him. “I ended up taking her wedding pictures later,” he said.

Lee and Sarah, now retired from Regions Bank, met and married before he’d finished his degree.

“I was drawing and drafting at AVI (Arkansas Valley Industries, now Tyson’s) when we got married,” he said. “I knew I wanted to go into photography, so we checked out a school in Santa Barbara but it was way too expensive. A friend of mine who I’d gone to grade school with was working at a mental institution in Missouri and told me about a job they had open for an art teacher, so I went up there. They had an awesome set-up with huge kilns for throwing pots...”

But Lee witnessed a frightening encounter among the residents and realized he wasn’t cut out to work in that setting. Unsure of what to do, he saw an advertisement for an artist at the Commerce and Industrial Development department in Missouri.

“I got that job and because they had state of the art photography equipment and a darkroom I got my schooling there. I produced their magazine.”

September 2009

When the job requirements changed to include a college degree Lee and Sarah came home to finish his degree at Tech. Working on commissions from the contacts he made during his four years in Missouri, Lee enrolled in an art class taught by Helen Marshall.

“She was a wonderful woman, bless her heart,” Lee said, “but she took one look at me and told me since I was a realist painter, I was going to have to work double hard in her class. Helen was an abstract painter, and that’s all that class was about.”

Lee ended up dropping her class even though he gave a solid performance.

“I was on campus all day long doing the extra work she required on top of my other classes,” he said, “and I had commissions I had to do. My wife was working at the bank, but we needed those commission sales, so I let the class go. It made me stretch and try things I’d never tried before, and that was good because artists can get too comfortable doing the same thing.”

Upon graduation Lee took a public relations and later an advertising job at Murphy Oil. “They were really good about sending me to photography school, and I had some awesome experiences flying in the corporate jet to cover stories for the company. They put me in the League of Artists and I served on the Southern Region Board of Ballet.”

Lee was responsible for putting out a monthly newsletter and made an annual trek to Chicago to print the annual report.

His artistic repertoire greatly expanded, however, when it was announced that he would be creating commercials for the company. “That’s when they sent me to cinematography school,” he said.

The two-week hands-on crash course in filming was staged at a YMCA camp outside San Francisco. >>

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“It was a serious class,” he said. “Nothing prepared me for the final assignment, though.”

The students were paired off and directed to go out and make a film. “My partner and I went to the coast,” he began, obviously in the throes of another adventure. Lee decided to take advantage of some hippies living out of a Volkswagon bus. While he was filming one of the girls took off her top.

“I just kept filming,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do. It was a lot for this ole boy from Arkansas to deal with, I can tell you that.”

Though his fellow male students cheered when they saw his movie, the instructor decided he was too artsy.

After Murphy Oil, Lee moved his young family to Ashland, Ken., to work for the oil company there, but his daughter, Elizabeth, developed severe asthma.

“That air was so congested,” he said.

They made the decision to return home.

For the next six years, Lee worked for the Frank Lyon Company in Little Rock before starting his own advertising agency.

During those ventures, he worked on roughly 40 commercials a year rubbing elbows with some of the legends in the entertainment industry like Ed McMahon, Jodie Foster, Ben Johnson, Sally Fields, Robert Urich, Bud Taylor and Buck Taylor.

“I even met President Carter,” he said.

B ir t h d asy P a r t ie Ba by & W ed di ng Sh o w er s

Wanderlust got the better of him, and for 12 years he rambled around the countryside drumming up commissions and living on the fly.

“See every town with bold print on the map?” he asked. “That’s where I went. All over Texas and Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, and up to South Dakota, North Dakota, over to Michigan and to the east coast. I called on every bold-typed town on the map.”

“I slept in barns, spent a weekend in Notre Dame and slept in a teepee with seven buffalo robes. I have lived life,” he said.

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During his travels, Lee entered and won art shows, gathered clients, made friends and made a name for himself in some influential circles. In the West, in particular, there are a number of genres for artists such as the Native Americans, Civil War reenactments, and cowboys and all that goes with that – cattle, horses and trail rides.

He pointed to a striking Native American warrior on a black background.

“I went to an Indian Pow-wow, and this guy is in his full dress. He told me that anybody going into battle dressed in black and white was prepared to die and commanded a lot of respect. I entered this one in the Trail of Tears art show in Tahlequah,” he said.

