COMPLIMENTARY
NOVEMBER + DECEMBER 2021
BUTTERFIELD
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF BUTTERFIELD TRAIL VILLAGE
Feature Profile
Jim & Nancy Blair The Spirit of Giving Honoring BTV’s Veterans Out & About
Holiday Performing Arts
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Contents 4 From the CEO 6 Feature Profile Jim and Nancy Blair: The Spirit of Giving 9 Newcomer Q&A Martin and Cookie Redfern 9 Anniversaries & New Neighbors 10 Employee Spotlight Remembering Sandy Evans 11 BTV Christmas Purse 12 Living Spaces Linda Remy’s Apartment 14 Village Snapshots 16 Out & About Holiday Lights & Performing Arts
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17 Walton Arts Center Music for the Ages 18 Honoring Butterfield’s Veterans 20 Foundation Listings 21 Featured Village Events 22 Fitness & Wellness Whole Health & Wellness Program
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VOL. 10 ISSUE 6 D E C 2 0 2 1
BUTTERFIELD
From the CEO Legacies take many forms and are as unique as the people who create them. Because Butterfield serves a remarkable group of seniors, we have the pleasure of regularly observing and celebrating significant legacies being made and left for future generations.
Quintin Trammell CEO MARKETING Kelly Syer Director of Marketing Leann Pacheco Sales Counselor Dave Marks Elise Lorene Move-In Administrative Coordinator Assistant PROGRAMS Riki Stamps Director of Programs & Events Michael Burks Asst. Director of Programs & Events RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION 2021 Council Members Roy Penney, President Ellis Melton, Vice President Linda Pinkerton, Secretary Ron Hanson, Past President Skipper Solomon, Ann Marie Ziegler, Neely Barnett, Pat Jahoda, Jim Ferguson, Ginger Crippen, Geri Bender, Adella Gray BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jacqui Brandli, President Dr. Kim Chapman, Vice President Bill Shackelford, Secretary David Williams, Treasurer Bernard Madison, Mark McNair, Ann Henry, Bryn Wood Bagwell, Bob Kelly, Will Clark, Bill Mitchell, Wulf Polonius
1923 East Joyce Boulevard Fayetteville, AR 72703 Main: (479) 442-7220 Marketing: (479) 695-8056 www.butterfieldtrailvillage.org Butterfield LIFE may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission from the publisher. Butterfield LIFE is published by Butterfield Trail Village. Contents © 2021. All rights reserved. Produced by DOXA / VANTAGE www.doxavantage.com 4 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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For this issue of Butterfield LIFE, we have decided to highlight the contributions of several people who have taken a range of different paths as they have shared their own gifts with the world. Our cover story features residents Jim and Nancy Blair, a couple who have left an indelible mark on Northwest Arkansas through their generous support of multiple nonprofit institutions which have helped shape the undeniable quality of life in the region. We are proud to share a few stories of great personal sacrifice offered by some of our veteran residents, some of whom represent The Greatest Generation and the enormous legacy it has left for our nation and world. Our employee profile is sadly a bit different this time, as we honor the memory of BTV colleague Sandy Evans – a person who made a special impact on all who knew her. We are happy to introduce Martin and Cookie Redfern, recent newcomers to Butterfield – and we think you will enjoy a picture tour of Linda Remy’s new bright and very tastefully decorated apartment. As we enter the holiday season marked by giving thanks and offering our gifts, on behalf of all who live and work at Butterfield, I wish you peace and joy – health and happiness.
Quintin Trammell Chief Executive Officer
Opened in 1986, Butterfield Trail Village is a locally governed 501(c)(3) non-profit retirement community. As Northwest Arkansas’ only comprehensive Life Plan Retirement Community, BTV offers active older adults worry-free living that is secure, independent and fulfilling – and the freedom to enjoy plentiful activities both inside and outside the Village.
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Jim and Nancy Blair: The Spirit of Giving Philanthropic Pair Support a Compassionate Community
B
utterfield couple Jim and Nancy Blair are building a legacy for the community, generously supporting key quality-of-life assets in the region, including the world-class Fayetteville Public Library and the University of Arkansas’ flagship campus in Fayetteville. Jim Blair, former general counsel of Tyson Foods Inc., and his wife Nancy have been lending their support to charities, arts organizations and healthcare services in Northwest Arkansas for over 20 years. The couple’s charitable gifts total more $15 million in the region, including $1.8 million to nonprofit Life Styles Inc.; $2 million to the Museum of Native American History in the form of a Pre-Columbian art collection; $100,000 to TheatreSquared for an assistive hearing sound system; $100,000 to Washington Regional Medical Center for its hospice program and building expansion, and countless other smaller projects.
