LOG CABIN DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2013
2E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
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Best of Faulkner County
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 3E
Best Of Winners AUTOMOTIVE BEST AUTO RENTAL WINNER
ENTERPRISE
RUNNERS UP BUDGET HERTZ
BEST AUTO DEALER- NEW WINNER
CRAIN BUICK GMC
RUNNERS UP
CALDWELL TOYOTA HONDA WORLD SMITH FORD
BEST AUTO DEALER- USED WINNER
CRAIN BUICK GMC Maggie’s Cookies was named Best Cookies and was a runner up for Best Bakery.
Maggie’s wins favorite cookies By Courtney Spradlin Log Cabin STAFF WRITER
Maggie’s Original Cookie Company was voted Faulkner County’s favorite place for cookies. The store at Prince Street bakes up 23 vari-
eties on the regular, according to supervisor Cole Welborn. But the favorites are chocolate no-bakes and the smiley face cookies. What makes Maggie’s special, Welborn said, is that the cookie recipes all originate with owner
Maggie Buntaine or her family. Maggie’s celebrated 25 years in operation, and year 26 is near. Buy a cookie at a time at Maggie’s or cater a meeting. Kids like to stop by after school to pick out
a cookie, but adults buy them by the dozen for meetings and events. The store has eight employees, some of which make it to work before 7 a.m. to start the day’s batches of sugar cookies that vary in shape from frogs to flowers.
RUNNERS UP HONDA WORLD SMITH FORD
BEST BODY SHOP WINNER
A & J COLLISION REPAIR
RUNNERS UP
CONWAY COLLISION HALTER’S BODY SHOP *RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Conway’s Classic Touch named Best Gift Shop By Hilary Dixon log cabin staff writer
For Emma Vote, the owner of Conway’s Classic Touch, being hands on, offering unique merchandise and giving quality customer service is what makes her business different than all the others.
“We make our customers feel special, like they’re at home when they’re here,” she said. Vote said the shop she bought back in 2001, does a little bit of everything. “We’re a florist and a gift shop. We do weddings. We do flo-
GIFT < 4E
Conway’s Classic Touch was a runner up for Best Florist and was named Best Gift Shop.
4E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
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Best Of Winners AUTOMOTIVE (CONTINUED)
BEST GAS STATION WINNER KROGER
RUNNERS UP EXXON RACEWAY
BEST PARTS STORE WINNER
AUTO ZONE
RUNNERS UP ADVANCED AUTO PARTS O’REILLY
BEST SERVICE CENTER WINNER
MACE’S GARAGE
RUNNERS UP AUSTIN BROTHERS BARKLEY’S
Lander Smith, M.D., was named Best Doctor for 2013.
Dr. Lander Smith recognized as the ‘best’ among peers By MEGAN REYNOLDS
BEST TIRE STORE WINNER
MCKINNEY TIRE PROS
RUNNERS UP AUSTIN BROTHERS TIRES FOR LESS
BEST WRECKER SERVICE WINNER
LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER
Conway doctor Lander Smith loves his patients, and his patients love him right back. For 34 years, Smith has worked alongside cousin John Smith at Banister-Lieblong Clinic in Conway. Smith joined cousin John Smith as a family practitioner at the clinic after finishing medical
school in Little Rock in 1979, and has seen thousands of patients over the years, developing lifelong relationships in the process and solidifying one of the most successful, established medical practices in the area. Smith noted big changes and advancements in the business since 1979. “When we first started out, I delivered 500 babies. Now I’ve raised them
all and they’re all out of college and have children of their own,” Smith says of his early years. When a handful of obstetricians came to practice in the area, Smith said he was relieved of the task of delivering children, and in time was also relieved of the surgeries he had performed, as Conway began to grow and more surgeons came to town. Smith married wife
Suzanne in 1981. “I married my trophy bride,” Smith says. “She was my first and only and she’s been here with me all but those first two years of practice.” The couple share three children, son Clark, who is also a doctor; daughter Natalie Brownd, a registered nurse pursuing her master’s degree at the Uni-
said. She said she tries to offer items that are one of a kind. “I try to pick out stuff that is different than what other people in town have… unique stuff.”
