Macho - June 2016

速

MACHO

JUNE 2016 DoSouthMagazine.com

CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS / PHOTOGRAPHERS John Blase Marla Cantrell Kellie Cobb Catherine Frederick Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper James Stefiuk GRAPHIC DESIGNER Artifex 323 - Jessica Mays PROOFREADER Charity Chambers

46

PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC

24

INSIDE

34

24 34 46 54

54

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick - 479.782.1500

MR. FORT SMITH

Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com

Meet Dawson Meadows, who says he's Fort Smith's biggest fan. He’s been proving it by promoting our city every chance he gets, and making (most) everyone around him laugh along the way.

Scott Frederick - 479.459.6672

SWEET, SWEET SUMMER

Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com

We love the new fruit décor trend. So naturally, we adore this month’s DIY, a hand painted serving tray and coasters that look just like cut fruit. They’re the perfect pairing to your next summer soirée!

SHRIMP CREOLE

Scott@DoSouthMagazine.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell - 479.831.9116 ©2016 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

No more ties! Give dad what he really wants for Father’s Day. A delicious home cooked meal!

Celebrate your dad with our scrumptious Shrimp Creole recipe and you’re sure to be his favorite!

Cover Image: nito/Shutterstock

JUNE IN ARKANSAS

Annual subscriptions are $30 (12 months), within the contiguous United States. Subscribe at DoSouthMagazine.com or mail check to 7030 Taylor Avenue, Suite 5, Fort Smith, AR, 72916.

Single issues are available upon request for $7.

Inquiries or address changes, call 479.782.1500.

School's out, festivals abound, and there's a plethora of great food and music to satisfy the toughest critic.

We gathered fifteen fun-filled events that show off what's great about The Natural State.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

FOLLOW US

W

What’s that on our cover? Could that be the face of Dawson Meadows? Of course not, silly! You know we never put people on our covers!

Want to know why? Of all the stories we're

letter from the editor

If you’re looking for things to do, we have you covered, twice! Check out our Top 10 events starting on page 10, then jump over to our feature, June in Arkansas, packed with fifteen

blessed to share with you each month,

more fun-filled happenings from all around

how could we ever choose one over

our great state. We’re super excited about

another? We simply couldn’t. And, we

Bat-O-Rama, taking place this month at

strive to be unique, to create covers so eye catching you can’t resist picking them up! We want the outside of our magazine to be just as

Devil’s Den. Read all about it, discover why some caves have closed, and what researchers are doing to help the bats that hibernate there.

extraordinary as the stories on the inside.

Marla Cantrell recommends a book I can’t wait We’re following in the footsteps of award-winning

to get my hands on, The Long and Faraway Gone,

magazines that have come before us, and that still continue

by Lou Berney. I love a good crime mystery! Read her review on

today. Magazines like House and Home, Southern Living, and

page 7. And if you’re looking for a furry friend to complete your

Family Circle, just to name a few. So, even though it’s not an

family, please visit your local animal shelter – we’re featuring some

actual face on our cover, jump on over to page 24 and read

adorable pups ready for a forever home on page 12.

our story on Mr. Fort Smith, a.k.a. Dawson Meadows, a.k.a.

Rham Cunningham, and we think you’ll agree; there is a striking

Finally, we’re bringing you our House and Home special, starting

resemblance (we think it’s the 'stache)!

on page 64! We partnered with local experts to show you how to improve the home you love, what to do if you’re ready to

During our interview with Mr. Fort Smith, he told us how much his

buy a new one, and steps to take to protect one of the biggest

father taught him, and how he plans to share that knowledge with

investments you’ll ever make.

his daughter as she grows up. Since Father's Day is June 19, we decided to ask some of the leaders in our community to share the

Now, I don’t know about you, but for me, June means a reprieve

best advice their dads gave them. Check that out on page 45.

from the wake-up-early, hurry-up pace of the school year. I’m ready for flip flops and road trips with my family! In honor of Father’s Day,

If you're looking for a dad-friendly recipe, we highly recommend

I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite photos of my husband and

whipping up the Shrimp Creole recipe on page 46. And check our

our son taken at the beach several years ago. My whole world is in

Shop Local feature on page 14 for great gift ideas.

that photo. And, since the beach is one of our favorite places, I’m living for the day that we have our toes back in the sand again—

Our DIY is a serving tray and coasters all in a fun, summery fruit motif,

even if it is on the way to a basketball tournament!

perfect for your next get-together. We even have kids' crafts on page

~Catherine

34 that will keep your kids active and cool all summer long.

Follow Do South® Magazine

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

05

06

poetry

FATHER'S DAYS LINEs John Blase

I guess I thought things would look different at forty-seven, that I’d be farther along, better off, established in some recognizable sense, settled.

Most days I feel the rev of seventeen.

But maybe that’s for the best since my son is of that age. Maybe it will keep us talking, not with our mouths but our eyes, those glances that say Everything’s on ahead, don’t be afraid.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

entertainment

The Long and Faraway Gone

By Lou Berney | William Morrow, publisher | 456 pages | $14.99 review Marla Cantrell

There are places in Fort Smith where

whose last memory is of her older sister

you can put one foot in Arkansas and

walking toward danger holds onto the

the other in Oklahoma. We live in this

hope that her sister is alive somewhere,

border town, so connected to our sister

still beautiful, still turning heads when

state that the events that happen there

she walks in a room.

feel as if they've happened to us.

The book volleys between the time of And if you were around in 1978, you

the crimes and twenty-five years later

likely remember a robbery/murder at an

as Wyatt, the boy who survived, and

Oklahoma City steakhouse called the

Julianna, the sister of the missing girl,

Sirloin Stockade. Six workers died, four

search for answers.

of them teens, the youngest only fifteen years old. They were discovered in the

Wyatt, who's now a private eye in Las

restaurant's freezer. The killers left the

Vegas, has been called back to Oklahoma

scene with fifteen-hundred dollars.

City to work on a case that he thinks he'll solve in just a day or two. Julianna has never left, hoping her sister will come

Writer Lou Berney was thirteen at the time, and working at a fast food place across town. He

looking for her one day. Both Wyatt and Julianna discover new

remembers thinking how terrified those teens must have been.

leads that take them down dangerous paths.

And then, in 1981, two thirteen-year-old girls went missing from the State Fair of Oklahoma. They have never been seen again.

The Long and Faraway Gone examines the power of memory, the particular ache of first love, especially when it ends in tragedy,

These two tragedies fueled the fictional story, The Long and

and the ties of sisterhood that last far beyond the grave.

Faraway Gone. The storylines diverge—the multiple murders happen in a movie theater after hours and one teenage boy

Berney is a master of storytelling, carving out a world so real

survives. A teen girl goes missing at the fair the very same year

you could step into it effortlessly, and then taking you through

after she walks away from her younger sister with instructions to

a chain of events that will keep you up late at night turning the

wait until she returns.

pages. By the time the book ends, you will feel as if you know Wyatt and Julianna well enough to love them. You will hope that

When tragedy strikes while we're still young, it can hold our

whatever they face in the future will be good enough and kind

futures hostage. That's the case for both the survivors of these

enough to soften some of what they've lived through. I like to

dual crimes. The teen boy leaves town as soon as he can,

think it was.

dropping everything but the memories that haunt him. The girl DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

07

08

&

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

UP CLOSE PERSONAL

Deborah Moorman Sales Executive Cross Pointe Insurance Advisors 479.424.4922 crosspointeadvisors.com

ABOUT CROSS POINTE INSURANCE ADVISORS Most of my thirty years in the insurance business have been at JMR and PFP, now known as Cross Pointe Insurance Advisors.

Over the years, I have worked in all areas within an independent insurance agency. I am grateful for every opportunity that I have had over the years. I am now on the sales team. In this position, I learned that I am more competitive than I realized! I take this competitive spirit and work to win for my customers. I focus primarily on property, specializing in the multifamily arena. With a full understanding of their unique needs, I find solutions by negotiating competitive terms to deliver the best value in the marketplace. I am passionate about my job, as well as my family. I am blessed by both. I can’t imagine doing anything else! I'm sure to many people, my job may not sound fun, but I love every minute. I enjoy every aspect of marketing, quoting, and binding insurance coverage for our valuable customers.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

UPCLOSE&PERSONAL WORDS TO LIVE BY OR FAVORITE QUOTE

IF I COULD BRING BACK ONE FASHION TREND

The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

it would be big hair.

LIST 3 PRODUCTS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

lipstick, sunblock, and music.

I WAS BORN IN

Fort Smith, Arkansas.

I LIVE IN

Fort Smith, Arkansas.

I'M INSPIRED BY

athletes with physical disabilities because they demonstrate strength and perseverance.

They inspire me to workout harder.

IF I COULD GO BACK AND GIVE MY TEENAGE SELF ADVICE, IT WOULD BE

not to sweat the small stuff.

IF CALORIES DIDN'T COUNT

MY LAST ROAD TRIP WAS TO

I'd eat chocolate every day.

OKC to see Luke Bryan's “Kill the Lights” concert.

IF I COULD THANK MY DAD FOR JUST ONE THING

it would be teaching me work ethic.

I THINK STAYING UP LATE IS

overrated.

ONE THING I WAS NEVER ABLE TO LEARN WAS

not to talk so much.

WHEN I WAS A KID, I WANTED TO GROW UP TO BE

a race car driver.

MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT ARKANSAS IS

I NEVER MET A

the tranquility found in the outdoors.

puppy I didn't like.

THE MOST UNUSUAL THING IN MY FRIDGE IS ~ jalapeno ketchup.

MY FIRST JOB WAS

at Wendy’s working as a cashier at the age of sixteen.

MY FIRST CAR WAS

a Ford Mustang.

THE LAST TIME I DID SOMETHING THAT SCARED ME WAS

when I rode the Ferris wheel in Chicago.

I SOMETIMES DAYDREAM ABOUT

sitting on the beach in the Caribbean.

THE WORST TROUBLE I WAS EVER IN AS A KID

was when I attempted to sneak out of the house when I was in the ninth grade.

THE STRANGEST PLACE I EVER CALLED THE HOGS WAS

in Punta Cana.

MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN

that I learned that I can’t control other people. I can only control the way I react to other people.

I never leave home without lipstick.

My best habit is working out.

MY WORST HABIT IS

drinking diet sodas.

IF I COULD CHOOSE AN ACTOR TO PLAY MY LIFE, IT WOULD BE

Reese Witherspoon.

MY FAVORITE FASHION TREND IS

leggings and riding boots.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

IF I COULD TAKE A YEAR OFF FROM MY JOB,

I'd visit the top ten national parks.

THE BEST WAY TO STAY COOL DURING AN ARKANSAS SUMMER IS

to hang out with friends and family at the lake.

My best summer vacation was a Hawaiian cruise with my husband.

09

10

calendar

JUNE

3

RD

Submit your events to editors@dosouthmagazine.com certain photos courtesy AR Dept. Parks and Tourism Each Saturday in June there will be a 9am guided hike. Dress for hiking, wear sunscreen, and bring a camera! From 10am to 12pm, kids can canoe and kayak (must be accompanied by an adult). At 3pm, kids can participate in Laser Shot, a computer game, complete with laser guns, which will sharpen hunting skills. Check in early to secure a spot. Free event! rivervalleynaturecenter.com

Havana Nights Riverfront Park Building and Amphitheater June 3 Fort Smith

5

TH

Support the Fort Smith Children's Emergency Shelter by attending Havana Nights. There will be rum and bourbon tasting, Cuban food, a salsa band, and plenty of dancing. All the money raised from Havana Nights goes to the shelter to help the children they serve. See website for pricing.

