December 2020

Celebrating Greater Central Arkansas

December 2020

2 | 501 LIFE December 2020

WHITE COUNTY ONCOLOGY

The Pyeatt Family Cancer Center

EXPANSION

Coming Soon!

Unity Health - White County Oncology is expanding.

The expansion will help serve more patients by treating all types of blood disorders and cancers.

The Pyeatt Family Cancer Center 415 Rodgers Dr., Ste. A | Searcy

(501) 278-3297

Unity-Health.org December 2020 501lifemag.com | 3

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EDITOR'S NOTE EDITOR Stefanie W. Brazile PUBLISHER Jeremy Higginbotham FOUNDERS Donna Spears and Sonja J. Keith ASSOCIATE EDITOR Levi Gilbert BRAND AMBASSADOR Donald Brazile ART DIRECTORS Jennifer Godwin and Nick Walker PHOTO DIRECTOR Mike Kemp FINANCE DIRECTOR Debbie Flowers ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Donna Spears

CONTRIBUTORS

The real presence of Christmas The holiday season tends to bring out

the best in people. As we assembled our calendar of upcoming events for this issue, it was apparent that those who provide drive-thru events, work on fundraisers and toy drives are working hard to support their neighbors throughout our 11-county readership. Whether it’s a tree lighting ceremony, living Nativity, Firefighter’s Christmas Boot Drive or the Conway Regional Toy Run, organizers are donning masks and pushing on because this year there are more needs than we’ve seen in some time.

Our cover was designed by the talented Jeremy Higginbotham, co-owner of this magazine.

He has used an image that represents each county and placed it on an ornament. At 501 LIFE Magazine, we are excited about what is going on in your community and invite you to share events and stories by writing us at info@501LifeMag.com.

This magazine also includes an inspiring story about Nick Apicella who ran for 24 hours to raise money and prayer support for children with life-threatening diseases.

Different friends join him for 10-mile segments and are called pacers. I can only

4 | 501 LIFE December 2020

imagine what their presence means to Nick as he exhausts himself during hours of jogging.

Presence is what we’re all missing this year. Not presents, but the presence of family members who are self-isolating, the presence of groups that can’t assemble, and the presence of those we’ve lost. I’ve been missing the presence of those dear to me after moving this summer, but I am so grateful for phone calls and “face calls” as my mom called it one day. There is power in hearing a friend’s voice and that is a generous gift in a time of isolation.

I encourage you to set aside some of the time gained from cancelled events and use it to call friends and family members.

Call your niece, uncle or cousin. Let them know you are thinking about them. Make a list, check it twice. It’s Christmastime and your presence expressed through a call, "face call", card, or by shipping a gift, will be a present not quickly forgotten.

The holiday season can bring out the best in people — it looks like that’s happening in 501 life throughout Central Arkansas.

Merry Christmas to you and yours,

Donna Benton Don Bingham Kellie Bishop Brittany Gilbert Laurie Green Travis Gupton Dwain Hebda Linda Henderson Vivian Hogue Kevin McCoy

Mark McDonald Mark Oliver Todd Owens Bill Patterson John Patton Susan Peterson Dr. Robert Reising Judy Riley Donna Lampkin Stephens Morgan Zimmerman

FAULKNER COUNTY EDITORIAL BOARD Johnny Adams Jack Bell Don Bingham RaeLynn Callaway Glenn Crockett Kay Dalton Beth Franks Russ Hancock Spencer Hawks Mathilda Hatfield Roe Henderson Jerry Hiegel Mike Kemp Julie LaRue

Karl Lenser Monica Lieblong Lori Melton Kiera Oluokun Deanna Ott Pat Otto Jon Patrom Amy Reed Lori Ross Margaret Smith Jan Spann Kim Tyler Jennifer Whitehead

CONWAY COUNTY EDITORIAL BOARD Mary Clark Shelli Crowell Dr. Larry Davis Shawn Halbrook Alicia Hugen Alisha Koonce

Stephanie Lipsmeyer Stewart Nelson Kristi Strain Jim Taylor Morgan Zimmerman

WHITE COUNTY EDITORIAL BOARD Betsy Bailey Tara Cathey Cassandra Feltrop Phil Hays Natalie Horton

Matt LaForce Mike Parsons Brooke Pryor Carol Spears Kristi Thurmon

To subscribe or order back issues, visit 501lifemag.com.

The subscription rate is $20 for one year (12 issues).

Make the Jump Media, LLC 920 Locust Ave., Suite 104 Conway, AR. 72034 501.327.1501 info@501lifemag.com

501 LIFE is published monthly by Make the Jump Media, LLC (920 Locust, Suite 104, Conway, AR 72034, 501.327.1501) owned by Jeremy Higginbotham and Stefanie W. Brazile.

The contents of 501 LIFE are copyrighted and materials presented may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publishers. Articles should not be considered specific advice, as individual circumstances vary. Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by 501 LIFE.

Effective Therapy. Safe Environment.

Restoring Independence.

THAT’S OUR HERITAGE!

1175 Morningside Drive • Conway, AR 501.327.7642

CONTENTS

December 2020

Volume 13 Issue 8

Message from the Editor

10 12 14

16

18

20

Loving LIFE Photos Praying Ninja Warrior Toad Suck Ferry Returns to Faulkner County First Security Bank Honors Jerry Cooper Couple of the Month: Nina & James Magie Youth of the Month: Best in Show

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4

On the cover Despite the challenges brought by a global pandemic, there's still no place like the 501 to spend at home this Christmas!

Jeremy Higginbotham Design

By Dwain Hebda

24 A Classic Christmas Home

By Donna Benton

27

New Chief of Staff at Conway Regional

By John Patton

28 Arkansas Task Force 1

Ready for Rescue

By Donna Lampkin Stephens

28

30 How to Have an Energy-Efficient Christmas

By Beth Jimmerson

32

Traditions that We Treasure

By Chef Don Bingham

36 Repurposing Christmas Cards

By Julianne Milner

62

38 Tech Expert Recommends Gifts for Adults

By Kevin McCoy

40 Consider Year End Financial Moves 42 Maybe Christmas

Doesn’t Come from a Store

By Vivian Lawson Hogue

44 Historic Holiday Decor

By Donna Benton

48 A Christmas Card (Mess)age

By Donald Brazile

50 There She is … State Fair Queen

By Dwain Hebda

52

Romance Author Enjoys Success

By Susan Peterson

54 Parenting Advice & Kid of the Month 57 Final Thoughts for the Year

By Laurie Green

58 Celebrating Athletic Excellence

By Dr. Robert Reising

60 Have a 501 Christmas

By Linda Henderson

62 On a Roll – Bread Produces Smiles

By Stefanie Brazile

64 Conway Regional Toy Run

By Dwain Hebda

65 Pet of the Month 66 Person of the Month

6 | 501 LIFE December 2020

44

501 LIFE would like to thank its advertising partners for their continued support and encourage our readers to support these businesses:

Covering 11 Counties

in Greater Central Arkansas!

B

Get “LIFE” at home!

Baker Eye Institute, 41 Bledsoe Chiropractic, 43

For a limited time, 501 LIFE is offering a special subscription rate for new subscribers: have the magazine delivered to your home for only $20 for one year, $40 for two years.

C

Centennial Bank, 37 Chicken Salad Chick, 35 Conway Corporation, 19 Conway Institute of Music, 31 Conway Regional Health System, 67 Conway Regional Rehab, 52 Conway Symphony Orchestra, 20

While the magazine is distributed to more than 700 locations in Central Arkansas, copies go fast. Home delivery guarantees readers they won’t miss a single issue.

Visit 501LIFEmag.com or call 501.327.1501 to subscribe.

D DJM Orthodontics, 50

Tune in at 12:30 p.m. the last Tuesday of each month to KARK Channel 4 for a segment on the current issue of 501 LIFE.

Downtown Conway SHOP, 56

E Edward Jones, 53 English Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Center, 49

F

First Community Bank, 46 First Security Bank, 68 First Service Bank, 13 Freyaldenhoven Heating and Cooling, 17

501lifemag

Donna Benton has lived

Glenrock Apartments, 59

H

Hartman Animal Hospital, 65 Harwood, Ott & Fisher, PA, 61 Heritage Living Center, 5 Hiegel Supply, 59

J

Julie's Sweet Shoppe, 64

M

MSC Eye Associates, 51 Methodist Family Health, 26 Ott Insurance, 63

P

Patterson Eye Care, 19 Pulaski County Special School District, 55

R

Retail SHOP in the 501, 22-23 Rik Sowell Architects, 21

S

Salem Place, 39 Sissy’s Log Cabin, 15 Shelter Insurance, 51 Superior Health & Rehab, 2

U

Unity Health, 3 University of Arkansas Community College Morrilton, 30 University of Central Arkansas, 29

501life

Writers’ Room

G

O

501lifemag

Vivian Lawson Hogue

is among the rare “native” segment of pre-mid-20th century Conway residents still living where she was born in 1943. A graduate of Conway High School, Vivian attended Hendrix College for two years and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelor of science in education degree in art education. Vivian writes a regular column for 501 LIFE, oftentimes with a historical perspective. “Writing just slipped into my life by a happy accident.

To contact Vivian, email vhogue@conwaycorp.net.

in Greenbrier for nearly 25 years. She enjoys most the small town culture and community in the 501. “But most of all, my friends and family are here and that is what makes it home!” Most people probably don’t know that Donna was a rock climber, whitewater kayaker and a backpacking guide. To contact her, email donna@waterhousemarket. com. Check out her blog on waterhousemarket.com and follow her on Instagram @waterhousemarket and Facebook at WaterHouse Market.

Recognized throughout the state as an accomplished chef, Don Bingham has called the 501 his home for 47 years.

“I enjoy most the people of the 501 – their heart and passion for life and for one other.” A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Don has a bachelor’s degree in communications and is a certified chef. He and his wife, Nancy, have five married children and 12 grandchildren.

His interests include music, interior design and event planning. He can be reached at donaldjbingham@gmail.com.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 7

NEWS/NOTES

December S

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13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The Central Arkansas firefighters annual Christmas Boot Drive to help families in need will receive donations at the Conway Towne Center and Conway Commons beginning Black Friday and will continue the following three Saturdays.

Firefighters will hold boots for contributions.

Checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 2546, Conway, AR 72032. Call 870.403.4305 or visit christmasbootdrive.org or the Facebook page.

The Conway Regional Health Foundation will host its annual Tribute Tree Lighting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, at Conway Regional Medical Center. This year, a drive-thru lighting is planned, with refreshments, entertainment, life-size gingerbread houses and Santa. For more information, visit conwayregional.org.

Central Baptist Church in Conway will host its drive-thru Nativity from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, through Friday, Dec. 11. The event features an interactive Christmas experience that travels along the road of Bethlehem to the manger. This is a free event for families.

Saturday, Dec. 12 - Downtown Conway Mistletoe Madness.

Saturday, Dec. 12 – Conway Regional Toy Run donors will bring a new toy(s) at noon to the Toad Suck Harley Davidson and a meal will be provided. At 2 p.m., Santa will lead the caravan to Conway Regional Medical Center to deliver the toys. Participants must wear masks. No stuffed animal donations please.

The Searcy First Assembly of God will present “The Living Nativity” Friday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 6, and Dec. 11-13. The church is located at 101 S. Benton St. For more information, visit the church’s page on Facebook or at searcyfirstassembly.com.

The Conway Symphony Orchestra will present “A Mad Russian’s Christmas” during three special concerts paying tribute to the music of the TransSiberian Orchestra.

8 | 501 LIFE December 2020

Concerts are planned 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 and Saturday, Dec. 19, and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, in Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. All performances are scheduled to adhere to COVID-19 distancing guidelines.

“Each show will be full-length, TSO-style music,” said organizer Gunnar Bartlett. “Last year, the TSO-style portion was only half of the show and the other half was Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker.’

We have foregone Nutcracker this year due to COVID, and went with a full TSO-style show. We are adding more vocals, more musicians and more theatrics. It’s going to be huge!”

All tickets must be purchased through the Reynolds Performance Hall Box Office, in person or over the phone at 501.450.3265, to ensure adequate physical distancing between patrons according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16.

For more information, visit conwaysymphony.org.

Morrilton Area Holiday Events Virtual Events Rialto Arts Center Letters to Santa Fundraiser: Mail your letter to Santa by Dec. 11, with a $5 donation, to the address: Rialto Morrilton, P.O. Box 176, Morrilton, AR 72110. The child will receive a letter back the week of Dec. 14. Letters should include a small note with the child’s printed name and address.

Places to Visit Petit Jean State Park: Holiday events have been cancelled, but the halls at Mather Lodge will be decked and the restaurant will be open with COVID-19 dining standards in place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Light Displays Morrilton Depot Museum and Caboose: Sponsored by local businesses and decorated by the Morrilton Rotary Club, the Historic Caboose at the west end of the Morrilton Depot Museum features a beautiful light display. Look for signs that direct you to a radio station with holiday music that syncs with the movement of the lights.

Church Street: After leaving the depot, head south on Division Street, then west on Church Street to view some of Morrilton’s finest historic homes with beautiful light displays.

The Penick Barn: The barn is famous with the locals. Petit Jean State Bank President Charles Penick lights up his barn on Sardis Road every year. This display also syncs to music if you tune in to the station on display.

Holiday Shopping Point Remove Brewing Company Holiday Makers Market: Local vendors with Arkansas-made items will be set up and The Crepe Coop food truck will be on hand for dinner at the brewery on Dec. 17, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 102 S. Crestliner St. in Morrilton. This will be a socially distanced event with COVID-19 guidelines enforced.

Petit Jean Farmers’ Market is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays in December and features locally made items from a variety of vendors. The annual Red Barn Nativity will be open for two weeks leading up to Christmas features Nicholas the Donkey and his sheep friends for the kids to enjoy.

Downtown Morrilton merchants will have their store windows decorated and are open for all your holiday shopping needs. On Dec. 3, you’ll find shops open until 7 p.m. with special deals and promotions for Main Street Morrilton’s monthly First Thursday event.

Information provided by contributor Morgan Zimmerman

Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce

Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony The Morrilton Area Chamber of

Commerce celebrated its 93rd Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony on Nov. 2. This year’s celebration was broadcast live from Point Remove Brewing Company on Facebook and YouTube. The night was focused on celebrating many deserving businesses, people, programs and volunteers.

