Womens Inc (WINC) - 01-30-17

WOMENSINC.NET

WINC. FEBRUARY 2017

INSIDE: Annual Tax Guide VALENTINE’S DAY: FONDUE FOR TWO

Barbara & Bob Henry Celebrating 66 years of love

WINC.

CONTENTS

F E B R U A R Y 2 017 WOM EN ’ S IN C .

Editor Lori Quinn

Contributing Writers Jeanette Anderton Leah Ashby Detra Clark Marisa Hicks Colleen Holt Nancy Jackson Andrea Lennon Jill McCollum Susan O’Keefe Jennifer Stanley Jenny Strange Kelly Sublett

6 FEATURE STORY 10

COVER STORY

Henrys celebrate 66 years of love and life

AN ANNUAL TESTAMENT OF LOVE

Chief Photographer Brandy Strain Advertising Sales Director Betsey Barham Advertising Sales Executives Sara Grady Rusty Hunnicutt Tara Mallett Advertising Artists Jay Prince Lauren Morgenstern Editorial Advisory Board Leah Ashby Detra Clark Nicolle Fletcher Haley Crafton Fowler Sarah Frost Mary Harlan Nancy Jackson Cate Ketcheside Leslie Kostecky Caroline LaVan Velda Lueders Candace Meeks Misty Morse Carol Patty Amy Reed Lori Ross 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

FOOD

12 LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH16

TAX GUIDE

18 HOMES

FONDUE FOR TWO

SUBMITTED VALENTINE PICTURES

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON

24

MASTER DESIGNER

columns 34. spiritual

By Faith

by Andrea Lennon

36. book review A Fifty-Year Silence...

Susan O’Keefe review

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cover stor y

bob & barbara henry

Standing the Test of Time Henrys celebrate 66 years of love and life

By Jennifer Stanley Photos by Brandy Strain & Submitted With their 66th wedding anniversary on the horizon, one could say Bob and Barbara Henry of Conway define commitment. Married on June 10, 1951, Bob still remembers what Barbara was wearing when he first saw her walking across the Hendrix College campus in 1950. “I was a senior. She was a sophomore. I walked out and saw this lady with long, curly blonde hair and a red, plaid skirt. She was walking and carrying her books. I don’t think I’d ever spoken to her before,” says Bob. However, she got his attention. He called her that same day, and she indicated she knew who he was. “I asked her what she was doing later that night. She said, ‘Nothing,’ so I asked if she wanted to go to a movie, and she said, ‘Yes,’” states Bob. When asked if she knew who he was, Barbara says with a smile, “Oh yes. He was very popular.”

Bob and Barbara dated the remainder of the year. Bob graduated from Hendrix in 1950 and relocated to Fayetteville to attend law school. Barbara remained at Hendrix, but eventually followed him to Fayetteville where she also completed her degree.

It takes little time in their presence to observe how Bob dotes on Barbara. They have a relaxed, happy air. Each knows the ending of the other’s story before it is told.

Bob remembers their wedding day vividly, saying his favorite memory was, “Standing at the alter with the preacher and the best man and watching everyone turn and look for the bride. I wasn’t at all nervous.”

The Henrys have four children. Their oldest, Frank, lives across the street and has four children: Samantha, Alex, Cameron, and Brett.

They have two more sons, Rob, Jr. and Cliff, whose children are Joseph and David. Margaret is the youngest, and the only girl, and she has a 6 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

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daughter, Julia. Margaret was born eight-and-ahalf years after Frank. The Henrys also have two great-grandchildren: Linley and Ford.

Bob was born in August 1928 and was raised in Conway, only leaving for his years of law school. Barbara grew up in North Little Rock. Upon graduation from law school in Fayetteville, Bob and Barbara moved back to Conway. He immediately joined his father in law practice, his father having earned his own law license in 1922.

Bob also served Conway as city attorney for 20 years, beginning in 1955. He earned 50 dollars per month in this capacity, which he held while simultaneously practicing law alongside his father. According to Bob, the City of Conway’s population was about 4,000 at the time.

When his father passed, Bob took the reins of his law office. He practices civil law in Conway still today; 2017 will mark his 64th year of practice. His son, Cliff, is now his law partner.

The Henrys have been active in the community, especially in their church, First United Methodist Church in Conway. “We belong to the United Methodist Church and have served in many capacities in the church,” says Barbara. Bob has served in areas ranging from head of the ministry board to working in the nursery, even keeping 13 children one memorable Sunday.

Barbara participated in the early days of Church Women United, which was first organized in the 1950s. “It was so much fun to meet women of other faiths,” she says.

She has also been involved with the Conway Civic League, the Orpheus Club of Conway, and Conway United Methodist Women.

Bob is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, Federal District Court, Bar of the Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

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“Live simply and try to enjoy many activities together. Try to be courteous to each other. Have couple friends but also have your own circle of friends. Include children in activities with parents and some without parents. The bottom line is to enjoy each other!”

Bob & Barbara Henry Bob and Barbara originally lived in a fourroom house near Hendrix, but they built a home in 1959 where they still reside. When asked what led to the longevity of their relationship, Barbara responds, “We come from similar backgrounds. Our families were similar, and we were always active in the church. We believe it is important to raise your kids in church. We had many close friends at Hendrix. We both love classical music and some music from our younger days. We attend symphonic programs at UCA. When knees and falls and weak hearts slowed us down, we watched more television and usually liked or disliked the same shows.” She also credits remembering to show affection with one another.

When asked of their advice for younger couples, the Henrys share, “Live simply and try to enjoy many activities together. Try to be courteous to each other. Have couple friends but also have your own circle of friends. Include children in activities with parents and some without parents. The bottom line is to enjoy each other!”

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feature story

frank & barbara foshee

LOVE NOTES

Frank and Barbara Foshee have a love story that spans 50 years this February. Each year on Valentines Day, near their anniversary, Frank writes a poem and has it published in the Log Cabin Democrat for his sweetheart.

prayed for God to send me a good man. On our fourth date he showed me where he was licensed as a preacher and I knew then God had answered my prayers and sent me a good man.

When is your anniversary?

Frank: We wanted to get married on Valentine’s Day, but it fell on a Tuesday that year and neither of us could get off work. So we were both able to get off that following Thursday, February 16th.

Within two weeks of getting married six of the seven of us had the mumps.

Best day you remember with your spouse?

Frank: Barbara’s 50th birthday. It was just very special, both of us were feeling good as far as our health and it was just a wonderful day.

Barbara: The day our son Tim was born. We had been married for five years and didn’t think that we could have any children.

The last time you laughed together?

Both: We laugh together every day, never go to bed mad.

Why the poems?

Frank: They started around our 15th anniversary. The Log Cabin was running a Valentine’s Day section. This was a special way to show her how much she is appreciated and loved. I did this every year until our 42nd. In 2009 the Log Cabin stopped the Valentine’s section. Then I came back two years ago and started them again. I always try to tell her in a way that she is very important.

How many children?

Frank has three daughters, Barbara has two daughters and they have one son together.

Grandchildren?

Eight grandchildren, five girls and three boys. Four greatgrandchildren, all four boys.

What makes your spouse special to you?

