3D mammograms can reveal more life-saving detail. A 3D mammogram at Saline Memorial Hospital offers a more detailed image which can result in fewer callbacks, especially for women with dense breast tissue. If you are 40 years of age or older, talk to your doctor about scheduling regular mammograms.
Schedule your 3D mammogram by calling 501.776.6820
SalineMemorial.org
1 Medical Park Dr. | Benton, AR 72015
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EDITOR’S LETTER
There is no shortage of prominent TV series out there to watch. Being a diehard “Game of Thrones,” Breaking Bad,” or “Modern Family” fan is fairly normal and commonly accepted across the board these days. Shows like these are critically acclaimed and well respected. They’re cool! But let’s be honest, not every show we tune into behind closed doors would be considered so typical or “hip” to the common viewer. We all have guilty pleasure TV shows that we indulge in every so often. (And by “every so often,” I actually mean we binge watch them!) And that’s okay! Not every show has to be award-winning television. There is plenty of room for programs that help us escape from the stresses of everyday life, kind of like candy for the brain. I’ll admit that I also fall victim to watching certain television that most of you probably wouldn’t consider your normal go-to programming. I personally love watching the Food Network. More specifically, I can’t get enough of the goofy goateed, frosty-tipped chef Guy Fieri. One of his more popular series, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (nicknamed Triple D), is one of my favorite shows. The series follows Guy around the country as he takes road trips to visit small, independent eateries connected by a common thread of distinct style, unique menu options or gourmet culinary approaches. Over the years, Triple D has featured more than 800 restaurants. After being featured on Food Network, these chosen roadside diners or out-of-the-way “dives” often see a dramatic increase in customers. Due to the show’s popularity, long-term positive effects are incredibly visible, with larger crowds and substantial growth in sales. By no means am I comparing myself to Guy Fieri, or Saline County Lifestyles to the Food Network. If we’re being real, Guy has way more hair than I do—and Food Network is a national cable television channel, not a local magazine. But I can say we do share some obvious points of comparison: we both love good food, and we want nothing more than to help local businesses and eateries thrive. With this being our 75th issue published, I hope we have gained enough street cred to produce the same positive influx for several of our own hometown food favorites. There are many exceptional locally-owned-and-operated restaurants in Saline County. Each has its own distinctive qualities that make it special. We are honored to have the opportunity to feature seven of these great spots to grub, as we do our best Triple D impression with our third installment of Saline Cuisine. Your town. Your life. Your magazine.
2020 Volume 13, Issue 5
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Josh Elrod
jelrod@ignite-mediagroup.com
ART DIRECTOR Krystal Neuhofel krystal@salinecountylifestyles.com
CONTRIBUTORS Contributing Writers
Carrie Amox Dennia Beard Carolyn Buckner Cody Calhoun Charles Crowson Brent Davis Justin Elrod Jillian Jacuzzi Ashley Leopoulos Marietta McClure Dr. Richard Nelson, MD Dr. Sam Taggart Contributing Photographers Lela & Lyla Photography
IDEAS/COMMENTS If you have a story idea or comment, please email us at: feedback@salinecountylifestyles.com
ADVERTISING
JOSH ELROD Publisher & Editor
If you are interested in advertising in Saline County Lifestyles please email us at: info@ignite-mediagroup.com Saline County Lifestyles is published by:
Ignite Media Group P.O. Box 861 Bryant, AR 72089 www.salinecountylifestyles.com Articles should not be considered specific advice as circumstances vary per individual. Advertised products and/or services are not necessarily endorsed by Ignite Media Group.
2 • Saline County Lifestyles
Coming This Fall to Bryant… A NEW Farmers Bank & Trust Branch on Hwy 5
CONTENTS A SILVER LINING TO THE COVID CLOUD
NOTES FROM DR SAM
WEATHER UPDATE
FITNESS TIPS
04 07 08 12
+MyFarmers iTeller ITM with expanded weekday and Saturday hours. A NEW KIND OF LEARNING
BUSINESS AS [NOT SO] USUAL
QUARENTINE MEMES THE PANDEMICS OF RURAL ARKANSAS
ON THE FRONT LINE QUARENTINE [RE]IMAGINE
HEALTH UPDATE
INSURANCE INSIGHT
FAITH FOCUS
MyFarmers.Bank
TIME TO FIX THE ROOF
14 18 20 22 30 34 36 38 40 42
Saline County Lifestyles • 3
BETTER SOLUTIONS. PROVEN IMPACT. For more than three decades, Rineco Chemical Industries (now a branch of Heritage Environmental Services) has served Arkansas and much of the nation, providing environmentally sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. The facility located near Haskell in Benton, AR, employs more than 250 Saline County residents, and is the nation’s largest single-site fuels blending facility in the U.S. This is an impressive summary for a company that has called Central Arkansas home since 1986, but many local residents don’t really even know what Rineco does. “We are an innovative waste facility,” said Salina Rivers with the Heritage team in Benton. “We’re not a chemical facility, nor do we manufacture chemicals of any kind. In fact, we don’t deal in pesticides, explosives or radioactive materials at all.” Instead, Rivers explains, the Benton facility handles common wastes (both solid and liquid) many of us discard without a second thought, converting those materials into a fuel substitute that is then provided to the almost two dozen U.S. cement manufacturers to fire their kilns. “Our fuel blends can be developed 4 • Saline County Lifestyles
from oils, solvents that have gone through a manufacturing process, and products you may find in your garage or your kitchen,” Rivers added. Through its blending process, Rineco mixes discarded fuel components in compliance with EPA regulations and stores the mix in seven-pound containers. Those containers then serve as an alternative fuel to coal or natural gas when heating the concrete kilns to over 3,000 degrees.
“SALINE COUNTY IS OUR HOME, AND IT’S SUCH A CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY. WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HELP AND TO GIVE BACK.” In 2017, Rineco’s business drew the attention of Heritage Environmental Services, an Indianapolis-based business dedicated to combating and solving complex environmental challenges for a safer population and a healthier world. Founded in 1970, well before environmental regulations began appearing as guidelines for safety,
Heritage has grown to more than two dozen locations, with thousands of employees across 18 states. Its array of services includes hazardous waste transportation, treatment, and disposal, along with industry compliance training and emergency response. In a 2017 news release announcing Rineco’s joining the Heritage family of services, Heritage CEO Jeff Laborsky said, “Rineco’s high-quality fuel blending operation completes Heritage’s waste technology offerings, allowing us to be a one-stop-shop for our customers. This acquisition combines the strengths of Heritage with Rineco’s employee expertise, customer relationships, technologies, and geographic locations.” This year, Heritage celebrated its 50th anniversary on Earth Day (April 22). While a number of events commemorating the milestone had to be modified for the COVID-19 pandemic, the host of companies still served their communities any way they could. “(Community service) has always been so important to us,” said Salina Rivers. “Saline County is our home, and it’s such a close-knit
community. We’re always looking for ways to help and to give back.” And it has been an eventful 2020 in the area of philanthropy. Among the initiatives taken up by the Heritage team in Benton during the pandemic, the companies donated $25,000 to 25 food banks nationwide, with particular focus on children and food insecurity. Additionally, the Benton team donated single-use aprons, nitrile gloves, N95 masks, and alcohol wipes to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Heritage VP Ryan Dossey said of the donations, “The doctors and nurses on the front line deserve the best support that we as a community have to offer, and donating PPE to keep them safe in this fight is of utmost importance in these trying times.” As part of Earth Day and Heritage’s 50th anniversary, employees at the Benton facility had planned to start a garden of fresh vegetables and herbs. That project had to be postponed for one year, but the team moved forward with other plans to plant two acres of wildflowers, more than 100 live oak and poplar seedlings, and to install two beehives to help boost pollination.
