Butterfield LIFE September + October 2023

Butterfield Gardeners

VILLAGE SPACES The Bistro

FITNESS & WELLBEING

Fall Hiking at Butterfield

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF BUTTERFIELD TRAIL VILLAGE

From the Interim CEO

Warmest greetings to Butterfield residents, staff, friends and families.

Jack Mitchell CEO

MARKETING

Kelly Syer

Director of Marketing

Leann Pacheco Sales Counselor

PROGRAMS

Riki Stamps

Director of Programs & Events

Michael Burks

Asst. Director of Programs & Events

RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

2023 Council Members

Jerry Rose, President

Doug Prichard, Vice President

Frances Sego, Secretary

Ellis Melton, Past President

Grace Babcock, Liz Brantley, Marian Catron, Roy Clinton, Vernon Collins, Marvin Higginbottom, Rick Roessler, Nina Simmons

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Will Clark, Acting President

David (Dave) Williams, Treasurer

Dr. Kim Chapman, Secretary

Lance Brewer, Chuck Culver, LeRoy Duell, Dr. Michael Holloman, Mark McNair, Bill Mitchell, Chuck Nickle, Wulfran Polonius, Beth Vaughan-Wrobel

1923 East Joyce Boulevard

Fayetteville, AR 72703

Main: (479) 442-7220

Marketing: (479) 695-8056

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 © 2023. All rights reserved.

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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.

My name is Jack Mitchell, and it is my distinct honor to have recently accepted the role of interim chief executive officer (CEO) for Butterfield Trail Village. I have enjoyed being an active part of the Fayetteville community since 1996, when I moved here from Little Rock to serve as the chief operating officer for Washington Regional Medical Center – and eventually as the hospital’s interim president and CEO.

My background also includes time with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, the Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, Ark., three different Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Centers, as well as medical centers managed by Hospital Corporation of America. Most recently, I worked as CEO for Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Fayetteville until retiring in September 2019. It’s fair to say that supporting medical and healthcare communities is in my blood, and for that reason I am pleased to pause my retirement to spend a bit of time with the team and residents of Butterfield.

As interim CEO, I believe my best contributions will be to provide leadership and structure while the Butterfield Trail Village Board of Directors endeavors to find just the right person to take an already-thriving organization into the future. Hiring a talented leader with the necessary skills and business acumen – and one who is also a great fit for the much-celebrated BTV culture – will take time and energy we are all very willing to invest.

For those who live and work on our campus every day, expect to see a lot of me. I manage by walking around, and my ears are wide open to hearing what people have to say. As I have the opportunity to visit with folks and note their perspectives, I intend to pair what I learn with a lifetime of experience to help our board, staff and residents prioritize what is best for Butterfield. My concern is not just the “here and now” needs of an already special place – I am also committed to help identify what is needed to ensure BTV is the region’s premier retirement community in the years and decades to come.

It is truly a pleasure to support this remarkable place.

Respectfully yours,

Jack Mitchell Interim Chief Executive Officer

Dave Marks Move-In Coordinator

Elise Lorene Administrative Assistant

Crystal Bridges Presents The Van Cliburn Concert Series

harvesting The best of Life, iN all itS Seasons

Several Butterfield Trail Village residents stay actively engaged in tending their garden plots in the nearly 44,000-square-foot fenced area. They share garden tools and equipment stored in a central shed. Residents and staff can buy surplus produce at their own farmers market.

The garden itself is analogous to what this community offers, echoing the seasons of life and embracing residents’ myriad experiences. Gardening is about growth, loss, renewal, trial and error, making mistakes, learning lessons, presence, perseverance, patience and faith. It brings with it seasons, currents, cycles, nourishment and community.

As they stay in tune with nature, monitoring the changing weather and temperatures, they’ve come to understand that gardening is about so much more than gardening.

Words by Michelle Parks

Photos by Kelly Syer

Faye Edmondson is usually the first one in the garden each morning. In the intense heat of early August, she took advantage of those first hours of daylight to trim and clean up her blackberry bushes. She has more garden beds than anyone, after taking over two flower-filled beds, and she makes floral arrangements for areas across the BTV campus.

“I think that the beauty of a garden is sharing what you grow,” she said.

Faye moved to BTV in 2013, just after they’d completed the current garden area. She and her husband, Charles, a physician, who has since passed, always had a farm and gardened. She was grateful to be able to continue gardening.

When she was around 5 years old, Faye’s father created a small garden just for her – showing her how to neatly plant the rows of onions, radishes and lettuce. He was a sharecropper in Junction City, north of the Louisiana line. It was the Depression, and their garden and farm sustained them. In addition to standard garden fare, they grew sugar cane, sorghum and peanuts for commercial use.

After 90 years of experience, she said that a successful garden comes mostly from “work and a desire to work.” Continually improving the soil is also critical.

“I think God put us here for a reason. And we’re to improve this place, not deteriorate it, which is what’s happening right now with this climate change,” she said. “I feel like that is part of our problem.”

