ABOUT | November 2021

NEW NORMAL

November 2021 • aboutrvmag.com

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley

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BUT TERFIELD DAYS

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SUGAR & SPICE

November 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Adapting to the new normal It is difficult, if not downright impossible, to think of any aspect of life that has remained unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The challenges have taken a toll on many businesses. It’s no secret that the hospitality industry, in particular, has been hit hard.

The trouble with toddlers Butterfield Days 2021 Mail was an early American’s connection to family, friends, businesses, and a necessity for the health of the nation. In those beginning days of the postal service, mail was delivered by friends, merchants, and Native Americans either on foot or horseback. The first post office in the colonies was built in 1633 and postal roads were created in the original colonies even before military routes.

Sugar and spice and everything nice

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Just after the gorging on veggies, poultry, potatoes, and breads and just before the tryptophan kicks in as your eyelids droop under the weight of a full belly, the yearnings for something sweet to compliment the savory begin in earnest.

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Region IX Marching Assessment Photo Pages A therapy donkey 10 Things ABOUT: Bill Hefley

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From delectable entrees spanning the food genres to desserts, Arkansas Tech University’s food service classes cover them all.

With preparation, presentation, and flavors on par with industry professionals, student creations are some of the best eats in the River Valley.

www.LIZCHRISMAN.COM

EDITOR’S LETTER

A place and people full of surprises After more than eight years as managing editor at ABOUT, I’m always more than a little surprised that we still manage to find stories and angles that offer new information even to me.

As a life-long resident who has never lived anywhere but here for more than half a century — born in Dardanelle Hospital, earliest years on Griffin Flat and Buttermilk Roads, the most formative years in Atkins, and an adulthood residing at different stages in Pope, Conway, Yell, and now Johnson Counties — I’ve long felt confident that there was little new under the sun here in the River Valley. Yet, every issue shows me just how wrong I am in thinking such.

For example, I cannot recall a time in my life that I wasn’t aware of Potts Inn, the Butterfield Trail, and that the pairing had some degree of historical significance particular to Pottsville. But in this issue, I learned that the significance of both reached far beyond our region into national and, some might argue, global importance.

And while I knew that Arkansas Tech University’s hospitality students offered meal options that drew high praise from some of the River Valley’s most persnickety palates, while editing I learned that the

Reflecting the Character of the Arkansas River Valley since 2006

program is about far more than food prep… and I also learned that they now offer a ready-to-go, take-home-and-bake chicken pot pie — chicken pot pie, y’all.

In this very issue, I also learned about gourmet brownies and more, toddler woes galore, modern donkey folklore, and a veteran who served in the Marine Corps. So settle ‘round the fire with a s’more (sorry) and learn a little more (sorry again, but largely because I used this one twice) about here. We’re a place and a people full of surprises. Likely because we’re underestimated even by those among us —like me.

There’s still so much to uncover and discover in this wonderful part of the Wonder State. And there’s no better vehicle for revealing the true character and depth of the River Valley than ABOUT the River Valley magazine. I say this not as the proud editor, but as a reader realizing that even after 50 years there’s still much to learn and love about home.

A Publication of One14 Productions, Inc Vol. XVI, Issue 10 – November 2021

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 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 Magazine 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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COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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4th-6th — Mistletoe Market, a holi-

day shopping event that raises funds for the Boys & Girls Club of the Arkansas River Valley. Featuring specialty merchants offering unique items. Admission is $5 at the door. V Williamson Boys & Girls Club 600 E. 16th St. Russellville.

11th — Annual Veteran’s Day Parade.

Parade starts at 4 p.m. The lineup starts just East of the Kroger store on West Main Street. This years theme is: “Never Forget Their Sacrifice.” For more information contact Rick Smith: rmsmith5573@gmail. com or 857-1117.

25th-27th

— 23rd Annual Mountain Man Rendezvous at Petit Jean State Park from10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission

Find up-to-date information and future events @

www.aboutrvmag.com/events

Save the Date

ENGAGEMENTS

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Megan Lomax & Hunter Gorham (12th)

Jayli Harrison & Zak Holt (4th)

Ashton Whitlock & MK Byrd (13th)

Anna Bloodworth & Trey Brown (10th)

Michelle Brown & Dalton Wrightam (13th)

Tori Barnes & Mason Dockery (21st)

List your engagement or wedding announcements in the pages of ABOUT the River Valley magazine at no charge. You can email yours to: editor@aboutrvmag.com or mail to: ABOUT Magazine, 220 East 4th Street, Russellville AR 72801. A phone number must be included for verification.

Katelyn Dunlap & Tyler Ramey (20th) Sydney Webb & Seth Haney (27th)

is free. Experience a primitive camp as well as some of the survival skills used

by Arkansas pioneers. Watch a variety of demonstrations including muzzleloading rifles, tomahawk throwing, and more.

Co-presented by the Early Arkansas Reenactors Association. For more information contact 501-727-5441.

Dec. 5th

— The United Methodist Women of Russellville First United Methodist Church present the 2021 Holiday Tour of Homes. Tickets are $20 per person,

and can be purchased from FUMC, Heart & Soul Christian Book Store, Boyd Osborne Realtor Group, or any UMW member. Refreshments will be served on the self-guided tours of Christmas decorations and home interiors. A “taxi” transportation service will be provided for anyone who is unable to drive themselves, but spots are limited. Please call the Russellville FUMV office at 968-1232 for reservations. Those needing transportation will meet at the church parking lot at 1 p.m.

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Adapting to the new normal

Hospitality students prepare for an industry tilted by the pandemic Story by TOMMY MUMERT | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

It is difficult, if not downright impossible, to think of any aspect of life that has remained unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges have taken a toll on many businesses. It’s no secret that the hospitality industry, in particular, has been hit hard.

Despite the pandemic’s obvious impact on hospitality, Cass Capen-Housley, instructor/event coordinator for ATU's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Hospitality Administration, believes the industry will do much more than simply survive in the months and years to come.

“I feel like we are going to be really strong moving forward,” Cass said. “We have learned to adapt.

It’s kind of like COVID has made us up the ante, in my opinion, with hospitality.”

Learning to adapt has been a key lesson taught by Cass since the pandemic began. And the result of that, she said, are students who are uniquely qualified to enter the hospitality field during these challenging times. “I feel like students in this major right now are probably going to be some of the most well-rounded graduates we’ve ever pushed out because they have had to adapt.”

Cass teaches classes in areas such as event planning, catering,

and food preparation. She said in event planning classes, for instance, there has always been a component dealing with emergency planning. During the pandemic, students have been required to add a component related to COVID. And if there is one primary characteristic of ATU’s food service-related classes, it is that most of the classes provide practical, hands-on experience, while the catering and food service-related classes provide front-and-back-of -the-house hands-on experience.

It is through that applied training that Cass said students have learned how to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic.

For instance, fall semester hospitality students offer the popular weekly dinner series, which usually runs for 10 to 12 weeks. Like much of the food service industry, ATU’s students switched to serving drive-thru meals, which created a whole new way of serving customers. >> NOVEMBER 2021

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The dinners are staffed by ATU students in the advanced food preparation and guest service management classes. That “staffing” is truly all encompassing because students plan the menu, prepare the food and serve the guests.

“We thought it would still offer students a unique opportunity to learn some level of service,” Cass said, “because as we see now due to COVID, we had to really figure it out.” Students had to shift and then learn from that drive-thru experience just as restaurants in the public sector were forced to do.

