Entertainment Fort Smith Magazine - July 2015

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EDITOR’S NOTES

David Carroll Carter

Our magazine family experienced a devastating loss June 4 when our dear friend and colleague David Carter died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 66.

His diagnosis, illness and death came in a shocking rush of about seven weeks – all of us who loved him and even David himself had too little time to comprehend and prepare for the end of his life. But he was a deeply faithful man with a deeply faithful family. Witnessing his courage and acceptance and the strength of his stricken but steadfast, beloved sisters and brothers humbled the rest of us. We were inspired to try to conduct ourselves with some semblance of their dignity and model of tender, constant service to their cherished brother. We grieved for their pain as well, for the loss they were feeling.

We should have known David would surprise us – he always had.

He had a way of confounding us with the unexpected and make no mistake, he enjoyed doing it. Having returned to his hometown after many years away, David joined our staff after his retirement, “just to help out a little.” Very quickly and with relish, he revealed his professional talent as a natural salesman – he was the most productive salesperson this magazine has ever had.

On other quiet workday absences, it turns out he had been on a secret mission to restore Northside High School’s “Victory Bell.” It soon was rededicated with new trailer wheels and a high polish on the bronze. It was one of many NHS booster projects that he, his three brothers and his Class of 1967 classmates took on and accomplished. David then stood over his hand-picked, student bell ringers giving pointers on just exactly how and when to ring it. You’d think there’d only be one way to ring a bell but David’s way was, admittedly, extra victorious.

We learned again, after the fact, he had become a board member of an organization of dental professionals and helped to find candidates to receive their donated dental and orthodontic services.

You know, we only saw him in the office. There’s no telling what else David was up to, but how could a boss complain when he accomplished sale after sale to support this publication? I was never sure I was holding the reins but David’s horses ran fast and in the right direction, so we held on to our wagon seats and went along for the wild ride. It was so much aggravation – and so much fun.

As I once overheard him explaining to someone on the phone, he was the entertainment in Entertainment Fort Smith.

He mystified me in many ways, not the least of which was wondering who was bossing whom. He beat me to work every morning but after a cordial hour or so he might vanish. Once, when he disappeared for a long afternoon, we later learned that while he was calling on a nursing home client to sell advertising, a scheduled entertainer had to cancel. He immediately went out to his car for his cowboy hat, then recited cowboy poetry for the residents.

We will remember with joy watching him scheme over thoughtful gifts and hand-made toys for his grandkids and his generosity to other children. We will remember with gratitude all the “honey-do” chores he gallantly did for our all-female staff. We will recall with womanly amusement all the times we had to demonstrate that we did not need any “mansplaining” about how things were done.

Another day, I became aware of a great deal of phone calling from his desk that didn’t seem to be about business. David sheepishly admitted he was only arranging musical acts, a stage and sound system for an all-night charity walk-a-thon because one of his clients (I should say – and new friends) needed help.

We will never forget him. And we have a lot of his spirit still to enjoy in his sister, senior editor Donna Payne, and brothers Roger and Richard Carter, who are also a part of our staff. In his honor, we will try to live up to his sales pitch calling this “the best magazine ever made.”

– Lynn Wasson

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CONTENTS

features

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10

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24

Profile: the McClurkins

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July 2015

Weddings Each year, several couples share the stories of their weddings, along with advice for others who may be planning their special day soon.

Sara Hembree and Josh Poole: The bride wore boots

By Brittany Ransom

Brooke Dunn and Jaffet Mooney: Once in a lifetime

By Lynn Wasson

Leah Climer and Hunter Phelan: With family and friends

By Brittany Ransom

Morgan Mosley and C.B. Stotts: High on a mountain of love

By Lynn Wasson

Profile: Mardell and Herschel McClurkin’s long love story Along with the stories of these very young couples, Taylor Pruitt’s warm profile of a long and happy marriage is a model for a wonderful life.

columns

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30

Hot Stuff by Linda Seubold Whole Lot of Talkin’ Going On Linda and her Class of 1960 classmates had a gabfest at their FSHS reunion.

departments Crowning Rich Mountain

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What’s Cooking by Kristan Roland Inspired by the wedding issue – food as pretty as a bride.

GARDENING with Reba Mize Reba looks back at her unique approach to garden writing for this magazine.

DINING GUIDE Catch up on a dozen restaurants we recommend you visit.

eve n t s

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Goofy gardening

Entertainment Fort Smith

July 2015

MUSIC & PERFORMANCE EVENTS FOR KIDS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

On the cover: Morgan and C.B. Stotts at Mount Magazine State Park Lodge.

Photo by Joshua Mashon Photography

This issue is dedicated to the memory of one fine storyteller.

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BY LINDA SEUBOLD

FSHS Class of ’60 reunion had a whole lot of talkin' goin' on Organizers of last month’s Fort Smith High School Class of 1960 reunion made a command decision about the style of our 55-year reunion.

There really wouldn't be a schedule – no big dinner with speeches or prizes for who had been married longest or had the most grandchildren, or traveled the most miles to attend, the committee agreed.

Instead, all attending would be given most of the day to simply get together and TALK to each other at the River Park Events Building.

Some classmates left for a while in mid-afternoon to tour the Fort Smith Historic Site, watch the Razorback baseball team playing in the College World Series on TV, or to check out how Garrison Avenue looks since they last saw it, planning committee member Sherrell Stallings Buchanan told me when I arrived.

Since my weekly multiple myeloma lab results have been steadily improving lately, I was able to talk to quite a few classmates for a couple of hours. I would love to have stayed longer, but what a joy it was to get to talk, even briefly, with some favorite former classmates I hadn't seen or heard from in years. I even had a mini-family reunion with one of my cousins, Margaret Kidd Moss and her husband, Bill.

I also finally got to thank Penny Packard in person for the flower seeds she mailed me soon after she learned I had been diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2013. The seeds were to be planted the next spring, so they were a special encouragement to me to believe that, in spite of being informed that the cancer had spread throughout 97 percent of my body, I could still be around the next year when it was time to plant those seeds – and I was!

Lynda Harris McDaniel, looking terrific as always, made sure to tell me again, as she had while we were still in high school, how much she appreciated me for being the first FSHS student to befriend her when she moved here with her family – away from all her longtime friends in Shawnee, Okla.

Donna Erickson Wintory is still just as cute and bubbly as she was in high school. It was a treat to see her and another lovely Grizzly cheerleader, Carolyn Schneider Hubbard, who also still lives here. Sallie Ladage and Cyndie Baber Coulter looked terrific, too.

See our website, efortsmith.com, and Entertainment Fort Smith Facebook page for this and other reunion pictures. Too many folks to name!

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Linda in the middle of a hugfest with her arm around Cyndie Baber Coulter. From left are Sally Ladage and Carolyn Schneider Hubbard.

Cyndie and I reminisced a little about our high school years and my beloved pinto pony, Amigo, that she got to ride with me a time or two.

I was disappointed to miss seeing Greer Farris and his daughter, Delaney, who had been there before I arrived. They have been on the cover of this magazine and subjects of more than one feature story.

Classmate and world traveler David Patterson and I finally got a chance to chat while at this reunion. I got a quick, across the room introduction to his distinguished wife, Fort Smith native and U.S. Ambassador Ann Wood Patterson, and wish I could have stayed longer to talk to both of them – and others. But I wear out faster these days and left for home when the buffet line began forming.

Cheers to this reunion’s planning committee members – Barbara Price Coleman; Sherrell Stallings Buchanan (and their husbands Kenneth and Bill); Frances Beckman Willis; Nancy Newlon Wells; Larry Ruth; James Priest; Carl Riggins (whose daughter-in-law, Linda, served as our reunion photographer); Janet Wyatt Wilson; and Jim Winn, who made sure I didn't miss the deadline for registering to attend the reunion.

“This was the first time we planned a casual, no program reunion, so all of us could just visit at will,” Sherrell said, “but just about everyone who attended told us they enjoyed the change.”

She said Phillip Plunkett made it a special point to tell her how he had especially enjoyed this year's reunion, “because everyone had a better chance to talk to each other.” Phillip is a former Grizzly football star and has been her friend since they met at Mrs. Brown's preschool and went all the way through Peabody and Ballman elementaries, Ramsey Junior High and Fort Smith High School together.

“Fifty-five years have sure seemed to whizz by in a hurry. There were 505 of us who graduated in 1960 and now nearly a fourth of the class is no longer living. Sherrell says many at the reunion said they favor gathering again in two years, instead of five and I agree. I can’t wait to get together and talk to everyone again.

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Weddings

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Cowboy boots, satin gown is just Sara’s style On a day that is all about two lives joining together, Sara Hembree and Josh Poole added unique and sentimental elements celebrating their relationship and the lives of those they love most.

Together since Sara was a senior in high school, the pair share a long history filled with memories, many tied to their wedding date.

“A lot of things in our life came together in October,” said Sara.

“Although we explored the idea of getting married in the spring, we ultimately decided on Oct. 14 as our date and fulfilled our dream of having a fall wedding.”

They married at The Barn by Two Brothers in Fort Smith, utilizing the talents of family friend and venue owner Lisa Neumeier Hearn.

The pair exchanged vows at a private ceremony inside the barn.

“We knew we wanted our ceremony to be very intimate so we only had our family and closest of friends there for it,” said Sara. “It was important to us that the ceremony be serious, because what we were doing was serious and that the reception be a laid back, fun and a true celebration of the step we had taken.”

Sara wore a strapless ivory gown while her four attendants wore varied purple dresses and boots of their choice. Josh and the couple’s dads were in taupe-colored tuxes; his attendants wore taupe vests.

Three very young flower girls, Sara’s cousins, wore purple-sashed white frocks monogrammed with their own initials. Josh’s nieces wore dresses that are becoming heirlooms to the Hembree sisters. She and her sister, Katie, had worn them as flower girls in their childhood.

“There were so many special things about our ceremony and one of them was getting to see the flower girls in those dresses,” said Sara.

“Being able to pass down dresses my sister and I wore and incorporate them into our wedding was precious.”

A silent gesture honored Sara’s late best friend. The women became friends at Stephens College before Becca passed away four years ago as the result of an accident. Sara’s uncle David Carter crafted a sign with Becca’s name on it, displayed on a chair with a bouquet, near the altar. “She would have been one of my bridesmaids, so it was fitting for her to have a place there,” Sara said.

Inside the bodice of her wedding gown is a monogram embroidered in blue by her maternal grandmother of the couple’s initials and wedding date with the silk signature, “Nana.”

Under her elegant gown, Sara’s boots were an heirloom pair of Tony Llamas from her late paternal grandmother’s closet. With her bouquet, she also carried her maternal grandfather’s handkerchief.

The couple and wedding party joined more than 150 guests who had been sampling hors d’oeuvres and refreshments outdoors during the vows. Now together, they all joined for a buffet-style dinner.

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Wooden pallets were transformed to handpainted menu boards. “Our menu featured comfort foods from our childhood that were made elegant,” said Sara.

Floral fall colors ranged from rich purples to sunflower yellow. At elegantly appointed tables under tents, it was as if a formal indoor reception had materialized on the lawn.

The bride’s cake featured four tiers, each layer a different flavor and pattern, including a “P” for Sara’s love of monograms. Peeking out from beneath the cake was a little green, masked turtle character, Sara’s ode to Josh’s love of all things “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

“The cakes were one of my favorite parts because they were just so us,” said Sara. The groom’s Steelers-themed cake had football jerseys sporting their names. The numbers 10-14 noted the wedding date. Mementos such as cake toppers from their grandparents’ weddings were on display.

As dusk fell, guests kicked up their boots to music by Heath Wright & the Hangmen.

The country star thoughtfully learned the song “Sara Smile” for the couple’s first dance.

The Pooles started their lives as husband and wife in their own authentic style with a true celebration of those they hold so dear.

Following their wedding, the couple took a honeymoon to Table Rock Lake in Missouri.

They live in Van Buren where Josh works as a galvanizer at Bekaert. Sara is a project manager at QualServ.

Wedding transportation, clockwise from top, was Sara’s late Hembree grandparents’ vintage Cadillac convertible. Sara’s little cousins of the flower girl crew. At the couple’s table, some of the many lovely floral arrangements. Nostalgic lights and the wooden dance floor fit the barn-dance ambiance.

Center: Sara’s parents slip a lucky sixpence in her boot; a keepsake from their own marriage.

Sara Hembree and Josh Poole

PHOTOS BY BEATY PHOTOGRAPHY July 2015

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Their wedding was just as the bride had dreamed In the same way Brooke Dunn diligently studied toward her goal of becoming a pharmacist, she had always held a particular vision of a wedding she also hoped to experience in her future.

As a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception Church, she had always pictured herself walking up the center aisle of its glorious, vaulted sanctuary. She even held an image in her mind of her wedding dress.

In September, her long-imagined fantasy became real when she exchanged vows with Jaffet Mooney. The couple stood before the priest who had baptized her and also had blessed the marriage of her parents, Anne and Courtney Dunn, and many other relatives.

Even though she is very much a planner, Brooke is delighted to be in love with a man who can surprise her. They began dating as students in Fayetteville and continued as he graduated and joined ArcBest in Fort Smith and she pursued a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

When he decided to propose, Jaffet caught Brooke unaware. He asked her to dinner at James at the Mill restaurant near Fayetteville on the pretense of meeting friends, she explained.

“He made up a story that our friends hadn’t arrived and walked me over near the mill’s giant water wheel,” she said. “As soon as he had proposed, photographers popped out like paparazzi.”

As they were waiting to be seated, he suggested they call her parents, but the hostess led them to a private room where both their families were waiting to celebrate their engagement.

Now Brooke had to make all her long-held wedding ideas a reality while also completing her fourth-year pharmacy rotation in Fort Smith.

“It was a full-year engagement and we planned for pretty much a full year,” she said. “If we looked at something once, we looked a thousand times. My mom’s obsessive and I am too, so I don’t think we could have picked apart the process any more,” she admitted in good humor. Even as the pair micro-focused, Brooke’s parents were generous in recognizing the guest list would be big. While Brooke is an only child, her mother, Anne Nolte Dunn, is one of eight siblings.

Jaffet has a large family, as well.

“My parents said, ‘It’s only once,’” Brooke said, gratefully. Her mom quipped, “Once you get past a certain number – why stop?”

Even through a leisurely day of getting dressed with her bridal party, portraits and a sweet “first look” with Jaffet in the chapel, Brooke said she didn’t actually feel she was about to live out her fantasy until she stood with her father, waiting to walk down the aisle.

“My flowers were really heavy, so heavy that he held them for me.

That had not occurred to me,” she said. “I remember walking down the aisle and seeing faces but mainly trying to not trip on my dress!”

She also recalls going blank for an instant during their vows. Her in-laws were in her line of sight and she knew they understood in the tiny pause. “From walking up to the altar until the kiss,” she said, “it blurs by!” After that, memories do come in focus. The couple went through the enormous bronze doors outside to I.C’s high steps, which is one of the most spectacular views in Fort Smith.

“It felt as important as that walk down the aisle,” she said.

“Everyone was lined up with sparklers and the trolley was centered out there. It was really cool looking down through all of that.”

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Below: Brooke and Anne. The couple at the altar.

Right: Clever champagne shots. Mini-BLT sandwiches. Pro tip: Fake the cake; hide one real slice in back. Plated cake slices then can be served quickly, without a crumbling centerpiece. Mr. and Mrs. speed away.

Brooke Dunn and Jaffet Mooney

PHOTOS BY BENFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

The reception was at Hardscrabble Country Club. Each attendant pair made an entrance and the couple did first dances with parents.

“Then, we went to a small private room with a candlelit table and ate together, just the two of us,” she explained. “That way, we actually got to eat!” In less than 15 minutes, she and Jaffet began to relax, happily realize they were married and feel prepared to enjoy their guests.

Meanwhile, their guests were presented with a selection of delicious food at themed stations offering pasta dishes and Southern-style treats.

There also was a carving station.

“We had a lot of ‘mini’ foods,” Brooke explained. “There were miniBLTs, mini-burgers and barbecue sandwiches.”

“I wanted a champagne toast but at other weddings, I noticed that everyone takes one taste and leaves the champagne flutes as clutter on all the tables,” she explained. Her solution: diminutive glitter-rimmed “shots” made with the bubbly in gelatin, served with tiny spoons.

Jaffet gets credit for selecting a wonderful band, Brooke said. “The band really knew how to entertain a crowd. They were very interactive with the guests. You couldn’t walk through the dance floor!”

Regrets? Only in her desire to hug every one of their many guests.

“I feel that I didn’t get around to seeing everyone,” she recalled.

“For as long as that day seemed to last, it also felt like it went by in 30 minutes!”

After a Maui honeymoon, the Mooneys are home in Fort Smith where Jaffet is with ArcBest and Brooke is a CVS pharmacist.

Jaffet still has a flair for the unexpected, she added. Very recently, he threw her a surprise birthday party.

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Leah and Hunter celebrated their long-time love Leah Climber and Hunter Phelan are proof that high school sweethearts can have a storybook ending. The couple’s romance began when Leah was a Ramsey Junior High School cheerleader and Hunter was the quarterback for the Chaffin Cougars in Fort Smith. They met at a game and immediately became an item, continuing their relationship into high school and college, despite attending universities in different states. They maintained a long-distance relationship for many years before graduating and getting engaged.

Leah doubted Hunter would be able to shock her with a proposal.

