Mother-Daughter Art Team Featured in Batesville Exhibit

By Julie M. Fidler
The work of mother and daughter artists, Sheila Cantrell and Allison Cantrell, is featured in an exhibit at University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville through May 9, according to Marcia Wallace, speech, theater and visual art instructor. The show is on the campus in the Roy Row Sr., and Imogene Row Johns Library and Academic Building.

The exhibit includes examples of the duo’s graphite and colored pencil sketches. Mom, Sheila Cantrell, said it comes naturally for daughter, Allison Cantrell, to display her work right next to hers. Sheila was introduced to drawing through a community art class in her home town of Pine Bluff when Allison, now 24, was a few months old.

“By age three, Allison was emulating me, spending hour after hour of ‘playtime’ by drawing as well,” said Mrs. Cantrell.

While Mrs. Cantrell’s drawings are intricate likenesses of nature, still life and more, Allison’s are “renderings of the cowboy culture -- the West as it was and still stands today.” The two live in Batesville.

Sheila Cantrell’s work has been included in Drawing, an American Artist Magazine publication. One of her recent colored pencil drawings will be featured in the upcoming June 2011 issue of The Artist’s Magazine.

“I was a finalist in The Artist’s Magazine’s 2010 competition,” she wrote in her blog on www.sheilacantrell.com. “A small handful of finalists are selected to be featured in the magazine’s Competition Spotlight throughout the year. My colored pencil drawing, Red Pears at Play, was chosen to be in the June 2011 issue of the magazine.”

Mrs. Cantrell’s work was selected for inclusion in a SmithKramer traveling exhibition, The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century from 2008-11. One of her colored pencil drawings was awarded an Honorable Mention at last year’s Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center. She received the Best of Drawing Award at the International Guild of Realism’s fourth annual exhibition in Naples, Fla.

She is represented by Greg Thompson Fine Art in North Little Rock and M.A. Doran Gallery in Tulsa, Ark. She is a member of the International Guild of Realism and the Colored Pencil Society of America.

On her web site, www.allisoncantrell.com, Allison writes, “I am primarily a self-taught artist, though I have been greatly helped by my mother over the years. Not only did I inherit my talent from her, but I also owe her for so many years of artistic guidance and motherly patience.”

Allison Cantrell’s work has been in exhibitions including the American Academy of Equine Art in Lexington, Ky.; the annual art show at the Grand National Rodeo in San Francisco; and the Bosque Conservatory Classic exhibit in Clifton, Texas. There, she won second place in the drawing category.

In 2010, Allison was awarded the Clyde Heron Award for the most historically accurate piece at the American Plains Artists’ annual juried exhibit in Lincoln, Neb. Horses in Art and Art of the West magazines published her work. She is represented by 83 Spring Street Gallery in Eureka Springs.

Sheila Cantrell’s upcoming shows include the National Contemporary Realism show at M.A. Doran Gallery in Tulsa in May. Also in May, her colored pencil drawing, “Cherries, Grapes, and Plums,” will be in the Annual Members Exhibition of the National Association of Women Artists at the Sylvia Wald/Po Kim Gallery in New York City.

In June, her graphite work, “No Fun Being a Single Pear,” will be in the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community’s Eighth Annual Juried Art Exhibition in Harrisonburg, VA.

The show at UACCB is free and open to the public during regular campus hours.

84-year-old Batesville man publishes Civil War book on 'Net

By Julie M. Fidler
An 84-year-old Batesville man is having a go at publishing his Civil War book in a modern way.

Freeman Mobley originally self-published “Making Sense of the Civil War in Batesville -- Jacksonport and Northeast Arkansas” through local printing companies. A comprehensive account of activities, skirmishes and battles fought in the region, the book was years in the making.

With the help of his family, Mobley is selling his book through his own internet site and, it will soon be available on-demand through Amazon.com. Mobley’s son, Mark Mobley, established the web site www.civilwarhalftruths.com to showcase the book. Through the site, readers can order a copy or read an excerpt from the book, now re-titled “Civil War! A Missing Piece of the Puzzle: Northeast Arkansas, 1861-1874.”

For those who would rather not go through the internet to get Mobley’s book, it is also available at area bookstores, museums and state parks. It can be found at various sites, including the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, Old Independence Regional Museum and Paperchase Book Store in Batesville, Jacksonport State Park, Mammoth Spring State Park, The BATTLEFIELD Civil War Book Shoppe in Hot Springs and the Downtown Antique Mall Ozark Bookstore in West Plains, Mo.

The author said, “The kids talked me into a new cover and a better title.” The new cover features a graphic showing the “missing puzzle piece” that many Civil War buffs may not familiar with, he said.

“They (his children) pointed out to me, it’s more than just a Batesville-Jacksonport story. They said it really told the whole story of northeast Arkansas and a big part of Arkansas’ history during the war.”

The book took five years to compile and write.

“If Dad hadn’t printed and had it proofread before, it would’ve taken two or three years to go through and find the mistakes. Now, there really are no mistakes,” Mark Mobley said. “We’ve clarified everything.”

“Mark has the expertise with the computer,” said Mobley, “and they do everything through computers now-a-days.”

Within a month to six weeks, the book will be available for $19.95 through Amazon’s subsidiary, CreateSpace.com.

“They do the printing and publishing, and they sell it,” Mobley said. “It’s a really good deal for an independent writer in that they just print copies as they sell them, so you don’t have a big stack sitting there.”

“It goes to a wider audience now,” Mobley said. “I started out thinking I’d sell enough books in Batesville and Jacksonport to pay for it. I didn’t make any profit.”

“I’ve read in the field all my life,” he said. “It was a tremendous advantage having that background.”

Mobley said he’s been reading about the Civil War for as long as he can remember. He stumbled across a volume of government reports on the Trans-Mississippi Theater. The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River.

“My basis was resource records of ‘the War of the Rebellion,’” Mobley said. “There are 186 volumes. In the 1880s, the federal government tried to gather all the initial official reports from the war at the time -- official army and navy reports. There’s a couple of volumes on the trans-Mississippi which included Arkansas.”

“I found these in a used book store when I was a teen-ager,” he said. “That’s when I got really enamored. These two volumes happened to be about Batesville. Lyon College has the entire collection, and I read from their collection. Now, I’ve got a disc with the whole thing on it.”

Batesville Mom’s Son Has Rare Genetic Disorder, Inspires Her to Become Nurse

By Julie M. Fidler
A Batesville mother’s life changed drastically eight years ago when her son was born with a rare genetic disorder. Paula and Leasul Long’s son, Landon, was diagnosed at birth with trisomy 4, a duplication of the fourth chromosome, affecting nearly every system in his body.

Landon was her inspiration for earning a nursing degree to help other families dealing with special needs children. The Longs were surprised, scared and confused when Landon was born at White County Medical Center in Searcy.

Right after he was born, Landon was flown to Arkansas Children’s Hospital where doctors in the genetics department saw something they hadn’t seen in 30 years in practice. The Longs were told their son’s disorder was the third documented in the United States, and that documentation came from London, England.

“It’s a rare chromosome disorder,” Long said. “It’s the duplication of the fourth chromosome. The genetics department did all the testing at Children’s while he was still in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit. They came back and said he was the third child anyone knew about having this.”

The couple were already parents of 16-year-old daughter, Alexa.

Before entering the registered nursing program at University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville in August 2010, Long worked for a non-profit organization. “I was only working part-time because, the rest of the time, I was taking care of my son,” she said.

Although Landon is physically 8, he has the cognitive ability of a 15- to 18-month-old.

“His cognition is delayed,” Long said. “His mobility is impaired; he is hearing impaired; he is sight impaired; he wears hearing devices called Baha’s (attached behind each ear with titanium studs). He doesn’t walk. He doesn’t sit up. He uses special walkers and his wheelchair to get around.”

