Toasty - January 2017

®

TOASTY

January 2017 DoSouthMagazine.com

CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / OWNER Catherine Frederick CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS Marla Cantrell Kellie Cobb Catherine Frederick Dwain Hebda Rachael McGrew Jessica Sowards James Stefiuk Becca Whitson Matt Whitson GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323 - Jessica Mays

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PROOFREADER Charity Chambers PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC

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INSIDE

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LEADING THROUGH THE TURN CEO Elise Mitchell discovered so many lessons on life and leadership after she decided to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Today, she has a thought-provoking book about the experience.

MY DAYS WITH A YOGI Yogi Kerri Garr shows up to class with incense, a playlist, and a plan to make everyone in the room just a little bit happier. But what happens next is an even better story.

CHARRED TOMATO SOUP AND GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES The cold days of January call for comfort food. You won't find anything better than this yummy soup made with charred tomatoes that's served with grilled cheese sandwiches.

OAKLAWN NEVER SLEEPS On January thirteenth, a new horse racing season starts at Oaklawn. Before you make plans to attend, read about the track's rich history, going all the way back to 1904.

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ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500 Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116 Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com ©2017 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in Do South® are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to Do South® or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography, becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South® reserves the right to edit content and images. Printed in the U.S.A. | ISSN 2373-1893 Cover Image: James Stefiuk

FOLLOW US Annual subscriptions are $30 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or mail check to 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110, Fort Smith, AR, 72903. Single issues are available upon request for $7. Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.

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letter from the editor

Here we are at the beginning of a new year.

favorite people, Elise Mitchell, had a book

I love the fresh start. I love taking down my

coming out, we knew we had to talk to her.

old calendar and putting up a new one. And

She is an icon in the PR business, and her

don't get me started on yearly planners. I

book is about how her life changed when

love opening a new planner, seeing all the

she decided to enjoy her journey instead of

possibilities that lie ahead, all the clean

focusing on where she was going. For her,

pages and perfect, unmarked squares.

that began with a motorcycle ride.

Already, I have a list of things I want to

Writer Jessica Sowards found joy by rescuing

try this year. I have a list of ways I plan to

horses that are now finding love and comfort on

improve my life. For now, I get to sit with

her little farm. Her story will warm your heart.

my lists and my calendar and my planner and envision a perfect future.

Our managing editor, Marla Cantrell, found joy in yoga class, but not for a while. You'll have to read her heartfelt and funny

Of course, life will get in the way. Life always does. But that

story about how her teacher, Kerri Garr, taught her more than

doesn't stop the thrill of imagining what might be, and it

she ever expected.

doesn't stop the hopefulness of a new year.

It's hard for me to express how much joy I get from collecting I'll bet you're feeling it too. As you look ahead, I hope you have

these stories. The icing on the cake is when I hear from you,

a few things planned for 2017. My plans are simple: plant a

our readers, who are kind enough to tell me how much you like

garden, travel a little with my family, and find joy in the everyday.

what we do.

That last one, finding joy in the everyday, is big for me, and

As we work our way through 2017, I hope we all slow down

always seems to make my list. I get so busy, like I'm sure you

enough to enjoy this big, wonderful life. Right now, my dog

do. Lately, I've been reminding myself to stop. Sometimes it's

Jack is trying to get my attention. There's a squirrel in a tree

as simple as watching my two dogs, Yoko and Jack Brewster,

right outside my window. That's an everyday occurrence here,

as they romp in the backyard. Sometimes it's watching as an

but for Jack, it's the best thing ever. His joy, that bubbles up so

older gentleman takes the arm of his wife, helping her cross

easily and so often, might be a lesson for us all.

the street. Sometimes it's seeing my son walking to my car at the end of the school day, his smile as bright as the sun itself.

As we were putting this issue together, I was thinking about

~Catherine

Follow Do SouthÂŽ Magazine

all the ways we find joy. When we discovered that one of our

To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@DoSouthMagazine.com

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UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

&

UP CLOSE PERSONAL

Dr. Kris Gast Fort Smith Radiation Oncology & Beauty through Health 8500 South 36th Terrace Fort Smith, Arkansas 479.648.1800 fsro.net/beautythroughhealth.net Find them on Facebook

ABOUT DR. KRIS GAST I'm a mother, wife, and a doctor. My oncology practice cares for and takes care of patients with cancer. My aesthetic medicine clinic brings beauty and health to a greater number of patients. I chose the THERMI systems because they allow me to provide our community with a safe, non-invasive way to reach all of our cosmetic goals.

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UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

WORDS TO LIVE BY:

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

DR. GAST CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT:

NAME SOMEONE YOU ADMIRE.

FAVORITE SONG FROM YOUR TEEN YEARS?

My husband, my kids, and my critters (cats and dogs).

My grandma. She always gave me sound advice, and she raised four kids during the Depression. I will always miss her.

I had favorite performers, ELO and Phil Collins.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

My parents moved around a lot: Kansas, California, Texas, and in multiple places in each state.

WHAT’S THE MOST ADVENTUROUS THING YOU’VE EVER DONE?

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW? IF YOU HAD A YEAR OFF, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO DO?

If I had a year off I would paint, make jewelry, learn to weld, rescue cats and dogs, learn to play the piano. Oh wait, I might need a bit more than a year.

My favorite band from Finland, Poets of the Fall.

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW?

Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them.

I had promised myself I would never marry again-until I did! My husband is the best!

LAST BOOK YOU READ?

IF YOU COULD LEARN TO DO ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD?

I've always wanted to learn a new language and play an instrument. I'm learning Danish currently, so I still need to pick up an instrument.

Star Trek re-runs.

The fifth book in the Outlander series.

MOST SENTIMENTAL THING YOU OWN?

My family’s Bible. It's 300 years old.

FAVORITE FOOD FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD?

Grilled cheese sandwich.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?

My first job was at the age of twelve when I tutored other kids in reading and math.

WHAT DID YOU BUY WITH YOUR FIRST PAYCHECK?

Track shoes.

WHAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Here's the funny part, most people don't know I'm actually very shy. You can all stop rolling on the floor now!

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME SOMEONE SURPRISED YOU?

When my husband threw a surprise birthday party for me.

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FAVORITE SPOT IN ARKANSAS?

Fort Smith. Once you've lived in a big city, you'll understand.

FARTHEST YOU’VE BEEN AWAY FROM HOME?

St. Petersburg, Russia.

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poetry

Snowflakes LINEs Kellie Cobb

We say goodbye this year past It was a very good year.

We send it off while with good friends And sentimental cheer.

Another year has passed along, Years melt before our eyes.

And so it seems a trivial thing, Midnight to recognize.

But times like these we cherish, Between the work and worry.

It all moves by so quickly, Years like a snowflake’s flurry.

So raise a glass to this year passed And savor every drop.

For who knows when we’ll meet again To hear the champagne pop?

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poetry

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calendar

JANUARY 12

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Submit your events to editors@dosouthmagazine.com January 13 Opening Day at Oaklawn Hot Springs oaklawn.com

January 14, 9am Tutu Run 5K and 1/4 Marathon Fort Smith waballet.org

It's time for another great season of horse racing at Oaklawn. Visit the track, place a bet, and don't miss Oaklawn's legendary corned beef sandwiches.

January 12, 7:30pm Croce: Two Generations of American Music Fayetteville waltonartscenter.org

You've got to love a run/walk where there's even a prize for best tutu! The event begins and ends at Ben Geren Park, and you can register online. See website for pricing.

A.J. Croce, the son of legendary singer-songwriter Jim Croce, performs his own songs as well as classics by his father including hits like “Operator,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” and “Workin’ At the Car Wash Blues."

See website for pricing.

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January 14, 6pm Old Fort Days Dandies Chili Supper Fort Smith Find them on Facebook

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The Old Fort Days Dandies are hosting a homemade chili supper, complete with door prizes, live music, and silent and live auctions. The fun takes place at the Expo Building at Kay Rodgers Park. Admission is $8.

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January 14-15, 9am-5pm Antique Alley Arkansas Antique Show Conway antiquealleyarkansas.com Antique toys, architectural salvage, old advertising, linens, primitives, furniture, glassware and more from the 1950s and earlier all at the Conway Expo Center.

Admission $5 for adults; $1 for children 12 and under. Parking is free.

calendar

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January 15, 12:30pm Arkansas Democrat Bridal Show Little Rock arkansasbridalcommunity.com Is a wedding in your future? This bridal show, beginning at 12:30 p.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m., features seminars, prize giveaways, games, a runway fashion show and the ultimate prize giveaway. VIB tickets are $45; $12 general admission.

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January 19, 7pm Open Mic Night @ Dewey’s Café Fort Smith fortsmithlibrary.org Dewey’s Café inside the Fort Smith Main Library is the perfect place to showcase your talent. Poets and musicians can sign up at the door (show up early to ensure your spot), and then perform for a live audience. Acoustic music only, please. Admission is free.

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January 27, 8pm Led Zeppelin II Fayetteville waltonartscenter.org Attention Led Zeppelin fans! The Walton Arts Center is bringing in Classic Albums Live to perform the band's hits, note for note, just for you.

Admission: $25-$35 DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

January 28, 5:30-9pm 2017 Burns Night Supper Fort Smith bricktownbrewery.com This fundraiser for the Fort Smith Firefighters Pipe and Drum Corps takes place at Bricktown Brewery.

Dinner is traditional Scottish fare, and there's live entertainment, including the Fort Smith Firefighters Pipe and Drum Corps. Tickets: $30, available at Bricktown Brewery.

