Hot Springs Midweek 6-29

Little Rock, AR 72202 Permit No. 471

PRS RT S TD U.S . PO S TA G E PA ID

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 Number 26, Volume 37

MID-WEEK

MARKETPLACE

Servin g th e H ot Sprin gs / G a rla n d C ou n ty a rea s in ce 19 77

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Mitchell Pe Masilun

FAMILY PRIDE: Tamhra Hutchins-Frye smiles aside her sons Trey Gray, left, and Tyler Gray during a promotion ceremony to name her as brigadier general held June 4 in the National Guard

Professional Education Center at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock.

Village resident named first female general of AANG LORIEN E. DAHL The Sentinel-Record

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — When Tamhra Hutchins-Frye was young, she spent her summertime days playing every kind of sport with a ball within the rural fields of her Sebastian County upbringing. Her playmates were all tough, whether boy or girl, and gender wasn’t ever a consideration.

Now, she’s the first woman to have earned the rank of brigadier general in the Arkansas Air National Guard, and said that background helped her in the military by making her a team-builder, and showing her that the playing field can indeed be level.

Another trait she developed during childhood was to listen and interact while people told her their life stories from the easy comfort of front-porch

swings. That quality has served her well within the structure of human resources, where she’s the state’s senior federal full-time National Guard management official.

She said her new rank “still hasn’t really sunk in,” and that it was only in the past week she answered the phone correctly for the first time, automatically referring to herself by the former title of “colonel” before that instance.

Although her promotion was effective in December, it wasn’t until the first Saturday of June that she publicly received the brigadier general stars — one on each shoulder — during a ceremony attended by her husband, three adult children, and parents.

Since earning the new rank, people approach her wherever she goes, telling her they’ve never seen

a female general. She said, “I’ve had more comments from civilian women than military women. … They’re just thrilled.”

Her work has been tireless to reach this level, as Hutchins-Frye had a slow start in the military. Even though she entered with a bachelor’s degree, it took her five years to become commissioned. She’s now

GENERAL, PAGE 6

Submitted photo

PEAKS OF LIFE: The survivor honoree for the 15th annual Village

Walk for Cancer Research is Jim Gifford. His love for hiking brought him and his wife to Hot Springs Village in 2000, where he’s able to take short trips to enjoy summits like Mount Nebo, shown here.

He will again walk at this year’s event, scheduled for Sept. 24, rain or shine. Registration is open for both sponsorship and walkers.

The Sentinel-Record/Mara Kuhn

H.O.G. ARRIVAL: Jean Curlin, of Dallas, parks her Dyna Wide Glide Harley-Davidson motorcycle along Malvern Avenue as Harley

owners began to arrive June 23 for the 2016 Arkansas H.O.G. Rally.

H.O.G. Rally attracts thousands LINDSEY WELLS The Sentinel-Record

More than a thousand Harley-Davidson owners traveled to Hot Springs for last weekend’s Arkansas State H.O.G. Rally, including Vince Clausen, of Lake Charles, La., who literally almost didn’t have the heart to make the journey, after a health scare nearly caused him to cancel his first visit to Arkansas.

“We almost had to cancel our Arkansas trip — I had a health scare last month,” he said. “I told my wife that even if she had to put me in a sidecar and cart me around that way that I was still coming on this trip. I’m back and ready to ride; a little heart trouble won’t stop me.”

Clausen said the couple made the “trek” to Arkansas in their RV last week and they headed back to Louisiana on June 26.

“I’ve lived in the South my whole life so I expected the Arkansas Southern hospitality, but Hot Springs really brought its A-game with how welcoming everyone’s been,” he

said.

The rally began on June 23 with registration, an early bird party and the opening ceremony at Clarion Resort On The Lake. June 24 was the first full day of rally festivities, which began at 8 a.m. with registration and continuing throughout the day with various activities such as Harley-Davidson demo rides, a poker run, dice walk and the 2016 H.O.G. Rally parade.

Rodney Crites, of Fayetteville, rode to Hot Springs last weekend with his girlfriend to attend his first motorcycle rally and visit family.

“It’s been great. My dad and mom live here and they both ride, and my girlfriend’s family lives here so we took some vacation time to come down. It’s a lot less expensive when you don’t have to worry about a hotel. Got a good home-cooked meal for the first time in a year last night and then we all came downtown on the bikes,” Crites said.

Vendors were set up in Hall D of the Hot Springs Convention Center where motorcycle

enthusiasts browsed various motorcycle-related merchandise such as apparel, patches, jewelry, hair accessories, bandannas and caps.

The rally closed with entertainment by Live 80 at the convention center.

From Lubbock, Texas, longtime Hot Springs visitors Sher and Mario Fortanelli said that since they both retired a few years ago, traveling to different motorcycle rallies is how they spend their summers.

“We retired a few years back and now our friends and family can’t ever find us — we’re never home!” said Sher Fortanelli. “We’ve been coming here for rallies for as long as I can remember and we haven’t had a bad experience yet. We went to a rally in northern Arkansas a couple years back and now we won’t go anywhere but Hot Springs. The people are warm and friendly, always something going on. The rides are beautiful here too, can’t beat the Arkansas scenery.”

Visit http://www.arstatehogrally.com for a full schedule of rally events.

Village Walk’s survivor honoree shares cancer story HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The 15th annual Village Walk for Cancer Research is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 24 on the Balboa Pavilion grounds, 476 Ponce de Leon Drive. The organization’s goal for 2016 is to raise $50,000 for the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at UAMS. To date, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.

Often, there aren’t any symptoms present during its early stages, which makes the disease difficult to diagnose. In addition, symptoms may be different for each man, and any could be caused by other conditions.

The survivor honoree for this year’s event, Jim Gifford, is all too familiar with the process of prostate cancer diagnosis. The following account tells his story: “Jim Gifford loves to hike.

That love is what brought him and his wife, Becky, to Hot Springs Village in 2000, where

• 300 Spring St. Hot Springs, AR 71901 • To subscribe or place an advertisement, call 501-623-7711 or 922-0979 in Hot Springs Village •

they bought a beautiful home on Lake DeSoto.

“The Giffords love to travel and have hiked all over the world.

In January 2012, he considered himself to be a healthy person in the prime of his life — after all, he had hiked the 19,000-foot Mount Kilimanjaro, which is no easy feat.

“But that summer, Gifford had his annual physical and found that his prostate specific androgen test score was high. He remembered his doctor telling him not to worry about it; however, his PSA had doubled in one year.

