Avenues July

Where in the World is Avenues?

Bonnie Rosemeck of Sturkie, Ark. and her daughter, Carrie Zylka of WI at the Ben Olive Groves in Kalamata, Greece. Near left is Bonnie

Salem Senior Center Silverbacks, first place winners of the 74th Annual Fulton County Homecoming Festival Parade, with their trophy and Avenues.

Far left: Linda Welch, Jamie Martin and John Ed Welch of Salem at the Eiffel Tower.

Left: Jeff, Kacy, Libby, Anna & Bree Welch of West Plains at the

Eiffel Tower.

VENUES

SALES STAFF

Sales SHERRY HARPER

417-274-8618

870-895-3207

WRITERS

Renee Janes

Elaine Brown

Vincent Marshall

John Norberg

Cheri Lynn Quattrochi

RENEE JANES

Editor

From the Editor:

Renee Janes, Editor

rjanes@cherryroad.com

870-895-3207

Salem, Ark.

In this month’s issue of Avenues, Elaine shares with us the remarkable life and contributions locally and worldwide of Leonard Hampton Holden, Jr.

This month, Vince shares with us the Get Fit program at Salem Senior Life Center that helps area seniors improve their fitness. The program includes exercise routines but also a friendly planking competition among participants and the current champion who can hold a plank for up to five minutes.

Graphic Designer

I visited with Howard Kelley at Oregon County Shelter Workshop Thrift Store outside of Alton, Mo. and his contributions to the center.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue of Avenues.

388 Hwy. 62/412 East

P.O. Box 248

Salem, AR 72576

Office 1-800-995-3209

Fax 870-895-4277

news@areawidenews.com

Gardening in the Ozarks

“And Let the Show Begin…”

July is such a great month. So many vegetables are finally ripe and we are enjoying the first of this year’s summer crops, like corn, tomatoes, peppers and so much more. But it is not just veggies that are coming into their own in July. Well by now you may have forgotten all about the “open call auditions” that were going on earlier in the spring. Well, the “cast” was selected and they have been “rehearsing”. The “players” have put in “long hours” of “practice” making sure every “step” is just right. The audience has gathered for this much anticipated “performance”. The lights have been dimmed. The “orches tra” has tuned up. And with “bated breath” the patrons wait patiently for the “curtain” to “rise”, and the show to begin. And just like that, “poof” the “Naked Ladies” have arrived.

Amaryllis Belladonna just seems to spring up out of the forgotten part of your well-planned garden. Also know as the Surprise Lily, Magic Lily or Resurrection Lily. These trumpets shaped, pinkish blooms with a very strong and

John Norberg Sharp County Master Gardener

able. They should be planted in a full sun location and in loose soil. They are hardy in zones 6-10. It is best to plant them in the back of your flower beds so that when they are dying back your other plants will hide them.

After the bloom stalk had died back, you can dig up the bulbs and divide and replant them at the same time. Each year the bulbs will multiply and should be divided every 3 to 4 years. This will give you so many new bulbs to plant or give away. Once divided and replanted, it could take a year or two before they begin blooming again. Because of this, one should try to stagger the clusters you divide so you will have these flowers every year, without interruption.

The bulbs should be planted so that the tip is just below the surface of the dirt. Soil should be well draining, thus making them good in raised beds. Water should be kept at a minimum while in dormancy. Once the leaves and then the flower stalk begins to show, increase the water to them.

So, after all the “auditions” and “rehearsals”, the curtain is rising, the lights are dimmed and the “announcements” has been given. “Let The Show Begin”.

LocatedinthehistoricalCastleberryBuilding ontheSquareinSalem.