4th Annual Honor and Duty 5K Run and Fun Walk June 11 Fort Smith This 4th Annual Honor and Duty 5K Run and Fun Walk, benefitting homeless veterans through Fort Smith's Next Step Homeless Services, begins at the Janet Huckabee River Valley Nature Center at 7:30am. Run, walk, and do good for our community. Learn more and register at Next Step's website.

TheNextStepFS.org

childrensemergencyshelter.org

Acrobats of China Branson Troupe June 5 Van Buren

4,11,18,25 Janet Huckabee River Valley Nature Center June 4, 11, 18, 25 Fort Smith

The award-winning Jinan China Circus, in association with the Amazing Acrobats of China from Branson, will be performing at the Van Buren School District Fine Arts Center. You'll see daring aerial feats, traditional dance, magic, juggling, and chair stacking—and their costumes are extraordinary! centerforfinearts.org DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

11

TH

Rockin' Pool Party Lake Fort Smith June 11 Mountainburg What a great way to spend an evening with your friends and family. Swim and enjoy homemade ice cream. Park passes are not valid for the Rockin' Pool Party. arkansasstateparks/lakefortsmith

calendar

THETOPTENTHETOPTEN 17

TH

Opera in the Ozarks Presents Don Giovanni June 17 Eureka Springs

True Grit Ride 100/Mountain Bike Ride/Walk-Run June 18 Fort Smith Fun for riders of every level! The 5th Annual True Grit Ride 100 includes 10, 28, 42, 66 and 100-mile courses. The True Grit Mountain Bike Ride will be a 13-mile guided mountain bike tour.

Rides begin at 7313 Terry Street in Fort Smith at 7am. Riders should be lined up and ready by 6:50am. There will also be a 5K Walk/Run beginning at 7:15am.

Early registration is encouraged. truegritride.com

24-25

TH

Fort Smith River Front Blues Fest June 24-25 Fort Smith

The 26th Annual Fort Smith River Front Blues Fest takes place at the Fort Smith Riverfront Park and Amphitheater.

Come hear live music from some of the best blues players in the country. Eric Mathews Band will perform, as well as Fat Head, Colin Lake, Curtis Salgado, Blues N Greens, and many more. riverfrontbluesfest.org

Opera in the Ozarks' season begins with Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Britten’s Albert Herring opens the following night, and the double bill of Puccini’s Il Tabarro and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci opens on Tuesday, June 21.

Performances continue through July 15. Also, each main-stage show will be presented at the Arend Arts Center in Bentonville in a Sunday matinee.

This year, curtain is at 3:00 pm. opera.org

18

Judge Parker's Memorial Chili Cook Off & Arkansas State Open BBQ Championship Columbus Acres June 18 Fort Smith

The Judge Isaac C. Parker Memorial Chili Cook-Off and Arkansas State Open BBQ Championship benefits the Children's Service League. Competition begins at 9am and the fun continues until 3pm. Food, raffles, tasting kits after noon, and lots of family fun.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

25

TH Cruisin' on Main June 25 Van Buren

In a simpler time, cruising Main Street was the way to spend a weekend night, especially for those in their teens and twenties. Relive the good ‘ole days, where you can either drive or admire street cars, show cars, and bikes.

Registration begins at 4pm. Oreo Blue will perform from 9-10pm. vanburen.org

11

12

pets

Somebody Here Needs YOU! F

M

F

M

Brandy

Pirate

F

Buster

Princess

Joy

M

Tippy

Bubba's Rescue Dog Shelter Our mission is to make sure that all animals have a loving and forever home. We can’t do this alone and we need your help. Donations are always needed and greatly appreciated.

Physical: 131 Poplar, Waldron, AR 72958 | Mailing: 30423 Weeks Road, Waldron, AR 72958 | 479.637.0255 | 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.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

14

shop

Summertime and the Shopping’s Local! words and imageS Catherine Frederick

Father’s Day Cookie Cakes

GREAT AMERICAN COOKIES 479.452.9999

Mix and Match Six Pack

SODIE’S WINE & SPIRITS 479.783.8013

ZO Skin Health Products

LUMINESSENCE MED-SPA AT COOPER CLINIC 479.274.4200

Rocky Patel Premium Long Filter Cigars – Limited Edition Toro “The Edge A-10” 10th Anniversary, 60 Cigar Capacity Humidor

IN GOOD SPIRITS 479.434.6604

Blossom Bucket Home Décor

D&D FLOOR COVERING

JENNIFER’S GIFT SHOP AT SPARKS HEALTH

479.474.0533

479.441.4221

Vessel Sinks by SOCI

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

shop

Looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift, or something just for you? Look no further. We’re showcasing some of our top picks! No matter the occasion, support hardworking, small-business owners, right here at home. Buy local!

Barrett Power Recline XR+ Recliner Rocker, Parsons Charging Chairside Table, Hidden Treasures Root Ball Cocktail Table

H3 HOME & DÉCOR

William Henry Bolt “Maui” Pen with Curly Koa Wood and Citrine Stones

479.434.4920

JOHN MAYS JEWELERS 479.452.2140

Oakley Sunglasses for Men

DR. STEVEN B. STILES OPTOMETRY 479.452.2020

Topsies – All Flip, No Flop Footwear

LUTHER STEM POOLS & SPAS

Wooden Home Décor, Large Stoneware Bowl, Animal Can Coolers, Poo-Pourri, Mugs, Farmer’s Pocket Companion, and John Deere Ice Tea Tumblers (set of 4)

SUNSHINE SHOP AT MERCY FORT SMITH

479.646.7772

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

479.314.6079

15

16

people

Two for Tea SAVOY TEA CO.

words Kellie Cobb images courtesy Savoy Tea Co.

"THERE ARE LIKE 40,000 TO 50,000 COFFEE SHOPS IN THE U.S., BUT ONLY ABOUT 3,000 TEA SHOPS." -BILL BEYER DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

T

people

There is a certain kind of day poets write about. A day when the

Interestingly, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world

morning sun catches your face like a warm whisper with a soft

(after water), as well as the fastest growing beverage in the United

breeze as delicate as a porcelain teacup. It was on such a day that

States, with a retail market value exceeding $10B. According to the

I drank my tea at Savoy Tea Co., surrounded by the mingling air of

Specialty Tea Institute, the leading professional tea organization in

spices and jasmine flowers.

the U.S., “Like fine wines, specialty teas have an almost infinite variety of flavors, origins and appearances, as well as a rich history

Located in downtown Fort Smith at Tenth and Garrison, proprietors

and a variety of traditions.”

Bill and Tina Beyer had planned my experience to the smallest detail.

“Once I started getting into it I found I can really geek out about

Bill’s background is in corporate event planning and Tina

tea," Bill said."Tea really lends itself to that. As soon as you start

worked for Walmart as Grand Opening Coordinator for Sam’s

to understand the processes that go into making tea, and learn

stores. Leaving corporate-life they opened Skia, an award-

about tea varieties, how it's grown, how it's made and blended,

winning Christian retail store in Bentonville. Their combined

where it comes from, it just opens up this whole new world to you

business backgrounds made them uniquely suited to creating

and you can literally just spend your whole life learning about it.

a pleasing customer experience. Add to that their shared adoration of tea. “We love tea,” they said simultaneously,

“For me, one of the things that drives me as a person is business.

and Tina continued, “In our travels, we would try teas.” It was

I’m kind of obsessed with business,” he chuckled. “When I got

on one of these travels that they stayed at the Savoy Hotel in

to take on something like tea, which I love, I went through those

Florence, Italy, which would later inspire their businesses’ name.

processes (of developing a business plan). But I also learned how to source teas, how to professionally prepare and cup tea. And then I needed to learn how to make sure the customers have something wonderful and special.”

Bill and Tina take that preparation seriously. Tina trained with world-renowned tea experts to become an internationally certified tea sommelier. Bill is a Certified Tea Specialist as designated by the Specialty Tea Institute.

They first built two Savoy Tea Co. shops in northwest Arkansas, but wanted to expand. On a casual Sunday drive to Fort Smith, they spotted the 1920s corner building at Garrison and Tenth Street. Peeking into the windows they immediately knew they

Bill and Tina Beyer

had their third location. Although they had not spent much time in Fort Smith, they loved the spirit and liveliness they felt visiting downtown. “We love cities. We love the energy of downtown

Bill and Tina, who describe themselves as serial entrepreneurs,

areas. I love just sitting in front of this window and watching the

found themselves at a crossroads. As empty nesters they felt it

people and traffic. I love the energy.“ Bill said. Tina loved the

might be time for something new, and with the 2008 financial

feeling of Garrison Avenue and immediately had a vision of what

crisis, the closure of Skia opened a window for fresh ideas. Bill

the space could do and be and it suited their needs perfectly.

and Tina sought new opportunities that might allow them to enjoy their shared passion for retail business and their growing expertise

Bill and Tina built a teashop that’s warm, elegant, and welcoming.

in tea. According to Tina, “We just saw a void in the market. As

With its crystal chandeliers contrasting with piles of colorful tea cups

entrepreneurs we saw what was available out there, and we saw

The Savoy Tea Co. feels like something sparkly and new blended

nothing.” Bill added, “There are like 40,000 to 50,000 coffee

with the utterly refined and comfortable. There are floor-to-ceiling

shops in the U.S., but only about 3,000 tea shops.”

shelves, filled with teas - there is nothing else like it in Fort Smith.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

17

18

people

Bill scours the world for the best teas on the planet, but also creates

call you Highness?” as in Her

original custom blends, giving them fanciful names. "Sometimes we

Royal Highness.

come up with the blend and name it, or sometimes I just have a name in my head and blend a tea to go with that name,” Bill said.

In addition to their teas, Savoy offers a lovely lunch

One original Savoy Tea Co. blend is Here Be Dragons, a combination

experience. The menu features

of green tea from Hubei, China, dragon fruit, red gogi berries, and

freshly made sandwiches and

mallow flowers. As Bill explained, the name came from a nineteenth

seasonal soups and salads.

century map. The European cartographer had marked an unexplored

They also have a selection of

China with the warning “here be dragons.”

pastries and coffee drinks.

Bill also created a line of teas men might enjoy. The flavors are smokier,

But their main focus is tea. In

stronger, and whiskey-inspired. He named the first one “Gentleman

their menu there is a question:

and a Scholar,” which competed in the World Tea Championships.

“Have you ever tasted a place?” In every cup of tea, the menu explains, you taste the soil,

Bill does a lot of the blending with his graphic-designer daughter

the climate, but also the history and the traditions. “When you are

Krista Hinson. Krista makes the graphics for Savoy Tea Co.,

smelling the tea, if you smell a floral or sweet aroma, that’s actually

including signage, and the giant apothecary wall of teas. For fun,

a flower that was grown in a tea garden half-way across the world.

Bill once purchased two white lab coats for their work in the 2,500

It’s important to know that it’s something special, something to really

square foot Tea Lab, which they built in the basement of their

notice,” Bill said.

Fayetteville store in 2014.

And there is a romance to tea. Tea has a remarkable history in The Tea Lab is also used for public classes on tea preparation and

the ancient and modern world. Wars have been fought over tea.

tea culture. “We love educating people about tea. Being able to

Trade conspiracies to gain access to forbidden tea seeds brought

bring that to our customers and the community is really important

about foreign intrigue. Camels marched thousands of miles across

to us. If we’re going to be in this business we need to know more

continents to carry tea to kings and their courts. Until the end of the

about tea than anybody. This is our life. We want every single

Opium Wars in 1842, no European country could get tea without an

customer, every single day, to learn something new, and try

Emperor’s approval.

something different. Bringing that experience and sharing these amazing teas with people is just the best,” explained Bill. They

So, tea is special. Tea is an experience. Bill and Tina want us to

plan to bring classes to Fort Smith soon.

savor it. And tea is special in another particular way. “Tea makes you wait,” said Bill. You have to sit, let it steep, and allow it to

Everything at Savoy Tea Co. is a family collaboration. Bill and

develop. As you do, you might catch the delicate floral perfume

Krista are all about the teas, but Tina’s job is to make sure you

of a lovely green tea or the smoky aroma of a fine black tea, or

have a wonderful visit. She is the CEO of happy. “There is just

maybe even the scent of dragons.

something about being the hostess and making people happy that just feeds my spirit,” Tina said. Her enjoyment of her customers and employees is infectious. The primary job of all staff members is to care about customers, and in turn Bill and Tina care for them.