Frank: In our walk, there’s been a lot of heartache, good and joyous times, lots of mountains and valleys, but she’s always been there. She’s always been my best friend.

Barbara: He’s honest, takes good care of the family, has been a great provider for the family, he always laughs and has fun.

What is the secret to love so long lasting?

How did you meet?

Barbara: We worked together. He was walking down the line one direction; I was an inspector and was walking the other direction. He smiled and waved and I noticed he 10 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

was wearing a blue toboggan as it was winter time. There was another girl there that was interested in him, but he was not interested in her. I came in a few days later and there was a note with the song “12th of

Never” (which is still our song to this day) along with an invitation for a date to the wrestling match of all places. Our second date was with him, his 3 girls along with me and my 2 girls. I swore after that I would

never go out with him again, but I did. When my daughter Sandy was little she was in girl scouts, there was a father/ daughter luncheon that she was upset about because she did not have a father to take her and I

Barbara: Both have to work together, especially with a mixed family. Never go to bed mad at each other. Even if that means you have to zip your mouth and be able to both apologize.

Any last thoughts?

Frank: I think it has been an achievement, that two people who have been remarried to be able to last 50 years.

We have traveled together as companions and best friends.

Barbara: Always as God for guidance, and believe that he will guide you.

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food

FONDUE for two

VALENTINE’S DAY

By Leah Ashby and Linda Mars Photos by Brandy Strain

Rather than going out for dinner this Valentine’s Day, why not host a romantic fondue party for two? Fondue was all the rage in the ’60s and ’70s, and it’s perfect for a simple, casual dinner. All you need to pull off dinner are fondue pots or heavy saucepans, fondue forks, and delicious fondue recipes. So, dust off your fondue pot and treat your sweetheart to a Valentine’s celebration with these easy but decadent recipes.

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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Coq Au Vin Fondue

Ingredients • 3.5 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth • ½ cup any red wine • ½ cup sliced mushrooms • 2 teaspoons garlic • Small bunch of green onions, diced Instructions 1. Throw everything into your fondue pot and bring to a simmer.

2. Cook your dippers. The average cooking times are 1-2 minutes for shrimp, 2-3 minutes for pork and chicken, and 1-3 minutes for beef.

Perfect Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients • 10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped • 1/3 cup milk • 1/3 cup heavy cream • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions 1. In a saucepan, combine the chocolate, milk and cream and heat on low, stirring often until the chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Do not let it come to a boil.

2. Once melted, stir in the vanilla extract. If needed, stir in heavy cream or milk a tablespoon at a time to adjust for a thinner consistency. Pour the mixture into a fondue pot or small slow cooker to keep warm until serving.

3. Serve with dippers of your choice.

Assorted Fondue Dippers • Marshmallows • Strawberries • Pretzels • Bananas 14 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

Classic Cheese Fondue

Ingredients • 1/3 pound firm alpine-style cheese, such as Gruyere • 1/3 pound Fontina • 1/3 pound Gouda • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 tablespoon brandy • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions 1. Grate all of the cheeses in a medium bowl, combine the cheese with the cornstarch, tossing thoroughly to coat all pieces.

2. In stove-safe fondue pot or heavy saucepan, bring the wine, garlic, and lemon juice to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the cheeses into the simmering liquid a little at a time, stirring well between each addition to ensure a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in the brandy, mustard and nutmeg.

3. Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a platter. If necessary,

carefully pour the fondue into a fondue pot.

Serve with fondue forks or wooden skewers.

Assorted Fondue Dippers • Boiled baby new potatoes in their skins, quartered • Lightly steamed broccoli florets • Lightly steamed cauliflower florets • Lightly steamed asparagus • Button mushrooms • Cherry tomatoes • Sliced firm apples • Cubed French, sourdough, or other bread WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 15

Reader-submitted Valentine pictures

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special section

YOUR TAX PROFESSIONALS As tax season approaches, so do scammers

What you need to know now about the upcoming tax season

By Sarah Skidmore AP Personal Finance Reporter

It’s a new year and time to put the last one to bed, which means filing your taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service says to expect a few changes when the nation’s individual income tax filing season opens on Jan. 23.

Here are some of the changes you should be aware of: NEW DATE: Taxes are usually due on April 15, but this year that falls on a Saturday. And Emancipation Day, a holiday in Washington, D.C., will be observed on Monday, April 17.

So that pushes the nation’s deadline to file returns and pay any amount due to April 18.

You don’t have to wait until then to meet with a tax professional or start the process though.

DELAYED REFUNDS: A new law may delay refunds for some low to moderate income taxpayers who file early.

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, known as the PATH Act, requires the

18 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

IRS to withhold refunds on tax returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit until midFebruary. The change is designed to give the IRS more time to detect and prevent tax fraud.

The affected refunds will start being released on Feb. 15 but they may not arrive in bank accounts until the week of Feb. 27, as it will take more time for financial institutions to accept and deposit the refunds. The threeday holiday weekend involving President’s Day on Feb. 20 may also affect the timing of when funds are available.

The IRS said it still anticipates issuing

more than nine out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.

Those with questions can use the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the on IRS.gov website and the IRS2Go phone app to find projected deposit dates for early EITC and ACTC refund filers a few days after Feb. 15.

NEW ID NUMBERS: The PATH Act also requires that certain individual taxpayer identification numbers, known as ITINs, be renewed.

Any ITIN that hasn’t been used on a tax return at least once in the past three years, as well as any ITIN with middle digits of 78 or 79, must be renewed before a return can be processed. Anyone filing a tax return with an expired ITIN could experience return processing and refund delays, as well as denial of some tax benefits until the number is renewed. An ITIN renewal application could take up to 11 weeks to process during tax filing season.

ITINs are used by people who have taxfiling or payment obligations under U.S. law but are not eligible for a Social Security number.

By Tina Orem NerdWallet

Last summer, Cindy Hockenberry decided she’d had it with threatening phone calls claiming she was behind on her taxes.

“One day — I’m not kidding you — I got called three times,” she said.

Sometimes the calls were automated. But once, when she got a call from a live person, Hockenberry — who happens to be the director of education and research at the National Association of Tax Professionals — decided to play along.

The caller told her she owed over $5,000 in back taxes. “He was pretty convincing,” Hockenberry recalls. “”He was saying the right things ... using the right tax lingo.”

“Then I said to him, ‘Do you realize that it’s not lawful to impersonate an IRS employee?’ ... He came back and said, ‘Well, do you realize it’s unlawful not to pay your taxes?’ I said, ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I do — which is why I know for a fact I have paid all my taxes.’”

There was a pause, she said.

Then the caller cursed at her and hung up.

Hockenberry’s story is just one example of how brazen tax scammers can be. In roughly the last three years, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the body that oversees the IRS, has received more than 1.8 million reports of calls from people impersonating IRS employees, and almost 10,000 victims have lost a total of nearly $50 million.

Tax-related email phishing and malware incidents shot up 400 percent in the 2016 tax season, according to the IRS. Recent schemes include calls threatening arrest for an overdue, fictitious “federal student tax,” emails with fake tax bills attached and IRS impersonators demanding payment via gift cards or prepaid cards.