The announcement of the recipient of the Earle Love Business Leader of the Year award was a special surprise. “Rich Moellers was the winner of this award and was also behind the scenes working to make the event a huge success,” said Stephanie Lipsmeyer, director of events and membership services.

Other award winners are: Brenda Cahill, Citizen of the Year. John Taylor (Sacred Heart Catholic School), Educator of the Year.

Youth Citizens are Grace Hendrix (South County School District), Noah Koch (Sacred Heart School), Emmy Lou Duvall (Wonderview School) and Brooklyn Coulter (Nemo Vista). The

Community Project of the Year is Main Street Morrilton Farmer’s Market. Board members are Morgan Zimmerman (from left), Kara Jones and Stephanie Lipsmeyer.

Earle Love Business Leader of the Year Award Rich Moellers. Pictured are Jonathan (from left), Natalie, Rich, Hannah and Jacob Moellers.

University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton Academic All-Star is Abbye Millsap.

Additional recipients are: Dixon Family Dental & Med Spa, Business Site of the Year. Main Street Morrilton Farmer’s Market, Community Project of the Year. SCCSD Child Nutrition Department Community Meal Delivery, Education Project of the Year. Josh, Nick and Luke Moore/3 Brothers Farms, Farm Family of the Year. Los Cabos Mexican Grill, 2020 Restaurant Overcomer of the Year. Petit Jean Country Headlight won the Heritage Award.

Presenting sponsors were The City of Morrilton and Green Bay Packaging (Arkansas Kraft, Fiber Resources and Pinecrest Divisions).

Hostesses of the night were Ms. Lipsmeyer and Kara Jones, Chamber Board Member. Sponsors hosted 10 watch parties, remotely joined the live broadcast and were treated to party snacks from food sponsors.

NEWS/NOTES

Hansen elected to National Cable TV Co-op board Jason Hansen, Conway Corp Chief Technology Officer, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) board of directors and will take an active role in the board’s group purchasing and technology committees.

“I’m honored to serve on the NCTC board,” said Hansen. “Conway Corp has benefitted from its membership in the NCTC for almost 20 years, and I look forward to sharing our experiences and perspectives with the board and fellow members.”

The NCTC is a not-for-profit corporation that operates as a programming, broadband solutions and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies who own and operate cable systems throughout the U.S. and its territories.

A graduate of Hendrix College, Hansen joined Conway Corp in 1999 and served as the wide area network administrator from 2002 until 2007 when he was named manager of broadband and video services. In 2011, he was promoted to CTO, managing the company’s information systems, application development, broadband, video and voice teams.

Educator of the Year John Taylor, (Sacred Heart High School) with Robert Hogan, Chamber of Commerce Board Chair.

Brenda Cahill - Citizen of the Year December 2020 501lifemag.com | 9

LOVING LIFE

‘Falling’ in love with 501 LIFE! Our readers have enjoyed autumn LIFE here in the 501 and sharing their seasonal memories with others.

Headed out on a special trip? Have a special occasion or get-together coming up? Pack a copy of 501 LIFE in your suitcase, snap a photo at your destination and send it to us for publication in a future issue!

Photos can be submitted by email to info@501lifemag.com or by mail to Reader Photos, c/o 501 LIFE, 920 Locust Ave., Suite 104, Conway, AR, 72034. Please include the names of those in the photograph, and their hometowns, along with contact information. Sorry, photos will not be returned by mail, but can be picked up at the 501 office.

"Gourd"eous young lady Ava Grace Beene is “Loving LIFE” at Schaefers and Collins Pumpkin Patch in Mayflower.

Kim (from left), Peyton and Matt Plumley at the First Presbyterian Church say they just love the familyfriendly community of Conway.

Hannah & Drew Hawthorn were "Loving LIFE" when they brought their son, Liam, to the site of their engagement photos. The family loves going to local coffee shops, bonfires and coming to the pumpkin patch in the fall.

10 | 501 LIFE December 2020

University of Central Arkansas junior Oladotun Rachael Aluk posed with a spirited display during Homecoming Week from Oct. 26 31. Aluk is a Biology Pre-Med major from Nigeria.

Members of the Christ Church volunteer group were "Loving LIFE" when they partnered with the Conway Downtown Partnership to plant the terra cotta pots on Front Street. Melissa Bland (from left), Cory Walker (back row), Shawn Barnard, Lane Long, Joey Cook (front row) and Kim Williams, Conway Downtown Partnership Exec. Dir.

LOVING LIFE

501 is Big in Little Rock!

Check out the new places you can find us in Arkansas' capital city!

Heather & Matthew Potter are loving the newlywed life in Greenbrier. They were wed Oct. 8 on Petit Jean Mountain.

At the Mello Mushroom, Zina Magraff stands beside the 501 LIFE Magazine holder at the West Little Rock location at 16103 Chenal Parkway.

David and Jean Leffler of Conway celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Jean wrote, “It has been 50 years of hard work, companionship, history, love, and ups and downs and now we begin another chapter!”

Three sisters were “Loving LIFE” at The Rock Garden in Calhoun, GA. Barbara Stovall (from left), Linda Chambers and Pam Bailes.

Hey readers, pick up a 501 LIFE at Wordsworth Books from Kandi West (from left) or Lia Lent at 5920 R St. You can also find us at either Barnes & Noble location where you'll see Tim Hammonds at 11500 Financial Centre Parkway and Deloris Moore at 4000 McCain Blvd.

Zakariya King and Danny Thursby were “Loving LIFE” at Grace Bible Theological Seminary in Conway.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 11

INSPIRING

By Jeremy Higginbotham

Nick Apicella remembers it like

Connor Tuttle (from left), Kevin McCoy, Nick Apicela Smiley2020 and Trey Connell 12 501Rhonda LIFE December

|

it was yesterday - June 13, 2016. He wasn't feeling the inspiration he needed in his training for the Spartan Beast, a half marathon, 30-obstacle race engineered to push competitors to their limits. Nick found himself searching for something from God, asking for a higher purpose. At that moment, sitting in his car outside the gym, Nick opened Facebook and found the story of Stacy Ayers and her daughter Emily.

"Emily was 8-years-old, living with Congenital Neutropenia, a very rare blood disorder that compromises her immune system," Nick said. "Emily needed a bone marrow transplant.

This condition all but guaranteed she would develop AML leukemia.

I vowed at that moment to pray for Emily and run the Spartan in her name!"

Nick finished the Spartan that year and found a deeper passion to pray. He turned to Emily on what he should do next, and she suggested he participate in the national television competition, American Ninja Warrior.

"I had no idea what it would take to get on the show, but I knew I needed a name," he said. "So, I prayed about it, and one day while running, it just came to me: Praying Ninja Warrior.

"I felt led to turn this calling and vision into a fully operational foundation with outreach, support, and love for children suffering from life-threatening illnesses."

Nick founded Praying Ninja Warrior in 2018. Others felt the calling to join this mission including, Rhonda Smiley and Curt Amenta.

The group promised to use their gifts to help these families in need.

Nick also began the annual Praying Ninja Warrior 5K. Because of COVID-19, the event could not happen this year, so they held a virtual race. Nick also participated in the second annual Praying Ninja Warrior 24 Hours of Prayer and

Running. Nick put his all into training for the event, running more than 2000 miles in 10 months!

In addition to running for 24 hours, there were 24 Prayer Warriors praying every hour.

"We wanted to connect deeply with many kids on the team as well as support all our Prayer Warriors," the athlete said. "Every mile was covered in prayer! It was amazing for so many to be in prayer for 24 hours!"

Nick describes his physical and emotional states as raw as he ran through the day. "I cried many times because of our deep prayers and the heartfelt testimonies of our families.

Rhonda Smiley supported me at the church for the whole 24 hours. She called several times to lift me up in prayer."

When the 24 hours ended, Nick simply could not move his legs anymore. However, he knew the way he carries other's burdens through this journey, many people were carrying him to accomplish the run.

Nick encourages anyone who feels inspired to join his ministry by contacting him at prayingninjawarrior@gmail.com or by visiting prayingninjawarrior.com. "I want to speak directly and pray with them," he says. Nick will also continue to take part in many extreme races in the future on behalf of Praying Ninja Warrior and is ready for the 4th Annual 5K next September.

He continues to find his inspiration in a journey that began by praying for one little girl named Emily. Today, that journey has grown exponentially to around 420 children like Emily and their families. "We pray for them boldly every day! I love each kid like they are my own."

Visit 501lifemag.com to see and hear from some of the families whose lives have been touched by Nick and the Praying Ninja Warrior organization.

FirstServiceBank.com CONWAY | CONWAY SOUTH | CLINTON | GREENBRIER | LITTLE ROCK

NEWS/NOTES

Photos provided by Bobby Kelly III and Jack Bell

T

he Toad Suck Ferry was recently brought home to Old Ferry Landing Park because local citizens and officials put forth the effort to work with state and federal officials to make it happen.

When the Toad Suck Lock and Dam was completed in the late 60’s, the Toad Suck Ferry became obsolete. Prior to that, the ferry had transported vehicles, animals and people across the Arkansas River between Faulkner and Perry Counties since 1820.

From roughly 1958 until its final run in 1972, the ferry was a 1958 Clay Cross, that weighed 37 tons and held five or six vehicles. It was equipped with side paddle wheels powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine. In 1972, the ferry was transported to Norfork Lake, then to Bull Shoals Lake (Marion County). It served as a ferry until 2016.

At that time, the City of Conway was notified that the ferry could be purchased from the state. The cost was only $2,035, but the added expense of transporting it to Faulkner County and unloading it would be many times that amount and financially unfeasible.

In early 2020, Judge Jim Baker and Mayor Bart Castleberry were introduced to the new Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) Director, Lori Tudor, and mentioned the Toad Suck Ferry. A few months later, District Engineer Jeff Wheeler called to offer to 14 | 501 LIFE December 2020

transport the ferry to Old Ferry Landing Park on the Faulkner County side of the Arkansas River. The only requirements were that the ferry be purchased from ARDOT, that the city and county provide escorts from the county line, and to arrange a way to unload the ferry from the ARDOT truck.

Judge Baker and his wife, Linda, and Jack and Ginny Bell purchased the ferry and donated it to the City of Conway.

“Ginny and I feel that there are very few opportunities to preserve local history and we should grab them when we can,” Bell said.

He spent 12 years as chief of staff for the city and is currently the director of the Conway Regional Airport.

In a joint effort between Faulkner County and the City of Conway, a concrete pad was constructed, and the Faulkner County Sherriff’s Department and the Conway Police Department agreed to escort the truck.

Following a week of loading the ferry, the journey back home began on Oct. 25. ARDOT crews brought it safely to the newly poured concrete pad Old Ferry Landing Park. By noon the next day, it was unloaded with help from ARDOT personnel, Mark Ledbetter, The Faulkner County Road Department, Jacob Reynolds and the Conway Department of Transportation.

The next phase will be to restore it

as closely as possible to its initial look.

It will be painted the original orange and the paddle wheels and pilot house will be restored. A rope barricade and commemorative plaque will be installed.

The city will work with the Faulkner County Historical Society and the Faulkner County Museum Commission to complete these tasks.

“These projects are important in preserving the heritage of our community,” Bell said. “Toad Suck and the ferry are obviously a huge part of Conway and Faulkner counties' stories.

We are fortunate in Conway to have a mayor and city council that feel this way as well. Without them neither of these projects would have been possible. We have a county judge and quorum court that see the importance of preserving history as well. We also have a good museum and an active historical society.”

Special thanks to Jack Bell for his contributions to this article.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 15

NEWS/NOTES

“This is for Jerry” First Security Bank honors Cooper with sensory donation to park

Representatives cut ribbon made of $100 bills - totaling $1,000 - the amount to be donated to two area nonprofits in equal amounts.

By Stefanie Brazile

F

irst Security Bank Conway formally opened and dedicated phase one of the Jerry Cooper Sensory Play Trail at Laurel Park on Oct. 23.

Named for longtime employee Jerry Cooper of Conway, the trail benefits children, handicapped individuals and the elderly. The project is sponsored by First Security Bank Conway (FSBC) employees, and additional funds were contributed by a long list of generous community partners.

“Jerry Cooper played an important role at the bank and our employees loved him,” said Johnny Adams, president of FSBC. “He passed away last year. This opportunity came up and we wanted to name it for him. This is for Jerry.”

16 | 501 LIFE December 2020

Three instruments have been installed as part of phase one of the Jerry Cooper Sensory Play Trail.

During the Oct. 23 dedication of the Jerry Cooper Sensory Play Trail at Laurel Park, two $500 donations were made to nonprofit agencies by First Security Bank Conway. Receiving for Milestones Services Inc. was Teresa Little (from left); Joanie Cooper; Johnny Adams, president of FSB Conway; and LaQuetta Garlington-Seals, volunteer program coordinator of the Conway Human Development Center.

At the well-attended ceremony, a ribbon made of ten $100 bills totaling $1,000, was cut and the amount was evenly split and donated to two of Cooper’s favorite nonprofits: Milestones Services Inc. and the Conway Human Development Center Volunteer Council.

Cooper worked as a bank courier for 20 years. He volunteered at Faulkner County Day School-Milestones and the Conway Human Development Center (CHDC).

He served as past president of the CHDC Volunteer Council and Friends of Faulkner County Day School. He also served two terms on the Faulkner County Day School Board of Directors.

“Jerry had a big heart for handicapped children,” Adams said. “He was highly respected by his co-workers, and he will always be remembered for his kind heart and dedication to serve others.”

This is phase one of a three-phase project that will eventually have six to eight stations featuring different instruments. The fully inclusive, accessible, and multigenerational outdoor musical instruments are constructed of durable, easily maintained materials, making them ideal for public outdoor spaces, according to the press release. They can be enjoyed by children and adults, including senior adults.

Musical instruments in outdoor community spaces engage people of all cultures and ability. For children, they enable creative experimentation and tactile exploration, encouraging the use of motor skills, helping develop coordination and stimulating the imagination. Such features also make them practical for children or adults who face physical or emotional obstacles or have very limited movement.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 17

NEIGHBORS couple of the month Morrilton

James and Nina Magie along with Gypsy, "the queen of their castle" (Mike Kemp photo)

HIS STORY RESIDENT OF: Morrilton

James Magie

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP: I was born in Little Rock, but lived in Stuttgart before we moved to Morrilton when my dad opened his medical clinic in 1963.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Kilgore College (1981) with

a degree in Jewelry and Horology, the art of making clocks and watches.