None of the above keep Landon from communicating. “We as caregivers know his grunts and his cries,” his mother said. “He is making a few more sounds, but he doesn’t speak. With his hearing, he is making slow progress.”

Long said her son’s prognosis as far as overall health is good. “They think he could live a fairly healthy life,” she said. “He’s susceptible to everything because of his immune system. He’ll always need one-on-one care. He’s never going to be independent.” She said Landon is making progress with mobility and he may eventually walk. He also has dysplasia of both hips.

Landon attends school at West Magnet where he is on the dance team. Sarah Humphrey is Landon’s “one-on-one.” She gets him where he needs to be at school.

“He’s a happy child,” Long said. “He’s very loving. He laughs and smiles a lot.”

Landon is unable to enjoy TV because of his impairments. His mother said he would rather interact with people or hold a little radio he can feel vibrate.

“He loves people,” she said. “He loves rolling and playing. He has chimes and things that make sound. He’s a very pleasant child.”

Long wasn’t a newcomer to the medical field when she signed on for nursing classes. She realized her passion for caring for others as a hospital teen volunteer. She was on the Bethesda Fire Department and earned her EMT (emergency medical technician) license by the time she was 19.

Marriage and her first child caused the nursing career to go on the back burner. Long studied early childhood and ran a day care center when Landon was born. “That’s how we have to think of our lives,” she said. “There’s pre-Landon and post-Landon.”

Landon’s had 20 surgeries at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and many stays didn’t include surgery. “We lived down there pretty much,” said Long. “I have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House.”

“Being with him and being so involved made me realize how strong my passion was,” she said. “Numerous people would say, ‘You’ve missed your calling. Why aren’t you a nurse?’ I felt like the good Lord was telling me something. Finances and everything fell into place, and here I am.”

Long said she has a very close-knit group of caretakers that includes her husband, her daughter and her parents, Alvie and Fay Needham of Batesville. No one else would know what to do with her son, she said.

Long said she looks forward to moving into the new nursing building at UACCB this summer and graduating next December as a registered nurse.

“My ultimate goal is to work at Children’s,” she said. “It may take a little while to get there. I want to help other families like us who are scared or lost and have no idea of what’s going on. I just want to be able to be a comfort to them.”

Renaissance Days Could Serve as Time Warp

By Julie M. Fidler
BATESVILLE -- Travelers passing through town April 15 or 16 may find themselves thinking they’ve time-warped to the Middle Ages. The sixth annual Renaissance Days at University of Arkansas Community College in Batesville is scheduled for that weekend, and Lords, Ladies, Lads and Lasses have been known to gather from miles around to partake in the revelry.

According to the event’s organizer, Marla Bennett (or Lady Bennett), Renaissance Days grows every year. Area high schools participate, allowing students to have a fun “day off” and learn at the same time, she said. Bennett teaches English at UACCB and holds a master’s degree in 17th century British literature and Renaissance. This year’s theme is “Renaissance Rivalry.”

Friday’s events begin at 9 a.m. on the UACCB campus. The Southside High School Madrigal Choir will kick the event off with a concert.

The day will be filled with a variety of activities including: Medieval/Renaissance story-telling, music, dance and artistry; sword play, archery, vendors, displays, stockades, sonnets, skits, costume contest and a tug-of-war.

The first day of the festival is mainly aimed at local students and educators, Bennett said. “Teachers and students will see samples of period weaponry, music, weaving and heraldry and hear ‘mini’ presentations about Renaissance lifestyles and occupations,” she said.

A Battle of the Scholars will identify which “kingdom” (high school) will receive the Trophy of Knowledge. There will also be displays and vendors so those attending may buy souvenirs. All of the events are open to the public, and all activities are free.

UACCB’s Renaissance Club is in charge of Saturdays events to continue the Renaissance experience with an emphasis on community participation, Bennett said.

Beginning at 10 a.m., the Society for Creative Anachronism will continue to demonstrate Medieval culture. The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and recreating the arts and skills of pre-17th century Europe.

“Of course, there will also be many opportunities for community members to participate in games, view the displays and enjoy the vendors’ tents and booths,” according to Bennett.

UACCB’s drama class will perform Commedia dell'arte, comedy through the art of improvisation. “It’s exactly what grew into Saturday Night Live,” said Bennett. The creative writing club will share original sonnets, and the Renaissance Club will perform authentic dances.

Saturday’s events feature a lot of family friendly entertainment. “This is the third year we’ve asked Kittye Williams and the Salty Kiss back,” Bennett said. “She’s just a riot. It’s an  all-female pirate comedy troupe. They have a Renaissance Fair in Missouri, and they are hysterical. They do little reenactments of fairy tales in new, ingenious and funny ways.”

Other entertainers include: Melinda Lefevers, an Arkansas scholar who talks on castle life, teaches herbology and weaving, makes her own perfumes and soaps, sings, plays instruments and tells stories; and Trudy “Lady Amina” Francis, who gives Middle-Eastern workshops on weaving and dancing, among other things.

The campus is located at 2005 White Drive in north-east Batesville. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call Marla Bennett at 870-612-2038.

Criteria for Judging Whether it's a Good Pin-Up & in What Category Does Your Idol Fall?

Join the discussion!

I see it like this ... As for judging whether it's a good pin-up or not, it obviously depends on the subject matter.

For example, if it's a glossy, color, full-pager of Lance Kerwin, Willie Aames or Jimmy McNichol, it's automatically a bad pin-up and a waste of ink that should have probably been reserved for Donny Osmond, Leif Garrett or Erik Estrada. Toss those out, put them on the dartboard or, if you’re lucky, trade with a friend. They don’t even deserve to be categorized.

Other than that, criteria should include: the amount of clothing the subject is wearing; whether the hair is messed up or not (good for some and not for others); and whether or not the subject looks like he's aware you're going to be staring at him for at least an hour or two at a time. You’re the judge of that.

I propose three different fairly solid categorizations that should cover all teen idols (in particular, males).

“Fox:” He’s not particularly a big fellow. He may even be shorter than you, and most likely is. None-the-less, he’s cute, seems to have a great sense of humor and the hair is perfect. Examples include Ralph Macchio, Scott Baio, Michael J. Fox, etc.  He’d be great to hang around with, but more in a brother-like way or your friend at school who is probably gay.
“Hunk:” This is not a boy you’re looking at here. This is a grown man, complete with muscle mass. Your mom would definitely approve, but your dad certainly would not. He’s gotta be at least 20, maybe even 30. He might have hair on his chest and let you see it. You know this guy could teach you a thing or two. Examples include Brett Hudson, Erik Estrada, Richard Hatch, James Brolin, and possibly, Parker Stevenson, although the committee’s still out. Robert Redford doesn’t qualify. He’s just plain old.
“Pretty Boy:” This is the one who is prettier than you. If you walk through the mall with him, guys whistle, but not at you. You don’t admit to anyone other than your mother you have a secret “thing” for this guy. You tear out the pin-up, but you don’t dare hang it in your locker where others might see. Examples include Peter Frampton, Rick Springfield (the early days), Leif Garrett and Peter Barton. See also: Every single Bay City Roller (not limited to the original five).

I think that about sums it up. Please feel free to introduce your own proposals. That is all.

17:21 03/14/2011

The REAL Life of a '70s Teen -- New Diary Entries

Editor's Note: March 11 -- Today in history, according to my diaries. More recent diaries will be edited only by omission in order to, well, you know … have a little privacy, at least! All spelling and grammar have been left untouched. I learned along the way, don'tcha know?

