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THIS PUBLICATION IS PRODUCED BY: MeadowLand Media, Inc. / 504 Guffey St. / Newport, AR 72112 870.503.1150 / eyeonjoseph@eyeonmag.com. PUBLISHER / Associate EDITOR / MANAGING EDITOR / Creative Director / AD DESIGN: Joseph Thomas ADVERTISING: Kimberlee Thomas, Adrienne Freeman PROOFING Department: Joseph Thomas, Kimberlee Thomas Staff PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kimberlee Thomas, Joseph Thomas, Robert O. Seat PRINTING COMPANY: Corning Publishing Company Eye On Magazine is a publication of MeadowLand Media, Incorporated. Editorial, advertising and general business information can be obtained by calling (870) 503-1150 or emailing Kimberlee Thomas at kthomas@eyeonmag.com. Mailing address: P. O. Box 196, Grubbs, AR 72431. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Publisher or the staff. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate and neither MeadowLand Media or it any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright Š 2010 MeadowLand Media, Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publisher. All pictorial material reproduced in this book has been accepted on the condition that it is reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the photographer concerned. As such, MeadowLand Media, Incorporated, is not responsible for any infringement of copyright or otherwise arising out of publication thereof.
Cover photo submitted by Nora Buffington Recent photo of Mrs. Buffington provided by Alton T. Walker Cover Design by Joseph Thomas
For advertising, distribution, or editorial contribution, contact Joseph Thomas, 870.252.0013 or eyeonjoseph@eyeonmag.com.
Eye On Independence received the 2012 Innovative Project award for outstanding, innovative, continuous or effective coverage of literacy issues, resulting in positive change or improvement. The Ozark Gateway Tourist Council awarded Eye On Independence the 2014 Wilson Powell Media Support Award for its dedication to tourism in the Gateway Region and Arkansas.
Serving Bald Knob, Batesville, Cave City, Melbourne, Mountain View, Newport, Southside, Swifton & Tuckerman.
In This Issue 6/ Editor’s Note
32/ In The Tooth
7/ Trending @ ASUN
36/ Things To Do
8/ Tasty Talk
40/ Cherri Design
10/ Caroling in the Caverns 11/ Tales of a Transplanted Fashionista
42/ Thyme Enough
Bountiful Benisons
An Unexpected Journey
It Takes an Orchard
An Attitude of Gratitude
Just a Small Town Girl
12/ Cover Story
Nora Armstrong Buffington
17/ DownTown Guide 20/ Seniors, can we talk? Easy Confusion
21 / Great Tastes
Homemade Holiday Gifts
22/ Local Faces
Freshen Up Your Exterior Lois Mae’s Pound Cake with Ruth Jane’s Boiled Custard
44/ Smith’s Verdict **** Lady Bird
45/ Unity Health Harris
Outpatient Dietary Services
47/ Batesville Area Arts Council 49 / In The Field with Randy Happy Harvest Weather
50/ Often Overlooked Beauty The Long Walk
53/ Notes from the Clearing The Weight of One Sock
"Dr. Chunn is a pleasure to work with. A very compassionate and professional doctor. I wouldn't ever think of going anywhere else. He's the best." Brandon K
Editor’s Note
Bountiful Benisons Joseph Thomas
While I am sure that every community across the world has coheasive pockets of people communing around like minded loves (typically their children’s endeavors). I think we are all biased to our own experience, but our Arkansas towns, small, large and otherwise are full of special people; beautiful people who want the best for their family, friends and surrounding neighbors. Kimberlee and I have seen this first hand from Jackson county to White County and from Sharp and Stone. We know the love goes beyond these geographical locations, but this is the bubble we know. Fortunately for Kimberlee and myself, we get an inside view of many bubbles, separated by likes and dislikes, financial status and upbringing, but they all are magnetized by the same depths of love and kindness and hope. I say all of this to express that while our obvious national division on so many political issues can be hurtful and provoking, we all want the same outcome: to provide happy, healthy and loving homes for our babies. In the end, that is the most important bottom line for us all. And no matter how you wish to get there, Kimberlee and I want to emit these hopes that your family has that happy, healthy, loving experience and our positive love your way this Christmas. This last month of 2017, we have the graceful Mrs. Nora Buffington honoring our cover with much thanks to Alton T. Walker for lending us his photography skills. I have the first installment of a new serial, The Weight of One Sock. Kacey Burge provides a peek into Caroling in the Caverns at Blanchard Springs and Dr. Mark Chunn shares his family’s unexpected journey. Hannah Rogers tells why we should have an attitude of gratitude this holdiay season and Cherri Rodgers speaks to freshening up our exterior. Dr. Sandra Massey reminds of the lesson of The Giving Tree, Tanner Smith reviews Lady Bird, Leigh Keller writes about being a small town girl and Michelle Foshee writes of Unity Health’s new Outpatient Dietary Services. Also, Karin Mohlke Huffman shares a local street adventure, Adrienne Freeman shares homemade holiday gifts and Randy Chlapecka talks harvest weather. We have local faces, many things to do and so much
more for you to learn, so curl up around the fire and enjoy this December issue of Eye On Magazine! N
photo by Robert O. Seat
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It Takes an Orchard Dr. Sandra Massey has been Chancellor of Arkansas State University-Newport since September, 2013. Previously serving in student affairs and academic leadership posts in Arkansas and Oklahoma, she and her husband Ward make Newport, Arkansas home. They have two children, Brittany and granddaughters Maggie and Ava of Jonesboro, Arkansas and Reese and granddaughter Maybelle Scout of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dr. Massey enjoys running, lake activities and spending time with her granddaughters.
I’ve always loved the children’s book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I read it as a young girl and joyfully shared it with my children when they were young. The book is about the relationship between a boy and a tree … When the boy was young, he’d visit the tree every day. He’d swing from her branches and eat her apples, and the tree was happy. As the boy grew older, he wanted money. The tree gave him apples to sell. When he wanted a house, the tree gave him branches to build a house. When he wanted a boat, the tree gave him her trunk to build a boat – which left the tree a mere stump. Years later, the boy – now an old man – visited the tree one last time. But the tree told him that she had nothing left to give. The old man then wanted a place to rest, so the tree gave him her stump so that he could rest. In the end, the tree was happy. To me, this story represents the act of selfless giving and the happiness gained from such acts. Through Your Giving, ASUN Offers Unique Ways to Help Students Succeed Like the boy who relies on the tree, our students turn to us every day for financial, emotional and social support to complete their educational journeys. The truth is, many simply don’t have the support at home to help get them through the tough times. Perhaps they’re struggling with the demands of single parenthood. Many are juggling work, school and home responsibilities. Some are the first in their families to attend college. The fact is, their struggles are real. What ASUN provides for these students, with your help, are innovative programs to help them succeed. Take our Career Pathways Initiative (CPI). Career Pathways is a grant-funded program that helps eligible parents complete their degrees. Career Pathways’ unique approach provides students with extensive personalized support – tutoring, mentoring, childcare assistance, gas cards – throughout their college experience to help them overcome the barriers that could otherwise stand in the way of graduation. And the program is working! But don’t take my word for it. Just look at the success rates: Graduation: 84% of students who were CPI eligible in FY 17 attained a Certificate of Proficiency, Technical Certificate, or Associate Degree. 92.9% of students attained an Employability Certificate, Career Readiness Certificate, Certificate of Proficiency, Technical Certificate, or Associate Degree. Employment Placement: 80.9% of FY 16 students being tracked into FY 17 entered employment. 91.89% entered employment when factoring in the waiver rate (i.e. students who transferred to 4-year institutions, etc.). The fact is, for many single parents, obtaining an
advanced education – and the ultimate ability to provide for their families – would not be possible without the Career Pathways program and other ASUN programs like it. Selfless Giving Harvests Social Rewards Programs like Career Pathways also offer benefits that extend beyond the student. Education lends itself not only to increased employability, but workforce development, economic prosperity, and other positive social outcomes such as good health and family stability. Those who are educated are more likely to be employed, and those who are employed are more likely to have access to health insurance and retirement benefits. In fact, studies have shown that educated community members contribute more and take less from society – they collect less unemployment and welfare, and rely on fewer social programs. They are less likely to be incarcerated and more involved in their children’s education. They have a greater understanding of political issues and are more likely to vote. And the list goes on. The bottom line is that when our kids succeed, we as a community reap the rewards. But they need our help to succeed. Every Apple and Branch Count Funding will always be a top challenge facing community colleges and students. And as we learned from The Giving Tree, we can only take so much from a single source. It takes more than one tree – it takes an entire orchard of givers – to sustain this institution and the high level of service we provide. That’s why we tap many “giving trees.” Through the generosity of alumni, parents, students, and friends, each year the ASUN Annual Fund creates opportunity for thousands of Arkansas students … offering student scholarships to help defray tuition increases, investing in academic program equipment, creating faculty and staff enrichment opportunities, and launching innovative initiatives to ensure students are “job ready” when they begin their careers. Generous Giving Changes Lives … Including Your Own We realize you have many options when it comes to allocating your charitable giving. Be assured that when you choose to give to ASUN, your gift makes a direct and immediate impact on the lives of students and our community. Your gift improves our students’ futures, making them self-sufficient and valuable contributors to society; your gift improves the businesses of their future employers, helping building our economy; and your gift improves the lives of those they love and support, increasing their chances for education and good health. The individual and social ramifications of your gift are truly priceless. And in the end, I bet it will make you happy, too. N December 2017 7
Bethesda Rd, Batesville, MLS #17-157 / $158,400
AWESOME PROPERTY WITH EVERYTHING YOU COULD ASK FOR!! These are 72 acres m/l in Bethesda that is level, has 2 solid ponds and great views from the east side overlooking the Bethesda Agricultural Experiment Station. To the west is the a view of the mountain on the Stone county side of the river. The property is a 40 piece and a 32.56 piece that are connected. The 40 has been used for hay production and the 32 has been grazed for the past few years. There are several building sites and the access is perfect for subdivid subdividing. The 32 parcel has highway 106 frontage on the west side and Haywood lane frontage on the north. The forty has Haywood lane frontage on the west and north side. This is really one of those special pieces that everyone is looking for.
960 Brooks Street, Batesville MLS #17-72 / $65,000
Affordable and conveniently located 3 bedroom 2 bath home. This home has had many updates in last few years including rewired, tile in the kitchen and bath. New Central heat and air. Shed in the back of property conveys per seller. 8X15 screened enclosed porch on the side of home. Driveway appears to be partially shared with the neighbor.
6790 Bethesda, Batesville MLS #17-169 / $119,900
This adorable remodeled country home has tons of personality and style! Seller is still putting the finishing touches on the home which has new CHA, flooring throughout, counter tops, electrical box and much of the wiring, new master bathroom, mostly new plumbing, new trim, light fixtures and much of the ceiling. The home has 2 bedrooms in the main part of the house plus a bonus area that can be a bedroom, dining area, sitting room, or office. Plus the huge family room has a large closet that could also be a bedroom. Older survey on file.
Buying? Selling? Relocating? The Choice is Clear...Coldwell Banker Choice Realty 870-793-7778 www.BatesvilleRealEstate.net 513 Batesville Blvd., Batesville, Arkansas
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Tasty Talk
An Attitude of Gratitude
Hannah Rogers recently returned home after serving 5 years in the U.S. Coast Guard as a cook. She enjoys time with her dog, baking, hiking, and serving others. Hannah is currently in the process of establishing Hananel Bakery in Batesville
We seem to be more grateful at this time of the year than at others. But do we even realize the full benefits that gratitude provides to our health? The Bible continually states that we are to give thanks and be thankful in all things. As if this was not a big enough hint, a grateful heart comes with a plethora of health benefits – especially if done before eating. Hippocrates said for us to “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” In order to get the maximum amount of benefits and nutrients from our food, we must first have an attitude of gratitude. Pairing it with enjoyable activities, like eating, can help us to be more thankful throughout our day. Psychology states that giving thanks before meals will give us the same pleasure that we derive from food. Author Adrian Butash has studied cultures and food around the world to find that every culture worships food and prays to it before eating. The practice of genuine and thankful praying before meals is even exercised by a plethora of renown doctors and leaders in the health industry. It is 8 Eye On Magazine
said that it helps give us a sense of connection to others and our environment, reminding us to respect and appreciate all those who helped provide the nourishment on our table. Mindful eating is not specifically about praying or saying grace, but just a simple reminder to take a few minutes in our day to rejoice over what we have and to be thankful for such things. Research shows that if you take a moment to be grateful before consuming food, those foods will better digest and your body will absorb more of its nutrients. For those with autoimmune issues, it will result in less harm and reactivity in the body. This idea of eating mindfully can even help you eat slower, consume less food, and potentially lose weight. In general, gratitude has been shown to come with a host of benefits on its own. Taking the time to be thankful can lead to better sleep, improved heart health, lower stress levels, and enhance one’s overall well-being. It has even been linked with higher self-esteem, greater life satisfaction, and stronger personal relationships. Furthermore, a grateful athlete can also benefit in performance. Sport psychology has performed research studies that show grateful athletes have a better overall wellbeing, are less likely to burn out, and are more satisfied with their team. This helps give extra strength and motivation to the athlete who wants to reach their peak performance level. So this holiday season, let us develop lasting gratefulness. Let us enjoy life to the fullest by enhancing our health and well-being. Just a few minutes a day can do miracles for one’s health. The next time you go to eat, remember to take a minute to soak in genuine thankfulness. N eyeonmag.com
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Adventures in Arkansas Street Adventure
Karin Mohlke Huffman is a stay at home mom. She enjoys hiking, camping being outdoors, and gardening. Karin is married to Nathan Huffman and mother of three children.
Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all enjoyed spending time with your family over Thanksgiving, and I’m sure you are all getting geared up for Christmas!!! I know I am. If my four year old asks me for another gift, I may pass out. We all have friends. Some are old, some are new, some are fair weather and some are unconditional. I recently reconnected with my very best friend from college, Kyle, and to say unconditional would be an understatement. We basically share the same brain, vocabulary, mannerisms, likes and dislikes. We had to have been separated at birth because we are so much alike. Kyle and I met 20 years ago (yes, I’m old) when I was a sophomore and he was a junior at the University of Arkansas. We were both in the Razorback Marching Band. You could say it was friendship love at first sight for us. Once we had our first conversation, we were never apart. Over the years, we have traveled all over the place for fun. I was lucky enough to work for Northwest Airlines in college, and could basically fly anywhere in the U.S. for about $15, and could bring friends along for about the same price. Needless to say, we took advantage of that! A few months ago I got a text from Kyle asking me if I had ever been to Memphis. I laughed because this is a man who travels for his job. One week he’s in Australia, then London, then Germany, and he’s asking me if I’ve been to Memphis because he’s never been. I quickly get my cool hat on, and tell him that “of course, I’ve been to Memphis not once or twice, but like 6 million times.” For once, I can 10 Eye On Magazine
show him around! Then, being the cool guy that he is tells me why he chose Memphis… Ray Lamontagne. Orpheum. Enough said. Yep, he got us awesome seats to see the best folk singer/songwriter around today. Now, I know you’re thinking “Memphis is not in Arkansas”, and I totally get it, but it’s close enough to the Arkansas state line that I figure we can all make an exception with this adventure. We made it to Memphis around 3 pm on a Saturday, and immediately hit Beale Street. First stop, a quaint little spot to people watch and enjoy some fresh air. As we sat there watching the crowded street, all of the sudden people start cheering and making room for a group of guys in the center of the street. Well, being the neurotic person I am, I start to get up and leave thinking there’s a bomb or something. Boy, was I wrong. It was the best gymnastics show ever right in front of us. These boys had to be about 13 or 14 and they did backflips and front flips all the way down Beale Street. It was amazing. After that, we decided to partake in trying a few locally made brews from a little hole in the wall called The Tap Room. A very dark and small bar that was not for the touristy types, but was mostly made up of locals. We decided to talk to the bartender and find out what the building was before it was a bar. Apparently, according to Dee, our lovely bartender it was a brothel that specialized in serving Absinthe. If you aren’t familiar with Absinthe,
that’s probably a good thing as it’s a very potent spirit that became popular in the early 1900s. The Tap Room is definitely one of my new spots to visit while I’m in the Memphis area. Sunday we enjoyed a lazy day of eating and being a tourist before we went to the concert. We ate a local favorite BBQ joint called Central Ave, and it was amazing. Probably the very best hot wings we have ever ate. EVER. Ray Lamontagne put on a magnificent show, and the sound soared through the beautiful hallways of the Orpheum. We couldn’t have had better seats or asked for a better show. The Orpheum is one of the greatest venues I’ve been to for a concert, even the bad seats aren’t bad. The Orpheum opened in 1928 in Memphis and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. In the past 35 years the Orpheum has undergone a $15 million restoration. If you haven’t been, you should. It’s amazing. I do want to take a quick moment to say thank you to friends and family members for their positive vibes, prayer, love and support for my sister. Last month, she underwent surgery to remove a cyst from her brain. Every moment is a bit harder for her as she recovers, but she’s one of the strongest gals around, and she is doing great! I am lucky enough to spend a lot of time with her as she heals, and to me, that is the best adventure I’ve had the honor of taking this year. N eyeonmag.com
Tales of a Transplanted Fashionista Just a Small Town Girl
weeks ago, only to see my loan officer, Adam, working the ticket booth (he and his wife are co-owners of the Melba with the cute little Shell family, I promise times are not so tough as a loan officer). After one visit to the Melba Cole told me “ALLLL of those people who sing on the stage at Leigh Keller is a high school guidance counselor at Batesville HIgh School and the director of the church? They all work at the Melba!! Isn’t that crazy?!”. I BHS Glass Slipper Project. She lives in Batesville have the opportunity to collaborate on projects for my job with her son, Cole, and a pack of dogs. with lots of different kinds of people too, most of whom I I grew up in Alma, Arkansas, population 5,672 (but it already knew, which always helps collaborating easier. was only around 3,250 when I was a kid). My mom grew In a small town, you have the ability to make better up in an even smaller town close to Alma, in Mulberry, personal connections with people. I have done many a where we truly are related to everyone, and my dad grew up parent/teacher conference at the grocery store and soccer mostly in the great big town of Fort Smith, so they settled field (I don’t mind the soccer field as long as they don’t in Alma, which was somewhere in between the two. There mind my distracted cheering), and Cole’s teachers have all are so many wonderful parts of growing up in a small town. been incredible women I knew before, either as a friend Every event becomes a big meet and greet; you may or may from church, I worked with their children, or they are just not be related to one half of the town (which makes dating someone we knew. pretty tedious at times, you always have to date from a I relish the friendships I have because of this small couple of towns over); and you could probably find your town, because they remind me so much of home (which friends in a parking lot somewhere talking. In Alma the I also despised as a teenager because my mom and dad parking lot was between the KFC and Taco Bell, but every seemed to know everything before it even happened). I am small town, USA has a similar parking lot, somewhere. convinced that every teacher in my child’s school knows his If you are trying to be a teenager and “live your own name, and all of the kids’ names for that matter, which can life” and are tired of everyone “always being up in your only help them in the long run. Small towns equal small business” (those are direct quotes from my office), living schools, with big implications for success and personal in a small town can be a little taxing. I have lived in bigger relationships. It doesn’t hurt that Central is about two places, and even smaller places (difficult to imagine living minutes from my home, and then two minutes from the and working in a place where the only place to eat is a gas high school, because I am essentially running late every station, but hey, you do what you have to do when you single morning (just ask my gracious principal). are a 23-year-old teacher), and life seems similar in each Bring on Christmas season in Batesville, with the place. The kids in my office in Fayetteville said the same Christmas parade, where we will see so many people we thing the sweet kiddos in my office in Batesville say. They know and love in the parade (like Santa!! I know him!), all have that desire to spread their wings and fly, some a the Christmas lights at the park (our favorite date for little, some to another continent or planet, to assert their every night during the season), and shopping small on independence. Main Street. I would not want to raise my child in any I even said the same things about Alma that they say other place. I mourned my bigger place when I moved about Batesville. I was hoping for a different life, something here, the variety of restaurants and shopping venues, but more exciting, a place where people did not simply hang out there is something so comforting about knowing most of in the parking lot of a KFC and work through the worlds’ the people you see everywhere you go. If you see me at issues (like we could have afforded to do anything else, the grocery store or soccer field, I don’t mind if we have a but still). On a wild night, we would head to Fort Smith conference, as long as you cheer along with me for Cole’s and drive up and down Grand Avenue. My frugal self now team. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy cannot imagine why New Year. I pray that the holiday season brings you lots that was a good idea? of time with the people you love the most, lot of laughter But somehow heading and yummy food (and lots of time at the gym afterwards, over the river to the right?). N next town always felt so grown up and anonymous (hopefully the teenagers are seeing a theme here? Over the river to the next town, see?). Living in a small town does have its perks though. I went to the Melba with a friend a couple of December 2017 11
Cover Story
Nora Armstrong Buffington
Joseph Thomas is a native of Grubbs, a graduate of ASUN and owns and runs Eye On Magazine with his powerhouse wife, Kimberlee. He is the graphic designer, editor and one of the various writers of this publication. He is elevated by five children, four grandchildren and is an elite tree climber and recent Mushroom Hunter.
In this month of holidays and visiting family on breaks from school and work, Kimberlee and I thought it was appropriate to share the rememberances of a very special person that has always called Jackson County home. Her story is a keystone to so many things we have never known or have forgotten in the forever pushing progress of time. We hope you will find these memories as fascinating as we do and share some of your own with us to share in the upcoming year. And, we wish Mrs. Nora a very merry Christmas and again thank her for sharing these moments of her lovely life. Eddie Sisco first contacted me months ago to tell me about a wonderful woman with a story as great as her smile and personality. She is one of the gems of Jackson County without a doubt. Nora Franklin (nee Armstrong) Buffington turned one hundred and four in January of 2017 and has lived in Newport, Arkansas her entire life. She allowed Kimberlee and I to pay her a visit at her home in Newport and regaled us with some of her memories and 12 12 Eye Eye On On Magazine Magazine
we relished these black and white stories that she was sure weren’t worth telling as this was just her life. She remembered being in the arms of her father as he stood waiting on the train with the rest of the community of Newport for the boys coming home from World War One. She remembers that was 1918. Though she was just five, she seemed to still feel the emotion of that day; the appreciation the whole town felt for the young men who fought so they didn’t have to. She explains that was the beginning of victory gardens, which were community and family gardens, sometimes referred to as War Gardens. They aided the communities through the difficulties of World War I and II. She remembers her parents talking with friends about, “that mean old Kaiser.” Nora recalls that there was a tragic flu epidemic after WWI that hit the area very hard. Her paternal grandfather, Robert Armstrong (as it was reported so long ago), came to Newport 90 years ago (which would have been 1840). Nora was told that he and a friend walked from Tennessee to Newport, Arkansas. He married Susan Penix and built a log cabin on their homestead. Joseph Gray Armstrong, Nora’s father and her mother, Mable Craft Armstrong raised three children in Newport on the corner of Magnolia and Malcolm Avenue; Nora, her sister Alice (a retiree of Merchants and Planters Bank), five years older and a brother, Major General Thomas Craft Armstrong, who was two years younger. She says eyeonmag.com eyeonmag.com
they all attended Walnut Street School where Nora became a champion basket ball guard. Nora made sweaters every year in her basketball career, except that the last year she played was right after the depression hit and they didn’t get sweaters. Nora says at that time, a dozen eggs cost a dime and a loaf of bread cost a nickel. She adds, “If you had a nickel.” Nora told us about being a Girl Scout, learning to make campfires, rolling potatoes in mud to bake over the fire and playing along the lake. She tells us about being asked if she wanted to be sprinkled or emersed for her baptism when she was twelve. She chose to be dunked underwater because she thought it would be more fun. So, Brother Umstead took her and six or eight others to Village Creek to a spot called the Dirty Five on a Sunday afternoon and baptised them. She also remembers winning many awards for writing in school. She graduated high school when she was seventeen and met her husband when she was eighteen. Buffington tells us about the historic Cantilevered Warren Truss bridge, known today as the Blue Bridge. She explained that it wasn’t blue for a long time after it was finished and opened to traffic in 1930. She was Miss Nora Armstrong then and she reigned that September 10th as Queen of the Jackson County Centennial Celebration and formal opening of the new White River Bridge. Nora was crowned in the coronation of the queen at the Missouri Pacific Park by United States Senator T. H. Caraway just before the bridges opening. A crowd of 7,500 or so
attended the 1930 coronation and parade which depicted 100 years of Jackson County and followed the parade to the bridge for the opening. The 154th Obseration Squad, Arkansas National Gaurd had three planes dropping poppies onto the bridge during the ceremony. They held a fireworks display from the bridge that night and a street dance, featuring the Queen’s Ball. The Jackson County Centennial Celebration lasted three days. Nora met Dewey Buffington in a local drug store when he introduced himself and asked her name. They courted a year before they were married. Dewey and Nora raised four boys in their home town. Dewey tried his hand at farming in Pennington for two years before opening a Pontiac-GMC dealership. He later sold that and went into real-estate. Son, James Gray of West Memphis has his own dental clinic of twenty-five years, Mike is a doctor in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Tommy lives in Austin, Texas and is a contractor and Dewey is in real estate. She is very proud of her sons and their success. Nora has twelve grandchildren and twenty-one great grandchildren. Nora says she was in her forties when they bought their first television. She remembers listening to the radio and having favorite night time programs on the radio, but couldn’t recall the names. She remembers fondly those times when they might visit with neighbors and listen with them. When asked what she has seen as the biggest difference between her childhood and today, she raises computers as having changed society most in her opinion. From the first room sized computer that has evolved into
Thanks to Alton T. Walker for capturing Mrs. Nora’s enduring beauty here just before our interview. December 2017 13
the handheld phones in every hand today. “I had a phone that you picked up the reciever and said, ‘Central Set Number Please?’ and you said your number and she rang it for you. That was the only telephone I knew.” She talks of Malcolm Avenue being gravel, but then she says all the roads were either dirt or gravel at that time. She remembers her family taking the ferry to Batesville and of being afraid they would run the car off of it into the river. Front Street in the Newport of Nora’s youth was bustling on Saturdays, she says body to body. When she was older, she and friends would park in front of the drug store, order a coke which the clerks would bring to their car and they would sit and watch people enjoy their day of shopping. Of everything Nora remembered in our conversation, I believe she would have returned to enjoy these particular memories if any, she says it was wonderful. She recalls the widespread skepticism many had about the reality of the moon landing. Nora was fiftysix then, but she says she believed it immediately and thought it was marvelous. Laughing, she adds, “I didn’t want to go, but I thought it was marvelous.” I had to ask Mrs. Buffington about a family photo I saw of her and Dennis Quaid. She explained to me that he is married to her grand-daughter, Kimberly Buffington-Quaid. They have ten year old twins, Zoe Grace and Thomas Boone. She is the matriarch of a large beautiful family; a humble, amazing woman in which all of Eye On is honored to know. We are pleased to share her memories and know you will enjoy them as well. N
14 Eye On Magazine
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December 2017 15
Elizabeth’s Restaurant & Catering
870-698-0903 231 E Main Street - Historic Downtown - Batesville From our kitchen to yours All the traditional favorites available Order your holiday meal now and take the extra time to relax and enjoy this Christmas Season to its fullest!
