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WOMENSINC.NET

NOVEMBER 2017

GIVING BACK

Giving Back Comes Full Circle

INSIDE:

Festive for Fall

West Conway Home

Randi House

Arkansas Teacher of the Year 2018

CONTENTS

6

N O V E M B E R 2 017 WOM EN ’ S IN C .

Editor Lori Quinn

12

Giving Back Comes Full Circle Arkansas Teacher of the Year Andrea Bailey-Fornier wants her student volleyball players to learn “giving.”

Dazzle Daze Kick-Off

18 Home

Event has raised $650,000 for health care at Conway Regional!

News & Events

Randi House, teacher at Theodore Jones Elementary receives state honor.

28

Mary Acklin named as recipient of the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

22

Festive for Fall. It’s all about the color.

Warm and inviting home in west Conway.

34

Operation Christmas Child

Collecting and delivering “shoebox gifts” for children in need around the world.

38 iMatter: Katherine Beasley50

Food

Fall is the perfect time to amp up the dessert menu with these pecan treats.

columns 46. book review The Lost City of Z Susan O’Keefe review 4 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

Conway teen named 2018 winner for Distinguished Young Women in Arkansas

48. spiritual

With Thanksgiving

by Andrea Lennon

Contributing Writers Jeanette Anderton Leah Ashby Cindy Beckman Detra Clark Marisa Hicks Colleen Holt Nancy Jackson Lindsey Jones Andrea Lennon Susan O’Keefe Jennifer Stanley Jenny Strange Kelly Sublett Chief Photographer Brandy Strain Advertising Sales Director Betsey Barham Art Director Robin Stauffer Advertising Sales Executives Crystal Geraldson Bobby Eller Leigh Anne Gray Cortney Askins Advertising Artists Jay Prince Lauren Morgenstern Amanda Loggins Editorial Advisory Board Leah Ashby Jenny Cabantac Ayisha Canant Detra Clark Alyson Fish Nicolle Fletcher Haley Crafton Fowler Sarah Frost Mary Harlan Nancy Jackson Cate Ketcheside Leslie Kostecky Caroline LaVan Velda Lueders Christina Munoz Madsen Candace Meeks Misty Morse Carol Patty Amy Reed Lanette Rogers Mary Margaret Satterfield Jennifer Stanley Katherine Thomason Stefanie Holt Vann

Questions or Comments?

Call (501) 327-6621, e-mail: WINC@thecabin.net or write to P.O. Box 969, Conway, AR, 72033 • www.womensinc.net

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Giving Back Comes Full Circle

“When I started Pink Night, I never imagined I would ever be a recipient. Now I know how it feels on both sides. So the people we raise money for, I know what it is going to do for them. I know what kind of burden it is going to take off them.”

6 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

GIVING BACK

By Jennifer Stanley Photos by Brandy Strain and Quinn Beacham Conway native Andrea Bailey-Fournier began her career with a goal of giving back. The assistant volleyball coach at Conway High School founded Pink Night, a local cancer fundraiser.

September saw the ever-growing event’s ninth year.

Andrea is married to Justin, and they have two daughters, Bailey and Harlee. Upon graduation from Conway, Andrea earned a volleyball scholarship to Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Once she graduated from Tech, she coached and taught in Fort Smith for two years. She then came home when she began working for the Conway School District nine years ago. In addition to serving as assistant volleyball coach at the high school, Andrea is the head junior high track coach, and coaches girls physical education and personal fitness at the high school.

“I wanted to find a way to teach our athletes how to give back without expecting something in return. While kids often do fundraisers to purchase uniforms or other items, I didn’t feel there were many opportunities for kids to do something completely selfless. Seeing someone benefit from their work is a priceless lesson. With the world today, people get frustrated with what kids don’t do. Well, they have to see it somewhere and learn it, and that was my main goal.”

During her first year teaching in Conway, two of Andrea’s aunts were diagnosed with cancer. This gave her the motivation to start a fundraiser that would help reach her teach the students philanthropy. “Though the event is Pink Night currently, it started nine years ago to benefit the Side Out/Dig Pink Foundation. We donated the money to that organization at first,” she shares.

Four years into the fundraiser, the focus drastically changed.

“One of the best volleyball players to come through our program earned a scholarship to play at Tech for the coach I played for. The month before she was to report to college, she found a lump in her neck. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. So that was the year we decided to donate to a local person rather than a program.”

At this point the event became known as Pink Night. “That’s how it shifted to our donating to a local person. The first year we raised $1,800, and I was pumped. I thought it was awesome and did not expect that. Flash forward to last year, and we raised $20,000. It has grown exponentially,” says Andrea. Seeing and talking to the beneficiary of their work drives it home for the team and gives them a sense of accomplishment and a desire to work hard for the cause.

Entry to the event is only one dollar. The high school and junior high volleyball team members sell t-shirts to raise funds.

They hold a raffle, and the team parents secure most of the raffle items from the community. “Conway is amazing. We are rarely told no. People here really want to help, and this speaks volumes for our town. This year we had 234 raffle prizes, so everyone had a good shot at winning,” says Andrea. Their largest fundraiser, WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 7

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“I wanted to find a way to teach our athletes how to give back without expecting something in return. While kids often do fundraisers to purchase uniforms or other items, I didn’t feel there were many opportunities for kids to do something completely selfless. Seeing someone benefit from their work is a priceless lesson.”

raffle tickets, sell for two dollars. In addition, the seventh grade teams sell pink beads. They also hold a silent auction. Crain Automotive donated hamburgers this year, which they sold to raise funds.

“Determining the Pink Night beneficiary is usually a pretty obvious choice,” says Andrea. The second year, the parents of two team managers, one’s mother and the other’s father, were diagnosed with cancer, so they received the proceeds. The following year, the extremely unexpected happened. “My parents were both diagnosed with cancer. My dad was diagnosed in April 2015 with pancreatic cancer. My mom was diagnosed in June 2015 with colon cancer,” shares Andrea. “I called Coach Laura Crow and told her there wouldn’t be a Pink Night and that we were going to have to cancel it. There was no way I could do it because I was taking care of both my parents.”

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GIVING BACK

Andrea’s mother had stage one colon cancer and underwent surgery. While she was scheduled to be home relatively quickly, she went septic and was in a coma for about two-and-a-half weeks. Her father passed away in August, while her mother was in the coma. “It took my mom about two weeks after waking up before her doctor wanted to tell her about Dad, so we had to pretend. It was the worst time ever,” she says.

During that time, the coaches and a team parent, Leslie Lamb, took over the event. “They called and said, ‘We are not going to cancel Pink Night. We are going to keep it going and are going to raise all the money for your family.’ It meant so much that they were willing to step up. I now know what it is like to be on both sides.

My parents’ income was gone. They had no money coming in, so it was rough. I grew up in a family where they both had jobs, and we never had to worry. The situation was foreign to us, then my mom was in a coma, and my dad passed, so there were a lot of decisions to make. It was a lot, and I was so thankful they helped us out. I took off work the entire semester, so the money they raised helped me be able to do that,” she says.

Andrea also had a one year-old at the time she was caring for her parents. “I can’t even tell you. The City of Conway brought dinner to my family every night for three months straight. I am very blessed to have that. I want to pay it forward; I want someone else to have that relief and that stress taken off them,” she says. That year, Pink Night raised $13,000 for Andrea’s family.

One of the big changes in the event has been the addition of the Pink Ladies, a committee of player moms who serve as volunteers.

The group started with about two mothers. Last year there were ten, and this year the group grew to 18. “They are incredible. I can’t brag on them enough, and they are setting the example for their daughters. One of the best developments is the involvement of these moms and the kids seeing that,” adds Andrea.

“Last year we raised money for Tina MacNamara. She was amazing. Our moms chose her as the recipient, and she sold $5,000 in tickets herself. She also secured tons of raffle prizes; all the while she was fighting cancer. She called constantly asking what she could do.” Pink Night raised $20,000 that year, largely due to Tina’s efforts. “We lost her in June of this year. Our motto this year was ‘What would Tina do?’ She was so appreciative. She was able to do a trial study with the money raised at Pink Night. She kept telling us ‘This prolonged my life. This gave me extra time with my kids and my husband,’” says Andrea. “Tina wrote a letter to the girls letting them know how Pink Night helped her. I read it to them, WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 9

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GIVING BACK

The first year we raised $1,800, and I was pumped. I thought it was awesome and did not expect that. Flash forward to last year, and we raised $20,000. It has grown exponentially.” —Andrea

and we were all in tears. That is priceless. It is that feeling when you help someone that I want the girls to feel, so they carry it on and keep doing good.”

