RVL Spring 2017

RVL Magazine

SPRING ISSUE

MARCH 2017

Wedding bli ss

| pg 30

Just kiddin’ around | pg 16

INSIDE • Juanita Sutterfield | pg 6 • Spring fashion | pg 20 • Mary Bentley | pg 40 • Camping adventures | pg 42

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RVL Magazine

Welcome TO THE TEAM! ERIC EDENS

GENERAL MANAGER TOYOTA Eric Edens, new Sales Manager at Phil Wright Toyota, was born and raised in Madison County in Northwest Arkansas. He has been married for 26 years and has two grown children. Edens says that he and his family love their new life here in the River Valley and truly enjoy their new church family at First Baptist Church.

Edens enjoys antique cars and trucks, all terrain vehicles and horses.

He spent the last 10 years at Fayetteville Toyota Auto Park where he was a manager for the last four years.

Edens expressed he has enjoyed getting to know all of the kind folks here in Russellville and looks forward to making new friendships.

He said he looks forward to meeting new customers every day and plans to continues to live here in the River Valley and work here at Phil Wright long term.

ADAM STOFFLE

GENERAL SALES MANAGER AUTOPLEX Adam Stoffle, new General Sales Manager at Phil Wright Autoplex, was born in Osceola in Northeast Arkansas. In 1999 he moved to Heber Springs in central Arkansas. After high school he moved to Tulsa, Okla., where he attended Tulsa Welding School. After Tulsa he moved to New Orleans, LA to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. After spending two years in Louisiana he moved to the Conway area where he went to University of Central Arkansas and got started in the auto industry selling and managing for a local dealership for nine years.

Stoffle and his wife, Amanda, have been married for over four years. Together they have two young daughters and one on the way. His hobbies, other than family and work include hunting, fishing and working with his hands.

Stoffle says he is excited to be a part of the Phil Wright team and is looking forward to meeting new customer and making new friendships in the River Valley area.

3300 E. Main • Russellville 479-968-1555 www.philwrightautoplex.com

RVL Magazine 3

ĨƜ ǼƜƜɖ ˛ɡɱʀ ʀǗǠȚDžɱ ˛ɡɱʀࡉ you.

ĂŶŬ ǁŚĞƌĞ ƐŵĂůů ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŝƐ ĮƌƐƚ͘ tĞ ŝŶǀŝƚĞ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ ƵƐ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ůŽĐĂů ƐŵĂůů ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĂƐŚ DŽď͘ &ŝƌƐƚ ^ƚĂƚĞ ĂŶŬ ǁŝůů ŚŽƐƚ Ă ĂƐŚ DŽď ;ůŝŬĞ Ă ŇĂƐŚ ŵŽďͿ ĞǀĞƌLJ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŵŽŶƚŚ Ăƚ Ă ůŽĐĂů ƐŵĂůů ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͘ &ŽůůŽǁ ƵƐ ŽŶ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ƚŽ ĮŶĚ ŽƵƚ ǁŚĞƌĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĞdžƚ ĂƐŚ DŽď ǁŝůů ƚĂŬĞ ƉůĂĐĞ ĂŶĚ ũŽŝŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĨƵŶ͘ ŽŵĞ ƐĞĞ ƵƐ Ăƚ ĂŶLJ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ĮǀĞ ůŽĐĂƟŽŶƐ Žƌ ǀŝƐŝƚ ƵƐ ŽŶůŝŶĞ͘

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RVL RVL Magazine

what’s inside

Magazine

Publisher David Meadows Editorial Director Joshua Mashon Advertising Director Michelle Harris

Account Executives Jim Kelley Ashlee Ennis Judy Manning Meagan Wilson Photography Joshua Mashon Production David Weaver

Design & Layout Marissa Ferreira Contributors Sean Ingram Travis Simpson Patricia Spears Emily Srader Sam Hoisington

Published quarterly by The Courier, Russellville, Ark. March 26, 2017

On the cover: Delinda LaRue is pictured with her first set of kids this season.

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6

Juanita Sutterfield The story behind her nearly six decades of cake-baking

Russellville Junior Auxiliary

10

“Care today — Character Tomorrow”

From goat milk to soap

16

How the LaRues got started

Spring fashion

20

Vaqueras shows how the west will be worn this season

Wedding story

30

Something like you see in the magazines or in the movies

DIY this spring

36

Re-purpose pallets to create garden planters

Mary Bentley

40

She got frustrated by government, so she ran for public office

Wild at heart

42

What goes into a good camping adventure?

Last minute preparations

46

Tips for runners preparing for RussVegas

Recipes

Savor the Symphony JA Charity Ball

To Custom m Designs

to what you want

47

Delicious recipes by Arkansas Tech’s catering chef

Photo finish

“YOUR Ring” Say “Yes” “YOUR Life” Say “Yes” “YOUR Say “Yes”Style” to

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RVL Magazine

The� Cake Lady

STORY BY SAM HOISINGTON PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON

RVL Magazine 7

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Mrs. Juanita Sutterfield’s creations have been at thousands of people’s special moments over the past six decades.

She has made cakes for basketball tournament wins, big anniversaries, weddings, retirements and more.

