Volume 9 - No. 32 by South Arkansas Leader

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Oct. 2, 2013 Volume 9 – No. 32 WANT MORE?

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Grant to fund programs p. 2

Question of the Week

What subject do you wish you had paid more attention to in school?

The work and art of alpaca farming comes to El Dorado

« Carrie Langley

Brooke Burger Editor

Last month El Dorado became home to some unique new residents – a herd of Huacaya (wuh-kai-ya) alpacas. The community got a chance to welcome El Dorado’s newcomers during Moondust Alpaca Farm’s open house for National Alpaca Farm Days on Sunday. For owner Beth Titus the occasion marked what is the very beginning stages of a dream come true for her. Having just purchased the property in August and settled her alpacas in September, Titus said she’s still a bit in awe of finally being where she’d planned to be. “It’s still kind of like a pinch-me moment,” Titus said. “This was on my vision board: ‘What is it that I want in five years?’ ‘I want a farm for me and my alpacas with grass.” Though she’s only seen this

“Math.”

» Cindy Langston “History.”

« Teresa Golliher “Math.”

» Shana Smith

ALPACA continued on Page 6 Passion: Owner of Moondust Alpacas, Beth Titus feeds some of her alpacas. Originally from Arizona, Titus recently relocated her farm to El Dorado.

“Science.”

— Brooke Burger / South Arkansas Leader

All the bAnk you’ll ever need. w w w. f i r s t f i n a n c i a l b a n k . c o m

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SouthArk to receive $3.9 million of grant New federal grant will have sweeping impact, administrators say

The impact of South Arkansas Community College’s $3.9-million portion of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant announced last week by the U.S. Department of Labor will be far-reaching, according to officials with the school. The South West Arkansas Community College Consortium, made up of seven community colleges including SouthArk, learned that it would receive funding of nearly $8.5 million over the next three years. SouthArk will have the lead role in administering the grant for the consortium. The grant proposal noted that southwest Arkansas is among the poorest regions of the country, where opportunities for workforce training are in great need. “This proposal seeks to ignite the untapped potential of the region’s employers to widen postsecondary access channels and drive even more postsecondary educational attainment,” the proposal stated. It went on to say that with the rise of more technology-driven occupations, a “skill gap” has developed in the manufacturing sector, preventing many long-time workers from transitioning into these because yesterday’s training is no longer adequate. The grant is intended to help close that gap through a focus on science, technology, engineering and math fields. It will fund equipment, supplies, professional training and consultation, and about 10 new positions at SouthArk alone. As the lead college, SouthArk will be responsible for establishing the overall procedures for grant implementation, defining outcomes, assuring fiscal accountability and establishing an evaluation and reporting system. The local college will update and expand its welding program, further enhance its process technology program and add a mechatronics program. Mechatronics combines the

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what $ will funds

3.9 millon do at SouthArk

funds equipment, supplies, training, consultation and 10 new positions

updates and expands welding program

updates

supplies

supplies much-needed resources to train a skilled workforce for area industry

adds a mechatronics program, which combines technology of electronics and mechanical engineering

enhances

adds

enhances relationship with area employers

revises, improves and develops curriculum to better prepare graduates

improves

creates

creates further enhancements to process tech program

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When settling old debt, attempt to pay the original amount owed

DAVE Says

Mystic Creek: The Second Annual Tim Zimmerebner Pro-AM benefit golf tournament will take place at the Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado. Mystic Creek aims to be the “premier golf club and residential development in South Arkansas.” Interested golfers can learn more online at www.mysticcreek.com. — Courtesy photo

PRO-AM to benefit HOPE

Registration now open for HOPE Landing benefit golf tournament on Oct. 21

Registration for the Second Annual Tim Zimmerebner Pro-AM, a golf tournament benefiting HOPE Landing, is now open. Registration costs $150 per person. The golf tournament will be held on Monday, Oct. 21 at Mystic Creek Golf Club, located at 1000 North Wyatt Drive in El Dorado. Tee times begin at 8 a.m. and lunch will be served at 11 a.m. For more information about the benefit tournament or to register, contact Bryan LaRue at 870.312.0723, or Pete Parks at 870.862.3401 or email pete@peteparks.com. HOPE Landing is a communitybased 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable corporation. The staff of HOPE Landing provides skilled interventions including occupational, physical and speech-language therapies; equine and small pet activities and

therapies; and aquatic therapy to children aged birth to 21 who have a cognitive or physical disability. HOPE Landing provides these services to children regardless of their ability to pay. For more information about HOPE Landing, visit hopelanding.com.