The 2017 beneficiary also had a huge impact on the team. Pink Night raised money for a 13 year-old seventh grade girl.

A track runner, “She had leg pain when running and, after a lot of tests, learned she has osteosarcoma. It had moved from her pelvis to her spine and was inoperable,” Andrea says. “This year hit hard with them because it was someone around their age.

The girls started to realize how blessed they were. Their biggest worries were whether

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they would make it to school on time. This girl was worried about finding the right wig and whether her chemo schedule would work around other dates. They kept bringing it up when talking with each other.”

Of the event Andrea says, “If you told me the first year that we would raise $20,000 one year, I would have laughed and said no way! I think it is incredible, and I feel strongly it changes the minds of these teenagers and even the volunteers.” Community volunteers include Andrea’s mom, Vickie Bailey. Though she spent over 120 days in the hospital, she overcame her cancer and is almost fully recovered. She now runs the

raffle at Pink Night. They also receive help from Conway’s Junior Auxiliary and Delta Zeta sorority at the University of Central Arkansas.

“When I started Pink Night, I never imagined I would ever be a recipient. Now I know how it feels on both sides. So the people we raise money for, I know what it is going to do for them. I know what kind of burden it is going to take off them. It makes me want to push harder every year.” Andrea adds, “Conway is a great community, and I want the girls on the team to stick around and carry it on. That would make me the happiest person in the world.”

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feature story

“The teachers that I work alongside every single day at Theodore Jones constantly strive to love, teach, guide, and support each student that walks in and out of their classrooms.”

—Randi House, Arkansas Teacher of the Year Award Recipient

12 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

ARKANSAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Randi House

Arkansas Teacher of the Year 2018

By Lindsey Jones Photos by Brandy Strain

Randi House, a kindergarten teacher from Theodore Jones Elementary School in Conway has a new title: Arkansas Teacher of the Year 2018. She was selected Theodore Jones and Conway Public School District Teacher of the Year for the 2017-2018 school year this past spring. The entire Theodore Jones staff is enjoying this once in a lifetime ride with Randi.

Randi teaches others around her many lessons that extend outside of a classroom. This amazing woman is a successful wife, mother, friend, and most of all, everyone else’s cheerleader. She not only brings an abundance of joy into her classroom but also spreads it throughout our entire school. Randi shows new ways to encourage others each day in everything she does. The entire staff of Theodore Jones is cheering her along as she continues to make us all so very proud. House shares that, “The most significant aspect in this journey so far has been the amount of support and love I have received from my school and district. It is humbling to have so many insanely talented educators and friends cheering me on.

I get to work alongside the most dedicated, compassionate educators and they have been right alongside me this whole journey. I am forever grateful for their encouragement.”

I wish I had the words to describe the moment when Randi realized exactly what was happening. The entire school gathered in the cafeteria for what we all thought was our usual monthly assembly. Little did we all know, we were in for a big treat. “The award announcement came as a complete shock to me as I never truly expected to receive such an incredible honor. Many people in my building, in the district, and from the State Department of Education worked very hard to make it a complete surprise and to ensure it was a memorable announcement for me. There was so much thought and attention to detail put into the announcement and I am still in awe of it all,” said House.

The teachers that I work alongside every single day at Theodore Jones constantly strive to love, teach, guide, and support each student that walks in and out of their WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 13

feature story

“The garden has been a work in progress for more than three years. We have received numerous grants to establish our “kinder” garden, which is an extension of our kindergarten cooking shows.

We utilize our garden for unique, hands on learning opportunities that allow students to experience new and healthy foods, see a process from start to finish, and learn new skills.”

—Randi House

classrooms. Randi’s recent honor was such a genuine reminder that we are all in this together; we are there for the celebrations as well as the struggles.

If you do not know Mrs. House, the best way I could ever describe her is a fun and innovative teacher, not scared to take a chance on bettering her students and their environment of learning. Her converse shoes are probably on her feet right now as you read this. Snoop Dogg tops her playlist favorites. Some type of cooking is going on in her classroom and kids are learning through that. Not one child’s needs are unmet at the end of the day. Her passion for her career is more than obvious, just by entering her classroom.

Mrs. House, you are a true example of Teacher of the Year. We are so incredibly proud for you.

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ARKANSAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 15

feature story

“I get to work alongside the most dedicated, compassionate educators and they have been right alongside me this whole journey. I am forever grateful for their encouragement.”

—Randi House

16 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

ARKANSAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 17

conway regional

Dazzle Daze Kicks Off with Girls’ Nite Out November 16th

Dazzle Daze big draw remains the shopping with merchants lined up; Event has raised $650,000 for health care at Conway Regional 18 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

Brittles, high end bags and jewelry, holiday décor, scrumptious food, clothing galore, yuletide swag and bling will have shoppers flocking to Dazzle Daze again this year. In its 16th year, the holiday extravaganza has more to offer.

Dazzle Daze will kick off on Nov. 16 with Girls’ Nite Out and will feature prizes from Kendra Scott jewelry and Conway Women’s Med Spa, plus swag bags for the first 500 shoppers.

“We are very excited to welcome Kendra Scott,” said Amy Reed, a Dazzle Daze 2017 co-chair. “We also welcome back our good friends from Conway Women’s Med Spa, who have donated over $10,000 in prizes and gift certificates.”

Updates at the Conway Expo Center will allow the culinary fare for general shopping on Friday and Saturday to be expanded this year with food items from Taziki’s Mediterranean Grill, TGI Friday’s and Chick- Fil-A on the menu.

Friday and Saturday at Dazzle Daze will also include expanded Teddy Bear Clinics for the children. This is the second year for the Teddy Bear Clinic to be included in Dazzle Daze as an outreach effort for young children. Hours this year are Friday, Nov. 17, from 10 am to noon and 4 to 7 pm; Saturday, Nov. 18, 10 am to noon. Parents are encouraged to bring a teddy bear or another favorite stuffed animal along with their child to the event. Additional bears are available for a $5 donation.

However, shopping remains the calling for the majority of Dazzle Daze goers with thousands of shoppers coming in each year to check out holiday merchants from around the country. A few of those are profiled below:

Reunion of friends: Lisa Greenhaw, one of the vendors to participate in the first show in 2001, will return to Dazzle Daze this year with FABU, a merchant that sells mixed metal and hand stamped jewelry. “I design all of it and make a whole lot of it,” said Greenhaw of the jewelry selection. Dazzle Daze founder Janice Robbins consulted with Greenhaw prior to establishing the first show. Greenhaw, who currently lives in Little Rock, returns because “I like to support Conway and Dazzle Daze.” It is also a reunion of friends.

“I always ask for a booth next to Patti Stobaugh (founder of Patti Cakes bakery). I like to see a lot of familiar faces.” Greenhaw operated her first booth with Ellen Ishee Olonney and sold inspirational wall words under the name of Ispirato.

Smoked meat: Bearcreek Smokehouse has been one of Dazzle Daze’s staple vendors, supporting the event since the early years.

“It’s a good atmosphere; we really enjoy working with the hospital, and it’s for a good cause,” Vickie Chapman explained. And in all honesty, “we stay covered up.” The fivegeneration Marshall, Texas, company sells festive foods, including smoked meats such

DAZZLE DAZE

The event proceeds help make possible important equipment purchases, scholarships and other programs that improve the quality of care provided by Conway Regional Health System.

as pork tenderloin, cranberry turkey breast, summer sausage, beef sticks and, yes, bacon.

Other favorites are soup and gumbo mixes and chili seasonings. “One of our biggest sellers is the bacon; it comes in a pound and a quarter package and is hickory smoked.”

Did she say jalapeno brittle? Amy

Casalman with Fort Smith –based Fulmer Candy Company, a second-year vendor at the show, said they will return because “it was very organized, well run; and we had a really good time.” The candy company features brittles, in particular jalapeno peanut brittle, along with cashew and pecan peanut brittles. “Northwest loves the jalapeno but Conway loves the pecan,” she said. “We will have plenty of everything.” Casalman and her sister, Ashley Mickle, operate the candy company using a recipe passed down from their grandmother. Casalman plans to entice shoppers with free samples.

“When they saw us and visited; it was like holy cow!” said Brent West, Director of Operations for Braswell & Son, a vintage luxury pawn broker with a Conway store that made its first visit to Dazzle Daze in 2016. Don’t confuse pawn shop with pawn broker as there aren’t many pawn shops that offer designer brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, Goyard, Prada and Gucci.