But for Sutterfield, baking isn’t a profession, or even a side business. It’s strictly a hobby — something she does to show appreciation for the people in her life and to stay busy during her retirement.

“I do cakes for like the Battered Women’s Shelter and the pregnancy center,” Sutterfield said, her voice drifting off as she listed several more regular cake recipients. “I don’t know, I’m always giving people cakes.”

She brings one over to the Wesley Foundation college ministry at least once a week. The college students at Wesley have nicknamed her the “Cake Lady.”

She bakes them for her two sons, seven grandkids and two great-grandchildren when she sees them. She brings a cake to every doctor’s appointment.

“The nurses know when I have an appointment,” Sutterfield said with a chuckle.

Over the past 57 years of making cakes, Sutterfield has seen a lifetime

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RVL Magazine

of celebrations complemented by her concoctions. Local couple (and former mayor and first lady of Russellville) Bill and Sharon Eaton had Sutterfield make their wedding cake when they tied the knot in 1966. Recently, Sutterfield made a cake to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

Sutterfield is a longtime resident of Russellville. Before she started her own family with her late husband, Finis, she grew up on a dairy farm in the countryside outside of town, helping with the family farm. For a large part of her childhood, she didn’t have electricity and drew water from a well to feed the horses her family kept.

She got married to Finis right out of high school and went to Arkansas Tech University when it was still called Arkansas Polytechnic College. There, she received an associate degree. After graduation, Sutterfield and her husband moved around Arkansas since he was a relief manager for Safeway

stores. After years of doing that, he left Safeway stores; the two settled back in town for a time and opened The Eureka restaurant in downtown Russellville.

After a few years, they closed the restaurant and Finis moved back to his hometown of El Dorado for work.

Mrs. Sutterfield and their two children stayed in Russellville as she finished her bachelor’s degree, eventually joining her husband in El Dorado.

She worked in the business office of a school in El Dorado for two years, teaching typing classes at night while waiting for a teaching

job to open up. One never did open up in typing or bookkeeping, and administrators eventually talked her into trying her hand at teaching elementary students.

She spent the next 12 years teaching fifth-graders in El Dorado. A school district policy would actually lead her to begin making cakes.

“When I was teaching in El Dorado, the school board said the teachers had to take six hours of credit every five years, go back to school and take something,” Sutterfield said. “After a sewing course and a catering course, had nothing to do with teaching fifth grade, I got my six hours.”

She didn’t make many cakes for other people while living in El Dorado, but when she relocated back to Russellville, the word got out about her cake-making abilities.

One of her sons was dating a girl who heard that she had a knack for making cakes. She made a birthday cake at the girl’s request, and with that, her reputation for cakes began to spread.

Continued on PAGE 26

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RVL Magazine

Junior Auxiliary hosts

Children’s Benefit Ball

BY SAM HOISINGTON

RVL Magazine 11

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The gym at the Boys and Girls Club, normally a place for play and sport, is transformed into an elegant ballroom the day before the event. The festivities also spill out into other various rooms in the building. This year, there was a silent auction room and a billiards room, as well as a wine pull in the lobby. A live auction and jewelry raffle also helped to keep the night festive.

The Children’s Benefit Ball has been a part of the Russellville social scene for more than 30 years, organizers say.

Some 350 people gathered this year to dance, have fun and most importantly, to raise funds to support the various Junior Auxiliary (JA) projects.

This year’s theme was “Mardi Gras Masquerade,” so many attendees donned masks in addition to their formal wear.

The funds raised at this event fund an entire year’s worth of projects for the group. This year, over $80,000 was raised. Since the event supports so much of what Junior Auxiliary does, the entire chapter is involved in some way.

“Throughout the year, our projects are you volunteer for projects as your time and schedule allows, but everyone comes together for this event,” Courtney Pratt, event co-chair, said.

One of the projects supported by the money raised at the annual event is the JA lunch buddies programs, where chapter members are paired with local elementary school students. The chapter members eat lunch with their paired student at least monthly.

This is one of the group’s major child welfare projects.

“These children are hand-selected by their coun-

RVL Magazine 15

selors as someone who either is an at-risk student or is someone who is maybe shy or just needs a little extra attention, and so it’s a time for them to get some one-on-one time and just kinda all the attention is on them and it makes it really special,” Pratt said.

“Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to create positive change for children,” Kristin Foster, public relations chair, added.

Other projects include supporting reading programs at the Pope County Library, providing school supplies to children that need them and serving meals at the local senior activity center. In all, 29 separate projects are listed on the group’s website, JArussellville.org. •

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RVL Magazine

LaRue’s

goats

soap farm

&

STORY BY PATRICIA SPEARS | PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON On the backside of Dover on Viney Creek Farm, there are 14 goats ready to welcome spring with babies.

The farm, owned by David and Delinda LaRue, consists of 22 goats — Nigerian Dwarf goats to be exact. Also on the farm is Storm, a Great Pyrenees who serves as a livestock guardian against potential predators.

The LaRues have raised goats since 2011 and started with two that were just pets during the first year.