Through those drive-thru experiences, Cass said students are learning efficiency. “They usually get about 100 guests through, so 100 people in an hour’s time is a lot. And it teaches them teamwork. too.”

The fall dinner and spring lunch series may well be the most easily recognizable part of the food service classes to people in the River Valley. However, those series are only a part of the larger food service instruction students receive. Students in the department’s catering and special events classes typically cater between 20 to 25 events per semester. Cass said those events might be offered by campus organizations or community organizations that were using the Williamson Dining Room.

During the pandemic, those events came to a halt.

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during COVID, I tasked the students with asking them: ’Could we do something similar to our drive-thru with our meals?’ Their answer was a take-and-bake option. “And that became really popular,” Cass said.

The students developed a marketing plan, devised the take-andbake menu, and worked the drive-thru. Among some of the most popular offerings were pizza, a build-a-burger, and charcuterie kits. The students will try it again this semester and pies for the holidays is one offering already being planned.

The take-and-bake kits are available on Mondays, which proved to be an ideal day, Cass said.

“It’s the start of the week but you’re already exhausted. Why not come by and pick up a chicken pot pie that would feed four to six people and just throw it in the oven? And people were really excited to see that.”

As students work the various events, they often find themselves facing unexpected challenges.

Cass said she wants students to find solutions whether that challenge comes in the food-prep, service, or some other area connected with the event. “I encourage them to figure the problem out,” she said. “Now if it looks like they are struggling, then I will offer some suggestions about what we can do to meet that challenge.”

Part of meeting that challenge, Cass said, is making sure the service provided is never compromised. “Students need a service heart. If they don’t have it, then I don’t think they ever fully understand what we are trying to do.” >>

“I feel like we are going to be really strong moving forward...we have learned to adapt.

It’s kind of like COVID has made us up the ante, in my opinion, with hospitality.”

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The students without that “service heart” are typically the students who do not end up in the hospitality industry.

And what will that business look like in the months and years ahead?

“I know people say, ‘hospitality has really taken a hit,’” Cass said. But she’s cautiously optimistic. "I feel like we’re all going to be able to go back and travel, maybe not as much as we want, but we hope. And again, we always tell people in the hospitality industry, people are always going to want to eat, they are going to want to stay somewhere, they are going to want to go to an event. It’s evident. Even though you might have that restriction about ‘show me your negative COVID test’ or ‘show me your COVID vaccination card.’ We dine out, we participate in events, we go to a certain destination because it provides an experience. We are craving that. Sure, it might not be as frequent, but as long as we feel safe, we are going to see that continue.”

The safety aspect, Cass said, will be a never-ending responsibility. “We are always going to have to be concerned about the safety

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of our guests.” While a commitment to cleanliness is a hallmark of food service, Cass believes the pandemic has made the industry hyper-sensitive about hygiene.

And food service professionals, during this pandemic, made changes that likely will continue beyond the pandemic, Cass said. Restaurants created new concepts, emphasized drive-thru and take-out orders, and shifted to online ordering and online payment. Some professionals in hospitality have posed the somewhat philosophical question whether those changes have been evolutionary or revolutionary to the industry. Cass sees it as a little of both depending on the situation.

“I think it would be case by case. We had to evolve,” Cass said. “It’s really more evolutionary when you have to shift. It’s like adapting to your surroundings to survive. That’s where I think it’s evolutionary.”

At the same time, Cass said, the pandemic “maybe forced some people to have to change. They had to really decide wheth-

er what they were used to doing, that was successful prior to the pandemic, is really working now.”

And when it comes to revolutionary changes in the industry, “there are always people who are on the verge,” Cass said.

“People who are always creating the trends.”

One of the students’ most popular events is catering on football game days in the Dopson Suite. Located on the fourth floor of Baswell Residence Hall, the Dopson Suite serves as a football game-day hospitality area for invited guests of the ATU. Because of space considerations and COVID protocols, fewer students are in the suite. But those who are gain much from the experience, Cass said. For one thing, the catering students must consider who their guests are when planning what to serve. In addition, the students are in the same space, watching how their guests react to the food and the level of service they receive.

Plus, Cass said, “the Dopson Suite is one of the favorite places for students to work because they are serving people who have made significant contributions to the university.” Those students, Cass said, are excited about what the future will bring. A quote from one of her favorite chefs, Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse (Berkeley, California) and founder of Edible Schoolyard, maybe best captures the future for Cass: "This is the power of gathering, it inspires us delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful; in a word, more alive."

“As a result of the pandemic we all have reevaluated life,” Cass said. “And I think we realize we only get one shot at this, so why not make the most moving forward.” l

To learn more about the ATU Hospitality program and their offerings, subscribe to their email newsletter at: mailchi.mp/24a0949d400b/join-our-list WEBSITE:

atu.edu/prha

INSTAGRAM: @ATU_PRHA FACEBOOK: Arkansastech_PRHA EMAIL: ccapenhousley@atu.edu

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EVE RY DAY L I F E

The trouble with toddlers THE OLDER MY SON GETS, THE MORE I MISS WHEN HE WAS LITTLE. That saying that the days are long, but the years are short is so true when you are the parent of little ones. So any time I’m feeling nostalgic for Raff’s toddler years, I like to remind myself of how exhausting younger children can be by babysitting for my friends.

My friend Christine has the most adorable little girl, Opal. She’s a two-and-halfyear old bundle of energy and delight. And a whole lot of sass.

Christine stays home with Opal during the day while her husband works, but to help make ends meet, Christine has a waitressing job in the evenings when her husband gets home from work and can watch their daughter. Because of their work schedules and the scarcity of willing babysitters, the couple doesn’t get many chances for a date night.

The last time I had Christine in my salon chair, she was lamenting about this very thing. So I happily offered to babysit Opal on a weekend. She thanked me and assured me she would be taking me up on the offer.

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A few weeks later, Christine called and explained that it was her and her husband’s anniversary, and they were really wanting to spend an entire day celebrating. She said she wasn’t ready to leave Opal with someone overnight, but asked if I could keep her from an early morning until about 10 p.m. or so. I said I would be happy to and we made the arrangements.

The next weekend, I got up before the sun and made sure my house was toddler ready. My own child was still soundly sleeping but was also excited to have a tiny guest in the house. I was still enjoying my morning coffee when the doorbell rang. I welcomed Christine and her husband in and greeted a sleepy eyed Opal as well.

The couple gave me all the necessary info and supplies while I assured them that we would make it just fine. They kissed Opal goodbye and reminded her they would be seeing her later that evening.

I had so many fun activities planned for the day that I could hardly stand it. I went ahead and woke Raff up and started making breakfast.

After we all ate, I got Opal changed into

NOVEMBER 2021

Story by SARAH CLOWER Illustration by CLIFF THOMAS

an adorable fall outfit that I couldn’t help but to buy for her, and we headed out to a pumpkin patch and corn maze. I just knew Opal would have a blast. Raff was excited, too, and I had agreed to pick up one of his friends on the way.

About an hour later, we made it to the pumpkin patch. The boys parted ways with Opal and me and made their way to the corn maze and other activities for older kids. Opal took a little train ride, we snapped some pictures with some friendly scarecrows, and picked out a pumpkin for her that was bigger than she was but that she insisted we get.

I looked down at my watch… how had we done all of that in only an hour? It was definitely going to be a long day. I did my best to stifle a yawn. Do they serve coffee at pumpkin patches? I thought to myself.

Opal started towards the part of the patch that had the corn maze and older kid activities. I tried to redirect her but she would have none of it. I finally decided it would be fine as long as she stayed right beside me.