Sunday, March 11, 1973

Watched "Curiosity Shop" listened to "Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the haunted house." Went to lake view center museum, got sea horse.
Watched "There's no time for Love Charlie Brown" then the second half of "Walt Disney".
Read Nancy Drew. Went to bed.

Tuesday, March 11, 1975

Hi. We're having a great big concert Thursday. All day Thurs. we get off school to practice! I can hardly wait!

Thursday, March 11, 1976

Hi. Mom & Dad wanted me to go to some kinda show at Lakeview. So I didn't want to go. They kept yellin' at me. So I decided to go. Went in & got on my nicest pair of blue jeans. So what do they say? "NO BLUE JEANS!" So here I am at home!

March 11, 1977

Stay all nite at Grandma's

Saturday, March 11, 1978

Stephen B., Andy K. on Sat. Night Live
KZ walkathon
Pick up Andy songbook
WHAT A CUTIE!! Went to Allied Agencies. Cut through line. Got in. Asked around and found Buster. Mom stayed in car with camera!! He was really good looking!!!! Very neatly dressed. He had a great complexion. Looked real young! Talked to him for a pretty long time! He also played my song for me! So sweet!
Staying all night with Grandma.
Buz was such a fox! He has crystal clear green eyes.

Sunday March 11, 1979

Today was kinda stinky. I didn't feel too talkative, so mom crabbed at me all day. She said I was being snobby. Even when I don't talk to her, it starts an argument. We went to Aunt Dot's & ate dinner. Steve & Co. were there. When I got home, I cruised the neighborhood. I watched t.v. I wrote Buster a mushy letter. I made greasy popcorn. I watched more t.v. Mom continued to crab at me. I watched more t.v. I talked on the phone to Stacey. I watched more t.v.

Tuesday March 11, 1980

High: 37    Low: 15
Hi Nick!
    I went to school. I lent my Am. Lit. teacher my S. King “Dead Zone” book & took the first 2 pages of the test I’ve been dreading. Next 2 pages tomarrow. In PE, Darcy & I caused some havoc. In 3rd hour SH, I waited for Legs to stop by cuz I wanted to ask him sumthin. Well, he did & I did. The pep assembly stunk. I came home. I ran in to the front room to check out the cablevision. It is fantastic! I can tell I’m gonna love this! I can get the temp & news at any time. I watched “Leave it to Beaver.” I’ll get to see him every day now! We ate supper. I fed Harold. God I write big! I’ll try & get small!! Stacey called & blabbed at me. Dad & I ran down to the Convenient. I listened to our whole game on the radio. It was so exciting & so close all the way I thought for sure we’d win. In overtime we lost by one basket 55-53. Aw man! I really did wanna see us win & play in the biggy! Well gonna go do history then sleep. G’night Nicole!
Love, Julie

Thursday March 11, 1982

Well, guess what! I got a letter of acceptance from Arkansas College! YAHOO! I’ll be going there for sure in September! I can’t wait! I’ll hear more from them later. Leroy and I went to Mt. View hospital to visit his sister, Mary. Tim came back w/us. We went to Leroy’s Ma’s. Came back here. I typed a letter for Kathy. Cecil, Kathy, Leroy, Tim, and I played Monopoly. We quit at 10. During the course of the game Leroy had 2 beers. As ya know, my ideal man doesn’t drink or smoke. Leroy does both. If it were to get out of hand, I’d quit seeing him. But I don’t think it will. He knows I don’t approve. But he’s almost 26 & can do what he pleases. The bracelet he gave me is starting to break. I told him tonight. We’ll get it fixed. Sometimes I’m scared of him cuz when I stop & think about it, he’s a man -- not a boy. Oh well, he’s treated me well thus far. I don’t want to lose him. Should get ACT test scores soon.

Friday March 11, 1983

Wow have I been busy! Wed. I had lunch w/Paul at Sweden Creme. He drove. My car wouldn’t start. He tried to help me w/it but couldn’t. Called Dad. He & Ma came to school. Dad got it going. I drove the Chevette back in there to meet Darick for the movie. We went in his car. After the show he dropped me off. We had fun. I like him. I was gonna stay at Renee’s that night, but when I went there no one was awake so I came on home. I didn’t go to Bible class yesterday cuz I didn’t get my homework done. Did go to work. Instead of eating lunch, I did the Jane Fonda work out with Cheryl. Boy do I hurt now. In Basic TV Paul gave us back our projects. I got 10 out of 15 points. I was pissed, but I guess it’s fair. After Mass Comm. I went to a music store & back to chapel to set up audio for a lecture. I met up with Darick, Cheryl & Mona after driving thru the taco place. We got both projects done. They’re really funny. Today, Renee loaned me her camera for my photo project. Paul came in for a meeting. I asked him if he’d be able to let me in the darkroom tomorrow. I came home, then took my photo project between here & Mtn. View. I got my Mass Comm report done. I am really loaded down with the homework this week! It’s 10:30 & I just finished that report.

Monday, March 11, 1985

    Since I spent all yesterday playing Wizardry had to do homework this morn. At work at media centre, ran errands for Renee to Wal Fart & Byte Shop. Stopped at Booksellers to see if she had any books Stephen King wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Had her order one called “Thinner.” Went to Quorum Court & went back to station to write up story. Had nice talk w/Jim. Drove Chris to Dairy Queen to get his car from his depressing little wife. I came on back to the apartment to study, and was purposely left out of some Kappa activity. They knew I was here, but didn’t invite me to come along. That kinda hurt my feelings even if I didn’t want to go. I’m not really thought of as part of the sorority any more I guess.
    Called John. He’ll be coming by Amtrak into Bloomington the Tuesday of Spring Break. Don’t know time yet, but he’s gonna call back tomorrow.

Friday March 11, 1988

    Today was mostly good. Bad part was Mr. P. said we may end up paying $634 in federal taxes. Can’t do it. Hopefully it won’t turn out that way. Roy was out in the afternoon so it was nice. Mark & I ate lunch at Bonanza. In the afternoon we went to Sears to order an air pump for the big mattress I got last summer. While there, the Sears boss gave Mark a job. He’ll be working there Tues. & Thursdays in the afternoons. We need that $. After work, I went to get my haircut. It turned out great. Mark even likes it. It’s all one length & straight. At last, a style for my straight hair! Went to Wal-Mart & put a summer outfit on layaway.
    Once home, ate, tidied & crocheted. I’m up too late. Oh -- they ruled out drugs & alcohol in Andy Gibb’s death & said it was some kind of heart virus.
    20/20 featured a section on babies.
    Lightning & thunder out. Almost spring.

Saturday March 11, 1989

    It was real sunny & warm all day. I got up early & started on the laundry & carried it back & forth hanging it out on the clothesline. By the time I woke Mark up in the afternoon, my ankles & feet were all swelled up. I made us some enchiladas & tried to take it easy.

Saturday March 11, 1995

    Mom & I went to Little Rock while Ella watched the boys. It was really enjoyable. I found a glove for $6.99 at that sporting goods store. Got a new pair of jeans & lots of books. Aunt Phyllis said we can stay there on spring break.

The REAL Life of a '70s Teen

Editor's note: I’ve been amazed over the last 16 years at the interest shown in my Web site, Stuck in the ’70s. In particular, people seem to enjoy my real-life, no lie, here’s-what-I-actually wrote diary.

I received my first diary at my first birthday party, at my house in Brookview -- a real live slumber party. The only guests I recall coming were Jennie Pickford and Paula Weigensberg (sp), both from Lake of the Woods, a neighborhood considered one step better than ours. I loved them both dearly. One of the presents was a diary. It came from my mom, of course. Mom always wrote things down. She had multiple calendars going. She came by it easily. The attic is full of Grandma Biddison’s diaries I have yet to read.