JOB: Watchmaker/jeweler at Magie Jewelers.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Officer in the Morrilton

Lions Club.

CHURCH ACTIVITIES: Member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church; 4th Degree Knight of Knights of Columbus.

Nina Magie

HER STORY

RESIDENT OF: Morrilton NATIVE OF: New Mexico WHERE DID YOU GROW UP: I have spent most of my

life in Morrilton. We returned here to live with my grandparents after my dad was killed when I was 2. .

EDUCATION: Graduated from

Morrilton High School (1979); BSE from UCA (1984); MSE from UCA (1990); Reading Specialist Degree from UCA (1990).

Camping, and driving around in our convertible.

MOST ENJOYED WEEKEND ACTIVITY:

JOB TITLE: Retired educator. I taught in the elementary grades for the South Conway County School District (1983-2007); I retired from Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative as a K-12 Literacy Specialist (2007-2018). I love that I got the opportunity to work with all ages (including teachers) during my career.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO: As an Eagle Scout, my

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

HOBBIES: I enjoy metal detecting and camping.

ONE THING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU: I have severe dyslexia.

motto is, “Be prepared.”

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT LIVING IN THE 501: Having all of my

brothers, sisters and most of my family living within 25 miles of us.

Family is very important to me.

18 | 501 LIFE December 2020

I help a dear friend (Jasmine Wilson) maintain a community social media page that was created to support our local restaurants impacted by COVID-19. It is called #MorriltonCurbside.

CHURCH ACTIVITIES: Member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

HOBBIES/SPECIAL INTERESTS: I love reading and

sitting out on our deck to watch the sunsets over Petit Jean Mountain. I’m also a sucker for the Food Network and Hallmark Channel.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF: I’m

nothing special — just your average person.

MOST ENJOYED WEEKEND ACTIVITY: Driving

the backroads of our beautiful state. We have so much to see in the 501. I especially love spending time on Petit Jean.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO:

Be the reason someone smiles today.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT LIVING IN THE 501: The people are amazing!

Everyone is so resilient. Since COVID hit our area, I have seen a renewal of caring and support in our community. It’s been tough, especially for small businesses, but if we continue to work together and shop and eat locally, I truly believe we can come back stronger than ever.

CHILDREN/GRANDCHILDREN:

WHEN/HOW WE MET: Our friends set us up on a blind date. It was really funny because we had actually encountered each other a couple of weeks earlier at a Christmas party but didn’t know it until we met on the date.

THE PROPOSAL: We just kind of drifted into the idea of marriage.

There wasn’t a big romantic proposal. James was moving away to Texas, so we decided to set a date and get married. Since I still had a semester of high school, we didn’t actually move until the next summer.

We have two amazing children. Jennifer, 37, is a media specialist for Fort Smith Public Schools. She is married to Joseph Lyon. Ben, 35, is a research chemist and currently resides in Denver, Colorado.

THE TRUE BLESSINGS OF OUR LIVES ARE OUR PRECIOUS GRANDCHILDREN:

get f ra m e d at

Pa t t e r s o n E y e C a re

Jackson,13, and Maddox, 7, live in Conway. Nate, 11, Caleb Henry, 8, and Cora Jean, 6, live in Fort Smith.

We are usually “burning up I-40” to see them.

PET: The queen of our castle is our miniature schnauzer puppy named Gypsy. She keeps us on our toes (and out of shoes because she keeps eating them!)

WEDDING BELLS:

FAMILY ACTIVITIES ENJOYED TOGETHER:

Aug. 4, 1978, at First Baptist Church in Morrilton.

(It was the only church available that had a large enough area to hold all of his family members.)

We love to travel and camp. We also love to spend time with our huge, fun-loving family. (James is the middle child of 10 children.)

2505 Donaghey, Ste 102 • Conway, AR

501.450.9900

pattersoneyecare.com

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 19

Best in Show

YOUTH - Vilonia

Vilonia teen steps in for injured friend

By Dwain Hebda

E

Taylor Hoover plans to become an Ag professor and to continue raising animals, which is her passion. (Photos

by Mike Kemp)

20 | 501 LIFE December 2020

ver since Taylor Hoover can remember, she’s loved animals. As a tot, she begged her parents for a dog. They finally gave in when she was 12. Little did the Hoovers know what they were setting themselves up for.

“It just kind of grew from there,” said Taylor, now 16. “The next thing I got was the chickens. The next year, I got two goats. After that year, I got rabbits. And then, I guess it was the next year that I started showing.”

Out back, behind the house, is a veritable petting zoo. Over here are the dogs that Hoover trained. Over there is the flock of chickens.

Just beyond are two “piddling goats,” non-show animals that she “just piddles around with.” Until recently, there were a couple of sheep, too, but with the show season over, they’re off visiting the butcher.

Somewhere around here are the rabbits she shows through her 4-H club.

“I don’t see myself as a country kid. I just have the interest, I guess,” she said as she made the morning rounds. “I want to be farther out when I get older. I mean, it’s nice to have town close by, where you can still have the animals and stuff. I want a little bit of acreage. I wish I had more.”

Taylor is so into the raising and training of show animals that she wants to be an ag professor when she grows up. And she’s got a good start: In addition to qualifying at the county level to show at the Arkansas State Fair, she’s also a member of the Vilonia High School FFA Livestock Judging Team, which placed second in the state last year.

Through that, she earned a trip to the national competition in Kansas City.

This year, as captain of the team, she led the squad to the state title in the virtual judging competition, earning top individual honors along the way. Through her judging work, she encountered a young man, Corey Nowlin, whose friendship gave her the opportunity to demonstrate what being a leader is all about.

“I just turned 16, he’s a year behind me,” Taylor said with a slight smile. “I judged with him on our judging team. COVID kind of cut it short, but the time that we did have, he was a lot of fun.

He always had us laughing.”

Earlier this year, Nowlin was thrown from his horse and suffered a traumatic brain injury. In true small-town fashion, various events and fund drives sprang up to help the family deal with his medical expenses. The Hoovers took a more direct approach, bringing bags of groceries to the family’s door.

“After he got hurt, I was talking to him about the show and stuff,” she said. “He had one sheep and I asked him if he had anybody to show it. He said, ‘Yeah, I have a cousin that’s interested.’ I was like, ‘OK, if she needs help, I’ll be over there. I can help.’

“Well, it ended up not working out for her to be able to show it. Corey only got to halter breaking, but he did put work into the project. So, I was willing to finish the project off.”

Taylor not only had three sheep of her own to get ready for the show season, she had a very small window to get Nowlin’s sheep, dubbed Rooster, into show shape.

“I think it was maybe about five weeks,” she said” It was not very much time at all, considering that I spent six months with my other sheep to get them ready.”

Rooster had a mind of his own, as it turned out, but then, so did she. Training sessions sometimes proved a test of wills.

“Sheep are smarter than people think they are. They just play dumb because they can play you.”

Taylor Hoover helped complete the training of a friend’s sheep after he was in an accident.

- Taylor Hoover “[Rooster’s] actually kind of a natural, he kept his head up and just kind of wanted to work. Some sheep are just lazy and they don’t want to do anything. So, that helped.

I don’t think I could have got him ready without him being lively.”

As it happened, Rooster performed well enough to “make sale,” which means he was bid on in an auction at the end of the fair. During these sales, the animal doesn’t change hands, but the young owner gets to keep the money as a sort of prize purse. By then, Nowlin’s story was well known in the livestock community and Rooster brought substantially more than usual, as a way to show support for the family. None of which would have been accomplished had she not stepped in for a friend.

“I wasn’t necessarily worried about me getting the sale, but I had to work really hard to get Rooster into sale. He did well.

I consider making sale at the county fair a success,” she said. “It was kind of sad at the end of it, because I’d worked with him for four or five hours each day. I’m just kind of like, ‘Whelp.’

“With Rooster, I was just happy that the family could get the reward of that. Corey, I mean, he’s a great kid and I was happy to know that they got that money. It was a good opportunity to be a light, I guess, in this dark world.”

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 21

22 | 501 LIFE December 2020

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 23

HOME

By: Donna Benton

Brandy Ward and her trusted sidekick Ruby deck the tree with heirloom and handmade ornaments.

Decorating the tree with keepsake ornaments is always a time for the Wards to reminisce and get nostalgic about the places they have been and the people who they have shared their lives with.

Photos by Makenzie Evans 24 | 501 LIFE December 2020

The road winds through a picture-perfect neighborhood with wooded hills and hollows and stately hillside homes perched above and below the lane. Dog walkers and afternoon strollers are quick to shoot a friendly wave. Josh and Brandy Ward’s traditional home sits nestled among the trees with a little rocky branch running through the front yard. It’s the perfect place for kids to romp, and 11-year-old Elle, Max, who is 8, and their dog, Ruby, know every rock and tree.

It was an established home when the Wards bought it a few years ago. They were happy to be back at home in Conway after being away for several years for medical school and a residency, and they were excited to have such a great place to settle in and raise their family. The home needed some updating, and the Wards set about fixing it up with some French country flare, replacing vinyl siding with stucco and adding a mortar wash to the brick. Inside, bleached stone floors and wood tones give a warm elegance.

Don’t forget about your everyday décor when you are decorating for the holidays. These rustic lanterns hold candles the rest of the year but they make a striking festive centerpiece.

Their inviting home gets a traditional holiday treatment at Christmastime. A towering live evergreen in their vaulted dining room is decked with heirloom ornaments, some that were given as gifts from cherished Aunt Kay who collected them while she was teaching in Italy or on her mission trips to Kenya. While the Wards are traveling, they collect ornaments for the tree that they will hand down to the kids to one day share with their families and reminisce of exciting childhood trips. Some of the decorations are handmade by the family, including some blown-glass ornaments.

Classic Christmas continued on Page 26

No classic Christmas is complete without stockings on the mantle. The wood and stone fireplace becomes a gathering place during Christmas Eve story time.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 25

The table is ornamented with Christmas china, and at the heart of the table, a weathered concrete planter is filled with fresh greenery that lends an earthy cedar fragrance to the whole place. The Wards love to cook together and decorating holiday treats is a family affair.

Stockings hang over a wood and stone fireplace where the kids gather every Christmas Eve by a crackling fire for a reading of the story of Christmas -- memories that they will cherish always.

The table is decked with the same natural elements that are used on the tree and in other parts of the room. This gives the whole room a cohesive “together� look and feel.

26 | 501 LIFE December 2020

Donna Benton is a maker of custom home furnishings and specializes in classic painted finishes for antique and vintage furniture. You can see her work at WaterHouseMarket.com.

HEALTH

Surgeon picks up the torch New Chief of Staff builds on progress at Conway Regional Community Service In addition to his upcoming duties as chief of staff, Dr. Stanton has served the community as part of various leadership roles at Conway Regional, the University of Central Arkansas and in state higher education.

A University of Central Arkansas graduate, he served on the UCA Board of Trustees from 2002 through 2009 and is currently fulfilling a term on the state Department of Higher Education Coordinating Board, which oversees two and four year public universities.

He has also served on numerous committees at Conway Regional and is also a co-chair of the capital campaign for the Conway Regional Health Foundation.

Conway Regional Health System's new Chief of Staff, Mike Stanton, MD

By John Patton

T

he highly skilled physicians with Conway Regional Health System work in partnership with hospital administration to create a culture of transparency, efficiency, and trust. This team approach enables Conway Regional to continue providing high-quality, compassionate care as the hospital expands to meet the needs of a growing community.

On Jan. 1, the Conway Regional Health System medical staff will have a new chief of staff in Mike Stanton, MD. As chief of staff, Stanton will serve as liaison between more than 200 physicians and the health system’s Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors.

His roots run deep in Conway and with the hospital. “I want to build upon the incredible progress that has been made,” he said. Stanton approaches the role with more than 30 years of experience as a surgeon. Stanton has seen the community grow since he founded what is now Conway Regional Surgical Associates.

He has also watched his predecessor, Carol Angel, MD, work through unique challenges during her two-year tenure as chief of staff, including helping with decisions related to caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He believes that the pandemic response has highlighted the importance of every role in the hospital. Each team member is important and provides a critical service and skill in order to care for patients.

“In the end, the ultimate goal is to provide the best health care for all patients, and that requires involvement from all team members,” said Stanton.

“Whether it is environmental services, maintenance, nursing, physicians, or the Operating Room team, everyone has a role.”

During the past two years, more than 30 new physicians have been added to the medical staff in areas such as pulmonology, pain management, interventional cardiology, general surgery, hematology/

oncology, emergency medicine, and the hospitalist program. Four physicians have also joined the new family practice residency program.

Conway Regional is amid an expansive capital improvement initiative. The multiyear project includes renovation of the Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center, construction of a new medical office building on the medical center campus, and the construction of a new primary care clinic in Greenbrier. The next major phase of construction includes a new stateof-the-art intensive care unit.

As for Stanton, he is excited about the future and the opportunity to serve others in the chief of staff role. “When it comes down to it, every leadership role is about caring for and about people,” he said. “Sometimes that may involve decisions that are unpopular, but if you truly care and take all points of view into consideration, you can be successful.”

He added, “The key is to be able to work together, establishing a trust with your colleagues and addressing challenges head on. To provide high-quality health care, you need a partnership between skilled physicians taking care of patients, and administrators ensuring that the hospital is managed properly. Both groups are important.”

Stanton noted that physician engagement (a rating of their involvement) has improved for the past five years at Conway Regional. This year, Conway Regional Medical Center received two Press Ganey awards for Physician Engagement, honoring the continuous improvement Stanton mentioned. The Guardian of Excellence® is awarded for reaching the 95th percentile for each reporting period, and the Pinnacle of Excellence® is awarded for maintaining consistently high levels of excellence over multiple years.

Stanton’s partners at Conway Regional Surgical Associates have expanded their reach into Russellville and Clinton. “Our practice is definitely expanding. That’s one of the hallmarks of Conway Regional over the past few years - we have focused on expanding access to care.”