“While we have had to make adjustments because of COVID-19, it has been a great experience for us to remain involved in helping provide PPE to our emergency responders and being able to take part in the anniversary and Earth Day activities.” Rivers said. Every parcel, every barrel, every pound of waste being processed is an opportunity to improve our natural environment, and Heritage is uncompromising in its pursuit of doing it the right way. This protects our natural state with true sustainability and peace of mind.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme said, “Good decisionmaking about how we manage the waste we create is one of the most important contributions humanity can make to reduce its impact on the natural world.” At its core, Heritage exists to reduce, reclaim and ultimately reuse waste materials to improve our environment. Its mission of protecting human health and the world around us is obvious. The past 50 years of unwavering service have created value that will last for years to come. Charles Crowson
NOW
HIRING MAINTENANCE CLERICAL PRODUCTION LABORATORY CDL A DRIVERS Apply Online at heritage-enviro.com/employment Saline County Lifestyles • 5
6 • Saline County Lifestyles
Good Day, I hope this note finds you well. Gabriela Garcia Marques, Nobel-prize winning author from Columbia, wrote a novel in 1985 called Love in the Time of Cholera. The novel compares unrequited love with an overwhelming illness like Cholera. Clearly, there are many ways that people can suffer from an illness like Cholera and/or COVID. Loneliness and isolation have had a dramatic impact on many of our family and friends. Mrs. Annette and I are lucky that we have had each other in this time of crisis. Once a week, we go to the grocery store, the wine store and occasionally the hardware store. One of our favorite haunts during normal times was the local YMCA but for the first part of this time the Y was not open or a reasonable option. We also have a lunch group that has met each weekday for the last 40 years. During this time, we have cut our lunches down to twice a week where each of us brings food, we social distance at separate tables, and we wear masks. Several of our members are single and this has provided them with an outlet.
During this time of COVID, Annette and I have established a routine. Each morning, we get up early, feed the cats and push them out the door to prowl and hunt. Almost every day we exercise for 90 minutes. We alternate daily between walking/running and riding our bicycles. We live in a beautiful rural area and because of this we have an eighteen-mile bike course that is modestly hilly with good road surfaces and minimal traffic. In the afternoon, she works in her garden and flowerbeds. The cats follow her every step and protect her from enemies, foreign and domestic. I have spent this time putting the finishing touches on a book I have been working on for the last couple of years called Country Doctors of Arkansas. With some fear and trepidation, two weeks ago we stepped out of our safety zone and took a road trip. One of our dear friends is working on riding his bicycle across all fifty states; Michigan is one of his last four states. We decided to join him. Our biking journey took us from New Buffalo, Michigan in the Southwest Corner of the state to Mackinac Island in the Northwest Corner of the state.
miles a day along the shore of Lake Michigan. Ninety percent of our waking time was spent outdoors in rural areas. We stayed in very clean motels and ate most of our meals in outdoor settings. We were pleasantly surprised at the seriousness with which the people and businesses along the way took COVID, especially the people of Michigan. If our experience is any reflection, it seems that we are beginning to develop a new normal that will allow us to go about our lives in a reasonable but cautious manner. Stay well and be safe, Have a good journey. Sam Dr. Sam Taggart is a retired doctor/ writer/ marathon runner in practice in Benton for the last 35 years. He recently published The Public’s Health: A narrative history of health and disease in Arkansas, published by the Arkansas Times. His two other books, With a Heavy Heart and We All Hear Voices are available at your local booksellers or online at Amazon.com.
For eleven days, we rode 40+ Saline County Lifestyles • 7
ACTIVE
Lifestyle
FITNESS TIPS Eat Out/Work Out
By Marietta McClure, Head Trainer, McClure Fitness
Often I will see clients out to eat at restaurants around town. I get a lot of comments like, “I’m only having one piece of pizza!” Or “I’ll burn this off on Monday!” I always reply, “Hey, no disclaimer or excuse is needed, I’m eating out too!” I like to think that my clients appreciate my realness. I will never encourage people to limit food to an unhealthy level or deprive themselves of their favorite foods.
1. Look over the menu before you
We all have to find that balance—enjoying life while keeping our bodies healthy.
4. Ask for grilled meats
We all have to find that balance— enjoying life while keeping our bodies healthy. At McClure Fitness, we have weight loss challenges several times a year where we teach folks how to eat right and work out. However, we get to a point about four weeks in where we actually encourage our challengers to go out to eat. We know that their healthy lifestyle will always include going out to eat with friends and family. Here are some of the tips we encourage them to be aware of: 8 • Saline County Lifestyles
go—pull it up online to see what healthier options are available.
2. Eat a small snack an hour
before mealtime so you won’t be famished and end up eating the entire bowl of cheese dip (speaking from experience here!).
3. Portions can be large, so
plan to take half of the meal home in a to-go box. instead of fried.
5. Veggies always win—fill your plate with these nutrient-dense foods.
Other tactics that some of us trainers do so we can thoroughly partake of all the deliciousness at our favorite eateries:
6. Eat fairly healthfully during the week.
7. When going out to eat, follow the tips above.
8. Indulge once a week and go ALL OUT!
Wait, what?! Yes, I said eat whatever you want…for one meal. We like to call this a “cheat meal.” My husband and I try to go out to eat by ourselves on Friday or Saturday, which at this point in our lives with four kids, is
valuable quality time. I really, really love to eat good food, so I look forward to this time and meal all week. I don’t put any expectations or calorie goals on the meal, I just enjoy it. Okay, here’s the trainer tip to splurging on that cheat meal— get an extra HIIT workout done! Yep. It’s that simple. I will either work out on Saturday or Sunday to help balance it all out. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It’s any workout that has intervals of high intensity cardio mixed with strength training. These kinds of workouts are proven to maximize calorie burn while building strong muscles to keep up metabolism. Check out one of my simple go-to HIIT workouts that you can do with zero equipment, in your own driveway. At the end of the day, it’s really just about keeping everything in moderation. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and enjoy eating out because it’s about spending quality time with people. Take every opportunity to go out to eat with friends and family! And when you see me (and you will, because I like to eat good food too!), just wave and don’t feel the need to explain away your food choices. Bon Appétit!
DRIVEWAY WORKOUT Start with 10 reps on each set, then do 9, then 8, then 7, etc. until you get to 1 rep of each. Try real hard not to take a break between sets. Stay in the “quit zone,” that place where you want to quit, but you don’t. YOU GOT THIS!