I realized on March 3, 1972, I would never be anything other than a writer.

The entries started out slow, then started to grow. (Apologies to Dr. Seuss … and a happy birthday, belated.) As the years went on, I spent more and more time in my room. Hours of  watching the little portable black and white TV I carried back and forth between the kitchen (where it sat atop the fridge so Dad could watch the news while we ate) and my room. I had select few friends, and the “others” just thought I was weird. Today, they’d call it bullying, and it’d be all over the news.

If I wasn’t staying up past my bedtime, with the earplug in (under the blanket), watching Richard Hatch (the REAL Richard Hatch) on “Streets of San Francisco” on CBS or Johnny Carson on NBC or “Mary Harper” or “Soap” on ABC, I was listening to the radio, writing in my diary and reading Tiger Beat or 16. It was something special when we got our “licenses” and could meet up at the mall.

So, here it is. You asked for it, you got it Toyota. The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say. I hope you enjoy it. And … I hope you let me know what you think in the comment section right here on Fidler Forum. My entries will depend on your feedback.

Remember: All spelling and grammar remain original, and what you see is actually what appears in my original diaries. No names have been changed, because, after all, who really is innocent? I’ll say “I’m sorry” right now if I hurt anyone’s feelings because I sure as heck know what that’s like. That’s right. You know who you are. Called me “Frog Dog” and “Sasquatch,” among many other colorful terms.

If we are on Facebook and/or Twitter together, I will be sure to “tag” you when your name comes up. I very much look forward to Friday, July 22, in Chilli! Go Grey Ghosts. “We party hearty and have lots of fun cuz we’re the class of ’81!” (’Cept I was never invited. Boo hoo.)

Thanks for sticking around. It’s fixin’ to get a lot better, man!

Julie M. Fidler
20:31 3.10.11
39 degrees on the porch, 72 in here

Saturday, March 10, 1973
Watched cartoons. had fun. Went to Conveinent. Bought sunflower seeds & bubble gum. Played with new basketball, lost Mike 3 out of 3 games.
Argued with Cathy finally talked her into staying all night. Watched Carol Burnett. Went to bed.

Tuesday, March 9, 1976

hi. Nothing happened today at all. You see this pic. This here is Jim Stafford. I've seen him in concert & on TV. I have all his records & everything. Ain't he cute. I really like him!

Wednesday, March 10, 1976
hi. tony O. was good.

Friday, March 10, 1978
Today was pretty neat!
Got 1 letter in the mail. There was the stinkiest assembly at school. Some college choir. It was gross!!!!!
Called Buz. Gonna meet him tomarrow. Should be grand. I’m kinda worried, though. What if he’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life? The answer lies in the pages of tomarrow! (hey! That was pretty good!) Check out my horoscope & Wishing Well for today! Could they be talking about the meeting of “Julie of IVC” & “Buster Bradley of KZ-93”?
Put a note into Joe’s locker! It was a cute poem Stacey showed me!

Saturday March 10, 1979
hi:25, low: 7
Today was good enough. I got to solo all the way into Chilli & back. No problems at all. I did just great! Me, mom & Aunt Dot went shopping. I got a few things. Including this 10 color pen. I got one letter. The girl said she saw D&T on a show and Pooh has a perm! Oh brother! Can this be? Yuck! I didn't think he was that type! Ma & dad went to the Brem's. I decided to stay home. I'm watching Chips. Then I watched B.J. & the Bear. I found Gomez wandering around loose so, I put him in the garage. I did a gob of business math homework. I'll finish it tomarrow. We're gonna have one hell of a flood around the beginning of the week! Time for "De Plane." I'm gonna work on my rug a bit.

Monday March 10, 1980
High: 45 Low:
Hi Nicole!
Today was a good day! Tomarrow’ll be better tho! Tell ya in a sec. 1st hour we reviewed for the big test we’re gonna have & I’m gonna flunk tomarrow. In PE we played a stupid game. In 3rd hour SH I read & got winked at by Mr. Childs. Hell stunk. Mr. Childs’ class was great. I love talking to that guy! We talked about all kinds of stuff today. I heard that in one of his classes he showed them the drawing of a runner I did for him & said “Julie Fidler drew this for me.” Once I got him talking I thought he’d never shut up! But he’s fun. In 6th hour Independent Living I learned about the other side of Legs. My (one of them) cooking partner goes to the Marina Motel a lot & it’s Wendy’s proverbial hang-out! Well, it seems that he’s quite a ladies man there & that he can charm the socks right off any broad who walks in the joint & apparently he does. Tony said that his marriages never stoped him, he’s a real swinger! In Tony’s words “You should’ve seen the fox he picked up there last week!” And Jill Reed, my other partner, says she saw his name on the sign up sheet for the Sweetheart Swing! There’s one thing that’s certain -- he’s one hell of a heart breaker! Now that I’ve wasted an entire page on Legs -- on with my day. In Indep Liv. We made bisquits. In 7th hour SH we played Uno, & I got 2 winks from Legs. I came home. Now the great news - we get our cable tv tomarrow! Hip-hip-hooray!! This will be gr-8! We ate supper. I forgot to bring my Amer. Lit. home to study so Pa drove me up to school & I got it. We came home. Cousin Gordon’s on a break from college & came by & talked. We watched a new show called “That’s Incredible.” I tried studying. Then Dad helped me try to figger out what the hell Legs is “TAWKING” about in that Study Sheet!

Wednesday March 10, 1982
Well, the photo place lost my pictures! She put a tracer on them. I’ll call back Sat. I didn’t see Leroy yesterday. Today I played raquetball w/out walls on the basketball court for a few hours. I did a little runing around w/Leroy tonight. He has a nervous problem that he was sick with yesterday. Poor guy. I’m gonna learn how to take the motor out of a car tomorrow. I want to play some more raquetball too. Weather is great!! Leroy wants me to sketch him. I like him a whole lot.

Sunday, March 10, 1985
Worked from 6 a.m. to noon

Thursday, March 10, 1988
Work didn’t go by quickly enough in the morn. Mom met me at lunch. We ate at Subway & she brought us a box & packing materials to mail in our non-functioning answering machine. I’m in the mood for a hair-do change - not short though. I made an appointment for tomorrow at 5 p.m. w/Dorothy & I plan to get a straight bob. Hope it works the way I want. Usually doesn’t. Mark brought in more info for Mr. P. on the taxes. We’ll probably have to pay a lot. Once off work, I packed up the Phone-Mate to be mailed. I also wrote to Carolyn & watched “Probe.”
Andy Gibb died today in London. They haven’t released the cause of death. He apparently complained of stomach pains, but was involved in drugs. Such a shame. He was 30. I was madly in love with him 10 & 11 years ago. It really bums me out. Part of my teen memories dead.

Friday, March 10, 1989
Mark had to work a 12 hour shift, so wasn’t able to get up & come to the doctor with me. It was a great visit though. I weighed in at 195. The baby’s heartbeat was 140. I told the nurse I thought Baby has dropped down & when the doctor checked, he said it sure has! He said the head is behind my pelvis! He also said that when the baby wedges in like that it usually means I’ll have it within 2 ½ weeks! He said it’ll be toward the end of the month!
When I got home I was so excited I wanted to wake Mark up & tell him, but I didn’t. So I called Mom, but she doesn’t seem to understand any of this or at least she doesn’t get excited.

Sun. March 10, 1991
I got up at 4:30 am, actually 3:30 am Arkansas time & John drove us to the airport. It was snowing. When we arrived in LR (sunny & warm) Rob was not at the airport, which came to me as no surprise. Luckily Anne had called & woke her up. I drove home as fast as I could with my car pulling itself all over the hiway. That night Mark & I went to Wal-Mart & I used some of my tax $ to buy a 26”, stereo color television. It’s great!