Portland, Oregon-based CPA Joe Seifert says even tax preparers receive emails from scammers, asking for the usernames and passwords that let them access special IRS online tools.

Criminals pose as state tax officials to make a buck, too. For example, the Kansas Department of Revenue has received complaints about calls from employee impersonators, according to a de-

partment spokesperson. Scammers are also issuing letters and emails under the state’s name.

As tax season approaches, people will likely see more scams, the Federal Trade Commission warns. There’s little to prevent a criminal from picking up the phone or sending a bogus email, but there are some things you can do when these fishy communications arrive: • Know how the IRS initiates contact. The IRS should never,

ever be contacting you by email, ever.

• Report creepy messages. You can forward shady tax-related emails to phishing@irs.gov and report suspicious phone calls to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.

• Never pay over the phone.

Even if you owe, the IRS never asks for credit, debit, prepaid card or bank information via phone, email, text or social media.

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Financial Planning for 2017

By Tony Henderson

As we usher in 2017, this year feels different than previous years in many areas of finance. Even if you have formulated a financial plan in the past, it is definitely time to sit down with your financial advisor and iron out another one for 2017. Here are a few topics to discuss:

Retirement Plans

Maximize what you fund into retirement plans and forget you have it. Let your money make you money and grow with-

out peddling in it. If you own your own business, this is an area that you can not only put money back for retirement, but also lower your taxable income substantially and take advantage of a lower marginal income tax rate. Continue to fund your retirement plan even in an up market as attempting to market time can be a big financial planning mistake.

Long-Term Investments

I tell all of my clients to think 10 years out when making an investment. It is easy to get caught up in the daily ups and downs of the stock market, especially these days with information at your fingertips. Trying to keep a longer term outlook will help you develop a financial plan that you are comfortable with, and one that doesn’t have as much daily stress.

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By Tina Orem NerdWallet

Tax preparers do a big chunk of America’s tax returns — more than 80 million a year, according to the IRS — but if you’re nervous about handing confidential information to someone in a largely unregulated field, you’re not alone.

Here are some tips to help you find a good tax preparer and reduce the risk of expensive errors and exposing your finances.

First, decide if you really need a tax preparer. Everyone’s tax situation is different, but many millions of them are simple enough — some W-2s from work, mortgage interest or a few other obvious deductions — to handle in-house. If that’s the case, it might be cheaper and faster to buy software and do your taxes yourself .

“Obviously the more you have going on, the more I would say go see a preparer,” says Trish Evenstad, president of the Wisconsin

Keep Your Eye on Tax Reform

Being flexible would be the best way to describe tax planning for 2017 and beyond. You want to be nimble enough that if tax-reforms get done quickly and actually apply for 2017, then you can use this money in an effective manner in your business or personal life.

Bringing in your CPA will help in this part of your financial plan for the current and future years.

How to find a good tax preparer Society of Enrolled Agents.

If you do need a preparer, be choosy. “I wouldn’t just simply go through the phone book and pick someone randomly,” says Melissa Labant, director of tax policy and advocacy at the American Institute of CPAs. Asking friends, family or colleagues for recommendations can quickly reveal a preparer who’s caused headaches, she said.

Tax attorneys and enrolled agents specialize in or have passed exams on tax rules, and many certified public accountants also specialize in tax preparation. At a minimum, Labant says, a legitimate preparer should have a Preparer Tax Identification Number, or PTIN, from the IRS. Never assume that because someone works at a big tax-prep company he or she must be an enrolled agent or a certified public accountant, Evenstad warns. And don’t assume a PTIN is valid, either — a 2014 Government Accountability Office study caught some unscrupulous preparers using fake PTINs

or ones that didn’t belong to them. You can verify PTINs and professional credentials on the IRS website , and you can check accounting and law licenses on state-level CPA and bar association websites. The National Association of Enrolled Agents also maintains a directory.

Know what to look for. The IRS requires paid tax preparers to put their name and PTIN on returns they prepare. Not doing so, or asking you to sign a blank return first, suggests a preparer is up to no good, Evenstad said. Directing your refund to a bank account that’s not yours is another red flag. And make sure your return doesn’t say “self-prepared.”

Good preparers will also ask for last year’s return, Labant says. “If they don’t, then you’ll know right away this person is not exercising due diligence and they could easily be missing several key items that need to be reported on your tax return.”

The preparer should provide a secure portal for sending information, too.

Estate Planning

This is something that will always be a topic in financial plans no matter what year it is.

Where do my assets go when I am gone? This needs to be a question that gets asked every single year. Life insurance and trusts are usually topics that are discussed to ensure your assets are safe.

Financial planning is something that everyone should do and have a little urgency to do.

Waiting around before developing a plan could cost you more taxes, less investment earnings, and the reassurance of safety in an estate plan. Do not let fear dictate how you invest your money in 2017. Talk to a trusted advisor with experience of how to deal with turmoil in the market.

Securities offered through ProEquites, Inc., a Registered Broker/Dealer, and member FINRA and SIPC. Heritage Creek Financial is Independent of ProEquities, Inc. WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 21

feature story

Women and Heart Disease Q: How prevalent is heart disease among women?

About how many women are diagnosed with heart disease each year?

A: Heart disease has been thought of as a “man’s disease,” yet it is the number one cause of death in women in the United States. Heart disease accounts for one in every three female deaths in the US. There are 8 million women in America living with heart disease today. Since the 1980s, the number of women who die from cardiovascular disease has exceeded that of males.

••• Q: What are some of the risk factors for heart disease in women? How do these factors differ from those for men? Are some women at higher risk than others?

A: Key risk factors are high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and smoking. Other risk factors are diabetes, being overweight and obese, poor diet, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol use. Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking women, and women with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack.

The risk of cardiovascular disease increases after menopause. This is because of a reduced level of estrogen.

African American and Hispanic/Latino women have increased risk because they tend to have more risk factors than white women.

••• Q: At what age should a woman start thinking about her risk for heart disease? When should she talk to her doctor about heart disease?

A: If either parent has cardiovascular disease, especially if diagnosed before age 50, women should start talking to their health care provider at an early adult age about how to reduce their risk factors.

Specifically, women who smoke, have diabetes or a family history of heart disease should begin talking to their health care providers around age 20 about how to minimize her risk factors. Otherwise, women can wait until age 45.

••• Q: What are some of the symptoms of heart attacks 22 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

in women, and how do those symptoms differ from those in men?

A: Chest pain is the classic male symptom.

Women may also have chest pain but often have more subtle symptoms, such as: • pain or discomfort in the chest, left arm or back • an unusually rapid heartbeat • shortness of breath • nausea or fatigue • extreme weakness • or sweating ••• Q: What should a woman do if she thinks she’s having a heart attack? Is there a difference in diagnosis/treatment for women as compared to men?

A: If women experience any of these symptoms, it is important for them to call their health care provider, especially if these are new symptoms or if they have become more frequent or severe. Ambulances provided by MEMS now have ECG monitoring equipment that enables emergency medical technicians to send ECG readings directly to the Emergency Department and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory increasing the response time of the Conway Regional heart team.

Treatments available are the same for both men and women.

••• Q: How can a woman reduce her risk for heart attack?

A: While it is not easy, quit smoking. Be sure and see your doctor for an annual checkup. Exercise regularly, five to six times per week; this is your own free stress test!