January 28, 7pm The Looks, The Moves, The Voice Van Buren 479.471.4017 Love Elvis? Then check out worldfamous tribute artist, Travis Powell, backed by the band Spinout, at the Van Buren Fine Arts Center. This performance is sponsored by Kool Classic Hits 104.7. Call for pricing.

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entertainment community

We "Heart" Art! 2017 is a blank slate! Why not fill this year with tons of creativity, world-renowned art, and a chance to make your own masterpieces? Here are five events in January to get you started.

January 1 (and certain days throughout the month) Architecture Tour Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville See website for dates crystalbridges.org This hour-long architecture tour, from 4-5pm, will introduce you to the unique aspects of Moshe Safdie’s design of this beautiful museum. No tickets necessary. Tours for a maximum of fifteen. Show up five minutes early.

January 5, 12, 19, 26

January 7, 14, 21, 28

Drop in and Draw

RAM Saturdays

Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith

Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith

fsram.org

fsram.org

On Thursdays from noon to 4pm, the

Every Saturday from noon to 5pm, the

Regional Art Museum provides a live model

Regional Art Museum hosts a free afternoon

and studio space FREE for artists. Bring your

of fun and creativity for all ages. See website

own materials; easels are provided.

for projects slated for each Saturday.

January 13 – April 2

January 7, 14, 21, 28

Liv C. Fjellsol Exhibit

Family Adventure Tour

Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art,

fsram.org

Bentonville

Liv C. Fjellsol is a renowned Norwegian artist

crystalbridges.org

and author whose breathtaking exhibition at

This drop-in, free, family tour is led by Crystal

the Regional Art Museum showcases more

Bridges' Gallery Guides. Get to know some of

than fifty works on paper accompanied by

the museum's favorite artworks. Meet in the

texts written by international poets and jour-

lower lobby at 12:55pm.

nalists. See website for details.

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entertainment

January Jams Music lovers can get their jam on this month! From Vanilla Ice to the Symphony, here are four performances you won’t want to miss.

Vanilla Ice LIVE January 13, 8:00pm CenterStage at Choctaw Casino Resort - Pocola choctawcasinos.com Vanilla Ice, an American rapper, actor and television host, will perform LIVE on CenterStage at Choctaw Casino Resort - Pocola on January 13. The iconic artist released his debut album Hooked in 1989 – later reformatted under new record label as To the Extreme. In 1990, he released "Ice Ice Baby," which was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts and it has become one of the most iconic and recognizable singles in popular culture. Visit the website for more information and to purchase tickets.

Fort Smith Symphony - Divergent Moods

Harpeth Rising

UAFS Music Faculty Showcase

January 21, 7:30pm

January 26, 6:30pm

January 31, 7:30pm

ArcBest Performing Arts Center, Fort Smith

801 Media Center, Fort Smith

The Blue Lion, Fort Smith

fortsmithsymphony.org

artistaudiencecommunitylive.com

uafs.edu

Experience exquisite symphonies from the

Unapologetic genre-benders, Harpeth Rising

Instrumental, voice and piano faculty

Classic and Romantic periods and beautiful

fuses Folk, Newgrass, Rock and Classical into

members at UAFS will display their talents

impressionistic music for flute featuring

something organically unique. Their music is

during this premiere faculty concert of

Fort Smith Symphony Principal Flutist, Eliza-

as intricately arranged as a string quartet, lyri-

the 2016-17 academic season. Repertoire

beth Shuhan. MOZART: Symphony No. 25

cally rooted in the singer/songwriter tradition,

contains works for trumpet and percussion,

in G minor. GRIFFES: Poem for Flute and

and wrapped in three-part vocal harmonies

plus chamber ensembles and solos. Visit

Orchestra (1918), Elizabeth Shuhan, flute.

reminiscent of both Appalachia and Medieval

website for more information.

DVORAK: Symphony No. 6, op. 60 in D

Europe. Visit website for more information

major. Visit website for more information

and to purchase tickets.

and to purchase tickets.

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community entertainment

For the Love of Nature From archery to laser shot, to feeding alligators and guided hikes and nature breaks - we’ve got you covered - all thanks to our Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. All Nature Center events are free, thanks to community support of the 1/8 Cent Conservation Sales Tax. January 6, 13, 20, 27 ALLIGATORS January 8, 15, 22, 29

Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature

January 6, 13, 20, 27

ARCHERY

Center, Little Rock

NATURE BREAK

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley

501.907.0636

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley

Nature Center, Fort Smith

Join in to feed some alligators at the Alligator

Nature Center, Fort Smith

479.452.3993

Feeding at 2 p.m. every Friday and learn a bit

479.452.3993

Everyone is encouraged to take part in this

about these fascinating Arkansas animals.

You are invited to bring your 3-7 year olds

beginner’s guide to Archery. The archery

What? There are alligators in Arkansas? Meet

for Nature Break every Friday at 3:45 p.m.

program involves students beginning in the

one in person, watch the resident alligator

Join the Nature Center staff for a 30-minute

fourth grade continuing through their high

feast on his favorite food, and discover more

nature break activity designed with little

school senior year. Students learn archery

about the largest reptile in Arkansas.

ones in mind!

January 7, 14, 21, 28

January 21

GUIDED HIKE

RANGE DAY

skills, as well as an outdoor hobby they may enjoy for the rest of their lives. Bows, arrows and safety instruction provided.

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley

Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas

January 4, 11, 18, 25

Nature Center, Fort Smith

Nature Center, Little Rock

FISH FEEDING

479.452.3993

501.907.0636.

Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas

You are invited to take a Guided Hike every

Drop in for Range Day every third Saturday

Nature Center, Little Rock

Saturday morning. A member of the educa-

from noon until 2p.m. Test your archery

501.907.0636

tion staff will lead the hike. Dress for the

or BB gun skills. Practice target shooting

It’s a fish feast! Stop by every Wednesday at

weather and don’t forget your camera!

or shoot for the first time. Targets and

2 p.m. for Fish Feeding at the aquatic tanks

instruction will be provided. Depending

and learn about fish in Arkansas. What do

on weather and staffing, the archery or

most fish feast upon? Mostly fish, of course.

January 7, 14, 21, 28

the BB range (not both) will be set up for

You’ll learn about how different fish find

LASER SHOT

target shooting.

food, what makes a good feast for fish, and

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley

finally feed the fish!

Nature Center, Fort Smith 479.452.3993

*Please check directly with the venues to

Try your luck at Laser Shot every Saturday

ensure event details have not changed.

at 3 p.m. Think you’re a deadeye? Sharpen your hunting skills with a computer program similar to a video game, complete with laser gun. This activity is dependent on the availability of the Multipurpose Room.

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community

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people

Leading Through the Turn words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Elise Mitchell

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people

In 1995, Garth Brooks was making waves

Elise describes the challenges and victories of that time while

in country music. At the box office, Brave-

sitting in her offices at Mitchell Communications Group.

heart was a runaway hit, and Ebay was unveiling its shopping and auction site.

Outside, the weather that seemed to hang onto autumn for far too long, has turned in an instant to winter, and the wind howls

But something else was happening that

across College Avenue.

year. Elise Mitchell, who lived in Memphis, was a rising star in the public relations field.

Always, Elise turns the story back to others. She names names,

She saw her possibilities as clearly as she

giving credit to her co-workers, to her mentors, to her parents

could see the moon on a cloudless night.

and husband, her son and daughter, her faith in God.

Perhaps she would one day lead a communications team for a global company, or

Visiting Elise is like being in the presence of a living, breathing

she might become head of a major office

TED Talk. "I wanted this company to be warm and welcoming,

for a public relations firm.

to be inclusive, and I credit my parents for that. They were scientists and professors, and they helped us understand the

But then her husband Raye, who'd just

world. My father brought his international graduate students

finished his training to become an ortho-

home to spend holidays with us, and they'd bring food from

pedic surgeon, was offered a partnership

their native countries. I'd spend the afternoon talking to them

in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

about what their lives were like. My parents taught us to be explorers, to be learners."

Fayetteville, with a population of just 75,000, wasn't an ideal spot for someone

Elise's upbringing gave her the foundation she needed. She

with global aspirations, and her heart sank

brought with it an incredible amount of drive and curiosity. As

at the thought of moving. But once she

time went by, the business world took notice. Since then, she's

settled in, Elise decided to start her own

been the recipient of many awards, such as Agency Profes-

firm. Sitting at her kitchen table, she began

sional of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and a Top 50

to craft the company of her dreams. From

Power Player. Today, Mitchell has more than eighty employees

there, Mitchell Communications Group

and three offices in Fayetteville, New York, and Chicago.

was formed.

The company has won more than forty awards, including When she thought about her new goals,

being named a Top 10 fastest-growing firms globally. Their

she realized she wanted one thing: to be

portfolio includes Walmart, Kraft, Canon, Merck, Hilton

the best, both in business and in leadership.

Worldwide, and Procter & Gamble, just to name a handful of high-profile clients.

As her client base grew, she needed to expand. In a move that was ahead of its

Elise's newest venture is her book, Leading Through the Turn,

time, Elise began seeking out professionals

published by McGraw-Hill Education. It's touted as a leader-

from across the country who could work

ship book, but it's for anyone who wants to live a better life.

part-time on a flexible schedule.

Leading Through the Turn, released this month, opens in In the first ten years, she developed a virtual

2006, a little more than a decade after Elise started Mitchell.

network that grew to include twelve women

She was devoting every spare second to the firm, and she real-

with impressive backgrounds, all of whom

ized the negative effect it was having.

had left their full-time jobs for a variety of reasons, such as family obligations.