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They administer the James Burton Blair Family Foundation, which gives $100,000 annually to support organizations such as the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas, KUAF 91.3 FM – National Public Radio, the Washington Regional Medical Foundation, TheatreSquared, and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA). They are also establishing a new scholarship program to assist young women in rural parts of the state. The couple’s most significant support, however, has been to the Fayetteville Public Library, a beloved institution. Voted one of the finest libraries in nation, the community facility is known for excellence, access to learning and environmental sustainability. Jim Blair, a Fayetteville native, graduate of Fayetteville High School and alumnus of University of Arkansas and UA School of Law, knows firsthand how libraries can change young lives.
Photos by Stephen Ironside
Feature Profile
As a youth raised by his paternal grandparents, Jim Blair regularly climbed three flights of steep steps to the old public library over City Hall as soon as he was old enough. He’d leave each visit with a cardboard boxful of books, setting in motion a lifelong quest for knowledge and learning, and putting young Jimmie on the fast-track to becoming a voracious reader. “The Fayetteville Public Library is definitely near and dear to our hearts,” Nancy Blair said. “It’s our No. 1 priority in a large part because it reaches so many people and offers so much to the greater community. Jim and I strongly support community because it gives us something beyond ourselves. A compassionate community is something that sustains us all.” HUNGRY FOR LEARNING James Burton Blair was born in 1935 in Elkins, Ark. but grew up in Fayetteville. Grandparents Rufus and Bessie Motley Blair ran a grocery store from their home in a converted brick annex on South School Avenue, along the old U.S. 62 truck route downtown. Bessie Blair, a schoolteacher, was especially close to her grandson and taught him to read well before he began attending school. Soon, as a youth, he was regularly crossing busy U.S. 62, looking for adventure. Instead, he found an insatiable, lifelong thirst for knowledge and reading in the boxfuls of books from the old public library. “My grandmother was 55 when she took me in, and she would read with me in her lap,” Jim Blair said. “I could read at age 3 and was reading by the time school started. I’d take the cardboard box to the library and had an agreement with the librarian that could fill it up with books as long as I returned them. I firmly believe the early access I had to books and the library helped me develop a profound knowledge
base that I draw from today – and was responsible for the academic and professional successes I’ve had.”
“Jim and I strongly support community because it gives us something beyond ourselves. A compassionate community is something that sustains us all.”
In 1953, Jim Blair graduated from Fayetteville High School with honors and 46 hours of early college credit. At the University -Nancy Blair of Arkansas, he earned bachelor’s degree with minors in English and in philosophy by age 19, followed by his Juris Doctor from the law school two years later.
His first attorney’s job was with the late Courtney Crouch, whose clients included Jones Truck Lines and Tyson Foods Inc. The pair took Tyson Foods public and handled a number of its early acquisitions. At age 23, Jim Blair won a case before the Arkansas Supreme Court that changed the libel law in Arkansas. In 1980, Governor Bill Clinton appointed Jim Blair as a National Democratic Committeeman, and he later served as private legal counsel to President Clinton when Clinton was in the White House. Jim Blair and his late wife, Diane D. Blair, were close friends to Bill and Hillary Clinton. From 1980-2000, Jim Blair served as general counsel for Tyson Foods, during which time he volunteered on a number of boards and committees. His service included the Arkansas State Board of Higher Education and the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, both which he chaired.
Jim and Nancy Blair relaxing at their home BUTTERFIELD LIFE
In 1995, he received the Chancellor’s Medal at the University of Arkansas. In 2004, he was inducted into the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation’s Hall of Honor. He received the UA Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008. In 2005, Jim Blair was named Outstanding Northwest Arkansas Philanthropist. NOVEMBER + DECEMBER 2021 7
“I look back on my life and it’s clear that Fayetteville and this community helped me a great deal along the way at many stages in my life,” Jim Blair said. “Giving back to others is one of the most meaningful things we can do in life. So naturally, I want to give back to the community that helped me get to where I am today.” BUILDING A LEGACY Jim Blair retired from Tyson Foods in 2000. After losing Diane Blair in June of the same year, he felt he was being called more deeply into his mission than ever. He devoted the next five years to aggressive philanthropy. He worked to establish the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics & Society at the U of A in honor of his late wife, a lauded UA political science professor and advocate for women in the state. He also gave $1.5 million to endow two assistant professorships at the Blair Center — one in Southern studies and one in Latino politics — which operate in perpetuity. He supported his alma mater in a number of other ways, too, by gifting the Bessie Motley Blair Room at UA’s Old Main and the commons area at the School of Law, both in honor of the grandmother who raised him. He also established funds for the philosophy department and political science department library. In 2002, he donated $3 million to build a new Fayetteville Public Library – the city’s first in over 60 years. The $23.3 million, 88,000-square-foot Blair Library opened in 2004 and garnered coveted awards and recognition, including national Library of Year in 2005 and status as Arkansas’ first library with U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) certification. Situated at the corner of Mountain Street and South School Avenue, off the downtown square, the Blair Library serves 500,000+ visitors each year. It’s located two blocks from where Jim Blair was raised by his grandparents. GIFTS THAT KEEP GIVING In 2005, Jim married Nancy Beth Horton, a native of Marshall, Ark., who moved to Northwest Arkansas in 1992. Prior to their marriage, Nancy Blair enjoyed a 12-year career as an executive assistant in the executive wing at Tyson Foods. 8 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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One of the couple’s first major gifts was the 2009 donation of the Blair Law Firm offices to Life Styles Inc. The $1.8 million law offices were already outfitted with art gallery space (the Blairs are art lovers and collectors), making it a perfect fit for the Life Styles art program.