Employees not only enjoy all and any teas while working, but also receive free tea on their days off.

Tina’s favorite role at the Savoy Tea Co. is hosting tea parties for princesses of all ages. At one event, to Tina’s great delight, a young tea partier tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Can I

The Savoy Tea Co. is located at 925 Garrison Avenue, Fort Smith. Operating hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday and they are closed Sunday. The lunch menu is served from 11am to 2:30pm daily, with pastries and light fare offered all day.

Savoy Tea Co. has additional locations in Fayetteville near the Square and Rogers at Pinnacle Hills Promenade Mall. Visit them online at savoytea.com.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

20

people

BOPEEP SHINES words Marla Cantrell image courtesy Johnathon Williams

F

or two summers, while Thomas Cochran was on his yearly

Thomas is telling this story while sitting in Arsaga's coffee shop

break from teaching English and creative writing at Fayetteville

inside the Fayetteville library. On the way in, he passed the rows of

High, he worked on a novel about a nine-year-old boy and his

books for sale, and even now, he's thinking about taking at least

mysterious eighty-eight-year-old neighbor in Oil Camp, Louisiana.

one of them home. At his house, off a dirt road between West Fork and Greenland, Arkansas, there are stacks of books waiting

When Thomas wrote the last line of Uncle Drew and the Bat

for Thomas's attention. His whole life he's been drawn to words,

Dodger, he felt the satisfaction that comes from finishing

beginning in early childhood when he'd asked his mother, who read

something important. He'd written two books before, and

the newspaper cover to cover every day, to read it aloud. "I loved

the first, Roughnecks, also set in Oil Camp and published in

the language, the rhythm of her reading," Thomas says.

1999, was nominated for the National Book Award for Young People. That book, about high school football, remains popular,

Once in school, he read Boy's Life sports stories, that entertained and

and just weeks ago Thomas received an email from a reader in

always taught a morality lesson. In the fifth grade, his teacher read

Chicago, who wanted the author's opinion on a certain passage

the class Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. "I was turned

he couldn't quit thinking about, a fact that makes Thomas both

around, and I hear Mrs. Waller yell, 'Tom!' which is the first line of the

awed and grateful.

book, and I thought she was talking to me. I thought I was in trouble."

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

people

Thomas laughs. That one word opened the door to a story he'll never forget. In high school, a second Mrs. Waller, a relative of his fifth-grade teacher, read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens aloud. These two women in his small town of Haynesville, Louisiana made books come alive. And at some point, Thomas realized he wanted to be part of the world of literature.

For a writer of Southern stories, Haynesville was the perfect stomping ground. The town of approximately 2,400, sits just south of the Arkansas border. Designer Geoffrey Beene grew up there, as did Demetric Evans of the San Francisco 49ers, and Rev. Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick, musician and civil rights activist and associate of Dr. Martin Luther King. Haynesville was built on the 1920s oil boom and in its heyday had as many as 20,000 residents.

The voices Thomas grew up hearing were filled with the cadence and melody of southern speech. The characters he met seemed destined for the page. And because of the particular timing of Thomas' birth, he was coming of age during the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

When he left Haynesville, it was to attend the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. There, his dream of writing started to take form. After graduating, he worked for a time on his MFA, but eventually took a job as a sports reporter for the Northwest Arkansas Times and later the Springdale News. "I figured out that working in journalism had the hours of a doctor and the pay of a pauper," Thomas says.

That's when he started teaching at Fayetteville High, a job that lasted twenty-five years until he retired in 2015.

For two summers, while he was still teaching, he lived with the story that became Uncle Drew and the Bat Dodger. His life experience, along with a good deal of research shored him up to tell an epic story. When the book opens, we meet Teddy Caldwell, a nineyear-old with a keen sense of justice who gets in trouble when he accidentally pegs his principal with an overripe peach. On the heels of that incident, he hits a baseball through his new neighbor's window, an event that will set the course for his young life.

When he gets to know his neighbor, Uncle Drew Weems, he discovers the old man has a story that runs like quicksilver through the Great Depression, through southern towns at the peak of Jim Crow Laws that forced segregation. As Teddy and Uncle Drew form a friendship, the old man seems to want to unburden himself of this story that needs a new home to survive. He seems to need an unbiased listener who will walk with him DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

Uncle Drew and the Bat Dodger sends a message that's still needed today. It reminds us that no one person is better than another.

And hate can be stopped if good people make the decision to be brave.

21

22

people

through those days of his youth when he met Cantrell "Bopeep"

perfect. His careful approach to serving up a lesson about living

Shines, the best pitcher ever to step on a mound, just as he was

an upright life is flawless.

leaving the Negro Leagues.

It could be that he learned his own lessons while growing up white The chance meeting shaped Uncle Drew's life. Poor, white, and

in Haynesville during the days of desegregation. "It was in 1970

fifteen years of age, with little hope that things could get better,

when the Supreme Court said all you laggers have to integrate

he walks away from his home in Oil Camp and hits the road with

now, and I graduated in 1973. Our town split right down the

Bopeep. The two jump freight trains, and sleep in hobo camps, and

middle in those years of 1968, '69, '70. Like a lot of small towns

dodge a heap of trouble, mainly because Bopeep can sweet talk just

in the Deep South at that time, you had the group that just wasn't

about anybody.

going to go to school with black people. And then you had the real serious ones who were taking a stand, and that was my parents.

Bopeep, who hails from New Orleans and has a way with the

My dad was a dentist who basically started his practice in the black

ladies, figures out how to make money by gambling on his

community. He was one hundred percent for equality. I got called

ability to strike out any player he comes across. In small towns

names. I got pushed down on the ground. My dad wrote a few

throughout the south and all the way to the edge of Mexico, the

letters to the Shreveport Times. My sister said, 'There's a lot of

two find men who believe they can outplay Bopeep. But when

daddy in Uncle Drew.' I also think Uncle Drew speaks for me.

Bopeep throws a ball, he can make it do anything he wants, and nobody can overcome that pitch.

"And I played football. Football was a big deal in my town. My coach borrowed the saying from Bo Schembechler, the Michigan

As Uncle Drew is recounting this story to Teddy, he is weaving a

coach, that said, 'Those who stay will be champions.' And he

tale of devotion that is at times funny and touching and endearing.

wrote it on the ceiling of the dressing room the spring of our last

But he is also telling the truth about a time when racism took center

year as an all-white school. Summer comes, and two-a-days start

stage. Bopeep was often treated poorly, and when the two rode

and some of the white guys aren't there. But we have new black

the train, Uncle Drew sat in the front section reserved for whites

players, and one of them was Johnnie Meadors who went on to

and Bopeep sat in the back section reserved for blacks. Hotels

play as a defensive end for the Razorbacks. (Meadors played from

turned them away. They faced ridicule just for being together.

1973 to 1976 and was an All-Southwest Conference player for the 1975 Cotton Bowl championship team.) That first year my high

While Teddy is taking this in, he is growing closer and closer to

school integrated, our football team went fourteen and zero and

Uncle Drew. At the same time, Teddy is facing tests of his own,

won the state championship."

as he hears a man he respects use the "n" word, and then a boy his own age.

For Thomas, winning was more than getting a trophy. Good won out in a public and symbolic way. After his freshman year in

In each case, Teddy has a decision to make. Uncle Drew has set a

college, Thomas hung up his cleats. By then, he knew he wanted

good example since he always rushed in to defend Bopeep. And

to be a writer. When he started writing about Bopeep Shines,

Teddy finds that his moral compass is just as true.

these stories that populated his youth surfaced again, as stark and heavy as they ever were.

There are passages that are hard but important to read, to understand the magnitude of what happened in our not so distant

Uncle Drew and the Bat Dodger sends a message that's still needed

past. And there are passages that transcend, that take you to a

today. It reminds us that no one person is better than another. And

higher plain where the human spirit and kindness turn the world

hate can be stopped if good people make the decision to be brave.

into a softer place.

No one could tell this story like Thomas Cochran. His voice is as easy as a church supper. His ear for the southern voice is pitch

Uncle Drew and the Bat Dodger is published by Pelican Publishing and costs $14.95.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

24

people

I

MR. FORT SMITH

words Marla Cantrell ImageS courtesy Rham Cunningham

t's a quarter to noon on a sunny Wednesday in Fort Smith,

in video mode, and that sits on a tripod beside a laptop that holds

Arkansas, and Rham (pronounced RAM) Cunningham is walking

the script he will read from. Co-worker Hannah Jay will mind the

toward one of the biggest offices inside the Richland Group.

camera. Co-worker Allison Kyrouac will scroll through the script as

Once inside, he greets four of his co-workers at the marketing

Rham reads, and Sir Winston will sit with every muscle flexed, a

firm, before addressing Dr. Benny Gooden, the superintendent

lovable sentry at Dr. Gooden's feet.

of Fort Smith Schools, who, just two days before, announced his retirement, effective at the end of this month. At Dr. Gooden's side

When Hannah cues Rham, he transforms into the anchor of The

is his dog, Sir Winston, who appears to be enjoying the treatment

Video Wire, Dawson Meadows, the character he created on the

he's getting, including a trip to a water bowl that's been set up

fly in August 2014, when he was asked to play a reporter in an

especially for him.

indie short film one of his friends, Jeff Carter, was making. Even today, Rham is mystified by where the name came from. "The

In a few minutes, Rham will sit down in one of two chairs that are

camera was rolling, and I stood before it and I opened my mouth,

positioned in front of a green screen, where computer generated

and these words came out, 'This is Dawson Meadows, and here's

graphics will soon roll. He will look into the Canon camera that's

what's out there!'"

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

people

Two weeks later, he rolled out the character

thirty years. Rham delivers this news in a speech that's equal parts

again, playing Dawson to promote the

adoration and playful jabs on his age—Dr. Gooden is seventy-one.

Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair.

As he's wrapping up, the superintendent walks into the frame, with Sir Winston in tow, and hands Rham an application he's filled

It seems the exact right name for a certain

out to work at The Video Wire. The two laugh easily, Sir Winston

kind of reporter: quick with a corny comeback,

plants a kiss on Rham's lips, and the segment ends. Rham finishes

equally in love with mirrors and cameras and

the cast by highlighting upcoming weekend events in the city, and

hair gel, the guy who's eager to volunteer to

even makes his own music by pinching one of his nostrils closed

skydive/bull-ride/stomp grapes at the wine

and humming loudly. "My talent is the nose kazoo!" he says, and

festival, if it will push his story to the top of

smiles wide at the camera.

the newscast.

Being the epicenter of funny comes naturally for Rham. As When the idea of The Video Wire came about

a kid, he was the class clown, and in high school the late

in January 2015, Rham knew his Dawson

comedian, Chris Farley, was his idol. He grew up in Mena, a

Meadows character should anchor it. The

town of approximately 5,600, eighty miles from Fort Smith. His

parody-laden,

online

dad owns a body shop and the family owns a campground.

newscast is an offshoot of the Things to Do

five-minute,

weekly

His mom is an RN. He grew up with an older sister, whose

in Fort Smith website, another one of Rham's

goodness is a beacon for him. "She’s an RN like my mom, and

creations that he developed four years ago

has three boys and she's fostering a two-week-old boy. She's

after hearing yet another person declare

an amazing woman."