Carrying her was not an option, she insisted on being down to run around and explore.

As we approached the corn maze, I noticed a visually impaired man and his family. A guide dog’s leash was in one hand and a black walking stick in the other. Opal made a beeline for the man and his dog, and I lunged to grab her outstretched hand. I assumed she wanted to pet the sweet looking doggo, but I knew that petting service animals without permission is a no-no. Unfortunately my aim wasn’t quite right because she was not going after the dog. I narrowly missed her hand as — to my shock and horror — she quickly swiped the blind man’s walking stick.

“Hey!” The man said, his head turning around in bewilderment.

“I’m so sorry!” I said “I’ll be right back with your stick!” I shouted as I took off after Opal, who was running as fast as her chubby toddler legs would carry her towards the corn maze.

While I was running to catch Opal, I heard other people shouting all around me: “That kid stole that blind man’s walking stick!”

“That lady just stole from a blind man!”

“Kids today have no shame or morals!

Parents don’t teach their kids anything!

Much less, not to steal! Shame on that lady!”

The last shout came from an elderly woman, and just as I was starting to break a sweat from trying to catch Opal (how in the world was this toddler this fast?) I felt my blood pressure rise another notch out of anger!

“This is not my kid!” I shouted toward the ol’ coot. “I’m just babysitting and I’m trying to get the stick back!” I yelled again.

“How is this kid so fast?” I yelled, realizing I was still shouting, but this time to myself. Before I could get close enough to grab her, Opal darted around the first piles of hay bales and corn stalks that marked the entry to the corn maze.

Thankfully, I spotted Raff and his friend.

“Raff!” I shouted. “Help me catch Opal!” Raff stared at me oddly. I yelled at

I came face to face with Raff, who was holding his forearm. “She bit me!” he exclaimed. I inwardly let out a scream of frustration and grabbed a hold of the metal wire that was binding the corn stalks to the hay bales and started climbing. him again. “She took a blind man’s walking stick!” It was then I realized how out of breath I was. I turned the corner and Opal had disappeared.

“Opal? Where are you, sweetie?” I said sweetly, even though I was fuming. No answer.

I heard Raff and his friend run up behind me cackling with laughter. “She did what?” Raff asked. I rolled my eyes. “You heard me! And I can’t catch her! You’re

faster than me, and that child is abnormally swift on those tiny feet,” I said, sweating even harder.

Raff and his friend ran through the maze ahead of me, as I was still trying to catch my breath and come to terms with how out of shape I was. A few seconds later, I heard a high-pitched scream then Raff say “I gotcha! OWWW!” I ran even faster, and as I rounded a corner, I came face to face with Raff, who was holding his forearm. “She bit me!” he exclaimed.

I inwardly let out a scream of frustration and grabbed a hold of the metal wire that was binding the corn stalks to the hay bales and started climbing.

“What are you doing?” Raff asked, shocked.

“I’m climbing up here so I can get a better view of her. I’m going to scout and tell you which way to run.” He nodded seriously, like I had just given him a very important mission to accomplish.

“Turn left! Now right! She’s right up ahead! Left again! Left one more time!

Now go right!” I yelled as I was running atop the bales of hay. I heard another scream, then heard Raff say to his friend “I got her but you hold her head so she doesn’t bite me again!”

I caught up with them and jumped down from the hay bales. I pried the walking stick from Opal’s fingers as she was kicking and screaming, still being subdued by the boys.

Story continued on page 25...

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BUTTERFIELD DAYS 2021 Celebrating an old trail of letters and Pottsville’s most iconic landmark Story by CATHY GRAVES | Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

Mail was an early American’s connection to family, friends, businesses, and a necessity for the health of the nation. In those beginning days of the postal service, mail was delivered by friends, merchants, and Native Americans either on foot or horseback.

The first post office in the colonies was built in 1633 and postal roads were created in the original colonies even before military routes.

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By the early 1800s, stagecoaches, steamboats, and trains in the east were used by the Post Office Department for mail delivery, but as people began moving west, wagon trains, which were slow and often dangerous, carried the mail. Because mail didn’t always make it to its destination, people would often write two copies of their letters and mail them days apart to ensure delivery.

After the1848 gold rush in California, the U.S. Post Office awarded a contract to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to transport mail to California. And as a quarter of a million people moved to the West Coast, the bogged down and slow mail delivery led to California threatening to secede if a faster mail service wasn’t established.

Congress voted in 1857 to subsidize a mail run from the Mississippi River to San Francisco. A Congressional requirement was that the mail be safely carried and delivered in 25 days or less and that the services begin within a year. John Butterfield was awarded the six-year, $600,000 contract.

Butterfield was a stagecoach owner with a large transportation company in Utica, New York, employing 1,000-2,000 people. As he began to lay out the route to be followed, the 18

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trail had to have hard surfaces, gentle grades and passes that wouldn’t become snow-bound in winter. Butterfield began the route just west of St. Louis, Missouri, in the town of Tipton.

He then followed a southwestern route through Arkansas, Texas, and Arizona on the way to California. A connecting route to the south ran from Memphis to Fort Smith where it joined the Tipton route. Butterfield routes connected y many known roads including the Trail of Tears. It also crossed the Chisholm and Western cattle trails.

On September 16, 1858, the first stagecoach of Butterfield’s Overland Mail Company left Tipton with John Butterfield on board. Butterfield’s advice to his drivers was: “Remember boys, nothing on God’s earth must stop the mail.”

The first stop in Arkansas was on September 18 at a spring near Rogers at the Callahan Tavern. It then went south to Fayetteville. Here, horses were exchanged for mules for the arduous route through the Boston Mountains toward Fort Smith. It arrived in Fort Smith on September 19, 1858, at 2 a.m. and was met with music, cheering, and cannon fire. The celebration continued until the coach left for California.

“Remember boys, nothing on God’s earth must stop the mail.”

The stagecoach route from the south started in Madison, Arkansas, just west of Memphis and traveled in a southwesterly direction toward Little Rock, then north to Conway, before continuing northwest through Russellville, Dardanelle, and Pottsville on to Fort Smith.

Stagecoaches didn’t go all the way to St. Louis and Memphis.

Passengers and mail left St. Louis by rail to Tipton where they were transferred to Butterfield stagecoaches. On the southern route, roads in eastern Arkansas were often flooded. Passengers had to take a ferry across the Mississippi River from Memphis then catch a train to Madison just east of Forrest City. From there, a stagecoach took passengers and mail to Fort Smith where the two routes converged before making the rest of the journey to San Francisco.

Even after traveling only 4-5 miles per hour through Northwest Arkansas, the initial Butterfield stage arrived in San Francisco after a total trip of 23 days and 23.5 hours. This was three hours ahead of schedule and a day faster than their contract agreement.

Butterfield’s Overland Mail Company operated from 1858 through 1861 and was the longest stagecoach line in world history with 2,812 miles of travel. Its operation was a major contributing factor in the settlement and development of Arkansas and the American West before the Civil War. With the beginning of the Civil War, the stage route was moved farther north to avoid crossing enemy lines. After the Civil War, other stage lines and mail carriers moved mail and passengers un-

til the railroad was completed to the west coast in 1869.