“Everything we sell comes with a story,” said West. “We offer fine watches and exquisite

bags. A lot of women come to us because they saw us or visited online, and that’s why we are coming back to Dazzle Daze.” Braswell & Son also provides free layaway and buy backs if the purchase doesn’t work out.

While shopping is fun, the underlying purpose of Dazzle Daze is compelling.

“Dazzle Daze is so much more than a fun event and shopping,” said Pam Sims, a Dazzle Daze co-chair. “Proceeds help make possible important equipment purchases, scholarships and other programs that improve the quality of care provided by Conway Regional Health System.” Throughout its 16-year history, Dazzle Daze has raised more than $650,000 in support of local health care at Conway Regional Health System.

Raffle tickets on sale

A considerable portion of those funds are raised with the raffle.

Another staple of Dazzle Daze is a raffle of several big-ticket items. A maximum of 500 raffle tickets are available for purchase by contacting Conway Regional Women’s Council members, participating business or at the Conway Regional Marketing Office for a chance to win: · Grand Prize 2017 Ford Mustang Convertible, magnetic color ($31,500 value) from Smith Ford · 2nd Prize Vintage His & Hers Louis Vuitton Keepall Bags ($2,000 value) donated by Braswell & Son

· 3rd Prize 14kt white gold Dancing

Diamond Pendant ($1,600 value) donated

by Lee Ann’s Fine Jewelry

· 4th Prize Traeger Wood-Fired Grill and

meat gift certificate ($1,200 value) donated

by Moix RV and Circle Maker Farms

· 5th Prize Furniture Gift Certificate

($1,000 value) donated by Cajun Brothers Furniture

Dazzle Daze hours

Girls’ Nite Out 6-9pm, Thursday, Nov. 16 Teddy Bear Clinic Friday, Nov. 17,

10am-noon, 4-7pm; Saturday, Nov. 18, 10am-noon General Shopping Friday, Nov. 17, 10am-9pm; Saturday, Nov. 18, 10am-4pm Raffle Drawing Saturday, Nov. 18, 3:45pm

Where to find tickets

Tickets for Dazzle Daze are currently on sale online at www.dazzledaze.com.

Raffle tickets are available for purchase at a number of locations in Conway including Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center, pattiCakes, 501 Life, Smith Ford, Log Cabin Democrat, US Pizza Co., H3 Home + Décor, Cajun Brothers Furniture, Model Laundry, H & N Architects, Michelle M. Phillips, CPA, PA, Lee Ann’s Fine Jewelry and the Conway Regional Marketing Office as well as DaisyA-Day and First Security in Greenbrier and La-z-boy Furniture Gallery in Little Rock.

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beauty

FALL brings colder, more blustery weather.

Winds blow more fiercely and the temperature may vary greatly from one day to the next with hot, humid days and cool, drier nights.

A change of season typically means a change in the way skin behaves, so our skincare routine has to change along with it. You don’t need to overhaul your skincare routine entirely, but you do need to make some minor tweaks to your regimen to ensure that skin stays healthy during this season.

Remember that anytime you add a product or change your routine, your skin will need time to adapt. Use your new routine for at least a couple weeks before determining that it’s not working. Give it the time it needs to level out before you make your next change.

Also, breakouts can actually increase during the fall season. The oil flow that takes place in the skin during the summer months is still occurring, yet the cooler air is creating layers of dead skin cell buildup. This traps oil and bacteria beneath the surface of the skin, which leads to an increase in breakout activity. All this dry, windy weather is also dehydrating to our skin. We should drink water throughout the day. Water is part of creating a balance in how our skin performs,

20 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

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on occasion we need a little extra topical hydration to fight that external battle.

This may come as surprise, but fall, similar to spring, is likewise a season where a tremendous amount of UV damage is incurred. We often think that when the temperatures are cooler outside, the sun isn’t as harmful, but this is false. While the UVB rays (the ones responsible for causing suntans or sunburns) are not as strong in autumn, the UVA rays (the ones that cause skin cancer and premature wrinkles) are just as strong as they are in July and August.

Protection is a year-round job.

If you took a break from retinol (vitamin A) during the summer, now is the time to get it back into your skin-care routine. Opt for either a non-prescription retinol serum or a prescription retinoid which will help to dramatically reduce the appearance of brown spots caused by the summer sun, lines, and wrinkles. Hands down, retinol and prescription retinoids are the most scientifically proven ingredients for smoothing the texture of the skin.

To help maintain your best look as you go through fall this year, try these tips: 1: Change Your Cleansing Routine 2: Boost Hydration /add serums 3: Go With a Heavier Moisturizer 4: Add Retinol Back To Your Routine 5. Protect with SPF 6: Listen To Your Skin In addition, after the summer you may be left with more sun damaged skin, age-spots and wrinkles.

Here are some additional methods and procedures available for skin rejuvenation:

Chemical peels use reactive solutions to remove the undesirable layer of skin. A chemical peel sounds like a harsh treatment, but in reality it can greatly vary from gentle to strong depending on the type of solution used for your skin’s needs.

Laser skin resurfacing which creates ablative fractional short pulses of light energy beams to remove superficial skin cells by evaporating them. The treatment then triggers the body’s natural healing process, stimulating the growth of new collagen and healthy skin tissue.

Microneedling (also known as collagen induction therapy) involves using fine needles to create hundreds of tiny, invisible puncture wounds to the top layer of skin.

With its ability to trigger the regeneration of new cells, just a few sessions are needed to see noticeable reduction in fine lines, crow’s feet, and deep wrinkles on the forehead.

Botox revitalizes your appearance by reducing overlying wrinkles caused by overactive facial muscles. You will see restored facial tone and smoothing within 5 to 7 days after a treatment.

Juvederm smooths facial lines with a fluid framework that restores facial volume loss.

You will see immediate improvement in parenthesis lines around the nose, mouth, lips, smile lines and restored lip volume.

Susan became a licensed esthetician with the State Board of Arkansas in 1986. Since beginning her career, she has received ongoing education and training in the latest developments for skin care and treatments from such notable laboratories as the OBAGI Medical, Harold Pharmaceutical Inc., New York, and Mattioli Engineering Ltd. She is a certified laser technician specializing in fraxel laser. Susan has received advanced training and certification for level III injection techniques from Allergan, the original creators of Botox and in all Juvederm cosmetic injectables. Susan has received numerous awards and special recognition during her career. She partners with Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Michael Devlin of Little Rock, Arkansas.

real estate

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The Arkansas Community Foundation In the spirt of Giving Back, the Tobey Team would like to share a little information on how a vision and what a few committed leaders can do. Here is a brief overview of the Arkansas Community Foundation.

When a small group of community leaders met in a Little Rock restaurant more than 40 years ago to discuss forming a community foundation, did they dream of the strong Arkansas Community Foundation, with its 28 local affiliate offices, that exists today?

Thanks to the generosity of Arkansans who followed their lead, our Community Foundation has provided more than $179 million in grants to nonprofits in Arkansas.

The Foundation has partnered with thousands of Arkansas nonprofits to help them improve our neighborhoods, our towns and our entire state. By making grants and sharing knowledge, the Foundation has supported charitable programs that work for Arkansas and partnered to create new initiatives that address the gaps.

Even as grants go out the door, the Community Foundation continues to grow its stewardship of long-term assets. We’re a Foundation that continues to grow and continues to give!

Thanks to the vision of community philanthropists in Faulkner County, Arkansas Community Foundation of

Faulkner County opened its doors in 2001. In its first year, local board members raised $70,000 and created an endowment that awarded $10,000 in grants. As we celebrate our 16th anniversary, we have 56 local funds and assets of $9.9 million.

Ultimately, we have returned over $2.2 million in grants to the local community.

The Community Foundation works with individuals, families, organizations, and corporations to help them achieve their charitable goals. Creating funds with the Community Foundation is easy and it allows donors to give to the causes they care about year after year. We connect people who care with causes that matter.

As the end of the year approaches, it’s the perfect time to think about your charitable giving plan. Currently, we are working with donors on three initiatives: 1) IRA Charitable Rollovers allowing their IRA Required Minimum Distributions to work for their favorite charities in a tax advantageous way; 2) Keep 5 allows donors to express their community appreciation through long-term gifts by leaving 5% of their estate to a giving plan at the Community Foundation, and 3) Give Where You Live by donating to our Giving Tree program that supports local nonprofits for the long-term.

The Community Foundation has more than 40 years of experience as a trusted

partner of some of the most generous citizens in Arkansas. Our staff and local boards have been at the forefront of addressing community needs through thoughtful, well-researched, impact-driven grantmaking. Your gifts to foundation-directed funds demonstrate a commitment to the community’s future and entrust the Community Foundation’s leadership as your agent for positive change in perpetuity.