Fort Smith a dead-end town. "I was hosting a barbeque, and one of my wife's friends

At school, he collected friends, sometimes perplexed teachers,

brought her then-boyfriend, and he was one

and always made the people around him laugh. He tells the

of the naysayers. He was saying that Fort

story of his tenth-grade year, how he broke his collar bone after

Smith was a black hole with nothing to do and

doing a belly flop on the gym floor. He hadn't thought it out,

that he wanted to move. And I said, 'You really don't think there's

hadn't anticipated the possibility of injury. All he could imagine

anything to do in Fort Smith?'"

was how funny it would be. And even though it cost him a good deal of pain, it's one of those stories he carries with him,

Later that night, Rham set up a Things to Do in Fort Smith Facebook

sharing it when the subject of adolescence comes up, of those

page, and later added a sister website. "I was doing every bit of

days when we felt as if nothing but the sun could touch us.

it to spite this guy, to show him what we had going on. And then it kept growing, with me listing more and more events, and I realized I had something."

When he came onboard with the Richland Group, he found the support he needed to grow the project to include a weekly email and The Video Wire, the show he is, at this very moment, in the

Rham, a.k.a. Dawson Meadows, a.k.a. Mr. Fort Smith, is doing his part, promoting this place and

midst of recording.

making people laugh, sometimes at

During this cast, he riffs on the City Directors who are reviewing

themselves, and always at him.

records to see if there's enough diversity in the city's workforce, and Rham pretends a producer is talking to him through his IFB,

After high school, Rham moved to Fort Smith to attend Westark

correcting the story even as he's telling it. He then transitions into

Community College (now UAFS). He thought he was going to

the news of Dr. Benny Gooden retiring, a move that created a

be a nurse, like his mother, but one day he walked into the KISR

buzz in the town where he's been in charge of the schools for

radio station and asked for a job, and they hired him on the spot.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

25

26

people

It turns out that a class clown with a quick wit was a good

"My dad is not college educated, but he's the smartest man I

fit. He learned to play the microphone like any other musical

know. He taught me the value of hard work. Sometimes I'll go

instrument, his voice making theater out of simple sentences. He

down to Mena just to work on our land, just to clear brush, or

could persuade with that voice; he could make words sing. And

to collect firewood, just to sweat."

most weekends, he was broadcasting live, making connections and emceeing from local festivals, business openings, and

He points to a wall in his office that's peppered with photos.

community events.

Many are of Sophie. This little girl has changed his life. And one day he wants her to look at Fort Smith and feel the same

While he was making a name in local radio, he was also falling

grounding he feels.

in love with Fort Smith. When he thought about his future, it was always in this town. He started volunteering at the Little

He's sure she will. Who, he wonders, wouldn't love this place,

Theatre, finding another place where a great voice and hard

where so many good people live, where so many good people

work paid off. He started to do stand-up comedy at local venues.

reach out every day to make the world a brighter, better place.

Eventually, he began sitting on the boards of more than a dozen

Rham, a.k.a. Dawson Meadows, a.k.a. Mr. Fort Smith, is doing his

non-profits and became a mentor at Spradling Elementary.

part, promoting this place and making people laugh, sometimes at themselves, and always at him. Because this comedian do-gooder

And then one day, while at the Little Theatre, he met a girl

lives for that laughter, for that moment when all the cares roll away,

named Brandy, a therapist who came to Arkansas from New

and there is so much happiness you can't help but pass it on.

York. Fireworks went off. His heart beat faster. And Rham fell in love. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes.

And a few years later, they decided to start their family.

Today, they're the parents of Sophie, not yet two, who was born on Rham's dad's birthday. If Rham ever worries, it's about her.

At thirty-six years of age, Rham's life is so close to perfect, he can't imagine how it could get any better. He loves his family. He loves his job. He loves Fort Smith. "You could call me Mr. Fort Smith," he says. On weekends, he often mountain bikes, a sport that's earned him a few medals. He golfs. He hunts and fishes.

And then there are his friends from every arena: politicians, business owners, those in the media, neighbors, co-workers, fellow Fort Smithians. He shakes his head at his own good luck.

But this life has a lot more to do with hard work than chance.

Learn more about Rham and Dawson and Fort Smith at thingstodoinfortsmith.com.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

28

people

Blended words and images Jessica Sowards

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

people

S

Summer days start early. Roosters begin to crow at five in the

family together by welcoming our three younger sons, Tobias, Ezra

morning, and the toddlers begin their cry of “Breakfast!” soon after.

and Benjamin. They are farm boys by definition, with dirt in their

Then the kettle whistles and the tea brews and some days, venison

veins and any city life so far removed, I doubt they remember it.

sausage pops in a cast iron pan. Some days, though, it's cereal for breakfast. Most days we pray and meet with Jesus before chores,

But Maliah lives 600 miles away, in a San Antonio neighborhood

but occasionally, the tasks are demanding and the mornings rushed.

with her mom and stepdad. Every summer and rotating holidays, we drive for hours under the big Texas sky and pick her and her

The farm life is wildly romantic if you like that sort of thing. It's

pink suitcase up. Then we drive hours back under that huge

a beautiful, beautiful life if you're enamored by fresh eggs with

expanse, back through sprawling fields, through the hills and into

pumpkin-colored yolks and dirty hands and rows of tomato plants

the Arkansas woods, back into the driveway of our farm.

and squash plants and proud corn stalks reaching up toward the sun. If you don’t mind the smell of earth and animals, and you

As soon as she gets here, the atmosphere of our family shifts.

don’t mind hard work, this is an unthinkably lovely way to live.

Usually, the farm is just an ordinary part of life, but when Maliah comes, there is an enjoyment about it. When she comes and

Most of the time I'm thankful, but sometimes my gratitude slips

unpacks her pink suitcase and all her wonder, excitement is

through the cracks. Sometimes, it feels like I’ve had chickens in my

rekindled in us all.

yard for a million years and I simply forget the way I used to pray until I cried for God to give me a farm. But there’s one thing that

She names all the chickens. We have a lot of chickens. A lot. And

stirs up remembrance in me, like a shock to my heart reminding it

she names all of them. Names like Charlie, and Rosie, and Annie,

to beat again, and it’s always, always on time. The reminder? It’s

and John Luke. She loves running with the baby goats and holding

when Maliah comes.

all the bunnies. When the chicks are hatching in the incubator, she checks it a dozen times a day and carefully carries the tired

We have a blended family. When my husband and I began dating,

and wet babies to the brooder. She begs to be included in every

he brought a daughter to the table, and I brought two sons. She

market trip, every feeding, every task. When the boys would

was four; they were four, and three, and they were great friends.

rather watch TV shows or play video games, she responds with

I remember sitting in church while we were dating and the preacher saying, “Statistics say it takes seven years to blend a family.” The funny thing is, I still remember that single line of the sermon, but I can’t really remember my response. I can’t really recall what I thought it would be like, endeavoring to make a family out of the torn remainders of first attempts, but I am certain that I had no idea how hard it would be. I had no idea how much grace we would need.

We are just starting our seventh year together. Jackson and Asher, my oldest boys, spend the majority of their days at our home. I am able to homeschool them, and they are accustomed to the rooster’s crow. We have sewn our DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

29

people

indignation. How could you want to do anything else?

There’s a farm outside!

When we picked her up last November for Thanksgiving, she had started to change. Her legs had grown into long willows and the next season of her life had begun to show in her shape and the leanness of her face. I saw how it grieved my husband to see the evidence of time on her, and to see how much he missed. But after being here for only a few days, she woke up before the sun with him and layered on the camouflage clothes that belonged to Jackson. They bagged two deer while she was here, and she rolled up her sleeves and helped her dad clean them. He was so, so proud.

At spring break, her legs were impossibly longer. Just a few

Being a mom to five sons is such a cool and fulfilling role, but I’ll

months had changed her even more. She was thrilled to stop in

be frank, there is something very special about a daughter. Even

Dallas on our way home and pick up a few dozen hatching eggs

though I can’t take any credit for her genetic makeup, I take a

from a friend’s farm. We went to Bass Pro Shop and bought her

certain pride when I see her running across the yard in cut-off

some new Muck boots, as her feet had grown along with the rest

jean shorts and rubber boots, a chicken under one arm, a dog

of her. She picked out camouflage. When we arrived at the house,

and a brother hot on her heels. I see myself when I was eleven

as usual, the excitement stirred. We hiked our thirty-five acres

and all I wanted in the world was a farm. When she looks through

every day, even the days it rained. We told her all of our plans

my closet and equally compliments my long white bohemian

for the future, for new barns and pastures, a herd of cattle and

dresses, my leopard print heels, and my Carhartt overalls, I am

"

30

expanded chicken houses and gardens. And in her excitement,

tickled to be an example of what beauty is. Most important, when

ours was rekindled.

she’s feverishly scratching notes in her prayer journal and eagerly watching me while I preach, I am amazed at the weight of having a hand in the shaping of a woman.

Even though I can’t take any credit for her genetic makeup, I take a certain pride when I see her running across the yard in cut-off jean shorts and rubber boots, a chicken under one arm, a dog and a brother hot on her heels.

"

Of course, we wish it was different. It would be ideal not to have to be assaulted by the way she’s grown when months go by between visits. We wish she was closer, and that being blended wasn’t such a challenge. Ultimately, we have placed her in the hands of our Father, thankful for the way He moves us to appreciativeness when she comes. We may have taken on blending a family without the realization of the struggle it would be, but now, as we dig into year seven and have watched these children grow together like a grafted tree, I can say surely, it’s been worth it. Being blended gave me a

When the pastor talked about blended families on that Sunday so

daughter, gave me a hand in raising a woman of God, and gave me

long ago, he said, “Jesus has a stepdad.” I think it was that single

a chicken named John Luke. What a beautiful life I live.

line that evoked such optimism in me. If God entrusted His son to a couple of broken people who were willing to say yes, surely He would give us the grace to raise these kids together. It’s been

Follow Jessica on her blog

hard. Truly, harder than I ever imagined it would be, but He has

@thehodgepodgedarling.blogspot.com

poured abounding grace upon our family.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

32

garden

June in the Garden THE DIRT

It’s not too late to plant a great summer garden! And, it’s time to plant and start seeds for fall crops. Be on the lookout for disease and insect damage and take action to prevent spread. If you’ve got a problem with slugs, try trapping them in a container of fresh beer!

TIPS:

Tap on your tomato plants to encourage good pollination. Water daily and feed them once fruit has set. Pinch off the suckers (side stems) if you have a strong central stem. You can plant broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower now for winter harvest. You can also start fall crop seeds such as eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes to set out in July.

YOU CAN GROW: Beans Corn Cucumber Okra

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

Squash Eggplant Peppers Pumpkins

Melons Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

34

diy

words and images Catherine Frederick

SWEET, SWEET

Summer

I

Summer’s almost here, and we’ve got the perfect way to welcome it in with these easy-peasy DIYs. We’re head over heels with these fun fruit motifs which we’ve applied to cork circles made into coasters, and a piece of wood we turned into a serving tray. This year summer is sure to be SWEET! *Materials purchased from Hobby Lobby(HL), Lowe’s(L) or Walmart(WM) unless I had them on hand.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

diy

Watermelon Serving Tray MATERIALS •

Unfinished 18” Wood Circle (L)

•

2 Handles (HL)

•

Acrylic Paints (HL) Watermelon Slice, Black, Leaf Green, Lily Pad

•

Spray Shellac (L)

•

Electric Drill

•

Paintbrushes

METHOD Paint top of board in Watermelon Slice. Apply additional coat if needed, let dry. Using Leaf Green, paint a 1” border all the way around the top outer edge of the board, as well as the outside.

Let dry. Using Lily Pad, paint a stripe over the existing green, about every 2-3” from top to bottom of side. Let dry. Using Black, paint seed shapes in various sizes on top of board.