“A few months after we had the first two, we wanted to show and had nice quality goats,” Delinda said. “We decided pretty quickly after that to breed more seriously.”

Out of the current 22 goats, 14 will freshen, or give birth, this year with an

expected total of 30-35 babies.

“Last year I think we had 10 freshen and ended up with 26 babies,” Delinda said. “Each goat can have one to four babies, but they average two.

“We keep the better-quality babies and breed for the betterment of the generation. We are constantly trying to improve the quality.”

Breeding goats comes with long hours of work, especially when the babies are bottle fed like the LaRue’s goats.

“When freshening starts, it is true madness,” Delinda expressed. “We milk in the spring and summer. Last year we put in around seven hours of work each day between bottles, milking, feeding and more bottles.”

RVL Magazine 17

Delinda compared the goats to dogs and said they tend to bond with humans, especially when bottle fed.

“Goats really are like dogs and they have hilarious personalities,” Delinda explained. “They’ll cry, bond to you and are highly food motivated. They are also very intelligent for a livestock animal.”

Though the goats occupy roughly five acres of the farm, the babies have a special pen equipped with toys and a play house. Baby goats start walking immediately after birth, but within a few days when they become better on their feet, they learn to bounce. Delinda described it as very entertaining and said she could watch them for hours.

The farm is situated on 50 acres that has been in David’s family since the 1950s. His grandparents bought the land and homesteaded it. David was born in Texas but came back to Arkansas when his mother inherited the property.

Delinda grew up in Fayetteville, but came to the Arkansas River Valley to attend Arkansas Tech University.

“I went to Tech, met David and stayed,” Delinda said.

Aside from the farm, the LaRues are self-employed. David designs, manufactures and sets up steel buildings such as hay barns and together they have an online business where they design, manufacture and ship motorcycle accessories across the globe.

Delinda also partakes in the Pope County Farmer’s Market, where she sells soap made from her goats milk.

“Last year I averaged about four gallons of milk a day,” Delinda said.

“Instead of selling it, I turned it into something else — soap.

“The Nigerian Dwarf goat milk is the richest milk. Whole [cow’s] milk with the red cap is about 3-percent butterfat, the pink cap [cow’s skim milk] 2-percent, standard goat milk 4 to 41/2-percent, but Nigerian goat milk is 7 to 9 percent butterfat. It’s amazing how fatty their milk is which works well for soap.”

Delinda began dabbling with the soap four years ago, and it took her nearly a year and a half to develop her recipe

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RVL Magazine

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RVL Magazine 19

and the process to perfection. She compared the soap recipe to a baking recipe, such as homemade biscuits. Those who have it don’t willingly give it out.

“There are so many things that change it [the recipe],” Delinda explained. “It’s chemistry, an exact science.”

Right now, the LaRues have their focus on the livestock, though they maintain a small garden. One goal includes to add more crops to the farm such as blueberries and fruit trees. Another goal is to add a building for the soap and host farm days for people to visit the farm and livestock. •

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RVL Magazine

Western Spring Fashions

 STORY BY EMILY SRADER | PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON

RVL Magazine 21

Western style clothing has been trending for the spring season at the fashion market according to Lesleigh Smith, Vaqueras owner.

According to Smith fringe and serepe print are trending in women’s wear. Major fashion designers have integrated fringe or serepe print elements into their lines such as Burberry, Rebecca Minkoff and Ralph Lauren.

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RVL Magazine

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RVL Magazine 23

In women’s fashion, popular clothing will be tiered hem dresses, printed shirt dresses, graphic tanks, graphic t-shirts, embroidered blouses, serape print shorts, ponchos, kimonos and light wash jeans.

Pom-pom accents may also be seen on women’s spring attire.

Popular western and bohemian women’s footwear will be fringe peep toe booties, fringe cowboy boots, leather boots and leather booties.

Leather bracelets, braided leather bolo ties, leather chokers, statement rings, silver jewelry and fringe accents will be trending in women’s accessories.

“Leather jewelry is always popular,” Smith said.

Neckerchiefs, scarves and large

24

RVL Magazine

RVL Magazine 25

belts will be must-haves in men and women’s accessories.

Denim jackets will also be a fashion go-to in both women’s and men’s outerwear.

Locals can expect to see various shades of blue, bright colors and

pastel colors in clothing. The pantone color of the year greenery will make an appearance in accessories.

Vaqueras is located at 114 South Commerce Avenue in Russellville and houses men’s and women’s western wear. •

26

RVL Magazine

CAKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

“Over the years, I was teaching and doing cakes, birthday cakes mostly and then I got into wedding cakes and anniversary cakes,” Sutterfield said.

She spent 20 years at Oakland Heights Elementary teaching fifth grade after moving back to town, cooking cakes all the while. After decades of teaching, she

reluctantly retired from the school.

“About the time I’d get in the middle of a wedding cake, trying to get it together, somebody needed to go to the doctor, so I just finally quit teaching,” she said.

Sutterfield described herself as making mostly “plain jane” types of cakes.

She doesn’t get too complicated with her cakes, just simple, delicious cakes topped with frosting. She’s almost positive that her first cake was a white cake, but now makes chocolate, strawberry,

lemon, Italian cream, white and red velvet as well.