MEDICAL DIRECTORY

COUNSELING SERVICES

Families, Inc. Counseling Services

Ash Flat - 870-994-7060

75K Hwy. 62/412, Ste. J

Ash Flat, AR

Mountain Home - 870-425-1041

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

A quiet local genius sparked innovations in Sharp County, Ark. and across the world

Story by Elaine Brown

photos By Elaine Brown

Leonard Hampton Holden, Jr. (Jan. 25, 1932 –May 26, 2023) of Williford, Ark. lived, to say the least, a remarkable life. Pause on that word “remarkable,” for his was truly a life filled with dreams and ideas no other man had before him, and he saw his dreams come to fruition.

Born in Mountain View, Mo., his parents, Leonard and Adelle Holden, moved to Hardy, Ark. in 1936 when Leonard was just fouryears-old. Holden, along with his older brother Chuck and his younger sister Freda Mae, grew up enjoying the offerings of Main Street Hardy and the mischievous opportunities and daring challenges of the Spring River.

After graduating from Hardy High School in 1950, he worked doing construction at various sites around Hardy. The Korean War started that year and on Jan. 2, 1951, Holden, aka Spike, and his brother Chuck and five of their friends joined the U.S. Air Force.

Holden went to Radar School on Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. before being transferred to Avon Park Air Force base in Florida. He performed many duties there, including operating a small drone aircraft for gunners to practice shooting 50-caliber machine guns at as the drone flew by.

During that time, Holden met and ultimately married Joyce Hill, the love of his life. As his grandson, Jonas Boyd told it, Spike (Holden) went to the movies one night with his buddies. “There at the box office was the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen; he even said it out loud to his friends,” a tearful Boyd related. “Soon after, he began frequenting the theater to see this girl and every time he saw her, his heart skipped a beat and his breath was taken away.”

After Spike finally asked her out, their love only grew stronger. Joyce was Holden’s soulmate and he never stopped loving her, said Boyd. Holden was shipped out overseas, eventually to wind up in Korea and the frontlines, the 38th Parallel. He learned a lot about using radar and infrared in defense systems in military combat. When the war was over, Holden returned to Hardy and worked with his dad and brother Chuck. They formed Holden & Sons in 1955. When his father told him to move on, he got a job with the highway department for some time, until his boss fired him. Boyd explained, “Grandpa was told he needed to go on to college and stop wasting his time.”

Holden studied physics and mathematics at Arkansas Tech University, ultimately graduating in January 1960. He sought a job where he could be involved with the military again, said Boyd. “Grandpa was a pioneer…where his infrared technology, his stealth technology…and intercontinental missile technology [would be useful]. He was hired to work for the U.S. Defense Department in many places, including White Sands, N.M. Sharp County local Ty Casey became good friends with Spike in his later years. They would enjoy breakfast together every Sunday morning when Holden would share stories of his past. One story was on testing an infrared tracking device they had designed on an actual missile launch. “Back in those days, there wasn’t much [heard] about that,” Casey said. On an initial test run, there was a problem: The tracker

wasn’t moving. After days of research, Holden recognized the solution may be as simple as the device being too heavy. Once they reduced the weight, it seemed to work fine. On launch test day, they went to painstaking efforts to make sure everything was perfect. Everything seemed to go smoothly. Back at the base, however, they discovered the film in the camera was the wrong kind. They had no footage of their successful, back-breaking experiment!

Holden spent much of his physicist days working on national defense systems. He owned several patents dealing with infrared technology. With loyalty to his top-secret clearance, he never shared government secret information, even on his deathbed.

When he retired and returned home with Joyce to the Hardy area, he became very engaged in the Sharp County community. He and his brother Chuck designed and built a telescope which he ultimately donated to the Highland High School

observatory.

Holden was also instrumental in the restoration of the Hardy High School gym. In addition, he designed and created a walking path along the Spring River in Loberg Park. Holden knew how to raise money and was able to get a grant for the Mission of Hope in Hardy. He felt one of his greatest achievements was the design and construction of the Veterans’ Memorial in Ash Flat. This was one of his last contributions to the community. Everyone believes his greatest passion was for his wife, Joyce, who passed just four months prior to Spike’s death. The family believes he died from a broken heart.