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Dear Dave, I have $400 in debt on a credit card, and I haven’t made a payment on it in about two years. The Dear Dave, debt has been sold several times, Is it ever okay to stop paying or and now the amount they’re ask- drop health insurance altogether ing for is over $1,000. in order to pay off debt? I’d like to work something out, — Shauna but how do I know the collection company that is calling me now Dear Shauna, is legitimate? No! The No. 1 cause of bank— Lorenzo ruptcy in America today is medical bills, and credit card debt is a close second. That doesn’t mean medical Dear Lorenzo, It’s normal for a debt this old to bills only of the uninsured. It also have been sold a few times. My includes money from co-payments, guess is the company that’s call- deductibles and the fact that people ing you is legit, and they prob- didn’t have any savings. One accident or unexpected ably bought the debt for pennies event can leave you with thouon the dollar. sands of dollars in medical bills, Whatever you do, don’t set up and that’s even with a good health a payment arrangement. They’re insurance policy. asking for over $1,000 because I don’t want anyone walking they’ve added stuff like late charg- around without health insurance. es and interest. Let’s go back to the But I’m not talking about the Aforiginal amount of $400 and see if fordable Care Act and all the other they’ll accept a one-time, cash pay- mandated crap the government is ment to settle things. trying to shove down our throats. Make sure you get it in writing if I’m talking about a solid health they accept and don’t give them a insurance plan along with having dime until after you get the written some money saved. Do this first agreement. Then, once you have then you can have all the philosophthe agreement, send them $400. ical discussions you want about Do not, under any circumstances, whether or not you’re supposed to give them electronic access to your pay for someone else’s healthcare and upkeep. checking account. At the end of the day, it’s absoYou’ve waited a long time to lutely vital that you have your own take care of this, and in the process health insurance. I hope I haven’t you’ve made things more difficult. been unclear on this topic! I’m glad you’ve decided to clean — Dave up your mess, though. Late is better than never, Lorenzo. Dave Ramsey has authored four Just remember, you’re still New York Times best-selling books. responsible for debts you The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 5,000,000 listeners incur – even if the company you each week on more than 500 radio originally borrowed from has sold stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at it to someone else! @DaveRamsey and on the — Dave Web at daveramsey.com.

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‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2’ is mostly a cloudy theater experience

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CAREER FAIR AHEAD

Nathan Ligon

Red Carpet Crash

I was quite a fan of the original “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” when it came out a few years ago. It was quite a clever little 3D adventure that combined the comedy of a Saturday Night Live skit for children and the newfangled 3D technology. Kids were excited by the massive flying meatballs that were rolling at them on the silver screen. Sadly, now those meatballs just aren’t as exciting, and in order to move this franchise forward the creators behind this series needed to come up with something a little different to carry it through. That different thing in this particular case ended up being a mutation that turns the massive food into animals. Which is rather silly and fairly clever, but not a game-changer of an idea like the original one. So, in order for the movie to really work it needed to have a good story to carry it through, and that is where this movie fails the most. The movie basically picks up right where the last one ended. The whole island city is covered in overgrown food and the town is basically all together in the square. Then a

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technologies of electronics and mechanical engineering. Instruction offered will range from non-credit industry-specific training to associate’s-degree programs. The associate’s degree in process technology also will transfer into a bachelor’s-degree program at Southern Arkansas University. “This [grant] is good news for the college, students’ wanting to study manufacturing and our local manufacturing companies,” SouthArk technical education dean Jim Roomsburg said. “This gets the college into STEM education in a major way.” Following one of the consortium’s strategic missions, the grant is designed to re-imagine communitycollege relationships with area in-

Manufacturing Day Career Fair this Friday

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 » Release date: Sept. 27. » Run time: 95 min. » Rated: PG for mild rude humor. » Director: Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn.

» Stars: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Kristen Schaal, James Caan, Benjamin Bratt and Terry Crews. » RCC Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

massive cleanup crew shows up from the world’s biggest think tank called The Live Group. The Live Group is run by a guy named Chester V (Will Forte), who hero Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) is absolutely infatuated with. So, when Chester V offers Flint a job to keep him away from the island, he jumps on it. After a brief stint with trying to invent again, Chester V comes to Flint with a request to return to the island and fix the problem that The Live Group was hired to take care of. That is if they were hired by anyone, because the movie makes it seem as though The Live Group just runs the world and that the U.S. government

would not have sent the Army or anything in to fix the largest disaster in history. I guess it is some kind of alternate reality, right? No biggie. I really didn’t care much about little inconsistencies like that. They can be a dime a dozen in animated movies. My biggest problem with this movie was just how predictable it all was. It seems to paint the picture of what is going to happen in the first few minutes of the film and then slowly lets it play out over an hour-and-a-half run time. I honestly was not the least bit surprised or intrigued by anything in the whole plot of the movie. As a matter of fact, the only thing