People are sometimes confused when they learn that Sutterfield’s cakes are made from mixes.

“Everything I do is cake mix,” Sutterfield said. “I just add a little to it. I used to tell people I just stick my finger in it.”

What really makes Sutterfield’s cakes so good? Well, that’s just one of those time-honed tricks of the trade (or in this case, hobby). •

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RVL Magazine 27

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Reagan andJuan Martinez

A wedding like what you see in magazines or movies ‘Everything is what I thought it would be and more’

RVL Magazine 31

STORY BY SEAN INGRAM PHOTOS BY MELANIE MORRIS PATERAK Reagan and Juan Martinez met when they were juniors at Russellville High School and became sweethearts. But their relationship, which was actually a courtship, was not exactly similar to today’s traditional weddings.

This courtship was very traditional — first, Juan had to ask permission to date Reagan from her parents, Rebecca and David Barton.

“When they date, they have to show us that their intention is for marriage, not just to date,” she said.

“We decide yes or no, and when they ask for permission to marry, we expect a promise ring.”

They dated for about

three years, and she said she knew he was the one after about a year. But her parents were going to make sure he was the one after a long courtship, then a promise ring, and asking their permission to marry Reagan.

“I kinda had a feeling, but didn’t know how things were gonna go,” she said.

“We were still in high school and didn’t know what would happen after we graduated.”

“It (tradition) has not died in our family,” Barton said. We have the expectation that, you know, we are chaperones for most of the time. We don’t believe in living together before getting married, and we

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RVL Magazine

believe in purity before marriage.�

Reagan and Juan, who graduated RHS in 2015, went on a skiing trip to Colorado with her parents. That’s where Juan popped the question.

Reagan explained the weather was perfect on their wedding day, Nov. 16, 2016, as the leaves were starting to change to fall colors. She credited the staff at the Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch in Dardanelle for the wonderful job they did with the decorations. “There were lots of flowers, roses. It was simply elegant, very classic. They did such a great job,� Reagan said. “It was one of those types of weddings you see in a magazine or a movie — very beautiful.

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RVL Magazine 35

Rebecca Barton agreed.

“I’m probably biased, but she looked gorgeous,” the proud mom explained.

“I loved our venue, it was perfect. They did an excellent job with their design. It was a rustic style with a kind of fall color theme.”

That included lots of burgundy, olive green and neutral colors, and there was also a lot of culture at the wedding, they said.

Reagan’s family is a foster family, and all seven of her siblings were in the wed-

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ding.

The pair went to Disney World for their honeymoon, but there was just one little problem. It was not only the first time Juan had gone to Disney World, but it was the first time he had flown in a plane anywhere.

Reagan has flown places with her family, so she was able to provide in-flight counseling.

“I didn’t know how he was going to take it. But he took it pretty well,” she said.

Reagan and Juan have been happily

married for about six months. She is studying to become a nail technician at a beauty school, and he owns AJM Detailing in Russellville.

“He is very, very passionate about music and cars,” she said. He will show me songs he likes, and he will always ask if he can show me things on his car and will fix it up. I really love how he is passionate. We got a car for him, so he’s working hard to fix it up and modify it.

“Everything is what I thought it would be and more.” •

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36

RVL Magazine

DIY Pallet Planter with Hanging Pots

BY PATRICIA SPEARS | PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON

Items you will need: • Pallet • Paint (optional) • Eight 4-inch diameter clay pots (you can go larger or smaller based on preference) • Eight 4-inch hose clamps (larger or smaller if different size pots chosen) • Punch • Nails • Hammer • Screwdriver • Electric drill (optional) • Soil • Seeds or established plants of your choice Step 1 Start by deciding if you want a weathered look on your pallet or if you want to paint it. As an option, if you choose to paint the pallet, first apply the paint evenly and allow it to dry completely.

Step 2 Lay the pallet down with the slats horizontal to you.

Arrange the hose clamps on the pallet slats in the positions you want a pot to hang. You can choose to do a symmetrical pattern across the pallet or mix it up.

Step 3 Position the hose clamp with the side flat against the slat. While holding the clamp steady, with the same hand, place the tip of the punch through a slot in the clamp and gently hammer to drive a hole in the clamp and mark your place on the slat.

RVL Magazine 37

Step 4 and seeds or established plants.

Repeat step 3 for the remaining clamps.

Step 8 Place a clay pot into each clamp Step 5 Align the hole in the clamp with the ensuring a snug fit under the rim of the hole started on the slat and hammer a pot. (Note: The clamps may have to be nail into place securing the clamp. tightened or loosened with a screwdriver to fit properly. For ease, try an electric Step 6 drill.)

Repeat step 5 for the remaining clamps.

Step 9 Step 7 Last, choose a special place in a wellStand the pallet on one end and lean lit area of your yard to enjoy your new it against a wall. Fill each pot with soil pallet planter. •

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RVL Magazine

DIY

Double-sided Planter Stand

BY PATRICIA SPEARS | PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON

Items you will need: • Two pallets • Paint color of your choice (optional) • Saw • Nails • Hammer • Weed block • Heavy plastic • Staple gun (or small nails) • Soil • Seeds or established plants of your choice Step 1 Start by deciding if you want a weathered look on your pallet stand or if you want to paint it. As an option, if you choose to paint the pallets, first evenly apply the paint and allow them to dry completely.

