ABOUT | April 2019

HOPE & HEA LING

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley

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HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

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SIMPLY SUBLIME

brings to the stage . . .

April 25, 26, 27 - 7:00 pm / April 28 - 2:00 pm 2209 S Knoxville Avenue, Russellville, AR 479-498-6600 www.russellvillecenter.net

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What’s there to do about the river valley?

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April 2019

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

8 A Place of Hope and Healing

The building is located in the former home of Alfred and Marjorie Crabaugh, two people who served the Russellville community proudly. Now, a decade after their deaths, it’s been made a safe place for the most vulnerable of our community.

14 Never take candy from strangers

16 A Humble Beginning

The story of a house is much more than its location. It’s the story of all those who lived within its walls. It’s the story of the community around it, both neighbors and visitors passing through, and more. I am the house at 500 South Denver Avenue in Russellville.

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22 Simply Sublime

How do you know if you’re visiting a quality restaurant? It’s not always the case, but you can often get some idea of how good the food is going to be based on the decor, lighting, and appointments of a restaurant. It tells you if this restaurateur understands eye appeal. Done right, it creates a slow-burn anticipation.

34 Don’t Be a Sucker 36 A nearby faraway

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

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ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVER A faceless child adds her hand to the two wall mural that decorates the interior of the River Valley Child Advocacy Center in Russellville. Though these hands are placed anonymously, they serve as a reminder of the bittersweet reality that this center faces day to day.

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151 E. Aspen Lane, Russellville, AR 72802 • Phone: 479-967-1117 • Fax: 479-967-0089 • www.centralarkansassurgical.com APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Out of the darkness If you take a gander at the calendar in this issue of ABOUT, you’ll note that the month of April is bursting with activities in much the same way your yard is likely bursting with the green of new vegetation.

After the cold months and the schizophrenic days of March, we want to celebrate April with its soft dewy mornings, fresh breezes, and the promise of warmer weather from here on out.

Even though it’s colored in pastels and adorned with Easter eggs, April also reminds us that it’s not all about flowers and sunshine. We celebrate the light because it brings us out of the dark.

April is also Child Abuse Prevention Month.

One of the most horrifying aspects of child abuse is right there in the tag — it’s borne by the most vulnerable among us.

And the tragedy doesn’t end at childhood.

Mental and even physical ailments ranging from PTSD, depression and anxiety to migraines, heart disease, and stroke can all be lingering symptoms of childhood physical

or sexual abuse. With bad news inundating us every day, we often wonder aloud just what is wrong with our world. It’s clear that the root of our problems is very likely the sad and vicious cycles of child abuse stretching back generations before us.

But with increased awareness of abuse along with a deeper understanding of effective treatments, change is happening; it’s happening right now and right here in the River Valley.

Our cover story for April is the River Valley Child Advocacy Center in Russellville. Writer Hannah Butler spent some time with RVCAC staff along with a victim of child abuse and her mother, and she came away both heart-broken and filled with hope. Beautiful new beginnings can arise from the ashes of abuse, but not without the help of listening ears, comforting hands, knowledgable minds, and loving hearts. Thankfully, RVCAC offers all of this to those that need them most.

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley since 2006 A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XIV, Issue3 – April 2019

DIANNE EDWARDS | founding editor JOHNNY CARROL SAIN | managing editor johnny@aboutrvmag.com LIZ CHRISMAN | photography editor lizchrismanphoto@gmail.com BENITA DREW | advertising benita@aboutrvmag.com MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS | freelance meredith@aboutrvmag.com JILL MCSHEEHY | freelance jill@aboutrvmag.com SARAH CLOWER | freelance sarah@aboutrvmag.com LYDIA ZIMMERMAN | columnist lydia@aboutrvmag.com CHRIS ZIMMERMAN | layout/design chris@aboutrvmag.com CLIFF THOMAS | illustrator maddsigntist@aboutrvmag.com

ABOUT… the River Valley is locally owned and published for distribution by direct mail and targeted delivery to those interested in the Arkansas River Valley.

Material contained in this issue may not be copied or reproduced without written consent.

Inquiries may be made by calling (479) 219-5031.

Office: 220 East 4th Street Email: info@aboutrvmag.com Postmaster: Please send address changes to: One14 Productions 220 East 4th Street Russellville, AR 72801

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adver ti si ng

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

Chris

ZIMMERMAN

l ayou t/ d e s ig n

(479) 264- 2438

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THOMAS

il l u s tr a to r

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 2019 5th-7th — Wildflower Weekend at Petit

Jean State Park. Discover a host of colorful wildflowers that make Petit Jean State Park their home. Family-friendly wildflower talks, guided walks, and other programs are offered. For more info contact 501-727-5441.

6th — Bash at the Ballpark 2019 from 11

a.m.-1 p.m. at Baswell Field on the Arkansas Tech University campus. The 6th Annual Bash at the Ballpark will bring music, food, prizes and other activities in conjunction with the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys’ baseball game against Northwestern Oklahoma. First pitch for the game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Admission to both Bash at the Ballpark and the game will be free and open to the public. For more info please call the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce at 968-2530.

7th — River Valley Arts Center Gallery Opening High School Competition. For more info contact 968-2452.

12th —Outdoor Women Learning Skills

(O.W.L.S.) at Lake Dardanelle State Park from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Visitor Center. Join Lake Dardanelle State Park staff for O.W.L.S. (Outdoor Women Learning Skills), a program series designed to give ladies the opportunity to explore the available recreation at Lake Dardanelle and the

Find up-to-date information and future events @

www.aboutrvmag.com/events surrounding area, by learning skills and knowledge needed to enjoy nature. The series is one evening a month for 6 months, you can come to one or come to them all.

Each month we will cover a new topic.

April’s topic is fishing. Admission is $20.

Pre-registration is required for each date and includes dinner.

12th -13th — Bass Pro Shops Crappie

Masters Tournament at Lake Dardanelle State Park. Sixty boat limit. For more info visit www.crappiemasters.net.

26th-27th — RussVegas Half Marathon. For more info visit www.russvegashalf.com.

27th

— Girl Scout Workshop at Lake Dardanelle State Park. Registration for the workshop will be $7 and is open for girls of all ages. Workshop is limited to 50 participants. Pre-registration is required. For more info contact 967-5516.

27th — pARTy in the Park. A free com-

munity event located at the River Valley Arts Center and City Park from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

27th — Pope County Spring CleanUp from 7 a.m. - noon. Dumpsters will be located at the Pope County Road Department, located at #5 County Complex off of Weir Road. No burn barrels. Items accept-

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21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 *Unless otherwise indicated, all area codes are 479. To have your event included in the ABOUT Calendar of Events, email: editor@aboutrvmag.com or fax to (479) 219-5031. Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication.

ed include: trash (must be in bags), metals, tires (not on rims), appliances, batteries, paint (oil base only), household hazardous materials, etc. (antifreeze, insecticides, herbicides, spray paint, etc). Items NOT accepted include: household trash, yard waste (tree limbs, stumps, etc.), latex paint and medication. Recycle bins available for paper, cardboard, aluminum, plastics, glass (no windows or door glass), and e-waste (computers, printers, tv’s, etc.)

May 4th — Pope County Master Gardner’s Plant Sale from 8 a.m.-noon at the Pope County Fairgrounds

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~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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A Place of Hope and Healing Story by HANNAH BUTLER Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

T

he building is located in the former home of Alfred and Marjorie Crabaugh, two people who served the Russellville community proudly.

Alfred as the dean of Arkansas Tech University, and Marjorie as the

founder of local chapters of the Salvation Army, Girl Scouts and more. Now, a decade after their deaths, it’s been made a safe place for the most vulnerable of our community.