Regular physical activity and maintaining a normal weight also reduce the risks of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, also called Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes appears to be an even stronger contributing risk factor for heart disease in women than in men.

••• Q: What is the most important take away for women?

A: It is very important to call 9-1-1 if someone is having a heart attack to ensure a fast response time.

Treating a heart attack within 90 minutes greatly increases the patient’s ability to survive.

••• Q: What are the important numbers (such as blood pressure, cholesterol, amount of exercise, waist circumference, BMI, daily sodium intake, etc.) that a woman should pay attention to for heart health and what is considered acceptable?

A: Here are the heart healthy numbers to strive for: • Blood Pressure: Less than 140/85 High blood pressure, defined as at or above 140/85, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Between 120/80 and 140/85 is considered pre-hypertension, which research suggests is more harmful than was previously believed.

• HDL cholesterol: Greater than 50 mg/dL (women) or 40 mg/dL (men) -

Gray Wagnon, APRN, is an advanced practice registered nurse with the Conway Regional Cardiovascular Clinic. Gray has treated patients with heart disease in Conway for 11 years.

HDL cholesterol is the “good” cholesterol that protects the body from heart disease by helping remove cholesterol from the blood. High HDL levels protect the heart.

• LDL Cholesterol: Less than 100 mg/dL LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that contributes to heart disease by clogging the arteries.

Although some charts indicate up to 160 mg/dL is acceptable for people with little risk of heart disease, optimal levels are below 100 mg/dL regardless of individual risk. People at very high risk of heart disease, including those with active disease, should aim for an even lower number, 70mg/dL. • Total Cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dL Heart-healthy total cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL. • Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dL Triglycerides are another type of fat. Your body makes them when it digests sugars. Risks increase above 150 mg/dL. • Sodium intake should be less than 2,000 mg daily.

• Fasting Glucose: Less than 100 mg/dL Diabetes greatly increases your risk for coronary heart disease. Do your best to avoid developing it, and if you do, keep it under control, including fasting glucose levels under 100 mg/dL. • Hemoglobin A1c (Hg A1c): Less than 7% Hemoglobin A1c levels measure long-term control of blood sugar levels, and are an even better indicator of heart disease risk than fasting glucose. Currently 7% is the accepted safe upper limit.

• Body Mass Index (BMI): Less than 25 kg/m2 BMI provides a useful gauge for determining a heart-healthy weight. Keep your BMI just below 25.

• Waist Circumference: 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men) Studies suggest that people with larger waists are more likely to develop heart disease.

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homes

WEBB BED & BATH

Master Designer Cindy Hudson Webb focuses on bed and bath design

By Colleen Holt Photos by Brandy Strain While most people concentrate largely on specialized décor for the more public areas of their home, Cindy Hudson Webb made sure that the more private spaces in her home also had a life of their own.

In 2015, Cindy built a new home in the Turnberry neighborhood of northwest Conway. When decorating, she made sure that all three of her bedrooms had some sort of theme or consistent design.

“In the master suite, I wanted privacy,” Cindy said. Included in the décor are double doors that open in the middle and have pretty frosted glass. They also include exotic handles that are very heavy and feature a design of Naga Kanya, an Indian goddess of femininity.

“The handles have a snake on the bottom.

In Indian culture, it’s lucky and customary to keep snakes in the home. They don’t necessarily want a live snake, so they show up in accessories,” she explains.

Unmarried at the time of the home building, Cindy said her bedroom was the one place that she made as girly as she wanted to make it. Touches of color, especially pink, are dominant. Cindy refinished the bedroom dresser and incorporated some of her shiny drawer pulls.

A featured item in the master bedroom is a piece of art by her friend Steve Griffith, a noted local artist. Cindy said Steve was casually painting one day, and put to the side a painting featuring a free-form red heart.

It was apparently painted on the back of a sheet of paper like what comes in a new photo frame — “You know, the paper with the made-up family?” Cindy said she fell in 24 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

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love with the heart painting and asked Steve if she could buy it. He said, “You can have it.”

The master bath was definitely designed with elegance in mind. A lovely, tiered chandelier hangs over the soaker tub. The light came from an old house and was acquired for Cindy by Gina Hambuchen. Designer Raelynn Calloway took the sparkles up a

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notch by finding a very shiny and sparkly backsplash.

In the huge walk-in closet, there is a three-way mirror. “With this, you can see what your hair looks like, the length of your pants, etc.,” she said. It’s something she had always wanted to have, and since there was space in her closet, she said “let’s go for it.”

One of the secondary bedrooms has a

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unique James Bond theme. The collection, it seems, started with one item and unexpectedly blossomed after she received gifts for special occasions. The collection includes lots of posters from various movies and eras of James Bond. Because of her love for cats, Cindy had to include three framed posters of Bond characters with cats — including the infamous Blofeld and his furry white cat.

Cindy hosted a James Bond-themed dinner for one of her favorite non-profit groups.

For the time being, Cindy’s husband, Donald, “shares a closet with 007 in the James Bond room,” she said, laughingly. The couple was married in the summer of 2016.

A particularly fashion-forward room in Cindy’s home is her Chanel Room. This room features items featuring and inspired

by Coco Chanel, the French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. Cindy has a friend who sells Chanel for Dillard’s, and acquires Chanel-related items with regularity through Chanel-themed parties.

In this room, a large painting of Coco Chanel is the focal point. The art was created by her friend, Vivian Noe, a well-known local artist and wife of Steve Griffith. Cindy said she commissioned the work especially for this room.

28 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

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health

in the news

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What You Should Know About the Flu

By David Smith

Just so you know, flu activity has been on the rise, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After noting the normal rise during November and early December, the CDC said it expects flu activity to continue to increase in the coming weeks. Reportedly, 2.3% of our population had a flu-like illness during the week of December 17th, an increase of nearly 0.5% percent over the previous week. That might not sound like much, but it exceeds the national baseline level of 2.2% for the first time this flu season.

Have you ever wondered what those letters and numbers meant that refer to the flu – those H’s and N’s with numbers after them? And what in the world do pigs or birds have to do with it? Here is a brief overview for you, just for fun. There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D. Human influenza virus types A and B are the only two types that really merit mentioning in this article because they are the only two types that typically cause epidemics. Type A is the most severe, type B is less severe but can still cause outbreaks, type C is usually only associated with minor symptoms, and type D primarily affects cattle and is not known to infect or cause illness in people.

Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus: the hemagglutinin (H) and the neuraminidase (N). There are 18 different hemagglutinin

30 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase subtypes. (H1 through H18 and N1 through N11 respectively.) Influenza type A viruses can be further broken down into different strains.

Current subtypes of type A viruses found in people are influenza A (H1N1) and influenza A (H3N2) viruses. Influenza B viruses are not divided into subtypes, but can be further broken down into lineages and strains. Currently circulating influenza B viruses belong to one of two lineages: B/Yamagata and B/Victoria.

Currently, type A (H3N2) viruses have been the most commonly seen.

A flu epidemic occurs when the flu spreads rapidly to many people in a fairly confined geographic area such as a state or region.