As Ty Casey solemnly said to his Sunday breakfast companion, “I just want to say thank you, Sir, for letting me be a part of your life, and our family being a part of your life. We’ll never forget you. You’ve been an inspiration to this community and you will never be forgotten.”

CONGRATULATIONS

2023 Tri-County Farm Families

Sharp County Farm Family

Gray Family

Fulton County Farm Family

Derek & Karen

Izard County Farm Family

Toby & Liz Smith Family

In memory of Jojo, our beloved green-cheeked conure

This morning I lost my best buddy, Jojo. He was a green-cheeked conure and we’d been buds for over 10 years. Green Cheeks aren’t supposed to be talkers, but Jojo wouldn’t stop. sAlways in a whisper, he’d say “What you do?” and “Get me some nut berries” (his favorite treat), “Jojo pretty pretty pretty bird” and “I Jojo.” (He could also say the “h” in “Hi.”) He was always ringing his favorite bell for attention, climbing into his coconut half where we’d sing “Put the Jojo in the coconut, and drink ‘em both up,” and playing his version of toss and fetch where he’d take his favorite ball and try his best to throw it off of the desk to make me chase it...and of course, I’d do my best to keep it on the desk. He loved to cuddle too... curling up inside my hand.

Jojo, you will be missed. I hope there are birds in Heaven because I’m not sure it could be perfect without them. Goodbye, Jojo...you are sorely missed.

Bob Hults, Jojo’s owner and best friend

Cherokee Village, Ark.

Please note: Bob and Brenda Hults and their beautiful collection of parrots were featured in an article in

Etta’s Attic LLC

Open Tuesday

the June 2023 issue of Avenues titled: “Nothing compares to living with fine-feathered friends!”

Etta’s Attic LLC

Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm & Sunday 1pm-5pm (870) 613-0825

Antiques, Primitives & Vinyl Albums

Advertising Signs and Home Decor

143E.Main,Batesville,AR72501

Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm & Sunday 1pm-5pm (870) 613-0825

Antiques, Primitives & Vinyl Albums

Antiques, Primitives & Vinyl Albums

Advertising Signs and Home Decor

Advertising Signs and Home Decor

143E.Main,Batesville,AR72501

Age is no longer an obstacle with Get Fit

Story by Vincent Marshall

photos By Vincent Marshall

Every Tuesday and Thursday at the Salem Senior Life Center, persons with the University of Arkansas Extension Office Get Fit program embark on an hour-long exercise routine that has shown physical growth among its participants.

According to MeLinda Mathis with the Fulton County extension office, the Get Fit program has gone on for the past 15 years.

“It is a very committed group,” Mathis said of the participants. “Lisa (Harber Hurtt) is a volunteer that leads the group. It is a community exercise, researchbased program open to everyone.”

According to the extension office website, the goals

of the Get Fit program are to improve strength, balance and flexibility, reduce the risk of falls, help maintain independence, increase energy, help manage your weight, decrease pain and help you feel better, targeted to midlife and older Arkansans based on the latest research.

Current participants with the program consist of Gaye Miller, 83, Faye Warden, 91, Earlene Ziegler, 91, Betty Benton, 91, Billy Benton, 63 and Harber Hurtt who is 63.

“There is always something going on,” Harber Hurtt said. “We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. and afterwards sometimes we go for a walk.”

The exercise routines consist of stretching, yoga, weightlifting, resistance bands, planks, cardio and a warmup.

Miller is the current champion of the plank position, a position where a person places their forearms on the floor and keeps their elbows aligned with their shoulders and arms, parallel to their body. You hold the position in place for as long as you can.  Miller, during the visit to the program, held her pose for four minutes.

“I have gone as high as five minutes,” she said.  During the plank routine, Miller and Harber Hurtt both went the four-minute distance.

“I was just going to do three minutes, but Lisa kept going and so did I,” Miller said.

Miller joined the program after a stroke and after having multiple breaks, the fitness program has helped her stay physically healthy. Particularly with the plank which helps strengthen the core of the body.