The first in her family to go to college, Faye got a degree in Bible and English, with a minor in home economics, at Arkansas College (now Lyon College) in Batesville. She’s always had a competitive side –with others and with herself.

“I push myself, or I wouldn’t be 96 and doing what I’m doing. And I know that.”

Gohn

Lyle Gohn grew up on a dairy, corn and soybean farm in northern Indiana. All farms had large gardens, and homegrown produce and meat from cattle were used to feed the family throughout the summer and winter months. After finishing his degree in Agriculture Business from Purdue, Lyle considered returning to the farm with his older brother – but chose instead to pursue higher education student affairs administration. “Thinking about milking cows for the rest of my life was perhaps the deciding factor,” he said.

His wife, Sue, returned to her gardening roots during their six years in Montana. After moving to BTV, Lyle picked up the gardening bug and started seeing what he could grow.

Lyle, a retired University of Arkansas administrator, said his best successes are sweet corn, which he likes to freeze, and the sunflowers he grows for his

faye edmondson

Lyle

wife, a Kansas native. Disappointments have been watermelon and cantaloupe.

Along the way, he’s cultivated friendships over the shared experience – including Bob Hendrix, whom he considers a best friend. And working in the garden helps Lyle feel more youthful.

“I think it’s the opportunity to be outside, to get your hands dirty,” he said. “Maybe something you’ve done in your past, and you get to redo it now, and have time to do it.”

Two years ago, he and another resident, Lanny Ashlock, planted blackberries in a plot they share.

Last year’s crop was bigger than this year’s, and Lyle keeps an eye out for good cobbler recipes.

He’s found that one of the most important components to successful gardening is to get the ground in good condition, which can require a lot of work over many years. He mixes mulch into his beds to counter the compacted nature of the native clay soil. Keeping weeds out is also an ongoing battle.

He’s picked up a few tricks from fellow gardeners and noted, “I always listen to what Faye has to say.”

In 2018, Jim and Judy Cole moved from Paragould to Northwest Arkansas, to be closer to their daughter. They were both high school math teachers – algebra for her, mostly geometry for him. He later ran a company that supplied school districts with substitute teachers.

In all those years, they’d done little gardening, other than flowers around their house and a small bed for tomatoes and herbs. Judy learned much about gardening from her mom and brother-in-law, who always had big vegetable gardens. Her mom would can and freeze produce.

After she and Jim married, Judy canned green beans, tomatoes and purple hull peas. When she got home from teaching school, it was quicker to open a jar of peas for dinner rather than thaw them first.

Jim is really in charge of their garden plot at BTV. He has planted it with tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, purple hull peas, sunflowers and zinnias. Last year, they planted purple hull peas three times – and, nothing. This year, it only took one planting for bountiful results.

“We feel very successful this year,” Judy said.

This summer, they’ve harvested scores of tomatoes from varieties such as Cherokee Purple, Big Boy, Better Boy and Celebrity. They’ve enjoyed countless bacon and tomato sandwiches and have given many tomatoes away.

Although they both took the Master Gardening training course in Greene County, they’re still learning every day. Jim calls their garden plot his “sand box,” where he gets to play in the dirt. “It is therapeutic,” he said. “You get to be outside and in the sun, and the exercise is just great.”

Lyle Gohn (continued)

jim & Judy Cole

When Ken and Jan Hargis moved to BTV in September 2021, they immediately signed up for a garden plot. They were in a one-bedroom apartment for a while before moving to a Village Home in July 2022. But they brought with them jonquils, peonies and other heirloom plants, and planted them in their plot for safe keeping.

They’d most recently lived on a farm in Bentonville, with acreage that supported several varieties of berries — such as elderberries, gooseberries, blueberries — along with native trees that included sugar maples, pin oaks and poplars. They both took the Master Gardeners course in Benton County, and in 2005, their home was on a garden tour.

Ken learned from his grandfather about improving the soil by amending it with manure. At their farm, they had help from some pigs who “piggy tilled” the soil, mixing it up and rooting out the rocks. They also added mulched leaves to the soil, leaving it so vibrant that it retained moisture and didn’t require watering. They’re working on doing something similar with their BTV garden plot.

Jan likes to grow produce for basic country cuisine: green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers. Ken enjoys ratatouille — with ingredients including eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes — so they’ve tried growing eggplant for the first time this year.

Each morning, after they walk their dog, Harry, they typically head to the garden. They value the camaraderie with fellow gardeners and still being able to garden in their new home. The adjustment can be hard enough, but coming from a farm was a significant change.

“It’s just a continuation; it’s something familiar that you can bring,” Jan said. “It gives you a familiar outlet of something that connects you to your old life,” Ken added.

Growing up in Longview, Texas, no one in Paul Rountree’s family gardened. After the Army, college and medical school, he spent a career working in pediatrics, then family practice, and finally preventive medicine and occupational medicine. It was only after he married and had a home that he took an interest in gardening.