He added, “The health system is expanding services in many ways and that is going to continue.

People can get the world-class care they need closer to home.”

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 27

HOMETOWN HEROES

Arkansas Task Force 1 ready for any rescue situation

By Donna Lampkin Stephens

The 501 - and the rest of the United States -

are a little bit safer thanks to Arkansas Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue.

Twelve firefighters from the 501 (Conway, Little Rock, and North Little Rock fire departments) comprise the Central Arkansas Task Force 1, based out of Pulaski County Emergency Management.

The state’s other regional group is Northwest AR-TF1, based out of Washington County Emergency Management, with 12 more trained people.

“We get nothing out of it other than being a great asset for the state,” said Bill Keathley, assistant chief for operations for the Conway Fire Department and one of the Central AR-TF1 leaders. “None of us are out for the kudos. It’s just a great tool to help save lives.”

Besides Keathley, the Conway firefighters involved are Captain Ty Ledbetter, Battalion Chief Scot Erwin, Captain Luke Williamson, and Engineer Jay Mattox.

According to the Arkansas USAR Task Force-1 Facebook page, the team is “qualified and equipped to respond to search and rescue victims that are trapped or entombed in collapsed reinforced concrete and steel structures.” Members are assigned to Administrative, Search, Rescue, Medical, and Technical teams.

The Central Arkansas group’s first deployment was May 16, 2011, to a building collapse with a fatality in Morrilton.

Since then, the group has evolved to be prepared to take on a variety of other disasters.

28 | 501 LIFE December 2020

Beaverfork Lake in Conway

Captain Ledbetter has worked with Arkansas Task Force 1 for eight years, and said the group has deployed following hurricanes in Texas and Florida and tornadoes in Arkansas, including those that hit Vilonia in 2011 and Vilonia and Mayflower in 2014.

This fall, the team is nearing HART certification (Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team), working with helicopters from the Arkansas National Guard. A training was held in October at Lake Beaverfork in Conway.

“We have our water people, people who specialize in flash flooding, on the helicopter team,” Ledbetter said. “We will partner with civilians. What we do is we take care of the hook — at the end of the line from the helicopter — from the hook down. They’ll do the flying in and lower us down.”

The Beaverfork training was to have been the final checkpoint for the team to be deployable, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the certification by a few months. Keathley said the team only needs to do its final qualifying swims.

“Then we’ll be ready to go,” he said.

What’s the motivation for the team members?

“All of us got into this job to help people,” Ledbetter said. “One of the

things we get out of it is No. 1, the adrenaline — obviously, with the helicopters — and being able to help out people in a way we haven’t been able to.

“There’s nothing worse as a firefighter than wanting to help people and not being able to. Stuff like this gives us the resources to do that.”

To qualify as a team member, firefighters must have taken classes in various aspects of rescue, such as ropes and swift water.

“Going on deployments previously, you see the need for these different aspects,” Ledbetter said.

Such deployments are a coordinated effort between the states and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). For example, if a hurricane is heading to Florida, the governor and the Office of Emergency Management in that state will send out requests nationwide asking for specific help.

“Then the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management will push those out, and we say, ‘We can fill this,’ or ‘We can fill that,’” Ledbetter said.

Keathley said Arkansas Task Force 1 goes on standby quite often.

“We have the same capabilities as the big FEMA teams,” he said. “We’re just not as large a team.”

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UCA.edu December 2020 501lifemag.com | 29

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ENERGY SMART

Have yourself an energy-efficient Christmas From inside lighting to transforming your front yard, Beth decorative lights are Jimmerson a popular way to brighten any home A long-time Conway during the holidays. resident, Beth McCullough Jimmerson While traditional is the manager string lights and for marketing and decorative lights communications for Conway Corp. She has are a staple, they a bachelor’s degree can use significant from the University of amounts of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree from the energy. The U.S. University of Arkansas.

Department of She can be reached Energy reports that at beth.jimmerson@ conwaycorp.com. annually, American Christmas lights consume 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity — that’s enough to power 14 million refrigerators.

At a time when we’re already worried about additional shopping, traveling and hosting, you don’t need to worry about your next utility bill. Luckily, there are a few ways to decorate for the holiday while keeping efficiency in mind and your energy costs down.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTS Most energy-efficient string lights are LED, which use a fraction of the energy of traditional Christmas lights. Outdoor LED

lights can stay cool to the touch, last through 40 holiday seasons and use 75 percent less energy than incandescent string lights so you can stay festive while saving energy.

LED lights are also great inside because they’re cool to the touch, which makes them less of a fire hazard and safer for small hands. The Department of Energy calculates that the cost of lighting a 6-foot Christmas tree with LED mini lights for 12 hours a day only adds 82 cents of additional power consumption over the holiday season.

Rope lighting is another popular source of decoration over the holidays. Rope lights are long solid tubes of clear, bendable plastic containing many small light bulbs and are a popular way to decorate a roof or outdoor deck. They are an energy-efficient way to light your home since they require far less energy than traditional string lights and generate less heat.

LED rope lights come in a range of colors and lengths are available from anywhere between 3 to 250 feet. This makes them very popular for lighting larger areas, and they can be safely used on timber surfaces or around holiday sculptures. LED rope lights consume approximately 1 watt per foot of lighting and have roughly four times the lifespan of their festive light counterparts.

If you’re looking for a new Christmas tree this year, consider a fiber optic tree. Opting for an LED pre-lit tree will save on your

electric usage as these trees can be 10 times as energy-efficient as traditional trees with incandescent lights. Fiber optic trees can be fully covered in lights or have dotted fiber optics in their limbs. Either way, you get the festive look of a traditional tree for much less energy.

USE A TIMER One of the simplest ways to cut your energy bills is to limit electricity usage to periods when decorations will be fully enjoyed. Set timers for lights to automatically turn on when it gets dark and to turn off in the middle of the night. You can save on lighting costs by only powering your decorations for eight hours in the evening when they will be enjoyed the most.

LIMIT SECONDARY LIGHTING A brightly lit Christmas tree looks more impressive when it’s the only light source in the room. Conveniently, it’s also more energy-efficient to limit secondary lighting.

If the tree is going to be on, turn off other lights in the room so the tree can be fully enjoyed while energy usage is limited. You can also use your outdoor holiday lights in place of porch lights.

Looking for more ways to save? Visit ConwayCorp.com/EnergySmart and find energy-saving tips or call 450-6000 to schedule a free energy audit from a Conway Corp certified energy professional.

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30 | 501 LIFE December 2020

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December 2020 501lifemag.com | 31

TRADITIONS

Traditions

that we

treasure By: Don Bingham

Photos by Mike Kemp The Bingham grandkids: Lane Bingham (from left), Ellie Bingham, Mary Helen Faulkner and Anna Claire Faulkner.

32 | 501 LIFE December 2020

W

hen it comes to the Christmas holidays, where do we begin? Community and family traditions are as varied and plentiful as November was with its diversified recipes and harvest meals. Our families have so many wonderful traditions and memories.

My father worked for The Coca-Cola Co. for 40 years. As we grew up, Christmas was a special time. Mom was a great decorator and cook. During those childhood years, my dad thought it more fitting to leave Santa a Coke and cookies behind the overstuffed chair rather than the traditional milk and cookies. It took several years for me to understand why!

Don Bingham Recognized throughout the state as an accomplished chef, Don Bingham has authored

Nancy and I have received many Christmas gifts throughout the years, but I doubt that any of them have been more creative than the year we received the Twelve Days of Christmas. At the time, I was the music and youth pastor for Conway's First Baptist Church. Those were golden years when the youth group numbered more than 150 and the parents were so supportive of the youth and church programs. During this particular Christmas, a group of the youth put their resources together, and early one December morning, a knock at our front door found us looking down at a small stuffed bird in a small artificial tree. That was only the beginning. Each day progressed with a staging of the 12 days of the traditional Christmas song. My favorite day was when the extremely talented flute players (led by Cindy Duckett and Phyllis Yarbrough at that time) appeared on the front lawn doing an amazing rendition of a Bach fugue. It was glorious.

cookbooks, presented television programs and planned elaborate events.

Traditions continued on Page 34

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 33

Christmas Eve is always a taco night, and Christmas Day is always a sumptuous breakfast and a late traditional dinner.

All of this follows a month of celebrating the culinary arts from the low to the high of fine dining. My wife, Nancy, did most of the cooking during the growing-up years with our families, and now we all will share in the duties. We have three professional chefs and many extraordinary cooks in the family, so there will be no shortage of the traditional triedand-true favorites.

One of our favorite holiday memories is December 1990. We had invited Georg and Anabelle Andersen, Jack and Wanda Logan, and Charlie and Beth Haynie (the late Beth Ward of KTHV-11) to our home for dinner. These were friends who had been so special to us for many reasons, and we wanted to say "thank you" and "we love you" in a holiday setting. Nancy prepared most of the menu, we did most of the decorating together, and we planned the servings around the personality of each guest. Between the courses for dinner, we gave tributes and blessings to each couple, including giving each one a personal book as a lasting reminder of our appreciation, and we concluded the night with a Christmas concert by Mrs. Ann Rice, a wonderfully gifted mezzo soprano and a dear friend from Little Rock. Though we in no way could express adequately our admiration to these dear friends, it was still a special opportunity to encourage those who had encouraged us many times.

Listed with this article are some of the recipes from traditional highlights through the years. Especially included are the ones from the night of the Tree-Trimming Party with the grandchildren. Merry Christmas to you all!

Hot Cocoa Mix

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups nonfat powdered milk 1/2 cup baking cocoa 1/2 cup nondairy creamer 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Combine all ingredients, stirring well. Store in an airtight container up to two months. For each serving, add 1 cup of hot water to a 1/2 cup of cocoa mix and stir well. The recipe makes eight servings.

Cheddar Scones

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 T sugar 2 t. baking powder 3/4 t. salt 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 egg, lightly beaten 2/3 cup half-and-half 1 T butter, melted

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in a 1/4 cup of cold butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the cheese.

Stir together the egg and the half-and-half. Gradually add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three or four times. Gently roll into a ball. Pat the dough into a 7-inch circle on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut into six wedges, using a sharp knife. (Do not separate the wedges.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven, brush with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and serve warm. The recipe makes six scones.

Peanut Butter Shortbread 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat the butter and peanut butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, then gradually add the sugar, beating well. Stir in the vanilla.

Combine the flour and salt, and gradually add to the butter mixture, beating at a low speed until blended.

Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter or Christmas cookie cutter. Place the pieces 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cool the bread for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, and then remove to wire racks to cool. The recipe makes 15 cookies.

Taco Soup 2 1/2 lbs. ground meat 1 medium onion, chopped 1 can Rotel 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can black beans, drained 1 can pinto beans, drained 1 can kidney beans, drained 2 cans shoe peg corn

34 | 501 LIFE December 2020

3 cups water 2 pkgs taco seasoning mix 2 pkgs Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

Brown and drain the meat and onion.

Combine all ingredients, and simmer for two hours or place in a crockpot on low all day.

Chicken Salad Chick

Paid Advertorial

has brought its Southern hospitality and made from scratch chicken salad recipes to Conway. With more than a dozen original flavors, as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, the robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest.

The one-of-a-kind restaurant is locally-owned with local employees.

"I think people from Central Arkansas appreciate that," said Melissa Hardcastle, the franchise owner. "Family roots run deep here. You eat our chicken salad and it makes you think, `Wow, this is just how my grandmother used to make it.' Or you taste our egg salad and you think, 'Wow, this tastes just like my aunt's deviled eggs.' Our food gives people that warm and fuzzy feeling and, for us, that is what it's all about."

Founded in 2008 by Stacy Brown, the brand now has more than 175 restaurants in 17 states and is continuing its rapid expansion. Ms. Hardcastle was introduced to the delicious menu while living in Alabama. She had owned another business for years and sold it. After earning a Master's in Education, she became a teacher, but realized that she loved being a business owner.

"I thought about what I was passionate about and realized how often I ate at my local Chicken Salad Chick," Ms. Hardcastle said. "I knew there wasn't one in Arkansas, so I thought I could maybe bring this to Arkansas and come back home.

"I literally called corporate from the website and felt a connection immediately," she said. "It was started by a mom, just like me. I fell in love with the company's purpose: to spread joy, enrich lives and serve others. This isn't only a company with a great product, but also a higher purpose. I wanted to be a part of that."

Initially, corporate asked Ms. Hardcastle to work at one of the restaurants and she loved the experience. "Then they said, 'You passed!' and let me have one," she laughed. "So I opened my first one in Jonesboro, which, like Conway, is a great, family-oriented community. I wake up excited to go to work every morning and, yes, I eat our chicken salad every day!"

Getting your Chicken Salad

You can order on the app or website for curbside or drive-thru pick-up. The app will save your order (for ease when reordering) and offers a rewards program that accumulates points for free meals and merchandise.

New flavors

Several times per year a seasonal flavor and dessert are introduced. This fall, a chicken salad with blue cheese and cracked pepper called True Blue Betty is available. Another seasonal option is Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Catering

Our products are perfect for catering because they are extremely easy to transport and will last 5 to 6 days if refrigerated. We offer individual boxed lunches or buffet style. We have platters of mini-croissants, sandwiches, chicken salad in bowls by the pound, gourmet sides and desserts. Our most popular selections are the mini croissant platter with your choice of three flavors of chicken salad, our broccoli salad topped with crispy bacon, our beautiful fruit platter of red and white seedless grapes and strawberries served with our delicious fruit dip, and our pimento cheese ball.

For those who prefer an individual boxed lunch, we offer meals of a chicken salad scoop or sandwich and your choice of sides. We have a variety of gourmet sides including broccoli salad, grape salad, pasta salad, fresh fruit, mac and cheese, soups and chips. Every meal comes with a pickle spear and our signature buttercream frosted cookie.

Flavors

Classic Carol • Olivia's Old South • Fancy Nancy • Fruity Fran Cranberry Kelli • Lauryn's Lemon Basil • Barbie-Q • Dixie Chick Sassy Scotty • Buffalo Barclay • Jalapeno Holly• Kickin' Kay Lynne

2235 Dave Ward Dr Suite 301 chickensaladchick.com Phone: (501) 710-6677| 35 December 2020 501lifemag.com

GET CREATIVE

Repurposing Christmas cards I

Julianne Milner A self-taught baker, Julianne Milner is a caterer, seasonal stylist and owner of Julianne’s Southern Table. She can be reached at julianne60@gmail.com.

t's the most wonderful time of the year!

