North Entrance
The Cancer Center of Excellence has been built through the partnership of local healthcare providers: White County Medical Center, CARTI, White County Oncology and Radiology Associates, PA (RAPA). The Cancer Center encompasses a chemotherapy treatment center, radiation therapy, the Searcy
Breast Center, a Diagnostic Center with PET Scanner, appearance center, chapel, conference/education room and counseling center. Thanks to these healthcare partners, this venture ensures that residents have an outstanding facility close to home to receive excellent cancer care. Please join us in advancing cancer care in our region.
My/Our tax-deductable contribution to the White County Medical Foundation, in the amount of $ is enclosed. Please PRINT name(s) as you would like for it to appear for recognition purposes: Name:
Please Make Check Payable to: White County Medical Foundation Attention: Cassandra Feltrop 3214 E. Race Ave. Searcy, AR 72143
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4 Your Hometown Magazine
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A Man. An American Hero. H H H
Chief Richard Picciotto was the highest-ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse, and the last fireman to escape the devastation. Richard “Pitch” Picciotto was on a stairwell between the sixth and seventh floors of the North Tower when it collapsed on September 11, 2001. An FDNY battalion commander, his is the harrowing true story of an American hero, a man who thought nothing of himself and gave nearly everything for others during one of our nation’s darkest hours. Picciotto tells an outspoken account of that indelible day, shaking and inspiring audiences to the core.
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For more information on hearing Chief Richard Picciotto speak, visit: http://www.harding.edu/asi/events.html
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8 Your Hometown Magazine
Issue № 4 j 2011
Features A Man, An American Hero 6 Seasons Change 14 Soar Like An Eagle 16 Emma’s Story 22 The Difference Maker 36 You Know Where To Find Me 40 Get Hope 43 Remembering Dr. Robert Elliott 44 Helping Eliminate The Stigma 46 Remembering Matt 48 Be A Hero 50 Teacher Profile 52 Sports Photos 54 Imagine And Believe 56 Powerful Stuff 64 It Is Better To Give 66 Save The Day 67 Jesus Called 72
Contents 64
Departments Publisher’s Note 11 All American Citizen 12 Fashion Fun 18 Living In Searcy 24 We The People 30 Financial Focus 34 Hope...Believe 58 Out & About 62 Dinner & A Magazine 68 Games & Puzzles 70 Hope Cottage 71
On the Cover Robert Bennett, Jessica Bennett, Marilyn Elliott, Arden Elliott, & Emma Elliott Photo by Kimberly Brackins (501) 279-1515 SearcyLiving.com 9
Publisher Christine Walker Art Director & Webmaster Garrett Johnson Graphic Assistant Ikey Ray Customer Service Stephanie McInturff Editorial Assistant Cherie Sewell Makeover Coordinator Christine Locke Contributing Independent Photographers George Dillin (501) 268-9304 Kimberly Brackins (501) 279-1515 Cassie Jones (501) 230-0539 Roxy Creative (501) 593-6866 Maggie Hendrix (501) 388-3256 Homan Photography (501) 268-2844 Feature Writers Cecelia Wilson Cassie Jones Erica Brooks
Searcy Living Locally Owned and Operated 812 South Main Street Searcy, AR 72143 searcyliving@yahoo.com (501) 368-0095 SearcyLiving.com For subscription information go to SearcyLiving.com
Copyright 2011 Shark Promotions LLC. Searcy Living, Cabot Living, and Your Hometown Magazine are trademarks of Shark Promotions. All rights reserved. Ownership, rights, and logos are property of their respected businesses. No part may be reproduced without written permission. Shark Promotions LLC is not responsible for claims, misprints, discrepancies, advice of any kind, or content in advertisements or editorials, but will rectify errors in forthcoming issues.
Copyright Š 2011 Shark Promotions LLC
Searcy Living Magazine is a subsidiary of Shark Promotions LLC.
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Publisher’s Note
Plans
Planning is something we all do. We plan our days, our months, our years and our lives. We are all, myself included, guilty of trying to over-manage our lives. But things happen. And at some point we all eventually realize that we are not the ones in control. So who is? Maybe that is the one thing that we do have control over. Who we give [with our freewill] control to. This issue is full of stories of people whose lives did not turn out as planned. Some are still asking the question why. Most have come to peace with not knowing. All have shared a pain that is too real and deep for most of us to ever think about. A special thank you to the stories that were inspired by connections from the Robert E. Elliott Foundation. I know your stories were the most difficult to share. Thank you for reading Searcy Living. :)
“If you don’t let God design your life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” ~Unknown
Powerful Stuff
are so many ways “ There to help [foster children]
besides becoming a foster parent yourself.
”
Page 64
Be A Hero
“ Lean on your faith.” Page 50
Remembering Matt
involved in their [your “ Get children’s] lives and know
Seasons Change
what they do, where they go and what matters most to them. Page 48
”
knows where the “ Who winds of change may take you! ” Page 14
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All American Citizens
Launching the Future By R.J. Taylor
R
12 Your Hometown Magazine
ichard and JoAnn Smith of Searcy have launched their own endowed scholarships for nursing students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing. The Richard Monroe and JoAnn Hennessy Smith Scholarships will help junior and senior students and registered nurses who are studying for the Bachelor of Nursing degree to fund and finish their studies. In order to win a Smith Scholarship, the applicant must show a history of academic excellence and either be a United States military veteran or prove a desire to serve in the military. The Smiths enjoyed parallel careers as nurses and academicians that brought them together for the first time at a church in San Diego, California, 40 years ago. Today, they continue to match each other perfectly in the desire to give financial support to nursing students who are drawn to serving the nation. “We want to give back,” Richard said. Dr. Claudia Barone, Dean of the UAMS College of Nursing, wrote that such generosity is a key to the college’s “dynamic nursing research, service, and education programs, which have contributed greatly to the well being of patients, families, and communities.” JoAnn is a Little Rock native, while Richard grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. Both of the Smiths served in the U.S. Navy in the nursing field and later as instructors of nursing at Harding University and the UAMS College of Nursing. They retired from teaching about two years ago. She had worked in the emergency department at UAMS after graduating from high school in 1959. Earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas School of Nursing (now the UAMS College of Nursing), she joined the Navy, which had awarded her a Navy Nurse Corps Candidate Scholarship. JoAnn paid the Navy back with 28 years of active duty, advancing in rank from ensign to commander. Her duties varied from bedside nursing to serving as director of nursing for a hospital. She earned a master’s degree at the University of Washington. She served in St. Albans, N.Y.; the Philippines; twice in San Diego; Houston, where she recruited nurses during the Vietnam war; twice in Bremerton, Washington; and Millington, Tennessee. Richard served as a hospital corpsman in Yokosuka, Japan, during two years of active duty and was in the Navy Reserves for another four years. He attended the University of Washington, where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. He was a staff nurse in a burn unit and emergency department, provided staff education for critical care and emergency nursing, and taught in several registered nursing programs. After retiring from the Navy, the Smiths and their daughters — Jennifer and Jaime — moved from Washington to Searcy in 1989. Richard joined the Harding University faculty at that time, and JoAnn was recruited by Harding less than a year later. In 1994, Richard began teaching at the UAMS College of Nursing, specializing in ambulatory care nursing. JoAnn followed him there in 1995, with an emphasis on teaching nursing leadership and management. In 1999, the Smiths and the UAMS College of Nursing were among the first in the country to teach online courses for registered nurses who were studying for Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, making it possible for Arkansas’s rural nurses to earn the degree without having to travel to Little Rock. Both Smiths earned a number of teaching awards during their UAMS careers. Richard’s awards included two Classroom Teaching Excellence Awards, two Best Clinical Instructor Awards, and a Most Supportive Faculty Award. JoAnn’s awards included Outstanding RN-BSN Faculty Awards three years in a row. In 2007, both Smiths received a UAMS Chancellor’s Faculty Teaching Award. Before retiring from teaching in 2008, the Smiths published several articles on traditional and online nursing education in juried nursing journals. They had also served on several UAMS and College of Nursing Committees. The Smiths have endowed the Smith Scholarships so that, like them, their endowment will serve the nursing profession and the nation. “We are proud to award our first scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year at UAMS College of Nursing to two senior students, one Navy veteran and one Army veteran,” the Smiths wrote recently. “These young men will graduate in May 2012 and begin their BSN careers.” If you would like to make an online gift to the Richard Monroe and JoAnn Hennessy Smith Scholarship endowment, please visit www.uamshealth.com/giveonline or find a link on SearcyLiving.com.
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By Dora Lindsey utumn. Falling leaves of vibrant colors. A crispness in the air. Fields of pumpkins. Hayrides. Warm sweaters. A harvest moon. Giving thanks. Change. Glorious change! Autumn is my favorite time of the year. During this season, I am filled with excitement and energy as I observe nature’s colors deepening and intensifying in this welcome change of atmosphere. It reminds me of a kaleidoscope, filled with various colors and patterns, reflecting the warm, golden sun, always changing, filling me with child-like wonder. With autumn comes change. After all, it is a season of transition, a passing from one phase of life to another, a transformation of sorts. Change is a very important and exciting part of life! To change is to cause something to become different, altered, or transformed. When I consider the subject of change, I think of words like growing, learning, maturing, becoming; excitement, challenge, new territory, and new perspectives. Change can be a very positive thing. Change can be sudden or gradual. It played a vital role in creation. God spoke and nothing became something (Genesis chapter 1). Through the process of change, the worlds and everything in them came into existence. Dust was altered into human form as it was fashioned by the hands of our Creator God. Yes, change can be a very good thing!
However, to many, change evokes feelings of fear and uncertainty. Understandably so, because the very nature of change involves a period of time when equilibrium is disturbed, balance is thrown off, and things appear to become unstable. This is a necessary process. It is called chemistry, and it is a fact of life. Reaction occurs when something is transformed. There are many phases in life that can throw us off balance and cause us to feel out of sorts. Dating, falling in love, raising a teenager, a job change, and the list could go on and on. But as trying as these times may be, they are what makes life exciting, unique, and worth living. When all is said and done, change is something we can choose to embrace and engage. It is the path we must walk if we are to be transformed into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Change always produces results. Our attitude about change can help produce results that empower us, rather than frustrate or cripple us. Without change, a drop of rain would never become a delicate snowflake. Without change, the seed would never burst forth and produce a fragrant flower. Without change, the caterpillar would never develop into a beautiful butterfly. The next time you are facing change, envision yourself as a colorful autumn leaf twirling in a gentle breeze. Who knows where the winds of change may take you!
Dora Lindsey is the founder of Hope for the Future Ministries, Inc., a ministry which focuses on reaching out to those in need of hope and restoration, with a major emphasis on teaching biblical principles through conferences, seminars, retreats, and workshops. To contact her, you may email her at doralindsey@cablelynx.com.