“I just didn’t think he could surprise me because I know him so well,” said Leah. “But, he really did. We were all in Dallas at the Omni Hotel celebrating a friend’s birthday when the group decided to capture the moment with a photo from the balcony. Once up there, everyone else scattered and Hunter popped the question. He totally got me.”

Following the proposal, Leah’s sister, Megan, offered her a few words of wisdom, gleaned from having just planned her own wedding the previous year. “She advised me to not do anything for a couple of months and to just simply enjoy being engaged,” explained Leah. After basking in her new relationship status for a bit, she, her sister and mom Robbie got to work.

The three were faced with the challenge of planning the wedding here while the bride lived in Texas.

The couple decided to get married in northwest Arkansas near where the majority of their friends and family live, so they relied heavily on Leah’s mom and sister to do a lot of the day-to-day planning.

“We picked Pratt’s Place in Fayetteville because it was near family and it also provided the relaxed feel that we were going for,” said Leah.

She traveled into Fort Smith or Fayetteville once a month, running errands and taking appointments set up by her highly efficient sister.

“I could not have done it without my sister and mom. They handled so much for me and really made it all come together,” she said.

Hunter and Leah were determined their wedding day would be a true celebration of their journey and those who helped them along the way.

“When we started dating, we couldn’t even drive,” noted Leah.

“Family drove us on dates and many have been with us throughout the course of our relationship. There were a lot of people who helped us and we wanted to have them all at the same place, at the same time to witness our union.”

The beautiful evening ceremony was held May 25, 2014. Leah chose seasonal blooms, including hydrangeas, alstroemeria lilies and roses. She wore an ivory-colored strapless gown that featured a sweetheart neckline and Swarovski crystal-covered bodice. The mermaid-style skirt featured handkerchief tulle details, accented by a chapel-length train.

She invited the bridesmaids to choose their dresses.

“I am pretty laid back and so I cared more about having each of the girls’ own personalities and style shine through rather than have one uniform dress,” explained Leah. “I gave them all the same color swatch and simply asked them to select a floor-length dress in that shade that they liked.” The groom and his attendants opted for slate gray suits.

Hunter had one special request: his dog, Tytus, a 120-pound Labrador-mix, donned a purple bow tie and was an attendant.

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Leah Climber and Hunter Phelan

Tytus joined seven groomsmen and seven bridesmaids. The groom’s dad also walked in the processional.

The evening began with a cocktail hour with hand-passed hors d’oeuvres followed by a gourmet dinner.

“In true Southern-man fashion, Hunter, of course, requested pigs in a blanket,” joked Leah. “Thankfully, our sweet caterer made it cocktail-appropriate with smoked sausage en croute with creole mustard, thus pleasing both the bride and groom.”

Their lavish wedding cake featured an array of flavors, including lemon with raspberry filling, and almond with vanilla crème filling.

Hunter’s “death by chocolate” cake was created in the shaped of his beloved lab.

On reflection a little more than a year later, Leah and Hunter are still thrilled with everything about the celebration of their marriage.

“It was the most amazing feeling to look out from the altar and see all these people who played a role in our lives, either as individuals or a couple,” said Leah. “From family and friends, to college mentors and teammates ... our wedding was the chance to bring all those people together in one place. We know that won’t ever happen again, so it just makes it all even more special.”

The two enjoyed a honeymoon in Playa Mujeres, Mexico, before making their home in Grand Prairie, Texas.

He is an inside sales representative at Andritz Co. in Arlington and Leah is a computed tomography technologist at Methodist Health System in Mansfield.

Above: Leah and Hunter at the altar. The rustic setting mixes elegance and casual charm. A young guest, and the couple with Tytus.

PHOTOS BY KIM SINGER PHOTOGRAPHY

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Morgan and Charles were married on a mountaintop Morgan Mosely and Charles “C.B.” Stotts courted during a mobile time in their lives – college graduation, career moves and separate relocation to different cities, far from home.

For their June 14, 2014, wedding, they came home to Arkansas, packed up the decorations and a huge party of family and guests and moved to a mountaintop, pulling off a memorable Mount Magazine wedding.

Plane tickets, U-Haul receipts and change of address cards will fill their scrapbook when they look back on how they became married.

Morgan is from Fort Smith and Charles is from Van Buren. They met in 2012 when they both worked as servers at a restaurant here.

Morgan had just graduated from Northwestern State University of Louisiana with a theater degree and was, of course, saving to move to New York. Even as their attraction deepened, she was determined to move to the Big Apple for her shot at acting, and told him so.

“I said, ‘I really, really like you, but that’s happening,’” Morgan recalled.

“We didn’t break up. In January, I moved to New York but before that, he had moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he had an opportunity. We went our separate ways into a long-distance relationship. Everyone told us a long-distance relationship was hard, but with the right person it was OK. We both knew we were doing what we were supposed to be doing.”

Almost immediately upon reaching New York, she went to Ohio to visit him. Charles took her to dinner at a local musical dinner theater and at intermission, he proposed. She said yes.

“So, I went back to New York and stayed five more months and then decided to move to Columbus. The day I moved there, I had three auditions lined up and when I went to the first one, they hired me on the spot – at Shadowbox Live, the same place he had proposed.”

Within a year, Charles earned a promotion that required him to move to Denver. He moved first. Morgan worked through her one-year contract and came home in April to live with her parents, Paul and Julie, and prepare for the wedding. Her mom had already begun.

“The awesome thing about my mom is that she knows me so well. She knew what I needed and what I would probably want, but she never decided anything for me,” Morgan said. “We would just plan from afar and when I got here, we hauled butt and did it.”

There’s another awesome thing about her mom – Morgan is a triplet.

Her sister, Laura, and brother Paul were in her wedding party.

Morgan and her mom put together rentals, purchases, heirlooms and crafts to create the outdoor wedding and indoor reception decor. Between her mom’s organizational groundwork and Morgan’s sense of theatricality, they put together a beautiful event that emphasized love. Dear family friends Kristi Williamson and her daughters, Kallie and Kourtney, were essential helpers. Kallie did the flowers. The groom’s mom, Cathy, provided her collection of brooches to decorate Morgan’s hair and to be pinned to centerpiece bouquets. Her mother’s crew of close girlfriends created the wedding cake and gave logistic help and general moral support.

Photos were used in inventive ways. Polaroid cameras were passed among the guests and the instant prints they snapped were displayed.

Morgan created a book of engagement and childhood images to employ as the guest book. Because the wedding was on Father’s Day, their dads were the focus of a slide show tribute screened at the reception.

“It was so fun to go through those pictures with my mom and then to Cathy’s house (her mother-in-law) and learn all those stories. I think the dads loved it,” Morgan said.

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Many of the guests and all of the wedding party stayed overnight at the beautiful Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park, a place that holds memories for the Mosley siblings from childhood camping trips. She enjoyed getting dressed with her bridesmaids and having only a few steps to take to arrive at the beautiful stone terrace where the wedding would be held.

C.B. and his attendants looked sharp in tuxedos, with succulent plants for boutonnieres.

Her family’s pastor, Kevin Thompson of Community Bible Church, officiated the service and gave them a meaningful lesson within it.

“He had us pause and look out over the view,” she said, “and said, ‘Don’t forget this moment.

Come back to this.’”

That moment of silent reflection, pictured on the opposite page, was captured by their wedding photographer. Morgan said they will always know what it means to them.

Then the groom kissed the bride and they exited exuberantly, as if walking on air.

After the service, guests went indoors to be seated for a reception dinner. A tip for future weddings: place cards may seem fussy but they thoughtfully assure comfortable seating for grandparents and other honored guests, Morgan noted. A multi-generational celebration followed dinner and everyone from grandparents to toddlers enjoyed themselves.

“Everyone was dancing,” she said. “It was the best time! Because we were all staying there, the staff let us stay longer,” Morgan recalled. It was 1 a.m. before everyone retired.

The couple has lived a whole year together in Denver, where C.B. has advanced again with the same company and Morgan is working, with expert experience, at a premier wedding venue.

Morgan Mosely and Charles Stotts

Clockwise: Morgan’s simple chignon was adorned with her mother-in-law’s pearl brooch. Snapshots from vintage Polaroid cameras were hung on rustic twine with wooden clothespins. Much, much dancing and revelry ensued at the reception, which is just as the couple intended. The couple posed as if departing on two mopeds that belong to her grandparents, cherished from her childhood.

PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MASHON PHOTOGRAPHY

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Weddings

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Weddings

One more thing

We salute Paul and Julie Mosley, parents of the bride, Morgan Stotts.

But also, parents of triplets! Morgan is flanked by sibs Paul and Laura.

Jim Phelan with Tytus.They are the dad and dog of Hunter Phelan.

Epic Fort Smith pic: Jaffet, Brooke, I.C. and a rather epic kiss!

Epic Americana: Forget a custom stretch limo – the stock 1976 Cadillac Eldorado goes on forever. Sara and Josh loved including her late grandmother Janelle Hembree’s classic 1976 convertible in the wedding.

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Weddings

Wedding Professionals

A guide to local resources for weddings, parties, meetings and other special events.

Bonneville House This magnificent 19th century mansion in the Belle Grove Historic District provides an elegant setting for weddings, receptions, meetings, dinners and other catered events.

Services can be arranged for wait staff, use of beautiful serving pieces and commercial kitchen facilities. Parties are free to select their own licensed catering services. Weddings can be staged in the gated garden, under the garden gazebo or indoors in Bonneville House’s exquisite formal parlors. Private rooms upstairs give the wedding party a place to dress. Bonneville House is the perfect location for intimate events or parties up to 150 guests.

Clayton House Historic elegance is the background for a wedding, party or bridal photography at the Clayton House, circa 1882. Weddings have delighted citizens here for more than 100 years. With expansive grounds and three spacious porches, the authentically restored home of the prosecutor of Judge Parker’s court features a rich interior of opulent woodwork and furnishings. A formal parlor seats 50 for weddings. Two adjacent parlors, a spacious dining room that serves as an elegant buffet, a caterer’s kitchen and a servant quarters seating up to 55 at tables provide many options. Indoor-outdoor parties can serve 150 guests. A large Victorian gazebo is a favorite spot for outdoor ceremonies. claytonhouse.org July 2015

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Weddings Wedding Professionals

Danielle’s Bridal Since 1996, Danielle's number one goal has never changed: customer satisfaction. The staff is trained to take care of all the apparel needs of the bride and the bridal party.

Danielle's has the largest selection of bridal gowns in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, along with hundreds of prom and special occasion gowns stocked daily. With the option to order thousands of dresses from the world’s top bridal designers, Danielle's expert, experienced staff can help the bride make the happiest decision about the wedding dress she will wear on the day her dreams come true. daniellesbridalshop.com Fort Smith Convention Center The professional event planners of the Fort Smith Convention Center can help plan and present weddings and receptions from small, intimate occasions to events for hundreds of guests. The versatile Fort Smith Convention Center is located in the heart of downtown Fort Smith adjacent to two major hotels. The professional staff is experienced in designing room layout, catering arrangements and meeting the technical needs of musical entertainers and video presentations. The facilities include indoor and outdoor ceremonies. Spaces can be transformed into any style the wedding party desires. Abundant parking is available. fortsmithconventioncenter.org Hampton Inn Wedding parties are welcome at Hampton Inn of Fort Smith. The hotel can arrange group reservations to place guests in a block of rooms. Guests can enjoy a complimentary hot deluxe buffet breakfast daily. Space is available for an intimate wedding or reception or as a bridal party dressing room. Private sitting rooms allow guests to gather for socializing or they can enjoy an indoor saltfiltered pool, outdoor hot tub or sport court for tennis or basketball. Room service is available from TGI Fridays from 5-10 p.m.

Choose from double to king rooms, suites with whirlpool or two-room suites. Hampton Inn will provide a shuttle to the wedding. Sales manager Jill Barrie arranges wedding party reservations. 479-616-1100 22

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Weddings Wedding Professionals

Inscriptions Inscriptions is a local business that carries a great selection of custom-designed wedding stationery. Along with wedding invitations Inscriptions also creates or offers at retail many styles of announcements, save the date cards, rehearsal dinner invitations and thank you notes. Inscriptions carries paper brands such as Carlson Craft, Tatex, Checkerboard, Embossed Graphics and Kate Spade. Other gift lines brides will enjoy are Jon Hart, Vera Bradley, Coton Colors and Capri Blue just to name a few. Many items can be personalized and there is always a great selection for hostess and bridesmaids gifts. Gift registries are available and gift wrapping is always free.

Facebook/Inscriptions Kay Rodgers Park Expo Center The Expo Center at Kay Rodgers Park offers modifiable space that can be divided into different-sized halls, tailored for events from small to extra large. Tables and chairs are available. The custom-configurable stage can be assembled to the specifications of any band or entertainment. The Expo Center also has an professional on-site sound system. The venue offers ample, accessible restrooms, a large commercial kitchen and ice makers for approved caterers, and abundant, lighted parking. The Expo Center is an outstanding venue capable presenting almost any size or style of event. The professional staff is friendly and dedicated to facilitating the best events. kayrodgerspark.org

Oaks Manor Conference and Retreat Center Just a 15-minute drive from Fort Smith, Oaks Manor Conference and Retreat Center, near Van Buren, Ark., is available for rental for weddings and receptions or retreats and meetings at its 37-acre spread of gently rolling hills. The scenic, landscaped countryside grounds offer a choice of settings for outdoor weddings, from rustic and simple atmosphere to formal elegance. The large manor house’s Great Room or an enclosed glass pavilion are perfect for indoor ceremonies. This wellappointed private retreat has a catering kitchen, 13 guests rooms for overnight stays, and abundant parking. Oaks Manor presents a tranquil, embracing welcome in all seasons. oaksmanor.com

RSVP Event Rentals RSVP Event Rentals was established in 2013 as a full-service party and rental event supply store. With more than 30 combined years of experience and an extensive inventory, RSVP can serve all rental needs. Professional event rental coordinators can help plan any event, providing a layout on paper to help visualize the organization. Free quotes given by request. The inventory includes everything from seating, tables, linens, chair covers and embellishments, dinnerware and serving ware to columns, arches, aisle and carpet runners, floral arrangements, chandeliers, dance floors and novelty concession stations. rsvpeventsrentals.com

More information about the Wedding Professionals can be found in the display ads on these pages.

Newton’s Jewelers Founded in 1914, Newton’s Jewelers has been a respected source for fine jewelry and exquisite gifts for more than 100 years.

Through four generations, the Newton family has maintained a tradition of quality and dependability. From its location in downtown Fort Smith, Newton’s Jewelers will continue that tradition of excellence under the leadership of Kelly Newton. Newton’s Certified Gemologists help to guide young couples in choosing their lifetime gifts to one another of engagement and wedding rings, with integrity and care. The qualified staff assists customers with the best of care at every budget level. Newton’s also offers fine wedding gifts and a full registry service. newtons-jewelers.com July 2015

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PROFILE

Their long marriage (almost) started with a shotgun wedding

Herschel and Mardell McClurkin

By Taylor Prewitt

Little did the attractive young couple suspect as they were being driven to a small supper with friends that they would be greeted at the top of the front steps by a tall, stern man with a shotgun.

“You’ve heard of shotgun weddings,” he told them. “Well, this thing has been going on long enough, and it’s time you two young people did something about it.”

At his side stood their host for the evening, a Methodist preacher in clerical gown, prepared for any contingency. The preacher’s wife was playing the Wedding March. The shotgun was in the hands of Jim Cheyne, a Fort Smith architect. The preacher was his brother, Bill Cheyne, at the front door of his parsonage in Booneville.

The astonished guests were Herschel McClurkin and his girlfriend Mardell Christello of Fort Smith, who for years to come would be an example of how a couple can share a ministry.

The wedding didn’t take place that night, but it did take place. At their 45th wedding anniversary, Mardell would say, “If he had asked me sooner, this could have been our 50th.”

Their ministry knows no bounds. In his first pastoral appointment, to the Gentry-Springtown-Highfill circuit, Herschel frequently visited the Gentry café, where a friend introduced him around. These visits led to more than casual friendships. From time to time, one of the men would appear at his front door. “Herschel, my grandmomma died. She ain’t got no preacher.” Herschel preached 57 funerals in his two years in Gentry.

The McClurkins estimate they attend, or Herschel participates in, two to three funerals a week. Deaths are not scheduled on a regular basis, as every undertaker knows. On a recent Saturday, they attended a funeral in Alma, a funeral in Fort Smith and a wedding. “Why do you have to go to so many funerals, Momma?” their children asked.

“Because they’re our friends.”

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On the previous weekend, Mardell accompanied Herschel to the 125th anniversary celebration of his University of Arkansas fraternity, Kappa Sigma. They had to miss the opening night because of a colleague’s funeral in Little Rock.

Not many Kappa Sigs are preachers; Herschel grew up in Mulberry, where his grandfather had a general store and a farm, and he was not planning to be a preacher when he was getting his degree in agriculture with a master’s in animal husbandry.

He spent two years in the Air Force. And, he then accepted the Rev. Fred Roebuck’s invitation to become the first youth director at First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith. The youth program flourished. Herschel began to consider going to seminary. And Mardell Christello moved to Fort Smith with her parents.