She said the customers that come in tend to be regulars, but from all over. “I enjoy visiting with them and helping them pick out what they need for their home to decorate,” she said.
“They tend to come back again and again.” Along with giving her customers great service and attention, she said it is also important to always treat your employees special, fair and with respect.
SMITH < 5E
JIM SMITH
RUNNERS UP HELTON’S WRECKER SERVICE STEVE’S AUTO *RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
GIFT from 3E ral and gift arrangements. “We have employees who can help people pick out what they want,” she
Best of Faulkner County
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Best Of Winners health and fitness BEST CHIROPRACTOR
SMITH from 4E
RUNNERS UP 10 FITNESS 365 FITNESS
WINNER
BEST HOME HEALTH CARE
RUNNERS UP
CONWAY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
LAMEY CHIROPRACTIC GREENBRIER FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC HURLEY CHIROPRACTIC
BEST DENTIST WINNER
FLANAGIN DENTAL
RUNNERS UP
KING FAMILY DENTAL DR. DAVID M. REESE, D.D.S.
BEST DOCTOR WINNER
LANDER SMITH, M.D.
RUNNERS UP
WINNER
RUNNER UP
ODYSSEY HOSPICE
BEST PHARMACY WINNER
WALGREENS
RUNNERS UP FRED’S BAKER DRUG
BEST PHYSICAL THERAPY WINNER
INCITE REHAB
RUNNERS UP
ROBERT ROOK, M.D. BART THRONEBERRY, M.D.
CONWAY REGIONAL MCMASTER PHYSICAL THERAPY
BEST ELDER CARE
restaurants
WINNER
SALEM PLACE NURSING AND REHABILITATION CENTER
RUNNERS UP
GREENBRIER NURSING AND REHAB HERITAGE
BEST EYE CARE WINNER
BAKER EYE INSTITUTE
RUNNERS UP
MAGIE MABREY EYE CLINIC VISIONCARE
BEST BAKERY WINNER
ED’S CUSTOM BAKERY
RUNNERS UP
HARP’S/PRICE CUTTER MAGGIE’S ORIGINAL COOKIE CO. pattiCakes
BEST BARBEQUE WINNER
WHOLE HOG CAFÉ
RUNNERS UP
BEST HEALTH CLUB
HOG PEN BAR-B-Q SMITTY’S BAR-B-Q SMOKEHOUSE BAR-B-Q
CONWAY REGIONAL FITNESS CENTER
*RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
WINNER
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 5E
versity of Central Arkansas, and daughter Hayley, a fourth-year nursing student also enrolled at UCA. Smith works seven days a week, with daily, early-morning visits to about 300 nursing home patients in Conway and Greenbrier and Monday through Friday business hours spent at the clinic. As the practice ages, Smith says he’s developed a large base of elderly patients. He plans to work in the clinic for at least five more years, he says; then he will likely transition to working with elderly patients full-time. Reflecting on the pursuit of his career, Smith attributed his love of the elderly to routine trips to the county nursing home with his late father Mack, a Baptist preacher in Fordyce. “He’d stick his head in the door and come out and say hello to each of them. Then growing up, when I’d go back home to see him in college, we would still visit the nursing home.” When his father became ill at the age of 74, Smith said he would still wheel his father through the bursing home to visit the patients. “Some of them had dementia — they didn’t even know their own names, or his — but they came out of their rooms and patted him and smiled. “I don’t know how many years I’ve been doing that. I get up at five, and by six every day I’m at the nursing home,” Smith said. Of his partnership with cousin John, Smith noted the pair have been friends since they were children and called their relationship “hard to even understand.” “I’ve worked with John every day for 34 years, and there has never been a single day that I have ever left this clinic with an ill thought or a harsh word. We’ve never had an argument.” Smith said he looks forward to getting up every day and going to work, and being recognized as “Best Doctor” affirms his daily intent, which he says is to “do (his) best and help somebody.” “I guess I just feel like I get up each day and try to help people, and the response to the survey makes me feel like maybe I’m on the right track,” he said. “It just makes me want to get up tomorrow and try even harder. “I sure feel blessed by the patients and the friends I’ve made along the way, for sure.”