Warden joined the group a few months ago and has already started seeing results.

“I am getting better coordinated,” Warden said. “I like walking more.”

One thing Ziegler said she likes of the program is the fellowship of meeting with people every visit.  “It helps me being able to communicate and stay strong.” Ziegler is the top weightlifter with using five-pound dumbbells during the weightlifting

portion of the routines.

Being a farmer all her life, Betty came to the program because she said her hips were bad and she suffers from arthritis.

Billy suffered a stroke as well at the age of 55. A

chicken farmer, he said the stroke came just four weeks after he retired.

“He walks down here every day,” Harber Hurtt said of Billy. “Sometimes he walks a half a mile after the workouts.”

“Walking is my specialty,” Billy said.  Billy can also do a two-minute plank.

“If I tried the plank I wouldn’t get up,” Ziegler said of the plank routine.

Betty laughed and said the same.

The routines start with a jog in place warmup then into stretching and yoga poses before going into planks, weightlifting, stretching again, cardio, hip, leg and joint movements, band resistance, another stretch and then ends with hitting a beach ball around to each other with plenty of breaks for water and rest in between.

“I love it,” Ziegler said.

Harber Hurtt said a lot of participants have struggled with falling and breaking hips and the program has helped strengthen their overall physical health.

To get involved in the Extension Office Get Fit program, visit the Salem Senior Life Center on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 10 a.m. The cost if $20 a year with scholarships available.

For more information, contact Mathis at 870-8953301.

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?

Patriotic Berry Trifle

Courtesy of sixsisterstuff.com

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1-14 ounce prepared angel food cake

Cream Cheese Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Fruit

4 cups blueberries

4 cups strawberries, sliced

To make the lemon glaze, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue stirring over heat until sugar dissolves. Once sugar is dissolved remove from heat and whisk in almond extract; set aside.

Cut angel food cake into 1-inch thick slices. Brush lemon glaze on each side of sliced cake. Cut glazed cake into 1-inch cubes; set aside.

To make the cream cheese filling, beat together cream cheese and sugar with a mixer, on medium speed, until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream and beat until light and fluffy.

Arrange half the cake on the bottom of a trifle dish. Sprinkle on an even layer of blueberries. Spread half the cream cheese mixture over the blueberries and top with a layer of strawberries. Repeat layers. Top with any remaining berries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving.

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 Boyd Savage

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

Recognition of Howard Kelley, a longtime employee of Oregon County Shelter Workshop

Story by Renee Janes

photos By Renee Janes and Submitted

He is a familiar and loved face to those who work at and visit Oregon County Shelter Workshop located outside of Alton, Mo. Howard Kelley is a longtime employee at the workshop and well-known and beloved individual in the community. Kelley helps to prepare books to be shredded by tearing out the pages. He also helps with other tasks at the facility.

“He does a little bit of everything. He used to work with me with shoes…help do clothes…Just kind of give him a different variety to work with,” said Janie Gamblin.

Many may also recognize Kelley when he would visit the square in Alton and could often be spotted with a flag on the back of his wheelchair and a little red wagon full of cans he would collect.

Not only will this month commemorate Kelley’s 31st year working at the Oregon County Shelter Workshop, but on July 26 he will celebrate his 58th birthday. Diagnosed with mild intellectual and cerebral palsy/ congenital quadriplegia, Kelley grew up in in the boot hill of Missouri eventually moving to Oregon County. He began working at Oregon County Shelter Workshop Thrift Store in July of 1992.

Hollis Haven, LLC provides daily care for Howard in his home and the great staff members provided to care for Kelley are very fond of him.

At the workshop, he is often with Gamblin, his dedicated sidekick. Kelley is very loved at the center, and many are quick to want to help him.

“They all help him. If he needs help, they offer. He doesn’t always ask,” said Patti Lynch.