Her father, Tony, grew up playing hockey in Minnesota, and when the newly organized Tulsa Oilers began recruiting, he was the only American among a team of Canadians who moved to Tulsa. Tony Christello sold life insurance besides playing hockey. He also gave lessons at the ice skating rink, where he met and soon married a young woman named Margaret Adele. (One of the younger members of her family contracted “Margaret Adele” to “Mardell,” and it stuck.)

His employer gave the successful young salesman his choice of where to start a new company, and he chose Fort Smith, where he later formed a new insurance company with Vincent Narisi. Fort Smith would become home to their daughter, whom they had named Mardell.

Christello and Narisi bought the Goldman Hotel in 1959, in time for young Mardell to move into one of its mezzanine floor apartments when she graduated from the UofA in 1960. She rented space across Garrison for her car, walked to church, and took her meals in the Goldman dining room. She started work as registrar at Fort Smith Junior College and taught a few classes.

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She had worked as a secretary at Wesley Foundation, the Methodist student group in Fayetteville, and its director, the Rev. A.W. Martin, called his friend Herschel and told him, “Herschel, I’m sending a very pretty young girl down to Fort Smith, and if you’re as smart as I think you are, you’ll know what to do.”

Thus the seed was planted, and it germinated, albeit slowly. Herschel served here as youth director for nine years, and he decided he had better get a seminary degree. After two years at seminary in Dallas, he and Mardell were married. She became one of the wives who scattered from the married students’ dormitory to their respective jobs (she was a teacher) each morning while their husbands left for class.

The itinerant Methodist ministry took the McClurkins from Gentry to Wesley Methodist Church in Russellville, to Walnut Ridge, Newport, Wynne, to Conway to serve as Superintendent of the Conway District, and finally to Greenwood, where he was obliged by church conference rules to retire at age 70.

Not yet ready to hang up his spikes, he then served 10 years as pastor at Kibler until the church could afford to have a full-time minister.

Like all his churches, this one flourished on his watch. The church built a family life center in honor of the McClurkins, generously paid for by the Ted Skokos family, named the Skokos Family Life Center.

While preaching at Kibler, he also served as a senior visiting minister at First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith. Mardell was baptized and married there, and she says she expects to complete her trifecta by being “hatched, matched, and dispatched” in the same church.

The McClurkins lead a senior adults’ program known as the Pacesetters at First Methodist, and after 16 years it continues to meet two Fridays a month for fellowship, refreshments, a program and lunch.

Herschel comes from Irish stock, but Mardell’s father was Italian and her mother Scotch-Irish.

“What did I know about St. Patrick’s Day?” she laughed. Even so, the McClurkins are now associated with the holiday by long tradition.

Their annual March 17 celebration began during their pastorate in Russellville, where it took the place of the more onerous duty of hosting a Christmas reception at “Mardell, honey, I don’t their parsonage. “And it just evolved from think green is your best year to year,” Mardell says. Dressed in green color,” ventured one of the for their ongoing observance, they serve women attending the St. bean soup and soda bread at the family life Patrick’s Day Celebration. center of the Kibler church. Many friends, including some from their previous pastorates, drop in to see them and performances of traditional Irish country dances by costumed performers.

While serving in Kibler, the McClurkins began remodeling and adding on to her parents’ house on a hill east of Alma, which had stood vacant for a little over 10 years. Their home is a museum of souvenirs – a spool cabinet from his father’s store in Stephens, pictures of her family’s threestory house on North 14th Street in Fort Smith, a glass case of Goldman Hotel mementos – a room key, hotel stationery, a book of matches. Two of the doors in the house are from the Goldman.

Do the McClurkins ever spend a whole day at home? Both slowly shake their heads. It’s clear that they spend their lives on the go.

Fewer preachers join civic clubs nowadays, but Herschel is, by definition, old school; and at the most recent Rotary meeting, he accompanied his Rotary pen pal, a fifth-grader with whom he exchanges letters weekly.

Visiting grandchildren love the play store on the McClurkins’ farm.

On the swing: Siah and Hayes McClurkin, in front; Emma McClurkin, and Ella Scheer behind. From left, Trey and Tammie McClurkin, Blake and Alice Scheer; Graham Scheer, Mardell and Herschel.

Besides doing good, the McClurkins save time for just having fun. They have been attending Razorback games since their courtship days.

“Often it was just me and Herschel and Tom Gray and John Holland,” Mardell recalls. “I was the queen – but I didn’t get to see that much of Herschel.”

Several younger preachers have found success with some of the trade secrets that Herschel has shared: When you need to raise money for something in the church, invite everyone to come to a spaghetti supper, and then tell them why you need to raise the funds. Giving young mothers a chance to share their baby clothes is a good way to bring the women together. Invite young couples over and grill hamburgers in the back yard.

And, of course, stop by the local café and just visit.

There’s one catch to most of these tricks, though, and it’s one that Herschel may not mention, even though it’s pretty obvious: Marry well – even if it takes a shotgun.

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WHAT’S COOKING with KRISTAN ROLAND COTTON CANDY SUGAR COOKIES Cookies 2/3 cup salted butter, slightly softened 2/3 cup vegetable shortening 11⁄2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. cotton candy flavoring oil 31⁄2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder Frosting Cotton Candy Simple Syrup (recipe below) 1/2 tsp. cotton candy flavoring oil 3 sticks salted butter, softened 5 cups powdered sugar 2-3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream Cotton Candy Simple Syrup 1/2 cup pink vanilla cotton candy sugar 1/2 cup water

TWINKIE BANANA PUDDING 5.1 oz box banana cream instant pudding 2 cups whole milk 21⁄2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 box (12) Twinkies, unwrapped and sliced 2 large bananas, sliced In a large bowl, whisk instant pudding and milk until thick.

Place in the refrigerator while you prepare whipped cream.

In a chilled metal mixing bowl and a chilled mixer whisk attachment, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Increase speed to high, beating until stiff whipped cream forms. Fold half of whipped cream into pudding with a rubber spatula, until smooth and combined.

Line bottom of 9x13 pan, trifle dish or small glasses or jars with sliced Twinkies. Top with sliced bananas and a layer of pudding. Repeat layers, topping with remaining whipped cream.

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Cookies: In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder and set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream butter, shortening and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the vanilla and cotton candy flavoring.

Slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until a dough forms. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten the dough balls slightly with your palm, then bake for about 10 minutes until edges turn slightly golden.

Let cookies cool on pan for about 3 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Cotton Candy Simple Syrup: In a small, heavy saucepan whisk together cotton candy sugar and water over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour in a small cup or bowl and place in the refrigerator until cooled.

Frosting: In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter, simple syrup and cotton candy flavoring on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add powdered sugar until just combined. Add heavy cream, then slowly increase mixer speed to high and beat for one minute until light and fluffy.

Generously frost cooled cookies, then top with sprinkles if desired.

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KEY LIME PIE FROSTING SHOTS 4 tbsp. salted butter, slightly softened 4 oz, cream cheese, slightly softened 1/8 cup key lime juice 21⁄3 cups powdered sugar 2 graham cracker sheets, crushed into crumbs In the bowl of your mixer, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat on medium low until smooth. Add key lime juice and beat on medium low until smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add powdered sugar, beating until just barely mixed in. Increase speed to high and beat for one minute, until frosting is light and fluffy.

Spoon or pipe (using a jumbo piping tip) frosting into small plastic cups and top with graham cracker crumbs.

About Kristan Kristan Roland, a workat-home housewife living in Fort Smith, has been blogging at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen since 2010. She balances diaper changes, fourth-grade math homework and running a home, all while working with brands such as Pillsbury, Disney and eBay. Her recipes have been featured in Parents Magazine and Women's World Weekly. Kristan's fun, simple, everyday approach to baking isn't the only thing that draws her readers in -- it's also her honest and hilarious musings on being a wife and mother in a world where everyone else seems to have it together. confessionsofacookbookqueen.com July 2015

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NO BAKE BANANA SPLIT CHEESECAKE Crust 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 stick butter, melted 2 tbsp. sugar Cheesecake 2 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 1 tsp vanilla 2 (15.25 oz.) cans crushed pineapple in juice, drained 3 large bananas, sliced 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup powdered sugar Toppings Sprinkles, chopped walnuts and maraschino cherries In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, a deep dish pie pan or spoon into 12 small jars. (I use small canning jars sold at Walmart.)

In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese with the whisk attachment on medium high speed until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and beat on medium for another minute or so, until smooth and combined.

Spread cheesecake in pan or spoon evenly into jars. Top with pineapple and banana slices.

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Place a metal mixing bowl and the whisk attachment to your mixer in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from freezer and add 2 cups of cold heavy cream and a 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Beat on high speed until cream is thick and the whisk is leaving lines in the whipped cream -- keep an eye on it though or it will turn to butter.

Spoon whipped cream over sliced bananas, top with cherries, sprinkles and walnuts. Keep uneaten portion refrigerated.

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Queen Wilhelmina Lodge crowns the Ouachitas anew ince the 1890s, the peak of Rich Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas has drawn travelers to is 2,681-foot elevation to see the spectacular views it commands.

Upon discovering its beauty, a railroad company constructed a luxurious resort near the peak to serve as an attraction to their Kansas City to Port Arthur, Texas, railroad passengers. The native stone and timber, three-story hotel had 35 guest rooms and a 300-seat dining room and ballroom. As the railroad had Dutch investors, it was named in honor of the young Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. It was touted as a “Castle in the Sky.” Less than three years later, the railroad abandoned the remote yet opulent inn it had spent $100,000 to construct. Other operators kept it open sporadically until about 1910. For the most park, only locals knew of the lonely castle steadily deteriorating on the mountain. One old photo reveals sheep grazing in what was once its grand ballroom.

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No matter its condition, the lodge at Queen Wilhelmina always drew visitors. An unknown group is shown posing at the ruins in an undated picture from Arkansas State Parks archives.

The state opened a second inn in 1963 with some of the original rockwork from the ruins. It was a pleasant and popular attraction until its destruction by fire in 1973. The Arkansas State Parks quickly built a new lodge that opened in 1975 on the same site.

On July 1, the queen of the mountain will open again after a $9.6 million expansion and renovation. The lodge is now expanded from 25,881 square feet to 37,029 square feet to include the addition of a new hearth room with wood-burning fireplace, two additional guest rooms increasing the total to 40, and more space within all the rooms.

“The improvements to this lodge that opened by the state of Arkansas in 1975 should receive rave reviews when it reopens,” said state parks director. Greg Butts. The lodge will feature all new, larger windows that frame the views from Rich Mountain of the surrounding Ouachitas.

“Enjoying the panoramic scenery from the mountain is an important part of the Queen Wilhelmina State Park experience. Our visitors are going to enjoy the more wide open views from all the lodge’s public rooms, including the restaurant and all the guest rooms,” Butts said.

The exterior of the lodge features shingles and stonework. Two guest rooms on each floor at the west end include gas fireplaces and spa tubs. Three rooms are barrier-free to meet the needs of visitors with disabilities. They include queen, king, king with spa tub and gas fireplace, and king suite choices.

An upstairs meeting facility increased in size and includes a balcony overlooking the south view from the mountain. The project was funded by Amendment 75, Arkansas’ Conservation Fund, grant monies from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council and State Parks funds. It belongs to all the people of Arkansas and is one of four outstanding park system lodges: historic Mather Lodge at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton, DeGray Lake Resort State Park Lodge near Arkadelphia and The Lodge at Mount Magazine in Mount Magazine State Park near Paris.

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TRAVEL

GETTING THERE The park is less than a two-hour drive from Fort Smith and approximately 90 miles away.

Queen Wilhelmina State Park is 13 miles west of Mena, Ark., on Arkansas 88, the Talimena National Scenic Byway.

The designated byway is 54 miles of nationally recognized scenic drive, spread out between Mena and Talihina, Okla. It climbs, curves and dips across both Rich and Winding Stair mountains.

It is especially enjoyable by motorcycle.

Reservations for the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge can be made online at queenwilhelmina.com or by phone at 1-800-264-2477.

It is also a beautiful, natural state park.

For campsite reservations, call 479-394-2863.

The renovated Queen Wilhelmina Lodge retains its shingle and stone construction and octagonal architectural elements in homage to its past. The park has for many years featured a miniature train that recalls the original railroad barons who established the lodge. Although this ride, amusingly, is filled with grown-ups previewing the new lodge, the train is a favorite of children who visit the park.

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health & beauty goodies

CND shellac power polish, glitter gel by Harmony, Recollections extra fine glitter in bubble gum and OPI glitter top coat for Rockstar nails at Sensations Salon and Day Spa.

Hand-crafted coral button Jewelry by Ziggi found at Greenwood Flower and Gift Shop.

Stress-relieving Dammit Dolls, one especially for breast cancer fighters and survivors, available at Seasons Garden, Home & Gifts.

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health & beauty goodies

Infanteenie Beenies for newborns from Polka-Dotted Zebra.

Coast Guard-approved Puddle Jumper life jackets for beginning swimmers available at Luther Stem Pools and Spas.

Floral summer dress paired with crop top and a kiwi pearl and gold necklace found at Unique Boutique.

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health & beauty goodies

Aveda products for curly hair and thickening tonic found at Metropolis Hair Studio.

Hi-low tank with shear back and pocket paired with YMI distressed denim shorts and Ginger Snaps flip flops with interchangeable snaps from Red Leopard.

Tom Ford sunglasses available exclusively from Dr. Steven Stiles Optometry.

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health & beauty goodies

CND Rescue RX daily keratin treatment found at Vanity Calls.

Tuxedo jacket and pleated shirt paired with plum pinstriped vest and matching handkerchief from The Gamut Men’s Apparel.

Forevermark diamond orbit fashion ring available at Newton's Jewelers.

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health & beauty goodies

Patriotic tunic with fringed lace kimono and red and gold necklace found at Zoe Bug’s Boutique.

We have special bleaching promotions available.

Contact our office for more information!

For your special day, let Dr. Udouj help you acheive that picture perfect smile you’ve always wanted.

Dr. John Udouj is a graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI), specializing in the latest cosmetic techniques.

www.perfectingyoursmile.com

479-648-9988 Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

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Graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.

Children's sunglasses from Ray-Ban and Lacoste from Ennen Eye Center.

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HEALTHY LIVING

A wholesome tradition continues at Olde Fashioned Foods stores

F

or more than 56 years, customers of Olde Fashioned Foods have been served by members of the Bruce family. At two locations in Fort Smith, Old Fashioned Foods offers consumers an alternative to modern day processed foods.

The store also has a very large selection of vitamins, herbs, spices, homeopathic remedies, organic frozen foods, fresh organic produce, gluten-free products and many more natural products.

Owner Mary Bruce Adams bought the business 25 years ago from her parents, Bill and Louise Bruce. She has worked in the store her whole life so she knows her products and can be very helpful in consulting with her customers.

“Every day, people come in saying they’ve been coming here since high school or all their lives and are so glad we are still around,” said Mary. “We offer individualized service to each customer to accommodate their needs.”

Her sons Bruce, Seth and Isaac and niece, Arden, staff the Olde Fashioned Foods market, located on the corner of Phoenix and Rogers avenues. They’ve all grown up learning about healthy living so they, too, can pass on their knowledge to customers.

Organic tea from the African rooibos bush are among many delicious beverages available.

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Mary Bruce Adams of Olde Fashioned Foods.

The store on North 18th and B streets is in a gracious clapboard house on the corner with flowers and herbs growing outside.

“We offer a more down home, countrylooking atmosphere compared to the market on Phoenix, which is bigger and has a wider selection of health food options,” Mary said.

At first glance, shoppers will notice soaps and essential oils, as well as informative health books, magazines and pamphlets. The atmosphere is “old fashioned” and easy to browse, while quite packed with natural products.

Racks that fill the store are full of products such as probiotics, total body cleanses, multivitamins and dietary supplements.

Foods, including raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, honey, organic soups, coconut oil, chili, hummus, almond butter, blue corn and rice chips, are available. Many herbal teas, including green tea, echinacea and chamomile, are plentiful, as is the selection of drinks such as almond, coconut and rice dream.

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HEALTHY LIVING At the Olde Fashioned Food Market on Phoenix Avenue, fresh produce is on display.

Beautiful organic fruits and vegetables, a variety of whole grain breads, jars of organic food spreads such as Vegenaise (a hearthealthier mayonnaise), salsas and frozen entrees, are among the large selection of health-conscious grocery items.

The marketplace also offers chia seeds, hemp seeds and other items that customers can blend into their smoothies or add to other foods to increase fiber intake.

Mary said some of the most popular sellers right now are Terry Naturally curamin pain and inflammation supplement, Garden of Life mykind Organics multi-vitamins and protein shakes and Nature’s Plus Ageloss energy supplements. Aromatherapy essential oils that can be put into sprays, hand lotions, bath water, detergents are also well-liked, she said.

In the last several years, Mary has noticed people have become more conscious of the foods they have been feeding themselves and their families.

“Consumers have started to lean more toward local, organic, non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods and products because they are researching and educating themselves,” she said. “Diets like the Paleo diet, gluten free and vegan are viable options for people with more interest in exploring healthier lifestyles. We stand as a clearinghouse or source of information to help people empower themselves to be more responsible for their health.”

A selection of healthy snacks.

Olde Fashioned Foods Store 123 North 18th Street, Fort Smith 479-782-6183 Olde Fashioned Foods Market 8434 Phoenix Avenue #E 479-649-8200 July 2015

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home & garden goodies Ammodors tactical cigar humidors made from military surplus metal ammunition cans and Ashton and Diamond Crown cigars from Winston’s Pipe and Cigar.