Inside the River Valley Child Advocacy Center, a painted winding tree and an owl adorns the wall along with an array of small handprints. Each print represents a physically and/or sexually abused child. There are so many handprints — round palms and stubby fingers, swirls and whorls of each unique little fingerprint captured in all the colors of the rainbow. Your heart breaks at the sight.

Yet, there is also a feeling of relief. With the advocacy center here in the River valley, children receive the help they deserve.

The number of children helped — 225 since its opening in 2018 — is stagger-

ing. But the number is an abstraction. The handprints make it real.

RVCAC offers guidance and assistance through every step of the journey out of abuse, the sometimes lengthy and tiresome legal battles, the aftermath of trauma and emotional damage. It’s also a place of comfort for the children where they can calm themselves in a play room complete with a tiny train station and plastic cars instead of a cold investigation room.

APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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“Trauma-focused therapy is designed to help that child deal with that grief now so it doesn’t affect their adult life.”

The non-profit has three services for families: forensic interviews, advocacy, and trauma-focused therapy. RVCAC is in the process of adding a medical unit where children will be able to receive on-site sexual assault exams. “Every service we provide to families is at no cost,” says Marilyn Sanders, RVCAC executive director.

Forensic interviews are conducted in a small room that could almost be a closet. The cozy and intimate setting with only two chairs helps put children at ease. There’s also a drawing board, a way for children to express themselves when words don’t easily come. The interviews are a delicate matter. Abused children often lose trust, and trust in the interviewer is vital because everything moving forward hinges on the interview.

“The child and I will come in this little room by ourselves.” explains Marilyn. “While I’m doing the interview it’s all recorded, and the investigators of the case are in the observation room watching the interview while it’s taking place.” The recordings serve as a critical investigatory tool, allowing agencies to share information to further their sexual abuse investigation while not burdening the child with multiple interviews that can be traumatic. It’s not always an easy task. Everything must come from the child with no prompts from the interviewer.

“Sometimes kids are just not ready to tell.” said Marilyn, “If they’re not ready to disclose, they’re not ready to disclose.”

There are also children who are afraid they’ll get someone in trouble, so they protect their abuser. Sometimes it’s a parent. Sometimes the abuser is all the child has left.

“Kids still love their parents, no matter what,” says Marilyn.

If a child discloses with Marilyn, the center can then offer trauma-focused therapy. Therapy takes place outside of the center using trained counselors that see victims of child abuse every day. “If you talk to adult survivors of sexual abuse, it’s affected their adult life,” Marylin says.

“Trauma-focused therapy is designed to help that child deal with that grief now so it doesn’t affect their adult life.”

Throughout all of this, RVCAC staff and volunteers offer support and compassion to the families as the child is in the midst of the interview process. “Each family’s going to vary, they’re going to be different,” says family advocate Amy Gray. “You’ve got your families that come in that are angry. You’ve got your families that come in that are just horribly devastated and crying and upset. And then you’ve got someplace right in the middle. You also realize that everything you speak to them about when they first come in here, they’re going to forget when they leave here. They’ve got so much going on that you can’t expect them to remember these things.”

RVCAC also takes care of keeping the household running, ensuring utilities are paid, services rendered, and generating therapy referrals.

The advocates also provide transportation, food, and clothing. “Let’s see what we can do to make your life okay, “ Amy says, “so you can make this child’s life okay.”

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

Eleven facts about child abuse from dosomething.org 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Approximately 5 children die every day because of child abuse.

1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach age 18.

90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way. 68 percent are abused by a family member.

In 2012, 82.2 percent of child abuse perpetrators were found to be between the ages of 18-44, of which 39.6 percent were recorded to be between the ages of 25-34.

In the United States, more than 4 children die from child abuse and neglect on a daily basis.

Over 70 percent of these children are below the age of 3.

Boys (48.5 percent) and girls (51.2 percent) become victims at nearly the same rate.

2.9 million cases of child abuse are reported every year in the United States.

Children who experience child abuse and neglect are 59 percent more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30 percent more likely to commit a violent crime.

About 80 percent of 21-year-olds who were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.

14 percent of all men and 36 percent of all women in prison were abused as children.

Abused children are less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for STDs. They’re also 25 percent more likely to experience teen pregnancy

APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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Editor’s note: Names have been changed in accordance with HIPPA law To truly understand what RVCAC does, it’s best to follow a case.

When Sharon found out about what happened to her daughter Karen, she was angry. Ready-to-take-action-angry. “The ball dropped,” Sharon said. “All rationality went out the window.” She

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

wanted justice for her daughter.

RVCAC persuaded Sharon that there was a better way to handle the situation, and the family embraced the support and care that the center offered. It didn’t stop there, though.

Amy referred Sharon and Karen to counselor Sherry Tatman.

During the nine months that Karen saw Sherry, Amy transported her to and from the sessions.

Karen is outgoing, bright and has such a kind heart. But with

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certain triggers, it’s like a a switch flips. Karen regularly uses the techniques she was taught in counseling. “Now she’s able to channel it and process it,” said Sharon. Karen’s handprint is number 54 on the wall. It’s purple. Or pink. She can’t remember. Karen is now also a part of Bikers Against Child Abuse, thanks to a referral

by RVCAC. She even has her own biker name: “Little Shooter.”

“It’s because she shoots for the stars,” Sharon says. “I am very proud of her.”

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Because staff and employees of RVCAC see what Sharon and Karen and other families go through every day, being employed at RVCAC requires a degree of emotional disconnect.

It will affect you. Coping skills are a requirement for the job, and friends and family often can’t fathom the deep emotional toll.

Because of this, emotional outlets are important. Marilyn goes to great lengths to ensure stability in regards to the mental and emotional health of her staff, finding unique ways to cope together. She often plans group activities that include everyone. Next month, they go to an escape room. “We work very hard to have a good team,” Marylin says. “We joke around, be silly, go get lunch together.” Sometimes we cry, sometimes we cuss, sometimes we, you know, scream.”

“We have a great relationship with our team, and I think if we didn’t have that it would be harder than what it is,” echoes Amy. Through the efforts of each investigator, counselor, and advocate, RVCAC offers gentleness and comfort to each and every child and their family. The center provides an outlet to handle emotional injuries in a healthy way. It’s a place where children are able to receive what was once robbed of them — safety, security, trust, and even the glimmer of hope for better days ahead.

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~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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E V E R Y D AY L I F E

Never take candy from strangers Story by SARAH CLOWER | Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS

EASTER IS A TIME FOR REPLENISHMENT AND RENEWAL, new beginnings and gratefulness. Stores are lined with flowers, pastels, every variety of marshmallow animals, and your favorite chocolate bar reshaped into egg form. The vast array of plastic eggs is also quite impressive.

One year, Raff and I were invited to attend a large Easter egg hunt hosted by a local church. However, it was pouring outside when it came time for the hunt.

The organizers of the event decided it would still go on but be moved indoors.

Volunteers were asked to help hide eggs around the building and instructed about where to hide or not hide them.

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

The kids were moved to the sanctuary and every attempt was made to keep them occupied while the eggs were being hidden. But the children were so excited about the impending treasure hunt that the large room was at a raucous. Excitement thrummed through the air.

After keeping about 50 children entertained for what seemed like an hour, but in reality was only about 30 minutes, a tall woman with an orange cone-shaped megaphone announced “please line up by the door for the egg hunt!” The children immediately did as they were told, Easter baskets were passed out to everyone, and the room fell quiet while everyone waited with bated breath for the signal.

“Let the hunt begin!”

The heavy wooden double doors of the sanctuary were opened and the children burst out of the room like a coke bottle that had been shaken before being uncapped.

I tried to keep up with Raff, but lost sight of him in the melee. Children were running and squealing with delight as they found eggs and placed them in their baskets. It was pure pandemonium but such a joyous cacophony.