Step 2 Remove one to two slats

from the top side of one pallet.

These slats will be used to secure the two pallets together.

Step 3 Stand each pallet up on one end with the slats horizontal and the tops of the pallet facing each other. Lean the pallets against each other with the top edges parallel to form a triangle. The width of the planter stand can be adjusted per your preference.

Step 4 Once you have the pallets at the desired width, measure from one pallet to the other three quarters of the way down. Cut the measured length from both of the slats.

Step 5 Nail the cut piece on each end to one side of the stand

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RVL Magazine 39

extra inches in length and four extra inches in width to hold the dirt in.

at the measured point to connect the two pallets. Repeat with the second cut piece to the other side of the stand.

Step 6 With the two leftover cut pieces of the two slats, nail each one at the top of the planter for added stability. If the pieces are too long, either move them further down the planter, or cut off the excess length.

Step 7 Depending on the pallet, on each

side there will typically be three horizontal slats halfway down. With the horizontal slat at the top, slats half way down and a slat at the bottom, it will make three shelves per side.

Because of a board inside of the pallet meant for stability that now should be vertical, each shelf will have a planter on each side of that board totaling six planters on each side.

Step 8 Measure each planter and cut a piece of the weed block material to fit. Allow for four

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Step 9 Begin stapling (or nailing) the weed block material around the top edge of the side of one of the top planters. Droop the material inside the pallet to form a trench and pull the opposite edge of the weed block material up to the opposite top edge of the planter and staple (or nail) in place. Pull the ends of the weed block up to meet the end edges of the planter and staple in place.

Step 10 Repeat with the remaining planters.

Step 11 Fill the planters will soil and seeds or established plants. Last, choose a special place in a well-lit area of your yard to enjoy your new pallet planter stand. •

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RVL Magazine

State Rep. Mary Bentley When Mary Bentley got mad, she ran for public office. And she won.

BY SEAN INGRAM After state Rep. Mary Bentley of Perryville and her husband took over a small business, Bentley Plastics in Perryville, from her husband’s father, she explained she got very frustrated with EPA and other rules and regulations that were coming down on the state and federal government levels.

Feeling stuck to the ground by red tape — she said as she took a break from her work during the regular session at the Arkansas Legislature at the State Capitol in Little Rock — she called the office of former U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder.

“His office didn’t respond to me at all. I was very frustrated at their lack of concern for my business,” she said. “I thought we needed to get different people in office. I went to committee meetings in Little Rock, and I came away from those meetings thinking that very few people understood small business and what small business owners went through.”

So she stopped trying to call members of congress or the Senate and simply became one. She ran and successfully won her first term in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2015. She started her second term this year after winning reelection last November.

Bentley — who represents District 73, which includes portions of Yell, Pope (Atkins), Perry and Conway counties — has always been committed to serving the public, whether it was in the private or political sector. She graduated from Harding University in Searcy and became a registered nurse and worked at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) in Little Rock.

Bentley’s farming parents left Missouri, moved to perryville in 1979 and worked for the Heifer Project. She met her husband, Ted, here and her parents went back to Missouri. She and Ted have three grown children and two “very beautiful” grandchildren, she pointed out.

Before Perry County was broken up into its current four districts, Bentley’s district was just Perry and Conway counties.

She said she enjoyed her two campaigns and getting to meet the hard-working people in District 73.

“There are very similar people in the district,” she explained.

“These are really good people, small-town folks living in rural communities. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone.

Bentley said when she is not attending the Legislature or related meetings or at the family business, she attends city council and quorum court and school board meetings throughout her district.

“I am listening continually to people,” she said. “I go to schools and listen to superintendents, I know them on a firstname basis. I am also working on the challenges of trying to bring some economic development to our district. I’m also Continued on PAGE 45

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RVL Magazine

A D V E N T U R E

(and good eats)

AWAIT!

BY TRAVIS SIMPSON Lynne Slater and daughter Devin Slater don’t just camp — they adventure.

“I have an adventurer’s soul,” Lynne said. “I’ve been on thousands of motorcycle trips across the country with my dog, but now I have a new travel companion.”

Lynne, who recently returned to the Russellville area after spending eight months teaching English in China, took her daughter on a sixweek trip out west, which hit 32 National Parks and every state west of the Mississippi except Texas and North Dakota in 2013.

Devin, an imaginative 10-year-old, who dreams of fairies and magic, took to drawing her adventures in notebooks as the pair traveled across the country.

“My favorite thing about camping is the trees and the flowers are really nice to draw,” Devin said. “I like watching animals. I started a camping book so I could draw adventures in it.”

Lynne said Devin struggled to write when she was younger, so she encouraged her to keep a picture journal.

“She’d draw a picture each day then tell me what she wanted it to say,” Lynne said.

The pair camped their way out west, carefully planning their route to spend as little amount of time driving as possible, but as they journeyed they discovered they derived different kinds of magic from a simple campground.