Organic apple cider vinegar, raw cashew butter, extra virgin coconut oil along with all-natural coconut water found at Olde Fashioned Foods.

Liberty stepping stone available at Prestigious Pool Care Inc.

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home & garden goodies Decorative metal towel rack found at Furniture Emporium.

Canvas basket with Catalina Collection melamine tableware by Le Cadeaux available at Now and Then Shoppe.

Tasseled accent pillow, Roseville vase and a brass ewer available at This ‘N’ That Shop.

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home & garden goodies

Coors Light Citrus Radler and insulated wine pack stocked with acrylic wine glasses, plates and silverware.

Available at In Good Spirits.

Antique lamp with flower petal accents found at Abilities Unlimited.

Classic glazed birdbaths and gazing balls from the garden shop at Neumeier Nursery & Florist.

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home & garden goodies

Nine-foot patio crank patio umbrella available at Sutherlands.

Greenleaf Dream Blossom and Citrus Samba rooms sprays and Signature candle from Coleman Pharmacy.

Scripture chalk sign by Primitives by Kathy and hand-painted Arkansas and Oklahoma metal artwork available at The Goods.

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home & garden goodies

Hand-painted, wooden American flag wall art and patriotic decor from Designer Again.

Sequence of birds from egg to empty nest by photographer Kevin Mehle available at Creative Furnishings by Jean.

Wild Horse Mountain and McClard’s barbecue sauces found at Paul’s Meat Market.

Tag Home Decor apple green Sonoma dinnerware with Coton Colors stand from Inscriptions.

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GARDENING

Garden writing gets you to the greatest places

By Reba Mize

Yes, garden writing is related to good food such as lunch buffets and delicious pie at Grandma’s. At least it is when Reba Mize does it.

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received a telephone call from a friend saying she had saved every issue of Entertainment Fort Smith since it started back 15 years ago.

“Do you know anyone who would like these? I don’t have room anymore to keep them.” Of course, I have my own pile of them, too.

What fun adventures I’ve had these few years writing for the magazine. Story writing has given me a great excuse for country rambles down dirt roads and interesting conversations with all manner of extraordinary people. I feel as if those of you who read this are coming along for the journey.

Some of my favorite story ideas come from friends, such as the phone call I received last year from my friend Pattie Hooten White.

“Reba, you’ve got to come over a see this plant that’s blooming in my yard!”

When I arrived at Pattie’s house, I could smell the plant before I saw it – and not in a good way. Thus began my research on stinky plants. This was a great excuse to speak with the staff at several arboretums, which is how I found out Pattie’s smelly plant was a voodoo lily. My search also led me to the fascinating plant “Big Stinky,” as it affectionately known at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in California. This malodorous monster plant causes quite a stir when it “blooms,” bringing literally thousands of visitors to experience the rare sight and odor.

Speaking of rare sights and country roads – one of my favorite stories included hugging Lucy the 700-pound pig at Cedar Creek Farm, whose owners I first met at the Fort Smith Farmers Market.

The Prater families, who are the caretakers of this farm, have flattered me and Vernon with our own namesake pigs. It is an honor.

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GARDENING Speaking of Vernon, my partner in these adventures is a good sport and participates in many of the activities. Vernon recently received a private lesson in water witching, dowsing or doodle-bugging from world renowned Gladys McCoy of the Ozark Research Center.

We have eaten red and green chiles in New Mexico, at least eight different pies at Grandma’s House Restaurant and a good old-fashioned hamburger at the Dairy Dip in Mulberry, Ark. I try to include food in all of my research – it is an important part of the process.

I have figured out how to make filé from sassafras leaves and how to make our own mosquito repellant and that blueberries are good for your memory and are a natural antidepressant.

In a fascinating interview with Professor Dorothy Matthews of Sage University, I confirmed what I knew all along: Getting dirty is good for you. The mycobacterium M. vaccae found in soil improves vitality and cognitive ability.

We solved the mystery of the Van Buren courthouse chestnut trees with a visit from self-professed tree nerd Carol Guffy, a forester with the UofA Forestry Service. The trees are Asian Chestnuts, by the way, not the endangered Chinquapin.

Ozark Chinquapin Foundation member Hershel McClurkin shared his childhood memories of the delicious Chinquapin nuts.

Some called them the Ozarks’ first free lunch program, as children would carry them to school and eat them for lunch.

Oh, and remember the bluebird lady Susan Cox who took me along on her quest to help in the recovery of the bluebird population?

Susan tends bluebird houses on the golf course at Hardscrabble Country Club and allowed me to tag along for the process, from setting the bluebird houses to watching the birds choose a home and lay their eggs. It was an incredible experience to see the fledglings leaving the nest and making their first flight.

As you can see, the column gives me a chance to look at the world differently. Many things go through my mind when I begin the process of putting together a story. One of the most important is how I can make it interesting and fun for you, the readers.

Gardening is broadening and widening and deepening. So fasten your seatbelts for a great ride and the hope of more fun storytelling trips and interesting people in the future.

And, of course, I brake for lunch.

Clockwise from the baby bluebirds: Vernon Atterbury and Reba with New Mexico red chile ristras; Chinquapin nuts, in a photo by the Ozark Chinquapin Society; Daffy veggies in Reba’s raised bed garden; Reba with Lucy the pig and Fort Smith’s own “Little Stinky” voodoo lily.

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MUSIC & PERFORMANCE July 11 Eli Cook Plays the Blues With his super slick slide guitar sound and a husky voice that is sexy and heartfelt, this Virginia bluesman shines brightest in concert. Cook has toured with B.B. King, shared the stage with Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, Parliament-Funkadelic, Gary Clark Jr., Taj Mahal, John Mayal and many others. He has been featured in Vintage Guitar, Guitar Player and Guitar Edge magazines. $16. 6 p.m. The Founder's Room of Alma, 7503 Robinswood Road, Alma, Ark. 479-221-5737 thefoundersroomofalma.com

Bob Dyer

MUSIC & performance

July 13 Opera in the Ozarks Chamber Music Concert Opera in the Ozarks presents its Chamber Music Concert as part of its 2015 summer season. This special concert spotlights Opera in the Ozarks’ orchestra, made up of 25 professional musicians from across the nation, performing under the music direction of Thomas Cockrell. Tickets may be purchased online or by phone. $10. 7:30 p.m. Eureka Springs Auditorium, 36 South Main Street, Eureka Springs, Ark. 479-253-8595 July 17 The AMP: Widespread Panic Panic Attack: the long-touring Southern rock/jazz fusion group has sold more than 3 million records but has even more devoted fans of their live performances. 7:30 p.m. Arkansas Music Pavilion, 5079 West Northgate Road, Rogers, Ark. 479-4435600 waltonartscenter.org Mark Albertson Kala Rath

Wanda Watson

GavelTown

Goodluck Slim

Chaffee Crossing’s Summer Block Party rides again The original date was rained out, but this concert and fundraiser was too cool to remain canceled. With powerful performers Wanda Watson & Mark Albertson and the bands GoodLuck Slim and Gavel Town, the outdoor, family-friendly summer concert will help to support construction of a new Veterans Memorial Plaza in the Chaffee Crossing Historic District. All the bands are veteran live performers. Albertson and Watson have commanded the Riverfront Blues Festival stage and have regional followings. Both have competed in the International Blues Challenge as the entrants selected by Fort Smith and Oklahoma blues societies.

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The Barbershop Museum and Chaffee Military Museum will be open. Take lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy great music outdoors on a summer evening with food and cold beverages. The Fort Smith BBQ Society will serve up delicious barbecue. Cold beer and soft drinks also will be available. All ages are welcome. 6-10 p.m. $10 adults; $5 for kids 12 and under. Chaffee Crossing Historic District, 7313 Terry Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-434-6774 chaffeecrossing.com 48

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July 23-Aug. 8 FSLT presents The Wizard of Oz Fort Smith Little Theater’s summer tradition continues with a beloved musical production. This year is The Wizard of Oz, from the classic book by L. Frank Baum with music by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, directed

by George Mann. Just as so many people who feel they don’t fit in dream of where they may belong, young Dorothy Gale of Kansas dreams what lies “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” When a hits the farm it carries her away to a magical land where she and her little dog Toto are befriended by the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion and the wizard himself as they travel the universe of Dorothy’s imagination. Even while marveling at her adventure, Dorothy ultimately learns “there’s no place like home.”

Gala performance July 23. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. July 24-25; 29-31; Aug. 1, 6-8.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Sunday matinee performances begin at 2 p.m. July 26 and Aug. 2.

Doors open at 1:15 p.m. Gala $30; regular performances $15. 7:30 p.m. Fort Smith Little Theatre, 401 North 6th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479783-2966 fslt.org

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MUSIC & PERFORMANCE

Everclear July 25 Summerland Tour with Everclear Alternative bands of the ’90s Everclear, Toadies, Fuel, & American Hi-FI have combined for the Summerland Tour. Tickets are on sale now. $25. 8 p.m. CenterStage Event Center, Choctaw Casino, 3400 Choctaw Road, Pocola, Okla. 800-745-3000 ticketmaster.com July 24 Fifth Harmony Reflection: The Summer Tour Natalie Larose, Debby Ryan and Bea Miller, the allfemale, award-winning pop powerhouse group, gets set to perform smash hits like “Worth It” and "BO$$” as part of their scorching hot summer tour. 7 p.m.

Arkansas Music Pavilion, 5079 West Northgate Road, Rogers, Ark. 479-443-5600 waltonartscenter.org July 25 Lost in the ’50s Fundraiser for Wounded Warriors Top tribute artists bring back the hits of the ’50s.

Performing as Buddy Holly and Ricky Nelson, Jerry Standridge. Presenting songs of the Platters, Crests and Penguins, Jim Woolley. Missy Beauchaine does Little Eva, the Chiffons and Bobby Day material.

Jennifer Ford pays tribute to Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee and Connie Francis. Young Gabrielle Gore brings to life the hits of Skeeter Davis and Pattie Page. Reserved tickets are $10. King Opera House, 427 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-649-8803

Eagles July 27 Eagles in Concert The Eagles summer 2015 “History of the Eagles” tour comes to Arkansas. The tour follows the band’s 2013 documentary of the same name, featuring classic Eagles’ songs spanning their entire career, including some that have never been performed live. A limited number of VIP packages are available for premium eats, a pre-show party and exclusive merchandise in addition to concert tickets. The Eagles have sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, earning five No. 1 U.S. singles and six Grammy Awards. Their “Greatest Hits 1971-1975” album exceeded sales of 29 million units. The band’s “Hotel California” and “Their Greatest Hits Volume 2” have sold more than 16 million and 11 million albums respectively. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Tickets range from $55-$175. 7 p.m.

Verizon Arena, 1 Verizon Arena Way, North Little Rock, Ark. verizonarena.com July 2015

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JULY 31- AUGUST 2

Peacemaker Music & Arts Fest is a new sound for summer Fort Smith, a city with a love for live music, has supported one concert tradition that turned 25 this summer – its enduring Riverfront Blues Festival. Now, a cadre of some of the founders and fans of that successful festival are creating a new, late-summer event named the Peacemaker Music & Arts Fest. It’s dedicated to no one style. It will be a kaleidoscopic selection of artists who may play roots, Americana, country punk, folk, soul/rock synthesis with genre-defying originality.

The bands are from Memphis, from Ohio, from Sweden by way of New Orleans, from Austin and from Arkansas, in the case of our own Cate Brothers; and from right here, such as Tyrannosaurus Chicken and Luke Pruitt. None of them perfectly fit in any part of the recording industry’s rigid commercial slots and none of them want to.

The Peacemaker’s unique roster had input from long-time festival-goer Jeff Gosey and long-time music promoter Bill Neumeier along with more music lovers and willing backers who intend to present the kind of festival they would enjoy attending, while donating some proceeds locally. Their vision was to bring a rich cultural experience to their hometown and showcase artistic diversity in music and the arts. Many artists will surround the park with vendor tents exhibiting a wide variety of original works. Food trucks have been invited to add new flavor and surprising cuisine. As of press time for this magazine, attractions were still being added.

The Peacemaker planners have made attendance affordable, as well, with options of one-day tickets from about $10-$15 to three-day passes at $25$30. Full ticket options are found online at peacemakermusicfest.com.

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July 31 – Gates open at 4 p.m.

5 p.m.

Tyrannosaurus Chicken 5:50 p.m.

The Paul Benjaman Band with Jesse Aycock 7 p.m.

The Cate Brothers Band 8:20 p.m.

Lucero 10 p.m.

Jason Isbell Aug. 1 – Gates open at 2 p.m.

3 p.m.

Luke Pruitt 3:50 p.m.

Isayah’s Allstars “Help On the Way” 5 p.m.

Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath 6:10 p.m.

Red Wanting Blue 7:20 p.m.

Anders Osborne 8:30 p.m.

Corey Smith 10 p.m.

Chris Robinson Brotherhood Aug. 2 – Gates open at 11 a.m.

Noon Shadygruve 1:10 p.m.

The Boxcars 2:30 p.m Sleepy Man Fort Smith Riverfront Park, North A and Riverfront Drive, Fort Smith. Lawn chairs encouraged. No coolers. Food and beverages vendors will be available on site. Daily info at Facebook/Peacemaker Music Festival.

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MUSIC & PERFORMANCE

Broadway comes to us in UAFS Season of Entertainment shows

Patti LuPone

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith’s 35th annual Season of Entertainment will feature concerts by a Grammy Award-winning musician and a Tony Award-winning actress, two classic musicals, and a lineup of theatrical and musical productions by UAFS students and faculty.

The yearlong lineup of entertainment includes concerts by LeAnn Rimes Nov. 12 and Patti LuPone Jan. 28, as well as the touring shows “Ragtime” and “Million Dollar Quartet.”

Rimes, a two-time Grammy Award winner, burst onto the country music scene in 1996 at the age of 13 with her album “Blue.” Since then, she has released nine more albums and sold more than 37 million records worldwide.

In her concert “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda,” Tony and Grammy Award-winner Patti LuPone will perform songs from musicals in which she starred, as well as numbers from musicals she could’ve, would’ve and should’ve starred in. LuPone should have few regrets. She has performed on Broadway in “Les Miserables,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Anything Goes.” She also has guest star roles on TV, including “Law & Order,” “Will & Grace,” “Ugly Betty,” “Glee” and “30 Rock.”

“Ragtime” brilliantly contrasts turn-of-the-century Americans who struggle to reap the promise of this country – a wife, a Jewish immigrant, a Harlem musician. “Million Dollar Quartet,” is, of course, about the epic Sun Records recording session with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkin.

The season also showcases two student productions, “All My Sons” and “The 39 Steps,” in addition to jazz, choral and symphonic band concerts.

Season tickets are $180 and will be available July 1 at the UAFS Box Office in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center. Individual show tickets go on sale Sept. 1. The season runs from Oct. 13 through April 26.

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KIDS calendar of events

July 1-15 Dallas Library Branch Story Times Celebrate Fourth of July and meet heroes from the Fort Smith Police and Fire Departments while learning about hometown heroes through stories, crafts and other fun.

Free. 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Dallas Branch Library, 8100 Dallas Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-484-5650

July 1-22 Every Hero Has A Story: Alma Summer Reading Program July 1: What if Red Riding Hood were rotten and the Three Little Pigs were horrid? Kids can get the other side of the story and enjoy classics such as “Jack and the Beanstalk” before crafting a beanstalk. July 8: Even our furry friends can be heroes. Cats save their kittens from a fire, pigeons send messages in a war and Balto the sled dog braved the snow to carry medicine to sick children in Nome, Alaska. Toddlers and children can see how much medicine they can deliver in a Balto Nome water race then craft their own hero statues. July 15: Firefighters and police officers to bankers and teachers all do important jobs. Learn about what they do and hear some of their favorite stories. Kids can make their own badge. July 22: Watch a fun-filled, super hero movie suitable for all ages.

Free. 10 a.m. Wednesdays. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 July 1-22 Every Hero Has A Story Cedarville Summer Reading Program July 1: A soldier will read to children and answer questions then kids will make dog tags and write letters to soldiers. July 8: Read about the villains’ side of the story and make a great craft. July 15: Learn about ancient Greek and Roman heroes and the original Olympics, followed by games and a craft. July 22: A firefighter will read to children and answer questions, then kids will play games and write letters of thanks to area firefighters. Free. 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853

Tommy Terrific returns for Wonderful Wednesdays.

Wonderful Wednesdays at the Fort Smith Public Library Wednesdays are extra-special at the library. A different program will be offered each week for school-age children. Free. 2 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

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July 1: Journeys of the Harp with Beth Stockdell Fayetteville harpist Beth Stockdell’s program showcases the solo acoustic lever harp in a collection of songs from traditional Celtic, groovy ’60s, fun contemporary and others. There also will be an opportunity to play a few of Beth’s smaller harps.

July 8: Tommy Terrific’s Wacky Magic Show Tommy Terrific and his Wacky Magic Show features a huge Magic Trunk with a huge Magician's Comic Book filled magic tricks representing super heroes. Kids will guide Tommy Terrific through a fun, interactive, magical adventure and will discover how books can inspire their imagination and make their favorite super heroes come to life.