When a new and very different influenza type A virus appears on the scene, its ability to infect people can cause a pandemic or more global event. Three well know flu pandemics were the Spanish flu, which killed 40-50 million people in 1918, the Asian flu, which killed 2 million people in 1957, and the Hong Kong flu, which killed 1 million people in 1968.

In the spring of 2009, a new influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged to cause serious illness in people. This virus was very different from the human influenza A viruses circulating at the time and caused the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years.

That virus, (2009 H1N1), became commonly known as the swine flu because laboratory testing showed that its gene segments were similar to influenza viruses that were most recently identified in and known to circulate

among pigs. It still causes some illness today, but not nearly as often due to the fact that it is included in today’s vaccine.

Fast forward to today. According to the CDC, if the type A (H3N2) viruses continue to circulate, young children and older adults may be more severely affected, based on information from past flu seasons. The CDC is recommending that everyone 6 months old and older receive the vaccine to help prevent the flu. Although most people who get the flu will get better in a few days to two weeks some people may develop complications. These can include pneumonia, which can be serious and perhaps even fatal.

Those who are at a high risk for developing complications related to the flu are those who are 65 and older, those with certain chronic medical conditions like diabetes, asthma or heart disease, pregnant women and very young children.

The flu vaccine is the best method to protect you and your family against the flu. It is definitely not too late to receive the vaccine. Flu activity can peak between December and March, and as stated earlier in this article, is already on the rise. We still have plenty of vaccine available — for now — so come get yours soon.

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 a pharmacist in Conway for over 41 years. He loves spending time with family and is NO1POP to 5 wonderful grandchildren.

Literacy Action of Central Arkansas to host Brunch & Bunco Bash fundraiser

Literacy Action of Central Arkansas invites you to a Brunch & Bunco Bash fundraiser on Saturday, February 25, at Hole in the Wall Café in Conway, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The bunco tournament will begin at 10:30.

Preregistration in pairs is recommended and will cost $25 per person ($30 for day-of registration), which covers brunch and beverages, as well as entry into the bunco tournament.

Prizes will be awarded for tournament winners, with the top winner receiving a package to attend Table for Two at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain.

For tickets, contact Julie Payne

at jpayne@literacylittlerock.org, or visit the website: www.literacyactionar.org.

Literacy Action of Central Arkansas is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that strives to build a community empowered through literacy by teaching reading skills to adults and English language skills to nonnative adults.

Haven launches $2.4 million campaign to build a ‘forever home’

Haven has launched its Every Child Deserves A Home $2.4 million campaign to build a commercial grade home for adolescent girls in foster care.

This 9,000 sf home, designed

by Rik Sowell Architect, Inc. will replace the 1910 Donaghey residential home. The new Haven home will be at the corner of Country Club and Tyler. The property was donated to the campaign by Jim and Joanna Rankin.

Susan Salter is the campaign chair. She was a Junior Auxiliary member and active in founding Haven in 1985 as the first Conway shelter. Susan and Gene Salter own Salter Construction and Salter Properties.

Susan says that she supports the

new home campaign “because it will enable Haven to support more girls in a more secure, welcoming and functional environment and will enhance needed services in Conway.

Not only will this home support girls in foster care, It will also provide space and programs for those turning 18 and aging out of foster care. This will allow them to successfully transition into independent living.”

Haven is excited about offering this much needed service in our community. Children aging out of care will have to meet a criteria to be able to stay at Haven such as attending college, maintaining a full time job, or working towards the education of their choice.

Bethlehem House Gala set for Feb. 3 The Bethlehem House Gala is scheduled for February 3 at 6:00pm at oneChurch of Conway.

There will be a live and silent auction. Miss Arkansas will be a special guest and music will be presented by Preston Palmer Studios. Dinner and dessert will be provided by Pasta Grill, pattiCakes, and Stoby’s. Tickets are $35 each.

Table Sponsorships are still

available. Please contact Judi Lively at 501-329-4862 for more information.

Conway Human Development Center Volunteer Council Benefit Bowl-A-Thon The 22nd annual bowling fundraiser to benefit Conway Human Development Center is Friday, March 3, the center announced. From 3 to 5 p.m. at the Conway Family Bowl, teams and individuals are invited to play all proceeds benefit the residents of CHDC. Bowlers of all ages are invited to participate, and teams consist of four bowlers per lane. The entry fee for the event is $50 per person or $200 for a team of four. Individual bowlers who raise more than $300 are eligible to win grand prizes. Prizes will be announced at a later date, please visit our website for these details.

The entry fee includes two hours of bowling, the shoe rental, a T-shirt, refreshments and entry for door prizes.

Organizers said to form teams, come up with a fun name, and go out and get sponsors. CHDC is the largest of the five state residential facilities for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. The center serves 480 residents, offering services from nursing care to social skills, academics, and work training.

For more information about the event and how to contribute, contact Elizabeth Litton at 501329-6851, ext. 319, or by email at elizabeth.litton@dhs.arkansas. gov WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 31

real estate

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Five ways to depersonalize your home

By Spencer Hawks

We all have those special photographs, memories, and mementos that we keep around the house to remind us of those that we love and those who love us. These items often fill our walls, countertops, and refrigerator doors. We all have personal items around our homes that make our lives easier and more enjoyable. However, when selling your home, less is often better.

Cluttered homes often distract would-be buyers and keep them from personalizing the house mentally. Items with names and photographs could reveal information to the wrong people. Remember that the object is to convey an idea of what the house could be to a new owner, not to give information about your personal life to nosy onlookers.

Here are a few ideas for decluttering and depersonalizing your home: 1. Clear off flat surfaces, especially kitchen and bathroom counter tops. These are areas that reflect one’s ability to prepare either in the morning to get ready for the day or for a meal to come. Remove your toiletries from the bathroom countertop and hide the toaster, blender, and coffee maker in the kitchen. Make the space look as large as possible.

2. Remove family photographs, diplomas, and personal items off the walls and refrigerator. This will help the buyer take possession psychologically. It will also add a

32 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

layer of protection to guarding your personal information. Remember that if you are marketing your house online, the photographs of your home could be accessed by anyone that might use information gleaned from them including: children’s names and their hobbies, work and personal information, and where you keep your most valued items.

3. Hide the dog! This also applies to any of our other animal friends as well. Pets ideally should not be home when buyers are there. Putting up toys and food will also go a long way in assuring everyone about the cleanliness of the property. Take the pet for a ride or let them stay with your favorite or most willing neighbor.

4. Clean the closets! We typically wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time.

(Ask my wife, and she’ll say I wear 5% of my wardrobe 99% of the time!) That said your hangers should have at a minimum of an inch between them when showing your home. Pick a charity, and clean the closet!

5. Pick up! Your mother always told you to pick up before your guests come over.

Mine did! These guests might buy your house, but nothing is more distracting to a potential buyer than a cluttered home. Send the kids to grandma’s, and get it clean!

During this special time of year when we reflect upon all that we love, remember that if you are selling your home to give the buyers what they love. Give them the ability to make the home their own.

Spencer Hawks is an Executive Broker and agent with Arkansas Property Brokers

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 33

spiritual

and r ea lenn o n

By Faith

34 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

By Andrea Lennon “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, New International Version) This well-known verse of Scripture beautifully defines faith. Faith is evidenced in our lives when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone or something is real even when that person or thing is not visible to us.