(Megan Reynolds is a staff writer and can be reached by phone at 501-505-1277 or by email at megan.reynolds@thecabin.net. Follow us on Twitter @LCDonline, @ meganpreynolds.)
6E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
Best Of Winners restaurants (continued)
BEST BREAKFAST WINNER STOBY’S
RUNNERS UP
BOB’S GRILL CRACKER BARREL IHOP
BEST CAKES WINNER
ED’S CUSTOM BAKERY
RUNNERS UP
HARP’S/PRICE CUTTER KROGER pattiCakes
BEST COOKIES WINNER
MAGGIE’S ORIGINAL COOKIE CO.
RUNNERS UP
BEST MEXICAN
WINNER pattiCakes
RUNNERS UP ED’S CUSTOM BAKERY MARKETPLACE GRILL
BEST HAMBURGER WINNER
SONIC
SHORTY’S WAGON WHEEL
HOG PEN BAR-B-Q PAYTON CREEK CATFISH
BEST HAPPY HOUR
BEST CHICKEN
SONIC
RUNNERS UP
CHURCH’S CHICKEN KFC POPEYE’S
BEST COFFEE SHOP WINNER
WINNER
RUNNERS UP THE DRAFT JJ’S GRILL TGI FRIDAY’S
BEST HOME COOKING WINNER HOLLY’S COUNTRY COOKIN’
STARBUCKS
RUNNERS UP
RUNNERS UP
CAST IRON SKILLET
BOB’S GRILL DUNKIN DONUTS
WINNER
LA HUERTA
RUNNERS UP EL ACAPULCO EL PATRON FABY’S
STOBY’S
WINNER
CHICK-FIL-A
RUNNERS UP
BEST DESSERT
RUNNERS UP
WINNER
WINNER
SHAKE’S FROZEN CUSTARD
pattiCakes
BEST CATFISH RUNNERS UP
BEST ICE CREAM
BASKIN ROBBINS DAIRY QUEEN
ED’S CUSTOM BAKERY
DAVID’S BURGER
THE FISH HOUSE
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DIXIE CAFÉ HOLE IN THE WALL
BEST ORIENTAL WINNER
FUJI STEAKHOUSE
RUNNERS UP
CHINA TOWN JADE CHINA ORIENTAL KITCHEN
BEST PIZZA WINNER PIZZA HUT
RUNNERS UP LARRY’S PIZZA OLD CHICAGO US PIZZA
BEST ITALIAN WINNER
PASTA GRILL
RUNNERS UP
DUE AMICHE MICHAELANGELO’S RUSSO’S ITALIAN KITCHEN *RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
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Best of Faulkner County
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 7E
Best Of Winners restaurants (continued)
BEST FAMILY ATMOSPHERE WINNER
BEST MEN’S HAIR SALON WINNER
SPORT CLIPS
BEST SANDWICHES/ WRAPS
RUNNERS UP
WINNER
CRACKER BARREL
BIG BOYZ BARBER SHOP COUNTRY GENTLEMEN
RUNNERS UP
OVERALL FAVORITE
BEST BEAUTY SALON
WINNER
LUXE COLOR CREATIONS
SUBWAY
JIMMY JOHN’S MCALISTER’S STOBY’S
BEST SEAFOOD WINNER
LARRY’S PIZZA CHICK-FIL-A
MIKE’S PLACE
RUNNERS UP COLTON’S STEAKHOUSE
WINNER
RUNNERS UP
SOLUTIONS DAY SPA SYMETRIX
BEST BUILDER/ CONTRACTOR
RUNNER UP
BEST SOUP
WINNER
MARKETPLACE GRILL
MIKE’S PLACE THE FISH HOUSE
RUNNERS UP
SERVICES BEST ACCOUNTING
WINNER
NABHOLZ CONSTRUCTION
RUNNERS UP
PANERA BREAD
WINNER
RUNNERS UP
GARY COX
MALLARD CUSTOM HOMES SALTER CONSTRUCTION INC. WATSON HOMES
CONNER & SARTAIN
BEST CARPET CLEANING
MCALISTER’S MEAN BEAN CAFÉ SUBWAY
BEST STEAKHOUSE WINNER
COLTON’S STEAKHOUSE
RUNNERS UP
RUNNERS UP GEORGE MACKEY
BEST ATTORNEY WINNER FRANK SHAW
RUNNERS UP
WINNER
THE CARPET CENTER
RUNNERS UP
CLEEN CO. STANLEY STEAMER WILLIAMSON’S
LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE MIKE’S PLACE OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
RAINWATER, HOLT & SEXTON
BEST BUSINESS LUNCH
BEST BANK
THE FISH HOUSE
WINNER
RUNNERS UP
WINNER
MIKE’S PLACE
RUNNERS UP
MARKETPLACE GRILL MEAN BEAN CAFÉ
GARY JILES
FIRST SECURITY BANK
RUNNERS UP ARVEST BANK
CENTENNIAL BANK
BEST CATERER WINNER
D&L HOG PEN BAR-B-Q MOE’S SOUTHWESTERN GRILL *RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
8E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
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Sonshine Academy is a runner up for Best Children’s Birthday and the winner of both Best Dance Studio and Best Gymnastics.
Faulkner County’s favor shines on Sonshine Academy By ANGELA SPENCER Log Cabin Staff Writer