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July 15: Ragupathy Kannan & Honeyguide Heroes Dr. Ragupathy Kannan, professor of biological sciences at UA-Fort Smith and a tropical ornithologist, will present a slide show on one of the world’s most fascinating birds, the African Honeyguide. Learn how the honeyguide guides humans in the bush to get its food and, in the process, helps humans get honey.

July 22: Hats off to Heroes Nancy Stewart in Concert Singer-songwriter Nancy Stewart, a professional musician has won national and local awards for her songwriting and children's recordings.

July 29: The Young Actors Guild presents “Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn” Take a trip with the cast of “The Magic Treehouse: The Knight at Dawn” as you are whisked away to Medieval times and learn about the Black Knight and his mysterious quest. Discover the power of hope and the meaning of gallantry.

July 1-22 Unmask! Teen Summer Program Teens will “unmask” real heroes from days past, heroes of today and the heroes they may find in themselves. Free.

10 a.m. Wednesdays. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 July 1-22 Mountainburg Summer Reading Program Summer reading continues with Pony Express, Greek Heroes and Community Heroes along with firefighters and a fire truck. There also will be a session on anti-bully heroes, stories, crafts and videos. Free. 10 a.m. Wednesdays. Mountainburg Public Library, 1300 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600

July 1-22 Super Heroes Story Time Explore many types of heroes with stories, crafts and songs. Free. 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesdays. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 July 1-31 Escape the Ordinary Summer Reading Program Join the summer reading program and receive a bingo card. Once you bingo, turn it in to be entered for a prize awarded each Friday. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

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July 1, 29 Super Summer Science For children, tweens and teens, summer science continues with such topics as invisibility and super strength. There will be videos, crafts and demonstrations. Free. 9 a.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 1300 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600

July 1-31 Summer Reading Programs: Teens: Escape the Ordinary Stop by any Fort Smith Public Library location to enjoy books, videos, computers, magazines, music, and special library programs of all kinds this summer.

Read books and enter into weekly prize drawings for the chance to win great gift cards.

Children: Every Hero Has a Story!

Designed to encourage reading for pleasure; it will help young people who are able to read independently retain valuable reading skills. Children too young to read will receive credit for the books read to them.

Book bags, super hero finger puppets, straws, cups, food coupons and the opportunity to get their name in a book will be given to each child for reaching goals.

Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue Dallas Branch Library 8100 Dallas Street Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street Windsor Branch Library 4701 Windsor Drive July 1-31 Escape the Ordinary: Gods and Goddesses Pick up your weekly mythology trivia for a chance to become the mythology god or goddess of the week.

Free. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-785-0405

July 1-31 Crawford County Library Summer Meals Program Summer meals will be served weekdays to everyone 18 and under at Crawford County Library System branches as part of the Western Arkansas Child Development Inc. and the Summer Food Service Program. Free. Alma – 11 a.m.-noon; Mountainburg – 11a.m.-noon; Mulberry – 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; and Van Buren – noon-1 p.m.

July 1-Aug. 31 UAFS Academy of the Arts Fall Registration Classes in the performing and visual arts are offered to students from preschool to adult, including music, dance, drama, preschool MusikGarten, art, musical theater companies, choral groups and the Youth Symphony Program for grades 4 through age 25. Call or go online to register. Echols Building at UAFS, 504 North Waldron Road at UAFS, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-788-7253 uafs.edu/academy July 2 Family Fun Night: Super Hero School Kids and their families are invited to check out a book before the Fourth of July weekend and make a craft.

Free. 6-7 p.m. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-785-0405

July 2-23 Family Days Special visitors and activities for the entire family. July 2: Traveling Deputies of Fort Smith – Kids will learn what it was like in historic Fort Smith and the challenges of being a deputy during that time period. July 9: Family Activities – Activities for families to enjoy.

KIDS EVENTS July 16: Super Science with Scientist Jeff – A favorite guest will present exciting science experiments that will make kids want to learn more. July 23: State Park Wildlife Interpreter – Learn about wildlife in our state.

Free. 1:30 p.m. Thursdays. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 July 2-23 Movie Day Watch a movie that goes along with the theme of the week. Some will be for kids and others will be for a little older audience. Free. 1:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853

July 2-30 Arts & Crafts Afternoons A variety of craft projects and materials will be provided to kids of all ages to show off your creative side.

Free. 2-3:30 p.m. Thursdays. Dallas Branch Library, 8100 Dallas Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-484-5650 July 2-30 Movie Day Children, tweens and teens can enjoy a different movie every Thursday. Free. 10 a.m. Mulberry Public Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

July 3-Aug. 14 Fishing in Wells Lake Try your luck fishing in Wells Lake. Poles and bait will be provided. Free 9-10 a.m. Fridays. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993

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KIDS EVENTS And don’t forget to browse our new teen books available for check out. Free. 2-4 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org

Jerry DeCaire’s Science of the Superhero Jerry DeCaire, artist for Marvel Comic’s Thor, Avenger’s Hawkeye, X-Men, Iron Man, Wolverine and many other popular super heroes, will show how math and science merge to create a super hero. During several presentations in the area, the artist’s hand is projected large onto a screen as he demonstrates how simple geometric shapes, common mathematics and the science of human anatomy help create a superhero. The artist’s speed of execution raises the visual arts to a performance art that has captivated audiences of all ages. But this isn’t just about entertainment; it’s about education. Parents who want their children to take their core subjects as seriously as they do art and the super hero culture they find themselves immersed in will find this presentation particularly valuable. Discover that education and entertainment can be one and the same. Free.

10 a.m. July 2: Mountainburg Public Library, 1300 U.S. 71, 479-369-1600 1 p.m. July 2: Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, 479-632-4140 4 p.m. July 2: First United Methodist Church, 317 Church Avenue, Mulberry 479-997-1226 2 p.m. July 7: Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, 479-410-1853.

10 a.m. July 6: Miller Branch Library, 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479-646-3945 2 p.m. July 6: Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith 479-785-0405 6 p.m. July 6: Dallas Branch Library, 8100 Dallas Street, Fort Smith 479-484-5650

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July 3-Aug. 14 Canoe and Kayak Program Staff members will assist boaters on Wells Lake. A parent or guardian must accompany children. Participants are required to wear life jackets, which will be provided. Free. 10 a.m.-noon Fridays and Saturdays.

River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993

July 4 4th of July Crafts for Children Make a patriotic craft and enjoy refreshments. The event is free with museum admission and open to children 12 years and younger accompanied by a parent. Reservations are required. $5 adults, $2 children, under 6 are free. 1-3 p.m. Fort Smith Museum of History, 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-7837841 fortsmithmuseum.org July 6 Primetime Story Time: Vacation Time!

Program features stories, crafts, refreshments and other summer vacation fun. Free. 6 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org July 6-27 Movie Mondays A different movie will be presented each week. Free.

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July 6-31 Center for Art & Education Wonderful World of Art Camps This year's theme is "Hooray for Heroes!" Campers ages 6-14 will enjoy a week of super heroes, cartoon creators and commercial art as they paint, sculpt and draw their way through the many aspects of Pop Art. $20. Call 479-474-7767 to register, which is required.

July 6-10, 9 a.m.-noon – ATU-Ozark Student Service & Conference Center, Arkansas 23 North, Ozark July 13-17, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. – Greenwood High School Art Room, 440 East Gary, Greenwood July 20-24, 1-4 p.m. – Stephens Boys & Girls Club, 3101 North 6th Street, Fort Smith July 27-31, 9 a.m.-noon – Cedarville Public Library, 639 Pirates Way, Cedarville

July 7 Patriotic Mobiles After a brief discussion of the history of the United States and Fort Smith National Historic Site, kids will color iconic images and create their own mobiles.

Group size is limited. Reservations required. Free. 1 p.m. Fort Smith National Historic Site, 301 Parker Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3961 July 7 Teen Carnival Summer boredom be gone! Try your skills at the water gun target shoot, marshmallow catapult, jug bowling and more. Fun games, prizes and snacks!

July 7 Jerry DeCaire’s Science of the Superhero Workshop for Teens and Adults Marvel Comics and educator Jerry DeCaire will give a hands-on workshop about learning the concepts of comic artistry. There will be demonstrations and instructions on facial drawing, full-figure superhero sketches, inking and coloring. Audience members will draw, guided by the artist, in the creation of their own super heroes. Art materials will be provided. DeCaire is a freelance comic artist known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters Punisher, Thor and X-Men. Advance registration is required. Free. 6 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 July 7 Heroes at the Movies Suit up for action with Robert Downey Jr. in this ultimate movie adventure. When jet-setting genius-industrialist Tony Stark is captured in enemy territory, he builds a high-tech suit of armor to escape. Now, he's on a mission to save the world as a hero who's built, not born, to be unlike any other. Rated PG-13.

Free. 2 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 July 7, 14, 21 Baby & Me Story Time Children from birth to 3 years old and their caregivers can enjoy books read aloud, songs, finger plays, bubbles and more. The Summer Reading Program offers an activity chart designed just for them. Free. 10:30 a.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

July 7-28 Every Hero Has a Story Mulberry Summer Reading Program There will be theme-related programs, guest speakers and reading prizes for everyone. Free. 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Mulberry Public Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226 July 8 Sidewalk Chalk Kids 6 and up are invited to make designs with sidewalk chalk. Free. 10:30 a.m. Mulberry Public Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

July 9-30 Movie Matinee @ Your Library Take the family and your own refreshments (or pick something up from Dewey’s Café!) for the library’s Summer Movie Matinee series at the main library. July 9: The Boxtrolls (G) – A young orphaned boy raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors tries to save his friends from an evil exterminator in this animated adventure comedy. July 16: Mr. Peabody & Sherman (PG) – Enjoy the time-traveling adventures of an advanced canine and his adopted son, as they endeavor to fix a time rift they created in this animated adventure comedy. July 23: The Nut Job (PG) – An incorrigibly self-serving exiled squirrel finds himself helping his former park brethren raid a nut store to survive, that is also the front for a human gang's bank robbery in this animated adventure comedy. July 30:

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KIDS EVENTS Rio 2 (PG) – It's a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids after they're hurtled from Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets his father-in-law in this animated adventure comedy. Kids of all ages and their families are invited to spend an air-conditioned afternoon at the movies.

Free 2 p.m. Thursdays. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 July 9 Children’s Science Toddlers, children and tweens won’t want to miss this program designed explore the world of science. Free.

2 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

July 10 An Evening with the Snakes of Arkansas Local reptile enthusiasts Jeremy Sloan and Brad Birchfield will help the audience learn how to identify Arkansas's most common snakes, venomous vs nonvenomous, and how to avoid them. Free. 7 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993

y aprende acerca de la Biblioteca y lo que tiene para ofrecer a tu familia. 6 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

July 13 Paracord Bracelets Kids 6 and up are invited to make their own braided paracord bracelet. Choose from different colors to make each bracelet a personal creation. Free. 2-4 p.m.

Mulberry Public Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226 July 13-18 UAFS Academy of the Arts Broadway Babies Musical Theater Camp Beginning acting and movement skills will be explored along with lots of singing and lots of fun! Camp is led

by directors Shannon Stoddard and Mollie Armour and tailored for young students. No experience required. A performance is scheduled for Saturday July 18 to showcase camp week. To register, contact the Academy at 788-7253 or download a registration form at uafs.edu/academy. Tuition varies. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. UAFS at 2nd Street - The Blue Lion, 2nd Street and B, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-788-7253 uafs.edu/academy July 13, 27 Laptime Story Time (0-24 months) Babies and their caregivers are invited to this story time with rhymes, songs, simple stories and lots of interactive fun for children birth to 24 months old.

Free. 10:30 a.m. Miller Branch Library, 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

July 10 Bingo for Books Win books by playing bingo. Free. 10 a.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 July 10, 17, 24 Unmask! Tween & Teen Time A variety of crafts and activities will be offered. Free.

1:30 p.m. Fridays. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

July 10-31 Board Games Children to teens can play a variety of board games.

Free. 10 a.m.-noon Fridays. Mulberry Public Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

July 11 Arc for the River Valley Summer Splashtastic The Arc rents the entire water park for a fun-filled evening of splashing and swimming. Members of the Arc for the River Valley get in free. The public is welcome and encouraged. Snacks and drinks provided.

Take your sunscreen and towel. Members free; nonmembers $5. 7-9 p.m. Alma Aquatic Park, City Park Road off I 540 North, Alma, Ark. 479-632-0700 arcrivervalley.org

July 11 Snakes of Arkansas Local reptile enthusiasts Jeremy Sloan and Brad Birchfield will present a family oriented live snake demonstration, including the importance of snakes to our environment. This is a great family activity with a chance to see a variety of venomous and non-venomous snakes up close. Free. 1 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 rivervalleynaturecenter.com

July 13 Cuentos para Niños en Español Niños de todas las edades y sus familias están invitados a la Biblioteca principal a la hora de los cuentos GRATIS, incluiremos cuentos, historias, canciones, refranes y otras actividades divertidas en español. Ven

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KIDS EVENTS

July 14 Traveling with the Deputies Deputy marshals working in Indian Territory captured criminals and brought outlaws to justice. Children will learn what a deputy marshal needed to survive while on the trail – from his horse and saddle to his warrants and Winchester rifle. Reservations required. Free. 1 p.m. Fort Smith National Historic Site, 301 Parker Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3961 July 14 Bingo Children, tweens and teens are invited to see how many games they can win. Free. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Mulberry Public Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

July 16 Family Fun Night: Super Hero School Enroll in Super Hero School and spend the evening sharing fun stories and making cool crafts. Free. 6 p.m. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-785-0405 fortsmithlibrary.org

July 17 Escape the Ordinary Movie Enjoy a movie during the summer reading program.

Free. 5:30 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

July 17 Police Officer Story Time Enjoy this very special story time to read stories and learn about community heroes. After reading about police officers, guests from the Fort Smith Police De-

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partment will visit. Children will learn more about police work, be able to ask questions and look at a real police car. Free. 10 a.m. Miller Branch Library, 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-646-3945

July 19-22 Journey Off the Map VBS Vacation bible school starts at 5 p.m. July 19 with family worship and dinner. While the kids begin VBS activities, parents are invited to attend a parenting/marriage seminar. Monday-Wednesday nights begin at 6 p.m. and include a snack. Free. 6-8 p.m. Grace Community Church, 4001 Brooken Hill Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-646-1177 July 20 DIY Super Hero Take a white T-shirt and design a shirt and mask perfect for a super hero. After you’re done, take a “super” picture with photo booth props. Free. 1-4 p.m. Miller Branch Library, 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-646-3945 July 20 LEGO Club Kids, tweens and teens are invited to design, create and build unique creations with the LEGO Club. Legos are provided. Free. 5-6 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 July 20-25 UAFS Academy of the Arts Broadway Bound Musical Theater Camp For students in grades 3-9, this camp will explore scenes and songs from famous Broadway shows.

Students will learn to sing, dance and act as they prepare a show of Broadway's best at the end of camp week. You do not need any previous experience to participate. Call or go online to register. Tuition varies.

9 a.m.-4 p.m. UAFS Breedlove Auditorium, 5210 Grand Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-788-7253 uafs.edu/academy

July 21 Shapes and Trains Kids love trains. Trains can be broken down into basic shapes like squares, circles and triangles. During this program, children ages 3-6 will learn about basic shapes then create their own personalized train. This program will take place in the Frisco Train Station. Parents will need to be present during the times of the program. Reservations required. Free. 1 p.m. Fort Smith National Historic Site, 301 Parker Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3961 July 21 Heroes at the Movies A heroic movie for teens and older will be screened at the library. Director Joss Whedon creates a masterpiece with a cast of Marvel Comics super heroes who join forces. Free. 2 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 July 21 Toddler Time with Nancy Stewart Singer-songwriter Nancy Stewart will present a morning of musical fun for little ones 3 and under. Stewart has shared the stage with Burl Ives, Shirley Jones, Bill Cosby and Lily Tomlin. As lead guitarist and vocalist, she performed with Randy Sparks and the Back Porch

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Majority and recorded the Disney movie theme “The Apple Dumpling Gang” and numerous radio and TV commercials. Currently, Nancy performs for and teaches children in the Seattle area, where she lives.

Free. 10 a.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 July 21 Real Raptors Raptor rehabilitor Lynn Slater from Helping Arkansas Wild Kritters in Russellville will discuss raptor rehabilitation and introduce a couple of her feathered friends. Free. 6 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993

July 23 Story Time with Singer-Songwriter Nancy Stewart Nancy Stewart will present a morning of musical fun for kids ages 4 and up. Stewart performs for and teaches children in the Seattle area, where she lives.

Free. 10 a.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

July 23 Life-Sized Lawn Games Play a life-sized board game where each player is a game piece. Free. 2 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 July 27 Game Day Unplugged Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with family and friends playing board games, card games, chess and checkers. Free. 1-5 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

July 27-29 Little Spikers Summer Volleyball Camp Girls and boys ages 6-11 will apply the skills learned in competition throughout the camp. Players of all levels are encouraged to attend. Players are grouped by age and skill level. Space is limited. $65, includes Tshirt. 9 a.m.-noon. FSJ Volleyball Complex, 5720 73rd Place, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-226-2911

July 27-31 Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn Story Time Take a trip through history with the cast of the Young Actors Guild's “The Magic Treehouse: The Knight at Dawn.” Learn more about the Black Knight and his mysterious quest at this special preview show. Free.