“I’m Cherokee on my grandmother’s side, but they didn’t get on the roll, so I can’t claim it. Anyway, I won awards with that one at the show and then took the painting to Lawrence, Kan., and won an award there too. It sold to a man in NYC for $4,000. I even sold the edition completely out. I made 950 copies.”

Lee’s father-in-law introduced him to the world of bird hunting, and he received quite a number of commissions to paint various dogs some of them champions.

“I painted several famous dogs, and one trainer had me paint a 14’ x 16’ long painting on the side of his barn to advertise his business. One person would like my work and tell another. That’s how my name got circulated around.”

Lee also lent his talent to the cattle industry. “For years I painted portraits of the incoming presidents of the Brangus Association,” he said. “There was one guy who owned a lot of jewelry stores in Texas, and he commissioned me to paint a portrait of him and another of Brangus cattle over in Truth of Consequences in New Mexico.

When he passed away, his wife told me they put my portrait up in front of the casket because she wanted a closed casket. That meant a lot to me.”

Another customer requested a painting of a particular cliff in Durango, Colo., and while Lee was there he drove to Roswell, N.M., to paint a portrait of another cowboy who had commissioned him. “Everybody leads to somebody else,” he said.

Part of his success has come from his uncanny knack for remembering faces. He is perpetually keeping an eye out for potential models for his many projects. While sketching a Sheridan family, he ran into the brother of his subject and happened to see a photo of the man’s two daughters on his desk.

“I realized one of the girls, who was dark, would make a perfect model for my Sacagawea painting,” he said.

“If you’re going to be an artist you have to have determination,” he said. It seems Lee is not lacking in that department.

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The Sacagawea painting took Lee an entire year to complete. “I researched everything,” he said. “She was a Shoshone Indian, and I had to find out what they wore, what kind of shoes, everything. The stick she is carrying had deer horns on the end.

She used that to dig up leaves in the ground when she was scavenging for food.”

In keeping with the authenticity of the painting, Lee purchased animal hides and sewed her dress. “I didn’t have any clothes for this girl to wear, so I had to make it myself. I even had to tan the hides.”

“Do you know they tanned the hides using hog brains?” he asked. “It provides a chemical breakdown on the hides that softens them. Then, they would hang the hides on top of their tepees so the smoke from the fire would seal them and make them waterproof. I’ve learned so much.”

After his journey spreading art across the country, Lee concentrated on completing the steady stream of commissions. His works have graced several magazines.

Twice his paintings have been featured on the cover of Quail Unlimited Magazine.

He has been displayed on the cover of International Brangus Breeder and Texas Brangus magazine.

He has also illustrated a book about training Tennessee Walking Horses and is making plans to add a track to his farm in Dardanelle home to his beloved horses.

“I don’t take many commissions anymore,” he said. “I do what I want. My wife wants me to spend more time entering contests, but I can’t stop working with the horses. I’m obsessed with them.”

Lee’s world nearly came to an end when he contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever in 2001.

“I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I spiked a fever and went in to see Dr. Berner. By the middle of that night I was in the hospital. I was out for three and a half weeks,” he said.

September 2009

His father had built the wing of the hospital, and Lee recognized the intensive care when he awoke.

“I was in there for 67 days. I was so weak I couldn’t move. I shut down three times. I kept getting infections. My heart stopped.

My kidneys started failing me, and I had to go on dialysis. Then my liver started shutting down. My hands looked like rubber gloves blown up. I had bleeding ulcers and had to have over 20 some odd liters of blood.”

He still has trouble with balance. “I was in Rehab forever,” he said. “I had problems with my lungs and got pneumonia. Fortunately, I got everything back, and I got to where I could draw again. Actually, my Rehab therapist told me one day I was going to draw again.

I thought she was kidding, but here I am. I think I’m even better than before.”

Garden work has helped Lee strengthen his back and has provided exercise. He is the voluntary grounds keeper at his home church, First Presbyterian Church of Dardanelle.

“I’ve really gotten into propagating plants,” he said. “It all started with daylilies, and I just love it.” Lee built a fence around his garden to keep the deer away. Deer are the main carriers of the tick disease. “Most people aren’t aware of how prevalent the ticks are in this area.”

“My wife and daughter don’t want to hear any stories anymore because I can talk forever, so I’m in solitary confinement in my studio working on my paintings,” he said, and laughed.

“This time eight years ago I was laying in the ICU at Saint Mary’s, and they had pretty much given up on me. The doctor recently told me that he’d already told Sarah to start planning by funeral.”