Recently, I saw faith lived out in a powerful way. I had the opportunity to join a group of friends as we visited a man of incredible faith. This man spent his life loving and serving others. Senator Stanley Russ was a man of wit and wisdom. He effortlessly combined both qualities and made others feel special and at ease. Senator Russ served in the Arkansas State Senate for 26 years. Many people in Faulkner County counted him as a friend.

The day that we visited Senator Russ was no different than previous encounters.

He told jokes and shared stories. He was animated and full of life. The only difference... Senator Russ was dying. He was in his bed and his family was gathered around him.

Our group of friends walked in and Senator Russ gave us a warm greeting. We were there to sing to him. He knew that we were coming and had requested that we sing hymns of the faith. With Baptist hymnals in hand, we set out to bless and serve him. Little did we know that he would bless and serve us.

You are probably familiar with the chorus of the first song that we sang. “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, He holds the future. And life is worth the living, just because He lives!”

As we sang, Senator Russ closed his eyes and lifted his hands in praise. There was not a dry eye in the room. Why? The words to the song were more than just words. They provided truth that held meaning that would serve every person in that room during the days ahead.

After we sang the song, Senator Russ wiped the tears from his eyes and shared a powerful truth. He said, “I am not afraid to die. Please tell all of the people that.

When I die, I get to leave this world behind and I get to see Jesus and God, my Father. After I see Jesus, I get to see my wife of 55 years. She (Nina) is already there (heaven) and is waiting for me.” The look of certainty in his eyes was nothing short of a man who was living by faith.

He was certain of someone ( Jesus) and something (heaven) even though he had not physically seen either of them.

In Hebrews 11, a list of faith-filled people is mentioned. These people lived by faith when their backs were against the wall and the call of God was big in their lives. As I read this well-known chapter, a verse jumped off the page and spoke to me. Hebrews 11:13 states, “All of these people were still living by faith when they died.”

Senator Russ left this world on January

5, 2017. I can’t help but think about the reality of Jesus and heaven for people like Senator Russ. What is it really like for our faith to finally become sight?

Faith is not developed in a one-time event. Rather, the development of our faith is a process that begins at salvation.

Salvation occurs when we place our faith in Jesus by trusting His death, burial, and resurrection as the only way for us to have a relationship with God. After salvation, we encounter opportunities for our faith to develop and grow.

Maybe we are called to move to a new city or to change jobs. Maybe we are given a task that is too big for us to accomplish.

For some, an unexpected diagnosis requires faith. Lots of moms and dads have faith that their wayward child will return home.

All of these moments provide an opportunity for us to live by faith. As we demonstrate faith in these moments, we deepen our trust in God and position ourselves to have this said of us, “they were still living by faith when they died.” I can assure you that Senator Stanley Russ was living by faith when he died. While his faith was not “seen” by the human eye, it was evident to all.

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.

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 35

book review

s u san o ’ k ee f e

‘A Fifty-Year Silence; Love, War, and a Ruined House in France’

Authored by Miranda Richmond Mouillot Reviewed by Susan O’Keefe

36 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

A young couple. A raging world war. Danger.

Discrimination. And the will to survive. Author Miranda Richmond Mouillot believes her Jewish grandparents’ hidden love story awkwardly lies somewhere among the ashes of memories too painful to discuss. But she denies the duty to let it go. Instead, she prods and pleas. Armed with stories, letters, archives and interviews, the author pieces together a puzzling love story no one could imagine. It is a true story, or at least as close to true as Miranda can decipher. There is truth in the grandparents’ love that is constantly redefined even up to the final breaths as one generation passes the surviving torch to another.

Although readers will eventually enjoy more than one love story encapsulated on the pages of A Fifty-Year Silence, the main characters are the grandparents, Anna and Armand. In the 1940s, Europe was allowing women only minimal schooling. Yet, Anna earned a medical license and found work at a tuberculosis sanatorium during

the war. Armand was fluent in half a dozen languages. Both sets of skills likely kept them out of concentration camps. Yet the ever-present danger was still only around the corner.

As Miranda holds tightly to every syllable shared by her maternal grandmother, who now lives in the United States, she is entranced by the stories. There’s an uncle who walked from a labor camp through Turkey to Israel. There’s the burning of books and the golden sparks the gilt pages made when they burned. History unfolds before the readers’ eyes and as always, it can paint a grotesquely depraved picture of mankind.

Amidst a horrendous environment, Anna is resolute and revolutionary all at the same time.

She vows that surely without her war experiences she could not have become the person she eventually became. The author’s writing allows readers to thoroughly process this quite painful idea. Without our troublesome experiences, or trials of survival, perhaps our full self would never

be quite full.

At fourteen years of age, Miranda accepts an invitation to travel from her home in Asheville, North Carolina, to her grandfather Armand’s home in France. She learns quickly that Armand has a precise order for all things, that he has no interest in hearing “that woman’s name” ever mentioned in his lifetime, and as far as sharing memories, forget it.

But Miranda persists for years, and eventually, a relationship and an open door into the past are presented for the taking.

The elegant prose Miranda uses captures readers’ attention, although critics have said there is perhaps too much speculating and not enough factual information in parts. Over the years, though, Miranda fascinatingly arranges a timeline of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, war dates, and peace agreements until there is a recognizable truth. Yet, the truth is still flitting from Geneva to a tiny village in the south of France where Miranda feels an immediate connection as if her grandparents’ past is waiting to be revealed from the stone walls.

“How amazing that these two people, finally told their stories, even if they did so in nearly undecipherable code. Their everyday war time experiences were horrendous,” commented one reader.

As time passes, Miranda sometimes chases rabbits in search of her grandparents’ story. Readers are asked to be patient as the author’s story is intricately intertwined with her grandparents, just as we all are tethered to our own family’s history.

Miranda’s memoirs focuses on facts but cannot forgo the feelings seeping from the heart.

Armand’s mind is slipping. Eventually, he must leave the Geneva apartment where he has lived for decades. His new residence requires him to relinquish much of the independence he nearly died to save. As Miranda visits her grandfather one day, the nurse asks if Armand used to practice law?

“No, why do you ask?”

“Sometimes he recites things … it sounds like legal language. Like a trial.

I just wondered. I wouldn’t bother you

with it, only sometimes it’s rather gruesome,” shares the nurse.

It’s a pivotal moment for Miranda.

She recalls her grandfather’s stories of his role in the Nuremberg Trials.

He worked as an interpreter. He had carefully and proudly explained the system of lights the interpreters used. Yellow lights indicated speakers should slow down. Red lights meant there was a technical problem.

Eager to show his loyalty to justice, Grandfather was honored to say that he had never leaked anything to the press.

This key piece in her grandparents’ lives proved to be paramount in writing their story. It also marked a crucial point for readers.

“I wept as I read parts of the transcripts that Armand had to translate.

He listened to testimonies about women carrying their dead children in their arms as they wandered through the bombed-out streets, yet he was never able to really decompress. Where did all that horrible history go?” asked one reader.

According to Armand, the trials were like a black box. “I carry it with me, but when I open it, there’s nothing inside. It’s empty.”