“The perfect campsite has lots of trees and wild nuts to give to the fairies,” Devin said.

For Lynne, the draw is slightly more primal.

“As a woman, it’s something kind of thrilling you can get out of camping and sleeping in a tent. It’s living on the edge. When I was Devin’s age, we were camping in a tent when a pack of coyotes came in the camp. We were in the tent, but we could hear their footsteps outside. We could hear them barking and breathing. It was terrifying.”

But the memory stayed with her, and in some small way drew her back to the wilderness, where the unknown waits.

More pragmatically, Lynne said the perfect campsite meets a few other basic requirements.

“You can’t see other campers, for one,” she began. “It has to have adequate shelter. I don’t

RVL Magazine 43

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RVL Magazine

like to camp somewhere that doesn’t have trees. You have to have somewhere to hang a hammock, because sometimes you just want to sleep in a hammock.”

Lynne has become more and more minimal over the years, dwindling her camping supplies down to a bare minimum.

“I’ve gotten really good at packing and not carrying unnecessary items,” she said. “All I need is a good tent, a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad. We try to stay minimalist.”

Lynne prefers to cook over a pocketrocket, a small canister stove that can be stored in a backpack. Usually, it’s soups and other simple items.

Lynne said for all her travels, home is Russellville, where she can enjoy the amenities of modern life and still be close to the natural beauty of the Arkansas River Valley.

“And we have great state parks,” she added. “They are all free to enter, and in many states they are not. They have wonderful resources.”

FRONTIER COOKING While Lynne and her daughter take a minimalist approach, others are happy to haul along heavy hardware — especially when it comes to cooking. Much like the mocking bird is state bird of Arkansas, the dutch oven is the official cooking vessel of Arkansas, and a thriving community of dutch oven cookers, who cook for pleasure and in cooking competitions, has sprung up around the stout black pot.

For those people, a heavy cast iron pot is a small price to pay for delicious camp side meals.

“When I camp, I will cook 99 percent

of my meals in the dutch oven,” said Veronica Terry, one of the founders of the Big Piney Dutch Oven Cookers, a competitive dutch oven group centralized in Johnson County. “The food just tastes better. I honestly think it’s the cast iron. I think cast iron does something to the flavor. As far as why, I don’t know.

Some say it’s because it distributes the heat more evenly. The real reason? I don’t know. It just works.”

Cooking with a dutch oven takes a little legwork. Typically, a series of coals are placed under the pot and around the lid to control the heat. Figuring out how many coals you need takes practice, but a rule of thumb is nine coals on bottom and 15 on top for a 12 inch dutch oven.

For every two coals added or subtracted, the tempurature raises or lowers 25 degrees.

Try this

Dump the following into a dutch oven: • Two Cans of apple pie filling • One can of Sprite • One box of White of Yellow Cake mix (mixed) • Cinnamon to taste • Set the dutch oven in a fire pit over bed of coals.

• Add 10-12 coals to the lid • Let bake for 30-40 minutes • Eat!

With a little creativity, anything you can cook on a stovetop or in a stove can be cooked in a dutch oven. Terry said it’s one of the reasons the activity has become so popular.

“What can I come up with? Sometimes it turns out amazing, but every once and while it’s not right. The food is still good but not as good, but that’s part of the fun.”

“Once you get started, not only does it taste good, it’s fun,” she said. “Coming up with creative ways to cook things in it is a big part of the draw, and anything can be done in a dutch oven once you learn your heat.”

5 TIPS FOR BETTER ADVENTURING • Be the water, not the stone. In other words, be open and welcoming to spontaneous adventure. Nothing kills the adventure like a rigid schedule and a ruined day that couldn’t fit inside said schedule.

• Choose a tent that fits your needs.

Don’t bring a huge tent if it’s just you and a partner. Likewise, don’t bring a small one if it’s the entire family. Smaller tents are more flexible and easier to put up and break down.

• If you are primitive camping, check for dead trees before you set up camp. A tree across your tent can end the fun real quick.

• If the weather’s good, skip the tent and go for a hammock.

• If it’s cold, fill a water bottle with hot water and stick it in your sleeping bag before you get in. •

RVL Magazine 45

BENTLEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40

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involved in working on getting grants for hiking and biking trails in the area.

“I’m doing all I can to bring jobs out there. I want to help small business owners and not only get jobs to the area, but cut tax regulations down to where small business owners can survive. It’s still pretty tough out there for a small business owner. The biggest thing I think we can do out there is create jobs and good opportunities.”

Bentley said she talks to members of law enforcement, including Arkansas State Police (ASP), and is really concerned with the drug problem.

“I would like to get them more involved,” she said about the ASP. “I am working with another representative, who is a pharmacist, on trying to cut down on prescription fraud and theft.

“I am trying. It is tough. I am surely working at it, and I continue to try to do more. I think the longer you are here, the more you get done. I am really trying to help our state. I’ve been focusing this session on making more folks healthier, eat healthier foods and make healthier decisions.

We have got to get serious about some things or a lot of folks are going to be in serious trouble.”

Bentley teamed up with Cindy Day, APN, and they created the Healthy Active Yell program, which is modeled after Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Healthy Active Arkansas program.