I rounded the corner in my search for Raff and found him standing next to an elderly man in a wheelchair. The pair looked as if they were discussing something very important. As I approached

them, I saw that Raff’s basket was filled to the brim with eggs.

“I see you found a lot of eggs. Highfive, buddy!” I said as Raff and I slapped our hands together.

“Yeah, I think I found enough, I was going to let the other kids find the rest.

Plus I’ll get way more candy at MeMe and PapPaw’s house later,” he said with a very obvious wink.

I tousled his hair and then held out my hand to the man in the wheelchair.

“Hello, I’m Raff’s mom, Sarah,” I said as we shook hands.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Stanley,” he said.

“This nice young man helped me get over the door threshold over there in the floor. I couldn’t get my wheels over it and he came to help and pushed me over it.

And I gave him a piece of candy. I bought a lot of Easter candy to donate to the church to be put into the eggs and had forgotten about it. So I just decided to bring it anyway and pass it out. I can’t eat candy anymore with these things.” He flashed a wide smile to show his dentures.

“Well that was very kind of you Mr. Stanley,” I said.

“Go ahead and open up that candy and tell me what you think. That used to be one of my favorites when I was young,” Mr. Stanley said.

Raff reached into his pocket and pulled

out a gold foil wrapped candy and opened it.

I saw Raff make a weird face as he said “It looks kind of —“ I cut him off with a loud clearing of my throat. Raff looked up at me annoyed.

He popped the candy in his mouth and began to chew it. His eyes got wide and he stopped chewing and I could tell he was wanting to spit it out.

“Well what do you think? It’s good, huh?” Mr. Stanley said.

Raff looked up at me helplessly. My eyes widened and I raised one eyebrow and pursed my lips. Raff shook his head slightly and I leaned over and discreetly pinched the back of his arm. He chewed quickly and swallowed the candy.

“It was good,” Raff managed to say. He turned to me looking a bit sallow. “I need a drink of water. Right now.”

“Well Mr Stanley, it was nice to meet you, but we have to get going. And thank you, again, for the candy.” We waved goodbye and I took Raff’s hand and lead him to the bathroom. If I remembered correctly, there was a water fountain near the bathrooms.

We rounded the corner and nearly bumped into a woman.

“Oh I’m sorry, excuse us,” I said.

“Oh you’re fine, I was walking too fast anyway. I’ve got to find my father. Have you seen an older man in a wheelchair

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thas a sack of candy with him? Last week he found that sack of candies in his closet that he had bought when he found out that his favorite candy was not going to be made anymore so he bought tons of it. He wanted to bring it to pass out to the children, but I wouldn’t let him. But that ol’ stinker sneaked them anyway. I only refused to let him because that bag of candy has to be 10-15 years old! I can’t imagine what they would taste like,” she said.

I suddenly began to feel really bad for Raff. I pointed in the direction in which we had come. “I think we saw him down that hallway,” I said.

“Thanks!” The woman said and walked away.

“See mom! I wanted to spit it out but no! You made me eat 15-year-old candy!

I’m probably poisoned!” Raff hissed.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re not poisoned, but I am sorry. But still. He wanted to you to like that candy as much as he did. He would have been so sad if you had spit it out,” I said.

“I know, but it was awful. And what happened to the whole ‘never take candy from strangers’ rule?’” Raff asked.

“Yeah that’s a good one. I’ll try to remember that if we see Mr. Stanley again so that I won’t have to eat his old candy,” I said to Raff with a grin.

“Ugh” Raff said, annoyed with me, “You owe me one, Mom!”

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~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

15

The Biography of a house: PART 1

A Humble Beginning Story by SALLY LATHAM LAWRENCE Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

The story of a house is much more than its location. It’s the story of all those who lived within its walls. It's the story of the community around it, both neighbors and visitors passing through. It is the story of existence at its most foundational level — eating and sleeping, being sick and being well, sometimes including the first gasp of air that is life or the final exhalation of a soul moving beyond the structure of its existence.

The story of a house is one of incarnation and reincarnation, the hopes and dreams of evolving ever outward, ever inward, ever pleasing with the passing of each fad and tradition into new ways of being. That's my experience, anyway, and I have lived a good long time.

I am the house at 500 South Denver Avenue in Russellville.

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

APRIL APRIL 2019 2019

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When I was first finished in 1858, I was the Torrence Place or sometimes Ezra's House. At that time, the path before me was known as the Buffalo Road. Even today on warm August afternoons I often imagine the great buffalo herds moving slowly past, making their way down to the river.

In the days of the buffalo, the native Quapaw owned this valley and called it Chactus Prairie. Over time, as I often heard in my younger days, they were joined by the Cherokee, Chocktaw, and other tribes pushed westward from their homelands. As Native tribes and then Euro-Americans pushed through, the buffalo receded. A French man named Dardene homesteaded Chactus Prairie, and for a long time after that it was thought to be a good place for raising cows.

Just one quarter mile north of me, an old military road crosses Buffalo Road. Today the signs show that Main Street crosses Denver Avenue, but if you could see it with my eyes, you would imagine two dusty dirt tracks that brought men and their families from far to the north and far to the east, as far away as the sea.

They came here to the edge of the westward expansion,and many stayed because beyond us was Indian Territory. Some could not bear to stay because beyond even that was the promise of gold.

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

They came here to the edge of the westward expansion, and many stayed because beyond us was Indian Territory. Some could not bear to stay because beyond even that was the promise of gold.

Yes, the intersection of the buffalo and military roads was the most important in the entire valley. I have heard some of the most important people say so, I'm sure.

The property at the cross-roads is the reason I came into existence. You see, about the time the Torrence family arrived here from Gaston County, North Carolina, the Shinn brothers (also Carolinians) had their eye on the southeast corner. Silas tells the story in his own book, which I have heard him read with my own ears, if houses could be said to have ears.

That Silas Shinn, he was a wild one. He had the gold fever and had already been out to California twice to seek his fortune. He was the youngest of the Shinn brothers. The Shinns and Harkeys came out to the valley around 1840, led by eldest brother Ransom. At the time, Ransom would have been in his 50s, brother James Madison in his 40s, and Silas in his early 30s.

Well as Silas tells it, brother Madison tried to get him to calm down. Tried opening a tannery not far from where I stand, but they soon tired of it and set their eyes on the property at the cross-roads. There, Silas said, there you could make your fortune just as Samuel Brannan had done.

Brannan was well-known in San Francisco – the very man who spread the word of the California Gold Rush in 1849, and the first millionaire it produced. But Brannan made every penny while staying nice and comfortable inside his store selling pick axes and gold pans to the miners.

Dr. Russell owned the land all along the north side of the military road. There were plans afoot already to erect a Presbyterian church there along with the sorts of buildings a town needs to conduct its business.

Coke Darnull owned the southeast corner of the intersection. It was only the corner lot. James Madison owned all the land one block south and beyond, far past what anyone thought was valuable. All that land but not the one piece that mattered most.

Silas Shinn

Jacob Shinn

APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

19

It is a lovely place, this valley. Hot for only a few weeks in August and frozen for only a few weeks in January.

Yet there are hazards — mosquitoes that bring malaria, typhoid outbreaks, and other illnesses against which Dr. Russell had no remedy.

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

The Shinns banded together – Silas, James Madison, and Ransom's son Jacob who was about Silas’ age. They formed a partnership with Coke Darnull and arranged to sell the southern-most land in Madison's holdings.

With the money, they built a great store where anyone who came west from Little Rock or south from Missouri might stop and purchase whatever they needed for their journey from pick axes to pocket watches. If they came up from the river, why even better. And eventually they might come from the railroad depot, for Dr. Russell and the rest of the townsmen were already holding secret meetings about that.