Friday, March 10, 1995
At lunch worked out on weights & walked a mile.
Got a copy of the final, unsigned property settlement. Drank a little too much in the evening.
Called (crush at the time) to ask him about a T-ball glove. He suggested a used sporting goods store by McCain mall. We talked just briefly around 9:30 p.m.                                                                                   

Coming before bedtime!

Unseen by anyone other than yours truly (and possibly at least one of my brothers): Diary entries from the years 1980 to the present! * GASP! *

When I Was 17

Dear Loyal Reader,

Below is a blog, originally written last May for Live Journal, a blog-hosting Web site I decided not to use. I still plan pretty much the same concept here. However, since then, I’ve created Fidler Freelancing on Facebook and Fidler Forum on Blogspot. (You can still find me on Twitter@stuckinthe70s with comments a little more “off the cuff.” The site stuckinthe70s.com is undergoing a rebirth.)

 I’m currently also writing for three different publications. Therefore, this Blogger site will be where I put everything, including recent articles written for those publications: University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Three Rivers Edition and Eye On Independence magazine. I’m proud to be a part of all three! If you have any questions, comments, criticisms or ideas for a great story, please let me know on this blog. Thanks for your support. -- Julie M. Fidler, 18:11 3.9.11)

When I was 17 and my mom was the age I am now, she didn't seem very cool to me. When I was 13, she was still half-way cool. I consented to wear the matching, elastic-waisted, red, white and blue-striped flares at that point. I don't know why things changed or exactly when.

I'm sure it had something to do with boys, hormones, peer pressure, boys, getting my own car and boys. My diary entries took a drastic turn toward the “dark side” in late 1979 as I approached my 17th birthday.

I had been a sickly kid. At 13, I was diagnosed with a goiter (Learn about it here.). Mom and Dad pampered and spoiled me, thinking they were going to lose me. Earlier, when I was 3 or 4, I had a tumor removed from my right knee … in the doctor’s office without anesthesia. Sucked. Still remember it.

Finally, a month before my 18th birthday, I had 90 percent of my thyroid removed, which led to more spoiling. Anyway, I became pretty rotten for a couple of decades, and I wouldn’t really want to share most of those diaries with anyone. Live and learn, right?

So, what I am proposing to doing here at Live Journal is this: Define exactly what my generation is

So, stay tuned faithful reader for a new decade with Stuck in the ’70s.

Stay cool,
Julie

(Written May 3, 2010 near Mother’s Day)

Exactly Why I Should Be "GLEEk" of the Week

Exactly Why I Should Be Named “Gleek of the Week”

By Julie M. Fidler
Batesville, Arkansas, United States of Proud to be an American

I’m not your average, every day GLEEk. I’m pushing 50. I suffer through hot flashes and Empty Nest Syndrome. So, why in the world would I tune in to a “kids’ show”? I’ll tell ya.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of pop culture here in America. Truly American culture. That’s why, in 1994, I started the website stuckinthe70s.com (currently undergoing a much hipper rebirth).

Aside from hosting my real-life ’70s teen diary, the site explores everything pop culture and kitsch from about 1967 to 1984. My passion.

Believe it or not, when I was in high school from 1977-1981, I was a bit of a geek. I know. Hard to fathom. In a day when it was cool to be into Cheap Trick, Kiss, Ozzy and the like, I proudly wore my Captain and Tennille shirt up and down the hallways. I was unstoppable.

I played alto saxophone in the middle school and junior high bands. Except in parades. Then … I lugged around a baritone sax bigger than I was almost. And, of course, our band always got behind the horses. I gave up the band in high school.

In junior high, I wanted to join the choir, but was deathly afraid of trying out. So, the choir teacher let me pair up with my friend, Dawn. Dawn had a “Rosemary Baby” haircut and freckles on her freckles. She was an alto, and she could sing.

The teacher grimaced through that and sent me to the alto section, where she kept telling me to lean in closer to Dawn and “listen.” I ended up playing the marimba for the Christmas choir concert, if that tells you anything.

So, when I read in TV Guide about this new Fox show, “Glee,” being such a big hit, I had to find out what the fuss was all about. That’s all it took.

Now, I identify with the cheer-leading coach and have a crush on the teacher. One hour of “Glee” serves as my time machine … just as my website does. I shut myself in with the show on a Tuesday night (for some reason, the old man doesn’t like it), and I become a student at McKinley.

Shoot! I bet Mr. Schu would even let me be in New Directions. And, if I could hang out with Kurt and Mercedes, I’d be in heaven. Artie is groovy, irresistible and we can safety dance anytime!

I really believe “Glee” has something to offer everyone. I think it is probably the best show on television that parents and kids can sit down and watch together. Then, talk about what you’ve seen. That’s what I did with my boys.

The generation depicted on the show is much like my own, but things are a heck of a lot harder these days, believe it or not. And, a lot of people my age don’t. I know because, as a single mom, raising two sons (now 18 and 22), it’s HARD!

“Glee” lets us all know … It’s OK to be born this way.

Dear TV Guide

I've never written to your magazine. I'm 48 and can't remember a week without TV Guide in the house.

Yes, I'm a GLEEk. Shhhhhh ....

I'm mainly a Sue fan. In some weird way, I identify with her. It seems to me, this season is all about filling out the characters, ie; Coach Beaste (LUV her now after the cowboy bar!)

Nancy says: "Shooting kids out of cannons? Trashing offices? No school would put up with that."

Say what? You tell me, Nancy, what school would put up with a bunch of dorks bustin' a move in MC Hammer pants to "Can't Touch Dis" in the library? It's a TV show.

On the other hand, there is something that might make me turn off "GLEE" ... More Gwyneth Paltrow. I find her unattractive, she sings worse than I do (and that's BAD) and she is lacking acting skills. So there. :)

Julie M. Fidler
Batesville, Arkansas, United States of Proud to be an American

Upcoming Blogs! Stay tuned ...

• Do not. I repeat. Do NOT call me a "Baby Boomer"
• Why I should be considered for "Gleek of the Week"
• Smoking: How I got to this point
• Why Earth SHOULD, in fact, revolve around me
• Nintendo Wii tips for old ladies
• How I discovered the Internets
• Schooling kids these days about "real" music
• "Are you still beating your wife" and other questions to ask politicians

Old Photo Inspires Artist's Route 66 Exhibit

Old Photo Inspires Artist's Route 66 Exhibit

Former convenience store manager studies criminal justice

Former convenience store manager studies criminal justice at UACCB

State's MD Goodwill Ambassador

My Latest 3 Rivers Edition Story

My Resume

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Cave City man gives up business to pursue hoop dream

By Julie M. Fidler
A Cave City man who owned a business for over 20 years gave it up to share his love for basketball with children.

Tim Palmer, former owner of Batesville Radiator, said he “lived and breathed” basketball as a Cave City High School student. His son, Dalton, 17, is a senior at CCHS.

“Mark Johnson was president of the booster club at Cave City,” Palmer said. “He asked me to be a volunteer coach for the Pee Wee program, starting with baseball and then basketball.”

It was while he was coaching basketball that he realized how much he enjoyed working with kids.

“Tracey Bustos (a student information officer at University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville) recommended that I complete a non-traditional scholarship application,” said Palmer. “She told me one time, ‘People are crazy if they don’t think you need to be doing this (working with children).’ … About the time I was ready to give up, not think about it any more and keep on doing what I was doing, I got a letter in the mail saying I’d gotten the scholarship. That changed everything.”

Palmer and his father, Gerald, worked in the same building before Tim Palmer became a full-time college student. “I was able to work beside my father, who was also self-employed in the same building but in a different business, for 22 years. I would not have traded those years for anything,” he said.