10 Burpees
10 Pushups
10 Squats
10 Sit-ups
Saline County Lifestyles • 9
HEALTHY
Lifestyle
HEALTH UPDATE Practice Made Perfect
By Richard Nelson, MD, Emergency Medical Director, Saline Memorial Hospital
As the battle against COVID-19 continues, the top priority of the Saline Memorial Hospital Emergency Department remains: providing safe, high-quality patient care to our community. With so much of our daily lives changing, from avoiding unnecessary outings to wearing masks, we recognize the thought of seeking medical attention can prompt many questions about your own health and safety. Across the United States, health care providers are seeing the effects of delaying emergency care: increased cardiac arrests, delayed stroke
10 • Saline County Lifestyles
presentations and more. I cannot emphasize enough that delaying much-needed emergency care is extremely dangerous and will only create more complications related to your clinical issue. If you have a medical emergency or are in need of services from the emergency room, do not delay coming to the hospital to get the medical attention you need. While the Saline Memorial clinical team is prepared to care for patients with COVID-19, we have taken unprecedented steps to ensure we are ready to treat other emergencies, including sudden or acute illnesses, injuries or symptoms, and we are
dedicated to continuing to provide this care to our community. We are taking every precaution to protect you and all those who enter our doors. • Everyone—including patients, patient families and clinicians—is required to wear a face mask at all times. • The Emergency Department has adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). • Patients and clinicians must maintain social distancing when possible, including in waiting rooms and exam rooms. • COVID-19 patients or suspected
AS THE BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19 CONTINUES, THE TOP PRIORITY OF THE SALINE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT REMAINS: PROVIDING SAFE, HIGHQUALITY PATIENT CARE TO OUR COMMUNITY. COVID-19 patients must wait in a separate section of the waiting area. • Our Environmental Services teams have increased our already frequent sanitization practices. I am pleased that Saline Memorial’s Emergency Department has partnered with TeamHealth, a leading physician practice with a national footprint and impressive network of health care facilities, particularly during a time like this. TeamHealth employs more than 16,000 health care providers in the United States, including some of the industry leaders working tirelessly to provide the latest information about this novel virus so that all TeamHealth clinicians can implement the most effective, up-to-date treatment for COVID-19 patients and incorporate the best protective protocols for everyone else. In fact, TeamHealth recently released a COVID-19 operational assessment guide for hospital leaders. This tool offers well-researched best practices that will guide our peers across the nation and us, both during this pandemic and in our preparation to return to normalcy in the post-pandemic environment. With access to these valuable resources and the network of support TeamHealth provides, the clinicians in the Saline Memorial Emergency Department look forward to continuing to serve you. We are committed to providing the best emergency care to our community and dedicated to promoting health and safety, both now and after COVID-19. Saline County Lifestyles • 11
TOGETHER FOR Better. Arkansans appreciate community. We work and raise families. Care for our neighbors. And come together in good times and bad. At First Security, that local strength is what we love best about our home state. There is commitment here. And heart. And hope. Thank you to everyone who is standing together, learning from one another, and making Arkansas a place we all love to call home.
Member FDIC
We’re proud to be your community bank.
12 • Saline County Lifestyles
Dear Friends October marks the 12th year for Fulks Family Dentistry. In the fall of 2008, Hannah and I moved to Benton, our oldest son was born, and we opened the practice. All within one month. Looking back, I’m not sure what we were thinking but it all worked out and so much has changed since then. Our office opened with two chairs and one employee. We had zero patients. Today we have been fortunate to grow into a two-doctor office with four hygienists and a staff of ten.We have incredible patients who we all enjoy seeing daily. Early on, we held a team meeting to discuss our mission statement. After some debate, discussion, and thought, we developed the following statement: The mission of Fulks Family Dentistry is to provide dentistry of the highest quality while maintaining an
environment of trust, comfort and caring for both our patients and staff. That mission statement made sense. But something was missing. The following year, in 2009, I heard Simon Sinek do a TED talk on his book, Start with Why. He discussed the importance of defining the why for any individual or organization. That’s when it hit me. Our mission statement seemed outcome focused. But I wanted something to guide our process. We needed to define our why. Why do we get up every morning? Why do we come to this office? Why do we have morning huddle? Why do we fix teeth? Because every day can look different, it’s easier to stray from our course if ones why is not well defined and easily referenced.
What is our why? Because we love our neighbors and believe there is great value in maintaining a healthy smile. As a dentist who has been practicing for 15 years, I know firsthand the value and benefit of maintaining a healthy smile. Since I love my neighbors/patients, I want what is best for them. And while outcomes may vary, our approach and process should not. I am not perfect. Many days I fall short. But it is always my desire to lead with love. Don’t forget to floss.
Dr. Clint Fulks, DDS
Saline County Lifestyles • 13
URBAN
Lifestyles
“Last year, Benton Mayor Tom Farmer and a couple of others walked into the restaurant and told us they wanted the restaurant back in Benton,” explains Heather. Fast forward to today: they’re now back in Benton, where it all started, with their second location. They join culinary neighbor Valhalla Restaurant and Axe Throwing in the renovated Palace building downtown. Heather says they are glad to be back after years of requests. “We knew we already had a customer base since the food truck was here for a bit and we were asked constantly about coming back,” she says. In fact, a good percentage of their guests would make the trek from Benton to the Heights on a regular basis.
Things seem to come full circle in life. That may sound cliché, but it certainly applies to Benton’s Baja Grill. The Cali Mex-inspired eatery that began eight years ago as a food truck in Benton has since blossomed into two restaurants. Craig started the food truck with a passion for making good food, says owner Heather Baber-Roe, who runs
Baja Grill with her husband, Craig Roe. Food trucks were just starting to become a thing when the truck idea came to life, Heather says. “We both grew up in the foodservice industry. There’s just something about seeing people happy after they’ve had your food. We love it.” The food truck became so popular that it became hard to serve everyone out of such a small space. Heather and Craig eventually sold the truck to help open the brick and mortar on Kavanaugh Boulevard in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood. Since 2014, Baja Grill has enjoyed a bustling business in the Heights.