“I found it to be a pleasant distraction from what I did all day,” he said.

His wife, Susan, encouraged him to do Master Gardeners training in Texas. They’d come to Northwest Arkansas for years to visit family, including Susan’s mother, who was a BTV resident. So, when they moved to BTV in October 2021, they knew they wanted to keep gardening.

With their much bigger 600-square-foot plot this year, they did well with tomatoes, cantaloupe, cucumbers and yellow squash. They’ve grown more onions and baby red potatoes than they could ever eat, so they gave much of the produce away and made French onion soup quite a bit. He typically gardens in the mornings, using an upside-down milk crate for a stool.

“There are lots of friendships that are established when people see each other working outside,” he said.

Paul has found that it’s a waste of time and garden space to struggle with crops that just don’t seem to work. He focuses on improving the soil – loosening it with peat moss and compost, adding fertilizer, and getting soil samples to determine what it needs.

“Every season is a new opportunity to learn new things and do things better,” he said. “And there’s always work to be done in the garden. If it’s not weeding, it’s improving the soil, doing what you want to protect your plants, or harvesting. There’s all kinds of stuff; it just goes on and on and on.”

ken & jan hargis

paul rountree

Tony Rivera: Butterfield’s Extraordinary HVAC Technician

Spend just five minutes visiting with Tony Rivera, and a simple word comes into sharp focus: gratitude. Because he’s the gentleman charged with maintaining and repairing the heating and air systems for the entire Butterfield campus, Tony’s very busy days take him into every building spanning the 44-acre community, often under some pretty extreme conditions. Even so, everyone he encounters along the way is inevitably left feeling lighter and brighter – not simply because of Tony’s unfailing kind words, encouragement and sincerity – but because of the extraordinary thankfulness he simply exudes.

Tony’s attitude about life and people can’t help but shine through when he describes the interesting path he has traveled. He began his career in 1977 at the tender age of 18, joining the U.S. Army Field Artillery. Tony knew military life was right for him, inspired by his father’s service in the Korean War and his grandfather’s service in both WWI and WWII. “I loved my years in the military, especially the six-and-a-half years I got to spend in Frankfurt, Germany. I had the best job there, serving as the driver for the general – who stood 7’4” tall, believe it or not. There were some great perks that came with that assignment, especially the food!” He added, “I also had the honor of serving in the Color Guard. Did you know the tallest person in the Color Guard gets to carry the American flag? I enjoyed that so much.”

After 12 years, Tony had to give up military service due to a medical discharge. Years on artillery weapons ranges had eventually harmed his hearing enough to force a return to civilian life. True to form, Tony sees only the positive in his situation, crediting the Veteran Administration for giving him an enormous gift of improved hearing through state-of-the-art devices

that might be otherwise financially out of reach. Tony didn’t let the career shift slow him down in the least, and he began putting his solid technical skills to use in the private sector as a mobile HVAC service technician. He moved to Arkansas in the 1990s, then to a suburb of Raleigh, N.C. where he worked for the nearby Harris Nuclear Power Plant in New Hill. He was eventually promoted to the level of supervisor. “I’ll tell you, that nuclear plant was the safest place I’ve ever worked,” he said. “Every single thing is so closely regulated for safety, even simple things take a long time because of all the steps that have to happen.”

Life and family circumstances eventually brought Tony back to Arkansas, and he began the search for a new career opportunity. His wife, Patricia, mentioned the idea of approaching Butterfield for a job, so he called just to see what, if anything, might be available. Hearing about Tony’s extensive HVAC experience, the facilities manager asked him to come in for an interview and he was hired on the spot. That was two years ago, and Tony said (with his beaming smile), “I have never worked anywhere this great. I love coming to work every day. The people are so friendly, it’s laid back and people treat each other like family. I get so many hugs, and it means a lot to me to get to make our residents feel good.”

Tony insists he is here to stay at Butterfield until he retires…that may be at age 67, maybe 70, but he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. And you can bet that whether you see him in the halls, up on a ladder or elbow-deep in an HVAC unit, he’ll be grinning big and expressing with a full heart how much he appreciates everyone and everything around him.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

Tony Rivera

-William Arthur Ward

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Joan Johnson Anniversaries

When did you move to Butterfield?

I officially became a resident on June 8. The move was a series of steps. I arrived in Fayetteville on February 1 and enjoyed events at BTV as a Carriage Club member. On June 9th my son-in-law and daughter moved me to Butterfield. My ‘things’ that have been in storage in Amherst finally caught up with me on June 30.

Where are you from?

I think of myself as a hybrid. I have lived in seven states and have enjoyed learning about the various cultures. Until I was eleven, I lived in Watertown and Belmont, MA. My parents moved the family to Lima, OH. After graduating from Wittenberg College in Springfield, OH, I moved to Chicago, IL. After I married, we moved to Richmond, IN…then to State College, PA…then to Austin, TX. For the past 14 years I have lived in Amherst, MA.