Palmer starting working with the Pee Wee basketball teams while they were in the third grade and continued working with the same group until they were in sixth grade. This year, they are seniors.

“These boys were my inspiration and incentive to keep going to UACCB to accomplish my goals,” he said.

After he graduated high school, Palmer had an offer to try out for the Lyon College basketball team, but turned it down. “In high school I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do,” he said. “I did well enough to play basketball. It was all I thought about.” However, he said he was “burnt out” on school and couldn’t imagine attending college at that time.

That changed when Palmer decided to go back to school. “I knew I wanted to be a coach and teacher those four years,” he said. “I felt that was the direction I needed to go and wanted to go.”

He said he was “scared to death” when he first started classes and felt he was the “oldest one on campus.” Soon, though, he was accepted by the other students and worked his way through math classes with the help of study groups.

“The kids accepted me out there after awhile, and I got along good with them,” he said. “It worked out great.”

While in his last semester at UACCB, Palmer applied for a scholarship from the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges Academic All-Stars and won. It paid complete tuition. Palmer completed his bachelor’s degree in December 2009 and graduated cum laude from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

He continued to coach while working on his degree. “I was asked by a parent and friend to coach their daughter’s Mid-America Youth Basketball team,” he said. The team consists of girls from Southside and Batesville, grades 7-11.

“This was a blessing because it took the place of the twenty-plus boys I coached while at UACCB,” he said. “These girls have been an inspiration to me, just as the boys had, and helped me make it through ASU. I still coach this team, and they will always have a place in my heart, along with the boys I coached.”

He completed practice teaching at Batesville junior and senior high schools, and is currently a teacher’s aide at Sulphur Rock Elementary in the Batesville School District. There, he works in the school’s “success center,” helping disadvantaged students.

Meanwhile, Palmer says he’s “waiting for the opportunity for another door to open” so that he can continue coaching.

“Starting college was one of the best decisions I have made,” he said. “I just wish I would have done it 20 years ago.”

Palmer is the son of Gerald and Sharon Palmer of Cave City and has been married to Karen Palmer for 28 years.

UACCB Student Manages Time Between Jobs, Babysitting and School

By Julie M. Fidler

BATESVILLE -- Although she works two part-time jobs, more than 40 hours a week, helps care for 11 cousins and takes on a full course load, one University of Arkansas Community College student doesn’t think she’s doing anything special. Linh Tran of Batesville is a first-semester freshman who seems to know a thing or two about time management.

Tran graduated from Batesville High School this spring, but she already had some credits at UACCB through advanced placement pre-med classes. Her junior year, she attended school while working three part-time jobs.

The North Carolina native grew up in Batesville. Her parents moved to Arkansas when she was a toddler to be near her mother’s family. Her parents, both originally from Vietnam, met in North Carolina and married there.

Tran, who is taking a 13-hour course load this semester, has her work cut out for her in the evenings. She waitresses at Tai Lee restaurant, owned by her aunt, and helps out at another aunt’s nail salon, Nails Spa. There, she sets appointments, helps clients and cleans up after manicurists. From there, it’s on to her grandmother’s house where she feeds and takes care of some of her younger cousins and helps others with schoolwork.

“I come in like the enforcer,” she says about her approach toward her cousins. “I’m the oldest of my cousins and I have 11 of them, ages 3-16. I’m the one that says, ‘Do your homework.’”

When does she fit in time for her own studying and homework? “Very late at night,” she said.

Currently, Tran’s classes are mostly in general education, but she said she would like to get an associate of science degree in science and major in biology.

After graduation she plans to take advantage of  a UACCB transfer scholarship and go on to either Lyon College or Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. “I want to work toward a bachelor’s in biology right now,” she said. “I’m contemplating about pre-dental and want to stick to biology. I want to be a dentist, so I might try that, and if I want to go further, I might be an orthodontist.”

Tran said she’s enjoying going to school at UACCB. “It’s nice because it’s community-based,” she said. “It’s more relaxed here. It’s great because most of the people look familiar here, so either you know them or kind of know them.”

She said she would recommend the college to those considering attending. “If you had a good base at high school, they understand that it’s been awhile since you’ve had some material,  so they take it easy with you. If you need to talk to them, they’re always there in their offices or after class.”

“The staff here is really helpful too,” said Tran. “The ladies in the business office, enrollment and financial aid  -- I think I’ve asked them maybe a hundred questions since I’ve been here. They’re really understanding and patient about even answering the same questions over and over again.”

Tran was active in Key Club in high school and has joined the college version of the organization, Circle K International.

CUTLINE INFO

University of Arkansas Community College first semester student Linh Tran takes a moment to look at her schedule book between classes.

Non-traditional College Student Earns Masters to Help Children

By Julie M. Fidler
BATESVILLE -- After working 16 years at Arkansas Eastman in Batesville, Lance Hall wasn't sure what he wanted to do when his employer was bought by another company. Reductions in force got him thinking about his future and his family.

Hall currently serves as an occupational therapist for the Batesville School District.

Hall started in maintenance at Eastman and worked his way into operations.

A Batesville High School graduate, Hall dropped out of University of Arkansas in Fayetteville after starting his second semester.

“I thought, if I could get on at Eastman or Newark (power plant), with that money and everything, why go to school?” Hall said. “At that time, the money was the main thing. I ended up getting on at Eastman, so it worked out good.”

In 1995, Arkansas Eastman became Eastman Chemical, and Hall began to see several reductions in force. He said he wasn’t worried, but began to think about the future of his family.

He and his wife, Mandie, had a 2-year-old son, Boston (now 5) at the time. Hall felt he was missing milestones in Boston's life and, with shift work, he knew he wouldn't be able to participate in the boy’s future activities.

That’s when he began taking classes at University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. “I was never worried about job security,” said Hall. “The last couple years I was there, I was doing shift work, switching from days to nights. I got to thinking about the future of my son, and I thought I was going to be missing things like ball-playing and everything. I thought it’d be a good time to find a different field.”

“I knew I wanted to go back to school,” said Hall. “I was looking at the allied health field. White River Health System was willing to hire me part-time as an emergency room technician. That opened my eyes to nursing and a whole host of other fields -- imaging, nuclear medicine …”

Hall immediately researched when and where classes were available with an eye toward getting into the School of Occupational Therapy at University of Central Arkansas at Conway.

“I laid out my options and thought, if I could get into school at Conway, I thought that’d be my best bet. I was taking classes here before I made that decision, lining up my science courses toward the medical field, working with a UACCB counselor. Everything slid into place, and I had enough hours to apply for OT school.”

The journey wasn’t easy. “As I struggled with a career change while out at Eastman, I continued to work 48 hours a week and take up to 19 hours per semester,” Hall said. “This was in addition to working part time at White River Medical Center three to four shifts a month. Many days were spent using my vacation hours from Eastman in class at UACCB only to return to work after class,” said Hall. “Then, I would have to find time to complete my homework after a 12-hour shift or during my days off.”

At times, going back to school as a “non-traditional student” was awkward.

“Being older and a non-traditional student, it’s different because you’re worried about going back as you’re older,” Hall said. “Wondering how instructors and students are going to look at you. It’s a little different outlook know you’re going to have to buckle down and study.”

The faculty and staff at UACCB made the transition easier, according to Hall. “I couldn’t ask for better instructors,” he said. “Everybody was helpful and understanding. Before I made that transition to the OT field, they helped guide and mold me in the direction they thought I might need to go. They threw all the options out there and let me decide.”

Hall said he was thankful for a non-traditional student scholarship that transferred over to UCA. “That helped out big time,” he said.

Now, Hall has a master’s degree in occupational therapy and looks forward to going to work every day.