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people

She needed a long-overdue vacation with her husband. Knowing how

Elise Mitchell

much Raye loved fast-moving transportation, she came up with a plan.

They'd tour Zurich on a motorcycle.

That one decision changed her life.

The two fell in love with Zurich, a city of art and museums and a perfect view of the snow-covered Alps. As they toured this new place, Elise felt as if she were waking up. Every color was intense. Every turn in the road a discovery. She could feel the wind rushing by, smell the air and everything that traveled through it.

Before, she'd been a destination person, both in her personal life and business. She'd wanted to get to a place and then enjoy what that place had to offer. But on the back of that bike, when the world showed up, so close she could reach out and

I see it sitting in the room, like a tiger," Elise says of fear, "but I've learned to walk by it."

touch it, she realized the journey was the real treasure.

In every chapter, Elise shares a story of someone who taught Of course, there was a good dose of fear as well. Riding on roads

her something important. Great leaders make their way onto

that switch back and forth across steep mountains makes you

the pages, as well as friends. One of the most beautiful chap-

pay attention. There was also the fact that Elise had to give up

ters showcases her friend Tommy Van Zant, who cofounded

control, riding behind Raye, with no say in what was happening.

Sage Partners, a Fayetteville real estate firm, in 2005.

As a leader, Elise understands fear. But it never stops her. "I see

Four years later, after one of the worst ice storms ever to hit our

it sitting in the room, like a tiger," Elise says of fear, "but I've

area, Tommy fell while clearing broken trees off his property.

learned to walk by it."

The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Once home, Elise took a motorcycle safety course and even-

When Tommy is asked to address a crowd, he doesn't talk

tually bought a Honda CBR 300R. Some time later, while

about his accident. Instead, he talks about leading with integ-

speaking to a group in New York, she used the analogy of the

rity and making a difference. That fact amazes and awes Elise.

motorcycle to describe leadership. Motorcyclists use the phrase "looking through the turn" to drive home the point that when

Elise has the same mission. As a CEO, she sees her job descrip-

you approach a bend in the road, you have to look at where

tion as just one word: steward. That belief helped form the

you're going rather than dwell on the hazards of the turn itself.

culture at Mitchell, where she and her team came up with a

Elise saw leading others in the same way.

plan to offer their full-time employees one hundred percent employer-paid health care benefits. There are year-end

As she talked to her audience, she described changing from

bonuses for every employee, and in-house training. Regularly,

someone intent on the destination into someone who takes

employees' good work is praised in meetings and by each

time to experience life. From that talk, she knew she had a book

other. But even more than that, team members are showcased

that could make a difference.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

people

for exhibiting behaviors that are the backbone of Mitchell's

One of her favorite ways to do that is through Mitchell's Ignite

values, such as trust, service, integrity, commitment.

program which gives money and time off to employees so they can do random acts of kindness and volunteer. They've

The teams also have fun, eating together, tailgating, even

done extraordinary things, such as paying adoption fees at

having ice cream parties.

an animal shelter, surprising someone in a checkout line by paying for everything in their cart, to helping nonprofits,

A program called Big Break helps attract new, diverse talent.

women's organizations, homeless shelters, schools, veterans

High-performing college seniors from top-notch communica-

programs, and victims of domestic violence.

tions programs, including several minority-serving institutions, are nominated. Six to ten are

Elise says some of her best times at

selected and given an all-expenses-

Mitchell

paid, weeklong internship during

seeing the joy giving brings. Just as she

spring break.

says this, the traffic picks up outside

are

hearing

these

stories,

her offices. This town that was relaFrom that program, they've made

tively small when she moved, has grown

several key hires.

rapidly. Now, the two counties that make up Northwest Arkansas are home

When you build a great company,

to more than a half million people.

suitors come calling. In 2012, after many offers and much thought,

Elise loves it here, the rolling hills, the

Elise sold her company to Dentsu,

lakes and rivers. It's where she and Raye

a Japanese international advertising

brought up their son and daughter,

and

Mackenzie and Jackson, who make her

public

relations

company.

Today, she holds two titles: CEO

proud, who fill her heart.

of Mitchell, and CEO, Dentsu Aegis Public Relations Network. In addi-

When the weather turns in our favor

tion to her role at Mitchell, Elise is

once again, Elise and Raye will jump on

leading efforts to build a global PR

their bikes, not really caring about the

brand for the network.

destination. They will explore the beauty of Arkansas, they will discover small

Which takes us back to 1995, the

cafĂŠs and world-class vistas, taking it all

year Elise started Mitchell, when she thought she'd given up her

in, happy to be where they are. And that may be the truest

dream to lead a communications team for a global company.

description of happiness there is.

It seems that she's achieved even more than she set out to do.

But long before that, when she was attending a Christian college, she listened as many of her friends made plans to live in the mission field, far from home. As she prayed about what

Leading Through the Turn: How a Journey Mindset Can Help Leaders Find Success and Significance

her future held, she knew her calling was a different one.

She believed she could be a light in the business world, a place that's often more trying than inspiring. She wanted to treat everyone in her path well, to make them feel valued, to build something extraordinary.

by Elise Mitchell, CEO, Mitchell, & CEO, Dentsu Aegis Public Relations Network — $28 Check your local bookstore, find Leading Through the Turn at Amazon.com, or at elise.mitchell.com

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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entertainment

Commonwealth

By Ann Patchett | Harper | 322 pages | $27.99 review Marla Cantrell

"The christening party took a turn when

mesmerized by Franny's beauty and brains,

Albert Cousins arrived with gin." That first

and later, by the tumultuous story of her

sentence sets the course for Common-

childhood, which includes a tragedy and

wealth, a story about two families whose

secret she's never overcome.

lives intersect when deputy DA Albert Cousins, armed with a perfectly inappro-

The story is irresistible to him, and soon he

priate gift of gin, crashed the christening

is turning her reality into his novel, called

party of Franny Keating. Albert knew

Commonwealth. The book, released to

Franny's father, Fix, a police officer, only

much acclaim, finds its way to Franny's

through his interactions with him profes-

stepbrother Albie, who's shocked to see his

sionally, and Albert had only come to the

family's troubles on the printed page.

party to escape going home to his pregnant But the telling of this story turns out to be a

wife and their three children.

necessary unveiling. The early tragedy that's And then he spotted Franny's mother and

followed them all is finally brought to light.

Fix's wife, Beverly, a woman wearing a

The guilt the children felt is finally put to rest.

Sometimes, Patchett seems to be saying, the

yellow dress, her hair golden, falling out of its French twist. Her beauty obliterated Albert, and before the party

battleground of our youth can turn once again to a meadow, given

ended, Albert found a way to be alone with Beverly, and in a bold

enough time. Given enough forgiveness.

move, at least partially influenced by the alcohol, he kissed her.

Commonwealth is a gripping, beautiful story, so honest it feels as The meeting of Albert and Beverly was the beginning of their

if you've been invited in to witness their unraveling and coming

affair. They divorced their spouses. They merged their two families

together. The pain they feel seems so real you could hold it in your

and moved away from their California homes. The coupling threw

hand. But the love they have is just as remarkable, and that is the

heartache near and far.

genius of this stunning novel.

For the remainder of the book, author Ann Patchett explores what happens to these families when their trajectory is changed, how the children of Albert and Beverly try to find their footing in a reality they hate and the iron bond that forms between all these broken people.

After Franny is in her twenties, working in a hotel bar to pay off student loans, she meets an author she's long admired. He is on the downside of his career, much older than she is, and he's

Ann Patchett will be speaking at the Fayetteville Public Library on March 31, at 7pm. The event is free to attend.

For more information, visit faylib.org.

Patchett is the author of seven novels and three books of non-fiction and has won numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award. She co-owns an independent bookstore, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee.

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pets

A New Year Filled with Unconditional Love F

F

Dinah F

M

Eve

Sid

F

Kelly

F

Missy

Trinity

Sebastian County Humane Society 3800 Kelley Hwy., Fort Smith | 479.783.4395 |

| SebastianCountyHumaneSociety.org

Each month, Do SouthÂŽ donates this page to local and regional non-profit animal shelters. If you work with a shelter and would like to reserve this space, please email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

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people

MY DAYS WITH A YOGI

words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Kerri Garr

Kerri Garr

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people

I

I'm the worst student in my yoga class. This is not an exaggeration.

In a few minutes, we will be doing a series of chaturangas, where

This is fact. I should get points for showing up early, though—I

we start in the plank position, lower to the floor, lift our upper

always show up early—so that I can get my spot in the far corner,

body into a move called upward facing dog and end in downward

away from the giant mirrors.

facing dog. Downward facing dog looks like an inverted "V" with your butt being the point of the "V" and your hands and feet the

My instructor, Kerri Garr, says everyone's practice is beautiful. She

two widest points on the letter.

also says there are no saved places in yoga. We are all supposed to be these loving creatures, and our places in the room should

Some people call downward facing dog a resting pose. Those

be interchangeable. She says this from her spot at the head of the

people are not human.

class, where the lighting from above is reflecting off her golden hair, making her hair look as if it caught the sun.

The next week, classmate Rhonda, arrives just after I do. She has a runner's body and makes people laugh. She has black, shiny

Beside me, my sister Jan sits with her back straight against the

hair and a Deep South accent. She turns the thermostat up so

wall. This is another plus of getting to class early. You can sit by

that the next sixty minutes it feels as if we're doing hot yoga.

the wall with your back supported, without your core muscles

I'm wearing mascara when I arrive. I'm wearing black circles and

doing a thing. I talked her into coming with me several months

sweat rings when I leave.

ago—I told her about Kerri with her golden hair and her golden heart—and my sister took the bait. She is better at yoga than I am.