Butterfield developed a huge transportation empire with packet boats, steamboats, plank roads, and street railroads. He was a pioneer in the transportation business and aided in developing it from the crude stagecoach to those of fast trains. He also pioneered express shipped parcels that would bear extra charges. It was a huge success, and his business later became American Express. >> NOVEMBER 2021

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POTTSVILLE’S ROLE in the Butterfield Overland Mail Trail began in 1858 with the completion of the current Potts Inn Museum, located at 173 E. Ash Street, Pottsville. The Inn’s role was as a stagecoach rest stop for mail and passengers. This was also known as a home stop because at most stations horses were changed and they headed back out to keep the mail going 24 hours a day seven days a week. Here, passengers could stay at the Inn and rest until the next stage came.

This three-story home was owned by Kirkbride and Pameila Potts and their family. Mr. Potts was a farmer and a Post Master.

The Potts family lived in the home for three generations. The Inn was bought by Pope County and restored as a museum in the 1970s. The Pope County Historical Foundation (PCHF) now oversees its operation.

Mr. Potts came to Arkansas in 1828 as one of its earliest settlers.

He was from the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area and traveled here by covered wagon, accompanied by his father, brother, sister, and two slave families. Potts homesteaded 160 acres of land from the Federal Government and built a two-story log cabin at the foot

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of Crow Mountain. He married Pameila Logan and they lived in this home for 30 years. They had 11 children, two of which died shortly after birth. Their reputation for hospitality came as they welcomed travelers between Fort Smith and Little Rock by selling them goods for their trips west and supplying clean lodging and meals. The couple accommodated up to 13 guests overnight.

In an effort to fund a bigger house and make his fortune, Mr. Potts traveled to California in 1850 to pan for gold… unsuccessfully.

But on two later trips, he drove cattle herds to supply food for the miners. These trips were profitable and funded building the current Potts Inn. This home is the only remaining Butterfield station in Arkansas.

Butterfield Days are celebrated annually in Pottsville on the third Saturday in September. Its purpose is to celebrate the history of Pottsville, Potts Inn, and the Butterfield Trail. This year’s celebration included the unveiling of a historic marker with Butterfield Overland Mail information on one side and Potts Inn on the other. Festivities surrounded the Inn beginning in front with carriage rides offered by River Valley Carriage Company. There

are original to 1858. The Butterfield Days attendees could enjoy all this activity with a musical background provided by the band Sweet Strings.

Historic buildings in downtown Pottsville were also open and could be visited with tours given by members of the PCHF, and a car and truck show was across the street from the Inn, organized

by Carl Kirkley. Inside the Inn, the well-appointed rooms could be toured with members of the Pottsville Junior High history class in period dress. In the hallway with Mr. Pott’s original postal desk, a souvenir postcard with a 2021 Butterfield commemorative stamp was available stamped by the Pottsville Postmaster.

To learn more about Historic Pottsville, Potts Inn Museum, and the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Trail, you may visit Potts Inn and take a tour Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. or contact the Museum at (479) 968-8369. Visit their web page at www. pottsinnmuseum.com.

The Butterfield Overland Trail route has been approved by the National Park Service to be a designated national historic trail.

The proposal has been sent to Congress for final approval. l

were Civil War reenactments with the occasional cannon blast provided by Arkansas Confederate Guard. In the gazebo, a basket weaving demonstration was provided by members of PCHF. On the back porch were book signings of both “The Potts Family and the Early Pottsville,” by Margaret Motley and Kara Bowers, and “Butterfield’s Overland Mail Co. Stagecoach Trail Across America 1858-1861,” by Bob Crossman. The sale of both books helps fund the Potts Inn operation.

Behind the Inn, under the ancient bois d’ark tree (Osage orange) the Pope County Library staff from Russellville and Atkins had the bookmobile available and gave demonstrations of corn husk dolls and rag rug making. There was barbecue provided by the Pottsville Masonic Lodge and Mexican food provided

by Guerrero's. For the children, there were two inflated bounce houses provided by Insane Inflatables. A Pottsville Fire Truck and Ambulance were on display. The property’s outbuildings were open for touring and contained many items of historical interest.

Several of the buildings were made from wood salvaged from the Potts’ original log cabin home. The wellhouse and smokehouse OVER

YEARS IN BUSINESS

www.luxurypoolarkansas.com

119 E Main St, Russellville Russellville • (479) 968-7772 NOVEMBER 2021

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ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY

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COMMUNITY

Joey South Named a 2021 New Century Workforce Scholar Joey South, a student at University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, has been named a 2021 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship. South is a second-year student in the Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program at UACCM. This scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate degree-granting institutions on a national scale as they plan to enter the workforce upon the completion of a degree or certificate. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

New Century Workforce Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,000 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country. Only one New Century Workforce Scholar was selected from each state.

“Joey’s being named to this honor is a first for UACCM,” said Phi Theta Kappa advisor, Mat Herrman. “His being awarded this honor shows that all students can be acknowledged at any level – locally, regionally, or nationally – when they put forth the effort to demonstrate their best work. We are so proud of his accomplishment.”

The New Century Workforce Scholars will be recognized this fall.

About The Coca-Cola Foundation: The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company.

Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support sustainable community initia22

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

tives around the world. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please visit coca-colagivingback.com.

About Phi Theta Kappa: Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations, with approximately 240,000 ac-

NOVEMBER 2021

tive members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is a two-year, public college which offers a comprehensive curriculum of university-transfer and career-specific training programs as well as adult education, workforce training, and community outreach programs. The college’s commitment to excellence in learning and personal enrichment allows stu-

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dents to gain a strong academic foundation in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree or earn the credentials needed for high-wage, high-demand careers.

2021 Holiday Tour of Homes The United Methodist Women of Russellville First United Methodist Church present the 2021 Holiday Tour of Homes on Sunday, December 5th. Tickets are $20 per person, and can be purchased from FUMC, Heart & Soul Christian Book Store, Boyd Osborne Realtor Group, or any UMW member. Three homes are included in this years tour: PAIGE FISHER, 3316 Half Moon Lane: From Skyline Drive, turn onto Skyline Vista Lane then take a left at Lands End Point, then right onto Half Moon Lane

DIANNE MOORE, 507 Oak Hill Lane: From Skyline Drive, turn onto Hilltop Drive then a left onto Hilltop Place and another left onto Oak Hill Lane.

JIM COLLINS, 219 River Oaks Lane: From Skyline Drive, turn onto Hilltop Drive then merge onto Mariana Way with a right onto River Oaks Lane.

Refreshments will be served on the self-guided tours of Christmas decorations and home interiors. Please feel free to start your tour at any of the homes.

A “taxi” transportation service will be provided for anyone who is unable to drive themselves, but spots are limited. Please call the Russellville First United Methodist Church office at 968-1232 for reservations.

Those needing transportation will meet at the church parking lot at 1 p.m. >>

2112 W. Main St., RUSSELLVILLE Sun 4:30-8pm; closed Mon; Tue-Thurs 11:15am-2pm/4:308pm; Fri 11:15am-1pm/4:30-8pm; Sat 12-3pm, 4:30-8pm

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TACOS 4 EVER BURRITOS AND MORE

200 N. Ark. Ave., RUSSELLVILLE Mon-Sat 11am-2pm/4pm-9pm, closed Sun.

(479) 264-5330 Mexican Food

Professional care in a compassionate atmosphere, in the heart of the River Valley.

Offering long term care and a wide range of rehabilitation services.

REHABILITATION

LONG TERM CARE

RESIDENTIAL

215 S. Portland Ave., Russellville | 479-968-5256 | www.russellvillenr.com

NOVEMBER 2021

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Cranor’s first crime novel nets first place From Soho Press Soho Press is excited to announce that the winner of the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest is Don’t Know Tough, by Eli Cranor, a novel about a high school football player with an explosively troubled home life, the idealistic coach who thinks he can save him, and the murder that threatens to tear their Arkansas town apart on the eve of the playoffs.