10 a.m. July 27 – Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive; 10 a.m. July 28 and July 30 – Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue; 10:30 a.m. July 29 – Dallas Branch Library, 8100 Dallas Street; 10 a.m. July 31 – Miller Branch Library, 8701 South 28th Street 479-646-3945 July 28 Painting at the Point Painting with watercolors was an important skill for explorers before photography. The earliest picture of Fort Smith is a watercolor made by an artist traveling with Major Long on one of his lengthy expeditions.

Try your hand at painting with watercolors by the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers. Children will be provided with watercolors and paper to create their own scenic image of the location. Reservations required. Free. 1 p.m. Fort Smith National Historic Site, 301 Parker Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3961

KIDS EVENTS

July 29 End of Summer Party Summer program participants are invited to the Cedarville City Park for lots of fun, including a bouncearound, snacks and an award ceremony for all prizes.

Free. 1:30 p.m. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853

July 30 Family Fun Night: Super Hero School Explore how to become a super hero. Free. 6 p.m.

Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-785-0405 fortsmithlibrary.org July 31 End of Summer Reading Program Party The Van Buren Public Library will celebrate the end of its summer reading program with food, games, prizes and more. Feel free to dress up as a super hero. Free.

6-8 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 Aug. 1 Clayton House Family Day: Optical Illusion Fun The cool parlors will be abuzz with activity as attendees enjoy the tricks of a magician, try their hand at authentic 1880s optical illusion games and make their own stilts, hand-shadows and “thaumatrope.” A final slideshow while guests enjoy snacks will reveal all the famous images that trick the eyes and mind. All ages will enjoy this trip back to Victorian-era fun; parents are welcome and should accompany children younger than 10. Call for reservations. $10 child; $5 adult. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Clayton House, 514 North 6th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3000 claytonhouse.org

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CALENDAR of events U.S. Marshals Museum will hold another Descendants Day

In hopes of repeating the success of two previous events, the U.S. Marshals Museum is extending an invitation to all descendants of U.S. Marshals, deputies, posse members or even outlaws arrested by the service. Anyone with a historical connection to U.S. Marshals Service from any era is asked to attend Descendants Day to share family stories, artifacts, photographs or documents pertaining to the nation’s oldest law enforcement service.

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Momentum toward the opening of the museum in Fort Smith is building. According to Jessica Hougen, curator of collections and exhibits, the museum will be able to accept items should any be donated. In the case of artifacts that owners wish to keep, agreements can be signed so that items may be borrowed to be scanned or photographed, then returned.

People who think they may be connected to the Marshals Service through a relative may talk with experts and learn how to confirm their connection, she added. Qualified historians and genealogists such as Loren McClain, historian of the Fort Smith National Historic Site, will be present to assist inquirers, she said. Those who attend can learn to use finding aids to look into historical material of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas that are held at the National Archives in Fort Worth, Texas. Representatives of the Cherokee and Chickasaw Tribes and the University of Oklahoma Western History Collection also plan to attend. Genealogists from the Fort Smith Public Library Genealogy Room have offered their help, as well. Badge researcher Tony Perrin will exhibit and examine badges.

At 2004’s Descendants Day, the number of locals who knew of their relatives’ involvement with the marshals and federal court was impressively large. Many proud descendants taped their stories and showed family heirlooms such as badges and photographs. Their enthusiasm helped to convince the Marshals Service that Fort Smith was the right place to locate a museum of the service’s history.

Bob Ernst, author of “Deadly Affrays: The Violent Deaths of the U.S. Marshals,” will give a short talk at 1 p.m., the only scheduled activity of the day.

“We’re very excited about what might emerge – this is like a treasure hunt,” said Hougen. There may also be an informal display of some of the items that have been donated to the museum recently. In order to sustain all these excited people, local food trucks have been asked to park near the station to sell refreshments. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Frisco Station, west end of Garrison Avenue, Fort Smith.

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July 1 Microsoft Excel 2013 Basics Participants learn to create a new Microsoft Excel workbook, use Page Layout, insert rows and columns, format cells and create simple formulas.

Registration is required. $69. 8 a.m.-noon. UAFS BII Building Room 115, North 50th Street and Grand Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-788-7742 uafs.edu July 1-19 Dawn Holder: Commemorative Plates Exhibition A solo show for Dawn Holder is the result of being named the winner of Fort Smith Regional Art Museum’s 66th Annual Invitational. This exhibit is comprised of porcelain installations that combine the ideas of nature and technology. The installations utilize light switch plates and outlet covers.

The switch plates are covered and enveloped by blooming porcelain flowers that overtake and block access to electrical consumption. Holder is an assistant professor of art at the University of the Ozarks. Free. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 15 p.m. Sunday. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-784-2787 fsram.org July 1-31 Paintings by Helen Rojas The original artwork of Helen Rojas on display will be oils and acrylics on canvas. Free. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-785-0405 fortsmithlibrary.org

July 1-Aug. 24 Paintings by Julie Mayser Julie Mayser's work is evolving, leaning toward impressionism with hints of representational painting. She received her first art schooling at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Subsequently, she studied at Carl Albert State College in Poteau and and Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. She also studied with leading artistteachers in the United States and Europe. Artwork is available for viewing all library hours when meetings are not being held in the Community Room. Free. Fort Smith Public Library Community Room, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org July 1-Aug. 31 Motorcycle Memories Exhibition Vintage motorcycles and photographs help visitors explore the “art of the motorcycle” in Fort Smith and the region from the 1940s through present day. Learn about the people and places that put the region on the map for motorcyclists. Quin Winter’s bike shop was the nexus of motorcycle culture in Fort Smith from 1939 until 1975. His sons, Leroy and Robert Winters, gained national fame in motorcycle racing. In 1940, Ercie Gann of Fort Smith became a charter member of the “Motor Maids,” a national organization of female motorcyclists.

The annual “Razorback Run,” a 150-mile, roundtrip ride from Fort Smith to White Rock Mountain near Mulberry, drew motorcycle enthusiasts from 1952 to 1955. The exhibit includes Otis Spiker, one of the few manufacturers of Henderson motorcycle parts. $5 adults, $2 children. 10 a.m.5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Fort Smith Museum of History, 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-7841

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Cannon Firing Celebrate Independence Day with a bang! Just prior to the Mayor's Fireworks on July Fourth, staff and volunteers at the Fort Smith National Historic Site will be firing the cannon. Following the Civil War, there were cannons left on the fort grounds and the deputy marshals would often fire them on the Fourth of July to celebrate. Watch the park service staff recreate that scene, celebrate the Fourth and watch the fireworks in style on the grounds of the Fort Smith National Historic Site. Free. 7 p.m. Fort Smith National Historic Site, 301 Parker Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-226-3727 nps.gov/fosm

Fireworks Boat Tour Cruise to the end of Lake Fort Smith and watch the Mountainburg fireworks display. Reservations are suggested and will be taken at the marina. $9 adults, $5 children ages 6-12, under 6 free. 8-10 p.m. Lake Fort Smith State Park, 15458 Shepherd Springs Road, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1018

Greenwood Chamber of Commerce 5K Freedom Fest Run Runners from all over compete with more than 350 participants. A prize is given for the most patriotic apparel. T-shirts are guaranteed to the first 300 paid, preregistered runners. $20 pre-entry, $30 day of. 6:30 a.m. sign-in; 7:30 a.m. race.

Means Wilkinson Community Center, 71 West Center Street, Greenwood, Ark. 479-996-6357 greenwoodarkansas.com

Kayak Adventure Kayaking is a great way to experience the sights of Lake Fort Smith and a fun way to exercise. Whether you are a beginner or have a bit more experience, this kayak tour is a perfect way to start your day. Reservations are required and will be taken at the marina. This is a weather dependent program and subject to cancellation. $12 adults; $6 children ages 6-12 years; under 6 ride free with adult. 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Lake Fort Smith State Park, 15458 Shepherd Springs Road, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1018

Devil's Den Games Celebrate the 40th year of the Devil’s Den Games! Enjoy a fun-filled family day of horseshoes, softball, parades and much more. Top it all off with homemade ice cream. Free. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Area E, Devil’s Den State Park, 11333 West Arkansas 74, West Fork, Ark. 479-761-3325 arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden

Celebrate America Take the family and join the residents of Poteau for an evening of fun, food and fireworks. Celebrate America is an Independence Day celebration featuring games and activities for the whole family, live music, face painting, prizes and a huge, city-sponsored fireworks display.

Expect the Donald W. Reynolds Community Center parking lot to be filled with huge water slides free for kids of all ages. Enjoy live music and dancing, as well.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes and cotton candy will all be available for purchase. Be prepared to stay until after dark when the sky will light up with a spectacular fireworks display. Beautiful fireworks will explode above the city while patriotic music plays in the background. Free. 6-10 p.m. Downtown Poteau, Okla. 918-647-9178

Mayor’s Fourth of July Celebration A patriotic celebration and family fun will be offered downtown on the Fourth of July. Even before the official program, the new Compass Park Spray Pad will be open, along with the Park at West End. A Mustang Club Car Show will take place during the day. The traditional Mayor’s Fourth of July Celebration entertainment will begin at 6 p.m. with music by Blue Fiddle, followed by the River Valley Community Band. Mr. Cabbageheads and the Screaming Radishes follow and play until time for the spectacular fireworks show at dark (approximately 9 p.m.) After the fireworks, the Cabbageheads return to play a little longer and offer entertainment as the park empties. To enjoy the event with less traffic, park and catch a Fort Smith Transit shuttle to the park. The shuttles will begin running at 6 up and down Garrison Avenue. Handicapped parking will be provided at the 201 Garrison municipal parking lot. Free. 6 p.m. Harry E. Kelley Riverpark, 121 Riverfront Drive, Fort Smith, Ark.

Fireworks Celebration Come to beautiful Tenkiller State Park, situated along the shores of Lake Tenkiller, for the park's annual July 4th Fireworks Celebration. As soon as the sun sets, the sky will light up with a spectacular display of fireworks. Take a lawn chair or blanket. This event will be hosted by the Greater Tenkiller Area Association. Free. Tenkiller State Park, 8 miles north of Gore on Oklahoma 100, Vian, Okla. 918-457-4403

Fireworks Extravaganza Take the family out to enjoy a fireworks show over beautiful Lake Tenkiller. Watch from a boat or dry land as the bold colors of the fireworks reflect on the lake.

The Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza will begin at dusk. The area between the two big islands in the lake should give boaters an excellent view of the festivities. Or view the show from campgrounds, the marina area, the scuba park, the pool and even the swim beaches. Free. Lake Tenkiller State Park, 8 miles north of Gore on Oklahoma 100, Vian, Okla. 918-457-4403, 918-489-5641

Fourth of July Car Show: Going Back Through Time Antique car show with live music and good eats will benefit disabled veterans groups. Members of the DAV, American Legion, AmVets, Patriot Guard Riders, VFW and other supporting groups will be present to show how they work with this country’s disabled veterans. There will be a breakfast of eggs, biscuits, sausage and possibly pancakes, followed by hamburgers and hot dogs with the fixin’s at noon. In the afternoon, the Grillzilla Smoker will open up and be serving barbecue ribs, chicken and ham with barbecue beans, potato salad and coleslaw.

Entertainment starts with a ’50s theme and continues into the ’60s. Specialty and muscle cars round out the evening. Free. Tractor Supply Co., 2000 East Cherokee Avenue, Suite 2, Sallisaw, Okla.

Sequoyah Fireworks Celebration Head to beautiful Sequoyah State Park, located along the shores of Fort Gibson Lake, where as soon as the sun sets, the sky will light up with a spectacular display of fireworks. Take a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the view as the fireworks are reflected off the lake's calm waters. Fireworks can also be viewed from your boat. Guests who enter the park after 2 p.m. will be charged $5 per carload. Sequoyah State Park, 17131 Park 10, Hulbert, Okla. 918-772-2046 July 2015

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS the Compass Park Slash Pad will contain 10 fountains with LED lighting and other spray features.

Free. 6:30 p.m. Compass Park, 100 North A Street, Fort Smith, Ark.

Through the Eyes of a Child: Selected Works from Montessori Art plays a critical role JULY in the curriculum at The Montessori School AUGUST of Fort Smith. Under the direction of Rania Al Assadi, students study and test a variety of media – watercolors, charcoal, acrylics, fiber art, and much more. This exhibition will showcase original works of art created by children from third to fifth grades and represents a variety of subject matter chosen. Free. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. TuesdaySaturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-784-2787 fsram.org

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July 1-Aug. 31 Paintings by Sydney Clayton Having an attraction to art, a love for color, and a need for a creative outlet, Fort Smith native Sydney Clayton began exploring with paints, brushes and different mediums more than four years ago. She enjoys painting landscapes, portraits and still-life and has her hands on a paintbrush almost daily.

This exhibit will feature landscapes from Fort Smith, Colorado Kayaks and a still life painting of antique buttons. Free. Dewey's Cafe at the Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org July 2 Splash Pad Ribbon Cutting Located just outside the gates of West End Park, 60 Entertainment Fort Smith July 2015

July 3 5th Annual Ozark Cardboard Boat Race & Fireworks Celebration Intrepid amateur boaters can build and enter a corrugated, waterproofed cardboard boat of any design and size for this annual – and suspenseful – rowing race at Ozark. All boats are subject to the “dreaded ice pick test” to determine they contain no metal. Part of the race is simply staying seaworthy to the finish line. An Titanic Award is given for the most dramatic sinking. A Demolition Derby Award may be given for ramming and scuttling other craft (some rules of decency apply). Other awards are given for best team costumes. Life jackets are definitely required. Rules and entry forms are available online at the Ozark Chamber of Commerce website. The race is almost as much fun for spectators as for the cardboard boat crews.

The annual Ozark Independence Day celebration follows the race. Fireworks presented by the Ozark Fire Department will begin at dusk. Eastside Park, Gar Creek, 300 West Commercial Street, Ozark, Ark. 479-667-2949

July 4-Oct. 5 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth Drawn primarily from the extensive collections of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Warhol’s Nature explores the artist’s surprising lifelong engagement with nature as subject matter. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience well-known artworks like Warhol’s Self-Portrait, the iconic Flowers series of the 1960s, and an interactive installation of his inflatable Clouds. Beginning July 25, a new exhibition examines Jamie Wyeth’s distinctive approach to realism over the course of six decades, from his precocious childhood drawings through recurring themes inspired by the people, places, and objects that populate his world.

Wyeth’s career offers new insight into contemporary realism and surrealism with an emphasis on the American context for these styles. Wyeth was encouraged to seriously pursue art at a young age, but never attended art school. Instead, he left school at the age of 11 and received instruction at home from his aunt, a surrealist painter, with critical guidance from his father. Later, Wyeth studied anatomy by sketching cadavers in a New York morgue, and worked with Andy Warhol in the Factory. His strain of realism has consequently evolved in directions that are significantly different from that of his grandfather and father. On July 24, visitors are invited to attend a lecture with Wyeth and Elliot Davis, Curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which organized this traveling exhibition. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Ark. 479-418-5700 crystalbridges.org

July 5 Belle Grove Historic District Walking Tour Truly step back in time with the Clayton House’s walking tour through one of Arkansas’ oldest neighborhoods. Fort Smith’s Belle Grove Historic District boasts the largest variety of Victorian architectural styles of any historic district in the

state, and is one of the most diverse districts in the nation. A tour guide shares the stories of the people who built the residences and what they did for a living on Garrison Avenue or the Arkansas River. A booklet for each attendee lists architectural and date information for each house. Learn early Fort Smith history in this enjoyable way through the stories (and some myths) about the bankers, saloon owners, cotton merchants, railroad conductors and more who lived in these irreplaceable historic structures. The tour begins in the Clayton House front yard and covers up to 12 blocks. If weather is inclement, please call the Clayton House to inquire whether the tour will be held. $5. 2:30 p.m. Clayton House, 514 North 6th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3000 claytonhouse.org

July 5 Crawford County Chronicles An infamous murder case in Van Buren will be the topic of this presentation. Anita Paddock will discuss her research into Ruie Ann Park, a member of a prominent family in Van Buren who was mysteriously murdered in 1981.

Initially, police and the community assumed the son committed the crime, but it wasn’t until years later that they discovered the actual murderer, much to the surprise of the local community. Paddock grew up with members of the Park family and followed the story as it unfolded. Her experiences, coupled with her research, caused her to write “Blind Rage,” a book chronicling the case that was released in mid-June. "The story isn't just about a murder, but a study of a dysfunctional family that resulted in the death of two people and the continuing agonizing guilt of another,” Paddock said.

“Because I was born in Crawford County and knew many of the people involved, I always felt that I was meant to write this book." A longtime resident of Fort Smith, Paddock is a former employee of the Fort Smith Public Library, having managed the Miller Branch in Fianna Hills, and began work on the book three years ago following her retirement.

Limited parking is available at the Visitor Center located on the DSHS property; those attending may also park at the Crawford County Courthouse, which is two blocks from the Drennen-Scott Historic Site. Free. 1:30 and 3 p.m. Drennen-Scott Historic Site, 221 North 3rd Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-262-2750 July 7 Jerry DeCaire’s Science of the Superhero Workshop Marvel Comics artist and educator Jerry DeCaire will give a hands-on workshop to teens and adults on learning the concepts of comic artistry. There will be demonstrations and instructions on facial drawing, full-figure superhero sketches, inking and coloring. Audience members will draw, guided by the artist in the creation of their own superheroes.