"Great workout!" I say to Rhonda. But I don't mean it.

I am having some un-yoga-like feelings about this.

The following Monday, Kerri again asks us to think of something Next to my sister is Janet, who is approximately my age but so much

we love about ourselves. This is a hard part of the class, but I

stronger. She can stand on her head. She was once in the military, I

decide I love that I can write. That I get to write.

think. She probably crawled beneath barbed-wire fences and scaled walls and woke at three in the morning to do it all again.

When Kerri asks us to come up with one thing we love about ourselves, I struggle. Finally, I think, I'm a good dog owner. I'm thinking about this morning, how Rudy sat at my feet as I wrote, how he lay atop my heated blanket in my cold house and how I let him stay there even though he was ruining the blanket, which is a dry-cleanable thing and electric, and now that I think of it, irreplaceable, in a I've-had-this-so-long-I've-developed-feelings-for-it way.

Kerri Garr

We are all breathing in unison now, this group of twenty-five or so that meets twice a week at Fitness One in Alma, Arkansas. Brent, two rows up from me, breathes like a pro. A rush of air in. A push of air out. He is strong like a mountain. He is strong like a tree.

In the class, we're "flipping the dog," which is a move that takes you from three-legged dog (the inverted "V" with one leg lifted)

The first time I met Kerri, she put her arms around me. She smelled

to what looks like a crab. Imagine what you would look like if

like the 1970s: patchouli, incense, freedom. She was wearing a

you lay on your back, then lifted your feet and hands so that your

knitted hat. She was wearing pants that looked like they'd been lifted

torso looks like a table top. Imagine it all you can, because I could

from Aladdin's closet. I wanted to roll my eyes at that hug, but there

never show you.

was something about it. Good energy? Sincerity? I wasn't sure.

Mike, one row up and to my left, can do it. His hair is silver. He We are standing with our prayer-hands at our hearts, eyes closed.

likes good books. His form is perfect. I may not like Mike anymore.

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people

Yoga, or my version of it, is becoming a habit. There's something about Kerri. When she walks by, I think, She walks with intenKerri Garr

tion, and even though I can't explain what that means, I know it when I see it.

I realize, finally, that what I think makes Kerri beautiful is more about what's on the inside. Often, she'll tell us she loves us, and I will look at her and know she means it.

I'm in a pose called half-pigeon, leaning forward on my mat, one leg tucked at an angle, at hip-level, under the other, when it

The "here" she means is not Alma. It is "not here at all." The

happens for the first time. Kerri mentions that relationship prob-

statement is monumental. Is earth-shattering.

lems can show up in our hips. If my hips can be believed, my Which is why she believes so much in what she's doing. Which is

relationships suck.

why, when she hugs someone, when she says, "I honor the light Kerri says, "The pose begins at the point where you want to

in you because it's the same light that shines in me," she means

release it." If that's true, this pose started the second I began. But

every word.

I stay with it. And then I feel it. Tears. Not cry-me-a-river tears, but still. I squeeze my eyes shut. I'm glad I'm in the corner.

During our next class, it happens again. Kerri is leading us through a guided meditation. We are imagining that we are floating, the

Something is changing inside me. Getting out of my mind,

water perfect beneath us. When we arrived, Kerri told us to leave

focusing on my breath and my body is helping me feel centered,

all our cares at the door, but mine kept coming back. But now,

is making me feel a new sense of gratitude. At the end of class,

lying on my mat, I feel a little less worried.

during meditation, I feel lighter. Nothing earth shattering, but I notice. My sister says, "I felt like I was inside the music." It sounds

The tears that come seem more like a celebration. My sister is

like something an over-achiever might say, and I give her a look.

right beside me. My word, I love my sister. And then I realize I love

Maybe I have more work to do.

everyone in this class, and all those beyond these walls. I stretch my legs and almost touch Amy, the woman in front of me, so

Kerri tells me she started doing yoga seven years ago. At the

small and adorable and flexible it might be possible to fold her up

time, her personal life was in tatters. At first, the language of

and carry her out like a handbag.

yoga seemed off. Kerri's Baptist upbringing made her suspicious of words like Namaste, a word derived from Sanskrit, a spiritual

The thought makes me smile. Outside, the world is an uncer-

greeting that's given at the end of each class. The teacher says it

tain place. Crimes happen, marriages fold, families struggle. But

and bows. The students say it back and bow.

here, on this mat, everything is working. Kerri says to us, "I want you to know how strong you are," and I believe her. Because I

Kerri used to answer with a hearty "Amen" at the end of those

don't think she's talking about physical strength anymore. I think

first classes.

she's talking about something much more important, and so valuable it feels like gold.

Then, the extraordinary happened. Yoga started healing what was hurting inside Kerri. She faced what was causing her unhappiness, got serious about yoga, and started to believe in herself.

When I ask her where she would be without yoga, she says, "I wouldn't be here," and tears fill her eyes.

Kerri teaches at Fitness One in Alma, and at Yogaterrium in Fort Smith. You can find out more about Kerri on her Facebook page, Freedom Wellness.

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shop

Happy New Year! words Catherine Frederick imageS Rachael McGrew & vendors

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shop

Start the New Year off right. Shop local! Here are some great new items in store from wonderful local businesses, just for you!

Miniature Liquor Bottles

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SUNSHINE SHOP AT MERCY FORT SMITH 479.314.6079

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people

The

LAZY

FARM GIRL words and image Jessica Sowards

I

I feel the need to disclose a nasty truth about myself. It’s not a

not enjoy hard work, as much as I do like the respite of having it

skeleton rattling in the closet or a deep and dark secret. It’s not

done. I have never been one of those people who chuckle about

some furtive, hidden sin. It’s just one of those matter-of-fact truths

cleaning as stress-relief or revels in a physically exhaustive task to

that is more easily dealt with when stated honestly.

let off steam.

I am not a hard worker, not by nature anyway. I never have been.

No, actually, I earned my childhood nickname of Messy Jessie. My

I mean, I do work. I do hard work. I would even say I have grown

room was a cluttered sty, littered with horse figurines and doodles

in my life to a place where I could even be classified as industrious.

and half-filled journals. Much to my mother’s chagrin, it didn’t

What with a huge family, a farm, ministry, and writing, my to-do

bother me one bit. I rather liked taking it easy then, and truth is, I still

list is great and terrible if ignored even for a weekend. But my

do. Of course, I do what needs to be done, but when life gets over-

industry was grown by necessity and fueled by obligation. I do

whelming, I much prefer retreating to the bed with a pint of Ben and

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people

I tell you all of this because when I talk about my animals and my farm, I don’t want you to fall into some grave misperception that I do this because of some weird enjoyment of hard work. I don’t.

I like the farm. I love the animals. But the hard work is simply the cost that has to be paid. The work, in itself, is no perk.

You see, there’s another natural trait that's ingrained in me.

One that has overcome the laziness. I am an animal person. I thought it was a learned thing until my older two sons were born. In them, I saw polar opposites when it came to affection for animals. Jackson, from the point that his eyes could focus and before he had even gained control of his infantile grasp, adored any and every animal that dared come near him. Asher, born just eighteen months later, squawked in terror instead of squealing with joy when approached by the very same creatures.

Now, at eleven and nine, the two boys are still the same. Asher has grown to tolerate cats in small doses and enjoys a walk around the farm as long as he isn’t required to interact too much. Jackson, on the other hand, asked for a potbelly pig for his birthday and would choose a farm chore over a house chore any day. It’s just a trait. He is an animal person, and it overcomes his desire to lie around. He treks out multiple times a day to feed and play with his pet pig. He calls a dog his best friend. He is an animal person, and I am too.

Of course, I don’t remember being a dog-loving baby. I don’t know exactly when my animal loving antics began influencing my decisions. While I may have been Messy Jessie who had to have teeth pulled to clean the bedroom or rake the leaves, I absolutely do remember that from the get-go, the one thing that could overrule the desire to be lazy was a furry, soft critter.

My first ambitions as a child were to be an “animal doctor” Jerry’s and a book. And even the book gets abandoned sometimes,

or a “real farmer.” My collection of plastic horses challenged

especially if it means having to get out of bed to turn on the light.

the inventory of any Toys R Us. Upon turning twelve, my first

Yes, I admit I am often woefully lazy, slow moving and completely

act as a preteen was to sign up as a volunteer at the animal

unmotivated when I resort to doing what I feel like doing.

shelter. There I spent the afterschool hours for two straight years, cleaning kennels and falling in love with hundreds of cats

I picked a bad life for this nature. The worst kind of life for the

and dogs (and the occasional rescue baby raccoon or squirrel).

lazy, one with five sons and a yard full of critters and deadlines and meetings and weekends of traveling with little sleep. It’s

It didn’t stop in childhood. The boy-crazy teenage years were

a good life, and I love it. It challenges the worst parts of me

marked with multiple abandoned puppies brought home

to become better. The lazy nature is still there, though, being

from gas stations and starving kittens pulled from dumpsters

constantly combated and daily crucified.

or sewer pipes or wherever else I found them. Then the boyDOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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crazy teenager grew into a woman and a mother. I stopped

Isn’t it strange how often our own deepest desires seem to be

bringing home strays but continued to volunteer at the local

contradicted by our very nature? Isn't it interesting that God

animal shelter, offering photography services for online list-

often puts us in a position to yearn so deeply, causing us to

ings to help animals find homes. As an adult, I showed perfect

face our naysayers to obtain our dreams? Isn't it even more

restraint when it came to animal ownership and had pretty

interesting that those same dreams cause us to go toe-to-toe

much embraced the fact that I enjoyed lazy days and had my

with ourselves?

hands full with my handful of kids.