“Since his father had previously dealt with prostate cancer, Gifford’s physician, Dr. Don Bodemann, sent him to an urologist in Hot Springs for a repeat test.

The results were the same, and he agreed to a biopsy for further testing.

“Unfortunately, that testing resulted in bad news. Out of 10

HONOREE, PAGE 5

2 The Sentinel-Record Mid-Week Extra, Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Rottinghaus awarded $2K in scholarships at state teen pageant JAY BELL

The Sentinel-Record

Rising Lakeside High School senior Mady Rottinghaus accumulated more than $2,000 in scholarship rewards in this year’s state teen pageant.

The 12th annual Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen pageant was held June 9-11 at The Center for the Arts in Russellville.

Private interviews were conducted on June 8.

Rottinghaus earned third runner-up and won the Overall Interview Award.

She first competed at the state level in 2015, but was not among the top 15 out of the 33 contestants and decided to revise her approach, especially in the interview.

“It was amazing because I knew I had worked so hard for that,” Rottinghaus said. “Honestly, when I got the award, I thought, ‘What in the world is this?’

Because I was not expecting it at all. In fact, I came out of my interview crying because I thought it was so bad.”

Rottinghaus represented Hot Springs after she won Miss Greater Hot Springs Outstanding Teen in the fall. The pageant was held at the Five Star Dinner Theatre and the private interviews were held at The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Stoni Butler, of Camden, won Miss Greater Hot Springs to compete in the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant. Bank of the Ozarks Arena will host the Miss Arkansas competition July 6-9.

Rottinghaus, 16, first competed in the Junior Miss Lakeside pageant when she was 14 and finished as the runner-up. She is the daughter of Michael and Amber Rottinghaus, a kindergarten teacher at Lakeside Primary School.

“I thought, well, I could do this,” Rottinghaus said. “My mom was in pageants and I could see all of the benefits from it.”

Greater Hot Springs marked the fifth crown for Rottinghaus. She won Miss Arkansas Valley Outstanding Teen in Clarksville two summers ago to qualify for the 2015 state pageant.

“That was kind of hard because I couldn’t always go to Clarksville every weekend,” Rottinghaus said. “So I would just go when I could, but getting Miss Greater Hot Springs is so much easier. I love it because I can just go out, put my banner on and do anything here in town.

I do like being able to be a hometown girl and represent it.”

Rottinghaus felt the interview portion was her weakest component. She decid-

ed to focus on the interview and take a different approach.

“This year, I worked really hard at making sure people knew that I was actually intelligent,” Rottinghaus said. “That is why I did so well this year because I find it easy to talk to people, but this year I was a lot more serious about it.”

The private interviews account for 25 percent, the second-most of the five components, of contestants’ scores. Rottinghaus worked with Gina Cate, executive director of the Miss Greater Hot Springs pageant, and private coaches to improve her interview.

Rottinghaus was not confident after her interview due to the topics raised by the judges. She was asked about Donald Trump, transgender rights and the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

A panel of judges conducts interviews with each candidate for eight minutes.

They are accompanied by top pageant officials and video personnel. Contestants only have a podium available to them.

“I don’t go near the podium at all,” Rottinghaus said. “That’s a no-no.”

Rottinghaus used footage from each of her pageant interviews to study herself. She took part in several mock interviews to prepare for this year’s state pageant.

“I basically revamped everything this year and I really worked hard on my platform,” Rottinghaus said.

Her platform, Helping Others Practice English, has been a program at Lakeside for the last two years. She and faculty volunteers, as well as volunteers from local service groups, work with English as a Second Language students and their families every Tuesday.

Rottinghaus said the program has been rewarding for the growth shown by its participants. She lived in Brazil for a year, learned Portuguese and discovered the importance of language and communication.

Changes were made to Rottinghaus’ talent performance as well. She dropped any accompanying music during her performance of “Stormy Night” on the piano.

The changes garnered early rewards as Rottinghaus won the interview and talent portion at Miss Greater Hot Springs. She received a $100 cash scholarship sponsored by Clay Combs State Farm and a prize package of more than $3,000.

The Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen Scholarship Organization presented Rottinghaus with $1,250 for third runner-up.

Every participant received $200, increased

from $100 in 2015.

Emily Brewer, of North Little Rock, won $5,000 as 2016 Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen. Brewer qualified through the Miss Greater Little Rock pageant.

Aubrey Reed, of Russellville, qualified through the Miss Ouachita River pageant and earned $2,000 for first runner-up.

Katie Gardner, of Fayetteville, qualified through Miss White River and received $1,500 for second runner-up. Camille Cathey, of Wynne, finished as the fourth runner-up after she qualified through Miss River Delta.

A new white evening gown seemed to pay off for Rottinghaus. All five finalists wore white.

Talent accounts for 35 percent of the final scores. Evening wear and onstage questions account for 20 percent together.

The lifestyle and fitness in sportswear component and scholastic achievement each account for 10 percent.

Rottinghaus received $500 for the Overall Interview Award from Laura Leigh Turner, 2012 Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen, of Sherwood. She was a finalist for the Teens in Action award and received another $100 from the MAROTeen Scholarship Organization.

Sixteen local businesses and organizations sponsored Rottinghaus at the state pageant. National Park Medical Center and Chantilly Boutique provided the most significant local sponsorships.

Contestants can compete in Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen until the age of 17, but seniors in high school are not eligible. Rottinghaus is unsure if she will compete in more pageants. Qualifiers for the 2017 Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant will begin this summer.

“I have everything ready right now,” Rottinghaus said. “So why not try it out for a year, but I also want to play volleyball in college. I have to balance both of those.”

Rottinghaus has been an all-conference volleyball player for the Lady Rams.

She may attend Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia to play volleyball. She hopes to become an orthodontist or an oral surgeon.

Lakeside selected Rottinghaus and seven other rising seniors for the 74th session of the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State program. Harding University in Searcy hosts the program.

Rottinghaus wants to keep HOPE alive.

She plans to continue to volunteer with ESL students and would like to develop similar programs in other local school districts.

Submitted photo

OUTSTANDING TEEN: Mady Rottinghaus, a rising senior at Lakeside High

School, switched to a new white dress this year for the 12th annual Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen pageant. She earned third-runner up, won the Overall Interview Award and was a finalists for the Teens in Action award.

CM says city striving for ‘exceptionalism’ DAVID SHOWERS The Sentinel-Record

The Sentinel-Record/Richard Rasmussen

SHINING CITY ON A HILL: City Manager David Frasher, left, and City Public Information Director

Terry Payne speak with Oaklawn Rotary Club President Jackie Arrison, right, June 20 at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa. Frasher spoke to the club about his philosophy of “urban exceptionalism.”