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Jennifer Pannell
By Jennifer Pannell haven’t always been a runner and some days I still don’t consider myself a runner. I have found that running is always a challenge, but at the same time is so rewarding. Three years ago a few of my friends asked me to run Soaring Wings Half Marathon with them. At first I thought, “Yeah, right.” That’s a lot farther than I wanted to run. It made me remember those dreaded days of track in high school, the ones where I would run around the back of the building where coach couldn’t see me and walk. I gave in. We began training in August and I thought, “Wow, this isn’t so bad.” Race day came and I was ready. Ran the best half-marathon I have ever run to this date. It was awesome. Good friends, great race, and the post-race refreshments were awesome. Not to mention they call your name as you cross the finish line and hand you this really cool medal. After running that day, I wondered what Soaring Wings Ranch was all about. I didn’t even have a clue what I had run for. Soaring Wings Ranch was a dream in 1997 of Andrew Watson as he was working with children in the area of juvenile probation. During his time at Community Service, Inc., in Conway while attending UCA, Andrew began to see that the answer for many of the problems that the children faced would best be dealt with if they were put into a new environment and given a new home. Andrew and his wife Marla later served at a children’s home in Gadsden, Alabama, as relief house parents where they were able to gain the experience and knowledge they needed to start Soaring Wings Ranch. Soaring Wings Ranch provides a permanent, Christ-centered home for children who have been victims and just need a chance. Children stumble and fall because of their environment, but when they are given a positive chance, like Soaring Wings Ranch, the sky becomes the limit. The Ranch has a plan to eventually have two homes that can each serve sixteen children, up to thirty-two total. At completion, the Ranch will have five homes for boys and five homes for girls. The goal of each home is to maintain an environment that will offer each child a chance to develop into a confident young adult with a high degree of selfsufficiency, a great work ethic, a strong ethical base with a clear understanding of right and wrong, a team player mentality, and a Biblical understanding of sin and forgiveness. They also receive instruction in social skills, etiquette, and physical hygiene. Soaring Wings Ranch operates debt-free and without government assistance. In order to fund the Ranch, money is raised through the Soaring Wings Half Marathon, which began in 2008, and other donations. In four years, the race has grown from 600 participants to over 1,500. Last year, the race had over 1,400 registered participants from 18 states across
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the country. This year, 1,700 participants are expected. All proceeds benefit Soaring Wings Christian Home and Ranch. In the past three years, the race has raised almost $100,000 cumulatively to benefit the Ranch. The race offers athletes of any ability a chance to support a worthy cause while enjoying a well certified course. This year they are also offering a kid’s half-marathon. After the kids sign up, they then accumulate 12 miles of running or walking over the course of 6 weeks. They get to run/walk 1.1 miles and receive a medal for their accomplishment. Also new this year is the Rock Runners Relay. The relay also allows two persons to enter and split the mileage. Training schedules are available for all levels from walkers to advanced runners. There is definitely something for everyone at this race. “….Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles…” – Isaiah 40:30-31 Get your walking or running shoes on, mark your calendars. Go to SearcyLiving.com for the marathon date and a link to Soaring Wings. Sign up for this race, and support a wonderful Christian ranch. Anyone wishing to volunteer can email info@ swhalf.com. See page 18 and 22 for more Soaring Wings stories.
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My life recently changed in hopes of making it better. I moved into Soaring Wings Ranch, and let me say, it has been wonderful having a ranch family to help me change my life and become a stronger Christian. So with all this change, I thought to myself, “Why not a new look?” That’s where Searcy Living came in. The makeover was a wonderful experience! The ladies at Hays did an amazing job on finding an outfit that fit me perfectly. Also, getting my hair done at Symmetrix by Kim Grimes, nails polished at Symmetrix by Melissa, accessories from Symmetrix and make-up at The Cosmetic Studio by Doris was a blast! Everyone was nice and let me throw in my opinion and added that to what they were thinking. Thank you Searcy Living and Soaring Wings! I was able to start the school year with a new lifestyle! (See page 16 & 22 for more on Soaring Wings Ranch.)
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Sponsors
Cosmetics from
Necklace & Bangles from
Christine Locke Makeover Coordinator
& Hair by Kim Grimes
Tank & Dress from
3005 E. Race St. • Searcy (501) 268-0800
On the toes: It’s Totally Fort Worth It. Black Shatter - Nail Polish (OPI) from Shoes from
Photography by
In the Heart & Soul Plaza 1623 E. Beebe-Capps • Searcy (501) 279-2526 Nails by
Melissa Kim Grimes Hair by
2904 Hawkins Dr. • Searcy (501) 268-4540
Turn the page for more fashion retailers. > > >
1604 W. Arch • Searcy (870) 917-8012 www.thowardphotography.com SearcyLiving.com 19
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“And what some people need to know is that we aren’t bad kids. We are abused, neglected, and unloved. Not bad. We are taken out of an environment that is harmful to us and given a place that will forever change us.” January 25, 2010, I moved into Soaring Wings Ranch. I found out about SWR through a counselor at school who knew I was having a hard time at home and with the situations taking place. I took the brochure home and I asked if I could live there. The immediate response was “No” and, of course, that was bound to happen. I just knew I had to live there though. Things kept falling further down and I prayed and prayed that somehow, someway I could just live there. After about two weeks of praying I quit praying. I gave up. Then I started again. I prayed harder. I yearned for it more. I sought out God just to ask him to grant me one thing. Two months later my counselor called me into her office. She knew that I wasn’t speaking to my mother or step father but she told me to go home and to talk to my mother. I did. My mom told me that I was getting to go to SWR. I found out a little later, after I had moved, that the Wednesday when I was told that was also the same day that they were having a staff meeting. At the staff meeting [my future Soaring Wings] Dad asked about me. Everyone was praying for me and during that prayer they got the phone call from the school saying that my mother had agreed to place me there. Since being at SWR I’ve become a new person. I’ve learned many lessons about life and God. I’ve learned that when God said “ask and you shall receive” he meant it. I’ve learned that family is a beautiful thing and anyone can have one. Especially when following God. No one ever gave up on me. They helped me emotionally get over all the things of my past. They helped me learn how to seek God and encouraged me to do so. SWR is a HOME, a home that gives children a chance. Children who wouldn’t have the opportunity to succeed in life (much less know God) are given the opportunity to experience all of that. Experience life, love, and God. To experience that unconditional, never failing, nor forsaking love of God. I’m the person I am today because of SWR. Over the time that I was there, I changed drastically. And SWR will ALWAYS be home. That’s the greatest thing of all; they don’t desert you either. Once you’re there you are always a part of the family. And what some people need to know is that we aren’t bad kids. We are abused, neglected, and unloved. Not bad. We are taken out of an environment that is harmful to us and given a place that will forever change us. We are given a blessing beyond anything. SWR is a place that resembles the love of Christ and what he does for his children. It is the prime example of never being forsaken and ALWAYS being loved. Emma is now attending Harding University. Go Emma! Find out how you can support Soaring Wings Ranch at soaringwingsranch.com or go to SearcyLiving.com for a link. See pages 14 and 16 for more on Soaring Wings. 22 Your Hometown Magazine
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Photos by Taylor Howard Photography Article by Jennifer Howard
in Searcy
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ohn and Diane Killough were blessed to build their “forever” home on the edge of the Searcy Country Club golf course. Their home boasts beautiful views of the immaculate course, but when the Killoughs look out their windows it is not just the view that they love. This course is the backdrop for many of the Killoughs’ memories… John grew up only a quarter mile from where he and Diane are raising their family, and remembers riding his bicycle through what was then undeveloped land. This same land is where he grew up hunting and playing golf. As John talks of playing rounds of golf with his dad, Larry, and brothers, Larry Jr. and Tim, a tear comes to his eye. Larry Jr., an outstanding amateur golfer, passed away in a tragic accident three years ago. However, the Killoughs look back, and in their time of grief, recall how the community of Searcy came together to comfort their family. That sense of community and family is what brought John and Diane back to Searcy after meeting for the first time in 2001 at the Todd A. Simpson Memorial Golf Tournament, hosted by the Country Club. Although both had lived in Searcy all their lives and built their careers in Little Rock after college, John and Diane had never met until that day at the golf tournament. Ten years have passed since John and Diane first fell in love and started their life together. They are now blessed with two sweet children, William, 5, Emma, 3, and their first baby, an old pug named “Pop Tart”. When planning to build their “forever” home, it was important to design a home that would be “safe while William and Emma were little, but would also have space to grow for when they are older.” The second story of the Killough home is dedicated to doing just that. William and Emma’s “someday rooms” are there for when they are a little older and are ready to be more independent. Their rooms are off a large playroom decorated with canvases painted by William and Emma (with some help from mom) and plush carpet for them to play together. Outside, the Killoughs have a beautiful and comfy outdoor living area overlooking the golf course and William and Emma’s new play set. While John, a pilot, and Diane, a teacher and now stay at home mom, discuss their days and spend some quality time with each other, they are able to keep a close eye on William and Emma as they play. While the Killough home is clearly family oriented, Diane was able to incorporate modern accents with artwork together with vintage family heirlooms to make their house
The main living areas are lined with thick white molding and laid with a mix of large stone tile and beautiful, dark handscraped hardwood floors that give the home a rustic feel. feel like a home. Throughout this spacious four-bedroom home, the walls are painted with warm neutral tones with pops of color in the dining room and kids’ bedrooms. The main living areas are lined with thick white molding and laid with a mix of large stone tile and beautiful, dark hand-scraped hardwood floors that give the home a rustic feel. The picturesque kitchen is the center of the Killough home with spacious granite countertops, dark wood cabinetry, and an open floor plan allowing plenty of room for little “helpers”. Their stainless steel refrigerator is covered with family portraits and drawings of Pop Tart, all created by young artists William and Emma. Off the kitchen, the dining room is where the Killough family spends Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners laughing with family, and making memories that will be a part of their family for years to come. After a long day and when William and Emma are tucked into bed, John and Diane can retreat to their master suite. Decorated with unique vintage finds and a beautiful antique sofa, which is a family heirloom, the master bedroom is a warm and inviting space in which to relax at the end of the day. Overall, this home exudes the family’s personality: warm, inviting, and family orientated. Though so much of the Killoughs’ history is intertwined in the location of their home, what the future holds for their family brings a smile to both of their faces. They hope to have their home be the place where William and Emma’s friends want to hang out after school as they grow up, and one day be the home where they bring their future families to visit.