dustries, creating partnerships that allow both entities to succeed for the ultimate benefit of the local workforce. That means more and better educational opportunities for students in cutting-edge technology fields, and better-trained and more highly-skilled employees, according to college administrators. The consortium’s members worked closely with area industries to discover precisely what education and skills that their employees need in today’s manufacturing world, and will need in tomorrow’s. That will be an ongoing task throughout the grant’s lifetime, according to SouthArk president Dr. Barbara Jones. “SouthArk will work with employers in South Arkansas to revise, improve or develop curriculum to prepare graduates,” Jones said. The timing of the grant was outstanding, Jones said, as there will be a need for about 700 new manufac-

turing-industry workers in the area in the coming years, according to figures provided by the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce. “The receipt of these funds is timely with the pending expansion of El Dorado Chemical, Clean Harbors and other area industries; impending retirements; and the challenge of recruiting a skilled workforce to our rural region,” she said. “These are high-skill, high-demand and high-wage positions that are much needed by the industries.” The intent also is to be flexible in the way that instruction is delivered, as previous methods often do not meet the needs of the current landscape. For example, a major priority is to award college credit for previous work experience, as an encouragement to current workers to complete certifications and degrees via a faster track. “For South Arkansas Community

CLOUDY continued on Page 9

South Arkansas Community College will recognize National Manufacturing Day on Friday, Oct. 4 with a career fair. Open to the public, the fair will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Center for Workforce Development, located on the SouthArk East Campus at 3696 East Main. Hosted in partnership with the South Arkansas Workforce Training and Education Consortium, the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce and the South Arkansas Human Resource Association, the fair will have representatives from area manufacturing companies on hand to discuss job opportunities. The event also includes training equipment demonstrations, technical-program tours and resume reviews. For more information, email dean Jamie McConathy at jmcconathy@southark.edu. College, this grant will provide the much-needed resources to train a skilled workforce for the chemical, petroleum and pulp and paper industries in our region,” Jones said. “We are so grateful for this opportunity and look forward to working with the employers, stakeholders and educational institutions in our region to build a stronger workforce for Arkansas.” College administrators are expecting about 370 new students a year in the grant-funded programs across the seven colleges in the consortium. The other colleges are Southern Arkansas University Tech in East Camden; the University of Arkansas Community College-Hope; Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas in DeQueen; Rich Mountain Community College in Mena; College of the Ouachitas in Malvern; and National Park Community College in Hot Springs.

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Local artists to exhibit at SAAC Reception to take place this Saturday, Oct. 5

Coat Drive: The last day to donate to the Second Annual Coat Drive from 2nd Chance at Life and Arkansas Wraparound is this Thursday, Oct. 3. The coat drive will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5. — Courtesy image

Last chance to donate to Second Chance coat drive The Arkansas Wraparound program and 2nd Chance @ Life organization are teaming up to sponsor a coat drive this Saturday. The last day to drop off donations is tomorrow, Oct. 3. The organizations are requesting the community’s help to raise donations of cold weather items, such as coats, gloves and scarves, during the Second Annual Coat Drive. Gently worn and clean items can be dropped off at one of the following collecting stations in El Dorado: » Second Chance @ Life 1514 Junction City Road » Cross Life Church 1010 Combs St. » First Presbyterian Church 300 East Main St. The Second Annual Coat Drive take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Village Outreach Facility-144, located at 1304 Hillsboro St. in El Dorado. All goods will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10 a.m. until all goods have been given out. Arkansas Wraparound and 2nd Chance @ Life are both involved in assisting children and families.

The 2nd Chance @ Life organization is geared towards delivering services and education to youth and low-income families; providing a support system; and increasing the proportion of at-risk youth who obtain a high school diploma, postsecondary degrees and certificates and employment in jobs with career mobility and opportunities, leaving behind risk-taking behaviors. More information about 2nd Chance @ Life can be found via the organizations Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/16CYB2l. Supported by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the Arkansas Wraparound program is a compassionate team-based approach designed to care for children and families who have complicated needs with severe to moderate behavioral health-care needs. Wraparound teams are made of professionals, friends and family members who use Wraparound principles to meet the needs of families. More information about the DHS Arkansas Wraparound program can be found online at via the DHS website http://1.usa.gov/16CYWlv.

The visual arts committee of the South Arkansas Arts Center announces two new exhibitions by local artists Julia Hardy Slaughter and Tommy Griffin for the month of October. Both exhibitions open to the public today, Oct. 2 and continue through Oct. 29. SAAC will host an artist reception in the Merkle and Price galleries from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. The exhibitions and reception are free and open to the public.