Though it’s been said average is good enough for government work, City Manager David Frasher wants to set an exacting standard for delivering city services.

Slouching toward acceptable or adequate may keep the trains running on time, but straining for exceptionalism is what sets a city apart, he told the Oaklawn Rotary Club June 20.

“It’s so easy to be average when you’re managing a city,” he said at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa. “Every barometer, every benchmark, they’re all geared toward being average. If you’re not keenly vigilant about being exceptional, you will naturally fall into being average. It’s how cities are built and how they’ve operated over the years.”

The philosophy of “urban exceptionalism” Frasher said informs his managerial style finds expression in the fundamentals, such as keeping the city clean. He told the Rotarians the city is steam-cleaning downtown sidewalks, taking the job over from a contract service that was only passing muster.

“When you look at the contractor’s work

Tinkering

FREE Es tim a te s o n Eq uip m e n t Re p la ce m e n t

CITY MANAGER, PAGE 3

around

188969

S ched u le an Estim ate, M ain ten an ce orRep airat m id d leton in c.com

and our work, it’s literally day and night when you look at those two surfaces,” Frasher said.

“We’re trying to make sure we keep our city clean, exceptionally clean. Parts of it are exceptionally dirty, so we have a lot of work to do.”

Frasher called for an urban renewal campaign to address the “ring of blight” he said orbits the downtown area.

“The policy of years ago extending water and sewer service outside the city caused a catalyst of pulling energy out of the core of the city,” he said. “The downtown core, the nucleus, is in good shape, but there’s a ring of blight around the core.”

He said the decay girding the downtown area is partially a function of a crime rate he’d like to lower. Attributing 70 percent of the city’s crime to drug-related activity, he said the police department could benefit from an inner-city drug unit that focuses on the downstream end of the drug trade.

Frasher said the drug task force and larger agencies focus on interdicting supply and distribution at the expense of policing low-level street dealers, or the drug trade’s “local

Heat & Air HotS p rin gs

HotS p rin gs Village

76 7-23 45

9 22-09 08

HVA CR LIC#0084059• CO NTRA CTO R LIC#025670415

Tra n s itio n s Co un s e lin g Se rvice s

Live Th e Life Yo u De s e rve .

195574

W e Ca n He lp .

Ca ll for a n a p p ointm ent a nd free a s s es s m ent.

6 22-3580 • le vihos p ita l.c om

The Sentinel-Record/Mara Kuhn

James King rides a dirt bike during a demonstration held June 18 as part of Mid-America Science Museum’s fourth annual Tinkerfest. The event included more than 50 tinkering stations related to science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

The Sentinel-Record Mid-Week Extra, Wednesday, June 29, 2016 3

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Little Miss Arkansas

The Sentinel-Record/Mara Kuhn

CENTENNIAL: Rotary International President-elect John Germ addresses Hot Springs Rotary Club’s 100-year anniversary celebration June

21 at Horner Hall in the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Rotary president-elect helps celebrate 100th anniversary The Sentinel-Record

Celebrating 100 years, Hot Springs National Park Rotary Club welcomed the 201617 president-elect of Rotary International, John F. Germ, of Chattanooga, Tenn., to the Spa City during the 100th Anniversary Presidential Banquet at the Hot Springs Convention Center June 21 evening.

Germ, in an interview before the banquet, said Rotary hopes to appeal to a younger generation and is trying to enhance its public image, as clubs try to increase their membership to help spread their work through volunteers in the community.

Rotary International’s No. 1 mission remains to eradicate polio. And with 16 cases of polio remaining in the world, Rotarians hope they are on the verge of eradicating it.

In his one year of service as president, Germ expects to travel to India, Africa, Taiwan, Taipei, Korea and Japan. Within the next few months, he is scheduled to travel to the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Brazil. Through his travels, Germ has been able to administer the polio vaccine to children across the world.

“To me a baby is the most precious thing a mother has so if she hands you that child and you squeeze its mouth. You are trying to put those drops in there,” Germ said. “You

don’t speak her language and she doesn’t speak your language. She looks up and smiles. She is just saying thank you because you just did something to save my child.”

Germ visited Hot Springs three or four years ago for a Rotary meeting and is the first Rotary International president to speak to the club since before 1998. The National Park Rotary Club had secured a spot in the Rotary International president’s schedule to speak to the club in 1998, but he did not show and sent a representative in his place, according to Gary Troutman, Hot Springs National Park Rotary Club president-elect.

Germ was installed as the president-elect in Seoul, South Korea, earlier this month and will assume the role of president on July 1, succeeding K.R. Ravindran.

“When you stop and think about that there are 35,000 Rotary clubs around the world, you try to find bigger meetings to go to. You try to find where there will be several clubs at the same time, several districts or zones which consist of about 100 clubs,” Germ said. “So you try to find where you can get the most outreach and usually that is going to be at larger gatherings such as the district conferences that draw about 2,000 to 3,000 people.”

Rotary International selects the clubs he visits based upon invitation. When the

Hot Springs Jazz Society to present 25th annual JazzFest

CITY MANAGER sales team.” While the larger agencies build cases against the trade’s upper echelons, Frasher said drug activity that damages communities goes unchecked.

“The larger agencies try to flip them and work their way up to supply and distribution,” said Frasher, a former homicide detective who served as a major case investigator on the Kansas City, Mo., metro squad.

“That means the residents of our city still have to tolerate the sale of drugs. I want an inner-city drug unit so we can focus on the small fish.

“Even as they work their way up, we still don’t want to deal with those transactions.

The people who are hooked on these drugs are the ones committing these crimes.”

While Frasher lamented the unsightliness of the approaches to downtown, he continues to extol the near pristine beauty of the city’s “North Woods.” The city-owned area off Cedarglade Road houses

From Page 2

the Lakeside Water Plant and three small lakes Frasher said would be the “crown jewel” of most state park systems.

Public access is prohibited, but Frasher said the city has entered into a contract with the International Mountain Bicycling Association to design 10 miles of bike trails through the old growth forest in hopes of making Hot Springs a mountain biking destination.

“A whole lot of people might think mountain biking, how big is that,” he said.

“Their international conventions bring tens of thousands of people to cities. It’s a sport that’s growing by leaps and bounds, and it would be wonderful if we could transition our North Woods area, which has laid fallow for years.