The walls of the home are painted with warm neutral tones with pops of color in the dining room and kids’ bedrooms. SearcyLiving.com 25
“
he sense of community and family is what brought John and Diane back to Searcy...”
The picturesque kitchen is the center of the Killough home with spacious granite countertops, dark wood cabinetry, and an open floor plan allowing plenty of room for little “helpers”.
26 Your Hometown Magazine
 Diane was able to incorporate modern accents with artwork together with vintage family heirlooms to make their house feel like a home.
Online Extra Go to SearcyLiving.com to see more home galleries!
www.SearcyLiving.com
SearcyLiving.com 27
“
hen planning to build their “forever” home, it was important to design a home that would be ‘safe while William and Emma were little, but would also have space to grow for when they are older.’”
Outside, the Killoughs have a beautiful and comfy outdoor living area overlooking the golf course and William and Emma’s new play set.
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We the People Update I wanted to give you an update on my story. My surgery was on June 8th. It went well with only a few minor complications. We returned home on July 1st. I have been recovering very quickly and feel great! Dr. Patel, an oncologist in Little Rock, is following my case now. He thinks everything is going great. I want to thank everyone for their support and prayers.
Katrina McCandless Pictured L to R: Charlie Farrell, Zach Rigsby, and Louise Johnson First Christian Church of Searcy donated a $100 gift card to the Searcy Police Department during the extremely hot weather recently, to help purchase water for the officers on patrol. Charlie Farrell organized the donation from the church and Louise Johnson presented the card to Searcy Police Officer Zach Rigsby.
Members of the group Fourtify are (L to R): Kittrell Camp, Lindsey Farley, Jordan Simpson, and Emily Eads
Fourtify
Fourtify, a quartet from Searcy, Arkansas, was selected to appear on a national television program, “America Sings” airing on GMCTV (Gospel Music Channel). “America Sings” is a contest in which singing groups from all over the country compete. The quartet formed their group three years ago while all four were students at Harding Academy. All were members of the Harding Academy Chorus and also part of the ensemble, CrossEyed. “We are just a group of friends who love to sing together and be an encouragement to people,” said Eads. For more information, check out Fourtify’s Facebook page and “like” them there. Several of their YouTube videos are posted there as well. 30 Your Hometown Magazine
2011 Searcy 8 Year Old Allstars CSI: Searcy
Detective Brian Wyatt and Detective Keith Hays of the Searcy Police Department held a Crime Scene Investigation Class at the Carmichael Center in July. The students learned how to “tell the story” of a crime by lifting fingerprints, sketching crime scenes, and collecting evidence. Each student received a fingerprint kit, a certificate, and a medal for completing the course. “Detective” Stephanie collects evidence at a mock crime scene
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We the People Bunko Bash Results The White County Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Inc., recently raised $11,457 from its 4th annual Bunko Bash. The funds will help the organization continue to fund scholarships to White County single parents who are completing their post secondary education. Since its beginning in 1999, the WCSPSF, Inc. has awarded 300 scholarships with a combined value of $141,375. Pictured is Ann Wright receiving the coveted “Bunko Babe” trophy from WCSPSF, Inc. Executive Director, Dan Newsom. Searcy Police Officer Allen Hoofman poses with Harding Academy 1st graders from Mrs. Barnes’ Class. The 1st graders were taught about authority, rules, laws, and respect. The children were also able to sit in the police car and hear the siren.
Searcy Police Officer Allen Hoofman poses with Harding Academy 1st graders from Mrs. Mote’s Class.
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Searcy Police Officer Drew Garrison hands a sticker to a preschooler at the MOPS event at Spring Park. Children got to explore the new police car and talk to the officer.
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Financial Focus with Jeff Kernodle Adding Style to your Stock Investment Strategy
If you’re just getting your feet wet in the world of investing, stocks may seem to be the best way to get started. While Financial Advisors will likely suggest that a certain portion of your portfolio contain stocks, it is important to realize that there are two primary styles of stock investing — value and growth. At any given time, one style or the other may be the best bet for you. Oddly enough, at times you may even be better off employing both styles. Even if you start off with one style, changes in your lifestyle or the market may lead you to make a switch to the other or use both styles at once. Value Investing Value investing involves choosing stocks that may have an unappreciated potential — those that may not be the most popular in the market at the moment but that have sound fundamentals and might be poised for a turnaround. Value investing involves searching for a company that appears to have a good financial future, but that the market either doubts or has not yet noticed. It includes buying stock in these companies before the market fully recognizes them, and then waiting for the market to see their true value. To help identify a value stock, look for some of these characteristics: • Value stocks generally trade below their intrinsic value (private market value per-share). In other words, their stock price does not reflect what the company actually would be worth if all its assets were sold. • Value stocks often have higher dividend yields. These companies can be more oriented toward paying a dividend rather than reinvesting for growth.
• Value stocks may have hidden value such as land, assets, property, patents or other investments that investors may overlook. • Value stocks often have a lower growth rate than growth stocks. • Value stocks may be more sensitive to the economy than growth stocks. An improving economy may spur higher earnings and drive up a value stock’s price. Thus, value stocks often outperform growth stocks early in an economic cycle. Growth Investing Growth investing focuses on stocks that experience faster-thanaverage growth and are expected to continue such positive trends. Past performance, however, is no indication of future results. When deciding whether a certain stock is a growth stock, you may want to look for the following characteristics: • A growth stock usually shows higher revenue and earnings growth potential relative to its industry. • Growth stocks are often industry leaders in sales and profits and often have the highest price-to-earnings ratios. • Growth stocks usually have low or non-existent dividend yields because the profits are generally reinvested back into the company as opposed to being paid out as dividends. • Growth stocks’ earnings often compare best when the overall economy’s growth begins to slow. Thus, growth stocks have tended to outperform value stocks later in the economic cycle. Before deciding on what style is best suited for you, and to avoid some of the volatility any particular investment may offer, you may want to use a more defensive technique by combining both these types of investments. This strategy would allow you to capture blended returns with blended risk. Your Financial Advisor will also be able to help you decide the best investment style for your needs. Stocks offer long-term growth potential, but may fluctuate more and provide less current income than other investments. An investment in the stock market should be made with an understanding of the risks associated with common stocks, including market fluctuations. This article was written by Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Jeff Kernodle and Ben Katon, Senior Financial Advisors, in Searcy, AR at (501) 279-0101. Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), and Member SIPC. Kernodle & Katon Asset Management Group is a separate entity from WFAFN.
About the Writer Jeff Kernodle is a Senior Financial Advisor with Kernodle & Katon Asset Management Group, a member of the Wells Fargo Financial Network, LLC in Searcy which is located at 515 South Main Street. For more information on this and other articles, please call Jeff at 501-279-0101 34 Your Hometown Magazine
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By George Lambert
The poison’s fangs sank in, over and over and over again.
Billions of cells forming the bones and tissue that would have properly completed my feet, legs, and arms, my hands, eyes, ears, nose, and my mouth were literally eaten away. With them, virtually every potential hour, day, and year of stellar performance, from cradle to grave. Instead, I was left with a few flashes of brilliance among mere moments of “normal” strewn indiscriminately amongst decades of mediocrity. I would never be able to run or jump at my fullest potential. Never would I be able to sing or speak without an impediment. Unless I was blessed with a miracle, not one day in my future on Earth would my eyes see normally. The intelligence gene, so prevalent on both sides of my family tree, was impeded, labeling me a sort of idiot savant; very bright, yet absentminded. These things and many more were taken from me, never to be returned. For many years, my heart was continually filled with one question. Why? To learn the answer to that question, put yourself in my woodensoled shoes. My early childhood was quite literally a living nightmare, from one horrific event to the next. I must caution you, what follows may remind you of things you’ve kept hidden in your heart’s closet, whether for moments or many years; things you’ve needed to deal with, but for whatever reason, it hasn’t happened. It is not my intent to open old wounds that haven’t healed completely, but it might be God’s. His Word says that every one of our moments alive here on Earth were planned before even one of them had taken place (Psalm 139:16). Could it be that God wishes to use my pain to bring you some peace? I suggest to you the answer is yes. Why? Revelations 12:11 says, “They (speaking of us) overcame the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” Having asked that question, I’m asking you to read the entire story. In the spirit of Psalm 139:16, it’s safe to say the moments it takes you to read this were orchestrated just for you, too.
Into my shoes you go....
You came about in the usual way. Well, maybe not so usual. Your mom and dad met after your dad divorced another woman. With his first wife, they had 3 kids, the youngest of which were twins, and he left 6 weeks after they were born. He met your mom, they fell in love, got married, and had 3 kids together, of which, you are the youngest. You have a sister and a brother that seem to be pretty nice, but your mom doesn’t seem to be around much. Your dad is gone even more than mom and when they are around, they yell a lot and they drink poison almost all the time. Mom comes home one day and catches dad visiting your sister in her room, doing things you don’t understand, and your mom gets upset with your dad. She leaves, but comes back a short time later. Soon after, 36 Your Hometown Magazine
you move to another place, and there your mom discovers your dad and your sister again. This time, dad runs your mom off. She goes back home with her parents 600 miles north. Dad calls his first wife, who has remarried, had 2 more kids and subsequently gotten a divorce from their father. You find out later that he went to prison, so her support system has failed. Dad convinces her to move in with him, bringing all 5 of her children together with you, your sister, and brother for a total of 8 kids. Yes, that’s exactly how it happened, word for word.
“At 2 1/2 years old, you weigh a ghostly 13 pounds - little more than when you were born, literally skin hanging from bone.” What I’ve just described to you is the makings of the perfect storm. I call it the hurricane. Understand, she didn’t want to raise you or your siblings. After all, you three are the offspring of your dad and your mom, the woman that replaced her. Every time she looks at you, you remind her of that. She doesn’t like any of you to begin with, but she absolutely hates you. Why? Because of what the poison did to you. To her, you’re pathetic, from the strange sounds you make with your mouth, to the way you hobble around on your broken down legs, to the way you run into things because of your bad eyesight. All of these things made you an easy target. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. That’s a big name for what happens when a pregnant woman consumes poison during pregnancy. Unfortunately, you’ll have to endure the ridicule and hardship of alcohol poisoning the rest of your life. Even more unfortunately, this is the moment she storms through the front door and makes the next 8 months of your life a verifiable living nightmare. You might think 8 months is a short time, and that’s true to a point. Hurricanes don’t last long, but their path of destruction and devastation can take decades to recover from, if recovery is actually possible. Because your legs didn’t finish developing, you have to wear a pair of heavy, wooden-soled shoes. They have a metal plate that joins them together, and they’re supposed to help you, but they make you perfect prey. Since you can’t walk or run, all you can do is a kind of crawl or to put your hands on something and swing your legs around, then put your hands on something else and swing
your legs again. She comes through the house’s small rooms and purposely finds you. She walks up and kicks you into the air, making you land on your head. She then picks you up and throws you into a wall. Throughout the 8 month “storm,” you are intentionally burned on a stove and heater as well as with cigarettes. You are mutilated, beaten, whipped, punched, slapped, and tortured. At the end of your ordeal, your aunt brings you to the hospital where it is discovered that unless doctors move quickly, you have less than 24 hours to live. Your organs have all but shut down and your stomach has distended; bloating up like a balloon. At 2-1/2 years old, you weigh a ghostly 13 pounds - little more than when you were born, literally skin hanging from bone. It’s as though your body is saying, “I’ve had enough. Death would be better than to continue with life.” Pneumonia has set in from the sustained malnutrition, so the hospital is forced to put you in an oxygen tent. To make matters worse, you can’t seem to stop crying. So your aunt calls your cousin Kathy’s school and has her come to the hospital. She jumps up into the bed with you and within an hour, you fall fast asleep from exhaustion. She calls you Tater and you call her Kacky, because you can’t pronounce “th.” You were in two different hospitals for a long time. Fourteen days, in fact.