It was a long and hard battle. Lifelong dreams have a way of I seemed content. I seemed resolved to cater to my nature and

overcoming deeply rooted habits, though. Today I'm a farm girl.

take the easy road. But there was an aching sadness, a void

In a couple of months, I’ll aid goats as they give birth. Count-

in the region of my heart that was truly created to nurture

less chickens color my yard and this winter we brought home

creation. It would rear its head occasionally. A time or two, in

our first horses. I cried the day we picked them up from the

late night conversations with my husband, tears would roll over

slaughter pen. With the help of Southern States Equine Savers,

a dog I used to have, and I would voice that suppressed desire

we rescued them from being shipped to Mexico for meat

for a life full of animals. By morning I'd have the emotions in

consumption. As I sat in the pasture that November afternoon,

check, a firm grip on the resolve that lazy girls don’t need a

I watched those beautiful creatures with their runny noses and

bunch of chores. And then, we bought our farm.

long road to recovery and I cried and cried. They would be a lot of hard work, but they would be worth it.

It wasn’t a farm when we bought it. We owned one cat the day we put in an offer on the place. Then we were owners of one

The mornings are early. Rain or shine, I walk the farm with

cat and four acres. No fences. No outbuildings. Just a house on

Ruth, my funny dog I found in a ditch as an eight-week-old

four acres with a handful of kids and a cat. And there, in the

puppy. Some evenings, I get in the shower and watch the water

empty expanse of backyard, the gauntlet was thrown down

swirling by my feet turn black with dirt. Some days I shovel

between the farm girl and lazy Messy Jessie.

muck from chicken coops until every muscle in my shoulders and back screams. Some nights I get out of bed just as I start

Isn’t it strange how often our own deepest desires seem to be contradicted by our very nature? Isn't it interesting that God often puts us in a position to yearn so deeply, causing us to face our naysayers to obtain our dreams?

to doze because I forgot to close the greenhouse or move the eggs around in the incubator.

My discipline is growing. I still hate the hard work, but I’m getting better at it. My family is getting better at it. I’ve learned hard lessons in procrastination and laziness because the stakes are high when dealing with living things. But the mistakes I’ve made and paid a high cost for, I’ve only made once.

I’m still bad at staying up on laundry. I still take to the bed with Ben and Jerry's when it all feels overwhelming. But against my nature, I am industrious. Because for every ingrained flaw, I think there is some deeply rooted desire to drive us beyond ourselves. Take it from me, Messy Jessie, the lazy farm girl. If I can overcome the worst of me, anyone can.

Follow Jessica on her blog @thehodgepodgedarling.blogspot.com

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diy

On This Day A DIY JOURNAL

words and images Catherine Frederick

words and images Catherine Frederick inspired by designsponge.com

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

O

diy

Over the years, I’ve tried several ways of keeping a daily record of our family life. Funny things our kids would say or do, or just something I didn’t want to forget. Something I’d always want them to remember, no matter how trivial or small.

I tried journals and various notebooks, each one starting off the way I’d intended. Then, before long, I’d forget one day, and then two, then before long an entire month of pages were empty. Trying to remember things and go back to fill in the blanks was an exercise in futility. Mom Fail #57.

I was determined to start the year off right, and so I searched for something I could leave out in the open, so I would see it each evening and stick to my daily task. Something simple.

Something that would not be tucked away in a drawer or cabinet in one of my cleaning frenzies.

A few years ago, I found this on Pinterest. Staring me down.

Begging me, MAKE ME NOW! It was an easy method. One

materials

that met my criteria of “simple.” Just flip to the current date, and at the end of the day jot down something that happened.

For example: “Tyler got hit in the head with a golf club.”

Berry box

(Yes, that happened), or, “Mom backed into Dad’s car in the

Farmer’s Coop or Hobby Lobby

driveway.” Yep, that happened too.

The best part is, the calendar is perpetual, so you simply move

12 postcards or 4" x 6" photos

to the next line down, year after year. Make one for yourself or give one as a personal, unique gift. Such a simple way to record the best (and worst) moments of your life, from hissy

(180) 4" x 6" lined index cards

fits to hallelujahs.

Date stamp Hobby Lobby

Paper trimmer Hobby Lobby or Office Depot

Twine for gift giving

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diy

method 1

1

Holding the index cards horizontally, cut them in half. I cut

2

Stamp the month and date on each card (do not stamp the

through two cards at a time with my paper trimmer.

year). Depending on how picky you are on the “straightness factor” this takes about five minutes per month to accomplish.

3

Trim postcards/photos to the same width of the cut index cards but about a ½” longer than the index cards. The postcards are used as monthly dividers and need to be

2

taller than the index cards. This was the most difficult part for me. Not because of the cutter, but because it almost killed me to cut vintage postcards. Next time, I’ll purchase ones that have not been used, or I’ll use copies of family photos, etc.

4

Decide which postcards/photos you want to accompany each month, January through December, and place the selected postcard/photo behind the set of index cards.

3 Follow me on Pinterest! pinterest.com/catfrederick.

Making this project? Share your photo!

Send it to editors@dosouthmagazine.com

4 DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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lifestyle

ON YOUR MARK,

GET SET,

GOAL! words Matt and Becca Whitson

New Year’s resolutions. Those three words either make you roll your eyes or have you reaching giddily for the nearest notebook to make a list. Having sworn off resolutions for years, we are quite familiar with the eye-roll. There are a couple of reasons why. First, we don’t want to be part of the cliché crowd, heading to the gym and eating dry salads on the second day of January. And next, we have literally never kept a resolution, making us much like the majority of the January gym-goers. Year after year, we made our resolutions only to break them in the first six weeks...or days.

Unmet goals can bring frustration and discouragement, and ultimately, that’s why people stop setting them. But what if there’s a better way? Maybe the way we set goals is actually the key to making them happen. Try these tips when you set goals this year.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

lifestyle Be S.M.A.R.T.

what needs to change in order for your actions to line up with what

Goals often remain unmet because they weren’t well-written in the

you want for your life. Start with three to five goals. More than that

first place. Without a clear vision of where you want to go, you’ll

will likely be counter-productive.

end up settling with where you’ve always been. One easy way to be sure you’re writing clear, attainable goals is to use the acronym

Write Them Down.

S.M.A.R.T. for goal setting.

After you’ve chosen your goals, write them down. Productivity studies have shown that people with written goals are much more

Specific

likely to reach their goals than those without. But don’t stop there.

Know exactly what you want, and make your goals as specific as

Put your goals in a place where you’ll see them every day. Keeping

possible to reach that end. Use “who, what, when, where, why”

your dreams and goals in a highly visible spot in your home or

as a guide.

office will keep them front and center in your mind as well.

Bad: Save money.

Good: Put $20 from each paycheck into my emergency fund.

Practice Grace.

When you mess up, and you will, extend grace to yourself.

Measurable

Beating yourself up for that cheat meal or extra hour of sleep

Choose goals with quantifiable results. Make sure you will know

will do nothing but push you further away from your goal. Take

clearly if you’ve reached your goal or not.

note of your moment of weakness and what led up to it, then

Bad: Get in better shape.

move on. If you dwell on it, you’re likely to start shaming your-

Good: Run my first 5K in June.

self. Shame only leads you to continue in the same behavior pattern that caused the shame in the first place. So take note

Actionable

and start again.

Use action words (e.g. “go,” “finish,” “save,” etc.) rather than to-be verbs (e.g. “be,” “have,” etc.).

Talk to Yourself.

Bad: Be more disciplined with food.

We spend a lot of time listening to our self-talk, that script

Good: Substitute fruit for my afternoon candy bar three

that runs constantly in our heads, even when we don’t realize

times a week.

it’s happening. That script may say something like, “I’ll never be able to lose the weight. I do this every year, and it never

Realistic

works.” Pay attention to your self-talk. You might be surprised

Choose goals that push you to be better but are still within reach.

at how self-defeating those scripts are. In fact, you’re probably

Unattainable goals are an invitation to failure and frustration.

talking to yourself in ways you’d never talk to someone else.

Bad: Get up two hours early each morning to increase productivity.

Stop listening and start talking. Try substituting the negative

Good: Get up thirty minutes early on weekdays to tackle the

self-talk with positive statements. Research shows that people

to-do list.

who use their own names or the pronoun “you” perform better than those who speak to themselves using “I.” This year, try

Time-Bound

to become aware of your negative self-talk and replace it with

Author Michael Hyatt says, “A goal without a date is just a dream.”

positive, motivational statements you would say to a friend

Give each goal a time limit to keep you motivated and on track.

(e.g. “You’ve got this! You can do it!” or “So you messed up

Bad: Lose weight.

one time? Big deal. Start over tomorrow.”).

Good: Lose fifteen pounds by April 1.

Choose Support Carefully.

Take Inventory.