“It would be a great opportunity for us to try and develop those trails and create a whole new industry and a whole new hub here.”

C hicken W orld

1635 H igdon Ferry Rd., Ste. D 501-525-8008 O pen Mon.- Fri.9 am - 6 pm Sat.9 am - 5 :3 0 pm • Sun.11am - 5 pm

W HOL ES A L E OUTL ET Fu lly Co o ked , Cho pped

3 Lb . Ba g V a lu e $7.97

Sale

$

BBQ CHICKEN

4 17

Rea d y To Co o k

Rea d y To Co o k

P ARTY W IN G S

Time 5 LbV a .luBae g $ to $12.97 Sale SAVE!

FREN CH FRIES

GO LDEN

4 Lb . Ba g

CHICKEN N UG G ETS $ V a lu e $15.97 Sale

7 17

7 17

5 Lb . Ba g

$

3

97 Ba g

LO C A L S C EN E 193594

Concert admission will range from free to $35 and will include the traditional outdoor concert under Regions Bank sky bridge from noon to 6 p.m.

Sept 3.

The Hot Springs Jazz Society is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to perpetuating, promoting and preserving jazz music, an original American art form. The Jazz Society is funded in part by the Arkansas Arts Council, Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission, Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, Morris Foundation and the Elisabeth Wagner Foundation, along with numerous other corporate and private sponsors.

Call 627-2425 or email HSJazzSociety.org for more information.

Submitted photo

The 37th Little Miss Arkansas Pageant was held May 28 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The winners were front, Benzlee Bateman, of White Hall, Baby Little Miss Arkansas; middle, Dior Ives, of Hot Springs, left, Tiny Little Miss Arkansas, and Addie Rose Castleberry, of White Hall, Petite Little Miss Arkansas; and back, from left, Lauren Watt, of Pine Bluff, Pre-Teen Little Miss Arkansas, Stephanie McKinney, of Rison, Teen Little Miss Arkansas, and Madison Carson, of Rison, Little Miss Arkansas, overall talent.

C heck out the

195517

The Hot Springs Jazz Society will present the 25th Annual Hot Springs JazzFest Aug. 31 to Sept. 4.

The festival will feature a special graphic designed specially for this year’s festival by the graphic design class of Fred Zipke at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts. This talented group of students brought together the feel of Hot Springs and the liveliness of jazz into a graphic that will be used on the annual event’s shirts and advertising for 2016, a news release said.

Featured during the festival will be performances by the Rodney Block Collective, Brass-A-Holics of New Orleans, the favored Henderson State University’s NuFusion and the University of Arkansas in Monticello’s Jazz Band.

headquarters in Evanston, Ill., receives an invitation, it is categorized according to when the invitation was received and date of the event. From there, the president selects which events he will attend. Germ said that, due to several clubs celebrating their 100year anniversaries in 2016, his schedule has been really busy.

“I will be home either in Evanston at the condo or in Chattanooga 44 days out of the year. The rest of it will be on the road traveling,” Germ said. “I have been to a lot of different club events because that is where the grass-root people are. That’s where your workers are so those are the ones I think we need to motivate.”

Germ joined Rotary in 1976 after he left the U.S. Air Force and went to work for Campbell and Associates. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Tenn., and is the chair of the international PolioPlus Committee. He has held positions as vice president, director, foundation trustee and vice chair, chair of Rotary’s US $200 Million Challenge and RI president’s aide.

He has been awarded the Rotary Service Above Self Award, the Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award, according to the Rotary website.

195917

COLBIE MCCLOUD

S u ppo rt yo u r H o t S pring s V illa g e N eig hbo rs !

shop * dine * enjoy D is c o verw hat y o u ’ve been m is s in g !

4 The Sentinel-Record Mid-Week Extra, Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Cheer company hosts camp For three days, Hot Springs Convention Center was home to high school cheerleaders perfecting their craft.

The Hot Springs Resort Cheer Camp, which was held in the convention center from June 20 through 22, concluded with performances by each of the camp’s cheer squads. The camp is run by B² Cheer and Dancing, a company owned by Hot Springs native Brian Bridges. This year’s camp hosted 12 cheer teams from different high schools.

This is the first year that the convention center has hosted the camp due to the growth of the program over the years.

Bridges said that he has already booked the venue and The Hotel Hot Springs & Spa for 2017’s cheer teams.

“We needed a venue that would be able to accommodate that growth,” Bridges said. “Everyone here at the convention center has been great to work with.”

The Hot Springs Resort Cheer Camp is just one of several cheer events hosted by B² Cheer and Dancing. Such events include a similar resort-style cheer camp in Branson, Mo., a cheer coaches’ conference in the Arlington Resort Hotel &

Spa in September, and a cheer competition at the Bank of the Ozarks Arena in December.

In hosting this year’s cheer camp, Bridges hoped to bring a personal approach to cheer instruction. As a lifelong cheerleader himself, Bridges mentioned that, in his personal experience, having each coach instruct a handful of cheerleaders yields promising results. He said that the intimate setting allows for more personal attention, prevents injuries and ensures correct instruction.

“We want to make sure that in everything we do, we never lose that personal, individualized feel with our company,” Bridges said.

The cheer teams have enjoyed the individualized feel of the camp, as well. Sarah Burkett, cheer coach for Bradford High School, mentioned that this aspect of the camp, as well as how much her team has learned, have made for a positive experience for her and her team.

“We love it,” Burkett said.

“There’s lots of one-on-one with the coaches. They learn a ton.”

Others have pointed out that the cheerleaders not only learn new ways to perform but also improve their teamwork.

Jean Vance, grandmother of

Natalie Cross, a member of Genoa Central High School’s cheer team, said that she has noticed a positive difference in her granddaughter’s team’s chemistry.

“They get their group better at working with each other,” Vance said of B² Cheer and Dancing. “I think it’s a great thing for them to have the opportunity to come to cheer camp.”

This year’s cheer camp has not only given the cheerleaders the opportunity to grow in their craft but also has given them a chance to enjoy the city of Hot Springs. Some of the included additional activities that the campers experience are a movie night and trips to Magic Springs and Crystal Falls. Bridges said that his goal in establishing both this camp and the one in Branson is for the teams and their loved ones to enjoy their location and its features.

“One thing that I pride myself on with my company is that I try to bring people to Hot Springs as much as possible,” Bridges said. “We do big camps in Hot Springs where we’ve got all of our cheerleaders and dancers. On the final day, the gym was full of parents, family and friends coming to support.