OK, that’s probably enough time spent in my shoes, huh?
When the hospital finally released me, I joined my brother Andrew and sister Deidre at Aunt Madie’s house in Texas. She had gained temporary custody of all of us and within 4 months had nursed me back to health. Two months later, we went to live with my grandfather in Kansas because my uncle was afraid that my dad would try and come after us. That’s exactly what he did. Two years later, on my 5th birthday, my dad showed up and took the 3 of us out for ice cream. It was going to be a quick trip there and back to Papa’s house. Only it didn’t go like that, not at all. My dad kidnapped us and took us all the way back to Louisiana. I don’t recall how long we were there; I think over the summer, but I remember very vividly the night of the standoff with the sheriff’s department. They were outside and my dad was inside pacing back and forth with a shotgun in one hand and a beer in the other. We were so scared. They were shouting things over a megaphone and he was shouting right back. Daddy was screaming at them, saying, “You ain’t takin’ my kids. You can just forget about that!!!” I don’t remember if any shots were fired, all I know is that Kathy (always coming to the rescue) quietly crept in and found us in the bathroom. She sneaked us out the back door and outside to safety. In the following day or two, she convinced her mom to put Andrew and I (she came too) on a bus back to Kansas. Daddy got away with Dee Dee and ran all over the U.S. for the next year, evading the authorities. All throughout my grade school, junior high, and high school years, I was ridiculed, beaten up, and made fun of. As a result, I had developed more than 80 percent of the traits found in the most notorious serial killers. Ominously, none of them had the childhood I’d had. I remember a former high school teacher saying that to her it wasn’t a question of what I’d go to prison for (murder), the question was how many I would kill before I was caught. That teacher was wrong, of course. It was that same year that two very significant things happened that would forever change both the course of my life, and the destination of my soul. Around my 16th birthday, my dad called. He proceeded to tell me how that very morning he had woken up with absolutely no desire for alcohol or cigarettes; how he had dropped to his knees at the side of his bed and asked Jesus Christ into his heart. Now, any of you who are familiar with alcoholism and/or nicotine addiction know that there are normally horrible, lingering side-effects with attempting to stop using them, especially “cold turkey.” Dad didn’t have ANY side effects at all! I couldn’t believe it! I was moderately pleased over the phone, but when I hung up, I was ecstatic! It was at THAT point I began to believe that God might be real. The second thing that happened occurred at youth camp that same summer. In a little meeting of youth my same age, a counselor asked the question, “You guys all love your parents, right?” All of the kids except me were responding very favorably. I, on the other hand, was very angry and laughing sarcastically. A counselor came and told me to come with him for a bit. He began to tell me that God had a plan and purpose for my life. He shared with me Psalm 139:16, saying it like a rhyme, “All my days were made for me before even one of them came to be.” It sounded like a nursery rhyme or something, looping over and over again in my brain like a record with a scratch in it. Little did I realize, it was God’s way of getting “through” to me. After 2 weeks solid of this verse playing in my head from the first thing in the morning till the last thing at night, I’d had enough. It was 10:30 at night on a Friday, and I walked
Who will cry for the little boy, lost and all alone? Who will cry for the little boy, abandoned and without his own? Who will cry for the little boy? He cried himself to sleep. Who will cry for the little boy? He never had for keeps. Who will cry for the little boy? He walked the burning sand. Who will cry for the little boy, the boy inside the man? Who will cry for the little boy, who knows well hurt and pain? Who will cry for the little boy? He died and died again. Who will cry for the little boy? A good boy he tried to be. Who will cry for the little boy, who cries inside of me? — Antwone Fisher
From His Book Who Will Cry for the Little Boy?
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down to the grade school playground. I had my basketball with me and I stood under a basket looking up at the stars. I just looked up with that verse still playing endlessly in my head and said, “AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!! God, can You PLEASE stop that verse from driving me crazy??” Without missing a beat, the verse stopped. Silence. Then He spoke to my heart, “George, if I can forgive your step mother for everything she did to you, who are you not to?” At that point, the 40-foot-thick titanium shell around my heart cracked, and that dark path I was headed down suddenly just vaporized. Why? Because if God could forgive her, I had no right to not do so. I’m not greater than God, so therefore I had no choice but to forgive. Understand, without forgiveness, I very likely wouldn’t be alive today. But because I forgave, I could be forgiven. In other words, forgiving the hurricane built a door into my heart, a door that DIDN’T exist before; a George Lambert, music door at which Christ stood and knocked. I chose to let Him in minister at Soul’s Harbor Full Gospel Church, and He changed everything. I experienced the very essence of performs a song. God’s love for me when I forgave the hurricane, because my forgiveness was what Christ went to the cross for. Yours, too. So, what about you? Maybe you’ve wanted God’s power to move mightily in your life; you’re praying HARD, yet it seems like He’s distant. Or, for you, perhaps you’re offended with someone, or estranged and you know you need to reconcile, but just can’t seem to bring yourself to do it. My friend, it all boils down to this: whether you need to forgive, or you’re the one that needs to be forgiven, whatever you did or whatever was done to you – it doesn’t matter. NOTHING done to you or that you did to someone else is worse than what we ALL did to Jesus on the cross. Nothing! Reconcile, while today is still called today!!! Forgiveness gives life rather than takes it; it sows and reaps love wherever it is given and accepted. It alone is, and has been, the difference maker in my life. Why do I believe it’s so important? Jesus Christ Himself made it a part of the Lord’s prayer. The Lord’s prayer ranks up there with the Ten Commandments, in my opinion. We’re supposed to pray, “... forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We can even look at Matthew 18:22 where Peter asks Jesus how many times we’re to forgive someone who wrongs us; should it be seven times? Jesus responds, “...seventy times seven.” He then relates the story of the ruler and the servant that owes the ruler the equivalent of millions of dollars. The servant asks the ruler for more time to repay what he owes, but the ruler does something amazing. He doesn’t give the servant more time, he forgives the debt entirely!! Jesus uses this illustration to show how we shouldn’t merely forgive what someone did to us, but to FORGET it ever happened, and to not hold it against them later, should they repeat it. Further, in Matthew 6:15, He articulates how if we don’t forgive others, He won’t forgive us. In Matthew 5:24, it talks about if we know of someone that has ought against us (they’re offended), we’re not to bring our offering before the Lord until we go to that person and reconcile that relationship. Ephesians 4:26 tells us not to let the sun go down on our anger. Maybe you say, “George, they raped me,” or, “They molested me. How can I EVER forgive them?” Remember, if God can forgive them, who are you not to? Trust me, if you’re harboring unforgiveness toward someone else, or even yourself, you are the one being imprisoned. Forgive, and be set free!!
To have George come speak to your church or group, contact him at: george@loudlamb.com or 501-380-5135
38 Your Hometown Magazine
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By Cecelia Wilson
On any given night, you can spot her in a wheelchair, rolling up Country Club Road in Searcy, intent on putting in 30 minutes worth of exercise with her husband. The heartiest of us sometimes use any excuse possible to sit on the couch, but disabilities aren’t slowing Julia Gibson Elander down. Her poor balance issues from Spina Bifida don’t confine her to a wheelchair – she walks with a cane, only sporting a wheelchair when she must travel longer distances and the chair reduce the chances of tripping and falling. But, her other disability is as crippling, though not as outwardly manifest: Tinnitus. According to the American Tinnitus Association: Tinnitus is the medical term for the perception of sound in one or both ears or in the head when no external sound is present. It is often referred to as ‘ringing in the ears,’ although some people hear hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking. Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant-with single or multiple tones-and its perceived volume can range from subtle to shattering.” It has no cure. It impacts up to 50 million people in the United States alone and its sources range from noise exposure and traumatic brain injury to ear infections, TMJ and viruses. It is a symptom rather than a disease and while it cannot cause hearing loss, it may accompany hearing loss. Today, many soldiers returning from the Middle East are experiencing the disability due to the increased use of Improvised Explosive Devices and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Annual Benefits Report for 2010 cited Tinnitus as the “most prevalent service-connected disability for veterans from all periods of service.” 40 Your Hometown Magazine
While there is a wide range of severity from person to person, some who are afflicted with the worst cases experience stress, anxiety, depression and sleeping disorders. Experimental treatments, diets, prescription drugs as well as therapy have been used to combat the irritating ringing. Julie is currently undergoing Tinnitus Retraining Therapy through the University of Texas – Dallas Callier Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Center’s use of white noise generators to counteract its affects. The purported 80% success rate provides her with the hope that the generators will, in time, place her in the “success group”. Accompanied by a no sugar, no processed foods diet to help lower the glutamates in her brain and prescribed drugs, Julie wears the generators (hearing aid type devices) in each ear to pump white noise at a level just under the pitch of her T. At first, it made the symptoms worse, but over time she found she was having more good days than bad. “The ultimate goal is for my brain to make new neuropathways so that I barely notice the T anymore,” she shares. “This takes one to three years.” Sharing her trials and errors with online support groups helps everyone in the group learn what might or might not work best for their particular situation. Though her chronic, loud Tinnitus has been annoying and even debilitating, it has yet to stop her from trying treatments, from sharing her experiences and from living her life. On one of her “nightly rolls” as she follows at a slower pace behind her husband on Country Club Road, Julie was stopped by a policeman and wrote about the tale on her Facebook page:
“I guess the officer thought I was a middle-aged wheelchair burglar out to break into homes or something. I really don’t know. I mean, is it really that unusual to see an older, handicapped lady with five-pound ankle weights and a headlamp huffing and puffing her way up Country Club Road at night?! On second thought, don’t answer that. The officer also got back in his car, turned around, and went back to question my husband, ‘Why did you leave your handicapped wife behind you? Were you in an argument?’ [Her husband] Kelly, sputtering, [answered], ‘No, officer. She won’t let me walk with her! She tells me she’s too slow and to go on ahead.’” Her exercises in that wheelchair have made her arms stronger and the weights on her ankles have given her added strength in her legs as well. She and Kelly have even studied the constellations so they will recognize them in the night sky. The Tinnitus is still with her, as is Spina Bifida, but she makes the most of any disability that comes her way. The search for answers has found new strength in other senses. While her hearing suffers from the T that has plagued her for so long, her eyesight soaks up innumerable stars in the night sky. She says it best: “…if you need me, you know where to find me – I’m the one in the wheelchair with the star guides tucked in its back pocket.” To learn more about Tinnitus, go to the American Tinnitus Association’s website: http://www.ata.org/
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42 Your Hometown Magazine
Marilyn and the late Dr. Robert E. Elliott
Depression is a serious illness affecting individuals, their families and their communities. Often, depression is a silent destroyer leading people to retreat from life, friends, family, and joy. But there is hope. The Dr. Robert E. Elliott Foundation is dedicated to providing service, education, and support to people with depression. Because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with depression, the Elliott Foundation provides wide ranging information, support, and educational resources that make a difference in the lives of Arkansans with depression or who may be considering suicide.