Imagine returning to your wife and children after working as a war trial interpreter for nearly a year. The haunting experiences proved to be too much for Armand. He could never beat them, could never get in front of them. And in the end, for him, there was only silence.

From the silence, however, Miranda finds a voice. Sometimes the voice shouts. Sometimes the voice is strained but always, the voice is there. That voice breaks A Fifty-Year Silence and deserves an audience.

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, JohnFreeman, Henry, and Hogan (plus Oxford, the family’s black Labrador).

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 37

real estate

health

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Choosing a Buyer’s Representative in Real Estate

When it’s time to buy a home, it’s also time to select a buyer’s agent to represent your interests in this all important transaction. But how do you choose one? Buying a home may be the largest and most complex financial transaction you may ever undertake. If you’re ready to buy a home, wouldn’t you prefer to work with the most qualified real estate professional you can find?

An Accredited Buyer’s Representative stands out in the crowd. If your REALTOR® holds the ABR® designation, you can trust that they have the extra edge when it comes to KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. Here are some of the most significant issues to consider and questions to ask when interviewing your Accredited Buyer’s Representative

Representation

Please explain what representation choices I have as a buyer.

Services Provided

Please explain how you will assist me at each stage of the transaction.

Do you have a written buyer representation agreement that details our obligations to each other?

Finding Properties

Do you have full access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?

Will you try to find suitable properties beyond the MLS?

Personal Support

Will you handle all aspects of my transaction, or will I be working with assistants?

Who will be explaining the various forms, agreements and steps required to reach closing?

the Accredited Buyer’s Representative designation has made the extra effort to raise the bar, with additional training and experience. If you work with an ABR®, you can feel confident that you’ll receive the highest level of buyer-representation services.

The Tobey Team at Crye-Leike Realtors Conway have earned the ABR designation as well as the following designations to better represent you whether buying or selling. We are 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. Call us today with your real estate questions 501358-0023

Related Service-Providers

Can you share the names and contact details for past buyer clients who can provide references?

Can you provide referrals to providers of other services related to my transaction, including home inspectors, surveyors, movers, etc.?

ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative GRI - Graduate REALTOR® INSTITUTE CRS - Certified Residential Specialist CRA - Certified Relocation Agent SRES - Senior Real Estate Specialist GREEN - Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

What are your areas of specialized knowledge?

Not all buyers’ representatives are equal. Only a buyer’s rep who has earned

The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), a subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Experience and Credentials

How long have you been a buyer’s agent?

How long have you been an Accredited Buyer’s Representative? What other real estate designations or credentials do you hold?

References

Knowledge

38 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

Negotiating

Will you counsel me on a negotiating strategy and appropriate contingencies?

How will you package my offer to the seller?

Will you personally present my offer?

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Untreated hearing loss affects brain structure and function Sooner is always better than later when considering treatment

By Dr. Sam Kelso, Au.D. Recent studies shed light on the importance of timely treatment of hearing loss.

Most people believe that hearing loss is a condition that only affects their ears. In reality, untreated hearing loss can affect so much more, including brain structure and function.

According to a 2013 John Hopkins University study, hearing loss may increase the risk of cognitive problems and dementia.

A 2011 dementia study monitored the cognitive health of 639 people who were mentally sharp when the study began.

The researchers tested the volunteers’ mental abilities regularly, following most for about 12 years, and some for as long as 18 years.

The results were striking: The worse the initial hearing loss, the more likely the person was to develop dementia. Researchers say that there are plausible reasons for why hearing loss might lead to dementia — the brain’s hearing center, called the auditory cortex, is very close to the regions where Alzheimer’s first starts.

Hearing loss also has a noted link to brain shrinkage. Although the brain naturally becomes smaller with age, the shrinkage seems to be fast-tracked in older adults with

hearing loss, according to the results of a study by Frank Lin, M.D Ph.D. through Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging. The report revealed that those with impaired hearing lost more than an additional cubic centimeter of brain tissue each year compared to those with normal hearing.

Those with impaired hearing also had significantly more shrinkage in particular regions, including the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri, brain structures also responsible

for processing sound and speech.

When a person is affected by untreated hearing loss, their auditory cortex becomes “impoverished” due to the lack of sound stimulation. Treating hearing loss in a timely matter, however, can help offset this.

These studies indicate the urgency in which hearing loss should be treated. “If you want to address hearing loss well,” Lin says, “you want to do it sooner rather than later.”

WWW.WOMENSINC.NET 39

arts

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe the Play Preparations for Blackbird’s production of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe the play are well under way! We had an overwhelming response from student participation this year, surpassing our cast numbers from all previous years. The cast of over 30 students ranges in age from 7 to 17 and will be rehearsing twice a week starting this week.

Director Madison Wilson said, “It is going to be a fabulous show; I cannot wait to dive head first into this famous classic.”

The performance will take place at Antioch Baptist Church Friday, March 17th at 7:00pm and Saturday, March 18th at 2:00pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Due to public demand, we will also be adding a free performance for local students during the day on the 17th.

The Little Mermaid: The Ballet Blackbird Academy’s production of The Little Mermaid the Ballet is in the books. Under the choreography of Deanna

Karlheim, a cast of over 30 students ranging from age 8-16 and dozens of volunteers tackled the enormous task of pulling together an original, full-scale production in just four months. Two public shows were held January 7th and 8th, with audiences topping over 900. A third free show was hosted Monday, January 10th for local public and private schools and homeschool cooperatives. “Every year, the ballet gets bigger and better. Many of these dancers have grown up from supporting roles in the past to lead roles in this year’s production. It is truly inspirational to see their individual and collective growth,” says Travis Sellers, Artistic Director at Blackbird.

Student Highlight: Luc Steadham

Blackbird theatre student Luc Steadham is just 13, but already developing into quite an onstage talent. He was born in Fort Smith, but after moving around overseas has come to call Conway home. He attends Simon Middle School and is in the 7th grade. He started off at Blackbird as Pinocchio in the musical Shrek in the fall of 2015 and fell in love with the experience. He is not sure of what the future holds for him but is certain that performing will always be a part of it. Blackbird’s Theatre Director Madison Wilson commented that “Luc has grown so much as an artist over the past year and a half and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for him!”

Luc will be playing the role of Mr. Tumnus in this semester’s production of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

“Blackbird has been one of the most positive experiences of our son’s life. With the support of a dedicated staff, Luc’s love of theatre has grown and his artistic and social development have been remarkable. Luc now aspires to a life in the arts, and there’s no doubt Blackbird will be instrumental in helping him achieve his dreams,” Heather Steadham said.

ARTS CALENDAR

February 2017 Events – Please check out the event website for more information and pricing.