14 • Saline County Lifestyles - Saline Cuisine
Taking on a second restaurant seemed overwhelming at first, Heather says. “We were scared about so many aspects, but we knew we wanted to open a second location one day and now here it was.” The couple felt reassured about their new space after getting to know Palace owners Denise and Shawn Hipskind. “After stalking some of Shawn’s work, we knew he would build the perfect space.” The Heights crew has been supportive, even though they knew it would stretch the staff thin, Heather says. Who knew 2020 would bring a pandemic, she notes, but even through all of the uncertainties, she sings praises about her staff. The two locations are quite different—the Heights being small and quirky, and this
“WE BELIEVE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE, AND OUR SUCCESS DEPENDS UPON CREATING AND RETAINING A STAFF CAPABLE OF DELIVERING AN EXCEPTIONAL DINING EXPERIENCE TO EVERY CUSTOMER, EVERY TIME.” new space more modern and open. “The Palace is such an asset to downtown Benton,” Heather adds. “Not many people know the building itself is an entertainment district. It was wonderful the city did that for us and Valhalla.” As far as the meat of the business— the menu—Heather says it hasn’t changed much since opening. “As Craig says, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’” They have added a few items since opening the Heights location in 2014. They’ve also upgraded some recipes, but for now, they’re finished “tinkering,”
Heather says, noting with a chuckle, “I was physically removed from the kitchen the last time I made changes to the enchiladas.” They are known for their Cuban nachos—the restaurant’s most popular item. “The Cuban anything is super popular, and it’s hard for me to go to our local grocery store without someone stopping me to talk about our fajitas.” Every day, the Roes, along with their staff, come in with a work-hard mentality. They have a hands-on approach and strive to create an environment where everyone who walks in the restaurant walks out as happy as possible. “If you see Craig
Saline County Lifestyles - Saline Cuisine • 15
URBAN
Lifestyles
in the restaurant, you’ll see him bussing tables. I’m doing the same or running food. Our managers will be dusting ceiling fans before guests arrive. We want nothing but the freshest food to come out of that kitchen. We want this to be our employees’ favorite job.” The mission of Baja Grill is to enrich the lives of their guests and employees. “We believe that our employees are our most important resource, and our success depends upon creating and retaining a staff capable of delivering an exceptional dining experience to every customer, every time. If our staff is happy, they’ll be good to our guests. It starts with our people.” One day soon, the restaurant hopes to become more involved in the community, Heather says. Since they opened in the middle of the pandemic with takeout-only service available at first, Baja Grill is still getting into the groove. In the meantime, they’ll continue serving one plate at a time, creating full bellies and big smiles. Jillian Jacuzzi
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16 • Saline County Lifestyles - Saline Cuisine
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Saline #SalineStrong County Lifestyles • Saline County - Saline Lifestyles Cuisine • 17
URBAN
Lifestyles
the past several years, we began expanding our menu to offer more than just coffee and specialty items. That helped us build our customer base even further, so when we went from a full house to not being able to allow anyone in for a while, it hurt. “It was so bizarre having all the chairs turned upside down inside the coffee bar and not being able to serve anyone,” he added. “Since then, we’ve built some outdoor dining space. A customer even built a deck to help expand outdoor dining further.” Now, as restrictions in Arkansas continue relaxing, Carpenter says it’s good to see familiar faces. “A lot of our customers we may not have seen a few months ago are starting to come back in, so it’s good to see them.” A consummate entrepreneur, Carpenter originally started as the founder of Mugs Café in North Little Rock’s Argenta District before expanding his operation to Bryant in 2015. able to enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures is more important than ever. But suffice it to say, much of 2020 has been a challenge for this small business owner in the time of COVID-19. “We’ve definitely been affected, but we’re coming back,” he said. “For restaurants in general, margins are so low to begin with, so for us to lose anything created a big crunch.” Looking for a quiet place to study or a comfortable spot to catch up with old friends over handcrafted food or coffee? If so, Speakeasy Café and owner, Michael Carpenter have you covered. In these unique times, being
And with that pressure to maintain a viable business, Carpenter admits he and the Speakeasy crew had to get nimble with their approach. “Pre-COVID, we had already begun offering takeout,” he said. “That was possible because, over
18 • Saline County Lifestyles - Saline Cuisine
“I opened Speakeasy as a second location,” he said. “Then, I got an offer about three years ago from a guy who wanted to buy Mugs, but he didn’t want to buy Speakeasy. I sold that to him, and we’ve been here ever since.” While Carpenter has established Speakeasy as Bryant’s “go to” spots for locals, he certainly hasn’t rested or lost the spirit for new business opportunities. Now, in addition to great coffees, made
THIS IS TRULY A PLACE OF COMFORT FOR BRYANT AND ALL OF SALINE COUNTY. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BEAUTIFUL, RECLAIMED WOOD TABLES OR COMFORTABLE COUCHES AS YOU FIND YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME. from scratch breakfast and lunch sandwiches, you can also try out his smoked meats through Carpenter’s latest venture, Rocket 88 BBQ.
Carpenter entered the 2019 Arkansas Times “Ribs & Butts, Rhythm & Blues” competition. “I overcooked my ribs, so we didn’t place very well with those,” he said with a laugh. “But we won with the butts.” When asked about the secret to his success, Carpenter was pretty frank. “Build a fire and start cooking meat. There really is no secret to it,” he said. “It’s just a matter of finding the way that works best for you. If someone wants to come watch me on the smoker, I’m happy to show them my process.”
Following his success in the 2019 Arkansas Times competition, Carpenter started staging barbecue pop-ups on Sunday evenings to rave reviews. “Those really took off, so we invested in a much larger smoker (named after the 1956 Howlin’ Wolf song, “Smokestack Lightning”) to accommodate larger orders, and that’s how we started taking weekly orders.” Now, if you want to get your hands on some Rocket 88 BBQ, you have to get your order into Carpenter by Wednesday. That way, he’ll have your meats smoked and ready for pickup
“It was just a hobby of mine and not something I thought would go anywhere,” he said. But after more practice and encouragement from friends,
Saline County Lifestyles - Saline Cuisine • 19
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Lifestyles
on Saturday. “We’re also looking for a food truck trailer so we can open up and offer our barbecue daily,” he said. But Carpenter doesn’t see it stopping there. In addition to continuing his pursuits with Speakeasy Café, he’d also like to expand beyond a smoker and a food truck to one day opening a barbecue restaurant. “We’re really happy with the growth Speakeasy has seen, and once we get past the COVID pandemic, I’d like to see that business continue going,” he said. “We’d also like to find a space available for rent for a barbecue spot one day. We’ll have to wait and see.” This is truly a place of comfort for Bryant and all of Saline County. Take advantage of the beautiful, reclaimed wood tables or comfortable couches as you find your home away from home, your office out of the office, or simply just a new place to enjoy all the made-to-order food and beverages. . Charles Crowson For more information on Speakeasy Café and to check out their menu, go to www.spkeasy.coffee/. To learn more about Rocket 88 BBQ or to place an order, go to www.rocket88bbq.com.
Brent Jones
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Financial Advisor 1107 Ferguson Drive Benton, AR 72015 501-776-1414
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To learn more, call today.
20 • Saline County Lifestyles - Saline Cuisine
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Saline County Lifestyles Saline County - Saline Lifestyles Cuisine • 21
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discussed what each of us love, and we love this pizza place in our home state of Michigan. We take the kids every time we are back home.” Shawn and Kris began scouting a location downtown for their new restaurant when they were approached by the city of Benton to purchase the Palace Theatre building located at 224 West South Street. “They approached Shawn about buying the building,” said Denise. “The building was falling apart, but he saw the space’s potential. He worked to save as much of the building as he could.”