Sonshine Academy nailed the landing when it came to Faulkner County’s Best of Gymnastics. Owners Elise Rose and Scott Wright started the business in fall of 1991 and have thrived as a place for people of all ages to practice various
activities such as gymnastics, dance, cheer and tumbling. “We have an incredible staff and the most amazing facility,” Elise Rose said. “It’s just an awesome, fun place to be.” Elise Rose said that their instructors work hard to balance fun with competition. “We play to win but we
don’t win at all costs,” she said. There are opportunities for children to concentrate on the fun of gymnastics on the recreational track, and the gymnasts who want to take it one step further can join in the competitive track. Sonshine Academy has three to four camps each
week during the summer months. The regular schedule will begin Aug. 19 with classes for people ages 18 months to college ages with some additional classes geared toward adults. The facility itself stands out, Elise Rose said, because it accommodates so many different activities.
“It’s hard to run all over town so it’s good for parents to have one place to do all those things,” she said. The facility also features a new expansion, to which one four-year-old exclaimed, “Sweet mother of mercy, that is awesome,” at the unveiling, Elise Rose said. Sonshine Academy is
at 2415 Donaghey Ave. For more information and a full class schedule, visit www.sonshineacademy.com.
(Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached by email at angela.spencer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1212. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
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Best of Faulkner County
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 9E
10E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
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Best of Faulkner County
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 11E
12E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
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Best of Faulkner County
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 13E
Best Of Winners services
BEST DAY SPA
BEST INSURANCE
(continued)
WINNER
WINNER
BEST CELLULAR PROVIDER
SOLUTIONS DAY SPA
FARM BUREAU
WINNER AT&T
RUNNERS UP SPRINT VERIZON
BEST CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAY WINNER JUMPZONE
RUNNERS UP PLAYWORLD SONSHINE ACADEMY
BEST DANCE STUDIO
RUNNERS UP ELAN EUPHORIA
BEST ELECTRICIAN WINNER LOCK-WOOD ELECTRIC
RUNNERS UP CENTECH SERVICE HAMBUCHEN ELECTRIC KORDSMEIER ELECTRIC
BEST EMPLOYMENT WINNER
STAFFMARK
RUNNERS UP
RUNNERS UP ALLSTATE OTT INSURANCE STATE FARM
BEST INTERNET PROVIDER WINNER
CONWAY CORPORATION
RUNNERS UP AT&T THE COMPUTER WORKS WINDSTREAM
BEST LAWN CARE WINNER
ARKANSAS WORKFORCE CENTER S.O.S. EMPLOYMENT
THE PLANT OUTLET
RUNNERS UP
BEST FINANCIAL SERVICES
GRASS ROOTS
BLACKBIRD ACADEMY OF ARTS IRBY’S DANCE STUDIO
WINNER
REED’S INC
RUNNERS UP
BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST
WINNER
SONSHINE ACADEMY
BEST DAY CARE WINNER CARING HANDS
RUNNERS UP ABUNDANT BLESSINGS KIDS DAY OUT MS. CARRIE’S DAY SCHOOL
BEST DRY CLEANER
CREWS & ASSOCIATES EDWARD JONES WELLS FARGO
BEST GYMNASTICS WINNER
SONSHINE ACADEMY
RUNNERS UP
CENTRAL ARKANSAS CHEER IRBY’S DANCE STUDIO
WINNER
BEST HEATING & COOLING
CLASSIC CLEANERS
WINNER
RUNNERS UP
FREYALDENHOVEN HEATING AND COOLING
HAMMETT CLEANERS MODEL CLEANERS QUALITY CLEANERS
RUNNERS UP PEARCE STEVENSON
RUNNERS UP
WINNER EUPHORIA
RUNNERS UP SAVANNAH BAKER AMANDA DOBBINS
BEST NAIL SALON WINNER PARADISE NAILS