But let us go back in time a little further, just a few years earlier. On the far side of the valley, down by the riv-

er at Galla Creek, there was a farmer named Lawson Torrence. He was also a youngest son, and oh, he lived an unsettled life. One of the letters his daughter Emily sent home to the family in North Carolina prompted a response from brother John. Having just married off his eldest daughter, John made a decision to support Lawson and his family, as well as the other pioneers who had come out to the valley unprepared for a settler’s life. It was a religious commitment to him. He was a high elder in the Presbyterian Church and knew from Emily’s letters that a great effort was underway to build a congregation in the valley.

It is a lovely place, this valley. Hot for only a few weeks in August and frozen for only a few weeks in January.

Yet there are hazards — mosquitoes

that bring malaria, typhoid outbreaks, and other illnesses against which Dr. Russell had no remedy. It was therefore with grave concern that John prayed with his brother Ezra and determined that he and his family would come to support Lawson and the rest of the community in the wilds of Arkansas.

They arrived in 1854. John brought his wife, a young son, and his seven other daughters. They sought a home near to whatever civilization could be found and purchased 40 acres from the Shinns, including a tannery. Within a few years, likely in response to a letter written by Cousin Emily, Ezra came out as well to minister to the people with what carpentry skills he’d gained from overseeing the construction of the new church in Gaston County, NC. He brought with him a plan for a different type of frontier home.

No more should pioneers live in cabins built from rough-cut logs as Ransom did.

The logs were fast disappearing northward anyway. The steam age brought with it saw mills, so that sawn timbers and clapboard siding were readily available. With his simple plan for an L-shaped house that offered a private accommodation on one side, Ezra would help the pioneers create modern homes that would stand the test of time.

I was the first house Ezra built. The story of his brief life is just one of those that make up who I am.

APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

21

Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

KASPER’S (479) 647-4332 | 501 N. JOHNSON CLARKSVILLE

Simply Sublime How do you know if you’re visiting a quality restaurant?

It’s not always the case, but you can often get some idea of how good the food will be based on the decor, lighting, and appointments. It tells you if this restaurateur understands eye appeal. Done right, it creates a slow-burn anticipation.

Smell is also important. The sense of smell is really just an extension of taste, or maybe it’s vice-versa. Regardless, the two are intertwined so tightly that we barely notice any separation. So when you walk past the kitchen — really, it should be soon after you walk in the door or maybe even before — savory scents will tickle your nose and tease your taste buds awake.

The eyes come back into play with the presentation. Doesn’t matter if its appe-

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

tizers, the main course, or dessert, how it’s served sets the stage for the final act and ultimate test.

If you’ve made it this far and checked off every box, tasting the food should be a delicious but expected climax. Sometimes it goes beyond that. And sometimes the combination of sensory input creates a holistic experience you simply weren’t prepared for.

Such was our experience at Kasper’s in Clarksville.

We sampled several dishes from a fresh salad with house dressing, to a roasted red pepper bisque, to salmon sliders with coleslaw, to arguably the best ribeye we’ve ever had, to sweet and tangy cheese cake shooters, and every one was perfection. The next dish was as delectable as the last. The total experience… simply sublime.

APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

23

C O U N T E R T O P C R E AT I O N S

I heard it through the grape vine Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

I

recently discovered that National Raisin Day is April 30.

When it comes to raisins, there are generally two groups of people: those that love them and those that believe they ruin a perfectly good cinnamon bagel. But whether you find these wrinkly fruits irresistible or believe they should have stayed out in the sun where people found them, it’s hard to deny the impact these sweet snacks have had on history, pop culture, and cuisine. And, of course, those little red raisin boxes are a classic symbol of childhood.

In celebrating National Raisin Day, I’ve put together a collection of recipes that will satisfy any raisin lover.

As always, enjoy!

ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD WITH RAISINS For the Dressing: 1/2 c red wine vinegar 4 T soy sauce 1 T canola oil 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 T minced garlic 1-2 T sugar, to taste

24

For the Salad: 3 skinless, boneless, skinless, chicken breasts 1 tsp salt 1 cucumber; peeled, and cut into matchstick-size strips 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips 1 c fresh bean sprouts (optional) 1 package (16 oz) coleslaw mix 2 T chopped fresh cilantro or parlsey 1/2 c chopped roasted peanuts 1/2 c raisins

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

ABOUT Magazine Featured Recipe ~ APRIL 2019

In a small bowl combine sugar, minced garlic, black pepper, and ginger. Stir in vinegar, canola oil and soy sauce until well mixed.

Fill a medium saucepan with water, add salt and bring to boil. Add chicken breasts; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Skim any foam from the surface. Turn off heat; cover pan and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and let cool completely.

Shread chicken and place in salad bowl. Add cucumber, bell pepper, bean sprouts and coleslaw mix. Pour dressing over and toss well. Sprinkle with the cilantro, peanuts and raisins; then serve.

SOUR CREAM RAISIN PIE 1 9in baked pie crust 1 (4 serving) package vanilla cook-andserve vanilla pudding 1 c milk 1/2 c water 1 c raisins 1/2 tsp vanilla 3/4 c nonfat plain yogurt 2 T sugar 1 c whipped topping 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 c sour cream In a medium saucepan, combine pudding mix, milk, water and raisins.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until pudding comes to a boil.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

Add yogurt and sugar, stir well.

Pour into a baked and cooled pie crust.

Chill at least 3 hours.

Combine whipped topping and nutmeg.

Spread over chilled pie just before serving.

APPLE RAISIN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE 6 strips bacon, diced 6 eggs 1 1/2 c. milk 6 c. cinnamon raisin bread, store-bought or homemade 2 granny smith apples 1/2 c. raisins, optional

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add bacon to the hot skillet and cook until crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and milk.

Slice the bread into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the mixing bowl.

Core the apples and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to the mixing bowl along with almost all of the bacon and raisins, if desired.

Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together, making sure all of the bread is

coated in the egg mixture.

Pour into a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish or lasagna pan (with high sides) and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Do this after you combine everything so the casserole ingredients can marry a bit before baking.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the casserole is set and golden on top.

Carefully remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of breadboozebacon. com

Your Neighborhood Drugstore • Complete Prescription Services • Drive-Thru Window • Fast Prescription Service • Free Delivery • Easy prescription transfers • Competitive pricing

• Front Door Parking • Old Tyme Soda Fountain • Daily Lunch Specials

(479) 968-1157 • 715 W. Main, Russellville, AR Serving the River Valley Since 1970 APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

25

PICADILLO 2-3 T canola oil 1 medium onion chopped 2 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp cumin 1/2 -1 T smoked paprika 1/2 tsp or more cayenne pepper (adjust to taste) 1 tsp or more oregano (adjust to taste 1 small green or red pepper 1 c tomato sauce 1 lb ground beef 2 c potatoes (optional) 1/2 c olives chopped 1 green onion diced 1/2 c or more raisins 1 T or more cilantro (adjust to taste) 1 packet Sazon to taste or use beef or chicken bouillon Add about 2 T oil in a skillet followed by onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, sweat for about a minute.

Then add bell pepper, tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, add ground meat , potatoes (if using potatoes ) and cook for about 7-10 minutes or more, while stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Add about 1/2 cup broth or water as needed until potatoes are soft and tender.

Season with salt, chicken bouillon or sazon. Finally add olives , green onions, raisins, and cilantro, adjust for seasoning.

Remove and set aside.

Can be served over rice, to stuff bell peppers, tacos, burritos, enchiladas or in empanadas.

Recipe courtesy of africanbites.com PINEAPPLE RAISIN SAUCE (TO GO OVER BAKED HAM) 4 tsp corn starch 2 (6-oz) cans pineapple juice 1 20-oz can crushed pineapple 1 c brown sugar 2 T Dijon mustard ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp ground ginger 1 c raisins In a small cup, dissolve corn starch with enough of the pineapple juice to make a slurry. (A slurry is cold liquid mixed with cornstarch until smooth and 26

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

glossy.) Set aside.