Once dry, spray a coat of shellac on top and sides of board to protect surface. Adhere handles to each top side of board with electric drill.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

35

36

diy

Fruit Coasters MATERIALS •

Acrylic Paints (HL) Watermelon: Watermelon Slice, Black, White, Leaf Green Orange: Spiced Pumpkin, White Kiwi: Lily Pad, Antique Gold, White, Black

•

Round Cork Circles (HL)

•

Clear, Acrylic Waterproof Spray Paint, Gloss (HL)

•

Paintbrushes (HL)

•

Pencil

METHOD Paint the top of each circle white. Let dry, apply a second coat. Once dry, use a pencil to sketch out your design. Start painting on the inside and work your way out to the edge.

I recommend small, flat, firm paintbrushes so you can best control the paint.

Once dry, spray tops with clear, acrylic waterproof spray paint to seal.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

38

diy

Water & Balloons words and images Catherine Frederick

Looking for ideas to keep the kids busy and active for hours but won’t take much of your time to put together?

Look no further! These are both outdoor activities (a total bonus), and you probably have most of the materials needed on hand. Both are easy and affordable to make and completely reusable for hours of summer fun!

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

diy

DRENCHED Materials

Method

- Scissors

Cut sponges into fourths. Stack 12 strips together and wrap a rubber band around the center

- Sponges

as tightly as you can. Toss them in a bucket of water and you’re ready to go!

(3 sponges make 1 water bomb) - Rubber Bands

POPPED Materials

Method

- Balloons

Cut off bottom of the cups. Place duct tape over cut edges. Tie the end of the balloon. Cut about 1�

- Disposable Cups

off the other end. Stretch open end of balloon over the top of the cup and secure with a strip of

- Duct Tape

duct tape if needed. Insert marshmallow(s) into open side of cup. Hold cup facing open end out, pull

- Scissors

back on the balloon, let it go and marshmallows will fly! Works best with 1-2 marshmallows at a time.

- Marshmallows or Ping Pong Balls *As with any toy, please supervise children appropriately, especially when using balloons. Avoid faces when tossing sponge bombs or shooting marshmallows.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

39

40

people

Buckle Up words Stoney Stamper images courtesy April and Stoney Stamper

I am a control freak. There, I said it. It feels good to get that out in the open. I like to be the boss. Scratch that, I need to be the boss. I make the decisions. If something needs to be done, I do it. Not in a chauvinistic Ike Turner kind of way. Just an “I’ve got to take care of my family” kind of way. It’s an inherent characteristic that’s built into my DNA, just like the ancient cavemen clubbing a saber-toothed tiger to protect his young, although there really aren’t too many saber-toothed tigers running around these days. Not in East Texas, anyway.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

people

My control freakishness has been a relatively good asset to my career. I’ve always been a go-getter that got things done. I’m good at managing my time, and I’m good at prioritizing. I’m exceedingly good at handling upset people and making them feel good and important and calming them down. I’m a voice of reason, logic, and a problem solver. For the most part, I’m respected and well thought of, minus the rare occasion when I feel the need to bluntly set things straight or simply cut ties with someone, which I am not opposed to doing when necessary. Work is relatively easy for me.

I’m just kind of built for it.

But, I also have three daughters. Gracee is three, Emma is twelve, and Abby will be sixteen in June. Up until five years ago, my job was really all that needed managing in my life. I didn’t have any kids, so my home life was pretty simple. But then I met April, and she had Abby and Emma, and then a few years later we had Gracee, and my whole freaking world turned upside down. These kids don’t need managed as much as they need corralling. Given that the two oldest have hormones that make them temporarily insane on occasion doesn’t help. I soon learned a very important and painful lesson: I may be the boss at work, but I’m not the boss at home. I like to think I am, of course, but the truth is, a flutter of their eyelashes, a pretty smile, and maybe a hug, and I’ll do just about anything they ask. Usually, it’s fairly small. Take them to the store. Help them with their homework. Help them with their FFA projects.

Things that I can generally handle without too much problem. than Bob Marley. So even though my heart was screaming NO,

But here lately, there’s been another task added to my fatherly duties, and for the first time, I am not one hundred percent sure that I am up for the task. For a control freak like me, this is the ultimate test.

my brain was telling me I had no choice. I started Abby off slowly, letting her drive around the pasture. I’d watch as she made slow, lazy circles around the field and occasionally, she’d throw it in reverse and try to back up to something (usually it was unsuccessful). Because I’m old, I didn’t have to take driver's education classes, but since it’s mandatory now, the wife and I got her enrolled. I had this crazy idea that when she was done with her three-week class, she’d be a knowledgeable and

Nothing, and I repeat nothing, is quite so humbling and

competent driver. Boy, was I wrong. So wrong. I’m not really

frightening as relinquishing control of your motor vehicle to your

sure what she learned in there, except that a red, octagonal-

fifteen-year-old daughter. Never in my thirty-seven years of life

shaped sign means stop. The class did do one thing, though;

has it been so difficult to sit idly by and watch someone else do

it made her feel much smarter. She became a worse backseat

something. And in MY truck? You’ve got to be kidding me!

driver than her mother. “You’re following too close!”

Unfortunately, this is my reality. My daughter will be old enough

“Stoney, you’re speeding!”

to drive soon, and I can either teach her the right way to do it or pay for lots of repairs and an insurance premium that’s higher

“Oh my gosh, you totally just ran that red light!”

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

41

42

people

That got old, and fast. But still, even after the class, she had no

turned the wheel hard, without ever touching the brakes. Of

real experience behind the wheel.

course, we were going too fast, and our momentum wouldn’t allow us to make the turn. Into the far ditch we went, missing

That, my friends, fell on me.

the oncoming stop sign by inches. She slammed the brakes, and we both sat silently for a moment. I think we were both

Abby in the driver’s seat of my truck. Me in the passenger’s

reflecting on our lives and thankful to still be with the living.

seat, sweating bullets. “OK now, put on your seatbelt. Adjust your seat and mirrors. OK, now put it in reverse, and back

I looked at her. She looked at me. And then she said, “I was

out slowly. SLOWLY! I SAID SLOWLY!” That was me before

going too fast.” Yeah. No joke, kid.

we’d even backed out of the driveway, and she was already going too fast. But then, once we got on the road, she was

A few months have passed since then. Her driving has improved,

going way too slow.

and thankfully the ditch incident is still the closest we’ve come to a fiery crash. But the good news is, I’ve learned that yelling

“OK, go a little faster. Whoa, OK, a little slower. Get back

and stomping on the imaginary brake pedal in the floorboard

in your lane! OH, MY GOSH, ABBY! STAY IN YOUR LANE!”

on the passenger's side does no good. I’ve learned to take

Then she screamed back, “STOP YELLING! YOU ARE MAKING

deep breaths and give constructive criticism, rather than scream

ME NERVOUS!”

bloody murder and duck for cover. I

And so I replied, “WELL, YOU ARE MAKING ME NERVOUS!”

am proud of her for becoming a better

We made a loop around town, zigzagging down the road at

driver, but secretly,

thirty miles per hour in a sixty-five mile per hour zone, and

I may be a little

then sixty-five miles per hour in a thirty mile per hour zone,

prouder

changing lanes without checking the mirrors and not using

learned it’s OK to

blinkers. We took a back road that would lead us back to

hand over the reins to

the house with less traffic. As we approached our road, she

someone else, even if

didn’t seem to be slowing down.

it’s just for a bit. Even

that

I’ve

if I’m handing them I said, “Your turn is coming up.” But still she maintained

over to a teenager.

her speed. I said again, “Hey, your turn is coming up. HEY!

Who says you can’t

You’re going to miss the turn!” And just when I thought she’d

teach an old dog

surely miss the ninety-degree turn from Blackjack Road, she

new tricks?

Stoney Stamper is the author of the popular parenting blog, The Daddy Diaries. He and his wife April have three daughters: Abby, Emma and Gracee. Originally from northeast Oklahoma, the Stampers now live in Tyler, Texas. For your daily dose of The Daddy Diaries, visit Stoney on Facebook or on his website, thedaddydiaries.net.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

44

people

FATHER

KNOWS BEST What's the best advice your dad ever gave you? Maybe he encouraged you to be brave, or honest, or hard working. In celebration of Father's Day, we asked several leaders in our community what their dads taught them. This is what they had to say.

The best advice that my father gave me was, "Nothing good ever happens after midnight." I'd say it's pretty good advice. ~ Dr. Benny L. Gooden Superintendent of Fort Smith Public Schools

The best advice my dad has given me was while we were watching TV and some commercial came on. He shook his My most memorable quote from my dad, Carl Grandstaff, is

head in disgust and said: "They are just playing with people,

“A paper will stand still for anything to be written on it. Don’t

trying to sell them something." My father is a retired insurance

believe everything you read or hear”.

agent; he would know.

~T. Ray Grandstaff

~Father John K. Anthony

Arkansas Director, Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Pastor, Immaculate Conception Church, Fort Smith

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

people

My father always says, “It’s better to play in excellence than to

The best thing my dad ever told me was right before I went

excel in mediocrity.”

to college to study broadcast journalism. He said, “No matter what you do in life and no matter where you are, you will always

~ Bret Bielema

have my support. Never be afraid to look back at where you

Head Coach, Arkansas Razorback Football

came from, but always keep looking forward to the future.” ~Daren Bobb Co-Anchor, 5 News Evening

My father’s advice when I was preparing to go to college was, ”Don’t go into the restaurant business.” In context, he and

The best advice my father gave me as a youngster was always to

my mother were in the restaurant business all their lives (until

tell the truth because it was the right thing to do and because

retiring) and worked seven days a week, long hours each day

I would never be able to remember all of the lies. I’m sure my

and night. I told him that wouldn’t be a problem! Also, as my

brother and sisters gave him plenty of reason to drill that lesson

wife and I were getting into the car to move hundreds of miles

home as we were growing up.

away to my first job after finishing graduate school, he said, “Make them a good hand.” I knew what he meant, and I miss

~ Rodney Shepard

him and mother every day.

President/CEO, Arvest Bank of Fort Smith

~Sandy Sanders Mayor of Fort Smith DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

45

46

taste

words and Images James Stefiuk

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

taste

Looking for a quick and delicious meal to make for dad this Father’s Day? Try our Shrimp Creole recipe!

Serve over your favorite rice for a meal dad is sure to love.

» 2 Tablespoons olive oil » 4 garlic cloves, minced » 2 large onions, chopped » 2 stalks celery, chopped » 1 green bell pepper, chopped » 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper » 2 cups seafood or shrimp stock

(you can use chicken stock in a pinch)

» 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes,

in thick puree

» Dash Worcestershire sauce » Dash hot sauce » 2 bay leaves » Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper » 2-3 lbs. large shrimp, shelled and deveined » 4 Tablespoons green onions, sliced for garnish

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

47

48

taste

Heat a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil. Cook garlic, onions, celery, and green bell peppers until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in cayenne and let caramelize. Add stock, tomatoes, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 35 minutes.

Add shrimp and cook about 4 more minutes, until they are bright pink and cooked through.

Garnish with green onions or parsley and serve over your favorite rice.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

taste

The Peach Moon

image Catherine Frederick

INGREDIENTS -

1 bottle Blue Moon Belgian White 1 oz. peach schnapps 3 oz. orange juice Orange slice or peach wedge (optional for garnish)

METHOD Pour half of beer slowly into glass. Add peach schnapps and orange juice. Stir gently, fill with remaining beer. Garnish with orange slice or peach wedge.

Always drink responsibly.

Never drink and drive.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

49

50

travel

Hanging in the Balance words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

T

The drive to Devil's Den State Park near West Fork, Arkansas,

young men hungry for work at a time when the nation was

takes you from the Boston Mountains into Lee Creek Valley.

grappling with the economic effects of the Great Depression.