What did you do before retirement?

Before retiring, I was a bit of a gadfly. As a registered medical technologist, I was the director of two hospital laboratories. When we started our family, I was a stayat-home mom. The University of Texas hired me as an administrative assistant for the doctoral program in accounting. While working, I took classes to obtain my certification to teach in Texas. For sixteen years I taught middle school science. My final year before retiring, I returned to The University to work with the doctoral program in school psychology.

My husband was a campus pastor. His ministry precipitated the moves from Chicago to Austin. He passed away in 1992.

Do you have children and grandchildren?

I have three daughters who live in TX, MA and CA. I had six grandchildren. Tragically, my youngest grandson died in 2012. My five grandchildren are now busy completing college and establishing their own pursuits.

Why did you choose Butterfield?

When I sold my condo in Amherst last year, my family suggested I consider Independent Living. My son-inlaw said, “Do not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ until you have visited Butterfield.” Last July, Tom and my daughter, Sara, drove me here for a short visit. Tom had grown up in Fayetteville and graduated from the University of Arkansas. His parents, Andy and Shirley Lucas, had been residents at Butterfield until a couple of years ago. Tom’s love of Fayetteville and his praise about the care BTV gave his parents convinced me that Butterfield was the place for me.

September

Rick and LaVonne Kirkpatrick

Bob and Karen Hendrix

New Neighbors

Recent Village Move-Ins

Jerri Jouett

Jim and Andrea Romine

Carole Martin

Cathy Baird

Dennis and Cheri Kahle

Joan Johnson

Back-to-School Isn’t Just for the Kids

Celebrating a Decade of Connecting Generations

For many of us, there are such great memories connected with school supply shopping, picking out the perfect outfit for the first day back, catching up with old friends and adding new ones, meeting classroom teachers – all experienced against a backdrop of cooler mornings and busier calendars. We never forget the sounds of crowded hallways, the smell of crayons or the perfect taste of chewy, freshbaked peanut butter cookies from the cafeteria.

children. Many of these kids don’t have grandparents near them, so they have limited contact with older people. I think it’s mutually rewarding.”

“This program has been lifechanging for all involved, and is the favorite activity for my students and parents each year!”

-Jennifer Condron, second-grade teacher

Those remembrances tend to be quite vivid, making it easy to recall exactly what it felt like to be a child returning to school, even decades later. For the last ten years, a dedicated group of BTV residents has not only enjoyed reliving their own bygone school days when each new academic year starts – they get very busy making wonderful new memories starting in September, with a Butterfield Elementary School class of approximately 25 second-graders.

The Butterfield Pen Pal Program is one of the most meaningful ways BTV residents are able to make a lasting contribution back to the Fayetteville community, supporting its most precious resource: children. Every summer, resident and retired teacher Linda Hayes begins encouraging her neighbors to consider serving as a pen pal for a young student –and then she tirelessly keeps things organized and moving throughout the year.

Nancy Garner, who volunteered with elementaryage children even before becoming part of the BTV Pen Pal Project, said, “I just enjoy being around

In addition to the important academic skills the program reinforces, Nancy recognizes the socially beneficial aspects it enhances. “I FIRMLY believe that our world is becoming very artificial with too much cell phone use and believe we all need more “face-to-face” contact. I think it’s been very helpful for the shy children who now know that we are safe to talk with.”

The overall program is designed to improve the children’s reading and writing skills over several months, but the volunteers also work extra-hard to create memorable holiday celebrations for their young friends. Those residents who aren’t ready to make a months-long commitment of regular activity still have multiple opportunities to participate by helping with biannual ice cream socials, as well as ensuring financially needy Butterfield Elementary children outside of the program also receive gifts at Christmastime.

Jennifer Condron, the second-grade teacher for the BTV Pen Pal Program’s annually adopted class, said it best, “This program has been life-changing for all involved, and is the favorite activity for my students and parents each year! ‘Grandparent’ relationships developed while working on classroom standards create lifetime memories. It’s a great community program to give each student one more person who cares about, invests and cheers them on in their education.”

Featured Village Events

SEPTEMBER 9 | 7 PM

PERFORMANCE HALL

GRACE CD Release Concert with Michael

Burks

Many know Michael Burks as Butterfield’s Assistant Director of Programs and Events, but there’s more to this gentleman than just his day job! Michael began singing at age six with his siblings; at eight he began teaching himself piano and now plays skillfully by ear. A love for ministry and experience performing with local bands led him to co-found a family gospel group, The Galloways – with sister Scharlene and her husband, Earl Galloway. The Galloways traveled extensively, performing in large venues. Also a gifted songwriter, one of Michael’s pieces, Oh My Mansion, made its way to #5 on the Southern Gospel Singing News Charts for six consecutive months. Now Michael will treat Butterfield to a very special concert performance of pieces from his new solo album, GRACE, just released by Daywind Records.