RUNNERS UP ELITE NAILS NAIL TECH *RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Best of Faulkner County
14E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
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Eric White | Log Cabin Staff Photo
Jack’s Music is a runner up for Best Music and the winner of Best Musical Instruments.
Jack’s wins Best Musical Instruments By MEGAN REYNOLDS
LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER
Jack Smith knows his instruments and loves music. For 32 years, Smith has spent his days alongside wife Mert at Jack’s Music, an institute of its own kind among locals. Inside the family-owned and operated store, the couple can be found working on musical instruments, assisting customers and teaching music lessons.
They also run a sound and lighting company. Jack’s is a fixture in the local music community. The store’s namesake, a guitar and banjo picker, has been teaching music since the 60s and has a degree in music education. He also spent 20 years in the Navy. Jack’s offers a wide array of musical instruments, and anything that is not in stock can be special ordered. The store itself is like a step
back in time, when services were offered face-to-face, with a handshake and a smile; and that is how the Smiths conduct their business. Dealing with the customers and the relationships the family has established over the years is what Jack says he loves most about what he does. “I don’t have a website, and I don’t plan to have a website,” he explained. “I prefer to deal with folks in person, here in the store.”
When asked about retirement, Jack admits Mert fusses at him “all of the time.” “I told her we’d retire when we’re 65; now we’re both 75 and we’re still going,” he said. “Do you want to buy a music store?” Reflecting on how the smalltown store is still operable as others of its kind shut down due to mail-order and website competition, Jack admits that times can be “tough.” “But I’ll tell you what one
guy said to me,” Jack said. “He said he’d rather do business with a person than a store, and I think that’s how most of my customers feel.” The store is located at 506 Oak Street and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(Megan Reynolds is a staff writer and can be reached by phone at (501) 505-1277 or by email at megan.reynolds@thecabin.net. Follow us on Twitter @meganpreynolds, @LCDOnline.)
Best Of Winners services (continued)
BEST PHOTOGRAPHER WINNER STRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
RUNNERS UP LANCE JOHNSTON JACKIE ROMINE PHOTOGRAPHY MARTY SIKES PHOTOGRAPHY
BEST PHOTO PROCESSING
BEST VETERINARY
WALGREENS
WINNER
WINNER
RUNNERS UP WALMART FAST FOTO
BEST PLUMBING
HARTMAN ANIMAL CLINIC
RUNNERS UP
CHESTNUT ANIMAL CLINIC ST. FRANCIS VETERINARY CLINIC
WINNER
sHOPPING
RUNNERS UP
BEST ANTIQUES/ COLLECTIBLES
SALTER PLUMBING INC. ARROW PLUMBING KORDSMEIER REMODELING SERVICE, INC. WOODSON
BEST REAL ESTATE OFFICE WINNER
MCDOWELL PROPERTIES
RUNNERS UP
WINNER
JENIFER’S ANTIQUES
RUNNERS UP
ARKANSAS PEDDLERS THRU THE YEARS TOAD’S CROSSING
CENTURY 21 DUNAWAY & HART REMAX
BEST APPLIANCES
BEST TANNING
LOWE’S HOME IMPROVEMENT
WINNER
RUNNERS UP
RUNNERS UP
SEARS
EXOTIC TANS JAMAICA ME TAN PALM BEACH TAN
WINNER
HOME DEPOT
*RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
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Best of Faulkner County
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 15E
Jody Gatchell, owner of A&J Collision Repair, stands outside his auto body repair shop with his smiley face. A&J Collision Repair was recently named Best Body Shop in Faulkner County.