Patches of corn and tomatoes and squash blossom beside houses set back a good distance from the road. Dogs of dubious

Their handiwork remains, including cabins, trails, an overlook, and

pedigree roam the invisible boundaries between yards. Crows

the eight-acre lake with the rock dam where water is rushing, the

caw. Hawks circle. And cows amble toward ponds that glitter in

sound like meditation if you stop and listen.

the noon-day sun. Oak and hickory trees, green as emeralds, rise On any given day, this 2,500-acre park surrounded by the Ozark

even higher than the red barns they shade.

National Forest is bustling with those who've come to hike, those At the end of all this drive is Devil's Den, a park built by the Civil

who've traveled with their horses, and those who've come to camp,

Conservation Corps, an organization started by President Franklin

swim, mountain bike, or eat at the restaurant. Another big draw

D. Roosevelt in the 1930s. The CCC provided jobs for unemployed

used to be the two kinds of caves, some limestone and others

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

travel

The fungus makes them wake more often, causing them to burn the fat they stored to survive the winter. You might see affected bats flying during the daytime when they should be hibernating, for example, or gathered in groups just outside caves.

While experts believe efforts like closing public caves are likely slowing the progression of the fungus. The fungus was suspect in a sample in Devil's Den in 2013, although none of the bats exhibited symptoms at that time. And although white-nose is not believed to be harmful to humans, it's possible people can spread it by going into a cave, getting the fungus spores on clothes, backpacks or shoes, and then entering another cave, sometimes hundreds of miles away.

Assistant Park Superintendent Tim Scott and Park Interpreter Terry Elder have a fondness for these bats that are facing such a hard time, and that are quite possibly the most misunderstood animals on earth. Terry often fields questions from kids who want to know if the bats here suck blood like the ones they've seen on television or in movies. (They do not.) The smallest visitors sometimes think the bats are as big as Batman, but a fun-filled zoology lesson usually clears things up. sandstone, a rare occurrence. But they've since closed to the public. In 2009, Farmer's Cave and

Terry, who is part of the team that does an annual assessment on the bat population

Big Ear Cave shut down. The following year, Devil's

at the park, talks about how that process has changed since white-nose syndrome

Den Cave and Ice Box Cave closed.

showed up. She, along with another park interpreter, and a biologist from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, go into the cave when the bats are hibernating,

The reason for the closures is to slow the spread

hanging from the walls or ceilings. One of the three is counting, another recording

of white-nose syndrome, a fungus estimated to

the count, and another swabbing the walls and certain bats to collect samples that

have killed more than seven million bats in North

will be tested for the infection.

America since the winter of 2006-2007 when it was first detected in New York. The malady enters the

When Terry exits the cave, she removes her coveralls and bags them up. She throws

mouths, wings, and noses of hibernating bats, at a

away her backpack, since it's not easily cleaned, and she disinfects her shoes and

time when their immune systems are mostly inactive.

helmet. She has to go home and shower before she can enter the park again.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

51

52

travel

Terry is talking about the procedure while

In the decades he's been here, he's seen all

sitting inside the visitors center. While she has

kinds of things, like the devastation an ice

a healthy respect for bats (they can bite, they

storm can bring, or what torrential rains can

could carry rabies), she also praises them. It's

do, or the trouble a fungus can cause. But

estimated that a single bat can eat 1,200

he's also seen reunions for the CCC boys,

insects in an hour. They help farmers control

who came back to admire their work and

damaging pests, which decreases the use of

tell stories of their youth. He's been privy to

pesticides. And they take a bite out of an

family reunions that have a fifty-year history

increasingly troubling mosquito population.

at Devil's Den. And he's met visitors from

Their worth for North American agriculture is

Chili, Germany, and England, who stopped

estimated at $50 billion a year.

to admire this Arkansas treasure.

There are as many as seven species of bats at the park in the

No one knows for sure what the future holds for the bats. There

summer months. Tim, who's worked here for thirty-one years,

is not yet a cure, but a researcher discovered that a naturally

mentions the Big Brown Bat, the kind you're likely to see near your

occurring bacteria found in the soil, when grown through

home, and the tri-colored bat. He's especially fond of the Ozark

induction in a lab, can inhibit the growth of the fungus. He

big-eared bat. The winged creature is about the size of a teacup. It

and other government biologists were able to successfully treat

nuzzles its head against its mate when it gets romantic. And then

several infected bats from four caves in Missouri and Kentucky.

there are those ears. "They have big ole bunny ears," Tim says.

So there is hope and research is ongoing.

"They'll roll them down if they get cold, right down to their body to conserve heat, like rolling a window blind up or down."

As for Devil's Den, Terry says that there was an uptick in the bat population last year, and that is thought to be an early indicator

Since 1990, the park has held an entire weekend devoted to the

of white-nose. During their count, they found five bats with

bats, called Bat-O-Rama. It was started by a park employee, Harry

visible signs of the infection, on their faces and ears, which was

Harnish, who's since retired. Experts come to speak; kids get to make

later confirmed.

bat-related crafts and Dr. Tom Risch, from Arkansas State University, brings some of his grad students, who assemble a net over Lake Devil

Terry and Tim spend their days in nature, watching how one

to catch a few of the bats that are measured, weighed, and general-

thing overtakes another, how a chain of events can be set off

health checked, and then released.

by something as unavoidable as lightning striking a bone-dry meadow. But still they do their diligent work, being as careful as

This year's event takes place Friday, June 10 through Sunday, June

they can to help these bats that are as much a part of this park as

12, with most of the activities happening on Friday and Saturday.

the caves that house them. And while they wait for the day when

Visitors will get to listen to the bats via high-tech equipment, at an

the caves can open again, they educate everyone they can, telling

evening meeting at the dam, the bats' squeaks and clicks so distinct

the story of what the bats do, how they live, and the forces they

that experts will be able to identify a species just from the sounds.

fight to keep on flying.

Each year, visitors of all ages show up. Families come together, often camping or staying in one of the cabins for the weekend.

Bat-O-Rama

Others show up just for a day. And every year, Tim and Terry hand

June 10-12 | Devil's Den State Park

out pins, a unique one for every Bat-O-Rama, that attendees wear.

11333 W Highway 74, West Fork, Arkansas

"We've seen visitors come wearing a pin for every year since we

arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden

started," Terry says.

"This is one of the most popular events at the park," Tim says. The next big event will be the Fourth of July celebration.

For more on white-nose syndrome, including what you can do to help, visit whitenosesyndrome.org.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

54

travel

June

in the

Natural State

Words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, and certain venues

We live for June when the kids are out of school, and we can take some time to explore this great state of ours. Arkansas is bursting with life this month, with festivals, fishing, and food. So, take a look, get input from your family, and plan an outing that you'll be talking about for years to come.

of food, fishing derbies, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a 5K run, a car show, a firefighter's challenge, a baby crawlin' contest, the Lil' Miss and Mister Lum and Abner Pageant, Kiddie Korner with inflatables, a BBQ cook-off, a lumberjack show, and a gunfighter re-enactment.

LUM AND ABNER FESTIVAL June 3rd & 4th - 10am to 10pm 512 Seventh Street, Mena Free | visitmena.com From 1931 to 1954, Chester Lauck and Norris Goff, natives of Mena, Arkansas, worked their comedy magic on a syndicated radio show called Lum and Abner. Chester and Norris played Lum Eddards and Abner Peabody, and their show was set inside the fictional Jot Em Down Store.

Today, Mena celebrates Lum and Abner with a two-day festival at Janssen Park on the first weekend of June that includes live re-enactments and movies of the radio show. There are also free concerts, arts and crafts, lots

National Trails Day June 4th - 8am to 8pm Petit Jean State Park, Morrilton Free | petitjeanstatepark.com Spend the day at Arkansas' first state park, and enjoy more than twenty miles of trails. There will be hikes for all ages. If all that walking makes you hungry, stop by Mather Lodge's

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

travel taste

restaurant for the State Parks Pizza, Cedar Falls Fried Cheesecake, the Mather Lodge Burger or the Bear Cave BLT. This event corresponds with American Hiking Society programs nationwide. Contact the park for a schedule.

Peak to Peak Border Run June 4th - 9am to 4pm Mt. Magazine State Park, Magazine & Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Mena $30, $20 for each additional rider | 479.394.2863 Get your motorcycles ready for a ride like no other. Two of Arkansas' highest mountains are home to Queen Wilhelmina State Park and Mount Magazine State Park.

And in between those two peaks are ninety miles of scenic highways, national forests, and beautiful landscapes that make for the most scenic motorcycle touring in the state.

The ride starts at Queen Wilhelmina. Join riders from far and wide and take in the views while competing for prizes.

Bat-O-Rama June 10th thru 12th - 8am to 10pm Devils Den State Park, West Fork Free | 479.761.3325 Bats have gotten a bad rap for centuries, and those who love them say they're the most misunderstood creatures in the world. At Devil's Den State Park, the staff works hard to protect these mammals and to educate us about their worth. (Hint: they can eat a ton of mosquitoes!) During BatO-Rama weekend, special guests will be on hand to talk about bats and how they benefit us. You can stay and watch a nighttime capture and release that will be conducted by college students who are studying the bats.

Art and Cocktails in the Garden June 14th - 5:30pm to 8:30pm Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, Fayetteville $25 members, $35 non-members, reservations suggested | 479.750.2620 | bgozarks.org Enjoy gorgeous flowers, frosty drinks, and an art show featuring local artists. The event's signature cocktail will be paired with a featured flower. There will be live music

by Bill Dollar & the Loose Change, light tastings, craft beer by Apple Blossom Brewing Company, complimentary wine, and non-alcoholic drinks. The art on display will be for sale, with a commission going to support the Garden.

Cocktails in the Garden raises awareness about the many activities and programs of the Garden as well as acting as a cultural event for the community.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

55

56

taste travel

Trout Days June 17th & 18th Bull Shoals Free, excludes lake and river cruises 870.445.3629 There's nothing quite like trout fishing, and the White River is one of the nation's best places to do it. Trout Days is for everyone, whether you're a beginner or an expert. There will be fly tying demonstrations, trout cooking demonstrations, kids' programs, and river and lake cruises. If you've ever wanted to try your hand at casting, and wanted to feel the joy of reeling in a trout, this is the event for you!

Auto Show and Swap Meet June 14th thru 18th - 8am to 7pm Museum of Automobiles, Morrilton Free | museumofautos.com Are you one of those people who believes they just don't make 'em like they used to? Do you reminisce about your first car, or want to see the cars your grandparents drove when they were young? This is the event for you. Crowds gather every year at the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain in Morrilton to see classic and vintage cars and trucks from across the region. There's also a swap meet for auto enthusiasts. Head up the mountain, relive some great memories, and meet the people who love these vehicles as much as you do!

Rodeo of the Ozarks Street Dance June 18th - 6pm to 10pm Emma Avenue, Springdale Free | rodeooftheozarks.org The street dance for the Rodeo of the Ozarks has been an Arkansas tradition since 1944, the same year the rodeo began. It started with fiddlers playing for a group of townspeople who had gathered downtown and were celebrating Independence Day. That small event has grown, and now includes stage coach & pony rides, a live band, a dance floor, and concessions. Bring your family and your lawn chairs and have a boot scootin' good time in downtown Springdale. The dance gets you ready for the rodeo which takes place from June 22-25.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

travel taste

What a great way to celebrate Father's Day! Gather the kids and let them go fishing with dad. This fishing derby is fun from start to finish and offers prizes for the biggest fish, the smallest fish, and even the ugliest fish. Since it's being held at War Eagle Mill, you'll want to treat dad to lunch at the mill's restaurant, The Bean Palace.