Stories from the Robert E. Elliott Foundation >>>
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By Marilyn Elliott
L
After earning his medical degree from the University of was something that happened in other families. That all Arkansas School of Medicine, completing his Radiology changed on a cold, gray January day when my husband of 38 Residency and serving his country in the U.S. Navy, Robert came home to Searcy determined to not only be the best years decided to end his suffering. What would lead a successful, highly respected physician, Radiologist, but also to be involved in the community he loved. loving husband and father to end his seemingly “perfect” life Robert jumped in with both feet. The churches, hospitals, in such an unthinkable manner? What were the factors that schools and, in general, the people in this community were contributed to Robert’s decision to end his life? These are for Robert what made Searcy a special place to live and raise our family. He always seemed to have time for just two of the many questions that have plagued both his work and the myriad of community my family and those who loved Robert for activities in which he was involved. the 10 long years since his death. Not a Robert did not know how to say day goes by that we do not ask the “no.” He gave his heart and soul to question, “What if...?” this community, and Searcy gave It is a privilege to have been back to him in kind. He was a asked to share with you a take charge person who wore snapshot of Robert’s life and many hats. Looking back, I what I have learned about wonder if this might have been this insidious disease that has a sign of his illness; using helped me better understand activities to fill a void. both his illness and death. Over the years there were Over the past decade, I several instances that I now can have learned that depression attribute to signs of his depression. can be a lifelong condition that I believe that being a member of the affects every aspect of one’s daily A generation filled with hope. medical profession provided him the life. Millions of people suffer from insight and ability to compensate during depression and, like Robert, learn to these episodes. compensate for a disease that they do not Around 1999, Robert had to make a decision to understand. Many learn to internalize their feelings in order to protect those they love, leading to feelings of place his father in a nursing home. His declining health was isolation and loneliness. They see the world through rose evidence that he could no longer care for himself. Robert had colored glasses, often appearing to be on top of their game — always promised his father that he would take care of him and both in their professional and private lives — when in reality not put him in a nursing facility. Yet, he knew that the time had come to do just that. His father was very upset. A promise they are suffering in silence. Through my association with the Dr. Robert Elliott was a promise and Robert had gone back on his word. Being Foundation, set up shortly after Robert’s death to provide a physician and taking the son part out of it, he knew the time information about this deadly disease, I have learned that had indeed come. Although his brother and sister agreed with depression can affect anyone regardless of his or her station the decision, Robert blamed himself. In his mind, he failed in life. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain and it by not standing by his promise. Robert found his workload strikes randomly, like cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. becoming increasingly heavy and it soon became impossible This is not a disease that you can just “snap yourself out of.” for him to visit his father on a regular basis. The actual fact However, it is a highly treatable form of mental illness. It is was, the more he worked, the less time he had to go to the vital that each of us knows the signs of depression and to be nursing home. As Robert’s workload continued to increase, aware that we may have a loved one or friend who is suffering there was not enough time in the day to complete the tasks from this disease and we or they may not be aware of it. This and goals he set for himself. It wasn’t long before Robert overextended himself at work, attempting to care for patients was true for Robert and our family. ike most people, I always thought clinical depression
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” – Rabindranath Tagore 44 Your Hometown Magazine
“As survivors, we are not alone. Surviving our loss has been a daunting journey: unpredictable and unstructured, without concrete linear stages or predetermined timelines.”
in two separate facilities. He found himself running between the two locations, trying to keep all of his patients on schedule, not having anyone wait on a diagnosis or past their appointment time. The solution, for Robert, was to combine the two offices. With the concurrence of his partners, Drs. Bell and Williams, the decision was made to relocate Arkansas Radiology Mammography Office to one location. The move would allow the technicians and Robert to better serve the patients. This move for most people might be an exciting adventure, but for Robert it was overwhelming and stressful. Over the years, there were stressful situations and episodes that affected Robert’s mental well-being that he was able to muster through, but these events and others became a devastating blow to his psyche from which he would not be able to recover, on his own or even with the help of professionals. It demonstrates how small events can be blown out of proportion by a person suffering from clinical depression. The brain of a clinically depressed person cannot process simple problems because of the chemical imbalance in the brain, which I mentioned earlier. The horrific tragedy my family suffered is survivable. There are 2,000 suicides a day worldwide with many times that number left behind, bewildered and broken. As survivors, we are not alone. Surviving our loss has been a daunting journey: unpredictable and unstructured, without concrete linear stages or pre-determined timelines. Our faith being strong, we know Robert is at peace and no longer in the deep dark hole of depression. And now he is with our heavenly Father, healthy and worry free, whole again. Robert’s untimely death has left a huge scar that will be imprinted on our hearts forever. But, we are committed through the Dr. Robert Elliott Foundation to educate our community about this disease. For far too long, discussion about depression has been something to avoid. It has become evident since Robert’s death that providing teaching aids about depression will result in a greater understanding of what effect this illness has, not only on the individual, but also the family and the community. “The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish cannot longer be borne.” ~William Styron, Darkness Visible.
The Elliott Foundation was created in memory of Dr. Robert E. Elliott.
Signs of Depression Sadness throughout the day Loss of interest in or enjoyment of favorite activities Feelings of worthlessness Excessive or inappropriate feelings of guilt Trouble making decisions Thoughts of death or suicide Fatigue or lack of energy Sleeping too much or too little Change in appetite or weight Complaints of pain Trouble concentrating Restlessness
“Happiness is a direction, not a place.” – Sydney J. Harris SearcyLiving.com 45
Helping Eliminate the Stigma
Alana Pinchback Robert E. Elliott Foundation Executive Director
I’m so proud of the work that’s being done by the Elliott Foundation because we are educating people about the disease of depression and helping to eliminate the stigma that accompanies it. Unfortunately, sometimes there is a perception that people are depressed simply because they are weak or their faith is not strong enough. They are sometimes told by others to “Snap Out Of It!” It’s simply not that easy. Clinical depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. The Elliott Foundation is working to educate others that depression is a legitimate, medical disease and, just like diabetes or high blood pressure, the disease of depression should be acknowledged, addressed and treated accordingly. There is no reason for someone to suffer in silence. There is help!
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression and might benefit from any of the following services, call us at (501) 278-4357. Support groups for people who are coping with the suicide death of a loved one. Resource hotline (501) 278-4357. Online newsletter and calendar of events. Educational presentation on topics relating to depression, suicide/suicide prevention and mental health issues. Printed materials, books and online links to suicide prevention and mental health organizations.
46 Your Hometown Magazine
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B y Cecel i a Wi l s o n
A Conversation with Mayor David Morris “Don’t assume your child is immune from taking their own life.You must not assume your family is not susceptible.” There are those life stories that are so intensely personal, so devastatingly painful that sharing them is a decision one does not come by lightly. So, when Searcy Mayor David Morris sat down to talk about the death of his son, it was with one goal in mind: the possibility of helping just one person who may hear that story. It is a story every parent and grandparent should read, digest and tuck away for future reference when confronted with the stresses that come into every child’s life. Because as inconsequential as adults may believe some situations are for their children, it may be incredibly debilitating to that young person. And the perspective through those young eyes may result in unforeseen and tragic consequences. Matthew Jackson Morris, better known as Matt, was born in 1983, six years after his sister, Lezlee (Liz). His father describes him as a “well-rounded, athletic young man.” Matt had two great loves in his life: baseball (he was a catcher) and vehicles. He had always been intrigued by vehicles and that vehicle was whatsoever “toy” it was at that particular age: beginning with trikes when he was younger and graduating to bicycles, four-wheelers and, finally, his beloved Jeep. Like so many kids his age, Matt worked long hours at a fast food restaurant to afford fancy wheels and tires for his prized possession. His time off was spent engrossed in either baseball or his Jeep. Regardless of the age or the “toy,” he relished washing and shining his prized vehicle until there wasn’t a speck of dust left on it. So, at 16, when he had his Jeep shined to a high gloss, he joined friends in heading straight for the closest mud puddle! “Mudding” was a frequent pastime and one that many of his peers enjoyed as well. And, the fun was relatively harmless until one afternoon in December 1999, when Matt drove his Jeep off into too much mud and water, resulting in a blown engine. The Fayetteville High Junior was heartbroken. He was upset, but confessed to his Dad what he had done. They talked about how the Jeep could be fixed and discussed the consequences of his actions. But, at 10:30 p.m. the following evening, a mere 24 hours after damaging his Jeep, in what Mayor Morris can only rationalize as a “moment of insanity,” Matt put a .357 magnum to his head and pulled the trigger. There seemed to have been no real warning. “He would have been the last child I would have thought could have done this; the last person I would have suspected,” Morris says of his son. “He was normally gritty – in athletics, in overcoming [what life threw at him]. He had a bright future; he had the potential to do anything.” It was, needless to say, a day that changed the life
of those who loved him. Morris went through every emotion imaginable during the coming weeks, months and years. “Make no doubt about it,” he relates, “when you bury a child, a huge part of you is buried, too.” Initially, Morris was angry: angry at God, angry at life and angry at Matt. “Why?” he questioned with no hope of an answer. “Why did you do this?” Was it a culmination of events that led his son to commit suicide? Were there unspoken fears, concerns in life he
Mayor David Morris
“...nothing can be so bad in their lives that it can’t be discussed and worked through.” 48 Your Hometown Magazine
hadn’t shared with anyone? It would have been easier, the elder Morris mused, if he had concrete answers. But, no answers were to come in this lifetime and when David finally came to terms with that realization, he gained a peace with it. After all, he would only get answers to his questions when he met his son again in Heaven. To lose your parents is difficult, but it is within the natural order of life. It is more common, easier to accept. But, to lose a child is an event that is out of order, out of sequence. The haunting sense of what that life might have accomplished, what might have been, remains forever in the recesses of a parent’s mind. It is not easy to squelch the eternal “what ifs” that run through the mind day after day, year after year. It can bring one to the lowest levels of sorrow. “I’ve always had a deep faith, so I knew I had to trust God and I just turned it over to the good Lord. I had to set my burden down at the foot of the cross and let Him carry the burden. In time, I will see [Matt] again; I’ll be with him again.” While time will never heal the wound of losing a child, the peace the Mayor gained in understanding the time for answers would come when he sees his son in the next life have made that loss more bearable. In 2003, David gained five “additional children” when he and Gail were married. So, what lessons can others learn in reading of a life cut short so needlessly? Communication is certainly the key. Morris reminds parents and grandparents alike to talk openly and honestly with their children, letting them know that nothing can be so bad in their lives that it can’t be discussed and worked through. Don’t assume your child is immune from taking their own life. You must not assume your family is not susceptible. It can and does happen to families across all ranges of society. First love ends, grades plummet, teasing and bullying occur. What an adult may see as a minor event in a child’s life may be a major blow for that child. Watch for warning signs. Get involved in their lives and know what they do, where they go and what matters most to them. Give them the foundation they need, the love they need in order to brave the storms that will inevitably come their way. And seek professional help or the assistance of family, friends or spiritual leaders when necessary. There is little comfort that a parent can take when their child has died, but having his daughter close by has been that one comfort David Morris clings to. “She was always daddy’s little girl, but now she’s all I have left,” he says of Liz (Lezlee). “I am even more overprotective [than before]. I worry about her.” Perhaps they might agree that losing Matt brought them closer, but it has certainly made them more aware of the fragility of life and the need to keep those you love close. Despite the tragedies that befall everyone, life is worth living and the Mayor has found solace in his Lord, who is in control.
