Avenues April

Milestones Milestones

70th WEDDING ANNIVESARY

JH & Laverne Ward celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at the Senior Citizen Building in Brockwell, AR. They were married May 17, 1953 in Melbourne, AR and made their home in Oxford, AR.

VENUES

SALES STAFF

Renee Janes

Elaine Brown

Vincent Marshall

John Norberg

Cheri Lynn Quattrochi

RENEE JANES

Graphic Designer

Renee Janes, Editor

smn@areawidenews.com

870-895-3207

Salem, Ark.

There are many great places to visit in the Ozarks with many of them not far.

For this month’s issue of Avenues, Vince shares with us three great trails located in Cherokee Village. This includes Flathead Trail, Adahi Trail and Tohi Trail.

I chose to visit Echo Bluff State Park in Eminence, Mo. This Ozarks gem features great views as well as opportunities for many outdoor activities including hiking, biking, camping, kayaking and fishing. In addition, visitors to the park may also catch a glimpse of wild horses that are frequent the area.

Elaine shares with us the travel adventures of a father and son, Stephen and Peter, both of Cherokee Village, Ark.

We hope this issue inspires you to find your own adventure and appreciate the unique beauty of the Ozarks. We hope you enjoy this issue of Avenues!

Gardening in the Ozarks

Who is Ready for Peppers…

They say “April Showers bring May Flowers”, but what about bringing garden vegetables? May is a great time to be planting and transplanting your vegetable seeds and plants. One of my favorite vegetables is sweet peppers. I say sweet because I am not a big fan of hot peppers. I will grow them and give them away; I just prefer not to eat them. But let’s talk about peppers in general. I have better luck transplanting peppers as apposed to growing from seed. I like to see and pick out the plants I will be growing. Peppers are a tender warm weather plant. They do best when planted 1-2 weeks after your tomatoes. They like the soil temperature to be in the mid to high 60’s when they are planted. If the night temperature drops down into the

50’s they will struggle a bit and really not start growing till it warms up and stays up. Peppers like a place that will be getting around 6 hours of good hot sun a day. Once planted, they like to be watered and fertilized on a regular basis. I suggest a water release fertilizer at the time of planting. They as you water, it will fertilize and stop when it is dry.

Norberg Sharp County Master Gardener

Peppers should be planted in the ground around 18-24 inches apart. This will allow for good air circulation and yield a good amount of fruit. If your pepper plant begins to bloom before (or shortly after) planting, pinch off the bloom. This will allow the plant to become stronger and grow bigger before it puts its energy into producing fruit. If you look at a pepper plant you will notice that it is an attractive plant. This makes it perfect to be planted in a container and kept on a deck or patio. When choosing a container, keep in mind that peppers need about a 3-gallon growing space so they can reach their optimal growing/producing size.

If you are hoping to get big sweet (or hot) thickwalled peppers, I will let you in on a little secret. Water, Water, Water. You see, peppers store water in their shells. Thus, the more even water, the thicker the shells will be. If your plant goes through a dry spell, the plant will use the excess water in the shells to survive. So, when you see the first pepper beginning to develop, that is when you will start watering every single day.

It is an old folklore that says, if you plant hot peppers next to sweet peppers then your sweet pepper will become hot. Peppers are self-pollinating and if they do cross-pollinate it can affect the seeds, thus making next years peppers a bit different, if you save the seeds.

Peppers have some of the same problems as tomatoes do and should be treated in the same manor. Watch for aphids, flea beetles and cutworms, along with blossom-end rot, root rot and tobacco mosaic virus to name a few.

So, there you have it. with a little care, regular water and 68-75 days, you can have the BEST fresh from the garden peppers. So, who is ready for peppers?

LocatedinthehistoricalCastleberryBuilding ontheSquareinSalem.

MEDICAL DIRECTORY

COUNSELING SERVICES

Families, Inc. Counseling Services

Ash Flat - 870-994-7060

75K Hwy. 62/412, Ste. J

Ash Flat, AR

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700 S. Main, Mountain Home, AR

DENTISTS

Sonya Hames Wiles, D.D.S. Family Practice Dentistry

28 E. Court St., Melbourne, AR 72556

Telephone: 870-368-6666

Most insurances accepted

MCNA Dental & Delta Dental Smiles

Mammoth Spring Dental Clinic

Main Street, Mammoth Spring, AR 72554

870-625-3262

Dr. Mike Kersey, DDS

Tuesday thru Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. www.mammothspringdental.com

HOME HEALTH

Elite Home Health

111 N. Main St. • Ste. 1, Salem, AR 72576

Phone: 870-895-2273 • Fax: 870-895-5515

www.lhcgroup.com

Hours of operation: 8:00-4:30 Monday-Friday

RN on call 24/7

We provide home health services of nursing, physical, occupational, and speech therapy and in-home aid services in the comfort of your home. “It’s all about helping people.”