The Christmas holidays are upon us, and with that comes the list of things to get done in preparation.

Finding the perfect gift for those on your list, preparing holiday menus, scheduling a few holiday get-togethers, and getting those Christmas cards out are usually on the to-do list, to name just a few items. Speaking of Christmas cards, I thought you might be interested in how to incorporate the ones you receive into your holiday decor this year.

It’s always so nice to receive Christmas cards from friends and family, like a little hug coming in the mail directly to you. Who doesn’t need those? After you’ve read them though, they tend to just pile up on the coffee table or island, not ever finding a home and adding to the holiday clutter. Following are some fun ways to enjoy the cards all season long.

Frame them. Pick out a few of your favorite designs and put them in a frame.

Framing is an inexpensive way you can enjoy the cards and the happy memories they bring year after year.

Include the cards in your Christmas gift wrap. Choose your

favorite cards and find a coordinating paper and ribbon to create lovely packages under the tree.

Shop at your local craft or home-and-garden stores for hanging displays to which your cards can be attached. Add fresh greenery

Things you already have on your countertops often make wonderful containers for a little Christmas happiness. For instance, a group of mixing bowls or a stand mixer.

and ribbon for a wonderful gathering place for your cards.

Your cards can make a striking Christmas scene inside a lidded glass container. These are great conversation starters on the kitchen island.

Small cards can be attached to a cellophane bag full of homemade goodies for the neighbors and also make memorable hostess gifts.

Gift tags can be cut in different shapes from your Christmas cards using a paper puncher. These make perfect little tags to tie to gift packages, holiday goody bags, or to personalize your stockings.

Christmas cards can be attached to a holiday potted plants using twine, plaid ribbons, etc.

Attach a wide ribbon to your kitchen cabinets and clip your

favorite cards to the ribbon.

Tuck a few cards in a dough bowl on your coffee table or in a kitchen appliance that you see daily. They add color and enrich the sentiment of the season.

Attach a favorite card to a clipboard for a quick decoration on a small wall or in a corner where you need a pop of holiday cheer.

Attach cards to the back of preserved wreaths and tie them to

the backs of your chairs at the Christmas table.

I hope you look forward to the Christmas season as much as I do.

I hope you take the time to choose a Christmas card and handwrite a note to your friends and family and mail it around the corner or across the world. I hope you tuck the ones you receive this year in a special place and enjoy them this season and for many seasons to come. And most of all, I hope this Christmas season brings you peace, love and happiness. Merry Christmas from my family to you!

Follow me on Instagram at juliannessoutherntable.com.

36 | 501 LIFE December 2020

Dough bowls are the perfect container for an ornament collection with your favorite cards tucked in.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 37

TECH

501 tech expert recommends holiday gifts for grown-ups T

Kevin McCoy Kevin has been a tech enthusiast for two decades, and works in the IT industry and is a pastors. Along with his wife of 15 years, and 9-year-old daughter, Kevin strives to live according to Colossians 3:23: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men…”

his Christmas buying season, like most of this year, will look different than past years. A noted trend over the last several years has been retailers moving deals online and 2020 will likely be the biggest year we’ve ever seen for online shopping. Test your logins, reset forgotten passwords and create accounts now so you don’t waste time and miss out on these deals when they hit — sometimes items sell out in a matter of seconds!

Entertainment/TVs

A new generation of consoles (excluding the Nintendo Switch) finally brings 4K gaming into the mainstream, so another item that will be on a lot of wish lists is a new TV. With improvements and efficiencies in the manufacturing process and ad revenues from Smart TVs, larger 55+ inch displays can be had for $300 or less. Because the market is saturated with so many choices, it’s important to know what you’re paying for.

Here are some of the key elements to help demystify your TV shopping experience: Panel Technology: Not all TVs are made the same. The most common panel technologies today are VA, IPS, and OLED. They all have their pros and cons depending on your usage; do your research.

Best super budget TV: TCL 50S425, 50in, 4K, LED Roku TV (2019); $279.99 on Amazon.

Best low midrange HDR TV: Vizio M658-G1, 65in, 4K, Quantum LED Smart TV (2019);

689.99 at Best Buy. Best high midrange HDR TV: TCL 65Q825, 65in, Class 8 Series, 4k, Quantum LED Roku TV (2019); $1,299.99 at Best Buy. Best high-end non-OLED: Samsung QN65Q80TAFXZA, 65in, 4K, Class Q80T Series, Smart TV (2020); $1799.99 at Best Buy. Best high-end (no compromise): LG CX Series OLED OLED65CXPUA, 65in, 4K, Smart TV (2020); $2296.99 at Amazon. $

Laptops

Things are finally getting interesting in the PC world after years of boring announcements. This is because Intel was king and AMD wasn’t in the competition.

2020 was a year of exciting changes. With AMD releasing their Ryzen Zen 2 CPUs at the end of 2019, they finally had a viable competitor in the CPU segment. And with their latest Ryzen Zen 3 (5000 series) announcement on Oct. 8, they’re poised to take the crown from Intel in certain categories for the first time in over 14 years; Ryzen 5000 chips hit the market on Nov. 5. It’s important to keep in mind that with new releases there’s usually no discounts even during the holiday season.

Keep your eyes open for deals on Intel 10th generation CPUs this fall, as Intel scrambles to hang onto a PC enthusiast

market share. With all that said, there are always great deals to be had especially on laptops on Black Friday.

Here are the criteria I always tell people to look for in a laptop: CPU: Intel Core i5 10th gen or AMD Ryzen (Zen 2) 4000 series Memory: 8GB minimum Storage: 256GB or larger SSD (Solid State Drive); M.2 NVMe SSD preferred Display: 13in or larger display with a minimum of 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution

Smart Speakers

The three big players are Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomePod. A lot of it comes down to your current ecosystem and desired integrations. Even though at the time of this writing, Amazon Prime Day has come and gone, keep a lookout for deals on the 3rd generation Amazon Echo, and Echo Dot. I don’t want to fail to mention if you’re looking for multi-room audio, might I suggest Sonos. They now offer smart speakers with Alexa integration (Sonos One), and they typically have excellent audio quality compared to the competition albeit with a price premium.

Editor’s note: Prices mentioned were available when article was submitted.

38 | 501 LIFE December 2020

If you don't need all the bells and whistles of the new Apple Watch 6, you can pick up the Watch SE for as little as $279.

Watches

With the recent release of the Apple Watch Series 6, along with it came the budget-oriented Watch SE. If you don’t need to measure your blood oxygen level or take an ECG anytime, anywhere, pick up the Watch SE starting at $279 MSRP.

Tablets

2020 has brought a refresh to the standard iPad (8th gen), and the iPad Air (4th gen) with no update yet on the iPad Pro models. These changes make your tablet buying decision a little tricky, but l think there is a clear winner. For starters, Apple hasn’t really had a viable competitor in the tablet segment for some time now.

This is as much to do with the updates to Apple iPad OS as the hardware.

Now you’re able to easily multitask, having multiple apps open at the same time; you can easily watch a YouTube video on part of the screen while producing a Pages or Word document at the same time. Apple has been arguing that their tablet is a computer, and most serious tech reviews have conceded that point. I think this year, the clear winner is the new 4th gen iPad Air. With its refresh, it brings a lot of the features and capabilities of the 11” iPad Pro, but at a much lower cost.

It comes with the same form factor as the 11” iPad Pro with a thinner bezel around the screen, the latest A14 Bionic processor (the same one found in the new iPhone 12), USB-C connectivity (dropping the proprietary lighting port).

With the updated processor, the iPad Air beats the 11” iPad Pro in most benchmarks, all while coming in at $200 cheaper. The new iPad Air will set you back $599, but search the web for deals; Amazon had the iPad Air (4th gen) for $559 for a few days recently, and there will likely be more deals in December.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 39

FINANCE

As we step away from 2020, consider these year-end financial moves.

We’re nearing the end of 2020 – and for many of us, it will

the financial markets plunged, did you find yourself worrying constantly about the losses you were taking, even though they were just on “paper” at that point? Did you even sell investments to “cut your losses” without waiting for a market recovery? If so, you might want to consult with a financial professional to determine if your investment mix is still appropriate for your goals and risk tolerance, or if you need to make some changes.

be a relief to turn the calendar page on this challenging year.

However, we’ve still got a few weeks left, which means you have time to make some year-end financial moves that may work in your favor.

Here are a few suggestions:

•

• •

•

Add to your IRA. For the 2020 tax year, you can put in up to 6,000 to your traditional or Roth IRA, or $7,000 if you’re 50 or older. If you haven’t reached this limit, consider adding some money. You actually have until April 15, 2021, to contribute to your IRA for 2020, but the sooner you put the money in, the quicker it can go to work for you. Plus, if you have to pay taxes in April, you’ll be less likely to contribute to your IRA then.

$

Make an extra 401(k) payment. If it’s allowed by your employer, put in a little extra to your 401(k) or similar retirement plan. And if your salary goes up next year, increase your regular contributions.

See your tax advisor. It’s possible that you could improve your tax situation by making some investment-related moves.

For example, if you sold some investments whose value has increased, you could incur capital gains taxes. To offset these gains, you could sell other investments that have lost value, assuming these investments are no longer essential to your financial strategy. Your tax advisor can evaluate this type of move, along with others, to determine those that may be appropriate for your situation.

Review your investment mix. As you consider your portfolio, think about the events of these past 12 months and how you responded to them. When COVID-19 hit early in the year, and

40 | 501 LIFE December 2020

•

•

Evaluate your need for retirement plan withdrawals. If you are 72 or older, you must start taking withdrawals – technically called required minimum distributions, or RMDs – from your traditional IRA and your 401(k) or similar retirement plan.

Typically, you must take these RMDs by December 31 every year. However, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Act suspended, or waived, all RMDs due in 2020. If you’re in this age group, but you don’t need the money, you can let your retirement accounts continue growing on a tax-deferred basis.

Think about the future. Are you saving enough for your children’s college education? Are you still on track toward the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned? Or have your retirement plans changed as a result of the pandemic? All of these issues can affect your investment strategies, so you’ll want to think carefully about what decisions you may need to make.

Looking back – and ahead – can help you make the moves to end 2020 on a positive note and start 2021 on the right foot.

This article was written by Edward Jones, Member SIPC

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 41

COLUMNIST

‘Maybe Christmas

Doesn’t Come from a Store’ — The Grinch

D

ecember has both a joyous and pensive aura about it. I hold close the days of my youth when my family and friends were all alive, healthy, visiting, and with some exercising their usual sharpened, dry senses of humor. On early Christmas days, I recall we had as many as 24 people present. The kitchen would be bustling with womenfolk assigned jobs in the culinary vein. The men gathered in the living room smoking cigars the brothers had gifted our dad. The room became enveloped with thick, blue, asphyxiating smoke through which you only recognized someone by their voice.

Children ran in the back door and out the front, then in the front and out the back. They climbed the magnolia tree or twisted in the wooden swing hanging by chains from an old post oak tree. The city residents had already enjoyed the colored lights that hung above Oak Street for a block or so. Some silver-tinseled stars on the street lights came later but never quite had the same effect. The city had held its Christmas parade, and merchants remained open until around 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve. College students and others who came home for the holiday held mini-reunions downtown on that night. Much of the visiting was lengthy reminiscing and 42 | 501 LIFE December 2020

catching up whether the participants were in the middle of a sidewalk or at a table in Greeson’s Drug Store. Some of those memories are still recalled by many. Those raised in other towns have similar memories, just with different people and places. I can relate a few downtown holiday conversations people have told me were held on cold nights of gift searching during extended store hours. See if you remember these.

One gentleman said, “I’m not sure I remember a bona fide spittoon in Massey’s Hardware, but the next best thing was a Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco can.” A friend added, “There were metal bins on the sidewalk on the west side of Massey’s that contained dynamite for purchase. They displayed guns in the south window along with a stuffed bobcat and a deer. This was before dynamite and guns became ‘evil.’ And every boy worth a plug nickel carried a pocket knife to school so they could play mumbly peg.”

Another said, “I remember playing with my brother’s cap pistol that was bought downtown. Watching that little red paper spiral go around and the hammer hitting a cap with a Ka-BLAM! Stinky smoke everywhere, but surely this was what real gunpowder was like.

Sometimes a manufacturing glitch didn’t put enough mixture in the cap and it sort of went ‘pthfft.’ Then came the rubber guns out of the back pockets of our $3 Levi jeans and the battle continued.

Sterling’s and Ben Franklin were the places for weaponry and ammo.”

Those who went to college locally in 1960 may remember that the college enrollment for all three colleges that year was more than 2,500. Our town was very quiet. At times other than Christmas, stores closed at 5:30 p.m. and were closed all day on Sundays. We spent our lives sleeping with windows open in summer with no fear of burglaries or attack, nor did we lock our cars. Our family was blessed with city utilities, but until he was 18, my husband lived in the country with no heating or cooling, no running water, and no indoor bathroom.

Children could wander anywhere in our small town without a worry. Monsters were only in old movies. If they wanted

to eat with the family, they were home at dinnertime and suppertime. No snacks or fast food in between, at least not from our mother. But we all had Christmases, elegant or modest, involving food and perhaps calls or visits from family or friends, all to be brought to mind later and talked about with those who shared the same time of life and experiences.

We are not allowed to have a nativity scene in front of the courthouse anymore, and I suppose a tree with colored lights is too much to expect. What fine visuals they once were to remind us of the season’s focus. In fact, if God had not gifted us all with His Son and Spirit, what might we have done every Dec. 25?

How else could we have been offered and willingly accepted those two gifts of His love AND with the added bonus of looking forward to wondrous forevers in heaven? I just thought the marquise-cut “authentic rhinestone” ring I received in the seventh grade was the best Christmas gift! The ring is lost in time now. Its value is in the memory of it, along with my first roller skates.

My mother always told me, “When someone offers you something, accept it and say thank you, whether you need it or not. You may later regret not accepting the offer.” That Bethlehem Christmas baby and His Father are still offering their free gifts. The way things are going today, just accept them and say thank you.