Then, after camp, they went

The Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance and partners Entergy Arkansas Inc., the city of Hot Springs and the Arkansas Arts Council will host the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre’s production of “Twelfth Night” at 7:30 p.m. July 1 at the Hot Springs Farmers & Artisans Market, 121 Orange St. This family friendly production will be presented free of charge.

“Entergy’s vision is ‘We Power Life,’” said Jim Garland, Entergy Arkansas’ customer service representative in Hot

Springs. “Partnering with the Hot Springs Cultural Alliance to bring the traveling production of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ to Hot Springs is an important way we power arts and culture in the community.”

Beginning at 5 p.m. art lovers can enjoy Hot Springs Gallery Walk before heading over to the Farmers Market with their blankets or lawn chairs to enjoy “Twelfth Night.” Food will be available for purchase by Itz Gud Fud, and picnic coolers will be permitted. Glass containers are prohibited.

Inspired by carnivals of yesteryear, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre actors will arrive ready to dazzle and delight the audience with the tale of twins Viola and Sebastian, separated by a storm at sea. The shipwrecked siblings discover new places, meet new people and explore new possibilities as they try to find their way back to one another.

Feste, the ringleader, is a magician who brings the play to life by enlisting the talents of his gifted and colorful troupe of entertainers in this fast-paced, funny and family friendly production. With a performance that includes sword-fighting, dancing, singing and maybe a few audience members, “Twelfth Night” has a little something spectacular for everyone.

The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre is Arkansas’ only professional Shakespeare theater company and is based at the College of Fine Arts and Communication at the University of Central Arkansas. Its mission is to enrich the community of central Arkansas through cre-

MAX BRYAN

The Sentinel-Record

The Sentinel-Record/Richard Rasmussen

Members of the Cedarville High School cheer team rehearse during a cheer camp June 22 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The camp, run by B² Cheer & Dance, has 12 teams from all over the state in attendance. and enjoyed the city.”

Bridges mentioned that he has enjoyed developing Hot Springs by bringing others to the city through his lifelong

passion. He said that it’s important to bring business to this city, and cheerleading has given him the means to do it.

“I love this city,” Bridges

said. “I’ve lived here my entire life. I love that it’s growing and progressing and I love how our business is playing a small part in that.”

Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre travels to Hot Springs

RO CKIN ’P

LAN D S CAP E S UP P LY

501-545-0093

BRO W N & RED D YED M U L C H $2950 / YD P IC K U P O N L Y

2 137- E CAR P ENTER DAM R D. ~ DELIVER Y AVAILABLE ~

Submitted photo

TWELFTH NIGHT: The Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance and partners Entergy Arkansas Inc.,

the city of Hot Springs and the Arkansas Arts Council will host the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre’s production of “Twelfth Night” at 7:30 p.m. July 1 at the Hot Springs Farmers & Artisans Market, 121 Orange St. This family friendly production will be presented free of charge. ating professional productions of William Shakespeare’s works and making them accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

The mission of the Hot

Springs Area Cultural Alliance is to celebrate, advocate and promote the arts and culture of Hot Springs. The organization holds quarterly networking meetings to encourage coopera-

tion and collaboration as well as the Arts & The Park, an annual 10-day festival held the first week in May. Call Mary Neilson at 3212027 for more information.

O PEN H O U SE 2:00-4:00

426 W IN DAM ERE TERRACE • $319,000 M O TIVATED SELLER!!!

Vacation everyday and enjoy the luxury of your ow n private w aterfront!

N estled am ong shade trees and spacious decks overlooking beautifullake view s and an endless poolfor relaxing.O p en living/ kitchen, large m aster bed and bath, granite, pine floors, fullhouse generator and a separate studio/guest house.

CallDebbie M ills 501-622-9878 CallTodd M atlock 501-844-6446

1200 EM O RY • $129,900

1527 DEG RAY RO AD • $165,000 W onderful 1.5 level fram e w ith siding ranch style hom e nestled on acreage w ithin a private country setting. H om e features 5 bedroom s 3 full bathroom s, fireplace, central heat, central cool, attached 2 car garage, porch, patio, storage buildings and partially fenced backyard. m aster bedroom w ith bath on m ain level, four bedroom s and bath on upper level.C A RM LS #16013574

CallTom Shelton 501-622-8332

G reat C ity location just m inutes from hospitals, bus, shopping and school. Invite your fam ily & friends to visit in this spacious four bedroom brick hom e. N ew kitchen, updated bathroom s, interior doors, updated heat/air system , new er roof, enjoy the privacy w ith heated cooled basem ent bonus room s, W orshop area plus a double car garage, plus additionaloutside storage buildings, large deck overlooking fenced back yard.

M ake your appt today to see this fantastic brick hom e!!

CallLorna N obles at501-318-3200

4262 Central Avenue • Hot Springs, AR WWW.TRADEMARKREALESTATE.COM

525-1466 W ellm aintained city hom e w ith screened porch and fenced back yard. $79,900

W onderfullake lotin Lake Ham ilton S chool D istrict. $75,000 Beautifulrustic lake hom e -great view from large deck. New ly rem odeled.

LS S D $189,500 la k eha m ilto n rea lty.co m

Dis co ve r Yo ur H 501-262-4803 Diam ondhead R ea lty 160 ARLIN G TO N

Afford ab le 3/2. Great In vestm en t.

$95,000

109 FIRES TO N E DR. In cred ib le Bu y On GolfCou rse. 3/2

$184,900

103 TITAN CT.

Very D esirab le Cu l-d e-S ac Hom e. W BF P 2/2

$155,900

253 S PRIN G BRO O K DR. L ake Hom e/S p aciou s & Up d ated . 3/2

$248,000

105 LAKEW O O D PT.

343’ L ake F ron t/Very P rivate D b l D ock & L ift4/2

diamondheadcommunity.net $259,900

OME Do n’t L ist Y o ur Ho m e....

U ntil you ha ve ta lked to the #1 R ea l Esta te C om pa ny In H ot Spr ings T R A D EM A R K R EA L E STA TE INC .

501-318-3200

SW EET H O M E 4832 Central Ave. Suite C

At hotspringsrealty.com You Can: • Search for a Home • Get info about our Agents • Get Relocation Info • Get Mortgage Info • Get Area Schools Info

AGENTS ARE ON DUTY ALL WEEKEND! CALL TODAY! Like u s o n Fa c e b o o k

501-525-4178

hotspringsrealty.com

The Sentinel-Record Mid-Week Extra, Wednesday, June 29, 2016 5

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Crystal Chimes Chorus awards 2016 scholarship HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Crystal Chimes Chorus’ board of directors recently selected Fountain Lake Charter High School graduate Emily Dellyn Johnson to receive its $1,000 scholarship to further her music education.