Fayetteville Public Library
Today, the Blair Center in Springdale houses Life Styles’ administrative offices and its pioneering art program, featuring an incredible gallery and airy studio space for its client artists. The couple owns a number of paintings by Life Styles artists, proudly displayed in their Village Home.
In 2019, the Blairs donated an additional $2 million to Fayetteville Public Library, for its Beyond Words expansion project. Complete in 2021, the new addition now offers an Life Styles Blair Center innovative mix of worldclass amenities to the Blair Library, including the new FPL Event Space, the Center of Innovation, a teaching kitchen, a new children’s library, and the outdoor Gathering Glade. Since moving to BTV in August 2020, the Blairs’ work supporting libraries has not slowed. They are currently donating their extensive personal home library — all 8,000 volumes of it — to the Elkins Public Library. The collection of books and materials reaches back 60 years into Jim Blair’s lifetime of voracious reading, covering art, literature, history, law, economics, geography and many other subjects. In addition, they are working to establish the Nancy Beth Horton Blair Scholarship, which will be geared toward students in rural part of the state who want to attend the University of Arkansas. “Preference will be given to students at Marshall High School, where I graduated from, in particular to young women,” Nancy Blair said. “When you’re from a small, rural high school, attending the university can feel intimidating and seem out of reach. I think it’s important that all students have an opportunity to learn in an educational setting beyond their hometown. This scholarship will make a difference in doing that.
Photos courtesy Fayetteville Public Library, Life Styles Blair Center
Village Newcomer Q+A
Martin and Cookie Redfern
Anniversaries November Mike & Susan Cruse
21st
Lou & Trisha Beland
23rd
Larry & Borgny Hanley
25th
Jack & Pat Smith
26th
Paul & Susan Rountree
27th
Bill & Betty Stewart
27th
December When did you move to Butterfield? We moved to BTV in July of this year. We previously lived on Mt. Sequoyah here in Fayetteville. Where are you from? Martin grew up in London, England, during the German blitz of World War II. He came to North America as a student at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. His graduate degrees were from Iowa State University and Oklahoma State University. He became an American citizen in 1977. Cookie grew up in Branson, Mo. She graduated from the University of Arkansas and Temple University. She came back to Fayetteville in the 1970s where she and her late husband George began their family. What did you do before retirement? Martin was a professor of Agricultural Economics in the Bumpers College of the University of Arkansas. He retired in 2008. Cookie was a clinical audiologist at the medical school, University of California San Francisco when she retired in 1995. Once again, she returned to Fayetteville and was a student recruiter for the Bumpers College, where she and Martin became close friends. They married in 2003. Do you have children and grandchildren? We are a blended family. Martin has three children and three grandchildren who live in Fayetteville, Boulder, Co. and Costa Rica. Cookie’s son and family also live in Fayetteville.
Lee & Beverly Bodenhamer
18th
Vernon & Paulette Collins
20th
Gary & Adella Gray
26th
Dwain & Glenda Newman
26th
Doug & Barbara Prichard
27th
Tim & Judy Schatzman
29th
Tony Stankus & Christine Soutter
30th
Jim & Nancy Blair
30th
New Neighbors Recent Village Move-Ins Carol Spears Rebecca Harrison Nick & Jerilyn Nicholson Jon & Jacquelyn Hassel Paul & Susan Rountree
Why did you choose Butterfield? We feel very blessed to have such an excellent place to retire here in Fayetteville, where we can still be a part of the community, see long-time friends, make new friends and enjoy our families. We take great comfort in having such outstanding medical care should we need it. BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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Employee Spotlight
Evans’ Dedication, Loving Spirit Greatly Missed at BTV Longtime Village Employee was Set to Retire
All photos are of Sandy Evans
Once on board at BTV, Evans’ skill set was immediately evident. She was always extremely prepared, ensuring safety and comfort aboard the famous Butterfield bus – as well as excitement and anticipation among passengers as they journeyed to countless destinations over the years.
You can tell an enormous amount about a person based upon how they interact with people who can offer them no obvious benefit. On September 15, 2021, the Butterfield family was sobered by the sudden loss of a friend and coworker in the Village, Sandy Gayle Evans. A staff member since 2007, Evans quietly made the world better every single day by simply making all those she encountered feel special and valued – not because she expected something in return, but because it was who she was.