Vivian Lawson They are never Hogue lost; everything A native of Conway, that matters is Vivian Lawson Hogue gained with no graduated from the regrets. If that University of Central doesn’t make for a Arkansas with a degree in art education. A lifetime of merry retired teacher, she Christmases, I worked in the Conway don’t know what School District for else could!

23 years. She can be reached at vhogue@ conwaycorp.net.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 43

HOME

To me, the perfect Christmas is a nice blend of nostalgia and nouveau: tradition, to pay homage to great Christmases past, but also something new to keep it interesting. I look back with fondness to our first Christmas as a young couple in our tiny Conway apartment. Our tree was robust and, along with our orange floral-print, hand-me-down sofa, took up all of the scarce living space. Such a big tree was an aggressive choice, seeing as we didn’t really have any decorations and our décor budget was pretty low. So, we took to the hedgerows and ditches and gathered bushels of nature’s décor. We garnished all that greenery with pods of scarlet berries, mossy limbs and abandoned bird nests. We hung the obligatory “first ornament” and topped the tree with a golden-winged, velvet angel. I still get all sappy when I reminisce about it.

44 | 501 LIFE December 2020

A Storybook Home renovation located in one of Conway’s historic neighborhoods.

Our next Christmas—new apartment, same hand-me-down sofa—we opted for a minimal “Charlie Brown” tree adorned with balls in all shades of purple, and draped with strings or purple beads. And, of course, the first ornament and golden angel from year one, which didn’t exactly complement the purple theme, but tradition dictates. Christmas number three: new house, new sofa and new ornaments. My husband was a bit confounded with the concept of reimagining the tree every year. His family tradition was to pack the tree with every ornament ever acquired, including a family of those elf-on-a-shelf guys, and the glittery foam balls that he and his sister had crafted in elementary school.

A few years, and a couple more houses and sofas later, we still like to take on the tree with a fresh perspective and no preconceived limitations, save that the first ornament and golden, velvet angel, no matter how tacky, always gets a prominent placement.

Nowadays, decking the tree is like a walk down memory lane: purple balls from year two in that little apartment; glass spacemen; dinosaurs or lifelike cheeseburger ornaments chosen by the kids and whatever their fad or fancy was at the time. If the ornaments don’t make it to the tree, they get displayed in a glass container somewhere.

The home featured here is a recent Storybook Homes renovation located in one of Conway’s historic neighborhoods. Because the house had been recently saved from the brink of demolition, this was the first Christmas that anyone had celebrated here in several years and the first here for its new owner. The home is a blend of historic styling and modern amenities; the comfort and convenience of a new home with the textures, patina and soul of a classic. Christmas in a new home calls for a fresh look at your holiday décor and extra attention to make sure it takes on the character of your home. Here, the most prominent feature of the décor is the deep blue colors that complement the accent colors of the home: the rich, velvety indigo on the dining chairs and the striking blue of the kitchen island— and even the shutters outside. Natural elements are used in the tree, vines and berries and boughs of evergreens, which lend themselves to the hardwoods, brick and leather in the home and furnishings.

Historic Holiday continued on Page 46 photos by Makenzie Evans

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 45

Outside, simple, natural wreaths made from local evergreen trimmings, are hung by ribbon in every window, and live miniature Christmas tree topiaries are ornamented with holly and magnolia limbs right out of the yard. It’s a classic look that takes on the home’s personality and is sure to become a signature style for holidays to come.

Community is EVERYWHERE.

The Mallett family is always on the move. You may find Tara, her husband Courtney, and four kids at any ball park in Faulkner County, Greenbrier Schools, their church, and everywhere in between. We are just glad to have her Monday through Friday at First Community Bank. Tara is one of those gals that just gets things done, everywhere she is. She is excited to bring customer focused banking, like we have at First Community Bank, to Conway.

Call or drop by and let her show you what it looks like when a bank puts the community first.

46 | 501 LIFE December 2020

CONWAY | 1089 Front Street | 501.764.9640

www.firstcommunity.net

Get this look Decorating tips from Donna Benton

You can spend a fortune at the big box store decking out your home for Christmas, but my favorite, and often overlooked, resource is just outside the door. I love the sparkles and trinkets of Christmas as much as anyone, but in my book, the look is not complete without incorporating an earthy foundation of natural greenery and nature’s own Christmas decorations. These front-porch topiaries started with a live, store-bought miniature Christmas tree. The magnolia boughs were clipped from the yard and the holly was from the neighbor’s giant holly bush hanging over the fence. Don’t forget about sumac pods, those cone-shaped bundles of red berries in the tops of small trees that grow in roadside ditches and brush piles. Pine cones, mosses and woody grapevines are great elements, too. Take a little walk through the woods with your clippers and a basket, and keep your eye out for anything that looks like Christmas. Keep it all natural or bling it up with Christmas balls and a swirl of ribbon. Natural cedar and evergreen trimmings make perfect wreaths and swags and look great jazzed-up with artificial berries and florals.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 47

FAITH

A Christmas Card (mess)age

As the

two sisters sat beneath the cool shade Guest contributor provided by Donald Brazile the generous recently moved to pecan tree, Conway from Texas. His they both writings have appeared decided it was in the Lectionary time to return Homiletics Journal, Open to the fortune Windows (a Lifeway of their birth. devotional publication) Now that they and the Texarkana were widows Community Journal. and just north of 80 years of age, each agreed that it was time to make the pilgrimage back to the old farm of their childhood to live out their remaining years.

All the relatives felt that this was a poor decision and tried to discourage them. Through the years, the homestead had not received the care it needed and was literally falling apart. All of the farm machinery of memory past was rusted and useless. The old chicken coop and barn were barely standing. It was just too much upkeep for anyone, much less two ladies in their early 80s. However, the two sisters insisted, packed their belongings and headed to North Dakota.

48 | 501 LIFE December 2020

Weeks passed. As November arrived to paint the landscape with shades of crimson and orange, one of their nephews came to visit them. After a few days, he couldn’t tolerate the living conditions any longer. He packed his belongings, and as he started to leave, he decided to take a picture of his two aunts so the other relatives could see the terrible conditions they were weathering.

With the ka-click of his camera, he forever captured the moment. There they stood, two sisters, bent and stiff with their images framed against the old, dilapidated farm for a backdrop. Upon returning to the city, the nephew sent them a copy and didn’t think any more about it.

Upon the first whisperings of the Christmas season, one chilly evening after work, the nephew tiredly walked down the driveway to check his mail and noticed an envelope from his aunts. Once inside, he opened it with anticipation and found that his aunts had used the picture he had taken of them for the cover of their personalized Christmas card. At the top of the cover, it said, “Merry Christmas,” and in bold black letters at the bottom, it said, “God is with us in our mess.”

That’s pretty much the story of the first Christmas, isn’t it?

Matthew records they would call His name Emmanuel, which means God with us. But upon further reading of his gospel, we find that the first Christmas was messy.

Yet, God was with Mary and Joseph, and He promises to be with us wherever this Christmas finds us. As a matter of fact, all of the Christmas narratives remind us of the promise of His presence, with each scene sharing a message too deep for words.

This Advent season, don’t waste energy attempting to explain it. Don’t tangle yourself up in questions about it. Don’t argue Christmastide, and don’t reduce its celebration to little more than exchanging gifts or family holiday trips. To do any of the above would be to miss altogether its message as well as its mystery.

Simply bask in the glory that God is with you and give thanks to the One who, according to Matthew’s gospel, not only loves you but also cares for you.

As the 25th of December approaches, revisit the nativity scene once more and be reminded, that, no matter what, no matter who, no matter where you are this Christmas, you have the gift of Christmas with you. God is in the present moment, active and always sovereign. This is the story of God with us. If there is any better news than this amidst our present (pandemic) mess, I fail to imagine what it might be.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 49

NEIGHBORS conway

There She Is...

Conway’s Stone lands State Fair crown

By Dwain Hebda

Last year, Savannah Stone entered her

first pageant at the Faulkner County Fair.

She was the last to walk out of 32 dolledup little girls in her division, but it didn’t faze the pint-sized contestant a bit.

Offstage, despite her best efforts, her mother Renée Stone was a nervous wreck.

“Competitive me is thinking, ‘I’m about to have a panic attack,’” said Stone in her sassy drawl. “Of course, she looks beautiful and she’s my child and I have to say it, she’s as precious as can be.

“She gets up there and she smiles as soon as she comes out onstage and I guess she melted everybody’s hearts, because she wins. She wins over 31 other little girls.

Of course, she was excited, but she was nothing like her momma. I felt like I’d won.”

Fast forward a year and it was Savannah’s turn to sit and fret as her mom walked the stage during the Arkansas State Fair Pageants. And, when the time came for a crowning, Savannah led the cheers for her mom, a Conway native and business owner, as she was crowned Ms. Arkansas State Fair Queen. It was the latest chapter in Stone’s long pageant story.

50 | 501 LIFE December 2020

“At the age of three, I won my first national talent competition,” she said. “When someone says, ‘Have you been involved in pageantry a long time?’ my mom will kind of giggle.

She’ll say, ‘A long time? Honey, she’s still doing it!’”

Stone was raised the youngest of five children to longtime restauranteurs Dee and LaVone Lawrence who owned the Hidden Valley Catfish House for many years. She graduated president of her senior class at Conway High School where she also lettered in multiple sports and holds two degrees from UCA in business and broadcast journalism.

And, in between she did pageants, along with her older sister, Rita.

“My mom, since she worked in the restaurant, used her tip money for putting us in pageants,” Stone said. “They didn’t have to have that money to live off of, so she used her tip money to invest in us and have all these opportunities that would, hopefully, help us in furthering our skills for life down the road. I truly feel like it has.”

Among her many titles in pageants and talent shows, Stone can list Ms. Arkansas International, Teen Miss Faulkner County Fair Queen and Miss Faulkner County Fair Queen. This year was not her first go-around at the State Fair either, having achieved top-five placements in the past.

But 2020 did rate a one-of-a-kind pageant experience because, for safety reasons, most of the pageant was judged online with only the finalists walking the stage at the State Fair.

Stone said modeling an outfit before a camera and answering interview questions via Zoom wasn’t as off-putting as it sounds.

“I’ve always been in front of the camera and so that was something that I could connect with,” she said. “The challenging part, for myself, was making sure on the interview side that the judges could really see the true me and connect with me. I feel like I do have a good presence about me with people. I can get people to feel comfortable with me and want to talk with me.”

During her year’s reign, Stone hopes to be a role model to others from a variety of perspectives.

She owns and operates Emerge in Conway, a business she built. Her personal platform is Alzheimer’s awareness, after her father’s experience with the disease.

She also hopes to inspire other pageant hopefuls and educate the public on the work and often-

overlooked benefits of pageants.

“It’s tons of fun and you might be blessed sometimes with lots of opportunities to win prizes and scholarships, but it’s so much more than that,” she said. “People don’t grasp the work that goes into this, developing communication skills, physical fitness, staying up with current events. It’s literally a job you’re trying to obtain. If you walk in and you don’t know what they’re looking for and you don’t know what CEO position you’re trying to receive, well then, bye!”

“I really love the opportunity to be Ms. Arkansas State Fair Queen for numerous reasons. I had tons of people ask me about why I was competing, like, ‘Are you sure you want to win in a year where you don’t get the big stage and all of this other stuff?’ That’s not important to me. The opportunity and the job are what’s important to me. It’s a gift of being able to connect to people.”

Savannah Stone was named Ms. Arkansas State Fair Queen in October.

Dwain Hebda photo

Merry Christmas

Thank you for your business and friendship throughout the year.

Roe Henderson

1416 Prince St. Conway, AR 72034 501-327-3888

RHenderson@ShelterInsurance.com

®

AUTO • HOME • LIFE

We’re your Shield.

We’re your Shelter.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 51

WRITING

Susan Peterson Susan Peterson holds a PhD in education and taught at the University of Central Arkansas and Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

She retired in 2004 and now spends her time doing artwork (painting and pottery). She is the executive secretary of the Arkansas Reading Association, a professional organization for educators that has about 800 members statewide.

Kim McPherson of Conway has written 13 books and

stories since she began her writing career as a romance author in 2014. Her road to becoming a published author was a bit of a bumpy ride, so now, in addition to writing steamy scenarios, she uses her experience to help others achieve their own publication success.

Born and raised in Conway, Kim Ward McPherson graduated from Conway High School in 1995. She admits she was not much of a reader, and the only writing she did was rhythmic poetry she composed for her own entertainment.

She attended UACCM, married Chad McPherson

52 | 501 LIFE December 2020

in 2003, and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from UCA in 2013. While finishing her classes at UCA, she heard other students discussing the popular “Fifty Shades of Grey” series, which she had never read. She promised herself that once she finished her education, she would take time to read fiction to see what all the excitement was about.

When her husband asked what she wanted for a graduation gift, Kim asked for a Kindle and an Amazon gift card. She began her venture with Sylvia Day’s “Crossfire” series. She was instantly hooked, and after just a few months, something extraordinary happened – Kim started writing her own romance novels.

Knowing that authoring romance fiction might raise some disapproving eyebrows, she decided to use a pen name. After careful consideration, Kassandra Klay was born.

Her writing flowed, but the next step – getting published – was no easy task, and she admits she made “every mistake” possible.

She lacked knowledge of the editing process, and the technical difficulties related to formatting and uploading seemed nearly insurmountable.

Finally, book one of the Ambitious serial, “Ambitious Drive,” was published in June 2015. It was quickly followed by “Ambitious Despair,” “Ambitious Deception,” “Ambitious Desire,” “Ambitious Danger,” and Ambitious Dreams.” Each novella ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the reader in suspense and eager to buy the next installment.

Word got out in the community that Kim was knowledgeable about online publishing, and people began to seek her help.

Realizing a need existed for her expertise, she started a new business, naming it Best Seller Bound. She even coined the term “author coach” to describe her role as someone who could help

aspiring and published authors, regardless of genre.

Business has been great, and she’s worked with as many as a dozen authors at a time. Her work is based on their needs, helping them set goals, edit material, find an agent, advertise and market.

Kim misses the travel and interactions she had prior to COVID-19. She loved attending writing conferences where she met her romance author idols and networked with others.

Her collaboration with Eden Books in Gainesville, Florida, has expanded her marketing base.