The winning manuscript was selected from more than two hundred entrants by a panel of Soho Press editors and the famed mystery novelist Peter Lovesey. The winner will be published in Spring 2022 by Soho Crime.

The contest, held to commemorate Lovesey’s 50th anniversary as a mystery writer, was announced at the 2019 Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Dallas. Mr. Lovesey and the judges also recognized two honorable mentions: Catherine Hendricks’s Hardways and Dan Wever’s The Prince of Thieves.

Lovesey, whose debut novel Wobble to Death was published in 1970 after he won a first novel contest he saw advertised in The Times, is no stranger to this sort of competition and appreciated the chance to pay forward the good luck he had 50 years ago.

“It really packs a punch,” says Lovesey of the manuscript he selected as the winner. “I enjoyed reading between the lines,

Eli Cranor

dreading the trouble Billy was bringing on himself and his fragile life-chances. At the heart of the book is the pull of loyalties— the football team, the family and religion.

The characters involved in all the stresses and strains are well drawn and convincing.

It’s tough reading, but the humanity shines through.”

Eli Cranor is a former professional football player and high school football coach.

He lives with his wife and children in Arkansas, where he is a high school teacher.

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petersfamilyliving.com 24

ABOUT the RIVER VALLEY ~

NOVEMBER 2021

His fiction has appeared in the Missouri Review and the Greensboro Review, and his sports-themed advice column, “Athletic Support,” appears weekly in newspapers across the country.

Says Soho Press Publisher Bronwen Hruska, “Peter Lovesey is the king of the tough-to-crack puzzle mystery, hands down, but I would argue he is also one of the most prolific and accomplished mystery writers of all time. It’s been my great privilege to publish this highly decorated

author on our Soho Crime list. But the even greater privilege has been in calling this funny, humble, generous man a friend. I am thrilled to celebrate Peter’s fiftieth anniversary of crime writing by announcing the winner of Soho’s First Crime Novel Contest. If Eli Cranor goes on to accomplish even a fraction of what Peter has, he will have had a storied career indeed.”

Peter Lovesey will present the First Novel Award to Eli Cranor on Friday, December 4th, at a virtual 50th Anniversary Gala hosted by Murder by the Book, the Houston independent bookstore. Other speakers at the Gala, which will be open to the public, include Louise Penny, Jeffery Deaver, Peter Robinson, Lawrence Block, and Cara Black.

The 50th Anniversary Gala begins at 6 p.m. CST. Event details can be found at www.murderbooks.com/lovesey

16th Annual Trout Day The 16th Annual Trout Day will be December 4 beginning at 8 a.m at the Pleasant View Park pond in Russellville. Prior to Trout Day, The Fish Clinic will be held at the Hugh’s Center on Tuesday November 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Trout Day is sponsored by CADDIS Fly Fishing Club, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, and Russellville Parks & Recreation. The event is free to the public and kids 12 and under will be given a fishing rod and bait. l

...continued from page 15 With my other hand I got Opal by the waist and took her from the boys and walked to where I could see the blind man and his family, who was now surrounded by concerned fellow pumpkin patchers. I walked up and handed him his stick back, ignoring the fact that I had a wriggling ball of anger tucked under one arm.

“I’m so sorry, sir, I am babysitting a friend’s child for her and I had no idea she would do that.” I looked at the lady who had made me mad earlier. “And if this were my child, I would be spanking him all the way to the car, thank you very much, but it’s not.”

“Yes she would be, and she hits hard!”

Raff said, coming up behind me.

I gave the lady one more evil-eyed glare and stomped off towards my car, more exhausted than I cared to admit.

Hours later, when Christine and her husband came to pick up Hussein Bolt’s protege, Christine asked if everything went ok.

I started to assure her that, of course, it did when Raff interjected.

“Well, yeah, except for the part where she stole a blind man’s walking stick at the pumpkin patch and we had to form a search party and then she bit me!“ He held out his arm to show where tiny teeth marks could still be seen. “And then we went to lunch and she took her ice cream cone into the Chick-fil-a play area after we told her not to and put it in some kid’s face, and then she took a marker to our dog ChaCha and drew

all over her while my mom was busy cleaning up the glitter glue that she put all over the rug.” Raff said, motioning over to my white chihuahua, who sat looking half traumatized in her dog bed and now had purple and pink marker drawn wildly all over her.

I sheepishly looked back at Christine. I couldn’t deny all that Raff had said, but I felt awful that I hadn’t been able to keep a better eye on her daughter.

Christine suddenly turned towards her husband and said “See? She does this to other people too!” She turned back towards me. “He thinks I’ve been making up all these crazy stories about all these naughty things she does, and then when I go to work she’s a perfect angel for him and he doesn’t understand why I’m so overwhelmed at the end of the day. I don’t know anyone else that has a kid like this! Now we won’t ever be able to go out again because no one will ever babysit twice!” she wailed.

And then it hit me. Opal was Raff 2.0.

Some of the wild things he did came flooding back to my brain, stirring up some old PPTSD. (Parenting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.)

I hugged Christine and assured her that even though I was exhausted, I would definitely babysit for her again.

“This kid has nothing on Raff, and next time we go out for coffee I’ll tell you about all the things he did. You’ll feel better because you’ll realize that if I’m not in an insane asylum, you won’t be either.”

The days are long, but the years are short. l

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AUNT MELVIE’S BROWNIES & MORE auntmelviebrownies@gmail.com russellville.localygrown.net RUSSELLVILLE

Sugar and spice and everything nice Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN Story by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

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JUST AFTER THE GORGING ON VEGGIES, POULTRY, POTATOES, AND BREADS and just before the tryptophan kicks in as your eyelids droop under the weight of a full belly, the yearnings for something sweet to compliment the savory begin in earnest.

There’s always (or there always should be) pumpkin pie and banana pudding.

There might be a cake or two of one kind or another. But if you’re very fortunate, one of your beloved might have brought something special from Aunt Melvie’s Brownies & More.

As the name implies there’s more than brownies at Aunt Melvie’s. Just our small sampling included three types of toffee

NOVEMBER 2021

crunch (that’s never sticky), streusels (apple is divine), cookies (chocolate chip is the classic choice and was simply scrumptious), and then of course the brownies (turtle all the way).

Aunt Melvie’s says that everything is made with love and the recipes have been family staples for more than three decades.

While we can’t objectively verify just how much love goes into to every pan, we know for certain that it tastes like bowlful.

Maybe you’d like to start a sweet new family tradition at this year’s Thanksgiving feast. If so, you can find Aunt Melvie’s on Facebook or Instagram, or order from her on the Russellville Community Market at russellvillelocallygrown.net l

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

Nuttin in November Story by LYDIA ZIMMERMAN, Food Editor Photos by LIZ CHRISMAN

T

Mandarin-Cranberry Salad with Spiced Pecans

ime flies… It seems like my oldest was just starting kindergarten, but in August I moved her to Maryland for grad school. And while in Maryland I discovered the wonderful world of IKEA. I had heard of the wonders of this Swedish store from my boss but did not realize that besides housewares galore it also had very tasty foods in it’s cafe. The trip to IKEA introduced me to its Almond Cake — YUM! So as suggested by my oldest child, I decided to do Nuttin November recipes. I have collected recipes and created my version of a chocolate almond cake and a salad so tasty it might just grace a Thanksgiving table or two.

Som alltid Njut!