The grants and assets of the Community Foundation continue to grow thanks to generations of donors who have entrusted their charitable giving dollars to the Foundation as a part of our family of philanthropy. Join the thousands of Arkansans, many in our own community, who are partnering with the Community Foundation to support the causes they care about now and in the future. Visit arcf.org/ FaulknerCounty to learn more.

Thank you for allowing us to share information about this great organization.

The Tobey Team at Crye-Leike Realtors Conway is one of Faulkner County’s leading, knowledgeable and top producers. We are full time agents with the knowledge, dedication, customer focus, and commitment to all aspects of your Real Estate needs.

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 21

home

Festive for Fall

22 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

THE GREEN’S HOME

“I’ve enjoyed decorating for over 50 years. I can remember when I was a young boy looking forward to decorating our family home for the fall. It always made our home feel warm, special and festive.”

PHOTOS BY BRANDY STRAIN

When fall arrives in Faulkner County, Rick and Leah Green’s home is transformed into a virtual cornucopia of vignettes that perfectly reflect the sights, sounds, and scents of the season.

Each year, the Greens decorate both inside and outside at their home, using tones of orange, brown, gold and “all of the warm colors.” All types and sizes of pumpkins, squash, winter corn, and fall grasses show up in the vignettes placed throughout their home.

“I’ve enjoyed decorating for over 50 years.

I can remember when I was a young boy looking forward to decorating our family home for the fall. It always made our home feel warm, special and festive,” Rick says.

“Fall to me is the gateway to the holiday season. In October you have Halloween, November you have Thanksgiving, and in December you have Christmas. I love the cooler weather and watching the leaves grow old. I love the crunch of the leaves when you walk on them.”

“I not only like decorating for the fall and Thanksgiving, but I love to decorate for Christmas, too. I have a collection of Santa Clauses and Christopher Radko ornaments that I always use and enjoy for the holidays.

Christmas is a special time at our home,” he added.

Rick says he tries to do a little more each year when it comes to his fall decor. “This year it took me about four to five days to get everything done that I wanted to get done. When I start decorating I just start and it comes to me as I go. Sometimes I’m amazed at how it all ends up. I have to step back and say ‘how did that happen?’,” he said. “As far as a theme, I just want lots and WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 23

home lots of color -- that’s what’s fall is all about for me. I always try to decorate both inside and out. Outside is for everyone to enjoy and the inside is for us to enjoy.”

The Greens’ décor also includes decorator pieces that are both old and new. “These colors make everything look warm and homey, especially when it looks old and worn. I like working in old worn things. I always try to work in an old plow that my wife’s grandfather used to make a garden. I love that ole plow! I look at it and it has a story,” Rick said.

The decorating bug worked its way into Rick’s blood at an early age, thanks to a high school job and a helpful boss. “When I was in high school, I got a job with a florist in town called Idlehour Florist on Bruce Street. I was hired to make deliveries after school and clean up around the shop.

Mrs. Parker, the owner, kind of took me under her wing and started showing me a lot about decorating, and that was all it took and I was hooked. It just kind of came natural for me.”

Rick later decided to take a shot at having his own business, which worked until family needs took precedence. “At 19 years old, I opened up a florist in town called The Plant Gallery Florist. It was located in the same building that Bob’s Grill is now (on Oak Street). I had owned the florist for about six years when my father, Bob Green, lost his lease on the building that Bob’s Grill was located in then on Chestnut Street, and he needed a place to move. I decided to close my shop and let my father take the building to relocate Bob’s Grill.”

Family continues to be important in Rick’s life. He has been married to Leah McKenzie Green for over 37 years. They have two sons: Todd Green and his wife Erin Clarkson Green of Hot Springs have a daughter, Georgia; and Tyler Green of Grand Junction, Colo.

Rick is now executive broker for Coldwell Banker RPM Group of Conway, which allows him to find homes for others to decorate to their own personal likes and wants. “I still continue to do some decorating for family and friends. My wife likes to say that she is the ‘supervisor’ of all of my decorating endeavors. And believe you me, she can supervise! I wouldn’t have it any other way. We make a good team!”

24 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

THE GREEN’S HOME

“I like working in old worn things. I always try to work in an old plow that my wife’s grandfather used to make a garden.

I love that ole plow! I look at it and it has a story.”

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home

26 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

THE GREEN’S HOME

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 27

news & events

Minority Business Leaders Recognized at Annual Awards Event In addition to honoring Mary Acklin with the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Chamber presented the Advocate for Opportunity Award to Osmar Garcia of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company; the Outstanding Young Minority Professional Award to Crystal Floyd of Acxiom and Xochilt Hawks of Arkansas Property Brokers – Hawks Family Team; and the Outstanding Minority Business of the Year Award to Francisco Yanez and Samuel Ramirez of Las Delicias. Simmons Bank, Acxiom and Aramark were MED Advocates.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Mary Acklin

Mary Acklin

Mary Acklin, retired owner of Acklin Rental Property, is the recipient of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award. Together with five other award winners, Acklin accepted the award at the Chamber’s annual Minority Enterprise Development Awards event, presented by Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company.

The awards reception took place Monday, Sept. 25, at Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center at the University of Central Arkansas.

Through four categories of awards, the event celebrated the achievements of minority entrepreneurs and professionals as well as the individuals and organizations committed to advancing minority business enterprise.

Community members nominated individuals or organizations for each category.

Held in partnership with UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall, the MED Awards included a special appearance by Tania León, composer of the Little Rock Nine opera. León spoke to the attendees about her work-in-progress before taking the stage at Reynolds with Harvard professor, filmmaker and literary scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. All MED ticket holders received admission to the “Turning History into Art” program featuring Gates and León, which included a live preview of the opera.

28 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates high standards of excellence, dedication and accomplishment over a sustained period of time. The award is granted to an individual who has played an integral role in the creative, technical or professional progress of minority business development over the course of their life.

The personification of community service for more than 50 years, Mary Acklin has offered support to her neighbors through a variety of outlets. Through her family rental property business, students of area colleges were housed long before residence halls decorated the campuses. Acklin recognized a need in the community to support single mothers as well as the homeless and provided shelter and support along with encouragement and a loving smile.

Acklin was listed among the International Who’s Who of Business and was recognized in the Professional Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000. She’s a member of the Mount Gale Missionary Baptist Church, the Pink Rose Arts and Civic Club, served as president of the Order of the Eastern Star for 15 years and earned the title of Worthy Matron. With her late husband, Troy, Acklin has five daughters, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren.

Advocate for Opportunity: Osmar Garcia

The Advocate for Opportunity Award is presented to an individual, organization or business that has demonstrated significant accomplishments in advocating for minority business enterprises.

As a financial advisor for nearly 10 years, Osmar Garcia assists individuals and businesses with overall strategic planning.

Working solely off recommendations, Garcia

The 2017 MED Awards recipients were recognized at a reception at UCA on Monday, Sept. 25. The honorees are: (seated from left) Francisco Yanez and Samuel Ramirez of Las Delicias; Mary Acklin, retired owner of Acklin Rental Property; (standing from left) Crystal Floyd of Acxiom; Xochilt Hawks of Arkansas Property Brokers – Hawks Family Team; and Morgan Garcia on behalf of Osmar Garcia of Northwestern Mutual. Representing sponsor Northwestern Mutual, Jeremy Deramus presented the awards.

and his team work closely with their clients to create relationships of trust and understanding. Garcia serves on a variety of committees and nonprofit boards within the community and his church.

Outstanding Young Minority Professional The Outstanding Young Minority Professional Award is presented to a minority business owner or professional between the ages of 21-39 who has committed himself or herself to business and community service.

Crystal Floyd

When looking at her personal growth and accomplishments, Crystal Floyd credits her service to the community, adding that her role as engagement manager at Acxiom allows her to execute her passion at a corporate level every day. Floyd is involved with area Boys & Girls Clubs and has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Soul Food Café among many other organizations.

Xochilt Hawks

Practicing real estate for nearly five years, Xochilt Hawks prides herself in providing clients with an enjoyable and empowering experience as they buy or sell their home. Her bilingual skills have awarded her the opportunity to expand her client base, serving a larger portion of the community through her

IN THE NEWS

Harwell Designs Wins Boutique of the Year for Arkansas

Tania León

work and service to the community. Hawks is involved with the children’s ministry at her church and also plays the role of a room-mom at her children’s school.

Outstanding Minority Business of the Year: Las Delicias

The Outstanding Minority Business of the Year is presented to a minority-owned business whose practices have had a significant impact on the community.