‘Restoration’

Harmony and a touch of whimsy is the way Slaughter describes the paintings she has created for her exhibition, “Restoration,” which will be on display in the Merkle and Price galleries. Slaughter said she draws her inspiration from everywhere – from the angular and ornate roof of an old church to the curves of the bodies fitting together in a new litter of puppies. “My thrill and reward in art is when the viewer is pulled back for another look. They may not know why, but they feel that pull,” Slaughter said. “Art has always restored at least my sense of sanity

in the crazy world I live in, but the primary reasons I do art is because it is a fun and constant learning process that makes me happy.”

‘A Desire to Create’

“A Desire to Create” is the new exhibition by Tommy Griffin, which will be on display in the Lobby Gallery throughout the month. Griffin started art lessons in 1957 at the age of 10 with Guy Hill and Velma Burnside. He later studied in Art League classes with G.M. McDavid, Mamie Hostetter, Luphelia Middlebrooks and Betty Norman. The artist took a hiatus from art for more than three decades, but said he’s glad to be back behind the easel. “When I returned to painting, almost seven years ago, after an absence from the easel of 36 years, I felt an exhilaration in my life that I haven’t felt in a very long time – a way to express myself, a way to release my pent-up desire to create!” Griffin said. Griffin graduated from Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La., in 1969 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in

EXHIBIT continued on Page 8

South Arkansas Leader

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Grazing: (above) Moondust Alpacas is home to 10 Huacaya alpacas. The farm sells alpacas, alpaca products and services since 2007 with an emphasis toward USA-made goods. The farm is located off Calion Highway in El Dorado.

ALPACA

“I started realizing, if I’m going to work two jobs, I need to continued from Page 1 own one of those businesses,” she said. reality come to fruition within the With a growing entrepreneurial last month and still has a lot of spirit, Titus began researching the work ahead of her, now when she business possibilities that were wakes up, she wakes up to alpac- compatible with her skill set. She as grazing on the grassy hills of held a Bachelor’s from the Uniher farm, located just off Calion versity of Maryland in agriculHighway. But it was a long ture chemistry and a Master’s in road from Scottsdale, Ariz. to environmental technology and management from Arizona State El Dorado, Ark. University. Additionally, she had a fairly extensive background From the Beginning Titus moved to El Dorado a working with animals. In fact, Moondust Alpacas is year and a half ago to work for named for one of her mother’s Murphy USA, but the real jourtop-winning show dogs as a way ney started long before the 1,340to honor her family, their connecmile move to South Arkansas. tion to animals and their continBefore the launch of Moondust ued support of her farming enAlpacas in 2007, Titus was work- deavor, she said. Like her mother, ing fulltime in Scottsdale in ad- Titus said she had shown dogs dition to working second jobs to ALPACA continued on Page 12 support her and her children.

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Quality: (below) Moondust Alpacas owner Beth Titus shows the quality of the alpaca fleece. Alpacas have been bred for thousand of years specifically for fiber, which was once reserved for royalty. — Brooke Burger / South Arkansas Leader

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Bow season provides unique challenges for deer hunters Laura Rogers

Regional Education Coordinator Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Well, it’s that time of year again. With the opening of archery season on Sept. 28, deer season in Arkansas is here, and I’ve already seen success among many of my friends. “Today’s Bowhunter,” reports that more than 44 percent of hunters hunt with a bow, accounting for an economic impact of more than $13 billion per year. So what’s the big appeal of hunting with a bow and arrow when a rifle most definitely would be the easiest method with which to harvest a deer? According to Lori Sinyard, she “really enjoys the chance to watch the deer while they are still in their summer feeding patterns.” She researches the best grasses to plant in the food plots she uses to attract the deer, and has the soil tested to be certain it will grow. Bowhunters must be knowledgeable about the habits of the game. They need to know the food preferences and sign of the animal. Sign includes tracks, scat, scrapes or rubs, trails, calls, odors, and feel (freshness of tracks or other sign). While all hunters should study the game they plan to hunt, it is extremely important for bowhunters, since their hunting area will be much smaller than that of a hunter with a rifle or shotgun. One of the thrills of bowhunting is that is it much more up-close and personal. While the effective range of a rifle or shotgun would be 100 yards or more, with a bow, it’s only about 20 yards. This means the hunter will need to be much closer to the quarry in order to make an effective shot. This also means that a bowhunter must go to great lengths to remain undetected by the deer. Because of the need to remain unnoticed, most bowhunters choose