“The true joy of Christmas is the love of Christ, shared with family and friends. May you find His peace, love and joy in the coming New Year.”
Live Local - Shop Local - Support Local
Thompson’s Jewelry 2 5 5 E. Main Street - Historic Downtown - Batesville Since 1924... On Main Street where your hometown Jeweler should be.
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143 East Main St. Downtown Batesville
Etta’s Attic Primatives . Furniture . Glassware .
Home Decor . Fashion Jewelry . Books . Quilts . Pottery . Depression Glass . Vintage Photos and Much More! Find Your Re-Purpose at
870.793.6445
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217 East Main St. Downtown Batesville
Autry’s
White River Furniture 129 E. Main Street - Historic Downtown - Batesville http://www.autryswhiteriverfurniture.com
December 2017 17
In February 2004, Bro. Curt Howard made his first trip to Maple Springs with the intent to preach for one Sunday and move on. But God’s plan was different. In April 2004 Bro. Curt preached his first sermon as pastor of Maple Springs Missionary Baptist Church.
Listen Sunday mornings on KWOZ 103.3 at 9 am to Fire From Heaven
God has abundantly blessed Maple Springs MBC during Bro. Curt’s ministry. In March 2008, the church moved into a new building at 4225 Newport Road and celebrated an attendance in excess of 250 on that day. Since that time, the church has expanded our building twice and now enjoys attendance of 400 or more on most Sundays. Why the focus on our numbers? Each number represents a soul precious to God and to Maple Springs MBC.
We at Maple Springs MBC want Bro. Curt Howard and the world to know how we love and appreciate our pastor. He stands firm on the King James Bible and on following the leadership of the Holy Ghost. We look forward to many years of your leadership as you follow God’s leading for our church.
4225 Newport Road, Maple Springs
If you have treatment you have put on hold, now may be a good time to schedule an appointment to maximize your insurance benefits and use any remaining flex account dollars you may have. Call us today.
We invite you to join us in worship at the following times. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Sunday Evening 5:00 p.m. Wednesday Evening 7:00 p.m.
Ants / Bed-Bugs / Fire Ants / Fleas Mice / Millipedes / Roaches / Spiders ...and more Eagle Pest Management, LLC Corporate Office 1775 Porter Street P.O. Box 3943 Batesville AR 72503-3943 (877) 313-2453
Additional Offices: Heber Springs Cherokee Village Providing service for the entire state of Arkansas for Commercial Work
www.eaglepest.biz 18 Eye On Magazine
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Seniors, can we talk? Easy Confusion
Caroline Beauchamp is a local insurance agent for M & P Insurance & Investment Services. She offers personalized life and health insurance solutions and is known for her widelypublished informational column, ‘Caroline, Can We Talk?’.
This month’s lunch with Ruth was like a party – she brought several friends who were full of questions. They had received lots of mail, seen many commercials and advertisements, talked with several friends and were confused – which is easy! Let’s talk about their questions and concerns – you may have some of these also. After getting a root canal and writing a big check, one friend found out the hard way that Medicare does not cover dental care. Since Medicare Supplement plans (also known as MediGap plans) fill in the gaps Medicare does not cover, if an expenses is not covered by Medicare, your Medicare Supplement plan will not cover it either. Yes, she is enrolling in a dental plan so she’ll be prepared for the next time. Yes, it is a good idea to review your Medicare Supplement plan. This will remind you what your plan 20 Eye On Magazine
does and does not cover. If you are unhappy with your plan, you may apply for a different plan BUT you must answer medical questions. Based on your medical history and medication, you may be approved or denied coverage. Whatever you do, do not cancel your existing Medicare Supplement plan until you have another plan to replace it. Commercials and advertisements may not be specific to you and where you live. Another friend asked about a plan she’d seen on TV that sounded really good to her – she was ready to enroll. When I asked her where she lived, her excitement level dropped. Medicare plans including Medicare Supplements, Medicare Prescription and Medicare Advantage plans are specific to where you live (not only the state but the county or zip code). Not only are all plans not offered everywhere, the premiums vary, too. Ruth was telling us about David’s sister who lives in Kansas. When David checked into the plan his sister has, he found out that the company does not even offer plans in Arkansas. Another friend is turning 65 in January. She is still working, covered on her employer’s group health insurance and plans to continue working. Should she stay on the group plan or get on Medicare and a Medicare Supplement and Prescription plan? This takes some homework. To compare, you need to find out what you are paying for the group insurance, what your benefits are and how much you’ve paid on the claims you’ve had in the last year. Will your employer continue to pay part of your premium, if you enroll in Medicare? Then look at the cost of Medicare Part B, Medicare Supplement and Prescription plans and the benefits they provide. (The cost of Medicare Part B and Prescription plans is based on your income. If you must pay more than the standard rate, you will be notified by Social Security.) There’s excitement this time of the year – Halloween and goblins, Thanksgiving and turkey, hopefully cooler weather and the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period until December 7. Questions? Call 501-868-6650 and say “Caroline, can we talk?” N eyeonmag.com
Great Tastes
Homemade Holiday Gifts Adrienne Freeman is a Jackson County based food writer whose work is published statewide. When not at the keyboard, she can be found in the kitchen, focusing on recipes and techniques that can be easily replicated by fellow enthusiastic home cooks. She always welcomes reader response at adrienne@whimsyandwow.com.
HOLIDAY GIFTS FROM THE HEART Here we are at the beginning of the holiday shopping, decorating and celebration season. There is so much to do and so much fun packed into the relatively short 31 days of December. Regular schedules are happily complicated by houseguests and parties, family dinners, celebrations and the exciting exchange of gifts. Food gifts are the ultimate expression of friendship – to realize that someone took time out of their own hectic schedule to prepare a gift truly from the heart. One of the most storied holiday food gifts is the fruitcake. Fruitcakes became popular in the 18th century because sugar wasn’t plentiful, but the sweetness of readily available fruit and nuts made a special treat for the holidays. Many cakes were soaked with brandy or liqueurs, which prevent spoilage and add flavor. In the United States the fruitcake has acquired a really bad reputation! The late Johnny Carson is credited with the oft-repeated joke that there really is only one fruitcake in the world, passed from family to family since no one would EVER eat it. So, to make sure your goodies aren’t “regifted”, here are two ideas for treats that can be made in large batches and stored in beautifully decorated packages that are perfect gifts for teachers, neighbors, co-workers and friends. Preparation instructions tied to the package with beautiful bows make this a perfect package. SALTED CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CANDY 8 whole peppermint candy canes 12 ounces, weight dark chocolate ¾ Tablespoons flaked sea salt 12 ounces, weight white chocolate Place foil on a large sheet pan, smooth side up. Place broken pieces of the candy canes into a mini food processor and pulse 5-10 times or until broken into tiny pieces; set aside. To temper the dark chocolate, bring a pot filled halfway with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and place a glass bowl on top (make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl). Place the dark chocolate into the bowl and stir constantly until most of the chocolate is melted. Remove and continue stirring until chocolate is completely smooth. Pour onto the foil-lined sheet pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the flaked sea salt and then place into the fridge for 20 minutes or until set.
Bring the same pot of water up to a boil, reduce to simmer and place the white chocolate pieces into a glass bowl and set on top of the pot. Stir constantly until white chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove and finish stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly. Remove dark chocolate from the fridge. Pour cooled white chocolate over top. Smooth out with a spatula (dark chocolate might smear a little if the white chocolate is too warm). Sprinkle with the candy cane pieces, and gently press the pieces into the chocolate so they stick. Place the sheet pan back into the fridge to harden, about 20 minutes. Break apart and serve. Store in airtight container or tightly closed gift bags. MISTLETOE MOCHA MIX 1/3 cup instant coffee granules 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder 2/3 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Grind coffee granules in a coffee grinder or food processor until it breaks down into a fine powder. Stir together with remaining ingredients. For giving as a gift, spoon into three 8-ounce jelly jars and seal. Attach the following instructions to the jar: Mocha Coffee. Add 1/4 cup mix to 3/4 cup boiling water and stir until dissolved. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Also, if you’re feeling especially festive, you can melt a quarter cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate, add a half teaspoon of butter and dip plastic spoons in the mixture, setting on a dish covered with wax paper when finished. Allow the chocolate to harden in the refrigerator for two hours before using. Wrap in cellophane for gifting. N
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Citizens Bank Travel Club
Chuck Jones
Citizens Bank Travel Club Canadian Adventure A nine-day excursion through the Canadian Rockies by train and motorcoach was the latest adventure for members of the Citizens Bank Travel Club. After maneuvering through airports in Little Rock and Denver, the first destination was Vancouver, British Columbia, for travelers Jim and Carolyn Buchanan, Chuck and Sarah Jones, Larry Sandage, Greg and Debbie Shaver, and Betty Webb, all of Batesville; Kinney Black of Malvern; Cathey Johnson of Cave City; Jackie Klonowski of Newark; Grace Mullin of Heber Springs; and Anne Simpson of Pocahontas. Following a day-long city tour in Vancouver, the Arkansas visitors boarded a VIA Rail train, slept in private compartments, and awakened to snow peaks while en route to Jasper, Alberta. A panoramic dome car provided 360-degree views of mountains and trackside rivers as the train passed through a multitude of photo opportunities. Clouds obscured the views of Mount Robson, the highest point in the Canadian Rockies at nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. A significant snowstorm had preceded the Travel Club’s arrival in Jasper, resulting in even more breathtaking scenery. The snowfall added to the wintry experience while driving through Jasper National Park to a cruise in the mountains on Maligne Lake, which is famed for the turquoise color of its water, and the surrounding peaks and glaciers. The motorcoach trip was briefly interrupted by a bull moose seeking to woo two sows just off the roadway; it was, after all, the beginning of mating season. A major highlight of the trip was the imposing Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains of North America, along the Continental Divide on the border of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. The Icefield receives an average 280 inches of snow each year.
Carolyn Buchanan (left) and Sarah Jones, both of Batesville, celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday on top of Sulphur Mountain at Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Local Faces The Travel Club members willingly escaped the 90-degree weather in Arkansas for the chance to ride on huge snow coaches to frolic in the snow and ice on the Athabasca Glacier, happily enduring its 25-degree wind chills. The glacier is 3.7 miles long, and its blue ice is measured to be between 300-980 feet thick, depending on the time of the year. More spectacular sites lay ahead in Banff National Park as the motorcoach cruised through endless landscapes of snow-capped peaks in every direction. The travelers were hosted in fabulous hotels such as the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the Fairmont Banff Springs, which lived up to its reputation as the “Castle in the Rockies.” Some adventurous Travel Club members rode up gondolas to traverse the entire length of a tourist-friendly boardwalk on top of Sulphur Mountain, which rises more than 8,000 feet above sea level and towers over the town of Banff. A tour of a working ranch, a farewell barbeque and a session of country line dancing signal the end of the trip, which concluded with an evening in Calgary, Alberta. Members of the Citizens Bank Travel Club participate in monthly tours, day trips, concerts, plays, and other activities, highlighted by one premium domestic trip and one premium international trip each year. The final three activities on the 2017 Travel Club schedule have all sold out and now are in waiting list status. The club will soon release its 2018 calendar of events. For more information about The Citizens Bank Travel Club, contact Chuck Jones at (870) 6986233 or email chuckj@thecitizensbank.net. N
The Canadian Rockies were even visible during a wagon ride on the Boundry Ranch in Kanaskis Country of Alberta, Canada. Lake Louise projects a near mirror image of the mountains and glaciers in its oddly colored turquoise water.