She was very organized and affectionately dubbed the “queen of errands.” She unfailingly switched hats multiple times a day, from driving all over the region to becoming decorator of parties, server of guests and tireless encourager of residents and coworkers.
Born in Santa Cruz, Calif. and raised in Capitola, Calif., Evans worked for 20 years at Wrigley’s Chewing Gum factory in Santa Cruz, wrapping gum alongside her mother. She relocated to Georgia to a new Wrigley’s plant when the California location closed, then moved to Ohio where she acquired her Commercial Driver’s License. She finally landed in Fayetteville in 2005, working for Fayetteville Public Schools and University of Arkansas Razorback Transit before coming to her final work home at Butterfield Trail Village.
Yet, her loving spirit and dedication extended far beyond her paying job. Particularly close to her heart was her work with dog rescue through the Lone Star Dog Ranch based in Anna, Texas. She spent many hours providing transportation to rescue dogs in and around Northwest Arkansas. Always dedicated to her family and friends, Evans was eagerly anticipating an active retirement in March 2022 to spend time with those she loved and have travel adventures with her husband Jerry.
Director of Programs and Events Riki Stamps, who hired and supervised Evans said, “After a few interviews with driver candidates, I was a bit frustrated. The last interview of the day was a first for me. A female applied! Sandy sat across my desk with a contagious smile and personality that would stop a Broadway show. It was like she already knew her BTV destiny, and after a 15-minute interview, so did I. We are so blessed to have enjoyed 14 years of her contagious smile.” 10 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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Evans exemplified servant leadership while chairing the Village’s employee appreciation committee, working very hard to recognize and honor her peers throughout the years.
Her last Facebook post on the very day she passed away said everything about her, “Speak to people in a way that if they died the next day, you’d be satisfied with the last thing you said to them.” She left her friends and loved ones with many memories of kind words and thoughtful deeds, and all are better for having known her.
BTV Christmas Purse Makes the Season Brighter The BTV Christmas Purse is a wonderful tradition that lets residents show their gratitude to Village employees for the excellent care and services they provide. Each year, Butterfield residents donate to the BTV Christmas Purse fund so that every eligible BTV employee receives a holiday bonus. Whether it’s to offset the cost of buying gifts, set aside for savings, or spent on something special for themselves, a bonus is appreciated by employees each year. Residents may contribute to the Christmas Purse fund from November 12 through December 15, 2021. Individual employee bonuses are determined by the total amount of contributions and the hours worked by each employee during the current year.
To be eligible for the bonus, an employee must be on the payroll as of December 1, 2021. BTV leadership staff are not eligible for the bonus. Contributions may be made in the donation box at the Reception Desk in the lobby. For more information, contact Ellis Melton, vice president of the Residents’ Council, at ellis@melton.com. Please give generously to the Christmas Purse this year – and help reward our faithful employees!
Butterfield Trail Village offers more options that come standard, more activities and amenities at your fingertips, and more choices than any other active senior living community in the area – all in a beautifully maintained neighborhood setting. Planning for a move to the perfect retirement community doesn’t happen overnight, but as a Carriage Club member, you’ll get to enjoy a range of premier amenities – before you move in! Call to schedule your private consultation and tour today.
CARRIAGE CLUB 1923 E. Joyce Blvd. | Fayetteville, Ark. | 479.695.8011 | butterfieldtrailvillage.org BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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Living Spaces
Smart, Easy & Elegant Linda Remy’s Apartment Linda Remy moved to her new apartment in May and quickly came to enjoy the comfort, ease and security it provides. Living on the ground floor, near covered parking, was a priority for Remy, as was a private patio and a central location near shopping and entertainment. With modern appliances, including a stackable washer and dryer, her home has the amenities she wants.
Her bedroom doubles as a home office with an antique pull down desk for her computer.
The spacious living room with plenty of natural light has an arrangement of comfortable furnishings.
A small antique chest is one of the pieces Linda and her late husband, Gene, bought together.
The placement of kitchen cabinetry was reconfigured to create more open space.
Cremes and neutrals create a minimalist look throughout the home. 12 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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A pair of Cloisonné vases from Hong Kong were a gift.
The bathroom has a breezy, nautical touch.
Facing east, her patio offers equal parts shade and sun.
Photos by Stephen Ironside
Walton Arts Center November/December
Upcoming Events
Make Walton Arts Center Your
Holiday Destination! NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Asleep at the Wheel
Thursday, Nov. 11 | A Veteran’s Day salute!
RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles The Best of Abbey Road Live! Nov. 12
Cirque Mechanics Birdhouse Factory
Wednesday, Dec. 8 | Holiday favorites and more!
WAC + SoNA present The Snowman: A Family Concert Sunday, Dec. 12 | Tickets $10!
Mean Girls Dec. 14-19 | 8 shows!
Thursday, Nov. 18 | Tickets $10!
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Polar Express Film Screening
Thursday, Dec. 23 | Tickets $10!
Nov. 30-Dec. 5 | 8 shows!