Offering the highest quality of homemade gourmet ice cream and paletas, Las Delicias celebrates one year of operation along with the sales mark of more than 15,000 popsicles sold. Owned by Francisco Yanez and Samuel Ramirez, its staff of eight prides themselves on being a family oriented business, greeting each customer with a smile. Supporting a variety of church, school and community groups through local activities and festivals, Las Delicias has played a major role in its community in a short time.

Conway Area Chamber of Commerce

For more than 125 years, the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce has served as the voice of the Conway, Arkansas, business community. It represents the interests of more than 1,200 members by promoting economic development in Conway and Faulkner County, advocating a pro-business climate at all levels of government, supporting the county’s educational institutions, and establishing and executing a vision for the community. To learn more about the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, visit ConwayChamber.org.

Jennie Strange is the founder and Executive Director of Blackbird Academy of Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality performing and visual arts education. She lives in Conway with her husband, Statler, and a random assortment of dogs, goats, and chickens. To submit your Arts Calendar events, email Jennie@blackbirdacademy.org

After more than 400,000 votes were cast, Harwell Designs of Vilonia was recently named Arkansas Storefront Boutique of the Year by shoppers!

The Boutique Awards is the only global recognition event for independent boutique retail owners in the fashion industry, hosted

by The Boutique Hub. The Awards recognize and celebrate the best boutiques across all 50 States in the US, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, in categories of Storefront Boutique of the Year, Online Boutique of the Year, Children’s Boutique of the Year, Mobile

Boutique of the Year, and State or Country Overall Boutique of the Year.

The awards celebrate retail at a unique time, when many are dubbing a current retail apocalypse, however industry trends show a strong upswing in the boutique retail market.

The Boutique Hub, the global voice and Hub of the Boutique Fashion Industry, cites one of the strongest boutique markets in history with new boutiques opening daily across the globe, and established boutiques posting some of the strongest sales to date. The Shop Small movement is certainly alive and well as big box retail dwindles.

Harwell Designs opened in 2015, carrying women’s clothing and catering to ALL sizes.

“We are blessed to have the greatest customers. We know they have a choice where they shop and are thankful they choose us!” said, Harwell Design’s Owner, Lori Harwell.

Complete list of award winners online at www.theboutiqueawards.com

ARTS CALENDAR

NOV 12: UCA Trombone Studio Recital @ UCA Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) November 2017 Events NOV 15: Shakespeare Behind Bars- film screening Information and pricing on event websites.

by Actor/Director Curt Tofteland @ UCA Stanley Russ Hall 103; 7:00 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) NOV 2: Landon Cole, Saxophone Student Recital @ UCA Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m NOV 15: UCA Guitar Ensembles Concert @ UCA Snow www.uca.edu/cfac (G) Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) NOV 2-DEC 7: BA/BFA Juried Senior Art Exhibition @ UCA NOV 16: UCA University Chorus Concert @ UCA Snow McCastlain Baum Gallery; www.uca.edu/cfac (PG13) Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) NOV 2-4: Shadows Where We Live @ UCA Snow Fine Arts NOV 16: A Charlie Brown Christmas Live! @ Reynolds Center Bridges/Larson Theatre; Nov 2,3 @ 7:30 p.m., Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/reynolds (G) Nov 4 @ 2:00 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (A) NOV 18-19: Beauty and the Beast the Musical NOV 3: Pizza and Painting @ Blackbird Academy of Arts; presented by Blackbird Academy of Arts @ Hendrix Staples 6-8 p.m. www.blackbirdacademy.org (Ages 5+) Auditorium; Nov 18 @ 7:00 p.m., Nov 19 @ 2:00 p.m. www.blackbirdacademy.org (G) NOV 3: Author Tayari Jones Public Reading, Q&A @ UCA College of Business Auditorium; 6:00 p.m.

NOV 19: Belle’s Enchanted Tea Party presented by www.uca.edu/cfac (PG) Blackbird Academy of Arts @ Hendrix Mills Library; 3:30 p.m. www.blackbirdacademy.org (G) NOV 4: America @ Reynolds Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/reynolds (G) NOV 19: Travels in Italy featuring Plein-Air Artists John P. Lasater IV and Jason Sacran @ Art on the Green; NOV 4: Lecture & Lunch with author Cara Brookins 4-6 p.m. (501) 499-3294 (G) @ UCA McCastlain Ballroom; 12:15 p.m. www.cdwrightconference.org/conference (G) NOV 22: Gail Roberts Euphonium Faculty Recital @ UCA Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m.

NOV 7: UCA Percussion Ensemble Concert @ UCA Snow www.uca.edu/cfac (G) Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) NOV 28: UCA Wind Ensemble/Symphonic Band NOV 7: UCA Band Extravaganza! @ UCA Reynolds Concert @ UCA Reynolds Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m.

Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) www.uca.edu/cfac (G) NOV 8: Neil Rutman Piano Faculty Recital @ UCA Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/tickets (G) NOV 29: UCA String Chamber Music Recital @ UCA Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) NOV 9: Brayden Fisher Saxophone Student Recital NOV 30: The Studio of Neil Rutman in Recital @ UCA Snow @ UCA Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m.

Fine Arts Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac (G) www.uca.edu/cfac (G) NOV 10: La Fiesta Orquesta Orchestra concerts, dinner, RATING KEY and live auction @ Conway High School; 5-8 p.m.

G – Suitable for all ages orchestra.conwayschools.org (G) PG – Suggested for ages 7+ NOV 10-12: You Can’t Take It With You presented PG13 – Suggested for ages 13+

by Conway High School @ Conway Junior High; A – Suggested for Adults 18+ passmorej@conwayschools.info (PG) WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 29

news & events

GirlForce GLObal Dance Party

Jazzercise Conway Premiere Fitness Center celebrated their GirlForce initiative with a GLObal Dance Party on September 23rd.

Jazzercise locations all around the world hosted the In Full Force dance party for young women. The local studio transformed the workout room to a dance club complete with black lights, glow paint and glow sticks!

The instructors led the girls in cardio dance routines and strength routines to a pulsepounding, beat-pumping playlist full of current music hits.

The international initiative was created

by Jazzercise, Inc. as way to introduce young women ages 16-21 years old to the benefits of working out. This age group faces so many challenges in this modern world. We jumped at the chance to be part of this international outreach. We are offering the girls in this age bracket unlimited classes for free at the Conway location. Positive role models for young women are an important component in shaping our future women leaders.

Jazzercise Conway Premiere Fitness Center has had over 100 young women attend classes so far this year. Sydney Mulhearn, a Conway High School senior, was quoted in a recent

30 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

blog written by Judi Sheppard Missett, Founder and CEO of Jazzercise, Inc.

Jazzercise Inc.

The Jazzercise company culture has always included finding ways to give of ourselves.

This year, we’ve created GirlForce™ as our way of giving back to the communities in which we do business. Young women face so many challenges in this modern world.

Our hope is to offer them a haven from their hectic lives. We think our classes can be a fun, safe place girls to get fit and discover how great a challenging workout feels. As an instructor, you have the opportunity to be an example of strength – both physically and emotionally.

GirlForce is a way for our program and our people to support girls as they grow into the powerful women they’ll become.

At the heart of GirlForce is a pure desire to help others and to provide something positive in our communities. This is the first time in our 48 years that our whole group has banded together to do something charitable as a company, internationally. We think that’s pretty amazing in and of itself!

IN THE NEWS

Downtown Partnership Annual Meeting at Hendrix College

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news & events

Arkansas Realtors® Association Installs Velda Lueders as 2018 President

Velda Lueders, Conway, was installed as the 2018 President of the Arkansas Realtors® Association (ARA) during the Inaugural Banquet held on Wednesday September 20, 2017 at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas. The banquet also installed incoming 2018 ARA Officers and Directors. Andy Schaus, 1988 ARA President and past CEO of ARA, carried out the induction.

Velda has been in the real estate industry since March of 1996 starting her career with Pam McDowell and has been with Coldwell Banker from June of 2016 to present. A Conway native, Velda is a member of the Faulkner County Board of REALTORS® where she has served two terms as President; once in 2005 and again in 2011. She is currently serving as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Faulkner County Board of REALTORS®. She is very active within her community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Haven House; a group home for adolescent females to provide safety from abuse and/ or neglect.

Always making education a top priority, she holds several designations including Accredited Buyer’s Representative, Certified REALTOR® Specialist, Graduate REALTOR® Institute, Seniors Real Estate Specialist, Seller Representative Specialist, Military Relocation Professional, and is a graduate of the Graduate REALTOR® Leadership Academy. She serves on her local board Professional Development Committee where she conducts new member orientation classes for new REALTOR® members.