SEPTEMBER 16

9:30 AM DEPARTURE

Cane Hill Harvest Festival

Hop aboard the BTV bus for a short drive to the historic community of Cane Hill, Arkansas for a community tradition! The Harvest Festival combines history, Ozark culture and a natural setting with modern amenities and entertainment. Festival visitors can enjoy a country breakfast, food truck provisions, live music, an Arts and Eats market, sorghum pressing demonstrations, craft demonstrations, tours of historic buildings and a quilt show. This unincorporated community has a long, rich history as the location of one of the first fouryear colleges chartered in the state of Arkansas, the site of the Civil War Battle of Cane Hill in 1862 and home to 16 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

OCTOBER 12 | 11:30 AM

PERFORMANCE HALL

Positively Pink Breast Care Awareness Luncheon

In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we will honor survivors and warriors at a special event created to provide support through inspirational stories of strength and courage. This year, Butterfield Trail Village Wellness Director Jennifer Neill is the guest speaker. The topic will be Auria, a biological breast cancer screening test. Her expertise as a certified personal trainer, a passion for health education and her ability to motivate others make Jennifer a knowledgeable and compelling presenter. In the Village, she offers one-onone personal training, regular lectures and a variety of daily exercise classes.

OCTOBER 19 | 5 PM PERFORMANCE HALL

Autumn Breeze Dinner Dance

Celebrate the return of sweater weather and the beautiful autumn hues as we kick up our heels for a very special evening during one of the best months of the year in the Ozarks. Tempt your tastebuds with three courses of culinary delights paired with fall-themed cocktails, all beautifully prepared by Chef Memo and his team. You won’t want to sit still for long when you hear the gorgeous live jazz sounds of the William Reyes Band – and be sure to get around to see all of the beautiful tables, with the best resident-decorated tables selected to win prizes!

VILLAGE SNAPSHOTS

The Art Gallery of Northwest Arkansas

Old World Folk Music Concert

BTV Burger Bar

Performance by Mood Swing in the BTV Health Care Center

Making Fresh Pesto with BTV Sensory Garden Ingredients

The Bistro

Some of Butterfield's best living spaces are public gathering spots — like The Bistro. This bright, inviting casual-dining restaurant located in the heart of the Commons building not only serves up great breakfast and lunch...all who visit can always count on finding plenty of camaraderie, smiles and laughter on the menu.

If anyone ever needs to know what's happening on the BTV campus, just stop in The Bistro each morning and check in with the friendly folks grouped around a regular table in the center of the room. The friends who meet up each day call it their "free therapy" group, while resident newcomers and guests can consider it the unofficial Welcome Committee.

Photos by Stephen Ironside

The Bistro menu offers a wide array of made-to-order breakfast and lunch favorites, ranging from healthy to decadent options. Everything from omelets and breakfast sandwiches to hearty salads and burgers is prepared fresh. And, don't pass up the giant cookies if you can help it – amazing!

The talented team responsible for serving Bistro customers does a fantastic job. Preparing tasty short-order meals requires great timing and skill, and their efforts are very appreciated by residents, staff and guests alike.

Symphony of Northwest Arkansas Kicks Off 2023-24 MainStage Season

New Season Begins Sept. 23 at Walton Arts Center

Fans of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas have a lot to be excited about as the orchestra kicks off its 69th season this month. Performing under the baton of Music Director Paul Haas, SoNA will present eight concert performances in Walton Arts Center’s Baum Walker Hall.

“I am looking forward to this season with great anticipation!” says Haas. “Why? We get to dive into two of our favorite types of music: first, the most famous of classics that both musicians and audiences thoroughly enjoy like Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) and Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. Second, we get to bring new music to life for the very first time with SoNA’s first-ever commission for piano concerto, as well as uncover music that is rarely played yet absolutely deserves attention like the music of Louise Farrenc.”

The new season opens on Saturday, Sept. 23 with a concert fittingly titled Great Romantics, presenting Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story — a heart-on-your-sleeve display of bravado, love, lust and untimely death — paired with the quintessential Romantic composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s bold Symphony No. 2. This emotionally gripping program is a wonderful way to commence the season and showcase the orchestra’s expressive power.

Then on Oct. 28, SoNA presents a spooky mix of thrilling music celebrating the scariest holiday of them all with Haunted Harmonies: A Halloween Concert. Audiences will surely enjoy this chillingly fun, family friendly Halloween concert experience with guest conductor Lawrence Loh and musicians playing iconic Halloween tunes in celebration of the season – costumes are encouraged!

In December, a pair of audience-favorites return: SoNA celebrates the magic and beauty of the holidays with two performances of A Very SoNA Christmas on Dec. 9 featuring The SoNA Singers, followed by The Snowman: A Family Concert on Dec. 10 featuring a special screening of the runaway hit film (The Snowman) complete with live orchestral soundtrack.