Preferred Home Care

Trained and Professional Staff Offering Personal Care, ARChoices, PASSE, Veterans Aid and Attendance and Private Pay/Insurance 24/7

Mammoth Spring: 870-710-7053

Pocahontas: 870-248-1031

Rector: 870-595-2100

Spring River Home Health

1323 Hwy. 9 North Salem, AR 72576

870-895-2627

Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Personal Caregiver Program

HOSPITALS

On-Site Hospitalist

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

Delta Medical Supply

www.ARdeltamedical.com

facebook.com/ARdeltamedical

15 Choctaw Trace, Cherokee Village, AR 72529

870-257-4445

916 Sidney St., Batesville, AR 72501

870-612-0049

401 Hwy. 5 N., Mountain Home, AR 72653 870-656-4140

Tri-County Medical Supply

We’re Here To Serve You”

260 Hwy. 62 E. Salem, AR 72576

Toll Free: 888-476-2234

www.tricountymedicalsupply.com

MENTAL HEALTH

Southern Missouri Community Health Center

West Plains • 417-255-8464

1137 Independence Dr., West Plains

Thayer • 417-264-2990

U.S. Hwy. 63 North, Thayer

NURSING/REHAB

Shady Oaks Healthcare Center

715 S. State Route 19, Thayer, MO 65791 417-264-7256

Dr. Christopher Cochran - Medical Director

Leigh Kincheloe, RN, LNHA - Administrator

Lynsey Miller, RN - Director of Nursing

Long Term Care • Rehabilitation Services

Wound Care • Hospice Care

In House PT OT ST Services • IV Services

Shepherd’s View ALF Alton, MO 65606 417-778-7959

Level 2 Assisted Living for Seniors

Activities of Daily Living

Diabetic Care • Restorative Care • Rehab Care

SouthFork River Therapy & Living 624 62/412 West, Salem, AR 72576 870-895-3817

Kathy Speaks - Administrator

Cassandra Stafford - Director of Nursing

Deb Jeffery - Admissions

Alton Drug Store 201 State Hwy. 19, Alton, MO 65606 417-778-7000

Mon.-Fri. 8 am to 5 pm • Sat. 9 am to noon

Becky Peace RPh

Matthew Combs RPh

RX--drive thru--mail--delivery Home Health Services Gifts Available

THERAPY SERVICES

Spring River Therapy 1323 Hwy. 9 North, Salem, AR 72576 870-895-2627

Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy

The Trails of Cherokee Village

Story by Vincent Marshall

photos By Vincent Marshall

Heading outdoors is a pastime that may be foreign to a younger generation. With all the technology at their fingertips, it is hard to persuade them to get outside at times. Then there are those that live for it. Nestled along several locations within the confines of Cherokee Village, Ark., three hiking trails of various stages of difficulty are spread in.

Flathead Trail

When driving off the square in the “Village,” head around Flathead Drive across the bridge to get to Flathead Trail. The trail is three-quarters of a mile hugging alongside the South Fork Spring River. The river level lowers near the bridge as the parking lot is graveled. You can either lounge in the river water to cool off or head up the trail to the north through the wide path. The path is marked with a Hiking Trail sign

As you head north on the trail, there will be a noticeable cut out to the west (or to your left for the geographically challenged) where a dirt path slithers its way to the river. If you take the path, it is a little rocky with a slight decline to descend to the embankment to take in the sights of the flowing river. During the spring when I

Get

Breakfast

Lunch

travelled it, stopping for an extended period of time to take photos or in my case take some work-related phone calls, it will bring out the gnats no matter how much Deet you’ve sprayed on yourself to avoid the ticks. The rocky landing lets you get as close to the river as you want. The heat wasn’t too bad starting out the day but I took the opportunity to use the cool river water to dab at the back of my neck.

Heading back onto the trail, it leads to a wide opening like a cul-de-sac that takes you to your right to continue to head north. As you hike and take in the trees around you, you will end up noticing a rotted out log on the

14605 US 63 | Thayer, MO 417-821-1006

p.m.

ground to your left (west) and near it is another dirt trail that leads you back to the river.

When first hitting the trail during the summer in 2022, several of the residents using the trail and river on the day told us this spot is where people would go to drop into the river on a tube or raft and take the 30-minute “lazy river,” back down to the parking lot and bridge area at the start of the trail. There is a steep drop where you will see people have slid down but once you do you are right in the river water so be careful if and when you attempt this.