32 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

On the state level, Velda has been a very active member, chairing or serving on many of the ARA committees including Professional Development, Legislative, Professional Standards, Public Relations, and Finance committees. She is currently serving on ARA’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

When asked about her goals for the upcoming year, Velda responded “My main goal is getting more members involved in their local and state activities. Whether it is volunteering for an event, serving on a committee, or chairing a committee. If you become involved at these levels, you will want to move on to national activities. I want members to go to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) website and take advantage of all that NAR has to offer.

Finally, I want us to continue as an Association to be proactive in looking for more ways to serve the needs of our members”.

“You must make the choice to take the chance if you want the change” is Velda’s theme and vision as President for the 2018 year of the Arkansas REALTORS® Association. The Arkansas REALTORS® Association is proud and honored to have Velda Lueders serving as our 2018 President.

IN THE NEWS

Project Homeless Connect

Community Action Program for Central Arkansas (CAPCA), in partnership with many non-profits, businesses, organizations and community members, will host Project Homeless Connect again this year in January.

In an effort to raise awareness about the event and the homelessness issue our community faces, CAPCA will hold a 30-day ‘Change the World’ challenge through the month of November. Each person is challenged to follow a calendar of daily awareness tasks throughout the month. Some of the tasks are as simple as reading an article or sharing what you’ve learned with someone.

Other tasks including placing a penny in a jar for every glass of water that was consumed by individuals in your home that day, or putting a dime in a jar for each pair of shoes you own (and yes, flip-flops count).

The main goal behind the challenge is to raise awareness and have each person consider for 30 days what it is like to live homeless.

The challenge, though simple, helps us all become more aware of things that we daily take for granted; like a faucet in your home, when others don’t even have a home. Will you take the challenge? Will you help Change the World… our world?

For more information about Project Homeless Connect and the 30-day Change the World challenge, visit our project Facebook page at facebook/ProjectHomelessConnect.

Arkansas, or contact Melissa Allen at (501) 269-9351 or at Melissa.Allen@CAPCAinc. org. We will have purple awareness ribbons and piggy banks while supplies last.

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news & events

It’s Time to Start Packing!

What is Operation Christmas Child?

The Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child collects shoebox gifts—filled with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items—and delivers them to children in need around the world to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way.

For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, has collected and delivered more than 146 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

In 2017, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 12 million children in countries like Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda and Ukraine. Nearly 11.5 million shoebox gifts were collected worldwide in 2016, with more than 9.1 million collected in the U.S.

How Can YOU Help?

Conway and the surrounding communities have been participating in the collection of these shoebox gifts since 1999. Scores of churches, groups, teams, classes, businesses, families and individuals from our local community have contributed thousands of boxes since 1999.

The entire community is invited to join in this gift giving ministry. The 2017 Collection Week is November 13th-20th. The drop off location this year is 1051 Hogan Lane (Fellowship Bible Church). Drop off hours are from 10am-2pm Monday through Friday, with additional hours from 7-9pm on Wednesday, 10am-12pm on Saturday, 1-6pm on Sunday, and 9am-12pm the last Monday.

What Do You Pack In A Shoebox?

Anyone can pack a shoebox. Individuals, families, churches and groups fill empty shoeboxes with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys, such as dolls or soccer balls.

Do NOT Include candy; toothpaste; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; seeds; chocolate or food; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items, such as snow globes or glass containers; or aerosol cans.

What’s New?

The Go Store is a one-stop location in downtown Conway where you can find quality items at discounted prices for your Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts!

The GO Store is in a NEW location at 807 Court Street in Conway.

34 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

The GO Store Mission: To offer quality merchandise at discount prices to individuals and groups wishing to pack shoeboxes to benefit Operation Christmas Child and to make items cheaper and more accessible—allowing those packing to send more shoeboxes for the same amount of money; therefore, increasing their impact in spreading The Gospel and making disciples of the nations. Visit us online at www.ConwayGOstore.com.

New Initiatives for 2017: No Candy or Toothpaste, Shoebox Donation $9.

Information on what to include and what not to include at SamaritansPurse.org/occ.

Operation Christmas Child suggests a shipping donation of $9. Shipping donations can be made online on the Samaritan’s Purse website. Click on the Follow Your Box tab and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.

“This is an exciting week that we plan for all year. We love seeing the faces and hearing the stories of the people who donate shoeboxes each year, and we count it as such a privilege to share these gifts with these children in desperate situations!” said Dawn Wilson, Arkansas River Valley Area Coordinator. For more information, in addition to the website, contact Dawn Wilson at (501) 269-0434.

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health

ADVERTISEMENT

I Just Love Deadlines—Not! Boy howdy, it seems like every day brings a new deadline that must be met. Mine for today is the completion of this article, and tomorrow it will be something else. I know you can all relate. For those of you who turned 65 years of age this year or if you are already past that number like I am, there is one deadline looming that really is a pretty big deal – the enrollment deadline for Medicare Part D drug plans. This enrollment period happens once a year and usually runs from October 15th through December 7th.

Frankly, the entire process of selecting a plan is confusing and frustrating, largely because there are so many plans from which to choose. If you’re like me, you’re getting pretty tired of all of the advertisements on radio and television about these plans, each one claiming to be the perfect one for everybody. What’s equally frustrating to me is the amount of junk mail they send. They waste enough paper to wipe out a good portion of the South American rainforest!

If you happen to be one of those confused and frustrated Medicare patients, take heart – your pharmacist is a great resource and will be glad to help clear things up for you. Here are some helpful facts you need to know before enrollment.

First of all, you have until December 7th to choose a plan so your deadline isn’t quite as pressing as all the advertisements make it sound. There is still plenty of time to do your research. Be aware that there is no perfect plan, so pick the one that best fits you

36 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

and your medication list. If you are already enrolled in a plan, you are allowed to change your mind and change to a different one – as long as you do it within the open enrollment period. If you qualify for extra financial help or if you’re moving to an area in which your plan doesn’t provide coverage, you can switch your plan. Some Medicare recipients are “dual-eligible,” which means they qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Dual eligible patients may switch plans at any time during the year.

Medicare Advantage plans are kind of a hybrid Medicare coverage in which the federal government pays a fixed amount to private insurance companies, which in turn, provide Medicare benefits. Under a Medicare Advantage plan, you get Medicare coverage through a private insurance company instead of the original Medicare from good old Uncle Sam. While they have to follow certain rules set by Medicare, these plans may place more restrictions on which providers you use, can have different out-of-pocket costs, and may set different rules for how you get services. If you enroll in one of these plans you are allowed to switch to another advantage plan or switch back to original Medicare coverage during the enrollment period. Confused yet?

Uncle Sam pretty much “twists your arm” to get you to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan and imposes a penalty on those who choose not to enroll within 63 days of becoming eligible. The cost of the late enrollment penalty depends on how long

you went without Medicare or private prescription drug coverage from your employer, and you’ll usually have to pay this penalty for as long as you have a Medicare drug plan.

Medicare calculates the penalty by multiplying 1% of the national base beneficiary premium ($35.63 per month in 2017) times the number of full, uncovered months you didn’t have Part D coverage. The monthly premium is rounded to the nearest $.10 and added to your monthly Part D premium.

The national base beneficiary premium may increase each year, so your penalty amount may also increase each year.

Now I know you’re confused and we haven’t even talked about preferred networks, deductibles, co-pays, the “donut hole”, prior authorizations, formulary restrictions, and a whole host of other factors. Do yourself a favor and don’t try to sort this out on your own. Please, give us a call. We deal with this stuff every day and we’ll be happy to help you sort it all out.

Uh-oh – I missed my bedtime deadline!

David Smith is the owner and chief pharmacist at Smith Family Pharmacy where he works with his wife Shirley and staff. He graduated from the UAMS College of Pharmacy in 1974 and has been taking care of people in the Conway and surrounding areas for more than 43 years.

He loves spending time with family and is No1POP to 5 wonderful grandchildren.

pets

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Simple Ways to Keep Your Pet Healthy A healthy pet is a happy pet, and responsible pet owners know that their beloved pets’ health rests largely on the owners’ shoulders. Ensuring a pet is healthy over the long haul can be quite simple. While some pets may develop medical conditions that require more attention, the following are a few simply ways pet owners can keep their pets healthy.

Don’t skip visits to the veterinarian.

Unlike humans, pets can’t speak for themselves, so it’s quite possible that a pet could be hurting or dealing with a medical condition while its owner has no idea.