to hunt in elevated stands which also allow for a better vantage point to view wildlife and enjoy the total hunting experience. Disadvantages of an elevated stand include the need to estimate distance on an angle and the risk of injury from falling. People who choose to hunt in elevated stands should always use a fall restraint system (safety harness). Sinyard also enjoys “the hours of practice shooting her bow while slapping mosquitoes and wiping sweat from her eyes.” Successful bowhunting demands these hours of practice. Shot placement, shot timing and distance judging all contribute to a quick, humane harvest. Other reasons why people choose to hunt with archery equipment include history, culture and tradition, or wildlife management reasons. For example, there are a number of urban archery hunts within the city limits of Arkansas cities where the deer population has come into town causing problems for residents. Many also agree that bowhunting offers a more slow-paced hunt, away from the demands of modern life. Sinyard agrees that the early archery season allows bow hunters to “benefit from the absence” of gun hunters. When Sinyard climbs 20 feet up a tree or ducks into a ground blind, she just smiles and thinks back on all the blood, sweat and tears that went into making the hunt possible, she said. And, opening day was a success. Sinyard has fresh venison in her freezer already. Laura Rogers is the Regional Education Coordinator in Southeast Arkansas for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. She can be reached at larogers@agfc. state.ar.us or at 870.818.6378. For more information, visit the AGFC website at www.agfc.com.

Help UCAPS help them » Go to the UCAPS donation site on FundRazr at bit.ly/18nP6qv. » Select your donation amount. » Pay with your PayPal account or a credit or debit card.

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From Kentucky to Pine Bluff to Russia: One politician’s career takes him around the world Ken Bridges

South Arkansas Historical Foundation

Clifton Breckinridge was one of the leading politicians of Arkansas in the late 19th century. His career would take him around the world. Born in 1846, he spent his childhood in rural Kentucky, coming from a prominent family of politicians. His father and great-grandfathers had both been U.S. senators. His greatgrandfather, John Breckinridge, had been U.S. Attorney General under President Thomas Jefferson. His father, John C. Breckinridge, had been vice president under President James Buchanan. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Kentucky stayed neutral and carefully distanced itself from secession. But John C. Breckinridge became the Confederate Secretary of War. At the age of 15, Clifton Breckinridge dutifully followed, enlisting in the Confederate Navy. After the war, he attended college and eventually found his way to Pine Bluff. Here, he settled down onto a large estate and started a family. He soon became an alderman for Pine Bluff and was elected to Congress in 1882. In 1888, his opponent was murdered in the midst of a recount in an election rife with

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interior design and painting. In January 1970, He was asked to have an exhibit in the Fine Arts Center, which later became the South Arkansas Arts Center. “My work begins with a particular design motif that I will use to form a composition worked out on a certain size canvas, small to large, depending on the statement that I want to convey,” Griffin said.

South Arkansas Historical Foundation presents

ist o ry minute

fraud. Though Breckinridge was innocent of any wrongdoing, his opponent was declared the victor. Breckinridge was only able to win re-election in a special election in 1889. He was soon caught up in the intense debates over gold or silver in the nation’s money supply, He supported the gold standard, enraging Arkansas farmers. As a result, he lost re-nomination in 1894, but President Grover Cleveland quickly appointed him as U.S. Ambassador to Russia. After his return from Russia in 1897, he briefly engaged in a few business ventures. In 1917, he served as a delegate to the state constitutional convention, a document that the state’s voters rejected. In 1925, nearing the age of 80, he left Arkansas to live with his daughter in Kentucky, dying quietly in 1932. Organized in the 1970s, the South Arkansas Historical Foundation has been dedicated to educating the public about Arkansas’s rich history for over 30 years. The SAHF offices are located at 422 North Jackson in El Dorado. For more information, about SAHF call 870.862.9890.

“Then a combination of colors is selected whether they cause a tension between them or are very harmonious together. Sometimes a painting may take longer to finish than others, if they are really finished at all. “Someone once said, ‘Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep,’” he added. For more information about the exhibitions, contact the SAAC office at 870.862.5474 or visit the website at www.saac-arts.org.

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‘Kick off a success’

— Courtesy photos

In the September issue of Consumer Reports the Medical Center of South Arkansas’ surgical department received high marks. In the national consumer reporting publication, more than 2,400 U.S. hospitals were rated, and the billing claims and records of 27 categories of commonly scheduled surgeries were analyzed. The ratings given in the article are based on the percentage of the hospi-

tals’ Medicare patients who stayed longer than expected for their procedures or mortality rate. Medical Center of South Arkansas is among four hospitals in Arkansas to receive this high designation. Located in El Dorado, Arkansas, the Medical Center of South Arkansas is a 166-bed, general acute care hospital accredited by The Joint Commission. For more information, visit www.themedcenter.net.