Mix all other ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a boil over low heat.

Add slurry mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.

Serve over sliced baked ham.

Recipe courtesy of afamilyfeast.com SWEET & SPICY RAISIN CHOW CHOW 3 c chopped fresh cabbage 3/4 c chopped onion 3/4 c chopped green tomatoes 1/2 c chopped green bell pepper 1/2 c chopped red bell pepper 1 T salt 3/4 c Sun-Maid Natural Raisins 1/2 c white vinegar 1/4 c water 3/4 tsp mustard seed 1/4 tsp celery seeds 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper (optional) 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional) Chop vegetables into ¼” dice size pieces. Soak raisins in 1/4 c of water for 10 minutes After soaking, chop Sun-Maid raisins into ¼” dice size pieces Stir together cabbage, onion, green tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, SunMaid raisins, and salt Cover and chill 2 to 8 hours.

Transfer mixture to large stockpot.

Stir in vinegar, water, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric and if desired, and (optional) dried crushed red peppers Bring to a boil over medium-high heat Reduce heat to medium and simmer 3 minutes Stir in jalapeño pepper if desired.

Recipe courtesy of sunmaid.com BAKLAVA 1 c granulated sugar 1 c brown sugar 6 T honey 1 1/4 c water 2 T lemon juice 1 c raisins 1 c walnuts, finely chopped 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 lb phyllo puffed pastry 1/2 lb butter, softened

Boil sugars, honey, water and lemon juice for 20 minutes; allow to cool. Place nuts and cinnamon in a bowl; mix well.

Butter a 13x9 in baking pan and line with 8 sheets of phyllo pastry, buttering between each sheet with a pastry brush.

Spread some of the nut mixture over top pastry sheet.

Alternate layers of pastry sheets and nut mixture until all nuts and sugar are used.

Top this with the 8 sheets of pastry, remembering to butter each.

Score pastry into diamond-shaped pieces.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Put cool syrup over hot pastry and serve hot or cold.

SPICED CHICKEN LEGS WITH APRICOTS AND RAISINS 2 T cooking oil 4 chicken thighs 4 chicken drumsticks 1 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/4 c canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes 2/3 c dried apricots, quartered 1/4 c dark or golden raisins 1/4 c chopped fresh parsley In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat.

Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until browned, turning, about 8 minutes in all. Remove.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan.

Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and garlic to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the allspice, and the red-pepper flakes. Add the chicken, apricots, and raisins. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and simmer the chicken, partially covered, until just done, about 20 minutes.

Serve topped with the parsley.

Recipe courtesy of foodandwine.com

NO-MESS BANANA NUT PANCAKES WITH CINNAMON-RAISIN SYRUP Pancakes 1 lg ripe banana 2 c whole grain pancake mix 1 c fat-free milk 1/2 c California raisins 1/4 c maple syrup 1/4 c chopped walnuts 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg Maple Raisin Topping 1/2 c maple syrup 1/4 c California raisins 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon Place banana in large resealable plastic bag and squeeze to mash. Add remaining pancake ingredients; seal and knead to mix well.

Snip corner off bag and squeeze batter onto a large hot griddle coated with nonstick cooking spray to make circles or squiggles or happy faces, as desired.

Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

For topping, combine ingredients in small bowl and microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds till warm.

Recipe courtesy of calraisins.org NO-BAKE RAISIN BRAN BREAKFAST BARS 1/2 c packed brown sugar 1/3 c light corn syrup or honey 1/4 c peanut butter 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 4 c Total® Raisin Bran cereal 1/2 c chopped peanuts or sliced almond Butter square pan, 8x8x2 inches. Heat brown sugar and corn syrup just to boiling in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter and cinnamon until smooth.

Stir in cereal and peanuts or almonds until evenly coated. Press firmly in pan. Let stand about 1 hour or until set.

Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of bettycrocker.com

...what our competition sees.

Check out the 2019 Dodge Challenger at 3115 E. MAIN STREET, RUSSELLVILLE • (479) 967-5575

(479)229-4841 www.mahindrapackagedeals.com 709 South 2nd St. Dardanelle, AR 72834 M-F 8:00am-5:00pm Saturday 8:30am-12:00pm SundayClosed Find us on Facebook @yellcountygin

Baseball is Back at Old Bank!

Catch the games on one of our 76 TV screens!

220 W Main Street, Russellville | (479) 219-5181

Hours:11am to 10pm Sun-Thurs • 11am to Midnight Friday & Saturday

We’re more than just Bees!

Come check out our bee-themed decor and honey based products

479-968-4044

www.centralbeekeeperssupply.com Tues-Fri, 10-5 & Sat 9:30-3:30 109 Warehouse Row Russellville, AR APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

27

COMMUNITY

From left to right: Grant Morgan of Bigelow High School, Colt Ridenour of Western Yell County High School, and Mahalie Adair of Western Yell County High School.

UACCM Hosted High School Welding Competition The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is opening its welding facilities to high school students by hosting competitions, a move designed to encourage students to explore in-demand fields in the state.

Students from four high schools competed on Monday, March 4, at UACCM’s Workforce Training Center, and competed in blueprint reading, shielded metal arc welding, and gas metal arc welding. The Department of Workforce Development and Community Education used the event as a trial run for future, prospective competitions.

“In lieu of the FFA Practice Competition, we decided to hold a Welding Competition with high school agricultural students,” said Denise Pote, coordinator of Workforce Development and Community 28

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

Education. “For our first year, we wanted to keep participation at a minimum and to limit registration; so we only invited five schools.”

With UACCM instructors serving as judges, three young winners were selected among the crop of welders from Shirley, Bigelow, Wonderview, Western Yell County and Nemo Vista high schools. With prizes of welding accessories, the winners were Colt Ridenour of Western Yell County High School, first place; Grant Morgan of Bigelow High School, second place; and Mahalie Adair of Western Yell County High School, third place.

These competitions are capable to being an asset in the state, as it provides opportunities for students looking for high-paying careers without getting a four-year college degree.

“UACCM’s primary goal for this was to bring students to our campus where they and their high school instructors could meet our faculty and learn about programs, expectations, and possible career choices. It was an opportunity for students to see how valuable skilled trades are and to find an area in which they can excel even if they do not feel that college is for them,” Pote said.

ATU teams advance in Governor’s Cup Five Arkansas Tech University students are among those selected to present their business ideas during the next stage of competition for the 2019 Donald W. Reynolds Arkansas Governor’s Cup. Presentations are scheduled for March 28-29 at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce headquarters in down-

RUSSELLVILLE ANIMAL SHELTER

Featured Friend

town Little Rock. The winners will be announced during a luncheon on April 11 in the Wally Allen Ballroom at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

ATU senior Madeline Carter of Cedarville is a finalist in the Arkansas Farm Bureau agriculture division and a semifinalist in the overall competition for her vision of “Tank’s Treats.” The proposed business would sell locally-sourced dog treats.

Carter is an agriculture business major with an emphasis in animal science. She is pursuing a minor in marketing.

A team of four ATU management and marketing students has also reached the semifinals of the overall competition.

Seniors Easton Carter of Dardanelle, Scott Conrad of Fort Smith and Isaac Hale of Aledo, Texas, along with junior Nicholas Grice of Western Grove are

proposing a user-driven, interactive mobile application named “GoAR.” The proposed app would focus on outdoor recreation opportunities in Arkansas and provide users with the ability to share updates on conditions at particular locations of interest.

Dr. Stephen Jones, professor of management, is serving as advisor for the ATU teams in the competition.

According to the website of presenting organization Arkansas Capital, the Donald W. Reynolds Arkansas Governor’s Cup challenges students to develop “ideas for new or better products or services to see if they could be profitable by putting it through a rigorous and real-world entrepreneurial process.” The competition was founded in 2001.