The “Castle in the Rockies,” otherwise known as the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. 22 Eye On Magazine
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Citizens Bank Travel Club After a barbeque and line-dancing at the Boundry Ranch in Kanaskis Country in Alberta, Canada, Citizens Bank Travel Club members posing for a farewell photo included (from left) Sarah Jones, Jackie Klonowski, Chuck Jones, Grace Mullin, Cathey Johnson, Betty Webb, Greg and Debbie Shaver, Anne Simpson, Larry Sandage, Kinney Black, and Carolyn and Jim Buchanan.
Carolyn Buchanan (left) of Batesville and Jackie Klonowski of Newark walked up to the highest peak of Sulphur Mountain. Snow-capped mountains, the Bow River and the town of Banff appear behind them. Grace Mullin (left) of Heber Springs and Betty Webb of Batesville enjoyed seeing Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park.
A meandering boardwalk winds its way along the crest of Sulphur Mountain, which is topped by a cosmic ray research and weather station at more than 8,000 feet above sea level.
Moraine Lake at Banff National Park is one of many Canadian Rockies lakes with water that appear to be changing hues of turquoise. Sunlight reflecting off rock flour or silt gives the lakes their spectacular color. The silt is created when rocks underneath the surface of the ice are grinding from the movement of the glacier.
Jackie Klonowski (left) of Newark and Sarah Jones of Batesville braved wind chills in the 20s to get an up close view of the snow and glaciers in the Columbia Icefield.
The imposing panorama of the Columbia Icefield.
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Sulphur Rock Elementary Sulphur Rock 4th graders from TIna Fowler's & Natalie Dailey's classes entertain with a song & dance to Peanut Butter Jelly Time during the variety show.
Jessica Henry hands candy to Molly Massey as Coy Michael McGinnis, Harper Moran, & Tatum Ottoway follow in a line of Trunk or Treaters at Sulphur Rock Elementary.
Angel Aguilar, Kassie Barber, Knox Black, Ernie Childress, & Kinsley Greenfield parade through the gym to an audience of parents at Sulphur Rock Elementary.
Austyn Kibe flashes a big grin as she and classmates Leah Kerschner, & Ethan King make their way through the Halloween parade at Sulphur Rock Elementary.
UACCB English faculty places third in nationwide poetry competition Submitted Robert Frost said, “To be a poet is a condition, not a profession.” Dr. Marla Bennett embodies that condition. A member of the English faculty at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, Bennett recently won third place with her poem “Breaking Through” in a nationwide contest presented by the Poets’ Round Table of Arkansas. Bennett’s poem competed against entries from across the United States as well as Canada and Great Britain. Bennett is co-founder of The River Poets of Batesville, a local chapter of the Poets’ Round Table of Arkansas, and has been the group’s president since its inception. Her writing has won awards in other competitions hosted by the Poets’ Round 24 Eye On Magazine
Table of Arkansas including a limerick that won first place in a nationwide competition last year. “Breaking Through” started as a response to a writing prompt at a retreat two years ago. “Our writing retreats are so important because if we don’t schedule time to dedicate to writing, life intervenes and we would never do it,” Bennett said. “I started the first draft of this poem two years ago, and the idea was to incorporate a bunch of wacky elements into a poem. I loved it but the first draft was too wild and disconnected. It wasn’t cohesive. I couldn’t leave it alone though. I would put it down and then return to it. The last revision turned out better than I had hoped. It was very different from the original.” eyeonmag.com
Students conduct interviews at Southside Schools.
“Hometown Heroes” was filmed, edited, and produced entirely by EAST programs from Batesville, Cedar Ridge, Midland, and Southside schools, in partnership with Old Independence Regional Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Youth Access Grant. N
Southside School
Students and advisors meet at OIRM for initial planning meeting.
Students meet with Museums on Main Street Director, Carol Harsh.
Central Magnet Elementary
Dr. Marla Bennett
Bennett said for her, the poem represents the struggle to achieve one’s destiny in spite of the challenges one may face along the way. “I believe we all have a God-given destiny, and it is up to us to continue to strive for that destiny no matter what emotional obstacles we may face. There’s an inner call that drives us on. In the poem, there’s a woman who is dancing to her own inner music, and she questions if it is worth it to continue the dance even after her family and friends leave her. In the end, she decides it is worth it and she keeps dancing,” Bennett said. Bennett said she is grateful to the support of her local poetry chapter. “Without this group’s encouragement, I would probably never enter these competitions.” The River Poets of Batesville meet the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building, room 603, at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. For more information about the organization, call 870-612-2038 or email marla.bennet@uaccb.edu. N
Ms. B, Pam Baxter, is dressed and ready with Mr. Bones for the costume parade at Central Magnet Elementary. December 2017 25
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BACC Holds First United Methodist Church Playground Ribbon Cutting The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the First United Methodist Church Playground on Tuesday, November 7th. First United Methodist Church Playground is located at 615 E. Main Street in Batesville directly behind the church. The playground is open to all community members and is handicap accessible. The new playground was inspired by the children who attend First United Methodist Church. With the help of the church, community members, Atlas Asphalt, Midwest Lime, Lyon College Band and Lyon College Girls Basketball Team, the inspiration came to life. First United Methodist Church invites everyone with open arms to enjoy their new playground. For more information about the playground please call Katie McLean, Director of Children’s Ministries at (870) 307-4034. Ambassadors in attendance included Pasha Alexander (Centennial Bank), Ashley Engles (Citizens Bank), Tracy McClurg (Citizens Bank), Cliff Brown (First Community Bank), Matt Rush (FNBC), Brooke Stevenson (Independence County Cable TV), Deann Castleberry (North Arkansas Home Care), Julie Hinkle (Southern Bank), and Ashley Keck (White River Health System Foundation). N
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Investments in Downtown Batesville Continue With Help from Impact Loan and Grant Program Chuck Jones
Two additional locations in Historic Downtown Batesville have benefited from the Citizens Bank Impact Loan and Grant Program. Local property owners Karen and Jeff Bailey re-doubled their downtown commitment through their purchase of a building at 369 East Main Street that currently houses the clara jane + jax baby boutique. Several improvements were made with a $5,000 grant funded through the Citizens Bank Impact Loan and Grant Program. Also, My Choice Clinic used a $1,500 grant through the program to help fund painting and make repairs to the outside of its building at 194 West Main Street. Earlier this year, the Baileys had used the loan and grant program to improve another downtown building that now houses both their primary business, Main Street Pottery, as well as the Denim Blues clothing store. The clara jane + jax boutique, which is owned by Karen Coltharp and Sara Clinkscales, is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. In the spring of 2016, Citizens Bank announced its investment of more than $10 million in low-interest 26 Eye On Magazine
loans and $100,000 in community grant funds to stimulate the downtown Batesville economy and promote historic downtown redevelopment. The Batesville Downtown Foundation evaluates the grant applications. “My Choice Clinic used the Impact Grant to clean and paint the exterior of our building to give it a facelift after years of neglect before we purchased it,” said Jennie Alexander RN/MSN, who is the Nurse Manager at the clinic. “My Choice Clinic is a pregnancy medical clinic affiliated with the Alpha Center, a long standing Christian parenting resource center in Batesville.” The non-profit medical clinic is under the supervision of two local physicians, and offers support to women facing an unplanned pregnancy. All of its services are free and confidential. The Executive Director of both the Alpha Center and My Choice Clinic is Amanda Steel.
Additional information about the Citizens Bank Impact Loans and Grants program is available by contacting either Jerrod Sandefur for commercial loans (870-698-6313) or Renee Long for consumer loans (870-698-9678). N
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Building owners Jeff Bailey and Karen Bailey (from left) visit with Karen Coltharp, co-owner of the clara jane + jax baby boutique at 369 East Main Street in downtown Batesville, and with Renee Long and Jerrod Sandefur of Citizens Bank.
Jerrod Sandefur (from left) and Renee Long of Citizens Bank visit with Karen Coltharp, co-owner of the clara jane + jax baby boutique at 369 East Main Street in downtown Batesville, and building owners Jeff and Karen Bailey.
Jennie Alexander RN/MSN (left), Nurse Manager, discusses recent improvements made at My Choice Clinic with (from left) Clinic Executive Director Amanda Steel, Bob Carius of Main Street Batesville, and Renee Long and Jerrod Sandefur of Citizens Bank.
Blevins and Hardball
Twyla Wright Old Independence Regional Museum recently hosted Dr. Brooks Blevins who spoke about local baseball games from the good old days in a program titled “Hardball in the Hills: Stories of Baseball and Ozarkers.” He chronicled town teams, minor leagues, and famous and colorful players who made it to the big leagues. Blevins is the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozark Studies at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. He is the premier historian of the Ozarks and Ozark Culture. Blevins earned his bachelor’s degree from Arkansas College (now Lyon College). Since that time he has authored or edited seven books, including Ghost of the Ozarks, Hill Folks, Arkansas/Arkansaw, and the History of Lyon College. His next book, The Old Ozarks, is coming out next summer. This museum program about sports was the 11th one presented in 2017 at Old Independence Regional Museum. The focus on sports was planned to introduce the coming to the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America,” which will open in the museum on December 16th Exhibit curator Twyla Wright said that presently in the museum is a detailed diorama of a 1950s community ball diamond and exhibit panels that tell about early baseball teams. One states that Charles and Chaney Taylor, later Batesville
physicians, played in their youth on both Cave City and Batesville ball teams. A couple of early ball diamonds were located in Batesville near where the White River Medical Center is now, and another one at Daffin Field, just east of present Krogers. Wright stated, ”Voughn Wilson of Bethesda told me that in the 1930s their men’s team played every Saturday afternoon at Cushman, Bell Grove, Webber Chapel and other nearby places.” This program is offered as part of the museum’s yearlong emphasis on sports in preparation for the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” installation. The museum will have its grand opening of this large exhibit on December 16. The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville. Old Independence is a regional museum serving a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820’s Arkansas territory. N December 2017 27
Veteran Finds Purpose Again at UACCB Hannah Keller Flanery
The Army gave Craig Richardson the opportunity to walk in his father’s footsteps as a law enforcement officer. Richardson’s father, Jeff Richardson, served with the Cave City Police Department and was killed in the line of duty in 1993. “I always wanted to be like him,” Richardson said. “I had a huge passion for wildlife so my ultimate goal was to work for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as a game warden.” He enlisted in the Army in 2007 and after completing basic training and advanced individual training, Richardson served as a patrolman at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. His company deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009. “Our primary job was to go out and train the local Iraqi police how to properly be a police officer so they could help support their villages. My platoon was detached from the rest of the company, and we were sent to a smaller area to live. It was never boring there. Almost every other day we received incoming mortar fire and IEDs [improvised explosive device] were common. By the time we were done, our
whole platoon was hit at least once by an IED and several of us were hit multiple times,” Richardson said. Fortunately, Richardson was not wounded. He returned to Fort Campbell in 2010 and was promoted to an area supervisor position where he oversaw several patrolmen. Richardson said he had the opportunity to work at several events including working security at the Country Music Festival in Nashville, the Country Music Awards and Camp-WeCan, a weeklong event for children at Fort Campbell with disabilities. “One boy around 8 years old had one arm that was not fully developed. He loved the idea of fishing but could not hold a rod right. So, one day we took the kids fishing, and I helped create a crude sling that allowed the kid to hold the rod better. He caught his first fish that day and was ecstatic,” Richardson said. In February 2011, Richardson responded to a four-way intersection with a light out to direct traffic. Shortly after he had taken command at the intersection, a motorist drove through the intersection and struck Richardson. He was rushed to the hospital which luckily was only a block away. Richardson suffered a broken hand, several herniated discs in his lower back and injured both knees which took the brunt of the impact. Richardson said he never fully recovered physically from the accident and left active duty in 2012 with an honorable discharge. He also realized his dream of becoming a wildlife officer was no longer in reach. “Physically, I could not perform that job anymore, and this left me lost. That’s why
I’m here at UACCB – to find my purpose again,” Richardson said. Richardson enrolled at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville for the first time in 2005 as a full-time student while also working fulltime as a land surveyor. “I was working in Newport from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and trying to make it to class from 5:30 to 8:30. It didn’t balance out well, and I had to withdraw,” he said. After he left the Army, Richardson worked at a ship yard in Alabama that was contracted with the Navy to build battleships. “That’s where I learned how to weld and fabricate aluminum and gained my aluminum welding certification,” he said. Richardson earned his American Welding Society license in May 2017. He’s on track to graduate next May with his associate of applied science degree in industrial technology. “UACCB has been phenomenal to me. Two people in particular, Zach Harber and Danny Ramsey, have made a big impact on me,” Richardson said. “These two individuals have gone above and beyond what they had to do to teach this old stubborn guy. Any time I had a question or concern, they did not hesitate to help me understand the problem and articulate it in such a way that it was easy to understand. I owe a lot to these individuals, and I hope that my actions once I graduate from UACCB, whether it be straight to the workforce or working towards my bachelor’s, can reflect the knowledge that they have shown me.”