Instincts say that announcing a goal on social media will hold

Be clear about where you are right now. Take inventory of your life:

you accountable and make it more likely that you’ll work hard

where you are and where you want to be. Write down what is really

to reach it. However, the opposite is actually true. Derek Sivers

important to you, what you’re dreaming about, and then how you

teaches in his TED Talk that the social support you feel from

spend your time and money. If those lists aren’t congruent, look at

announcing a goal can mimic the support you’d feel from

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lifestyle

achieving the goal, thus making you less likely you'll work

important. When your goals need to adapt to your life, you haven’t

hard enough to actually accomplish it. That said, support is

failed. You’ve just shown yourself that you can adjust to what life

important, and many goals will require help. Choose care-

throws at you and keep going.

fully. Sharing your dreams and plans is a vulnerable thing. Who has earned the right to hear them? Who can you ask to hold

As we begin 2017, don’t let New Year’s resolutions haunt you

you accountable without fear of their own motives getting in

again. Set your goals, put them where you can see them, give your-

the way? Calling a professional counselor or coach may be an

self a break, get a handle on your self-defeating thoughts, get help

appropriate step if you need help getting to the next level in

when you need it, and be ready to change when life throws you a

your personal or professional life.

curveball. You can do this!

Edit when Necessary.

Revisiting your goals consistently is an important part of reaching them, but don’t be afraid to edit them when necessary. Life happens, and sometimes your goals need to adapt. When our son Will was diagnosed with lymphoma this past summer, our personal and work goals were put on the back-burner. We didn’t forget about them; we changed the timelines and put our focus where

Matt and Becca Whitson work together at WhitsonLife.com.

They’ve been married for eighteen years and have three kids through birth and adoption. Passionate about using their story to bring glory to God and share hope with others, they write a blog, speak to large and small groups, and offer professional counseling and coaching services.

it needed to be. Will is doing well post-treatment, and we are slowly getting back to our goals with a new fire for what’s truly

Matt and Becca Whitson

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taste

&

Charred

Tomato Soup Recipe and image James Stefiuk

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taste

FOR THE SOUP Ingredients

° 15 ripe red tomatoes, medium-sized ° ½ cup olive oil ° 1 yellow onion, julienned

Method

Set broiler on high. Slice tomatoes in half, remove any stems that may still be attached. Toss halved tomatoes with ¼ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place tomatoes cut-side-down on baking sheet and place under broiler until the skin blisters and browns. Remove from oven, set aside.

° 4 cloves garlic, sliced as thin as possible ° Kosher salt, to taste ° Fresh ground black pepper, to taste ° 1 sprig fresh thyme ° 6 cups chicken stock

In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the other ¼ cup olive oil, julienned onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.

Add charred tomatoes, thyme sprig, and chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes or until tomatoes are thoroughly cooked and breaking down.

° 2 cups heavy cream ° Sherry vinegar, to taste

Strain tomato/onion/garlic mixture and remove thyme sprig. Be sure to reserve the cooking liquid. Working in batches, puree the solids and heavy cream in a blender until smooth. Add more soup liquid as necessary to make soup the consistency you prefer—if you like it thicker, add less liquid, if you prefer a thinner soup, use more.

Return each blended batch to a single skillet and heat on low until completely mixed. Add salt, pepper and sherry vinegar to taste.

FOR THE GRILLED CHEESE Ingredients

° 12 slices fontal, or other cheese that melts well ° 12 slices of your favorite bread ° Butter

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Place cheese slices in between bread slices. Heat butter in the bottom of a nonstick skillet until it is completely melted and bubbling.

Place sandwich in pan and toast until brown on one side, add a little more butter to the pan, and toast on other side. Transfer to the oven and allow cheese to melt completely.

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taste

Darling C lementine image James Stefiuk recipe adapted from bettycrocker.com

INGREDIENTS -

Crushed ice 1 oz. gin ž oz. St. Germain liqueur 3 oz. fresh-squeezed clementine juice - 1 oz. fresh lime juice - Club soda - Clementine twist (garnish)

METHOD Combine crushed ice, juices, gin and St. Germain liqueur in a cocktail shaker. Shake well.

Pour into martini glass and top with club soda. Garnish with clementine twist.

Drink responsibly.

Never drink and drive.

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travel

Bull Shoals

White River State Park

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travel

On one of the largest lakes in the Ozarks, and on the famed trout waters of the White River, Bull Shoals State Park is a fantastic place to see plenty of bald eagles. Eagle Awareness Weekend is January 13-14. River and lake cruises, guided walks and van tours are just some of the activities offered.

To learn more, visit arkansasstateparks.com, or call 870.445.3629.

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Oaklawn Never Sleeps Opening Day for Horse Racing: January 13.

Season runs through April 15. words Dwain Hebda images courtesy Oaklawn Racing and Gaming

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

T

taste travel

Technically, Oaklawn Racing and Gaming shuts down Christmas

and two other horses Afleet Alex (2005) and Smarty Jones (2004),

and Easter, but that’s just window dressing. Between the historic

won here before claiming two of three Triple Crown races.

thoroughbred racetrack and the spanking-new gaming area, Oaklawn is perpetually on, day and night, seven days a week.

The horseflesh is only part of Oaklawn’s echoes; if you know where to look, you will see nods to the past all around you.

Any way you want to look at it – politically, socially, economi-

Some are conspicuous, such as photos of past champions or the

cally – Oaklawn has been a major component of the story of

oversized racing-themed cartoon drawings that adorn the walls,

Arkansas. And its ongoing, seamless transition from a racing-

lending a nostalgic 1950s feel to the cavernous grandstand.

only venue to near around-the-clock entertainment over the past sixteen years has been the envy of tracks coast to coast.

Others are less obvious, such as the iconic, life-size horse-andjockey statue by the main gate. To newcomers, it’s merely a

“It used to be that tracks had the opinion that they were a sports

lovely piece of artwork, but the long-timer understands it’s also

venue and they were a betting venue. So all they needed to do

a tribute to the reigning Arkansas Derby winner. The statue is

was open up their doors and people were going to come to bet

re-painted to match the steed’s coat and rider’s silks and is unof-

and to gamble,” says Jennifer Hoyt, media relations manager.

ficially one of the most-photographed spots in the Spa City.

“For a long time, horse racing across the country was the only place where you could do that.

“But now you have gaming in Indiana, you have it in Iowa, you have it in Mississippi, you have it all over the country, practically.

There’s a lot more competition that horse racing never had to face before. What we’ve discovered is you have to make it an entertainment destination.”

The Sport of Kings – steeped in tradition and awash in superstition, unwritten rules and, occasionally, intrigue – has held marquee billing here since 1904. In the early days, racing was regarded both as economic boon and moral bust and shifting political winds repeatedly interrupted Oaklawn’s history during its first three decades.

Local businessmen finally took matters into their own hands, forming the Business Men’s Racing Association and, in defiance of both the state legislature and pending litigation, sanctioned the technically-illegal 1934 racing season. The next year, lawmakers legalized pari-mutuel wagering, and Oaklawn hasn’t looked back since, attracting well over a million fans a year. Arkansas Derby Day alone exceeds sixty thousand fans; the Rebel Stakes over thirty thousand.

The handle – or, total betting – for these days averages around eight million dollars for the Rebel Stakes and over twelve million on Derby Day. Winners here are in prime position for the sport’s marquee runs: Oaklawn crowds cheered 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

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Such traditions survive intact thanks to the unbroken line of

The racetrack saw its share of scallywags, too. Eighty-some

ownership by the Cella family, dating back to 1914. Under this

years ago, Hot Springs was a haven for mobsters who often

leadership, Oaklawn has grown into one of the most successful

took their entertainment betting the ponies. Al Capone was

and important stops in thoroughbred racing while at the same

a regular at Oaklawn, as was Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Ben

time maintaining a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

“Bugsy” Siegal and permanent Spa City resident gangster Owney “The Killer” Madden.

“Horsemen like coming here because the community of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas get behind the race meet,”

Oaklawn was also a favorite of major league ballplayers who were

Jennifer says. “A lot of racetracks have seen their attendance

either in spring training or breaking it, including Babe Ruth, Rogers

dwindle; you could go out and shoot off a cannon and not

Hornsby, and Satchel Paige, among many others. The co-mingling

hit a single patron at some of the tracks. Here, it’s an event.

of professional athletes, mobsters, and a gambling venue made

People cheer. If you’re a trainer or a jockey you can go out to

for a spicy brew and lent to Hot Springs’ bawdy reputation.

dinner and you’re going to get recognized as if you’re a celebrity. People like that.”

The criminal celebrities are gone now but Oaklawn still attracts the more benign variety – entertainers, politicians and the like. Some

The ground upon which the track stands was a pasture forever,

of them own racehorses, stabling them in the expansive barns

a freak clearing amid stately oaks that gave the place its name.

behind the track and working them out for the meet. Others are

Recreational, pick-up horse races happened here since before

merely fans, indistinguishable from the thousands of other visitors

the Civil War. The original grandstand was designed by famed

who pass through the gates as they have for generations.

Chicago architect Zachary Taylor Davis, who also designed Wrigley Field. It was glass-enclosed and heated, one-of-a-kind

Today, just as the track is part of the neighborhood, it is also

features that drove the princely $500,000 price tag, about thir-

part of the state’s fabric. The place may be a multi-million-

teen million in today’s money.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

travel taste

dollar business and a giant in the racing industry, but the

– but there are enough “games of skill” including live and video

average Arkansan doesn’t see it that way, and that’s what

blackjack and poker to draw crowds from all over.

makes Oaklawn unique.