Visit www.arcapital.com/governors-cup to learn more.

Red

BREED: Red

blood hound Male AGE: 5 Years Old

GENDER: Neutered

Meet Red. Red is looking for someone who loves the outdoors as much as he does. He loves chasing animals and would make the perfect country dog or hunting companion. Red also loves his food so he can get a bit feisty with it. This good boy is ready for a new adventure.

To learn more, or to adopt this month’s featured friend, please contact the Russellville Animal Shelter at (479) 968-1944.

Photo by ALICIA MEUANGMANY

Neylon S. Pilkington, M.D. | Robin Kirby, M.D. | Mallory Cranor, APRN

220 N. Sidney, Russellville | www.rpa.clinic | 479.498.0858 | Open 8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday | Saturday 9 am to 11pm APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

29

UACCM Receives Prototype Equipment From Snap-On The automotive technology service program at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is receiving new equipment thanks to its partnership with Snap-on Tools.

The equipment adds to a collection inside UACCM’s Workforce Training Center, helping students learn the latest automotive technology and join a high-demand job market. UACCM received the equipment from John Bean, a subsidiary of Snap-on Tools, either from purchasing or borrowing as part of a loan program.

UACCM’s most recent acquisition is a John Bean T5745 tire and wheel service machine, the newest instrument of its kind on the market. Along with a John Bean wheel balancing machine that will arrive in the coming weeks, Snap-on will rotate these new machines in UACCM’s automotive service laboratory with new prototypes.

Howard West, an auto technology instructor at UACCM, calls this equipment state-of-the-art. “The T5745 allows for student exposure to modern tire and wheel service,” he said. “Both of these technologically advanced tools, made by Snap-on, are essential for training student technicians on how to perform suspension, and tire and wheel service more effectively. Students preparing for entry-level positions will be more capable when entering into the automotive repair trade after experiencing training on this new equipment.”

The prototypes come just months after UACCM purchased an advanced John Bean V3400 3-D aligner from Snap-on, allowing students more opportunities in the future to train on equipment found in fully-stocked automotive shops. Instructors hope that exposing students to new equipment offers them an edge in the job market.

“Original equipment manufacturer dealers, franchise owners and independent shops can all benefit from hiring our students due to the advanced training provided by our automotive instructors using these new tools,” West said.

30

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

CASA Volunteer training: April 2nd in Ozark and April 4th in Clarksville.

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer is a trained community member appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children during a dependency case.

CASA of the 5th Judicial District is a non-profit organization covering Pope, Johnson and Franklin Counties. We are always looking for caring and professional-minded volunteers. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life with a variety of educational and ethnic backgrounds. Prospective volunteers must be a least 21 years of age, undergo local, state, and federal background checks and are provided with initial in-depth training and on-going continued education.

Why are CASA volunteers needed?

• CASA volunteers provide a voice to make sure the child’s best interests are represented • CASA volunteers help ensure vital and timely services are provided to the child • The child has a consistent, caring person throughout the process with a CASA volunteer • CASA’s help ensure the children do not “fall through the cracks” of the system There is such a great need for CASA volunteers to advocate for children. As of March 2019, CASA of the 5th is serving 101 kids in foster care. CASA volunteers act as the “eyes and ears” of the

judge. They provide the Court and interested parties with a report after carefully researching all aspects of the case and interviewing all involved parties to assist the Court in making the most sound and informed decisions possible.

CASA volunteers are people like you - teachers, business people, college students, homemakers, retirees and grandparents. CASA volunteers want to make certain the voices of abused and neglected children are heard. Please consider becoming an advocate for children in your community.

Our training classes are scheduled to begin April 2nd and April 4th and run 8 weeks. Volunteers can choose which class works best for them. For more information about becoming a CASA volunteer or if you would like to donate to our organization, please contact CASA of the 5th Judicial at (479) 880-1195 or send e-mail to: casa5gb@suddenlinkmail.com. Visit our website at: www. arcasa5.org; or Facebook: facebook. com/CASA5th/. CASA of the 5th Judicial District is a River Valley United Way Agency.

ATU’s Phillips to chair district conference Carrie Phillips, interim director of marketing and communication (MARCOMM) at Arkansas Tech University, has been selected to serve as overall chair for the 2020 CASE District IV annual conference.

The conference is set for Feb. 29-March 3, 2020, in Grapevine, Texas.

CASE (Council for Advancement and

Support of Education) is an international association of educational institutions that consists of and serves professionals working in the alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas. CASE District IV includes institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Phillips holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and a Master of Arts degree in multi-media journalism from ATU. After beginning her career as an associate producer at television station WXII in North Carolina, she returned home to ATU as assistant director of new media in 2008. She was elevated to director of new media in 2011.

Her achievements have included the establishment of ATU on multiple social media platforms, the creation and implementation of social media guidelines for the campus community, the development of arkansastechnews.com, advances in capturing, disseminating and archiving video footage from campus

Have a

events and significant contributions to multiple award-winning marketing and communication projects on behalf of the university.

Phillips received the 2013 CASE District IV Rising Star Award and earned the Professional Certified Marketer credential through the American Marketing Association. She began work in fall 2018 on a Doctor of Education degree in higher education administration from Texas Tech University.

Bash at the Ballpark The Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce will host the Sixth Annual Bash at the Ballpark at Arkansas Tech University’s Baswell Field on Saturday, April 6th.

Bash at the Ballpark will have music, food, prizes, and free family fun leading

Blessed Easter.

Freshen Up Your Warm Weather Wardrobe today at

At AMCARE, our goal is to make life easier. Our local staff can help your loved one with safety supervision, daily health reminders, groceries and appointments, or personal care.

We invite you to call today for your FREE, no obligation assessment at (479) 880-1112

From our family to yours.

L I C E NS E D | B O ND E D | I NS UR E D

up to the 1 p.m. first pitch of the ATU Wonder Boys game against the Northwestern Oklahoma Rangers. Bash at the Ballpark festivities will begin at 11 a.m. and last until 1 p.m. All youth baseball and softball players are invited to come meet the ATU Baseball team and get their autographs between 11:30 am and noon.

If the game is rained out, Bash will be held on April 13th at 11 a.m.

The Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization of businesses and professional men and women who have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, economic, professional, cultural, and industrial progress of our community. For more information about Bash at the Ballpark or sponsorships for this event, please call the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce at 968-2530.

(479) 880-1112 • www.youramcare.com

Tank and shorts by The North Face Sandals by Chaco

2320 West Main, Rsvl (479) 968-6464 Monday-Saturday 9:30-6:00 APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

31

COMMUNITY COMMERCE

First Security Bank

I

Story by HANNAH BUTLER

n historic downtown Russellville, there’s one building that housed in a more hideaway spot at 2504 West Main Street. The always stands out. It’s so massive that it could never be space has been “great for us,” says Jared Wood, market president overlooked. Landscaped with the greenof First Security Bank in Russellville. But 209 est bushes and trees and featuring countless West Main has been on his mind. windows, it’s the most unique building on “As long as I’ve been in Russellville, that’s First Security Bank 209 West Main St. been an iconic, landmark location,” Jared (479) 219-6030 | fsbank.com Soon, the building will get a new owner — says. Not only is it a landmark location, but 2504 West Main Street, Suite L First Security Bank. it also has had experience with the busyRussellville, AR 72801 Since 2017, First Security Bank has been ness and bustle of banking. In the 1970s,

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

The Scarlet Locke Hair Lounge has space available for an experienced and fun sylist with clientele. Booth space is $85.00 per week.

We are in the heart of downtown Russellville and the only salon with a full beverage bar.

Call 479-747-3111 for more information.

the building began as a home for Peoples Bank. “We want to make it our location,” Jared says.