“Howard is very sweet and kind to everyone he meets. We definitely need more people like Howard in this world. He is a gem,” said Becky Granger. Described as “hangout buddies,” it is clear Kelley and Gamblin have a special bond and have stayed the best of friends through the years.

During the summer months, the duo can often be found in the parking lot enjoying the outdoors. Gamblin also assists Kelley when communicating with others. She explained that since Howard’s teeth have been removed, some people have a hard time understanding him.

“Before when he had his teeth in, I could understand every word he could say, well practically,” said Gamblin. Now, since his teeth were removed, she does not understand him as clearly.

“He repeats and repeats and finally I understand it. He will say ‘I’m sorry’ but I say, ‘no Howard, I am the one who is sorry because I don’t understand a lot of it,” said Gamblin. In November, Gamblin will have been working for the workshop for 35 years.

“It’s like a family to us,” said Gamblin. She explained they started at the old workshop where the old

Wallace & Owens store was located. Kelley stated that he missed it there.

From there the workshop moved across the road where an old lumber plant used to be located. It then moved from there to the current location on 160 Highway East.

Kelley has a love for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dr. Pepper, milkshakes and old cars. He has a collection of Elvis memorabilia in his home and in his collection room at the shelter workshop. When asked what he loves so much about Elvis, Howard stated he loves his music and the way he sings.

Recently, the Alton Elementary School sixth grade class made Elvis-themed cards for Howard and gifted them to him, which he loved.

The Oregon County Sheltered Workshop Thrift Store’s mission is to provide employment to developmentally disabled individuals through programs. The store is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations are accepted at the workshop.

Youngs Produce, Alton, MO, and Rocking Y Feeds, Ravenden, AR would like to congratulate AUSTIN ANDERSON for his

Grand Champion Steer win at Heart of the Ozarks Fair! The steer’s total weight was 1237 lbs. with an average daily weight gain of 4.78 lbs. by being fed Young’s Hill Beef Grower from Young’s Produce in Alton, MO”

ACNA’s February Artist of the Month: BJ Simon

The Arts Center of North Arkansas’s July Artist of the Month is professional artist BJ Simon who specializes in commissioned portraits of people and pets. While she has worked in everything from charcoal to pastel, from acrylic to oils, her latest venture is the world of watercolor, a medium she finds to be the most challenging.

By Cheri Lynn Quattrochi

Born in Saint Paul, Minn., BJ and her family moved to California via train when she was eight. BJ always liked to draw and color. The first recognition she received for her artistic ability occurred in second grade. While other children did their homework, her teacher, a nun, would say, “Sit here, dear, and draw baby Jesus.”

Reality struck when she only won third place in a coloring contest. Nevertheless, as she grew, so did her confidence. She always got A’s in art. In junior high her Veteran’s Day contest entry won first place, a blue ribbon, $25, and was published in the VA monthly magazine.

Married quite young, BJ had five children by age 25. Her artistic endeavors were restricted primarily to Disney characters in her children’s room. Eventually, BJ entered junior college. Although she took some art classes, she concentrated on the medical field with its more stable career opportunities.

Following a divorce, she moved to San Diego where she received a general diploma at Palomar Junior College, Escondido. She worked at Palomar Hospital for ten years. Before transferring to a four-year college, she needed one more class, art history. She realized her passion was art, not medicine. She entered Palomar College’s art program and pursued a degree in graphic design.   BJ opened a studio in the Spanish Village at Balboa Park in San Diego. Thousands visit the park annually. BJ painted portraits—of people and animals.

Due to the influx of people, BJ moved to the other

Salem Glass Company

end of Vista. Her house had a large lot where she had a nice-sized studio built. While there, her pastor asked her to paint for the church a picture of patron Saint Margaret with two children.

In 2007 BJ received her biggest commission, again, via her pastor, who wanted her to paint a replica of the painting The Last Judgement by Rogier van der Weyden (1443) for the new church being built. The 21’ X 8’ painting, consisting of nine separate panels, was the largest and most challenging of her career. Her commission from the year-long project enabled her husband and her to travel to France where the original painting was located, housed in a 16th-century hospice center run by nuns.