Art materials will be provided. DeCaire has a bachelor’s of science with an emphasis on art, education and natural sciences and is a freelance comic artist known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters Punisher, Thor and X-Men. Advance

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Van Buren Mayor’s Annual Prayer Luncheon Gov. Asa Hutchinson will serve as the featured guest speaker.

Hosted by Kiwanis Club of Van Buren and presented by Sparks Medical Center-Van Buren, the 11th annual luncheon also will welcome Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman and a number of other local officials. Proceeds from the event benefits the Kiwanis Club of Van Buren and its K-Kids Club program.

Tickets are available at Jimmy Bell Real Estate, Pac Printers, Swaim Office Products, Turf-Pro and the Van Buren Mayor's Office. $20; sponsorships $200-$400, include a minimum of six seats. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Van Buren High School Commons Area, Van Buren, Ark. 479-883-3146 facebook.com/kiwanisvb JULY

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registration is required. Free. 6 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 July 7 Visions 5X Exhibit Opening Five artists' interpretations of life – felt and seen.

Featuring Sharla Derry, Lisa Jan Bohne-Clay, Martha Efurd, Sheri Jart and Lorrie Bridges. Free.

5-7 p.m. Center for Art and Education, 104 North 13th Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6164 art-ed.org

July 7-28 Drop-In Computer Info Free help is available for anyone with computer or e-mail questions. Free. 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays. Mulberry Public Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226 July 2015

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS a website for sharing crafts and ideas. Free. 2 p.m.

Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

David Gates Art Exhibit Michael's Mansion is hosting its first solo art exhibition featuring the art of David Gates. Gates, an Arkansas resident since 1988, creates paintings and sculptures, selling works privately and through exhibits with galleries in several states. He formerly operated a frame shop and gallery business in Fort Smith. Meet Gates and view his latest works on canvas. Refreshments and good conversation served. Free.

5-9 p.m. Michael's Mansion, 2900 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-883-8336

July 9-11 Weekend Retreat: Balance in Action Jillian Guthrie, MSW, LCSW, presents a retreat specifically for those in the helping field and caregivers. The workshops involved are geared toward issues specific to healer experiences in order to foster healthy, effective processing and responses, teaching participants to help others at their own healthiest, and therefore highest, capacity. Format is unique and uplifting, presenter is engaging and down-to-earth, includes humor, stimulating stories, enjoyable and meaningful activities, music and audience interaction and participation. Relaxing, meditative activities are included in the schedule for real-time practice and experience in retreat.

Thursday evening arrival is important. $195, with a non-refundable $50 deposit. July 9-11. St. Scholastica Retreat Center, 1205 South Albert Pike, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-1135 stscho.org/retreat-registration

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July 9, 23 Universal Class: Microsoft Word Tweens to seniors may take this class, which is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Participants can earn CUEs and certificates. Free. 5:30 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 July 10 An Evening with the Snakes of Arkansas Local reptile enthusiasts Jeremy Sloan and Brad Birchfield will help the audience learn how to identify Arkansas’s most common snakes, venomous vs. non-venomous and how to avoid them. Free. 7 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 rivervalleynaturecenter.com Wood’s Edge Red Dawn July 8 Author Visit: Nancy Ellen Carver The Fort Smith Public Library, in partnership with the Fort Smith Historical Society, welcomes author Nancy Ellen Carver for an author visit and book signing. Carver will speak about her experience as an author and discuss her two books, “Making Tracks” and “Talk with Tilles.” Carver is the niece of a member of a successful horse racing syndicate that once dominated horse racing in St. Louis, as well as other parts of the country. Intrigued by family history and collections, she started a journey to uncover a family member’s past and uncovered the history of a long-forgotten sport in St. Louis.

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the flavor of the times, including the political, social, economic and religious realities. “Making Tracks” is a must-read for horse racing fans, local history buffs and anyone who loves a good story.

“Talk with Tilles” explores both her family history and the history of Fort Smith. Books will be available for sale and signing at the event. Free. 6:30 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 July 8-Aug. 12 Cre8ive Exploration Create one-of-a-kind pieces of art and crafts.

Flower presses, clay pots, choice of holiday art and crafts. All supplies are furnished. $15. 2-3:30 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m. Cre8ive Arts Network Visual Art Studio, 7408 Buckhorn, off Terry Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-357-9079 canvasar.com July 9 Pinterest Party Create a statement necklace to go with any super simple outfit – a project shared on Pinterest.com,

July 10 Crystal Bridges Museum Photo Salon Kat Wilson: Andy Warhol’s Studio Portraits Explore photography through Andy Warhol’s experiments with the camera, guided by local artist Kat Wilson. Warhol documented much of his life in Polaroids, which served as the basis for his portraits, silkscreen paintings, drawings, and prints.

The black-and-white images provide a glimpse of the artist’s obsessive recording of his life outside the studio, including his nightlife, travel, and activities on the street. This first session by Wilson explores the studio interior and portraiture. The second session in August explores life outside the studio. Call or go online to register. $10, free for members. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Crystal Bridges Museum, 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Ark. 479-657-2335 crystalbridges.org July 10 Escape the Ordinary Hobby: Redwork Join the library’s redwork and embroidery class as a part of the summer reading program. All experience levels welcome. Take supplies. Free. 1-3 p.m.

Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 crawfordcountylib.org

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Rezound! Handbell Ensemble in Concert Kansas City’s auditioned community handbell ensemble is featured at this special engagement as part of the ensemble’s 2015 Tour to Pinnacle. In addition to a yearround concert schedule in the Kansas City region, Rezound! has enjoyed several successful tours throughout the Midwest and has collaborated with area choral groups and other handbell choirs in a variety of concert settings. The ensemble has also performed with the Kansas City Symphony and Symphony Chorus on their Christmas Festival concerts and has entertained fellow bell enthusiasts at the Area 8 Festivals of the Handbell Musicians of America. Rezound! members share a passion for creating exceptional music and promoting the art of this versatile instrument. The group performs a wide range of musical styles, from classical and sacred to folk tunes and original compositions, with a lively and unique sound. Freewill offering. 7-8:30 p.m. First Christian Church Disciples Hall, 3501 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-1139 fccdoc.org JULY

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July 11 Single Parent Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament This four-person scramble includes cash prizes for first-third places. First flight first-team prize is $400; second flight first-team prize is $275; third flight first-team prize is $200. Prizes are given for longest ball and nearest to pin. Hole-in-one prize is 2015 Yamaha Golf Cart from Golf Cars of Fort Smith. All profits are used to provide post-secondary scholarships to qualified single parents in Logan County. $200 per four person team. 8 a.m. registration. Cherokee Creek Golf Club, 2310 Arkansas 10, Booneville, Ark. 479-675-5858 aspsf.org/county.logan.html

July 11 Kerr Ranch Water and Livestock Workshop Learn how the Kerr Ranch gets water to its cattle and manages water quality on the ranch. The Kerr Ranch uses a mix of earth ponds and aboveground tanks. Topics will include gravity-feed water systems, portable watering systems, siphon systems, tractor-tire tanks and the importance of water planning in rotational grazing systems. Visitors will also learn about conservation practices implemented on the ranch, such as fenced riparian areas and stabilized stream crossings. The workshop will start with indoor presentations and conclude with a tour of the Kerr Ranch watering systems. Amber Reece of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service will share results of a study she has conducted on the quality of water from different sources, including tractor-tire tanks. Registration is required. $15, includes dinner. 3-8 p.m. Kerr Center, 24456 Kerr Road, Poteau, Okla. 918-647-9123 kerrcenter.com July 2015

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Book Signing and Wood Carving Demonstrations Award-winning wood carver Kevin Walker will appear at the Main Library for a book signing event and wood carving demonstrations to celebrate the release of his new book, “Deep Relief Wood Carving: Simple Techniques for Complex Projects.” Released on Schiffer Publishing in June, this beautiful guide for carving an intricate, 3D dogwood branch sculpture lends itself well to wood carvers at most skill levels and will inform and inspire carvers to create future 3D relief projects. The artist will be on hand to demonstrate the carving process, answer questions and sell and sign his books at this open-house style event. Walker started carving in 1982, influenced mostly by relief carving seen in Branson, Mo., and went on to develop his own technique in extreme high-relief woodcarving. More or less exclusive in this area of sculpture, he has sold sculptures to galleries such as National Museum of Woodcarvers in Custer, S.D., Pete Engler Designs in Branson and several private collectors across the country. Each piece is one of a kind; all drafting, wood preparation and finishes are done exclusively by him. Additionally, all carvings are single slab, deep-relief carvings with no pieces glued or attached. He does not reproduce any of his work. Kevin lives in Rudy and is the owner of Walker’s Home Improvements. Free. 4-8 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org, walkerwoodcarving.com JULY

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July 11 Picnic in the Park Lake Fort Smith July is National Park and Recreation Month and Arkansas State Parks has designated July 11 as a day to “Picnic in the Park.” Lake Fort Smith State Park is a great place to participate in healthy activities such as biking, hiking and kayaking. Pack a healthy lunch and picnic on the shores of beautiful Lake Fort Smith. Free 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Lake Fort Smith State Park, 15458 Shepherd Springs Road, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-2469 July 11 Head for the Hills Hike Meet an interpreter at the visitor center for a 4-mile hike on the Ozark Highlands Trail and the Shepherd Springs Loop. This is a moderate to strenuous hike that requires climbing steep inclines. Wear appropriate footwear, bring water, and a snack. 9 a.m.noon. Free. Lake Fort Smith State Park, 15458 Shepherd Springs Road, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-2469

July 11 Snakes of Arkansas Local reptile enthusiasts Jeremy Sloan and Brad Birchfield will present a family-oriented live snake demonstration, including the importance of snakes to our environment. This is a great family activity with a chance to see a variety of venomous and non-venomous snakes up close. Free. 1 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 July 12, 26 Fort Smith Flow Jam Collaborate and connect with other flow artists in the area. There will be extra hoops of all sizes for anyone that would like to join. Other flow props, such as poi, staff or fans, also are welcome. This is not a class but more of a practice space to expand the flow community. All skill levels are encouraged to attend. Check out the Facebook group Fort Smith Sunday Flow Jams for updates. Free. 6 p.m. Ben Geren Regional Park, 7200 Zero Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-222-9033 July 13 Book Talk: Blind Rage This true crime book written by Anita Paddock of Fort Smith unpacks the personalities and events surrounding Van Buren’s most infamous murder.

Ruie Ann Park was a local historian and Van Buren history teacher who was murdered in 1981. The crime shocked the community and remained unsolved for several years. Free. 7 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

July 13 The CALL Information Meeting Learn how you can make a difference in the lives of children in foster care through fostering, adopting, volunteering or donating. Register online. 6 p.m. Central Christian Church, 400 North Waldron Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-651-8816 tfaforms.com/307794 64

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Chester Farmers Market and Poultry Swap Experience a country-style farmers market every Saturday morning through October. No vendor fees, plenty of parking and hot food available. Enjoy a hot breakfast at the new concession stand in the pavilion. Concession donations will fund Chester's 4th of July fireworks, community Christmas dinner, as well as the market. The goal of the market is to promote access to healthy, local food, create opportunities to learn from each other and foster social interactions with neighbors. Take exit 34 off Interstate 49, turn right and proceed to the field across from the Chester Country Cafe on East Front Avenue. Free. 8-11:30 a.m. Farmers Market Field, East Front Avenue, Chester, Ark. 858-361-3430 facebook.com/ChesterFarmersMarketandPoultrySwap JULY

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July 14 Family Recreational Day on the River This is the first family-oriented, half-day of activities on the Arkansas River, with time on the Education Barge, time for canoeing on a tributary and even fishing. Registration is required; space is limited. At least one child must attend with each family registered; children must be supervised. Call to register. Free. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 rivervalleynaturecenter.com July 14 Book Talk: Swamplandia by Karen Russell Thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree has lived her entire life at Swamplandia, her family’s island home and gator-wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. But when illness fells Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, the family is plunged 66 Entertainment Fort Smith July 2015

into chaos. Her father withdraws, her sister falls in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, defects to a rival park called The World of Darkness. As Ava sets out on a mission through the magical swamps to save them all, readers are drawn into a lush and bravely imagined novel that takes them to the shimmering edge of reality. Free. 6 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

July 14-15 Lunch and Learn: Orthopedic Series, Hip Pain General aging, obesity and injury are common causes for hip and knee pain, but the pain doesn't have to limit your mobility or the possibilities in your life. Join Sparks Health System for this twoday lecture series with local orthopedic surgeons Jeffrey K. Evans and Stephen A. Heim. Dr. Evans

will discuss hip pain, orthopedic surgery and treatment options July 14; Dr. Heim will discuss knee pain and orthopedic surgery options July 15. Registration for each event is required. Register online or by phone. Free. Noon-1 p.m. Shuffield Education Center Sparks Regional Medical Center, 1001 Towson Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-709-3627 sparkshealth.com July 14-28 Escape the Ordinary Hobby: Tai Chi Learn the gentle, slow-moving martial arts exercise called Tai Chi as a part of the library’s summer reading program. The practice of Tai Chi movements are known to relieve stress, increase mindfulness and benefit bodies of all ages and abilities.

Free. 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS July 15 Protein Needs for the Cancer Patient and Survivor This free nutrition and cancer series will be presented by Kelley Frost, MS, RD, LD, with Sparks Nutrition Center and assisted by executive chef Brian Huff, Sparks Health System. Call to register.

Free. 11:30 a.m. Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 South M Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-782-6302 reynoldscancersupporthouse.org July 15 Beyond Becoming an Outdoor Woman: Boating This half-day of hands-on boating is offered to women of all boating skills. The staff will take participants out on the Education Barge on the Arkansas River, then everyone will get to try their hand at canoeing and kayaking, as well as swimming in a tributary of the river. The staff will even have a small motorboat that participants can learn to back and drive. Advance registration is required, space is limited. Call to register. Free. 9 a.m.-noon.

River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 rivervalleynaturecenter.com

July 16 Chapel Ridge Health & Rehab Spaghetti Dinner This spaghetti supper will raise money for Christmas presents for the residents. Meal includes meat sauce or chicken spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, assorted desserts and a beverage. Carry-out orders are welcome. $7. 5:30 p.m. Chapel Ridge Health & Rehab, 4623 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-1541 chapelridgehealthandrehab.com July 16 Open Mic Night @ Dewey’s Café Musicians, poets and other talented folks are invited to perform. Sign-up at the door; arrive early to ensure a spot on the list. Showcase your talent or just come and listen. Music or poetry does not have to be original work – share a favorite poem or musical piece. Acoustic music only. Free. 7 p.m.

Dewey's Cafe, Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org

July 17 Night at the Auction A concert by the musical group The Boss Tweeds will support the Mountainburg Library building fund. Pies and other items will be sold at auction.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The event is presented by the Friends of the Mountainburg Public Library. Free admission. 7-9 p.m.

Mountainburg Community Center and Park Bandstand, U.S. 71, Mountainburg, Ark.

July 17-18 42nd Annual Garrison Creek Rodeo This annual event was the Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association Rodeo of the Year from 20052014. Events include mutton busting, bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing, bull riding, team roping, saddle bronc riding, ladies breakaway, ranch bronc riding, calf scramble and boot scramble. On July 18, there will be a parade at 10 a.m. and a dance following rodeo events. $5$7. Free. 7:30 p.m. U.S. 64 between Muldrow and Roland, 107235 South 4670 Road, Muldrow, Okla.

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Author Visit and Storytelling with Richard Cress Master storyteller Richard Cress will share tales of his childhood, growing up poor in the beautiful Ozark Mountains while showing the power of being raised with family love, animals, humor and nature as featured in his book of short stories, “Ozark Urchins.” All of the ingredients for tragedy were present during those memorable years of 1946-1951, but their innocence shielded them from the grim reality of their circumstances. They never fully realized they were poverty-stricken, culturally disadvantaged, socially outcast, three times the size of the ideal family and products of a broken home. They just didn’t have time to consider all of that “at-risk” data since they were busy trying to survive and enjoy life at the same time. Copies of “Ozark Urchins” will be available for sale and signing at the event. Take your lunch or pick it up at Dewey's Café at the main library.

The library will provide drinks and dessert. Free. Noon.