Cloudy

able to stand this movie more than several other animated movies this year, but not by much. There is no reason to go out and spend lots of money for this cloudy experience. I suggest waiting for it to come on DVD and just renting it for the kiddos.

that really makes the film worth seeing at all is the clever creations and the already likable characters. So, while I can agree that kids will certainly enjoy this film and should be sure to see it at some point for the clever creations, I can’t recommend it. Adult viewers will certainly be

The United Way of Union County is grateful for the community’s support of our fourth annual campaign kick off event on Sept. 21 at the Boys and Girls Club. It was a great success in raising both funds and awareness for the programs and services our 14 agencies provide to more than 30,000 Union County residents. The kick off would not have been possible without the support of the Boys and Girls Club; the United Way of Union County’s board of directors; our agencies and all of their volunteers; the campaign’s loaned executives; and volunteers from Camp Fire, SouthernBancorp, Simmons First Bank and First Financial Bank. We are also grateful for support from Noalmark Broadcasting; the South Arkansas Leader;

the El Dorado News-Times; Real American Country 98.7; Clint Knighton, Mallard Motors; Timmin’s Hardware; PJs Coffee and El Dorado Creamery; Bonnie Haynie; Susan Foster; Vicki Johnican; GoodDeal Designs.com; West Side Baptist Church; Charley Hankins; and our 18 dachshund dashers. This was a great way to start our annual campaign. We appreciate the support and know we can count on this caring community as we continue toward meeting our campaign goal of $1 million this year. Alexis Alexander Executive Director United Way of Union County

Medical Center of South Arkansas receives high marks from leading consumer reporting publication

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United Way thanks community

South Arkansas Leader

Red Carpet Crash provides review writing, news and updates on all things entertainment. Find RCC at redcarpetcrash.com.

South Arkansas Leader

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COMMUNITY calendar

» LOCAL LITERARY MAGAZINE SUBMISSIONS — Submissions are being sought for Between the Lines, the literary magazine of South Arkansas Community College. Stories, poetry and essays submitted by writers 18 years and older who live in Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Union or Calhoun counties; or Union, Claiborne or Webster parishes in Louisiana; are invited to participate. A panel of judges will determine which works will be published. Selected writers will receive two copies of the magazine and be invited to participate in a public reading. Submissions may be edited at the discretion of the publication editor. Deadline: Manuscripts are due on Oct. 4 by emailing Scott Larkin at slarkin@southark.edu. Contact: For more information, contact Larkin at 870.862.8131 ext. 223.

» NATURE NIGHTS — On the second Thursday of each month, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and South Arkansas Community College’s Corporate and Community Education will team up to offer Nature Nights, a series for the entire family. The program is free and open to the public. Space is limited, so registration is requested. Program: Discover Ducks. Participants will paint a decoy duck to take home. When: Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. Where: Arkansas Welcome Center, Highway 167 South, El Dorado Contact: For more information or to register, contact CCE at 870.864.7192 or email Laura Rogers at the AGFC at larogers@agfc.state.ar.us. » LI’L WILD ONES — On the second Saturday of each month, the Arkansas

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Your guide to events happening in communities in and around Union County.

Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources will team up to offer Li’l WILD Ones, a 90-minute program offering interactive, hands-on outdoor activities that will immerse participants in the environment of South Arkansas. The program is free and open to children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Space is limited, so registration is requested. Program: Where are the Night Animals? Participants will learn the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals and why both are important to the environment. When: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. Where: Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, 3853 Smackover Highway, Smackover Contact: For more For more information or to register, contact CCE at 870.864.7192 or email Laura Rogers at the AGFC at larogers@agfc.state.ar.us.

» SOUTHARK HOLDS HISPANIC HERITAGE EVENT — South Arkansas Community College will hold Vaya, Crezca y Lograra, a Hispanic Heritage Month event. The public is invited to attend this free event. When: Saturday, Oct. 12 from noon to 4 p.m. Where: El Dorado Conference Center, 311 South West Ave. Contact: For more information, visit SouthArk on Facebook at facebook. com/southark. » SYMPHONY’S SYMPHONIC FRIGHT NIGHT — The South Arkansas Symphony will continue its 2013-14 season with Symphonic Fright Night. This frighteningly good concert will feature the music from horror flicks such as “Jaws,” “Psycho,”

Crossword and Sudoku Answer Key for:

Sept. 25

“Night On Bald Mountain” and others. The event will also feature a costume contest for audience members. Cost: Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors; $10 for college students; and $5 for children in grades K-12. Subscription packages are available for $100. When: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Municipal Auditorium, 100 West Eighth St., El Dorado Contact: For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the website at www.SouthArkansasSymphony.org, or by calling the South Arkansas Symphony ticket office at 870.862.0521 or 800.792.0521. » ‘KEEPING HISTORY ALIVE’ BANQUET — The South Arkansas Historical Foundation will host guest speaker Theodore “Ted” Jones at its annual “Keeping History Alive Banquet.” Using music and humorous stories, Jones will take the attendees on a tour through mid-20th century Louisiana politics. All funds go to preserve the Newton House Museum and support the many educational programs sponsored by the SAHF. Cost: Tickets cost $100 per person. Ticket sales are limited. When: Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Where: El Dorado Conference Center, 311 South West Ave. Contact: For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the SAHF by calling 870.862.9890 or via email at stef@soarkhistory.com » MEDICARE HOLDS OPEN ENROLLMENT — During Medicare Open Enrollment, recipients can review current Medicare choices and compare them to coverage that is

available for next year to make sure they have the plan that is right for them. Many may be able to save money, get better coverage or both. Recipients can also take advantage of new benefits, including wellness visits, preventative care and lower prescription drug costs. When: Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 Contact: For more information, call toll free at 800.633.4227 or go online to medicare.gov. » MURPHY USA BOOMTOWN CLASSIC — The Arkansas Tech University Wonder Boys will meet the Henderson State University Reddies in the annual Boomtown Classic. Sponsored by Murphy USA, the event will bring a full college-football experience to El Dorado, complete with food, games and tailgating. Ticket outlets will be announced at a later date. When: Saturday, Oct. 19 with a 3 p.m. kickoff Where: El Dorado Memorial Stadium Contact: For more information, contact The Diamond Agency at tda@arkansas.net or 870.862.1010. » LIFESHARE BLOOD SUPPLIES LOW — LifeShare Blood Centers reported that all blood supplies are critically low, especially O+ and O-. Those interested in donating, are asked to contact LifeShare Blood Centers of El Dorado during regular business hours. Hours: Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: LifeShare Blood Centers, 443 West Oak St., El Dorado Contact: For more information or to donate, contact LifeShare at 870.862.2150.

Tell Us Something Good! Submit your event, announcement or story idea to the South Arkansas Leader at leader@noalmark.com at least one week before the date of the event. All material must be received the Friday before publication on Wednesday. For more information, contact the Leader staff at 870.863.6126 or by email.

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SUDOKU

EADER

To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

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WEEKLY RECIPE Whip up this bowl of chili to warm up chilly afternoons Chili may not be an ideal dish on sizzling summer afternoons, but when the temperatures dip and fall settles in and winter nears, few dishes stick to your ribs better than chili. Perhaps no dish is more suited for the colder months than a good bowl of chili, and the following recipe for “McIlhenny Chili for the Marines” from Eula Mae Dore’s “Eula Mae’s Cajun Kitchen” (Harvard Common Press) can be just the thing to warm up a winter afternoon.

McIlhenny Chili for the Marines Ingredients:

Makes about 6 servings » 1/4 cup vegetable oil » 3 pounds lean beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes » 1 cup chopped yellow onions » 3 garlic cloves, minced » 3 tablespoons chili powder » 2 teaspoons ground cumin » 2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

» 2 teaspoons Tabasco brand pepper sauce » 3 cups water » 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained » Hot cooked long grain rice » Chopped onions for garnish » Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish » Sour cream for garnish

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring often, until browned well. Transfer the beef to a platter and set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and Tabasco and cook for 1 minute. Add the water and chiles and bring to a boil. Return the beef to the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 1.5 hours. Serve hot over rice and garnish with onions, cheese and sour cream.

CLUES ACROSS 1. Belaya river port city 4. Arbitrageur businessman 7. Leavened bread 8. Exploiters 10. Seven deadly 12. Minimal unit of metrical time 13. The 12th Jewish month 14. Our 50 states 16. Fiddler crabs 17. Them in Spanish 19. Texas Gov. Richards 20. Single integers 21. Areas of a city 25. Goat and camel hair fabric 26. Misery resulting from affliction 27. Icelandic island 29. Publisher Adolph 30. Oxalis crenata

31. A major division of geological time 32. Edith Bunker actress 39. Parent organizations 41. Express pleasure 42. Entrap 43. Fabric with a corded surface 44. A food additive to enhance flavor 45. Database management system 46. Betel palm genus 48. Notch 49. Hungarian is a Finno-_____ language 50. A right angle building extension 51. Burgh on the Firth of Clyde 52. Owed as a debt

CLUES DOWN 1. Not visible or perceived 2. A ribbed woven fabric of silk, rayon or cotton 3. Growth rings 4. Volcanic mountain in Japan 5. Rebroadcasts a show 6. A British suspender 8. Fringe-toed lizard 9. Oceans 11. Molten metal scum residue 14. Atomic No. 106 15. Mountain peak covering 18. Request for quiet 19. Macaws 20. Lyric poems 22. No. 8 potassium rich fruits 23. Star Wars’ __-Wan

Kenobi 24. Express wonder 27. Works a garden’s soil 28. Alias 29. Opening 31. Bones 32. Harlenquinade clowning (Mid. Eng.) 33. Lose resilience 34. Syrian pound 35. Finishes 36. Held over 37. Brass that looks like gold 38. Cuddle 39. Small sailboat 40. Dorsal plates on anthropods 44. A waterproof raincoat 47. Latin: around time of

Answer key on page 10.