A&J all smiles with Best Body Shop nod By LEE HOGAN log cabin staff writer
Jody Gatchell, owner of A&J Collision Repair, says the quality of work is what keeps his business thriving. A&J Collision Repair was recently named Best
Body Shop in Best of Faulkner County Readers’ Choice Awards. Gatchell says his repair shop has been in the top two in the past six or seven years of voting. “It makes me feel excited and proud of what we do, and people are
recognizing what we’re doing,” he said. The repair shop has been a staple in Conway since 1997 for residents who need work done on their vehicles. “It’s exciting that we get voted, but on the other side of that, the most
important people in this equation are the customers,” Gatchell said. “Without them, I would have never been voted for. Second, it’s my employees.” Gatchell said without his staff of 14, he would be nowhere.
“I’m honored to be chosen as one of the best,” he said. A&J Collision Repair will celebrate two years in its new location at 1215 Thomas G. Wilson Drive this November. The repair shop is a member of the Conway
Chamber of Commerce, and participant of Certified First Network of auto body repair shops.
(Staff writer Lee Hogan can be reached by email at lee.hogan@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1246. To comment on this and other stories, log on to www. thecabin.net.
Best Of Winners shopping (continued)
BEST BOOK STORE WINNER HASTINGS BOOKS MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNERS UP BOOK TRADERS BOOK WORM
BEST CLOTHING WINNER KOHL’S
BEST COMPUTERS WINNER BEST BUY
RUNNERS UP
THE COMPUTER WORKS CONNECTING POINT
BEST FLORIST WINNER
YE OLDE DAISY SHOPPE
RUNNERS UP
CONWAY’S CLASSIC TOUCH DAISY A DAY
RUNNERS UP
BEST SHOES
BELK HIPSWAY
WILKINSON’S MALL
BEST RESALE/ CONSIGNMENT WINNER
YOURS TRULY
RUNNERS UP GOODWILL HUT 8 MAGNOLIA’S
WINNER
RUNNERS UP
PAYLESS SHOE SOURCE SHOE CARNIVAL
BEST FURNITURE WINNER
CAJUN BROS. FURNITURE
RUNNERS UP
HAMBUCHEN HOME FURNISHINGS HANK’S FURNITURE
BEST RESALE/ CONSIGNMENT FURNITURE WINNER
THE FURNITURE CONSIGNMENT PLACE
RUNNERS UP GOODWILL SALVATION ARMY
16E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best Of Winners shopping (continued)
BEST GIFT SHOP WINNER CONWAY’S CLASSIC TOUCH
RUNNER UP CHERRY’S HALLMARK
BEST GROCERY WINNER KROGER
RUNNERS UP HARP’S/PRICE CUTTER WALMART
BEST HARDWARE WINNER HAYNES ACE HARDWARE
RUNNERS UP HIEGEL LUMBER HOME DEPOT LOWE’S HOME IMPROVEMENT
BEST JEWELRY WINNER DAYER JEWELERS
RUNNERS UP FLETCHER SMITH’S JEWELERS JC PENNEY *RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Best of Faulkner County
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Pasta Grill named Best Italian log cabin democrat
Despite being open less than a year, Pasta Grill, located at 915 Front Street in Downtown Conway, has already established itself as a high quality restaurant. The honeymoon with residents is shown by the number of people waiting to get into the cozy area on any night of the week and by the voters making it the top place in town to eat Italian food. Owner Wesley Hall had already opened restaurants in Clarksville, Searcy, Batesville and Russellville. The restaurant took over a space that had been home to a revolving number of eateries, but in a short span of time, Hall has made Pasta Grill a destination place to eat. In addition to pasta, Pasta Grill serves steaks, sandwiches and pizza. The steaks (New York strips and filets) come from a company called Buckhead Beef, which Hall said he is particularly happy with. Also, their sauces and batters and nearly all of their desserts are homemade. All types of fish and meat are combined with
Pasta Grill in downtown Conway was voted Best Italian.