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July 18 Boating Education Course In two classes, the Arkansas Boating Education Course teaches fundamentals of safe and responsible boating. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, must have a valid boater education card to operate a motorboat powered by an engine of 10 horsepower or more (including a personal watercraft) in Arkansas. Those who complete the course may earn a certification. Free. 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 rivervalleynaturecenter.com

July 18 Herbal Adventures: Christmas in July Herbal snacks, recipes and take-home crafts are included in this workshop. Reservations required. $20. 9:30 a.m.-noon. Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 South M Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-782-2104

July 18 Chester Wild Blackberry Duathlon Fundraiser Chester Farmers Market is sponsoring a 10K run and 19-mile Biking Duathlon to the top of Mount Gaylor and back, as well as a 5K or 1-mile Fun Walk/Run. Each element will begin and end in front of the Chester Country Cafe, where participants will receive a free slice of pizza at the end of the 68 Entertainment Fort Smith July 2015

race. Coolers welcome. Open to participants of all levels. Preregister by July 11. Sign up at the Chester Farmers Market, the Chester Country Cafe, or by phone. $5. 7 a.m. Chester Country Cafe, 315 East Front Avenue, Chester, Ark. 858-361-3430 Facebook/ChesterFarmersMarketandPoultrySwap

July 18 Camp OK – State Parks Style The staff at Lake Wister State Park is introducing first-time campers to the natural environment and basics of camping in the hope that more families will make camping a regular activity. Park staff will provide one tent (for up to eight people), an air mattress for adults and sleeping mats for children, a lantern, chairs and plenty of cookware. Take any personal items you or your kids may need. Space is limited. $45 per family. Lake Wister State Park, 25567 U.S. 270, Wister, Okla. 918-655-7212

July 18 Boating Education Course This course teaches fundamentals of safe and responsible boating. Anyone born after 1985 must pass the course and carry a valid boater education card to legally operate a motorboat powered by an engine of 10 hp or more (including personal watercraft) in Arkansas. Free 9 a.m.-3 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 rivervalleynaturecenter.com

July 18 Play it Forward Concert Series: David Starr Blues and rock music with Fayetteville native David Starr. The proceeds benefit Open Avenues. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. $5. 67:30 p.m. The Walmart Museum, 105 North Main Street, Bentonville, Ark. 479-277-8923

July 19 Picnic in the Park There will be a mix of games and nature programs for a fun, family afternoon outdoors. Activities are at the Greenfield picnic pavilion, across from the visitor center. You can take your own lunch or grab something to go from the restaurant. Free. 1:30-3 p.m. Greenfield Picnic Area, Mount Magazine State Park, 16878 Arkansas 309 South, Paris, Ark. 479-963-8502 July 20, 27 Escape the Ordinary: Self-Defense Teens and adults are invited to escape the ordinary by taking a two-session self-defense class. Attendance to the first session is required to attend the second session. Free. 5:30-7 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 July 21 Cookbook Club Membership in the library’s cookbook club is open to everyone. Take your best or favorite cold dish for everyone to sample. A prize drawing will be held. Free. 5:30 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

July 21 Homeschool Resource Night An open house where veteran homeschoolers answer questions about where to begin, curriculum, legalities and resources available in our community. Free. 6-9 p.m. Fort Smith Riverfront Park, West Room, 121 Riverfront Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. July 21 Real Raptors Meet raptor rehabilitator Lynne Slater from HAWK (Helping Arkansas Wild Kritters) in Russellville.

She will discuss raptor rehabilitation in Arkansas and introduce a couple of her feathered friends.

Free. 6 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993

July 23 Advanced Metastatic Cancer: What Does That Mean?

Dr. Isam Abdel-Karim discusses metastatic cancer.

What does it mean when cancer has advanced or metastasized? What are the treatment options?

Learn more about metastatic cancer from the oncologist with Cooper Clinic. Refreshments provided by Cooper Clinic. Free. 5:30 p.m. Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 South M Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-782-6302

July 23 Welcome Neighbor Book Club The book "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman will be reviewed. Any woman is welcome to attend and enjoy the discussion Free. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dewey's Cafe, Main Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-459-1603

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Authors in the Afternoon: Marc Cullison Oklahoma author Marc Cullison will promote and sign copies of his new book, “The Other Vietnam War: A Helicopter Pilot’s Life in Vietnam.” The book tells the story of the introduction to a new country, a backward culture, the perils of a combat zone and the effects on a young lieutenant fresh out of flight school.

It focuses on the internal battle each soldier fought to make sense of where he was, why he was there and if he was good enough. Copies will be available for sale and signing. Cullison is a baby boomer who grew up in an era when education was everything and duty to country was a responsibility. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering at Oklahoma State University, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve Corps of Engineers.

During his four-year tour of duty, he served as helicopter pilot with the 129th Assault Helicopter Company in II Corps, Vietnam. He is a retired college math and science instructor. He and his wife live in a self-built log house near Sallisaw. Free.

4-6 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

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A family of pharmacists: Abigail, Charles, Mike and Mike’s wife, Bonnie.

Clayton Conversations: Family History Series Like the right kind of medicine, this story of good folks and a strong family business going back to Fort Smith and Van Buren’s early days will make you feel good.

The history begins with pharmacist Leo Smets, born in Van Buren in 1898, who owned his own pharmacy, Palace Drug, by age 26. Hear the tale that stretches to today’s fourth generation of the Smets family still working to provide the best pharmaceutical services. Smets’ Charles Smets in the pharmacy. son, Charles, born in 1931, grew up in his father’s pharmacy and then began his own work at age 24 at Coleman Pharmacy in Fort Smith. Charles’ son Mike, owner of the pharmacy today, and Mike’s daughter Abigail carry on their family’s tradition of oldstyle relationships with their customers. Charles Smets is joined by Mike and by daughter Caron Roberts to share a program of their family and the Leo and young son Charles Smets with ice skates. history of pharmacy. From yesteryear’s Prohibition era when prescriptions for alcohol were common, to today’s high-tech, multi-service pharmacies, this program will be a wonderful history lesson.

For reservations, call the Clayton House. Seating is limited. Refreshments and seating begin at 1 p.m. Free for members, $10 for non-members 1:30 p.m. The Clayton House, 514 North 6th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3000 claytonhouse.org JULY

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July 23 QuickBooks: Beyond the Basics Hands-on Workshop This hands-on workshop is geared toward experienced QuickBooks users with an emphasis on enhancing the basics of day-to-day usage.

Participants will learn to customize reports and forms and to work with inventory, jobs, estimates, progress invoices and more. A computer is provided for each participant during this interactive session. Seating is limited and registration is required no later than July 22. $65. 1-4 p.m. Beall Barclay & Co., 3101 South 70th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-356-2067 asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events/ July 23 Book Signing with Anita Paddock Join Fort Smith author Anita Paddock for a book signing and program. She will discuss the research process for her recently published book, “Blind Rage,” which is the true story of the 1981 murder of Ruie Ann Park in Van Buren. Copies of “Blind Rage” will be available for $15. The program is offered free with museum admission. $5 adults, $2 children, under 6 are free. 4 p.m. book signing; 6 p.m. program. Fort Smith Museum of History, 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-7841 fortsmithmuseum.org July 24 Escape the Ordinary Hobby: Redwork Everyone of any level of experience is invited to join the library’s redwork and embroidery class as a part of the summer reading program. Take your own supplies. Free. 1-3 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

July 24 Let's Go Batty!

Discover facts about these small mammals and watch them as they forage for food. Meet the park interpreter at the flagpole in front of the visitor center to hike down to the lake and observe the bats.

Free. 8-9 p.m. Lake Fort Smith State Park, 15458 Shepherd Springs Road, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-2469

July 24-25 Quilts of Past & Present Show If you love quilting or are just interested in handmade arts and crafts, head to Vian for the Quilts of Past & Present Show. With nearly 100 entries, there will be plenty of amazing quilts to see. A small vendor mall and boutique will be on site for visitors to browse, and there will also be quilting demonstrations. If you get hungry, a lunch special will be available in the Tea Room along with some delicious homemade desserts. $4. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

July 24; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 25. Blackgum Harvestime Church, 451558 E0980 Road, Vian, Okla.

918-457-5957, 918-773-8767 July 24-25 32nd Annual Altus Grape Festival Celebrate the grape at the Altus Grape Festival.

Public grape stomping, wine tasting, arts & crafts booths, music, amateur winemaking competition, food and fun. Free. 5-11 p.m. July 24; 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 25. Altus City Park, 200 West Main Street, Altus, Ark. 479-468-4684

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July 25 Ale on the Border Sample more than 100 craft beers at the second annual Ale on the Border, hosted by the River Valley Ale Raisers. Proceeds benefit Antioch Youth and Family. Volunteer opportunities available. $20 at the gate. $15 online. 6-9 p.m. Harry E. Kelley Park, North A Street & Riverfront Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-648-8885 aleontheborder.com

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July 25 Oklahoma's Largest Water Balloon Fight Enjoy all kinds of wet and wild water fun – squirt guns, sponge toss, splash pad, wading pool and the biggest water balloon fight in the state. This blast of an event is fun for kids of all ages. The competition will be broken into five different age groups that will compete at different times throughout the day. Around 7 p.m., head downtown for Cruise Night as folks show off their rides and enjoy the summer breeze. At dusk, watch “E.T.” – a perfect way to wind down after an exciting day. 2-11 p.m. Chadick Park, 3rd Street and Chadick Avenue, McAlester, Okla. 918-423-8888, 918-423-9300 July 27 Escape the Ordinary Hobby: Yoga Learn basic yoga at the library as a part of the summer reading program. Supplies are provided.

Free. 3-4 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

July 29 Dangerous and Deadly Presented by pharmacist Michael Thames. Understand your prescribed medications, recognize addictions and learn about important warnings for mixing over-the-counter medications with your prescriptions. Lunch sponsored by Peachtree Hospice. Seating is limited. Call to register. Free. Noon.

Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 South M Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-782-6302 reynoldscancersupporthouse.org

July 30-Aug. 1 Sallisaw Lion's Club IPRA Rodeo This IPRA championship rodeo showcases some of the county's elite athletes in rodeo competition.

Witness as talented cowboys and cowgirls compete for thousands of dollars in prize money in bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and bull riding. The Sallisaw Lion's Club Rodeo will also feature a handful of non-traditional rodeo events.

Secure your spot in the stands and cheer as contestants compete in events such as wild cow milking, mutton bustin' and a calf scramble. Other activities will include a parade, the street dance featuring lively Western music you can tap your toes to and the spectacle of rodeo royalty making their grand entrance into the arena. Rodeo clowns will be on-hand to entertain the crowds and to protect the rodeo contestants. Enjoy watching the hilarious antics of the clowns while marveling at the award-winning stock provided by Hampton Rodeo Co. Professional announcers will also be on-hand to call every second of activity. $8 adults, $5 children 6-10; free for children under 6. 8-10:30 p.m.

Sallisaw Rodeo Grounds, 115 East Redwood, Sallisaw, Okla. 918-774-5497, 918-776-9977 July 2015

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Johnson County Peach Festival Courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

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The Johnson County Peach Festival is the oldest festival in the state.

AUGUST The Princess Elberta, Little Mister, Teeny, Tiny, Petite, Pre-Teen,Teen, Queen and Mrs. Peach pageants will be July 23 and the Miss Arkansas Valley’s Outstanding Teen, Miss Arkansas Valley and Queen Elberta pageants on July 24-25. On July 30, concessionaires bring their wares from good ol' home cookin' to handmade arts and crafts. That afternoon, there is a scavenger hunt scheduled, as well as the banana split contest. That evening showcases a talent contest and cinema.

Plan to stay all day Friday with events such as a diaper derby, helicopter tours, bicycle obstacle course, the Kids' Zone (inflatables) and skateboard contest, as well as a peach cobbler and jam and jelly bake-off and a peach pie eating contest.

Live entertainment begins at 7 p.m. followed by the free street dance featuring "On The Verge." The 4-mile run kicks off Saturday activities followed by various events including a fishing derby, cardboard boat regatta, greased pig chase, frog jump, terrapin derby, peach eating contest and Lip Sync contest. The parade begins at 7 p.m., followed by a concert by The Diplomats and a street dance featuring a local D.J. On Sunday there will be a horseshoe tournament.

Free. Johnson County Courthouse, 209 West Main Street, Clarksville, Ark. 479-754-9152 jocopeachfestival.8m.com JULY

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July 30 Lunch & Learn: Top-Notch Customer Service Customer service is a cost-free marketing technique and a way to set your business apart from your competitors. Learn to stop barriers to customer service, meet customer expectations, handle unhappy customers and create a culture of customer service. Register by July 28. $30. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Central Mall, 5111 Rogers, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-356-2067 asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events/

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

July 31 Beginning Yoga @ the Fort Smith Public Library Take steps to get fit at this special program featuring beginning yoga with Terri Hargrove from Yogaterri-um. Yoga can help you improve your flexibility, balance, strength and focus. Mats will be provided or use a chair – perfect for seniors or anyone with balance challenges. Free. Noon. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org

Aug. 1 4th Annual All Patriots Ride Helping local homeless veterans through the Buddy Smith House. Auction and drawings begin at 1 p.m. Live entertainment by Dorrian Cross.

Hamburgers and hotdogs available. $20 per hand includes poker hand, meal ticket, year patch and door prize ticket. Additional hands are $10. Sponsored by Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association AR 7-3. 10 a.m. first bike out; 11 a.m. last bike out.

All bikers must be in by 12:30 p.m. Run starts and ends at VFW Post 8845, 3005 Tilles Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-226-1642 Aug. 1 Boating Education Course In two classes, the Arkansas Boating Education Course teaches fundamentals of safe and responsible boating. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, must have a valid boater education card to operate a motorboat powered by an engine of 10 horsepower or more (including a personal watercraft) in Arkansas. Those who complete the course may earn a certification. Free. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-452-3993 rivervalleynaturecenter.com July 31 Scrapbooking Take your own project to the library for an hour of scrapbooking, chatting and all-around fun. Share ideas and work on your scrapbook. Packets will be available to take home. Free. 10-11 a.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

Aug. 7 Cause for Paws – The Purrfect Picnic The Sebastian County Humane Society's Cause for Paws fundraiser includes dinner, drinks, dancing, a dog fashion show and a silent auction. Table sponsorships are available. $50, or $500 for a table of 10. 6:30-11 p.m. Immaculate Conception Church, 22 North 13th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-4395 sebastiancountyhumanesociety.org

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DINING GUIDE BLISS CUPCAKES

JUAN’S

The outstanding cupcakes made fresh daily at Bliss can be a treat or a meal.

Unique flavors will transport those who indulge in a little bite of Bliss. Arriving with a box of Bliss can buy you love.

3101 South 70th Street, Fort Smith.

Juan’s Mexican Restaurant is a Fort Smith classic at 3121 Towson Avenue known for its signature, tasty cheese dip and delicious combo platters. Fast service and lunch specials make it a business lunch favorite.

Fresh chili rellenos are a specialty.

CALICO COUNTY

LA HUERTA

Comfort food describes this well-loved country cooking establishment where the side vegetables are just like grandma made and fresh-baked cinnamon rolls come to the table first. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

2401 South 56th Street, Fort Smith.

Whether enjoyed on the patio with live music at the 400 Garrison Avenue location or at La Huerta’s 5111 Towson Avenue restaurant or at 5605 Rogers Avenue, the entrees are fresh and the salsa zesty. Cool off with a Margarita or beer.

NEUMEIER’S RIB ROOM Yes, you have seen the iconic Neumeier’s Rib Room sign moving west downtown to the corner of Garrison Avenue and 5th.

Bill Neumeier says a summer opening is possible – classic Q in a new venue. The award-winning dry rub ribs will be back!

PAIZI’S GYROS Fort Smith’s favorite food truck fare has gone indoors. Hari Paizi’s menu of Greek entrees and ever-popular gyro sandwiches are now served in his new restaurant at the Quarry Shopping Center, 4900 Rogers Avenue. OPA!

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DINING GUIDE PAPA’S PUB & PIZZARIA RIVER CITY

VILLAGE INN

This distinctive, loaded pizza style, voted over and over as Fort Smith’s “Favorite,” is the draw of Papa’s Pub & Pizzaria, 508 Garrison Avenue. It’s a gathering place to watch the big games and has an outdoor patio for relaxing with a party of friends.

Breakfast all day, every day from 6 a.m. to midnight is just part of the appeal of Village Inn. An extensive menu of lunch and dinner entrees, plus fresh-baked pies of every flavor keep the seats filled and the coffee brewing. 7620 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith.

It’s an authentic deli with delicious daily lunch and dinner. And there’s fine dining monthly with unique menus by Chef Jason Haid. In this glorious season, new salads are invented daily. Stonewood Village, 7320 Rogers Avenue #7, Fort Smith.

PINK FLAMINGO BBQ SAKÉ SUSHI BAR Competitive with the trophies to show for it, the Ralph Taylor family is sure they serve the best barbecue in town and they don’t mind plying diners with hearty side dishes to get the extra edge. Maybranch Square, 2801 Old Greenwood Road, Fort Smith.

A renovated interior is soon to be unveiled at Saké, a sushi bar with fresh, brightly flavored seafoods, steaks and appealing appetizers such as crab bites and blackened Mahi Mahi tacos. Martini menu and full bar service. 823 Garrison Avenue.

WHOLE HOG CAFE It pays to connect with Whole Hog Barbecue on Facebook and Twitter to be alerted to championship barbecue specials every day. Dine in or drive through for ribs, smoked sausages, pulled pork, brisket or pork loin. 4501 Burrough Road, Fort Smith.

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DINING GUIDE WEINKELLER RESTAURANT A pleasant drive east to Exit 41 on I-40 leads to Wiederkehr Village, home of a 135-yearold winery and vineyards and the famous Wiederkehr Weinkeller Restaurant with Swiss, French and German cuisine. Go early for cellar tours and free wine tasting.

WILLIAMSBURG KITCHEN Charming and gracious, the Williamsburg Kitchen has been serving tea and a delicious lunch menu for 36 years. Voted Fort Smith’s favorite full-service lunch, the restaurant now offers many gluten-free selections. Lunch only. Williamsburg Square, 4120 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith.

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Featured in next month’s dining guide: Whole Hog Cafe

Our dining writers are getting a Ph.D in BBQ from Asheton Carter in next month’s issue. There’s a lot to learn from Whole Hogs’ huge menu! That’s the professor of pulled pork, above, with his mom, Margeret Carter.

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