MANDARIN-CRANBERRY SALAD WITH SPICED PECANS ABOUT Magazine Featured Recipe ~ NOVEMBER 2021

Salad 2 c pecans, a mix of whole and chopped 6 T butter, unsalted 1 T + 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground paprika 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground ginger, divided in 1/2 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 T granulated sugar 2 c fresh baby spinach 2 c Romaine lettuce 2 (4 oz) cups of mandarin oranges in juice, drained

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1 c dried cranberries 4 rounded T feta cheese crumbles 1 c seasoned croutons (optional) Cranberry Citrus Vinaigrette 1/4 c olive oil 1/8 c red wine vinegar 2 T canned cranberry sauce, whole cranberry style 1 T lemon zest 1-2 T orange juice, to taste

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread pecans evenly on it.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat melt butter, 1 T ground cinnamon, paprika, cumin, 1 tsp ground ginger, salt and 1 T granulated sugar.

Stir constantly until butter is melted.

Remove from heat.

Drizzle butter mixture evenly over pecans and place in preheated oven on top rack for 6 minutes. Remove after 6 minutes and turn pecans using a spatula. Return to oven for additional 3-5 minutes. You want pecans to be slightly toasted before removing from oven. Remove from

oven and sprinkle the pecans with the additional cinnamon, ginger and sugar. Set aside to cool.

Prepare dressing while pecans are cooling. In a blender add olive oil, cranberry sauce, lemon zest and 1 T orange juice. Blend until cranberry sauce is no longer solid, add additional orange juice per taste preference if desired.

In a decorative salad bowl, place spinach and romaine. Toss to mix.

Top salad with mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, feta cheese and croutons. Drizzle with the Cranberry Citrus Vinaigrette just before serving.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE Cake 1 1/4 c all purpose flour, sifted 1 1/2 c granulated sugar 3/4 tsp baking powder 6 egg eggs, separated 3 T water 1/2 c baking cocoa 1 c slivered roasted almonds, chopped Filling 4 eggs yolks 1 c granulated sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 c heavy whipping cream Icing 1 bag (8 oz) Heath English toffee bits 2 oz (1/2 a bar) semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped 1/2 c heavy whipping cream 1 c slivered roasted almonds (for garnish) Make filling ahead of time as it needs to refrigerate to 3 hours before use.

In a small mixing bowl, separate egg yolks from whites of 4 eggs. Whisk egg yolks, then add the granulated sugar and vanilla. Whisk mixture together, then set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat heavy whipping cream, stirring very frequently until it starts to bubble. Remove from heat and slowly add to egg mixture, whisking together mixture while adding.

Return mixture to saucepan and cook

Chocolate Almond Cake

over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a small bowl to remove any bits of egg. Cover mixture directly with saran wrap (do not cover bowl but custard surface directly to prevent a film from forming on the custard).. Place in refrigerator for 3 hours.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a springform pan with a piece of parchment paper. Spray sides of pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl sift flour. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and cocoa and stir to mix.

Separate the 6 eggs, placing the yolks in the bowl with the flour mixture with 3 T water and the whites in another mixing bowl.

Beat the egg whites until stiff.

With a mixer beat the flour mixture together, it will be very thick. Add chopped almonds and mix again.

Fold the stiff egg whites into the flour mixture using a french spatula until well incorporated. Pour the mixture into your springform pan and place in oven on middle rack for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven to cool. Place on cake tray remove from pan. Using a sharp large kitchen knife cut cake in half horizontally in equal parts. Flip top side onto a piece of parchment paper and set aside.

After custard has set in refrigerator for 3 hours, remove and spread the custard evenly on the top of the cake portion that is on the cake tray. Place the other portion of the cake that was set to the side on top of the custard spread cake. Place in refrigerator to chill while preparing the icing.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook Heath English toffee bits, heavy whipping cream and baking chocolate together stirring constantly until melted together. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Remove cake from refrigerator and pour cooled icing evenly over cake, letting it drizzle over the sides. Top with slivered almonds.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. >>

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CREAMY CASHEW PUMPKIN SOUP 1 T oil or butter (or both) 1/2 onion, chopped 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced finely 4 c chicken or vegetable broth 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree (unsweetened) 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/2 c roasted, salted cashews plus extra for garnishing 1/4 c roasted, salted pumpkin seeds for garnish dried parsley for garnishing (optional) In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté onions in oil and butter until they are soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.

Turn heat down to medium low, and add chicken or vegetable broth and pumpkin to the pot, and stir to combine. Add turmeric, basil, and cumin. Let come to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add 2 cups of the soup and 1/2 cup of cashews to a high powered blender. Be very careful to vent the top of the blender so that pressure can escape as it is blending! Blend the cashews and soup until smooth and creamy (about 30-45 seconds).

If you want your soup to be very smooth in texture, you can blend the rest of the soup (in batches as needed). If you want a little bit of texture from the onion pieces, just

add the creamy cashew mixture back into the pot and stir to combine.

Taste the soup and season with additional kosher salt and pepper as needed.

Ladle into bowls, and garnish with salted pumpkin seeds, chopped cashews and parsley if desired.

Recipe courtesy of lovelylittlekitchen.com BAKED BRIE PUFFS WITH PRESERVES AND PISTACHIOS 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed 2 oz brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 T fruit preserves (such as apricot, fig, or marmalade) 3 T shelled pistachios, chopped Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. You’ll also need a 24-cup mini muffin tin.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 12-by-12-inch square (slightly larger than the initial size of the sheet). Cut into 25 squares. Gently ease each square into a mini muffin cup.

Bake for 10 minutes or until puffed.

Press the center of each square down with the round end of a wooden spoon. Bake for 3-5 minutes more or until corners are just starting to brown.

Place a piece of cheese into each cup.

Top with 1/4 teaspoon of fruit preserves and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.

Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and pastry is light golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin. Serve warm.

Recipe courtesy of loveandoliveoil.com

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

River Valley Adult Learning Alliance (479) 477-3910

rivervalleyliteracycouncil@gmail.com

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NOVEMBER 2021

MAPLE NUT TRUFFLES 1-1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1-1/2 c confectioners’ sugar 3/4 tsp maple flavoring 1 c chopped walnuts In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips. Set aside to cool. In another bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add melted chocolate and maple flavoring; beat until well blended. Chill for 15 minutes or until firm enough to handle.

Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in walnuts.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com PECAN CHICKEN MEATBALLS 1 lb ground chicken 1/4 c spinach, chopped 1 T fresh lemon juice 1 egg 1 tsp minced garlic 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional 1 c raw pecan pieces Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, spinach, lemon juice, egg, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne (if adding), and 1/2 cup pecans.

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

Roll chicken mixture into meatballs, a little over 1 tablespoon of mixture each.

Place reserved 1/2 cup pecans in a bowl.

Roll meatballs in pecans to coat, and then place prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.

Serve warm with sauces for dipping or over pasta of your choice as a main dish.

Makes about 25 meatball.

Recipe courtesy of americanpecan.com LIME-MACADAMIA CRUSTED CHICKEN Cooking spray 3/4 tsp light coconut milk Zest and juice of 1 lime, divided 1/4 c chopped dry-roasted macadamia nuts 1/4 c panko 2 T chopped cilantro 1 pinch salt 1 pinch black pepper 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional) 4 4-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine coconut milk and lime juice. In another shallow dish, combine lime zest, macadamia nuts, panko, cilantro, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using.

Dip each chicken breast into coconut milk, then into macadamia mixture, then place on baking sheet. Spritz top of each breast with additional cooking spray, if desired, to facilitate browning.