February 2: Public Concert by UCA Artist in Residence Harrington Quartet @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac/ (G) February 3: Painting and Pizza @ Blackbird Academy of Arts; 6:00-8:00 p.m. www.blackbirdacademy.org (Ages 5-12) February 7: Public Lecture by Artist Magdalena Sole @ McCastlain Hall Art Lecture Hall; 1:40 p.m. www.uca.edu/ cfac/ (PG) February 9: Public Concert by UCA Symphonic Band @ Reynolds Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/ cfac/ (G) Feb 10-12: Love and…Broadway, A Valentine Musical Revue presented by Red Curtain Theatre @ Hendrix’s Staples Auditorium; Feb 10, 11 @ 7:00 p.m.; Feb 12 @ 2:00 p.m. www.redcurtaintheatre. com (G) February 11: Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton, featuring the Conway Symphony Orchestra @ Reynolds Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac/ (PG) February 12: Annual Concerto and

Aria Competition @ Hendrix Reves Recital Hall; 7:00 p.m. griebling@hendrix. edu (PG13) February 13: Lecture with Dr. Marc Lamont Hill @ Reynolds Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/reynolds (A) February 13: Annual Waltz Night Benefit for Arkansas Symphony Youth Orchestras @ Hendrix Trieschmann Gallery; 7:30 p.m. griebling@hendrix. edu (PG13) February 14: Cirque Eloize Saloon @ Reynolds Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/reynolds (G) February 15: Public Concert by UCA Jazz Ensembles @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall: 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/ cfac/ (G) February 16: Public Lecture by Artist Holly Laws @ McCastlain Hall Art Lecture Hall; 1:40 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac/ (PG) February 16 & 17: Original Devised Theatrical Experience directed by Zoe Allison @ Snow Fine Arts Center Bridges/ Larson Theatre; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/ cfac/ (A) Feb 17-19; 23-26: Hate Mail @ The Lantern Theatre; www.thelanterntheatre.com (PG13) February 18: Original Devised Theatrical Experience directed by Zoe Allison @ Snow Fine Arts Center Bridges/Larson Theatre; 2:00 p.m.

www.uca.edu/cfac/ (A) February 19: Concert and Conversation with Arts Entrepreneur, Composer, and UCA Artist in Residence David Cutler @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. (G) February 20: Community Presentation “How and Why this is a Great Time to be an Artist,” with Q&A and reception

by David Cutler @ UCA Downtown; 7:00 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac/ (G) February 21: ‘Faith in Black and White” Series on Church & Race @ Hendrix College’s Mills A, Mills Social Sciences Center; 7:00 p.m. (PG13) February 21: Public Presentation “How Music Education Can Change the World (and Why it Often Doesn’t)” by David Cutler @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 10:50 a.m. www.uca.edu/ cfac/ (G) February 21: Public Presentation “A Life in the Arts” by David Cutler @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 1:40 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac/ (G) February 21: Public Euphonium Concert by Gail Robertson @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www. uca.edu/cfac/ (G) February 22-25: The Sparrow @ Hendrix College’s Cabe Theatre; Feb 22-24 @ 7:30 p.m. ; Feb 25 @ 2:00 p.m. (PG13) February 23: Public Reading with Q&A and book signing by Poet and UCA

Artist in residence Oliver de la Paz @ College of Business Auditorium; 7:30 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac/ (PG-13) February 23 & 24: Endgame by Samuel Beckett @ Snow Fine Arts Center Black Box Theatre; 7:30 p.m. www.uca. edu/cfac/ (PG-13) February 24: Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live! @ Reynolds Performance Hall; 6:00 p.m. www.uca.edu/reynolds (G) February 25: Student Showcase @ Blackbird Academy of Arts; 7:00 p.m. www.blackbirdacademy.org (G) February 25: Theatrical Experience Endgame by Samuel Beckett @ Snow Fine Arts Center Black Box Theatre; 2:00 p.m. www.uca.edu/cfac/ (PG-13) February 25: Public Recital by UCA Trombone Quartet @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca. edu/cfac/ (G) February 27: Public Recital by Pinnacle Brass Quintet @ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca. edu/cfac/ (G) February 28: 42nd Street @ Reynolds Performance Hall; 7:30 p.m. www.uca. edu/reynolds (PG) Rating key: G – Suitable for all ages PG-Suggested for ages 7+ PG13- Suggested for ages 13+ A- Suggested for Adults 18+

Call for nominations

Nominations for the Conway Alliance for the Arts Awards will be accepted until February 24. For details on the award categories and to submit a nomination, visit www.artsinconway.org/awards.

40 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

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imatter

kyleE french

Leading by example

By Kelly Sublett Conway High School junior Kylee French is committed to exceptional students, and she leads by example.

The 16-year-old surrounds herself with the giving and the hopeful through studentled organizations like Conway’s Caring Cats, which does a number of goodwill activities throughout the year. Kylee presides over Best Buddies, a national effort that pairs general population students with those with special needs at the high school level. Caring Cats is its umbrella school organization.

“I’ve always had a heart for special needs kids,” Kylee says. “I’m in charge of pairing up buddies, who are paired basically to be best friends. We go to movies together, get our nails done … but the main thing is inclusion.”

Kylee was tapped to lead the group in its first year because of her willingness to do good works, but also her attention to detail, organization and her seemingly natural way with people.

Caring Cats director Cheryl Daniels says Kylee is a teen who certainly stands out.

“She is unbelievable. If we had a world full

42 WOMEN’S INC. / FEBRUARY 2017

of Kylees, it would be unbelievable, too,” she said. “What sets her apart, I think, is that she sees our special kids as people who have as much to give as anyone, if not more. She’s someone everybody looks up to.”

Until her experiences over the last year, Kylee admitted she wanted to be a meteorologist. It was something she was passionate about — until she found her calling with special needs students.

“I want to be a special education major,” she says. “When I [volunteer with them] and see their faces light up and the joy in their hearts, I realize God had this calling

for me. And I can’t thank him enough. Giving someone hope is the best.”

Kylee remembers the first time her heart was pricked with this purpose.

“I remember this girl, she moved away, but she was sitting in the hallway at school looking so down. I asked her how she was doing, and she said ‘people don’t like me.’

That broke my heart to pieces, and I realized not many [special needs] students get the opportunity to be included. I have spoken to many of their parents through Best Buddies, and they are very protective, just like my parents are of me. But the students — they

want friends and they want that love. It’s about everyone becoming involved.”

To date, there are 30 Best Buddy pairings Kylee has helped orchestrate. The program is so popular among high schoolers, she is looking to expand to junior high schools in the coming year. Conway Schools is one of just a handful of public schools in the state that have implemented the program.

“The kids love her. The parents love her.

She just has such a caring and kind spirit, and I think other kids want to be thought of like her,” Cheryl says. “She has high moral values, but she’s not preachy. She’s fun and funny, down to earth and human.”

During a recent Christmas party for Best Buddies and their families, Kylee spoke to parents, evoking that sentiment.

“Sometimes parents are unsure of a high school girl assuring them their children are safe and loved and they think, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ but I spoke to them and told them that I love [their children] dearly. Some parents are immediately like, ‘This is awesome!’ But no matter what, I do my best to be responsible and encourage them, nothing negative.”

Kylee is a member of the Conway High School volleyball team, a member of Delta Beta Sigma sorority and involved in her church and KLIFE activities. She is the daughter of Ericka and Bobby French and has two younger brothers, Logan, 13, and Lucas, 15.

For her peers looking for purpose, Kylee says giving hope is the easiest and most fulfilling way to accomplish that.

“If you see kids in the hall, you don’t know their story,” she says. “Something little could change somebody and can change you, too.”

GENERATION

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