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ALPACA

practice. Sometimes you just have to follow your gut feeling like an art,” Titus said. While she’s faced many challenges in farming alpacas – from the heat in Arizona to the parasites in Arkansas – Titus said one of the hardest aspects is losing an animal. “I guess when you own livestock, you’re going to own dead-stock,” she said. “There’s no easy way; it’s part of the business. So you revel in those new babies, you revel when things are going well and you’re happy when you make new alpaca friends and being a part of your community and your network of commonality with people, and then sometimes you lose them.” But through all of it, Titus has stuck it out. Even when times have been tough, she keeps coming back to all the things that make being an alpaca farmer worth it, even when she’s been kicked or spit on. And yes, she said, they do spit. “In fact, that’s probably going to be the title of my book – ‘Yes, they spit!’” she laughed. For more information on Moondust Alpacas, visit the website at www.moondustalpacas.com.

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for decades, as well as having agricultural experience showing dairy cows as a youth. “So I put all these skills sets together and it came out to be either a 4-H leader or cooperative extension farmer,” Titus said. For her, it would be farming, specifically alpaca farming. “I looked at other farming and I just sort of fell in love with the information that was out there and I said, ‘I can do this,’” she said. Alpacas have been commercially imported in the United States for almost 30 years, and when Titus was looking into breaking into the industry, she said there was a considerable return on livestock. That coupled with a “warm and inviting” network of farmers led her to solidify her decision, she said. “I found it to be an environment I felt comfortable moving forward in,” she said. “And they are just so darn cute!”

Of Royalty

Standing 3 feet tall at the withers with fluffy fleece, large doe eyes and an under bite, the alpaca’s cuteness may be why it has become popular fodder for Internet memes, but its real value is in its fiber. The alpaca is native to South America, specifically in the Andes of southern Peru (world leader in alpaca production), northern Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Chile. Bred specifically for its fleece, the Incas once reserved alpaca fiber for royalty only. “We’re all going to be royal here in South Arkansas!” Titus joked. Alpacas are regarded as some of the best fiber producers for a number of reasons from the quality and quantity of its fleece to the sustainability of its production. Alpaca fiber is just as versatile as wool, but since it doesn’t contain the lanolin found in sheep’s wool, it is hypoallergenic; as well, it is often stronger, lighter and warmer than wool. The alpaca’s fiber is naturally flame retardant and come in more than 20 natural colors. Many of the qualities inherent to alpaca fiber make it more environmentally friendly, as well – the absence of lanolin means it takes less soaps and chemicals to wash, the vast variety of colors means there’s less need for dyes, for example. But, the

production of alpacas alone is sustainable. From its low-maintenance care and gentleness on the soil to its efficient grazing and digestion, the alpaca is a model of sustainable livestock.Yet no endeavor is without its challenges.

fiber artists and hand crafters. While the business end comes with its ups and downs, so does the farming. Titus said her science-based background has definitely helped her in becoming a farmer, from the biology of managing animals to the genetics of programming breeding On Living the Life “If you’re going to do a second and the applied science of feed manjob or a business you got to have a agement. But some of it comes from passion for it – you’ve got to be en- the heart, or gut instinct. “Some of it is like an art. It’s gaged or it’s not worth you effort,” Titus said. South Arkansas Leader’s From weathering a recession to moving half way across the country, Titus is one alpaca farmer who wasn’t going to give up. For a scientist, the entrepreneurial challenges may have been felt even more than normal, especially as the OF THE recession hit. According to Titus, the financial crash hit the alpaca industry very hard since a lot of discretionary income goes into a startup business like alpaca farming. Without that discretionary cash available, it slowed. As the economic tide continues to shift, the industry seems to be gaining momentum again, though, and Titus said she’s optimistic. “I think now we’re moving to a stronger-growing industry as we focus on the fiber and fiber arts end of it,” she said. “There’s always been a fiber business for Americans, and I think we’ve revitalized that just in the growth of knitting in the last couple of years.” Titus said she’s excited to be a part of a growing industry and has plans TEVIN MERRITT to continue expanding and improving her business now that she’s in sponsored by South Arkansas, especially in conMichelle Balstad State Farm necting with community groups,

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