I’ve had a second chance in life. I’m a lucky guy. n Note: Lee Rogers will be exhibiting his paintings at the Downtown ArtWalk Sept. 4 at Peters Family Living and at University of the Ozarks in Clarksville opening October 1st.

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Saint Mary’s Gift Shop Sales Benefit Student Scholarships

Auxiliary members at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center exhibit a continuous sense of generosity that lifts the spirits of those they come in contact with every day. And in addition to the specific duties performed that aid staff, guests and patients throughout the hospital, Saint Mary’s volunteers contribute thousands of dollars each year to the education of some of the best and brightest healthcare students in the River Valley.

The Saint Mary’s auxiliary awards a number of $500 scholarships each spring and fall semester. The scholarships are available to current hospital employees who are actively continuing their education in nursing and clinical fields. Recipients are selected by the Volunteer Scholarship Committee based on criteria such as field of study and unit manager recommendation.

Scholarship Committee Chair Louisa (Lou) Peterson and other committee members will soon be selecting 15 scholarship recipients for the current fall semester. “The auxiliary is always happy to assist ambitious and talented individuals in reaching their educational goals and potential,” she said, “and we challenge ourselves each year to increase the number of scholarships awarded.” The $7500 in scholarships to be awarded this fall is a new record for the auxiliary, and members are especially proud to have had this fundraising success during a time when many students are finding it difficult to obtain financial aid.

Toni Daniels of Rogers is a Saint Mary’s employee and nursing student at Arkansas Tech, who received one of eleven scholarships awarded for the spring 2009 semester. “I was able to pay for all of my nursing books, which were very expensive,” she said. “This was a significant help to me, and I’ve encouraged several others to apply for this assistance.”

Respiratory Therapy student Lindsey Harris was also awarded a spring scholarship. “I put it directly toward my tuition,” she said, “and I was able to avoid taking out a student loan for that semester.

Every bit helps when it comes to these expenses, and I’m very grateful.”

40 ABOUT...the River Valley

Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center auxiliary members Delma Casey, Hoyt Abbott, Janet Thurber, Evelyn Denton and Pat Housdan gather in front of Compliments Gift Shop in the hospital. The gift shop is owned and managed by the auxiliary, and all monies received as profit from gift shop sales are contributed to nursing and clinical scholarships. The community is encouraged to donate gently used books to be re-sold at the shop, with all book sale proceeds going directly to the scholarship fund.

Auxiliary scholarships are awarded directly to the recipients. “Students may use these funds in whatever way they choose,” explained Peterson. “It can be gas, groceries, childcare, tuition or books – we just want to help them meet their needs.”

Scholarship funding is raised throughout the year in part through monies received as profit from Compliments Gift Shop, which is owned and managed by the auxiliary. Used books sold in the gift shop, ranging in cost from 50 cents to $1.50, are collected entirely through donations. The community is encouraged to bring gently used books to be re-sold. Proceeds from two annual jewelry sales, sponsored and hosted by the auxiliary, are also donated to scholarships.

Some scholarship funding comes directly from the volunteers themselves, via a “money jar” passed at each monthly meeting to gather loose change and the occasional

one or five-dollar bill. Together, monies collected from used book sales and the money jar were enough to entirely fund one scholarship awarded in spring of this year.

In addition to accepting used book donations at the gift shop, Saint Mary’s volunteers also accept slightly dated issues of magazines for distribution throughout the hospital. Magazines may be dropped off at the information desk, just inside the main entrance of the hospital.

Auxiliary Scholarship applications are available at the beginning of each semester in each department of the hospital. For more information on the auxiliary scholarship program, or to become a member of Saint Mary’s enthusiastic and energetic volunteer team, please contact Brenda Harrison at 9645687. Volunteer applications are available at the hospital switchboard, just inside the main entrance, or can be accessed online at www. saintmarysvolunteer.blogspot.com. n

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Continued from page 19

“The support we get from the medical community in Russellville is tremendous,” Peebles said. “Melanie comes and talks to the students telling them what a medical technician does. She may have the students make DNA necklaces or extractions, and another time they might do a lab experiment using non-contagious substances.”

Elmore is not the only supporter who offers such encouragement.

“All of our benefactors are great,” she said. “They let the students hang out with them, do vital signs, clean up patients. They get to see things they’d never get to see otherwise. Sometimes, they get to see heart catheterizations, and last year, a girl helped perform CPR in ICU at the hospital. For these kids it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Dr. Richard Morgan, a local dentist, has participated in the program for five years.