On sale in November. Visit our website for info. Tickets make great gifts!
Series Sponsors
Series Supporters: Bob & Becky Alexander Friends of Broadway
Village Snapshots BTV Arts & Crafts Show
Positively Pink Luncheon
Chili Cook-off with Rachel B and Table for Three
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Hiking the Razorback Greenway
BTV Play Readers Theatre
BTV Music Jam Sessions
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Out & About
Tis the Season: Holiday Performing Arts
Symphony of Northwest Arkansas
Now is the time to celebrate the magic of the season with performing arts and entertainment in Northwest Arkansas. In Fayetteville, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) and TheatreSquared (T2), two of the region’s finest arts organizations, will present special holiday productions filled with yuletide cheer.
TheatreSquared
T2’s venue opened in 2019 with two intimate theaters outfitted for the ultimate panoramic emersion experience. The theater venue includes The Commons Bar/Café, a street-level public space open to everyone.
SoNA for the Holidays! Just in time for Christmas, SoNA will light up the stage at Walton Arts Center with two concert traditions in December: the annual Christmas Pops concert and the return of a well-loved classic for children and families. In its 67th season, SoNA is the region’s leading professional orchestra. Performing under the baton of Music Director Paul Haas, SoNA will present A Very SoNA Christmas on Dec. 11 (two showtimes), featuring a mix of sacred and secular holiday favorites with The SoNA Singers. Then, on Dec. 12, SoNA and Walton Arts Center will present the return of The Snowman: A Family Concert with holiday music for all ages, plus a special screening of the runaway hit film The Snowman with live orchestral soundtrack. For concert tickets, and to learn about important Covid safety requirements for in-person SoNA performances, visit sonamusic.org.
Yuletide Times Two TheatreSquared (T2), Northwest Arkansas’ nationally recognized professional theater, is delighting audiences at its innovative theater in downtown Fayetteville. 16 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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Rob Sutton
A Christmas Carol
T2 will present Rob Sutton’s The Heart of Christmas: Songs and Stories of the Season with in-person performances on Dec. 11-26. Sutton, a University of Arkansas alum, takes an intimate journey through music with a nostalgic look at seasons past, combined with his own memories of Christmas classics, plus new contemporary favorites. Also in December, T2 will present an original adaption of Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, at the Fayetteville Public Library Event Center. Adapted by Amy Herzberg and Robert Ford, A Christmas Carol boldly reimagines the story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey through past, present and future and sets the stage for a new Northwest Arkansas tradition. For tickets and covid safety information governing in-person T2 performances, please visit theatre2.org.
Walton Arts Center
Enjoy Music for the Ages at Walton Arts Center Walton Arts Center’s lineup of seriously talented musical acts and entertainers in November and December will have audiences celebrating the soundtracks of generations past and present. From a big band orchestra to classic rock, Western swing, jazz and blues, don’t miss the chance to hear some of the finest sounds in music.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
November opens with a special Veterans Day performance by The Glenn Miller Orchestra on Thursday, Nov. 11. In 1938, bandleader Miller founded his eponymous orchestra. Today, the 18-member ensemble remains one of the most popular big bands in the world for both concert and swing dance engagements. Enjoy songs from Miller’s original Army Air Force Band and other favorites from a wide-ranging repertoire of more than 1,700 compositions.
RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles
On Friday, Nov. 12, experience a live performance of one of the Beatles’ biggest albums, Abbey Road. RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles The Best of Abbey Road Live! is a mind-blowing show that takes you back to the 1969 release of that legendary album. Mastering every song, gesture and nuance of the Fab Four, this note-for-note theatrical event is the next best thing to the real legends.
Walton Arts Center welcomes 10-time Grammy Award®winning, national touring phenomenon Asleep at the Wheel on Wednesday, Dec. 8. Called by Reuters “one of the best live acts in the business,” the band has a rotating roster of the world’s finest Asleep at the Wheel musicians, all selected by front man Ray Benson – known as the chief practitioner, conspirator and caretaker of Western swing. If you love the blues, Ray Bonneville is a bluesdipped, song and groove man writing about people on the fringe of society. Master of the slow burn, the well-traveled, New Orleans-inspired Austinite can take listeners to some dark and exotic places. Performing as part of the West Street Live Series on Thursday, Dec. 9, Bonneville gives voice to the hardscrabble folks dwelling in his tuneful songs. Searching for new music? Samara Joy is a promising vocalist bound for stardom. Following her win in the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, the not-yet-21-yearold Ella Fitzgerald Samara Joy Scholar released her debut album backed by the Pasquale Grasso Trio in July 2021. Don’t miss this up-and-comer in concert on Friday, Dec. 10. Single tickets and Create Your Own Subscriptions are available for these and other shows by visiting waltonartscenter.org or calling the box office at (479) 443-5600. Don’t forget Walton Arts Center tickets and gift cards make great gifts! BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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BTV Cares
Honoring Our Veterans BTV Recognizes Residents for Military Service Butterfield Trail Village is committed to honoring its residents who served in the military, affording them the opportunity to share their stories and reflect on their experiences.