the pasta, including fish, shrimp, chicken, beef and sausage. The restaurant seats 85 people in a very upscale manner. The small space has a low wall runs the length of the seating area, which are filled with seating booths. Plaster from previous restaurants has been torn down, leaving the exposed brick showing. Although the menu and atmosphere does lend itself to more so-
phisticated fare, the restaurant does offer something for everyone, including children. It also serves family dinners to go, which include spaghetti, lasagna, manicotti, chicken alfredo, tortellini and full sized cheesecakes. All dinners come with bread and salad, and a family of seven can be served for as low as $20. Pasta Grill also boasts preparing full desserts to go, with a 2-day advance order.
The Furniture Consignment Store deemed tops in Best Resale/Consignment Furniture By Hilary Dixon log cabin staff writer
The Furniture Consignment Store on Harrison Street in Conway has been open since 2004, but Chris Quinn bought it in February of 2011 after years of having the desire to own her own establishment. After she and the previous owner sparked up a relationship, the owner asked Quinn if she wanted to buy the store. “It was a good idea,” Quinn said. “I’ve been in retail for a long time and I’ve always wanted my own
business.” She said she enjoys offering great quality furniture to her customers, conscious and particular about the pieces they take it in, inspecting them to make sure
they are in good condition, while working with consigners to offer the best price possible. “It’s a win-win situation between consigners, customers and the business,” she said.
She said they work as a middle man, eliminating the hassle of people trying to sell their furniture all by themselves. “We provide a service to the community,” she said. “We do all the work and you reap the rewards.” Quinn said the store offers anything from antiques to new merchandise, giving a wide, constantly-changing variety of products that keep them both financially and visually appealing. “We have anything to fit any budget. That helps us standout,” she said.
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Best of Faulkner County
Eric White Log Cabin Staff Photo
Salem Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is the winner of Best Elder Care.
Salem Place wins Best Elder Care facility By Courtney Spradlin Log Cabin STAFF WRITER
Salem Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was voted No. 1 in elder care for Faulkner County. Administrator Vickey Kirkemier said residents enjoy the facility’s extras like the “man cave,” which has a pool table and a large TV for watching sports. Also a popular feature is the center’s courtyard, which has become home to pet turtles, chickens and ducks. The facility has two rehabilitation wings, and a third is in the process of being added, Kirkemier said. The center offers speech, physical and occupational therapy. There is a social worker on staff for residents. A second courtyard used for therapy is equipped with bridges, a gravel area and stairs,
all terrain that Kirkemier said short term residents would face as they transition out of the facility. “With our rehab unit, we have people coming and going. I love long term care, but I love the unit where we can work with people and they can go home. There’s a lot of hope there,” Kirkemier said. A theater room is planned for the new rehabilitation room, she said, as an option for evening activities when families visit or residents would like to use the space. While operating under state rules and regulations, the facility has also become more open to residents’ preferences in their own care, the administrator said. Residents enjoy buffet dining with various foods that they’ve agreed upon. Ice cream after dinner is always provided, Kirkemier said.
“I consider it such a blessing to be able to take care of the people in the community that I love so much,” she said. The facility has been open under Michael Morton for 24 years, according to Kirkemier. “The facility was purchased April of 1989 when the State of Arkansas took it over. It could only be sold to a reputable owner, and it was sold to Michael Morton at that time. I came to work April 1 of 1989, and I’m still here,” she said. Salem Place is licensed to care for 121 residents, and according to Kirkemier, stays full most of the time. (Staff writer Courtney Spradlin can be reached by email at courtney.spradlin@thecabin.net or by phone at 5051236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 17E
18E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
Holly’s reigns for 10th straight year By LEE HOGAN
BEST MUSIC WINNER HASTINGS BOOKS MUSIC VIDEO
RUNNERS UP JACK’S MUSIC PRESTON PALMER STUDIOS
BEST MUSICAL Holly’s Country Cooking was recently named Best Home Cooking in Faulkner County. The staff of Holly’s Country Cooking is shown here: (from left) Bonnie Anderson, Kim Curley, Jessie Miller (Holly’s daughter), Holly Hayes (owner), Ernestine Higgins and Rebecca Teas.