He and hygienist Karla McCool visit the classroom informing the students of their working relationship and what educational needs must be met for each job.

“She even shows them the dental instruments we use. We talk about dental health care and how it affects total health,” he said.

“When I decided to go to dental school I was required to show proof that I observed

so many hours, so I job shadowed as a college student. Nowadays, even to go to dental hygiene school you must have logged 40 hours of observation first.

These kids have a huge step up on other young people.”

A lot of students enjoy visiting Dr. Morgan’s clinic because they are exposed to many different situations, he said.

“I have a full service dental practice,” Morgan said. “They can watch tooth extracts, root canals, no telling what else on any given day. And I haven’t had anybody pass out on me yet.”

Gabe Freyaldenhoven, physical therapist and owner of River Valley Therapy and Sports Medicine, is impressed with the quality of students rotating under his supervision.

“They do a great job, and it’s been great to see their willingness to learn,” he said.

“The students are getting their feet wet in a lot of different areas. I have no doubt their experience will increase their longevity in the field.”

Freyaldenhoven, like Morgan, sees a shift in the importance schools are placing on job shadowing.

“PT schools now require 40-80 hours spent in the clinical setting. I think it’s wonderful.”

During rotations at his clinic, students monitor patients’ vitals and check their heart rate.

“They are an extra set of hands, and that is huge when you’re trying to move a patient five days out from knee replacement surgery. To that person walking is a big deal.”

Freyaldenhoven, who also lectures at the high school teaching one entire class on muscle rehabilitation alone, leads the students in spending a day in a wheelchair.

“If you’re going to work with patients suffering from limited mobility, you have to learn how to fall out of a wheelchair.

Of course, they also like to pop wheelies in the wheelchairs,” he said, “but they get to apply what they learn into real world situations.

“Choosing one career doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind down the road,” Peebles said. “I had a mid-life career change, but at least they’re pointing in a direction and have a better chance at succeeding with the experience of having gone through this program.

“I love the students, and I feel like this job is a blessing,” she said. “I love coming to school every day.” n Note: For information on the Area Career Training Center, call (479) 968-5422.

Dalton

FAMILY

Dentistry

Dalton

We Cater to Cowards

FAMILY

Dentistry

We Cater to Cowards

We Cater to Cowards!

3105 West Main, Russellville AR

(479) 968-1001

September 2009

ABOUT...the River Valley 41

Beauty ARKANSAS COLLEGE

A Great Place to Begin a Beautiful & Profitable Career with Unlimited Potential!

Grants and Loans Available to Those Who Qualify!

NEW CLASSES BEGIN EACH MONTH! Offering Classes in: Cosmetology, Manicuring, Esthetics and Instructor

Cuts ~ Styles ~ Perms Colors ~ Extensions Braids ~ Ear Piercings Facials ~ Mannies ~ Peddies Tuesday thru Saturday 8:00 to 4:00 All Services Provided to the Public under the Supervision of State and Department of Education Certified Instructors.

ABOUT

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.)

–September 19–

–October 17–

Kim Bennett and Justin Davis

Kelsey Boyd and Jerome Cox

Victoria Reynolds and Michael Lunn

Katie Whitlow and Chris Watson

Mandy Brown and Phillip Golleher

– September 26–

(479) 968-3075

–October 24– Layne Smith and Cody James

Jordan Arnold and Nathan Yates Jenny Andrasik and Vic Fulton

–November 7–

Emily Fulmer and Jacob Ward

Julia Ratzlaff and Caleb Chaney

Ashley Fincher and Jared Brasher Barbara Ward, Owner 27 Years 109 N. Commerce (Downtown Russellville)

Engagements

Kallie Yarbrough and Travis Cooper

–October 3– Lacey Martin and Derrick Freeman

–November 14– Christine Jackson and Chad Woodard

–November 21– Jamie Faubion and Scott Cook

–October 10– Christa Lanphera and Gerald Williams Jennifer Vaught and Jeremy Williams

Registry listings courtesy of Gifts on Parkway/Gifts on Rogers and Millyn’s of Dardanelle.

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. Word count is limited to 225 words. Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication. For additional information, call (479) 970-6628.

Register thru September

Taylor Nursery

Ages 18 months thru Adult Party/Event Rental Packages Available

Search Our Website for Daily Specials!

Fall...the BEST TIME for Landscaping

479.968.1620

130 S Cumberland • 479-968-2778

www.DWJstudio.com

42 ABOUT...the River Valley

September 2009