Prospector's Gemboree June 18th Crater of Diamonds State Park Visitor Center, Murfreesboro $8 ages 13 & up, $5 ages 6-12, ages 5 & under free craterofdiamondsstatepark.com One of the things that makes Arkansas such a wonderful state is the Crater of Diamonds State Park, where you can mine for diamonds. At the Prospector's Gemboree, you can meet those who found diamonds at the park, play games, and see the Famous Crater Diamond Exhibition.

Hear the stories of the beautiful diamonds found in Arkansas, and if you're lucky you might be the next miner to come home with a gem you mined yourself!

Father's Day Fishing Tourney June 19th - 8:30am to 5:30pm War Eagle Mill, Rogers Free | wareaglemill.com

Full Moon Kayak Tour June 20th – 8pm to 9pm Lake Catherine, Hot Springs $15 | 501.844.4176 Oh, that moon in June! Take advantage of it by signing up for the moon-lit tour on Lake Catherine. The park says its flatwater kayaks are easy to navigate and are incredibly relaxing.

No experience is required, but you should be comfortable around water. Kayak, life jacket, and paddle are provided.

This is a great chance to get out on the water, enjoy the night sky, and see the world from a new perspective.

Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza June 24th thru June 26th - 6am to 1pm Arkansas River $80 per day | arkansasbigbass.com DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

55 57

58

travel

You might be able to end the month of June a whole lot richer than you started. The Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza is the state's largest amateur fishing tournament with $100,000 in guaranteed prize money. A whopping $50,000 goes to the lucky person who catches the biggest fish. There are five weigh-in sites in Fort Smith, Dardanelle, North Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and Dumas.

Gordon Lightfoot June 23rd, 8pm to 10pm The Auditorium, Eureka Springs $55 - $65 | theaud.org Gordon Lightfoot, an icon of the 1960s and 1970s with hits like "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Rainy Day People," has been called Canada's greatest songwriter.

If you remember his folk-rock sound, or if you'd like to introduce someone else to it, now's your chance.

Lightfoot is scheduled to perform at The Auditorium in Eureka Springs, a venue that seats 1,000. Plan your day around this concert, and see the sights of this incredibly popular tourist town.

Mt. Magazine Butterfly Festival June 24th & 25th - 9am to 8pm Mount Magazine State Park Visitor Center, Paris Free | mountmagazinestatepark.com In any given year, approximately 134 species of butterflies will be found in Arkansas. A good number of those can be seen on Mount Magazine. We love butterflies so much that we even have a state butterfly, the Diana Fritillary.

Celebrate all these facts at the Mount Magazine Butterfly Festival, where you can see butterfly exhibits, hear live music, make crafts, play games, go on guided nature walks and a garden tour.

Riverfront Blues Festival June 24th & 25th – Gates open at 4pm Harry E. Kelley Park, Fort Smith $10 per day, kids 12 & under free with adult riverfrontbluesfest.org This year's Riverfront Blues Festival lineup includes the Eric Mathews Band, Fat Head, Colin Lake, Blues N Greens, Mr. Sipp "The Mississippi Blues Child," Selwy N Birchwood, Gracie Curran, Toronzo Cannon, and Curtis Salgado. Bring your sunscreen, lawn chairs, and blankets if the weather calls for it, and your driver's license if you plan on buying alcoholic drinks while you're enjoying this phenomenal music.

There you have it, fifteen ideas to take you through the month of June. Have fun, and be sure to send any photos you take to editors@dosouthmagazine. com. Your photos could end up in a future issue of

Do SouthÂŽ Magazine!

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

60

southern fiction

O

On the day I said goodbye to Kenner, we saw a girl we'd gone to high school with a million years ago, who still wore pants so tight you could almost see paradise. "Some things don't never change," Kenner said, and then he waved her over to

calling

OUT THE

moon

our table at the Earl's down on Main Street. She had hair the color of apricots. She had rings on her thumbs. She looked like something you'd see at the circus is what I thought, but Kenner told her she looked foxy, and she smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. And after we said our farewells and left the diner, we saw a screech owl in a tree in broad daylight, its wings spread out even though it didn't attempt to fly.

We'd both signed on to Social Security by then, and we'd stand in line at the post office in Booneville on the first day of the month, waiting for the clerk to hand over the checks we'd earned from backbreaking work that had stooped us over and gnarled our hands.

Kenner had an old Chevy truck with a spidery break in the windshield, a buckled tailgate, and I was driving it. My eyes were just a little bit better than his, and as we climbed in, he said, "Don't take me home just yet, Bird." And I said, "Got nowhere to be, Kenner. I'll go anywhere you want."

FICTION Marla Cantrell

The truth was, my wife expected me back. She wanted to go to the picture show to see a movie about a dog that had supernatural powers. I said, "Let me make one call," and pulled out my cell phone, big as my wallet, and gave Ocie the news.

She called me a name I deserved to be called and then hung up.

Me and Kenner went past the grade school where we met.

"You remember Mrs. Woodruff, in first grade?" Kenner asked.

And I told him I did.

"I sat on her lap one day when I was burnt up with fever," Kenner said. "She took me home in her car at lunchtime, and

"Happiness stares you in the face when you're young, and you don't even recognize it."

my mama liked to have stroked out because the house was a mess like it always was. Too many kids to take care of and Daddy always gone. Mrs. Woodruff smelled like rose petals on a spring morning. I thought she was the prettiest woman I ever saw."

"It was that red hair," I said. "And the starched white blouses.

Our mamas never dressed like that."

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

southern fiction

"You remember that time we tied Miss Measles to her chair

miles an hour. Kenner said, "Now you're cooking!" and put his

when she fell asleep? We were in fifth grade." Kenner said,

free hand on the dash.

and he laughed, his belly rolling when he did it. "I took a licking for that, Bird, but I'd do it again just to see her face when she

We made it to Kelsey's Bar by two in the afternoon, and there

woke up."

were no other customers there. I got us two beers, and we sat in the corner by the jukebox. I dropped in a quarter and played

"We both took a licking for that, Kenner, as I recall. And then I

"Make the World Go Away," by Eddy Arnold. Kenner closed

got licked again when I got home."

his eyes and sang along, his voice like something dropped from heaven by mistake.

"Take me to The Hill," Kenner said. His hand was gripping the handle that hung above the passenger window. The Hill was

When the song ended, Kenner sipped his beer. "I forgot how

what we called the old Arkansas State Tuberculosis Sanatorium,

good it was," he said. And I said, "The beer?" It tasted like

closed since the 1970s.

flaked soap because of my heart medicine. And he said, "No, this whole dang planet."

I took the winding roads that switch back across the hills and valleys, and the grass was so green it looked painted on. Kenner

Kenner's hair was white, and he wore it combed back. You

said, "My Granddaddy Box had the TB. He died there. I used to

could see the comb marks and the pink scalp underneath. He

slip him cigarettes when I visited. He said when somebody died,

said, "One time I got sunburned so bad my skin was peeling

the nurses would come by and shut all the patients' doors, but

off. That was back when I was framing houses for Goose, and

you could hear the gurney, wheels wobbling, rolling down the

I'd taken my shirt off in the heat. When I got home, Everline

marble hallways. When the gurney swung back by again, the

cussed me blind and stripped my clothes off and made me get

wheels never shimmied." Kenner looked out the window. "The

in the tub. The water was lukewarm, but it felt like ice water.

weight of the body and whatnot," he said. "The weight of

She sat on the side of the tub with a A&W root beer mug, and

what had just happened. I wonder if Granddaddy was thinking

she dunked water on my head for a long time. She had a Glen

of that gurney when he died."

Campbell album going, and every once in a while she'd sing along." Kenner looked away. "Happiness stares you in the face

"That place was a masterpiece, though," I said. "The dairy. The

when you're young, and you don't even recognize it."

rolling hills. The air spiked with honeysuckle in the summer.

That main building, five stories plus a basement. It looked like

"She must've stole that mug from the A&W," I said, "You

a piece of art."

couldn't buy one back then."

"I gave Granddaddy cigarettes. It was all I could think to do."

"You know it!" Kenner said, and he hooked his thumbs in his suspenders like he'd just won something.

When we got to the edge of the place, Kenner changed his After we finished the beers, the bartender asked us if we

mind. "Bird," he said, I don't want to go."

wanted another. Kenner looked around at the empty tables; the I turned the truck around. Kenner's arm was still gripping that

barstools still leaned over like fallen trees at the bar's edge, and

handle, his skin looking like a white car birds had flown across

he said, "We're going go drink where there's a little more spirit.

after eating a fence row of blackberries and dropping the

This place is drier than happy hour at the Betty Ford Clinic."

remains from their hind ends. It was the blood thinner Kenner When we got back in the truck, he said, "Let's go stick our toes

took that made his skin look that way.

in some water."

"I got an idea," I said and leaned hard on the gas pedal. The old truck shook, and then it kicked in, and I got it up to forty

And so I drove out to Deerbone Creek, to the low-water spot

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

61

62

southern fiction

down a rutted road so rough the truck jostled us like cats in

"What was he doing?"

a tow sack. A breeze was ruffling the trees, and the sun was warm as a wood stove in winter. We inched down, holding on

"I never asked. But I think he was willing the sun to come up.

to each other's shoulder.

It was one of the best things I ever saw, Bird, and I've been to Talladega to see Bill Elliot race."

We sat on a spot beneath a willow tree that leaned out over the water, easing ourselves down little by little until our

"What did you think when Tank died?"

butts were safe on the ground. We took off our shoes and then our socks and rolled up our pants. Our legs were shiny

"I thought the sun might never rise again."

white, our feet ugly.

"I thought it meant the rest of us could go at any minute, but "Mama used to chew the bark of the willow," I said. "It was

then I was always thinking about myself," I said, and Kenner

like aspirin."

said, "You were always too hard on yourself."

"Willows don't live long enough," Kenner said. He looked up.

You could see tadpoles swimming in packs. Kenner rubbed

The undersides of the long leaves were white. "But how long is

his arms. I held my right hand straight out, and he turned

long enough, when you think about it?"

around and took it. When he sat back down beneath the willow, I dried his feet with my own socks and put his dark

I started to answer, but then I realized it was not really a

socks back on his feet. I rolled them down—he was the only

question for me. I felt the leaves, and they were ribbons in my

person I ever knew who rolled his socks that way—and I

hand. We scooted closer to the creek and stuck our feet in, the

tugged his shoes back on and tied them.

cold a jolt through our old bones. The water was green as a 7Up bottle and smelled like fish.

Inside the truck, with the windows down, you could still hear the creek rushing along. Kenner leaned against the seat and

Kenner used my shoulder to push himself up, and he stood in

sighed. He had a liver spot by his left eye and a scar that

the water, standing on the slippery rocks, lifting his face to the

ran across his cheek. I knew the map of his face as well as

sun. I stood myself, there on the bank, ready to catch him if

I did my own. My wife Ocie didn't think men knew how to

he started to fall, but he never did. In a minute, he said, "You

be friends, and mostly she was right. But somehow me and

remember Tank?"

Kenner had figured it out.

Tank was killed in a car accident when we were all in sixth

I turned on the radio. That new hopped-up country music was

grade. I said of course I did, and Kenner went on. "He was

playing, the singer sounding like a beat dog. "What do you

an Indian, but I don't know if you can say that now. I think

want to do now?" I asked Kenner, but he had his eyes closed.

you say Native American. Nowadays I mostly keep my mouth shut in public because everything you say can tie somebody's

When I think about it now, I figure Kenner was seeing Tank

panties in a knot.

sitting in the clouds, just about then, his hands raised, bringing the sun back to heaven like a boy would do a yo-

"Anyway," Kenner said. "I spent the night at Tank's house

yo. And then Tank would call out the moon, this time for

one time. His mama made dumplings out of grapes, and

Kenner, getting it right where it belonged, so even and

they were about as good as anything I'd ever eaten. The

steady not one of us suspected how this magic worked, even

next morning, before the sun come up, I saw him from the

though we'd witnessed it from the day we were born.

bedroom window. He was sitting Indian-style on the ground with his hands raised up above his head. He stayed that way till the sun was up good and proper."