Hall works with students from pre-kindergarten age through seniors in high school. “I’m working with the non-athletic side,” he said. “It’s basically the academic and functional side of it.”

He said he works with children who have very minor to extreme problems with fine motor skills or visual perception issues and some who have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis and Down’s Syndrome.

“I like that because kids are kids,” Hall said. “They’re honest, and they tell you what they’re thinking. I’m trying to get each of them back to their activities of daily living. For kids, daily living is playing. For us it’s work.”

Hall has been working for Batesville Schools since the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.

“I get to go to work and basically play with Legos, puzzles and Play-Doh. It’s a joy to see a kid reach a milestone. It’s like when a parent would see a kid walk or crawl. I get to see a kid develop.”

“Even since this fall, I’ve seen kids make tremendous strides,” said Hall. “To see that light bulb go off is just a feather in the cap. It just makes your day.”

Young Dancers Spread 'Glee'

By Julie M. Fidler

A group of young Batesville dancers works after school and on weekends, resulting in a performance much like that seen on the hit TV show, “Glee,”  minus the singing.

The 55 fourth- through sixth-graders at West Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School learn everything from jazz to disco to hip hop.

Teacher Danielle Green has been with the dance program at West since it began in 2004. The dance team formed in the 2005-06 school year. Its makeup is split pretty evenly between boys and girls.

“This year, we’ve done ‘Through the Years,’ with musical icons like Elvis and the Beatles,” said Green. “We go from them to the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys and the Black-Eyed Peas. So, we end with what’s current.” She said the team recently started learning a jazz routine.

To keep up to date, Green attends dance conventions like “The Pulse on Tour,” featuring famous current choreographers. “Last year, I went to Dallas,” she said. “Over spring break this year, I may be able to go back.”

Last summer,  Green went to Broadway Dance Center in New York City and took 10 hours of classes. “It was a lot of fun,” she said.

According to the teacher, “disco is really a big deal. The kids are all doing it and liking it.” She said educational standards require her to teach different time periods and cultures. “We do all of it.”

Each year, over 100 students try out for the dance team, and the numbers grow by at least two or three a year. Cuts have to be made.

“Even if we’ve have kids move, I’ve seen not as many drop off (the team) this year,” she said. “They’ve held with it and stuck with it. Try-outs are involved.”

To be fair, Green brings in outside judges and score tabulators for try-outs.

“A lot of times, I’ll pick a score to have as a cut off and take that many children (for the team),” she said. “There are cuts. But, a lot of times, those kids come back the next year; and most of them make it.”

Not all children join as expert dancers, Green said.

“There are some children from year to year,” she said. “They may not be the best dancers. Then, all of a sudden, it begins to click. They come on (stage), and it’s amazing.”

Some have even switched to West Magnet for the chance to dance, said Green. Her first group of fourth-graders are now high school sophomores. Many are either on the football or dance teams or are cheerleaders. “We’ve got representation of West throughout our school district,” she said.

The children seem to gain a lot of confidence through the program. “That’s the big thing,” said Green. “It gives them confidence do things they’d never have gotten to do. Taking these classes would not have been possible. It’s a wonderful program. Due to performance confidence, our academic tests scores have gone up.”

In 2008, the West Magnet Dance Team won grand champion status in Arkansas Dance Spectacular. Since then, the AAA oversees dance competitions. Due to the championship, the team received an Arkansas State Senate Citation.

More recently, the team has performed in Branson, Mo., at the shows “Red, Hot and Blue” and “Spirit of the Dance” and at Silver Dollar City. They’re currently preparing for the Branson show, “Liverpool Legends.” They’ll also perform again at Silver Dollar City. Two years ago, the team danced in front of 19,000 people at a University of Memphis basketball game .

They also perform during games at Lyon College and Batesville junior and senior high schools. Last month, the team danced at the Pink Zone basketball game at University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

Public recitals are coming next month. The fourth- through sixth-grade team performs at 6:30 p.m. April 29 at Independence Hall on the campus of University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. Recitals for kindergarten and first-grade dancers are May 5, and May 6 for second- and third-graders. All of the recitals are at UACCB at 6:30 p.m.

Southside youth enjoys deadly fun on weekends

By Julie M. Fidler
SOUTHSIDE -- A Southside junior high-schooler spends his weekends participating in a death-defying sport.

Kyler Keeney, 13, has won 27 motocross races within the last year. Kyler started getting in races late in 2009, with the help of a couple of friends who were already involved in the past-time.

“I’d wanted a dirt bike for a long time,” he said. “We just found one and bought it. Then, my mom told me about this track up at Heber Springs. We started going up there to practice a lot, and I asked Dad if I could race there, and he said I could.”

“Dad” is Elton Keeney of Batesville. “These bikes are designed and built to race,” he said. “Expensive too.”

Kyler’s father said they were lucky to have the help of Rick Caudel, owner of  Western Sizzlin’ in Batesville, from the beginning. Others who help keep Kyler’s bikes in shape, or sponsor all the equipment he needs, include Quick Signs and Graphics of Heber Springs, and Clint Carter at O’Neil Bottoms Motocross Park, Independence County Off-Road and B&R Marine and Cycle, all in Batesville.

The motocross season starts early in the year in February. At that time, there’s not a race every weekend. But, when March rolls around, the races start up and run every weekend through the end of November. “We’ve missed three races since Feb. 28, 2010, and that’s ‘cause they were rained out,” said Keeney.

Arkansas State Motocross Series and Arkansas State Championship Series put on the races at tracks across the state that host them. “There’s a point series of races, and it goes on at every different track,” said Kyler.

“I raced three or four in 2009, and they were at Heber Springs,” Kyler said. “That’s where my first race was.”

AMXA opened a new track in Cave City in 2010 and the owners wanted Kyler to try it out before a race there.

“He broke his collar bone, and still came in second,” said his father.

Kyler has hundreds of trophies and plaques to show for all of his races. He also had a broken wrist and has been “knocked out” twice during races.

Although the family’s pictures of Kyler flying through the air on his bike are probably the most stunning, Kyler said there are things about the races he likes more than the jumps. “There’s jumps and burns, which is in the corner. You go up on a dirt wall. It’s like an embanked corner. Then rollers, which is a jump thing in the middle of a corner.”

“My favorite part is not really the jumps, but being close to other bikes and clearing corners and all that,” said Kyler.

In the height of the racing season, Kyler practices on the track three or four days a week for the weekend competitions. “Lately, I’ve not been practicing as much because it’s so cold,” he said.

Kyler obviously has the support of his father, but what about Mom, Sherry Keeney? “My mom doesn’t really like that I race that much,” he said. “It scares her. Her whole side of the family doesn’t like it much, except for my grandpa, because they think it’s too dangerous. Dad’s side of the family  -- I don’t think they really want me to quit.”

“His grandma came to Heber and watched him,” said Keeney. “He’s in the air, 80 or 90 foot. She screams, gets up and leaves.”

What advice would Kyler offer a would-be motocross racer?

“When I started off, I didn’t know how to do anything,” he said. “I wasn’t very good at all. At each race, Dad would ask a lot of the pros questions and would get a bunch of hints from them. He’d tell me all this stuff, and I’d try to get the best ways from all of them. Also, I just spent a lot of time on the bike.”

“Once they start, there’s no way they can stop racing,” said Kyler

“Sometimes, we’ve hit two different races in one weekend,” said Keeney. “Not long ago, we practiced at Enola where the state series championship banquet was. He wrecked pretty bad, went to Heber and raced. He got knocked out, we got back home at midnight and went back to Enola to race the next day.”

Kyler seems to look at the injuries as an inconvenience. “When I get hurt, I pretty much want to hurry and get over it so I can ride,” he said. “After I broke my collar bone, I rode a dirt bike the very next day and raced in three weeks.”