Bake for 25 minutes until crust is golden brown and chicken have reached an internal temperature of 180°F. Recipe courtesy of shape.com SPICY ROSEMARY-PEANUT CARAMEL CORN Nonstick cooking spray 12 c unsalted popped popcorn 2 c cocktail peanuts ½ c butter ½ c packed brown sugar ¼ c light color corn syrup

2 T orange juice 1 T snipped fresh rosemary 2 tsp vanilla ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1 1/2 tsp sea salt Preheat oven to 275°. Coat a rimmed roasting pan with cooking spray; set aside. Place popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl; set aside. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, cook and stir butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in orange juice. Bring to boiling. Boil at a moderate steady rate for 2 minutes (do not stir).

Remove from heat. Stir in rosemary, vanilla, baking soda and cayenne pepper (mixture will foam up).

Pour butter mixture over popcorn mixture. Stir to coat well. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Transfer to a large sheet of heavy foil; spread evenly. Sprinkle with salt.

Cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe courtesy of midwestliving.com CRANBERRY NUT CREAM CHEESE BALLS 16 oz cream cheese 1 tsp cinnamon 3 T honey or maple syrup, plus extra for garnish 1 1/2 c nuts (walnut, pecan…) divided 1 c chopped dried cranberries 1/2 c minced fresh chive In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cinnamon and honey (or maple syrup) until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup pecan chips, and mix well combine. Set aside.

Line a plate or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Toss together remaining nuts, dried cranberries, and chopped chives.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop out one ball of cheese filling and toss into the nut mixture. Continue until all cheese balls have been rolled in the coating.

Refrigerate the cranberry nut cream cheese balls until ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy of eatwell101.com NOVEMBER 2021

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Region IX Marching Assessment 2021 Photos by BENITA DREW

The Region IX Marching Assessment was hosted by Russellville High School with 13 bands performing. Local high school marching bands vying for a spot at the state competition were Russellville, Dover, Pottsville, Morrilton and Dardanelle. Performances ended with an exhibition from the Arkansas Tech University marching band. All five local high school bands were successful and will proceed to compete at State in November, at War Memorial Stadium.

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NOVEMBER 2021 2021 NOVEMBER

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THE SEED & THE STORY

A therapy donkey

M

ornings in the country are often thought of as quiet, pastoral, serene. That might be true somewhere, but where we live, every morning you’re greeted with roosters crowing, a few too many cars driving way too fast down

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Story and photo by MEREDITH MARTIN-MOATS

our dirt road, and the beautiful, intense, slightly out of tune trumpet-like sounds of our donkey braying loudly. She wants me to come give her a carrot, an apple, or the occasional marshmallow. I’ve been told she can be heard from our neighbors house half

NOVEMBER 2021

a mile or more from ours, her bellows wafting across the pastures and the dewy morning grass. I can see how the frequent siren call would be annoying. But to me it’s one of the most beautiful — albeit awkward — sounds of Harkey’s Valley.

Our donkey’s name is Jenna, and she only came to live with us recently. About three years ago when we were getting

ready to move back to Dardanelle from Little Rock, I have a clear memory of sitting down at my computer and typing “donkeys for adoption” in the search bar. I was supposed to be packing, but I couldn’t get my mind off of our potential ability to finally live out a long-held dream: having a pet donkey. There are many reasons we wanted to move to the country — ability to grow more food, live closer to the land, be closer to Dad — but I can sincerely say that owning a donkey was surprisingly high on that list. We all have our priorities.

As much as we wanted to get a donkey quickly, it was only recently that we finally met that goal. We’re fairly financially responsible people, always quick to save and slow to spend. However, when we received our stimulus money all we could see was visions of barbed wire and donkey housing in our heads. So the first phone call I made was to our neighbor, whose sister raised donkeys. Turns out, we didn’t end up buying a donkey but rather adopting an older one from those same neighbors who no longer were able to care for her. I remember clearly the day they walked her over through their pasture and across the dirt road intersection. She moved slowly, big ears pointed upward and on alert. We had always planned to name our donkey “Hotey,” as in “Donkey Hotey” (say it out loud), but this one came pre-named “Jenna.” We decided to let her stick with this familiar moniker. After all, there is always the option to get more donkeys, right?

Why does a person keep a donkey?

Well, for starters, they make great protec-

tion animals. They will fight a coyote and don’t like strange dogs around their property. Jenna was totally gonna kick to kill our dogs until she got used to them. Now they’re all friends, but they most certainly had to earn that trust. They also make great lawnmowers. We often take Jenna out on her lead and let her mow down the grass all around our house. But for me, Jenna is a connection to someone I never met.

My grandfather, John L. Martin, once lived on this land, and was known for his work with mules and horses. As a kid, my dad and I rode our own horses up and down this dirt road, stories I’ll have to share sometime in the future. We never had a donkey, but what is a mule if not a cross between the two? Neither majestic like a horse nor utilitarian like a mule, a donkey is loud and determined and scrappy. Their ears are a thing of wonder. And there is something about looking out the window every morning and seeing Jenna that sets my mind at peace. Hearing her bray for me in the mornings is like music — loud, intrusive, punk bucolic music.

When I told my Dad that Jenna had gotten to where she brays for me every morning he replied: “You’ve done got her spoilt.” He’s right. She knows that if she calls for me, I’ll come out. But I think I’m the one who hit the jackpot. Fewer things make me happier than knowing this large creature knows how to call for me, her loud sounds echoing off of Spring Mountain and through the valleys and pastures, and knows that I’ll come to her side. She knows that I’ll sing her a song or two, brush her hair and take her for a walk, and that my pockets overflow with carrots and apples. l

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Story & photo by JOHNNY CARROL SAIN

A JOURNAL of our RURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE

To the Bone I’M A LITTLE SQUEAMISH WHEN IT COMES TO HANDLING EYEBALLS AND BRAINS. You’d think that after dismembering hundreds of carcasses — cutting into both warm and cold body cavities, pulling out intestines, livers, kidneys, hearts, lungs, etc. — I’d be more stoic in the matter. But those eyes, the window to the soul as Shakespeare said, and that gray matter where the soul (or what we think is a soul) resides, trigger uncomfortable emotions.

The deer who owned the eyes are brains I’m handling has been dead for more than a month. We met, and I killed him, in the mountains near my home. It happened in a grove of white oaks, green-leaved and loaded with acorns, as the first rays of an October dawn bathed the forest in pastel pink and orange tones. He saw me perched in the oak with these eyes, watched me as I drew ragged breath and the arrow that would pierce his lungs and heart.

We civilized humans have created a narcissistic myth that our own deaths are a tragedy beyond comprehension.

Coming to grips with the reality that one day I will simply cease to be, that the organic shell housing my soul or spirit or simply consciousness will be reduced to food for something else (boring as it is, microbes and fungi most likely) is inconceivable. I simply can’t imagine a world without me.

But to the uncivilized world, death is the most ordinary of events. Beings die everywhere and all the time. They’re dying in the forests and seas, on the plains and in the mountains. They’re dying on farms and in yards, in your very home at this very moment. Death is the mechanism for life, re36

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turning base components back to the system where they’ll be formed into something else. Every other living thing on the planet seems to know their position in this solar-powered recycling, that the individual alive now is but a temporary placeholder for the individual to come. Anthropologist Paul Shepherd writes of this “knowing” of the prey animals, those primary consumers in the trophic pyramid, and the predators who depend on them as literal conduits of light: “The dream of perfection of the softeyed deer and the singing grasshopper is to burst like a small sun into the blood of the wolf and the bluebird, who surrounded by prey, accept each bite as a gift from the sun-parent.”