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“Hometown Heroes’ Documentary Debuting at Melba” Amelia Bowman
Old Independence Regional Museum, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institute, proudly presented “Hometown Heroes”, a sports based documentary that debuted Monday, November 13th, at the Melba Theater. Admission was free but donations were taken. Nearly everyone has a personal reason for loving sports. Each person’s connection is unique to their own experience as an athlete, fan, or coach; each experience influences a person’s life. Which sports experiences have shaped your life? A great team rivalry, a dedicated coach, special teammates? “Hometown Heroes” shares personal triumphs and defeats, wacky game day superstitions, the thrill of rivalries, the economic impact of athletics, and much, much more. This film explored the many ways sports shape our community, our families, and ourselves. “Hometown Heroes” was filmed, edited, and produced entirely by EAST programs from Batesville, Cedar Ridge, Midland, and Southside schools, in partnership with Old Independence Regional Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Youth Access Grant. Students from each school began working on the documentary last November. Over the last year, students interviewed more than thirty local current athletes, former athletes, coaches, fans, school faculty, and community officials concerning the impact of team sports on their lives, careers, and communities. “Hometown Heroes” was created in concurrence with the Smithsonian Institute’s Museums on Main Street’s exhibit “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America,” which will be on display at OIRM beginning December 16, 2017. “Hometown Teams” explores how sports influence the culture of communities and the lives of athletes and fans, alike. Project funded by the Youth Access Grant; made possible by the Smithsonian Institute, EAST Initiative, Old Independence Regional Museum, and the great residents of Independence County.
Classes Begin This Spring for UACCB’s New Agriculture Program Hannah Keller Flanery
The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville has completed the approval process for a new agriculture technology program. Classes will begin this spring semester. The program received approval from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education Oct. 27. “We’re very excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our students,” said Zach Harber, director of workforce development and education. “Agriculture is the economic driver in our area, and it’s the largest reaching industry in all career fields. The internship opportunities that are a part of our new agriculture program will open numerous doors to career opportunities of the students’ choice.” The program includes certificate of proficiencies in four main focus areas – animal science, plant science, soil science and agriculture business – as well as an agriculture technology technical certificate and an agriculture technology associate of science degree. “The program provides a very targeted experience,” Harber said. “Students will have labs that will provide hands-on training in their chosen career field which will then be reinforced by the internship opportunities. Courses will be taught by highly qualified professionals in their field of study who are members of the local agriculture industry.” Dr. Brian Shonk, vice chancellor for academics, said UACCB has partnered with Arkansas State University in Jonesboro to provide interested students with a seamless path to a bachelor’s degree in their desired agriculture career field. Students earning the agriculture technology associate’s degree will be able to transfer into ASU’s agriculture program to complete a bachelor’s degree. Harber said the college was grateful for the support of area business farms and the local agriculture industry in developing the program including the Independence County office of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Arkansas Livestock and Forestry Research Station and other local agriculture programs. UACCB also was approved to begin a Future Farmers of America (FFA) Alumni Chapter that will be open to not only students but also members of the community. Harber and Becky Warren, career and disability services coordinator, will be advisors for the chapter. “It will be a great way for students as well as those in the community interested in agriculture to gain leadership experience, personal development and support local FFA chapters,” Harber said. Registration for new or readmitted students began Nov. 16. Spring classes begin Jan. 10. For more information on the agriculture program, contact Harber at 870-6122081. For more information on registration or to apply, visit www.uaccb.edu, call 870-612-2139 or email admissions@uaccb.edu. N
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et M oal nce G gicpendeer e t tra Indeistoph S As of November 7th, r 2017 Uber, T h n C i popular C A er yle ride service, isthenowglobally P M available b I U K Independence County. Access to ride sharein
services, such as Uber, was one of the strategic goals identified by the IMPACT Healthy Living and Wellbeing committee in Batesville Arkansas. Uber is a taxi service used in cities worldwide. Uber’s model is based on riders tapping a button on their smart phone device to contract a ride. To begin, Uber users must first download the Uber app on their smart phone and create an account, including their preferred payment method. After the account is created, users choose a ride and set the location. A picture of the driver and vehicle details will appear. Once users accept the ride, they can track their arrival on the map. Uber provides a rating system used by both drivers and riders to control the user and driver experience. “Having the ability to finally connect those seeking transportation with a ride service will give Independence County the ability to respond to demand. Whether riders utilize Uber for a trip to the
grocery store, or safe ride to an appointment, we are pleased this service is now available in our community” said Kyle Christopher, Tourism Director, Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Christopher also stated, “Another opportunity Uber brings to the region is jobs for those that wish to drive when they want and earn what they need”. Applicants must be at least 21 years old to become a driver and own a 4-door vehicle that is a 2006 or newer. For further details about Uber please visit uber. com. N
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30 Eye On Magazine
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BACC Held Peco Business After Hours Holiday Block Party Shelly Hendrix
The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) helped with a Business After Hours Holiday Block Party Tuesday, November 21 on the corner of Central & Main. The event was hosted by Peco Foods and featured fun for the whole family including food from The Pinto, Big’s of Batesville, and 109 Main, a bouncy house from Keller’s Bounce Houses, face painting with Batesville Area Arts Council, and live music from the Alisha Williams Band. Courtesy of Peco Foods, “Jack Frost” showed at the Melba free to the public following the event. N
Happy Birthday John Ivy! He celebrated with his family in Grubbs on November 20th and we hope it was amazing.
Local Faces
In The Tooth
An Unexpected Journey
Dr. Mark Chunn earned his DDS in San Antonio at the University of Texas Health Science Center. His warm way and expertise may now be found at the White River Dental Center at 259 Eagle Mtn. Blvd. in Batesville, Arkansas. Once a professional water skier, he now pours his attention and passion into his practice and his beautiful family. www. chunndds.com.
One Family’s Aquatic Experience As a person who grew up in or near the water, I have always placed great importance on making sure each one of my children know how to swim. For me, it is inconceivable to go through life not being comfortable in the water not only for safety reasons but also because of the countless hours of fun, recreation, and physical fitness that an aquatic environment provides. Knowing that my eldest children swim well enough to have become lifeguards gave me comfort yet I eventually found myself ill at ease because I had not spent enough time teaching my three younger children how to swim as well as I thought they should. Of those three, Jillian the eldest could at best save herself from drowning if she were to fall into the swimming pool but I was far from being comfortable with her swimming abilities as a young teenager. My son who was seven years old at the time fell into the same category, and my youngest daughter Julie Anna (6) could only float on her back for a limited amount of time. As a parent I was a bit ashamed of myself for allowing this much time to pass while my children’s water safety skills remained inadequate. It was past time to do something about it. But wintertime was quickly approaching, and cold water is not exactly conductive for teaching children the necessary skills if they are expected to enjoy the process. Fortunately, my son was excited when we approached him about attending a try out in the indoor and warm Lyon College pool where the Batesville Torpedo Aquatic Club was currently practicing. So began his journey into the world of competitive swimming in October of 2016. For two and a half months, he went to practice approximately three times each week after school. By late December, the ever so patient coach thought it was time that he attended his first swimming competition. The inexperienced young man completed a couple of races and finished dead last. Rather than being discouraged by these results, he chose to adopt the same attitude as was being taken by his coaches, teammates, and parents. It was an attitude of “this is fun”. It quickly became obvious that he was one of those “coachable” kids that listened well and showed the self-discipline to stick with it until improvement could be seen. A well-known saying in our household is “practice makes perfect” and that phrase became his mantra. He became passionate about it whether his passion stemmed from the newfound love of the sport or was it because he and I had found a way to bond 32 Eye On Magazine
together in a special “man time” apart from all the girls that occupy our household? Soon he was waking me up before 6 am on school days so that we could swim together in the early hours of the cold winter mornings. After a couple of more competitive swim meets, Josephs’ 8th place ribbons started to turn the color of the familiar white and yellow 3rd and 4th place ribbons. By February he had earned a 1st place finish and found a sense of pride in collecting the blue ribbons that represented the amount of work that he was putting in. He clearly had developed an admirable work ethic and the fruits of his labor were paying off. His finish times in each race continued to drop and he had now learned four different strokes that he could compete in. In a short few months, he had clearly become a solid swimmer which I had to remind myself was the original goal. The bonus was that my son had found something to become passionate about and I must admit that his passion was contagious. Because our family is so active, all of the children were already accustomed to supporting each other’s endeavors and we all attend and celebrate each other’s activities. All too often the family gets split apart when one parent takes a child to gymnastics while the other accompanies the next child to soccer while the third child is off competing in something entirely different. As good fortune would have it, we found ourselves complete as a family unit as we watched Joseph compete in swimming. Before long, both girls apparently started to envision themselves doing the same thing and decided that they wanted to join him swimming as opposed to spending their Saturdays cheering him on. By now Spring was approaching and soon the current swim season would end, giving a hiatus to the team until the next season began in the summer. Both girls tried out for the team and 15 year old Jillian immediately made the team. Jillian is a naturally gifted athlete but water sports was not natural for her. To my great pleasure, the other teenagers on the team that had obviously been swimming for years welcomed her with enthusiasm not often seen in this age group of kids. I will never forget how they cheered
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her on and congratulated her for finishing her first race. Her response was “ I am just glad that I didn’t drown!” Like Joseph, the girls have progressed to the point of now possessing blue ribbons from some swim meets. Julie Anna wasn’t quite ready for the team as she wasn’t quite ready to be trusted without constant and direct supervision. Not to be deterred, Julie Anna and mom retreated home to our pool for one week and returned to demonstrate that she was indeed ready for the team. Imagine my surprise when they announced to me that all three of my young children were now on the swim team and that our next many Saturdays would have us all together, cheering one another along. As the process was unfolding I was becoming more acquainted with several other parents, volunteers, and swimming officials. The positive spirit and the camaraderie among these adults was clear and I found that the organization of this sport is refreshingly well designed. As I attended the kids meets around Arkansas, I began to volunteer as so many parents do during these meets. It became glaringly obvious that without these volunteers, these swimming competitions simply wouldn’t happen. My feelings were that as long as I was going to be attending these meets I may as well volunteer to help; besides, if I
were to learn to become an official I would be allowed to be “on deck” where my kids were, as opposed to sitting in the stands and watching from afar. So our journey has begun. In 9 short months, it took us from the beginning to Detroit, Michigan where Joseph brought home two awards from the AAU Junior Olympics in just his first year. I’m not exactly sure where this journey will take us or how it will end. I know a few things however. Other local families can say that they’ve experienced something similar. I know that I’ve made some wonderful new friends and that I’ve gotten quite an education. I know that we have an energetic and young coaching team to help the children succeed. I also know that the bonding experience of a child and his parent can be powerful in this sport. I also know that Batesville’s new Aquatic Center is something that we should not only be proud of but that it sets the standard nationwide for what other cities hope to have. The visionaries of this complex are to be applauded. The economic impact to the city must be amazing. In early November, I was placed in charge of officiating the AAU Junior Olympic Qualifying meet here in Batesville. People came from all over the state for two days and I learned that people were unable to find hotel rooms within miles of Batesville. It is my hope that the infectious spirit of organized swimming infects you all as it did me. It can be as infectious as this community’s people, their loving charity and the hopes and dreams they embody. The Chunn Family wishes you all a Merry Christmas and hope to see you at the upcoming swim meets! N
December 2017 33
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Things To Do Batesville
Symphonic Winds Christmas Concert December 1 at 7:30 and again at 8:30pm in Brown Chapel on the Lyon College campus. The Symphonic Winds is conducted by Montgomery Hill and is assisted by Valeri Hill. The concert will feature music from the Christmas season and has invited the Westside High School Band from Jonesboro to open the event. For more information contact Monty Hill at or to register, call 870.307.7080.
The Hutchinson Mountain Community Center at 3370 Camp Tahkodah Road is available for rent by contacting Lea Barber at 870-612-4718. Alzheimer’s Association Arkansas Chapter Caregiver Support Group The Caregiver Support Group provides opportunities for you to talk with others who really understand what you are going through. Join us every second Thursday at 6 p.m. in the WRMC Josephine Raye Rogers Women’s Center Conference Center. Contact Deanna Green at 870.307.1406 for more information.