“I became curious about these stories after I learned Butterfield was home to a Pearl Harbor survivor,” Stamps said. “As time went on, I started gathering these stories, some documented, some not, and with each conversation, I felt compelled to share. These stories have made an impact on my life, and I’ve become keenly aware of what it means to be an American and Veterans love your country.”
BTV Director of Programs and Events Riki Stamps and her team produce a veteran recognition program each BTV’s year for residents. The program Recognition Program allows BTV veterans to share their military service experiences – and Stamps said that for many November 11, 6:30pm has offered the chance for some veterans, especially elderly ones, to receive long-due recognition. it’s important that society offers Performance Hall In 2015, for example, past resident them the opportunities to share their Jim Buckner, a former Army lieutenant personal accounts of past service. colonel honored for bravery in Vietnam some 50 years earlier, was honored at the BTV “It means something to them, personally, and to Veterans Appreciation Dinner with friends and their families,” Stamps said. “Veterans deserve to family in attendance. tell their stories so that all generations will know the sacrifices that were made for the precious freedoms For the past 25 years, Stamps has also been we enjoy in our country.” interviewing residents about their military service and documenting some of the first person accounts. “These men and women are heroes, no matter what In 2000, she worked with the area Daughters of role they played,” she added. “They’re part of our the American Revolution to record a number of the nation’s history and that’s something that should BTV veterans’ accounts of their time in the military, be recognized and never forgotten.” which are now part of the U.S. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.
In recognizing Veterans Day this year, Butterfield is sharing stories of three residents who served during World War II. They are Navy 3rd Class John Robinson, Army Air Corps Cpl. Bill Stewart, and Army Air Corps Capt. Samuel Wilson. We wish to thank all our residents who are military veterans for their time, service and sacrifice.
John Purviance Robinson, U.S. Navy Electrician’s Mate Third Class BTV resident John Robinson enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 18, three years after the Dec. 7, 1941 John Robinson bombing of Pearl Harbor. Robinson was a high school graduate from Madison County, where he played the flute and had a newspaper route. When he enlisted, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Boyd Robinson, who served in the Army during World War I and was sent straight to France to fight in the trenches. “I chose the navy because I couldn’t see myself in hand-to-hand combat,” Robinson said. “I was sworn 18 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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in on the first day of April 1944, with the agreement that I could finish high school before being called to active duty. By the end of May or early June, I was active duty.” After boot camp in San Diego, Robinson completed electrician’s school in St. Louis followed by naval submarine training in New London, Conn. Then, it was briefly back to California before his unit was dispatched to the Philippines to serve a year at a submarine base near Manila. “We thought we would eventually be invading Japan, but it all came to an abrupt end when the atomic bomb was dropped in August 1945,” Robinson said. After his discharge, Robinson attended college on a GI bill and graduated from John Brown University in Siloam Springs. He married his wife, Dorothy, and enjoyed a career as food services director at the University of Arkansas.
“I never realized my goal in the military to serve on a submarine, but I was pretty lucky that there were no big issues or stresses,” Robinson said. “Enlisting was the thing to do back then. You enlisted or you were drafted. But it was good training and good fellowship and a good experience.”
After his discharge in November 1946, Stewart hitchhiked from Seattle to Texas and finally home to Siloam Springs. In his uniform, toting his barracks bags, the young serviceman had no trouble getting rides from kind motorists. But the last leg of the trip took a nerve-wracking turn when an elderly gentleman he accepted a ride from fell asleep behind the wheel. “He kept dozing off, but finally he let his grandson drive,” Stewart said. “We were about to Flint Creek in eastern Oklahoma when I saw the flashing red light of the (John Brown University) tower in the distance and knew I was home. I thought, ‘Man, that really looks good’.”
Capt. Samuel ‘Phil’ Wilson, U.S. Army Air Corps B-17 Bomber Navigator Medals, insignia and other U.S. military memorabilia belonging to BTV veteran Phil Wilson.
William ‘Bill’ Stewart, U.S. Army Air Corps Aircraft Technician Fifth Grade
Bill Stewart
BTV resident Bill Stewart was 18 in 1944 when he volunteered for the Army Air Corps. The Air Corps was a branch of the Army that transitioned to the U.S. Air Force in 1947.
Stewart completed basic training at Sheppard Field, Texas, followed by aircraft engine training in Biloxi, Miss. In fall 1945, his troop shipped out across country to California, and departed for overseas. “After basic training and airplane engine school, a group of guys took the train to Chicago,” Stewart said. “We flew to Truax Field in Madison, Wisc., and took the train to Oakland, Calif., where they put us on a corps carrier ship from WWI. We landed at Waikiki Beach for a couple of hours, but none of us had a clue where we were going. We wound up in Okinawa.” Stewart was stationed in Okinawa, Japan with the 149th Aviation Engineering Battalion. A fellow corpsman George Freeman from Palestine, Texas took Stewart under his wing and showed him how to maintain a fleet of aircraft generators that Stewart was responsible for.