Johnson plans to start classes in August at Ouachita Baptist University, majoring in musical theater and business. She has been a standout student all four years of high school, both academically and with her full plate of extracurricular activities, including Student Council, Key Club, Beta Club, choir, tennis and drama.

Area residents were able to enjoy her theater talents in 2013, shown through her lead role in the Hot Springs Village Players production of “Annie.”

The daughter of Amanda Kennedy and Lyndell Johnson, she lives in Benton, and is an active member of

HONOREE

Walnut Valley Baptist Church.

In a news release, CCC President Lee King said, “We were extremely impressed with Emily’s application package and references, and now that we have gotten to know her, we are sure we made the best choice. We will be looking forward to following her progress. This is a young lady with big plans.”

Typically, scholarship recipients are featured in Crystal Chimes shows. The hope is that Johnson’s school schedule will allow her time to perform in the chorus’ fall show, “Sing your Dreams,” set for Sept. 17 in Woodlands Auditorium.

The CCC performs in a women’s barbershop style, and is a registered chapter of Sweet Adelines International, an organization with 27,000 members in 14 countries. A portion of proceeds from chorus performances

Submitted photo

MUSICAL HONOR: This year’s Crystal Chimes Chorus Scholarship winner, Emily Dellyn Johnson, third from left, accepts

a certificate from Scholarship Chairman Melinda Alvord, left, Sally Patterson, and CCC President Lee King. and other fundraising activities are earmarked each year for the organization’s scholarship fund.

Rehearsals are held from 1-4 p.m. each Tuesday in Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church, 700 Bale-

aric Road. Visitors and prospective new members are always welcome to attend.

From Page One

samples taken, seven were found to be cancerous, with four of the cancers being very aggressive. He needed treatment, and needed it soon.

“Gifford told his wife that for the first time in his life, he was afraid. He was given the treatment options, and had to choose between surgery and radiation.

He talked about the treatment being worse than the cure, but, because of his age, Gifford believed he had 20-30 strong years of life ahead of him. Thus, he opted for surgery.

“The night after his surgery, he questioned whether he had made the right decision. He had a 6-inch incision in his abdomen, and could not roll over in bed without help. He knew then that his idea of hiking again in six or eight weeks wasn’t going to be his reality. Though he did heal from the incision, the process of regaining his full strength took until 2016.

“The postoperative biopsy showed the aggressiveness of his case, as the cancer had already consumed 50 percent of his prostate. Gifford’s good news was that there wasn’t any evidence the disease had spread. He got up as soon as he was allowed, and began ambulating with the aid of a walker. Four days after surgery, he was released from the hospital.

“Gifford used a catheter to urinate for six weeks, since with his prostate removal, his body wasn’t functioning as it should.

It was an unpleasant six weeks, both living with a catheter bag and learning how to walk again.

His wife was very supportive, and suggested he keep a diary to record his progress. This helped the new survivor see how much ground he continued to gain each day.

“Some six months later, he had a hernia, and noticed he was

losing hand strength. This resulted in another trip to see a doctor, this time a neurologist, who discovered a problem with the vertebrae in his neck. Just over a year after prostate surgery, Gifford required surgery to remove the affected disks and have artificial spacers put in, held together with eight titanium screws.

“Throughout all those events, he continued to participate in the Village Walk for Cancer Research, walking with Dr. Peter Emanuel, director of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Gifford met Emanuel in September 2008, during the second year he participated, and has been walking with him ever since.

“He looks forward to walking the Balboa and Hernando trails with Emanuel at this year’s event, keeping their tradition going strong. Gifford is also hiking again, and can complete 10-mile hikes without a problem.

“Though there has been a great deal of talk about false alarms from the prostate specific androgen test, Gifford encourages all men to get a PSA with their annual physical, particularly if there is a family history of prostate cancer.”

As a cancer survivor, Gifford strongly believes in the need for continued research to find a cure.

Area residents can help with that effort by getting involved in this year’s walk.

Early registration through Aug. 12 has a cost of $30, with the fee going to $35 after that date. Each walker registration includes a T-shirt. Both sponsorship and walker registration forms are available online at http://www. walkforcancerresearch.org.

Contact Melanie Pederson, event chair, at 608-692-0458, or by email to chairman@walkforcancerresearch.org.

Submitted photo

STUDENT SUPPORT: Jessieville High School graduate Jonathan Semmler, center, joined with his

parents, Michael Semmler, left, and Susan Semmler, when he recieves a college scholarship by Janet Seffense and Bill Veal, chairman of the Junior Golf Scholarship Program.

Junior Golf Association awards 2016 scholarship HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Junior Golf Association of Hot Springs Village, which is celebrating its 19th year in 2016, handed out eight scholarships this year.

The nonprofit organization began a scholarship program in 2005, and since then has awarded 50 scholarships valued at $2,000 each.

That number includes the eight scholarships that were awarded this year to its members. To qualify, students must be seniors in high school, and have been an active participant in the Junior Golf program.

One of those winners for 2016 was Jonathan Semmler, son of Hot

Springs Village’s Michael and Susan Semmler. He was chosen as recipient of the Joe E. Seffense Memorial Scholarship, named for one of the program’s on-course volunteers who died in 2014.

Semmler was co-valedictorian of his graduating class at Jessieville High School in May this year. He earned a 4.11 GPA, and scored a 30 on the ACT. He served as president of the student council, played school sports, and was active in many additional organizations. He was accepted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and plans to major in biology.

Membership in the Junior Golf

Association is open to all boys and girls in the area 8 to 18 years old.

The program’s goals are to provide opportunities for development of social, physical, emotional and mental skills; to teach its members life lessons and to influence their character development and good sportsmanship; to teach the rules and etiquette of golf; to secure instructional practices, playing privileges and other concessions; and to develop lifelong golfers who will continue to play long after the junior program is complete.

To complete an application for membership, visit http://www.hsvjuniorgolf.org.

Youth vendors, activities at Farmers Market

Shoppers were treated to lively entertainment, fresh produce and a variety of homemade, handmade and homegrown items June 25 at the Hot Springs Farmers & Artisans Market, 121 Orange St. Local youth vendors were on site to share their products, including baked goods, crafts and unique gift items produced by some of Hot Springs’ most enterprising young people during Youth Market Days on the last Saturday of every month.