Grubbs Old Fashioned Christmas Family Day Grubbs Christmas Parade set for December 2nd at 2 Dec 9 from 9am to 2pm at the Old Independence p.m. Come join the fun. Regional Museum at 380 South 9th Street in Batesville, Arkansas. Melbourne Recycling Program Pyramid Fights 5 The City of Melbourne has implemented a Dec 9 from 7 to 10 pm at the Batesville Community comprehensive recycling program to collect aluminum, Center at 1420 S. 20th Street in Batesville, Arkansas. See metal cans, plastics, paper and cardboard. The collection tapology.com/fightcenter/events/48441-pyramid-fights-5 site is located at 300 Circle Drive, next to the Izard County to see the line up. For more information call Josh Hudson Sheriff's Office off Hwy 9 Spur. Collection dates are Tuesday 870-612-7459. and Saturday afternoons from noon-4pm. Items you can drop-off: > Aluminum - beverage cans only (crushed cans Windows Tips and Tricks preferred). > Metal Cans - food, beverage and juice cans. Dec. 14, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. $69 Empty foods and liquid and rinse thoroughly. OK to Leave How can I find a file if I don’t remember where I saved labels on. (No paint cans or oil cans.) > Plastics - Soft it? How can I save multiple email attachments? Is there Drink bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles, etc. Containers an easy way to navigate large documents or spreadsheets? MUST have #1 or #2 inside the triangle on the bottom. No How can I show my IT department the steps that led to the paint, oil, chemical (pesticide or herbicide) plastics. > Paper error message I have on my screen? Are there shortcuts to - newspapers, magazines, phone books, paper, junk mail. do the things I do every day? If you have ever asked yourself Please keep paper dry! > Cardboard - Boxes, dry food boxes, one of these questions, this is the class for you. Windows shoe boxes, etc. Flatten all boxes. Pizza delivery boxes are Tips and Tricks demonstrates a variety of shortcuts and OK but no wax-coated or frozen food boxes. techniques that will allow you to be more efficient with www.mymelbournearkansas.com everyday tasks in Windows and its applications. Rhonda Byrd, instructor. UACCB Main Campus Bldg, 222. For Mountain View more information or to register, call 870.612.2082 or email communityed@uaccb.edu. arkansascraftschool.com (ACS) offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com (OTBP) Friends of the Library ozarka.edu The Independence County Library Friends Foundation mountainviewartguild.com (MVAG) has kicked off its “Friends of the Library” membership drive. Memberships in the Friends group are now available Caroling in the Caverns Tickets on sale now for Dec 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 & at the Library, 368 East Main Street in Batesville. Annual membership dues are $25.00 per person and renew 17 of 2017. $25 per person with no refunds or exchanges. every January, at the beginning of the Foundation’s For more Mountain View events, log onto fiscal year. Contact: Vanessa Adams, Library Director at yourplaceinthemountains.com. 870.793.8814, orvanessa@indcolib.com. Spay or Neuter Coupons The Humane Society of Independence County (HSIC) wants to remind everyone that it offers coupons worth $35 off the cost of having your pet spayed or neutered. Please call the shelter during office hours (Tuesday through Friday from Noon-5:30 p.m. and Sat 11a.m.-4 p.m.) for more information. The shelter phone number is (870) 793-0090. Hutchinson Community Center Available 36 Eye On Magazine
Newport
Jingle Bells Pageant Junior Auxiliary of Jackson County is hosting a JA Jingle Bells Pageant on December 2nd from 9am to 3pm. All the proceeds from the pageant go toward continuing the mission of helping those in need in Jackson County. For more information contact Annie Solis at 870.503.5942, Courtney Baker at 662.305.5926 or Summer Terry at eyeonmag.com
870.512.9148. You can email Junior Auxiliary of Jackson County at webb.samantha88@gmail.com.
Newport Christmas Parade Dec 14 from 6 to 8pm. Line up will begin in the parking lot across from Riceland Foods no sooner than 5pm. Vehicles entered into the parade are to enter on the McLain Street side and face toward Hwy 69. Vehicles not in the parade are asked not to enter that parking lot at all. Entry forms are available online at www. newportarchamber.org and can be faxed to 523.1055 or dropped off at the Chamer office at 201 Hazel Street or emailed directly to director@newportarchamer.org. Manna Manna Food Pantry is located in the Newport Pentecostal Church of God at 205 Ray Street in Newport. They are open every Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for you. Come in and choose the items your family needs. They have partnered with the NEA food bank in jonesboro. Donate to the pantry by contacting Gail Poole at 501-473-1560 or log on to www.newportpcg.com. Accepting food donations.
Newark
Santa’s 3rd Annual Gift Shop Craft Bazaar Pancake Breakfast, Arts & Crafts, Christmas Decor, Clothing, Homemade Items, Signs, Baked Goods and Pictures with Santa! Dec 2 from 8am to 2pm at the Newark elementary School at 3549 Cord Road, Newark, Arkansas For more information, contact Shanda Stout at 870.799.7560.
Oil Trough Contact eyeonjoseph@eyeonmag.com to share your events.
Southside
Barrett Baber Live at Oscar’s Smokehouse & Grill Dec 9 from 9 to 11pm at Oscar’s Smokehouse and Grill located on 39 Jones Drive in Batesville, Arkansas by Harps in Southside. For more information call 870.251.9932.
Swifton Contact eyeonjoseph@eyeonmag.com to share your events.
Tuckerman
Tuckerman Christmas Parade Dec 19 beginning at 6pm. If your community is not represented here, please send us any upcoming event information and we will be happy to share with our other communities. N
Newport Christmas parade is December 14 Julie Allen
The Newport Christmas parade will be held Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 beginning at 6 p.m. Entries are now being accepted at the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce for floats, walking groups, antique vehicles, beauty queens, horseback riders, school organizations, etc. Participants will be traveling down Hwy. 69 to Malcolm Avenue then down to Village Mall parking lot. Awards will be given for first, second and third place for both the commercial and non-commercial categories. Entry is free, and participants may choose their own holiday theme. However, Santa Claus will be flying in early from the North Pole as the last entry in the parade, so please do not plan a “fake” Santa on your float. Float judging will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. Please include the name of your business or organization somewhere on your float for faster judging. Line up will be held in the parking lot across from Riceland Foods no sooner than 5 p.m. (McLain and Hwy. 69). Walkers and dance groups should line up on the Riceland side of Hwy. 69. Vehicles that are entered in the parade are to enter the parking lot from McLain Street and face toward Hwy. 69. There will be a line up crew on hand. The line up area will be very crowded. Those who are driving vehicles that will not be in the parade are asked to find parking on the Riceland side of Hwy. 69 and walk across to the line up area. If dropping off a parade participant, please do not enter the parking lot. Entry forms are now available at the Chamber office or online at www.newportarchamber.org. Completed forms may be faxed to 523-1055, dropped off at the Chamber at 201 Hazel Street, or emailed to director@newportarchamber.org. In the event of inclement weather, parade participants will be notified of an alternate date. N December 2017 37
Woodcrest Assisted Living Where old memories are cherished and new ones made!
Say goodbye to housekeeping, yard work, and chores and Hello to Possibilities!
Assisted Living and so Much More! Call us for more information or to schedule a tour: 870-793-5808
2901 Neeley Street, Batesville, Arkansas
Pioneer Nation Strategic Planning Michael Hester
“Very Melba Christmas” Mandi Curtwright
We are in the process of strategic planning for our district that will set our work for the next 3-5 years. Our goal is to find money to be efficient and become a Destination District. We are trying to reduce our footprint by: closing the Cushman Campus and moving the White River Academy in town; close the Pre-school campus and move it somewhere among existing buildings; and close the District Administration Center (DAC) and move our offices into other district facilities. We will develop two options for the BOE to consider for the elementary and offer a secondary plan that is tied to everything. The following public meetings will give more up-to-date information and offer an hour of question and answer time:. Elementary Parent Town Hall Meeting - December 11 - 6-7 p.m. Community Center: Elementary principals & Superintendent present. Secondary Parent Town Hall Meeting December 12 6-7 p.m. Community Center: Secondary principals & Superintendent present.
Free Christmas classics on the big screen The Melba Theater will once again be hosting A Very Melba Christmas. A Very Melba Christmas will feature 12 Christmas classics on the big screen at no charge. “Last year’s attendance exceeded expectations and many of our shows were at full capacity”, noted Adam Curtwright, co-owner …”because of the series’ popularity, we made the decision to add more movies and additional show dates.” Sing-alongs and classic Christmas shorts are a couple of the new additions to the activities for the 2017 series. “We do have another surprise that you’ll want to come and check out — it is going to make the 2017 series one that you will never forget” Curtwright added.
Present our Strategic Process to the public at the Mayor’s Community Meeting, December 7th, 5-6:30 p.m. at Josie’s restaurant.
2017 Very Melba Christmas Lineup:
For every campus of the three we just mentioned… to close them down we would save approximately $100,000/ year. We have a technology plan for the next 5-6 years that will save approximately $100,000/year over what we spent the last 5-6 years. We are working on an energy efficiency plan that has a minimum savings of $100,000/year. We are trying to reduce our six kitchens to three kitchens and that would save approximately $100,000/year. The three kitchens we will keep and satellite food from would be Eagle Mountain, West and BHS. Our goal is to eventually find a minimum of $1,000,000 to apply to our teacher and staff salary schedule and benefits. These plans help to make our transportation more efficient, depending on the option chosen. No one will lose their job with this plan but through attrition we would evaluate all positions as they open. This is not new, we have always scrutinized our efficiency with personnel matters when we have openings. We understand these are emotional decisions but we are one of the largest businesses in Independence County. As a business, we must be prudent to sustain and compete. We must find ways to attract and retain our staff in this day and age of teacher shortages. Our staff is amazing and it is the best gift we can give the children of the district as we continue to put Students First.
November 28 @ 6:30 p.m. - Christmas With the Kranks (PG) November 30 @ 6:30 p.m. - Elf (PG) December 3 @ 6:30 p.m. - White Christmas December 5 @ 6:30 p.m. - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) December 7 @ 6:30 p.m.- The Polar Express (G) December 10 @ 6:30 p.m. - Miracle on 34th Street (G) December 12 @ 6:30 p.m. - Home Alone (PG) December 14 @ 6:30 p.m. - Jingle All the Way (PG) December 17 & 19 @ 6:30 p.m. - National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13) December 21 @ 6:30 p.m. - A Christmas Story (PG) December 22 @ 6:30 p.m. - It’s a Wonderful Life (PG) December 23 @ 6:30 p.m. - Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (G)
Movies will begin on November 28 and will play through December 23. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Movies will begin at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited to the first 400 guests and seats are first come, first serve. To stay up-to-date with Christmas festivities at the Melba, visit www.melbatheater.org or follow @melbatheater on Facebook, twitter, and Instagram. N
Sincerely, Michael L. Hester, Ed.D. / Superintendent / 870.793.6831 / michael.hester@batesvilleschools.org. N
December 2017 39
Cherri Design
Freshen Up Your Exterior Cherri Rodgers has a B.S. In Interior Design from UCA. She is active in several local ministries & community projects. Most of all, she values time with her family and grandson. Cherri's Interior Design is available for both residential & commercial design or decorating needs. Cherri now has The Kitchen Shop at 2485 Harrison St. for all your kitchen needs.
A few simple changes to the exterior of our home can make a big difference in the appeal of your home. Even with a limited budget, you can still make a dramatic impact. Even if you think you have no creativity, you can easily handle these simple ideas. Before you begin, determine the look you are trying to achieve, such as traditional and dramatic or warm and inviting. Focus your time and budget toward achieving that effect. Step across the street into your neighbor’s yard and take a long look at your home’s exterior. Take some pictures on your phone, so you can look at the outside when you are sitting inside. The first project is to give your house and yard a good cleaning. Power wash the exterior, pick up any trash, get rid of any old out-dated yard pieces or whatever else can make an immediate difference. Clean out flower beds and outdoor pots. These areas are also great areas to add color to your outdoor space. Consider painting the exterior door and adding
a fresh pop of color, so your home stands out from your neighbors. If you have painted shutters, consider painting them as well. Freshen up columns and porch railing with a new coat of paint. Also, your mailbox and post probably need painting, as we often neglect it. Patio furniture can look new with a coat of spray paint. Paint is fairly inexpensive and can drastically change the appearance of almost any surface. Outdoor lighting is often overlooked, so replace any burned bulbs. Consider replacing outdated fixtures with new fixtures. Solar lighting is now fairly inexpensive, adding drama to your exterior. When carefully placed, it can be fun and uplifting. I have a covered patio with 4 poles, so I twisted rope lighting around the 2 center poles to see if I liked it there. I can see it from several of my back windows, and for $20, I added something that makes my soul happy. Needless to say, I will be adding 2 more strands (when they go on sale and I have a coupon…big laugh if you know me). A few quick fixes are changing our house numbers or spray paint them for a fresh look. New door mats
326 Lindley Lane
870-523-6539
870-793-3303 755 St. Louis Street Batesville 40 Eye On Magazine
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will spruce up your entryways. Hang a wreath or piece of art on your exterior doors. If you have a large porch or covered patio/deck area, consider decorating this space. Hang outdoor art on your house. Put out some potted plants. Add a piece of furniture, such as a table or old chest, and decorate the top. Furniture pieces can also be spray painted for added color. Purchase an outdoor lamp to create a cozy, inviting space. Remember to focus your time and budget toward achieving the effect you want to create. For instance, I want my home to be casual, warm and inviting, both inside and outside, so I don’t waste my budget on traditional pieces. Just keep in mind any change will be noticed. Now go play outside! N
Enjoy free Christmas classics each Tuesday, Thursday, & Sunday at 6:30PM
December 2017 41
Thyme Enough
Lois Mae’s Pound Cake with Ruth Jane’s Boiled Custard
Nelson and Sandy Barnett met in college. They have been happily married for 56 years and are still having fun cooking and living!