I can’t say for certain that this deer dreamed of me eating him, but there was a recognition, a palpable knowing in the cool autumn air that morning. The moment of intersection unfolded as though our fates had been intertwined since our births.

He bolted with apparent vigor when the arrow found him, and I thought I’d missed.

But blood leaking from his wounds,

NOVEMBER 2021

splashes of a most urgent color, led me to him moments before he died. I was there as the soft golden glow faded from his eyes. I wiped the tears from my own.

And now, morbid and barbaric as it sounds, I want his skull near me. Not as a trophy. Think of it as a talisman, a connection to the wildness that the deer exists within, that we humans once fully belonged to but now experience only as outsiders.

We’re domesticated shadows of our former predatory selves, but his skull will be a reminder of my blood bond with the deer. It’s a relationship that’s been consummated by death and digestion through countless generations dating back to prehistory.

The only way I can keep this sacred object in our home, without the putrid smell of decay attached to it, is to get rid of all the soft tissue. I’ll spare the specifics, but after the initial skinning and removal of eyeballs and brains, the rest of the process isn’t so bad. When it’s done, all that’s left is bone.

Bone isn’t the uniform white color you might think it is. Not a freshly boiled and

scraped skull, anyway. Instead, it’s tinted with the softest grays and browns, the muted hues of the tendons, ligaments and cartilage that once worked with muscle to articulate and animate but now removed leave

“I can’t say for certain that this deer dreamed of me eating him, but there was a recognition, a palpable knowing in the cool autumn air that morning. The moment of intersection unfolded as though our fates had been intertwined since our births.” their subtle shades behind. The skull’s aesthetic, from a distance, is smooth simplicity. But a closer look reveals nuance with purpose -- the various openings for nerves and blood vessels; the tight fit of small, rotating bones that attach ear-butt to skull; the acorn-stained ridges of teeth. A skull is a jigsaw puzzle of form and function guided by evolution. Calcium phosphate and collagen combine to form everything from load-bearing structures and levers to the more delicate, lace-like framework of the nasal cavities.

The deer’s brain isn’t wired like ours so its protective housing is different as well.

But there are striking, though, not surprising similarities, too. We did, after all, share a common ancestor with the deer nearly 65 million years ago. Evolutionarily speaking, successful components tend to endure across species.

My eyes focus on the hole where the

deer’s optic nerve connected his brain to his eye. I try to imagine the sights, the emotions of life as prey. I try to imagine my ancestors from more than four million years ago on the savannas of eastern Africa who knew this position in life as their own reality.

But I can’t. I’ve been too long at the top.

Somewhere along those four million years separating us from Australopithecus afarensis, we left our shared station with the deer and grasshoppers and sided with the wolf and bluebird. Our shift came about because the combination of genetic gifts — bipedalism, an opposable thumb, and a marvelously complex brain — handed down from evolution proved to be an incredibly effective, though unlikely, formula for an apex predator. Especially that brain.

The most distinct characteristic of the top and back of the deer’s skull are the squiggled joints called sutures. Sutures allow skulls to flex, protecting the brain during birth and after as it grows. We have them and need them even more than other animals. A human is born with a huge, outsized head compared to our bodies. It must pass through a relatively narrow opening at birth and then our clever brains continue to grow for another 25 years.

One of the deer’s sutures snakes along the very back of his brain case. The other two start under each antler, nearly encircling the bases, before they meet in the exact middle of his head. The sutures loop and wind in a primal calligraphy across the frontal lobe. I trace their tight meanders, trying to read the ancient cursive like a blind man reads brail.

But I don’t feel prose through my fin-

gertips. It’s something more poetic, lyrical, melodic. It’s a song, perhaps the same one Aldo Leopold spoke of when he said that “to hear even a few notes of it you must first live here for a long time, and you must know the speech of hills and rivers.”

It’s a song that’s reverberated through the eons in cycles of sun, moon, wind, and rain. The notes stretch from the long ago then to the now and beyond for as long as life survives on this planet, moving to the rhythm of innumerable heartbeats, the pulse of blood through artery and vein.

I trace the sutures as they flatline down the gentle slope of his nose with the somber realization that my voice is part of this primeval song, no more no less than the deer’s. We are both caught up in the music, sustaining the harmony our ancestors began long before us. The song is inescapable.

My fingers leave the buck’s bones and explore the ridges on my scalp. I feel for the music written on my own skull. I wonder when and what my death will be. l

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COMMUNITY LEADERS

...

Bill

HEFLEY AGE: 76 HOMETOWN & My home town is Dover, but I YEARS IN THE was actually born at Ben Hur RIVER VALLEY:

in Newton County. I left the Valley to join the Marine Corps in 1964 and returned in 1977. I have not left since.

OCCUPATION: I am a retired mental health

professional with 16 and a half yrs at Community Service Inc., 16 and a half years at Counseling Associates Inc., and 2 years with Crisis Care Inc. out of Detroit, Michigan.

FAMILY: I have two adult daughters and

one adult son along with seven grandchildren. My wife of 53 years is deceased.

1.What is your favorite book?

My favorite book is, “Way back in the Hills,” by James Carl Hefley. This book provides a simple yet complex description of the struggles of people in Newton County and the surrounding area in north central Arkansas, describing the good and difficult times and the simple pleasures enjoyed by each.

2. Dog or cat?

I have two dogs and two cats. They are all rescue animals with their individual stories. The choice is tough but I am going with cats. My big male black and white cat always greets me with a soft “meow” and rubs against my leg until I pet him. He owns me.

3.What do you think is the most positive aspect of living in the River Valley?

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NOVEMBER 2021

I like living here because we have so many choices of things to do. There are so many lakes,

ponds and streams if I want to fish. There are beautiful mountains with trails to explore. There are many music venues to choose from every weekend and most are free or very cheap and the entertainers are first rate. We have some very welltraveled and talented musicians in the Valley. There are many civic/service organizations to join if you want to contribute to the well being of the area.

4.What’s something no one would ever guess about you?

Most people would never guess that I have a PhD in hypnosis.

5. What is your favorite music genre and artist?

I love Country music and my favorite Country singer is Merle Haggard. He had many hits but the two that I like most are, “Momma’s Hungry Eyes” and “Kern River.” They are that unique Bakersfield country twist. Many of my relatives

experienced living in a tent in the fruit orchards of that California Valley.

6. What do you nerd out on?

Poetry: I love the twist and turns and rhymes or not. It is so open to interpretation.

7. If you could change one thing about the River Valley, what would it be?

I just wish people would stop throwing trash in the lakes and streams and along our highways.

8. Where is the one location in the River Valley you would tell a first-time visitor that they must go?

For first-time visitors, I would suggest going to the Lake Dardanelle State Park Visitors Center. They can obtain a lot of

information there. If they are a veteran or have veterans in their family, then I would suggest they go to the new Veterans Park on Lakefront Drive in Russellville.

9. Pizza, tacos, cheeseburger, or fried chicken?

Those are off my list although I did eat a lot of each in the day, and pizza was my favorite. It was convenient and could be reheated in the microwave in the middle of the night. Now I go with lots of salads.

10. What is your favorite quote? Could be from an inspirational person, could be an original.

My maternal grandmother had several.

The one that I have taken through life is: “There is more than one way to skin a cat.” I have interpreted this to mean that there may be more than one way to solve a problem. This has helped me make decisions in some very difficult situations. PS: I have never skinned a cat.

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