Returning to the trail, it snakes its way around before coming up near a residential area. The trail looks like it will sneak along past their backyards, but I ended up running into a decision where I could have kept going but would have been walking in their backyard. To keep things respectful, I opted to turn back around to go back the way I came. If there is a through-line back to the start of the trail, I couldn’t see it and didn’t want to push further.

Back tracking I was able to notice the silence of the scenery accompanied with the scent of the river. It was a calming and tranquil sensation to have takeover. A female cardinal joined me up ahead and according to some folklore, a cardinal visiting you is an ancestor saying hello, so that was a perfect way to end the first part of the day’s hike.

According to my AllTrails app statistics I had running during the hike, I spent 40:53 total on the trail from start to finish. You will have to factor in taking in the sightseeing and bird watching along with the aforementioned work-related phone calls in the total time actually hiking. In all I hiked 1.57 miles and had an elevation gain of 56-feet. I had an average speed of 2.7 miles per hour at a pace of 21:57 and burned 319 calories (always a plus).

As for the difficulty, on a scale of 1 being low difficulty and 5 being high difficulty, I would classify Flathead as a .5 difficulty. The trail was majority grass and hardly any rocks or gravel unless you go off trail and even that wasn’t too bad to deal with. Make sure to have the right footwear any time you hike.

Adahi Trail

The unsung gem of living or visiting Cherokee Village is taking in Adahi Trail near the Papoose Park along Cherokee Road/Iroquois Drive in downtown Cherokee Village. The park comes with its own waterfall from the flowing waters of Lake Cherokee which varies in strength depending on recent rainfall. In the winter and early spring, the area received copious amounts of rainfall, flooding most of the area and shutting down the bridge near Flathead. Adahi and Flathead are not even two-tenths of mile away from each other. You could easily walk from one place to the other. On this day I

drove, however.

Papoose Park not only had the beautiful waterfall to hike up but for children who aren’t into those sorts of things yet, there is a playground with slides, swing sets and other park amenities to make a day of it. Across the Cherokee Road from Papoose Park is where the start of Adahi Trail is. The three-vehicle parking space is off the road where a red marker sign for the Cherokee Trail of Tears is located.

The entry to the trail is a mini-park in itself with local residents having flower gardens and statues and benches for those simply wanting to take in the outdoors without the concept of a hike in mind. Walking into the trail it was very rocky and muddy from the rainfall. Something that stayed apparent throughout the hike, again, make sure you have the proper footwear for any type of hike.

As you get a bit into the woods you will be greeted by a massive, I’d say 20-foot wooden totem pole with an American Bald Eagle carved at the top with other Native American totems and symbols along to the bottom. It really is a neat start to the hike. At around .12 of a mile into the hike you will come to your first fork and choice to make on where you want to take your hike.

It is a left or right option (southwest or southeast). I will say I took both ways, first heading to the right. Having done this hike before I knew what I was in for. As you move along you will immediately see taking the right path is the one with the most resistance as you will come to a very steep incline. I have been hiking nearly every week off and on since June 2022 so I was ready for it but if you are not just know, your calves will burn in anger at your choice. For any athlete wanting a fun way to train, this will be perfect for you to run up and down the incline. Just be mindful of the rocky terrain and again, shoes that won’t kill you.

When you reach the top of the hill you will be in a roundabout cul-de-sac and beyond it is a neighborhood. This is where I went back down the incline to the trail option. This time taking the left option.

You will instantly cross a little bridge and see the opening of the trail, mostly dirt, and see where the waters of Lake Thunderbird are flowing to. The trail hugs along these waters.

This is where you will see the first park bench to sit at. This location is ideal for bird watching with the

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY

coolness of the lake water hitting back at you this time of year. Not so much during the summer, especially if in a drought like the area was in 2022.

Continuing to head southwest, you will come up on another park bench, further into the woods. As you keep moving you will see to your right a cut out to the trail that would take you up another steep incline back to the top of the original landing like when I took the trail to the right originally. Having already done this to start the hike and to not destroy my calves, I stayed on the trail heading southwest and that is where you will come up to three wooden blank bridges, we as a family like to call Tres Bridges.