For Denise and Shawn Hipskind, turning the old into something exciting and new is a labor of love. Nestled in the historic, 101-year-old Palace Theater building, the Hipskinds and their partner Kris Pierce have created a hot new hangout in downtown Benton, Valhalla Restaurant & Axe Throwing. Shawn is the owner of Hipskind Excavating and has built homes in Saline County for nearly two decades. His wife Denise is the Principal Broker at iRealty Arkansas in Benton. They wanted to move into
the downtown area with their three kids, Logan, Ryder and Lily, spend less time in the car, and enjoy the beauty and access of a walkable city. They envisioned a downtown full of places for families to shop, eat and spend time together. Their friend, Kris had always wanted to open up a restaurant, plus he had an out-of-this-world, New York style pizza crust. This is how the idea of Valhalla Restaurant & Axe Throwing was formed. “We sat down as a family and talked about what we wanted to have in town,” said Denise. “We
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The Palace Theater was built in 1919 and housed films and theatre productions until the 1930s, when the city repurposed it as a municipal auditorium and recreational space. According to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Saline County Library operated the building from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Shawn Hipskind purchased the building in 2019. Valhalla stems from Norse mythology, representing a place of honor, glory and happiness where slain Viking warriors would feast and drink. Downtown Benton’s Valhalla serves up everything that lives up to its name. From mythically-named salads, pizzas, and sandwiches to cold brews and wines, Valhalla provides a heavenly experience for their guests. There is even a Viking-style food challenge called the Ring Sting Challenge. Guests must consume an 18” pizza
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OPENING A RESTAURANT CAN BE CHALLENGING, AND OPENING DURING A PANDEMIC MAKES IT EXPONENTIALLY MORE DIFFICULT, BUT THE HIPSKINDS HAVE FOUND A SILVER LINING. that includes house-pickled habaneros, ghost pepper, jalapeños and sriracha. Touted as “pure hell,” if a guest can finish the pizza in 30 minutes or less, the pizza is on the house.
But Shawn, Kris and the Valhalla staff quickly shifted to takeout orders. “In hindsight, we were able to get the kitchen staff working well before we made our first to-go orders on April 5,” said Denise. Once they were able to safely offer dine-in services, the Valhalla team had worked out the kinks and was ready to serve. “We were ready and excited to have dinein customers,” said Denise. “The biggest challenge has been meeting the needs of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and to keep people safe and happy. We have asked our staff to get tested whether
Lifestyles
they’ve gone on vacation or have been exposed. We have to do everything we can to keep the workspaces safe.” Valhalla offers curbside pickup and dine-in services. You can place your order or reserve a lane online at valhallabenton.com. “The community has really supported us,” said Denise. “We have a 4-8% profit margin, and being currently able to fill only 60% capacity because of a pandemic is challenging to say the least, but we are confident we will succeed. We love our town.” Ashley Leopoulos
The Valhalla experience also includes the Viking-inspired pastime of axe throwing. In the last few years, axe throwing has become a popular group game. At Valhalla, you can reserve a lane, enjoy plenty of food and beverage and throw axes down the lane to your heart’s content. There is also a large outdoor space for pingpong, baggo, giant Jenga and Connect Four games with plenty of room for social distancing. Opening a restaurant can be challenging, and opening during a pandemic makes it exponentially more difficult, but the Hipskinds have found a silver lining. The restaurant was slated to open on April 1. They had hired their chef on March 1, and on March 13, everything changed and COVID-19 threw its own axe at Valhalla. Saline County Lifestyles - Saline Cuisine • 23
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Ice Cream. It is no surprise that they have received a very warm welcome from the Saline County community. Just Ice Cream belongs to Tia and Jonathan Wind of Benton, who have lived in the area for ten years since relocating from central Illinois. When asked where they got the idea to open the restaurant, Tia shares, “We were in Florida at the Gulf Coast for our summer vacation and drove around looking for an ice cream shop. It was hard to find a place that only served ice cream, and we joked and said that when we retired, we would open an ice cream shop of our own in Florida. We returned home from vacation and the idea never went away. When we decided to stay in central Arkansas long-term, we decided to go for it and open the ice cream shop. The rest is history!”
Rock, Loblolly has made a name for itself through its small-batch, handcrafted ice creams and sweet treats. All of the menu items are made from scratch—from the brownie chunks to the marshmallow fluff— even the sauces and toppings. What do you get when you pair an extremely high-quality, popular product with a familyowned and operated shop in downtown Saline County? The answer is Benton’s Just Ice Cream. Just Ice Cream serves Loblolly Creamery ice cream. Based in Little
Flavored by real food, with no added chemicals or food colorings, Loblolly’s seasonal flavor options include summer’s Strawberry Buttermilk and winter’s Bourbon Pecan, just to name a few. Combine this delightful product with genuine, hometown customer service and the result is Just
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In business since April 2019, Just Ice Cream outgrew its first small location and moved to its current location on North Market Street after just four months of being open. The COVID-19 pandemic hit right before it had been open one year. According to Tia, they faced another big surprise during the quarantine.
THE VIBE. WE ARE FAMILY-OWNED AND -OPERATED AND YOU FEEL THAT DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR. WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS, AND WE HAVE FUN HERE.” She says, “We have been blown away by how busy we’ve stayed. We switched to curbside service when we re-opened and have been extremely busy throughout the pandemic. It has been so awesome to be a part of this community during this time, and being the destination when people need to get out of their house. It’s been another great reminder as to why we love it here.” The Winds credit the tight-knit Saline County community with their shop’s popularity, and they know it is the product and community that sets them apart. When asked what makes Just Ice Cream unique, Tia responds, “The vibe. We are family-owned and -operated and you
feel that difference when you walk in the door. We pay attention to the details, and we have fun here. It doesn’t feel like work to be here. We love our customers and look forward to visiting with them—especially the regulars—while they are here!” Just Ice Cream shares their latest flavors, store hours and specials with their extremely active social media community on Facebook and Instagram. “That is something else that has made this community so awesome—how easy it’s been to
advertise what’s going on through social media,” said Tia. The Just Ice Cream team is constantly creating specials such as an ice cream and cookie combo celebrating the first week of school, shared on Facebook. The shop’s most popular ice cream flavors are Arkansas Mud, Milk Chocolate and Double Vanilla. With other flavors to choose from like Salted Caramel, Fresh Mint Chip and Banana Pudding, there are many options for even the most discerning palates. The artisan ice cream is available by the
Just Ice Cream
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scoop, and some flavors are offered by the pint, with creative and inventive milkshake flavors rounding out the frozen offerings. A medley of baked and sweet treats are served fresh daily and offer something for everyone. In the last year and a half, Just Ice Cream has given Saline County residents a convenient, high-quality dessert destination at a time when they really needed it. When asked what they love and appreciate most about Saline County, Tia is quick to share, “To us, it is like Mayberry! It is our hometown, is like family, and feels safe. “We love that this community is all about family, kids, school, sports, church. We knew the minute we moved here that we had found our home. We are super grateful to Saline County for welcoming us with open arms. It is so exciting to feel the acceptance of this community.” Carrie Amox
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Laura Ingalls Wilder once said, “Home is the nicest word there is.” Sisters Joy Billson and Jill Averitt took that sentiment to heart. “As children, we always referred to our homes by the color. Over the years, we’ve lived in the White House, the Rock House, the Yellow House—but
our favorite home of all was the Blue House.” The girls’ dad built the Blue House when Joy was 10 and Jill, 8 years old. “We weren’t in the Blue House for too long before losing it to a house fire, but we made many special memories in that home,” recalls Joy. When discussing the name for their new bakery and café, it seemed appropriate to name it after the place where Joy discovered her love for baking. At a young age, Joy would ask her mom to buy the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, and 35 years later Joy is still making this special recipe for customers and friends who