Annual veterinary checkups can help avoid such situations, and the vet might notice a developing condition before it becomes anything serious. If a pet’s behavior suddenly changes, then schedule a veterinarian visit as soon as possible, as this behaviorial change could be indicative of a medical issue.

Prioritize vaccinations. Vaccinations can protect a pet from a host of ailments, including rabies, distemper and Lyme disease.

New pet owners who adopted a pet from a rescue organization should get documentation about the animal’s past vaccinations (certified kennels typically provide such documentation at the time of adoption). If there is no such documentation or if there are documents showing the pet received

certain vaccinations but not necessarily all of its vaccinations, take the pet to the veterinarian and have the animal receive those vaccinations that aren’t documented.

Spay or neuter the pet.

Spaying or neutering a pet is a preventive measure that can help a pet in the long haul.

Spaying, or removing the ovaries and uterus of a female dog or cat, can prevent diseases, such as breast cancer and pyometra, as well as infection and keep the animal from going into heat. Neutering a male a dog or cat before it reaches six months can reduce the likelihood that the animal will behave aggressively while helping to prevent testicular cancer, diseases of the prostate and hernias.

Help the pet fight heartworms. Heartworms isn’t easy to treat, but it is easily prevented. Cat owners should speak to their veterinarian about heartworms and the best course of action, as cats are less likely to develop heartworms than dogs, who are natural hosts for the infection. Dogs should be tested for them annually in the early spring, and the veterinarian might prescribe

a preventive medication the dog will take once per month. How long the dog must take the medication depends on the dog and the veterinarian, but dog owners should heed the vet’s advice.

Get your pet off the couch. Humans should not be couch potatoes, and neither should their pets. Regular exercise burns calories while increasing muscle mass and improving cardiovascular strength.

Dog owners should know that how much exercise their dog needs depends on its breed, age, sex and physical condition, so discuss a proper exercise regimen with your veterinarian. Cats need exercise, too, and cat owners should also discuss the specifics with their vet.

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 37

food

38 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

F A L L’ S B O U N T Y

Fall’s Perfect Pecan Treats

By Leah Ashby and Linda Mars Photos by Brandy Strain

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a pecan pie. Linda shares her greatgrandmother’s tried and true recipe, but you can also amp up your dessert menu with a modern twist on pecans.

Whether you go traditional or contemporary, your celebration won’t be complete without one of these delicious desserts.

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food

Butter Pecan Cheesecake Mini Trifles Ingredients Cheesecake Trifle:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 ½ tablespoon butter flavoring extract 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup pecan chips ½ cup graham cracker crumbs Caramel Sauce:

2 cups sugar ½ cup water 1 Tablespoon corn syrup 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature ½ cup bourbon

40 WOMEN’S INC. / NOVEMBER 2017

Preparation In a small pan on medium high heat, add the pecan chips and toast the pecans for 5 minutes.

In medium bowl, blend cream cheese until creamy with a handheld mixer; add the sweetened condensed milk and mix again. Finally, add the butter and vanilla extract. Fold in the toasted pecan pieces. Set in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the caramel sauce, add sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring sugar mixture to a boil and use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides of the pot. Do not stir. Continue cooking until dark amber color emerges, about 6 minutes, and remove from heat. Carefully and slowly pour in the

heavy cream and stir. Once the cream is added allow to sit for about 1 minute. Next, slowly add the bourbon and stir. Bring the caramel back to a boil for about 1 minute.

In mini trifles or shot glasses, add 2 tbsp of graham cracker crumbs. Place cheesecake mixture in large plastic bag and cut hole at the bottom corner of the bag. Layer the with cheesecake filling, caramel sauce, cheesecake filling and top off with whipped cream. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes and serve.

F A L L’ S B O U N T Y

Mama’s Pecan Pie Ingredients

1 cup white Karo syrup ½ cup sugar 3 eggs, beaten 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 pinch salt 1 cup pecans, halved 1 pie shell Preparation Add sugar to eggs. Add Karo syrup, butter, salt, vanilla and pecans. Stir well.

Pour in shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until set. namon apples and warm caramel sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

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food

F A L L’ S B O U N T Y

Pecan Pie Squares Ingredients

2 cups flour ½ cup confectioner’s sugar 1 cup cold butter or margarine 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 6-ounce package almond brickle chips 1 cup chopped pecans

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Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees (352 degrees for glass pan). In medium bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in the margarine or butter until mixture is crumbly. Press firmly in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes.

In the meantime, beat sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla. Stir in chips and pecans. Spread onto crust evenly. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overbake as the edges will harden, making cutting difficult. Cool. Cut in squares.

Store covered to refrigerate.

Conway residents Leah and Linda are longtime friends who love entertaining family and friends. Leah is a business analyst at Acxiom Corporation, and Linda is a Registered Nurse at Circle of Friends Clinic at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

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health

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How Hearing Loss Affects Understanding Poor hearing has been scientifically linked to numerous negative health consequences ranging from depression to dementia.

Our ability to hear is not the same as our ability to understand. Hearing is a function of the ear. Speech understanding is a function of the brain. The ear collects sound and transmits it to the brain. The brain translates what the ears have collected into something that it can understand. If hearing loss prevents the ear from picking up the sounds of speech then the amount of information that the brain has to work with becomes limited and speech understanding suffers. If this goes unchecked for many years the brain effectively forgets how to process speech efficiently. It’s a case of use it or lose it and why early intervention with properly fitted hearing aids is so important.

There are two primary components of speech, volume and clarity. The volume of speech becomes vowel sounds that we make with our vocal cords. The clarity of speech comes from consonant sounds that are produced with the lips and teeth. If high frequency hearing loss prevents us from hearing the soft sounds at the beginning of a word and we only hear the loud vowel sounds, then we don’t know if the person speaking said,

Hat, Cat, or Sat. We just hear, “at” and accuse the speaker of mumbling. This seems worse in a noisy place like a restaurant.

Properly programmed hearing aids used on a regular basis can provide improvement in not only hearing but understanding as well. Research shows that most people with hearing loss wait seven years between the time that they first start having problems and the time that they get a hearing test. In this time the brain is losing practice at understanding.

If the hearing loss is too severe and goes on for too long there is always a chance that it cannot be improved, but almost always, patients who choose to correct their hearing loss sooner rather than later, and who wear their hearing aids often will hear and understand speech much better.

An accurate examination can reveal exactly where the deficit lies along the spectrum of speech sounds, and which type of hearing aid circuitry and programming will best help the patient regain the ability to understand speech more clearly.

“I hear but I don’t understand.” “People just mumble when they talk.” There is a solution to this lack of understanding. The first step is getting an examination, preferably in a medical clinic that specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the ear and hear-

ing. Hearing health is an important aspect of our daily lives and poor hearing has been scientifically linked to numerous negative health consequences ranging from depression to dementia.

Our in-house data of thousands of patients reveals that following a 30 day trial of today’s smart technology hearing aids, 97% of users experience enough benefit to want to keep using their devices. When will you decide that it’s time to start understanding better?

“People just mumble when they talk.”

“I hear but I don’t understand.”

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book review

THE LOST CITY OF Z Written by David Grann Reviewed by Susan O’Keefe

Armed with a machete, a compass, and a near divine sense of direction, Fawcett is searching, not only for this lost city, but also for a deeper purpose to his own life.

With a superhuman magnetic persona, a British explorer endeavors to uncover the mysteries of the Amazon in the early twentieth century. In a horrendously perilous adventure, Englishman Percy Fawcett leads his detachment into the depths of new discoveries. It is truly a fresh frontier.

Yet, there is evidence of life lost, evidence of a previous civilization, and evidence that Fawcett’s Indiana Jones-type personality cannot resist. He is drawn to the Amazon

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like the hordes of mosquitos that wreak havoc on his crew. He returns again and again until one day, the Amazon refuses to release him.

Enduring every conceivable hardship the Amazon can muster, author and New York City native David Grann pieces together the obscure puzzle of a vanished civilization and the men who continued to search for it, no matter the cost. A self-proclaimed cityslicker, Grann confesses to a near obsession while researching The Lost City of Z.

SUSAN O’KEEFE

Xingu Indian tribes tell Grann, as they have been told from previous generations that the white man simply went over the hill and never came back.

With a fine-tooth comb, Grann tediously examines Fawcett’s diaries, and commits to following what’s been dubbed “the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century” until it leads him to a satisfying conclusion. He ventures to three continents.

He researches even the most minute detail.

Eventually, he finds himself in the jungle’s “green hell” like hundreds who attempted the quest before him.