Mayor Morris signing a proclamation declaring September as suicide prevention awareness month. The Matt Morris Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by the Association of Arkansas Counties and every year is awarded to a son, daughter, or grandchild of a county official or employee in Arkansas. It is awarded at the AAC Annual Conferance.The first one was awarded in 2000.
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Be A Hero
by Dan Ne wsom
Lessons I’ve Learned From The Death Of My Sister My life and that of my family changed forever on July 11, 2003. That’s the day my sister and only sibling, Sharon, died by suicide. When I think back on that time, so many memories come back to me: the phone call from my sister’s landlord, the conversation with the coroner, my first conversation with my parents after hearing the news, notifying my wife and daughter, going to the funeral home and making the arrangements for the burial, viewing my sister’s body, going to her apartment the day after she died and seeing all the blood, listening to her voice mail and hearing frantic calls from the friend who later discovered her body, the visitation at the funeral home, the funeral service and burial, going to the police station and picking up the suicide note and the blood stained weapon. All these memories are still there, lurking below the surface, ready to come out in the quiet hours of the early morning. One of the memories that was especially painful occurred at the visitation, when one of my sister’s high school classmates came up to me and said, “Couldn’t you have done something to prevent this?” That remark haunted me for a long time. I spent many hours going through my sister’s records, trying to find the answer. Why did this occur? I’ve learned many lessons over the years following my sister’s death and I want to share those lessons with you:
1
Suicide is more common than most people think. Nearly 1 million people worldwide die by suicide each year, with anywhere from 10 million to 20 million suicide attempts annually. More than 32,000 people die by suicide each year in the U.S., or about 80 suicides per day. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people 10-24 years of age in the U.S. In the 18 to 65 age group, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. Women are more likely to attempt suicide but men are more likely to be successful. Needless to say, these are startling and troubling statistics. Suicide is truly an epidemic.
2
Many suicides, with proper treatment, can be prevented. One of the things I have learned is that most suicides are caused by depression. Depression is a disease just like cancer or diabetes. We wouldn’t think of not treating cancer or diabetes. Depression also needs to be treated. Most serious depression is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain and can be treated. There is still a stigma in this country about depression and many people are reluctant to seek treatment. Seeking treatment can save your life or that of your loved one! I have come to realize that Sharon did not kill Sharon, depression killed Sharon.
3
It does no good to play the “what if” game. It is quite common for loved ones to play the “what if” game. What if I had done this or what if I had done that, then my loved one would still be alive. This does you harm and will not bring your loved one back. You can play this game for the rest of your life and it will not bring your loved one back. It will just rob you of your mental, emotion, and physical health.
4
Lean on your faith. The Sunday after my sister was buried, our minister made a statement that really helped me deal with my loss. He said to think about all the hard times in your life and how that God was always there for you. What makes you think that He won’t be there for you now? This thought has comforted over the years as I have dealt with my sister’s death. I have truly been comforted by the words of the 23rd Psalm which says that God is my shepherd and will be there for me no matter what!
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
“If you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your faith, your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work, and do the very best you can, happiness will find you.” – Unknown
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“I have come to realize that Sharon did not kill Sharon, depression killed Sharon.” 5
The importance of family and friends. I would not have been able to deal with Sharon’s death without the support of my family and friends. They were an invaluable source of comfort and strength, and still are!
6
Seek help if needed. Talk to a counselor, your minister; seek out a suicide or grief support group. Avail yourself of help that is available. It is really important. There is no stigma in seeking help in dealing with such a traumatic loss.
7
Look for something good that can come out of such a tragic loss. There is nothing good about the loss of a loved one. But, perhaps, something good can come out of a tragic situation. For me, it was my involvement with the Dr. Robert E. Elliott Foundation. The Elliott Foundation was formed after the death by suicide of beloved Searcy physician Dr. Robert E. Elliott. The purpose of the Elliott Foundation is to educate and be a resource for those in need of help. One of the scriptures I have had difficulty understanding over the years following Sharon’s death is Romans 8:28, which states that “all things work together for good, to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose.” Try as I might, I just couldn’t see how anything good could come out of my sister’s death. That is, not until I became involved with the Elliott Foundation. I served on the board of the Elliott Foundation for a few years and began to see how Romans 8:28 applies even in my family tragedy. I began to work with the Elliott Foundation and began to make presentations about depression and suicide prevention. I began to visit with families who had lost a loved one to suicide. It finally hit me, this is how Romans 8:28 applies to me! I can’t bring back my sister, but I can help someone else who has lost their sister or help prevent someone from losing their sister!
Here to Help Suicide is a painful topic and one we generally shy away from, even though someone dies by suicide every 15 minutes: someone’s child, someone’s spouse, someone’s friend. So many of us have been personally touched by this heartbreaking loss. Tragically, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in our country, and more than 90% of those who die by suicide are suffering from a psychiatric condition - most often unrecognized or untreated depression. Statistics like these fuel the fire of those who work with the Elliott Foundation to educate, support and provide resources to the community about depression and suicide. If you have lost someone to suicide, you are not alone. It can be very powerful to connect with others who’ve survived this loss and such a relief to be able to talk openly with others who really understand. The Survivors of Suicide (SOS) grief support group is such a venue. This group meets the first Tuesday of each month. For time and location, contact the Elliott Foundation at (501) 278-4357 or visit our website. Laurie Swain, LCSW President, Dr. Robert E. Elliott Foundation
Whether it be you personally, a family member, a friend, or an acquaintance, the Dr. Robert E. Elliott Foundation is there to help. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression or contemplating suicide, please seek immediate help! You may contact the Elliott Foundation at www.robertelliottfdn.com. If you need immediate help, call 800-592-9503. Preventing suicide is everyone’s business.
Available at The Bible House in Searcy (next to Mayflower Foods on Beebe-Capps) > > > > > > >
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by Betsy Bailey
Ms. Lori Nielsen resided in Mexico with her family from age two until fourteen, and then they moved back to the states, where she finished grade school. A 1974 graduate of the University of Arkansas, Ms. Nielsen furthered her education and earned a Masters of Arts in Spanish Literature. She studied at the University of Valencia in Spain during the summers of 1975 and 1976 and received the Fulbright Grant to study in Costa Rica for seven weeks in the summer of 1988. Ms. Nielsen has spent her entire teaching career at Searcy High School. She began teaching Spanish and French in 1978, and she now teaches Advanced Placement Spanish, preparing students for the AP Spanish Language Exam. Additionally, Ms. Nielsen is an adjunct teacher for Arkansas State University at Newport, and she has taught Upward Bound and elementary Spanish during the summers. What some may not know is how much Lori Nielsen does to volunteer for the community. She often works as a volunteer interpreter for hospitals and the court systems. She has even volunteered as an instructor for the Arkansas State Police, teaching officers helpful Spanish phrases so that they may communicate better with the Spanish-speaking community. In addition, Ms. Nielsen is a member of a number of professional organizations within Arkansas. These include the Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Association, Arkansas DeSoto Chapter of the American Association of Spanish and Portuguese, Arkansas Education Association, and Delta Kappa Gamma, just to name a few, where she has served as president and vice president at different times. In 2010, Ms. Nielsen was inducted into the Searcy Education Foundation Hall of Honor. Students enjoy Ms. Nielsen’s classes because she provides hands-on activities that allow them to learn the language, and she makes them use it every day. She allows her students to take what they learn each day and apply it. For example, she can be seen on Thursday’s loading a bus each class period to take her students to the elementary schools where they teach Spanish to elementary-aged students. Ms. Nielsen has also continued her own education, as she participated in the National Board Certification process and became certified in 2006. Thank you, Ms. Nielsen, for your hard work and dedication to your students and the Searcy School District, and congratulations for being named Searcy Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year!
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Send us your photos from school events! SearcyLivingPhotos@yahoo.com s
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LIONS HARDING
ACADEMY W I L D C A T S
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PANGBURN TIGERS rose bud
Ramblers BALD KNOB
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BULLDOGS
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Front row: Pilar Cheney, Megan West, Morgan Jones, Danielle Bradshaw Back row: Ryan Moore, John Shrable, Ryan Foster, Dutch Hoggatt
Photography by Roxy Creative Several Harding University students recently worked with Searcy Living magazine to make an impact on the world of adoption and foster care. The students, part of a radio production class in the Department of Mass Communication, wrote and produced a series of public service announcements for a new local nonprofit organization, the Imagine and Believe Foundation. The foundation, established by [Searcy Living publisher] Christine Walker, Chasity Moeller and Stephanie McInturff, will provide resources for adoptive and foster families in White County and beyond. Walker spoke to the class, taught by Dr. Dutch Hoggatt, early in the spring semester of 2011, about the organization and the possibility of working together. The plan was for KVHU 95.3, Harding’s radio station, to create and air several PSAs. But it became so much more. “Even though the PSA project began as an advertising opportunity, it evolved into a service opportunity,” said Hoggatt. “After Walker spoke to our class and shared her experiences with adoptive and foster families, the students became very excited.”