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come into the bakery. The chocolate chip cookie is one of the favorites at the Blue House Bakery & Café, but everything on the menu is literally made with love. “Our menu is made up of dishes our mother or grandmother made for us as children that we now make for our children. We even have employees and friends who share family recipes that we add periodically. Blue House is one big family, and our hope is that our customers will walk through the doors and feel that, as well,” says Joy. Blue House menu options include everything from specialty salads such as the Cheeseburger Salad and sandwiches like the Cashew Chicken Salad to Quiche of the Day, House Plates, and Kiddo Meals designed to please the pickiest of palates. Their breakfast menu is just as delicious with The Perfect Pancakes, Breakfast Burrito, and let’s not forget the Big Man’s Breakfast Plate! All of these dishes are popular with the regulars, but Joy will tell you her specialty is cinnamon rolls and blueberry scones. “Those are only served on the weekend and I can’t ever seem to make enough!” The uniqueness of Blue House Bakery & Café lies in its family atmosphere that extends beyond actual family members who work there to customers whom they now call friends. “Saline County has embraced us from day one. They’re not just our customers, they’re now friends who feel more like family,” says Joy. In addition to being a restaurant owner, Joy, who has lived in Saline County for 20 years, is a pastor’s wife to Gerry and mother to Tyler, Cody
“OUR MENU IS MADE UP OF DISHES OUR MOTHER OR GRANDMOTHER MADE FOR US AS CHILDREN THAT WE NOW MAKE FOR OUR CHILDREN. WE EVEN HAVE EMPLOYEES AND FRIENDS WHO SHARE FAMILY RECIPES THAT WE ADD PERIODICALLY. “ and Pryce. She also has two bonus daughters, Jordan and Bethany. Her youngest son, Pryce and daughterin-law, Bethany both work alongside her at the bakery. Joy and Jill’s mom, affectionately called Granny, moved to Saline County in 2019 to help with the bakery. She comes in every morning to bake biscuits and other baked goods for the day. “It’s really special to have our mom at the bakery every day. It’s truly a family affair!” Jill, who currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, is a wife, mom, homeschool teacher and restaurant owner. She’s
wife to Alex, and mom to Amelia Joy and Sydney Faith. Her daughters are the exact ages she and Joy were when they moved into the original Blue House, and it’s safe to say, her girls have a love for being in the kitchen just like their mom and Aunt Joy. “They love making trips to Arkansas and spending time at the bakery. I can’t wait for the day I can move back home, working side-by-side with Joy,” says Jill. Everything Jill knows about cooking or baking, she learned from Joy. Joy taught her the true
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meaning of hospitality and serving others through sharing a meal. “There’s just something about the making of a meal for others to enjoy. Being in the kitchen is therapeutic. It’s our happy place,” says Joy. Joy and Jill will tell you they have felt supported and encouraged through a tough first year. “October 23rd will be our one-year anniversary. There’s absolutely no way we could’ve made it through this first year without [the customers’] love, support, and prayers. We chose to open a restaurant with zero restaurant experience, so to say they’ve been incredibly patient and gracious is an understatement. We’ve also received incredible support from other local restaurant owners. The sweet reception we’ve received is a testament to just how incredible this community is. There’s no other place we’d rather be than Saline County!” For more information including menu items, daily dessert specials and links to other local restaurants, visit Blue House Bakery & Café at @BlueHouseBakeryBryantAR. And Happy Belated Birthday, Zella! Carolyn Buckner
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together despite the demands that come with being a young wife, parent and employee. “We were looking for something we could do together to intentionally fellowship with each other, when the idea came up to learn how to decorate cookies,” recalls Suzanne. So, the three would-be bakers dug their heels in and learned to create beautifully decorated cookies. “It was something that came fairly naturally to me and I wanted to practice and create all the time,” says Suzanne. They first started making cookies for family and close friends, but before long, the desire to just hang out with friends turned into a viable business and Three Best Bakery was born.
Three Best Bakery on the Courthouse Square in Benton came about not only through a love for baking, but also through the desire to spend time and share life with friends. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Colorado native Suzanne Godbold earned her degree in cardiopulmonary care and used her skills caring for
patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital as a Respiratory Therapist. It was during those college years that Suzanne started baking pies for family holiday gatherings. “My mom has a Betty Crocker cookbook she got in the 60’s that has an amazing apple pie recipe with illustrations on how to create beautiful pie crusts. That was really the beginning of my interest in making beautiful desserts.” For Suzanne and her two best friends, Chelsea Cook and Sara Long, life was busy with full-time jobs and kids, but the three friends were committed to spending time
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In 2019 the trio decided to open a storefront. But as with all things, businesses, too, ebb and flow. “When it was time to open a storefront, we decided that having a sole owner instead of three would be the best plan. Sara took a job in another state, but Chelsea continues to work for the company as our Director of Business. Although we no longer have three owners, I decided to keep our name and story alive,” Suzanne says. Baking is an art form and what she loves the most about baking is that it uses both sides of her brain. “The scientist in me loves the chemistry involved in the baking process, and the artist in me loves the creative process of making edible art.” Decorated sugar cookies are the specialty item at Three Best Bakery. Suzanne says she has spent countless hours and late nights working to perfect
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them. As important as the design and picture-perfect decoration is the taste. Suzanne bakes a soft sugar cookie with royal icing that almost melts in your mouth. “Beautiful, decorated cookies should absolutely be delicious, and I’m so happy with the recipe that I’ve created.” Decoration and taste go hand in hand and it’s a combination that can be hard to achieve. But Three Best Bakery does not shy away from custom orders. Suzanne’s innovative personality loves the challenge of taking a customer’s vision and creating the perfect cookie to compliment any occasion. Although cookies are Suzanne’s “sweet spot,” you might say, Three Best Bakery offers a wide variety of baked goods to satisfy the most discriminating palate including cupcakes, brownies, a mix of cookies, mini-cheesecakes, and even the occasional ham and cheese scone. From birthdays and weddings, to bachelorette parties and company
branding, Three Best Bakery can create whatever you have in mind for your special moment. In addition to their in-house products, Suzanne is getting ready to roll out a new product unofficially named Sunshine boxes, curated cookie gift boxes shipped directly to friends and loved ones. They will include options for lots of occasions, such as “I Love You,” “I Miss You,” Good Luck,” “Happy Birthday,” and others! Boxes will include their signature cookies, decorated cookies, a card and other extras. 2020 has been a challenge for many small businesses, including bakeries, but Suzanne will be quick to tell you that she has the best customers who are now regulars in the bakery. “We have such an amazing community here in Saline County. I feel so lucky to be able to be in the heart of downtown Benton where I get to meet so many different people,” Suzanne says. The effects of COVID have forced the bakery to only open one day a week for now, but she looks forward to opening back up full-time and selling out the case every day of the week like she did back in February. “People have been so amazing and supportive of my business during this difficult time.” Currently the bakery storefront is open on Fridays from 9am7:30pm, but customers can place orders through the website, www.threebestbakery. com. The website offers a wide variety of baked goods, but you can also find greeting cards, candles and even decorating supplies for the doit-yourselfer! Carolyn Buckner
www.ThreeBestBakery.com 107 W. Conway Street Benton, AR 72015 501-837-8889 @threebestbakery
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helping customers. But his favorite job was being a donut cutter. Joel purchased the business from his parents when they retired in 1992. The Atchley family moved to Benton in 1970 from Bakersfield, California. Joel remembers what it felt like seeing Benton for the first time. “To me it felt like I’d moved to another planet!” he says. “It’s so different here; but it’s become my home and I love Benton.”