Tried and true recipes are usually always the best, and we are blest to come from families who love good food and pass recipes down from generation to generation. These recipes are hand-me-downs and are both excellent. We usually have them together at Christmas time, but both stand alone and can be used separately. The pound cake was handed down from Jimmie Churchill Fallis, to her daughter Lois Mae Fallis Barnett and then to her daughter Susan Barnett Matinchek. Lois shared it with us years ago, then it got lost and Susan supplied another copy. It is an excellent recipe. Ruth Jane Diamant Stuck was the grandmother of our son-in-law Elmer Stuck Heringer. Her boiled custard is not only delicious, but Sandy says as boiled custard recipes go it is one of the easiest. It makes a great dessert, but also is a perfect present to take to someone who has been ill as a getwell-soon gift. Our daughter, Carol Barnett Heringer, shared it with us. For the cake: Cream together ½ cup Crisco, 3 cups sugar, and 1 stick of butter. Add 5 eggs one at a time and 3 cups of flour. Mix in ½ cup buttermilk, then another ½ cup butter milk that has ½ tsp. baking soda and 1 tablespoon boiling water added to it. Mix thoroughly. Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan or stemmed cake pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Do not overbake. For the custard: Beat 5 eggs lightly and add ¾ cup sugar and pinch of salt. Mix into 1 quart cold or warmed whole milk (warmed is faster). Cook in a double boiler over simmering water stirring constantly until spoon is coated or until thickening has started. Strain into a pitcher or container while hot. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Serve cold or warm with whipped cream. We wish you all a happy Christmas and a blessed New Year! N
42 Eye On Magazine
201 Hazel, Newport 870-523-1009 “The mission of the Newport Economic Development Commission is to facilitate an environment that will be conducive to economic growth and stability. The commission will work to enhance, promote, and create increased opportunities for economic well being by developing and implementing strategies that will improve quality of life, community aesthetics, and encourage new investment in Newport and Jackson County.”
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Shop small this Holiday Season... Add a new twist to a familiar tradition with this whimsical Milk & Cookie Mug for Santa! The Kitchen Shop 2485 Harrison St., Batesville
If Warm and Cozy is on your list. We’ve got you covered with great brands like Patagonia, Nativ and Sanuk. Village Adventures 286 E. Main Street, Batesville
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Dress up any space with this wonderful handcrafted centerpiece! Queen Anne’s Lace 266 E. Main Street, Batesville
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December 2017 43
Smith’s Verdict **** Lady Bird
Tanner Smith is a native of Manila, Arkansas. He has written movie reviews for the T Tauri Galaxy (www.ttauri.org/galaxy) for several years and is a five year veteran of the T Tauri Movie Camp. He has made a number of films, ranging from horror to documentary, and has won awards in filmmaking and screenwriting.
How in the world am I going to describe “Lady Bird” in a way that makes it sound even a little like the film I saw and admired? Well, I can try… let’s see… “Lady Bird” is an independent film about a rebellious Catholic schoolgirl going through her senior year. As she looks for colleges far away from home, she goes in and out of relationships with her peers, struggles with her mother who is hard on her, and has experiences that readies her for the roughest experience of all: life. See? The way I described it makes it sound dissimilar to the same film I want to write about, which is about all of those things. But they’re handled in a way that makes it feel fresh and original, like a coming-of-age film unlike any other I’ve seen before. Even the depressing, similarly-unusual “Welcome to the Dollhouse” is nothing like this film. “Lady Bird” is the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig, who also wrote the film and has established herself as a fresh female voice in independent film while collaborating with Noah Baumbach for films such as “Frances Ha” and “Mistress America” (both of which she shares a writing credit). She is able to pull off everything in “Lady Bird” in such a way that while we’ve seen elements of the story before, what she does with them feels totally new. It’s an independent film that doesn’t fall into the typical indie traps. It’s not self-assured in how bright it is. It’s not talking down to us with its many insights. And it can be harsh while not being terribly so and funny while also being moving. Gerwig knows what she’s doing here, and you wouldn’t guess this was her first time directing. The film is semi-autobiographical, set in the early 2000s and inspired by Gerwig’s experiences in growing up in Sacramento, California. The always-wonderful actress Saoirse Ronan portrays the young-Gerwig counterpart, Christine McPherson, who prefers to be labeled “Lady Bird” because she hates her given name and prefers a name that’s deeper. She hates life in Sacramento and wants to go somewhere less boring, and so she tries applying for colleges “out East,” even though no one, not even the guidance counselor and especially not her mother (Laurie Metcalf), sees that actually happening, as she’s not the best student. Lady Bird has one friend, Julie (Beanie Feldstein), with whom she shares a true bond, as both of them are on the lower end of the high-school spectrum (but not the lowest end). And she has a neverending feud with her mother, who is having a hard-enough time working double-shifts as a nurse without dealing with her difficult daughter. Her father (Tracy Letts) shows more care and affection towards her, but he’s going through a tough time of his own, having lost his job, battling depression, trying to keep the family 44 Eye On Magazine
financially stable, and even applying for the same new job as his adopted son Miguel. She thinks things are going to get easier and gentler when she meets Danny (Lucas Hedges), a cute, “perfect” boy who becomes her boyfriend. But even that sweetness doesn’t last long. Then, Lady Bird finds herself breaking away from Julie, falling in with meangirl Jenna (Odeya Rush), finding a new boyfriend, having her first sexual encounter, discovering harsh truths about herself and those around her, and finding herself on the very edge of adulthood. I tried, but I don’t think I fully related how unique “Lady Bird” is with that basic plot, even though it sounds similar to other movies (movies like “The Edge of Seventeen,” which came out last year, come to mind when I try and describe what happens in “Lady Bird”). I admire the editing of “Lady Bird.” It’s tightly edited at 90 minutes, despite so much happening in this year of the life of this 17-year-old girl. That’s because Gerwig knows not to give us filler. If a scene is straying for too long, it cuts immediately to the next scene. If there’s a misunderstanding occurring, we suddenly cut away to later, when the misunderstanding is being discussed realistically instead of awkwardly drawn out. When there’s a betrayal, it immediately cuts to quiet contemplation of said-betrayal before the tears come up. Then it’s on to the next situation. This is how it is throughout the entire film, and I greatly appreciated the trimming of the fat. What helps is that every situation is handled just right, with Gerwig’s screenplay being smart enough to know what’s realistic, what’s memorable, and what’s just right for the material. Whether it’s the comedy (such as when Lady Bird and Julie are discussing masturbation while eating communion wafers), the drama (such as the brutal confrontations between daughter and mother), or the quiet, sweeter moments (such as when Lady Bird and Danny are looking at the stars and even naming one of them to call their own), all of it is as brilliant as it is straightforward. I loved Ronan’s work in this film. She plays a character that feels so real you could reach out and touch her. And it also helps that she’s written well, to the point where I could practically see Gerwig coming out through her. But I can’t neglect to say how I loved the supporting cast, which is across-the-board terrific. Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein, even the smaller roles such as Stephen Henderson who gets a laugh with almost every scene he’s in as a drama teacher (who gets a little too into the dramatic exercises at one point)—they’re all worthy of their own movie. Many details of “Lady Bird” may seem familiar at first glance, but look closer when you see the film and you’ll see the power in said-details. We see this girl grow up, and even at times when she’s a little too rough, she’s still empathetic. And by the end of the film, she still has some growing up to do. The only difference is she comes to realize that. And with that said, not only do I want Gerwig to make another film (hell, another 10 films, she’s that good), but I also want a sequel to “Lady Bird.” I want to see where Lady Bird and the other characters end up. N eyeonmag.com
Unity Health Harris
Outpatient Dietary Services Michelle Foshee is a wife, mother, dog lover, and Newport native who promotes Unity Health Harris Medical Center to improve the quality of health and well-being for the communities we serve through compassionate care. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and prior to joining Unity Health, she worked in sales and marketing in Little Rock. She challenges herself and others to be Health Centered – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Education sessions are now available through Unity Health - Harris Medical Center to provide information on the following dietary issues: Diabetes Weight Loss Weight Gain Gluten Free Diet Renal Non-Dialysis Cardiac Puree (How to prepare) Fluid Restrictions With referral from a physician, patients and families can learn how best to receive adequate nutrition under dietary restraints due to current conditions or sensitivities. “We have a need for diet education and many have not had a formal introduction to proper diet, those who visit the hospital may not feel well and we encourage them to return and follow up with us after they are discharged.
e From New Releas uthor Batesville A Mark Rorie
About The Book: Teaches young readers about our system of government. Words to study and discussion questions at the end of each chapter
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We are hoping to increase outpatient services and one on one counseling. It’s very simple, the doctor sends an order to the scheduler, a time is assigned and they are able to meet with me. This is open to patients and the general public, but an order is required by a physician. I am excited to get involved with the community and help those who are afraid to ask questions or do not have the support system they need, this gives them a place to go. We hope to branch out in 2018 with more programs as we continue to grow,” Katherine Calhoun, R.D., L.D., Clinical Dietitian at Unity Health - Harris Medical Center. For more information regarding nutrition services please contact Katherine Calhoun, R.D., L.D.- Clinical Dietitian (870) 512-3068. N
December 2017 45
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December 2017 47
Caroling in the Caverns Kacey Clare Burge has a Master’s degree in Professional Writing from Chatham University. She has written for a Southwest Florida lifestyles magazine and because of her outstanding work, she was featured in REAL Magazine as a contributing copy writer and editor. She has worked as a debt content writer for a financial advice website and had a successful freelance career for several years. Kacey spends most of her free time with her husband, daugther and three rescue dogs, enjoying the outdoors and exploring what the state of Arkansas has to offer.
‘Tis the Season Christmas, a lot of folks would say, is the most wonderful time of the year! We look ahead to special time with family, gathering around the dinner table laughing, uplifting Christmas music and making memories with those we love. With the Christmas season upon us, there is something for everyone to get in the holiday spirit. Whether you are looking for the intimacy of a holiday arts and crafts workshop, the excitement of a Christmas parade, the rush of a holiday light show or just some good old fashioned, wholesome activities that the entire family can enjoy, the north central region has got you covered. One particular upcoming event that is sure to make a very powerful impression is the Caroling in the Caverns concert at Blanchard Springs. Prepare to be wowed by this extraordinary holiday event that will tantalize your senses, transcending you from the inside of a cave to a divine tabernacle where beautiful carols echo blissfully through the atmosphere. Prepare to be Dazzled Caroling in the Caverns is presenting its 15th annual concert in the caves, one of the most unique experiences you can find this season. It’s been described as “heavenly” and “glorious” from concert attendees
48 Eye On Magazine
in the past and with each year, it keeps getting better and better. Imagine boarding an elevator that will transport you to an underground masterpiece deep within, and below, the Ozark Mountains. The doors open and you see spectacular crystalline formations like stalactites, stalagmites, columns and flowstones that are ever changing in this wondrous living cave. You take your seat in a cathedral-like amphitheater so grand that only nature could create something so beautiful. Then the music begins, resounding through the cavern like a grand old chapel. Local musicians carefully and strategically create a celestial atmosphere when they begin to perform regional interpretations of classic and traditional Christmas carols that will take your breath away. The natural acoustics coupled with the serenading sounds and voices of the performers is guaranteed to make your heart soar. What better way to get in the Christmas spirit than with a one of a kind underground concert that will wildly appeal to every one of your senses. Event Information This unique concert series will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the month of December and this sought after and highly anticipated annual event is sure to become your family’s next favorite Christmas tradition. Tickets are $25 a person and you must obtain them in advance by calling the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce at (870)269-8068, or reserving them online by visiting www.yourplaceinthemountains.com/ caroling-in-the-caverns. The Caroling in the Caverns concert schedule is as follows: December 1st at 6:00pm
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In the Field with Randy December 2nd at 2:30pm, 4:30pm & 6:30pm December 3rd at 1:30pm & 3:30pm December 8th at 6:00pm December 9th at 2:30pm, 4:30pm & 6:30pm December 10th at 1:30pm & 3:30pm December 15th at 6:30pm December 16th at 2:30pm, 4:30pm & 6:30pm December 17th at 1:30pm & 3:30pm You don’t want to miss this festive holiday experience. For additional information, call the Chamber or check out the website. N
Happy Harvest Weather
Randy Chlapecka is an agronomist with Farmers Supply Association. He is retired from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension Service where he served as a County Extension Agent for over 32 years. He is an avid ASU Red Wolves fan and has announced Newport Greyhound sporting events since 1996. He also enjoys vegetable gardening.