On Jan. 20, 2024, SoNA starts the New Year jumping into The Great Unknown and sharing sounds that audiences may have never heard before, but that will

surely make their mark once brought to life. Whether it’s unjustly neglected through history or fresh ink on the page, great music deserves to be heard – and in this concert, SoNA presents some of each. This performance presents Samuel Barber’s rarely heard but unforgettable Symphony No. 1, and William Dawson’s commanding Negro Folk Symphony based on themes from Black spirituals. SoNA is also especially proud to announce that this concert will feature SoNA’s first-ever symphonic commission and world premiere of multi-genre composer Aldo López-Gavilán’s Oceans to Cross, written for and performed by the inimitable pianist Lara Downes

“As a passionate believer in SoNA’s ability to create noteworthy waves within our world of classical music, I am incredibly proud and excited that SoNA has the privilege to commission Aldo López-Gavilán and have the venerated Lara Downes collaborate with our orchestra for the world premiere,” says D. Riley Nicholson, SoNA Executive Director. “This is a significant achievement for our orchestra and community!”

Then on Feb. 17, 2024, SoNA presents Defying Expectations, featuring three works that push beyond barriers and defy expectations each in their own way: Darius Milhaud’s fun and kaleidoscopic Le boeuf sur le toît, followed by Max Bruch’s beloved Violin Concerto in G Minor featuring violinist and SoNA concertmaster Winona Fifield, and closing with Louise Farrenc’s recently rediscovered Symphony No. 3.

The season wraps up on April 6, 2024, with Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s Ninth. On this program, SoNA honors the 200th anniversary of the world premiere of perhaps THE most famous piece of orchestral music ever written: Ludwig van Beethoven’s towering Ninth Symphony – the first symphony ever to feature vocalists and a chorus. The spirit of the work truly is an ‘ode to joy’ and will leave listeners feeling uplifted, connected, and awed by the ability for music to highlight the best aspects of our shared humanity. This concert will also feature Astor Piazzolla’s Fuga y Misterio

Season subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now. To secure your seats or purchase tickets, visit sonamusic.org, or call the Walton Arts Center box office at (479) 443-5600.

Walton Arts Center Launches New Comedy Series

By Grace Lindquist

Featuring the same A-list comedians from the best comedy clubs across the country, The Comedy Zone is the most trusted brand in stand-up, and it’s coming to Walton Arts Center this season. Set in the intimate Starr Theater, get up close to some of the country’s hottest rising comedians you’ve see on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Sirius XM and more!

All shows are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $31 for cabaret seating and $21 for tiered seating. Get a table for four and enjoy a hilarious girl’s night out or try this for a fun date night. You won’t be disappointed!

For over two decades, Shaun Jones has been entertaining crowds with his quick wit and originality. Kicking off the series on Thursday, Sept. 21, Jones’ comedy is rooted in everyday experiences. His brand is universal, guaranteed to be relatable and certainly laughable. You may have seen Jones on BET’S Comic View, Starz’s “1st Amendment Standup,” Robert Townsend’s “Partners In Crime – The Next Generation,” or in the 2003 motion picture Shade starring Jamie Foxx and Sylvester Stallone.

Andy Woodhull is sure to make all ages laugh when he performs Friday, Oct. 20. He brings jokes that every parent or grandparent can appreciate about things that happen in your day-to-day routine. After his network television debut in 2014 on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Woodhull has performed on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” “Conan,” “Live at Gotham” and “The Half Hour on Comedy Central.”

With a voice you cannot miss, Greg Morton can wow any audience with his witty, unique comedy style and hilarious voice impressions. Morton impressed judges on “America’s Got Talent,” leading Howie Mandel to say, “I can’t believe there isn’t a banner with your name on it in Vegas.” He’s opened for Celine Dion, Harry Connick Jr. and Luther Vandross, and has appeared on “Just for Laughs” and “Comedy Central’s Premium Blend.” He will take the mic on Thursday, Dec. 7

The Comedy Zone at Walton Arts Center features three more top-tier comedians in 2024: Tammy Pescatelli on Thursday, Jan. 11; Dave Williamson on Thursday, Feb. 29; and Michael Palascak on Thursday, April 4

Tickets to all six shows are available now at waltonartscenter.org, by calling (479) 443-5600, or by visiting the box office weekdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Also coming to Walton Arts Center in September

Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter’s See It All American Tour

Tuesday, Sept. 5

The Music of Sam Cooke – The King of Soul

Thursday, Sept. 7

Scythian: Ukraine to Appalachia

Sunday, Sept. 10

SIX

Sept. 12-17

8 performances!