of itself, but even more astounding is that the local icon of sticky goodness has been in the hands of one family since the beginning—no small feat in the food industry.
On the corner of Military Road and Lillian Street in Benton sits a small store with a big history of smiles, good times and tasty treats. Dale’s Donuts has been serving generations of donut lovers at this same location since 1982. Staying in business for 38 years is an accomplishment in and
Dale and Peggy Atchley opened the store after another local legend, J.R. Prince, sold the building that had once housed a service station. Interestingly enough, it had also been used as a donut store in the past. Dale and Peggy’s son, Joel began working at the store in 1987. He learned how to do everything, from sweeping floors to taking out trash to
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The signature “Dale’s” name handwritten on the top of each carryout box is instantly recognizable. “My mom started doing that the day they opened and it’s still done today.” says Joel. The tradition continues and has been passed down. “The girls at the shop do it and sometimes I do it. You wouldn’t want my dad to do it! He was kind of like my son Nick. They’re the only ones that could read it.” Without a doubt, this white box with the red signature has been welcomed in meetings, classrooms, break rooms and Sunday school classes for decades. The business has grown and expanded. The first store has always been the main shop but a second location opened for a time. “For a few years we had a shop at what used to be Lincoln Square, but we sold it to focus on our main shop with my dad wanting to retire,” says Joel. Lincoln Square was one of the first major shopping centers built in Benton, but was torn down several years ago. Eventually, the Kum & Go store on the corner of Military and Congo Roads was built at the same location. More important than the store’s longevity is the undeniably unique
“YOU CAN’T MAKE IT WITHOUT THREE THINGS: GOOD DONUTS, GOOD EMPLOYEES AND MOST OF ALL, OUR GREAT CUSTOMERS. BUT IN THE END, WE ARE JUST A SMALL BUSINESS IN A SMALL TOWN THAT HAS BEEN BLESSED MORE THAN WE DESERVE.”
grow up and bring their kids and grandkids. I can’t remember how many re-paints I’ve done to that table over the years. I finally decided to have it powder-coated to hold up better. It’s funny to watch parents sitting there with their kids. The things we do for our children!” Joel said he hasn’t thought about just how many donuts his little corner of Benton has made. “Honestly, it makes my head hurt trying to answer that one. Let’s say a lot!”
at Dale’s. “All my kids and a lot of my family have worked their time at the shop growing up. I do have great people working for me.” The Dale’s name has grown and spread to other cities. “I’m still shocked when I’m in another town in a place I’ve never been and someone will see my Dale’s shirt and yell to me that they love our donuts,” says Joel. “It makes me smile because I think of everyone through the years that have made Dale’s what it is.”
The family tradition continues
When asked why his store has
donuts and other menu items offered at Dale’s. Joel closely guards the recipe for the flagship donut. “I wish I could tell you how we make our donuts, but No Can Do!” In regards to the menu itself, Joel says, “The menu hasn’t varied much, because as busy as we’ve become we don’t have the time to add to it and keep up with our costumers. That’s a good problem to have, though. It’s really unbelievable how busy we get with no parking! If you’ve been here, you know what I mean! I’m so thankful our costumers are patient and are willing to walk a few more steps to come in.” Dale’s has been a gathering place for old and young alike. In fact, a group of retired men regularly sit at a table near the entrance to read the daily newspaper, eat donuts, drink coffee and solve all of the world’s problems. A few steps away stands the children’s table, one of Joel’s favorite places. “I’ve watched a lot of kids
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been so successful, Joel talks less about product than about people. “You can’t make it without three things: good donuts, good employees and most of all, our great customers. But in the end, we are just a small business in a small town that has been blessed more than we deserve.” But many would argue that the blessing has been a two-way street… with no parking! Brent Davis
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INSURANCE INSIGHT Food for Thought
By Dennia Beard, State Farm Insurance
Ah, this edition of this magazine is making me hungry! There are so many restaurants with delicious food in Saline County. Isn’t it interesting how mouth-watering food always makes you feel like you’re “home?” I am not originally from Saline County, but there is just something about sharing a meal with all of you nice people that makes me think of my mom and how it feels to be in her kitchen. I am so grateful for this beautiful community and its many important businesses. I have been thinking a lot about our business owners these last 6 months. Business owners have enough to worry about without a
global pandemic. Now, they have to develop strategies to help prevent workplace exposures to COVID-19. They are scrambling to develop tools to protect their professions, and working hard to communicate with their communities. 2020 certainly hasn’t been for the faint of heart. As a business owner, I know exactly how it feels to worry. I am constantly considering how this pandemic will continue to affect our industry and the lives of our policyholders. I am continually adjusting our systems to sufficiently serve our customers in this new world. As our new world as changed, so has our level of panic.
It really makes me wish I had a cupcake from SugarDumplin’s. With all of this concern, the fixed anxiety that typically accompanies owning a business hasn’t gone away. I want to tell you a story about a business owner friend of mine. His name is Joe, and he has owned a construction company for over 30 years. Joe lives with his pretty wife, Sarah, and they have been married for 37 years, with 2 grown children and 5 grandchildren. Over the years, they have used the equity in their home to financially support their company’s operations. As Joe has gotten older, he has started to worry more and more about what would happen if he became sick and couldn’t work. What if he were permanently disabled? What would he and his wife do if he couldn’t operate the business as he does now? What if he suddenly passed away? What would happen to Sarah? Would she have to move out of their home? For the first time in her life, would Sarah have to work outside of the home just because he hadn’t taken the necessary steps to adjust and plan as their needs changed? This self-doubt has started to keep Joe awake at night. He feels unprepared. He doesn’t feel confident he has taken the steps necessary
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As a business owner, I know exactly how it feels to worry. I am constantly considering how this pandemic will continue to affect our industry and the lives of our policyholders. to protect his family in the event that something unexpected and catastrophic were to happen. Joe isn’t alone in his fears. Illness, disability and premature death are three of the most worrisome risks for business owners, but they don’t have to be. You can’t ignore or transfer these risks, but you can proactively plan for them. Now, let’s start talking about what I do and how an insurance agent can help you minimize your risks, whether you are a business owner or not. At our agency, we have a 3-step review process where we discuss the seven major risks that everyone faces in life: Premature Death, Illness, Disability, Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Longevity Risk and Liability Insurance. The first step is a discovery call where we discuss your family, and discover your needs and potential risks. We then analyze those risks carefully. The last step is my favorite step and the most critical. In this step, together, we craft a customized plan to meet your needs. This necessary, blended process will ensure that you and your family will be ready for anything that comes your way. Once your plan is in place, the only thing left is for your insurance agent to manage your household. Each year, you should set aside a minimum of 20 minutes to review and potentially adjust your plan if needed. In case you are worried that this level of attention to your insurance plan is going to burden your wallet, don’t. You may be surprised at how affordable it can be to take care of the “what ifs” that are keeping you up at night.