Bentley said she was proud of her colleagues in the House and Senate.

“We have a good group of senators and congressmen (who represent the Arkansas River Valley). We are all trying to work together and bring stuff to the River Valley,” she said.

And she even was named Fireman of the Year by the Williams Junction Volunteer Fire Department.

“Where we lived in Williams Junction, for a while there was not an ambulance service, so it took about 40 minutes for an ambulance to get out there,” she said. “My husband was involved in getting the fire department started. When I worked at Children’s, we thought they needed a first responders group. Another nurse who I worked with helped the EMT and paramedic training going. I loved it. I appreciate volunteer firefighters to no end for sure.”

District 73 residents can contact Bentley at 501-333-2397 or go online to arkansashouse.org. •

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RVL Magazine

VIVA

RUSSVEGAS!

LOCAL HALF-MARATHON CONTINUES TO GROW

BY TRAVIS SIMPSON There’s no question that the RussVegas Half-Marathon has grown since its inaugural season three years ago, and the easiest way to tell is in money raised for Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

In 2016, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Angels, which is a group of racers who try and raise at least $150 for the hospital, raised around $50,000. As of March 3, this year’s group of 103 angels have raised $27,000. RussVegas race director Chris Olson said last year’s group, which was made up of 60 members, raised around $7,000 at this same time a year ago.

Olson said each year has been incrementally larger, however Olson said the numbers have shrunk in one area, although intentionally.

“Last year we registered 1,650 racers,” he said. “But this year we are cutting it off at 1,250.”

Olson said the reason for the change is to encourage more racers to become ACH Angels.

“We want to hopefully attract more people to the fundraising side,” he said.

“Once it sells out, people can still get in if they are able to fundraise $150. We always allow those.”

The RussVegas event spans April 21-22 mostly centered around the train depot and includes several events.

Here’s a look at how each event has grown from last year to this year (through March 3).

2016 Kids mile — 230 runners 5k — 400 runners

Half-marathon relay — 50 teams Half-marathon — 1,650 2017 (so far) Kids mile — 250 5k — 425 Half-marathon relay — 50 teams Olson said he fully expects each to exceed last year’s numbers.

Olson believes a key difference in the RussVegas and other fundraisers is his team’s efforts to put forward the best race possible.

“We don’t just want to be a fundraiser,” he said. “We want to be a good race. A lot of times, races are either centered around fundraising or the athletes, and we try to do both. That’s why we’ve been able to do what we do.”

It’s probably too late to start training for the RussVegas, but there are many things one can do to prepare themselves for the day of the race, assuming they’ve put in the run time already.

Olson had these tips: “People talk about carbing up the day before a race, which is actually a misnomer. You should actually do it two days before and eat lean protein the night before.

You have to make sure you’re hydrated and not over-hydrated. Make sure you have your nutrition ready for the race.

Have your race plan ready. Make yourself familiar with where the stops are and where the bathrooms are.”

For an event this large, citizens of Russellville should make a few preparations even if they don’t plan to run.

“Plan for extra traffic that morning,” Olson said. “If you’re going anywhere near the route, you might want to leave earlier than usual. We do allow traffic

to move through, but not when there are runners. We have people at every intersection that will either tell you the best alternate route or allow you through if there are no runners.”

But more than that, Olson said the event banks on community support.

“Running this is a big accomplishment for people, so anything we can do to show community support is big,” he said. “We want people in the neighborhoods cheering them on. If you’re having your morning coffee and you live on the route, step out and cheer for them.

If your seventh grader is practicing his sax, and it’s driving you crazy, send him outside. The runners will love that.

Really just do anything to distract the runners from pounding the pavement the whole time.”

RussVegas had 26 spirit stations last year, which were small stops along the way where friends and family could congregate to cheer runners along, play music, offer water and hold encouraging or funny signs.

“When we go to expos, that is what people talk about,” he said. “They love to see how people in the community come out to support the race, and Russellville has been wonderful in past years.”

Some notes: • RussVegas is still looking for volunteers. Visit www.russvegashalf.com if you would like to help.

• It is unknown at this time if Daniel Kirwa, who has won the race two years in a row, will return for a hat trick. Kirwa was 30 seconds away from breaking the state half-marathon time last year. •

RVL Magazine 47

C

hartwells’ new catering chef, Bill Raffety, invites everyone to “get creative in the kitchen” with his mix of sweet and savory strawberry recipes to try this spring.

Bill Raffety, of Wynne, Ark., graduated from the University of Arkansas with a B.A. in restaurant management and began his career working with Chartwells in 1997 as the Assistant Director of Dining at Fort Hays University in Hays, Kan. “It was my first job right out of college. I have worked with the other major competitors, and Chartwells was always the best company I worked with. I always came back to Chartwells,” Raffety said.

Early in his career, Raffety transferred to Arizona to be the Assistant Director of Dining for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and for Yavapai College. Soon after, he became the Director of Dining for Cochise College.

“After that I went to work in Las Vegas and then I ended up traveling to the coast of North Carolina where I began culinary school at Johnson and Wales while working for Chartwells,” Raffety said.