open up a similar eatery in Conway. Over the years, Holly’s Country Cooking has established a foundation in the community as customers can be seen daily, lining up outside the doors of the restaurant, located at 120 Harkrider St., before service begins at 11 a.m. “We’ve made a lot of friends,” Hayes said. “We have a lot of regulars, and it’s nice when you
know everybody by name and recognize their faces.” The restaurant offers southern, home made favorites that keep patrons coming back, again and again. “We just want to thank everybody,” Hayes said. “We really feel honored to have been so successful here.” Customers can find chicken fried steak and
fried chicken on the menu each day, along with these daily specials as follows: Monday- Roast beef and three-cheese chicken casserole. TuesdayMexican chicken and smothered hamburger steak. Wednesday- Chicken & dressing and lasagna. Thursday- Chicken & dumplings and meatloaf. Friday- Fish & shrimp and mexican beef.
Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe blooms as readers’ best to help them pick out the perfect bouquet for any occasion. Hahn said he enjoys talking to customers to help understand what they need. Additionally, Hahn said they arrange and supply any floral needs for local weddings. “We do a lot of weddings,” he said. “We do anything floral.” Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe can be reached at 3277731 or www.yeoldedaisy.net. The shop is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
By ANGELA SPENCER Log Cabin Staff WRiter
When the votes came in for Best of Faulkner County, Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe rose to the top in the florist category. Alan Hahn has been the owner of Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe since the mid1990s, but his parents started the business in 1968. Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe, located at 1308 Oak Street in Conway, delivers flowers across the county to locations in Conway, Vilonia, Greenbrier and Mayflower. Hahn said the business gets repeat customers who compliment the florists’ work. “Our customers tell us our flowers last longer,” he said. This can be attribut-
Best Of Winners SHOPPING (continued)
log cabin staff writer
Holly Hayes, owner of Holly’s Country Cooking, says its her customers who have got her to this point, and her customers that keep her enjoying what she does. For the tenth straight year, the popular lunch destination for all Faulkner County residents was named Best Home Cooking. Hayes said she hopes county residents enjoy her restaurant for its good food, fair price and friendly service. “One of the college kids asked me the other day, ‘Are you related to somebody or know everybody? Do you have a lot of friends here?’” Hayes recalled. “I said, ‘No, we’ve just been here for 15 years.’” Holly’s Country Cooking began in October 1999 after Hayes’ great aunt, Bobbi, sold her restaurant, Bobbi’s Country Cooking, in Little Rock, and encouraged Hayes, then a teacher’s aid and bus driver in the Perryville School District, to
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Ye Olde Daisy Shoppe is the winner of Best Florist in Faulkner County.
ed to the care the florists The florists at Ye Olde take in picking out the Daisy Shoppe are able to freshest flowers, he said. consult with customers
(Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached by email at angela.spencer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1212. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
INSTRUMENTS WINNER JACK’S MUSIC
RUNNER UP PRESTON PALMER STUDIO
BEST OFFICE SUPPLY WINNER OFFICE DEPOT
RUNNERS UP COLEMAN’S OFFICE AND SCHOOL SUPPLY STAPLES
BEST PLANT NURSERY WINNER THE PLANT OUTLET
RUNNERS UP FREYALDENHOVEN’S GREENHOUSE LOWE’S HOME IMPROVEMENT
BEST SPORTING GOODS WINNER DICK’S SPORTING GOODS
RUNNERS UP HIBBETT SPORTS RANDY’S
*RUNNERS UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
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Best of Faulkner County
Sunday, June 30, 2013 — 19E
20E — Sunday, June 30, 2013
Best of Faulkner County
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