Dennia Beard, Agent 1408 Military Road Benton, AR 72015 501-778-6066 www.insurebenton.com SERVICES: Auto Insurance Home and Property Insurance Life InsuranceHealth Insurance Banking Products Annuities Mutual Funds
Is this type of planning a good fit for you? Call your insurance agent and see. Joe called me, and I am happy to say that Joe isn’t worrying about these things anymore. Stay safe, my friends. Saline County Lifestyles • 39
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Known for Love By Cody Calhoun, Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church
In this issue, you are reading about some of the favorites in Saline County. We all have a spot that we love. But it’s funny how much we use the word “love” for the simplest of things. The English language is like that. But the word “love” is so much stronger than our favorite ice cream or pizza. Love is stronger than its four letters. Love is what brought us into a relationship with God through Christ. Romans 5:8 says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love for us is so great that while we were rebels and enemies of
God, He sent Jesus to die for us. There is no greater example of true love in history than Jesus’ laying down His life for those who rebelled against Him. I cherish this story I heard as a missionary: A chief in a village was much admired. He loved his people and was extremely generous but was also just. Any penalty earned was given without hesitation. One day, men from the village came to him and shared with him that someone in the village had been stealing. The chief was upset someone in his village would do such a thing. He gave the sentence of 4 lashes with the cane and sent the men out to find the thief. They found nothing. A few days later, the men returned to share the same news. The chief increased the sentence to 6 lashes, but the thief was not caught. A few days later, the men returned sharing the same news once more. The chief was forced to declare 15 lashes and commanded the men to find the thief. The men finally returned with the thief— the chief ’s own mother. Seeing who the thief was and knowing the verdict broke the chief ’s heart. He got up from his chair, took off his cloak and wrapped his arms
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LOVE IS STRONGER THAN ITS FOUR LETTERS. LOVE IS WHAT BROUGHT US INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH CHRIST. around his mother. He bore the lashes for her. All 15 of them. His justice was paid for by his love. That’s what Christ has done for us. What does that kind of love do to those who have “tasted” it? It changes them. People who have been shown love most certainly find joy in sharing love. 1 John 4:7 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” If we have been shown God’s love, we will in turn love because it’s in our DNA. We love to love. This is an incredibly hard time for the church right now. Amid this political season and the racial justice issues in front of us, there are many claiming to be Christ-followers but who are known more for their hate than for love. Now more than ever, love stands out. Love speaks louder. So no matter what you hear on social media or in the news, love! No matter what name-calling may happen out there, love! No matter for whom someone else votes, love! God gets glory as we lay ourselves down in love.
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Saline County Lifestyles • 41
FAMILY
Lifestyle
ALL IN THE MIX
By: Justin S. Elrod, Certified Elder Law Attorney, The Elrod Firm Cheese dip is cheese dip, right? Of course not. That may be the craziest thing I’ve ever written in this space. Cheese dip was actually invented right here in Arkansas, way back in 1935. Its creator was a man named Blackie Donnely. He was a pilot, often flying a twin-engine airplane back and forth between Mexico (where legend claims he got most of his spices) and the States. He also owned Mexico Chiquito, a famous Mexican restaurant that started in Hot Springs but moved to North Little Rock shortly thereafter. Some say Donnely only “landed” in Arkansas to found his now-famous restaurant because he crashed his plane here. One somewhat-accepted version of his closely-guarded recipe includes on its list of ingredients Velveeta cheese, jack cheese, whole milk, cilantro, jalapeños, green chilies, tomatoes, chili powder, minced onion, salt, black pepper, cumin, butter, and flour, among other things. Putting together Donnely’s version of cheese dip takes a little time. First, you have to melt the butter over low heat, slowly adding in the flour and other dry ingredients before slowly 42 • Saline County Lifestyles
(you’ll notice a pattern) adding in the milk, before slowly including the cheeses into the mix, until it all blends together with perfection. On the other hand, for those who don’t have time for all that, one can make another dish also called cheese dip that includes only two ingredients and far fewer steps. First you plug in your Crock-Pot, and then you pour in a can or two of RoTel, before finally tossing in a block of Velveeta cheese. Done.
be put together pretty quickly. The desire of most people is to have an estate plan that, despite (or even because of ) its simplicity, still meets all of the family’s goals. Just as every cheese dip recipe includes, at a minimum, some kind of cheese and some kind of spice, every estate plan must have certain essential ingredients.
No one would correct you if you were to label both of these dishes cheese dip. And don’t get me wrong; I love them both. But no one would seriously argue that all cheese dips are created equal. So what accounts for the difference? One major factor is the list of ingredients. Another is the time and effort put in by the cook.
No estate plan is complete if it does not contain some means of transferring assets from one generation to the next at the time of death. But there are many ways to accomplish that task, including wills, trusts, specialized deeds, and death beneficiary designations on financial accounts. A good estate planning discussion will leave you with at least a basic understanding of the difference between these options, and again, will keep things simple while ensuring all of a family’s goals are met.
The same distinction holds true in my field of estate planning. All estate plans are not created equal, and the distinguishing factors are no different from cheese dip. Some estate plans include a long list of ingredients; others are pretty simple. Some estate plans take a lot of time and tremendous effort; others can
No estate plan is complete if it does not also contain some means of giving authority to another person, or a group of people, to help with business and financial affairs when age, illness, or injury create a need for assistance. This is usually accomplished with power of attorney and healthcare power of attorney documents.
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attorney will help a family identify its goals and will present multiple options for meeting those goals. A good estate planning attorney will help a family identify its goals and will present multiple options for meeting those goals. That attorney will not over-complicate matters, but he or she will not oversimplify the situation either. Estate planning is a big deal. Your family’s future can ride on the success or failure of your plan. Sometimes it’s not enough to just plug in the Crock-Pot. Never is it enough to just print some forms off the Internet. When it comes to estate planning, some situations call for a little more nuance, a little more creativity, or a little more time. Others don’t. But realize that it takes a lot of skill and a lot of experience to make a potentially complicated project feel simple. It takes effort to find the right balance. Saline County Lifestyles • 43
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