After re-joining Chartwells, Raffety wanted to “work his way up to chef” which led him back to his home state to become the new catering chef for Arkansas Tech University.

“In catering there is something completely new every day, and that’s exciting. I like to work with new foods and create new things I haven’t done before,” Raffety said.

Raffety said he found his passion in the kitchen at the age of 10 with the support and guidance of his mother, Carolyn Raffety.

“The biggest lesson is to experiment with combining foods and just start cooking to see what it tastes like together. Yes, there are failures, but there are also successes when you realize it works too,” Raffety said.

Raffety feels most creative in the kitchen, and doesn’t let his failures discourage him or let them get in the way of his success. He continues to learn and work to get himself to the next level in his culinary journey.

“Seeing smiles on people’s faces from what I have created is motivating, and I’m always aiming to improve,” Raffety said.

Raffety aims to keep growing as a chef and “hopes to get his name out there” while continuing to work with the university.

berry recipes

Strawberry Arugula Salad 10 oz arugula salad 1 ½ cups sliced fresh strawberries ½ cup feta 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1 golden delicious apple (diced) ¼ cup pecans Strawberry vinaigrette

In a large mix all the ingredients and top with the vinaigrette.

Strawberry Vinaigrette 1 cup olive oil ½ pint fresh strawberries (halved) 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon ¼ teaspoon honey In a blender or food processor blend all ingredients until smooth.

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Strawberry Lemonade 8 strawberries (halved) 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of sugar 7 (total) cups of water 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemons

 Place the strawberries in a blender, place 2 tablespoons of sugar on top with 1 cup of water. Blend until it becomes a juice.

Combine remaining ingredients with the strawberry juice in a pitcher, stir until blended.

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Strawberry Balsamic Steak 2 cups of strawberries (sliced) ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon olive oil 4 steaks of choice Salt and Pepper to taste Combine strawberries, sugar, vinegar and oil.

Let sit for an hour.

Salt and pepper the steaks and cook on grill until desired temperature (rare, medium, etc).

When cooking steaks put strawberries on medium low to heat and reduce if you like a thicker sauce.

Serve sauce over steak.

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast 3 eggs 1 ¼ cups milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ cup cream cheese softened 1 pint strawberries sliced 2 teaspoons of confectioner’s sugar 8 slices of sandwich bread

Mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon together and set aside.

Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese in the middle of 4 pieces of the bread and spread around slightly. Top with about 6 slices of strawberries and cover with the other piece of bread.

Spray a large nonstick cooking skillet

with cooking spray and preheat. Dip each of the sandwiches into the egg mixture until moistened. Cook in preheated skillet for about 4 minutes per side, until the outside is golden brown and center is warm.

Transfer to a serving plate. Top with remaining strawberries and sugar.

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Strawberry Dream Pie Crust 3 egg whites 1 c sugar ½ teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup chopped nuts 20 Ritz crackers (crushed) Filling 1 cup powdered sugar 8 oz. cream cheese (softened) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup whipping cream (whipped) 2 cups strawberries (sliced, red food coloring optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff, add sugar and cream of tartar.

Beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold in vanilla, nuts and crackers.

Spread in a greased 9-inch pie plate.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool completely.

Cream powdered sugar and cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Beat in vanilla.

Fold in strawberries and whipped cream. Add several drops of food coloring if desired.

Spread over cooled crust.

Garnish with strawberries.

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Strawberry muffins ¼ cup canola oil ½ cup milk 1 egg ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup pecans 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ cup white sugar 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup strawberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil or line an 8-cup muffin pan.

In a small bowl combine oil, milk and egg. In a larger bowl mix salt, baking powder, sugar and flour. Add strawberries and pecans to flour mix and make sure they’re coated.

Combine the flour mix and egg mix together.

Fill muffin cups. Put in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the muffin bounces back when touched.

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Celebrating

Serving the

Years

River Valley

Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

215 South Portland, Russellville 479.968.5256 • russellvillenr.com

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Savor the Symphony PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON

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Junior Auxilliary Children’s Ball PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON

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SASTRY PRAYAGA, MD Interventional Cardiologist Medical Director, Cardiac Cath Lab

SHUJA RASOOL, MD Invasive Cardiologist

DAI-YUAN WANG, MD Invasive Cardiologist

THREE BOARD-CERTIFIED CARDIOLOGISTS, TWO STATE-OF-THE-ART CATH LABS, ALL HERE FOR ONE HEART — YOURS. Time is muscle. If you or a loved one experience a heart attack, you must act fast.

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Where you are taken when you have a heart attack matters — because the longer you wait for this procedure, the more heart tissue dies. Thankfully, Saint Mary’s is just minutes away.

Saint Mary’s is equipped with two premier cardiac catheterization labs, ready for emergency angioplasty, should you need one. The treatment is just one of many remarkable cardiovascular services performed by Saint Mary’s leading cardiologists every day.

7KUHH ERDUG FHUWLÆ“HG FDUGLRORJLVWV WZR VWDWH RI WKH DUW FDWK ODEV DOO KHUH IRU RQH KHDUW Å‹ \RXUV To schedule an appointment with one of our leading cardiologists, call

479-968-4311.