Monte Montgomery

Friday, Sept. 22

PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite”

Sept. 29 – Oct. 1

Tim Armacost Quintet

Saturday, Sept. 30

Shaun Jones Andy Woodhull

Greg Morton

Tammy Pescatelli

Dave Williamson

Michael Palascak

Donations/Memorials

Sandra Brooks

Earlene Henry in memory of Doris Layne

Jill Steingraber in memory of Judy Schatzman

Richard and Ardith Wharry in memory of Judy Schatzman

Bill and Donna Yancey in memory of Charles Kittrell

Rebecca Wasson in memory of Neil Schmitt and Doris Layne

Collier Drug Stores in memory of Judy Schatzman

Health Care/Special Care Remodel/Sensory Garden Fund

Gaye Cypert in memory of Wilma Samuel and Doris Layne

Sandi Villinski in memory of Judy Schatzman

Carol Sonnenberg in memory of Carolyn Sue Jones

Eldridge Law Firm in memory of Charles Kittrell

R. Terry and Joann McFerran Mount in memory of Jack Lejeune and Annabel Claypool

Music and Performance Fund

Helen McElree

Jan and Mary Gosnell

Pat Jahoda in honor of Liz Howick

Gaye Cypert in memory of Harris Sonnenberg

Lyle and Sue Gohn in memory of Judy Schatzman

Scholarship Fund

Barbara Mills in memory of Judy Schatzman

Pat Jahoda in memory of Judy Schatzman

Rick and Sheryl Brazile in memory of Judy Schatzman

Library Fund

Nick and Jerilyn Nicholson in memory of Judy Schatzman

Moving Made Easy

Dorothy Reed

The family of Doris Layne

The family of Doni Merbitz

The Foundation is grateful for the gifts received between June 2nd and July 14th from the following Donors.

In 1975, Fayetteville Got Fighting Mad

The year was 1975, the eve of America’s Bicentennial. Plans for big celebrations both locally and in Washington dominated the news daily. But never mind that. Peter Fonda was coming to town!

Mr. Easy Rider himself and the film’s crew arrived in Arkansas in early November to shoot a movie titled Fighting Mad, which detailed the saga of an Arkansas farmer battling developers trying to take over his and his neighbors’ land. A plethora of “extras” were filled by local residents. Eight-year-old Gino Franco of Springdale landed the role as Fonda’s son.

Supporting actors included Scott Glenn, who later portrayed bad guy boyfriend of actress Debra Winger in Urban Cowboy and astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff. Roger Corman, known for cult favorite B-movies The Wild Angels, The Trip and Death Race 2000, would produce. Following cues from Corman’s previous films, this meant lots of violence, a little nudity and no expected Oscar nominations.

Jonathan Demme wrote and directed Fighting Mad and would win an Oscar for Best Director for The Silence of the Lambs in 1992. But in 1975, he was directing a motorcycle chase by the Fayetteville airport and temporarily relocated to Van Buren when he and the film crew were forced out of their hotel rooms to make way for football fans attending the Arkansas-Texas game. (It may have been a welcomed

respite as police reportedly made numerous calls to the cast and crew’s hotel for drunken and disorderly conduct during their stay.)

Fighting Mad was laden with area landmarks and a few familiar faces, including a scene shot at the legendary Swingin’ Door on Fayetteville’s Dickson Street, which featured glimpses of local musicians Earl Cate of the Cate Brothers and Windy Austin of Zorro and the Blue Footballs. Other locations included the old Washington County Jail, Brenda’s Bigger Burgers in Fayetteville and the Joe Applegate house in Bentonville.

While in town, Fonda discussed social issues and acting with a local reporter. When told that his sister, Jane Fonda, spoke at the University of Arkansas in 1970 and then received a speeding ticket on her way to Joplin, Missouri, her brother replied, “Far out.”

After the crew left, Demme sent a Letter to the Editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times, thanking the Fayetteville community. “We all made good friends, a few enemies (that’s life), and had a great time in Fayetteville,” he wrote. “Hope to be back soon.”

Fighting Mad is available on DVD and can be purchased online through sites like Amazon and Walmart. It was also recently viewable on YouTube.

Sandra Cox Birchfield, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History

Peter Fonda, center, encounters legal trouble in this promotional image for Fighting Mad, which was filmed in Fayetteville and surrounding areas in Arkansas.

At one point in the movie, actor Peter Fonda was hauled off to the old Washington County Jail on South College Avenue. This image of the jail building, taken in 1982, is from the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History Collection.

The Swingin’ Door, a legendary tavern on Dickson Street in Fayetteville during the 1970s, was one of the locations featured in the movie, Fighting Mad. Photo is from the Shiloh Museum’s Joe Neal Collection.

BTV Outdoor Fitness Fans Are Ready to Step into Fall

Hiking season is here, and that means it’s time for Butterfield to kick off another fantastic series of outdoor excursions. The benefits are undeniable: improved balance and flexibility, increased endorphins to promote a positive mindset, boosted cardiovascular health, stimulated cognition –all wrapped up in the simple joy of fresh perspective and being out in nature with friends.

This autumn has our adventurers back on the trails with a few new hike locations, along with some familiar favorites.