Kim has also donated her talents by writing short stories for limited release editions of charitable anthologies. “Christmas Kisses” and “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” are two of these books. She and other romance writers offer their time and production costs to support various causes, such as suicide prevention and human trafficking.

Locally, she has taught workshops for university outreach programs. She hopes to be able to continue to offer more workshops and is working on creating a virtual course.

Kim’s newest publications, which will be under her real name, will be a self-help manual and a planner for authors. She will continue to collaborate with Kelley McDougal, a friend from high school who now lives in Texas, to provide graphic designs for her work.

The adage that reading opens the door for new opportunities was certainly true for Kim. Reading romance novels truly opened the door to a new career. She has started a business, made new friends, traveled, created new networks, and donated her talent to help others.

More about Kim can be found on her Best Seller Bound website, Facebook pages, and blogs. Several Kassandra Klay books are available on Amazon.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 53

501 KIDS

Full-Time Family Time Make the most of this chance together I don’t know

about you, but our family has seen a lot of each other this year. My husband has been lucky enough to work from home since the pandemic started, and because we homeschool, the Brittany kids and I are home Gilbert as well. When you’re used to being apart Brittany Gilbert is a most of the day and former FACS teacher at suddenly you’re Maumelle High School. always together, She and her husband, Levi, have three children things can get and live in Conway. interesting.

Brittany can be reached At first, it’s all fun at b.gilbert37@gmail. and games because com. you can go for a walk whenever you want and eat all meals together. It’s so nice to get quality time, but then after a while, you must settle into a new routine in order to live well and work well with one another.

Setting some boundaries and being creative can help strengthen your family after so much time together.

Set a schedule and try to stick to it. If one or both parents are working from home, it’s likely important to maintain work hours if you want to get anything done. Otherwise, it’s easy for the kids to assume that because Dad is working from home that he’s available for playing games whenever they feel like it. However, Dad is probably feeling like work is piling up because every 30 minutes a child is asking if they can see what he's working on. Sound familiar?

I know it does for our house. I know each family is different, but having work hours can help the working parent and the rest of the family be on the same page. This can help eliminate any stress on the workfrom-home parent who may feel they aren’t pulling their weight for work because of interruptions. It also can help the other parent and kids have clear expectations of when they’re available to the family.

Family meal with a twist. Notice I didn’t say “family dinner” because if you’re all home together, literally every meal can be a family meal. Mealtime around a table is still important, even if it’s more common.

Chances are it’s not as valued when it’s more common. You can bring the value back into mealtime by making it fun. We have a set of question-and-answer cards

on our table that we only use at mealtimes.

We don’t use them at every meal because, honestly, not every meal happens at the table as a family, and that’s OK. You can find all sorts of ideas on Amazon or other stores. You could also just start asking questions like, “What was your high/low of the day?” or take turns telling jokes.

Find ways to relieve stress. There are so many ways to reduce stress, and the people in your family may have different ways that work for them. Laughing hard, deep breathing and exercising are all ways to combat stress. Our family recently discovered a park in Greenbrier, and we love it. At least once a week, you will find us out there for almost the entire day. The sun, exercise and friend time are exactly what we need. We often find ourselves feeling reset after time well spent outside.

Our families are the greatest gift God has given us on earth. God wants our family members to be strong and to work well with one another. If you’re feeling stressed or tired of all the family time, it might be time for a reset or for things to be tweaked so that you can go back to enjoying your family to the fullest.

501 LIFE KID OF THE MONTH

Jolie Kate Garrison Age: 6 Hometown: Greenbrier School: Conway Christian Kindergartner Favorite subject: Playing and learning

Favorite meal: Pizza Most cherished possession:

My bunny named Pacy. I’ve had her since I was born. She’s very special to me!

in “centers.”

Family: Katie (mom) and Joe (dad passed away in 2019). Grandparents are George McIntosh, and Pam and Kirk Bostwick.

54 | 501 LIFE December 2020

"I love playing with my American Girl dolls named Rosie and Amanda.

Also, I love riding my scooter."

501 KIDS

Have a healthy holiday A

s this unprecedented year winds down and we enter the holiday season, many questions arise as to how we should celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year.” The traditional gatherings and events may not be possible because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still activities and traditions you can engage in with your family to make this holiday as memorable and treasured as those of the past.

Kellie Because of social distancing guidelines, Bishop many of the large holiday parties and gatherings may not be possible. However, Kellie is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Central this is not to say that you cannot gather Arkansas Pediatrics. She with family and friends. Instead of large lives in Plumerville with gatherings, consider smaller and more her husband, Greg, their intimate gatherings with close loved ones. son and two dogs. She obtained her bachelor’s Ensure that everyone in attendance is degree in nursing at the healthy and not exhibiting symptoms UCA and her master’s of illness. It is also recommended to and doctorate degrees maintain 6 feet apart when possible, as in pediatric primary care at UAMS. well as wearing masks or facial coverings.

It is important to wash hands frequently and avoid finger foods at gatherings. These measures will help decrease the spread of illness.

As many gatherings and holiday events will be canceled this year, there will be more time spent at home with our families.

There are fun holiday activities you can do at home to make memories and start traditions with your family. You can walk around your neighborhood or drive around other neighborhoods and look at Christmas lights while listening to your favorite holiday music. You can also watch seasonal movies as a family and drink hot chocolate or have your favorite snacks.

501.234.2000

Community Activity Ideas

Stop at a local coffee shop for coffee and/or hot chocolate (THINK Coffee is wonderful in Conway and Big Cuppa is great for the Morrilton area), then drive around various neighborhoods looking at light displays.

Park in your nearest downtown and walk around with your family, observing the holiday décor and the Christmas tree. Volunteer to wrap presents for church or other local gift donations.

Family Holiday Movie Suggestions “Home Alone” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” “A Christmas Story” “The Polar Express” “The Santa Clause” Though there may not be as many exchanges of baked goods as there typically are, you could still bake all your favorite holiday treats as a family.

Holiday Snack Ideas Bake cookies with either premade or homemade cookie dough.

Holiday snack mix with popcorn, mini pretzels, holiday M&Ms, holiday sprinkles and mini marshmallows.

Grinch fruit skewers. Create the Grinch with a Santa hat on by using a skewer with a grape as the Grinch’s head, a round slice of banana on top of the grape, a strawberry on top of the banana with the small end facing upward, and a mini marshmallow on top of the strawberry as the top of the Santa hat.

The most important thing to keep in mind this holiday season is that the season is about spending time with those we love most and appreciating all that we have. It is not worth the risk of endangering the health of those we care about to have large gatherings and engage in activities that could promote the spread of infection. This is a great year to slow down, gather with smaller and more intimate crowds and enjoy the holidays on a smaller scale. Sometimes slowing down and doing less is actually more fulfilling.

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season!

Cherish family & friends this Holiday Season December 2020 501lifemag.com | 55

56 | 501 LIFE December 2020

FAITH

Final thoughts for the year

Laurie Green A Greenbrier native, Laurie is the wife of Will Green. The two share seven children, five grandchildren and a golden retriever named Marlo. They own and operate a lawn care business and are members of New Life Church in Greenbrier.

Laurie can be reached at thegreens@ymail. com.

W

ell, folks, we have almost made it to the end of one of the most interesting (for lack of a better word) years that I›ve ever experienced. I confess that for the past 12 months, it has occasionally crossed my mind that perhaps I shouldn›t have celebrated the end of 2019 with such vigor.

In retrospect, 2019 seemed like such a troublesome year, so when Dec. 31, 2019, finally rolled around, I pulled out all the stops. I put on my best look and topped it all off with one of those cute little 2020 New Year›s Eve hats. I was completely prepared to welcome 2020 with open arms. After all, it was going to be the year of vision. Out with the old and in with the new. Hasta la vista 2019!

Wow, who could have known what 2020 was preparing to offer the world?

COVID, social distancing, basically the canceling of everything, and, oh yeah, killer hornets! I mean, seriously, just when I would think, “OK, it can’t get any worse,” well, it would. If I’m being completely honest, 2020 actually made me miss the moments I took for granted in 2019.

As the old saying goes, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. So, as we prepare to bid 2020 goodbye, I would

like to offer three helpful tips to help the transition into 2021. All things I’ve learned the hard way, and I hope they will encourage you.

Pursue Forgiveness. It’s basically impossible to live this life and not find yourself offended or hurt by someone.

However, in Ephesians 4:32 we are told to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” That one is typically easier said than done, but let me share with you some truth. Waiting to offer your forgiveness at someone’s funeral is too late, yet often that is when we finally allow our hearts to soften. As an individual who has lost people I love, whenever I find I’m holding a grudge, I ask myself, “Would I miss them if they were gone?” Well, of course I would, so I do what needs to be done and I pursue forgiveness.

Have an Attitude of Gratitude. If you only have time to say one prayer a day, let it be, “Thank you!” I have been blessed with friendships from people of other countries and I am humbled by them.

I have often taken for granted the very things they don’t have. Good days, bad days, easy days or hard days, I remember Psalm 118:24 which reads: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Be grateful for every day because it truly is a gift. Keep a

notebook beside your bed and write down something you’re grateful for each day before you go to sleep. Read it each morning when you get up. Develop a daily attitude of gratitude.

Keep J.O.Y. Everyday. Keep not just the Webster definition of it, but also the acronym: Jesus, Others, Yourself.

My kids learned this years ago at church to help them remember to put Jesus first, others second, then yourself. The thing is, the more you practice this habit, the more joy you seem to find in your everyday life.

When I rush out the door without putting Jesus first, I can promise you I don’t make time to put others above myself either.

Basically, if I’m not practicing J.O.Y., I’m certainly not feeling joy. If 2020 has taught me nothing else, it’s that I need a whole lot of J.O.Y. to survive all the craziness.

So, as we prepare to wrap up this year, I believe I will be a bit more subdued as we usher in 2021. I will reflect on the fact that 2020 did indeed offer up a year of vision, perhaps just not the one we all had planned. It’s definitely been a wild ride, but maybe, just maybe, before the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, someone will roll doubles and we can all end this game of Jumanji we called 2020.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 57

Olympic gold medalist Eddie Hamm grew up in Lonoke.

Eddie Hamm won the gold in long jump in the 1928 Olympics with a jump of 25 feet 4 3/4 inches.

At age 22,

he was the world’s best.

Overcoming a debilitating disease, he had catapulted Dr. Robert through more Reising than two decades with Dr. Robert Reising retired incomparable from the University of competitiveness, Central Arkansas in 2013 after holding a variety increased ability of teaching, coaching and consistent and administrative posts success to during more than a halfemerge the century in education. His globe’s premier doctoral dissertation at long jumper.

Duke treated literature In 1928, Eddie and sports.

Hamm brought unprecedented respect to himself and his native state as Arkansas’ first Olympic gold medalist.

A Lonoke home of modest means welcomed him on April 13, 1906. In 58 | 501 LIFE December 2020

subsequent years, Charles Hamm, a plumber and electrician, and Zilpah Hamm, a housewife, welcomed five other children, one a female. None of the quintet, however, revealed the athletic potential Eddie seemingly possessed at birth. Nor did vastly different challenges fail to fascinate him. By junior high school, his peers sensed a unique multisport marvel in their midst.

With increasing frequency and intensity, bouts of malaria intruded.

Absences from classes and practices threatened to become the norm along with fevers and fatigue. Yet, he persevered. A four-year star for the high school football team, Eddie attracted special luster with his flawless field-goal record. In track, comparable excellence allowed him to claim the state long jump for three consecutive years, including a state record of 23 feet 2 inches in the first year; the 220-yard dash for three years; and the 100-yard dash for two years. In his senior year, he did not settle for just three firsts in a single meet. At a University of Arkansas

invitational, he won four: the 100-yard dash, the 200-yard dash, the long jump, and the high jump. In the previous year at a Lonoke gathering of 20 schools, Eddie had also claimed four wins, but only three were in senior track. The fourth had come in declamation, one of the literary events held in the high school auditorium. He earned the state title a few weeks later.

The Georgia School of Technology, now Georgia Tech, beckoned. A scholarship allowed Eddie to enroll in the fall of 1925, and he promptly appeared in football togs for preseason photographs and practice.

Only a few days passed before athletic department authorities intervened, forbidding further gridiron participation because of their fear of injuries. Eddie’s football career was over, but his most spectacular track years lay ahead.

Those years brought him headlinemaking success in the United States and later overseas. For three consecutive years, 1926 through 1928, the 5-foot 11-inch, 170-pounder seized first place in three events in Southeast Conference

Eddie Hamm is surrounded by numerous awards for speed and his best event, the long jump. (now the Southeastern Conference) tournaments: the 100-yard and the 220-yard sprints and the long jump. In 1928, he broke the conference record in the long jump with his 25 feet 6 3/4 inches mark and triumphed in the national meet. In the subsequent Olympic trials, his leap of 25 feet 11 1/2 inches earned him not only a trip to Amsterdam, Holland, but also the world record in the long jump. He was prepared for Olympic gold, and on July 28, 1928, he seized it with yet another record-breaker: an Olympic-best long jump of 25 feet 4 3/4 inches.

With Georgia Tech and a grateful nation awaiting his return, Eddie, joined by several Olympiad teammates, toured England

and Germany. Lonoke’s finest won the long jump in every meet. But misfortune loomed on the horizon, personal as well as global. Appendicitis hospitalized him within weeks of his return to America on the eve of the devastating worldwide Great Depression. In 1931, after being elected president of the Student Council, he reluctantly concluded that competing and bettering his Olympic mark in the 1932 Olympiad would be impossible as he was slow to regain his strength and agility.

He was never to appear in another Olympiad. In Adolph Hitler’s 1936 “Nazi Olympiad,” Eddie had no opportunity to challenge the iconic Jesse Owens, who set a new long-jump best with a leap of 26 feet 5 inches. His chances to rewrite Olympic history had disappeared with the Depression’s crushing impact upon Arkansas’ economy. A post in Oregon with Atlanta-based CocaCola offered the commerce graduate a more promising future.

His decades-long, multi-position career with the beverage corporation flourished, first in Klamath Falls and later in Bent. At the height of his success, however, 44 months of wartime military service interrupted, taking him to a variety of foreign nations as a major. At war’s end, he rejoined Coca-Cola, and emphysema later forced him into retirement in scenic Albany, Oregon. He died there on June 25, 1982; his ashes later scattered over his beloved Clear Lake.