Phil Wilson
Retired Army Capt. Phil Wilson served with the 429th Squadron of the 2nd Bomb Group of the 15th Air Corps as a B-17 Bomber navigator in Europe at the height of World War II.
Raised in Nashville, Ark., Wilson enlisted in 1942 at age 18 and worked as a bank teller while awaiting his orders. After completing navigators flight school in San Marcos, Texas, he was stationed overseas in Foggia, Italy. There, his unit’s orders were to take out industrial sites in Munich, Germany, as well as oil fields in Romania, cutting off fuel supplies to Germany. As a B-17 Bomber navigator, Wilson shared responsibility of his aircraft’s nose with the bombardier, tracking the plane’s location and where it was headed next. After the Allied Forces invaded northern France in June 1944, a second invasion took place on the shores of southern France that August. Wilson’s group bombed those beaches of southern France just before the troops landed in Normandy. By the time Wilson’s tour ended, he had flown 35 missions with 293 hours of flight time. Later, he married his wife, Virginia, and enjoyed nearly a 40-year career as a manager at International Business Machines Corp. in Little Rock. BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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Foundation Donations
The Butterfield Trail Village Foundation is grateful for the gifts received between August 4, 2021 and October 5, 2021 from the following donors: Donations/Memorials Barbara Brannan Ray & Penny Culver Jim & Margaret Hunt Winnie MacDonald in memory of Charles Scharlau Jim & Ann Newman in honor of Lisa Higgins John & Sally King in memory of Sandy Evans Barbara Counce in memory of Sandy Evans Charlotte Steele in memory of Sandy Evans Diane Modisette in memory of Sandy Evans Bettie Lu Lancaster in memory of Nancy Dodson and Sandy Evans Susan Rieff in memory of Nancy Dodson, Nell Taylor and June Loyd Employee Care Fund Alan & Lenora Metz in memory of Sandy Evans Health Care /Special Care Fund Mary Bullock Jason Bullock Ann Blackshire Library Fund Ann Waligorski in memory of Nancy Dodson and Sandy Evans Moving Made Easy Rebecca Harrison Faye Johnson The family of Charles Scharlau
Symphony of Northwest Arkansas
SoNA & Walton Arts Center present
A Very SoNA Christmas
The Snowman: A Family Concert
SATURDAY, DEC. 11, 2021 – 2PM & 7:30PM
SUNDAY, DEC. 12, 2021 – 2PM
Walton Arts Center
Walton Arts Center
A mix of sacred and secular holiday favorites featuring The SoNA Singers.
Holiday music for children of all ages and a special screening of the runaway hit film, The Snowman, with live orchestral soundtrack.
Sponsored by Bogle Family Foundation
Tickets On Sale Now! 20 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
NOVEMBER + DECEMBER 2021
10
$
/ sonamusic.org / 479.443.5600
Image © Snowman Enterprises Limited (thesnowman.com)
Paul Haas, Music Director
Featured Events
Featured Village Events Coming in November November 11th | 6:30pm BTV Veterans Recognition Program Performance Hall Veterans are heroes during wartime, peacetime and all the time, so please help us recognize BTV’s military veterans for their service and dedication. This special program will feature a tribute to World War II veterans, a presentation about the Tomb of the Unknown Solider and music performed by the Dazzling Diamonds Chorus.
November 16th | 7pm BTV Presents: Guitarist Ben Harris Performance Hall Guitarist Ben Harris performs locally and regionally and has shared the stage with notable musicians such as Bob Dorough, Michael Feinstein, John Oates, Bob Shepard, Inga Swearingen, Claire Holley and others. Harris is also the director of operations and annual giving for the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA).
Coming in December December 7 | 11am to 4pm BTV Cares Food Drive No one should go hungry, especially at the holidays. BTV and the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank are teaming up for the BTV Cares Food Drive. Residents, staff and Carriage Club members are invited to bring their canned goods and nonperishable food items to the Performance Hall in exchange for spiced cider, hot cocoa, contests, live entertainment and more. For more info, contact Riki Stamps at rstamps@btvillage.org.
December 10th | 6pm BTV Christmas Party & Dance Performance Hall Residents are invited to celebrate the holidays in style! This year’s semi-formal Christmas Party & Dance will feature a wine bar and a fabulous dinner prepared by BTV Chef Memo Vaca. Enjoy live entertainment by Janet Rutland and the Tulsa Swing Band while celebrating the most magical time of the year. Reservations are required.