As I crossed the last bridge it is where I could hear up ahead, the roar of the following lake water. Keeping moving, I came up to a little pond where the water flowed into. This rocky terrain is perfect to rest and get the water around you without getting wet, if you choose, or you can try your luck depending on hiking acumen and zig-zag your way upon the boulders and waterfalls. Taking a seat and listening to the water gives you your own Zen Garden. Highly recommended. If you don’t want to increase your hiking difficulty, you can easily stick to the trail and head up along the waters. I stopped for more photo opportunities and ended up dropping my keys. I had to disrobe my pack and camera in order to slide down the boulders to retrieve them. Took all of 30 seconds to pull off but still, this I don’t

recommend. I then used this opportunity to have an added replenishment of my electrolytes, so I drank some more than I had been since the day started. There will be a wired barrier keeping you on the trail or warning you to be mindful of the pit as you move forward. If you are in the pit area it is OK as long as you have the stamina and leg strength (and the shoes remember), to do some mini-rock climbing. In 2022 the family and I did just that be we didn’t have the rushing waters like I had on the day to contend with. It can be done but don’t think you will come out dry in any form. Do what makes you have fun and be safe about it and use common sense as always.

Nearing the end of the hike you will come up to the Lake Thunderbird Recreation Center. This is also an entry/exit location if you wanted to hit Adahi Trail from a different starting point. You can also safely walk along the fence line of the rec center and take in the sight that is Lake Thunderbird itself and where the spillway is as the source of that gloriously rushing water. There is nothing like the fresh smell of lake water hitting your nostrils on a warm day. The scent alone has a cooling, calming effect on the senses.

Turning around to head back to the Acadia, sent me heading northeast. Coming down and out of the hike was a lot faster than when I began. Granted I didn’t stop and take all these photos or lose my keys in a rock climb incident either.

Adahi Trail is the best kept open secret in the Village. You can spend hours within it and not get bored with the different things you could do, whether it be the rock climbing, bird watching, meditation near the running water or just running up and down that incline, it is an absolute gem of a hike for beginners and seasoned veterans.

My total time in the hike was 53:22 and went 1.47 miles. I had an elevation gain of 171-feet (told you that incline was steep), at an average pace of 31:44 going 1.9 miles per hour. On this one I burned 423 calories.

Degree of difficulty based on previously mentioned scale I’d say a 1 or 1.5 depending on how crazy and adventurous you want to get with it. The rocky and muddy terrain throughout, however, could be a setback for some.

Tohi Trail

Where I could walk from Adahi Trail to Flathead Trail within minutes, Tohi Trail is at a different part of Cherokee Village entirely. It can be accessed several different ways either by getting

to it from Highway 412 or if you are within Cherokee Village, taking the road to Hospital Drive off of Elks Drive and driving along past the abandoned hospital before you come up to it.

It is here I should mention that during the first two hikes, not only did I carry my camera with me, but I also had a wooden-carved walking stick in my grasp. Not that the trails really called for its need but mostly in the event one of those slithery snakes Arkansas is known for decided to poke its head out to say hi. Luckily, that didn’t happen this go round.

I brought this up because I didn’t need to use the stick at all for taking on Tohi Trail.

In using my degree of difficulty scale, Tohi Trail is a zero. Maybe even a negative zero in difficulty.

The small trail is entirely paved making it the ideal outdoors hike with your dog or small children without having to worry about any kind of treacherous terrain. But again, gnats.

An added bonus to Tohi Trail is that it is what’s called a “Fit Trail.”

As you hike along the trail, there a 10 workout stations you can stop at and give yourself some added heartrate boosters. The stations range from particular stretches to pull up bars, push up bars and even a balance walk that everyone needs to try without falling off. It may be small, but it ended up being harder than it looked towards the end.

The size of the trail is at best a half-mile in total, at least that’s what it ended up being according to my app when done. So, if you’re wanting to build up a good sweat for a longer duration, take the trail more than once, especially if you have a dog that can pull you around.

I even ended up running into former Cherokee Village Mayor Russ Stokes who was onsite spraying weeds along the fit stations and the trail. In keeping my statistics in and out, my total time on the trail was 16:26. I did pause the hike a few minutes after the chat started with the former mayor so shed those minutes however you see fit. It was .57 miles long with an elevation of 26-feet and an average pace of 23:36 at 2.5 miles per hour. Guess the pavement got me going faster but only burned 122 calories.

For those truly wanting to start hiking, this is the perfect little getaway to do so. It gets those legs and feet going and used to being in the sun and around and in nature. For those struggling with mental health, I highly recommend it.

In tallying up the entire day of all three hikes combined,

I got in around an hour and a half of hiking with 3.5 miles or so covered. Total elevation gain was 253-feet and burned off 864 calories. When you are outdoors, not only is it physically healthy but mentally healthy as well. If you are in and around the Cherokee Village area, take one or all three hikes and make a day of it. When along the river you can get in some tubing, kayaking and fishing. Climb up that waterfall at Papoose Park and let its waters replenish your mind, or if you are a genetic lunatic, run up and down that rocky incline in Adahi, just wear the proper footwear.