V i s i t h t t p : / / w w w. hotspringsfarmersmarket.com to register for a booth. There is no fee for youth vendors on Youth Market Days.

The new Summer Fun Series for Youth will kick off at 9 a.m. with Summer in the Kitchen tips and a variety of youth sports activities on the greenway. Patrons can meet new friends and burn off summertime energy with activities such as an agility course, flag football and giant parachutes.

The series, hosted by Levi Hospital, in partnership with Growing Health Communities Hot Springs and the city of Hot Springs, will held from 9-11 a.m.

July 30 and Aug. 27. Email Kylee Malkmus with Levi Hospital at kmalkmus@levihospital.com for more information.

Massive crowd packs Cleveland for Cavs’ title parade TOM WITHERS

The Associated Press

CLEVELAND — Cheered by a sea of wine-and-gold dressed fans spilling off sidewalks and choking the streets, LeBron James and the Cavaliers are parading as NBA champions.

The title drought in Cleveland is over. The party — and a procession slowed to a crawl by a mass of humanity — are just getting started.

Hundreds of thousands of fans, some arriving the night of June 21 to camp out so they could get as close as possible, overwhelmed downtown Cleveland to celebrate with James, Kyrie Irving and their teammates, who made history by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors in the Finals and end the city’s 52-year championship drought.

This was the parade Cleveland has waited to throw since 1964, when the beloved Browns owned the NFL. There were lean years — and so many close calls — in between, before James, born in nearby Akron, made good on his promise to bring home a championship. He delivered it and Cleveland, where sports suffering has been a way of life, and passionate northeast Ohioans, are savoring every moment.

Fans stood on rooftops, portable toilets and hung out of office building windows hoping to get a glimpse of James, who rode in a Rolls Royce convertible with his wife, Savannah, and their three children. James chomped on a cigar and helped his kids toss beads into the crowd, then stood on the car and posed looking upward with his arms stretched wide as he stopped near a large banner featuring himself in the same pose.

The parade’s start was delayed more than 30 minutes because of the swarming crowd, which blocked the streets near Quicken Loans Arena and prevented the open-air vehicles that carried the Cavaliers from getting to the stag-

The Associated Press

CLEVELAND ROCKS: Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, center, arrives at the Quicken Loans Arena with his children before a parade

celebrating the Cavaliers’ NBA Championship June 22 in downtown Cleveland. The Cavaliers made history by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals and end the city’s 52-year drought without a professional sports championship. ing area. Police used patrol cars and a mounted horseback unit to clear the congestion on East 9th street so the celebration could continue.

While he waited for the convoy to move, Irving jumped onto the top of a pickup truck and tossed his baseball cap into the crowd. A shirtless J.R. Smith dropped down from the vehicle he was in and slapped hands and shared highfives with fans along the barricades near “The Q.”

Later, James will address the crowd at a rally on Mall B, a wideopen area flooded with fans.

This was a parade Cleveland had been sitting on the curb waiting to see since the Browns won it all when Lyndon Johnson was president. And the sight of James, who scorned the city by leaving in 2010, holding the Larry O’Brien trophy as he rides through town is certain to produce cheers and some tears from fans waiting a lifetime to see one of Cleveland’s

three teams finish first.

No major city had endured more pain with its sports franchises. The Browns, Indians, Cavs and Barons — yes, there was an NHL team here for a brief time in the 1970s — went a combined 146 seasons between sips of championship champagne.

When the Browns won their last title, beating the Baltimore Colts 27-0 before 80,000 at old Municipal Stadium, there was no major celebration. Cleveland

fans simply went home, probably shoveled their driveways and went on with their lives. After all, championships were routine as the Browns, led by coaching great Paul Brown and a roster of future Hall of Famers, won seven titles from 1946 to 1955.

Cleveland’s mantel has been barren of trophies since, and the close calls have gained infamous nicknames: Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Move and The Decision are a part of the city’s troubled sports lexicon. The Browns lost three AFC titles to Denver from 1986-1989 the Indians were beaten in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series in extra innings and the Cavs got swept in the 2007 Finals before losing to the Warriors in six games a year ago. Art Modell packed up the beloved Browns in 1995 and moved them to Baltimore.

Cleveland was so desperate for a parade that the previous one held for a sports team came in 1995 after the Indians made it to the World Series for the first time since 1954.

They lost to Atlanta.

A parade for second place, so sad.

However, James, star guard Kyrie Irving and their teammates, who survived a coaching change midway through the season and finally fulfilled expectations in the postseason, have taken Cleveland back to the top.

There’s a new nickname — The End.

H airA ffair 105 D eSotoCenter

501-922-0565

H otSpringsVillage71909

NEW CLIENTS O NLY

NEW CLIENTS O NLY

$1 0 O f f $5 O f f H airColor Cuts Exp.08/01/16

Exp.08/01/16

6 The Sentinel-Record Mid-Week Extra, Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

The Sentinel-Record/Corbet Deary

BEAUTIFUL SETTING: Visitors to Willow Beach will be privy to a beautiful setting on the Arkansas River.

Arkansas River shines at Willow Beach Recreation Corbet Deary Outdoor writer and photographer Outdoor writer and photographer Corbet Deary is featured regularly in The Sentinel-Record. Today, Deary writes about Willow Beach Recreation Area.

Although I spend more than my fair share of time in the outdoors and on the water, my experiences on the Arkansas River are relatively few. I suppose the fact that I live in such proximity to a beautiful lake nestled in the heart of the national forest and rivers quietly winding through secluded valleys has a lot to do with the time, or lack thereof, that I spend on this mighty waterway.

However, I am also somewhat leery of such big and unpredictable waters. That’s no indication, though, that I don’t have an appreciation for the Arkansas River. In fact, with every excursion to its access points, I find myself mesmerized and excited about what it has to offer. After a recent visit to Willow Beach Recreation Area, I am strongly considering an extended stay at this quaint destination located near the town of Scott.

Nestled on the banks of the river, this destination has something to offer to just about anybody who has the slightest interest in the outdoors. Cradled in a somewhat wooded setting, the destination is a great location where one can simply get away from the noise and chaos that comes along with everyday life.

There are times when nothing more than a few hours away from the hustles and bustles that we are all deluged with on a daily basis is exactly what the doctor ordered. Well, Willow Beach offers everything one might need to enjoy such an occasion.