The layperson might assume that the gaming customer is “One of the reasons that I fell in love with Oaklawn is because

merely a racing customer waiting for the season to start. In

it is a family. We operate at a corporate level because we

actuality, the gaming and racing crowds are two surprisingly

have to; we’re that big, we’re nationally-known both for our

unique clienteles.

gaming and our racing,” says Karie Hobby, director of food and beverage operations. “But I will tell you; it is a family. That’s

“You’re never going to make a person who likes to play a reel

just the way we operate.”

machine a horse wagering fan. Your poker players, your blackjack players, there’s a little bit of a crossover, but there’s a lot of

If the historic grandstand and paddock is lazy summer baseball,

instant gratification from the gaming machines,” Jennifer says.

Oaklawn’s gaming area is mixed martial arts, all flashy lights,

“The fact that they coexist so well at Oaklawn is the reason why

bright colors and fast action. On a cold winter Friday, machines

we will continue to grow our business.”

jangle and coins hiss and clatter as a good crowd tries its luck.

The parking lot, while not jammed, is filled enough that late-

One thing upon which both race fans and gamers can agree

comers face a brisk walk or snag a ride with the shuttles that

is they get hungry and Oaklawn’s food is on par with the

endlessly circle from the outer reaches to the front door.

other amenities. Nowhere is that more apparent than with the facility’s legendary corned beef. No one is really sure how

The company recently invested twenty million dollars’ worth of

or why corned beef caught on at Oaklawn, but you haven’t

improvements at the grounds and a healthy chunk of it went into

truly visited the place until you’ve munched on one of these

expanded gaming amenities. It’s not a casino in the truest sense

legendary sandwiches waiting for your horse to come in, liter-

of the word – only certain games are legal under Arkansas law

ally or figuratively.

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“Folks around this area that don’t even like corned beef love the corned beef here at Oaklawn, they expect it,” Karie says. “It’s a tradition. It’s a staple in our DNA.” The company buys its corned beef by the semi-truckload from Kelly Green Corned Beef in Chicago and will sell more than seventy-two thousand pounds of it in a calendar year; in the four-month racing season alone, enough to make seventy-four thousand sandwiches. And about those sandwiches, you can get them in two varieties, corned beef, and Reuben, with the former outselling the latter just under two to one.

Karie is a Reuben girl – has been since tagging along with her horse-trainer father all through her formative years here – but in true restauranteur fashion, quickly reminds the visitor of the other menu attractions to be had. If your tastes run to a different type of brine, treat yourself to a dozen Blue Point oysters on the half shell, shipped in fresh from the Gulf to the tune of almost fifty thousand during racing season. Or, for the ultimate in quick, good eats, don’t pass on the all-beef hot dogs of which nearly three miles will be sold during racing season.

Karie said as much as new technology, promotions and marketing, food service at Oaklawn is a bellwether for the future of the company, as its on-premises bars and restaurants have begun to attract their own clientele independent of other attractions.

“Three or four years ago clients came out here for gaming or a racing event, and we happened to have good food that goes along with it,” Karie says. “Now we’re seeing the transition where we’re making a name in the neighborhood that we have good food, that we have the best sports bar in Hot Springs.

We’re starting to make that transition in the minds of our clients that we’ve got more than just the games and the races.”

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travel taste

How to Oaklawn like a local Oaklawn is more about the spirit than the stone of the place; it’s the taking in of an experience more than a century in the making. Here’s how you do it:

GET HERE EARLY

the corned beef sandwich or dressed up in the Reuben on rye.

The price of being a neighborhood track in a historic town like

The oysters on the half shell and hot dogs are equally tasty and

Hot Springs is less-than-desirable traffic management, especially

while there are plenty of sit-down options here, know that they

on the biggest racing days of the year. That, plus expansion

often require reservations. Happily, any concession stand can

that’s eaten up parking spaces, demands advance planning.

handle your needs while you study your steeds.

Don’t cut it close to post time if you don’t like to hike or if you want a prime seat. By the way, Section H on the grandstand’s

BRING THE FAMILY

second level is considered the choicest view in the house and

There are age restrictions to bet, of course, but minors are

the pick of track veterans.

welcomed on race day. Plan for nice weather when the infield is open and enjoy Arkansas spring flora, a picnic blanket, and some great racing. They even put up inflatables to keep the

NEWCOMERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

youngsters happy on certain days of the year.

If you don’t know your exacta from a hole in the ground, not to worry. Spend a couple bucks on a tip sheet and program through the door and a little time talking up the mutuel tellers

REVEL IN YOUR SUPERSTITIONS

at the betting window (just not right before post!). You’ll get

Let’s face it, most of us simply guess when it comes to picking

the basics in no time. Or, seek out the staffers in the distinctive

horses. Know that this is OK, even time-honored. Ask around

red jackets; they know everything and are there to help.

and you’ll find all manner of folk wisdom on the subject: Bet a gray horse on an overcast day, for instance. Look for a horse with a braided mane, as it supposedly suggests an owner who is

CHECK OUT THE STAR ATTRACTIONS

confident enough to dress up the mount for the winner’s circle.

Oaklawn has one of the only indoor paddocks (prep areas), and it’s a prime spot to check out the horses up-close before

These old track saws, and many others, are certainly no more

any given race. Or, true equine nuts can take advantage of

scientific than your system of always picking green silks in

Saturday Dawn at Oaklawn where from 7:30 to 9:30am visitors

March, so have at it and have fun.

can watch horses train, tour the barns and mingle with owners, trainers, and jockeys. It’s free and so is the coffee and Danish they give you.

EAT AND EAT HEARTY You will not find better corned beef in the nation than at Hot

Oaklawn Racing & Gaming 2705 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 1.800.OAKLAWN oaklawn.com

Springs’ legendary track, period, whether you take it lean in

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56

southern fiction

Girls Who Run

FICTION Marla Cantrell

Sometimes a girl just has to run. Sometimes her feet take over.

The two old ladies have given up. They're walking arm in arm

This is one of those times, early morning, early January. I'm at the

to a forest-green Mazda sedan. The dog is off its leash, sniffing

Alma City Park, on the trail popular with the older crowd at this

the ground.

time of day, at least when the weather's warmer. Today, I see two brave women, pushing seventy, in scarves and gloves and hooded

Before the hospital, I ran five days a week.

coats, and they're walking a tiny white dog that's wearing pink The man with the scarf waves the next time I pass, and says, "Nice

booties and a jeweled collar.

day for a run."

A man, maybe half their age and approximately mine, walks a few yards behind them. He moves as if he's nowhere else to be;

I nod again. Keep going, but when I reach the next bench, set

strolling might be the word I'm looking for. Hands in his pockets,

inside a small pavilion, I stop, hands on my knees, winded, and

a striped scarf around his neck, the ends of which are fluttering

then sit down.

behind him. He is the only one of us without his head covered, and his dark hair reaches all the way to his shoulders. When he smiles,

The squirrels are busy, hopping the trail, going to the water's

there's a small gap between his two front teeth. When he says

edge. The oak trees dropped so many acorns they didn't have to

hello, his voice sounds like a voiceover artist.

prepare for winter. So now they look like kids on an Easter egg hunt, scampering here and there, their small dark eyes darting. I

I circle him in a wide arc, trotting and then speeding up. The

can imagine them with bunny ears, with tiny baskets, with shiny

running shoes I'm wearing I got for Christmas. I got a book of

new shoes.

inspiration quotes I've yet to crack open. I got a mixer that's still in the box.

That's another one of my problems, all this imagining.

Only the shoes I love.

Before the hospital, I could run straight up the levy that holds Alma Lake in place. I can see the levy from here, the angle of it like

The path I take goes up a slight incline and across a bridge that

the side of a pyramid. I could never climb it now.

crosses a stream. I make it around the quarter-mile trail three times, feeling the ground drop below me, my feet rising like

The guy is rounding the bend. When he reaches me, he stops. He

clouds. It all comes back to me, the way I feel when I'm moving,

bends down so that he's sitting on his haunches. "I've seen you

the way my mind clears. On the next loop, though, the run catches

here before," he says.

up with me. My calves begin to burn. My lungs squall inside my chest. I slow to a trot.

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southern fiction

It sounds like a come-on. Like something I'd hear at CJ's Watering

"Like what?"

Hole on a Saturday night.

"Where you've been. Who you've been with. What you ate for I give him a look.

breakfast. The kind of shampoo you use."

"I really have seen you run," he says, rocking back on his heels.

The man sniffs the cuff of his jacket. "What's that got to do

He shakes his head. "You don't believe me." He points to the disc

with feelings?"

golf course that sits at the tip-top of the park. "I watched you I've never been able to explain it right, but I try. "I was a crier as

from up there," he says. "I used to play a lot."

a kid. A big, epic, meltdown crier. My sisters made fun of me. My "And you don't now?"

parents didn't know what to do.

"Not as much." He shrugs. "The weather and all."

"A leaf would fall, and I'd mourn it. My dad would come home from work, lunch pail under his arm, and I could feel every humiliation he'd suffered at the hands of his boss. I'd read a newspaper

"Why'd you watch me?"

article about a kid in China, and I felt like I was that kid, underfed, "It was hard not to." When he says this I wait, wondering if this

unwanted, doomed."

is another move. But then he says, "There was so much trouble in "So, you feel the way a dog can smell. And that's made life hard

the way you ran."

for you?"

"What do you know about trouble?" I ask.

"Not every day, but yes, it has. Running helped. It was like a The man stands up. He smoothes the fabric of his pants. "Plenty,"

re-start button, let me forget the state of the world for a while.

he says, defiant.

But then my oldest friend got sick, and instead of helping her, I fell apart; I was suffering as much as she was. She said, 'Lisa, you

He shoves his hands in his pockets, and I can hear his keys clash

make everything about you.' I don't think she'll ever forgive me."

against metal, against the nickels and dimes.