Ozark Gem: Echo Bluff State Park

Story by Renee Janes

photos By Renee Janes

In the Ozarks there are many great gems for locals and tourists to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. One of these gems is Echo Bluff State Park, which is located in Eminence, Mo. just across from Current River State Park.

The tranquil park features a beautiful setting

for visitors to appreciate in “a scenic valley with towering bluffs and hillsides covered in oak, hickory and shortleaf pine trees. The park’s namesake, Echo Bluff, is the largest sheer bluff feature of the property. Just below this geologic wonder is Sinking Creek, a crystal-clear Ozarks stream that serves

as the second-largest tributary of the Current River. The creek includes deep holes perfect for smallmouth bass fishing. Because it has fewer springs than the Current River, it is warmer for swimming and wading.” (mostateparks.com)

The park offers hiking trails, fishing lakes, tours of historic buildings as well as kayaking, mountain biking, floating and swimming.

Echo Bluff State Park is surrounded by Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry which is “part of

a private working forest owned by the L-A-D Foundation. The foundation donated a lease to Missouri State Parks for an extensive trail system that lets the public explore the backcountry’s more than 62,000 acres.” (mostateparks.com)

The unique park consisting of 476 acres also serves as a base for experiencing the Ozarks as it is close to other great features including Montauk State Park, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Mark Twain National Forest and other conservation areas.

The year-round outdoor destination initially opened as Camp Zoe which was a summer youth camp more than 85 years ago.

The park offers many amenities including a beautiful lodge featuring guest rooms, indoor and outdoor dining as well as meeting rooms. There are nine cabins as well as camping opportunities ranging from primitive to full-service sites. In addition, for special events, there is a bluff-top shelter and an amphitheater.

If you’re lucky when visiting the park you may even catch a glimpse of the only two herds of wild horses in the Ozarks.

For more information about this park and other Missouri state parks visit mostateparks.com

Local Taste

191 HWY 62/412

ASH FLAT, AR

(870) 994-2101

Tues - Thurs 11-8; Fri -Sat 11-9

Dine-In & Carry-Out

Facebook.com/meachamsashflat

ARTASIA MAIN ST. BISTRO / TWILIGHT APOTHECARY

112 E. Main St. | Hardy, AR

(870) 209-7606

Espressos, Teas, Homemade Baked Goods,Sandwiches and Wraps

Sun 9-3; Mon 7-3; Thurs.-Sat 7-3

Facebook.com/artasia

BUTTERCUP’S KITCHEN

922 N. Main St.

Cave City, AR

(870) 283-5000

Mon. - Sat. 6 am - 3 pm

Breakfast till 10:30 am

Facebook.com/Buttercups-Kitchen

SWINGLES FAMILY DINER

126 Locust St.

Salem, AR

(870) 895-5008

Mon - Sat 6 am - 2 pm

Facebook.com/pages/Swingles

What’s Cookin’ in the Ozarks? What’s Cookin’ in the Ozarks?

Chipotle Shrimp Street Tacos

Submitted by: Linda Welch

1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp

Salt, pepper and any other seasonings

3 T. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 T. avocado oil

2 T. lime juice

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Corn tortillas, warmed

Pineapple spears, seared or grilled and sliced.

Place shrimp in bowl with chipotle pepper, seasonings, oil, lime and kosher salt and toss. Marinate up to 1 hour.

Cilantro Lime Slaw

3 cups cabbage

1/4 cup minced cilantro

2 T. mayo

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Juice of 1 lime

Blend cilantro, mayo, sugar, paprika, garlic salt and lime juice. Add cabbage and refrigerate.

Pickled Red Onion

Large red onion

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp. sea salt

2 T. sugar or honey

Chipotle Ranch Drizzle

1/4 cup mayo

1 T. chipotle pepper in adobo saucce

1/2 tsp. dried dill

1/4 tsp. parsley

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. onion powder

Mix and refrigerate

Heat vinegar mixture in small sauce pan. Cook on med-high heat to simmer. Place thinly sliced onion in mason jar. Pour hot mixture over onion. Screw on lid. Shake until coated. Let marinate 30 minutes.

Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Add shrimp and marinade to pan. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until carmelized. Remove shrimp and set aside. Increase heat to high and bring marinade to a simmer until thickined. Add shrimp back and mix. Serve in tortilla with slaw, pineapple, marinade, chipotle ranch drizzle and pickled purple onions.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

3612 Best Circle, Thayer, MO 65791

Office - 417-256-2556

Sacred Heart Schedule:

Weekday Mass: Thursday 11:30 a.m.