A lot of Arkansas — and this holds especially true with Russellville — is about preserving history while building character and connecting with the community. “I think we’re maintaining those characteristics,” Jared says, “but we’re also enhancing it; it’s going to be something for years to come that people are going to look at and be proud of.”

While First Security Bank will receive an updated aesthetic to its brand and an added relevance in the Russellville community, it is truly more about what the change will give to the heart of the bank. And at the heart of a bank, its intent is to care about the people inside. The expansion of First Security will be just about that — becoming a convenience for the people.

First Security is the fifth largest state-chartered bank in Arkansas with $1.1 billion in total capital and $5.6 billion in assets. The bank offers services and solutions for financial needs to the public sector, individuals, and businesses within Arkansas. It handles personal and business banking, investments and mortgage loans.

In personal banking, First Security offers checking and saving accounts, time deposits that include certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts, a health savings account and personal and mortgage loans.

Personal checking and savings accounts each have their own plans and a variety of options. Checking accounts offer a basic

banking plan with the Bank Better Checking, Teal Checking, for customers with higher balances, and 50+ Gold Checking.

Personal savings accounts have four plans to choose from: the Money Market Investment, for customers who want to earn interest; Regular Savings, for earning interest with extra funds; Kids Club Savings, for those under 17 looking to save money; and Christmas Club Savings, a plan specifically designed to save for the holidays.

Business checking accounts offer small business, commercial and non-profit checking while savings accounts for businesses offer Business Savings and the Business Money Market.

The business portion of First Security offers nine different services for cash management and two forms of business loans, including debit and credit cards.

First Security’s mortgage loans help first-time home buyers, experienced home buyers, veterans, rural areas, those looking to remodel or refinance, and also offers home equity loans.

The bank’s investments are based on trust and wealth management services.

The trust services cover estate management and estate planning, living and personal trusts, agencies, escrow services, and court-appointed guardianship.

Wealth management deals with investment management, financial and retirement planning and individual retirement accounts.

In promoting its services, the visibility aspect is key. The bank prides itself on being homegrown and staying local.

This allows First Security to truly know its customer and make decisions based on these relationships.

Based in Searcy, AR, the First Security Bank currently maintains visibility across 77 local centers, 100 ATMs and employs over 1,000 people across the state. Its growth permitted a need for a main office; a place where it can grow, expand and better serve the community.

The bank plans to do just that on 209 West Main Street in Russellville.

Courtesy & Service Since 1958

(479) 968-2456 • 121 N. Commerce Ave.

www.CandDdrugstore.com

Introducing our new Nutraceutical/Vitamin Rewards Cards at C&D Drug

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He is Risen!

2731 S. ARKANSAS AVE, RUSSELLVILLE • (479) 968-9732 • F: (479)968-0821 • DWANE.AHRENS@GMAIL.COM APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

33

Don’t be a sucker Story by JILL MCSHEEHY

Photo By Johnny Carrol Sain

Over 10,000 sq. ft. of retail therapy!

Stop by and see us soon!

(479) 219-5128 • 200 North Arkansas Facebook.com/ABeautifulMess200 34

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

“Be sure you pinch those suckers off.”

It seemed everyone who visited my garden in the early years pointed out these shoots growing between the main stem and the side stems of my tomato plants. As a new gardener who soaked in every piece of wisdom I could get, I started pinching off every sucker I could find. After all, I didn’t want that stem to take energy away from the plant and hurt the harvest I looked so forward to.

Eventually, though, as the season progressed, I ran out of steam and couldn’t keep up with all the suckers. Yes, my plants grew a little unruly, but the juicy red tomatoes didn’t seem to notice.

Over the following years I took a haphazard approach to pruning the suckers off my tomato plants.

If I saw them and thought about it, I’d pinch them off.

If I missed a few, no big deal.

Then, the more I listened to gardening experts, the more I noticed that not all growers shared the same opinion when it came to pruning suckers. Mike McGrath of the You Bet Your Garden radio show; Joe Lamp’l of the PBS show, Growing a Greener World; and Craig LeHoullier, the pioneer of the Cherokee Purple tomato and author of Epic Tomatoes, all have expressed skepticism about this common practice.

To prune or not to prune? That was the question.

Last season I put it to the test, deciding to neither rely on common practice nor experts’ advice. Instead, I ran an experiment in my own garden.

I planted two equal rows of tomatoes, comprised of Amish Paste, Arkansas Traveler, and Black Krim, side by side. In one row, I methodically and vigorously pruned every sucker I could find. In the second row, I removed none of the them.

The results? The experts proved correct.

The row of single-stem unpruned tomatoes produced 37% more pounds of tomatoes per plant than the pruned row.

And, contrary to a common belief, the pruned row did not produce larger tomatoes.

To be fair, even the experts believe there is a place for pruning suckers, but it isn’t because pruning will produce more or larger tomatoes. Instead, pruning can help keep the large, vining tomato plants tidy and in check. This might prove especially needed in certain situations, such as gardeners growing tomatoes in small spaces.

But less foliage also means less shade for the developing fruit. In my row of pruned tomato plants, the fruit suffered more sunscald than in my unpruned row. They also succumbed more rapidly to disease than the plants with more foliage.

One test in one season in one garden shouldn’t close the conversation on whether we should or shouldn’t prune tomatoes, though. Instead, I hope we can all agree on this piece of gardening wisdom: Test. Test. Test.

Don’t do something just because it’s what you’ve always done. Or because it’s what your grandfather did. Or even because a garden expert weighs in.

Instead, take the wisdom gleaned from all of these sources and test it in your garden. See what works best for you.

Perhaps you’ll decide to strike a balance of light pruning instead of an “all-or-nothing” approach. You’ll never know what truly works best in your garden until you test different ideas. Some of the most fun in the garden can be had when we do these experiments and observe the results!

Test something in your garden this year.

As far as I’m concerned, the only “sucker” is the one who never tries different approaches and who never tests something new.

TASTE OF THE VALLEY

Thursday, May 2, 2019

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3521 West Main Street Russellville • 479-967-3744 APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

35

Story & Photo by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

A JOURNAL of our RURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE

A nearby faraway “When I call to mind my earliest impressions, I wonder whether the process ordinarily referred to as growing up is not actually a process of growing down; whether experience, so much touted among adults as the thing children lack, is not actually a progressive dilution of the essentials by the trivialities of living.� ~ ALDO LEOPOLD

36

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

T

he old white farmhouse was tucked into a corner with woods on two sides.

A gentle ridge dense with post oak and hickory lifted north and the woods extended west behind the house for nearly a mile. Granny and Poppy moved there when I was five. The woods held my attention from that first viewing.

Pastures spread out south of the forest with a tree-lined stream bifurcating the expanse of grass. Red cedar, wild cherry, and elm guarded the usually dry branch, and a small stock pond lined with cattails sat out in the wide open. I can still see bronze and gold flecks of sunlight sparkle and blink on the surface of its murky olive waters as a settling summer sun sinks below the horizon. The fields and the pond were my treasures. They were more than that. They were my holy places fenced in barbwire.

Rabbits hid in blackberry brambles under the red cedars and elms. With a BB gun in hand, the cottontails were in my sights as the pasture turned brown with

autumn’s first frosts. As winter rolled into spring, the pond became a daily destination. March was my best chance to hook a big largemouth and the bluegill bite was steady from April through October.

Hatchling red-ear sliders caught in the June shallows were pets for a week or so before releasing them back to the warm pond waters. I could roam all over the opened land at will and all by myself. Wildlife abounded, but this was tamed ground, and even way back then I somehow knew that. Regardless, I loved the pasture and pond as much as anyone could love a place; it scratched a lot of itches.