The park goes quiet for a moment. "Pitiful, isn't it?"

"Sorry," I say, aware that I'm overreacting. At the hospital, they told me I was an HSP, a hyper-sensitive person, a little-known

The man sits down next to me and our thighs touch. "No," he

diagnosis. It means I'm not fit for this world. At the hospital, they

says. "It's not pitiful. It's sad, though."

gave me pills that made me tough like three-day-old bread.

I wipe my eyes with my gloved hand, take a deep breath, try to "I've not been well lately," I say. "It's affected my attitude." I look

push the tears back. The man hesitates, then wraps his arm around

at new blue shoes. "It's affected my running."

my shoulder. "What the hell," he says. "My name's Randy. Lean into me for a while."

"What made you so sick?"

The mid-morning walkers have shown up, four young women who I look past him to the swing sets. "I feel too much. I imagine too

probably have a clutch of children in the nearby schools. When they

much." I exhale. "You know how dogs are? How they can smell

spot me crying, the tallest woman frowns. "He's not hurting you, is

everything? They have, like, 300 million olfactory cells. We, on the

he?" she asks and points at Randy.

other hand, only have five million.

"Not at all," I say. "I was just having a moment, and he stepped in."

"If I had my dog, Ethyl, with me now, she could sniff you once and know more about you than I could learn in a month."

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southern fiction

"Just making sure," she says. She hesitates a beat. "You

"I was in the hospital for a month," I say.

never know."

"I was in jail once," Randy says. "Back when I was a kid. It doesn't When they move on, Randy asks, "Where's your friend now?"

mean a thing."

"Florida. At her parents' house."

"Did you hurt somebody?"

"Is she going to be all right?"

"Not in any real way. I'd go into rich peoples' houses, take a doo-dad of some kind. Just so they'd know I was there."

"Eventually."

"After you were caught, did you tell them you were sorry?"

"You could write her a letter."

"Sure. That was part of the plea deal."

"I could."

"Did they forgive you?"

"If it were me, I'd go see her."

"Some did."

"That's crazy."

"What about the others?"

Randy laughs. "I drive a truck, Lisa. I go to Florida all the time.

Going to Florida is nothing."

Randy loosens the scarf around his neck. The sun is just above us now, warming up the world. "Who knows. Maybe I helped rein-

"So I'd just show up?"

force their view of a certain kind of boy, brought up on the wrong side of town.

"I don't know. Maybe. I know I'd try again. Give it one last shot."

"Nothing I could do about that. I'd done what I could. So I got on "Have you ever done anything like that?"

with life. And little by little, I forgave myself. That's the real secret.

You have to be the one to say enough is enough. You have to

"I have," Randy says. "Driving the truck helps; it gives you an

treat yourself better than you think you deserve."

excuse. 'I was just passing through, etcetera etcetera.'"

I haven't felt like I deserved anything for a long time. Even my dog "What if she rejects me again?"

Ethyl seems too good for me. Or maybe especially Ethyl. I start to say this, but before I can, the air changes, the weight of it shifting,

"If she does, at least you'd have gotten a trip to Florida."

and I feel the electricity of it, the shimmering movement of it that feels like comfort.

"Maybe I don't deserve forgiveness. A better person would have held it together."

The feeling is like running, when your arms and legs seem to be moving without your brain doing any work at all. At those

"Who deserves forgiveness?" Randy asks. "That's kind of the

moments every kind thing seems possible, love, happiness, even

point of every religion on earth. We don't deserve it, but we get it.

forgiveness. I concentrate on the air that's hovering around me,

This life," he says, "what a messy business."

willing it to move, imagining it crossing one state line and then another, landing in Florida, ready to work another miracle.

"How'd you get so smart?" I ask, and Randy laughs. "I don't know much of anything."

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

DO SOUTH'S

Health & Wellness Special Advertising Section January 2017

2017 DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

Whew! We did it. We made it through the holidays. We ate a bit more than we intended. We stayed up too late. Our weekends were stacked with parties. Now that it's 2017, though, we're regrouping, focusing on our wellbeing.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Surgical Weight Loss Program

Darryl Eckes, M.D. Cooper Clinic - Bariatric and General Surgery Cooperweightlosssurgery.com 479.274.3215

Have you considered how much your hearing health affects

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For many people, losing weight is something that they try and

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Luther Stem Pools and Spas 5011 Old Greenwood St., Fort Smith lutherstem.com 479.646.7772 Want a fun way to stay in shape in 2017? Luther Stem is your

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dealer for Aquatic Training Vessels (ATV™s), the swim spa you can use year-round for your personal workouts. Do leg kicks,

Mercy Fitness Center has a special offer to start 2017. During

resistance movements, swim strokes, and low-impact range

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You'll love your ATV™, and your family will as well. Stop by Luther Stem to learn more about this great swim spa.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

HEALTH

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WELLNESS

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

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Special Care Unit.

Sparks Regional Medical Center 1001 Towson Ave., Fort Smith sparkshealth.com 479.709.DOCS Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 people dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain.

As frightening as this is, you can take comfort in knowing that Sparks Regional Medical Center is an accredited Chest Pain Center. We ensure that patients who arrive at the hospital complaining of chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack receive the treatment necessary during the critical window of time when the integrity of the heart muscle can be preserved.

signs the doctor mentioned such as: • Pain or tightness in the arms, jaw, neck

and even stomach

• Shortness of breath • Nausea and lightheadedness • Cold sweat “Because of that talk, he saved my life,” Krasko said.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Krasko began to remember the heart attack warning

Krasko went to the Emergency Room where a doctor confirmed he was having a heart attack. Krasko Photo is copyrighted to Corey S. Krasko

had three blocked arteries, one of which was 99% blocked, and underwent bypass surgery the next day.

PHOTOGRAPHER PUTS FOCUS ON HEART HEALTH

Krasko went through Cardiac Rehabilitation at Marvin Altman Fitness Center and now has his blood pressure under control without medication. He also exercises a few days a week, in

479.709.DOCS | SparksHealth.com

between photo shoots, to keep his heart healthy.

Corey Krasko has a heart attack to thank for what he calls

“The first couple years of retirement I was just a couch

the best boat he’s ever had.

potato, but now I feel great, I have a lot of energy,” he said.

“I just realized life is too short to not do the things you really

About a month after surgery and recuperating at home with

love,” he said.

crossword puzzles, Krasko started boat shopping again. He found one he just had to have and now spends about 4 or 5

Krasko, 70, suffered a heart attack in May and underwent

days a month boating on Beaver Lake or the Arkansas River.

triple bypass surgery at Sparks Regional Medical Center, an

He said the upkeep of a boat is good for his health.

accredited Chest Pain Center.

With a family history of heart disease and having lost a few Prior to his heart attack, the semi-retired professional

friends to it, Krasko is more vigilant of his heart health than

photographer had been busy working on a photo exhibit at

ever before. You can stay vigilant, too, by learning your heart’s

the Fort Smith Public Library when he noticed a ‘tightness’ in

real age through Sparks’ free online Heart Risk Assessment.

his arms, shoulders and back.

In just five minutes, you’ll learn your personal risk factors for heart disease, the #1 health concern in the U.S. for both men and women – even those with active lifestyles. To take the

a heart attack was because I had photographed a Sparks

assessment visit SparksHeartCare.com.

cardiologist as he was giving a lecture at UA Fort Smith a few years ago,” Krasko said.

The heart talk was given by Dr. Nasser Adjei, an interventional cardiologist at the Cardiology Center at Sparks. He, along with many physicians at Sparks, regularly gives free community talks throughout the year on various health topics.

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“The only reason I even recognized these as symptoms of

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Total Rehabilitation, Inc. P h y s i c a l T h e ra py

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West Central Center on Aging 512 S. 16th St., Fort Smith westcentralcenteronaging.org 479.478.8819

Western Arkansas Plastic, Hand & Reconstructive Surgery Dr. James E. Kelly III, MD 3501 W.E. Knight Drive, Ste. B, Fort Smith jameskelly3MD.com 479.709.8300 Beautiful by nature. Confident by design. Dr. James E. Kelly III,

The West Central Center on Aging is western Arkansas’

is Fort Smith’s only plastic surgeon accredited by Joint Commis-

most comprehensive center addressing the needs of seniors

sion Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). He

age 55 and older. The center’s community programs include

is dually board certified in plastic and hand surgery by the

a diabetes education program, tai chi exercise that focuses

American Board of Plastic Surgery and also a member of the

on breathing and stretching, and programs to improve brain

American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). Dr. Kelly

fitness and manage the fear of falling while safely increasing

provides treatment for hand trauma, tendon injuries, carpal

activity. The Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program

tunnel, rheumatoid arthritis, congenital hand deformity, and

educates individuals in caring for older adults in the home. For

joint replacements as well as surgical enhancements such as

more information, please visit the Center at 512 S. 16th St. in

breast augmentations, liposuction, facelifts, facial rejuvena-

Fort Smith, or call 479.478.8819.

tions, and abdominoplasty. Call today for your consultation.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Read Chair Publishing, LLC 4300 Rogers Avenue, Suite 20-110 Fort Smith, AR 72903

Wouldn’t miss a birthday.

Her food pantry shift.

Or her breast screening.

Mercy in Fort Smith now offers the Genius 3D mammography test.

It’s one of the ways we’re helping women of all ages take control of their breast health. We offer genetic testing and advanced diagnostics, including 3-D mammography for clearer images and earlier detection.

Mammograms save lives. Learn how. Download our free mammography guide at mercy.net/FortSmithGuide.

Your life is our life’s work.