As I write this article on the day before Thanksgiving, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for in agriculture in our area. Our farmers have harvested a very good crop and have had possibly the best harvest weather ever. Many were finished by the end of October and it may have been the driest meteorological fall (September-November) in our lifetime. In the November issue of Eye On Magazine, I discussed rice variety selection. This month I’ll discuss soybean variety, or more specifically, herbicide technology selection. Soybean variety selection can certainly be more complicated than rice variety selection due to the number of varieties, companies, maturity groups, herbicide technologies, etc. involved. One of the best quotes I have heard regarding weed control is “If last year’s weed control program worked great, change it.” Of course, the reason for this is to prevent the development of herbicide resistance. While this is true and we definitely need to do what we can to achieve this, we are limited in how much we can do especially if pigweed is a significant problem. At some point in the future, it would be easier to “change it” if all of the approval, labeling, and off target issues could be worked out so we could effectively and safely use the Xtend, Enlist, and HPPD technologies along with the currently available Liberty Link, Roundup Ready, conventional, and STS technologies. We could develop a powerful resistance management program if we had all of these technologies available either individually or preferably in “stacked” varieties. As it is now, if you have a significant pigweed problem you’re probably going to need to lean towards planting Liberty Link varieties. While it’s not impossible to have successful pigweed control in Roundup Ready and even conventional soybeans with the effective use of residuals plus the PPO herbicides (Flexstar/Blazer) where you don’t have PPO resistance, everything is going to have to go just right with regard to activation of the residual herbicides and timing of the postemergence herbicides. It sure is nice to have those Liberty applications in your back pocket. While most trials, including one we conducted this year, have shown a yield advantage to Xtend (dicamba-tolerant) soybeans, current proposed regulations do not allow dicamba applications after April 15th in Arkansas. Unless you have very early planted soybeans, this basically eliminates the in-crop use of dicamba in soybeans. If this regulation stands, then weed control in Xtend soybeans will be just like weed control in Roundup Ready soybeans. There are currently challenges and potentially lawsuits to these proposed regulations, and we’ll just have to wait and see how these turn out. For more information on soybean herbicide tolerance and variety selection, feel free to contact me through Farmers Supply Association. My cell number is 870-318-0739, my e-mail is randychlapecka@gmail.com. N December 2017 49
Often Overlooked Beauty The Long Walk
Scott Parker is a native of Harrisburg Arkansas who never felt the need to stray very far from home for any real length of time. He is an amateur Herpetologist, amateur Entomologist, amateur Mycologist, amateur Botanist, amateur Woodworker, amateur Writer, and a professional Dog and Cat lover.
The late October sun was shining brightly when I pulled up to the old Sullins place. The old house had long since fallen into disrepair, and the small clearing in which it sat had been mostly reclaimed by Honeysuckle and wild roses. The old house had been empty since my youth, and I had always known the walk I was about to take as the Long Walk. Into the woods behind the old house, across, meandering through the timber, and then back up the far side, ending up right back at the old house. A mile, mile and a half at most, but it was a mile or so of peaceful nature. You just walked and watched. Listened and thought. And if you paid attention, there was something different every single time. I stepped out of my truck grabbing my time polished walking stick, stretched, and started off down the trail, bulling my way through a few Blackberry briars that guarded the transition from field to forest. I had just cleared the last clinging canes when I saw him. Sitting on a fallen log, both hands on the pommel of his own walking stick, looking at me, grinning. “Clingy litter buggars ain’t they!” he said, rising. “Friendly, my dad used to say,” he added with a chuckle. At first I felt like I was intruding, then for just a second, that he was, but before I was able to sort those thoughts out, he smiled and offered his hand. “ Enochs my name” he said giving me a hand shake that felt firm yet gentle, like he could hold a baby or crush Hickory nut with equal effort. “My ride dropped me off to walk the woods for a bit and then I heard you pull up. Thought I’d wait and see if you might want to walk together.” Honestly, my first thought was to politely say “ no thanks” and return to my truck. I’m not really a “stranger” kind of guy, but this time...this time something felt right. Slightly odd, but right. “Well, that sounds like a plan. Names Scott.” The whole situation felt a bit strange, just walking up on him and all, but it felt even more strange to just walk away. “Well then Scott,” he said flourshing his walking stick like a sword, “ Let us proceed.” “You grow up ‘round here?” he asked as we started off into the woods. “Yes sir. Born and raised a few miles from here.” I replied. “Me too” he said, “In fact I was born in that house back there.” Then with a chuckle and a wink, he addded, “A few years back.” He paused for a second and then, “ I 50 Eye On Magazine
walked these very woods here when I was a kid. Kicked every stump and climbed every tree. Left when I was eighteen or so looking for work.” He chuckled again, “Looking for a better life. I guess I figured out pretty quick that better and different ain’t the same thing. Only good thing that came out of those years was meeting my wife. I just never could get this country out of my heart, and my wife and I moved back and setteled down. Raised two fine young ladies here we did. They both married and headed out to live their own lives. Then cancer took my wife bout fourty years ago and I got old. Moved up closer to where my oldest daughter lived in upstate New York to be closer to family. Beautiful place up there , beautiful, but not home. I always hoped the Good Lord would see fit to let me get back here, and I’m proud that He did.” He paused for a moment and then tapped his stick on the ground, and said “ Mercy me, I just took off rambling didn’t I. Lets get to walking!” He smiled, one of those deep, honest smiles,winked and into the wood we went. As we strolled we talked. Talked about the important things. We talked about cussing squirrels and Hickory nuts, Persimmion seeds and mushrooms. Buckeyes, Pack rats, and Sweet Gum balls. Once, he extended his arm across my chest gently stopping me in my tracks. He pointed ahead of of us and off to our right. “You know what that is?” he almost whispered. My eyes followed his finger to a point about fourty feet away. It took a second or so, but the then I saw the clump of bright red berries laying in the leaves. “Yes Sir,” I said smiling, “ Indian Turnip.” He grinned and elbowed me lightly. “Ever taste one?” A chuckle bubbled up as I said “ Yep! never will forget it.” “Figured you had.”. And both smiling, we walked on. Deer tracks, foxes barking , box turtles, and Dogwood trees were all topics of discussion as we walked. As were owl pellets, hornet nests and crayfish towers. And then, suddenly, we were back to the log where we met. “ Got time to sit for a bit before you go?” he asked pointing toward the log with his stick. “ Believe I do.” I replied as we both found a comfortable spot. He rummaged around in one pocket of his old coat and produced an apple. Then from the other a pocket knife. Handing the items to me he said, “You cut, I’ll choose. Only way to get a fair half.” Big smile again. And the wink. I liked this guy. We sat there in the waning sun, slowly munching apple, just soaking up the goodness of life. After a bit,I begrudingly glanced at my watch. It had been over four hours since we had said hello. The long walk had a way of making time pass differently. I would have sworn that it couldn’t have been more than an hour. “I really hate it but I really need to get going” I said eyeonmag.com
and went to hand him his knife back. “You just hang on to that” he said pointing at the knife, “ I never use it anymore and I’d like to see it go to a good home.” I thanked him, truly honored by his gesture. “Can I give you a lift somewhere? I really don’t mind.” I asked. “Naw, my wife will be along in a bit to get me. I’m just gonna soak the last of this sunshine.” I nodded, and with a firm handshake and a mutual “Nice to meet you.” we parted ways. That night, while cleaning out my pockets, I looked at the knife again and that was when I noticed the inscription. “ Enoch Sullins” on the first line and “Hebrews 13:2” on the second. Later after a shower and a bite of supper, I picked up my old Bible and looked up the verse. As I look back to that day, I can’t help but smile. The old mans smile, the low chuckling laughter, and the twinkle in his eye spoke volumes. And I will forever be thankful that I was listening. Hebrews 13:2 reads “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.“ N
Above is a Bear’s Head Mushroom. The mushroom in our index on page 4 is a Wood Blewit. Both edible, delicious and common locally.
St. Michael’s Place of Newport is a certified skilled nursing facility. The facility offers 24 -hour nursing services to you and your loved one. We have a team of registered nurses, licensed nurses and nursing assistants dedicated to providing the highest quality of care by working hand in hand with physicians. The facility offers Rehab to home program/Short Term Rehabilitation. Our rehab team is dedicated to helping our residents achieve their highest possible potential. They help rebuild confidence, hope, and self-respect.
If you have any question about the facility’s rehab program or any other services, the facility offers please feel free to call.
December 2017 51
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Terms and conditions apply. See bank for details. Kasasa is a trademark of Kasasa, Ltd., Registered in the U.S.A.
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Notes from the Clearing
The Weight of One Sock Joseph Thomas
Part 1
Maddi wasn’t in a hurry. It was nice to find a day where she had plenty of time before she needed to leave the house. Maddi found one of her favorite sky blue socks in the dryer and took the time to put it on. Her twenty-four year old, fit equilibrium balanced her on her left foot while she pulled the most comfortable foot-shirt into place (or would it be a foot pant she wondered with a silent smile as she successfully pulled off the acrobatics). Now she continued the search to find the left foot-pant, deciding that is indeed what they should be called. She was getting warm, from the heat of the recently run dryer. Warm postshower equaled frustrated. The sweat she would be broke out in after she’d finished searching the dryer, emptying the dryer to more thoroughly search ( a search that seemed futile), then finally folding all of the clothes to assure herself the sock had indeed disappeared, equaled anger. And here she stood in one blue very comfortable sock, the boys boxers that she found much more comfortable than the sexy, women’s torture devices, and her pastel green sports bra. Her Perfume Genius concert Tee and a pair of jeans would have finished off this combo completely, had the other blue sock ever surfaced. She does complete this look after mopping the sweat from her forehead and sitting to cool off, save for the missing in action blue sock that she loves so (the one garment to blame for her never actually getting completely dressed today). After swearing the air blue in the laundry room, she angrily slammed the already shut cabinet door and stomp-plopped, stompplopped her way into the living room and turned the fan on. Still underdressed and suddenly very thirsty, she stomp-plopped her way into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water and stomp-plopped her way back to where she was just sitting and drank greedily. She breathed and sighed audibly and then drank some more. She wiped her balmy forehead again and smelled the musky body odor upon her freshly cleaned body. It would be great if she could start all over, she thought, just go rub her sweaty body all in the bed and then start all over again. She was a queen of sarcastic anger. A trait she’d gleened from her father. Maddi breathed deep for four breaths, refusing to start this day out with such frustration. She decided a quick cat bath was in order and freshened up before actually getting dressed, still minus the one sock. She couldn’t bring herself to try another pair, it was the principal of the thing, beside, it had to be there. Sweaty odor evaded to a large degree, Maddi stompplopped her way back downstairs, through the kitchen and back to the laundry room (although it was more of a thump-THUMP on the carpeted second floor and stairs). First she moved the wet clothes in the washer over to the blue sock hungry gas dryer and started it up. She began
looking along the folding counter, then behind. There she was, searching in her jeans, tee and one blue sock when her phone rang. The call had to do with her plans for the day. It was Emily, the friend who was going to drive Maddi to the tattoo shop. They were gonna get an early dinner together and then run over to Electric Wonderland on Main Street. Maddi wouldn’t go anywhere else. Her friend Tara was the bomb and Maddi loved her work. But, this was Emily begging out. “Maddi, I can’t go tonight. You won’t believe what happened! Come outside.” Maddi started to argue as to why Emily was not going to beg off, when Emily hung up. “Ooooooooooooo,” Maddi moaned loudly to the empty house with skyward eyes. She stomp-plopped her way through the laundry room and out on the concrete carport to see what was up. She was angry on the phone, frustrated on her fitful walk outside and almost understanding by the time Emily’s car came to a stop twelve feet from her house. It felt wonderful outside, perhaps she could let this go and make her own way. She didn’t have to have Emily with her, even though she promised and Maddi had her heart set on how amazing this time together was going to be. Maddi was going to begin by telling Emily she understood that plans change and they could try again the next weekenend, but again, Emily didn’t give her a chance, which always boiled Maddi’s blood. “Gary called me this morning! Can you believe it? He said he was sorry and that I was the love of his life. He said it was just a fling and he didn’t know what he had until it was too late, how sweet is that? He said if I would give him another chance, he would make it up to me. Can you believe it? I just wanted to tell you in person. I’ll call you tonight after we make up so I can tell you all about it! Oooooooooooo!” Emily was moaning excitedly as she backed out of the drive with a goofy look on her face. It was frustrating enough that Emily wouldn’t give her a chance to speak, but all because of Gary. Worthless Gary? Of all people? Dramatic, hopeless, crybaby, cheater Gary? Why do some people feel the need to punish themselves? Emily was setting herself up for a hard crash. Maddi gave it a week before she was going to have to hold Emily up and let her cry it out yet again. “Ooooooooooooooooooooo,” Maddi screamed to the outside world and felt the heat in her face. She was so mad, she could smell smoke. She actually saw the unfunny visual in her head, that she was mad enough to pour smoke out of her temple. Then she looked around, pretty sure she wasn’t having a stroke and now she could see it. Smoke coming from the gaps around the back door. N
To Be Continued... December 2017 53
Play outside
Boost your spirits and create lasting memories by jumping in colorful piles of leaves this fall!
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