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Fitness & Wellness
Whole Health & Wellness Program Coming to BTV
Helping residents take charge of their health and wellness while learning to bring about meaningful change in their lives is the focus of a new facilitatorled program coming to Butterfield. BTV Fitness and Wellness Director Jennifer Neill is partnering with Whole Health Facilitator Kay Melton to present “Taking Charge of My Life and Health” at the Village early next year. Melton, a BTV resident and retired school counselor, is certified to facilitate the program through the Bentonville-based Whole Health Institute. The nonprofit institute was created in 2020 by philanthropist Alice Walton to transform healthcare systems and make whole health and wellness accessible to everyone. Neill, who has expertise as a corporate wellness trainer, said she’s thrilled to offer new ways for BTV residents to explore and define their personal wellness goals, while learning approaches to bring about self-directed change. “Wellness is much more than just diet and exercise,” Neill said. “There are several components, including power of mind, spirituality, surroundings and environment, rest and recharge. This program focuses on finding your sense of purpose, which is especially important in retirement age, but something that is often overlooked.” The Taking Charge program will be offered at BTV in small group sessions starting in January. Look for dates, times and more information in the December Programs Calendar at butterfieldtrailvillage.org. 22 BUTTERFIELD LIFE
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Butterfield to Bentonville Baby! A group of outdoor-loving residents is on the move to Bentonville, traversing the region’s premier multiuse trail system as part of Butterfield’s popular fall hiking series. The Hiking with Jennifer program allows residents and Carriage Club members to enjoy parks, lakes, woodlands and scenic areas along the Razorback Regional Greenway, a 37-mile pedestrian trail stretching from Fayetteville to Bella Vista. The 12-week series, which kicked off Sept. 20, takes hikers along a new segment of the Razorback Greenway each week until the group reaches its final destination: 8th Street Market in Bentonville. The hikes are between 1.5 to two miles, depending on the elevation, and are customizable to most fitness levels. BTV provides roundtrip group transportation, as well as a pickup midpoint during the hike. Following the hike, Neill and residents enjoy lunch at an area restaurant or eatery. “You’re getting all the obvious benefits of walking and being outdoors, but most importantly, these hikes are fun,” Neill said. “We always have a great group with lots of camaraderie and wonderful conversations along the way.” The hikes are each Monday through Dec. 6, departing Butterfield at 10:30 a.m. Those who wish to participate should sign up in advance at the BTV Transportation Desk. For more info, contact Neill at jneill@btvillage.org.
Home Instead is celebrating 25 years of service. We look forward to enhancing the lives of aging adults for many more years to come. HomeInstead.com/467 • 479.936.9885 Each Home Instead Senior Care Franchise is independently owned and operated. © 2019 Home Instead, Inc.
Let’s get
traveling
There is no better time than now to prepare for your next well-deserved journey. AAA Travel has you covered with services to help you travel with confidence. TRAVEL INSURANCE The current environment may cause you to have concerns about needing to cancel your trip. Your AAA Travel Advisor can share travel insurance options with enhanced cancellation benefits through Allianz Global Assistance1, so you can have greater peace of mind. EXPEDITED PASSPORTS & PASSPORT PHOTOS Enjoy exclusive AAA rates on expedited passport courier services2 through RushMyPassportTM, plus save time and a trip to the passport office. AAA members save 30% on passport photos3 in branch. TRAVEL VISAS If your desired destination requires a travel visa, AAA Travel’s preferred partner offers a fast, secure and affordable solution. INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMITS If you plan to drive while overseas, get an International Driving Permit (IDP), honored as identification in more than 150 countries, beforehand through AAA. LOCAL ACTIVITIES Your AAA Travel Advisor can help you hand-pick local experiences before your trip.
When you’re ready, we’ll be here… AAA TRAVELS WITH YOU
AAA BENTONVILLE (479) 254-9223 • 1501 SE Walton Blvd.
AAA FAYETTEVILLE (479) 444-9222 • 3595 N. Shiloh Drive
Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. Coverage may vary by plan and state. See your plan for details. Plans generally do not cover losses related to COVID-19, including without limitation due to known, foreseeable, or expected events, epidemics, government prohibitions, warnings, or travel advisories or fear of travel. For more information, contact Allianz Global Assistance at 1-800-284-8300 or 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or customerservice@allianzassistance.com. Underwritten by BCS Insurance Company or Jefferson Insurance Company. Allianz Global Assistance is the licensed producer and administrator. Automobile Club of Southern California or affiliates act as producer in HI and KS. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. CA customers can reach the CA Dept of Insurance through its toll-free Consumer Hotline: 1-800-927-4357 (HELP). 2 Passport courier services are available online only at AAA.com/passport. 3One set is $10+ tax for Classic members, and $15+ tax for non-members. Rates for Plus and Premier members vary. AAA Travel Alert: Many travel destinations have implemented COVID-19–related restrictions. Before making travel plans, check to see if hotels, attractions, cruise lines, tour operators,restaurants and local authorities have issued health and safety-related restrictions or entry requirements. The local tourism board is a good resource for updated information. 1