Weekend Mass: Sunday 8:30 a.m.

Confession: First Sundays at 8:00 a.m.

Rosary: Sundays at 8:00 am.; Weekdays before Mass

Mammoth Spring Church of Christ

110 S. 3rd St. / P.O. Box 251

Sunday 10:00 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

Barry O’Dell - Preacher

Find us on Facebook or YouTube

Ash Flat Church of God

124 Arnhart St. • Ash Flat, AR 501-574-8294

Sunday School 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.

Sunday Evening 5:00 p.m.

Thursday Bible Study 6:00 p.m.

Pastor CL Abbott

Salem United Methodist Church 205 Church St., Salem, AR 72576

Sunday School 10:00 am

Worship 11:00 a.m 870-847-6030 • 870-895-5157

Pastor Ken Anderson

Welcome Hill Church of Christ

Church Directory

Church Directory

Peace Lutheran Church

4 Iroquois Dr. • Cherokee Village

870-257-3957

Pastor Brian Pummill

9 a.m. – Traditional Worship

10:15 a.m. – Adult Bible Study & Sunday School

11:15 a.m. – Contemporary Praise Service

Cherokee Village United Methodist Church

21 Otter Drive, Cherokee Village, AR 72529

Sunday Worship - 8:30 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.

Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.

Wednesday Night Meal - 5:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Faith Infusion - 6:00 p.m.

Phone: 870-257-3869

Website: cherokeevillageumc.org

Adoration: 3rd Thurs. & 1st Fri. 11:30 a.m.

Hardy Church of Christ 305 Johnston, Hardy, AR

870-847-6024

Sunday Morning Bible Study 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship 5:00 p.m.

First Baptist Church of Mammoth Spring 16600 Highway 9, Mammoth Spring, AR 625-3273 • www.mammothspringfbc.com

Chris Powers, Pastor

Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Evening Worship 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Evening Service 6:30 p.m.

St. Michael’s Catholic Church Corner of Tekakwitha Dr. & Hwy. 62/412 Cherokee Village, AR • 870-257-2850

Email: stmichaelcv@yahoo.com

www.stmichaelscv.org

Daily Mass: Mon., Thur., Fri. - 9 am; Wed. - 6 p.m.; Saturday Vigil - 4 p.m.

Sunday - 9 a.m.

Rev. Amal Punganoor • 870-257-4456

First Christian Church

Pastor Angie Gage

St. Paul United Methodist Church Business Highway 63, PO Box 241 Thayer, MO 65791

Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Email: stpaulumc@centurytel.net

417-264-3296 • Pastor Mark Coffey

Faith Presbyterian Church 1001 Third Street, Horseshoe Bend, AR 72512

Sunday School - 9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship - 10:30 a.m.

2nd Day Bible Study - Monday, 10:30 a.m.

Email: faithpresby@centurytel.net

www.horseshoepresbyterian.org

Rev. David Schaller – Call 870-670-4103

Horseshoe Bend United Methodist Church 600 West Church Street 870-670-5392

Christian Conversation Wednesday - 12 noon

Sunday Worship - 9:00 a.m.

Pastor Ken Anderson

16309 Highway 9 South, Mammoth Spring, AR PO Box 495 / 417-293-6355

Sunday Morning Bible Study 10 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship 10:45 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship 5 p.m.

Wednesday Evening Bible Study 7 p.m.

Minister: Erman Croney - 417-264-3371

“Disciples of Christ”

7th & Archer Street, Mammoth Spring, AR

Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Bible Study Wednesday Evenings - 6:00 p.m. www.fccms.org

First Missionary Baptist Aba

Highway 62 West At Spruce, Salem, AR

Sunday School-9:45 a.m.

Sunday Worship-11:00 a.m.

Sunday Night Services - 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday Services - 6:30 p.m.

Call 870-895-2634 or 371-2067

Pastor Holden Phillips 870-834-5852

To reserve your church’s listing in Avenues’

Church Directory contact Areawide Media at

First Baptist Church of Hardy Highway 63-412, Hardy, AR

Sunday School-9:30 a.m.

Worship-10:45 a.m.