But still the woods beckoned. There was something in there among the shadows, an untamed, secretive presence that whispered to me with every rustle of a rounded oak leaf.

I wasn’t allowed to go into the woods by myself, though, not at that young age. I was given the usual warnings: I could get lost.

I could get hurt. I might cross a fence and wander into an irate bull on the neighbor’s property. The grownups’ ace card — they thought — was the threat of stumbling upon a copperhead hidden in the leaves. But that just made the woods more appealing to me.

as far as I could see. The verdant tones of spring and summer were different here compared to the fields. Chartreuse awakenings in April gave way to dark, deep, velvet greens by July. The woodline was a magical place, a place where I was caught away with the pitter-patter tapping rhythm of cold November raindrops on the forest floor. It was a place where the day-long silver fogs of winter suspended time, the world caught in standstill between day and night with the passage of moments known only by wisps of vapor folding and unfolding through gray branches and soft brown trunks. On clear afternoons, as the trees filtered beams of orange sunlight, a sweet quiet would settle over the ridge. I would forget about the railroad and highway just on the other side of those woods and imagine the oaks went on to Crow Mountain and beyond, running north to the Ozarks and even onto the legendary boreal forests of the Far North uninterrupted.

I’d often lay awake long into the night and imagine that endless forest. Details weren’t part of my imaginings. It was the forest as a whole, a vague earthy concept, a moss-covered idea with no struc-

But still the woods beckoned. There was something in there among the shadows, an untamed, secretive presence that whispered to me with every rustle of a rounded oak leaf.

The chance to see a potentially dangerous beast, a creature with latent fierceness that would stand its ground, was the embodiment of a spirit I wanted to experience. I also knew the forest was where the bobcats and coyotes lived. From the front porch I’d heard their nocturnal voices on the ridge. I knew it was where the chuckwills-widow’s melancholy song floated up through new leaves to a glowing spring moon. I knew it was where the fat, rust-colored fox squirrels my uncle killed had scurried in the search for acorns. It was where I wanted to be. But to my everlasting credit as a “good kid," I never ventured into the forest without an adult.

So standing just outside the woods, peering into it, searching for something I could not name, became ritual.

Post oaks, some wide as a 55-gallon drum, dominated the ridge

ture, no hard edges, and no fences that intrigued me. The forest was an organism of emerald life, an unknowable wild entity. And that is why I wanted to know it.

You could say this was the wilderness experience that shaped me, my interests and values for the next 40 years.

As an adult reading Thoreau, Muir, Leopold, and Abbey, I discovered kindred souls who had words for the ineffable thoughts and emotions I had experienced when confronted with the wilderness just beyond my reach. And it surely was wilderness I both saw and imagined. They are one and the same. Any distinction between the real forest of my youth and the wilderness of my youthful imagination was dissolved long ago. Likely, that distinction was never there.

OVER

YEARS IN BUSINESS

www.luxurypoolarkansas.com

119 E Main St, Russellville Russellville • (479) 968-7772 APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

37

What

we’re reading

Real Magic: Ancient wisdom, modern science, and a guide to the secret power of the universe As reviewed by DAVID UNDERWOOD

W

hile I readily admit to being a “science geek,” it isn’t necessary to be a geek to enjoy this book. I did find the title to be somewhat disconcerting because of the words “secret power of the universe.” If I hadn’t read previous works by Dr. Radin, as well as journal articles he has authored, I probably would have passed on this book because of the title. I’m glad I didn’t.

Magic has been a part of human experience throughout human history. Anything that we didn’t completely understand was often relegated to the realm of magic. Dr. Radin provides some excellent historical references to the story of magic, but he is more interested in helping us to give up our preexisting beliefs about what might, or might not, be real. He implores us to be willing to look at the data regarding the things that he refers to as “real magic,” topics he has been studying for the last 40 years.

Many of the findings will cause you to question how it could be possible, or to doubt the data, and that is exactly his point. Because we don’t understand how it could be possible, doesn’t keep something from being real. Conversely, just because one study shows a significant result, doesn’t mean the finding is definitive.

Have you ever had the feeling that someone is staring at you, only to look around and find that someone really is? Is it just coincidence or is there more to it? There have been many

scientifically conducted studies (more than 60) that indicate individuals are able to correctly identify when they were being stared at much better than chance. In fact, the odds of it this above-chance were calculated to be 202 octodecillion (that’s 57 zeros) to 1. Other findings referenced by the author include precognition, retrocognition, remote viewing, and remote mental influence among others. I found it enlightening just to find out how many studies have been, and are being, done in these areas and how consistent the results seem to be.

Many of the studies referenced used ordinary people with no preconceived idea of any special ability. The author makes a convincing argument that human consciousness (which we still do not understand) is capable of being influenced by, and influencing, many things in our environment including other people. He believes that we all may have the capability to do miraculous things and that instead of denying the possibility we should embrace it, investigate it, and use it to benefit ourselves and our fellow humans.

This book has the potential to change the way you view magic, science, the world as we currently know it, and human capabilities. The author has a unique gift for entertaining even as he educates. The arguments and experimental results are stimulating, entertaining, and in some instances, shocking.

Summer is on its way!

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38

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~ APRIL 2019

Each month we’ll feature a book review guest written by various folks around the River Valley that know a thing or two about good reads. Reading is the cornerstone of a well-informed citizenry and a well-rounded individual. We’re hoping this column will turn into something more, perhaps a movement community wide that leads to deeper thought and discussion.

Providing free quality instruction and support to literacy-seeking adults.

Servicing ALL Brands Locally owned and operated for more than 20 years.

Still open and available to serve you at 3323 East 6th Street, Russellville!

479-968-1143

Author DEAN RADIN, PHD

Owner Daniel Crow

Card

River Valley Adult Learning Alliance (479) 477-3910

rivervalleyliteracycouncil@gmail.com

Engagements Calendar listings of engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements on the pages of each issue of ABOUT…the River Valley are available at no charge. They may be mailed to: ABOUT Magazine, P.O. Box 10176, Russellville AR 72812 or sent via email to: editor@aboutrvmag.com.

(A phone number must be included for verification.)

APRIL

JUNE

19th Rachel Arnold & Andrea Campioni

1st

20th Caroline Vining & Michael Kitchens 1st

Donna Helms & David Mayes Brooke Rogers & Jordan Graves

27th Sophie McElroy & Keith Humphreys 7th Mary Grace Piker & Dalton Daughtrey

MAY

14th Molly Gibson & Cade Coffman

5th Shelby Freyaldenhoven & Seth Hunt

AUGUST

11th Mary Overfelt & Paul Harrell

24th Bonnie Daily & Casey Moore

11th Emily Ball & Nate Turner

OCTOBER

11th Morgan Henderson & Andy Campbell 18th Ashley Cornett & John Robb 18th Madison Sain & Luke Reves

12th Leslie Hudgeons & Parker Witt 12th Keeli Matchett & Ryan Rooke

18th Hannah Coffee & Luke Duvall

NOVEMBER

18th Megan Etheridge & Trip Hensley

2nd Lexi Culwell & Garrett Crosby

18th Katherine Hefley & Conlee Hale

DECEMBER

25th Kathryn Jones & Jared Floyd

7th Hannah Bowden & Clay Singleton

Follow Us to NO ACCEPTWI NEW NG VENDOR S!

25th Meghan Spencer & Samuel Gillespie 26th Sarah Cole & Trace Laffoon

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The mission of Trinity Home Health of Arkansas is to live out our values of compassion, integrity, and excellence by providing quality, efficient, and effective health care and health-related social services in the comfort of the 479-968-4544 patient’s own home. www.trinityhhar.com

Antiques Collectibles Home Decor Gifts & More Mon-Sat 10am-6pm • Sun 1-5pm 1612 S. Arkansas, Russellville

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APRIL 2019

~ ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

39