“And won,” Keeney added. “The doctors were screaming, ‘No, no, no!’”

As for his plans for 2011, Kyler has three out-of-state races in his sites. “Next year I want to go to Loretta Lynn’s in Tennessee, Ponca City, Okla., and Branson, Mo.,” he said. “I want to try to make it to Loretta’s, but it’s hard to get there. You go to a track one weekend, and it’s like a race. Whoever gets in, like, the top eight in the area qualifier, goes to a regional qualifier, and they go from there. You’ve gotta be good … and fast.”

Cave City home improvement crew gives family extreme makeover

By Julie M. Fidler
CORD -- Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Will and Earlene Sterling of Cave City took on a major home improvement project for another family … for free. And, they say they’d do it again “in a heartbeat.”

Dennis and Darlene Kellems of Cord called Sterling Home Solutions last October to get a bid on getting their home repaired. The doublewide mobile home had parts of the floor falling through in places. Meanwhile, the Kellemses’ young daughter, Cassondra, was dealing with a lot of medical issues, including dialysis. Darlene and Cassondra moved in temporarily with a family member, separating them their husband and father.

A couple of weeks after Darlene had called the Sterlings’ business, Arkansas Children’s Hospital contacted them about the project, for which some funding had been donated.

“We saw a family in need, and decided to do our part,” said Mrs. Sterling. “We couldn’t bear to think of a family being split apart because of this situation.”

“This is the first time we have ever reached out in this manor,” she said.

The floors of the Kellems home needed to be repaired due to water damage.

But, the Sterlings and their crew didn’t want to leave it at that.

“After learning about the struggle this family had been through, we wanted to do more than just fix the floors,” Mrs. Sterling said. “We wanted to give them a new home.”

The crew, all working for free, repaired all of the floors, installed new carpet and laminate flooring throughout the entire home, replaced all of the lighting, installed new smoke alarms, painted the entire home (walls and ceilings), repaired the dishwasher and installed new mini-blinds and curtains.

Mrs. Sterling did all the decorating. “We built Cassondra’s room to match her personality.” The teen-ager loves country music. Will Sterling designed a bed frame in the shape of a guitar. He lined the wall at the ceiling with sparkly compact discs, lit by track lighting. The icing on the cake for Cassondra is a framed, autographed picture of the country group, The Dixie Chicks.

Members of The Home Depot’s Team Depot donated the paint and painting supplies. They also sent out a crew to help with some of the final cleaning. Furniture-4-Less donated a new bed for Cassondra. Sterling Home Solutions crew members Nick Ring, Clay Smith and Robbie Dye all worked for free.

“Nick Ring is our floater,” said Mrs. Sterling. “He can do most anything. Clay Smith is our painter, and Robbie Dye is our framer and roofer.”

The project took the group five days (61 hours). The result was a completely remodeled home.

“We got a warm heart just knowing this family is all under one roof again,” Mrs. Sterling said. “They were excited and emotional. They were expecting new floors, not a new home.”

“Will and I received such a blessing during this project,” she said. “It warmed our hearts to be part of a new beginning for such a deserving family.”

She thanked Eye On Independence Magazine: “Thank you for sharing their story with your readers. Our hope is that God continues to bless the Kellems family.”

Independence County Veteran Signed Up, Inspired by Terror Attack

By Julie M. Fidler
Remembering 9/11 inspired a Batesville veteran to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Josh Newman, 27, said he was in his senior year of high school and remembers the morning clearly. He was on his way to school when it happened.

“I was a senior in high school,” Newman said. “I remember it like yesterday. It was September 11th. I was driving to school that morning, and I remember watching the news seeing the airplane hit the tower. After I graduated, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to serve my country and be a part of the whole war on terrorism.”

He enlisted in May 2002 through the delayed entry program and signed in as an active duty Marine that October.

A native of Fox, Ark., Newman was in the Marines from 2002-07.

“Boot camp was a humbling and unique experience,” he said. “I went to San Diego. It was more mental than physical. I think a lot of people should go through it. It’ll make them grow up and think on their own. I’m glad I did it. I don’t have any regrets. I loved it. I miss it. Like any jobs, it’s not always fun and great, but when you get through,  it’s like, ‘Wow. That wasn’t too bad.’”

To the veterans who served before and with him, Newman said, “May God bless them for their service. Those are the only words I could say to them.”

 Stationed at Camp Lejeune, N. C., he worked in personnel administration. That included typing up orders, issuing plane tickets for first-time Marines arriving for their schooling.

“They’d come straight from boot camp, go to Marine combat training, then go to their first schooling to get their specialty,” said Newman. “Then they’d get shipped off.”

“I was stationed at base command,” he said. “Marine Corps engineer school was the unit I was with. I would handle the mail. I did a lot of different things in administration. I was a human resources liaison.” Instructors and staff sergeants were also stationed at the base.

“It was a great job,” said Newman. “I was stationed on the bay. There was water coming in from the ocean there. I could look out my window and see dolphins jumping.”

About the area in which he was stationed, he said, “The weather’s pretty much the same as here. They did have a lot more rain. It felt like home, but at the same time, it was not near.”

In boot camp, Newman started as a private in the enlisted ranks. He excelled fairly quickly and was soon promoted to lance corporal in 2004. The next year he was promoted to corporal, and in 2007, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

He said he was fortunate not to get deployed. “When I went through school, it was a little unique because my instructor had a heart for his Marines, and I did get to choose where I wanted to be stationed,” Newman said. “I was married, and I had my daughter. I was stationed at a non-deploying unit. It just happened to be the one I chose was a really good one.”

“Once I was stationed there,  I loved it,” he said. “I did a lot of exercising and would get up and run 3-8 miles every morning and would do a lot of physical training. Occasionally, we’d go on what we called ‘humps’ where you get a backpack full of stuff and take this long hike. I went through the gas chamber.”

As a part of his job, Newman supervised 14 Marines. “For me doing my job, I excelled. Simple as that,” he said. “I just did my job, and that’s why I excelled.”

Newman and his wife, Kayla, welcomed their first child, a daughter, at a nearby Naval hospital early in 2004. They named her Elexis.

“My wife has been a stay-at-home mom,” he said. “We’re high school sweethearts. I met her when I was in tenth grade, we dated since eleventh grade and have been together since then. We got married in ’03 and have three children.”

Elexis is now six; Logan Joshua is two; and the family added Natalie Faith the last day of this past August.

His job in the military helped prepare Newman for his current position as a city mail carrier. “After I got out, since I worked in the mail room and handled mail, I was planning on trying to go back to the civilian world. So, about a year before I got out I took the postal service test, and within a few weeks after coming back to Arkansas, I got on at Mountain View as a ‘casual’ just to help out part time.”

In May of 2008, he hired on as part-time “flexible” at the Batesville Post Office. He started in distribution, sorting the mail. He then went to a window clerk job and finally to a city carrier position.

“They’re downsizing and cutting jobs, so I decided to take the carrier position,” said Newman. “It’s a lot more strenuous, and I am a disabled vet. I hurt my knee when I was in. It’s pretty hard walking the streets.”

 In August 2009, he  decided to go to college to pursue an associate’s degree in general education with a business focus. “I’m going to try to get a business bachelor’s degree,” he said. “I’m looking at Lyon College to get my bachelor’s degree.”

When he’s not carrying mail or going to class, Newman plays drums with a contemporary Christian band, The Awakening.

“Since I’ve been here in Batesville the last couple years, I immediately got with some friends, met new people and play music,” he said. “We started a band. I was in a band called Titus 3 for a year. A couple members quit, so we recruited a couple new guys and changed our name to The Awakening. We’ve been together since this last July. We play at the Depot once a month or so.”