For aspiring artists, BJ says, “Continue your art no matter what. Don’t wait until you’re in the mood. JUST DO IT! Date and save your paintings. When you look back a year or so later, … you will see how much you have grown.”

She adds, “If you ever get the chance to have an artist you admire give you a critique, it’s worth a million—because you don’t know what you don’t know.”

BJ’s favorite artist is William Adolph Bougereau (French, 1825-1905). His realistic figures were not appreciated at that time because of the emerging Impressionistic Movement. BJ finds his work to be magnificent. She has done several reproductions and has learned much from his style.

If you would like to have a portrait done, contact BJ via the Arts Center of North Arkansas in Cherokee Village, where her work is on display.

July Activities

Questions? Call 870-751-3793. Watch for notices or check ACNA’s Facebook page or website.

Writing: 1st Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon

Art: 2nd Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon

Photography: 3rd Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon

Tai Chi: Mondays and Thursdays, 10-11 a.m.

Open Studio: Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m.

Ceramics: Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dulcimer: Tuesdays—Check Facebook, ACNA Mountain Dulcimer Group

July 17: Board Meeting, 2:30 p.m.

July 29: Membership Mingle—Come and meet your fellow artists.

Phone: 870.670.5181 • Toll Free: 800.670.7766

Fax: 870.670.4155 • e-MAIl: NCI.hORSeShOe@CeNTURYTel.NeT

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.

LAST MONTH’S WINNER: John Fuller

FOR A FREE DINNER GIVEAWAY FOR TWO WILL BE JULY 19.

THE NEXT DRAWING

Fishing This Year

By: Dewayne French

As the summer heat bears down on us during the day, some anglers pick up the night shift. Night fishing brings on cooler air temps and a relief from the beating sun of the day. Fishing after dark adds a whole other dimension to fishing. After dark you can’t see where to cast and it is hard to even see where to go.

Fishing after dark uses the same tackle, rods and reels you just have to have a feeling for what’s going on at the end of your line. Here are some things you can bring with you to help you for a night of fishing. The first thing would be a small headlight for hands free operation. Some anglers may change out their fishing line to a fluorescent line and use a black light to help them see what is going on. As the fluorescent line “glows” an angler can see it jump when a fish bites. I like to use a set of goggles that have yellow lenses in them to help me pick up on lights along the shore as I motor from one location to another.

Some anglers start fishing before dark to let their eyes adjust to the night sky. As the night shift angler starts fishing it is the same as during the day, you have to decide how and where to fish. Most fish species feed better at night and use their predator instinct to attack prey and many have adjusted the feeding times to use the cooler temps at night. We as anglers still have to determine where to get stated. Deep or shallow, around rocks or around docks, on points or flats. The same questions apply to the “night shift bassin”, we just have to figure out where to start.

Night shift fishing can be used for any predator species during the hot summer temperatures when you have a need to go fishing. My need to go fishing ranks right up there with breathing, it is just what I do. If you have to go fishing, but you don’t want to have a heat stroke, try “night shift fish-

ing” and see how you like it. Night fishing will allow you to fish in comfort and you can catch quality fish. You will have to get a few more items for comfort and safety. You can also add a little more tackle to what you have to catch the “begun”. A good bait casting rod and reel like the Favorite 7’2” summit with a Soleus 7:3.1 reel with some 12 lb line, add to that a 1/4oz tungsten weight a 2/0 worm hook and a plastic worm and you are all set for some night shift fishing.

Remember we all “Live Downstream” so please pick up your trash and any other trash you see out floating around! Never discard old fishing line 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, as we prepare for a new fishing season.

Facebook: Dewayne French Fishing

Twitter: @French_fishin

Instagram: french_fishin

Youtube: Dewayne French or French fishing

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“You can’t be sad when you’re holding a fishing rod”