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The students wrote and produced a series of eight PSAs, which are also available to other area radio stations that might wish to use them. The emotional creations feature several children of Harding faculty as narrators and provide a glimpse into the ways adoption impacts the lives of children who have no family. The radio production class regularly produces promos for campus events such as Spring Sing and Homecoming, programs, and other content for KVHU. This was the first time students produced content for an off-campus client. Tune in to 95.3 FM to hear the PSAs. Visit www. imaginebelieve123.com. The Imagine and Believe Foundation is not a placement organization. The Arkansas Broadcasters Association has awarded the 2011 Community Service Award for Medium Market Radio Stations in Arkansas to Harding University’s student-operated radio station, KVHU 95.3 FM. The award recognizes a series of public announcements produced by students and aired on the station. The organization presented the award at its annual convention in Little Rock, Arkansas, August 3-6. The PSAs were created during the spring semester for a new Searcy-based nonprofit called the Imagine and Believe Foundation. Founded by Christine Walker, Chasity Moeller and Stephanie McInturff, the organization will provide resources for adoptive and foster families in White County. The students, who were members of Dr. Dutch Hoggatt’s radio production class in the spring, wrote and produced a series of eight PSAs, which are also available to other area radio stations that might wish to use them. The emotional creations feature several children of Harding faculty as narrators and provide a glimpse into the ways adoption impacts the lives of children who have no family. Students who participated include senior broadcast journalism major Danielle Bradshaw of England, Ark.; senior electronic
media production major Pilar Cheney of Tomball, Texas; junior advertising major Ryan Foster of Gravette, Ark.; senior broadcast journalism major Morgan Jones of Hendersonville, Tenn.; senior electronic media production major Ryan Moore of Phoenix, Ariz.; senior advertising major John Shrable of Three Forks, Mont.; and senior theatre major Megan West of Greenville, Texas. Harding had a record enrollment this year of more than 6,800 students from 49 states and 53 foreign countries. It is the largest private university in Arkansas and attracts more National Merit Scholars than any other private university in the state. Harding also maintains campuses in Australia, ChilĂŠ, England, France, Greece, Italy and Zambia.
Ryan Foster
A Note From Me
Morgan Jones
We are still working on putting together the Imagine and Believe Foundation. It is a long process that will take lots of time, effort and determination. Though many obstacles have come our way, we will overcome them and soon the dream will become a reality. Keep watching Searcy Living and we will keep you informed of our progress and soon unveil our goals for this amazing project. A special thank you to this Harding class for getting us one step closer. ~ Christine
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800!
The Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique is simply a room we have dedicated in the Searcy Living business office. Our awesome Searcy Living readers bring in donations and DHS case workers and foster parents get what they need for foster and disadvantaged children at no cost. Our office is located at 812 S. Main Street in Searcy. We do our best to provide “shopping� bags for the foster parents and case workers so they can fill it up for every child. This also helps us keep up with approximately how many children are being served. So far we have gone through over 800 bags in nearly three years! Thanks to you for helping!!! Helping Hands with Hopkins Contest Patients brought in items to the Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique and received Hopkins bucks and were entered into a drawing for a limo ride. Hopkins Orthodontics Helping Hands with Hopkins Kyle Burton, contest winner Thank you Hopkins Orthodontics for helping the Foster Children of Arkansas
Thank you to the First Christian Church for your consistent support with the recent purchase of a car seat for a foster family!
Thank you to all our camera shy donors!
Hailey learned how to share by making a donation to the Foster Care Boutique. Hailey also assisted her Aunt Gina and helped organize.
Foster parents Shannon and Christie Howard spent countless hours organizing the Foster Care Boutique
Thank you to Fellowship Bible youth for your donation to the Foster Care Boutique! For more information on the Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique please go to SearcyLiving.com!
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to Rhea Lana’s for the donation made to the Foster Care Boutique. A lot of children have and will benefit from your generosity!
<<< Photo by ZoĂŤ Portrait Art
Thank you to the First Baptist church for allowing the Foster Care Boutique the use of their gym to sort the donated clothing from the Rhea Lana sale. And a special thank you to the church members and various foster parents from the community who helped sort.
Sorting
Sorting
Sorting
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Thank you to the River of Life church Life Group for your sacrifice of time to organize and clean the Boutique. What an AMAZING job you did!
The Mt. Pleasant Flamekeepers donated diapers, clothes and under clothing to the Searcy Living Foster Care Boutique.
Thank you to New Horizon International Ministries for your recent diaper drive!
What we need: Socks • Underclothes • Diapers • Volunteers to Organize Boys’ and Girls’ sizes 5-8 No need to call to volunteer. Our volunteer hours are M-F from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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OUT&ABOUT “And now, this is the sweetest and most glorious day that ever my eyes did see.” ~ Donald Cargill
“If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~ Dale Carnegie
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Show your support for life and help raise money at the same time! Purchase an Official Choose Life Arkansas License Plate for the rear of your car. You can obtain one through direct purchase from the Department of Finance and Administration. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make the readership of Searcy Living the BIGGEST supporters for life in the state!
Find more OUT&ABOUT on SearcyLiving.com! Send us your photos to SearcyLivingPhotos@yahoo.com
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by Faran Hearyman She sat in the court room and heard her mom say to the judge, “You can keep her, I don’t want her.”
They have names like Bluedog, Thumper, King and even Q-tip. (Christian Motorcyclists Association). There are non-riders, too, Some look a little rough around the edges and have lived some with the same desire to improve the lives of the least of these in hard years. They have occupations like Wal-Mart manager, city our society. employee, vice president, and pastor, while others are retired or B4FK members can tell you that at any given time there are 100 disabled. There are men and women from their 20s to their 60s. foster kids and about 25 homes available. Almost half the White The common thread among them all is a passion for riding, a County foster kids are shipped to other counties. They know that love for the freedom provided by a motorcycle on the open road the more foster homes there are available, the higher the quality of with the wind in your face. And yet, that’s not enough to cause care becomes. them to come together almost every week The bikers are not operating on mere to meet and plan. They also have a shared gut feeling alone, either. One member’s burden. Foster kids. providential conversation on a flight to Bikers 4 Foster Kids (B4FK) bloomed Charlotte was confirming. She sat next spontaneously a few months ago from a to Benjamin Sigel, PhD, a clinical child conversation between three White County psychologist and researcher at UAMS who men, Jim ‘Bluedog’ Haley, Ron ‘King’ specializes in therapies for children who Mallonee, and Mike ‘Rags’ Ragsdale. As have suffered trauma or abuse, common foster parents, Ron and his wife Nancy have among foster children. an insider’s perspective on what the needs Dr. Sigel noted that there is a significant are for the kids and the system. So while Ron need for foster parents and therapists to shared stories and experiences, something receive better education in this area. “The sparked inside Haley and Ragsdale. foster system is already overwhelmed “I watched child after child pass through with too few families who have to attend Ron and Nancy’s home, more than I ever required meetings, court appearances, and imagined. I started paying attention to the training sessions. The general sense is ‘We horrible circumstances that put these kids “...these kids did not deserve to can’t ask them to do anything else or they’ll into foster care. It didn’t take very long to be in the situations they were quit!’” Dr. Sigel observed that if there were realize that these kids did not deserve to be in and ...they deserved a much an abundance of foster families available, in the situations they were in and that they then the load on individual families would deserved a much better effort from their better effort from their own be lessened and needed skills classes could own community. It was time for me to step community.” be added. up!” relates Ragsdale. That goal firmly in mind, Bikers 4 Foster The desire to take action quickly turned into an idea for a Kids focuses its efforts first on awareness and second on fundcharitable group, and soon the three were joined by bikers from raising. other organizations. Haley says their hope is to eventually have With creative help from Searcy resident Dusty Kennedy, B4FK every major biker group in White County represented on the board has produced several videos designed to educate the public about of this non-profit organization. So far membership is comprised the needs of foster kids. In one video, a teen formerly in the of riders from ABATE 19 (Arkansas Bikers Aiming Toward Arkansas foster care system says, “I sat in the courtroom and heard Education), End-Time Warriors, the Martyrs, Beebe chapter of my mom say to the judge, ‘You can keep her. I don’t want her.’ But ABBA, and the Searcy Thundering Grace chapter of the CMA a mom’s supposed to love you…always.”
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It’s powerful stuff, the words of these kids. The appeal to help is hard to ignore. Not satisfied with just asking others to help, B4FK started several fundraisers. As Haley says, “Foster kids ought to have the same quality backpacks and school supplies as every other kid. And why shouldn’t they get to join a soccer team or play baseball or learn a musical instrument like our own kids do?” The challenge is often money. While foster families receive government assistance for taking in these children, it often isn’t enough for the “extras.” B4FK hopes to fill that gap through fundraising events at Pizza Pro, Larry’s Pizza and their upcoming event, Foster Friends Festival (go to SearcyLiving.com for the date). It’s this big event—Foster Friends Festival—that has the group busy right now. And it is an ambitious undertaking for a group that just started a few months ago. Here is a sampling of the activities that they hope will appeal to many different folks: • Car and Motorcycle Show • Motorcycle Poker Run • Parade and flag-raising to honor the 39th Infantry Brigade • Free bounce house, petting zoo and face-painting for kids • Live bands • Free tailgate party to watch the Arkansas vs. Alabama football game • Free BBQ and drinks • Educational booths set up by CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and White County Foster Parents Association The Festival will take over much of the Searcy Special Events Center with the bikers and local church groups providing volunteers. “It’s cool to see how it’s all coming together. We hope the community will really turn out for this event and learn all the ways they can support foster kids in our county. There are so many ways to help besides becoming a foster parent yourself,” says member Tim ‘Lefty’ Ritchie. Already, children’s lives are being touched. Recently, member Mandy Womack hung a B4FK fundraiser flyer at her workplace, Health Resource of Arkansas. A foster child in the building read the words “to help foster kids in White County” as the reason for the event. He looked up at her with wide eyes and said, “There are really people who would do that?” Yes, there are. And there could be more. This group of men and women who took their passion—motorcycles—and combined it with their burden for foster kids, hope that you’ll do the same thing. Bikers 4 Foster Kids believes that the lives of foster care children in White County can be radically improved if people who care will just step up. Are there really people who would do that? These bikers and the foster kids they love say YES. Contact info: Tim Ritchie, 501-368-8757 or email faran@b4fk.com Faran Hearyman is a new biker, having won her Can-Am Spyder Roadster RS-S in a contest in the Spring of 2011. She blogs for them on a part-time basis, volunteers with Bikers 4 Foster Kids and the Christian Motorcyclists Association, and works full-time in software project management. She is married to Dr. Marty Hearyman of Bald Knob and is mom to Zoe, 8 and Lily, 6. SearcyLiving.com 65
Tiana, daughter of Aaron and Sarah Bunn, has a fouryear-old miniature schnauzer named Abby.