Twelve years earlier, he had donated his trophies to Georgia Tech. Today, Lonoke County and the 501 remain proud of that award-winning native son.

501 LIFE is once again profiling noteworthy athletes, men and women who made their mark in the 501. The “Celebrating athletic excellence” series features one from each of the 11 counties in the 501. The 11 are representatives of the quality of athletes found throughout Central Arkansas. This is the sixth of 11 installments in the fourth “Celebrating athletic excellence” series.

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CELEBRATE

Making the most of a tough situation, Jim (from left), Linda, John Mark and Jenni Henderson posed for a fun Christmas card.

Have a 501 Christmas during the pandemic!

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like

Christmas” — in so many ways that old song is true, but in many other ways, Christmas in the days of COVID-19 looks a whole lot different. For so many, 2020 has been a year filled with chaos, confusion and fear and many have binged on a little more television than we care to admit.

America is slowly emerging from the stay-at-home precautions. We are gradually returning to gathering with groups of people and social distancing is starting to loosen up.

In most years, by now my calendar is full of engagements, events and family get-togethers. This year, there are a few things on my December agenda and what is typically a very busy time has been full of cancellations and postponements. The pandemic of 2020 has left me with a little bit of a “bah humbug” attitude.

So, to beat the “bah humbugs” let’s develop some holiday plans. Why not scale down our holiday celebrations this year? Why not create a cozier and more intimate Christmas festival? Let’s bring fewer people together and have more 60 | 501 LIFE December 2020

time with our immediate family members.

Use Christmastime to build memories of simple gifts and homemade food as we decorate our homes in a way that reflects our family.

I am planning to celebrate Christmas with easy recipes. I am going to decorate our home with less clutter and more natural decorations, using family keepsakes, old found items, cozy fabrics and uncomplicated table décor. I’m going to use more prepared foods and paper goods. I want to spend more time with my loved ones and less time on the details of party preparation. I am going to bake and cook, but my menu will include more soups and stews rather than items requiring lots of ingredients and complicated cooking techniques.

I’m also going to throw in a few old Christmas cartoons from my childhood to watch on evenings that may have been filled with parties or outings in previous years. We will also watch our favorite Christmas movie — you know the one with the Red Ryder BB gun. Watching that movie is a Christmas night tradition

Linda Henderson Jim and Linda Henderson are lifelong residents of the 501. They travel the 501 and other areas of Arkansas. Jim drives and hauls equipment.

Linda takes photographs of Arkansas. During their travels, they have gained appreciation and love for The Natural State.

They have found the 501 has so much to offer for fun and beauty to photograph.

in the Henderson household.

To recognize the impact that COVID-19 has had on our families and nation, you might stage a mask-wearing family picture. Taking a quick snapshot with everyone wearing a mask, or have family members hold rolls of toilet paper and paper towels, cans of disinfectant spray and wipes. Or, you could place a sixfoot tape measure between groups of family.

This could be a fun way to remember this crazy year.

Yes, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas and it is time to celebrate the upcoming season. We have endured a lot this year, but in all things, we can find the positive. Our homes have provided shelter and protection from an invisible airborne enemy.

This year, staying at home and attending small gatherings has never been more important for protecting ourselves and others against the virus. It remains important to approach the holidays in a way that is simple, healthy and safe.

Simple decorations greet visitors at the Henderson’s cabin on Snowlick Mountain.

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Santa’s face has changed a little through the decades, but he still has rosy cheeks and a bag of toys for children.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 61

NEIGHBORS - Mount Vernon

After 51 years, bread starter still produces smiles Photos and story by Stefanie Brazile

A

Suzann Waggoner displays breads and desserts made from her 51-year-old bread starter, which is sitting in a ceramic crock above the cake.

62 | 501 LIFE December 2020

s fear of the coronavirus rose this year, so did a renewed love of home arts. People across the country spruced up yards and homes to the extent their DIY (do-it-yourself) talents would allow. Similarly, quarantine required more cooking at home and many people wanted to learn to make homemade sourdough bread, which begins with a healthy starter.

A 501 neighbor has bragging rights for a 51-year-old starter that began its journey on the West Coast, was flown to Florida, and eventually found its home in Central Arkansas.

Suzann Waggoner was living in Green Spot, Calif., with her husband and young son when she decided to experience the flavor of the Golden State, especially the famed sourdough bread of San Francisco. She opened her 1908 “White House Cookbook” and began the starter on the same day her first daughter was born — March 4, 1969.

"My daughter teases that I'll never forget her birthday because of the starter," Suzann said.

An award-winning artist of national acclaim, Suzann blends the old with the new in her spacious art studio in Mount Vernon.

It has a full kitchen, large island and a variety of wooden boards that she uses to knead the dough, including her grandmother's breadboard from 1916.

With a soothing, storytelling voice, she spoke about the necessity of bread starters, from the pioneers crossing the country on foot behind lumbering wagons to her modern small crockery pot, which is taken from the refrigerator every 10 to 14 days to make bread to share with neighbors, a 24-hour process.

She explained that there are two kinds of starters. One is created from a mixture of soured whole milk and unbleached bread flour. The other is made from water, purchased yeast and flour.

"There's a mystery about this starter," Suzann said. "In the past, most everybody had a starter to work from. Even my 1879 recipe book said that everyone cooked from a ‘starter sponge’ to make good, light, sweet bread. This homemade yeast was made

From one starter, many baked goods can be made: traditional and braided loaves, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, fruit bread and two types of French bread.

every few days to retain its freshness and flavor. It was never allowed to sour because the cookbook says, ‘Sour bread should never be eaten if you desire good health,’ … however, you think about those gold miners, that's all they had."

As she continued to tell stories about the importance of bread as a dietary staple of both pioneers and modern culture, sunlight drifted in windows and highlighted the island, which was filled with sourdough delicacies, including traditional and braided loaves, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, fruit bread and two types of French bread.

"The bread is cooked at 450 degrees for 50 minutes," she said. "If you let it go cold, it isn't edible and you'll have to saw it. It's so hearty that you could put it into a saddlebag and it wouldn't be harmed.

They could rip off what they wanted, warm it, and it was delightful."

A gifted storyteller, Suzann recalled visiting a San Francisco bakery 11 years ago with her son to learn how they made vast amounts of bread each day.

"I knew that starter (pointing to her small crock) wasn't going to make a thousand loaves. They were making too much bread to have a starter that looks like that.

"I wandered outside and a man was leaning against the back door, smoking a cigarette, and everything he had cooked that day was in some representation on his apron. I asked if I could talk to him and he said, ‘Lady, as long as it's not about sourdough.’ And I said, ‘Well, you're out of luck. I need to know about your starter.'"

Another funny story is how she

transported her small, lidded crock from the West Coast to the Sunshine State in her lap. In a time before airlines monitored every item brought onto a plane, Suzann carried it into airports, treating it like a small baby that had to be nurtured. Today, she is proud to have a delicious starter that is more than a half-century old. She is a bread expert with written advice on how to maintain a starter if it develops one of several problems, including "the sickies."

People from as far away as Northern Missouri have traveled to get some of her liquid gold. In the meantime, she continues to open the simple crock a couple of times a month to pour out a cup, make the dough, and knead it by hand, just as the pioneers did 150 years ago.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 63

NEIGHBORS conway

FOUNDER SAYS ‘ TWENTIETH RUN MUST GO ON’

By Dwain Hebda

I

n a year of upheaval, morsels of normalcy are hard to come by. But for one Conway retiree, December will bring an event 20 years in the making. And he can’t bring himself not to be there.

“This has become my Christmas,” said Steve “Painter” Polk, founder of the Conway Regional Toy Run. “I get together with all my biker friends, make new biker friends and new regular friends on this.

This is to the point that there are people that come every single year. Some people even schedule their vacation around this.

It’s amazing what’s happened.”

The 2020 Conway Regional Toy Run, slated for Dec. 12, delivers toys to children receiving treatment at Conway Regional Hospital. For 20 years, the event has brought a long line of bikers, up to 500 of them, to the hospital’s door, bearing 700 toys last year and 1,000 the year before that.

“The program I have set up is that every child that is checked into Conway Regional Hospital gets a toy of his or her own,” Polk said. “Once they receive this toy, it’s their toy. They take it home with them.

“It’s basically to relieve stress. A lot of these children, it’s the first time they’ve ever been in the hospital and they’re getting poked, prodded and everything else.”

Painter—so nicknamed for his career painting aircraft for Falcon Dassault —has long had a soft spot for children with health issues.

“I was out in California visiting my family out there and I have a nephew that has a disease that cannot be cured.

I live here, he lives there, so I can’t do it for him,” he said. “Since I can’t do it for him, I decided to help kids here. A friend of mine’s child was in the hospital and so I went to the hospital here. I asked where their playroom was, what they had for the kids, movies or whatever. They said they don’t have a budget for it. So, I said, ‘Let me see what I can do.”

Two decades ago, the inaugural run included just Polk and two couples: Vicki and Ross Scalise, and Mike and Roxanne Ford. After that, the event grew modestly until about 10 years ago when social media started to accelerate participation. That, and Polk’s tireless promotion of the annual run statewide.

64 | 501 LIFE December 2020

The Conway Regional Toy Run is celebrating two decades of delivering toys to children in the hospital. Founder Steve “Painter” Polk encourages people to bring a toy(s) on Dec. 12 to Toad Suck Harley Davidson for lunch and to caravan to the hospital. (Photo by Donald Brazile)

“I do a lot of traveling to promote this,” he said. “I’m on the bike a lot all over the state of Arkansas promoting this. I’ve been doing it the same way for close to 20 years and it works. We have a good crowd every year.

“I’m the one that started this toy run, I’m the one that runs this toy run, and I make sure everything is done right.”

Of course, rolling up to a hospital in the era of COVID-19 means some new precautionary steps. Toys will still be dropped off outside, weather permitting, and masks will be required. Other safety details are still being worked out.

“When we roll up at the hospital, there’s a fountain that they have a big ol’ Christmas tree in,” Polk said. “If it’s not raining, we’ll stack up the toys around that Christmas tree.

“I’ve got a couple rule changes I’ve got to go by this year, which I’m not happy about, but it’s for safety reasons. You will have to wear a mask this year. One thing is, we take a yearly picture at the hospital.

If you don’t have a mask on, you can’t participate in the picture.”

Participation is simple. Show up at Toad Suck Harley-Davidson in Conway starting at noon on Dec. 12 for a cookout and fellowship, and then head out at 2 p.m. to deliver to the hospital. All you really need is a new toy (or several), Polk said.

Even a motorcycle is optional.

“I don’t care if they’ve got a minivan. We had one girl ride a scooter one year,” he said. “Just show up.”

For more information, see facebook.com/ConwayRegionalToyRun

SPECIAL FRIENDS

Sassy Stella

Meet that dog that can roll her eyes, her big beautiful eyes!

FULL NAME/BREED/AGE: Stella is a 3-year-old merle mini labradoodle who belongs to Mary Hartman.

HOW DID YOU MEET STELLA? We first met when Stella was just nineweeks-old. I instantly fell in love and we have been best friends ever since.

CAN SHE DO ANY TRICKS? Stella can do most basic tricks like sit and stay, but her specialty is rolling her eyes and being sassy.

WHAT ELSE IS SPECIAL ABOUT HER? She is very loyal and gets along great with other pets, even cats.

WHAT IS HER FAVORITE TREAT? Stella loves mini milk bones.

WHO TAKES CARE OF STELLA? Stella loves her vet at Hartman Animal Hospital.

December 2020 501lifemag.com | 65

NEIGHBORS person of the month

Kara

Jones

CITY: Morrilton.

EDUCATION: Graduate of Morrilton High

School; Master of Science in Education, University of Central Arkansas.

WORK:

University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM), Education and Early Childhood Development Faculty for 10 years. We also have a small beef cattle farm.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR FIELD: Due to the

purposeful work and outreach of many, UACCM has increased diversity and inclusion in students, faculty, staff and in programs. So, being a part of the faculty not only fulfills my love of education, but it fulfills my love of people. My hope is that people leave our campus with confidence, perspective and purpose.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

Main Street Morrilton Board of Directors, Farmers’ Market, Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

CHURCH ACTIVITIES:

Eucharistic Minister at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

FAMILY:

Husband, Larry, and three children ages 17, 13 and 8.

MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION:

A collection of plants that I have received from family and friends over the years, especially a red rose bush gifted to me by my grandmother. As she moved from Arkansas, to Texas, to Oklahoma, the rose bush travelled with her. She eventually gave it to me unceremoniously (as was her way) in a black plastic bag. It sits outside my patio and is always in full bloom on May 15, the anniversary of her passing.

My cousin, Jamie, took a cutting and started a new rose bush, so we could both have part of it.

MOST ENJOYED WEEKEND ACTIVITY:

I enjoy trails that end in waterfalls, two lane road trips, camping, helping vegetables and flowers grow, lazy lawn chair conversations and finding a dive food place where the burgers are served in paper boats.

I LOVE LIVING IN THE 501 BECAUSE: I love the hearts, the beautiful

backdrops, and that with a 30-minute drive, I can either be in a forest where all I can hear are leaves dropping or a fun venue with friends listening to local musicians.

ONE LAST THING:

During Christmas, remember the importance of supporting local businesses and that time spent making memories is a great gift.

66 | 501 LIFE December 2020

A Growing Health System for a Growing Community

New Medical Offices

More Specialists

Expanded Access

Innovative Services

Brock King, MD, FACS Stay close to home for the most advanced care. Dr. Brock King is a board certified surgeon offering a wide range of general, bariatric, and vascular procedures, providing high-quality, compassionate care from surgery to recovery. When you need surgical excellence, look no further than Conway Regional.

We’re not just growing—we’re growing together.

#conwayregional December 2020 501lifemag.com | 67

T O G E T H E R FO R Better.

Arkansans appreciate community. We work and raise families. Care for our neighbors. And come together in good times and bad. At First Security, that local strength is what we love best about our home state. There is commitment here. And heart. And hope. Thank you to everyone who is standing together, learning from one another, and making Arkansas a place we all love to call home.

68 | 501 LIFE December 2020 Member FDIC

We’re proud to be your community bank.