Starting off the series when temperatures are still higher, Wellness Director Jennifer Neill and members of her fitness team will lead hikers on slightly shorter, paved trails. Once the heat has had a chance to die down, outings will take participants into the woods for more challenging experiences. As hikers’ skills and stamina progress over the fall series, they can anticipate several of the program’s spring season wooded hikes to feature two different trail routes designed to accommodate varied skill levels.

2023 marks Butterfield’s tenth year of hiking, and the program has created countless great memories as we have explored every imaginable trail in the region. Our very first BTV hike was at the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center near Joplin, Mo. Enthusiasm for that initial experience has now led us to offering 20 hikes a year, with incredible community support to enhance those experiences.

Over the past decade we have been fortunate to partner with staff and volunteers from several excellent organizations – Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, Canopy NWA, Siloam Springs Parks and Recreation Department, Hobbs State Park and Devil’s Den State Park forest rangers, Ozark Natural Science Center, Historic Cane Hill and many more. We have even hiked the Razorback Greenway from the Butterfield campus to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art by completing three-mile sections each week. This experience, along with all of our other hikes, has shown us the stunning beauty of Northwest Arkansas that can easily go unacknowledged when only driving in a car.

BTV Hiking Program Fall 2023 Schedule

September 11

Osage Park – Bentonville

September 18

The Ramble – Fayetteville

September 25

Historic Cane Hill – Cane Hill

October 2

Lake Alma – Alma

October 9

Withrow Springs State Park – Huntsville

October 16

Wilson Park – Fayetteville

October 23

Walker Park – Fayetteville

October 30

Lake Atalanta – Rogers

Two additional hikes will be announced later in the season.

Also, be watching for information about an early October kayaking excursion at Lake Lincoln with NWA Land Trust.

Betty Hinshaw Preserve

Lake Fort Smith

War Eagle Mill

2023/24 Walton Arts Center Season On sale now!

2023

SEPTEMBER

Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter

Sept. 5

The Music of Sam Cooke –The King of Soul

Sept. 7

Scythian: Ukraine to Appalachia

Sept. 10

SIX

Sept. 12-17

Shaun Jones

Sept. 21

Monte Montgomery

Sept. 22

Whose Live Anyway?

Sept. 24 | SOLD OUT

The Beach Boys

Sept. 27 | SOLD OUT

PAW Patrol Live!

“Heroes Unite”

Sept. 29 – Oct. 1

Tim Armacost Quintet

Sept. 30

OCTOBER

Tanya Tucker

Oct. 4

Leanne Morgan

Oct. 5-6 | SOLD OUT

Jeff Lorber Fusion Trio

Oct. 13

JOHNNY CASH – The Official Concert Experience

Oct. 14-15

Danielle Nicole Band

Oct. 19

Andy Woodhull

Oct. 20

The Capitol Fools

Oct. 26

An Evening with John Cusack & Screening of Sixteen Candles

Oct. 29

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Party

Oct. 30

NOVEMBER

Joe Bonamassa

Nov. 1

As We Speak: Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer featuring Rakesh Chaurasia

Nov. 4

The Cher Show

Nov. 19 & 21

John Fullbright Band

Nov. 30

DECEMBER

Lorrie Morgan’s Enchanted Christmas

Dec. 1

Tierney Sutton Trio

Dec. 2

Greg Morton

Dec. 7

Walton Arts Center & SoNA present The Snowman: A Family Concert

Dec. 10

TINA – The Tina Turner Musical

Dec. 12-17

Squirrel Nut Zippers’ Holiday Caravan

Dec. 19

Mariachi Herencia de México presents A Very Mariachi

Christmas

Dec. 21

The Polar Express

Dec. 22

2024

JANUARY

Les Misérables

Jan. 2-7

Tammy Pescatelli

Jan. 11

Loston Harris Trio

Jan. 13

Jagged Little Pill

Jan. 23-28

Galvin Cello Quartet

Jan. 30

FEBRUARY

Damn Tall Buildings

Feb. 1

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band

Feb. 2

American Girl Live! In Concert

Feb. 3

BRUSH Theatre’s Poli POP!

Feb. 13

Company

Feb. 20-25

Ailey II

Feb. 27

Dave Williamson

Feb. 29

An Intimate Evening with David Foster & Katharine McPhee

Feb. 29

MARCH

Lee Rocker

March 2

Menopause the Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’®

March 2

tutti frutti’s The Boy Who Cried Wolf

March 5

Drum Tao

March 12

Pilobolus Re: Creation Tour

March 14

U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters

March 16

Disney’s Aladdin

March 26-31

APRIL

Michael Palascak

April 4

Jackie Venson

April 5

Take 6

April 12

VoiceJam Competition

April 13

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird

April 16-21

George Hinchcliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

April 26

Aubrey Logan Band

April 27

NORTH

April 28

MAY

John Waters’ End of the World

May 1

Hairspray May 3-5

Compagnia TPO’s +ERBA – A Forest in the City

May 14-15

360 ALLSTARS

May 21

Series Sponsors