Tiana got the idea of making a charitable donation after attending a friend’s birthday party. Isaac Gardner had shown his generous heart in a very big way and she wanted to do the same. When she made up her mind to have guests bring donations toward a cause at her birthday party, I began to research organizations in our area with her interests in mind. When her grandma, BB, mentioned the no-kill animal shelter, I knew Tiana would be interested. One day while driving down the road, I explained the efforts of Paws Inn to Tiana. She was shocked that people would kill cats and dogs, much less a kitten or puppy, and thankful there were “people out there who try and stop such a thing.” We then created the invitations to the backyard bonfire celebrating her 7th birthday, making sure to tell her guests she was asking for their help in making a contribution to a much needed cause, Paws Inn, instead of bringing birthday gifts. Tiana would like to say “Thank You!” to her guests for helping support her efforts once again. Without you, her donation of over 50 lbs. of dog food, 40 lbs. of cat food, a couple bags of cat litter, toys, and much loved treats for the dogs and cats in the foster homes around White County would not have been possible!
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“Somebody save me!” How many times have we heard that cry of despair in movies? It never fails; someone will find themselves in a situation in desperate need of a savior… a “hero” to “Save the Day!” Then, just as expected, someone swoops from the sky, leaps from a building, or scales the wall to rescue the “damsel in distress.” As they burst from the clouds, a voice booms like thunder, “Here I come to save the day!” Throughout the years, superheroes have captured the imaginations of children and adults of all ages. From the days of Superman on the black & white television screen to The Green Lantern, the thrill of watching an ordinary man distort into a mysterious hero saving the day never grows old. Somewhere in the depths of each of us, we long for that type of savior watching over us, ready to save us at any moment when something goes wrong. But what so many fail to recognize is that we have been given a protector. In Isaiah 43:1-3 God says, “Don’t be afraid, I’ve bought you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When Jesus came to this earth, he conquered death, hell, and the grave. The battle for our future had been fought and won before we took our first breath. Now God has asked us to be the hero today. He has asked us to “Save the Day.” Save the day you get married for your future spouse by not allowing temporal relationships to steal your purity. Don’t allow drugs & alcohol to destroy your dreams, or the darkness tonight to overshadow the sunrise tomorrow. Save the day, not only for yourself, but for those that will follow after you. True Love Waits (TLW) is a program educating teens how to be courageous in the face of fear. They must be equipped with the ability to overcome the temptations ahead. In TLW, teens also receive a ring, just as the Green Lantern did. The ring TLW participants receive has no special power to turn them into a superhero, but it serves as a reminder - a sort of booming voice from the clouds - which says, they can overcome temptation and be victorious as long as they stand courageous and remember to always “Save the Day.” The White County True Love Waits program is entering 14 years of service, with approximately 1,300 graduates. True Love Waits is a non-denominational, faith-based, healthy-choices program for teens, ages 12-18. Guys and girls meet separately and study topics such as becoming a man/woman of God, overcoming past abuse and how to avoid abusive relationships, suicide prevention, surviving parental divorce, finding your future mate, the effects of STD’s, avoiding risky behaviors such as drinking, drugs, and sex outside of marriage, and other character building skills. Classes are held at River of Life Church, Exit 48. There is no cost to graduates. Every graduate will receive a ring and t-shirt. Returning students receive gifts appropriate to the amount of years attended. Each year has a different theme, formal banquet corresponding with the theme, speakers, and topics. Go to SearcyLiving.com for dates and times. For more information call 501-593-5392 SearcyLiving.com 67
d nner
& A Magazine
Ingredients 3 slices bacon 1 carrot, cut julienne style 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 1 c. broccoli florets 2 or 3 c. white rice, leftover and sticky (fresh WILL NOT work!) ½ c. frozen green peas, thawed 2 eggs Teriyaki sauce
Fried Rice & Vegetables
Recipe Submitted by Tanya Leckie
I was taught how to make this by a Japanese lady in Searcy over 20 years ago when I was in AWH (Associated Women for Harding). She did a demonstration and I made it soon thereafter, and just never stopped. She now claims that she never added broccoli to hers, but I think she did. I would never add it to this without seeing her do it! She just doesn’t know what a great cook she is! So, this is Roki Robertson’s fried rice recipe, but if you ask her, it’s mine. According to her, she’d NEVER make it this way! Okay, I’m a genius!
Fry
Chop bacon into tiny pieces and fry in a large, hot skillet or wok.
Add
When the bacon is almost done, add carrot, onion and broccoli and cook just until carrot is tender-crisp. Add rice all at once and stir to mix in. Add egg and peas on top of rice and stir quickly.
Enjoy
Remove from heat and add teriyaki to taste. This is cooked on high heat and it goes very fast, so have everything ready to add in. You can add other vegetables if you want, or bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, etc. (Just don’t tell Roki I gave you permission!) This is perfect served with Egg Rolls (recipe found in Tanya’s cookbook). Tanya Turner Leckie’s cookbook Cartwheels In The Kitchen, is available at Wear It’s At, Midnight Oil Coffee House, Harding University Bookstore, online at www.heylookicancook.com and by contacting her at lazydaygourmet@ sbcglobal.net
Online Extra You can find more recipes on SearcyLiving.com!
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Quail Al Ajillo
Recipe Submitted by Miguel Espina
Ingredients Olive Oil, extra virgin ½ cup Quail, whole deboned 4@ Garlic, fresh, finely minced 12 cloves Black Pepper, ground fresh ½ TBS Salt ½ TBS Parsley, fresh, finely chopped ¼ cup Sherry, cooking wine, dry ½ bottle Port, cooking wine ¼ bottle Cherry tomatoes, flowered, as garnish 4@
French Garlic Butter Bread, sliced and toasted both sides as garnish
Procedures
Plating
Scatter garlic cloves over quail, and cook until the garlic is turning golden, do not let it burn!
Garnish with a cherry tomato flower at 12 o’clock.
In a large covered roasting pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook quail in oil until browned on all sides. Sprinkle pepper, salt, and parsley over quail.
Pour sherry and port over all. Cover, and simmer over low heat until quail is cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
In a dinner size china plate, place the quail, breast side up, in the center of the plate, and spoon the garlic and the liquid from the pan over the quail.
Place a slice of the bread on the side of the plate at 3 o’clock.
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Games & Puzzles
ACROSS
1. The White County Single Parent Scholarship Foundation raises over $11,000 with their 4th Annual _____ Bash. 4. Couple endowing scholarships for nursing students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing 5. Who will cry for the little _____. 7. Mayor David Morris hopes to help other families in remembering _____. 8. Living In Searcy Family 10. Writer that survived a great storm 11. Celebrating her 7th Birthday with generosity 12. A story of forgiveness
DOWN
1. Name of Make-Over 2. Last name of 9/11 Firefighter to speak at lecture series 3. “Soar like an Eagle” running raises funds through Soaring _____ Half Marathon. 6. Shelter with a “no-kill” policy
STUMPED? Get the answers, play games, download wallpaper and tons more online at SearcyLiving.com!
Riddles “Whodunit?” The suspects are sister Trish, coworker Dave and husband Jordan. Detectives found a note that read: t1 pip 515 Who did it?
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A woman was horrified to find a fly in her tea. The waiter took her cup and went into the kitchen and returned with a fresh cup of tea. She shouted, “You brought me the same tea!” How did she know?
Be very careful when you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears. The woman came from a man’s rib not from his feet to be walked on, not from his head, to be superior of him. But, from his side to be next to him. Under the arm to be protected, and next to his heart to be loved. — Unknown
White County Domestic Violence would like to say THANK YOU to Sebastian’s Corner Grill & Catering, Lake Ice and all other sponsors for their support for the Annual Hope Cottage Classic golf tournament. Domestic Violence Awareness month is coming up. Check Searcyliving.com for a list of events!
Donations
We are still collecting donations for Hope Cottage at the Searcy Living business office located at 812 S. Main. Paper Towels • Batteries (AA, D) • Dish Soap • Laundry Detergent • Trash Bags & More Go to SearcyLiving.com for a complete list of needed items.
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by Karmen Kelly
hen a traumatic event occurs, life is turned upside W down; routines are completely disrupted. That’s exactly what happened to me when The Bible House burned on May 5,
2011. The day of the fire was so long. Certain things are a blur and some so very crystal clear. I don’t think I will ever forget hearing my father say so calmly, flatly and clearly, “I’m watching it burn right now.” Those were his exact words when I called to ask him about a “crazy” phone call I had just received asking if The Bible House was on fire. In the two days following the fire, I failed to do my nightly devotional reading. Although the prayers and messages of so many people had wrapped me in comfort, the cold chill of reality was sinking in. The business that my parents had worked nearly 40 years to build was gone. What were we going to do? The night of the 7th I reached for help. Sitting on my Bible was my all-time favorite devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. (It’s written in first person as if Jesus is talking to the reader.) Here is what it read:
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“If you learn to trust me – really trust me – with your whole being, then nothing can separate you from My Peace. Everything you endure can be put to good use by allowing it to train you in trusting Me. This is how you foil the works of evil, growing in grace through the very adversity that was meant to harm you. Joseph was a prime example of this divine reversal, declaring to his brothers: ‘You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.’ Do not fear what this day, or any day, may bring your way. Concentrate on trusting Me and on doing what needs to be done. Relax in My sovereignty, remembering that I go before you, as well as with you, into each day. Fear no evil, for I can bring good out of every situation you will ever encounter.” — Genesis 50:20 (NASB); Psalm 23:4
Tears ran down my face as I read. I couldn’t believe it. God was speaking to me. He was going to bring something good out of the fire. I didn’t know what it would be, but I was being told to trust. In the following weeks, God made his plan clear. The Bible section of the store did not burn, but it did have smoke and water damage. However, most Bibles come in boxes, and they provide very good protection against smoke. The majority of our Bible section was able to be donated to two mission efforts that serve the state, the nation and the world. Bibles that survived the fire are already overseas in the hands of Christians. Thank you, Lord, for “Calling.”
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