As the 2016 action packed movie showcases, Fawcett endured embarrassing ridicule and mockery from the scientific community. But after his initial discovery of proof that an advanced civilization once inhabited areas which now include parts of Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil, Fawcett’s determination grew even more fierce. Supported by his devoted wife and son, Fawcett confesses to an addictive lure to his beloved jungle.

“But they were so unprepared,” lamented one reader. “More than one hundred people died trying to follow in Fawcett’s footsteps.

The deeper into those jungles they traveled, the less likely they were to come out.”

From their perspective and time in history, however, they were prepared. They had more than two dozen pack mules but no malaria meds! How can an explorer prepare for what he does not know exists?

Armed with a machete, a compass, and a near divine sense of direction, Fawcett is searching, not only for this lost city, but also for a deeper purpose to his own life.

Debates swirl as to whether he was seeking fame and fortune, or simple satisfaction and surety.

Settings and scenarios from The Lost City of Z provided an adventurous backdrop for stunning conversations within book club.

“The deceptive jungle is harsh. Think about it. At every turn, something has to die to provide nourishment for something else to live,” concluded another reader. It seems the canopies provide shade for choking vines that showed no mercy.

As Grann delves deeper into his subject, there are revealing tales of nearly forgotten people groups. The astounding complexities and diversity of the various tribes were

eye-opening. The hunter-gatherers of a near-extinct people shocked readers with atrocities such as cannibalism.

It was 1925 when Fawcett disappeared.

Grann believes he has traced Fawcett’s footsteps to the near spot where he was last seen. In a defeating, almost anti-climactic manner, the Xingu Indian tribes tell Grann, as they have been told from previous generations that the white man simply went over the hill and never came back.

Is there more to the terrifying tale?

Did Fawcett’s life really end with a jungle stroll that went awry? The Lost City of Z explores expeditions of man in nature as well as man’s very nature. It offers fascinating insight into what lies beneath the Amazon’s mysterious floor and what lies beneath the very heart of man’s obsessions.

For an autumn adventure that is sure to amaze, find and read The Lost City of Z.

Susan lives in Augusta, Georgia, where her husband, Jack, is the Augusta University Men’s Golf Coach. Susan originally hails from Kentucky and graduated from the University of Louisville with a major study in Communication and a minor study in Health and Wellness. Susan enjoys the adventures of motherhood as she parents Lucy, John-Freeman, Henry, and Hogan (plus Oxford, the family’s black Labrador).

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faith

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ANDREA LENNON

With Thanksgiving

By Andrea Lennon

Thankfulness helps us to regroup when we are overwhelmed by all the things that are not happening in life.

When my kids were little, I taught them how to play the thankful game. The game is simple and kind of silly, but we were reminded of a valuable lesson. There is always something to be thankful for... always!

I remember playing the thankful game around the kitchen table or in the car.

Each person took a turn saying what they were thankful for. Of course, in the Lennon house, there had to be a winner!

You won the thankful game by out lasting the other players. In essence, you were able to show honestly that you were more thankful than the other players.

We played the thankful game when our attitudes were slipping or if we felt like someone else’s life was better than ours.

I was amazed by the difference a quick round of the thankful game could make in our outlook, especially mine.

In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul reminds about the importance of thanksgiving in the midst of uncertain or anxious times.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (New International Version, emphasis added) We all want to experience God’s peace in our hearts and minds, especially during uncertain times. How do we get to that place of peace? Paul says that we need to present our requests to God with

thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a powerful commodity because it helps us to see all the ways that God is present and active in the middle of our uncertain times.

Have you noticed that it is easy to focus on the things that are missing? Sometimes it is a financial blessing, a desired relationship, improved health, or maybe just some opportunities to move forward.

Thankfulness helps us to regroup when we are overwhelmed by all the things that are not happening in life. Thankfulness helps us to see how God is present and faithfully providing. Often God’s blessings come in unexpected forms and in unexpected ways. If we are not careful, we can easily miss them.

Perhaps you are going through a season that is producing some anxious moments.

Maybe you can’t sleep at night, or you don’t know what will happen next. Stop and play the thankful game. As you do, know that God is in control and that He gladly offers His peace to you.

I’ll go first. I am thankful for faith, forgiveness, family, life, health, friends, love, hope, jobs, freedom, and lip gloss. (I really do love lip gloss. It is a game changer on a rough day!) Ok. Now, it’s your turn. What are you thankful for?

Andrea Lennon lives in Conway, Arkansas, with her husband, Jay, and sons, Jake and Andrew. Andrea ministers to the women of Arkansas through a speaking and writing ministry called True Vine Ministry. To learn more about this ministry, access Andrea’s website at www.andrealennon.net.

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imatter

Katherine Beasley

A Distinguished Young Woman

By Cindy Beckman Eighteen-year-old Katherine Beasley is going places—all the time. Now with her most recent distinction, she has been awarded a full four-year scholarship to attend the University of Alabama.

On August 19, Katherine, daughter of Kristie and John Beasley of Conway, was the 2018 winner for Distinguished Young Women in Arkansas. Among her awards were Overall Fitness, Overall Interview, Overall Scholastic and Overall Self-Expression.

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Katherine will now compete in the National Distinguished Young Women program in Mobile, Alabama in June 2018.

For those unfamiliar with this program, it was formerly called American Junior Miss.

Contestants are judged in five areas, scholastic, interview, talent, fitness and self-expression, and $55,000 in scholarships will be awarded to the top three contestants. Over $1.5 billion in college grants and cash scholarships are awarded each year to participants.

But Katherine has other places to go before next June. After Thanksgiving, she

will be going to Poland to compete with the USA Dance Jazz and Contemporary Dance Team. This is an Olympic-level team that will compete against thousands of dancers from 96 countries. There are opening ceremonies much like the familiar ones seen every four years.

The 13-member team is made up of dancers from different states and is currently receiving additional training in Little Rock.

They were chosen by the International Olympic Committee after submitting a video showing their technique. Rehearsals can involve ten hours of dance each day.

KATHERINE BEASLEY All contestants will compete the first day in two events—jazz and modern contemporary.

Cuts will then be made to the top twelve.

Although the girls will be busy competing most of the time, one tourist day has been scheduled so that they can visit some of the nearby historical sites like Auschwitz and some of the old Polish castles.

The team is being sponsored by SoDanca, a dance apparel and clothing company that is providing $200 in custom leotards, leggings, etc. They are also being sponsored by Pumpers, a dance costume designer.

Another place Katherine went this last summer was a week-long Summer Intensive with the Radio City Rockettes. Participants must work hard to get used to the style before they go to the invitational week and are chosen each year by audition. Practices are done in a secret location under high security.

At the end of the week, the girls perform at New York University’s Skirball Auditorium.

“There is a high level of professionalism, they are very precise. Sometimes everyone has to start over again because one didn’t conform,” Katherine said about her week with the Rockettes. Katherine would one day like to be a part of one of the two Rockette casts.

At age three, Katherine started taking tap and ballet lessons at Sonshine Academy, and then began to add jazz and lyrical dance which is a combination of jazz and ballet. She took lessons at Ashley’s Dance Arts until it closed but now she is a competition dancer with Rock City Dance Center in Little Rock.

She also does musical theatre.

In addition to competing herself, Katherine also assists in teaching eight different classes of ballet, tap and jazz at

Rock City. Her students have won several dance competitions, including third in a national competition. She was also recently recognized with the Dedication Award at Rock City for her outstanding efforts.

Because of her busy dance schedule, Katherine is home schooled and takes concurrent classes at UCA. She is a political science major and plans to go to law school.

Recently, she has taken on a community service project of providing backpacks of food to local elementary school students.

During the Distinguished Young Women competition, Krista Brimer, the state president of the organization, led a similar community service project by having the contestants bring ten items each for students in the Bald Knob area. Katherine liked the idea so much that she has started her own program in Conway.

She collects slightly-used backpacks and lunch boxes which she then fills with nonperishable items that she gets at Sam’s Club. She is currently providing them to nurses in four schools in the Conway district, but plans to expand the program to all the schools in the district.

Recently, Katherine has taken on a community service project of providing backpacks of food to local elementary school students.

GENERATION

the pulse of imatter often a community, as Young people are

sporting events, school events and activities bring them into the spotlight. Women’s Inc. wants to showcase these young people in a special feature each month. iMatter will seek to tell the stories of a new generation of community, skill, success and achievement. Do you know a student in Faulkner county who is truly one of a kind? Send youth’s name, school, parents contact information (if under 18) and a brief explanation of why you think your youth or you would make a iMatter candidate to Winc@thecabin.net

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