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM

HOUSE AND HOME

House and Home

Local experts tell us how to improve the homes we love, what to do when we're ready to buy a new one, and the steps we need to take to protect one of the biggest investments we'll ever make.

FINDING THE ONE

Our motto is: 'We can't guarantee to grow your business, but we can grow relationships, which will grow your business!'"

Why

should

homeowners

consider

refinancing

with

BancorpSouth?

Chuck Fawcett, with Chuck Fawcett Realty, enjoys helping

BancorpSouth says, "Now is the time to refinance your mortgage

house hunters find their perfect new home.

or purchase a new home with us. Interest rates are still extremely

He and his team are active members of their communities and

low. Whether you're wanting to lower your monthly payment

have a wealth of knowledge about the schools, medical care,

or pull equity out of your home to make improvements,

walking and biking trails, opportunities for higher education,

BancorpSouth is the lender for you. BancorpSouth offers local

and churches in the area. They understand that finding the right

decision making and servicing of your mortgage. We strive to

home is more than a brick-and-mortar decision; it’s about being

make the lending process easy for our customers with customer

in exactly the right location for your lifestyle. “We have more

service being our number one priority."

than sixty agents, home appraisers on staff for your convenience, and four locations to serve you better,” Chuck says.

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

How does the Home Builders Association benefit consumers?

Stephanie Stipins, Executive Director of The Greater Fort

What should a client bring with them (magazine layouts, a

Smith Homebuilders Association, says it helps to connect the

folder with ideas, etc.) when they first visit LSP Drafting about

consumer with reputable builders and suppliers. "The GFSHBA

designing a new home?

offers several opportunities each year, to help the consumer

Logan Parnell, with LSP Drafting, says, “Ideally, some

reach the potential builder or supplier for their projects. Events

magazine images of homes you're interested in, or a style you

such as the annual Home Show, Parade of Homes and access to

like. Perhaps even a mock-up floor plan. If you pass by homes

our website, can provide the consumer with resources for any

you like, snap a photo. Find one online? Save it and bring that

project, large or small. In addition to consumer relationships,

with you. It’s also a great idea to have a square footage and

we help strengthen relationships within the industry.

price range in mind."

HOUSE AND HOME

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

HOUSE AND HOME

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

How can we get our home ready to sell, so that it stands out for

What are the benefits of getting a home loan/mortgage from

potential buyers?

Citizens Bank & Trust Co.?

Aaron O'Neal, of O'Neal Realty, says, "First impressions

"Citizens Bank & Trust Co. is a hometown bank with a simple

count: it all starts from the curb. Buyers are attracted to

mission, which is 'to make our customers successful.' Our

homes with manicured landscaping, clean, inviting porches,

mission is evident in every step of getting your home loan,

and freshly painted front doors. Homes that sell the quickest

whether it be walking you through your first loan or helping

are clean and free of clutter, smell fresh, and have great

close on your thirtieth. We have kind people on staff who are

lighting. A buyer needs to see your house as their home. Our

experts and want you to have a great home buying experience.

philosophy has always been: 'Everything matters.' And that

It’ll have you saying, 'Citizens Bank. That’s my Bank!'"

means everything from the baseboards to the light fixtures; every detail will stand out to potential buyers."

PROTECTING WHAT YOU OWN

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

Beverly Soucy, with the Reserve Apartments at Chaffee Crossing, tells us that they offer a great option for those needing a home

Does it matter if I use a local alarm company or a national one?

for a definitive amount of time.

Aren't they all the same?

“This helps a variety of people, from those waiting for a closing

Pat Nolte, with Alert Alarm Systems, says, “Good question,

date on a new home to those who are in the area on an extended

and the answer is, no, they aren’t. Alert Alarms is a family-

business stay. We offer convenient lease terms as well as beautifully

owned, local company, in business for more than 40 years!

furnished units where everything is included: furniture, bedding

We don’t sub-contract any of our work, and we’re proud to

and kitchen items, and all utilities are paid." Outstanding amenities

say our employees have been with us for years and are highly

include granite countertops, laminate wood floors, large walk-in

experienced. Alert is 1 of 7 monitoring stations in Arkansas,

closets, pool with cabanas, clubhouse, theater room, tanning bed,

but the only one that monitors only for our customers, no

business center and state-of-the-art fitness center.

one else – YOU are our top priority. We offer the same Home

HOUSE AND HOME

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

HOUSE AND HOME

Automation services you see on TV – unlock doors, set alarm,

activate your security system. It also allows you to regulate

turn on lights and appliances and even adjust your thermostat

your heating and cooling system to a specified temperature,

right from your phone! We also offer the latest in High Def

as well as turns off lights and appliances when not in use,

video surveillance and security monitoring."

saving you money on energy costs."

What sets Tornado Place Storm Shelters apart from other storm shelters out there?

ON THE OUTSIDE

Charlie Willsey, owner of Tornado Place Storm Shelters, Why buy the Grasshopper brand?

We can custom design our shelters to fit any space to meet

The Mower Shop says, "Grasshopper is the original zero

the needs of our customers. We can build in existing homes

turn mower and has been manufactured in the USA since

in closets, stairways, and garages. We also work with

1969. The Mower Shop has sold Grasshopper since 1990,

homebuilders to fit any new construction. They are fully

longer than many other brands have been in existence.

customizable and can be enlarged as time goes by or taken

Customer satisfaction is Grasshopper and The Mower

with you as you move.”

Shop's number one concern whether you're a professional or just want to mow like one. Our parts and service after

How can a “connected home” security system help manage

the sale are second to none. To experience the difference

energy costs and protect families?

in a Grasshopper Zero Turn Mower, come by and take a

One Source Innovation says, "Families can be very busy, and

test drive with Dennis."

sometimes we leave the house in a hurry. Our "connected home" security system allows you to stay informed of your

Tell us what to do if our roof is damaged in a summer storm.

home and family's status. For example, it will message you

Ward Brothers Roofing says, "Check for missing shingles or

if someone forgets to lock a door, close the garage, or

missing pieces of metal fascia, including any pieces displaced

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

says, “Our shelters are the most versatile in the market.

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

ON THE INSIDE

in the form of dimples, made by smaller chunks of hail that pound the outer layer of shingles, so check for that as

What are the hottest trends in tile for kitchens and bath?

well. Inspect your attic for leaks or water damage. Also, if

Chase Allison, with Allison Flooring says, "Wood-look tile

any water stains appear on your ceiling or walls, you likely

in the large format (36” or longer) is the hottest trend in

need repairs or even a roof replacement. Stay safe — avoid

flooring right now. For the kitchen and bathroom, white

climbing on the roof to check for damage and instead contact

and gray reign supreme. As for backsplashes and shower

a professional roofer."

accents, glass is still king. Marble has had the biggest

HOUSE AND HOME

from around your chimney. Hail damage commonly comes

increase in popularity over any other natural stone. In wood Why is now the perfect time to buy a pool?

flooring, 7” or wider is the fastest growing segment. Lastly,

Burton Pools says, "What other product can bring the family

long fiber or shag carpeting is making a comeback! Come

together, turn special moments into lasting memories, offer

see all these styles and more at Allison Sales Flooring at

good, clean fun for years to come, and improve your health,

7101 Highway 271 South in Fort Smith."

all without leaving the comfort of your own backyard? We all know the family that spends thousands of dollars on

What's trending in paint colors this season?

wonderful family vacations that require months of scheduling

Sue Moore, with The Paint Store says, "For interior, hands

but then are over in the blink of an eye. However, when

down, Thistle Gray. This new neutral is perfect to blend

you decide to invest in a swimming pool to provide those

together earth and wood tones and give a refreshing hue to

moments of family pleasure, you will be asking yourself, 'Why

any room. Also, muted tones of blue, gray, and green. The

would we ever want to go anywhere else?'"

exterior colors lean towards medium beige, seaweed green or even black, which works very well with rock, brick and vinyl.

If you’re afraid of bold colors, consider using them on lawn furniture and garden accents."

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

HOUSE AND HOME

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

Tell us about D&D's great window coverings, including

What can an AOG customer do to take control of fluctuations

plantation and automatic blinds.

in their gas bill?

"D & D Floor Covering in Van Buren is the Hunter Douglas

"Sign up for our AOG’s Average Monthly Payment plan

Showcase Dealer for the River Valley. We have a showroom

(AMP). AMP is designed to average your monthly payments

full of the latest and greatest in window coverings, including

and level out those unusually high winter bills. Your total

classic Plantation Shutters as well as the new PowerView

annual cost is the same, but your bill will be more consistent

window treatments. Besides the Pebble Remote for

each month."

handheld control, with PowerView motorization, one can simply program personalized settings with your smartphone

What are the benefits of buying our plumbing and lighting

or tablet. You can put your blinds on a schedule to open and

fixtures wholesale?

close, and operate them from anywhere in the world! Come

J&B Showroom Sales Representative, Cindy Ridley, says,

see us for free estimates."

“We understand that you have many choices when selecting

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

a plumbing and/or lighting showroom, so we're determined What are the new trends in furniture sales?

to provide the best shopping experience possible. For

Terri Glasco, T. Glasco Designs, says, "Simple, clean lines

starters, we are a locally-owned and family operated

still seem to be the trend in 2016. Although Modern or

business that has been around since 1968. Our 8,000

Contemporary trends may not be to everyone's liking, the

square foot showroom is full of inventory and is great for

idea of less clutter, less pattern, and simpler architectural

customers to come in and get ideas when planning a new

detailing seems to be catching on, even in areas of the South

home or remodel. However, our best attribute has to be our

were traditional tastes have been the norm. There's also a

sales staff. Our staff, while small in numbers, has more than

large influx of rustic and primitive furnishings, now that

50 years of combined experience and can help you make a

'reuse, recycle and restore' is the new mantra of design."

well-informed and confident purchase.”

HOUSE AND HOME

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

high-end

bathrooms

a

big

selling

point

for

How does H3 Home's in-home design consultation work

potential buyers?

and what should I expect?

Genia Smith, of Arkansas Glass and Mirror, says custom

H3 Home says, "The true key to designing the perfect room

glass showers are trending right now, and they are happy to

is getting to know our customers. Great design takes a team:

talk to you about the perfect one for you. The possibilities

you and our knowledgeable design pro at H3 Home + Décor.

are limited only by your imagination. High-end bathrooms

You’ll feel comfortable because we do a lot of listening to

are a big selling point, which is something to consider as

find out what you want your room to feel like. And, you’ll

you improve your home. Arkansas Glass and Mirror also

feel confident because we use the latest digital tools to help

has a twenty-four-hour emergency service for those times

you visualize what your new room will look like. We’ll provide

when you need immediate help. They can be reached at

you with several options to fit your taste and budget and

479.414.5964 or 479.414.5965.

let you choose the options that fit your style. Decorate with

confidence, for free, in our store, or in your home."

HOUSE AND HOME

Are

What are some signs that you may need to replace your HVAC unit?

Mike Atchley, owner of Atchley Air, says, “The most

SEE YOU IN JULY

common time to replace a heating and cooling system is when you are at a repair bill more than $500. The average

Next month we’re featuring our Locally Owned Guide. We’re

life of a system is about 15 years. If your system is older

encouraging you to buy where you live from locally owned

than this, spending money on repairs is probably a bad idea.

businesses! Our readers love to support local, so make sure

In most cases, you'll be better off putting the money you

your business stands out in next month’s issue! Call 782-1500

would have spent on repairs toward a new system."

to reserve your space today!

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

DO SOUTH MAGAZINE

HOUSE AND HOME

Read Chair Publishing, LLC 7030 Taylor Avenue, Suite 5 Fort Smith, AR 72916