Evening Worship - 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Prayer Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Dr. Larry Kindrick, Pastor - 870-847-0897

Hardy United Methodist Church

Fourth & Spring / Every Sunday

Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Open Hearts ~ Open Minds ~ Open Doors

Family bond grows strong with road trips

Story by Elaine Brown

photos By Elaine Brown and Peter Martin

It’s a tale of a man and his dad, no need to tell details other than the man is 60 and his dad 82. They don’t live together but about two blocks apart in two separate houses in Cherokee Village, yet spend almost every meal and every journey together, whether to the supermarket, the doctor or a municipal meeting. They both love to travel and will get in the car and drive hundreds of miles in one day, just to go nowhere or sometimes just to have lunch. They have been doing this ever since Elsie died, the man’s mother and the dad’s wife. It keeps them occupied with nothing to think about and anything to see. Actually, they have both enjoyed traveling since their childhoods. The dad, Stephen, was born to a Croation woman and a third-generation American dad in 1931 in the town of Hinsdale, Ill. outside of Chicago.

Stephen’s dad was a gleaner who harvested wheat from farm to farm as one of his trades. He met Stephen’s mother at a dancehall in Illinois where the respectable gleaners would gather to meet local young ladies from which courtships ensued.

Stephen’s father was a hard-working farmer, raising livestock and crops to support his family. For fun, his father would take the family on trips in their 1936 Plymouth in the 40s and 50s, meeting up with Stephen’s aunts, uncles and cousins in different parts of the Midwest.

On one fishing trip to Wisconsin in the 40s with some of his uncles, Stephen recalled a big turtle swimming up, about 14 inches in diameter, which was scaring the fish away. They lassoed it with fishing line and flipped it into the boat. Stephen recalled, they

managed to get the turtle back to camp where they cooked it up, which made for some gooey left-over eating for the road trip back home. The only problem was the grease from the turtle meat melted the steering wheel on the Plymouth. It was not clear how, but somehow they made it back home. Now, the man at the beginning of this story is Peter, son of Elsie and Stephen. Peter grew up in the Chicago suburb of Westmont with his three brothers. Stephen often treated the family with day trips around Lake Michigan and sometimes on long trips, such as to Washington D.C. or Yellowstone National Park in the 60s and 70s.

Peter’s early memories as a child revolved around going on family trips. “Before he started taking us around the country, he started taking us up around Lake Michigan…piled us all in the station wagon and we went around Lake Michigan.” With four boys on board, Elsie was always included with the traveling troopers.

Peter recalled, when Stephen would announce on a Saturday “We’re going for a ride,” they’d get into the car and drive out to Buzz’s place, who was Stephen’s closest friend and best man at his wedding. Or they would drive out to eastern Illinois and visit Peter’s aunt and uncle in El Dorado where they would

vacation for long weekends.

Getting in the car and just driving, “That was a routine thing,” Stephen said. “The question was how far did we go…From the experience I had, I wanted to make damn sure that I didn’t kill them before we got home,” Stephen offered through mirthful laughter.

Stephen was also involved with the local Boy Scouts which all of his sons took part in. One of his favorite memories were the camping trips they took which were planned by the scouts themselves. “We’d go up into Montana or Colorado or down into the Florida Keys,” said Stephen, all road trips from Illinois.

One of the common features of Peter’s and

Stephen’s more recent travels involves searching for food and finding an unknown local spot in an as yet unexplored community. The type of food does not necessarily factor in, though may lean in the direction of Greek, Italian or fresh fish, but not necessarily. A good hamburger or just ice cream might suffice nicely, and even a candy store has been known to distract these two.

During their impromptu trips, do they talk while on the road? Not much, and when they do, it’s usually about the moment, what they see or what they may be hungry for. It’s not about where they want to go or what they are expecting to find. It’s about the here and now.

Sometimes they’ll come to a crossroad or maybe just a sign with an arrow, and Stephen might give the directive, “Turn here,” to which Peter may or may not comply. Peter always offers a respectful reason if he does not follow Stephen’s wish for the moment. When Peter does take Stephen’s direction, it always leads somewhere new. When asked why he would request to turn down an unknown road, Stephen explained, “Because it was there.”

Peter and Stephen recently took a trip out west to visit Peter’s older brother Ted in Arizona. They spent almost three weeks on the road, this one a planned trip. They journeyed through different parts of Arizona and Nevada, along Route 66 and into parts of California. They explored towns like Oatman, Ariz., made famous as a gold mining camp around 1915. They drove to the Grand Canyon where they spent enough time to get some scenic photos and followed north along portions of the Colorado River. They spent some time at Liberty Sculpture Park in Yermo, Calif. where many who gave their lives fighting for their freedom are honored. Sculptures of Chief Crazy Horse and Li Wangyang, the Chinese student who in 1989 stood solely, bravely in the face of an army tank, fighting for democracy against the formidable Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Square.

In contrast, just down the road in Yermo they discovered EddieWorld where all kinds of ice cream and candy creations can be had while you fill up your vehicle at one of the largest and most entertaining gas stations in the country.