The day-use area consists of several individual picnic tables, each and every one distanced from the neighboring sites. Many of the tables are located within

GENERAL

The Sentinel-Record/Corbet Deary

POPULAR PASTIME: Fishing is a popular activity at Willow Beach Recreation Area, located near the small town of Scott.

view of the river, lending to a relaxing afternoon of watching the water slowly creep downstream, and around a large bend.

Of course, one is apt to see a plethora of water-loving birds taking advantage of the continuous water supply. In fact, one is apt to see bald eagles navigating the sky during the winter months. And I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see one of these majestic birds on occasion even during the summer months, as a few are known to remain in Arkansas year-round, where they will hatch and raise their young.

But one is also apt to see indications of how the river benefits mankind. Tugs push shipments of cargo up and down the waterway on a regular basis. Upon seeing one of these crafts, I’m always reminded of a time in America’s history when a bulk of the goods was transported via water.

And upon seeing the crew, I am intrigued with an occupation that I would suspect is much dif-

ferent from what most of us are accustomed to. It’s interesting to imagine braving storms from the deck of a boat and seeing miles and miles of shoreline while transporting goods to and fro.

And of course, one can’t forget the fish swimming within the banks of the huge river. I heard stories and saw photos of large catfish that were caught from this waterway, and have known of it coughing up some mighty impressive largemouth bass.

Some of the other fish species that swim within the river are equally intriguing. In fact, a portion of them appear to be quite primitive. I’ve watched as anglers snagged large spoonbills, in the neighborhood of 35 pounds from its murky waters.

And one can only imagine what it would be like to tie into a huge alligator gar.

I’ve seen fishermen catch large striped bass from the river, and have actually tried my hand at catching a few myself. And I was most surprised upon seeing

a fellow coax slab crappie from the water that even the most adept crappie anglers would give their eyeteeth to find.

Boat owners might consider utilizing the launching ramp that is located within the perimeters of the park. I would suspect that fishing would prove productive within sight of the recreation area. However, an ability to motor farther away and fish areas that can’t be reached from public accessible shorelines certainly has its perks.

But being an experienced river fisherman is not necessarily a prerequisite to success at Willow Beach. In fact, a large body of water, I would suspect is an oxbow, is also located within the perimeters of the facility.

During our recent visit, I spent a little time kicking around the edge of this particular body of water. And it didn’t take long to figure out that this, too, was a good fishing destination, as several people were perched on the banks and soaking their fa-

eral who serves as the 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

She also worked alongside members of the nonprofit organization Afghan Hands, which aims to empower women there through education and job skills.

Her efforts toward female empowerment are shown in Arkansas, too, through her involvement with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas organization, Girls of Promise.

Developed to encourage girls’ participation in higher-level courses within science, technology, engineering and math, with goals of pursuing careers in those fields, the program holds an annual two-day conference for female students in eighth grade.

She sees great value in the conference, which introduces its participants to women role

models who work in the STEM fields. And since attendance is open to girls in public, private or home schools around the state, Hutchins-Frye takes it upon herself to recruit in rural areas, because she knows from experience that girls in those locales don’t always have the same opportunities.

To encourage their success in attaining goals, she tells the girls, “You’ve just got to have a plan … be aware of opportunities, and try to step out of your comfort zone.”

Though she doesn’t consider herself a hero for being the first woman to reach the rank of general in the AANG, she did say, “Everybody should look at the top of their organization and see somebody that looks like them.”

For Arkansas females interested in National Guard service, she is that face at the top.

vorite bait.

Of course, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to chew the fat with my fellow anglers, especially since they obviously had their finger on the pulse on the fishing activity at this location.

The first lady I approached was an avid bream angler. According to her, panfish flourished in the calm waters. And judging from a couple of the specimen she coaxed into biting, there were some impressive bream waiting to be caught.

I talked with another group who were most interested in catching catfish. Although this was their first trip of the year to this location, and they had just arrived, they did share stories of past excursions and appeared confident in what might be in store.

Willow Beach is obviously a great destination for those wishing to spend the portion of a day in the outdoors, but the recreation area is also a popular

spot for those who are more interested in extended stays among Mother Nature.

Also located within view of the water, each campsite was situated under the shade of large native trees. Some of the campers returned to Willow Beach on an annual basis and showed no intentions of changing their ritual, as they savored the solitude, atmosphere and natural beauty.

While touring the camping area, I noticed several youngsters riding their bicycles on the paved roadway leading through the park. I also noticed a couple of families taking advantage of the playground equipment, which was centrally located between the day-use and overnight areas.

Having already mentioned wildlife viewing opportunities on the river, I feel compelled to mention the birds and mammals that likely frequent the park via land. One would only suspect that whitetails are plentiful within the property boundaries and judging from the terrain and environment that other interesting and beautiful critters, such as foxes are seen using the premises on occasion.

Speaking of mammals, a young boy flagged my wife and I down, as a raccoon visiting a nearby campsite during the daylight area had concerned him. Walking over to the site and watching the varmint scurry into the woods, we explained that it appeared healthy, was a juvenile and was more than likely just asking for a free meal.

After spending a portion of an afternoon at the Willow Beach Recreation Area, we finally opted to call it a day. Although our time at this quaint park was behind us, this was a destination we would certainly revisit again soon.

To get to Willow Beach Recreation area, from Interstate 30 near Little Rock, take I-440. Take the England exit (Exit 7) and turn right onto Highway 165 east. Go about 2.5 miles and take a right onto Colonel Manard Road. Turn right onto Blue Heron Parkway and follow the road to the park.

From Page One

spent nearly 30 years keeping the goal of general in mind, allowing variances in her path along the way.

One such unexpected step was the time she spent in Kabul, Afghanistan, during a voluntary deployment in 2013.

She was stationed at the NATO headquarters there, serving on a task force to lead the Gov-

ernment Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s transformation to sovereignty control and self-sufficiency.

Part of her duties included attending NATO staff meetings, which put her at the same table as powerful international military leaders, including Gen. Joseph Dunford, a fourstar U.S. Marine Corps gen-

YOUR HON DA P OW ER HE A DQUA RTE RS

Joh n’s H ond a Family Owned and Operated Since 1967!

(501)623-1495 Ho u rs : Tu e s . - S a t. 9-5:3 0 w w w .jo hn sho n d a .co m

111 Ca rlD r., H o tS p rin g s •

The Sentinel-Record/Lorien E. Dahl

COUNTRY HEART: Recently named the first female general in the Arkan-

sas Air National Guard, Tamhra Hutchins-Frye enjoys the golfing and water activities available to her by living in Hot Springs Village. She grew up in rural Lavaca and Greenwood, where her love for outdoor play was born.