Peter and Stephen have since returned to their peaceful homes in Cherokee Village. They continue to take their impromptu day drives, exploring different parts of northern Arkansas and into Missouri, wherever their whims may carry them, together.

WIN A DINNER FOR TWO

FRED’S FISH HOUSE

RULES: To register for the drawing, fill out a card on location at Fred’s Fish House in Mammoth Spring, Ark. Look for the pictured box to drop your card in to be registered. The drawing will still take place around the end of each month at the restaurant.

RULES: To register for the drawing, fill out a card on location at Fred’s Fish House in Mammoth Spring, Ark. Look for the pictured box to drop your card in to be registered. The drawing will still take place around the end of each month at the restaurant.

LAST MONTH’S WINNER: Terri Smith

LAST MONTH’S WINNER: RIta Newberry

FOR A FREE DINNER GIVEAWAY FOR TWO WILL BE MAY 17.

THE NEXT DRAWING

THE NEXT DRAWING FOR

A FREE DINNER GIVEAWAY FOR TWO WILL BE JANUARY 16.

Fred’s Fish House is located in downtown Mammoth Spring, Ark. The restaurant has been family owned and operated for nearly 35 years. Open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fred’s is open and ready to provide great service with a smile.

Fishing the Ageless Sport

By Dewayne French

Fishing is for ever yone, it is one of the most inclusive sports that we have. A fish doesn’t care what age you are, what color skin you have, what nation you are from and they don’t care what language you speak. In most all normal sports that we have, the common “stick and ball”sports, there is usually an age that you start to lose your “peak performance”. When I was younger it was all about baseball for me. I was better in my high school and college years. Fishing really does not have that, it is mostly based on the ability of the fisherman. Fish live daily by instinct and we live by reasoning things out. Those two concepts rarely cross paths and more often are like opposing magnets, they repel instead of attract. We don’t have to be the strongest or most fit person to be a fisherman.

Fishing has no age limit, we recently had a tournament that I help with ever y year and we always have lots of give away prizes at the end. We tr y to keep the fisherman involved and always have a few wildcard prizes for the anglers. A couple of prizes that we always give out are to the youngest and oldest fisherman that fished the tournament. This usually is given to a fisherman with ages ranging from 5-82. The average age of 43.5 is probably most common for the fisherman we had in the group. Now there isn’t any professional sports team around that an 82 year old can still be on the team, much less be competitive like this gentleman can be. Many others like him in the Ozarks region continue to fish tournaments well into their early 90’s.

Fishing is a sport and if you don’t believe me then go fish a bass tournament and you will have a different thought concept. You get up well before sunrise to travel to the lake or river, then fish at least 8 hours, standing up casting in all kinds of weather and wind, then you clean up your boat, tackle, and fix anything broken, then drive home. It isn’t your normal sitting on a creek bank watching a bobber float around. There are all kinds of fishing tournaments from bass, crappie, catfish, trout, walleye, really all kinds and ever y season of the year. Fisherman play their sport out on a lake or river, outside with all different weather elements. We don’t have a stadium or a dressing room for a halftime pep talk. We fish in what ever mother nature decides to give us that day.

I mentioned earlier about our age not being a limiting factor in our sport and our sport has a G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) that lives in our Ozarks region, Mr. Rick Clunn calls Missouri home. He

has 4 Bassmaster classic wins, many tournament wins (B.A.S.S & FLW), and in 2016 at young age of 69 Mr. Clunn won a Bassmaster Elite tournament in Florida making him the oldest person to hold this achievement. Then at age 72, in 2019, he won again in Florida, breaking his own record. He is even on Wikipedia and always makes time to talk with kids and the youth in our sport. A true legend right here in the Ozarks.

Fishing isn’t about how big you are, how many push up’s you can do. It isn’t about your weight, how far you can pass a football or hit a baseball. It is about how you can read a lake or river. It is about seasonal movements of fish and the habitats they live in. It is about your understanding of the predator prey relationships. It is about your understanding of boat positioning as you fish and it’s affect on the fish around you. Fishing is about so much more than just cast and repeat.

Remember, we all “Live Downstream” so please pick up your trash and any other trash you see out floating around! Never discard old fishing lines in the river or lake! Wear your life jacket, and tell your family your expected return times, and a general location of where you plan to fish.

Check out my social media pages and follow my fishing adventures around the Ozark waters we call home.

Facebook: Dewayne French Fishing

Twitter: @French_fishin

Instagram: french_fishin

Youtube: Dewayne French or French fishing

“Look at where Jesus went to pick people. He didn’t go to the colleges… he got guys off the fishing docks.“

Jeff Foxworthy